Daily Archives: September 20, 2020

2020-09-20: News Headlines

Caitlin Johnstone (2020-09-20). Stephen Cohen has died. Remember His Urgent Warnings Against The New Cold War. thealtworld.com Stephen F Cohen, the renowned American scholar on Russia and leading authority on US-Russian relations, As one of the precious few western

_____ (2020-09-20). September 18: Julian Assange Hearing Report. popularresistance.org New Zealand investigative journalist Nicky Hager took to stand to testify about using WikiLeaks documents in his work. Hager published Other People's Wars, New Zealand in Afghanistan, Iraq and the war on terror, and said that WikiLeaks-released military and diplomatic files "greatly increased my understanding of the conduct of the war. It would have been impossible to write the book without these confidential and leaked sources." | In his written testimony, Hager explained, | "It is in general impossible to research and write about war to a useful standard without access to sources that the authorities concerned…

MEE and agencies (2020-09-20). Allies dismiss US announcement reimposing UN sanctions on Iran. middleeasteye.net Allies dismiss US announcement reimposing UN sanctions on Iran | Iran denounces 'reckless' US as Trump administration threatens consequences for violators | Sun, 09/20/2020 – 10: 31 | An anti-US mural on a Tehran building on 20 September, 2020, when Washington unilaterally declared UN sanctions against the Islamic republic were back in force (AFP) | The US has defied criticism from allies…

Naomi LaChance (2020-09-20). Biden's Foreign Policy Advisors Show Loyalty to Israel, Defense Contractors. counterpunch.org When Donald Trump was elected president, the foreign policy apparatus that Barack Obama's administration built did not disappear. The power brokers went to think tanks and lobbying firms, cashing in on the uncertainty with help from defense contractors and other corporations. Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden's potential foreign policy would likely be a continuation of

MEE and agencies (2020-09-20). Five injured as Houthi missile strikes Saudi village. middleeasteye.net Five injured as Houthi missile strikes Saudi village | The civilians in border village were taken to hospital suffering from shrapnel wounds, according to Saudi report | Sun, 09/20/2020 – 10: 53 | The Saudi coalition intervened in Yemen in 2015 (AFP) | Five civilians were injured when a military projectile launched by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis hit a village in Saudi Arabia's southern Ja…

The Canary (2020-09-20). Police in Belarus arrest 200 women at opposition protest. thecanary.co Among those detained was Nina Bahinskaya, a 73-year-old former geologist whose defiance has made her a popular figure in the protests. | By | poliPolice in the capital of Belarus have cracked down sharply on a women's protest march demanding the authoritarian president's resignation.Officers arrested more than 200 demonstrators, including an elderly woman. The woman has become a symbol of the six weeks of protest that have rocked the country. More than 2,000 women took part in the march in Minsk.Such anti-government marches have become a regula…

RT (2020-09-20). Washington unilaterally reimposes UN sanctions on Iran despite opposition from UN Security Council members — including US allies. rt.com Mike Pompeo has claimed that the US is ready to punish countries that won't comply with newly reintroduced sanctions on Iran. However, the UK and France defied Washington, saying the relief agreed under the Iran deal will remain. | The secretary of state announced the unilateral return of virtually all UN sanctions against Iran late on Saturday, hailing the development as "great news for peace in the region." | Virtually all

news.un (2020-09-20). Fighting drug trafficking in the Golden Triangle: a UN Resident Coordinator blog. news.un.org Drug trafficking has long been a problem in the Golden Triangle, the region where Thailand's Chiang Rai province meets Myanmar and Laos. In this blog, Gita Sabharwal, UN Resident Coordinator in Thailand, and Jeremy Douglas, who represents the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Southeast Asia and the Pacific, explain how the United Nations and the Thai government are working together to tackle the issue.

Abdul Rahman (2020-09-20). With Abraham Accords, US and Israel seek to consolidate hegemony in the region. peoplesdispatch.org The United States and Israel are the only true winners of the recent Abraham Accords where the UAE and Bahrain normalized ties with the latter. The cause of the Palestinians has once again been abandoned…

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-20). US has weak chance to return to JCPOA after anti-Iran moves. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 20 (MNA) — Zarif believes that after committing severe crimes and causing many financial damages against the Iranian nation as well as its illegal withdrawal from the JCPOA, today, the US has no chance to return the JCPOA easily.

