(2020-10-19). The Expiration Of The Iranian Arms Embargo Opens Up Exciting Opportunities. thealtworld.com The 13-year-long anti-Iranian arms embargo expired on Sunday, which creates exciting opportunities for the Islamic Republic to strengthen its national defense capabilities and cultivate even deeper relations with its top strategic partners such as China and Russia, possibly even playing them off against one another in a "friendly competition" so as to derive the greatest benefit. | The End Of The Embargo | The US is enraged that the UN let the 13-year-long anti-Iranian arms embargo
(2020-10-19). Chris Hedges: The Politics Of Cultural Despair. popularresistance.org The physical and moral decay of the United States and the malaise it has spawned have predictable results. We have seen in varying forms the consequences of social and political collapse during the twilight of the Greek and Roman empires, the Ottoman and Hapsburg empires, Tsarist Russia, Weimar Germany and the former Yugoslavia. Voices from the past, Aristotle, Cicero, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Joseph Roth and Milovan Djilas, warned us. But blinded by self-delusion and hubris, as if we are somehow exempt from human experience and human nature, we refuse to listen.
(2020-10-19). Nagorno-Karabakh Ceasefire 2.0? globalresearch.ca An October 9 Russia-brokered ceasefire between Armenia and Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh (NK below) failed to take hold. | On Saturday, warring sides again agreed to halt fighting, effective Sunday, citing humanitarian reasons. | An Azeri Foreign Ministry statement said the following: | "The …
(2020-10-19). EXCLUSIVE: Turkey to abandon some observation stations in Syria's Idlib. middleeasteye.net 
EXCLUSIVE: Turkey to abandon some observation stations in Syria's Idlib | Withdrawal comes as Russians hinder resupply efforts and Damascus stokes protests against Turkish presence | Mon, 10/19/2020 – 08: 53 | A Syrian army soldier looks at a Turkish military observation post in al-Rashidin district, in Aleppo's southwestern countryside in January (AFP) | Turkey has decided to abandon some of its militar…
(2020-10-19). US charges six Russian 'intelligence agents' with hacking Ukraine, Georgia, France and 2018 Olympics. rt.com 
The US Justice Department has announced charges against six alleged officers of Russian military intelligence, accusing them of cyber attacks against Georgia, France, the UK, the OPCW, Ukraine and the 2018 Winter Olympics. | A grand jury in Pennsylvania indicted the six men for "conspiracy, computer hacking, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and false registration of a domain name," the DOJ announced on Monday, describing them as officers in Unit 74455 of the Russian Main Intelligence Directorate, or GRU. | The indictment identifies them as Yuriy Sergeyevich Andrienko, Sergey Vladimirovich Detistov, Pavel…
(2020-10-19). DNI Ratcliffe says 'NO EVIDENCE' of Russian interference in Hunter Biden scandal, accuses Schiff of 'politicizing intelligence'. rt.com 
US Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe has refuted claims that alleged emails detailing Hunter Biden's business dealings in Ukraine and China when his father was VP are part of a Russian election interference effort. | "Hunter Biden's laptop is not part of some Russian disinformation campaign," Ratcliffe said during a Monday interview on Fox Business. "The intelligence community doesn't believe that because there is no intelligence that supports that," he added. | pic.twitter.com/49SSjhfQuN— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) (2020-10-19). UK parliament to probe reports UAE 'torture' chief could become head of Interpol. middleeasteye.net 
UK parliament to probe reports UAE 'torture' chief could become head of Interpol | Inquiry will hear that the global police organisation is open to manipulation by 'rogue' member states including Russia, China and the UAE | Mon, 10/19/2020 – 13: 11 | UAE security chief Nasser Ahmed al-Raisi, left, pictured in 2018 (Wikicommons) | British MPs will be told this week that Russia is a "criminal state" which is "ab…
(2020-10-19). Iran Free to Buy and Sell Arms. globalresearch.ca Security Council Res. 2231 (adopted July 14, 2015 — effective January 16, 2016) affirmed the landmark JCPOA nuclear deal with Iran unanimously. | It also retained an arms embargo on Iran for five years, a provision its ruling authorities accepted and …
(2020-10-19). What's behind the conflict in Caucasus, Central Asia? peoplesdispatch.org Newsclick's Prabir Purkayastha analyzes the developments in Kyrgyzstan and Nagorno Karabakh and examines the geo-political issues involved. He looks at the strategy of western powers to destabilize the region and the response of countries like Russia and China.
