(2020-10-27). Headlines for October 27, 2020. democracynow.org Amy Coney Barrett Sworn In, Giving SCOTUS Heavy Conservative Majority Ahead of Pivotal Cases, SCOTUS Rules Wisconsin Cannot Count Ballots Received After Election Day, Surging COVID-19 Cases Trigger Curfews; Doctors Say 800,000 Children Have Been Infected, China Testing 5 Million People After One Asymptomatic Case in Xinjiang, New Lockdowns in Germany, Mask Orders in Russia as COVID-19 Cases Surge, Oxford Vaccine Shows Promising Results as New Data Suggests Antibodies in Recovered Cases Don't Last, U.S. Imposes Harsh New Sanctions on Iranian Oil, Airstrikes Kill Dozens at Training Camp in Idlib, Syria, Explosion a…
(2020-10-27). The China-Russia "Threat to America": Biden's Intriguing "Attempt" to Unite Democrat and Republican Foreign Policy Hawks. globalresearch.ca Biden's description of Russia as "the biggest threat to America" and China as its "biggest competitor" is an intriguing attempt to unite the anti-Russian and anti-Chinese factions of America's permanent military, intelligence, and diplomatic bureaucracies ("deep state") even if it's …
(2020-10-27). Cultivated Lunacy, Nuclear Deterrence and Banning the Nuke. globalresearch.ca Are international relations a field for cautious minds, marked by permanent setbacks, or terrain where the bold are encouraged to seize the day? In terms of dealing with the existential, and even unimaginable horror that is nuclear war, the bold …
(2020-10-27). Britain's Nuclear Weapons: Money for Nothing. strategic-culture.org On 19 October the BBC It must be made clear that there was no possibility this officer or any other single person could in some way commit the submarine to despa…
(2020-10-27). Unenforceable Nuclear Ban Treaty to Become International Law. globalresearch.ca On October 24, 2020, the United Nations announced that 50 countries had ratified the treaty to ban nuclear weapons. Passing this threshold means that the treaty will become international law within ninety days. The next day, the people who worked …
(2020-10-27). Treaty banning all nuclear weapons will become international law. peoplesworld.org 
A historic moment in the decades-long struggle for total nuclear disarmament was reached Oct. 24, United Nations Day, as Honduras became the 50th country to ratify the United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), which was adopted by 122 members, or nearly two-thirds of the UN General Assembly's then-192 members, in July …
(2020-10-27). Nuclear Weapons Will Soon Be Banned Under International Law. truthout.org Nuclear weapons will soon be illegal under international law. Seventy-five years to the day after the founding of the United Nations, the UN The milestone was achieved after years of global efforts spearheaded by the
(2020-10-27). Nuclear Weapons Have Always Been Immoral. Now They're Illegal. thenation.com Nuclear Weapons Have Always Been Immoral. Now They're Illegal.
(2020-10-27). Scientists Welcome Key Milestone for Nuclear Weapons Ban Treaty. globalresearch.ca Scientists for Global Responsibility (SGR) welcomes the 50th ratification of the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons — reached late yesterday — which means the treaty will now enter in force on 22 January 2021. | The treaty bans …
(2020-10-26). White House Gangster Wants to Avoid Nuclear-Armed Stigma. counterpunch.org The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons is about to win its 50th state ratification, the golden number needed for the treaty to enter into force. The list of 47 current signatories can be seen at ICANw.org, website of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize-winning coalition that helped
(2020-10-26). Nuclear Weapons Prohibition Treaty Enters Into Force. peaceaction.org Peace Action Statement on the Entry Into Force of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons Kevin Martin, President of Peace Action and Peace Action Education Fund, issued the following statement: "A distinct honor in my work is representing Peace Action at peace and disarmament conferences at the United Nations. I was there in …
(2020-10-26). Lithuanian Government Impoverishes Its Own Citizens As a Means to Topple Belarus President Lukashenko. globalresearch.ca Since the re-election of Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko on August 9, deemed a rigged election by the West, protests have persisted for nearly three months. Led by opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the protests do not only continue to persist, …
(2020-10-26). Former CIA: Blaming Moscow for Hunter Biden's Laptop is "Russiagate Disinformation" globalresearch.ca Former intelligence officials, Democratic leaders, and media outlets dismissing the Hunter Biden story as "Russian disinformation" are spreading more Russiagate disinformation, ex-CIA officer Ray McGovern says. | Media outlets are amplifying the claims of former intelligence officials, including John Brennan and …
(2020-10-26). US Withdrawal from INF grave mistake: Putin. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 26 (MNA) — Russian President Vladimir Putin Says US exit from Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty was a "grave mistake" which creates the risk of a renewal of the nuclear arms race.
