2020-11-21: News Headlines

Anya Parampil (2020-11-21). Biggest trade deal in history excludes United States. thegrayzone.com Red Lines host Anya Parampil speaks with Beijing-based journalist Ian Goodrum about the recent signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership in Asia. The agreement includes countries representing one-third of the global GDP and population, yet excludes the United States. They discuss the implications the deal will have for the world economy.

Mehr News Agency (2020-11-21). West held humanitarian topics of Syria hostage: Khaji. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Nov. 21 (MNA) — The senior assistant to the Iranian foreign minister in special political affairs said that Western countries have held the humanitarian topics of Syria hostage to their political objectives.

_____ (2020-11-21). Shocking New Figures Show How Much US Is Fueling Violence In Yemen. popularresistance.org Despite presenting itself as a force for good and peace in the Middle East, the United States sells at least five times as much weaponry to Saudi Arabia than aid it donates to Yemen. The State Department constantly portrays itself as a humanitarian superpower with the welfare of the Yemeni people as its highest priority, yet figures released from the United Nations and the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) show that since the war in Yemen began, the U.S. government has given $2.56 billion in aid to the country, but sold over $13 billion in high-tech weapons to Saudi Arabia, the leader of th…

_____ (2020-11-21). Ten Foreign Policy Fiascos Biden Can Fix On Day One. popularresistance.org Donald Trump loves executive orders as a tool of dictatorial power, avoiding the need to work through Congress. But that works both ways, making it relatively easy for President Biden to reverse many of Trump's most disastrous decisions. Here are ten things Biden can do as soon as he takes office. Each one can set the stage for broader progressive foreign policy initiatives, which we have also outlined. | 1)End the U.S. role in the Saudi-led war on Yemen and restore U.S. humanitarian aid to Yemen.

Gareth Porter (2020-11-21). FBI and DOJ prepared takedown of "Iranian" American Herald Tribune website with years of legal chicanery. thegrayzone.com The new powers claimed by the FBI to seize "Iranian" outlets could have serious implications for the basic American freedom to publish and access news and opinion The US Department of Justice announced on October DATE it had seized the web domain of the American Herald Tribune (AHT), an alternative media outlet that published editorials criticizing US foreign policy. As The Grayzone reported, AHT published articles primarily written by Americans under their own names, often as original content. 128 other …

Binoy Kampmark (2020-11-21). The Yemen Civil War Arms Bonanza. dissidentvoice.org "Making billions from arms exports which fuel the conflict while providing a small fraction of that in aid to Yemen is both immoral and incoherent." So thundered Oxfam's Yemen Country Director, Muhsin Siddiquey after consulting figures from the Stockholm Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) showing that members of the G20 have exported over $17 billion worth …

Mehr News Agency (2020-11-21). Reduced dependency on oil achievement of resistance economy. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Nov. 21 (MNA) — Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that continued decline in oil dependency is the salient and great achievement of the resistance economy in the current government dubbed "Hope and Prudence".

Mehr News Agency (2020-11-21). Zarif congratulates Atmar on keeping his position as FM. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Nov. 21 (MNA) — Iranian FM Zarif congratulated his Afghan counterpart Atmar on keeping his position as Minister of Foreign Affairs after receiving votes of confidence on Saturday.

Matthew J.L. Ehret (2020-11-21). John F. Kennedy and America's Lost Patriotic Heritage. dissidentvoice.org Man holds in his mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty and all forms of human life. And yet the same revolutionary beliefs for which our forebears fought are still at issue around the globe…. — President Kennedy, 1961 Inaugural Address Where China and Russia are currently leading a new paradigm …

Mehr News Agency (2020-11-21). Zarif's trip to Russia, Azerbaijan postponed. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Nov. 21 (MNA) — Foreign Ministry spokesman announced on Sat. Iranian FM Zarif's trip to Russia, Azerbaijan has been postponed.

Yves Engler (2020-11-21). Double Standard Blatant on Israel and China "Foreign Influence" in Canada. dissidentvoice.org Foreign influence in Canada is bad if it comes from China, but not even worth mentioning if it comes from Israel. That seems to be the position of the Globe and Mail. Canada's 'paper of record' is so gripped with anti-Chinese fervor that it is blind to a blatant double standard. Contrasting the Globe and …

Jonathan Cook (2020-11-21). Netanyahu Seeks to Smash the Joint List and Cement Permanent Rule by Israel's Far-Right. dissidentvoice.org Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is only weeks away from the scheduled start of his long-awaited corruption trial — the endgame in a series of investigations that have been looming over him for years. As a result, he has been taking extraordinary measures to save his political skin. One of the most surprising is his …

Subodh Varma (2020-11-21). India gears up for historic workers' & farmers' joint protest on Nov 26-27. peoplesdispatch.org These are the latest in a wave of protests against the refusal to increase wages, increasing contractualization of workforce, dilution and dismantling of protective labor laws, price rise and unemployment, and other such policies of the Modi govt.

