(2020-10-15). OPCW Syria whistleblower and ex-director attacked by U.S., UK, France at UN. mronline.org 
Ian Henderson, a veteran OPCW inspector who challenged a cover-up of his organization's investigation of an alleged chemical weapons attack in Syria, recently testified before the United Nations Security Council.
(2020-10-15). Kill the Bill, or it will kill us all. mronline.org 
Indonesia's trade unions and social movements are taking to the streets against anti-worker legislation.
(2020-10-15). Afghanistan: 19 Years of War. counterpunch.org 
The NATO and US backed war on Afghanistan was launched 7th October 2001, just a month after 9/11, in what most thought would be a lightning war and a stepping stone onto the real focus, the Middle East. 19 years later and the US is still trying to extricate itself out of the longest war
(2020-10-15). How Modi is Changing Laws to Help Imperialists Dominate India's Agriculture. counterpunch.org 
The two bills rushed through India's parliament on September 20 were objectionable in every conceivable sense. The very fact that they were being rammed through the Rajya Sabha, without being put to vote despite demands for a division, was grossly anti-democratic. The fact that the Center made unilateral and fundamental changes in agricultural marketing arrangements
(2020-10-15). The Art of the Weapons Deal in the Age of Trump. counterpunch.org 
The United States has the dubious distinction of being the world's leading arms dealer. It dominates the global trade in a historic fashion and nowhere is that domination more complete than in the endlessly war-torn Middle East. There, believe it or not, the U.S. controls nearly half the arms market. From Yemen to Libya to
(2020-10-15). Cambodia Has Become China's Unofficial Representative in ASEAN. asia-pacificresearch.com …
(2020-10-15). Health workers across Delhi strike against unpaid wages. peoplesdispatch.org Protests have been breaking out in various hospitals in New Delhi, India. Health workers of various hospitals across the city are going on indefinite strikes because of unpaid salaries.
(2020-10-15). Social protection coverage in Asia and the Pacific 'riddled with gaps'. news.un.org More than half the population of the vast Asia and Pacific region lack any social protection coverage, leaving populations vulnerable to ill-health, poverty, inequality and social exclusion, a new UN report has found.
(2020-10-15). Clinical characteristics and outcomes among hospitalized adults with severe COVID-19 admitted to a tertiary medical center and receiving antiviral, antimalarials, glucocorticoids, or immunomodulation with tocilizumab or cyclosporine: A retrospective observational study (COQUIMA cohort). thelancet.com In a real-clinical setting, inhibition of the calcineurin inflammatory pathway, NF-κΒ, could reduce the hyperinflammatory phase in COVID-19. Our findings might entail relevant implications for the therapy of this disease and could boost the design of new clinical trials among subjects affected by severe COVID-19.
(2020-10-14). In Afghanistan, American Troops patrol the same routes their fathers did. mronline.org 
Thousands of U.S. soldiers continue to pace and patrol exactly the same routes as their predecessors did in 2001, fighting a seemingly endless conflict that both the American and Afghan public have long since soured on.
(2020-10-14). Iran home to one of oldest, deepest cultures. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 14 (MNA) — Andre Vltchek a philosopher, novelist, filmmaker, and journalist has described Iran as home to one of the oldest and deepest cultures in the world that helps Iranian people to survive the most frightening moments.
(2020-10-14). Syria's Devastating Forest Fires. globalresearch.ca The Syrian people who have already been suffering from nearly a decade of externally waged Hybrid War are now forced to deal with the environmental devastation caused by the 156 forest fires that recently ravaged the Arab Republic, though most …
(2020-10-14). Western Anger as China, Russia Elected to UN Human Rights Council and Saudi Arabia Rejected. thealtworld.com 
The rejection of Saudi Arabia, the only country that did not receive the required number of votes from UN member states, has been seen as a repudiation of the Kingdom's decreasing international support. | MPN— In a secret ballot at the United Nations yesterday, Saudi Arabia was rejected for a position on the body's 47-country Human Rights Council (HRC). The only country that did not receive the required number of votes from member states, the failure has been seen as a repudiation of the Kingdom's abysmal human rights record and its decreasing international support. | 15 positions were filled yesterday, alth…
(2020-10-14). The Malevolent Encirclement of Russia. globalresearch.ca Over recent weeks a series of events in the states surrounding the Russian Federation has erupted that certainly are not being greeted with joy in the Kremlin. Each crisis center of itself is not a definitive game-changer for future Russian …
(2020-10-14). Despite Ambiguity in International Law, Palestinians are Winning the 'Legitimacy War'. counterpunch.org 
'International law' remains one of the most discussed terms in the context of the Israeli occupation of Palestine. It is almost always present, whether the discussion pertains to the Israeli wars and siege on Gaza, the expansion of illegal Jewish settlements in the West Bank or the encroaching apartheid throughout Israel and the Occupied Territories.
