Daily Archives: October 1, 2020

2020-10-01: News Headlines

yenisafak (2020-10-01). UN sends 16 truckloads of aid to Syria's Idlib. yenisafak.com The UN on Thursday sent 16 truckloads of humanitarian aid to Idlib, northwestern Syria, where millions of people need assistance due to the worsening internal conflict.The trucks carrying supplies entered the Idlib province through the Cilvegozu border gate in Turkey's southern Hatay province. | The aid will be distributed among residents of Idlib and nearby rural areas.Syria has been ravaged by civil war since early 2011 when the Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protesters. | Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed, and more than 10 million displaced, according to UN estimates.Idlib falls with…

The Alternative World (2020-10-01). Russian Defense Minister Reviews 5 Years Of Syria Operation. thealtworld.com September 30th, 2020, marked exactly 5 years since the beginning of the Russian operation in Syria. | It began after Damascus issued an official invitation for the Russian army to help the Syrian people and liberate the country from international terrorist groups. | On this day in 2015, the Federation Council gave its consent to Russian President Vladimir Putin to use the Russian Armed Forces in Syria. The decision was a response to the official appeal of the Syrian president Bashar al-Assad."In the specified period, the situation in Syria turned out to be critical. The emerging situation threatened the defeat of…

MEE and agencies (2020-10-01). Coronavirus: Turkish government admits excluding asymptomatic cases from figures. middleeasteye.net Coronavirus: Turkish government admits excluding asymptomatic cases from figures | Revelation prompts outrage as Turkish Medical Association accuses government of 'hiding the facts' | Thu, 10/01/2020 – 09: 23 | The official number of daily coronavirus cases in Turkey have begun to decline in recent days after rising over the past several weeks (Reuters) | Doctors and politicians in Turkey…

RT (2020-10-01). Azerbaijan & Armenia at war: What you need to know about bloody conflict over long-disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh (MAP). rt.com The bloody flareup between Azerbaijan and Armenia over a territorial dispute risks escalating into a major regional war. Here is how the two former Soviet republics got locked into a conflict rooted in feuds as old as the hills. | The ongoing hostilities started on September 27, becoming one of the most serious in a series of border clashes that have been occurring in the region on a fairly regular basis. The parties are fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh, a mountainous region located inside Azerbaijan, as recognised internationally, and some surrounding territories. | Baku claims sovereignty over these, based on…

RT (2020-10-01). Navalny 'is working with CIA': Kremlin makes explosive allegation after opposition figure blames Putin for alleged poisoning. rt.com Western intelligence agencies — in particular, agents from the American CIA — are working with Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny, Vladimir Putin's spokesman alleged on Thursday. | "Probably, it is not the patient [Navalny] who works for the Western special services, but that the Western intelligence services work with him, this would be more correct (to say)" Dmitry Peskov explained. "I can even be specific – these days, specialists from the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) of the United States of America are working with him." | The bombshell allegation comes just hours after Navalny claim…

RT (2020-10-01). Dublin confident on EU-UK free-trade deal as London set to renege on Withdrawal Agreement. rt.com Irish deputy PM Leo Varadkar says he expects Britain and the EU to complete a no-quota, no-tariff, free-trade Brexit deal, as Westminster plays hardball over Northern Ireland. | In an interview published on Thursday in The Currency, Varadkar claimed that an EU-UK free-trade deal is still achievable. | I still think there will be a deal. It will be no quotas, no tariffs, some form of minimum standards and control on state aid and fishing, | The UK remains Ireland's biggest trading partner and the introduction of tariffs and quotas is likely to impair the prosperity of both parties. Dublin has recently dropped t…

RT (2020-10-01). 'You cannot lock down everybody': Madrid leaders oppose Spanish govt's plan to lock down capital. rt.com Conservative-led authorities in the Madrid region on Thursday criticized the Spanish government's plan to confine the capital city in an effort to tackle a surge in Covid-19 cases. | Announcing its plan late on Wednesday, the Health Ministry said the central government was overriding regional authorities to impose a lockdown of the city of over 3 million people in the coming days. Nine surrounding municipalities with populations of at least 100,000 each will also be included in the plan. | "You cannot lock down everybody," regional chief Isabel Diaz Ayuso said, speaking on esRadio. "I'm sure the Madrid plan is…

yenisafak (2020-10-01). Turkish cross-border, peacekeeping missions up for extension. yenisafak.com Turkey's parliament is due to consider a motion extending authorization to launch cross-border anti-terrorist operations in northern Iraq and Syria, as well as deploy peacekeeping forces to the countries of Lebanon, Mali, and the Central African Republic.The motion, submitted on Thursday by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government, would allow the Turkish military to carry out cross-border operations in northern Iraq and Syria for another year, from Oct. 30, 2020 until Oct. 30, 2021.The motion states that Turkey places great importance on protecting Iraq's territorial integrity, national unity, and stability."

