Daily Archives: October 9, 2020

2020-10-09: News Headlines

Andrew Korybko (2020-10-09). Armenia and Russia Are Sending Each Other Strong Signals Through the CSTO. globalresearch.ca OneWorld is publishing the original English-language version of Andrew Korybko's analysis on the titular topic that was first released in Russian at the Moscow-Baku information portal. | *** | Armenia's decision to skip next week's CSTO drills in Belarus and the bloc's …

Stephen Lendman (2020-10-09). Removing Trump from Office Attempt 2.0? globalresearch.ca In December 2019, Pelosi-led House Dems showed contempt for the rule of law. | Two articles of impeachment to oust Trump from office were spurious. | Accusing him of abuse of power, they falsely claimed he sought foreign interference from Ukraine in …

Catherine Austin Fitts (2020-10-09). "Reimagine and Reset Our World": "COVID-19, The Great Reset" by Klaus Schwab and Thierry Malleret. globalresearch.ca "In Russia we only had two TV channels. Channel One was propaganda. Channel Two consisted of a KGB officer telling you: Turn back at once to Channel One." ~ Yakov Smirnoff | Professor Klaus Schwab founded and runs the World Economic …

Danna Smith (2020-10-09). Europe Drives Destruction of US Forests in the Name of Fighting Climate Change. zcomm.org The Southern U.S. is now the world's largest producer and exporter of wood pellets. Under the guise of "renewable energy," the voracious European demand for wood pellets has put forests and communities in this region at increased risk.

_____ (2020-10-09). AFRICOM: Deadly Deception. popularresistance.org On October 1, 2007, the United States under the presidency of George W. Bush and the military leadership of the Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld, launched the Africa Command (AFRICOM). The command was based in Stuttgart, Germany. In the same vein as the 1884/85 Berlin Conference, AFRICOM was a wholly external concoction to be imposed on Africans without their input or consent. In fact, when African leaders first heard of the establishment of an African command, they overwhelmingly rejected its intent to expand U.S. military presence on the African continent.

_____ (2020-10-09). Google Contractor Moving Work From Pittsburgh To Poland To Bust Union. popularresistance.org Pittsburgh, PA -Today the NLRB charged Google Contractor HCL with moving work from Pittsburgh to Poland, citing that the move was a way to bust the newly formed Pittsburgh Association of Tech Professionals. | The NLRB Region 6, based in Pittsburgh, charged HCL with breaking labor law and refusing to negotiate a bargain in good faith with the Pittsburgh Association of Tech Professionals. Most egregiously, the NLRB charged HCL with moving work to lower-paid tech workers in Krakow, Poland.

_____ (2020-10-09). Russia's Strategic Intervention in Syria Five Years On — An 'Unpardonable Blow' to U.S. Empire. strategic-culture.org Five years ago this month, Russia began conducting fateful military operations in Syria at the request of the government in Damascus. It was a momentous "turning point," as More than salvaging Syria from a nearly decade-long war — vitally important though that was — Russia's pivotal intervention also marked the strategic setback for a Western-b…

_____ (2020-10-08). OPCW Syria Whistleblower and Ex-OPCW Chief Attacked by U.S., UK, France at UN. strategic-culture.org At the UN Security Council, the US, UK and France were confronted with testimony from OPCW whistleblower Ian Henderson and ex-OPCW chief Jose Bustani that challenged the rationale for their bombing of Syria in April 2018. They responded by attacking and silencing the witnesses. Aaron Maté recaps the extraordinary events.

