For Arrested NYC Antiquities Dealer, Illegal Trade is Family Business

A New York antiquities dealer who was arrested last month along with his business partner for falsifying provenance records has a family history in the illegal antiquities trade that goes back half a century, the Association for Research into Crimes Against Art, ARCA, revealed.

Erdal Dere and Faisal Khan ran Fortuna Fine Arts Ltd. on Manhattan's Upper East Side Neighborhood and are suspected of having forged documents to support their claims that the artifacts they sold previously belonged to collectors who had died.

However, there were no shortage of warning signs that something suspicious was happening at Fortuna Fine Arts.

Erdal Dere is the son of Selim Dere, who in 1973 was arrested by Turkish police along with his cousin Aziz Dere after looted fragments of a 2000-year-old Greek sarcophagus featuring the 12 labors of Herakles was discovered in Aziz’s Istanbul gold shop, the outlet reported.

After serving their sentences for antiquities smuggling, the two relocated to North America. Aziz moved to Canada and Selim to New York where he initially founded a jewelry store that would ultimately become Fortuna Fine Arts Ltd, the same store where Erdal Dere and Khan were arrested for running their false provenance scheme.

Despite running afoul of the law in Turkey, Selim Dere quickly found his way back into the antiquities trade. In 1984, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston purchased the Statuette of Men, the Moon God, a first century Roman artifact from Dere’s jewelry shop, at the time called West Side Jewelry.

The Boston Museum’s provenance record for the item, only states that it was purchased from Selim, without specifying its history between the first century and arriving in Dere’s Jewelry shop.

Then in 1989, three frieze blocks - an architectural feature which was often stylized in the ancient world - were stolen from an excavation uncovering the Greco-Roman city of Aphrodisias in Turkey's Aydin province.

By chance, four years later, a NYU archaeology professor noticed the block in the window of Dere’s Manhattan shop, now known as Fortuna Fine Arts Ltd. He notified the Turkish authorities who informed the FBI which confiscated the block and repatriated it to Turkey. It remains on display at the Aphrodisias museum in Aydin province.

In cases like the looting of Aphrodisias, stolen cultural heritage isn’t just about national pride but can also directly translate into lost tourism dollars from the local economy.

“Organized crime has many faces. The trafficking of cultural goods is one of them and it is not a glamorous business run by flamboyant gentlemen forgers, but by international criminal networks,” de Bolle said.

https://www.occrp.org/en/daily/13201-for-arrested-nyc-antiquities-dealer-illegal-trade-is-family-business

NATO's exercises in Arctic arouse concerns, Moscow says

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova mentioned the activity of the naval forces of Britain, the United States and Norway in cooperation with the Danish Air Force

MOSCOW, October 1. /TASS/. Last month's Arctic military exercise by the naval forces of Britain, the United States and Norway in cooperation with the Danish Air Force, which, according to NATO, was held to guarantee the freedom of shipping, arouse serious concerns, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told a news briefing on Thursday.

"We are certain that such activities and, in general, NATO's growing military presence in the high latitudes by no means promotes peace and stability in the Arctic, but on the contrary escalates tensions in the region," Zakharova said.

As far as the Arctic is concerned, Zakharova said, London prefers to focus on military and political aspects first and foremost.

"In 2018, Britain was the first non-Arctic country to declare a national Arctic military strategy. British forces have regularly participated in NATO's exercises in the high latitudes," Zakharova said.

"We believe that if the British side paid attention not so much to building up its military potential as to expanding opportunities for constructive cooperation in the Arctic, this would better match the goal of strengthening peace and stability in this region," Zakharova said.

She stressed that precisely this constructive approach was enshrined in the statement adopted by the Arctic Council's foreign ministers in May 2019. Britain has the status of an observer in the Arctic Council.

https://tass.com/defense/1207565

UNH gets grant to study child sex trafficking

DURHAM, N.H. (AP) - The University of New Hampshire has received more than $2 million in grants to study child sex trafficking and the role of technology cyberstalking and other crimes.

The grants from the National Institute of Justice will go to the Crimes Against Children Research Center.

Two of the grants will aim to develop new information on child sex trafficking victimization and a third will study how the technology is used in crimes like sextortion and cyberstalking. The research will study efforts to develop programs to work with sex trafficking victims and conduct several surveys, including one that examines crimes against young people facilitated by the internet and digital technology.