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-20). Health Ministry confirms 3,097 new COVID-19 infections. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 20 (MNA) — The Iranian Health Ministry has confirmed 3,097 COVID-19 infections and 183 deaths due to the disease in the past 24 hours.

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-20). Power-obsessed Trump resorting to threat for re-election: MP. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 20 (MNA) — Slamming US anti-Iran threats, a member of the Iranian Parliament's Presiding Board said that these Trump's actions are just a show to attract the American peoples' votes on the eve of the US 2020 election.

yenisafak (2020-09-20). Taiwan president says has no plans to talk to Japan's new PM. yenisafak.com Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen said on Sunday that there was no plan for her talk by telephone with new Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, after a Japanese envoy had told Tsai that Suga might be open to it, prompting concern in Beijing.Taiwan, claimed by China as its own territory, has close cultural and historic ties with Japan, though Japan, like most countries, recognises China's government in Beijing, not Taiwan's.Meeting Tsai in Taipei on Friday, former Japanese prime minister Yoshiro Mori, visiting for a memorial service for late president Lee Teng-hui, said Suga told him that "if there is the opportuni…

yenisafak (2020-09-20). For Kashmiris born in last 3 decades, peace far-fetched dream. yenisafak.com When my seven-year-old son's Skype class started on Thursday, a disturbing message popped up in the chat box.A parent of one of his classmates said his son could not attend the class because their neighborhood in Sringar, the capital of Indian-administered Kashmir, was tense.Police had claimed killing three militants in Batamaloo, a warren of densely populated streets inhabited by pro-freedom people. A woman was also fatally shot while accompanying her baker son to his shop.As a general practice, authorities shut internet services after such incidents to block news from spreading through social media and as a res…

yenisafak (2020-09-20). US facing international isolation: Iran. yenisafak.com The Iranian Foreign Ministry said Sunday the US was facing international isolation over its decision to re-impose sanctions on Tehran, according to the official IRNA news agency."The US stands at the wrong side of history and our message for it was to return to the international community, to your commitments, stop rebelling and the world will accept you," ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh told a news briefing."The whole world is saying nothing has changed, sanctions were in place only in the imaginary world of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo," he said.On Sunday, Pompeo declared the re-imposition of UN sanct…

yenisafak (2020-09-20). Indonesia halts exports from seafood producer after virus tests. yenisafak.com Indonesia has suspended exports from an Indonesian seafood company PT Putri Indah into China after its frozen fish products tested positive for the coronavirus, the country's fisheries ministry said in a statement on Saturday.The ministry said that an investigation was underway and that the suspension would only apply to PT Putri Indah "whereas the others can still do export activities as usual."The virus was detected on the outermost side of the package, not on the fish, the ministry said.The seven-day suspension began on Friday, it said.A person in charge of marketing, answering a number listed for PT Putri Ind…

yenisafak (2020-09-20). Dubai's Habtoor Group to open representative office in Israel. yenisafak.com Dubai conglomerate Al Habtoor Group is to open a representative office in Israel, it said on Sunday.The United Arab Emirates and Israel last week agreed to establish bilateral diplomatic and trade ties, which officials have said would create significant economic opportunities.The family-owned conglomerate portfolio covers the hospitality, construction, education and automotive sectors.Habtoor Group, headed by prominent Emirati businessman Khalaf Ahmad al-Habtoor, is in talks with Israeli airline Israir to launch direct commercial flights to the UAE."We are preparing to reveal a few collaborations in the coming da…

yenisafak (2020-09-20). Indonesia reports 3,989 new coronavirus infections, 105 deaths. yenisafak.com Indonesia reported 3,989 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, taking the total to 244,676, data from the country's health ministry showed.The data added 105 new deaths, taking the total to 9,553, the biggest death toll in Southeast Asia.

_____ (2020-09-19). Venezuela: The 2016-2020 National Assembly — Part Of The Plan. popularresistance.org It's hard to decide which of all the actions of the Venezuelan opposition representatives was the most shameful. Was it Ramos Allup giving the legitimate elected President Nicolas Madura a 6-month deadline to leave office while removing the portraits of Simon Bolivar and of Comandante Chavez from the Federal Capitol? Or Julio Borges spreading letters throughout the world in which he called for an increase in the economic blockade against the Venezuelan people while he labeled us a plague in the region?