Mehr News Agency (2020-11-21). US responsible for attack on Iran embassy in Kabul. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Nov. 21 (MNA) — Stating that the US is responsible for the terrorist attack on Iran's embassy in Kabul, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman said the attack is an example of proxy war and the actions of US terrorist allies in Afghanistan.

Mehr News Agency (2020-11-21). Tehran to host "5th IRAN REC" on Dec. 16. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Nov. 21 (MNA) — The 5th Iran Renewable Energy Conference and Exhibition (IRAN REC) and 2nd National Renewable Energy Award will be held in Tehran on Dec. 16 through online.

Megan Tatum (2020-11-21). [World Report] China's fertility treatment boom. thelancet.com The end of the one-child policy and social shifts have increased demand for fertility treatments. Many patients are turning to medical tourism. Megan Tatum reports.

The Lancet (2020-11-21). [Editorial] COVID-19 vaccines: no time for complacency. thelancet.com "Yes. Yes. Yes." That was the response of John Bell, Regius Professor of Medicine at the University of Oxford, when asked whether we could be confident that life will be returning to normal by spring. He was being interviewed by the BBC shortly after the announcement last week by Pfizer and BioNTech that their COVID-19 vaccine candidate had 90% efficacy in clinical trials. Similar announcements about the Russian Sputnik V and Moderna vaccines followed soon after. The prospect of preventing illness and death, and avoiding the harm and misery of extended restrictions, is a cause for optimism.

Mehr News Agency (2020-11-21). Not prudent to mix up JCPOA dossier with missile program. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Nov. 21 (MNA) – Russia's Permanent Rep. to Intl. Organizations in Vienna noted that It is not prudent to mix up the nuclear dossier and other issues including the missile program.

Dean Baker (2020-11-21). How Many Lives Would Have Been Saved if We Had Collaborated on Vaccines With China? cepr.net We know that Republican office holders are not allowed to say that Joe Biden won the election. Apparently there is a similar ban in place for news outlets when it comes to the question of the United States collaborating with China, and other countries, in developing vaccines against the pandemic. In recent days, there have …

Al-Thawra (2020-11-21). Poverty in Iraq's Basra rises to record 40%. indybay.org The Office of the High Commission for Human Rights (OHCHR) has warned that the Iraqi city and governorate of Basra is suffering from an increasingly high poverty rate, with almost 40 per cent of residents now living below the poverty line.

Anthony Cartalucci (2020-11-21). iLaw's US-Funded Charter Proposal REJECTED. thealtworld.com Funded by the US government via the notorious National Endowment for Democracy (NED) — iLaw set about petitioning the Thai government to have the nation's entire constitution rewritten and rewritten in such a way as to make it easier for US-backed opposition parties to get into power. | The Thai parliament flatly rejected the proposal in part because of growing public awareness of iLaw's foreign funding and the massive conflict of interest this represents — not to mention the assault on Thailand's political independence it constitutes. | Hopefully this is the first step toward Thailand reviewing its…

_____ (2020-11-20). The AMA Officially Recognized Racism As A Public-Health Threat. popularresistance.org The American Medical Association has officially defined racism as a public health threat that has created substantial health inequality. | Racism, both systemic and structural, has historically perpetuated health inequality and cut short the lives of many Black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) in the US and around the world. | Over the last year, a number of county and state authorities have also labelled racism a public health threat. | Among them are county councils in San Bernardino, California, and Montgomery, Maryland, as well as authorities in Michigan, Nevada, Cleveland, Denver, and Indianapolis.

Ramzy Baroud (2020-11-20). As Israel Destroys EU Projects in Palestine, European Foreign Policy Remains Impotent. dissidentvoice.org Belgium is furious. On November 6, the Belgian government condemned Israel's destruction of Belgian-funded homes in the Occupied Palestinian West Bank. Understandably, Brussels wants the Israeli government to pay compensation for the unwarranted destruction. The Israeli response was swift: a resounding 'no'. The diplomatic row is likely to fizzle out soon; neither will Israel cease …

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2020-11-20). 'Looks Like the Crazy Lady Has Logged On': Rep. Ilhan Omar Welcomes QAnon Conspiracy Theorist Marjorie Taylor Greene to Congress. commondreams.org The incoming congresswoman attacked Omar for sparring with GOP Sen. Kelly Loeffler, who faces a runoff election in Georgia this January. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/cd_omar_file_photo_0.png

