2020-11-07: News Headlines

_____ (2020-11-07). Media Silence Marks Ongoing OPCW Cover-Up Of Syria Chemical Weapons Scandal. popularresistance.org This should be a global scandal," said journalist Aaron Maté on the suppression of evidence from experts from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in order to push for war in Syria. "This is the U.S. government bombing Syria based on allegations that were later found by the investigating team to be false. But then once that team came back to write their report they were pressured by the U.S. government and had their evidence censored." | Unfortunately, it has not become a global scandal.

MEE and agencies (2020-11-07). Lebanon's president demands US evidence to justify Bassil sanctions. middleeasteye.net Lebanon's president demands US evidence to justify Bassil sanctions | Michel Aoun says country to 'take necessary legal measures' over case amid fears move will further damage economy | Sat, 11/07/2020 – 10: 45 | Washington has imposed sanctions on Free Patriotic Movement leader Gebran Bassil for alleged ties with Hezbollah (AFP) | Lebanon's President Michel Aoun said on Saturday that his…

MEE and agencies (2020-11-07). Iran temporarily releases jailed rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh. middleeasteye.net Iran temporarily releases jailed rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh | Release follows warnings by rights groups that Sotoudeh's health had severely deteriorated after a hunger strike | Sat, 11/07/2020 – 13: 43 | Nasrin Sotoudeh, pictured after being freed in 2013 after serving around half of a six-year jail sentence for spreading propaganda and conspiring to harm state security, charges she den…

MEE and agencies (2020-11-07). Erdogan fires head of Turkish central bank after lira plunge. middleeasteye.net Erdogan fires head of Turkish central bank after lira plunge | Appointment of Naci Agbal set to fuel longstanding criticism about political interference in monetary policy | Sat, 11/07/2020 – 12: 13 | Naci Agbal will be the country's fourth central bank governor in five years (Reuters) | Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday fired central bank governor Murat Uysal and replaced…

MEE and agencies (2020-11-07). Iraqi forces kill protester, wound several others in Basra. middleeasteye.net Iraqi forces kill protester, wound several others in Basra | Prime minister warns security forces not to fire at protesters amid reports of clashes continuing in southern city | Sat, 11/07/2020 – 16: 03 | Iraqi riot police form a barrier near the local administration building in Basra during anti-government protests on 6 November 2020 (AFP) | Iraqi security forces using live gunfire killed…

Mehr News Agency (2020-11-07). Iran standing by Afghans in fight against terrorism,extremism. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Nov. 07 (MNA) — Iranian Science Minister asserted that Iran has always stood by the Afghan Government in the fight against terrorism and extremism.

Mehr News Agency (2020-11-07). Iran not to participate in event held by Zionist regime. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Nov. 07 (MNA) — Sport For All Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran rejected the news regarding Iranian athletes competing with the Zionist regime in e-sports competitions.

Mehr News Agency (2020-11-07). A peek into nomad's lifestyle in SW Iran. en.mehrnews.com KUHRANG, Nov. 07 (MNA) — Following photos have been taken from Lirah village in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province.

Mehr News Agency (2020-11-07). Goods transit via Bashmaq Border Crossing hits about $2bn. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Nov. 07 (MNA) — Observer of Kordestan Customs said that goods, valued at $1,903,762,792, was transited via Bashmaq Customs, Iran's main border crossings with Iraqi Kurdistan region, in the current year (started March 21).

WSWS (2020-11-07). FBI seizes internet domain names it claims are part of Iranian influence campaign. wsws.org The DoJ made vague assertions of "covert influence" and "pro-Iranian propaganda," but presented no evidence of its allegations.

Mehr News Agency (2020-11-07). Azerbaijani MP reprimanded over anti-Iran remarks. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Nov. 07 (MNA) — Azerbaijan's National Assembly has blasted remarks of MP Bahruz Maharramov about Iran, noting that the position of the MP does not reflect that of the parliament.

Mehr News Agency (2020-11-07). Iraqi army launches anti-ISIL operation in Kirkuk Province. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Nov. 07 (MNA) — Iraqi sources announced that the army has launched an airstrike against ISIL positions in Kirkuk province.