(2020-10-26). FACTBOX: Nagorno-Karabakh: old tensions behind renewed fighting. yenisafak.com Nagorno-Karabakh is a mountainous and heavily forested patch of land that sits inside the territory of the former Soviet republic of Azerbaijan.Under international law, Nagorno-Karabakh is recognised as part of Azerbaijan, but the ethnic Armenians who make up the vast majority of the population reject Azeri rule. They have been running their own affairs, with support from Armenia, since Azerbaijan's troops were pushed out in a war in the 1990s.Long-standing ethnic tensions in the region between Christian Armenians and their mainly Muslim neighbours flared in Nagorno-Karabakh in the late 1980s.New fighting that br…
(2020-10-26). Turkish F-16s in Azerbaijan are not currently involved in fighting but will be used if there is 'foreign aggression,' says Baku. rt.com 
Azerbaijan will use Turkish F-16 fighter jets to defend itself from "foreign aggression," President Ilham Aliyev said on Monday, insisting that the planes were in the country prior to the recent fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh. | F-16s are supersonic fighter aircraft built in the US by Lockheed Martin. In recent years, the jets have been used extensively, by Ankara, in battles with Kurdish insurgents, as well as in the Syrian Civil War. Famously, in 2015, a Turkish F-16 shot down a Russian Sukhoi Su-24 near the Syrian-Turkish border. | According to Aliyev, the planes are currently sitting idle in Azerbaijan and…
(2020-10-26). Bolivia promises to buy Russian Covid-19 vaccine as new leader pledges to restore relations that 'deteriorated' after 2019 coup. rt.com 
The newly-elected President of Bolivia Luis Arce has pledged to improve ties with Russia, and plans to order its Covid-19 vaccine once it's ready for sale, saying relations with Moscow 'deteriorated' under the previous government. | In an interview with Moscow's Sputnik news agency, Arce outlined the numerous avenues for partnership with Russia that he wants to open up, including the exchange of technology, gas imports and construction of a new nuclear facility together with state energy corporation Rosatom. | Arce blamed the outgoing interim government for tainting the relationship between the two countries.
(2020-10-26). Trusted Demonologies: US Electoral Interference, the Proud Boys and Iran. counterpunch.org Iran, Russia and electoral interference. It is all part of the delicious mess that any observer of US politics has come to expect. Were the US body politic capable of being examined on the clinician's couch, historical fears, psychic disturbances, and a range of unsettling syndromes would be identified. The issue of electoral interference would
(2020-10-26). Nord Stream 2 Gas Pipeline Edges Closer to Completion as Broader US Sanctions Come Into Effect. sputniknews.com The EU imported the highest ever volume of LNG in 2019 at 108 billion cubic meters, marking 27% of total gas imports and 22% of the EU's gas consumption, according to the European Commission. The gas market report showed that Qatar supplied 30 bcm of LNG to the EU in 2019, followed by Russia with 21 bcm and the US with 17 bcm.
