Daily Archives: September 26, 2020

2020-09-26: News Headlines

Andrew Korybko (2020-09-26). Eurasian Geopolitics: US' Hybrid War on Russian Energy Targets Germany, Belarus, and Bulgaria. globalresearch.ca The US is ruthlessly waging an intense Hybrid War on Russian energy interests in Europe by targeting the Eurasian Great Power's relevant projects in Germany, Belarus, and Bulgaria, banking on the fact that even the partial success of this strategy …

Andrew Korybko (2020-09-26). Taiwan's 'Self-Defense' Claim against China: Euphemism for US-Backed Aggression? globalresearch.ca It's important to explain the context of the island leadership's provocative comments in order to better understand why everything isn't as simple as they try to make it seem. | Taiwan's self-described "Ministry of National Defense" released a statement on Monday …

Eds. (2020-09-26). The Sino-Russian alliance comes of age—Part 2. mronline.org The Russian diplomacy, which has a glorious tradition in modern history, does not make its moves accidentally or impulsively. The historical consciousness is intense.

Kareem Chehayeb (2020-09-26). Lebanon's PM-designate resigns in blow to French initiative. middleeasteye.net Lebanon's PM-designate resigns in blow to French initiative | Mustapha Adib stands down less than a month after his appointment, after failing to form a reform-minded government | Sat, 09/26/2020 – 11: 06 | Lebanese prime minister designate Mustapha Adib, speaking at a press conference at the presidential palace in Baabda, east of the capital Beirut on 26 September 2020 (AFP/Dalati and Nohra…

Eds. (2020-09-26). Sinophobia Inc: Understanding the anti-China Industrial complex. mronline.org Take a deep dive into the inner workings of Sinophobia Inc. to learn how to see through the media machine.

Fareed Taamallah (2020-09-26). 'Cultivated with love': Palestinian farmers' markets flourish in the West Bank. middleeasteye.net 'Cultivated with love': Palestinian farmers' markets flourish in the West Bank | Souk el-fallaheen has offered Palestinian farmers a space to sell their products and build relationships with their communities

| Sat, 09/26/2020 – 10: 20 | The Palestinian farmers' market in al-Bireh has seen an unprecedented turnout from buyers and farmers this summer (MEE/Al-Bireh Municipality) | "

Peoples Dispatch (2020-09-26). West Papuans reject Indonesia's plans to extend Special Autonomy Law. peoplesdispatch.org In the twenty years of living under this law, Papuans say that it did not address the contested history of Papua's integration and its outstanding political and human rights issues.

_____ (2020-09-26). Train A Woman To Farm, And The Community Will Eat. popularresistance.org There is no shame in farming, there is only shame in biting the hand that feeds you. Farmers for a long time have been looked down upon and yet they are an essential group. Constantly working hard to provide food to sustain life on earth. | Women farmers especially in my community have been ignored and their concerns dismissed. I did not like this attitude and wanted to change it. It was not until I ventured more into organic farming that I became more respectful of nature, but also myself and those around me.

Jordan Davidson (2020-09-26). Trump administration to allow logging in pristine national forest. nationofchange.org The roughly 9 million acres that the administration wants to open up now have been protected since the 2001 by the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, or Roadless Rule.

Juan Cole (2020-09-26). Russia tells Trump to Jump in Lake. zcomm.org Commits 80,000 Personnel to War drill alongside Iran, China…

Arzu Geybullayeva (2020-09-26). In Turkey, women rise up to stop withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention. zcomm.org The Istanbul Convention is a Council of Europe treaty designed to prevent violence against women…

IRMEP (2020-09-26). Expropriate, Capture & Marginalize: the Energix business model from Palestine to the US. indybay.org Energix expropriated 24 acres from a Palestinian community in the Israeli-occupied West Bank to boost its bottom line. When residents in the Israeli-occupied Golan questioned Energix electricity exports from massive wind turbines built on occupied land, Energix sued them in Israeli court. | Now Energix has brought its business practices to America. But can Energix get away with expropriating $26,000 from each home within 100 feet of its utility scale energy generators in Virginia? Will county boards of supervisors accept quiet Energix payoffs of $50,000 in exchange for 35-year licenses? Will the officials and ass…

Zion Hagay (2020-09-26). [Correspondence] Israeli aid to the West Bank and the Gaza Strip during the COVID-19 pandemic. thelancet.com The claims asserted in David Mills and colleagues in their Correspondence1 were so egregious that we feel the need to respond, even though some time has passed since its publication and the Correspondence has since been removed from The Lancet's website.