WSWS (2020-10-01). Evasions, anti-Russian demagogy at Comey hearing before US Senate. wsws.org The former FBI director claimed dozens of times not to be aware of the details of the initial stages of the 2016 investigation into Trump and Russia.

WSWS (2020-10-01). A muse of postwar France: singer and actress Juliette Gréco (1927-2020). wsws.org Singer and actress Juliette Gréco's considerable achievements are bound up inextricably with the problems of postwar French intellectual and cultural life.

WSWS (2020-10-01). Bridgestone, Total shut plants as COVID-19 layoffs sweep Europe. wsws.org After receiving billions of euros from the public purse in the form of European Union bailouts, European corporations are drastically cutting jobs.

WSWS (2020-10-01). Russia, France denounce Turkey as Armenian-Azeri war escalates. wsws.org As reports emerge that Turkey is sending Syrian Islamist mercenaries to Azerbaijan to fight Armenia, the risk of a Russian-Turkish clash and a broader regional war is rising.

sputniknews (2020-10-01). Denmark Gives Green Light to Nord Stream 2 AG to Operate Pipes in Danish Waters. sputniknews.com In 2019, the Danish energy agency issued a permit for the construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. At present, most of the construction work has been completed.

sputniknews (2020-10-01). UK's Huawei 5G Ban To Cost Over £41bn, Gov't Urged To Reform Plans Amid COVID-19 Crisis – CPS Report. sputniknews.com The UK announced reversal of its decision on the Chinese telecoms giant in July, forcing British telecos to remove kit from existing networks over potential threats to network supply lines due to US sanctions. But the delays are set to cost billions in GDP and cause Britain to lose its place as Europe's 5G capital, numerous reports have shown.

sputniknews (2020-10-01). Karabakh Armed Forces Down Azerbaijani Plane, Helicopter, Armenian Defence Ministry Claims. sputniknews.com Tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan have escalated since Sunday, with the sides accusing each other of being responsible for the aggression along the line of contact in Nagorno-Karabakh.

sputniknews (2020-10-01). Kremlin: Russia Has Information CIA Works With Alexei Navalny, Sends Instructions to Him. sputniknews.com Moscow has repeatedly stressed that Berlin lacks evidence to back up its allegations that Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny was poisoned with a nerve agent from the Novichok group.

yenisafak (2020-10-01). South Africa opens borders for global travelers. yenisafak.com South Africa Thursday opened its borders to international travelers, barring those coming from high-risk countries.The government has listed 60 countries as being high risk, including the US, the UK, Russia, and several countries in the Middle East and Latin America.The country had closed ports of entry in March to stem the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.In a statement, the government said that all travelers visiting the country will be expected to abide by the health regulations which include mandatory wearing of masks, practicing social distancing in public spaces and sanitizing hands.Travelers are also requir…

yenisafak (2020-10-01). Not all COVID-19 cases are patients: Turkish official. yenisafak.com Since most who test positive for the novel coronavirus in Turkey do not show symptoms, "not all cases are patients," the country's top health official said Wednesday.Explaining that all those who test positive for the virus are listed as "cases," Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said the vast majority infections were asymptomatic."The rest are those who show symptoms of the disease and are brought under treatment," said Koca, adding that these patients are either monitored in hospitals or their homes."We report those that we treat in hospitals separately as inpatients," he added.Amid swelling case numbers across Eu…

yenisafak (2020-10-01). Turkish parliament speaker calls Azerbaijani envoy. yenisafak.com The speaker of Turkey's parliament on Thursday held a phone conversation with Azerbaijan's envoy to Turkey.Mustafa Sentop invited Ambassador Hazar Ibrahimi to attend the Turkish parliament's fourth legislative session in the capital Ankara, according to the speaker's office.He told Ibrahimi that Turkey will continue to extend all support to Azerbaijan in line with the "two states, one nation" principle.The Turkish parliament will start the fourth legislative session of its 27th term on Thursday afternoon, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan set to deliver opening remarks.

