(2020-10-21). How Biden Flubbed Town Hall Foreign Policy Question. counterpunch.org 
Toward the end of Joe Biden's October 15 town hall session, a Trump supporter asked Biden the only foreign policy question of the night. "So peace is breaking out all over the world," the questioner claimed. "Our troops are coming home. Serbia is talking to Kosovo. And the Arabs and Israelis are talking peace, which
(2020-10-21). 'Paradise lost': How Israel turned the West Bank into a sewage dump for its settlements. middleeasteye.net 
'Paradise lost': How Israel turned the West Bank into a sewage dump for its settlements | Untreated wastewater has destroyed the soil of Palestinian villages, causing their often ancient oilve trees to die | Wed, 10/21/2020 – 09: 14 | Residents and farmers say increasing quantities of sewage are being pumped onto their lands from the illegal settlements (MEE/Supplied) | Abdullah Maarouf typically t…
(2020-10-21). A step forward over war crimes in Afghanistan. greenleft.org.au Serious criminal charges against ABC journalist Dan Oakes for reporting leaked material on Australian elite troops committing atrocities in Afghanistan have been dropped, on public interest grounds. Pip Hinman argues this is an important win.
(2020-10-21). Millions of garment workers face job losses in Bangladesh. peoplesdispatch.org According to a recent study conducted by the Center for Global Workers Rights, "millions of workers are at greater risk of losing their jobs" due to global brands "demanding price cuts and delaying payments to suppliers"
(2020-10-21). Indian beedi workers struggle due to pandemic. peoplesdispatch.org Workers in the beedi sector in the Indian State of Tamil Nadu are facing a deep crisis as the pandemic has affected the industry and severely reduced their incomes…
(2020-10-21). Women's March in Petaluma. indybay.org "This Presidency is the Worst Period Woman's Ever Had" and other messages from the North Bay.
(2020-10-21). Boosting relations with Iranians, a priority for Turkey. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 21 (MNA) — Hailing the great volume of relations between Iranians and Turkish people, a Turkish official called boosting relations with Iran as one of the priorities of his government.
(2020-10-21). PGCC Sec. Gen. accuses Iran of creating tension in region. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 21 (MNA) — On baseless and repetitive allegations, Secretary-General of the PGCC accused Iran of creating tensions in countries in the region such as Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen.
(2020-10-21). Domestic defense systems destroy all hostile targets in drill. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 21 (MNA) — A spokesman for a large-scale air defense war game in Iran said all of the flying objects designed to mirror capabilities of hostile targets were brought down by homegrown missile systems on the first day of the exercise.
(2020-10-21). Coronavirus cases climb toward a new peak in Iran. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 21 (MNA) — The coronavirus outbreak has been worsening in Iran, as the number of infections, hospitalizations and fatalities due to the respiratory disease has been increasing in the past days.
(2020-10-21). Pressure on Iran to continue regardless of election outcome. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 21 (MNA) — The US Special Representative for Iran and Venezuela claimed that Washington's so-called 'maximum pressure' policy against Iran will continue regardless of the upcoming presidential elections.
(2020-10-21). Iran seeking to release nationals held by Mozambique Pirates. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 21 (MNA) — President's Chief of Staff said Iran is doing its best to release some of its nationals held by Mozambique Pirates.
(2020-10-21). Medical staff struggle against coronavirus in Iran. yenisafak.com Healthcare workers in Iran are struggling against the novel coronavirus as the country has seen a rising trend in infections and deaths in October. | A total of 164 Iranian medical personnel have died due to COVID-19, Iranian Health Minister Saeed Namaki said in a statement on Aug.22. | Since late August, a large number of health workers have tested positive for the coronavirus, while many others lost their lives due to the pandemic. | In Iran, especially in the capital Tehran, hospitals allocated to COVID-19 patients have reached their maximum capacity. Therefore, newly diagnosed patients are treated at their ho…
(2020-10-21). Statements from China and Sri Lanka in defence of Dr. Scalice against the attacks by the Stalinist CPP. wsws.org "The working class from all over the world must take seriously the threats and slanders unleashed by Sison against Dr. Scalice and come forward to defend him."