Ikram Ahmed Tunio, Syed Mohammad Qaisar Sajjad, Pakistan Medical Association (2020-09-26). [Correspondence] End curfews in Kashmir. thelancet.com The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) is a national organisation representing medical fraternity of Pakistan. PMA works for the betterment of patients and physicians, and it acts to achieve the highest possible standards of medical care, ethics, education, and health-related human rights for all people.

Rebeccah Slater, Fiona Moultrie, Ralph Bax, John van den Anker, Aomesh Bhatt (2020-09-26). [Comment] Preterm health: time to bridge the evidence gap. thelancet.com Despite the development of revolutionary life-sustaining advances in neonatal medicine, medications are frequently administered in an ad-hoc and suboptimal way. Most drugs prescribed in neonatal care have not been submitted to the stringent regulatory processes of drug licensing that are standard in adult medicine.1 Although clinical research and licensing regulations differ between countries, the scarcity of licensed medications and inevitable use of off-label drugs in neonates are universal problems1 (countries reporting these issues include the USA, Japan, China, the Netherlands, Australia, India, and Brazil).

The Lancet (2020-09-26). [Editorial] COVID-19 in India: the dangers of false optimism. thelancet.com Despite a strong response at the outset of the pandemic, as of Sept 22, India has the world's fastest growing outbreak of COVID-19 in absolute numbers according to WHO, reporting more than 5 ∑6 million infections. Restrictions began to be lifted in June, and this relaxation has continued in the face of a continuing dramatic increase in case numbers nationally. Beneath these alarming national figures, the pattern of spread in India is nuanced and complex, with marked differences between states, and between rural and urban areas.

Suresh Reddy, Seema Arora, Ravi Kolli, American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (2020-09-26). [Correspondence] Finding common ground in Kashmir. thelancet.com The American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI), representing the interests of approximately 80‚Äà000 practicing Indian physicians and 40‚Äà000 medical students, residents, and fellows in the USA, is disenchanted and disappointed with your Editorial.1AAPI, along with its counterpart in India and globally, denounces the Editorial not only as premature but biased and reprehensible for lack of due diligence in research and consultation with proprieties or stakeholders.

_____ (2020-09-26). Leaked Docs Expose Massive Syria Propaganda Operation Waged by Western Govt Contractors and Media. strategic-culture.org Western government-funded intelligence cutouts trained Syrian opposition leaders, planted stories in media outlets from BBC to Al Jazeera, and ran a cadre of journalists. A trove of leaked documents exposes the propaganda network. | Ben NORTON | Leaked documents show how UK government contractors developed an advanced infrastructure of propaganda to stimulate support in the West for Syria's political and armed opposition. | Virtually every aspect of the Syrian opposition was cultivated and marketed by Western government-backed public relations firms, from their political narratives to their branding, from what th…

_____ (2020-09-26). China and the Washington Oscars. strategic-culture.org Fred REED | As the presidential debates approach, and our grotesque candidates prepare to compete for Best Actor, with their supporting casts of pollsters, advance men, media shills, gestures coaches, focus groups, and allied technicians of mendacity, Americans of broad historical illiteracy, which is most of them, hear endlessly of the evils of China. Whether the evils exist doesn't matter. The electorate won't know the difference. Still, it might be amusing to think about the matter. How bad (as Ivanka would put it) is the Middle Kingston? | Permit me a more sanguine view than those of our leftover Cold Warrior…

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-26). Iran considers US presence detrimental to regional security. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 26 (MNA) — Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that Tehran considers the presence of US terrorist forces in the region as detrimental to the security and stability of the region.

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-26). El Salvadorian filmmaker hails medical personnel. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 26 (MNA) — Iran's 16th Resistance International Film Festival has held an interview with Susana Beatriz Serrano, a filmmaker from El Salvador.

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-26). US attack on top generals, 'insult to Iraq sovereignty'. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 26 (MNA) —Iranian Parliament Speaker said that US assassination of former IRGC Quds Force Cmdr. General Soleimani and second-in-command of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Unit (PMU) Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis was an insult to sovereignty of Iraq.