Prof Michel Chossudovsky (2020-09-19). Extrajudicial Executions Portrayed as "An Instrument of Peace". Trump Wanted to "Take Out" Syria's President Assad… globalresearch.ca President Donald Trump wants to take out president Bashar Al Assad. Controversy over his statements. | "I would've rather taken him out. I had him all set"… Mattis didn't want to do it" | . | Déjà Vu: The history of extrajudicial assassinations…

Nima Elbagir (2020-09-19). Yemen on Brink of Famine After U.S. Cuts Aid While Fueling War. zcomm.org The humanitarian crisis in Yemen is deepening amid the pandemic and cuts to international aid from the United States and its allies, leaving millions of Yemenis facing famine after years of a brutal U.S.-backed, Saudi-led bombing campaign that has devastated the country…

MEE and agencies (2020-09-19). US army announces new deployments in Syria. middleeasteye.net US army announces new deployments in Syria | The move follows a collision between Russian and American vehicles which left seven American soldiers injured | Sat, 09/19/2020 – 10: 36 | Armoured vehicles have been sent as part of the reinforcements (AFP) | The US Army announced Friday it was stepping up its military deployment in northeastern Syria despite a push to limit its presence there,…

Arielle Robinson (2020-09-19). Campus workers in Georgia defend Black and Brown lives. workers.org Atlanta This is a slightly edited version of a talk given at the Workers World Party Sept. 10 webinar, "Workers Defend Black Lives." View webinar at tinyurl.com/y6m9z593. In and around Atlanta, labor unions have been connecting the issues of labor to racial justice. Unions are recognizing that issues of labor . . . |

MEE and agencies (2020-09-19). Iran's coronavirus death toll exceeds 24,000, says health ministry. middleeasteye.net Iran's coronavirus death toll exceeds 24,000, says health ministry | Health specialist says roughly half of all coronavirus patients being treated in Iran's intensive care units are dying | Sat, 09/19/2020 – 13: 11 | An Iranian woman stands next to a street bin urging people to follow anti-coronavirus health protocols in Tehran (AFP) | Iran's coronavirus death toll has topped 24,000, the h…

MEE and agencies (2020-09-19). Damascus berates Dutch legal action on human rights record. middleeasteye.net Damascus berates Dutch legal action on human rights record | The Netherlands has launched a bid through international bodies to hold the Syrian government to account for abuses | Sat, 09/19/2020 – 13: 36 | The Syrian government stands accused of committing widespread human rights abuses (AFP) | The Syrian government berated the Netherlands on Saturday for launching a new bid through intern…

The Canary (2020-09-19). Thai protesters hold rally urging democratic reforms. thecanary.co As many as 50,000 people are expected to show up for a march seeking democratic reforms. | By | Protesters have gathered in Bangkok for the most ambitious rally so far in a pro-democracy campaign that has shaken the government and Thailand's conservative establishment.Mobilised support: Organisers predicted as many as 50,000 people will show up and march over two days in an area of the capital historically associated with political protests. An estimated 10,000 people turned out for the last major rally on 16 August. This time, oppositio…

RT (2020-09-19). The world has thousands of Covid-19 strains, but 99% of all Russian cases come from just two, says health watchdog. rt.com Today, there are several thousand coronavirus mutations globally, but only 22 are stable, according to Russia's health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor. In Russia, 99% of all infected samples come from just two of the mutations. | The 22 were all first detected around January-March 2020, and since then, other mutations haven't managed to become widespread. | "The total number of mutations identified in the sequenced genomes of SARS-CoV-2 is many thousands," the Rospotrebnadzor statement reads. "However, only a few of them are fixed and consistently inherited." | According to the watchdog, 93% of the studied samples co…

RT (2020-09-19). Latvian doctor boasts to magazine he refused to assist hospital visitor who spoke Russian – says he was proud not to help. rt.com The Latvian debate over the Russian language is often political, but now it has entered healthcare. A Riga doctor has boasted about refusing to help a hospital visitor because he was a Russian speaker. | According to Sputnik Latvia, anesthesiologist Roberts Furmanis called himself "Latvian to the bone,"

RT (2020-09-19). Tulsi Gabbard goes OFF MESSAGE from fellow Dems again, introduces bipartisan bill to deter fraud with mail-in ballots. rt.com Former Democratic presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard, branded a "Russian asset" by Hillary Clinton for her anti-war views, is again refusing to blindly follow her party's talking points — this time over fears of election fraud. | "Whether in the midst of a pandemic, as we are now, where mail-in voting is likely to drastically increase, or even in a normal election, no one should get in between a voter and the ballot box," the Hawaii congresswoman said Friday on Twitter. | Banning ballot harvesting is not a partisan issue. It's been used & abused in states like North Carolina and California & is ripe fo…

