Daily Archives: November 3, 2020

2020-11-03: News Headlines

Gareth Porter (2020-11-03). How DHS and FBI officials spun a dubious Russian election threat days before voting. thegrayzone.com A Department of Homeland Security election alert spawning new Russia fears was so incoherent and inconsistent with previous findings, it suggested a state of political panic inside the agency. Just days before the 2020 election the bureaucratic forces behind the original claim of Russian hacking of state election-related websites in 2016 launched a new drive to spawn fears of Moscow-made political chaos in the wake of the voting. The new narrative was not consistent with information previously published by the …

Gareth Porter (2020-11-03). How a key Pentagon official turned China policy over to arms industry and Taiwan supporters. mronline.org Branded "Fortress Taiwan" by the Pentagon, the ambitious arms deal was the engineered by Randall Schriver, a veteran pro-Taiwan activist and anti-China hardliner whose think tank had been financed by America's biggest arms contractors and by the Taiwan government itself.

Philip Giraldi (2020-11-03). Israel Wins U.S. Election. thealtworld.com Congress and White House work together to reward the Jewish state | The U.S. election will end today, more or less, and we Americans will suffer another four years of putting up with serial nonsense out of a White House and Congress that could care less about us no matter who is elected. Whether the party where everything changes or the party where everything remains the same wins the inevitable result will be further aggrandizement of authoritarian power combined with increased distancing of government from the people who are ruled. | Amidst all the gloom, however, there is one great success story. That is the t…

_____ (2020-11-03). 'The Coming War On China' — Watch John Pilger's Powerfully Relevant Documentary. strategic-culture.org Caitlin JOHNSTONE | "The aim of this film is to break a silence: the United States and China may well be on the road to war, and nuclear war is no longer unthinkable," Pilger says in his 2016 documentary The Coming War on China, which "In a few years China has become the world's second-biggest economic power," Pilger's introduction continues. "The United States is the world's biggest military power, with bases and missiles and ships covering ever…

MEE and agencies (2020-11-03). Turkey earthquake: Rescue workers pull four-year-old girl from rubble as death toll rises to 102. middleeasteye.net Turkey earthquake: Rescue workers pull four-year-old girl from rubble as death toll rises to 102 | Four-year-old Ayda Gezgin was trapped under the rubble of a collapsed building in Izmir for four days | Tue, 11/03/2020 – 08: 12 | Death toll increased to 102 as rescue continues to search for survivors after Turkey suffered its most devastating earthquake in a decade (Reuters) | Turkish resc…

MEE and agencies (2020-11-03). Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict: Russia says will consider Iran's proposal to end fighting. middleeasteye.net Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict: Russia says will consider Iran's proposal to end fighting | Tehran has offered to take a leading role in negotiations to establish peace in Nagorno-Karabakh region | Tue, 11/03/2020 – 14: 08 | Reservists keep watch in the Shusha region on 31 October 2020, amid the ongoing military conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh. (AFP) | Russia is co…

Prabhat Patnaik (2020-11-03). How India's Modi is changing laws to help imperialists dominate the country's agriculture. mronline.org The fact that the Center made unilateral and fundamental changes in agricultural marketing arrangements that fall within the State List of the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution was a blow against federalism.

MEE and agencies (2020-11-03). Covid-19: Saudi Arabia's Aramco announces major slump in profits. middleeasteye.net Covid-19: Saudi Arabia's Aramco announces major slump in profits | Saudi state oil company revealed it had suffered a 44.6 percent decline in profits in the third-quarter | Tue, 11/03/2020 – 13: 59 | Saudi Aramco's Abqaiq oil processing plant (AFP) | Profits in Saudi Arabia's state oil company have taken a severe hit as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, slumping by 44.6 percent in the…

MEE staff (2020-11-03). Covid-19: Scores of Palestinian prisoners infected. middleeasteye.net Covid-19: Scores of Palestinian prisoners infected | The Palestinian Committee of Prisoners' Affairs blames 'bad measures' inside Gilboa prison for the spread of the coronavirus | Tue, 11/03/2020 – 15: 05 | Palestinian prisoners and visitors at Gilboa prison in central Israel in 2006 (AFP) | Around 73 Palestinian prisoners have tested positive for Covid-19 inside the Israeli prison of Gilboa, according to the…

