Daily Archives: October 30, 2020

2020-10-30: News Headlines

Staff (2020-10-30). "Fighting for Democracy": Carol Anderson on Voter Suppression & Why Georgia Could Go Blue. democracynow.org As the 2020 campaign enters its final days, we go to Georgia, where two Senate seats are up for grabs and both Republican incumbents face stiff opposition. Joe Biden is also spending significant time in the state, which no Democratic presidential candidate has won since 1992. "Georgia is truly in play," says Emory University professor Carol Anderson. "We have had grassroots organizing and mobilizing, registering folks to vote, working through getting through all of the voter suppression barriers to bring people out to the polls in unprecedented numbers." Anderson is the author of "One Person, No Vote: How Voter S…

Virginia Rodino (2020-10-30). Why I'm Voting Green in 2020. globalresearch.ca Author's note: Kevin and I worked on this article together right before his untimely passing on September 6. I met Kevin during Ralph Nader's 2004 presidential campaign. Throughout the years since, I appreciated seeing his anti-imperialist and eco-socialist arguments strengthen …

Ahmed Abdulkareem (2020-10-30). War-Weary Yemenis See Threat in Israel's Increasingly Public Role in Their Country. mintpressnews.com Many in Yemen fear that Israel's ambitions in their country don't end at the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait and rumors are circulating that land grabs reminiscent of those in Palestine could soon hit Yemen's shores.

South Front (2020-10-30). Video: Neo-Ottoman Nights of Armenian-Azerbaijani War. globalresearch.ca Turkish Sultan-in-Chief Recep Tayyip Erdogan has come up with a justification for the deployment of Syrian militants to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone to support the war against Armenia. According to him, at least 2,000 fighters of the Kurdistan Workers' Party …

Andrew Korybko (2020-10-30). The Sudan-Israel "Peace Deal: Lots of Behind-the-Scenes Maneuvering. globalresearch.ca The Sudanese-"Israeli" peace deal isn't a spontaneous act of reconciliation like it's misportrayed by some as being but the result of lots of behind-the-scenes maneuvering including last year's military coup and recent reports that Saudi Arabia will secretly pay Sudan's …

Tony McKenna (2020-10-30). The Orwellian Ironies of the So-Called Labour Party. counterpunch.org Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is one of the most ghoulish figures in the annals of ambition and mass-murder. In Shakespeare's Macbeth, the Scottish thane was slowly and mentally unravelled by the fact that he had directly and physically participated in the crime which would lead to his damnation, but Blair's civilised, manicured fingers have known only privilege and never violence, so I imagine the hundreds of thousands of dead Iraqis probably don't trouble him that much.

Mohammad Ayesh (2020-10-30). Arabic press review: Egyptian photojournalist disappears after interrogation. middleeasteye.net Arabic press review: Egyptian photojournalist disappears after interrogation | Meanwhile, Sudan's foreign minister is criticised over normalisation with Israel, and a French MP demands action be taken against UAE as a 'tax haven' | Fri, 10/30/2020 – 14: 37 | Egyptian photojournalist Mohamed al-Rai has reportedly gone missing since Wednesday (Twitter) | Egypt: Detained photojournalist missing…

Peoples Dispatch (2020-10-30). New Zealanders approve euthanasia in a referendum, reject legalization of recreational cannabis. peoplesdispatch.org According to the preliminary results announced by the electoral commission of New Zealand on Friday, October 30, more than 65% of the voters in the country who participated in a referendum approved a legislation allowing euthanasia. Though nearly half a million votes are still to be counted and the final results will be announced on November 6, it is by and large a clear "yes." | New Zealand held two referendums on Thursday. In the second referendum, the proposal to legalize the use of recreational cannabis was rejected with more than 53% voters saying "no." | In the cannabis question, 'yes' received 46.1 percent…

Brian W. Major (2020-10-30). 'Borat Subsequent Moviefilm' a provocative mockumentary that lampoons conservative political culture. peoplesworld.org Note: This review contains spoilers. Many readers may be familiar with the original Borat (2006) film, starring comedian Sacha Baron Cohen's controversial fictitious character, Borat, a reporter from Kazakhstan who travels to the U.S. to learn about America. Those who have seen Baron Cohen's work know that his Borat character is anti-Semitic, homophobic, and misogynist, …

Anand Naidoo (2020-10-30). The Heat: China's 5 year plan. america.cgtn.com China has a new plan for the next five years…. and beyond. We will take a look on its impact for the country and the world.