(2020-10-14). EXCLUSIVE: Israel stops granting visas to UN human rights workers. middleeasteye.net 
EXCLUSIVE: Israel stops granting visas to UN human rights workers | OHCHR foreign employees left in limbo amid Israeli crackdown on rights monitors | Wed, 10/14/2020 – 14: 00 | The UN's OHCHR writes regular reports highlighting alleged Israeli rights abuses in the occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem and the besieged Gaza Strip (Reuters/File) | Israel has stopped granting any visas to employees at the United Nation…
(2020-10-14). Thousands displaced by fighting in southern Afghanistan. news.un.org Thousands of people have been displaced and critical health services interrupted, after fighting erupted last weekend between security forces and Taliban fighters in the southern Afghan province of Helmand, the UN humanitarian office has reported.
(2020-10-14). 'Waikiki' shines at Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival. peoplesworld.org 
America is currently experiencing a historic surge of protests igniting a cultural awakening and racial reckoning. October 12, which has been called "Columbus Day" and is now referred to as Indigenous Peoples Day has come and gone. But in this month, shorts, documentaries, and features by and about the Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Islands …
(2020-10-14). Vietnam refugee leader arrested for protesting ICE crimes. workers.org 
Nancy just after being released from jail Oct 9. Philadelphia — Nancy Nguyen, Executive Director of VietLead, a Philadelphia-based Vietnamese refugee organization, was handcuffed and arrested Oct. 8 as she was changing her one-year-old baby's diaper in her Philadelphia home. Her arrest involved the cooperation of several federal and . . . |
(2020-10-14). Yemen's Houthis release two US hostages in exchange for about 200 fighters. middleeasteye.net 
Yemen's Houthis release two US hostages in exchange for about 200 fighters | Sandra Loli and Mikael Gidada were freed in agreement that allows detained Houthis to return to war-ravaged country | Wed, 10/14/2020 – 20: 29 | As part of swap, about 200 Houthis are allowed to return to Yemen from Oman (AFP/File photo) | Yemen's Houthi rebels freed two American hostages on Wednesday in exchange for about 200 of the…
(2020-10-14). Israel approves new West Bank housing, just weeks after 'peace' deals with UAE, Bahrain. middleeasteye.net 
Israel approves new West Bank housing, just weeks after 'peace' deals with UAE, Bahrain | Gulf normalisation agreements were initially advertised as hinging on a freeze in settlement construction | Wed, 10/14/2020 – 12: 40 | New apartments buildings under construction in the Beit El settlement in the occupied the West Bank (AFP) | Israel has approved the construction of new homes in its il…
(2020-10-14). Rohingya fear deportation after Saudi Arabia calls on Bangladesh to give minority passports. middleeasteye.net 
Rohingya fear deportation after Saudi Arabia calls on Bangladesh to give minority passports | Riyadh threatens Dhaka with curbing migration if it fails to adhere to its request, which could be disastrous for Bangladesh's economy | Wed, 10/14/2020 – 12: 28 | Rohingya refugees living in Malaysia shout slogans during a protest against the treatment of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar, in Kuala Lumpur on 8 Septem…
(2020-10-14). Lebanon and Israel hold unprecedented talks on disputed maritime border. middleeasteye.net 
Lebanon and Israel hold unprecedented talks on disputed maritime border | The two countries, technically at war, are seeking to settle a maritime border dispute and clear the way for oil and gas exploration | Wed, 10/14/2020 – 11: 14 | Vehicles of the UN peacekeeping force UNIFIL are pictured in the southernmost area of Naqoura, by the border with Israel, where talks between Israel and Leb…
(2020-10-14). Pompeo encourages Saudi Arabia to normalise ties with Israel. middleeasteye.net 
Pompeo encourages Saudi Arabia to normalise ties with Israel | US Secretary of State thanks kingdom for assisting in normalisation deals between two Gulf Arab countries and Israel | Wed, 10/14/2020 – 17: 50 | Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo deliver remarks at State Department (AFP) | US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged Saudi Arabia to normalise…
(2020-10-14). Ban on Kurdish-language play in Istanbul sparks condemnation. middleeasteye.net 
Ban on Kurdish-language play in Istanbul sparks condemnation | Mayor of Istanbul slams governor's decision to ban satirical play over 'PKK propaganda' | Wed, 10/14/2020 – 10: 15 | Actor Ruges Kirici outside the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Theatre after authorities had banned a Kurdish-language play, 13 October 2020 (AFP) | Istanbul's governorate has banned a Kurdish-language play th…
