(2020-11-17). A Dedicated Obsession: Washington's Continuing Iran Sanctions Regime. counterpunch.org 
One dogma that is likely to persist in US foreign policy during a Biden presidency will be the sanctions regime adopted towards Iran. Every messianic state craves clearly scripted enemies, and the demonology about the Islamic Republic is not going to go begging. Elliot Abrams, the current US special representative for Iran, told Associated Press
(2020-11-17). Russia to build naval base in Sudan, ushering in new foothold in Africa. middleeasteye.net 
Russia to build naval base in Sudan, ushering in new foothold in Africa | Port Sudan facility will be Moscow's first substantial military presence on the continent since the fall of the Soviet Union | Tue, 11/17/2020 – 12: 15 | The new facility will make it easier for the Russian navy to operate in the Indian Ocean (AFP) | Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a decree on Monday approvin…
(2020-11-17). How Joe Biden Can Score a Major Foreign Policy Win on Day One of his Presidency. counterpunch.org 
"President-elect Joe Biden has promised to rejoin the Iran nuclear deal," writes Tom O'Connor at Newsweek. "But a return is set to face challenges on both sides as they attempt to rebuild trust in a radically different environment than five years ago."
(2020-11-17). Scores of Israelis evicted from former settlement in West Bank. middleeasteye.net 
Scores of Israelis evicted from former settlement in West Bank | Around 20 families, including a Likud MP, ejected from Sa-Nur by the military 15 years after first being expelled | Tue, 11/17/2020 – 12: 14 | Israeli settlers inside a property in the former settlement of Sa-Nur north of the occupied West Bank (Twitter\@EladHumi) | Scores of Israeli settlers attempting to repopulate an illegal settlement near th…
(2020-11-17). Iraq hangs 21 men for terrorism at notorious Nasiriyah prison. middleeasteye.net 
Iraq hangs 21 men for terrorism at notorious Nasiriyah prison | The men had been convicted under a 2005 counterterrorism law but there were no details on their specific crimes | Tue, 11/17/2020 – 08: 29 | Iraq ranks fifth among countries that carry out death sentences, according to Amnesty International (Reuters) | Iraq executed 21 men convicted of terrorism on Monday at the notorious Nasi…
(2020-11-17). Our House: Why China's New South Asian Trade Deal is Making Washington Sweat. mintpressnews.com 
A 15-member South Asian trade agreement that includes China and Japan has put the West on notice that its influence in the region is waning and possibly done for.
(2020-11-17). Barack Obama's legacy in the Middle East: Six things we learned from 'A Promised Land'. middleeasteye.net 
Barack Obama's legacy in the Middle East: Six things we learned from 'A Promised Land' | In his latest memoir, the former president discusses being pressured by the Israel lobby, Bahrain's assault on the pro-democracy movement, and the vagaries of having 12 wives | Tue, 11/17/2020 – 16: 21 | Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak (R) and his US counterpart Barack Obama take part in a welcoming ceremon…
(2020-11-17). Covid in Lebanon: Minister's 'let women cook' in lockdown comment causes uproar. middleeasteye.net 
Covid in Lebanon: Minister's 'let women cook' in lockdown comment causes uproar | Interior Minister Mohammed Fahmi also said women 'too timid' to be prime minister, sparking widespread backlash | Tue, 11/17/2020 – 12: 51 | Mohammed Fahmi has come under fire for his comments (Reuters) | Social media users in Lebanon have organised a campaign challenging controversial comments made by caretaker Interior Minis…
(2020-11-17). Covid-19: Turkey to impose new measures to curb coronavirus surge. middleeasteye.net 
Covid-19: Turkey to impose new measures to curb coronavirus surge | All schools will remain closed until the year-end and there will be a curfew between 10am to 8pm on weekends, President Erdogan said | Tue, 11/17/2020 – 17: 23 | Erdogan said the government needs people to cooperate with these measures in order to curb the spread of the coronavirus (AFP/File photo) | Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said…
(2020-11-17). The 1857 rebellion in Colonial India. mronline.org 
The 1857 Rebellion against British rule in Colonial India hasn't always received the attention it deserves, despite being one of the most important uprisings of the 19th century. Pranav Jani argues it's high time we changed that.
