Monthly Archives: October 2020

2020-10-27: News Headlines

Andrew Korybko (2020-10-27). The China-Russia "Threat to America": Biden's Intriguing "Attempt" to Unite Democrat and Republican Foreign Policy Hawks. globalresearch.ca Biden's description of Russia as "the biggest threat to America" and China as its "biggest competitor" is an intriguing attempt to unite the anti-Russian and anti-Chinese factions of America's permanent military, intelligence, and diplomatic bureaucracies ("deep state") even if it's …

yenisafak (2020-10-27). Top EU official tests positive for COVID-19. yenisafak.com European Commission Vice President Margaritis Schinas said on Tuesday he tested positive for coronavirus. | "I have just learned that my regular scheduled COVID-19 test before the College came back positive. I am now self-isolating as required. Stay safe," he tweeted. | Earlier this month, Mariya Gabriel, the European commissioner for innovation and research, also contracted the novel virus. | Other top officials who self-isolated after coming in contact with those who tested positive include foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, EU Commission President Ursula von der, and European Council President Charles Michel.

Joanna Frew (2020-10-27). New Report: Crowded Sky, Contested Sea: Drones over the South and East China Seas. globalresearch.ca Amid naval patrols, live military drills, island building, trade wars and diplomatic breakdown, drones are making an increasing impact on the security situation in the South China Sea and the relationship between China and the US. Smaller nations in the …

Kester Kenn Klomegah (2020-10-27). China: The Upcoming Global Superpower. globalresearch.ca Despite its large population of 1.5 billion which many have considered as an impediment, China's domestic economic reforms and collaborative strategic diplomacy with external countries have made it attain superpower status over the United States. While United States influence is …

James O'Neill (2020-10-27). The World Moves On, Yet Australia Clings to a Dangerous Past. dissidentvoice.org There are many definitions of stupid, but acting against one's interests, on either a personal or national level, must rank as among the more significant. It is certainly among the most of contemporary relevance. It is no better personified than in the current extraordinary anti-China campaign being waged by politicians of all the major parties …

news.un (2020-10-27). Global foreign direct investment halved amid pandemic, but China remained resilient. news.un.org Foreign direct investment (FDI), a bellwether of globalisation and economic confidence, fell by 49 per cent to $399 billion in the first half of 2020, amid the upheaval caused by the coronavirus pandemic, a new report from the UN trade and development organization UNCTAD showed on Tuesday.

Pepe Escobar (2020-10-27). China Is "Not Interested in War, but in Trade and Development, Both Internal and with Foreign Partners.": Pepe Escobar. globalresearch.ca China's ping-pong team invited members of the US team to China on April 6, 1971, and the momentum was begun to establish warm relations between the two nations. However, during the current Trump administration, we have seen the relationship drop …

Samantha Bruegger (2020-10-27). I Am the Wolf and So are You. counterpunch.org It's a feeling of tightness and pressure that has only increased since November of 2016. It began like a constrictive python, slowly enveloping me, wrapping around and around, tighter and tighter. The first pain was felt as a woman, a vocal misogynist would be our Commander in Chief. Fine, we have been here before, at

yenisafak (2020-10-27). Turkey denounces killing of French teacher. yenisafak.com Turkey's presidential spokesman on Monday condemned the brutal murder of French teacher Samuel Paty."We strongly condemn the murder of Samuel Paty in France and reject this barbarism. There is nothing legitimate about this murder," Ibrahim Kalin wrote on Twitter.He said those who insult Prophet Muhammad fail to understand the love and reverence Muslims feel for him.However, he said: "To become monstrous while fighting evil is the worst disaster."Samuel Paty, 47, who taught history and geography at Bois-d'Aulne College in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, was brutally murdered by Abdullakh Anzorov, an 18-year-old of Chech…

MEE and agencies (2020-10-27). Yemen: Houthi minister of youth 'assassinated' in Sanaa. middleeasteye.net Yemen: Houthi minister of youth 'assassinated' in Sanaa | The Houthis denounce the attack as 'a criminal act' by the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen | Tue, 10/27/2020 – 10: 38 | Yemeni politician Hassan Mohamed Zaid, 66, was killed in the capital Sanaa on Tuesday (Twitter) | Yemen's Houthi movement announced on Tuesday that Hassan Zaid, its minister of youth and sports affairs, was g…

yenisafak (2020-10-27). Vivid memories of tribesman who fought in Kashmir. yenisafak.com Old and frail Akhunzada Bacha Khan, 99, has vivid memories of his march to Jammu and Kashmir in October 1947 as part of a tribal force aiming to liberate the region from its unpopular Hindu ruler."The Nawab [royal title for sovereign ruler] of Dir announced jihad [holy war] against the Hindu ruler of Jammu and Kashmir, who was conspiring against the Muslim majority," Khan, a resident of Dir district of Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, told Anadolu Agency.Three months after India and Pakistan achieved freedom from the British in August 1947, thousands of tribals from neighboring North-West Frontier Province…

Mehr News Agency (2020-10-27). US approves with arms sales to Taiwan. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 27 (MNA) — US Department of States approved with selling costal defense systems, valued at $2.37bn, to Taiwan.

