Daily Archives: October 24, 2020

2020-10-24: News Headlines

MEE and agencies (2020-10-24). Israel-Sudan normalisation: How the world reacted. middleeasteye.net Israel-Sudan normalisation: How the world reacted | While Palestinians categorically reject the deal, US allies welcome it as a boost to stability in the Middle East | Sat, 10/24/2020 – 11: 23 | Sudan, technically at war with Israel since 1948, has become the fifth Arab country to forge diplomatic relations with Tel Aviv (AFP) | US President Donald Trump said on Friday that Sudan has agree…

Shatha Hammad (2020-10-24). Palestine Cinema Days film festival kicks off despite cash, pandemic challenges. middleeasteye.net Palestine Cinema Days film festival kicks off despite cash, pandemic challenges | Social distancing, international funding curbs on Palestinian cultural institutions fail to deter event's seventh edition | Sat, 10/24/2020 – 10: 23 | Seats sealed off in line with strict Covid-19 social-distancing measures at the Ramallah Cultural Palace on 20 October (MEE/Shatha Hammad) | In the main hall of the Ram…

Peoples Dispatch (2020-10-24). Hopes rise of extension of New START arms control treaty as Russia offers to freeze arsenal. mronline.org Russia on Tuesday offered to freeze its current arsenal, and proposed an extension of the treaty by one year. The treaty signed in 2010 capped the number of nuclear warheads by the two countries and its deployment.

The Canary (2020-10-24). Police 'threatened' parents of a murdered woman with £6,000 legal bill. thecanary.co A police force "threatened" an elderly couple with a £6,000 legal bill as they sought answers over their daughter's murder, their lawyer has claimed.Fighting for justice: Peter and Elizabeth Skelton have spent almost a decade fighting for justice after their daughter Susan Nicholson was killed in 2011. Initially, Sussex Police ignored their pleas for her death to be investigated. They insisted the circumstances were not suspicious, and an initial inquest found her death was accidental.Susan Nicholson was murdered by her boyfriend in 2011 (Family handout/PA)The West Sussex couple, who are in their eig…

RT (2020-10-24). 'Many are inappropriate': UFC starlet Liana Jojua says she receives CRAZY messages from fans as she prepares for battle at UFC 254. rt.com When Liana Jojua steps into the octagon on UFC Fight Island, she'll have an army of fans cheering her on, but the Georgian starlet admits that some of her supporters take things a little too far on social media. | The 25-year-old flyweight will take on newcomer Miranda Maverick in the second fight of the event at UFC 254 in Abu Dhabi, and she is hopeful of claiming her second victory in the UFC. | Jojua lost her octagon debut to Sarah Moras at UFC 242 in Abu Dhabi last year, but bounced back in her most recent fight in the UFC, defeating Diana Belbita via first-round armbar on Fight Island in July. | Now the f…

Vanessa Beeley (2020-10-24). BBC's upcoming White Helmets 'documentary' gears up to be a character assassination of those who challenge Syria war narratives. thealtworld.com The BBC is preparing an attack against journalists, former diplomats, academics and scientists who challenge the dominant …

Mohammed Amin (2020-10-24). Israel normalisation deal finds fury and favour in Sudan. middleeasteye.net Israel normalisation deal finds fury and favour in Sudan | Critics say US-backed deal 'humiliating', 'shameful' for Sudan; supporters welcome country's return to international fold | Sat, 10/24/2020 – 11: 14 | Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) and Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok. Sudan normalised relations with Israel on Friday (AFP) | Sudan on Friday become the third Arab countr…

_____ (2020-10-24). Israel Lobby Spreads More Lies About Palestine Groups At NYU. popularresistance.org New York University has agreed to settle with the US Department of Education over allegations that the university had not appropriately responded to claims of anti-Semitism. | Two attorneys filed the complaint last year on behalf of a student who alleged that she faced "two years of extreme anti-Semitism on the NYU campus which has created an intolerable and unlawful hostile atmosphere for Jewish students." | Echoing previous attempts by Israel advocates to silence Palestinian rights activists on campuses, the complaint accused Students for Justice in Palestine of creating the "hostile" climate due to the group's…

yenisafak (2020-10-24). Indonesia maintains both support for Palestine, ties with UAE. yenisafak.com An Indonesian expert on international relations has said despite its close relationship with the UAE, Indonesia, should not let this affect its unwavering support for Palestinian independence from Israeli occupation.Earlier this week, the UAE government inaugurated a street in the capital Jakarta dedicated to Indonesian President Joko Widodo as a symbol of bilateral ties between the two countries.Ramdhan Muhaimin, a lecturer at the Al-Azhar University in Jakarta, urged Indonesia to keep supporting the Palestinian cause, though several Arab countries, including UAE, have agreed to normalize relations with Israel."