(2020-10-14). Azerbaijan bought $77m worth of arms from Turkey a month before fighting. middleeasteye.net 
Azerbaijan bought $77m worth of arms from Turkey a month before fighting | Export data shows Turkish arms sales to Azerbaijan rose sixfold in first nine months of 2020 | Wed, 10/14/2020 – 17: 43 | Turkish arms sold to Azerbaijan include drones, rocket launchers, ammunition and other weapons that arrived after July 2020 (Reuters) | Azerbaijan bought $77m worth of arms from Turkey a month be…
(2020-10-14). 81 Days on hunger strike: Movement grows to free Palestinian political prisoner Maher al-Akhras. liberationnews.org 
A rally gathered in Ramallah this week in solidarity with Maher al-Akhras, a Palestinian political prisoner who after 81 days on hunger strike is now feared to be near death. The 49-year-old father of six was arrested by Israeli forces in July. Al-Akhras' lawyers have put forth several appeals to Israel's High Court for his …
(2020-10-14). The Heat: China's response to COVID-19. america.cgtn.com 
China has made extraordinary progress in battling COVID-19 since the first major outbreak in Wuhan earlier this year. While the disease is largely contained in China, the country is now responding to a minor outbreak in the city of Qingdao in east China's Shandong Province. …
(2020-10-14). Armenia knew war over Nagorno-Karabakh was coming, 'the question was when,' PM Pashinyan tells nation as fighting continues. rt.com 
In an emotional address to the nation on Wednesday, Armenia's Prime Minister said his country was aware of Baku's plans to provoke a war over Nagorno-Karabakh, adding that Azeri attempts to smash Armenian defenses have failed. | Nikol Pashinyan, however, conceded that the disputed region controlled by Armenians, and backed by Yerevan, but considered illegally occupied in Azerbaijan, has suffered massive losses. | Fighting erupted in Nagorno-Karabakh on September 27, with both Armenia and Azerbaijan accusing each other of firing the first shots. As far as Pashinyan is concerned, the outbreak of hostilities was…
(2020-10-14). Netherlands legalizes child euthanasia despite opposition from Christian parties. rt.com 
The Dutch government will allow doctors to euthanize terminally ill children as young as one year old, making the Netherlands the second country in the world to permit the practice. | Health Minister Hugo de Jonge announced the change in a letter to Parliament on Tuesday, calling the decision necessary to help "a small group of terminally ill children who are suffering hopelessly and unbearably." | The decision does not amend any laws, but exempts doctors from prosecution for ending a child's life in certain conditions and with parental consent. Children between the ages of one and 12 will now be eligible for…
(2020-10-14). Reproduce or pay up! Controversial Russian Communist politician backs CHILDLESSNESS TAX on citizens who don't want to have kids. rt.com 
A prominent Russian politician has supported the introduction of a tax on citizens who refuse to have children. The idea was first floated by the country's 'Council of Mothers' as a means to solve the country's demographic crisis. | Speaking to the news agency 'Moscow,' Tamara Pletnyova, a Communist Party MP and the chair of the parliamentary Committee on Family, Women, and Children, argued that "those who don't want to have children should be taxed." She added that those medically unable to do so and those no longer of reproductive age should be exempted. | "This was the case in Soviet times," she explained.
(2020-10-14). Russia sees no prospect of prolonging New START treaty with US, but is not closing door on negotiations — Foreign Minister Lavrov. rt.com 
Moscow doesn't believe the New START treaty with the US can be continued, as achieving common ground is impossible against the backdrop of ultimatums employed by Washington, the Russian Foreign Minister said on Wednesday. | In his interview with three Russian radio stations, Sergey Lavrov was asked if he saw any prospect of the two countries agreeing to prolong the landmark deal until 2026. The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, or New START, obliges Russia and the US to reduce the number of their strategic nuclear missile launchers by half, and it expires in February. | "There is no such prospect. I persona…
(2020-10-14). Selected Articles: The Malevolent Encirclement of Russia. globalresearch.ca 
By A recent RAND study prepared for the US Army suggests with remarkable accuracy who might be behind what will undoubtedly become a major threat to Russian security …
(2020-10-14). The US Is Still the World's Biggest Arms Dealer. thenation.com 
Regardless of who is elected president this November, American arms businesses will continue to export arsenals to the Middle East and around the world.