(2020-11-17). The Heat: RCEP Trade Deal. america.cgtn.com 
An historic achievement – China and 14 other Asian countries sign a massive trade agreement. We'll discuss what it means for the region and the world.
(2020-11-17). Palestinian Authority to restore security, financial coordination with Israel. middleeasteye.net 
Palestinian Authority to restore security, financial coordination with Israel | Official says President Mahmoud Abbas is ready to restore ties with Israel, a move that could disrupt reconciliation talks with Hamas | Tue, 11/17/2020 – 19: 07 | Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas holds a placard with historical maps showing Palestinian land loss during video conference with Palestinian factions on 3 September (A…
(2020-11-17). Russia's Red Sea Base in Sudan Is a Recalibration of Its Intra-Ummah Balancing Act. globalresearch.ca Russia's draft deal to open up a Red Sea naval base in Sudan amounts to a strategic recalibration of its careful "balancing" act between the GCC and Turkey after moving more closely to the latter following the end of the …
(2020-11-17). Japan Militarizes and Worries Russia and China. asia-pacificresearch.com …
(2020-11-17). Video: Russia's Diplomatic Intervention and the Armenia-Azerbaijan War. Russia's Military Presence in Armenia. globalresearch.ca Results of the Nagorno-Karabakh war continue shaping the balance of power of the South Caucasus. The ceasefire regime established as a result of the Russian diplomatic intervention and the deployment of the Russian peacekeeping force in the region nears the …
(2020-11-17). Albania's Attempts to Refocus Kosovo War Crime Tribunal onto Serbia Will Not Work. globalresearch.ca Kosovo Albanians via their allies in Tirana are once again attempting to antagonize Serbia, this time through the Self-Determination Movements initiative. The Movement is trying to push through the Albanian Parliament a declaration condemning the so-called "Serbian genocide in Kosovo." …
(2020-11-17). Jammu and Kashmir: Implications for Regional and Global Peace. globalresearch.ca The current situation in India's illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJ&K) is not without current, tragic precedent. Bringing non-native Kashmiris into the territory, and since April, two million non-natives have been approved to do so, with the goal of eliminating …
(2020-11-17). Free Speech Is More Complicated Than You Think. popularresistance.org The truth is — words are dangerous. | Words are the catalysts of all action — good or evil. To start with a cliché but solid example: words inspired millions of Germans to direct their ire towards Jews, Romani, LGBTQ and other state-labeled "degenerates." Words inspired the Manson family to murder innocent people. Words inspired the murder of entire villages of Vietnamese, Afghan, and Iraqi civilians. Words convinced thousands of colonizers that this land was their land and that the native people were nothing but mere savages to be removed by force in the name of a pearly white Manifest Destiny.
(2020-11-17). Biden Says US and Its Allies Need To Counter Chinese Influence. telesurenglish.net Only days away after China signed a major trade deal in the Asia Pacific area that encompasses roughly one-third of the world's gross domestic product and population, making it the largest free-trade agreement ever signed, the U.S. President-elect reacted during a news conference in Wilmington, Delaware. | RELATED: | On Monday, Biden said the United States needed to negotiate with allies to set global trading rules to…
(2020-11-17). Will Biden Seek to De-escalate Tensions with China and Russia? globalresearch.ca A crucial advantage that China enjoys over its Western rivals, principally the United States, is the country's rebuffing of neoliberalism. Under its present leadership, Beijing's influence over corporations and private power has increased substantially. | By contrast to America, almost all …
(2020-11-17). Iran produces COVID-19 rapid antigen diagnostic test kits. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Nov. 18 (MNA) — The unveiling ceremony of the production line of COVID-19 rapid antigen diagnostic test kits was held in the presence of Iranian First Vice President at Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences on Tuesday.
(2020-11-17). Borders of Iran, Azerbaijan to be peaceful forever: Envoy. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Nov. 17 (MNA) — The Ambassador of Iran in Azerbaijan said that borders between Iran and Azerbaijan will always be peaceful due to historical and cultural similarities between the two countries.
(2020-11-17). Hungarian Faludi Intl Film Fest to host Iranian "Branded" en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Nov. 17 (MNA) — The short film "Branded" directed by an Iranian filmmaker is scheduled to vie at the Faludi International Film Festival in Hungary.