Susan M Sawyer (2020-11-07). [Comment] Global growth trends in school-aged children and adolescents. thelancet.com Despite declining rates over the past few decades, stunting continues to affect over 30% of children younger than 5 years in many countries in sub-Saharan Africa, south Asia, and the Pacific.1 The extent to which stunting and underweight in early childhood are associated with premature death and disease explains why global nutrition policy, practice, and research have overwhelmingly focused on very young children. Yet, the rapid expansion of obesogenic environments, including in resource-poor countries, requires policy responses to address a more complex and dynamic nutritional landscape.

Mehr News Agency (2020-11-07). Iran to produce three new human vaccines by yearend: official. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Nov. 07 (MNA) — The Secretary of Biotechnology Development Headquarters of the Vice-Presidency for Science and Technology said that three new human vaccines will be produced in the country by yearend (March 20).

Aarathi Prasad (2020-11-07). [Perspectives] Roopa Dhatt: advancing gender equality in global health leadership. thelancet.com When Roopa Dhatt was 9 years old, she went into septic shock as a result of appendicitis. Her grandparents rushed her to a local hospital in India. Far from her home in the USA and apart from her émigré parents, who could not afford to join her, the experience is etched in Dhatt's memory. "In the early 1990s", she says, "the health system infrastructure [in India] was so weak, and so under-resourced, I was really fortunate that there was a paediatric surgeon in the city I was in, who was able to operate safely".

Mehr News Agency (2020-11-07). "Resistance" only way to confront terrorists: Haddad Adel. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Nov. 07 (MNA) — The Director of Academy of Persian Language and Literature said that noble nation of Afghanistan are not alone, stating that 'resistance' is the sole way to deal with terrorists.

Peoples Dispatch (2020-11-07). Women were active hunters too during prehistoric times, says new study. peoplesdispatch.org An excavation from the Andean Highlands in Peru of the remains of a woman reveals that hunting tools were buried alongside her. The tools recovered include six stone projectiles and 24 other stone artifacts…

Peoples Dispatch (2020-11-07). Police crackdown leaves one farmer dead in Pakistan. peoplesdispatch.org Malik Ashfaq Langarial died in hospital on Wednesday after the police dispersed a sit-in by farmers in Lahore in Pakistan. The farmers were demanding a better price for their produce such as wheat and sugarcane…

Mehr News Agency (2020-11-07). Terror attacks not to affect Afghans' will for building peace. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Nov. 07 (MNA) — The Iranian Parliament Speaker condemned the terrorist attack at Kabul University, noting that the path of building a peaceful Afghanistan will continue.

Mehr News Agency (2020-11-07). American Bull wins at Arlington film festival. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Nov. 07 (MNA) — Iranian short 'American Bull' directed by Fateme Tousi has won at the 10th edition of the Arlington International Film Festival in the US.

Kaya Genàß (2020-11-07). [World Report] Turkish Medical Association clashes with politicians. thelancet.com Political leaders in Turkey have clashed with the biggest professional body for doctors in the country. Kaya Genàß reports from Istanbul.

Tony Kirby (2020-11-07). [World Report] New Zealanders approve euthanasia in landmark vote. thelancet.com On the same day that Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern returned to power with a rare parliamentary majority, the people also voted in favour of legalised euthanasia. Tony Kirby reports.

_____ (2020-11-06). Campaigners Take Direct Action As Palestinians Remember Balfour's Shameful Declaration. popularresistance.org The Balfour Declaration is the name given to the statement in 1917 by British foreign secretary lord Balfour promising a "national home for the Jewish people" in Palestine. Britain had taken control of Palestine after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. That "national home" was to be created at the expense of the indigenous Palestinian population. According to a press release from campaign group Palestine Action: | This 67-word document presented by Arthur Balfour in 1917 paved the way for the ethnic cleansing of Palestine and the violent dispossession of 750,000 Palestinians —more than half the indigenous…

Ramzy Baroud (2020-11-06). Escalating the demographic war: The strategic goal of Israeli racism in Palestine. mronline.org The discussion on institutional Israeli racism against its own Palestinian Arab population has all but ceased following the final approval of the discriminatory Nation-State Law in July 2018. Indeed, the latest addition to Israel's Basic Law is a mere start of a new government-espoused agenda that is designed to further marginalize over a fifth of …