Joe Glenton (2020-10-24). Here's why the Overseas Operations Bill is pretty much an establishment stitch-up. thecanary.co A top military lawyer has warned that the Tory war crimes immunity bill is not what it seems. On closer inspection, it looks more like a Ministry of Defence (MOD) cash-saving exercise. One that could rob wounded and sick soldiers of their right to compensation. | The criticism comes after new figures revealed that claims by military personnel against the military vastly exceed allegations of abuse from people in Iraq and Afghanistan. | On 18 October, shadow defence minister John Healey

_____ (2020-10-24). Our Fight For Quitobaquito. popularresistance.org Border wall construction is destroying the Sonoran Desert's most sacred spring. | Growing up as a Tohono O'odham woman on my ancestral homelands taught me one thing above all: Take care of the land and the land will take care of you. | When the federal government ramped up border-wall construction in Arizona, I knew I had to fight for my homelands, which are split in half by the U.S-Mexico border. I knew that meant activating my community, facing construction workers and opposing the U.S. Border Patrol and its long history of brutalizing O'odham tribal members.

Grant Smith (2020-10-24). Thursday 10/29: Censorship, Entanglement & Corruption: The Israel Lobby 2021 Agenda. indybay.org Webinar with participation through Zoom and YouTube. 9AM California time, Noon EDT.

Lynda Carson (2020-10-24). Oakland's new Encampment Management Policy (EMP) threatens the unhoused. indybay.org Black, Asian, & Latino Adults Have The Most Trouble Paying The Rent During The Coronavirus Covid-19 Pandemic:…

L Nelson Sanchez-Pinto, Sebastián González-Dambrauskas, Roberto Jabornisky, Kuban Naidoo, Luregn J Schlapbach, Niranjan Kissoon (2020-10-24). [Correspondence] Sepsis hysteria? Not for children. thelancet.com Mervyn Singer and colleagues assert that sepsis is an overhyped problem that mostly affects individuals who are "older, frail, and at the end of life".1 This message is misleading and problematic for children worldwide.

Suwasin Udomkarnjananun, Pongpratch Puapatanakul, Kearkiat Praditpornsilpa (2020-10-24). [Clinical Picture] Relapsing polychondritis associated with pauci-immune crescentic glomerulonephritis. thelancet.com A 37-year-old woman presented with a 3-year history of episodic pain, swelling, and redness of her left ear. She said the problem had re-occurred three to four times each year and had either resolved spontaneously or after she took non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) which she had bought over the counter. She also reported infrequent episodes of redness of her eyes.

Zhanlian Feng, Elena Glinskaya, Hongtu Chen, Sen Gong, Yue Qiu, Jianming Xu, Winnie Yip (2020-10-24). [Review] Long-term care system for older adults in China: policy landscape, challenges, and future prospects. thelancet.com In China, the population is rapidly ageing and the capacity of the system that cares for older people is increasingly a concern. In this Review, we provide a profile of the long-term care system and policy landscape in China. The long-term care system is characterised by rapid growth of the residential care sector, slow development of home and community-based services, and increasing involvement of the private sector. The long-term care workforce shortage and weak quality assurance are concerning.

Mehr News Agency (2020-10-24). Iran emphasizes political settlement for Libya's crisis. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 24 (MNA) — Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman noted that the crisis in Libya must be resolved through a political settlement.

Mehr News Agency (2020-10-24). Rouhani felicitates Bolivian counterpart on election win. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 24 (MNA) — Congratulating the new Bolivian President on his election, President Rouhani expressed Iran's readiness to revive bilateral relations and expand cooperation with the Bolivian government in all fields.

Mehr News Agency (2020-10-24). World has to reject unilateralism, coercion: FM. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 24 (MNA) — On the occasion of the establishment anniversary of the United Nations, the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that UN Day is a reminder that the world has to reject unilateralism and coercion.