(2020-10-20). Chomsky: OPCW cover-up of Syria probe is 'shocking'. thegrayzone.com Noam Chomsky says that the OPCW's cover-up, under US pressure, of a Syria chemical weapons probe raises "very severe suspicions." In his first public comments on the OPCW's Syria cover-up scandal, Noam Chomsky criticizes the chemical watchdog for suppressing, under US pressure, evidence that undermined the pretext for the US-led bombing of Syria in April 2018. The censorship recently extended to the UN Security Council, where the US, UK, and France blocked former OPCW Director General José Bustani from testifying …
(2020-10-20). Chomsky: from nuclear weapons to Iran, Trump's worst threats are dangerously ignored. thegrayzone.com Noam Chomsky warns that the Trump administration poses a unique threat to humanity, and its most reckless policies are receiving far too little attention. Noam Chomsky discusses the White House's threats to the New START treaty, the last remaining accord limiting the US and Russia's nuclear weapons arsenals; its latest round of crippling sanctions and threats against Iran; the bipartisan US refusal to accept a Middle East Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone, which would terminate Israel's nuclear weapons program; and the silencing of …
(2020-10-20). The Expiry of The Iranian Arms Embargo. globalresearch.ca The 13-year-long anti-Iranian arms embargo expired on the 18th of October, which creates opportunities for the Islamic Republic to strengthen its national defense capabilities and cultivate even deeper relations with its top strategic partners such as China and Russia, possibly …
(2020-10-20). Headlines for October 20, 2020. democracynow.org Trump Continues Attack on Fauci as U.S. Coronavirus Cases Surge and Death Toll Mounts, SCOTUS Deadlock Hands Victory to Voters in Pennsylvania as Floridians Break Early Voting Record, Debate Commission Announces Changes Ahead of Final Presidential Face-Off, Evo Morales Celebrates Victory of MAS Party, Says He Will Return to Bolivia, Trump Admin to Remove Sudan from U.S. List of Terrorist States, At Least 15 People Killed as Nigerian Protests Against Police Violence Continue, WSJ: U.S. Held Talks with Syrian Intelligence About Missing U.S. Citizens, Palestinian Prisoner in Critical Condition After Nearly 3 Months…
(2020-10-20). Israeli takes its attacks on UNRWA schools to the United Nations. middleeasteye.net 
Israeli takes its attacks on UNRWA schools to the United Nations | Israeli ambassador to the UN accuses its Relief and Works Agency of using curricula inciting against Israel, the latest move in a long campaign against the body | Tue, 10/20/2020 – 19: 12 | Palestinian children fly kites at a school belonging to UNRWA in Gaza City on 12 March 2018 as a protest against US aid cuts (AFP) | Israel's am…
(2020-10-20). Ilhan Omar says Trump's attacks are posing a threat to her life. middleeasteye.net 
Ilhan Omar says Trump's attacks are posing a threat to her life | 'Every time the president has invoked my name, it has incited violence against me,' the congresswoman said | Tue, 10/20/2020 – 22: 13 | Congresswoman Ilhan Omar has received hundreds of death threats since being elected to office (AFP/File photo) | Congresswoman Ilhan Omar has said US President Donald Trump's repeated attacks and insults are pos…
(2020-10-20). Two Interviews on the Bolivian Coup and Its Aftermath. cepr.net In interviews recorded for a new podcast, "While We were Sleeping," host Francesca Emanuele investigates overlooked cases of state violence and the human stories behind them. Two new interviews offer useful context for the October 18 general elections just carried out in Bolivia. In the first, Emanuele interviews Jhocelin Caspa, an Indigenous Aymara woman from …
(2020-10-20). Nova Scotia Fishers' Rights; US Accuses Russians of Cyberwarfare. sputniknews.com Tensions between Indigenous and non-Indigenous fishermen come to a head in Nova Scotia, Canada, as angry mobs attack.