Andrew Korybko (2020-10-08). Does Damascus Regard the Syrian Armenians Reportedly Fighting in Azerbaijan as Traitors? globalresearch.ca The Turkish reports alleging that the Kurdish-allied Syrian-Armenian militia "Nubar Ozanyan Brigade" is fighting in Azerbaijan on the side of the separatists prompt questions about exactly how Damascus regards this armed group, but if Syria's official statements pertaining to the …

MEE staff (2020-10-08). US imposes sanctions on Iran in defiance of European humanitarian concerns. middleeasteye.net US imposes sanctions on Iran in defiance of European humanitarian concerns | Treasury Department targets 18 Iranian banks, effectively blacklisting country's financial sector | Thu, 10/08/2020 – 20: 46 | In addition to sanctions, a drop in oil prices and a slump in the global economy have deepened Iran's economic crisis (AFP/File photo) | The US imposed a tranche of sanctions on Iran's financial sector on Thur…

RT (2020-10-08). Putin invites Azerbaijani & Armenian FMs to FRIDAY talks in Moscow, urges to halt hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh. rt.com Russian President Vladimir Putin has said the top diplomats of Armenia and Azerbaijan were invited to take part in peace talks in Moscow on Friday so that a "humanitarian" ceasefire may be agreed in disputed Nagorno-Karabakh. | Putin

RT (2020-10-08). Putin invites Azerbaijani & Armenian FMs to FRIDAY talks in Moscow, urges halt to ongoing hostilities in disputed Nagorno-Karabakh. rt.com Russian President Vladimir Putin says the top diplomats of Armenia and Azerbaijan have been invited to take part in peace talks in Moscow on Friday so that a "humanitarian" ceasefire may be agreed in disputed Nagorno-Karabakh. | Putin

RT (2020-10-08). Putin invites Azerbaijani & Armenian FMs to FRIDAY talks in Moscow, urges halt to hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh. rt.com Russian President Vladimir Putin has said the top diplomats of Armenia and Azerbaijan were invited to take part in peace talks in Moscow on Friday so that a "humanitarian" ceasefire may be agreed in disputed Nagorno-Karabakh. | Putin

MEE staff (2020-10-08). EU Parliament condemns Saudi Arabia over treatment of Ethiopian migrants. middleeasteye.net EU Parliament condemns Saudi Arabia over treatment of Ethiopian migrants | Criticism comes after report by Telegraph that thousands of Ethiopian migrants were locked up to stop spread of Covid-19 | Thu, 10/08/2020 – 19: 13 | Thousands of people from Ethiopia have made dangerous journey through Yemen to Saudi Arabia (AFP/File photo) | The European Parliament condemned Saudi Arabia for holding tens of thousands…

Ragip Soylu (2020-10-08). Turkish F-16s kept in Azerbaijan 'as deterrent against Armenian attacks'. middleeasteye.net Turkish F-16s kept in Azerbaijan 'as deterrent against Armenian attacks' | Sources say warplanes haven't participated in raids and denied that they had shot down an Armenian jet, as claimed by Yerevan | Thu, 10/08/2020 – 08: 10 | Five Turkish F-16s took part in the TurAz Eagle military drill in Azerbaijan's city of Ganja on 31 July (Azerbaijan Ministry of Defence / Screengrab) | Turkey has kept a number…

MEE staff (2020-10-08). US senators call for sanctions on Turkey over Russian missile system. middleeasteye.net US senators call for sanctions on Turkey over Russian missile system | Under US law, sanctions must be imposed against those doing business with Russia's defence industry; Trump administration has yet to follow through | Thu, 10/08/2020 – 18: 27 | Russian military cargo plane carrying S-400 missile defence system from Russia unloads at airbase northwest of Ankara on 27 August 2019 (AFP/File photo) | A Republic…

Gordon Duff (2020-10-08). NEO: Will it be Biden and Putin, Making the New World? thealtworld.com The current situation between Armenia and Azerbaijan has shown the world the dangers of secret pacts and ancient grudges, as a new "August 1914" moves toward reality. | As early as 2012, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Israel and the Gulf States began arming al Qaeda and ISIS, deploying them against both Syria and Iraq. | Other nations aided as well, not just the US, France and Britain. There was also Georgia, Azerbaijan, Romania and, above all, Ukraine. | We will cover the backstory on this but what is clear is this, the Trump era replacement for NATO, where supposed enemies work in concert seamlessly, presents challenges…