MEE staff (2020-11-06). Israeli forces stop Palestinians attending Friday prayers at Al-Aqsa. middleeasteye.net Israeli forces stop Palestinians attending Friday prayers at Al-Aqsa | Worshippers barred from West Bank entry, with makeshift barriers erected at three gates in East Jerusalem's Old City | Fri, 11/06/2020 – 13: 53 | Palestinians, unable to reach the Al-Aqsa mosque compound amid strengthened restriction due to the coronavirus, perform Friday prayers in front of the Lion's Gate on 25 September (AFP) | Israeli f…

Greg Palast (2020-11-06). How the Republicans are stealing Georgia. zcomm.org Hundreds of thousands of people of color have had their names erased from the voter list in this vital state…

news.un (2020-11-06). Long-term displacement worries for families hit hard by 'super typhoon' Goni. news.un.org The trail of devastation left by Typhoon Goni in the Philippines, runs straight through some heavily populated areas — including places where COVID-19 cases are high, and where returning migrants are concentrated – UN agencies reported on Friday.

Gordon Duff (2020-11-06). Putting the Pieces Together, an Intel Drop. thealtworld.com I began today setting up my JBL Boombox (Amazon/refurb) playing my running playlist. Normally, I would be roadtripping, visiting friends in the UK or family in Germany, family I miss. | The music is all I have that ties me to myself, Nina, Django, Ella and Vietnam era stuff. So many of us remain in Vietnam. I close my eyes and I am there, beautiful days looking across rice paddies, on landing ships, or sitting up on watch during ambushes. | It is frightening to think a year or so of one's life is defining. I found myself tested there in every way, loyalty to friends, compassion and conquering fear, 'the mind kill…

Andrew Korybko (2020-11-06). Facebook's Censorship Spree Is VK's Time To Finally Shine As A Free Speech Alternative. thealtworld.com The censorship spree that Facebook's been on since the US' contentious elections is the golden opportunity that its Russian competitor VK has been waiting for in order to finally present itself as a credible and easy-to-use free speech alternative, but it can only do so if the awareness and will exist at its leadership level to seize the moment through a clever marketing strategy aimed at Facebook's politically minded audience. | Facebook isn't even hiding the fact that it's censoring its users in the aftermath of the US' contentious elections. It used to just shadow block them, but now it adds a so-called "fact-…

RT (2020-11-06). Russia & Germany call for immediate ceasefire amid fears Nagorno-Karabakh war could become Yugoslavia-like humanitarian crisis. rt.com The capital of the contested region of Nagorno-Karabakh is preparing for an assault by Azerbaijani troops, this weekend, while Russia and the European Union work to try to secure at least a temporary pause in hostilities. | Stepanakert, the administrative centre of the de facto Armenian-controlled breakaway region, which Azerbaijan considers part of its territory, is expected to be the next frontier in the war between the two nations. The city is home to around 55,000 people and is the largest conurbation in the self-proclaimed Republic of Artsakh. There are fears that fighting there could precipitate a humani…

Vijay Prashad (2020-11-06). Wage war against the philosophy of war. mronline.org In 1965, as India and Pakistan slipped into another war, Sahir Ludhianvi, one of the great Urdu poets of his generation, wrote a poem called Ai Sharif Insano ('O Nobel Souls').

Brett Wilkins, staff writer (2020-11-06). 'This Is a Grave Crime': Rep. Ilhan Omar Condemns Israeli 'Ethnic Cleansing' After IDF Destruction of Palestinian Hamlet. commondreams.org Dozens of Bedouins—including 41 children—were left homeless after occupation troops bulldozed their community to the ground on Tuesday. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-1130260322_0.jpg

Staff (2020-11-06). Headlines for November 6, 2020. democracynow.org Biden Takes Lead in Georgia & Pennsylvania, Moving Him Closer to Presidency, Biden Calls for Counting Every Ballot; Trump Claims Dems Are Stealing Election, Trump Campaign Faces Legal Setbacks in Election-Related Lawsuits, Trump Campaign Adviser: "Hopefully Amy Coney Barrett Will Come Through" to Help Trump Win Election, Sen. Graham: State GOP Lawmakers Should Consider Invalidating Election Results, Philly Police Foil QAnon-Linked Plot to Attack Ballot-Counting Site, Bannon Calls for Beheading of Dr. Fauci & FBI Director Wray, 18 Protesters Arrested in NYC in Demo Against Trump Stealing Election, Georgia May Have…

news.un (2020-11-06). Aid agencies call for urgent action to prevent famine in hunger hotspots. news.un.org People in four food insecurity "hotspots" inside Burkina Faso, northeastern Nigeria, South Sudan and Yemen, need help urgently to avoid sliding into famine, UN humanitarians said on Friday.