(2020-10-20). Afghanistan, Black Lives Matter, and Antiwar Activism. zcomm.org Interview on a variety of topics…
(2020-10-20). How do we defend reproductive justice? workers.org 
It appears likely that the Trump wing of the ruling class will ram through the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett, who is racist, pro-patriarchy, anti-woman, anti-LGBTQ2S+ and anti-worker. The Senate Judiciary Committee votes on the nomination Oct. 22, and the full Senate vote is expected before the . . . |
(2020-10-20). One hundred years of Indian communism. mronline.org 
The economic programme suggested for such a front included the right to strike, banning reductions of wages and dismissals of workers, an adequate minimum wage and 8-hour day, a 50 per cent reduction in rents and banning the seizure of peasant land against debt by imperialists, native princes, zamindars and money lenders.
(2020-10-20). Kuwait's parliament passes law to cut expat population. middleeasteye.net 
Kuwait's parliament passes law to cut expat population | The new legislation sets in motion reforms to trim its foreign residents who make up 70 percent of the population, Bloomberg reports | Tue, 10/20/2020 – 19: 58 | Kuwaiti nationals themselves constitute only 30 percent of the population, with the total expatriate population standing at 3.4 million (AFP/File photo) | Kuwait's parliament has unanimously pas…
(2020-10-20). Qatar: Domestic workers still face abuse despite protection laws. middleeasteye.net 
Qatar: Domestic workers still face abuse despite protection laws | Research by Amnesty International reveals that Qatar has failed to implement its own laws that limit working hours and mandate paid holidays | Tue, 10/20/2020 – 11: 42 | Amnesty believes a lack of inspection mechanisms and Qatar's kafala system contribute to employers having excessive powers over workers (Reuters/file photo)
| Domest…
(2020-10-20). The Communist Party of China: Putting the People First. dissidentvoice.org 
Wherever we lift one soul from a life of poverty, we are defending human rights. And whenever we fail in this mission, we are failing human rights. — Kofi Annan, former United Nations Secretary-General Among other items "proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people," the preamble to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights …
(2020-10-20). Turkey arrests Jordanian on suspicion of spying for UAE. middleeasteye.net 
Turkey arrests Jordanian on suspicion of spying for UAE | Sources tell MEE Ahmed al-Astal posed as a Muslim Brotherhood supporter to spy on Arab dissidents | Tue, 10/20/2020 – 10: 06 | Turkish police officers patrol in front of Hagia Sophia on 11 July 2020 in Istanbul (AFP) | Turkey's intelligence agency has arrested a Jordanian national on accusation of spying for the United Arab Emirates. | Turkish int…
(2020-10-20). U.S. willing to risk nuclear arms race as New START negotiations go down to the wire. liberationnews.org 
The United States and Russia are locked in tense negotiations over the future of a key nuclear arms control treaty…
(2020-10-20). Israeli firm signs deal to transport UAE oil to Europe. middleeasteye.net 
Israeli firm signs deal to transport UAE oil to Europe | The deal would create a cheaper, faster way to get oil from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean by bypassing Egypt's Suez Canal via a 'land bridge' | Tue, 10/20/2020 – 21: 37 | EAPC oil storage containers are seen on the shore of Israel's southern city of Ashkelon on 27 January, 2015 (Reuters/File photo) | An Israeli pipeline company has announced a prelimi…
(2020-10-20). Turkish forces exit encircled military post in northern Syria. middleeasteye.net 
Turkish forces exit encircled military post in northern Syria | Sources told MEE that a combination of Russian and Syrian civilian pressure had forced Turkey's hand | Tue, 10/20/2020 – 15: 35 | A Turkish military convoy vacates the Morek post in Hama's countryside on 20 October 2020 (MEE/Ali Haj Suleiman) | Turkey has evacuated an observation station in Syria's northwestern Hama province that had been encircle…
(2020-10-20). Fighting Racism in the US Marine Corps. counterpunch.org 
By 1971, the Marine Corps had suffered racial outbreaks at every major Marine base in the world, except one. In Vietnam, some units were disarmed after coming out of the bush, as there had been firefights between white and Black Marines. A celebration of Martin Luther King's life by Black Marines at Chu Lai in April 1969, one year after his assassination, had been surrounded by tanks. Racial "relations" were terrible. (As was true in all the other branches, in Vietnam, the US and on bases in Europe.)
