(2020-10-16). Questions Surround Timing and Details of Trump's Recent Yemen Prisoner Exchange. mintpressnews.com 
Like many aspects of the war in Yemen, and of US elections, many questions surround the freeing of two Americans in what may be one of the largest prisoner exchanges in modern history.
(2020-10-16). Why Wasn't There Any Post-Election Turmoil In Tajikistan? thealtworld.com Unlike fellow former Soviet Republics Belarus and even neighboring Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan's latest elections didn't result in any turmoil even though one might have expected it to have due to some similarly discernible risk factors, but that wasn't the case (at least not yet) for five primary reasons. | Tajikistan's
(2020-10-16). On the British State-Funded BBC's Pending Smear. thealtworld.com 
The British state-funded BBC, which has a history of perverted war propaganda against the people of Syria, a history of whitewashing the crimes of terrorists in Syria, a history of flat out lying about events in Syria, has decided to launch another smear against myself, Vanessa Beeley, researchers of the Working Group on Syria, a former ambassador to Syria, and others. | This is not just another character assassination, though, this is a serious threat against journalists and those speaking truth against establishment narratives. Thanks to those who have tweeted or spoken about this revolting attack. | On Twitter…
(2020-10-16). Israel bans Palestinian singer Mohammed Assaf from entering Jerusalem, Gaza. middleeasteye.net 
Israel bans Palestinian singer Mohammed Assaf from entering Jerusalem, Gaza | Israel has imposed a travel ban on Assaf, revoking his entry permit, which he earned as an UNRWA ambassador | Fri, 10/16/2020 – 12: 12 | Palestinian "Arab Idol" winner Mohammed Assaf described the Israeli travel ban as "a continuation of the policies of oppression" (AFP/file photo) | Israel has imposed an entry ban on Mohammed Assaf,…
(2020-10-16). Syria: Humanitarians 'very concerned' for thousands still living in Al Hol camp. news.un.org Humanitarians are "very concerned" about the plight of more than 64,000 people living in the restive Al Hol camp in northeast Syria, the UN Spokesperson told journalists on Friday.
(2020-10-16). #SinkColumbus: Indigenous Peoples' Day now! workers.org 
Boston United American Indians of New England and North American Indian Center of Boston marched through Boston, several hundred strong, on Oct. 10, in honor of Indigenous Peoples' Day. The colonizers' "Columbus Day" is still scheduled by Boston and the state of Massachusetts for Oct. 12, although activists in the . . . |
(2020-10-16). After 55 years of repression Indonesian workers, youth take to streets. workers.org 
Thousands of workers and students marched and rallied in Indonesia on Oct. 7 to protest a new antilabor law. "Labor rights activists, workers and students are protesting Indonesia's new labor law they say will undermine pay and benefits, as well as the environment. The law is part of the president's . . . |
(2020-10-16). Can an Eco-Socialist Revolution Save China? counterpunch.org 
On August 19, 2019, I unfurled my degrowth banner in a CounterPunch article titled "Ecological Limits and the Working Class" and followed it up with a review of leading degrowth theorist Giorgos Kallis's "Limits: Why Malthus Was Wrong and Why Environmentalists Should Care" just six months later. Having read dozens of articles on degrowth over
(2020-10-16). Informal Arab delegation visits Al-Aqsa with Israeli protection: Report. middleeasteye.net 
Informal Arab delegation visits Al-Aqsa with Israeli protection: Report | The visit was reportedly the first of its kind to the holy site since Bahrain and the UAE signed a normalisation deal with Israel last month | Fri, 10/16/2020 – 15: 00 | The delegation reportedly performed prayers inside the 7th century Dome of the Rock Mosque (Screengrab) | An informal Arab delegation reportedly visited the Al-Aqsa Mosq…
(2020-10-16). No, China didn't 'stall' critical Covid information at outbreak's start. mronline.org 
Now that some time has passed since the beginning of the outbreak, it's worth revisiting the less-conspiratorial corporate media narrative that the Chinese government maliciously or incompetently delayed the release of critical information early on, thereby causing many unnecessary deaths.
(2020-10-16). Saudi Arabia arrests 45 in latest 'anti-corruption' drive. middleeasteye.net 
Saudi Arabia arrests 45 in latest 'anti-corruption' drive | Authorities arrest dozens of people, including military officers, and seize $160m as part of kingdom's wide-ranging campaign | Fri, 10/16/2020 – 20: 31 | Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh (AFP/File photo) | Saudi authorities arrested at least 45 people, including military officers and public servants, as part of kingdom's so-called anti…
(2020-10-16). A Historical Reckoning: Oxford Study Challenges Israel's Claims Concerning Palestinian Refugees. mintpressnews.com 
Pro-Israel institutions and spokespeople like to claim that the Palestinian refugee issue has passed some imaginary statute of limitations, but as a comprehensive new Oxford study shows, it "has since become even stronger."