Nadda Osman (2020-10-30). Saudi G20 banknote angers India by depicting independent Kashmir. middleeasteye.net Saudi G20 banknote angers India by depicting independent Kashmir | New note, which celebrates G20 summit, has been criticised by New Delhi and reignited conversations about administration of territory | Fri, 10/30/2020 – 16: 25 | Banknote has caused controversy online (Screengrab/Social media) | A new 20 riyal note issued by Saudi Arabia to commemorate the kingdom's presidency of the G20 has sparked cont…

Stephen Lendman (2020-10-30). Will Trump Surprise Pollsters and Hostile Media by Defeating Biden? globalresearch.ca The NYT is notably unrelenting in pushing fake news of Russian US election meddling to help Biden defeat Trump. | Despite claiming otherwise, the US intelligence community has no evidence suggesting foreign interference in the US election process this year or …

Pavan Kulkarni (2020-10-30). Sudanese transitional government normalized ties with Israel without popular mandate. peoplesdispatch.org The normalization of ties with Israel has been rejected by majority of the significant political parties and grassroots organizations in the ruling coalition, the Declaration of Freedom and Change Forces…

_____ (2020-10-30). Western Sanctions a Failure of Diplomacy — What Lies Beneath. strategic-culture.org Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) once remarked that "assassination is the extreme form of censorship". The satirist might add that so too are "sanctions" as a form of censorship. | Hardly a week goes by, it seems, when there is not some new round of sanctions imposed on Russia by the United States and its allies in the European Union. This debased ritual has been going on for six years since the Western powers backed a violent coup d'état in Ukraine in 2014, and yet they have continued to blame Russia for that conflict. | In addition to ironical allegations about Russia interfering in Ukraine, oth…

WSWS (2020-10-30). Casualties mount in Armenian-Azeri war as US-brokered ceasefire collapses. wsws.org The danger is growing that the war between the two former Soviet republics in the Caucasus could escalate into a war involving Russia, Iran, and the NATO powers.

Kester Kenn Klomegah (2020-10-30). Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa (BRICS), New Momentum in the Development of Trade and Investment. globalresearch.ca On October 28, the BRICS Business Council (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) during the forum reviewed its joint work for the previous years, discussed at length current business issues and, in particular tried to choose a path for …

Pip Hinman (2020-10-30). Ecosocialism conferences kick off important discussion. greenleft.org.au Peter Boyle reports on Ecosocialism 2020, which brought together activists from Brazil, Malaysia, the Philippines and Australia, to discuss how to step up the fight for system change.

Frank Scott (2020-10-30). Calling this "our Democracy" is like Slaves referring to "our Plantation" dissidentvoice.org While Americans are re-programmed every four years for the most important desperately crucial national emergency election since the last one, which will assure that Wall Street, the Pentagon, Israel and billionaires maintain power and control over everything that matters, most eligible voters will choose neither of the ruling power's candidates and in a sense exercise …

Frank Scott (2020-10-30). Calling this "Our Democracy" Is Like Slaves Referring to "Our Plantation" globalresearch.ca While Americans are re-programmed every four years for the most important desperately crucial national emergency election since the last one, which will assure that Wall Street, the Pentagon, Israel and billionaires maintain power and control over everything that matters, most …

Shane Quinn (2020-10-30). US Power Has Been Creaking Under Trump, While China Strengthens. globalresearch.ca Into the third decade of this century, China has continued its ascent as the world's second superpower. The United States, on the other hand, has been stumbling somewhat under Donald Trump's wrecking ball policies. The Trump era looks likely to …

Eesha Pandit (2020-10-30). The Many Abuses at the Irwin County Detention Center in Georgia. thenation.com The Many Abuses at the Irwin County Detention Center in Georgia…

Mehr News Agency (2020-10-30). Iran planning to boost constructional exports to Africa. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 30 (MNA) — Islamic Republic of Iran is eyeing to increase export of construction and building materials to African states.

Mehr News Agency (2020-10-30). Iranian FM reacts to statement of US Justice Department. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 30 (MNA) —Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh showed reaction to the statement issued by the US Department of Justice.

Staff (2020-10-30). Georgia Might Go Blue. truthout.org As the 2020 campaign enters its final days, we go to Georgia, where two Senate seats are up for grabs and both Republican incumbents face stiff opposition. Joe Biden is also spending significant time in the state, which no Democratic presidential candidate has won since 1992. "Georgia is truly in play," says Emory University professor Carol Anderson. "We have had grassroots organizing and mobilizing, registering folks to vote, working through getting through all of the voter suppression barriers to bring people out to the polls in unprecedented numb…

WSWS (2020-10-30). FBI raids neo-Nazi camp in Michigan as national connections of Whitmer plotters emerge. wsws.org The FBI conducted further raids in Michigan Thursday as more details emerge of a national conspiracy involving fascists and police in South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Delaware, Texas and Minnesota.

WSWS (2020-10-29). The World Socialist Web Site, the fight against imperialism and for socialism in the Middle East. wsws.org The remarks below were delivered by Ula≈ü Ate≈üàßi, a leading member of Sosyalist E≈üitlik Grubu in Turkey.

