Daily Archives: November 12, 2020

2020-11-12: News Headlines

Lucile Leclair (2020-11-12). The Biosecurity Myth That is Destroying Small Farming. counterpunch.org Chen Yun's pigs stopped eating, then developed a fever. Within a week, all 10,000 on his farm in Jiangxi, in southeast China, had died of African swine fever (ASF). In 2018-19 the virus affected every province and led to the slaughter of half the country's pigs. The outbreak spread from China to Southeast Asia; the

Staff (2020-11-12). Trump Loss Decreases Chance of Iran War, But Many Iraqis Fear U.S. Policy Under Biden, Too. democracynow.org We look at how Joe Biden's presidency will affect the U.S. footprint in the Middle East with Guardian correspondent Ghaith Abdul-Ahad, who says Biden's win is being viewed with "anxiety" by many Iraqis who are eager to avoid war between the U.S. and Iran. "Any conflict will take place on Iraqi soil," says Abdul-Ahad. "There is not much optimism. There is anxiety towards Biden and his team in the way they deal with Iraq."

Charles Pierson (2020-11-12). Trump's UAE Arms Sale Means More Slaughter in Yemen. counterpunch.org The Trump Administration has approved a $23.37 billion arms sale to the United Arab Emirates. A November 10 statement from US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says that the UAE needs the weapons in order to "defend itself against heightened threats from Iran." That sounds better than admitting that the UAE will use the weapons

Vijay Prashad — John Ross (2020-11-12). China is Working to Expand Its Ties to Latin America. counterpunch.org In mid-January 2020, 800 people gathered at Mexico's Ministry of Economy to celebrate "China Day" with a seminar on Chinese-Mexican relations. Mexico's Minister of Economy Graciela Márquez Colín, who has a PhD in economic history from Harvard University, said, "China and Mexico have to walk together, to build a stronger and more solid relationship." In

South Front (2020-11-12). Nagorno-Karabakh Leader Revealed Moral Crisis of Armenian Troops. globalresearch.ca Arayik Harutyunyan, President of the de-facto state of Artsakh, has called on the region's Armenians to stop looking for traitors and return to the region. | In a video message on November 11, Harutyunyan revealed a number of moral issues that …

Codepink (2020-11-12). CODEPINK Condemns False Accusations of Antisemitism Against GA Senate Candidate Rev. Warnock. zcomm.org As an organization committed to ending racism and militarism in the United States, as well as apartheid and injustice in Israel/Palestine, CODEPINK encourages Reverend Warnock to continue to speak out for freedom and equality for all in Palestine and Israel…

Andrew Korybko (2020-11-12). Syria's International Conference On Refugees Is A Masterclass In Balancing. thealtworld.com The kinetic phase of the Hybrid War of Terror on Syria has mostly drawn to a close, as evidenced by the milestone event of the country hosting an international conference on the return of refugees, which resulted in several significant outcomes that speak to the masterful execution of its "balancing" strategy and raise hope that the Arab Republic will eventually transform into the Eastern Mediterranean terminal point of China's visionary W-CPEC+ corridor across Eurasia. | Strategically Disarming "Weapons Of Mass Migration" | Syria's international conference on the return of refugees is a milestone event for the c…

Andrew Korybko (2020-11-12). Syria's International Conference on Return of Refugees. A Strategic Balancing Act. globalresearch.ca The kinetic phase of the Hybrid War of Terror on Syria has mostly drawn to a close, as evidenced by the milestone event of the country hosting an international conference on the return of refugees, which resulted in several significant …

Caitlin Johnstone (2020-11-12). There Are No War Heroes, Only War Victims: Notes From The Edge Of The Narrative Matrix. thealtworld.com It's still really, really weird that we don't all talk about Yemen all the time. It's like there's someone in the room being tortured with a blowtorch and we're all just chatting about politics at the dinner table without noticing. | ‚ùñ | I'm sorry your election results are being disputed as fraudulent, America. Have you tried not having the ‚ùñ | "The media do not decide who's president!"