Mehr News Agency (2020-10-24). Harvesting Roselle flowers in Khuzestan. en.mehrnews.com AHVAZ, Oct. 24 (MNA) — The farmers in Karun County, southwestern Iranian province of Khuzestan, are harvesting Roselle flowers which are mainly used for producing Hibiscus tea.

Mehr News Agency (2020-10-24). Iranian short animation 'Malakout' vies at SIN Film Festival. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 24 (MNA) — Iranian short animated film 'Malakout' (Divinity), directed by Farnoosh Abedi, has been nominated for Best Director and Best Film at the SIN Film Festival.

Mehr News Agency (2020-10-24). VIDEO: Blast leaves 13 dead in Afghanistan. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 24 (MNA) — A spokesman for the Afghan Interior Ministry said 13 people have been killed and 30 others injured due to a suicide bombing in the country.

Mehr News Agency (2020-10-24). Any change in border geopolitics, 'Iran's red line': Cmdr. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 24 (MNA) — The commander of IRGC Ground Force said that any change in border geopolitics of the country is Iran's red line, referring to the recent dispute erupted between Azerbaijan and Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Mehr News Agency (2020-10-24). Iran not interested in interfering in US election: GC spox. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 24 (MNA) — Spokesman of the Guardian Council said that Islamic Republic of Iran is not interested in interfering in the US election, stating that US election in an internal issue.

Mehr News Agency (2020-10-24). Iran photo artist wins top Award at Siena Intl Photo Award. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 24 (MNA) — An Iranian photographer won an award for "creative photography" | in the "attractive faces and personalities" section of the Siena International Photo Awards.

yenisafak (2020-10-24). Massive blast rocks Afghanistan's capital. yenisafak.com Multiple casualties are feared as a huge explosion rocked Afghanistan's capital Kabul on Saturday evening.The explosion occurred in the Dasht-e-Barchi neighborhood of the capital, an area largely inhabited by the Shia Hazara minority.Eyewitnesses told Anadolu Agency the blast took place inside a private academic institute named Kawsar-e-Danish.The Interior Ministry confirmed the blast and said details will be shared after initial investigations.

yenisafak (2020-10-24). Arab trade groups boycott French products over insults. yenisafak.com Several Arab trade groups have announced their boycott of French products in response to incitements against the Islamic religion and insulting statements against Prophet Muhammad.Arab activists also launched several social media campaigns for the boycott of all French products, using several hashtags as (#boycottfrance #boycott_French_products #ProphetMuhammad).In Kuwait, the Alnaeem Cooperative Society, a large series of supermarkets in the Gulf state, said it will remove all French products from the shelves in protest of the French insulting statements against Islam and the prophet.A similar move was taken by…

yenisafak (2020-10-24). UAE, Bahrain hail normalization of Sudan-Israel ties. yenisafak.com In a statement, the UAE Foreign Ministry described the announcement as "an important step toward enhancing security and prosperity in the region". | It said the move to normalize the Sudanese-Israeli relations "would expand the scope of economic, commercial, scientific and diplomatic cooperation". | The Bahraini Foreign Ministry, meanwhile, described the announcement as "an additional historical step on the path for achieving peace, stability and prosperity in the Middle East region". | It went on to hail US efforts for facilitating the normalization of the Sudanese-Israeli relations. | On Friday, Sudan's acti…

Caitlin Johnstone (2020-10-23). No Matter Who Wins, The War Machine Wins. thealtworld.com The US government is pushing This is exhausting. Do I really need to type this bullshit out? | Fine. Okay. Here we go again: | At a press conference with Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe and FBI Director Christopher Wray it was announced that Iran and Russia have separately obtained some voter registration information, and that Iran has been using its information to send bizarr…

Aaron Maté (2020-10-23). Blaming Moscow for Hunter Biden's laptop is Russiagate disinformation. thegrayzone.com Former intelligence officials, Democratic leaders, and media outlets dismissing the Hunter Biden story as "Russian disinformation" are spreading more Russiagate disinformation, ex-CIA officer Ray McGovern says. Media outlets are amplifying the claims of former intelligence officials, including John Brennan and James Clapper, as well as of top Democrats, including Joe Biden and Adam Schiff, that the Hunter Biden laptop revelations are "Russian disinformation." They have done so even though no one from the Biden camp has disputed the authenticity of …

Andrea Germanos, staff writer (2020-10-23). Greenpeace Warns 'Potential Damage to Human DNA' at Risk With Japan's Plan to Dump Fukushima Water Into Ocean. commondreams.org "The policy of the Japanese government to dump nuclear waste into the Pacific Ocean is not based on scientific or environmental protection principles and has no justification." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/grenpeace-carbon-14-fukushima.jpg

WSWS (2020-10-23). Ten years since WikiLeaks and Julian Assange published the Iraq War Logs. wsws.org The publication was an imperishable contribution to the fight against imperialist militarism, for which the war criminals and their political representatives have never forgiven Assange.

