Daily Archives: September 29, 2020

2020-09-29: News Headlines

Andrew Korybko (2020-09-29). Trump Is Hellbent on Provoking a New Cold War. globalresearch.ca It's not just China that's victimized by Trump's MAGA strategy but Russia as well despite Trump's opponents continuing to claim that he's under the influence of Moscow. | *** | Trump's famous promise to "Make America Great Again" (MAGA) should have come …

MEE and agencies (2020-09-29). Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah dies at 91. middleeasteye.net Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah dies at 91 | Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah had been receiving medical treament in the United States | Tue, 09/29/2020 – 14: 31 | Kuwait's Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al-Sabah waves upon his arrival to open the parliament's new term at the Gulf emirate's National Assembly in Kuwait City (AFP) | Kuwait on Tuesday confirmed the death of Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sab…

Suddaf Chaudry (2020-09-29). Is Pakistan ready to recognise Israel? middleeasteye.net Is Pakistan ready to recognise Israel? | Despite the pivotal role played by its close ally Saudi Arabia in the normalisation accords, any prospect of recognising Israel is seen as highly controversial | Tue, 09/29/2020 – 10: 17 | Israeli and US flags are burned during an anti-normalisation protest in Pakistan's port city of Karachi (AFP) | With a number of Gulf Arab countries, including the Unit…

MEE and agencies (2020-09-29). Fugitive Carlos Ghosn offers executive training in troubled Lebanon. middleeasteye.net Fugitive Carlos Ghosn offers executive training in troubled Lebanon | Billionaire was credited with turning round Nissan and Renault before he faced charges of financial wrongdoing | Tue, 09/29/2020 – 10: 46 | The short courses, expected to start in March, will be open to 15 to 20 senior executives in Lebanon and the Middle East | Carlos Ghosn, the former Nissan and Renault head who fled J…

MEE correspondent (2020-09-29). Turkey recruiting Syrians to guard troops and facilities in Azerbaijan. middleeasteye.net Turkey recruiting Syrians to guard troops and facilities in Azerbaijan | Rebels and civilians employed as security suspect they will soon be sent to fight Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh | Tue, 09/29/2020 – 12: 01 | A Turkish-backed Syrian fighter in the northwestern Syrian city of Afrin, 9 October 2018 (AFP) | Hundreds of Syrian rebels and civilians are being sent by Turkey to Azerbaijan…

MEE and agencies (2020-09-29). Iran rejects Saudi accusation it trained terrorist cell uncovered in kingdom. middleeasteye.net Iran rejects Saudi accusation it trained terrorist cell uncovered in kingdom | Riyadh says it arrested 10 people earlier this month and seized weapons and explosives from the group | Tue, 09/29/2020 – 12: 24 | Saudi Arabia said the cell had received training from Iran's elite Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (Reuters) | Iran rejected on Tuesday an accusation by Saudi Arabia that it had t…

MEE and agencies (2020-09-29). Lebanon's Amal 'surprised' after Macron hit at Shia groups over talks failure. middleeasteye.net Lebanon's Amal 'surprised' after Macron hit at Shia groups over talks failure | The French president criticised Amal and Hezbollah for blocking talks to resolve Lebanon's ongoing political and economic crisis | Tue, 09/29/2020 – 13: 32 | Macron has questioned Hebollah's role in derailing proposals to form a unity government after the Beirut blast (AFP) | Lebanon's Amal movement said it was…

Paul Antonopoulos (2020-09-29). Turkish Claims that the PKK Is Operating in Nagorno-Karabakh Set Dangerous Precedent. globalresearch.ca Conflict sparked up again yesterday in Artsakh, or more commonly known as Nagorno-Karabakh, when Azerbaijan launched an offensive against Armenian forces. Although the Republic of Artsakh is not recognized by any state, including Armenia, and it is still internationally recognized …

Philip Giraldi (2020-09-29). Trump Confirms U.S. Is Israel's "Protector" globalresearch.ca For many years the security framework in the Middle East has been described as a bilateral arrangement whereby Washington gained access to sufficient Saudi Arabian oil to keep the energy market stable while the United States provided an armed physical …

Stephen Lendman (2020-09-29). Trump Regime Bans Technology Exports to China's Leading Chip Maker. globalresearch.ca Last week, the Trump regime accused China's Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC) — its largest chip maker — of being an "unacceptable (national security) risk." | Claiming technology shipped to the company could be used for military purposes is code language …