MEE and agencies (2020-10-27). Saudi Arabia condemns conflation of 'Islam with terrorism' amid regional anti-France protests. middleeasteye.net Saudi Arabia condemns conflation of 'Islam with terrorism' amid regional anti-France protests | Riyadh did not comment on growing calls for a boycott of French goods in the Middle East after Paris had defended caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad | Tue, 10/27/2020 – 10: 45 | Palestinians burn a picture of French President Emmanuel Macron in Gaza City during a protest on 27 October 2020 (Reu…

yenisafak (2020-10-27). Algeria may take France to arbitration over 'stolen' archive. yenisafak.com Algeria said Tuesday it does not rule out international arbitration to resolve its dispute with France over the archives of the French colonial era. | "There is nothing that prevents the people from resorting to international arbitration or submitting the case to international judicial bodies in the future," presidential adviser Abdelmadjid al-Sheikh said in a radio interview. | The Algerian authorities say that during the colonial period (1830-1962) the French forces smuggled hundreds of thousands of maps and historical documents, including those dating back to the Ottoman era (1518-1830). | However, the French…

The Canary (2020-10-27). 20 things the government must do to tackle structural racism and protect BAME communities from coronavirus. thecanary.co Baroness Doreen Lawrence has set out 20 recommendations for the government to protect those most at risk from coronavirus and tackle inequality in the longer term.Here are her recommendations from her review into the impact of coronavirus (Covid-19) on Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) communities: | Set out an urgent plan for tackling the disproportionate impact of Covid on BAME people this winter | 2. Implement a national strategy to tackle health inequalities.3. Suspend the "no recourse to public funds" rule during the pandemic and review its impact on public health and health inequalities.4. Ensure Covi…

yenisafak (2020-10-27). Turkish parliament head meets Turkish Cypriot president. yenisafak.com Turkey's parliament speaker on Tuesday met with the newly elected president of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) visiting the capital Ankara.According to a statement by the speaker's office, Mustafa Sentop and TRNC President Ersin Tatar discussed possible cooperation between the two countries.TRNC Ambassador Kemal Koprulu also took part in the meeting, after which Sentop offered a luncheon in Tatar's honor.Then-Prime Minister Ersin Tatar on Oct. 18 won a presidential runoff election in the TRNC with 51.74% of the votes, beating incumbent Mustafa Akinci's 48.26%.Tatar is the TRNC's fifth president, an…

yenisafak (2020-10-27). Rebel minister shot dead in Yemen. yenisafak.com Minister of Youth and Sport in the unrecognized Houthi government, Hasan Zeid, was gunned down in the Yemeni capital Sanaa on Tuesday, according to a rebel official. | Unidentified gunmen opened fire on Zeid in Hadda district in central Sanaa, Osama Sari, the undersecretary of the so-called Youth and Sport Ministry, said in a statement. | He said Zeid, 66, was transferred to hospital where he was pronounced dead. | There was no claim of responsibility for the attack. | Yemen has been beset by violence and chaos since 2014, when Houthi rebels overran much of the country, including Sanaa. The crisis escalated in 20…

yenisafak (2020-10-27). Police arrest 33 FETàñ suspects across Turkey. yenisafak.com Turkish security forces arrested 33 people on Tuesday for their suspected links to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), the group behind the 2016 defeated coup in Turkey.In operations based in the northwestern Kocaeli province, police from the anti-smuggling and organized crime unit arrested seven suspects, including an expelled lieutenant and six former military school students.The arrests came during simultaneous operations also in Istanbul and Bursa after Kocaeli prosecutors issued arrest warrants for nine suspects as part of an investigation into FETO's infiltration into the Gendarmerie General Command…

MEE and agencies (2020-10-27). Child malnutrition reaches new highs in parts of Yemen: UN survey. middleeasteye.net Child malnutrition reaches new highs in parts of Yemen: UN survey | Programmes keeping millions from starvation and disease are gradually closing amid an acute funding shortage | Tue, 10/27/2020 – 07: 54 | The UN said it needs $50m urgently to boost nutrition programmes (AFP) | Parts of Yemen are seeing their highest levels of acute malnutrition in children, heightening warnings that the c…

South Front (2020-10-27). Video: Nobody Believes in Peace. Azerbaijan Attacks Armenian Forces Despite US-sponsored Ceasefire. globalresearch.ca As of October 26, Azerbaijan and Turkey kept their operational initiative in the war with Armenia in the contested Nagorno-Karabakh region. Their forces continue developing their offensive in southern Karabakh by trying to remove Armenian forces from of the Lachin …

Rep. Ron Paul (2020-10-27). 'Iraq War Diaries' at Ten Years: Truth Is Treason. globalresearch.ca The purpose of journalism is to uncover truth — especially uncomfortable truth — and to publish it for the benefit of society. In a free society, we must be informed of the criminal acts carried out by governments in the …

Rayhan Uddin (2020-10-27). UK renewal of arms sales to Saudi Arabia to face another legal challenge. middleeasteye.net UK renewal of arms sales to Saudi Arabia to face another legal challenge | Campaign Against Arms Trade to launch judicial review after UK government claimed international law violations in Yemen were 'isolated incidents' | Tue, 10/27/2020 – 12: 08 | Schools are among several non-military sites which have been attacked by air strikes since the war in Yemen broke out in 2015 (AFP/File photo) | The UK go…