MEE and agencies (2020-10-08). Turkish government orders seizure of exiled journalist's property. middleeasteye.net Turkish government orders seizure of exiled journalist's property | Turkish authorities issued an arrest warrant against former Cumhuriyet editor Can Dundar in 2018 | Thu, 10/08/2020 – 07: 31 | Turkish journalist Can Dundar (2nd R) greets a fellown participant in a meeting with German and Turkish intellectuals discussing the Mediterranean region and Turkey on 6 October 2020 in Berlin (AFP)…

RT (2020-10-08). Ukraine asks Google & Apple to make Russian social networks unavailable for download, 3 years after they were banned by Kiev. rt.com Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) has asked Google and Apple to ban applications subject to sanctions on Ukrainian territory, including VKontakte (VK), a Russian social network which is the most popular website in Europe. | The two US technology giants run the world's most popular application marketplaces, the Play Store and the App Store respectively. Both companies are often pressured by countries to remove censored apps, and they often comply. In particular, both Apple and Google regularly stop applications from being accessible in China. | The SBU also asked the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs to cont…

RT (2020-10-08). Penelope Cruz bombarded with Nagorno-Karabakh comments on Instagram as users mistake Colombian flag on film poster for Armenia's. rt.com Hollywood star Penelope Cruz has been unwittingly dragged into an online battle over the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, after social media users falsely assumed she had posted an image of the Armenian flag. | The Spanish-born actress shared a photo of…

RT (2020-10-08). Apple demands that Telegram shut down channels DOXXING Belarusian police officers — CEO Durov says it 'doesn't offer much choice'. rt.com Telegram founder Pavel Durov says his widely popular messaging application will have to block three channels, on iOS devices, which have published the personal data of Belarusian police officers, after a request from Apple. | However, the Russian tech innovator promised to keep them accessible on other platforms."Apple is requesting that we shut down three channels," Durov The channels have been publishing the personal data of police off…

RT (2020-10-08). Siberian investigators dispute claims that Navalny's team transported Novichok-laced water bottle to Berlin. rt.com The alleged poisoning of Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny took a new twist on Thursday, when Russian investigators contradicted assertions that a bottle with traces of Novichok was sent to Germany. | Top Siberian cop Sergey Potapov said that security at Novosibirsk airport did not find any large bottles in the luggage of Navalny's associates when they flew to Tomsk after the activist was taken to hospital. The Moscow protest leader's team previously asserted that they took "everything that could be hypothetically useful [from his Omsk hotel room], and passed it on to doctors in Germany." | Also on rt.c…

RT (2020-10-08). Two Russian journalists & guide injured in shelling of iconic 19th century cathedral in Nagorno-Karabakh (PHOTOS & VIDEO). rt.com Two Russian journalists and their Russian fixer have been injured in the shelling of a historic Armenian church in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region, the second attack on the Ghazanchetsots cathedral in one day. | Russian military correspondents Yury Kotenok and Levon Arzanov suffered injuries during a Thursday strike on the cathedral, located in the town of Shusha, the Armenian Foreign Ministry spokesperson told news agency RIA. He added that the journalists' guide, who is also a Russian citizen, was injured as well. | | © David Ghahramanyan/NKR InfoCenter/PAN Photo/Handout via REUTERS | Kotenok is…

RT (2020-10-08). Two Russian journalists & their guide injured in shelling of iconic 19th century cathedral in Nagorno-Karabakh (PHOTOS & VIDEO). rt.com Two Russian journalists and their fixer have been injured in the shelling of a historic Armenian Christian church in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region. It was the second attack on the Ghazanchetsots cathedral in one day. | Russian military correspondents Yury Kotenok and Levon Arzanov suffered injuries during the Thursday strike on the iconic religious site, located in the town of Shusha, an Armenian Foreign Ministry spokesperson told Moscow news agency RIA Novosti. He added that the journalists' guide, who is also a Russian citizen, was injured as well. | | © David Ghahramanyan/NKR InfoCenter/PAN Ph…