(2020-11-17). Iran among top 5 in COVID-19 rapid test kit production. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Nov. 17 (MNA) — Chairman of the Coronavirus Combat Headquarter said that Iran is among the top five countries in the world in the production of COVID-19 rapid detection kit.
(2020-11-17). RCEP Hops on the New Silk Roads. globalresearch.ca This article was originally published on Ho Chi Minh, in his eternal abode, will be savoring it with a heavenly smirk. Vietnam was the — virtual — host as the 10 Asean nations, plus China, Japan, …
(2020-11-17). Saudi Arabia: Nuclear Weapons to Confront Iran Is an Option. telesurenglish.net Saudi Arabia announces that it is considering as an "option" equipping itself with nuclear weapons to deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran. | "It is definitely an option. If Iran becomes a nuclear power, more countries will follow its example," said Saudi Arabia's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Adel al-Yubeir, in a recent interview with the German agency DPA. | RELATED: | Although Iran has repeatedly clarified tha…
(2020-11-17). New China-led trade bloc sets stage for further tensions with the US. wsws.org While relatively limited in scope, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership is a further blow to US ambitions for economic domination of the Asia-Pacific.
(2020-11-17). Protecting security of borders, Ground Force's main priority. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Nov. 17 (MNA) — Commander of the Iranian Army's Ground Forces said that protecting and preserving security of borders is an important priority of Iran's Army Ground Force.
(2020-11-17). Meeting of Coronavirus Combat Headquarters in Isfahan. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Nov. 17 (MNA) — The meeting of Coronavirus Combat and Prevention Headquarters was held in the presence of Iranian Health Minister Saeed Namaki at Isfahan University of Medical Sciences on Tuesday.
(2020-11-16). Watch: British diplomat in China DIVES INTO RIVER to save drowning girl. rt.com 
Stephen Ellison, British Consul General in the Chinese Chongqing municipality, has been hailed as a hero after being filmed jumping into a river and saving a woman from drowning. | The official Twitter channel for the British Embassy in Beijing tweeted on Monday the UK foreign affairs community was "immensely proud" of Ellison's Saturday act. | We are all immensely proud of our Chongqing Consul General, Stephen Ellison, who dived into a river on Saturday to rescue a drowning student and swim her to safety.
(2020-11-16). Indianapolis: Protesters take action as system lets another killer cop off the hook. liberationnews.org 
On Nov. 10, special prosecutor Rosemary Khoury announced that the grand jury she led to investigate the killing of Dreasjon Reed did not bring charges against killer cop Dejoure Mercer.
(2020-11-16). 'It's unrecognizable': Booming Crimea better off in Russia as Moscow pours in cash, says ally of Ukrainian President Zelensky. rt.com 
A Ukrainian lawmaker from President Volodymyr Zelensky's own ruling party has raised eyebrows in Kiev after arguing that her native Crimean Peninsula has changed for the better since returning to Moscow's control in 2014. | Elizaveta Bogutskaya, a member of the Ukrainian parliament for the governing 'Servant of the People', made the explosive claims as part of an interview with a TV news station. "A lot of people are satisfied and happy", she said of those living in the region, many of whom had been Ukrainian citizens before Crimea voted to join Russia in 2014. | "Compared to here on the mainland… people are…
(2020-11-16). This Regime Must Go NOW: Three Reasons. counterpunch.org 
The Trump campaign and White House are scheming to get the Republican-controlled state legislatures of Wisconsin, Michigan, Georgia, Arizona and Pennsylvania to declare invalid the mail-in ballots required by the pandemic Trump fueled and fanned across the nation. This would be the pretext for some or all those legislatures trying to install (over the protests of Democratic governors in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Michigan) un-elected slates of Trump electors to the Electoral College, claiming that Trump won the "legal" popular vote in their states. The murky legal and constitutional tangle that could result fro…
(2020-11-16). Thought police: Russian law enforcement seeks funding for development of $720 million 'virtual brain' to help catch criminals. rt.com 
It may sound like the stuff of science fiction, but Russia's Ministry of Internal Affairs has requested funding for a new project that would use so-called neural networks to help identify those involved in crimes. | The plans were presented at a strategic session chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko last week, with officials seeking more than 55 billion roubles (almost $720 million) to fund the scheme. | According to the project's roadmap, the artificial intelligence tool, which supposedly mimics the way the human brain operates, will be used to help search for repeat offenders. The ministry pr…
(2020-11-16). India's farewell to ASEAN as it boards RCEP train. mronline.org 
It comes in the specific context of the signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership [RCEP] on Sunday—the mega free trade agreement centred on the ASEAN plus China, Japan and South Korea.