Staff (2020-10-23). Headlines for October 23, 2020. democracynow.org Donald Trump and Joe Biden Meet for Final Debate of 2020 Campaign, U.S. Confirms Over 71,000 Daily Coronavirus Cases as Some Hospitals Near Capacity, FDA Approves Remdesivir for COVID-19 Despite WHO Study Showing No Benefit, France Extends Curfew and Czech Republic Locks Down as COVID-19 Surges Across Europe, India's BJP Party Promises Free COVID-19 Vaccines But Only If It Wins Regional Election, Senate Democrats Boycott as Judiciary Committee Advances Amy Coney Barrett's Confirmation, Rocky Mountain National Park Closes as Colorado Experiences Two Largest Wildfires on Record, Asylum Seekers Say ICE Agents Tortur…

Adam Khalil (2020-10-23). Egypt vents anger as Turkey takes centre stage in reconciliation of Palestinian factions. middleeasteye.net Egypt vents anger as Turkey takes centre stage in reconciliation of Palestinian factions | Cairo considers the success of talks held in Istanbul as a violation of its historical role in the Palestinian cause | Fri, 10/23/2020 – 12: 10 | Following the talks in Istanbul, Fatah and Hamas agreed to present a joint vision on legislative and presidential elections to be held in the West Bank, Gaza and Jerusale…

Ahmad Salah (2020-10-23). Syrian Refugees Have Become a Tool of Duplicitous Politics. globalresearch.ca Since the beginning of the conflict in Syria the issue of Syrian refugees and internally displace has been the subject of countless articles and reports with international humanitarian organizations and countries involved in the Syrian conflict shifting responsibility for the …

Judy Greenspan (2020-10-23). Film review — "Belly of the Beast": Sterilizations inside the world's largest women's prison. workers.org With the world spotlight currently on the forced sterilizations of migrant women inside the ICE detention center in Georgia, the release of the documentary "Belly of the Beast" is timely. The film, by Erica Cohn, exposes the inhumane and illegal practice of sterilizations inside the Central California Women's Facility, the . . . |

_____ (2020-10-23). U.S. Spends More Than $80 Billion a Year Incarcerating 2.3 Million People. strategic-culture.org Laura FLANDERS | The U.S. today spends more than $80 billion a year incarcerating 2.3 million people in state and federal prisons, local jails, youth facilities and deportation centers. That's $80 billion that comes out of public coffers and goes into public confinement. | With the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, many were shocked to see woman, children and migrants — including many pre-trial and pre-hearing — who had never been convicted of anything crammed into overcrowded lock-ups that might as well have been petri dishes for community spread of the disease. | By the middle of October, close to 150…

MEE staff (2020-10-23). MBS said he would be killed by his 'own people' if Riyadh normalised ties with Israel: Report. middleeasteye.net MBS said he would be killed by his 'own people' if Riyadh normalised ties with Israel: Report | Billionaire Haim Saban claims crown prince made remarks after UAE and Bahrain's deals with Israel, Haaretz reports | Fri, 10/23/2020 – 18: 16 | US President Donald Trump has suggested Saudi Arabia may recognise Israel (AFP/File photo) | Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told Israeli-American billionaire Haim Sa…

MEE and agencies (2020-10-23). US suspends embassy activity in Turkey after threat against its citizens. middleeasteye.net US suspends embassy activity in Turkey after threat against its citizens | Washington has temporarily shut down its embassy in Ankara and consulates across Turkey following threat of attack against US nationals | Fri, 10/23/2020 – 14: 55 | A general view of the US Embassy, in Ankara (AFP) | The US State Department has temporarily closed its embassy and consulates in Turkey after it receive…

Marilyn Bechtel (2020-10-23). Is U.S.-Russia New START treaty back on the negotiating table? peoplesworld.org &nbsp…