“Law enforcement has been trying in recent years to identify more juveniles engaged in commercial sexual exploitation and treat them as crime victims rather than as offenders and juvenile delinquents,” said study director Kim Mitchell, a research associate professor of psychology. “Our study will assess whether police practices have been moving in the right direction.”

https://m.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/oct/3/unh-gets-grant-to-study-child-sex-trafficking/?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS

Married Democratic Senate candidate Cal Cunningham admits to sexting married strategist, won't drop out of race

North Carolina Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate Cal Cunningham, who is a married father of two, admitted that he sent sexual text messages to a public relations strategist, who is also married with children. On Friday night, Cunningham apologized for his behavior.

"I have hurt my family, disappointed my friends, and am deeply sorry," Cunningham said in a statement. "The first step in repairing those relationships is taking complete responsibility, which I do. I ask that my family's privacy be respected in this personal matter. I remain grateful and humbled by the ongoing support that North Carolinians have extended in this campaign, and in the remaining weeks before this election I will continue to work to earn the opportunity to fight for the people of our state."

The sexual text messages were exposed by National File in an article published on Thursday.

"North Carolina Democrat U.S. Senate candidate Cal Cunningham is swapping sexts and arranging to meet with the wife of an Army veteran," National File wrote in the article, which features screenshots of the flirty sexts.

The website identified the woman as Arlene Guzman Todd, a "media director of a marijuana public relations company and has been a California State University lecturer." She is married to Jeremy Todd, who like Cunningham is a military veteran, reportedly served 15 years in the Army. The News & Observer reported that Arlene Todd had donated $450 to the Cunningham campaign since April, according to FEC records.

Cunningham allegedly referred to Todd as "historically sexy," and fantasizes about kissing her in the text messages. Todd reportedly wrote, "I want a night with you" via text. She allegedly tells the Senate candidate, "The only thing I want on my to do list is you," and Cunningham reportedly replied, "Sounds so hot and so fun!"

Todd reportedly instructed Cunningham to make up an excuse for his family and ditch a staffer so the two can "kiss a lot."

http://www.tathasta.com/2020/10/married-democratic-senate-candidate-cal.html

Publishing Registered Sex Offenders' Home Addresses Before Halloween Is Gratuitous, Unethical, and Reckless

Every year in the run-up to Halloween, Patch publishes maps showing the homes of "registered sex offenders" in various cities. Ostensibly, this information is aimed at helping parents who worry that their children might be molested while trick-or-treating. But research shows that such fears have no basis in reality, and these stories—like the warning signs and restrictions imposed by local police prior to Halloween—mainly serve to stigmatize people who have already completed their sentences, along with their spouses and children, who have committed no crimes at all. That stigma invites harassment, vandalism, and violence. Like much local journalism, the practice of publishing these maps is ill-informed sensationalism masquerading as a public service.

This fall a petition organized by the National Association for Rational Sexual Offense Laws (NARSOL) is urging Patch and other outlets to cut it out. Noting the "total lack of evidence that the publication of these addresses at Halloween keeps children safe," the petition asks news organizations to "cease a hurtful publication practice that has no positive effect at all on child protection or public safety."

The irrationality of that practice is clear once you understand a few basic facts:

1. Sex offender registries include a wide range of people, many of whom were not convicted of crimes against children.

1. Sex offenders stay on the registry long after they have completed their official punishment, even though they are less likely to commit new offenses of the same type than people convicted of other crimes. According to a 2019 report from the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), less than 8 percent of people who had served sentences for rape or sexual assault were rearrested for a similar crime within nine years after they were released. That report also shows that the annual risk of recidivism falls dramatically over time.

1. The vast majority of sexually abused minors—93 percent, according to a 2000 BJS report—are assaulted by relatives, family friends, or other people they already know.

1. The vast majority of convicted sex offenders—86 percent, according to another BJS report—have no prior convictions for this category of crime, so they would not have shown up in registries.

1. There is no evidence that children face a higher risk of sexual assault on Halloween than they do the rest of the year. A 2009 analysis of 67,000 cases, reported in the journal Sexual Abuse, found "no increased rate on or just before Halloween."

The Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers (ATSA) amplifies that last point: "A heightened risk of being sexually abused is NOT one of the dangers children face at Halloween. The simple fact is that there are no significant increases in sex crimes on or around Halloween. There is no 'Halloween effect.' There is no change in the rate of sexual crimes by non-family members during Halloween. That was true both before and after communities enacted laws to restrict the activities of registrants during Halloween."

http://www.hideoutnow.com/2020/10/publishing-registered-sex-offenders.html

British Virgin Islands Plans to Make Company Ownership Transparent

Investigative journalists and civil society groups are encouraged by the news that the government of the British Virgin Islands, BVI, – one of the world’s most notorious financial secrecy jurisdictions – plans to make company ownership publicly accessible information.