(2020-10-26). NPR, CNN, NYT, Wa-Po, MSNBC, Twitter, Facebook, Google Presstitutes Covering Up Biden Scandals by Refusing to Report on Them. strategic-culture.org Paul Craig ROBERTS | The New York Post's report that the FBI has laptops belonging to Hunter Biden that contain emails showing Hunter and Joe Biden's use of the Vice Presidency for business deals that amount to influence peddling and money laundering was banned from Twitter, Facebook, and Google. The New York Times, Washington Post and other of the press prostitutes tried to discredit the story with the fake news that it was Russian disinformation to help Trump win the election. National Public Radio refused to mention the story other than to brand it a story that is not really a story, simply a waste of "listene…
(2020-10-26). Qatar ruler meets gov't ministers on Libya developments. yenisafak.com Qatar's emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani held talks in Doha on Monday with a Libyan government delegation on the latest developments in the war-torn country, according to the official QNA news agency. | The talks with Libyan Foreign Minister Mohamed al-Taher Siala and Interior Minister Fathi Bashagha dwelt on ways of bolstering bilateral cooperation between Qatar and Libya, QNA said. | Qatar is one of the main supporters to Libya's internationally-recognized government against warlord Khalifa Haftar, who is backed by several other countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Russia and France. | Ahme…
(2020-10-26). Russian Embassy Criticises Proposed Visa Restrictions for Journalists in US. sputniknews.com WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – The Russian Embassy to the United States criticised the proposed US visa restrictions for journalists, saying that, in line with the principle of reciprocity, they could harm US journalists abroad.
(2020-10-26). 'I was born for that': Hillary Clinton says she'd handle Covid-19 better, but Trump & Russian media 'stole' election from her. rt.com 
Failed 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is claiming Trump "basically stole the election" from her four years after her loss, a statement that is earning her plenty of ridicule on social media. | In an interview with journalist Kara Swisher's podcast for the New York Times Opinions network released on Monday, Clinton spoke about losing in 2016 because of a "disinformation campaign" run by then-Republican candidate Donald Trump and "Russian media." She even claimed the election was "stolen" from her. | "I think that Trump and a lot of the people around him know that his victory was not on the up and u…
(2020-10-26). 'See you soon, FATHEAD': Desperate Khabib rivals Diaz & Ferguson claim UFC champ has NOT retired for good, question perfect record. rt.com 
Tony Ferguson, who lost to Khabib Nurmagomedov's latest victim Justin Gaethje, has dismissed the Russian champion's retirement by claiming that he will fight him soon, while Nate Diaz has been mocked for another bizarre reaction. | Former interim lightweight champion Ferguson was clearly unconvinced by Nurmagomedov's emotive announcement following his emphatic win over Gaethje on Saturday. | The man who was badly beaten by Gaethje in a fifth-round defeat at UFC 249 in May shared a shot from his acrimonious press conference with the Russian before the pair had been due to headline the event. | Frustrated Fergus…
(2020-10-26). Nuclear Weapons Banned—Illegal at Last. commondreams.org The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons delivers a clear message from nations across the globe that nuclear weapons threaten the survival of all of humanity and must be eliminated before they eliminate us. (Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/nuclear_3.jpg …
(2020-10-26). Trump's Nuclear Weapons are Standing Up And Standing By. counterpunch.org 
The President of the United States has the power to fire off thousands of nuclear weapons and destroy the world. As succinctly explained by William Perry and Tom Collina in the New York Times, "Mr. Trump has the absolute authority to start a nuclear war. Within minutes, the president could unleash the equivalent of more than 10,000 Hiroshima bombs. He does not need a second opinion. The defense secretary has no say. Congress has no role."
(2020-10-26). Kremlin accuses Joe Biden of spreading hatred of Russia with threat talk. yenisafak.com The Kremlin said on Monday that U.S. Democratic presidential challenger Joe Biden's assessment of Russia as the biggest threat to U.S. national security was wrong and encouraged hatred of Russia.The comments come just over a week before Biden faces Donald Trump in the Nov. 3 U.S. presidential election. Biden is ahead in the polls."We absolutely do not agree," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on a conference call, when asked to comment on Biden's assessment."We can only regret that absolute hatred of the Russian Federation is spread in this way."Moscow's ties with Washington sank to post-Cold War low…
(2020-10-26). European troika still call for maintaining JCPOA: German FM. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 26 (MNA) — German Foreign Minister revealed the continuation of effort of European troika (UK, France and Germany) to maintain nuclear deal, JCPOA, with the Islamic Republic of Iran.