Shatha Hammad (2020-11-20). Palestinians with disabilities battling PA for vital healthcare. middleeasteye.net Palestinians with disabilities battling PA for vital healthcare | Covid-19 has exposed a deeply flawed health insurance system that lets disabled Palestinians down badly | Fri, 11/20/2020 – 16: 17 | Disability rights activists including Abdelrahman Awwad (C) and Shatha Abu Srour (R) have staged a sit-in for nearly three weeks in Ramallah. The banner reads: "We die of coronavirus and we die of medic…

_____ (2020-11-20). Jewish-Led Groups Condemn Pompeo For Declaring Boycott-Divestment Movement Anti-Semitic. popularresistance.org Jewish peace activists led a wave of stinging rebuke of U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Thursday after he declared the peaceful Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement for Palestinian human rights "anti-Semitic" while visiting an illegal Israeli settler colony built on stolen West Bank land. | Pompeo became the first top U.S. diplomat to visit an Israeli settlement in the unlawfully occupied West Bank of Palestine as he lunched at a winery in Psagot, located on a hill formerly known as Jabel Tawil until Israeli forces conquered it in 1967.

Editor (2020-11-20). How to End the War in Afghanistan (Video). scheerpost.com The U.S. war on Afghanistan is in its 19th year. Enough is enough! Ann Wright is the moderator. Panelists are Kathy Kelly, Matthew Hoh, Rory Fanning, Danny Sjursen, and Arash Azizzada. Ann Wright is a retired Army Colonel who became a US diplomat for 16 years in US Embassies in Grenada, Nicaragua, Somalia, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, …

Alan Macleod (2020-11-20). Shocking New Figures Show How Just Much the US is Fueling the Violence in Yemen. mintpressnews.com New figures from the UN and the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute show that since the war in Yemen began, the US has sold over $13 billion in high-tech weapons to Saudi Arabia, making the Kingdom a cash cow for US weapons makers.

Patricia Gorky (2020-11-20). Georgia emerges as central target of far right mobilization. liberationnews.org Tensions in Georgia, a state playing a key role in the outcome of the 2020 election, are rising. Far right groups continue to mobilize around the unfounded claims of widespread election fraud in the state.

Staff (2020-11-20). K-9 attacks: The new (old) face of police brutality. therealnews.com Indiana mother Jennifer Fleming speaks out about the brutal and excessive police dog attack on her 19-year-old daughter, and calls for police to rethink how these animals and their handlers are trained.

Mohammad Ayesh (2020-11-20). Arabic press review: Third of Jordanian children suffer from anaemia. middleeasteye.net Arabic press review: Third of Jordanian children suffer from anaemia | Jordanian health official warns of health crisis in the kingdom, while the UAE institute visa restrictions for Tunisians | Fri, 11/20/2020 – 11: 33 | Yemeni Aymen, who is suffering from a congenital spinal malformation, receives treatment at a private hospital in the Jordanian capital Amman (AFP) | Third of Jordan's child…

MEE staff (2020-11-20). Turkey's Erdogan and Saudi king agree to solve issues through dialogue. middleeasteye.net Turkey's Erdogan and Saudi king agree to solve issues through dialogue | In phone call, two leaders agree to keep channels of communication open to improve bilateral ties and overcome issues | Fri, 11/20/2020 – 22: 30 | Ankara and Riyadh have been at odds for years over foreign policy and attitudes towards Islamist political groups (AFP/File photo) | Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Saudi Arabia's Ki…

Derek Ford (2020-11-20). Indianapolis movement defeats ruling-class attack on the poor. liberationnews.org Yet the struggle is far from over.

Sheren Khalel (2020-11-20). Campaigns to boycott Saudi Arabia G20 summit gain momentum. middleeasteye.net Campaigns to boycott Saudi Arabia G20 summit gain momentum | From hashtags to petitions, damning statements and full-page newspaper ads, human rights groups demand kingdom be held accountable | Fri, 11/20/2020 – 17: 12 | G20 logo is projected at historical al-Tarif in Diriyah district on outskirts of Saudi capital, Riyadh, on 20 November (AFP) | Human rights groups and activists have intensified ca…

MEE staff (2020-11-20). UN experts warn 50 people face possible executions in Iraq after unfair trials. middleeasteye.net UN experts warn 50 people face possible executions in Iraq after unfair trials | After 21 executions this week, UN experts urge Baghdad to halt mass capital punishment | Fri, 11/20/2020 – 22: 08 | Statement by UN experts notes there are currently about 4,000 prisoners slated for execution (AFP/File photo) | UN human rights experts have said 50 Iraqi prisoners face possible execution next week following convict…