MEE and agencies (2020-11-03). Bahrain approves use of experimental Covid-19 vaccine for frontline workers. middleeasteye.net Bahrain approves use of experimental Covid-19 vaccine for frontline workers | Bahrain's health minister said clinical trials showed the Chinese vaccine was 'safe and effective' | Tue, 11/03/2020 – 12: 13 | A volunteer disinfects a bed as Muslim Shia mourners give blood as part of Ashura commemorations, in Alnoaim village, a suburb of the Bahraini capital Manama (AFP) | Bahrain has approved…

Ragip Soylu (2020-11-03). 'We can only pray': Four Turkish citizens held by Haftar in eastern Libya. middleeasteye.net 'We can only pray': Four Turkish citizens held by Haftar in eastern Libya | Nothing has been heard from the dessert shop workers since they were seized by the LNA in Sirte in February | Tue, 11/03/2020 – 07: 27 | A member of Libyan National Army (LNA) commanded by Khalifa Haftar, points his gun to the image of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan hanged on a Turkish military armored vehicle (Reuters) | Yakup…

MEE and agencies (2020-11-03). Qatar to hold first national elections in October 2021: Emir. middleeasteye.net Qatar to hold first national elections in October 2021: Emir | The proposed vote comes after years of delays for the prospective elections on the Shura council | Tue, 11/03/2020 – 10: 09 | The proposed vote will be for two-thirds or 30 of the 45 members of the Shura council (Reuters) | Qatar's Emir said the Gulf State will hold an unprecedented election for its advisory Shura council in Oc…

Ted Kelly (2020-11-03). International calls for release of Palestinian prisoner on hunger strike. workers.org The International Association of Democratic Lawyers, in a resolution released late last month, called for the immediate release of Maher al-Akhras, a Palestinian man imprisoned by Israeli occupation. Detained without charges under the notorious "administrative detention" policy, al-Akhras has been staging a hunger strike for almost 100 days. Hunger striker . . . |

Lucas Leiroz de Almeida (2020-11-03). Relations Between Mexico and India Are on the Rise. asia-pacificresearch.com

_____ (2020-11-03). Missing And Murdered Indigenous Women And Girls Committee Releases Final Report. popularresistance.org Arizona's Study Committee on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls has posted its final report, including dozens of specific legislative, law enforcement and other policy recommendations to address the ongoing crisis. After nearly a year of in-depth research, which was slowed by COVID-19 and some enforcement agencies choosing not to participate, Arizona got its clearest picture to date of the increasing crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. | "Our work will not end with this report; this is only the beginning," said Chairwoman Rep. Jennifer Jermaine, D-Chandler.

news.un (2020-11-03). 'Super typhoon' Goni: Towns cut off as COVID-19 impacts response. news.un.org "Super storm" Typhoon Goni has left several towns inaccessible and destroyed thousands of homes in the Philippines, the UN humanitarian wing has said, adding that relief efforts have been complicated by the coronavirus pandemic.

Paul Antonopoulos (2020-11-03). France and Turkey Not Embroiled in "Clash of Civilizations" but Rather Geopolitical Struggle. globalresearch.ca The horrific terrorist attacks in France and the confrontation that erupted between Paris and Ankara has questioned alliances and changed the geopolitical landscape in the East Mediterranean and Africa.

WSWS (2020-11-03). Ukraine, Turkey deepen military alliance in Black Sea region. wsws.org The systematic NATO encirclement of Russia has turned seemingly isolated conflicts in the region into dangerous flashpoints that threaten to spark a major war involving the US, nuclear-armed Russia and countries such as Turkey.

Anthony Cartalucci (2020-11-03). 4 Myths About the Thai Monarchy Spread by US-Funded Protest Leaders. thealtworld.com Washington's growing confrontation with China is dragging in many of China's closest regional allies including Thailand. In a bid to divide and overthrow Thailand's institutions to make way for a pro-Washington client regime — efforts have been focused on undermining the nation's 700+ year old monarchy. | I break down 4 of the most common myths spread by the US-funded opposition and repeated endlessly by the Western corporate media. | Disclaimer: | For legal reasons I want to make it clear when I refer to "Yingluck Shinawatra" I am referring to her government and its supporters and not Yingluck Shinawatra…