Newsclick (2020-11-12). Russia Steps in to Negotiate Halt to Fighting in Nagorno Karabakh. peoplesdispatch.org Newsclick's Prabir Purkayastha looks at the implications of the recent ceasefire between Armenia and Azerbaijan which ended fighting in Nagorno Karabakh. He also analyzes the role of Russia…

_____ (2020-11-12). China And 14 Nations Ready To Sign World's Largest Trade Deal. popularresistance.org China is expected to sign a mega regional trade deal with 14 other countries in the Asia-Pacific region this weekend, wrapping up a major agreement before the next United States administration comes into office, Chinese officials said on Wednesday. | Leaders from China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) are expected sign the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) as they meet via teleconference on Sunday, according to Chinese officials.

Anthony Cartalucci (2020-11-12). US De-Lists Uyghur Terrorist Organization Aimed at China. thealtworld.com The US State Department quietly de-listed the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM) — a terrorist organization linked to Al Qaeda. | AFP in an article In a notice in the Federal Register, which publishes new…

Philip Weiss (2020-11-12). Will Trump Push Israeli Annexation Before January 20? And Israel Might Grab 'Once in a Lifetime' Chance. globalresearch.ca Trump will push annexation of West Bank, and if Netanyahu sees it as in his political interest to be antagonistic to Biden, he will accede, say two prominent Israel lobbyists. | *** | In the few weeks he has left, Donald Trump…

C. Douglas Lummis (2020-11-12). 'We Won't Quit Until We Stop It'. thenation.com 'We Won't Quit Until We Stop It'

Shirley Sze, Daniel Pan, Clareece R. Nevill, Laura J. Gray, Christopher A. Martin, Joshua Nazareth, Jatinder S. Minhas, Pip Divall, Kamlesh Khunti, Keith R. Abrams, Laura B. Nellums, Manish Pareek (2020-11-12). Ethnicity and clinical outcomes in COVID-19: A systematic review and meta-analysis. thelancet.com Individuals of Black and Asian ethnicity are at increased risk of COVID-19 infection compared to White individuals; Asians may be at higher risk of ITU admission and death. These findings are of critical public health importance in informing interventions to reduce morbidity and mortality amongst ethnic minority groups.

WSWS (2020-11-12). Sri Lankan government lifts limited lockdown despite rising infections. wsws.org From the beginning of October, the grossly understated official number of cases has increased dramatically by more than 10,000, while the death toll has risen by 33, or more than tripled.

RT (2020-11-11). Iran's enriched uranium stockpile is 12 TIMES over nuclear deal limit — IAEA. rt.com Iran has accumulated a low-enriched uranium stockpile that is 12 times greater than that allowed under the 2015 nuclear deal, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said. | A confidential report by the UN nuclear watchdog suggests that the total amount of enriched uranium in Iran's possession accounts for more than 2.4 tons, AP and Reuters reported, citing papers they saw. | The quantity is about 12 times higher than the limit of 202.8 kilograms set by the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) signed between Iran and Russia, China, France, Germany, the UK and EU, also known as the Iranian nuclear d…

C.J. Hopkins (2020-11-11). The War is Over … GloboCap Triumphs! dissidentvoice.org Okay, so, that was not cool. For one terrifying moment there, it actually looked like GloboCap was going to let Russian-Asset Hitler win. Hour after hour on election night, states on the map kept turning red, or pink, or some distinctly non-blue color. Wisconsin … Michigan … Georgia … Florida. It could not be happening, …

MEE and agencies (2020-11-11). Bahrain Prime Minister Sheikh Khalifa dies aged 84. middleeasteye.net Bahrain Prime Minister Sheikh Khalifa dies aged 84 | In office since 1970, Sheikh Khalifa Khalifa bin Salman was the longest-serving premier of any government in the world | Wed, 11/11/2020 – 08: 15 | Official mourning for Sheikh Khalifa, pictured praying in Manama, has been declared for a week (Reuters) | Bahrain's Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, the world's longest serving prime mi…