(2020-10-19). Catholic Priest Is Sentenced to Time Served after 2018 Break-in at Nuclear Naval Base. globalresearch.ca Since his arrest nearly three years ago on trespassing charges after invading a nuclear submarine base with six others as part of a symbolic nuclear disarmament action, the Rev. Stephen M. Kelly has been held in a Brunswick, Georgia, county …
(2020-10-19). Energy Research Platform Takes Central Stage Under Russia's BRICS Chairmanship. globalresearch.ca After the Ufa declaration in 2015, BRICS, an association of five major emerging economies that includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, has made energy cooperation one of its priorities besides attaining an admirable significant influence on regional affairs …
(2020-10-19). Danger of Russian-Turkish conflict grows as Armenian-Azeri ceasefire fails. wsws.org Casualties are rapidly mounting as heavy artillery and precision missile strikes rain down on civilian and military targets in both Armenia and Azerbaijan.
(2020-10-19). Russia's policy not determined by US threats: Ulyanov. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 19 (MNA) — In reaction to the US threat in the event of any arms deal with Iran, Russian senior diplomat said that Washington's threats are not determining Moscow's policy.
(2020-10-19). Iran plots course after end of 13-year arms embargo. yenisafak.com A 13-year UN-mandated arms embargo on Iran officially expired Sunday, effectively paving the way for the sanctions-battered country to import and export conventional weapons.In a statement, Iran's Foreign Ministry called it a "momentous day for the international community," which it said has protected the UN Security Council Resolution 2231 and the 2015 nuclear deal."As of today, all restrictions on the transfer of arms, related activities and financial services to and from the Islamic Republic of Iran, and all prohibitions regarding the entry into or transit through territories of the UN member states previously…
(2020-10-18). 'The Emails Are Russian' Will Be The Narrative, Regardless Of Facts Or Evidence. thealtworld.com Fight it all you want, but there's nothing you can do. "The emails are Russian" is going to be the official dominant narrative in mainstream political discourse, and there's nothing you can do to stop it. Resistance is futile. | Like the Russian hacking narrative, the Trump-Russia collusion narrative, the Russian bounties in Afghanistan narrative, and any other evidence-free framing of events that simultaneously advances pre-planned cold war agendas, is politically convenient for the Democratic party and generates clicks and ratings, the narrative that the New York Post publication of Hunter Biden's emails is a R…
(2020-10-18). Maduro Says Venezuela Received Thousands of Doses of Coronavirus Treatment From Russia. sputniknews.com LA PAZ (Sputnik) – Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro says thousands of doses of a coronavirus treatment have arrived from Russia.
(2020-10-18). Belarus protests: Dozens detained by cops & rubber bullets fired during another large anti-opposition march in Minsk (VIDEOS). rt.com 
Thousands of people took to the streets of Minsk again on Sunday, as mass anti-government protests continued across the country. Sporadic scuffles erupted between demonstrators and police, with dozens reportedly detained. | The Belarusian capital has played host to weekly protests against the government of President Alexander Lukashenko, since a disputed presidential election in August. This Sunday, the procession was dubbed 'The Partisan March' by its organizers. | Tens of thousands marched through the city's center, where they repeatedly ran into cordons erected by riot police and were forced to change cours…
(2020-10-18). Erdogan accuses Russia, US & France of providing 'weapon support' to Armenia amid Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. rt.com 
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused members of the OSCE Minsk Group of providing "weapon support" to Armenia in the ongoing Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, reiterating his own support for Azerbaijan. | Speaking at an event of his ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party in the southeastern Sirnak Province on Sunday, the Turkish president accused Russia, France, and the US — the states that co-chair the OSCE Minsk Mediation Group on Nagorno-Karabakh — of siding with Armenia in the conflict. The three countries are providing "all kinds of weapon support" to Yerevan, Erdogan claimed without g…
(2020-10-18). Russia football manager's son suffers FRACTURED JAW & head trauma after being KNOCKED OUT in horror collision with opponent's knee. rt.com 
Russia boss Stanislav Cherchesov's son, who takes his father's name and is also a goalkeeper, has been taken to hospital in an ambulance after being left unconscious when he took an opposition player's knee to the head in a match. | Cherchesov junior was playing for FC Olimp-Dolgoprudny, a Russian Professional League group two side, when he advanced from his line in a bid to thwart an opposition Rodina player who was rushing towards goal. | The match was stopped for several minutes after the 25-year-old was hit in the head by the player's knee with 26 minutes played, requiring medical staff to bring him back t…