(2020-10-26). Russian airstrike targets Syrian opposition in Idlib. yenisafak.com Several people were reportedly killed in a Russian airstrike on the Al-Sham Legion of the Syrian National Army in Idlib province on Monday, according to opposition sources. | The sources told the Anadolu Agency that a Russian fighter jet violated the ceasefire and bombed the village of Al-Duwailah, in western Idlib province. | The sources pointed out that the attack resulted in a large number of deaths and injuries. | In May 2017, Turkey, Russia and Iran announced that they had reached an agreement to establish a de-escalation zone in Idlib, as part of the Astana talks on Syria. | Despite subsequent understandin…
(2020-10-26). Make America neutral again: Libertarian candidate Jo Jorgensen wants to turn USA into a large, nuclear-armed Switzerland. rt.com 
She may have no chance of getting her hands on the keys to the White House next month, but a growing number of Americans are coming around to her limited government, anti-interventionist, decentralized vision for the US. | Jo Jorgensen feels Donald Trump and Joe Biden are scared to debate her. The Libertarian candidate points to Speaking to RT on the way to a campaign event in Milwaukee, she said: "They are the ones in power and they will…
(2020-10-26). Russian air strikes kill dozens of Turkey-backed rebels in Syria's Idlib. middleeasteye.net 
Russian air strikes kill dozens of Turkey-backed rebels in Syria's Idlib | Sources told MEE that Idlib hospitals were calling for blood donations, while other fighters were transported to Turkey | Mon, 10/26/2020 – 11: 13 | Turkish officials fear Russia is laying the groundwork to overrun Idlib and take control of the last rebel-held area in Syria (AFP) | Russian air strikes killed dozens…
(2020-10-25). New fighting flares over Karabakh as Aliyev warns against Russian involvement. yenisafak.com New fighting erupted between Azerbaijan and ethnic Armenian forces on Sunday over the mountainous enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh as both sides blamed each other for blocking a peaceful settlement to the conflict.Armenia accused Azeri forces of shelling civilian settlements. Baku denied killing civilians and said it was ready to implement a ceasefire, provided that Armenian forces withdrew from the battlefield.The weekend's clashes in and around Nagorno-Karabakh, a part of Azerbaijan populated and controlled by ethnic Armenians, came after U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo hosted the foreign ministers of both count…
(2020-10-25). Belarusian police use stun grenades to disperse protesters during huge opposition march in Minsk, with 'gunfire' reported (VIDEOS). rt.com 
Belarusian police have used stun grenades to disperse protesters heading to President Alexander Lukashenko's residence in Minsk, after thousands of anti-government demonstrators peacefully marched through the city's streets. | During the huge anti-government rally, held in the capital on Sunday, participants ran into multiple police cordons and were forced to circumvent them. One such encounter turned out to be particularly fiery, as law enforcement used harsh measures to disperse the crowd. | –ù–∞ –û—Ä–ª–æ–≤—Å–&i…
(2020-10-25). Tens of people detained, tear gas deployed at protest in west Belarus. yenisafak.com Tens of people were detained by police in the town of Lida in western Belarus on Sunday during a protest, Russia's RIA news agency cited the regional branch of the Belarus interior ministry as saying.Police fired tear gas at protesters, RIA said.Protesters have been gathering ahead of the expiry at midnight on Sunday of an ultimatum for Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko to resign, the latest in 11 weeks of demonstrations following a disputed election result.