(2020-10-16). European countries 'deeply concerned' over Israeli settlement construction. middleeasteye.net 
European countries 'deeply concerned' over Israeli settlement construction | Israel approved the construction of more than 2,000 new illegal West Bank settlement homes on Wednesday | Fri, 10/16/2020 – 14: 13 | A Palestinian man confronts a member of the Israeli security forces as Palestinian farmers trying to access their lands to harvest olives in the West Bank village of Burqah were prev…
(2020-10-16). Two mockeries of democracy instead of one: Biden and Trump town halls replace debate. liberationnews.org 
Donald Trump and Joe Biden held town hall-style encounters at the same time yesterday in what columnist and political cartoonist Ted Rall described as an event, "long on drama but short on credible solutions." Trump and Biden were initially scheduled to face off in a traditional head-to-head debate. But this was called off due to …
(2020-10-16). Indonesian trade union FSEBUMI supports Denver activists: "Racism must be fought with the power of solidarity" liberationnews.org 
Federasi Serikat Buruh Militan (FSEBUMI) is a trade union who firmly believe in the working class struggle and the power of solidarity. We also believe in internationalism and we are against racism.
(2020-10-16). The Heat: Azerbaijan-Armenia Conflict. america.cgtn.com 
Tensions escalate between Azerbaijan and Armenia, as both sides accuse each other of violating a fragile ceasefire.
(2020-10-16). ABC ignores elephant in the room, asks Biden ZERO QUESTIONS about censored NY Post scoops on his son's overseas business dealings. rt.com 
ABC held a 90-minute town hall with Democrat presidential candidate Joe Biden without asking a single question about this week's New York Post stories on alleged scandals involving his son's business dealings in Ukraine and China. | Host George Stephanopoulos steered clear of…
(2020-10-16). Zionist War on Palestinian Festival in Rome is Ominous Sign of Things to Come. dissidentvoice.org 
A Zionist-led war on a Palestinian cultural festival in Rome has exposed the fragility of the Italian political system when it comes to the conversation on Palestine and Israel. The sad truth is that, although Italy is not often associated with a 'powerful' pro-Israel lobby as is the case in Washington, the pro-Israel influence in …
(2020-10-16). Yemen — Prisoner Swap and What May be Behind it. globalresearch.ca Background | The fourth batch of Yemeni detainees has arrived the in Sana'a as part of the largest prisoner swap between the country's warring sides. The residents in the capital received 112 prisoners after their plane landed in the Sana'a international …
(2020-10-16). Turkish and Israeli Weapons Fueling Conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh. globalresearch.ca Weapons-makers — aka merchants of death and mass destruction — fuel conflicts when occur. | The US by far dominates the global arms trade. | According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the US accounted for 36% of major conventional …
(2020-10-16). Thailand: Western Media Encourages Agitators — Arrests Will Continue. thealtworld.com The Western media collectively took last night's rally as "evidence" that the Thai government's crackdown on US-funded agitators "failed." In a bid to egg on future protests — concerted efforts across the Western media and with their Thai partners were made to inflate the size of the protest — claiming "tens of thousands" attended. | In reality, the area protesters occupied — an area between 10,000 and 15,000 square meters — can only accommodate at most 15,000 if crowd density was at a maximum of 1 protester per square meter across the entire area. However, this never happens since density di…
(2020-10-16). Houthi rebels and Saudi-backed Hadi government begin prisoner swap deal in Yemen. peoplesdispatch.org The two sides had agreed to a prisoner swap deal in Switzerland last month, involving 1,081 prisoners, including 15 Saudi nationals. The deal is being implemented over Thursday and Friday…
(2020-10-16). Protests intensify in Thailand despite government's declaration of emergency. peoplesdispatch.org Thousands of protesters have gathered in the streets despite the government declaring a state of emergency, specifically to put an end to protests. Meanwhile, PM Prayuth Chan-ocha has said he will not resign…
(2020-10-16). Israel Stops Granting Visas to UN Human Rights Employees. globalresearch.ca Israel has stopped granting any visas to employees at the United Nations' human rights agency, effectively forcing the body's top staff to leave, Middle East Eye can reveal. | In February, Israel announced it was suspending ties with the United Nations …
(2020-10-16). American Jewish Progressives Declared Irrelevant. counterpunch.org The Dangers of Ideological Boundaries Ha'aretz is an Israeli newspaper and news outlet. It is considered to be the country's most liberal paper and, at least in its English presentation, often reflects "liberal Zionist" sentiments, such as questioning Israeli settlement and occupation policies. Still, the paper can get things seriously wrong, because Zionism, Israel's official ideology,
(2020-10-16). Esper: Pentagon School to Focus Half of Its Curriculum on China. globalresearch.ca Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said on Thursday that
(2020-10-16). Waiting for a Vaccine and the Collaborative Research Alternative. cepr.net It seems increasingly likely that China will begin providing vaccines to its own people, as well as those in some other countries, by December, and possibly as early as next month. The prospect of a vaccine being available that soon has to look good to people here, now that the Trump administration's pandemic control efforts …
(2020-10-16). Effectiveness of a novel mobile health (Peek) and education intervention on spectacle wear amongst children in India: Results from a randomized superiority trial in India. thelancet.com Spectacle wear was similar in both arms of the trial, one explanation being that health education for parents was not fully received. Health education messages to create behaviour change need to be targeted at the recipient and influencers in an appropriate, acceptable and accessible medium.