_____ (2020-10-27). Republicans and Democrats Will Never Deliver Peace. strategic-culture.org The Libertarian Party presidential candidate makes her case for why a third party is needed to bring the troops home. | Jo JORGENSEN | The 2016 Republican presidential primary debates revealed a sea change. From 2008 to 2012, then-congressman Ron Paul was routinely booed for his criticism of America's foreign policy. It was even common to hear Republican office holders, commentators, and activists say they "agreed with Ron Paul on everything but foreign policy." Yet in 2016, candidate Donald Trump was cheered for calling the Iraq war the biggest blunder in American history. | One would have thought Trump's victor…

yenisafak (2020-10-27). Indonesian lawmakers, Muslim groups bash French leader. yenisafak.com Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Mardani Ali Sera, a legislator from the country's Prosperous Justice Party, accused President Emmanuel Macron of Islamophobia that he said ruined the inter-faith harmony in the world."Indonesia rejects Macron's statement linking Islam with separatism and making fun of the Prophet Muhammad. I urge the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to condemn his racist remarks," said Sera.Also condemning Macron, the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) said the French president's actions and policies had fueled mounting Islamophobia.Muhyiddin Junaidi, deputy chairman of the MUI, said in a statement that Macron…

Staff (2020-10-27). AOC Pushes for Dems to "Expand the Court" After Amy Coney Barrett Confirmation. truthout.org Following the confirmation by the United States Senate of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York) sent out a tweet that expressed her view of how Democrats should proceed from this moment onward. | "Expand the court," The congresswoman elaborated on the point in a second tweet, explaining that increasing the number of sitting justices on the high court was n…

WSWS (2020-10-27). The relaunched website facilitates the development of the world party of socialist revolution. wsws.org The remarks below were given by Wije Dias, general secretary of the Socialist Equality Party of Sri Lanka.

RT (2020-10-26). 'Chess piece against China': US & Japan launch major military exercise to prove 'growing strength' of their alliance (PHOTOS). rt.com Tokyo and Washington have kicked off a combined naval, land and air drill aiming to show their readiness to "fight and win" despite Covid-19. Beijing has been warning that such activities lead to more tensions. | The 'Keen Sword' drill, which is held every two years, involves around 46,000 troops, including 9,000 American personnel, as well as dozens of warships from the Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group and the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force. | The training will include amphibious landings on several smaller Japanese islands, as well as activities on Okinawa, according to a statement by the US Pacific…

Ian Goodrum (2020-10-26). Don't trust China's COVID-19 science? Try surviving without it. peoplesworld.org For as long as I can remember, I have been engaged in a practice many would consider masochistic. Get those images out of your head, I don't mean that. Or that. No, my self-defeating habit is all too mundane to the casual observer: I read China stories in the Western media. It's not as bad …

Kim Petersen (2020-10-26). 70 Years after China and the DPRK Defeated the United States in Korea. dissidentvoice.org There is a piece of news on an important anniversary missing from western state and corporate news. This year, 2020, is the 70th anniversary of the Chinese People's Volunteers (CPV) army entering the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to help in, what the Chinese call, the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea. …

sputniknews (2020-10-26). France, Turkey at Odds; China Hits US Arms Makers; No Stopping COVID. sputniknews.com Senator Chuck Schumer offers a perfect example of how his party fails Americans as the New York Times joins in election fear-mongering.

news.un (2020-10-26). Climate action: UN chief encouraged by Japan's 2050 net zero pledge. news.un.org UN Secretary-General António Guterres has welcomed Japan's announcement on Monday that it would reduce carbon emissions to zero, by 2050, as part of the global effort to slow the worldwide rise in temperatures, and prevent the most damaging effects of human-made climate change.

_____ (2020-10-26). Nuking Itself… How Russophobia Led the U.S. to Bomb its Own Citizens. strategic-culture.org Generations of countless Americans have been contaminated and sickened by the first-ever atomic bomb test. The Trinity explosion on July 16, 1945, was carried out in the New Mexico desert. Three weeks later, two A-bombs were dropped on Japan, killing up to 200,000 people. | But the number of American victims caused by radiation fallout from the Trinity test is reckoned to be also imponderably high. The American government conducted the explosion in secret, unbeknownst to the population of New Mexico. That was in spite of warnings from Manhattan Project scientists of a high risk to public health from the extreme r…

yenisafak (2020-10-26). 'Armenia breaks cease-fire just minutes after start'. yenisafak.com Azerbaijan agreed on a fresh humanitarian cease-fire to exchange prisoners and bodies, but Armenia broke the truce only minutes after it was supposed to take effect, the Azerbaijani leader said Monday.President Ilham Aliyev stressed that those who want an Armenia-Azerbaijan humanitarian cease-fire are sending weapons to Armenia."I have the list. Why would anyone who wants a cease-fire would send weapons?" he asked.Referring to those supporting Armenia, Aliyev said: "If you want to save the Armenian state, tell them to leave our lands. They will go out with a word of yours."Azerbaijan on Monday said the Armenian f…

yenisafak (2020-10-26). FACTBOX: Nagorno-Karabakh: old tensions behind renewed fighting. yenisafak.com Nagorno-Karabakh is a mountainous and heavily forested patch of land that sits inside the territory of the former Soviet republic of Azerbaijan.Under international law, Nagorno-Karabakh is recognised as part of Azerbaijan, but the ethnic Armenians who make up the vast majority of the population reject Azeri rule. They have been running their own affairs, with support from Armenia, since Azerbaijan's troops were pushed out in a war in the 1990s.Long-standing ethnic tensions in the region between Christian Armenians and their mainly Muslim neighbours flared in Nagorno-Karabakh in the late 1980s.New fighting that br…