Caitlin Johnstone (2020-09-30). Russia Could Never Discredit The US Empire The Way These Guys Just Did. thealtworld.com Well. | Wow. | I mean, wow. | So in case you missed it, the first US presidential debate was everything the US empire deserves and a fair reflection of everything the US empire is. | If Vladimir Putin were every bit the election-meddling demon the Democrats say he is, and if he had unlimited time and unlimited resources to create the perfect ninety-minute propaganda video to discredit the US-led unipolar world order, he could not have designed one more effective than the performance that was just delivered by President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden with the help of moderator Chris Wallace. | Trump…

_____ (2020-09-30). Russia Could Never Discredit The U.S. Empire The Way These Guys Just Did. strategic-culture.org Caitlin JOHNSTONE | Wow. | I mean, wow. | So in case you missed it, the first US presidential debate was everything the US empire deserves and a fair reflection of everything the US empire is. | If Vladimir Putin were every bit the election-meddling demon the Democrats say he is, and if he had unlimited time and unlimited resources to create the perfect ninety-minute propaganda video to discredit the US-led unipolar world order, he could not have designed one more effective than the performance that was just delivered by President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden with the help of moderator Chris Wall…

sputniknews (2020-09-30). Assange Performed Enormous Service to World by Revealing US Government Secrets, Witness Says. sputniknews.com LONDON (Sputnik) – US linguist and philosopher Noam Chomsky on Wednesday told the UK court deciding on the extradition of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to the United States that the whistleblower has performed an enormous service to the people by revealing information the US government wanted to keep secret.

Staff (2020-09-30). Headlines for September 30, 2020. democracynow.org Trump Refuses to Condemn White Supremacists or Rule Out Post-Election Violence, New York City Coronavirus Infections Surge for First Time in Months, Indian Health Officials Claim 60 Million Coronavirus Infections Nationwide, House Democrats Unveil Pared-Down $2.2 Trillion Coronavirus Relief Bill, Texas Sheriff and Prosecutor Indicted for Evidence Tampering in Javier Ambler Police Killing, Kentucky AG Didn't Recommend Murder Charges for Breonna Taylor's Killers, Trump Plans Pre-Election ICE Raids in U.S. Sanctuary Cities, More Women Detail Forced Sterilizations, Unnecessary Surgeries at Georgia ICE Jail, World Hea…

Lucas Leiroz de Almeida (2020-09-30). 5G Technology Cooperation Between Germany and China Is a Major Blow Against American Interests. globalresearch.ca In Germany, a major blow is being delivered against the United States in the trade war between Washington and Beijing. Despite pressures, Berlin is opting for cooperation with China on 5G technology, refusing to impose any sanctions against Huawei, ignoring …

Ramzy Baroud (2020-09-30). Fight over the Mediterranean: France's Proxy War and the Budding Turkish-Russian Alliance. dissidentvoice.org Overwhelmed by uncontrollable circumstances, the Greek government is bracing for another financial crisis that promises to be as terrible as the last one in 2015. Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, announced on September 12 that Athens has made a "robust" arms deal that will "reinforce the armed forces" and create a "national shield". However, beyond Mitsotakis' …

MEE staff (2020-09-30). UAE delivered weapons to Libya's Haftar despite UN embargo. middleeasteye.net UAE delivered weapons to Libya's Haftar despite UN embargo | More than 150 flights ferried arms to Haftar's territory between January and April this year, according to unpublished UN report | Wed, 09/30/2020 – 18: 19 | UAE dispatched 150 military flights using Russian-made cargo planes to eastern Libya and western Egypt (AFP/File photo) | The United Arab Emirates continued to supply military equipment to Libya…

Eric Walberg (2020-09-30). Cashing in on Russia's Woes. dissidentvoice.org I was always dismissed as a 'Sov symp' in the days of communism, attracted by the Soviet Union's great foreign policy: anti-imperialist, ant-zionist, pro-nuclear disarmament, pro-liberation movements, etc, etc. I could never understand why lefties didn't fall in love with the only real non-capitalist modern society. It worked, however badly. It had to be at …

RT (2020-09-30). Azerbaijan has 'handed over' command of its Air Force ops in Nagorno-Karabakh to Turkey, Armenian defense ministry claims. rt.com The Azerbaijani military has passed control of its air force operations in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region to Turkey, Yerevan claims. Ankara insists no Turkish aircraft was used in the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. | Turkey's military command has allegedly been coordinating the Azerbaijani airstrikes against targets in Nagorno-Karabakh, the Armenian defense ministry's spokeswoman, Shushan Stepanyan, said in a series of Twitter posts on Wednesday. |