RT (2020-10-08). 'Sputnik V' worthy of Nobel Prize? Two Russian MPs think developers of world's first Covid-19 vaccine should be recognised in 2021. rt.com The developers of Russia's pioneering vaccine against coronavirus should be nominated for the 2021 Nobel Prize in Science, according to two Russian politicians. Named Sputnik V, it is the first to be registered in the world. | The creators of the formula, from Moscow's Gamaleya Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, were the first to complete a vaccine against the virus that has devastated the globe, and continues to have a dramatic effect on the world economy. Parliamentarian Leonid Ogul believes the discovery will benefit everyone around the world, and they should therefore be rewarded. | "The invention…

RT (2020-10-08). European Parliament President Sassoli self-isolating after member of his staff tests positive for Covid-19. rt.com The president of the European Parliament, David Sassoli, announced on Thursday he would self-isolate after contact with a Covid-19 infected person. | "I was recently in contact with a member of my staff who today tested positive for Covid-19," Sassoli tweeted. "In accordance with the rules, I'll be self-isolating for the required period to carry out the necessary checks." | The EU Parliament head Sassoli has already put himself into quarantine once — back in March…

RT (2020-10-08). 73-year-old Russian Church leader Patriarch Kirill to self-isolate after coming into contact with person infected by coronavirus. rt.com The head of the Russian Orthodox Church has gone into quarantine after coming into contact with a person infected by Covid-19. Patriarch Kirill is 73 years-old, putting him in an at-risk group, and so must take extra precautions. | Kirill's decision to self-isolate was announced by Vladimir Legoyda, the head of the church's media department, on his Telegram channel. There was no mention of any symptoms. | "His Holiness Patriarch Kirill had contact with a person infected with a coronavirus infection," the message

RT (2020-10-08). US-China standoff creating conditions similar to pre-WWI Europe, Kissinger warns. rt.com The US needs to rethink its hegemony and talk to China about imposing limits on their competition, because the alternative is the creation of conditions similar to those that preceded World War I, Henry Kissinger has warned. | "Our leaders and their leaders have to discuss the limits beyond which they will not push threats, and how to define that," said Kissinger, a top diplomat during the Nixon administration, who is credited with orchestrating US rapprochement with China. | "You can say this is totally impossible, but if it is, we will slide into a situation similar to World War I," he warned. | Also on rt.c…

Peter Koenig (2020-10-08). The Coronavirus COVID-19 Pandemic: The Real Danger is "Agenda ID2020" globalresearch.ca WHO has most likely received orders from "above", from those people who also manage Trump and the "leaders" (sic) of the EU, European Union. The final decision to go ahead NOW with COVID-19 pandemic, was taken in January 2020 at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos – behind very much closed doors.

South Front (2020-10-08). Video: Armenians Fight Back Against Azerbaijani Advance, Strike Strategic (BTC) Oil Pipeline. globalresearch.ca Armenian forces launched a missile attack on the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline, according to Azerbaijan. The country's prosecutors said that Armenian forces had carried out the attack, which was prevented by the Azerbaijani military, on the pipeline in Yevlah at …

WSWS (2020-10-08). German state and political parties promote anti-Semitism. wsws.org Seventy-five years after the holocaust, anti-Semitic violence is on the rise in Germany.