(2020-10-20). Bahrain's Mounting Anger over the Monarchy's Official Formalization of Ties with Tel Aviv. thealtworld.com 
A joint delegation, led by US Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, headed to Manama on Sunday, hoping to ink a communique that officially bolster the US-brokered normalization deal and establish the embassies in the two capitals. | According to the US Treasury, the trip focused on inking memorandums of understanding that cover trade, aviation services, telecommunications, finance as well as economic cooperation, tourism, science and technology. | Public Outrage: | Streams of citizens, from different backgrounds and affiliations, flood the streets across Bahrain in huge peaceful push to vehemently denounce the visit.
(2020-10-20). Nuclear War Makes a Comeback. counterpunch.org 
On websites where policy makers, scholars, and military leaders gather, concern about the possibility of nuclear war has been rising sharply in recent months as China, the United States, and Russia develop new weapons and new ways of using old ones. On War on the Rocks, an online platform for national security articles and podcasts,
(2020-10-20). Neoliberal 'Omnibus Law' sparks rebellion in Indonesia. mronline.org 
A major protest movement is underway in Indonesia against the neoliberal, authoritarian-populist regime of Joko Widodo and his collaborators in the House of Representatives. Frans Ari Prasetyo explains the so-called 'Omnibus Law' that sparked the protest, and reports on the clashes now unfolding in Bandung and many other cities.
(2020-10-20). The Heat: China's economy. america.cgtn.com 
China's economy is surging ahead. We will take a look at the numbers and how China's experience can drive the world's recovery.
(2020-10-20). Keith Ellison faces mounting criticism over attendance at Yitzhak Rabin memorial. middleeasteye.net 
Keith Ellison faces mounting criticism over attendance at Yitzhak Rabin memorial | Minnesota attorney general has been accused of 'ignoring Palestinian voices' by agreeing to attend event honouring the legacy of late Israeli prime minister | Tue, 10/20/2020 – 18: 26 | Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison is slated to appear at a memorial service for former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin (…
(2020-10-20). Televangelist Pat Robertson predicts Trump will win re-election and bring about THE END TIMES. rt.com 
Christian Broadcasting Network founder Pat Robertson has predicted that President Donald Trump will secure re-election, which he says will then lead to the end of the world. | "…The next thing is the election that's coming up in just a few weeks, at which time, according to what I believe the Lord told me, the president is going to be re-elected," Robertson prophesized during his show on Tuesday. The preacher then added that Trump's victory is "going to lead to civil unrest, and then a war against Israel and so forth…" | According to Robertson, the war's outcome has also already been pre-determined. "There…
(2020-10-20). 'Hold me responsible' for drug war killings — Philippines leader Duterte. rt.com 
Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has said he takes responsibility for the thousands of killings by police in his anti-drug crackdown, claiming he was ready to go to jail if it served his country. | In a televised speech on Monday night, Duterte, whose government has been heavily criticized by international organizations for nearly 6,000 killings committed during anti-drug police operations, said he was ready to be punished. | If there's killing there, I'm saying I'm the one… you can hold me responsible for anything, any death that has occurred in the execution of the drug war. | "Bring me to court to be…
(2020-10-20). UAE wants to exchange embassies with Israel 'as soon as possible'. rt.com 
The United Arab Emirates wants its embassy in Tel Aviv to be opened "as soon as possible" and hopes Israel will reciprocate in Abu Dhabi, the Israeli Foreign Ministry has said, as rapprochement between the former foes continues. | The intention was announced in a letter from Emirati Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, delivered to his Israeli counterpart Gabi Ashkenazi by a high-ranking UAE delegation which landed in Tel Aviv on Tuesday. | In the missive — which, according to Israeli media, was written in Hebrew — Zayed told the Israeli FM that the UAE had "full trust in your unequivocal s…
(2020-10-20). Greece urges EU states to stop military exports to Turkey & consider suspending customs union deal. rt.com 
Athens wants EU countries to halt military exports to Turkey, Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias said on Tuesday, accusing Ankara of violating the criteria of integration into the bloc. | Speaking of the request to other EU members to stop the exports, Dendias claimed that "this equipment is being used in actions that destabilize our region." | "Turkey continues to violate the fundamental criteria of integration into the EU," Dendias added. Ankara's entry talks with the EU started in 1999, but have been long stalled. | The minister said that he has also written to EU Enlargement Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi,…