Brandon Turbeville (2020-09-29). What's the Conflict Between Greece and Turkey All About? globalresearch.ca The majority of people tend to think of the concept of history as if it is something relegated only to the past. As if they are not living through what will become history in the future. Doing so allows them …

Peoples Dispatch (2020-09-29). 15 people among those killed in separate incidents in Afghanistan. peoplesdispatch.org Seven women, five children, and two men were killed in a roadside bomb blast in Kajran district in the central Daikundi province of Afghanistan on Tuesday morning…

Jordan Davidson (2020-09-29). Plastic-eating super enzyme could help solve the plastic waste crisis. nationofchange.org "The faster we can make the enzymes, the quicker we can break down the plastic, and the more commercially viable it will be."

Aruna Rodrigues (2020-09-29). Bt Cotton in India Is a GMO Template for a 'Monumental Irreversible Catastrophe'. globalresearch.ca Cotton is the only genetically modified (GM) crop that has been officially approved in India and has been cultivated (illegally then legally) in the country for more than 20 years. Although GM mustard has been approved for commercial cultivation by …

news.un (2020-09-29). UAE expresses hopes for Middle East peace talks following 'historic' accord with Israel. news.un.org The historic agreement normalizing relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) should boost efforts towards achieving regional peace and a brighter future for generations to come, the UAE's Foreign Affairs Minister told the UN General Assembly in a pre-recorded speech broadcast on Tuesday.

news.un (2020-09-29). Bilateral cooperation 'only way' to resolve repatriation issue, Myanmar Minister tells General Assembly. news.un.org Bilateral cooperation is the only way to effectively resolve the repatriation issue between Myanmar and Bangladesh, the Minister of the Office of the State Counsellor of Myanmar, told the UN General Assembly.

Badri Raina (2020-09-29). The Post-Truth Requirements of 'Development' and Parliament as an Artifact. zcomm.org Although India is still saddled with a parliament, a colonial bugbear, the last six years or so have seen a gradual, but now more rapid, informal switch over to a desired and desirable presidential form.

Paul Simon (2020-09-29). Trump's strategy of tension. indybay.org "No one will be safe in Biden's America!" This was Donald Trump's message. The theme, for three days: Danger. Danger through crime, through China, through the supposedly radical agenda of the Democrats – and through "riots, looting, arson and violence" in the country's cities.

Lucine Kasbarian (2020-09-29). 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.

_____ (2020-09-29). The Guardian's Deceit-Riddled New Statement Betrays Both Julian Assange and Journalism. strategic-culture.org Jonathan COOK | In my A decade ago, remember, the newspaper worked closely in collaboration with Assange and Wikileaks to publish the Iraq and Afghan war diaries, which are now the grounds on which the US is ba…

_____ (2020-09-29). Democracy and Judgement Are Dying in the Light. strategic-culture.org The Washington Post was first published in 1877 and is a fine newspaper in spite of its sometimes swivel-eyed intolerance of all things Russian. Its admirable

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-29). Iraqis' resistance against ISIL outcome of Sistani's wisodom. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 29 (MNA) — IRGC Quds Force Commander Brigadier General Esmail Ghaani said the resistance of Iraqi people against the ISIL is a result of the wisdom of Iraq's most prominent Shia cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani.

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-29). Rouhani urges Europe to maintain economic relations with Iran. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 29 (MNA) — Iranian President Hassan Rouhani urged Europe not to allow US illegal and unilateral sanctions to affect its economic relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-29). Three IRGC soldiers martyred in SE Iran. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 29 (MNA) — The Quds Headquarters of IRGC ground forces announced that three of its forces have been martyred near Nikshahr County in Sistan and Baluchestan Province.

yenisafak (2020-09-29). Greek Cyprus pushing back migrants, refugees: HRW. yenisafak.com The Greek Cypriot coast guard "summarily pushed back, abandoned, expelled, or returned more than 200 migrants, refugees and asylum seekers," an international rights group said on Tuesday.The US-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) said the group came from Lebanon in seven boats between Aug. 29 and Sept. 7 and was not given "the opportunity to lodge asylum claims."Some migrants were beaten and threatened by the Greek Cypriot administration's marine police, the report said.According to the HRW, Greek Cypriot coast guard vessels circled the migrants at high speeds, swamping their boats, and, in at least one case, abandoni…