The Canary (2020-11-11). Hong Kong disqualifies four pro-democracy legislators. thecanary.co Hong Kong has disqualified four pro-democracy legislators. It comes after Beijing passed a resolution that would allow the local government to remove politicians from their positions if they're deemed a threat to national security.The disqualification came after meetings of China's National People's Congress Standing Committee on 10 and 11 November.China's official Xinhua news agency said the committee passed a resolution to disqualify those who: | Support Hong Kong's independence. | Refuse to acknowledge China's sovereignty over the city. | Commit acts that threaten national security. | Ask external forces to in…

MEE and agencies (2020-11-11). Saudi Arabia: Several wounded after blast strikes cemetery for non-Muslims. middleeasteye.net Saudi Arabia: Several wounded after blast strikes cemetery for non-Muslims | French foreign ministry says explosion targeted event marking end of World War One in Jeddah | Wed, 11/11/2020 – 10: 57 | An aerial picture shows deserted streets in the Saudi coastal city of Jeddah (AFP) | Four people were wounded in an explosion on Wednesday at the non-Muslim cemetery in Saudi Arabia's Jeddah du…

MEE and agencies (2020-11-11). Saudi Arabia: Four wounded after blast strikes cemetery for non-Muslims. middleeasteye.net Saudi Arabia: Four wounded after blast strikes cemetery for non-Muslims | French foreign ministry says explosion targeted event marking end of World War One in Jeddah | Wed, 11/11/2020 – 10: 57 | A picture shows the outside of a non-Muslim cemetery in the Saudi city of Jeddah where a bomb struck a World War I commemoration attended by European diplomats on 11 November 2020 leaving several…

Akram Al-Waara (2020-11-11). Palestinians bid their final goodbyes to Saeb Erekat at mass funeral. middleeasteye.net Palestinians bid their final goodbyes to Saeb Erekat at mass funeral | Hundreds of mourners gather in Jericho to pay their respects as chief Palestinian negotiator is laid to rest | Wed, 11/11/2020 – 14: 11 | Palestinian security forces carry the casket of Saeb Erekat into his family home in Jericho (Akram al-Waara/MEE)
| The family, friends and colleagues of chief Palestinian negotiator Sae…

MEE and agencies (2020-11-11). Israeli parliament approves deal establishing ties with Bahrain. middleeasteye.net Israeli parliament approves deal establishing ties with Bahrain | Agreement condemned by Palestinians as an act of betrayal passed with 62 lawmakers in favour and 14 opposed | Wed, 11/11/2020 – 07: 40 | Israel's prime minister predicted more regional countries would move to open relations with his country (AFP) | Israel's parliament on Tuesday approved a US-brokered deal establishing forma…

MEE staff (2020-11-11). UK urged to boycott G20 over Saudi Arabia's plans to displace Bedouin tribe. middleeasteye.net UK urged to boycott G20 over Saudi Arabia's plans to displace Bedouin tribe | Saudi Howeitat tribe accuses Riyadh of planning to expel them from their ancestors' land to build the megacity Neom on the Red Sea | Wed, 11/11/2020 – 12: 13 | Britain's Secretary of State and Foreign Affairs, Dominic Raab (Reuters) | A Saudi tribe has called on Britain's foreign secretary to boycott the G20 Summit set to be hosted b…

Elijah Magnier (2020-11-11). The US plan for weakening Hezbollah: a Civil War and the Exodus of the Christians. thealtworld.com The Christian political and religious leaders of Lebanon are theologically distant from Twelver Shia; they have political and ideological objectives that fundamentally differ from those of Hezbollah. Gebran Bassil, the Leader of the larger Christian Parliamentary Group "Al tayyar al-watani al-Hurr" (Free Patriotic Movement — FPM) made this clear last Sunday in a televised statement in response to