RT (2020-09-30). Russia 'deeply concerned' about reports of mercenaries from Syria & Libya being sent to fight in disputed Nagorno-Karabakh. rt.com Moscow has condemned the alleged use of "foreign mercenaries and terrorists" in the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh, calling them a threat to the entire region that must "immediately" be withdrawn. | "Militants of illegal armed groups, in particular from Syria and Libya" have been transported to the conflict zone "in order to directly participate in the hostilities," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a Wednesday statement commenting on the recent reports, adding it was "deeply concerned" about the development that creates "long-term threats to the security of all countries in t…

RT (2020-09-30). Fokin fired: Ukraine's Zelensky sacks ex-PM from his Donbass peace delegation for saying Russia is not at war with Kiev. rt.com Former Prime Minister Vitold Fokin has been removed from Ukraine's delegation to the contact group tasked with regulating the Donbass conflict after remarks he made in Kiev's parliament that were deemed to be supportive of Russia. | The comments, which Ukrainian president Vladimir Zelensky's office called "appalling," were delivered in the Verkhovnaya Rada on Tuesday, where Fokin, Ukraine's first prime minister, was outlining his vision for how to achieve peace in the Donbass. | "I see no signs of a war [in the east of the country] between the Russian Federation and Ukraine," he replied in answer to a question…

RT (2020-09-30). Ukrainian police investigate possible murder after suspicious death of US embassy staffer in Kiev. rt.com Police in Kiev have announced that a woman reported to be a US embassy staff member died in mysterious circumstances on Wednesday. She was found with head injuries in a wooded area of the city's western Shevchenkovsky district. | The woman, who later passed away in hospital, was carrying a United States embassy ID card with a name on it. The website nv.ua and other local media have identified her as 'Sanver Nikaelo.' However, the embassy's website does not mention any such employee, and there does not appear to be any trace online of a person with this name. It is possible that it is a transliteration from Ukr…

RT (2020-09-30). 'Politicizing the issue': Russian Foreign Ministry accuses Merkel of using Navalny's alleged poisoning for political gain. rt.com Angela Merkel's visit to Alexey Navalny was an attempt to politicize the situation, according to Russia's Foreign Ministry. The German Chancellor dropped in to see the Russian opposition figure when he was hospitalized in Berlin. | Speaking to Komsomolskaya Pravda Radio, the Ministry's spokesperson Maria Zakharova said that the chancellor's visit had "nothing to do with the desire to find the truth" about what happened to an opposition figure who was allegedly poisoned, and was simply a political decision. | "Many people ask why," Zakharova said, when questioned about Merkel's motives. "I think these questions…

Paul Antonopoulos (2020-09-30). Discussions Between Greece and Turkey Over the East Mediterranean Will End Before They Begin. globalresearch.ca The tensions between Greece and Turkey that became a geopolitical crisis in the East Mediterranean appears to be finally subsiding after Ankara withdrew from Greece's maritime space the Oruàß Reis Turkish research vessel and the warships escorting it. Since Turkish …

South Front (2020-09-30). Video: Azerbaijani-Armenian War: Turkish F-16S Enter the Game. Armenia Threatens to Use Iskander Missiles. globalresearch.ca The Armenian-Azerbaijani war continues raging in the South Caucasus. | As of September 29, the Azerbaijani advance in the Nagorno-Karabakh region struck the Armenian defense and Azerbaijani forces were not able to achieve any military breakthroughs. Armenian troops withdrew from several …

_____ (2020-09-30). Canada Has A War Crimes Problem. popularresistance.org Two new reports on Canadian weapons exports reveal that Canadian-based corporate entities (and, by extension, government agencies that support and encourage their exports) are complicit in the commission of war crimes in Yemen, Turkey, Libya, Syria and Iraq. | These findings build on previously raised concerns that the Canadian military was complicit in war crimes during the occupation of Afghanistan (including when current Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan operated there as a soldier). | Earlier this month, the United Nations criticized Canada, among other nations, for continuing to export weapons to all parties th…

Peoples Dispatch (2020-09-30). US ambassador's interference in Portuguese affairs slammed by left-wing groups. peoplesdispatch.org The US ambassador in Lisbon, George Glass, said Portugal must choose between its allies and China. He added that a delegation of US treasury officials was working with regulatory officials to prevent the triumph of Chinese companies in Portuguese markets…

news.un (2020-09-30). Moria fires aftermath: More than 1,000 asylum seekers relocated from Greece this year. news.un.org Nearly 140 asylum seekers were relocated from Greece to Germany on Wednesday through a European Commission-funded initiative that has relocated more than 1,000 people so far this year alone, three UN agencies have reported.