Bill Law (2020-09-29). Kuwait's Sheikh Sabah: The Gulf's 'great balancer'. middleeasteye.net Kuwait's Sheikh Sabah: The Gulf's 'great balancer' | Dead at 91, Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah closes 60 years of service to his country and leaves a significant diplomatic vacuum | Tue, 09/29/2020 – 14: 47 | Kuwait Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah at the Arab League in Tunis in March 2019 (AFP) | The death at 91 of the Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah brings to a cl…

yenisafak (2020-09-29). Indian court set to deliver verdict in Babri mosque demolition case. yenisafak.com A special court in India will deliver on Wednesday the verdict in the criminal case related to the Babri mosque demolition, almost 28 years after the structure in the Ayodhya town was pulled down.Last month, the Supreme Court had set Sept. 30 as the deadline to conclude the trial and pronounce the judgment.However, many senior defendants above 90 years of age may not be able to attend the court proceedings on that day due to health concerns although they are legally required to be present in court. It is not clear what arrangements the court would make for them.As many as 32 Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders w…

RT (2020-09-29). Tulsi Gabbard believes Project Veritas' ballot-harvesting claims against fellow dem Ilhan Omar, causing left-wing backlash. rt.com Democratic congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard invoked the ire of her own base for siding with the conservative news organization Project Veritas, over claims of alleged ballot-harvesting voter fraud linked to Representative Ilhan Omar. | Gabbard tweeted on Monday that the allegations against Omar made by the investigative undercover news group were "further evidence of the need to ban ballot harvesting." Such practice is also called 'ballot collecting' and involves third parties gathering mail-in ballots and delivering them to election officials. It is legal in some states, and is aimed at helping physically impaired…

MEE and agencies (2020-09-29). Proposal could pave way for recognition of Uighur genocide in UK courts. middleeasteye.net Proposal could pave way for recognition of Uighur genocide in UK courts | The UK government fears new motion put forward by British parliamentarians could jeopardise Britain's relationship with China | Tue, 09/29/2020 – 15: 16 | UK parliamentarians have put forward proposals that could lead Britain to end its trade relationship with China (AFP) | Proposals put forth by British MPs and peer…

South Front (2020-09-29). Video: Armenian-Azerbaijani War Rages in South Caucasus. globalresearch.ca On September 27, a new regional war in South Caucasus arose from the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over the contested Nagorno-Karabakh region. | Pro-Armenian forces captured the region in the early 90s triggering an armed conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Further development of …

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-29). Iranian envoy meets Omani deputy FM. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 29 (MNA) — Iranian ambassador Ali Najafi met and held talks with the Deputy Foreign Minister for Diplomatic Affairs in the Sultanate of Oman Sheikh Khalifa bin Ali Al-Harthi in Muscat on Monday.

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-29). Rouhani hails Denmark' stance over JCPOA at UNSC. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 29 (MNA) — Hailing Denmark's constructive stance in favor of JCPOA at UN Security Council, the Iranian President expressed hope that Iran-Denmark expand relations in the field of trade, economic, and technology.

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-29). Terrorists' defeat in Syria like Liberation of Khorramshahr. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 29 (MNA) — Hailing Iran's recent victories at the international level, the Commander of Iran Air Force likened the failure of the terrorist group in Syria to the victory of Iran in liberating Khorramshahr during the Imposed War.

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-29). New industry min. gets vote of confidence from Parliament. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 29 (MNA) — Members of the Iranian Parliament gave their vote of confidence to Alireza Razm Hosseini as the new Minister of Industry, Mines, and Trade.

sputniknews (2020-09-29). Second Intifada Was Natural Response to Israeli 'Occupation', Top Abbas Adviser Says. sputniknews.com For Israel, the second Palestinian uprising was a bloody page in the country's history. It claimed the lives of more than a thousand people and injured many others. But for the Palestinians, assaults on Israeli targets, even if they were civilian, were necessary simply because they were a tool in the hands of people fighting for their independence.