The news was first revealed in a press release last week by the prime minister’s office, which said that it was working with the U.K. government towards the implementation of a beneficial ownership registry that is “in line with international standards and best practices as they develop globally.”

The Premier of the British overseas territory, Andrew A. Fahie, reiterated his commitment to a public registry, saying that his government “will continue to closely monitor the developments in the international financial services industry and ensure that we remain in compliance with all the relevant requirements as this is important to the Territory’s competitive position.”

He added that this measure would be implemented “within a timeframe that we consider deliverable,” and committed to the standards set forth by the EU’s fifth Anti-Money Laundering Directive, which requires member states to release beneficial ownership registries by 2023.

Transparency International U.K. said in a press release on Wednesday that it welcomed the announcement, and encouraged the U.K. government to publish a more detailed timeline so that all of its overseas jurisdictions follow suit and implement these registers in a timely manner.

“It is vital that the information on these registers is accurate, free to use and made available for full analysis. This would strike a major blow to the corrupt around the world, with an ever diminishing number of places to hide their dirty money,” said Rachel Davies Teka, Head of Advocacy for the organization.

Its press release pointed to a Transparency International study that uncovered 1,107 BVI companies connected to corruption cases, amounting to hundreds of billions worth of funds that had been attained through bribery, rigged procurement, embezzlement, and other financial crimes.

The BVI ranks near the top of the Tax Justice Network’s Financial Secrecy Index, and has served a pivotal role in enabling anonymous ownership conducive to illicit financial flows.

A 2018 BBC investigation found that a quarter of property in England and Wales were owned by BVI registered entities. Those findings, it said, added to concerns that “companies registered in British-controlled tax havens have been used to avoid tax.”

“Every time that there’s a global exposé on illicit finance, the BVI’s name comes up,” said Eva Lee, a campaign leader at the international NGO Global Witness.

“The recent leak of files from FinCEN showed that at least 20% of the occasions when banks in the U.S. raised suspicions of money laundering involved BVI companies, and half the companies exposed by the Panama Papers were registered there,” she said.

https://www.occrp.org/en/daily/13200-british-virgin-islands-plans-to-make-company-ownership-transparent

OPCW: Investigation Into Two Alleged Syria Chemical Attacks Inconclusive

The organization has been facing an internal crisis over an alleged 2018 chemical attack in Douma, Syria

The international chemical weapons watchdog said on Friday that two investigations into alleged attacks in Syria could not establish whether or not chemicals were used. The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) released Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) reports on two alleged attacks, one in Saraqib, Syria, on August 1, 2016, and one in Aleppo, Syria, on November 24, 2018.

The Saraqib incident was an alleged chlorine attack blamed on the Syrian government. The FFM report cited open source material that said around 30 people had been affected and exhibited symptoms, including breathing difficulties and coughing. These sources also “indicated the presence of a substance with an odor similar to that of chlorine.”

Media reports from the day of the alleged attack quoted the Syrian Civil Defence, also known as the White Helmets, a group of first responders that operate in opposition-held parts of Syria and receive funding from Western governments, including the United States. The White Helmets are also cited in the FFM report, and often cooperate with the OPCW’s investigations.

The FFM could not access the site of the alleged attack in Saraqib and ultimately concluded that the analysis of all available data “did not allow the FFM to establish whether or not chemicals were used as a weapon in the incident that took place in Saraqib.”

The November 2018 incident in Aleppo was an alleged chlorine attack that the Syrian government blamed on opposition forces. According to documents examined by the FFM, between 79 to 125 people were exposed to “an unidentifiable substance around the same time and area, developing

signs and symptoms of a respiratory nature.” None of the victims suffered “debilitating effects and no fatalities occurred.” This information was consistent with interviews the FFM conducted.

https://news.antiwar.com/2020/10/02/opcw-investigation-into-two-alleged-chemical-attacks-inconclusive/

“Be Patriotic!… We Can Save 100,000 Lives in Next 100 Days” – Joe Biden Calls for Nationwide Mask Mandate Following News of Trump COVID Diagnosis

Democrat Joe Biden called for a nationwide mandate on mask wearing in the United States.

Joe Biden: Be patriotic!… We can save 100,000 lives in the next 100 days!”