Peoples Dispatch (2020-10-26). Thousands come out to mark anniversary of popular protests in Iraq. peoplesdispatch.org Protesters, who marched in several cities renewing their demands for an overhaul of Iraq's political system and an end to corruption, were met with police repression…

_____ (2020-10-26). Anti-Racist Activists Brutally Arrested In Michigan. popularresistance.org On Saturday, an anti-racist demonstration in Shelby Township, Michigan was brutally repressed by the police. According to a video posted online several dozen police turned out in full riot gear and riot shields and beat and assaulted protesters before arresting several of them. Many of those arrested were thrown to the ground and there are reports that officers reportedly kneeled on their necks while they were being restrained. One woman, a photographer, was stripped down to her underwear in the middle of the street before being searched and arrested.

WSWS (2020-10-26). Sri Lankan parliament boosts president's autocratic powers. wsws.org The move towards dictatorship in Sri Lanka coincides with the drive by the ruling classes in every country towards fascist and autocratic rule.

Areeb Ullah (2020-10-26). Lebanon court rejects new migrant worker contract to replace criticised kafala system. middleeasteye.net Lebanon court rejects new migrant worker contract to replace criticised kafala system | Officials said the new standard contract for domestic workers would be the first step needed to abolish the kafala system | Mon, 10/26/2020 – 10: 36 | Ethiopian workers let go because of Lebanon's economic crisis wait outside Ethiopia's embassy in Beirut (AFP) | A court in Lebanon has suspended the implementation of a…

yenisafak (2020-10-26). Baku frees 17 more villages from Armenia's occupation. yenisafak.com Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev on Monday announced the names of villages liberated from Armenia's occupation a day earlier.The Azerbaijani army liberated the Birinji Alibayli, Ikinji Alibayli, Raband and Yenikand villages of Zangilan district, the Govshudlu, Sofulu, Dagh Mashanli, Kurdlar, Hovuslu, Chalabilar villages of Jabrayil district and the Padar, Afandilar, Yusifbayli, Chaytumas, Khanlig, Sariyatag, Mollaburhan villages of Gubadli district and the city of Gubadli, state news agency Azertac quoted the president as saying.In an earlier tweet, Aliyev said Baku had taken control of seven border villages w…

yenisafak (2020-10-26). Turkish chess player comes 2nd in world schools c'ship. yenisafak.com In a statement, the Turkish Chess Federation (TSF) said that Can, 15, had 7 points to come in second in the under-17 male category.Armenian player Albert Gevorgyan was the winner of this category with 8 points.Separately, 15-year-old Turkish player Nil Ozturk ended the female's contest taking the 20th spot with 4.5 points last weekend.The chess body congratulated Turkish athletes for their efforts.The ISF World Schools Championship Online Chess 2020 was held on Oct. 3 through Oct. 25 with the finals.

MEE and agencies (2020-10-26). Iraq's Kurdish region says it foiled PKK plot to attack foreign diplomats. middleeasteye.net Iraq's Kurdish region says it foiled PKK plot to attack foreign diplomats | The statement from KRG intelligence service comes a year after the killing of a Turkish diplomat in Erbil | Mon, 10/26/2020 – 12: 31 | A picture shows a general view of Erbil, the capital of the northern Iraqi Kurdish autonomous region on 20 October 2020 (AFP) | Authorities in Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region said…

sputniknews (2020-10-26). Nord Stream 2 Gas Pipeline Edges Closer to Completion as Broader US Sanctions Come Into Effect. sputniknews.com The EU imported the highest ever volume of LNG in 2019 at 108 billion cubic meters, marking 27% of total gas imports and 22% of the EU's gas consumption, according to the European Commission. The gas market report showed that Qatar supplied 30 bcm of LNG to the EU in 2019, followed by Russia with 21 bcm and the US with 17 bcm.

Lautaro Rivara (2020-10-26). Haiti Has a Long History of Being Assaulted by Its Latin American Neighbors. counterpunch.org Thirteen United Nations peacekeeping missions are underway in various countries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Haiti has been the epicenter of the UN peacekeeping missions in Latin America and the Caribbean; there have been eight UN missions since the International Civilian Mission in Haiti (MICIVIH) was deployed in Haiti in 1993. On October

yenisafak (2020-10-26). Turkey's first car to provide longer battery life. yenisafak.com Turkey's first domestically manufactured car will have a longer battery life than its competitors, its producers said Monday.An NMC (Nickel, Manganese, Cobalt Oxide) cathode will be used in the car's lithium-ion batteries, which optimizes energy and power density, Turkey's Automobile Joint Venture Group (TOGG) tweeted.Pouch type cells with high energy density will be used in the battery modules which will be enclosed with aluminum coverage to provide high structural strength, according to TOGG.Maximum battery life, performance and safety will be ensured with highly efficient liquid cooling and innovative battery…

MEE staff (2020-10-26). Ex-CIA head slams Trump for suggesting MBS could be invited to White House. middleeasteye.net Ex-CIA head slams Trump for suggesting MBS could be invited to White House | John Brennan called Trump's suggested invitation to a 'big beautiful' White House party 'outrageous', given the Saudi crown prince's suspected involvement in Khashoggi murder | Mon, 10/26/2020 – 14: 53 | Protesters outside the Saudi Arabia consulate in Istanbul on 25 October 2018 (AFP/File photo) | The former head of the CIA has slamm…