MEE staff (2020-10-29). Twitter suspends Palestinian accounts shortly after Israeli ministry report on 'phony' profiles. middleeasteye.net Twitter suspends Palestinian accounts shortly after Israeli ministry report on 'phony' profiles | Social media giant says accounts were 'amplifying the dissemination of information' that violated its terms of service | Thu, 10/29/2020 – 12: 24 | Sada Social has been recording and monitoring the suspension of Palestinian content and accounts on Twitter and Facebook since September 2017 (AFP) | Twitter has suspe…

South Front (2020-10-29). Video: Armenian-Azerbaijani War — One Month After. globalresearch.ca After a month of war, the Turkish-Azerbaijani bloc continues to keep the initiative in the conflict, exploiting its advantage in air power, artillery, military equipment and manpower. The coming days are likely to show whether Ankara and Baku are able …

Gordon Duff (2020-10-29). Intel Drop with The Greenwald issue. thealtworld.com A few things to add… | The Greenwald issue, he has taken to twitter to establish himself as 'wronged' but those of us who carry the water for the journalistic world, those who point at Israel, Saudi Arabia and the Kosher Nostra (Trump's gang) as 9/11 perpetrators…who publish the hard evidence of nuclear attacks…don't appreciate those like Greenwald very much. | You can't say "Israeli did it" without crediting Giuliani. You can't say "Rudy" without saying "Donald." | Trump's silence on 9/11 has been deafening. | Is the great reset coming? You will know when Trump flees to Ukraine. | As for Greenwald, we woul…

Gareth Porter (2020-10-29). How a Key Pentagon Official Turned China Policy over to Arms Industry and Taiwan Supporters. globalresearch.ca The "Fortress Taiwan" arms deal overseen by ex-Assistant Secretary of Defense Randall Schriver is one of the most provocative U.S. moves against China in years — and a big win for his think tank's arms industry and Taiwanese patrons. | When …

MEE correspondent (2020-10-29). Iranian press review: Tehran's Baghdad ambassador 'happy' to be on US sanctions list. middleeasteye.net Iranian press review: Tehran's Baghdad ambassador 'happy' to be on US sanctions list | Meanwhile, Iran deploys ground forces to its borders with Armenia and Azerbaijan, and Tehran and Washington accuse each other of destabilising Afghanistan | Thu, 10/29/2020 – 14: 34 | Iran's ambassador to Iraq Iraj Masjedi has been blacklisted in the latest round of US sanctions (AFP) | Iran's Bag…

Julia Kassem (2020-10-29). Trump and Biden: Cold-War Dinosaurs. counterpunch.org If Americans have a modicum of memory, it is clear that baseless, warmongering accusations have time and time again been the precursor for winning consent over upcoming imperialist hostility. Accusing Iraq of harboring "weapons of mass destruction" in 2003, those that care to remember the administration of former President George W. Bush recalled the widespread condemnation from the left over how a lie cost over 1 million lives.

MEE staff (2020-10-29). Turkey faces 'real' risk of sanctions for testing Russian S-400 missile system: US. middleeasteye.net Turkey faces 'real' risk of sanctions for testing Russian S-400 missile system: US | Turkey confirmed the first test of the S-400 earlier this month, despite repeated warnings from the United States | Thu, 10/29/2020 – 14: 49 | Following the delivery of the first battery of missiles last year, Turkey was excluded from an F-35 fighter jet training programme (AFP/File photo) | A US State Department official has…

MEE staff (2020-10-29). US warns of possible Houthi missile strikes on Saudi capital. middleeasteye.net US warns of possible Houthi missile strikes on Saudi capital | Saudi coalition spokesman said bomb-laden Houthi drones were launched toward the capital 'deliberately and systematically to target civilians' | Thu, 10/29/2020 – 15: 25 | Brian Hook, then-US special representative on Iran, on 21 June 2019 checks what Saudi officials said were Iran-made Houthi missiles and drones intercepted over Saudi territory (A…

Steve Sweeney (2020-10-29). Turkey accused of shipping jihadist mercenaries into Azerbaijan-Armenia war. peoplesworld.org Jihadist groups are believed to have been present in Azerbaijan since at least February, it was claimed on Oct. 27, with Turkey accused of shipping in militia, including a Uyghur Muslim terror group, the Turkistan Islamic Party (TIP). The Islamist fighters are thought to have been mobilized from their bases in Syria to join Azeri …

MEE staff (2020-10-29). US warns of possible Houthi missile strikes on Saudi capital. middleeasteye.net US warns of possible Houthi missile strikes on Saudi capital | Saudi coalition spokesman says bomb-laden Houthi drones were launched toward capital 'deliberately and systematically to target civilians' | Thu, 10/29/2020 – 15: 25 | Brian Hook, then-US special representative on Iran, checks what Saudi officials claimed were Iran-made Houthi missiles and drones intercepted over Saudi territory last year (AFP/File…