Ragip Soylu (2020-11-11). EXCLUSIVE: Turkish foreign minister to snub Pompeo during Istanbul visit. middleeasteye.net EXCLUSIVE: Turkish foreign minister to snub Pompeo during Istanbul visit | Outgoing secretary of state to finally travel to Turkey, though meeting the Orthodox patriarch is his priority | Wed, 11/11/2020 – 12: 12 | US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo meets with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu at the US Department of State in Washington DC on 3 April 2019 (AFP) | Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Ca…

RT (2020-11-11). 4 dead and 1 missing as Greek tanker collides with Turkish fishing boat in E. Mediterranean (VIDEO). rt.com A Greek crude oil tanker and a Turkish fishing vessel have collided in the Eastern Mediterranean, killing four men, amid heightened tensions over gas exploration in the contested waters. One person remains missing. | The Adana Governorate in Turkey confirmed that a collision took place between the Ephesos, a Greek-flagged tanker, and a Turkish fishing boat at 5: 50am local time on Wednesday. | The incident occurred around 15 nautical miles off the coast, not far from the city and port of Mersin. The cause of the accident was not reported. | The statement from Adana officials said search and rescue teams have re…

Media Lens (2020-11-11). Robert Fisk: Death of a "Controversial" Journalist. dissidentvoice.org Robert Fisk, the Independent's Middle East correspondent, died on 30 October aged 74. In reviewing his life and career, the newspaper for which he worked for more than two decades wrote of their star reporter: 'Much of what Fisk wrote was controversial…' As John Pilger noted, in describing Fisk's journalism as 'controversial' the Independent was …

United American Indians of New England (2020-11-11). Thursday 11/26: 50th Anniversary National Day of Mourning w/ Indigenous Leaders at Plymouth, MA. indybay.org Online via livestream from Plymouth, MA…

Pip Hinman (2020-11-11). Transitioning to an ecosocialist world system. greenleft.org.au Despite efforts in the Soviet Union, China and other post-revolutionary societies to create socialist systems, the efforts were hindered by complex historical, social structural, internal and external forces. Ecosocialism remains a vision, writes Hans Baer, and an overdue one.

Stephen Lendman (2020-11-11). Agreed on Armistice in Nagorno Karabakh? Brokered by Moscow. globalresearch.ca Since Azerbaijan forces attacked Armenian ones in Nagorno Karabakh (NK below) on September 27, both sides breached agreed on ceasefires three times. | Is this time different? | According to Russia's Izvestia on November 10, "Moscow has brokered an armistice in" the …

Paul Antonopoulos (2020-11-11). End of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) War Now May Prove to be Compromising Solution. globalresearch.ca From the Aegean to Central Asia, people were celebrating on the streets after Azerbaijan captured large swathes of Armenian-held territory in Artsakh, or more commonly known as Nagorno-Karabakh. After a month and a half of brutal warfare with no …

Mehr News Agency (2020-11-11). 2020 Kish Day commemorated on Iranian island. en.mehrnews.com KISH, Nov. 11 (MNA) — Aban 20 in the Iranian calendar, which fell on November 10 this year, is annually celebrated as Kish Day. This year's ceremony was held with Secretary of Iranian Free Zones High Council Morteza Bank inaugurating some projects.

Mehr News Agency (2020-11-11). MoU of 7th Iran-Qatar joint commission finalized. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Nov. 11 (MNA) — The text of the MoU of the joint commission meeting on cooperation between Iran and Qatar is finalized.

Miranda Dotson (2020-11-11). College Costs More Than What's on the Bill — That's Why Students Should Strike. thenation.com College Costs More Than What's on the Bill — That's Why Students Should Strike…

Mehr News Agency (2020-11-11). Trump joins dustbin of history. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Nov. 11 (MNA) — Trump has left a legacy that will continue to haunt Americans and some other nations, including Iranians, for the years to come.