RT (2020-10-26). Bolivia promises to buy Russian Covid-19 vaccine as new leader pledges to restore relations that 'deteriorated' after 2019 coup. rt.com The newly-elected President of Bolivia Luis Arce has pledged to improve ties with Russia, and plans to order its Covid-19 vaccine once it's ready for sale, saying relations with Moscow 'deteriorated' under the previous government. | In an interview with Moscow's Sputnik news agency, Arce outlined the numerous avenues for partnership with Russia that he wants to open up, including the exchange of technology, gas imports and construction of a new nuclear facility together with state energy corporation Rosatom. | Arce blamed the outgoing interim government for tainting the relationship between the two countries.

Joan Walsh (2020-10-26). Can Georgia's Jon Ossoff Finish the Job This November? thenation.com Can Georgia's Jon Ossoff Finish the Job This November?

sputniknews (2020-10-26). Russian Embassy Criticises Proposed Visa Restrictions for Journalists in US. sputniknews.com WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – The Russian Embassy to the United States criticised the proposed US visa restrictions for journalists, saying that, in line with the principle of reciprocity, they could harm US journalists abroad.

yenisafak (2020-10-26). Turkey condemns deadly school attack in Cameroon. yenisafak.com Turkey on Monday condemned a deadly attack on a private school in southwestern Cameroon."We are saddened by the news that many children lost their lives and were injured in an attack on a private school in the city of Kumba in Cameroon on 24 October 2020," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement."We strongly condemn this heinous attack on the innocent children. We extend our sincere condolences to the friendly and brotherly people and Government of Cameroon and wish a speedy recovery to the injured children," the statement added.At least seven people died and 12 were injured on Saturday in an attack by gunmen wi…

RT (2020-10-26). You are 'not persecuted,' Islamic group tells Muslims in France amid Erdogan's call for French products boycott. rt.com Muslims in France have been told they are "not persecuted," after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan blasted French President Emmanuel Macron over his "problem with Islam." | The French Council of the Muslim Faith (CFCM) sought to remind Muslims of their freedom in France, as it urged them to "defend the interest" of the country, amid a boycott campaign by Turkey. | It follows Erdogan's call on Monday for Turks "never" to buy French products, in response to Macron's toughened stance on radical Islam in the wake of a French teacher's murder. | The French president had warned that the country would not "not…

2020-10-26: News Headlines

Stephen Lendman (2020-10-26). Sudan "Normalizes" Relations with Israel? Trump "Arranged the Deal" globalresearch.ca On October 23, Sudan became the third Arab state to normalize relations with Israel. | The UAE in August and Bahrain last month took this step — what Hamas called "a stab in the back of the Palestinian cause…serv(ing) only the …

MEE and agencies (2020-10-26). Israeli museum postpones auction of rare Middle Eastern artifacts after outrage. middleeasteye.net Israeli museum postpones auction of rare Middle Eastern artifacts after outrage | The museum's primary donor said it hoped postponement will 'make it possible to reach agreements that will also be acceptable' to government officials | Mon, 10/26/2020 – 18: 19 | A pocket watch made for French Queen Marie Antoinette by famous watchmaker Abraham Louis Breguet at the Museum for Islamic Art in…

Kim Petersen (2020-10-26). 70 Years after China and the DPRK Defeated the United States in Korea. dissidentvoice.org There is a piece of news on an important anniversary missing from western state and corporate news. This year, 2020, is the 70th anniversary of the Chinese People's Volunteers (CPV) army entering the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to help in, what the Chinese call, the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea. …

Simon Hooper (2020-10-26). Families demand repatriation of all foreign nationals from Syrian camps. middleeasteye.net Families demand repatriation of all foreign nationals from Syrian camps | Western governments facing mounting legal challenges with thousands of young children among those still stranded in Kurdish-controlled camps | Mon, 10/26/2020 – 13: 00 | Girls play with a bicycle in a section of al-Hol camp for foreign families in January 2020 (AFP) | Western governments are facing growing pressure to repatriate…

Alex MacDonald (2020-10-26). Clashes continue in Iraq on first anniversary of anti-government uprisings. middleeasteye.net Clashes continue in Iraq on first anniversary of anti-government uprisings | Police fire stun grenades and tear gas at protesters on bridge across from fortified Green Zone | Mon, 10/26/2020 – 12: 05 | Iraqi anti-government protesters clash with riot police on al-Jumhuriyah bridge, Baghdad, on 26 October 2020 (AFP) | Dozens of Iraqi protesters again clashed with security forces in Baghdad on Mon…

Ian Goodrum (2020-10-26). Don't trust China's COVID-19 science? Try surviving without it. peoplesworld.org For as long as I can remember, I have been engaged in a practice many would consider masochistic. Get those images out of your head, I don't mean that. Or that. No, my self-defeating habit is all too mundane to the casual observer: I read China stories in the Western media. It's not as bad …