MEE and agencies (2020-10-23). Turkey and Greece agree to call off war games: Nato chief. middleeasteye.net Turkey and Greece agree to call off war games: Nato chief | Standoff over gas exploration in contested waters had seen Nato neighbours plan rival war games and ramp up rhetoric | Fri, 10/23/2020 – 22: 02 | Tensions flared in August when Ankara sent Oruc Reis research vessel into waters also claimed by Greece and Cyprus (AFP/File photo) | Nato Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Frid…

Ron Jacobs (2020-10-23). The Ugly Memory of the US War on Southeast Asia. counterpunch.org The US war on the people of Southeast Asia sits in the national consciousness, an unerasable memory. Even though most of the architects of that conflict are dead (Henry Kissinger being a very notable exception), attempts to portray it as something other than the murderous endeavor it was continue to appear in the media. Military

Ali Harb (2020-10-23). Despite deportations, Iraqi Christians in Michigan are backing Trump. middleeasteye.net Despite deportations, Iraqi Christians in Michigan are backing Trump | Opposition to abortion and perception of advocacy for Christian 'religious freedom' drives Trump support in Chaldean community | Sat, 10/24/2020 – 00: 04 | Weam Namou, executive director of Chaldean Cultural Center, says community's story is one of survival (MEE/Ali Harb) | In spite of a deportation campaign that targeted Iraqi Christians duri…

Steve Early, Suzanne Gordon (2020-10-23). A Common Defense: Mobilizing Veterans in Labor. counterpunch.org During his 2016 presidential campaign, Donald Trump dissed a Gold Star family that lost a son in Iraq. He called Senator John McCain, America's most famous prisoner of war, a "loser" for being captured in Vietnam. When asked about widespread sexual assault in today's military, he dismissed it as a problem. He had to be publicly shamed into making

Tom Westcott (2020-10-23). Iraq's lost boys: Former Islamic State child soldiers left without help. middleeasteye.net Iraq's lost boys: Former Islamic State child soldiers left without help | Fri, 10/23/2020 – 08: 10 | Hundreds of Iraqi boys, many of them Yazidis, were forced to become child soldiers by IS, but few are getting any support to help them move on from their experience | Before his rescue from the Islamic State group, Hani, a kidnapped Yazidi boy, had been sheltering for months in a tunnel in Mosul's old…

Jordan Woll (2020-10-23). Trump and Biden agree: U.S. empire should reign supreme. liberationnews.org On matters of war and empire, Donald Trump and Joe Biden fundamentally agree.

Ramzy Baroud (2020-10-23). European Hypocrisy: Empty Words for Palestine, Deadly Weapons for Israel. counterpunch.org In theory, Europe and the United States stand on completely opposite sides when it comes to the Israeli occupation of Palestine. While the US government has fully embraced the tragic status quo created by 53 years of Israeli military occupation, the EU continues to advocate a negotiated settlement that is predicated on respect for international

Mohammad Ayesh (2020-10-23). Arabic press review: Iraqi bank triggers storm over 'second marriage' loan. middleeasteye.net Arabic press review: Iraqi bank triggers storm over 'second marriage' loan | Meanwhile, US diplomat says political solution in sight in Libya, and Palestinian lawyers sue UK over century-old Balfour Declaration | Fri, 10/23/2020 – 16: 48 | An Iraqi business owner adjusts a protective mask bearing a wedding invitation on a bridal shop mannequin amid the Covid-19 pandemic, in the southern port cit…

MEE staff (2020-10-23). Arrest warrant issued for MEE journalist Suadad al-Salhy in Iraq. middleeasteye.net Arrest warrant issued for MEE journalist Suadad al-Salhy in Iraq | Press freedom watchdogs CPJ and RSF call for charges and warrant to be dropped | Fri, 10/23/2020 – 08: 07 | An arrest warrant for Middle East Eye journalist Suadad al-Salhy has been issued in Iraq over the charge of "defamation". | A judge at Tahqiq al-Karada Court issued the warrant on Thursday, requesting Salhy be taken to al-Alawiya police s…

MEE staff (2020-10-23). Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict: Israeli-made cluster bombs used in residential areas. middleeasteye.net Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict: Israeli-made cluster bombs used in residential areas | New evidence found by Human Rights Watch reveals that Baku's forces repeatedly used cluster bombs in Nagorno-Karabakh | Fri, 10/23/2020 – 10: 07 | The body of a LAR-160 series Israeli-made rocket was found in a residential neighbourhood in Stepanakert (Human Rights Watch) | New evidence has emerged corroborating claims that Aze…