RT (2020-09-19). 25 hours & 20,000km! Russian Tu-160 strategic bombers set new WORLD RECORD for range & duration of non-stop flight. rt.com A pair of Russian Tu-160 strategic bombers have spent more than 25 hours in the air and covered over 20,000km, setting a new world record for non-stop flight range, and duration, for this type of aircraft, it has been revealed. | The Defense Ministry, in Moscow, made the announcement on Saturday with Sergey Kobylash, the commander of Russia's long-range aviation service, saying that "nobody has flown this type of aircraft longer." | The record, which was set on Saturday, saw two Tupolev Tu-160 strategic bombers (NATO reporting name 'Blackjack') "staying in the air for more than 25 hours and covering a distanc…

RT (2020-09-19). Russian Tu-160 strategic bombers set WORLD RECORD for range & duration of non-stop flight. rt.com Russian Tu-160 strategic bombers have spent more than 25 hours in the air and covered over 20,000 kilometers, setting the world record for non-stop flight range and duration for this type of aircraft, the Defense Ministry said. | "Nobody has flown this type of aircraft longer," Sergey Kobylash, the commander of Russia's long-range aviation, said. | The record, which was set on Saturday, saw two Tupolev Tu-160 strategic bombers (NATO reporting name: 'Blackjack') "staying in the air for more than 25 hours and covering the distance of over 20,000 kilometers (12,427 miles)," the commander added. | Also on rt.com

RT (2020-09-19). 'Like the Vietnam War': Witness describes mass shooting that left 16 shot, 2 dead in Rochester, New York. rt.com A gun battle in Rochester, New York has resulted in two fatalities, according to law enforcement. Sixteen people were shot in the incident. | The Rochester Police Department confirmed that one male and one female were killed in the early hours of Saturday. The shooting happened at a backyard party, law enforcement said. The force's mobile command unit is currently at the scene, as well as the New York State Police. Videos show numerous emergency vehicles assembled in the taped-off area. | Multiple RPD technician units leaving the scene.

RT (2020-09-19). Is Iran into CHOPPING OFF 'teen thieves' fingers? Not quite, say local officials as MSM runs shocking headlines. rt.com Iranian officials have rebuked reports in Western media that three teens were set to have their fingers amputated. They explained that the convicts were over 20 years of age and that their sentences are yet to be confirmed. | Identified by the media as Hadi Rostami, Mehdi Sharafian and Mehdi Shahivand, the trio reportedly lost their appeals in Iran's Supreme Court and were ordered to have four fingers on their right hands amputated — a rarely-used Sharia punishment for robbery and theft. | All three are said to have been tried last year in the northern city of Urmia for four counts of robbery and have rem…

RT (2020-09-19). 'Open interference': Belarus warns against inclusion of opposition figure Tikhanovskaya in meeting of EU foreign ministers. rt.com Belarus has warned the EU not to include opposition figurehead and former presidential candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya in an upcoming meeting of the bloc's foreign ministers, saying it would amount to open interference. | "It is quite obvious, in fact, that such actions, if any, are an impudent and open interference in the internal affairs" of Belarus, Foreign Ministry spokesman Anatoly Glaz said on Saturday, as reported by the Sputnik news agency. Such a move by the European Union would show "complete disrespect" for the country's citizens, he added. | Glaz's comments came in response to Russian news reports…

Yisrael Frey (2020-09-19). Hasidic Israeli pilgrims trapped at Ukraine-Belarus border on Covid-19 fears. middleeasteye.net Hasidic Israeli pilgrims trapped at Ukraine-Belarus border on Covid-19 fears | Thousands of pilgrims enduring grim weather, without shelter, blame Israeli government for abandoning them | Sat, 09/19/2020 – 11: 31 | Hasidic Jews sleep outside on the ground at the Belarus-Ukraine border (supplied) | On the biggest Jewish holiday, proclaiming the start of a new year on the Hebrew calendar, thousands of H…