Fight Back (2020-09-29). Philippines: Human rights are weapons against Duterte's state terrorism. fightbacknews.org Fight Back News Service is circulating the following Sept. 26 statement from Marco L. Valbuena, Information Officer, Communist Party of the Philippines. | Before the entire world, Duterte revealed himself a remorseless fascist when speaking before the United Nations General Assembly a few days ago, he denounced how human rights have been "weaponized" against his regime. Duterte used the term "weaponize" to denigrate human rights as if it were some malevolent tool used for underhanded aims and to denounce the advocates of human rights as subversives. | In fact, human rights are weapons of the people to defend them…

yenisafak (2020-09-29). UAE, Israeli ministers discuss energy, technology cooperation. yenisafak.com Sultan al-Jaber had discussions with them on cooperation opportunities in energy, technology and industry, ADNOC said.Israel and the UAE signed an agreement on Sept. 15 to establish diplomatic relations.

yenisafak (2020-09-29). Saudi Arabia announces new Umrah measures. yenisafak.com Saudi Arabia on Tuesday announced fresh measures for the Umrah pilgrimage, which was suspended for six months due to the coronavirus outbreak.As part of the COVID-19 measures, the barricade placed around the Kaaba and the holy Black Stone will remain in its place and visitors will be prevented from touching them, the official SPA news agency reported.Masjid al-Haram, where the Kaaba is located, will be disinfected 10 times a day, SPA said, adding that quarantine rooms were already prepared for visitors showing symptoms of COVID-19.Saudi Arabia announced last week that it will gradually lift a coronavirus-related…

yenisafak (2020-09-29). COVID-19 continues to claim more lives in Arab region. yenisafak.com Health authorities in four Arab countries confirmed additional fatalities due to the coronavirus outbreak on Tuesday. | In a statement, the Tunisian Health Ministry said 32 people died from COVID-19, while 1,291 others tested positive for the virus over the past 24 hours. | Tunisia's tally now rose to 17,405 confirmed cases, including 246 deaths. | In Oman, the Health Ministry confirmed 11 fatalities and 528 infections, taking the Gulf state's count to 98,585, including 935 deaths, and 88,528 recoveries. | In the United Arab Emirates, the country's nationwide death toll rose to 416 after three people lost their l…

yenisafak (2020-09-29). At least ten Azerbaijanis killed, 30 wounded in Armenia attacks. yenisafak.com At least 10 Azerbaijani people have been killed and 30 others wounded in the attacks of Armenia over the past two days, officials said.The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry and prosecutors said in a joint statement that the Armenian forces attacked civilian settlements with heavy weapons between Sept. 27-29.Among the fatalities were children, the statement noted.Border clashes broke out early Sunday when Armenian forces targeted Azerbaijani civilian settlements and military positions, leading to casualties. Azerbaijan's parliament declared a state of war in some of its cities and regions following Armenia's border vio…

yenisafak (2020-09-29). Kremlin urges halt to Karabakh fighting. yenisafak.com Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday that Russia wanted the fighting between ethnic Armenian and Azeri forces over the region of Nagorno-Karabakh to stop, and warned that talk of providing military support to either side only added fuel to the fire.Speaking to reporters on a conference call, Peskov added that Moscow was in constant contact with the authorities in Turkey, Armenia and Azerbaijan about the conflict.(Reporting by Dmitry Antonov and Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)…

yenisafak (2020-09-29). The deep roots of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict. yenisafak.com The escalation of border clashes along the Armenia-Azerbaijan frontier is the latest rekindling of a longstanding conflict between the two former Soviet countries.Some 20% of Azerbaijan's territory, including the Upper Karabakh, or Nagorno-Karabakh region, has remained under illegal occupation by Armenia for roughly three decades.Four UN Security Council and two UN General Assembly resolutions as well as decisions by many international organizations refer to this fact and demand the withdrawal of Armenia's occupying forces from Upper Karabakh and seven adjacent occupied regions of Azerbaijan.The occupied Upper Ka…

yenisafak (2020-09-29). China again opposes Ladakh as India's union territory. yenisafak.com China on Tuesday once again criticized India's unilateral move of Aug. 5, 2019, which downgraded and divided the disputed Jammu and Kashmir region. "China does not recognize the so-called Union Territory of Ladakh illegally established by India," the state-run Global Times newspaper quoted China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin as saying.Beijing, he said, "opposes infrastructure construction in disputed border areas for military control purposes."Last year, the Indian government revoked various provisions under Article 370 and 35A from its Constitution, scrapping the Muslim-majority region's minimal auton…