(2020-10-18). Playing Russian Roulette with a COVID-19 Vaccine. globalresearch.ca America, we need to have a conversation. It is a very serious and dire conversation that has been intentionally ignored and swept under the rug for far too long. It concerns a dialogue that our entire mainstream media, in its …
(2020-10-18). Russia emphasizes developing defense coop. with Iran. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 18 (MNA) — Russian officials on Sunday announced that they will expand technical-military cooperation with the Islamic Republic of Iran in…
(2020-10-17). Why Wasn't There Any Post-Election Turmoil in Tajikistan? globalresearch.ca Unlike fellow former Soviet Republics Belarus and even neighboring Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan's latest elections didn't result in any turmoil even though one might have expected it to have due to some similarly discernible risk factors, but that wasn't the case (at …
(2020-10-17). US condemns Turkey over reported test of Russian S-400 missile system. middleeasteye.net 
US condemns Turkey over reported test of Russian S-400 missile system | Ankara refuses to confirm or deny reports that it has tested the controversial air defence system near the Black Sea | Sat, 10/17/2020 – 10: 32 | Washington fears the S-400 could be used to gain intelligence on US weaponry (Reuters) | The United States condemned Turkey on Friday after reports emerged that Ankara had te…
(2020-10-17). India gives go-ahead to domestic trial of Russia's pioneering 'Sputnik V' Covid-19 vaccine. rt.com 
India's vaccines regulator has given the green light for a clinical study of the Russia-developed Covid-19 vaccine. Similar trials of the formulation are underway in Russia itself and in some other nations. | The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI), a department in India's drug regulator that is responsible for licensing vaccines, has given its approval for a domestic clinical study of the Russian candidate vaccine dubbed "Sputnik V," Indian and Russian partners have announced in a joint statement. The "multi-center and randomized controlled study" will be conducted by Dr Reddy's Laboratories, a Hyderabad…
(2020-10-17). Russia's ALROSA leading global diamond production amid Covid-19 pandemic — Putin. rt.com 
Russian gem miner ALROSA has taken the top position in global diamond production during the coronavirus pandemic, President Vladimir Putin said during a meeting with the company's CEO, Sergey Ivanov. | "The world's jewelry and diamond mining industry have been caught in a very difficult situation. Many of ALROSA's competitors have practically stopped production, are laying off their employees in large numbers, and are on the brink of bankruptcy," Putin said. | He added that "ALROSA, which is the largest diamond mining enterprise in the country, has now become the largest in the world." | ALROSA accounts for ov…
(2020-10-17). Born in Russia, radicalized in France? Diplomat says 'no way' for Moscow to probe French-reared terrorist, but contacts ongoing. rt.com 
Russian authorities have no powers to open a case against a Moscow-born attacker who beheaded a teacher in France, an embassy spokesman has said, adding that his origin is not as important as the place of his radicalization. | Russia has no plans to launch its own investigation into the brutal murder committed in the town of Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, not far from the French capital, the Russian embassy said on Saturday. This is because there are no legal means to investigate a murder on French soil, Sergey Parinov, the embassy's spokesman, told RT France. | However, the embassy has contacted the French Interio…
(2020-10-17). The President, the Pandemic & the Election. zcomm.org The urgent problem of overcoming the existential crises—global warming, nuclear war, pandemics—has to be done within the general framework of existing institutions. We can improve them. But you won't be able to overcome them in the relevant time frame…
(2020-10-17). War in Nagorno-Karabakh Is a Gamechanger in Russian-Turkish Relations. globalresearch.ca After Turkey downed a Russian jet operating in Syria in late 2015, there was a major risk that the Syrian War could explode into a greater conflict between the two Eurasian countries. The Turkish attack resulted in the death of …
(2020-10-17). Fishermen oppose release of contaminated water from Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan. peoplesdispatch.org The company which operates the plant, Tokyo Electric Power, has collected over 1.23 million tons of contaminated water since the collapse of the nuclear plant in 2011…
(2020-10-17). The "Non-Aligned" Nations Realign. popularresistance.org In 1955 the US and the Soviet Union were in the midst of the Cold War. Both countries were pressuring Asian and African countries to align with them. In April of 1955, twenty-nine of these countries met in Bandung, Indonesia for the first Bandung (Asian-African) Conference. Most of the countries that attended were in the process of emerging from the shackles of colonial rule. | They met to address their common problems; sovereignty, political self-determination, non-aggression and equality.