Deirdre Griswold (2020-11-20). Capitalists profit off pandemic. workers.org Many countries around the world have successfully contained the coronavirus. Most notable is China, the most populous nation and the place where the virus first appeared. As of Nov. 15, China reported a total of 4,634 deaths from COVID-19 and only 13 new cases. (worldometers.info/coronavirus) Here in the United States, . . . |

C.J. Atkins (2020-11-20). Is there life after coronavirus? China proved pandemic can be controlled. peoplesworld.org TORONTO—Nine months ago, in early February, People's World interviewed Lupin, a 26-year-old man from Wuhan, China. At the time, his hometown was the epicenter of what scientists were still calling the "novel coronavirus," a pneumonia-like illness which soon sparked a pandemic that engulfed the entire world. Lupin was working overseas in Canada but had returned …

Raul Diego (2020-11-20). Predictive Programming? Israeli Publishers Have Been Writing About a COVID-Like Pandemic for Years. mintpressnews.com The general public's willing acceptance of the draconian restrictions placed on mobility and freedom of assembly due to the coronavirus was "predicted" in fictional novels and other artistic creations over the last few decades. Is it a matter of life imitating art or something more sinister?

MEE and agencies (2020-11-20). Macron accuses Turkey of stoking anti-France sentiment in Africa. middleeasteye.net Macron accuses Turkey of stoking anti-France sentiment in Africa | Tensions have risen between Paris and Ankara over the French president's defence of caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad | Fri, 11/20/2020 – 13: 57 | Macron at a press conference at the G5 Sahel summit on 30 June 2020 in the Mauritanian capital Nouakchott (AFP) | French President Emmanuel Macron accused Turkey on Friday of p…

WSWS (2020-11-20). War crimes report: Australian special forces murdered 39 Afghans. wsws.org The report whitewashes successive governments and the military command, but the killings it documents underscore the utter criminality of the 19-year occupation of Afghanistan.

Stephen Lendman (2020-11-20). Possible US Strike on Iran? globalresearch.ca Since Iran ended a generation of US/UK-installed fascist tyranny in 1979, both wings of US duopoly rule waged dirty war on the country and its people by other means. | They stopped short of attacking Iranian territory militarily. | Will US hardliners …

_____ (2020-11-20). Trump Plans Series Of Actions Against China Before Biden Inauguration. popularresistance.org The Trump administration is planning a series of hardline actions against China with the aim of making it politically untenable for a Biden administration to reverse the moves, administration officials told Axios. | According to the officials, the administration plans to sanction or restrict trade with Chinese companies, officials, and government entities. The actions will be related to alleged human rights abuses in Xinjiang and Hong Kong, so-called threats to US national security, and China's fishing industry.

WSWS (2020-11-20). Pompeo escalates Iran war threats in trip to Israel. wsws.org The US Secretary of State arrived in the wake of Israeli air strikes against Iranian forces in Syria, and announced yet another round of sanctions against Tehran.

news.un (2020-11-20). 'Act urgently' to stave off catastrophic famine in Yemen: Guterres. news.un.org Yemen is in "imminent danger of the worst famine the world has seen for decades", the UN chief warned in a statement released on Friday, calling for urgent action on the part of the international community to "stave off catastrophe".

Gary M. Kramer (2020-11-20). "Collective" is an urgent exposé of killer corruption & how journalism and the people fought back. salon.com Salon spoke to the filmmaker about the investigation into the lies that cost lives & sparked protests in Romania…

Yuri Martins Fontes (2020-11-20). Golpe colorido na Bielorrússia : a planificaàßà£o social de Lukashenko. globalresearch.ca Nestes primeiros vinte anos do século, presenciamos um surpreendente avanàßo tecnológico em setores como informática, telecomunicaàßàµes, indústria militar e também na tecnologia dos golpes de estado. Nà£o só os aparelhos telefà¥nicos e computadores sà£o hoje mais potentes e discretos, mas …

Kenny Stancil, staff writer (2020-11-20). 'Utterly Inexcusable': Sen. Perdue of Georgia Profited From Defense Contractor's Stock While Overseeing Naval Spending. commondreams.org "He is blatantly exploiting his office to line his own pockets," said Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Jon Ossoff. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/perdue_ga.jpg

WSWS (2020-11-20). Toyota workers in India continue strike, defy state back-to-work order. wsws.org Behind the state government's strikebreaking order is the broader aim of the ruling class to make India a cheap-labor alternative to China.

WSWS (2020-11-20). Palestinian Authority restores "cooperation" with Israel as Pompeo visits West Bank. wsws.org The US Secretary of State became the first top US official to visit an illegal settlement in the occupied West Bank, while also touring the occupied Golan Heights.

Timothy Pratt (2020-11-20). Why Georgia's Unscientific Recount 'Horrified' Experts. thenation.com Why Georgia's Unscientific Recount 'Horrified' Experts…