Freedom News (2020-10-08). Greece: Golden Dawn Trial Ends with Guilty Verdict. globalresearch.ca The heavily guarded Court of Appeals of Athens delivered the verdicts today in a five-year-long Golden Dawn trial. | Thousands gathered in an antifascist rally outside of the court this morning to await the ruling. The trial, widely covered in Greek …

Marwa Osman (2020-10-08). Hezbollah Slams France—ME EP.75. thealtworld.com Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah responded to French President Emmanuel Macron's disrespect of the Lebanese people, highlighting that he should respect the Lebanese people's dignity when talking to them. Sayyed Nasrullah accused President Macron of practicing intimidation against the heads of Lebanese parties in order to pass a new government that eliminates the parliamentary blocs. To discuss this issue with us from Beirut is Ali Mourad, political commentator. | A series of rockets were launched at a base hosting US-led coalition forces inside Erbil International Airport in Iraq's semi-autonom…

WSWS (2020-10-08). Turkey backs Azeri offensive on Armenia as Russia, Iran warn of escalation. wsws.org The war between Armenia and Azerbaijan threatens to escalate into a regional war involving Russia, Iran, Turkey and the entire NATO alliance.

Helena Smith (2020-10-08). Golden Dawn Guilty Verdicts Celebrated Across Greece. zcomm.org Ex-leader and MPs found guilty after biggest trial of fascists since Nuremberg…

Peoples Dispatch (2020-10-08). Students organize amid fresh pandemic outbreak in British universities. peoplesdispatch.org Over the past few weeks, there has been a surge in COVID-19 cases in universities in the United Kingdom. Student activists talk about the challenges they face and the kind of organizing that is happening…

Viken Berberian (2020-10-08). Captive of the Caucasus: The Long War Over Nagorno-Karabakh. thenation.com Captive of the Caucasus: The Long War Over Nagorno-Karabakh…

Aaron Mate (2020-10-07). Video: Ex-OPCW Chief Jose Bustani Reads Syria Testimony that US, UK Blocked at UN. globalresearch.ca At the UN Security Council, the US, UK, France and allies have blocked the testimony of Jose Bustani, the OPCW's first Director General, on the chemical watchdog's Syria cover-up scandal. The Grayzone has obtained Bustani's prepared statement and is publishing …

Aaron Maté (2020-10-07). OPCW Syria whistleblower and ex-OPCW chief attacked by US, UK, France at UN. thegrayzone.com At the UN Security Council, the US, UK and France were confronted with testimony from OPCW whistleblower Ian Henderson and ex-OPCW chief Jose Bustani that challenged the rationale for their bombing of Syria in April 2018. They responded by attacking and silencing the witnesses. Aaron Maté recaps the extraordinary events. Ian Henderson, a veteran OPCW inspector who challenged a cover-up of his organization's investigation of an alleged chemical weapons attack in Syria, recently testified before the United Nations Security Council. …

Kevin Ovenden (2020-10-07). Nazis lose in Greece; Golden Dawn declared criminal organization. peoplesworld.org At the time Morning Star went to press, the verdict in this case had not yet been delivered. This article is updated with an Associated Press report on the verdict. At least 20,000 people gathered outside the central court in Athens on Wednesday to hear the long-awaited verdicts in the trial of Greek neo-Nazi party …

Walter Smolarek (2020-10-07). Nazis dealt major blow in Greece. liberationnews.org Concluding a five year-long trial, a Greek court ruled today that the fascist outfit Golden Dawn was operating as a criminal organization and its leaders were therefore guilty of functioning as organized crime bosses. This could be a fatal blow to what was until recently perhaps the most institutionally powerful openly Nazi organization in the …

RT (2020-10-07). Russia's 'Sputnik V' Covid-19 vaccine will cost $13 a pop, officials hope price will quickly go down once production accelerates. rt.com Russia's Covid-19 vaccine, the first in the world, will cost less than 1,000 rubles, or $13, per dose, says the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS). Despite a low price by Western standards, FAS believes the current price is steep. | "We understand that the price is quite high," said Igor Artemyev, the head of FAS. "[The vaccine is] produced in relatively small batches, and they need capital to expand production." | According to Artemyev, the cost of a dose will reduce as production increases and the vaccine becomes more readily available. The country will also revisit the price when other countries produce the…