Prof. Richard Hardigan (2020-11-03). Shameful Treatment of Refugees on Greek Island: A Snapshot. globalresearch.ca On Sunday, October 11, Mohammad was lying on the road, holding his foot and screaming in pain. "You treat us worse than dogs!" he shouted at the hospital. A twenty-year-old refugee from the province of Homs in Syria he, like …

Peoples Dispatch (2020-11-03). Widespread condemnation of Israeli raids and arrests of Palestinian leaders, activists. peoplesdispatch.org Organizations have called for the swift and unconditional release of all the Palestinian leaders and activists arrested in the late night raids on Monday, while also demanding freedom for all Palestinian political prisoners and administrative detainees…

Joseph Thomas (2020-11-03). China's Growing Ties with Laos. asia-pacificresearch.com

_____ (2020-11-03). Sacha Baron Cohen, Propagandist. strategic-culture.org Ayman Abu Aita is a family man. For years, he was a grocer by trade, running his shop in Bethlehem while serving on the board of the Holy Land Trust, a nonprofit group working for peaceful reconciliation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Like many Palestinians, he is a Christian, a practicing member of the Greek Orthodox Church.

Stephen Lendman (2020-11-02). No Letup in US War on Iran by Other Means Ahead. globalresearch.ca On all things Iran under both right wings of the US war party, transforming the country into a subservient vassal state is a high priority. | Regardless of whether Republicans or Dems control the White House and/or Congress, things won't change …

RT (2020-11-02). France sparks outrage in Turkey with plans to outlaw 'Grey Wolves' nationalist group. rt.com Turkish members of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) have condemned the French government's decision to ban a pan-Turkish nationalist group known as the 'Grey Wolves.' | On Monday, French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin announced during a National Assembly meeting about the country's fight against Islamist militants that the cabinet will consider banning the Turkish right-wing group when it meets on Wednesday. | Huseyin Sozlu, a member of the MHP,

RT (2020-11-02). Discrimination against men? Navalny-ally Milov challenges law preventing mothers of young kids being imprisoned, but not fathers. rt.com Russian activist Vladimir Milov has complained to the Constitutional Court about sexism against men embedded in the country's laws. In Russia, women with young children cannot be jailed for administrative offenses, but men can. | As per the country's legal code, certain sections of society cannot be detained for administrative offenses, such as pregnant women, people under 18, and women with children under the age of 14. In 2019, Milov was jailed for 30 days despite having a two-year-old son, and now wants the law to be changed to include fathers with children under 14, as well as mothers. | According to the T…

Joe Gill (2020-11-02). Israeli drone maker targeted by activists in UK on Balfour anniversary. middleeasteye.net Israeli drone maker targeted by activists in UK on Balfour anniversary | Elbit Systems UK factories are hit in direct action protests to 'decommemorate' 1917 declaration over ongoing UK complicity in dispossession of Palestinians | Mon, 11/02/2020 – 15: 23 | Pro-Palestine activists locked themselves to the gates of UAV Engines' Shenstone factory, where motors for Elbit Systems UK drones are built, on Monday (Scre…

Areeb Ullah (2020-11-02). Uighur scholar fears deportation from Saudi Arabia. middleeasteye.net Uighur scholar fears deportation from Saudi Arabia | Aimidoula Waili was arrested twice in China and fears he will be sent to a 're-education' camp if taken back | Mon, 11/02/2020 – 14: 28 | Waili said he was unable to fly back to Turkey where he has residency due to fears of possible deportation if taken to the airport (Supplied) | Activists fear that a Uighur religious scholar who travelled to Saudi Ar…

MEE and agencies (2020-11-02). France set to ban Turkish ultra-nationalist Grey Wolves. middleeasteye.net France set to ban Turkish ultra-nationalist Grey Wolves | The move comes as tensions between Turkey and France are at a high over a range of issues | Mon, 11/02/2020 – 16: 08 | A French army soldier stands guard as a police officer walks by outside the National Armenian Memorial Centre in Decines-Charpieu, near Lyon, on 1 November 2020 (AFP) | France is set to ban the Turkish ultra-nationa…

Ronda Shelton (2020-11-02). More than 20 percent of Black Tennesseans barred from voting. liberationnews.org As millions of Americans cast their vote in the upcoming Presidential election, more than 20 percent of Black Tennesseans will be unable to participate due to past felony convictions. That's 1 out of 5 Black adult Tennesseans. The state's racial makeup is 78 percent white, 17 percent Black, 1.7 percent Asian, 0.3 percent Native American, …

Hans Baer (2020-11-02). Ecosocialism: an alternative to global capitalism. mronline.org Over the past four decades or so, various leftists have become more sensitive to the environmental degradation in developed and developing capitalist societies and post-revolutionary societies, particularly in the former Soviet Union and, in recent times, China.