(2020-10-16). Why You Won't Find Us on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. strategic-culture.org Dear readers of the Strategic Culture Foundation website, | In September 2020, the Strategic Culture Foundation was banned from Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube following unsubstantiated claims that it was connected with Russian intelligence services and interfered in the US presidential elections on their orders. It means that you can't find us on these platforms and, moreover, if you try to post any links leading to SCF on your personal page, you will most likely not be allowed to do that. This case provides a glimpse into the dystopian future of suppressing dissident voices by governments previously known as dem…
(2020-10-16). Before the Bidens 'Did' Ukraine, There Was Iraq — and Serbia. strategic-culture.org The United States approaches the November 2020 election with growing apprehension, even dread. | Among the possibilities: | Protracted uncertainty about the presidential contest. Think Florida 2000 but with several states' results unresolved for weeks or even months ("Experts held 'war games' on the Trump vs. Biden election. Their finding? Brace for a mess"); | A disputed outcome, perhaps with Donald Trump and Joe Biden both claiming victory, compounded by a "
(2020-10-16). Imperial agree vaccine research and education collaboration with Indonesia. imperial.ac.uk Imperial has agreed a pioneering research and education collaboration with Indonesia to advance vaccine development and help tackle COVID-19.
(2020-10-16). Dropped Prosecutions: The Afghan Files, Public Interest Journalism and Dan Oakes. dissidentvoice.org In July 2017, two journalists working for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Dan Oakes and Sam Clark, wrote of a stash of incriminating documents, running into hundreds of pages. They were "secret defence force documents leaked to the ABC". These documents gave "an unprecedented insight into the clandestine operations in Australia's elite special forces in Afghanistan, …
(2020-10-16). These Are the States to Focus on to Flip the Senate. thenation.com These Are the States to Focus on to Flip the Senate…
(2020-10-15). Scenario Forecasting: What Could a Russian Intervention in Nagorno-Karabakh Look Like? globalresearch.ca Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov's suggestion to deploy Russian peacekeepers and military observers into the universally recognized Azerbaijani territory of Nagorno-Karabakh and its seven surrounding districts under Armenian occupation pending both sides' agreement raises the prospect of Moscow's military intervention in …
(2020-10-15). The Trial of Julian Assange featuring Roger Waters, John Pilger, Ray McGovern & hosted by Miko Peled. thealtworld.com Recently, U.S. prosecutors indicted WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange on seventeen espionage charges stemming from the disclosure of atrocities committed by the U.S. armed forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. With global consequences directly affecting the freedom of the press, Assange stands to be extradited from the UK to trial to the U.S. under the Espionage Act. In this upcoming online event, author and activist, Miko Peled, speaks with three prominent activists who have persistently advocated for Assange's release and freedom. | Roger Waters — Cofounder of Pink Floyd, Songwriter & Musician, Activist | John…
(2020-10-15). Middle East Eye Palestine reporter Maha Hussaini nominated for Rory Peck award. middleeasteye.net 
Middle East Eye Palestine reporter Maha Hussaini nominated for Rory Peck award | Hussaini, who has been covering Gaza for MEE since 2018, is among the finalists for the Martin Adler Prize | Thu, 10/15/2020 – 15: 26 | Maha Hussaini reporting on the ground in besieged Gaza (Supplied) | Middle East Eye freelance correspondent Maha Hussaini on Thursday was named among the finalists for a top journalism award, the…
(2020-10-15). Venezuela Starts Clinical Trials of Russia's COVID-19 Vaccine. telesurenglish.net Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro informed his nation that 2,000 volunteers are already participating in the clinical trials of Sputnik, the Russian COVID-19 vaccine. | RELATED: | "The Russian vaccine is here and the tests have already begun… In addition, thousands of Chinese vaccines will come to the country," Maduro said during a program broadcast by Venezolana de Television on Wednesday. | In the first half of 2…
(2020-10-15). Iranian press review: Conservatives hail new North Korea ballistic missile as 'role model'. middleeasteye.net 
Iranian press review: Conservatives hail new North Korea ballistic missile as 'role model' | Meanwhile, senior IRGC commander 'confirms' Israeli former minister's 'collaboration' with Tehran, and political rivalries deepen amid new wave of coronavirus | Thu, 10/15/2020 – 12: 52 | A screen grab taken from a KCNA broadcast on 10 October 2020 shows what appears to be a new North Korean int…
(2020-10-15). Yemen's warring parties start massive prisoner swap. middleeasteye.net 
Yemen's warring parties start massive prisoner swap | Saudi-led coalition and Yemen's Houthi rebels agreed to exchange 1,081 prisoners in Switzerland last month | Thu, 10/15/2020 – 14: 55 | Freed Yemeni Houthi prisoners line up on a red carpet upon their arrival at Sanaa airport on 15 October 2020 (AFP) | Hundreds of fighters in Yemen have begun heading home after a massive prisoner swap b…
(2020-10-15). Anti-Chinese racism sets stage for New McCarthyism. mronline.org 
More than a dozen young visiting scholars from China had their visas abruptly terminated in a letter from administration of the University of North Texas (UNT), Denton, on August 26, in a letter dated …August 26!