(2020-10-17). Why Conflict in Caucasus Is Erdogan's Revenge for Syria. strategic-culture.org Turkey's outsize role in fueling the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan is becoming more apparent. That's why a peace deal will be hard to cut and indeed the conflict may blow up further into a protracted regional war. A war that could drag Russia into battling in the Caucasus on its southern periphery against NATO proxies. | In a phone call this week with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan
(2020-10-17). Russia to Respond to US Deployment of Missiles in Asia-Pacific Region, Ambassador Says. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Moscow will adequately respond to Washington's deployment of intermediate and short-range missiles in the Asia-Pacific region (APAC), Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov said.
(2020-10-17). Tehran Declares Arms Embargo Lifted, Iran Free to Procure, Export Arms as Sees Fit. sputniknews.com In 2015, Iran signed the JCPOA with China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany and the European Union, requiring Iran to scale back its nuclear program and severely downgrade its uranium reserves in exchange for sanctions relief, including lifting the arms embargo five years after the deal's adoption.
(2020-10-17). Russia receives renewed approval for COVID-19 vaccine trials in India. yenisafak.com The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and Dr Reddy's Laboratories Ltd have received renewed approval to conduct late-stage clinical trials in India of the Russian COVID-19 vaccine, the sovereign wealth fund said on Saturday.Large-scale trials of the Sputnik V vaccine in India were first announced and then knocked back by Indian regulators, who said the scale of Phase I and II trials conducted in Russia earlier this year was too small, requesting that they be repeated.Following a new agreement, India will now carry out an adaptive phase II and III human clinical trial involving 1,500 participants, RDIF, which…
(2020-10-17). Il virus nucleare di cui nessuno parla — intervista a Manlio Dinucci, giornalista. globalresearch.ca Trasmissione radiofonica. | Conducono in studio Mauro Caruso e Ludovica Di Chiara …
(2020-10-16). Washington's 'no' to Putin's proposal of a New START extension is a political victory for Moscow. thealtworld.com 
Putin intervened to state clearly and directly that a one-year extension of the New START treaty was the only option. The White House declined, setting the stage for a new arms race should Trump win in November. | Less than a week after US-Russian talks on the future of the New START treaty collapsed — amid recriminations from both sides stemming from a misunderstanding, whether deliberate or otherwise, regarding Moscow's position — President Vladimir Putin intervened in a high-profile bid to inject both clarity and a sense of urgency about the future viability of the last remaining arms control agree…
(2020-10-16). 'Putin's proposal a non-starter': White House rejects Russian call to extend nuclear arms control treaty. rt.com 
Washington has refused President Vladimir Putin's offer to extend New START, the last remaining arms control treaty between the US and Russia, for one year without any preconditions. | "President Putin's response today to extend New START… is a non-starter," the US National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien said in response to Moscow's offer, adding that Washington hopes Russia "will reevaluate its position before a costly arms race ensues." | (2/3) This would have been a win for both sides, and we believed the Russians were willing to accept this proposal when I met with my counterpart in Geneva. President Pu…
(2020-10-16). Russian population to fall by 1.2 million by 2024, wiping around 1% off the country's total, says latest government estimates. rt.com 
The population of Russia is predicted to drop by 352,500 people this year, and could be reduced by a total of 1.2 million come 2024. The latest figures are a major revision of the 2020 dip of only 158,000 projected in August.
(2020-10-16). 'Of course Khabib is going to win': Cristiano Ronaldo backs his 'brother' Khabib Nurmagomedov to defend title at UFC 254 (VIDEO). rt.com 
Iconic football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has thrown his weight behind Khabib Nurmagomedov ahead of his lightweight title defense against Justin Gaethje at UFC 254, saying that his "brother" is "of course going to win." | Juventus ace Ronaldo, who is currently recovering in Italy after being diagnosed with COVID-19 earlier this week, has maintained a friendship with the Russian UFC champion dating back to his Real Madrid days, so it comes as no surprise that he is backing Khabib to extend his undefeated streak when he steps into the cage with Gaethje on "UFC Fight Island" next weekend. | "Of course, of cours…
(2020-10-16). US threatens 'serious consequences' if Turkey puts into operation its Russian S-400 missile systems. rt.com 
The US State Department has warned the Turkish government of "potential serious consequences" to the two nations' security relationship should reports of Ankara testing the Russian S-400 air defense systems prove true. | "If confirmed, we would condemn in the strongest terms the S-400 test missile launch as incompatible with Turkey's responsibilities as a NATO ally and strategic partner of the United States," State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said on Friday. | Ortagus insisted that the air defense system "should not be operationalized," adding, "We have also been clear on the potential serious conseq…
(2020-10-16). 'He doesn't give a sh*t': Dana White says Khamzat Chimaev will fight ANYONE, as UFC struggles to lock down opponent (VIDEO). rt.com 
UFC president Dana White told reporters on "Fight Island" that his matchmaking team is working on securing big fights for both Islam Makhachev and Khamzat Chimaev as he looks to stack the deck ahead of the final months of 2020. | Makhachev was due to face former UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos on "UFC Fight Island" next weekend at UFC 254, but after the Brazilian tested positive for COVID-19, the rising Russian lightweight contender has been left without a fight. | And, even though there is a spare lightweight — former Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler — in Abu Dhabi, White sai…
(2020-10-16). Priest Sentenced To 33 Months For Protesting Nuclear Weapons. popularresistance.org Fifteen supporters in a carefully Covid masked and distanced courtroom witnessed Father Steve Kelly receive a sentence of 33 months today. After a 20 minute delay to get the telephone conference line working and properly muted 160 people listened in to the proceedings on the audio link. | Fr. Steve's sentence falls in the middle of the proposed guidelines and will likely allow his release from the Glynn County Detention Center where he is presently being detained 30 months after the action.