Prof. Ruel F. Pepa (2020-11-11). Systemic Racial Inequity: Discrimination, Dehumanization and Destruction. globalresearch.ca "It is race, is it not, that puts the hundred millions of India under the dominion of a remote island in the north of Europe. Race avails much, if that be true, which is alleged, that all Celts are Catholics, …

Mehr News Agency (2020-11-11). VIDEO: Meeting of Iran FM, Pakistani Army chief. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Nov. 11 (MNA) — Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and Pakistani Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa conferred on the fight against terrorism and strengthening border security cooperation on Wednesday.

Mehr News Agency (2020-11-11). VIDEO: Iran, Pakistan to expand border trade exchange. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Nov. 11 (MNA) — Iran's visiting Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif is currently holding talks with his Pakistani counterpart, Shah Mahmood Qureshi to confer on a host of issues of mutual interest.

Mehr News Agency (2020-11-11). 'Indian equipment for Chabahar development to arrive by Mar.'. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Nov. 11 (MNA) — In an interview with Mehrnews, PMO Head Mohammad Rastad informed that the 1st consignment of the Indian equipment for the development of Chabahar Port will arrive in Iran by March 2021.

Mehr News Agency (2020-11-11). Iran, Syria explore avenues for boosting coop in water sector. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Nov. 11 (MNA) — Islamic Republic of Iran and Syria explored avenues for implementing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) inked between the two countries in the field of water and wastewater.

Mehr News Agency (2020-11-11). Zarif, Imran Khan highlight Tehran-Islamabad coop. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Nov. 11 (MNA) — Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif met and held talks with Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan in Islamabad on Wednesday.

Mehr News Agency (2020-11-11). Iran proposes creation of intl. fund for Syria reconstruction. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Nov. 11 (MNA) — In the Intl. Conference on the Return of Syrian Refugees, Iran proposed the establishment of an international fund for the reconstruction of Syria.

_____ (2020-11-11). Hybrid War On China Crafted By Marquee Brands Like Frontline. popularresistance.org Since the the good old days are here again with Biden, according to millions of clueless Democrats, the deep state media is wasting no time to ratchet up its "Chinagate" angle, just in case Biden should forget to go full hawk on Beijing (which is not likely to happen, judging from his record and the pool of war criminals he will be selecting from for his foreign policy cabinet). | Observe how in this promo mail, FRONTLINE, which once upon a time came up with some acceptable instances of journalism, is now, in the era of Russiagate, and Trump derangement, another victim of the all-enveloping media degeneracy in th…

sputniknews (2020-11-11). 'Inaccurate': Pentagon Rejects Taipei's Claims That US Marines Are Training Taiwanese Counterparts. sputniknews.com After Taiwanese defense leaders publicly revealed US troops were training Taiwanese soldiers on the island, the Pentagon claimed the reports were "inaccurate." However, the US has a long history of concealing its deploying of troops to the territory, which it formally recognizes as belonging to China.

Mehr News Agency (2020-11-11). Sidelines of Wed. Cabinet meeting. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Nov. 11 (MNA) — On the sideline of Iran's Cabinet session on Wednesday, some of the ministers answered a number of questions raised by reporters.

Mehr News Agency (2020-11-11). Zarif describes talks in Pakistan as 'detailed, fruitful'. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Nov. 11 (MNA) — Iranian Foreign Minister said that his talks with Pakistani officials on border commerce and security have been detailed and fruitful.

teleSUR (2020-11-11). Protesters in Armenia Call for PM to Step Down. telesurenglish.net Thousands of Armenian protesters took to the street demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan over a ceasefire that secured territorial advances for Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh after six weeks of conflict. | RELATED: | Several hundred marched on parliament in the capital Yerevan, chanting "Nikol is a traitor" as they felt betrayed after Pashinyan signed a deal to end the fighting. "This is a big failure…

Natalie Dowzicky (2020-11-11). The Best Way to Honor Dead Soldiers Is Not to Create More. globalresearch.ca Removing U.S. troops from Afghanistan by early 2021, or by Christmas as President Trump has