Biden then repeated CDC Director Dr. Redfield’s lunacy that masks are better than a vaccine.

http://www.yourdestinationnow.com/2020/10/be-patriotic-we-can-save-100000-lives.html

Tens of thousands protest Netanyahu across Israel; activists assaulted, arrested

With mass demos barred, activists gather in smaller groups in hundreds of places; total turnout may be highest ever; police arrest, fine protesters; several attacked by opponents

Tens of thousands of Israelis protested against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the government he leads in communities throughout Israel Saturday, after the passage of highly contentious legislation this week that banned mass demonstrations as part of coronavirus lockdown restrictions.

Socially distanced rallies were held in hundreds of locations. One of the groups organizing the demonstrations, the “Black Flags” movement, said its “conservative” data from its ground operatives indicated that over 100,000 people protested throughout the country.

That claim was not confirmed independently, but media reports indicated Saturday’s demonstrations may have drawn in the largest number of people yet in the protests against Netanyahu.

There were multiple reports of protesters being assaulted by opposing activists, with several requiring hospitalization.

Meanwhile, police arrested at least nine people in Tel Aviv and Kfar Saba for allegedly not adhering to health regulations. Hundreds of fines were issued to demonstrators who did not follow rules.

Blue and White MK Miki Haimovich arrived at a protest site at Tel Aviv’s Habima Square, saying she’d come in response to reports police were using violence against protesters, and urged cops to allow activists to demonstrate peacefully.

In reaction to her actions, Likud MK Shlomo Karhi called on his party to demand her dismissal from the Knesset’s Internal Affairs Committee for “protesting against the government.”

New measures passed this week bar Israelis from traveling more than a kilometer from their homes to protest and limit demonstrations to socially distanced groups of 20, although they apparently also allow for multiple groups of 20 in “capsules” in areas with sufficient space for social-distancing between the capsules.

The approval of the restrictions was seen as blow to the weekly demonstrations outside Netanyahu’s official residence in Jerusalem over the premier’s indictment on graft charges, as well as his handling of the pandemic. However, Saturday’s mass turnout throughout the country indicated it may have only served to further galvanize opposition to Netanyahu.

Along with smaller protests held throughout the country, a few hundred people rallied at Tel Aviv’s Rabin Square. In Jerusalem, at Balfour Street outside the prime minister’s residence, where protests have at times drawn tens of thousands, hundreds were demonstrating.

Several incidents of violence against demonstrators were reported; an 81-year-old woman was said to have been shoved to the ground in Jerusalem. Her condition was not immediately known. In northern Tel Aviv, protesters said a woman was assaulted and wounded. She was taken to the city’s Ichilov Medical Center. Police arrested the suspected assailant as well as two other activists after the former claimed they attacked him.

More

https://www.timesofisrael.com/tens-of-thousands-protest-netanyahu-across-israel-after-law-limits-rallies/

Christie tests positive for COVID-19 after helping Trump with debate preparation

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) has tested positive for COVID-19, he announced Saturday, making him the latest official in President Trump's orbit to contract the virus.

"I just received word that I am positive for COVID-19. I want to thank all of my friends and colleagues who have reached out to ask how I was feeling in the last day or two," Christie tweeted. "I will be receiving medical attention today and will keep the necessary folks apprised of my condition."

I just received word that I am positive for COVID-19. I want to thank all of my friends and colleagues who have reached out to ask how I was feeling in the last day or two. I will be receiving medical attention today and will keep the necessary folks apprised of my condition.

— Governor Christie (@GovChristie) October 3, 2020

Christie was at the White House last Saturday for Trump's announcement that he was nominating Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. The ex-governor was spotted interacting closely with others in the Rose Garden without a mask.

In the week since, Trump, first lady Melania Trump, Sens. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), and former White House counselor Kellyanne Conway have all tested positive for the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. All five were also at the Rose Garden ceremony, which was followed by an indoor reception.

Christie also interacted closely with the president last week to assist with his preparation for the first presidential debate. That group included Conway, Hope Hicks, who has also tested positive, and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

Christie said the group did not wear masks and that nobody showed symptoms at the time.

The former governor is 58 and overweight. The latter puts him at a higher risk for having serious complications from the virus, though he did not disclose on Saturday whether he was experiencing any symptoms.

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/519473-christie-tests-positive-for-covid-19-after-helping-trump-with-debate

UK’s lead role in 1953 Iran coup d’etat exposed

Unearthed interview of former British spy sheds light on how the overthrow of PM Mohammed Mossadegh unfolded.