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-26). Iran's Army not worried about regional threats: Pourdastan. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 26 (MNA) — The Head of Army's Strategic Studies Center said that Iran's Army is not worried about the regional threats.

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-26). Zarif talks US assassination of Iran top general with Iraq FM. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 26 (MNA) — Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif discussed the US terrorist murder of Iran's top general Martyr Soleimani with visiting Iraqi counterpart Fuad Hussein in Tehran on Saturday.

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-26). Iranian, Iraqi FMs hold meeting in Tehran. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 26 (MNA) — Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif met and held talks with his Iraqi counterpart Fuad Hussein on Saturday.

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-26). AEOI promoting use of nuclear tech. in determined manner. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 26 (MNA) — Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) said that it is pursuing and promoting the use of nuclear technology in a precise and determined manner.

yenisafak (2020-09-26). India fails to curb virus despite strict lockdown. yenisafak.com India enforced one of the world's most stringent lockdowns in March to check the spread of the coronavirus.The shutdown took effect four hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement and created chaos and confusion as Indians were totally unprepared.All economic activities came to a standstill. More than 140 million migrant workers in big cities were suddenly left without work as shops, factories and establishments shut down.In the COVID-19-hit months of April to June, India's GDP shrank 23.9% year-on-year. Although the pandemic turned into a financial crisis and rendered millions jobless, the virus spr…

yenisafak (2020-09-26). Hamas deal to counter US-Israeli plots: Fatah. yenisafak.com Palestinian group Fatah said Saturday its deal with rival Hamas group aims to counter US-Israeli plots against the Palestinian cause."The agreement is part of efforts to unify the Palestinian position in order to abort the passage of US-Israeli plots," Fatah deputy leader Mahmoud al-Aloul told the official Voice of Palestine Radio.He said the Fatah-Hamas deal also aims to "confront moves by some Arab countries to normalize their relations with the [Israeli] occupation state".The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain signed US-sponsored deals earlier this month to normalize their relations with Israel.Palestinia…

yenisafak (2020-09-26). Hamas chief hails Abbas' speech to UN. yenisafak.com Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh on Saturday hailed President Mahmoud Abbas's speech to the UN General Assembly, according to the official Wafa news agency.This came during a phone call Abbas received from the Hamas leader.Abbas' speech "reflects the moment [the Palestinian people are going through] in this historic stage," Haniyeh said.In his speech on Friday, Abbas said the umbrella Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) has not mandated any party to speak in its name."We will not bow or abandon our rights in spite of the unjust blockade targeting our national decision," Abbas said.The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and…

M.K. Bhadrakumar (2020-09-26). The Sino-Russian Alliance Comes of Age — Part 3. mronline.org Soon after becoming the general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, Xi Jinping is known to have spoken about the former Soviet Union. The first time was in December 2012, when, in comments to party functionaries, he reportedly remarked that China still had to "profoundly remember the lesson of the Soviet collapse."

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-26). Iran, UN official discuss latest developments in Syria. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 26 (MNA) — Iranian Foreign Minister's Senior Assistant for Special Political Affairs Ali Asghar Khaji held a phone talk with the United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Geir O. Pedersen on the latest developments in Syria.

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-26). Iran COVID-19 update: 3,204 new cases, 172 deaths in 24h. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 26 (MNA) — Iran's Health Ministry confirmed 3,204 new COVID-19 infections and 172 deaths due to the disease in the past 24 hours.

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-26). Kuwait calls for dialogue between Iran, Arab states. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 26 (MNA) — Kuwait's Prime Minister Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah urged Iran and Arab countries to dialogue in order to end tensions in the region.

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-26). 1st VP's visit to Bandar Abbas. en.mehrnews.com BANDAR ABBAS, Sep. 27 (MNA) – In his one-day trip to Bandar Abbas, the First Vice President of Iran Eshaq Jahangiri inaugurated several projects including the second phase of steel-making of Kish South Kaveh Steel Company (SKS).