MEE staff (2020-10-26). Israeli bulldozers and settlers uproot Palestinian olive trees in West Bank. middleeasteye.net Israeli bulldozers and settlers uproot Palestinian olive trees in West Bank | Israeli forces razed almost 60 olive trees in the town of Salfit and also demolished a house in the village of Taybeh | Mon, 10/26/2020 – 10: 23 | Palestinians harvest olives from their land, which lies on the Israeli side of the separation wall in the West Bank, 30 October 2019 (AFP) | Israeli bulldozers demolished a Palestinian hou…

Alex MacDonald (2020-10-26). Saddam Hussein's right-hand man dead, announces Iraq's Baath Party. middleeasteye.net Saddam Hussein's right-hand man dead, announces Iraq's Baath Party | After evading capture for 17 years, circumstances of Ezzat Ibrahim al-Douri's death remain unknown | Mon, 10/26/2020 – 14: 30 | Ezzat Ibrahim al-Douri reviews a military honour guard during a ceremony marking Martyrs' Day in Baghdad, December 1999 (AFP) | One of the last surviving senior figures in the government of former Iraq…

Paul Antonopoulos (2020-10-26). Lithuanian Government Impoverishes Its Own Citizens As a Means to Topple Belarus President Lukashenko. globalresearch.ca Since the re-election of Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko on August 9, deemed a rigged election by the West, protests have persisted for nearly three months. Led by opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the protests do not only continue to persist, …

Lautaro Rivara (2020-10-26). Haiti Has a Long History of Being Assaulted by Its Latin American Neighbors. counterpunch.org Thirteen United Nations peacekeeping missions are underway in various countries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Haiti has been the epicenter of the UN peacekeeping missions in Latin America and the Caribbean; there have been eight UN missions since the International Civilian Mission in Haiti (MICIVIH) was deployed in Haiti in 1993. On October

Stephen Lendman (2020-10-26). Azeris Using Banned Cluster Munitions in Nagorno-Karabakh. globalresearch.ca According to reports on the ground, Azeris are using Israeli-supplied cluster munitions in Nagorno-Karabakh. | More on this below. | *** | The 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) bans production use, transfer, and stockpiling of these terror weapons that scatter submunition bomblets …

Stephen Lendman (2020-10-26). Protests in Iraq: Corruption, Unemployment, Impoverishment. globalresearch.ca Long-suffering Iraqis have legitimate grievances in…

Ray McGovern (2020-10-26). Former CIA: Blaming Moscow for Hunter Biden's Laptop is "Russiagate Disinformation" globalresearch.ca 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 …

Adeyinka Makinde (2020-10-26). Recep Erdogan: Turkey's Meddlesome and Mischievious Neo-Ottoman Sultan. globalresearch.ca Turkish President Recep Erdogan's recent comments regarding his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron's mental state has led to the recall of the French ambassador from Ankara. His assertion that Macron was "in need of mental health treatment" was not his first …

Peoples Dispatch (2020-10-26). Thousands come out to mark anniversary of popular protests in Iraq. peoplesdispatch.org Protesters, who marched in several cities renewing their demands for an overhaul of Iraq's political system and an end to corruption, were met with police repression…

Binoy Kampmark (2020-10-26). Trusted Demonologies: US Electoral Interference, the Proud Boys and Iran. counterpunch.org Iran, Russia and electoral interference. It is all part of the delicious mess that any observer of US politics has come to expect. Were the US body politic capable of being examined on the clinician's couch, historical fears, psychic disturbances, and a range of unsettling syndromes would be identified. The issue of electoral interference would

Peoples Dispatch (2020-10-26). Indonesian trade unions call for bigger mobilization against Omnibus law. peoplesdispatch.org The Confederation of Indonesia Trade Union has called for massive protests in November if president Joko Widodo approves the Omnibus job creation law which weakens labor and environmental protection provisions…

WSWS (2020-10-26). France recalls ambassador to Turkey over Turkish criticisms of law on Islam. wsws.org The recalling of an ambassador is the most serious gesture taken between states short of a complete breakdown of diplomatic relations and war.

Andrea Germanos, staff writer (2020-10-26). At UN, Iranian Foreign Minister Blames US War on Terror for 'Countless Broken Societies'. commondreams.org The Iranian foreign minister took at at the "eight violent wars that the United States initiated or joined since 2001." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/zarif-75-un-war-terror.png

MEE and agencies (2020-10-26). 'Grossly disturbing': Australia refers invasive search of women at Qatar airport to police. middleeasteye.net 'Grossly disturbing': Australia refers invasive search of women at Qatar airport to police | Australian women were taken off plane and examined after the discovery of a newborn baby abandoned in the terminal | Mon, 10/26/2020 – 07: 37 | Hamad International Airport said the newborn found abandoned on 2 October had not been identified and was receiving medical care (AFP) | An incident at Doh…

Dr. Binoy Kampmark (2020-10-26). Impunity and Carefree Violence: Australia's Special Forces in Afghanistan. globalresearch.ca In 2016, Australian Major General Jeff Sengelman approached the then chief of the Australian army Lieutenant General Angus Campbell

David Coman-Hidy (2020-10-26). Half a Million Chickens Will Be Boiled Alive This Year. commondreams.org The level of suffering the vast majority of chickens in our nation's food supply chain endure is unimaginable to most—and it's cruelty that shouldn't exist. (Photo: Food & Water Watch) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/ban_factory_farms_0.jpg

Staff (2020-10-26). "They Wanted to Take My Womb Out": Survivor of Medical Abuse in ICE Jail Deported After Speaking Out. democracynow.org An independent medical review team has submitted a report to Congress on a lack of informed consent and "disturbing pattern" of questionable gynecological surgical procedures at the Irwin County Detention Center in Georgia, after an account from a nurse whistleblower in September prompted congressional and federal investigations. At least 19 women, most of whom are Black and Latina, have come forward to allege they were pressured into "unnecessary" gynecological treatment and surgeries — including procedures that left them sterile — while they were detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. We s…

Mehr News Agency (2020-10-26). US imposes new sanctions on Iran's Ministry of Petroleum. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 26 (MNA) — The US has imposed new sanctions on Iran's Ministry of Petroleum and a number of top Iranian officials.