_____ (2020-11-06). Trump's Bid to Stop the Count Risks Turning America Into an 'Illiberal Democracy' like Turkey. strategic-culture.org Patrick COCKBURN | By claiming victory in the presidential election while it is still in the balance, President This approach is a rerun of the strategy employed by several populist national leaders across the world in recent years to stay in power by prematurely claiming a win at the polls, and then manipulating the final result in their favour through their control of state institutions, such as election supervisory boards and th…

MEE and agencies (2020-11-06). Facebook takes down alleged Muslim Brotherhood accounts sharing 'inauthentic' information. middleeasteye.net Facebook takes down alleged Muslim Brotherhood accounts sharing 'inauthentic' information | The accounts operated from Egypt, Morocco and Turkey and shared 'terrorism-related content' | Fri, 11/06/2020 – 14: 33 | Facebook removed nearly 8,000 pages involved in spreading misinformation in October (AFP) | Facebook has taken down a network of fake accounts operating across the Middle East and…

RT (2020-11-06). China condemns US for 'whitewashing' terrorist organizations after dropping Islamic extremist group's designation. rt.com Beijing has called on the US to reverse its decision to remove the East Turkestan Islamic Movement from its list of terrorist organizations, accusing Washington of 'whitewashing' militant groups. | Speaking at a press briefing on Friday, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said that "China deplores and firmly opposes the US decision" to drop the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) from its list of designated terrorist groups. | Demanding the US reverse its decision, he strongly affirmed that "terrorism is terrorism" and urged America to "refrain from 'whitewashing' terrorist organizations or going bac…

Robert Hunziker (2020-11-06). A Troubling Discovery in the Arctic. counterpunch.org A notable satellite-telephonic call to colleagues in late October from Swedish scientist àñrjan Gustafsson of Stockholm University briefly described a haunting discovery. On board the research ship R/V Akademik Keldysh, a 6,240-ton Russian scientific research vessel equipped with 17 on-board laboratories and a library, far off the coast of Russia, Dr. Gustafsson reported: "This East

RT (2020-11-06). Budapest & Brussels on potential collision course as Hungary says it will import Russian Covid-19 vaccine despite EU objections. rt.com Hungary announced it will purchase Russia's Sputnik-V coronavirus vaccine for research and licensing purposes, in a move that risks creating tensions with EU authorities who insist only formulas made in the bloc should be used. | Foreign Minister Peter Sijarto said on Thursday that Budapest will place an order for the vaccine. "Russia will start supplying small batches in December to complete clinical trials and research here," he told journalists. | Russia became the first country in the world to approve a jab for Covid-19 in September. It drew criticism from some international commentators for the speed of t…

MEE staff (2020-11-06). Palestinian ends 103-day hunger strike after Israel agrees not to extend detention. middleeasteye.net Palestinian ends 103-day hunger strike after Israel agrees not to extend detention | Maher al-Akhras, set to be released at end of November, has spent nearly four months in detention without charge or trial | Fri, 11/06/2020 – 16: 56 | Palestinians carry placards demanding release of Maher al-Akhras at demonstration in Hebron (AFP) | Palestinian political prisoner Maher al-Akhras, who had been held without cha…

MEE staff (2020-11-06). US sanctions former Lebanon foreign minister Gebran Bassil. middleeasteye.net US sanctions former Lebanon foreign minister Gebran Bassil | Leader of Lebanon's Free Patriotic Movement sanctioned for assisting Hezbollah, says US Treasury | Fri, 11/06/2020 – 08: 15 | Gebran Bassil is the son-in-law of Lebanon President Michel Aoun (Reuters) | The United States has imposed sanctions on Gebran Bassil, the leader of Lebanon's Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) party founded by President Michel Aou…