(2020-10-14). Becoming U.S. Fortress Against China Does More Damage than Good for Taiwan. globalresearch.ca The $1.4 billion increase in Taiwan's military spending next year is still not enough to achieve effective defense, said David Helvey, Principal Director for East Asia in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Security …
(2020-10-14). Trump Regime/Russia New START Talks at Impasse. globalresearch.ca As long as nuclear weapons exist, the chance of their use ahead — as once before unjustifiably — is ominously high. | Humanity has a clear choice. Eliminate these weapons entirely or risk their eliminating us. | The history of warfare shows …
(2020-10-14). Day two of hearing for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett: Democrats maintain silence on White House plot to overturn election. wsws.org At Tuesday's hearing, the Democrats adopted a posture of cringing respect for the far-right judge, echoing Biden's remark in last month's presidential debate that she is "a very fine woman."
(2020-10-14). Protests intensify in Thailand in response to pre-emptive arrests by police. peoplesdispatch.org 21 individuals were arrested from the Democracy Monument in Bangkok on October 13, Tuesday, as they congregated for demonstrations planned for the next day. The news of the arrests has triggered widespread outrage and protests…
(2020-10-14). All It Takes Is a Spark: Syrian Wildfires Turn Olive Trees into Ashes. globalresearch.ca Latakia: Friday morning in the coastal city of Latakia, Syria seemed normal at first. Even though the October weather was still far hotter than normal, not many noticed the unusually strong winds wiping through the countryside, filled with olives, citrus, …
(2020-10-14). The Palestinian Struggle Betrayed. globalresearch.ca The Abraham Accord signed recently between Israel on the one hand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain on the other, is touted as a peace deal. They were not at war. There was peace between them and much …
(2020-10-14). NATO, Energy Geopolitics and Conflict in Caucasus. thealtworld.com Pushing NATO expansion further into the Caucasus and Central Asia and the objective of replacing Russian energy to Europe with a Caspian alternative mean that the resurgence in conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh could be a prolonged proxy, low-intensity war. | Rarely are geopolitical events innocently coincidental, as an old saying goes. Let's look at a few recent upheavals. First we have the renewed pressure on Germany and Europe to abandon the Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline from Russia, which the strange Navalny affair and his alleged poison-assassination conveniently gives cover to what would otherwise be an unprecedent…
(2020-10-14). Anti-Chinese Racism Sets Stage for New McCarthyism. globalresearch.ca More than a dozen young visiting scholars from China had their visas abruptly terminated in a
(2020-10-14). Human Rights Debate at UN Security Council. Horrifying Social Consequences of US Sanctions Inflicted on North Korea. globalresearch.ca During the press briefing outlining Russia's program of work for their October Presidency of the UN Security Council, I mentioned the offer by Dr. Kee B. Park, Director of the Korea Policy Project at Harvard Medical School, and renowned …
(2020-10-14). Indonesian workers continue to protest pro-big business "omnibus law" wsws.org Protesters against the new legislation have faced police repression while the unions work to divert workers' anger into political dead-ends.
(2020-10-14). Department of South and Southeast Asian Studies at UC Berkeley defends historian Joseph Scalice. wsws.org "We write to affirm the intellectual excellence and high character of our former Ph.D. student and Lecturer Joseph Scalice, and to denounce recent baseless accusations against him."
(2020-10-14). Russia and the European Union Looking for Common Business Language. globalresearch.ca Despite the series of sanctions, corporate European businesses are still highly interested in Russia and Russia recognizes the enormous significance and invaluable contributions of these businesses in its economy. The stark reality is that there are more European businesses in …
(2020-10-14). UK Government Accused of 'Cronyism' after Tory Councilor Wins £156m COVID Contract. globalresearch.ca A small, loss-making firm run by a Conservative councillor in Stroud was given a £156m contract to import PPE from China without any competition, openDemocracy has learned. | Steve Dechan's company, P14 Medical, signed the huge contract to supply medical …
(2020-10-14). Talks begin to resolve disputed Lebanon-Israel maritime border. news.un.org The UN Secretary-General has welcomed the launch of ground-breaking discussions on Wednesday, over the disputed maritime border between Lebanon and Israel in the eastern Mediterranean, following a framework agreement between the two nations at the beginning of the month.
(2020-10-14). Indonesia: kill the bill, or it will kill us all. zcomm.org Indonesia's trade unions and social movements are taking to the streets against anti-worker legislation…
(2020-10-14). Dangers Of Military Confrontation Around Taiwan And South China Sea. popularresistance.org Over the past two years, the United States has dramatically increased the number of U.S. Navy aircraft carriers and destroyers sent into the South China Sea as a freedom of navigation show of force missions to remind the Chinese government that the U.S. considers the Western Pacific and the South China Sea as a part of the oceans of America and its allies. Additionally, in 2020, the Trump administration ratcheted up tensions with China over Taiwan by sending to Taiwan the highest-ranking U.S. officials in over forty years.