(2020-10-25). Third time's the charm? Armenia & Azerbaijan pledge to resume ceasefire on Monday after weekend talks in Washington. rt.com 
Yerevan and Baku have renewed their commitments under a ceasefire deal agreed on earlier this month in Moscow, but which was plagued with violations from both sides, after separate meetings with US officials in Washington. | Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers, representing the two regional rivals locked in a decades-old conflict over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh, "reaffirmed their countries' commitment to implement and abide by the humanitarian ceasefire agreed in Moscow on October 10," the US, Armenia, and Azerbaijan said in a joint statement released by the US Department of State on Saturday. | The…
(2020-10-25). Blaming Moscow for Hunter Biden's Laptop Is Russiagate Disinformation. strategic-culture.org Aaron MATÉ | Former intelligence officials, Democratic leaders, and media outlets dismissing the Hunter Biden story as "Russian disinformation" are spreading more Russiagate disinformation, ex-CIA officer Ray McGovern says. | Media outlets are amplifying the claims of former intelligence officials, including John Brennan and James Clapper, as well as of top Democrats, including Joe Biden and Adam Schiff, that the Hunter Biden laptop revelations are "Russian disinformation." | They have done so even though no one from the Biden camp has disputed the authenticity of a single leaked email or document, or denied that…
(2020-10-25). Russia and United States Get Closer on Signing Nuclear Agreement. globalresearch.ca Russia and the United States, after several months of moving forth and back with negotiations, have finally moved closer to agree on extending the controversial nuclear treaty for one year. The one-year short-term agreement was on the initiative, or better …
(2020-10-25). UN treaty banning nuclear weapons set to enter into force in January. news.un.org In what leading campaigners are describing as "a new chapter for nuclear disarmament", the ratification of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons will now come into force on 22 January, after Honduras became the 50th Member State to ratify on Saturday.
(2020-10-25). Third time's the charm? Armenia & Azerbaijan pledge to resume ceasefire on Monday after talks in Washington. rt.com Yerevan and Baku have renewed their commitments under a ceasefire deal agreed on earlier this month in Moscow, but which was plagued with violations from both sides, after separate meetings with US officials in Washington. | Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers representing the two regional rivals locked in a decades-old conflict over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh "reaffirmed their countries' commitment to implement and abide by the humanitarian ceasefire agreed in Moscow on October 10," the US, Armenia, and Azerbaijan said in a joint statement released by the US Department of State on Saturday. | The tr…
(2020-10-25). Nothing Will Fundamentally Change: Notes From The Edge Of The Narrative Matrix. thealtworld.com A propaganda machine that can make people worry about foreign governments while their own government is destroying lives in their own country and all over the world is a propaganda machine that can make people believe anything. | ~ | Americans are hurt by their own government infinitely more than they are hurt by Russia, China and Iran. People around the world are hurt by the US government far more than Americans are hurt by their own government. Stop worrying about foreigners, America. It serves only the powerful. | ~ | Joe Biden: Nothing will fundamentally change. | Liberals: THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ELECTION…
(2020-10-25). 'Victory for Humanity': Treaty Banning Nuclear Weapons to Take Effect as Honduras Becomes 50th Nation to Ratify. commondreams.org The United States has not ratified the treaty and the Trump administration is actively urging nations to withdraw from it. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/ican_nuclear_weapons.jpg …
(2020-10-25). Putin says American presence in Afghanistan is beneficial to Moscow's interests, rubbishes claims of 'Russian bounties to Taliban'. rt.com 
Moscow has long been supportive of the presence of American troops in Afghanistan as it believes they contribute to the region's stability and ultimately aid Russia's national interests, President Vladimir Putin said on Sunday. | "I'll say it once again: we have no need to fight the American presence [in Afghanistan]," Putin said in an interview aired on the Rossiya-1 TV channel. | The president was responding to a reporter's question about assertions in US media, using anonymous sources, insisting Russia had paid bounties to Taliban militants to kill American soldiers. The interview was recorded for a show ca…
(2020-10-25). 'US doesn't know who it's dealing with!' Erdogan dismisses Washington's threats over S-400 deployment. rt.com 
Turkey is not a "tribal state" that can be pushed around, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said, dismissing the American warnings over its procurement of Russian-made S-400 anti-aircraft systems. | Ankara will see through the deployment of its S-400 systems, which will not be disrupted by any threats or sanctions, Erdogan made clear, speaking in the eastern Turkish city of Malatya on Sunday. The Turkish leader even dared Washington to go ahead and introduce any S-400-related sanctions it might be planning. | You don't know who you're dealing with. Whatever sanctions you have, don't keep us waiting — int…
(2020-10-24). 'A King, Now and Always': Khabib Nurmagomedov Says It Was His Last Fight After Winning Over Gaethje. sputniknews.com On Saturday, Russian Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fighter Khabib 'The Eagle' Nurmagomedov defeated his American opponent, Justin Gaethje, with a triangle choke submission technique in the 2nd round, scoring his 29th win.