Lucine Kasbarian (2020-09-30). Renewed Azerbaijani Attacks Seek to Destabilize Caucasus Region and Deprive Armenians of. indybay.org Repelling foreign invaders has been the single most recurring event throughout all of Armenian history. This year is no different.

_____ (2020-09-30). Azerbaijani-Armenian War: Turkish F-16S Enter the Game. Armenia Threatens to Use Iskander Missiles. strategic-culture.org The Armenian-Azerbaijani war continues raging in the South Caucasus. | As of September 29, the Azerbaijani advance in the Nagorno-Karabakh region struck the Armenian defense and Azerbaijani forces were not able to achieve any military breakthroughs. Armenian troops withdrew from several positions in the Talish area and east of Fuzuli. | The Azerbaijani military has been successfully employing combat drones and artillery to destroy positions and military equipment of Armenia, but Azerbaijani mechanized infantry was unable to develop its momentum any further. | While both sides claim that they eliminated multiple e…

_____ (2020-09-30). Because of Russia, China and England — and Because Our Men Were Brave. strategic-culture.org On September 2, U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper delivered a short and unconsciously enormously revealing — speech on 75th anniversary of the Allied victory over Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan in 1945. | It was a routine speech for Esper, short and content free with no thought whatsoever in it, let alone any original one, and therefore entirely typical of his storied career. No major American or Western European wire service or other major mainstream news bothered carrying a word of it. Even for them, it was intellectually content free, vacuous. | Yet Esper's speech was also enormously important and revea…

_____ (2020-09-30). Turkey Fuels Azerbaijan-Armenian Conflict With Terror Proxies From Syria. strategic-culture.org Thousands of Turkish-backed militants from Syria's Idlib province have been recruited as mercenaries to support Azerbaijan in its conflict with Armenia. | Several Azerbaijan and Armenia are each blaming the other for the eruption of violence which unconfirmed reports suggest has…

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-30). Iranian film critic named jury member at SCHLINGEL FilmFest. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 30 (MNA) — Iranian film critic Hamed Soleimanzadeh has been chosen as a jury member at the SCHLINGEL International Film Festival in Germany.

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-30). Foreign interference to complicate Azerbaijan-Armenia dispute. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 30 (MNA) — Expressing Iran's readiness to relieve recent tensions in the region due to Armenia and Azerbaijan conflict, Rouhani noted that any foreign interference in this matter will complicate the conflict and tensions.

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-30). Tehran-Moscow ties at best level. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 30 (MNA) — Iran's envoy to Russia said the relations between Tehran and Moscow are currently at the best level and that the mutual ties are of particular importance to both sides.

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-30). EU, US considering closing embassies in Iraq: Al-Kadhimi. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 30 (MNA) — Iraqi prime minister announced on Wed. that authorities of the European Union and the United States are considering shutting down their embassies in Baghdad.

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-30). Rumors about Iran's aid to Armenia completely baseless: Vaezi. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 30 (MNA) — Rejecting rumors that Iran is sending aid to Armenia, President's Chief of Staff Mahmoud Vaezi said that these rumors are completely baseless and are aimed at disrupting the good relations between Iran and Azerbaijan.

sputniknews (2020-09-30). No-Deal Brexit Would Put Britain at Greater Risk of Terrorist Attacks, Ex-MI6 Head Says. sputniknews.com The development comes as officials from Britain and the European Union begin the final scheduled round of negotiations on a post-Brexit agreement. Prime Minister Boris Johnson previously issued an ultimatum to Brussels saying London will walk away from the negotiating table if the sides don't strike a deal before 15 October.

sputniknews (2020-09-30). French Energy Giant Total Predicts End to Oil Era. sputniknews.com According to oil and gas titan Total, its business focus, as well as that of its European peers, will shift towards low-carbon energy sources in the next few years, as the oil market becomes increasingly obsolete.

sputniknews (2020-09-30). Armenia Sheds Light on Chances of Su-30 and Iskander Deployment Against Azerbaijan. sputniknews.com The Armenian Defence Ministry previously warned that it could be forced to use weapons systems of greater range and destructive power after Azerbaijan resorted to a wide range of rocket systems and flame weapons in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh.

yenisafak (2020-09-30). Germany's Merkel pledges $100 mln for COVID-19 vacine for poor countries. yenisafak.com German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday pledged $100 million to help developing countries access a COVID-19 vaccine as World Bank President David Malpass said "broad, rapid and affordable" access to vaccines "will be at the core of a resilient global economic recovery that lifts everyone."Merkel also called on "those who are still dithering" to commit to the global vaccine effort.