(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). Kurdish-led forces release hundreds of prisoners in northeast Syria. middleeasteye.net 
Kurdish-led forces release hundreds of prisoners in northeast Syria | Those released were Syrian citizens who had served at least half of their sentences, says co-chair of the Syrian Democratic Council | Thu, 10/15/2020 – 18: 27 | Earlier this month, Kurdish authorities said they planned to release all Syrians from al-Hol camp and relinquish any responsibility for foreign nationals held there (AFP) | Kurdish-l…
(2020-10-15). Sudan moves to normalise relations with Israel under US pressure, says report. middleeasteye.net 
Sudan moves to normalise relations with Israel under US pressure, says report | The Trump administration allegedly told Khartoum that Sudan would be removed from the state sponsors of terrorism list in exchange | Thu, 10/15/2020 – 15: 22 | Chairman of Sudan's Transitional Sovereign Council General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan (L) speaks with Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok during a reception ceremony in the capital Kh…
(2020-10-15). Yazidis left out in cold following Iraqi deal to remove armed groups from Sinjar. middleeasteye.net 
Yazidis left out in cold following Iraqi deal to remove armed groups from Sinjar | Political opportunism at root of agreement targeting PKK in disputed northern region, say analysts | Thu, 10/15/2020 – 16: 37 | A picture taken on 4 February 2019, shows a general view of damaged buildings in the northern Iraqi town of Sinjar (AFP) | All armed groups will be expelled from the contested Sinjar r…
(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). Syrian and Russian officials should face sanctions over Idlib strikes, states HRW. middleeasteye.net 
Syrian and Russian officials should face sanctions over Idlib strikes, states HRW | Rights group says analysis of attacks between April 2019 and March 2020 revealed a 'callous disregard for civilian life' | Thu, 10/15/2020 – 12: 21 | HRW based its report on interviews with more than 100 victims and witnesses, analysis of hundreds of photographs and videos taken on the site of attacks and o…
(2020-10-15). Israel's Knesset approves UAE normalisation deal despite opposition from Arab Joint List. middleeasteye.net 
Israel's Knesset approves UAE normalisation deal despite opposition from Arab Joint List | Lawmakers overwhelmingly supported the deal despite opposition from the third largest political bloc in Israel's parliament | Thu, 10/15/2020 – 10: 39 | In a statement, the Joint Arab List said 'This approach ensures the continuation of the conflict, suffering and bloodshed' (AFP) | The Arab Joint List, the third largest…
(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). Gulf states using coronavirus pandemic to crackdown on dissent: Amnesty. middleeasteye.net 
Gulf states using coronavirus pandemic to crackdown on dissent: Amnesty | Rights group accuses Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman of suppressing expression on social media | Thu, 10/15/2020 – 22: 08 | Amnesty says social media restrictions imposed by Gulf states not necessary to protect public health (AFP/File photo) | Gulf states are using the coronavirus pandemic as a pretext to crack down on free s…
(2020-10-15). Yazidis left out in the cold following Iraqi deal to remove armed groups from Sinjar. middleeasteye.net Yazidis left out in the cold following Iraqi deal to remove armed groups from Sinjar | Political opportunism at root of agreement targeting PKK in disputed northern region, say analysts | Thu, 10/15/2020 – 16: 37 | A picture taken on 4 February 2019, shows a general view of damaged buildings in the northern Iraqi town of Sinjar (AFP) | All armed groups will be expelled from the contested Sinj…