(2020-11-16). "I Need That Pardon": Ronnie Long, Free After 44 Years, Demands Justice for His Wrongful Conviction. democracynow.org 
"It's a blessing within itself for me to even be sitting here right now," says Ronnie Long, free after 44 years behind bars for a crime he did not commit. Long, who is African American, was convicted in 1976 of raping a white woman by an all-white jury and sentenced to 80 years in prison. In 2015, his lawyers learned that investigators had withheld exculpatory evidence proving his innocence — including semen samples and fingerprints taken from the crime scene that did not match his own — and witnesses for the state committed perjury at his trial. It would take several more years and a ruling by the 4t…
(2020-11-16). Country reels from explosion in COVID cases. liberationnews.org 
The COVID-19 pandemic is continuing to spiral out of control across the country. The seven-day moving average of new Coronavirus cases has increased by 80 percent in the most recent two weeks, currently standing at 153,000.
(2020-11-16). There's Still No Evidence Hunter Biden's Emails Are 'Russian Disinformation'. scheerpost.com Wikimedia Commons] By Glenn Greenwald / Substack Congressman Adam Schiff, the Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee and, not coincidentally, the single most shameless pathological liar in the U.S. Congress by a good margin, appeared on CNN with Wolf Blitzer on October 16 to discuss The New York Post story about Hunter Biden's emails. The CNN host asked him a rhetorical question embedded… |
(2020-11-16). RCEP set to supercharge the New Silk Roads. thealtworld.com World's biggest free trade pact isn't about excluding the US or China's geopolitical ambitions but rather the natural evolution of Asian integration | Ho Chi Minh, in his eternal abode, will be savoring it with a heavenly smirk. Vietnam was the virtual host as the 10 ASEAN nations, plus China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand, signed the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, or RCEP, on the final day of the 37th ASEAN Summit. | RCEP, eight years in the making, binds together 30% of the global economy and 2.2 billion people. It's the first auspicious landmark of the Raging Twenties, which start…
(2020-11-16). Syria Mourns Death of Foreign Minister, Deputy PM Walid Muallem. telesurenglish.net According to the Syrian news agency SANA, Muallem died at dawn on Monday and was laid to rest later on Monday in Damascus. | Although no details were provided for the cause of death, Muallem has been suffering from a heart condition for years. | According to sources close to Damascus's government, Faisal Mekdad is expected to be named Syria's new Foreign Minister. | RELATED: | The veteran diplomat has held severa…
(2020-11-16). Lavrov Offers Condolences to Damascus Over Death of Foreign Minister Walid Muallem. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov extended his condolences to Damascus on Monday over the death of Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem.
(2020-11-16). This week in history: November 16-22. wsws.org 25 years ago: Peres succeeds Rabin as Israeli prime ministerOn November 22, 1995, Shimon Peres officially succeeded Yitzhak Rabin as Israeli prime minister, 18 days after Rabin was assassinated by a religious Zionist fanatic. Peres's major political moves upon taking office—an appeal for new peace talks with Syrian President Hafez al-Assad and the appointment of several new cabinet ministers—demonstrated an acute awareness of the depth and explosive potential of the social and political crisis of the Zionist state.
(2020-11-16). Social Media as a Weapon. thealtworld.com One strongpoint of these US-funded anti-government protests here in Thailand is their social media game. | They claim it's is because it's a "youth movement" and they are simply better at using technology than the so-called "old" establishment. But this isn't true. The US-funded anti-government protests are so successful on social media because the US-based social media networks they are using have tilted the entire game in their favor. | References:…
(2020-11-16). Francisco Sagasti Elected New Interim President of Peru. telesurenglish.net The Peruvian Congress on Monday elected Francisco Sagasti as the new leader of its Board of Directors, which at the same time makes him the new successor to the former president, Manuel Merino, at the head of the country's presidency. | RELATED: | Along with Sagasti are Congresswoman for the Frente Amplio, Mirtha Vásquez, for Acción Popular, Luis Roel, and for Somos Perú, Matilde Fernández, in the first, second a…