Areeb Ullah (2020-10-26). Lebanon court rejects new migrant worker contract to replace criticised kafala system. middleeasteye.net Lebanon court rejects new migrant worker contract to replace criticised kafala system | Officials said the new standard contract for domestic workers would be the first step needed to abolish the kafala system | Mon, 10/26/2020 – 10: 36 | Ethiopian workers let go because of Lebanon's economic crisis wait outside Ethiopia's embassy in Beirut (AFP) | A court in Lebanon has suspended the implementation of a…

_____ (2020-10-26). Oxford Study Challenges Israel's Claims Concerning Palestinian Refugees. popularresistance.org There needs to be a fundamental change in the way Palestinian refugees are seen, no longer as victims but as people with rights who are entitled to shape their own destiny. This assertion is made in a new study whose importance cannot be overstated. | According to international law, Palestinian refugees have a right to return to their homes and land and receive restitution and compensation for their suffering and personal and communal losses. Furthermore, the State of Israel, which is responsible for Palestine's ethnic cleansing, must pay for the repatriation, the rehabilitation, and the rebuilding that the retur…

LGBTQ, homelessness, family, prison at 2020 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival (2020-10-26). LGBTQ, homelessness, family, prison at 2020 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival. peoplesworld.org In what is likely my final report from this year's Festival, here are more capsule reviews of short films from Hawaii being screened at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, which is taking place through Oct. 31. The topics include LGBTQ, homelessness, family, and prison. Gimme shelter: Strangers in their own homeland Writer/director Kimi …

Miko Peled (2020-10-26). This is Why Israel's Mass Protest Movement Will Never Lead to Change. mintpressnews.com Though seldom reported in the US, thousands are taking to the streets every week in Israel demanding that Netanyahu step down, but carefully crafted coalition agreements and the political reality in the country promise to keep him in the PM's seat for the foreseeable future.

_____ (2020-10-26). Chomsky: OPCW Cover-Up of Syria Probe Is 'Shocking'. strategic-culture.org Noam Chomsky says that the OPCW's cover-up, under US pressure, of a Syria chemical weapons probe raises "very severe suspicions." | Aaron MATÉ | In his first public comments on the OPCW's Syria cover-up scandal, Noam Chomsky criticizes the chemical watchdog for suppressing, under US pressure, evidence that undermined the pretext for the US-led bombing of Syria in April 2018. The censorship recently extended to the UN Security Council, where the US, UK, and France blocked former OPCW Director General José Bustani from testifying in support of the inspectors whose findings were kept from the public. | "What happene…

MEE and agencies (2020-10-26). Iraq's Kurdish region says it foiled PKK plot to attack foreign diplomats. middleeasteye.net Iraq's Kurdish region says it foiled PKK plot to attack foreign diplomats | The statement from KRG intelligence service comes a year after the killing of a Turkish diplomat in Erbil | Mon, 10/26/2020 – 12: 31 | A picture shows a general view of Erbil, the capital of the northern Iraqi Kurdish autonomous region on 20 October 2020 (AFP) | Authorities in Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region said…

Mehr News Agency (2020-10-26). VIDEO: Demonstrations in front of French embassy in Baghdad. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 26 (MNA) — Iraqis demonstrated on Monday in front of the French embassy in Baghdad, to protest against insulting the Prophet Muhammed by French President Emmanuel Macron.

Mehr News Agency (2020-10-26). Over 87 tons of narcotics seized in S Iran in 6 months. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 26 (MNA) — Police forces of the Sistan and Baluchestan province, southeastern Iran, have seized over 87 tons of illicit drugs in the first six months of the year.

Mehr News Agency (2020-10-26). US Withdrawal from INF grave mistake: Putin. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 26 (MNA) — Russian President Vladimir Putin Says US exit from Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty was a "grave mistake" which creates the risk of a renewal of the nuclear arms race.

Mehr News Agency (2020-10-26). Removing banking barrier activates Iran-Iraq border capacity. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 26 (MNA) — First Deputy Speaker of the Iranian Parliament said that removal of banking barrier will activate border capacities between Islamic Republic of Iran and Iraq.

Mehr News Agency (2020-10-26). Largest Iranian containership docks at Shahid Rajaee Port. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 26 (MNA) — The director general of Hormozgan Ports and Maritime Organization announced that the largest Iranian containership has docked at Shahid Rajaee Port in south Iran.

Mehr News Agency (2020-10-26). US spent 220 years of its history in war: Zarif. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 26 (MNA) — Iranian Foreign Minister said that the UN should contain its host which has spent 220 years of its history in war.