Yisrael Frey (2020-09-19). Hasidic Israeli pilgrims trapped at Ukraine-Belarus border amid Covid-19 fears. middleeasteye.net Hasidic Israeli pilgrims trapped at Ukraine-Belarus border amid Covid-19 fears | Thousands of pilgrims enduring grim weather, without shelter, blame Israeli government for abandoning them | Sat, 09/19/2020 – 11: 31 | Hasidic Jews sleep outside on the ground at the Belarus-Ukraine border (supplied) | On the biggest Jewish holiday, proclaiming the start of a new year on the Hebrew calendar, thousands of…

_____ (2020-09-19). September 21: 'We Are Many' Global Virtual Premiere. popularresistance.org On February 15th, 2003, up to 30 million people, many of whom had never demonstrated before in their lives, came out in nearly 800 cities around the world to protest against the impending Iraq War. | We Are Many is the never-before-told story of the largest demonstration in human history, and how the movement created by a small band of activists changed the world. Eight years in the making, filmed in seven countries, and including interviews with John Le Carre, Damon Albarn, Brian Eno, Phyllis Bennis, Danny Glover, Mark Rylance, Richard Branson, Hans Blix and Ken Loach amongst others…

WSWS (2020-09-19). Video exposing Philippine Stalinist leader Sison's Big Lie that the CPP never supported Duterte. wsws.org Communist Party of the Philippines founder Jose Maria Sison told CNN in May 2016 that he was "very proud" of the fascist Rodrigo Duterte's election victory, fraudulently describing him as a "left" president with a "socialist orientation."

sputniknews (2020-09-19). Trump Says Will Soon Announce His Supreme Court Justice Pick, Likely a Woman. sputniknews.com WASHINGTON, September 20 (Sputnik) – On Friday, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died of complications from metastatic pancreatic cancer, at the age of 87, at her home in Washington.

Colin Todhunter (2020-09-19). Neoliberal Death Knell for Indian Agriculture. dissidentvoice.org In a 2017 article, I asked what might a future India look like and concluded that, if current neoliberal policies continue, there could be dozens of mega-cities with up to 40 million inhabitants and just two to three hundred million (perhaps 15-20% of the population) left in an emptied-out countryside. And it could also mean hundreds of millions of displaced …

WSWS (2020-09-19). Political crisis in the Philippines intensifies. wsws.org With the support of the Stalinists, sections of the military and business elite are coalescing around Vice-President Leni Robredo, as a possible replacement for President Rodrigo Duterte.

WSWS (2020-09-19). US, Colombia stage war games as Pompeo threatens Venezuela. wsws.org Pompeo's Latin American tour is aimed both at escalating aggression against Venezuela and countering China's influence in the region.

Michael Welch (2020-09-19). Cold War Thaw? Navalny Poisoning. Belarus Political Instability. NATO on Russia's Doorstep. globalresearch.ca "We understand that not only for the Soviet Union but for other European countries as well it is important to have guarantees that if the United States keeps its presence in Germany within the framework of NATO, not an inch …

John Cavanagh (2020-09-19). Trump trade wars have led to lost US jobs and factories. zcomm.org Trump is making false claims about his record in struggling states like Ohio and Michigan. The jobs haven't come back. They've been offshored to China…

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-19). Tehran-Istanbul flights to be resumed. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 19 (MNA) — An Iranian airline revealed that Tehran-Istanbul flights will be resumed on Tue. Sept. 22.

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-19). Iran to host 1st EAEU intl. expo in Feb. 2021. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 20 (MNA) — Tehran is planning to host an international exhibition for introducing the Eurasia Economic Union (EAEU)'s trade potentials in February 2021.

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-19). Iranian, Chinese uni. professors to hold literary webinar. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 19 (MNA) — Iranian and Chinese academic scholars will hold a joint literary webinar in October.

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-19). IAEA asked for no more access into Iran nuclear activity. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 19 (MNA) — Iran's nuclear chief, Ali Akbar Salehi, says the International Atomic Energy Agency has asked for no further probes except for the two cases agreed between Theran and the Agency last month.

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-19). Police dismantles drug-trafficking band in SE Iran. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 19 (MNA) — The police forces of the Sistan and Baluchestan Province, southeastern Iran, have dismantled a drug-trafficking band and seized over 1 ton of illegal drugs in Saravan County.

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-19). Russia once again rules out activation of snapback. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 19 (MNA) — Russia's Permanent Representative to International Organizations in Vienna Mikhail Ulyanov questioned the possibility of the United States using snapback to impose new sanctions on Iran and once again blamed Washington.