(2020-10-24). Hopes rise of extension of New START arms control treaty as Russia offers to freeze arsenal. mronline.org 
Russia on Tuesday offered to freeze its current arsenal, and proposed an extension of the treaty by one year. The treaty signed in 2010 capped the number of nuclear warheads by the two countries and its deployment.
(2020-10-24). Russian court extends prison sentence for historian of Stalinist terror to 13 years. wsws.org The brutal vendetta against Dmitriev speaks to the enormous fear of the Russian oligarchy about the growing interest in the historical truth about the October revolution and the Stalinist terror in broad sections of the population.
(2020-10-24). 'Cold as ice': Birthday boy Alexander Volkov celebrates in style with second-round finish of Walt Harris at UFC 254. rt.com 
Russian heavyweight Alexander Volkov celebrated his 32nd birthday in style with a TKO finish of Walt Harris on the main card of UFC 254 on "Fight Island." | Volkov's last fight, a loss against Curtis Blaydes back in June, was a frustrating one for the Moscow native as he spent much of the contest fighting off takedown attempts from the American wrestler. | Saturday's comeback fight against Harris saw Volkov in far more familiar territory as he dominated every aspect of the striking en route to a win which once again places his name among the heavyweight division's list of contenders. | Also on rt.com | |
(2020-10-24). CEO of new Russian cosmodrome's operator arrested on charges of abuse of office & forgery. rt.com 
A high-ranking official at the helm of the new state-of-the-art Vostochny spaceport has been arrested on charges of fraud in a high-profile scandal. The scheme reportedly cost the state over $6.5 million. | Roman Bobkov, the head of the space center, a state entity operating the cosmodrome, has been placed in pre-trial detention for two months by a local
(2020-10-24). Turkey continues preparation of S-400 defense systems. yenisafak.com The Turkish defense minister on Saturday said his country continued the preparation process of Russia's S-400 missile defense systems as planned."We continue the controls and preparations of the system as planned," Hulusi Akar said, addressing a meeting of the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party in the central province of Kayseri."This system's supply, testing, and controls do not mean Turkey is distancing from NATO," Akar added."We will use the S-400 in the same way as the S-300 system is used within the NATO alliance," he said, referring to other countries in the alliance which use the Russian S-300 defen…
(2020-10-24). Two teenagers killed in Armenian attacks: Azerbaijan. yenisafak.com Two teenagers have died in Armenian attacks on civilian settlements, Azerbaijani authorities said on Saturday.Armenian forces fired missiles and artillery shells towards the areas of Goranboy and Tartar, according to Azerbaijan's Chief Prosecutor's Office.A 16-year-old Azerbaijani boy identified as Orhan Ismayilzade died when an Armenian missile struck his house, the authority said in a statement.The other victim was Artur Mayakov, a 13-year-old Russian citizen.He was injured in the Oct. 17 Armenian missile attack on the city of Ganja and succumbed to his injuries in hospital, according to Hikmet Hajiyev, assista…