MEE and agencies (2020-10-29). Saudi Arabia: Man arrested after attacking French consulate guard 'with sharp tool'. middleeasteye.net Saudi Arabia: Man arrested after attacking French consulate guard 'with sharp tool' | The attack in Jeddah comes as tensions rise in the aftermath of French President Macron's comments defending the right to publish satirical images of Prophet Muhammad | Thu, 10/29/2020 – 11: 13 | Saudi Arabia on Tuesday condemned cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammad (AFP/file photo) | A Saudi citizen w…

Rayhan Uddin (2020-10-29). UAE police chief's bid to head Interpol sparks 'deep concerns' among rights groups. middleeasteye.net UAE police chief's bid to head Interpol sparks 'deep concerns' among rights groups | Emirati general Ahmed Nasser al-Raisi would 'damage' international police organisation's reputation, joint letter says | Thu, 10/29/2020 – 12: 52 | The election of Interpol's next president will be held on 7-8 December in Abu Dhabi (AFP/File photo) | The appointment of the United Arab Emirate's security chief as presi…

RT (2020-10-29). Russia's regional Covid crisis: Health Ministry investigates after two patients with serious lung damage left without hospital bed. rt.com Healthcare in the Siberian city of Omsk is under the microscope after ambulances carrying seriously ill patients were turned away by hospitals due to a lack of beds. The Russian Health Ministry has launched an investigation. | On Tuesday evening, two ambulances with elderly patients were driven around the city of Omsk for several hours, as multiple hospitals told them that no beds were available. The patients, aged 70 and 85, had suspected cases of Covid-19. After a few hours, the ventilation machines in the ambulances began to run out of oxygen, and the lives of the two patients were threatened. After that, t…

MEE staff (2020-10-29). Turkey faces 'real' risk of sanctions for testing Russian S-400 missile system: US. middleeasteye.net Turkey faces 'real' risk of sanctions for testing Russian S-400 missile system: US | Turkey confirmed first test of S-400 earlier this month, despite repeated warnings from United States | Thu, 10/29/2020 – 14: 49 | Following delivery of first battery of missiles last year, Turkey was excluded from F-35 fighter jet training programme (AFP/File photo) | A US State Department official warned that Turkey faces a…

Liberation Staff (2020-10-29). PSL statement: Solidarity with the Statue Girl Keepers: Japanese reparations to Korea now! liberationnews.org The Party for Socialism and Liberation sends its unconditional solidarity to the "Statue Girl Keepers" and to the People's Democracy Party of South Corea in their relentless struggle against Japanese imperialism and pro-Japanese right-wing forces in their country.

Mehr News Agency (2020-10-29). Iranian, Russian deputy FMs discuss Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 29 (MNA) — Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his Russian counterpart Sergei Ryabkov met and held talks in Moscow on Thursday.

Mehr News Agency (2020-10-29). Iran announces its priorities in academic coop. with China. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 29 (MNA) — Iran's deputy science minister announced the country's cooperation priorities in the higher education sector with China.

Peoples Dispatch (2020-10-29). Indonesian protests mark re-emergence of social movements, civil society. peoplesdispatch.org Academic and activist Robertus Robet, talks about the wave of protests in Indonesia against the Omnibus Law, the key role played by the trade unions, and the challenges to democracy in the country…

Mehr News Agency (2020-10-29). COVID-19 infections soaring in Iran. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 29 (MNA) — The daily coronavirus infections broke previous records on Thursday, with Iran reporting 8,293 new infections, the Health Ministry announced.

Mehr News Agency (2020-10-29). Iranian animation goes to German film festival. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 28 (MNA) — Iranian animation 'Autumn Winds, Spring Winds, and Two Doves' by Sadegh Javadi, will take part in the 63rd edition of DOK Leipzig festival in Germany.

WSWS (2020-10-29). US threatens military strikes against Iran and Venezuela. wsws.org Washington has indicated it is prepared to use armed force to prevent Iran from selling weapons to Venezuela, potentially attacking both countries.

WSWS (2020-10-29). Amid tense India-China border stand-off, US and India boost military-security partnership. wsws.org India's BJP government has exploited the ongoing military border standoff with China to integrate India still more fully into American imperialism's incendiary military-strategic offensive against Beijing.

Mehr News Agency (2020-10-29). '7.5' to vie at Barcelona Asian Film Festival. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 29 (MNA) — Iranian feature '7.5' by Navid Mahmoudi, will go on screen at the Barcelona Asian Film Festival in Spain.

Dave DeCamp (2020-10-29). Putin Offers NATO Inspections to Prevent Deployment of INF-Banned Missiles. globalresearch.ca On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin The INF was signed between the US and the Soviet …