RT (2020-10-07). Cardi B branded 'terrorism supporter' & forced to apologize after unwittingly getting entangled in Nagorno-Karabakh politics. rt.com Rapper Cardi B was flooded with online attacks and forced to apologize after promoting an Armenian fundraiser amid the country's escalating conflict with the neighboring Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh territory. | The US singer, whose latest single 'WAP' topped UK charts in September, provoked backlash after she

RT (2020-10-07). France records all-time daily high in new Covid-19 cases of almost 19,000, as authorities eye new restrictions. rt.com A total of 18,746 people have been diagnosed with coronavirus in France over the latest 24-hour recording period, an all-time daily high for the country, the nation's health authorities announced on Wednesday. | The amount of new cases almost doubled compared to Tuesday when 10,489 infections were registered. The overall number of cases in the country since the start of the pandemic has now reached 653,509. | An additional 80 people had succumbed to the disease during the previous day, according to Wednesday's update, putting the cumulative death toll at 32,445. | Meanwhile the number of Covid-19 patients bein…

RT (2020-10-07). Germany, France & UK to propose sanctions on Russia over alleged poisoning of opposition figure Navalny. rt.com Germany, France and the UK will push for EU sanctions on Russian individuals over the alleged poisoning of Kremlin critic Alexey Navalny, saying they see no other "credible explanation" for the incident than Moscow's involvement. | The proposals will target "individuals deemed responsible for this crime and breach of international norms" as well as "an entity involved in the Novichok program," the French and German foreign ministries said in a joint statement on Wednesday. | "No credible explanation has been provided by Russia so far. In this context, we consider that there is no other plausible explanation fo…

RT (2020-10-07). 'Strategic partnership' worth $1.6 billion: Ukraine to ink agreement with London for eight British fast attack missile boats. rt.com Britain has secured a deal with Ukraine to produce military vessels for £1.25 billion ($1.61 billion), in a "historic agreement" signaling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's determination to improve his country's navy. | The president arrived in England on Wednesday and is scheduled to hold talks with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, after which they will sign a "Ukrainian-British Agreement on Political Cooperation, Free Trade and Strategic Partnership." In the afternoon, Zelensky and his wife, Olena, met with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, William and Catherine. | According to reports, th…

RT (2020-10-07). Russian monastery run by excommunicated criminal cop-turned-monk under investigation for torture & systematic beating of children. rt.com Russian authorities have opened a child torture criminal case against the Sredneuralsk Convent, an Orthodox Christian community run by the controversial excommunicated monk Sergius. The clergyman already has a murder conviction. |

RT (2020-10-07). Germany & France will ask EU allies to place fresh sanctions on Russia over alleged poisoning of opposition figure Navalny. rt.com Germany and France will push for targeted EU sanctions against certain Russian individuals over the alleged poisoning of opposition figure Alexey Navalny. They insist the only explanation for the incident is state involvement. | NATO member Britain will also back the proposals which will focus on "individuals deemed responsible for this crime and breach of international norms," as well as "an entity involved in the Novichok program," the French and German foreign ministries said in a joint statement on Wednesday. | "No credible explanation has been provided by Russia so far. In this context, we consider that t…

G. Dunkel (2020-10-07). Greek workers tell Pompeo: 'Go home'! workers.org Protest against austerity by Greek union confederations in Thessaloníki on Sept. 5. Students and teachers at over 700 schools and universities throughout Greece walked out the first week of October. Thousands of workers marched in Thessaloníki, both at the beginning and at the end of September. Workers and other progressives . . . |

Paul Antonopoulos (2020-10-07). NATO Increased Warship Presence in Black Sea by 33% Compared to 2019. globalresearch.ca By strengthening the presence of warships from non-Black Sea NATO members in the Black Sea, the military bloc is attempting to demonstrate its dominance in the region and the Alliance's desire to neutralize and pressurize Russia's influence in the area. …