A recently discovered transcript of an interview with a British intelligence officer who played a leading role in the 1953 coup that restored powers to the shah of Iran claims that Britain was the driving force behind the overthrow of Iranian Prime Minister Mohammed Mossadegh.

On the anniversary of the UK-US-led coup d’etat that removed Iran’s democratically elected leader, an interview with Norman Darbyshire – head of the MI6 spy agency’s “Persia” station in Cyprus at the time – was published.

In his account, Darbyshire said Britain had convinced the US to take part in the coup.

Darbyshire’s comments came from an interview with the creators of an episode of 1985 British series End of Empire. His interview was not used directly in the programme, as he did not want to appear on camera.

The transcript, long forgotten, was recently unearthed during the making of a new documentary called Coup 53, scheduled for release on Wednesday, the 67th anniversary of the coup.

Darbyshire died in 1993. The transcript of his interview was published on Monday by the National Security Archive at George Washington University in the United States.

“Even though it has been an open secret for decades, the UK government has not officially admitted its fundamental role in the coup. Finding the Darbyshire transcript is like finding the smoking gun. It is a historic discovery,” Taghi Amirani, the director of Coup 53, was quoted by the Guardian newspaper as saying.

The coup – known as Operation Ajax – eventually succeeded on August 19, 1953. Mossadegh was tried and kept under house arrest until his death 14 years later.

‘The classical plan’

Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi appointed Mossadegh as prime minister in 1951 after he won the backing of the Iranian parliament.

MI6 and the US Central Intelligence Agency then convinced the shah to back a coup against Mossadegh in 1953.

“The plan would have involved seizure of key points in the city by what units we thought were loyal to the shah … seizure of the radio station etc … The classical plan,” Darbyshire said.

Mossadegh had nationalised the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company and MI6 believed Soviet-backed communists would eventually take over the government, according to Darbyshire.

“I really do believe it, because Mossadegh was a fairly weak character,” the spy said. “[O]nce you get highly trained members of the communist party in, it doesn’t take long. We didn’t share the American view that he was acting as a bulwark against communism … We thought he would be pushed by the communists in the long run,” said Darbyshire.

‘Cold feet’

The US was initially uninterested, and Britain did not want to move without Washington.

“In the early months of [19]53 ..] we thought we had enough military units to mount something, but London started getting cold feet,” he said in the interview.

“Unfortunately, the head of SIS [MI6] at the time, General [John] Sinclair knew about as much of the Middle East as a 10-year-old,” Darbyshire added.

When Dwight Eisenhower became president of the US in January 1953, Washington came on board. The next task was to convince the shah, then still young and inexperienced, to back the coup.

Darbyshire said he persuaded the shah’s sister, Princess Ashraf, to fly from Paris to Tehran to talk the reluctant monarch into supporting the coup. “We made it clear that we would pay expenses and when I produced a great wad of notes, her eyes alighted,” he said.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/8/18/uks-lead-role-in-1953-iran-coup-detat-exposed?utm_source=FFF+Daily&utm_campaign=284982991f-FFF+Daily+10-01-2020_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1139d80dff-284982991f-317323329

Soros Funds Campaign of L.A. Prosecutor Candidate who Vows Lock Up Fewer Criminals

Leftwing billionaire George Soros just donated $1.5 million to help the nation’s most populous county elect a Black Lives Matter-endorsed prosecutor who promises to lock up fewer criminals. The sizable contribution to former San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon’s campaign for Los Angeles District Attorney is part of a broader effort by Soros to place leftists in local prosecutors’ offices around the country. The philanthropist has donated generously to these types of candidates throughout California as well as in other states, including Florida, Virginia, Illinois, Texas and New Mexico. Earlier this year, a Soros-linked group called Missouri Justice Public Safety PAC gave St. Louis prosecutor Kimberly Gardner, who criminally charged a couple for defending their home against violent Black Lives Matter protestors, $78,000. Soros also helped fund Gardner’s 2016 campaign and his reelection support has not wavered even though she was investigated for abusing her power to pursue a bogus criminal case against a political nemesis and fined for campaign finance violations.

Now Soros, who has long funded international and domestic movements to advance the left’s radical agenda, is pouring money into the L.A. County race to remove its first black district attorney, Jackie Lacey, who is seeking a third term. Judicial Watch has launched an investigation and this week filed a California Public Records Act (CPRA) request for Gascon’s records, communications, and expenditures with various Political Action Committees behind his controversial move from San Francisco to Los Angeles. According to a conservative news report, social justice advocacy groups, including Black Lives Matter, recruited Gascon to come to L.A. and he met with the co-founder and key strategist of the Black Lives Matter global network, Patrisse Cullors, about the move south. The same media outlet reported the recent $1.5 million Soros donation to Gascon this week.