RT (2020-11-06). Lebanon's former FM Gebran Bassil hit by US sanctions over alleged corruption & Hezbollah support. rt.com The US has imposed sanctions on prominent Hezbollah-allied Lebanese politician Gebran Bassil "for his role in corruption." The former foreign minister branded the move an "injustice." | Bassil is accused by the US of "appointing friends to positions" in 2017 and funneling government cash through shell companies to "individuals close to him" in 2014 when he was minister of energy. | "The systemic corruption in Lebanon's political system exemplified by Bassil has helped to erode the foundation of an effective government that serves the Lebanese people," US Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin said when announcin…

MEE staff (2020-11-06). US removes Uighur group from terror list blamed by China for attacks. middleeasteye.net US removes Uighur group from terror list blamed by China for attacks | China frequently blames the East Turkestan Islamic Movement for attacks in Xinjiang, but scholars say Beijing has produced little evidence | Fri, 11/06/2020 – 22: 34 | The decision comes days before 12 November, the 76th and 87th anniversary of two short-lived Uighur republics, known as East Turkestan (AFP/File photo) | The United States ha…

Prabhat Patnaik (2020-11-06). India's move toward a de facto unitary state. mronline.org India is being pushed toward a de facto unitary state, with states being kept totally out of the loop in decision-making, as seen in the new agricultural laws, goods and services tax compensation, Jammu and Kashmir bifurcation and new National Education Policy.

Mohammad Ersan (2020-11-06). Covid tears through Jordan on eve of parliamentary elections. middleeasteye.net Covid tears through Jordan on eve of parliamentary elections | After managing to keep a lid on coronavirus for months, the kingdom's healthcare system is overwhelmed and a senior official is being treated in Jerusalem | Fri, 11/06/2020 – 14: 58 | A man walks past a poster of one of the candidates ahead of parliamentary elections on 10 November, amid a second wave of the coronavirus (Reuters) | O…

Eve Ottenberg (2020-11-06). U.S. Foreign Policy is a Failure, Whoever's President. counterpunch.org The world recognizes what U.S. elites don't: the utter, total American failure to contain Covid-19 has damaged U.S. standing and will do so until the virus is controlled. Meanwhile, regional powers, China and Russia, cooperate and share resources, particularly vaccines. Cuba provides treatments, but the U.S. turns up its nose at Cuban medicine, even if it means more American covid patients die — this, though Cuba's pharmacopeia for this plague appears superior. China sends doctors and medicines across the globe. Russia opts for sane herd immunity — through vaccination. These countries act like adults.

MEE and agencies (2020-11-06). US expected to sanction former Lebanon foreign minister Gebran Bassil. middleeasteye.net US expected to sanction former Lebanon foreign minister Gebran Bassil | Leader of Lebanon's Free Patriotic Movement to be sanctioned for assisting Hezbollah, says US newspaper | Fri, 11/06/2020 – 08: 15 | Gebran Bassil is the son-in-law of Lebanon President Michel Aoun (Reuters) | The United States is planning to sanction Gebran Bassil, the leader of Lebanon's Free Patriotic Movement (FPM)…

Daniel Beaumont (2020-11-06). Prison, the Plague, Writing and Exile: an Interview With Aslı Erdogan. counterpunch.org This interview with the Turkish author Aslı Erdogan was conducted by mail in recent weeks. She is a renowned author in Turkey, and well known in Europe where works have been translated into English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and possibly some other languages. Her works have won numerous international literary prizes. She is also

Oscar Grenfell (2020-11-06). New Documents Show Mueller Investigation Unable to Concoct Charges Against Assange and WikiLeaks. globalresearch.ca Previously redacted portions of the Mueller report into supposed Russian interference in the US, released this week, have shown that despite every effort, the Justice Department was unable to concoct evidence of any criminal wrongdoing on the part of WikiLeaks …

Mehr News Agency (2020-11-06). Martyr Soleimani to remain in hearts of freedom seekers. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Nov. 06 (MNA) — An advisor to Yemen Prime Minister underscored that Martyr General Qasem Soleimani was a pioneer in resistance and has always been a role model for all Resistance movement's leaders.