RT (2020-11-02). Beijing warns of reciprocal action as US delays visa renewals for Chinese journalists. rt.com China has warned it will take all necessary measures to protect Chinese journalists in the US, as Washington continues a "political crackdown" by delaying visa renewals for Chinese reporters. | Some journalists were notified last week that their applications for visa extensions were approved by the US, and valid from August 4 to November 4, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin told reporters. That means the actual validity period of their visas would be less than a week, and for some, only three days. | Other Chinese journalists have yet to receive a clear response from the US, which is demanding…

MEE and agencies (2020-11-02). UAE foreign minister says Macron 'absolutely right' on Muslim integration. middleeasteye.net UAE foreign minister says Macron 'absolutely right' on Muslim integration | Anwar Gargash rejects claims that French president expressed intentions to isolate Muslims, while Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Bin Zayed hails France's 'cultural diversity' | Mon, 11/02/2020 – 12: 16 | UAE's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash speaks during a press conference in Sudan's capital Khartoum o…

The Canary (2020-11-02). Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe 'relieved' at avoiding prison after court hearing. thecanary.co Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe has expressed her relief at not being sent back to prison after appearing before a court in Iran, according to her family.The 42-year-old British-Iranian dual national was told she would be returned to Evin prison in Tehran following Monday's hearing, but it was adjourned before she could put forward a defence, her husband Richard Ratcliffe said.She has been detained in Iran since 2016, when she was sentenced to five years in prison over allegations, which she denies, of plotting to overthrow the Iranian government. | Free Nazanin campaign can confirm that today (Monday 2 November) Nazan…

MEE staff (2020-11-02). Israel's demolitions in West Bank and East Jerusalem reach four-year high. middleeasteye.net Israel's demolitions in West Bank and East Jerusalem reach four-year high | At least 741 Palestinians have lost their homes between January and September | Mon, 11/02/2020 – 12: 32 | An Israeli bulldozer demolishes a Palestinian farm in the village of al-Fikheet within area C, south of the occupied West Bank, 18 October 2020 (AFP) | Israeli demolitions of Palestinian properties have hit a four-year high, makin…

MEE and agencies (2020-11-02). UAE defends Macron amid France tensions. middleeasteye.net UAE defends Macron amid France tensions | Emirati foreign affairs minister rejects claims that French president expressed intentions to isolate Muslims, while Crown Prince Bin Zayed hails France's 'cultural diversity' | Mon, 11/02/2020 – 12: 16 | UAE's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash speaks during a press conference in Sudan's capital Khartoum on 14 January 2020 (AFP)…

MEE and agencies (2020-11-02). Turkey: Three-year-old girl rescued from collapsed building days after deadly earthquake. middleeasteye.net Turkey: Three-year-old girl rescued from collapsed building days after deadly earthquake | The 6.9 magnitude earthquake has killed at least 85 people in Turkey and Greece since Friday | Mon, 11/02/2020 – 09: 26 | Three-year-old Elif holding the finger of a rescue worker on Monday after she was found under the rubble of a collapsed building, 65 hours following the earthquake struck Izmir (R…

Areeb Ullah (2020-11-02). Saudi Arabia 'censored' criticism by top economist during T20 summit. middleeasteye.net Saudi Arabia 'censored' criticism by top economist during T20 summit | Nobel Laureate Joseph Stiglitz criticised Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman over the murder of Jamal Khashoggi | Mon, 11/02/2020 – 11: 15 | Joseph Stiglitz shed light on human rights violations in Saudi Arabia during his virtual participation at the Think 20 summit hosted by Riyadh (Screengrab) | Saudi Arabia censored a speech gi…

news.un (2020-11-02). Philippines: Humanitarians respond as millions caught in wake of devastating 'super typhoon'. news.un.org UN agencies and humanitarian actors in the Philippines are mobilizing to support communities hit by super Typhoon Goni, which has barrelled across the country, leaving massive devastation in its wake.

news.un (2020-11-02). UN rights chief warns of possible war crimes in Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. news.un.org The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has warned of possible war crimes in the ongoing fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone.