Besides promising to imprison fewer criminals than L.A. County’s current prosecutor, here is why leftists want him in charge; Gascon helped craft two state measures, Proposition 47 and Proposition 57, that benefit hardcore criminals under the auspice of “criminal justice reform.” Proposition 47 decriminalizes drug and theft offenses by reducing them from felonies to misdemeanors. Proposition 57 grants serious criminals such as rapists, human traffickers, child molesters and drive-by-shooters early release from prison. Gascon’s campaign is a perfect example of outside special interests controlling traditionally non-partisan races, according to the Association of Deputy District Attorneys (ADDA), the professional group of deputy prosecutors in L.A. County. “Special interest groups, funded by George Soros, pumped millions of dollars into district attorney races across the county,” the group’s president writes on its website. “Their mission was to use Soros’s wealth to radically reshape the criminal justice system.”

https://www.judicialwatch.org/corruption-chronicles/soros-funds-campaign-of-l-a-prosecutor-candidate-who-vows-lock-up-fewer-criminals/

Clinton-Obamagate-Russiagate Conspiracy EXPOSED, Trump-COVID Update, Voter Fraud Update? & MORE!

Join Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton for an in-depth discussion of the NEW Russiagate revelations tying Obama, and former Secretary of State Clinton to efforts to undermine President Trump. Make sure you also tune in for an update on voter fraud in Minneapolis, and nationwide!

https://www.judicialwatch.org/videos/obamagate-exposed-fraud/

Azerbaijan uses Israeli LORA missile in conflict with Armenia

In the video, a truck is seen approaching a bridge on the Armenian side of the conflict zone when a missile suddenly strikes and levels the bridge.

A video shared from the clashes between Armenian and Azeri forces in the Nagorno-Karabakh region show Azerbaijani forces using an Israeli "LORA" missile to shell a bridge in Armenia, according to Channel 12 News.

Azerbaijan is currently fighting ethnic Armenian forces in the mountainous enclave after fighting broke out on Sunday between the two sides. The area is not recognized internationally as independent, and has been the subject of conflict since the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union.

A truck is seen in the video approaching a bridge on the Armenian side of the conflict zone when a missile suddenly strikes and levels the bridge.

LORA (LOng Range Attack) is a theater quasiballistic missile made by the Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). It can be launched from a ship or by land. With an operational range of 400 km. (250 miles), it is accurate in hitting targets within ten meters, and striking within ten minutes after launch.

Azerbaijan was the first and only confirmed country to which Israel delivered LORA missiles – in an arms deal that took place in 2018.

Azerbaijan is a known ally of Israel, supplying The Jewish state with about 40% of its oil needs. The country is a longtime customer of an assortment of Israeli defense companies, buying drones, missiles and other advanced weapon systems.

In 2016, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev revealed that his country signed $5 billion worth of long-term contracts over the years to buy weapons and security equipment from Israel.

Azerbaijan and Armenia – neighboring countries and former Soviet republics – have long been at odds over Azerbaijan’s breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The region is part of Azerbaijan but is run by its mostly ethnic Armenian inhabitants.

The latest fighting began around the Tavush region in northeastern Armenia, some 300 km. from the breakaway enclave.

Some 11 civilians have reportedly been killed and at least 67 wounded in the fighting. The Azeri prosecutor's office said 20 civilians have so far been killed and 55 wounded in Armenian shelling. Azerbaijan has not reported on casualties among its military forces.

The fighting is more serious than at any time since the war in the 1990s, in which 30,000 people were killed, and has deepened concern about stability in the South Caucasus, a region where pipelines carry Azeri oil and gas to world markets.

https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/video-shows-azerbaijan-using-israeli-lora-missile-in-conflict-with-armenia-644327

Turley: It's Time To Dismiss The Flynn Case

Below is my column in The Hill newspaper on the sentencing hearing of former Trump National Security Adviser Michael Flynn. Unfortunately, in the hearing, Judge Emmet Sullivan fulfilled the expectations of the D.C. Circuit panel that ordered him to dismiss the charge without further delay. That decision was reversed en banc but only because the court decided (as many of us argued) that Sullivan should be allowed to issue a final decision before an appellant review of his handling of the case. The en banc court did not rule in favor of his controversial comments or orders. Yet, in the hearing, Sullivan declared “Suffice it to say, the case was remanded to me by the en banc court.”