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-26). Iranian short 'Talker' wins at Tirana Intl. FilmFest. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 27 (MNA) — Iranian short film, 'Talker' directed by Mehrshad Ranjbar, has won the best film award at student film competition in the 18th edition of the Tirana International Film Festival (TIFF) in Albania.

sputniknews (2020-09-26). Tehran Accuses Trump of Being Even More of a Threat to Iran Than Saddam Hussein. sputniknews.com Iran and Iraq fought a brutal, eight-year war between 1980 and 1988, with Baghdad invading the Islamic Republic to try to seize the oil-rich province of Khuzestan soon after the Iranian Revolution of 1979. Up to 1.2 million people died in the conflict, which included Iraqi use of chemical weapons against both Iranian troops and civilians.

sputniknews (2020-09-26). Don't Take or Promote Drugs: B-Town Filmmaker Karan Johar Slams Malicious Campaign, Netizens React. sputniknews.com Filmmaker Karan Johar's 30-second video, posted by him in July 2019 about his alleged drug party, is going viral. The clip is being investigated in relation with an ongoing probe of B-town's drug world. Former Delhi legislator Manjinder Singh Sirsa filed a police complaint on 15 September over an alleged 'drug party' at Karan's Mumbai house.

yenisafak (2020-09-26). Erdogan says Turkey's Teknofest will foster innovations. yenisafak.com Groundbreaking innovations, from artificial intelligence (AI) to blockchain and the Internet of Things (IoT), will take root and grow at Teknofest, Turkey's biggest aerospace and technology event, the nation's president said on Saturday.Teknofest is a place for young people who want to show their abilities in technological fields such as rockets, robotic, and aerospace, Recep Tayyip Erdogan stressed at the event, held in the southeastern metropolis of Gaziantep.Technology's most important capital is productive brains, and Turkey needs successful young people to reach its goals, he added.He also said that while in…

yenisafak (2020-09-26). Over 70 kg of heroin seized in eastern Turkey. yenisafak.com Over 70 kilograms (around 156 pounds) of heroin were seized in Turkey's eastern Van province, police said on Saturday.The drugs were found in 70 packs in three sacks hidden in a streambed in Baskale district, read a police statement.Efforts are underway to track and arrest the suspects responsible, it added.

yenisafak (2020-09-26). Boosting infrastructure, Turkey poised to be global tech leader. yenisafak.com With its solid technology infrastructure and great potential at its bag, Turkey is going to be racing to the top within 10 years, the deputy technology and industry minister expressed his strong belief during Teknofest, Turkey's largest aerospace and technology event.The National Technology Move under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has boosted Turkey's technology infrastructure and environment, Mehmet Fatih Kacir told Anadolu Agency in Gaziantep, a southern city hosting four-day event through Sunday.The National Technology Move refers to the transformation of Turkey's technology industry through…

yenisafak (2020-09-26). Archeologists discover sun disk in NW Turkey. yenisafak.com Archeologists in northwestern Turkey discovered a sun disk on a rock altar Friday in the ancient Thracian settlements.Engin Beksac, head of the art history department at Trakya University told Anadolu Agency that the Thracian rock altar, discovered in Edirne, dates to 3,500 years ago.Explaining the sun disk on the rock altar was used to observe the movements of the moon and the sun, Beksac said Thracians carried out works in astronomy.In his examination of the rock altar where the Thracians performed religious rituals and worship, he said: "The rock altar is a type of temple that hosts rituals and prayers held on…

yenisafak (2020-09-26). Lebanon's Prime Minister-designate resigns. yenisafak.com Lebanon's Prime Minister-designate Mustapha Adib resigned Saturday after failing to form a new government.Adib announced his resignation in a televised address after meeting with Lebanese President Michel Aoun at Baabda Palace in Beirut."I excuse myself from continuing the task of forming the government," Adib said.On Aug. 31, Adib, a former ambassador to Germany, was tasked with forming a new government after his predecessor Hassan Diab resigned in the wake of Beirut's port explosion, which caused a massive destruction in the capital.Adib secured 90 votes out of 120 in the parliamentary consultations to form the…

yenisafak (2020-09-26). Lebanon's parliament speaker says still sticks to French initiative. yenisafak.com Lebanese parliament speaker Nabih Berri, who is the leader of the Shi'ite Muslim Amal Movement, said his group would stick to a French initiative after the plan was dealt a blow by the prime minister-designate's decision to step down."Our position is to stick to the French initiative and its content," Berri said in a statement, after a dispute over the new cabinet that centred around a demand by Amal and its ally Iran-backed Hezbollah to name several ministers.