Mehr News Agency (2020-10-26). 'Careless Crime' to go on screen at Tokyo Filmex. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 26 (MNA) — Iranian film, 'Careless Crime' directed by Shahram Mokri will be screened at the Tokyo Filmex International Film Festival in Japan.

Mehr News Agency (2020-10-26). European troika still call for maintaining JCPOA: German FM. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 26 (MNA) — German Foreign Minister revealed the continuation of effort of European troika (UK, France and Germany) to maintain nuclear deal, JCPOA, with the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Mehr News Agency (2020-10-26). Western governments seeking to attribute terrorism to Islam. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 26 (MNA) — Chief of General Staff of Iranian Armed Force said that Western governments are seeking to attribute brutal acts of terrorism to Islam, while they themselves have created terrorist groups.

_____ (2020-10-26). Anti-Racist Activists Brutally Arrested In Michigan. popularresistance.org On Saturday, an anti-racist demonstration in Shelby Township, Michigan was brutally repressed by the police. According to a video posted online several dozen police turned out in full riot gear and riot shields and beat and assaulted protesters before arresting several of them. Many of those arrested were thrown to the ground and there are reports that officers reportedly kneeled on their necks while they were being restrained. One woman, a photographer, was stripped down to her underwear in the middle of the street before being searched and arrested.

Joan Walsh (2020-10-26). Can Georgia's Jon Ossoff Finish the Job This November? thenation.com Can Georgia's Jon Ossoff Finish the Job This November?

WSWS (2020-10-26). Sri Lankan parliament boosts president's autocratic powers. wsws.org The move towards dictatorship in Sri Lanka coincides with the drive by the ruling classes in every country towards fascist and autocratic rule.

_____ (2020-10-26). Early Leaders of India and Pakistan Ignored Religious Extremism Warnings. strategic-culture.org Indian Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi and various Muslim extremist political leaders of Pakistan represent the sum of all fears expressed by leaders of princely states and their governments at the dawn of India and Pakistan in the late 1940s. Secular political leaders, including the Indian National Congress (INC) leader Jawaharlal Nehru and All-India Muslim League leader Mohammed Ali Jinnah, claimed there was nothing to worry about since both majority Hindu India and majority Muslim Pakistan would be secular republics governed by leaders committed to democratic rule, not by dictates from Hindu nat…

Staff (2020-10-26). Survivor Deported After Speaking Out About Medical Abuse in ICE Jails. truthout.org An independent medical review team has submitted a report to Congress on a lack of informed consent and "disturbing pattern" of questionable gynecological surgical procedures at the Irwin County Detention Center in Georgia, after an account from a nurse whistleblower in September prompted congressional and federal investigations. At least 19 women, most of whom are Black and Latina, have come forward to allege they were pressured into "unnecessary" gynecological treatment and surgeries — includin…

_____ (2020-10-25). Blaming Moscow for Hunter Biden's Laptop Is Russiagate Disinformation. strategic-culture.org Aaron MATÉ | 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 a single leaked email or document, or denied that…

Caitlin Johnstone (2020-10-25). Nothing Will Fundamentally Change: Notes From The Edge Of The Narrative Matrix. thealtworld.com A propaganda machine that can make people worry about foreign governments while their own government is destroying lives in their own country and all over the world is a propaganda machine that can make people believe anything. | ~ | Americans are hurt by their own government infinitely more than they are hurt by Russia, China and Iran. People around the world are hurt by the US government far more than Americans are hurt by their own government. Stop worrying about foreigners, America. It serves only the powerful. | ~ | Joe Biden: Nothing will fundamentally change. | Liberals: THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ELECTION…

F. William Engdahl (2020-10-25). Will the Next Head of the WTO Impose a Gates-Davos "Great Reset" Agenda? globalresearch.ca It is all but certain that the next head of the influential World Trade Organization (WTO) will be an African by birth and a woman. But neither is what makes the all-but certain naming of Nigerian-born Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala cause for …

RT (2020-10-25). Third time's the charm? Armenia & Azerbaijan pledge to resume ceasefire on Monday after talks in Washington. rt.com Yerevan and Baku have renewed their commitments under a ceasefire deal agreed on earlier this month in Moscow, but which was plagued with violations from both sides, after separate meetings with US officials in Washington. | Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers representing the two regional rivals locked in a decades-old conflict over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh "reaffirmed their countries' commitment to implement and abide by the humanitarian ceasefire agreed in Moscow on October 10," the US, Armenia, and Azerbaijan said in a joint statement released by the US Department of State on Saturday. | The tr…

RT (2020-10-25). Third time's the charm? Armenia & Azerbaijan pledge to resume ceasefire on Monday after weekend talks in Washington. rt.com Yerevan and Baku have renewed their commitments under a ceasefire deal agreed on earlier this month in Moscow, but which was plagued with violations from both sides, after separate meetings with US officials in Washington. | Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers, representing the two regional rivals locked in a decades-old conflict over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh, "reaffirmed their countries' commitment to implement and abide by the humanitarian ceasefire agreed in Moscow on October 10," the US, Armenia, and Azerbaijan said in a joint statement released by the US Department of State on Saturday. | The…

Anthony Cartalucci (2020-10-25). US-funded Sedition in Hong Kong Officially "Join" Thai Mobs. thealtworld.com Thailand's protest movement is clearly part of the United States' regional anti-China campaign. | Bangkok Post in an article titled, "