As argued below, the law is clear and, suffice it to say, Sullivan will be reversed if he follows the advice of John Gleeson. Instead, Sullivan announced that he still “has questions” and indicated that he is not prepared to issue a final decision after two years. Instead, he repeated the words of Gleeson as virtual fact like an alter ego. This is moving from the cathartic to the tragic. The Court is not just prolonging the inevitable for the ruling but the trauma for the defendant. Flynn should have been sentenced years ago and the charges dismissed months ago. A defendant should not be a vehicle of the court to express displeasure or satisfy its curiosity on public controversies.

The court knows that it would be almost certainly reversed if it follows the advice of its self-appointed quasi-prosecutor Gleeson. Instead, it is continuing to refuse to rule while using the case to ask more questions about the internal decision-making at the Justice Department.

When Michael Flynn heads to court for his final sentencing hearing today, a lifetime of respected national service will hang in the balance on what is said and done. I am not talking about Flynn but of Judge Emmet Sullivan. There is no issue over the dismissal of the charge of Flynn lying to federal investigators. The only issue is whether, just before an election, Sullivan will use the hearing as a forum for injudicious commentary.

I have practiced law for years before Sullivan and praised him for his demeanor and record as a judge. He has served with distinction since 1994 in cases ranging from Guantanamo Bay detainees to the flawed prosecution of Ted Stevens to the emails of Hillary Clinton.

Then came the case of Flynn, who was charged with a single count of lying to federal investigators. Such a charge ordinarily would result in a short sentencing hearing. Flynn fought the charge but, after exhausting his assets and facing threats by prosecutors to target his son, he agreed to plead to one count. Even the uncooperative witness like Alex Van Der Zwaan received only 30 days in prison on a similar charge related to the investigation by former special counsel Robert Mueller.

Yet this is the third attempt at sentencing for Flynn, as what should have been the simple hearing two years ago was derailed by Sullivan himself. Both Flynn and the prosecutors believed they would have a perfunctory hearing and a likely sentence without jail time. After all, this was just one count, and Flynn pleaded guilty, then met with Mueller about 20 times as a cooperative witness. Furthermore, we know federal investigators at the time did not believe Flynn intentionally lied to them. Yet when Flynn went to court, he was given a scolding rather than a sentence.

Using the flag in court as a prop, Sullivan falsely accused Flynn of being an “unregistered agent of a foreign country while serving as the national security adviser” who sold his country out. Sullivan even suggested Flynn should have been charged with treason, then suggested he might ignore any recommendations and send Flynn to jail when he declared, “I cannot assure you that if you proceed today, you will not receive a sentence of incarceration. I am not hiding my disgust and my disdain.”

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/turley-its-time-dismiss-flynn-case

Armenian-Azerbaijani Hostilities Still Gaining Momentum After 6 Days Of War

On October 3, Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan addressed the nation regarding the ongoing war with Azerbaijan and the current situation in the contested Nagorno-Karabakh region. He declared that high-ranking Turkish military personnel are in Azerbaijan and are leading the hostilities against the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (an Armenia-affiliated self-proclaimed state).

“According to our military, in addition to the Azerbaijani army units, Syrian mercenaries and terrorists, special units of the Turkish army are involved in the attacks. We have information that 150 high level Turkish military officers are in different Azerbaijani command centers and control the military operations. What I mentioned here show how fierce clashes are taking place on the frontline,” he said.

According to Pashinyan, the developments of the previous day showed that 150-200 soldiers of Azerbaijan attack every military position of the military of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (formally known as the Republic of Artsakh). These attacks are repeated several times during a day and are supported by missile and conventional artillery, armored vehicles, aircrafts and UAVs.

According to him, Nagorno-Karabakh has been fighting against “an Azerbaijani-Turkish terrorist attack, the volume and scale of which is unprecedented.” Pashinyan claimed that despite numerous casualties and losses of military equipment from the Karabakh side, “the enemy was unable to solve a single tactical problem,” and “intense fighting continues.”

“The resilience with which our soldiers, officers, generals and volunteers withstand this heinous attack is unbelievable. Our soldiers and volunteers spare nothing and demonstrate unimaginable acts of heroism. Today hundreds of armored vehicles, dozens of airplanes and helicopters, hundreds of UAVs of the adversary have already been destroyed. Manpower losses of the adversary are over a few thousands. AT this moment fierce clashes continue in different parts of the frontline, in some cases the Defense Army units have appeared in rather unfavorable situation, in other places confidently keep control of the situation,” Pashinyan said.