(2020-10-16). Why You Won't Find Us on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. strategic-culture.org Dear readers of the Strategic Culture Foundation website, | In September 2020, the Strategic Culture Foundation was banned from Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube following unsubstantiated claims that it was connected with Russian intelligence services and interfered in the US presidential elections on their orders. It means that you can't find us on these platforms and, moreover, if you try to post any links leading to SCF on your personal page, you will most likely not be allowed to do that. This case provides a glimpse into the dystopian future of suppressing dissident voices by governments previously known as dem…
(2020-10-16). UK Supports Efforts to Extend New START Between US, Russia, Foreign Office Says. sputniknews.com LONDON (Sputnik) – The United Kingdom supports the efforts to extend the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) between Russia and the United States, a spokesman for the Foreign Office said on Saturday.
(2020-10-16). Roman Catholic Priest to Be Released Following 2018 Activist Break-in at Nuclear-Capable US Base. sputniknews.com A 71-year-old Roman Catholic priest will spend virtually no additional time become bars after he was granted time served during sentencing for his April 2018 break-in at a nuclear-capable US Navy submarine base in Georgia.
(2020-10-16). 2016 Plot to Install Biden Plus a Tale of Two Town Halls. sputniknews.com On today's episode of The Backstory, host Lee Stranahan discussed current events, including the Democrats' plot to install Biden, the beheading of a teacher in Paris, Savannah Guthrie's town hall performance, the desecration of an altar in Louisiana, a drone strike in Idlib, and the latest on the START nuclear treaty.
(2020-10-16). Kremlin 'worried' by surge in COVID-19 cases, but says situation under control. yenisafak.com The Kremlin said on Friday it was worried by the record surge in Russia's COVID-19 cases and that the outbreak was spreading quickly, but that the situation was still under control.Russia's daily tally of new coronavirus cases surged to a record high of 15,150 on Friday, including 5,049 in the capital Moscow, pushing the national total to 1,369,313 since the pandemic began.
(2020-10-16). Belarus says it has evidence opposition council members sought to harm national security. yenisafak.com Belarusian investigators on Friday said they had evidence that members of the country's opposition coordination council had taken actions aimed at destabilising the country and harming its national security.Belarus has put opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya on its wanted list for allegedly making calls to overthrow the constitutional order, the interior ministry of close ally Russia said on Friday.Belarus has seen two months of protests since a contested Aug. 9 election, in which Lukashenko claimed a landslide victory. His opponents say it was rigged to hand him a sixth term in power.
(2020-10-16). Kings Bay Plowshares 7 Activists Sentenced for 2018 Anti-Nuclear Protest at Georgia Naval Base. commondreams.org Father Stephen Kelly and Patrick O'Neill were sentenced to nearly three years and 14 months in prison, respectively. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/kings-bay-plowshares-955px.jpg …
(2020-10-15). Venezuela Starts Clinical Trials of Russia's COVID-19 Vaccine. telesurenglish.net Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro informed his nation that 2,000 volunteers are already participating in the clinical trials of Sputnik, the Russian COVID-19 vaccine. | RELATED: | "The Russian vaccine is here and the tests have already begun… In addition, thousands of Chinese vaccines will come to the country," Maduro said during a program broadcast by Venezolana de Television on Wednesday. | In the first half of 2…