yenisafak (2020-09-26). Turkish forces make major drug bust. yenisafak.com Turkish forces seized a large cache of drugs in the southeastern Diyarbakir province, local officials said on Saturday.The gendarmerie seized 1.7 tons of marijuana and 587,704 cannabis roots as part of Operation Yildirim-7 in Lice district, according to a statement from the governor's office.Five suspected drug traffickers were also arrested in the operation, it added.Turkish authorities have been confiscating narcotics shipments owned or operated by the PKK terrorist organization since the 1980s, with the country seizing over 40 tons of marijuana in 2019 alone.Turkey's ongoing crackdown on drugs has helped it fi…

yenisafak (2020-09-26). Turkey condemns Boko Haram terror attack in Nigeria. yenisafak.com Turkey on Saturday condemned a deadly attack by the Boko Haram terror group in Nigeria that claimed over a dozen lives."We are deeply saddened to receive the news that many people lost their lives in a terrorist attack that took place in Baga region of Nigeria targeting the convoy of Borno Governor," Turkey's Foreign Ministry said in a statement."We condemn this heinous terrorist attack. We convey our sincere condolences to the people and Government of Nigeria, wish Allah's mercy upon those who lost their lives and a speedy recovery to the injured," it added.At least 15 people were killed on Friday as the Boko Ha…

yenisafak (2020-09-26). Iran prepares to impose new coronavirus lockdowns as cases rise. yenisafak.com "We are forced to intensify regulations and supervisions," starting in the capital Tehran, Rouhani said in televised remarks.He said government-run coronavirus task-force offices around the country would make recommendations on restrictions and whether to impose one-week lockdowns.Iran's death toll from the coronavirus has surpassed 25,000 and identified cases on Friday totalled 439,882, according to the health ministry.Iran's health officials have expressed alarm over a surge in infections, urging the country to respect health protocols to control the spread of the disease.

yenisafak (2020-09-26). Normalization deals 'tool' to undermine Islam: Scholar. yenisafak.com A top Muslim scholar has linked recent normalization deals between the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Israel to a campaign aimed at undermining Islam and monopolizing the Islamic countries.Ali al-Qaradaghi, the Secretary-General of the International Union for Muslim Scholars (IUMS), said there are many tools being used to "uproot Islam and reoccupy Muslims intellectually, socially, economically and politically"."One of these tools is through creating a new religion under the beautiful name of 'Abraham's faith'," al-Qaradaghi said in a Facebook post on Saturday. "[This claim] does not have anything to do…

yenisafak (2020-09-26). COVID-19 recoveries top 75% in Bangladesh. yenisafak.com With 1,753 more patients cleared over the past 24 hours, the number of recoveries in the country now stands at 268,777, or 75.1%, according to the Health Ministry.Some 36 more deaths were also reported in Bangladesh over the past day, along with 1,106 more infections, the lowest single-day figure since Aug. 2.The overall COVID-19 case count is now at 357,873, including 5,129 — 1.43% — fatalities.A total of 3,974 men (77.48%) and 1,155 women (22.52%) have died of COVID-19 in Bangladesh, the ministry said.At least 10,680 more coronavirus tests were conducted over the past 24 hours, taking the total to o…

yenisafak (2020-09-26). 'Turkey will protect its rights with unshakable faith'. yenisafak.com Turkey continues to protect its maritime rights and interests "with a strong will and unshakeable faith," the country's president said on Saturday."With the awareness of how important it is to defend our Blue Homeland, we continue to protect our rights and interests in our seas with a strong will and unshakable faith," Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a message ahead of the Turkish Naval Forces Day, marked every year on Sept. 27, the anniversary of the Battle of Preveza."Turkey will continue to strengthen its Naval Forces to protect the Blue Homeland, ensure safety, and deter those who have designs on the country's r…

yenisafak (2020-09-26). US continues to reinforce military bases in Syria. yenisafak.com The US Army has sent 70 trucks to Syria through the al-Waleed border crossing with Iraq, local sources said Friday.The convoy, including 12 armored vehicles, trucks with essential supplies, and several fuel tankers, went to US bases in Syria's Hasakah, Raqqa and Deir ez-Zour provinces on Thursday, according to the sources, who requested anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to the media.After a two-month break, the US, which supports the terrorist organization YPG/PKK in Syria, has sent at least 300 trucks in five convoys to the region via Iraq over the past two weeks.These shipments also included ammunition…