_____ (2020-11-02). 'Let The World Remember How We Lost Palestine'. popularresistance.org Occupied Palestine – Today, Palestinians and human rights advocates around the world are marking 103 years since the Balfour Declaration was issued on November 2, 1917. | Using the hashtag #Balfour103, Palestinian and pro-Palestine activists have called to participate in a campaign they launched to commemorate the 103rd anniversary of the Balfour Declaration, rejecting the ominous promise. | The Balfour Declaration was issued by Britain when Arthur James Balfour, Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, sent a letter to Lord Lionel Walter Rothschild, one of the leaders of the World Zionist movement…

Max Abrahms (2020-11-02). France at knifepoint as IS, Al-Qaeda incite new terrorist wave. thealtworld.com Current wave of terrorism in France is reminiscent of recent attacks when IS had caliphate in Syria and Iraq, says professor Max Abrahms | France is believed to be facing a new terrorist threat, similar to the attacks that hit the European country in 2015 and 2016. Some groups representing Islamic State (IS) and Al-Qaeda exploit the outrage over controversial cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed. | In October, the country saw several attacks that pushed the government to raise the nationwide terror alert level to maximum. The new terror alert level comes just as France goes into a second national lockdown that…

Mehr News Agency (2020-11-02). 11th National Ceramic Biennial of Iran. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Nov. 02 (MNA) — On Oct. 31, the 11th National Ceramic Biennial of Iran was inaugurated virtually in Niavaran Cultural Center in which 94 works by 87 Iranian artists will be displayed for a month.

Mehr News Agency (2020-11-02). Iran, Russia discuss expanding coop. within EAEU. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Nov. 02 (MNA) — Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for the Economic Diplomacy Affairs and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister conferred on boosting relations within the framework of EAEU.

Mehr News Agency (2020-11-02). Muslims celebrate birthday of Prophet of Islam, Imam Sadiq. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Nov. 3 (MNA) — Shia Muslims in Iran and around the world observe the birthday anniversary of Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and Imam Jafar al-Sadiq (PBUH) on Tuesday.

Rohollah Faghihi (2020-11-02). Millions of Iranians at Risk as US Sanctions Choke Insulin Supplies. globalresearch.ca A new tranche of sanctions imposed by the US on Iran has exacerbated the insulin shortage crisis in the Islamic Republic and boosted its smuggling, patients and doctors told Middle East Eye. | On 8 October, the US Treasury announced that …

Raul Diego (2020-11-02). Freedom of Speech on the Internet is all but Extinct: Facebook's New "Free Speech Court" Is Anything but Independent. globalresearch.ca Freedom of speech on the Internet is all but extinct, and on the eve of the 2020 US elections, a de facto "free speech court" is going to make sure it never comes back. On Facebook at least. | ***…

Mehr News Agency (2020-11-02). 22 Iranian convicts transferred from Iraq to Islamic Republic. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Nov. 02 (MNA) — Iranian Deputy Justice Minister for Human Rights and International Affairs said that 22 Iranian convicts have been transferred from Iraq to Iran.

Mehr News Agency (2020-11-02). Army will not allow any enemy's aggression against Iran. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Nov. 3 (MNA) — Iran's Army Forces in a statement on Monday on the occasion of Aban 13, which marks the anniversary of US Embassy Takeover, said that Army Forces of the country will not allow any aggression of enemy against the Islamic Iran.

Anthony Cartalucci (2020-11-02). Thailand's Monarchy and Why the US Targets It. thealtworld.com I attended an annual event Thailand's King Rama 10 presided over and witnessed thousands of Thai people attend to celebrate their culture, history, and their monarchy which is the living embodiment of both. | I explain how Thailand's monarchy is not a Western or Middle Eastern monarchy and should not be analyzed as such. Thailand's monarchy is the key to why the nation has never been colonized by Western imperialists in its 700 year history. | And today Thai people have sent a clear message to US-funded mobs that there are still many who believe in this Thailand and not what the mobs seek to transform it into.