According to the Prime Minister of Armenia, “Turkey and Azerbaijan pursue not only military-political goals, there is not only the issue of territories.”

“Their goal is the Armenians, their goal is the continuation of the Armenian genocide,” he said.

According to Pashinyan, Armenia is “able to defend itself,” and the end of the current conflict can only be the victory of the Armenian side.

Meanwhile, in an interview with Al Jazeera, published on October 3, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev stated that his country cannot afford any more ‘futile’ negotiations with Armenia.

“We are not in a position to listen to statements like ‘Stop it, we will work [with you], we will negotiate, we will help.’ We have heard this many times. We do not have time to wait for another 30 years. The conflict must be resolved now,” he said adding that that the (military) settlement to the conflict with Armenia must be found “as soon as possible.”

https://southfront.org/armenian-azerbaijani-hostilities-still-gaining-momentum-after-6-days-of-war/

Physicists Build Circuit That Generates Clean Limitless Power From Graphene

Researchers harnessed the atomic motion of graphene to generate an electrical current that could lead to a chip to replace batteries.

A team of University of Arkansas physicists has successfully developed a circuit capable of capturing graphene’s thermal motion and converting it into an electrical current.

“An energy-harvesting circuit based on graphene could be incorporated into a chip to provide clean, limitless, low-voltage power for small devices or sensors,” said Paul Thibado, professor of physics and lead researcher in the discovery.

The findings, published in the journal Physical Review E, are proof of a theory the physicists developed at the U of A three years ago that freestanding graphene — a single layer of carbon atoms — ripples and buckles in a way that holds promise for energy harvesting.

The idea of harvesting energy from graphene is controversial because it refutes physicist Richard Feynman’s well-known assertion that the thermal motion of atoms, known as Brownian motion, cannot do work. Thibado’s team found that at room temperature the thermal motion of graphene does in fact induce an alternating current (AC) in a circuit, an achievement thought to be impossible.

In the 1950s, physicist Léon Brillouin published a landmark paper refuting the idea that adding a single diode, a one-way electrical gate, to a circuit is the solution to harvesting energy from Brownian motion. Knowing this, Thibado’s group built their circuit with two diodes for converting AC into a direct current (DC). With the diodes in opposition allowing the current to flow both ways, they provide separate paths through the circuit, producing a pulsing DC current that performs work on a load resistor.

Additionally, they discovered that their design increased the amount of power delivered. “We also found that the on-off, switch-like behavior of the diodes actually amplifies the power delivered, rather than reducing it, as previously thought,” said Thibado. “The rate of change in resistance provided by the diodes adds an extra factor to the power.”

The team used a relatively new field of physics to prove the diodes increased the circuit’s power. “In proving this power enhancement, we drew from the emergent field of stochastic thermodynamics and extended the nearly century-old, celebrated theory of Nyquist,” said coauthor Pradeep Kumar, associate professor of physics and coauthor.

According to Kumar, the graphene and circuit share a symbiotic relationship. Though the thermal environment is performing work on the load resistor, the graphene and circuit are at the same temperature and heat does not flow between the two.

That’s an important distinction, said Thibado, because a temperature difference between the graphene and circuit, in a circuit producing power, would contradict the second law of thermodynamics. “This means that the second law of thermodynamics is not violated, nor is there any need to argue that ‘Maxwell’s Demon’ is separating hot and cold electrons,” Thibado said.

The team also discovered that the relatively slow motion of graphene induces current in the circuit at low frequencies, which is important from a technological perspective because electronics function more efficiently at lower frequencies.

“People may think that current flowing in a resistor causes it to heat up, but the Brownian current does not. In fact, if no current was flowing, the resistor would cool down,” Thibado explained. “What we did was reroute the current in the circuit and transform it into something useful.”

https://www.naturalblaze.com/2020/10/physicists-build-circuit-that-generates-clean-limitless-power-from-graphene.html

Military Situation In Syria On October 3, 2020 (Map Update)

A brief overview of the recent developments in Syria:

ISIS ambushed forces of the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) 17th Division and the al-Quds Brigade south of Tabni village;

Turkish-backed forces’ artillery shelled Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) positions in Ahras and Harbul south of Mari;

Turkish-backed forces’ artillery shelled SAA positions in the Jurin area;

The Turkish Army sent a new military convoy to Greater Idlib through Kafr Lusin crossing;

SAA artillery shelled Turkish-backed forces positions in Mansurah.

https://southfront.org/military-situation-in-syria-on-october-3-2020-map-update/