yenisafak (2020-09-29). Fighting rages on between Armenia, Azerbaijan. yenisafak.com Heavy fighting was reported on the Armenian-Azerbaijani front-line throughout the night, according to the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry on early Tuesday.In a statement, the ministry said that the Armenian forces attempted to take back the positions they lost in the Fuzuli-Jabrayil and Agdere-Terter border regions. | However, retaliatory firing from the Azerbaijani troops foiled their attempt, according to the statement.Azerbaijani jets and troops destroyed a convoy of Armenian armored vehicles setting off from the Madagiz village, the statement added.Also, Azerbaijani soldiers destroyed an Armenian tank and vehicl…

yenisafak (2020-09-29). Turkish parliament to open for 4th legislative session. yenisafak.com Turkish parliament will on Thursday start the fourth legislative session of its 27th term.The general assembly will convene at 2.00 p.m. local time (1100GMT) under the gavel of Parliament Speaker Mustafa Sentop.Later, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will deliver an opening speech at the assembly.This year, Sentop will not host an opening reception in the parliament due to novel coronavirus outbreak.On Oct. 6 and 7, the general assembly is scheduled to debate motions to extend the state's authority to launch cross-border military operations in northern Iraq and Syria for another year.Marathon deliberations on the 2…

yenisafak (2020-09-29). Pakistan: 2 killed in border clash with India. yenisafak.com A Pakistani army soldier and a civilian were killed in a clash along the Kashmir border with India, the military said on Tuesday. | The clash, the latest in a string of border skirmishes, took place along the Line of Control (LoC) — a de facto border that splits the disputed region of Jammu and Kashmir between the two longstanding rivals. | "Indian Army resorted to unprovoked fire in Baroh and Tandar Sectors along LOC targeting civilian population. A 15-year-old boy embraced shahdat [martyrdom] while four civilians including a woman and an 80-year-old male got injured," said a statement from the Pakistan Army.

yenisafak (2020-09-29). Germany calls on Armenia, Azerbaijan to end fighting. yenisafak.com Germany on Tuesday called for an immediate cease-fire between Azerbaijan and Armenia, amid the heaviest clashes in years in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose country currently holds the rotating presidency of the European Union, spoke on the phone with presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia on the recently escalated conflict, and called for a peaceful solution, the government spokesman said on Twitter."The Chancellor has underlined the urgent need for an immediate cease-fire and return to the negotiation table," Steffen Seibert said, adding that Germany supports diplomatic efforts of OSCE…

yenisafak (2020-09-29). US strongly supports dialogue between Greece and Turkey. yenisafak.com The United States strongly supports the dialogue between Greece and Turkey, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Tuesday, after meeting Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on the island of Crete.Pompeo is on a two-day trip to Greece amid increased regional tension over energy resources.NATO allies Greece and Turkey, at loggerheads on a range of issues, have agreed to resume exploratory talks over contested maritime claims following weeks of tensions."We hope that these talks can continue in a serious way," Pompeo said.

yenisafak (2020-09-29). Coronavirus situation update in Eurasian countries. yenisafak.com Health authorities in Eurasian and Central Asian countries on Tuesday reported new coronavirus cases, related deaths and recoveries. | The world's death toll from the novel infection, meanwhile, crossed one million, a development the UN secretary general termed "mind-numbing" and "an agonizing milestone." | – Ukraine | The death toll in Ukraine reached 4,065 with 69 more fatalities reported over the past 24 hours. | Confirming another 3,627 cases, the tally of cases reached 204,932, with 90,250 recoveries. | Over 114,000 patients remain under treatment. | – Georgia | With 314 new cases and 270 more patients regai…

Staff (2020-09-28). Headlines for September 28, 2020. democracynow.org Trump Nominates Amy Coney Barrett to SCOTUS; GOP-Led Senate Could Confirm Before Nov. 3, NYT: Trump Paid $750 in Fed. Income Taxes in 2016, No Income Taxes in 10 of Last 15 Years , Protests Continue over Impunity in Breonna Taylor's Case as Her Family Speaks Out, U.S. Coronavirus Cases Top 7 Million, on the Rise in Two Dozen States, Global Coronavirus Deaths Approach 1 Million; Latin America Has Half of Most Infected Nations, Armenia and Azerbaijan Declare Martial Law as Fighting Kills at Least 23 People, Belarus Protests Continue as EU and U.S. Refuse to Recognize Lukashenko as Legitimate Ruler, At Least 16 Refu…