(2020-10-20). What's 'verifiable'? Extension of US-Russia nuclear New START treaty hinges on word. rt.com 
The sole remaining US-Russia nuclear arms control deal may get a last-moment extension after all, but everything now depends on what the US State Department means when it says warhead caps need to be "verifiable." | New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) is scheduled to expire in February 2021. While Russia has offered a "clean" renewal of the existing treaty, without preconditions, the Trump administration has first sought to expand it to include China, then demanded a limit on total nuclear warheads as a condition for agreeing to an extension. | The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that Russia i…
(2020-10-20). 'One of the most impressive phenomena in modern Russia': Communist leader Zyuganov asks Kremlin to listen to Khabarovsk protesters. rt.com 
The leader of Russia's Communist Party has called for the government to "hear the voice of the people" in Khabarovsk, where citizens have been protesting daily for more than three months over the arrest of their former governor. | Writing on Twitter, four-time presidential candidate Gennady Zyuganov called the demonstrations "one of the most impressive phenomena in modern Russia," and asked the Kremlin to listen to the concerns of the aggrieved and "take the path of development and progress." | –í –•–∞–±–∞—Ä–æ–≤—…
(2020-10-20). Russian Cabinet strikes down proposed law to ban transgender people from amending sex assigned at birth on official documents. rt.com 
Russian authorities have rejected amendments to the country's family code, which would have enshrined in law a ban on marriage and adoption by same-sex couples, and restricted transgender people from officially changing gender. | The proposed laws, written by Senator Elena Mizulina, were focused on the rights to be the parent of a child, including changing the rules for deprivation of custody. If passed, the new family code would have taken custody decisions into the hands of the court, meaning that a parent would have to be found guilty before their offspring could be removed. | However, most prominently, the…
(2020-10-20). Khashoggi's fiancee sues Saudi crown prince over journalist's murder. middleeasteye.net 
Khashoggi's fiancee sues Saudi crown prince over journalist's murder | Lawsuit seeks discovery from US officials to prove that the killing was ordered from the top of the Saudi leadership | Tue, 10/20/2020 – 16: 31 | Jamal Khashoggi's fiancee Hatice Cengiz filed the civil lawsuit against Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and other officials (AFP/File photo) | Hatice Cengiz, the fiance…
(2020-10-20). Troops Coming Home from Afghanistan? Depends on Who You Ask. globalresearch.ca There is a lot to cheer about when it comes to most of President Trump's foreign policy statements. He regularly tells us he is ending foreign wars and bringing troops home. But do the people who work for him even …
(2020-10-20). US Seeks to Prolong Terrorism in Syria, Not Defeat It. globalresearch.ca Recent attacks on Syrian positions from terrorists of the self-proclaimed "Islamic State" (ISIS) and the release of thousands of prisoners in US-occupied eastern Syria illustrate how Washington is demonstratably prolonging instability in Syria as part of its promise to transform …
(2020-10-20). UN Urges Greek, Turkish Cypriots to Avoid Steps That Erode Prospects for Talks. sputniknews.com UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) – UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expects that the election of Ersin Tatar as the president of the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) will help to bring the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities closer together, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in a press briefing on Tuesday.
(2020-10-20). Violence continues to threaten Afghan peace process. thecanary.co 2020 marked the beginning of what some have hailed as "historic" peace talks between Afghanistan's US-backed government and the Taliban. But despite the Qatar based negotiations, this week has seen renewed violence in the country. | The US special envoy to Afghanistan has warned that "distressingly high" levels of violence threaten to derail ongoing peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban. | Zalmay Khalilzad's comments come as days of renewed fighting have plagued Afghanistan's southern Helmand province, a long-time Taliban stronghold. The US launched airstrikes in Helmand Province on 12 October…