Daily Archives: November 14, 2020

2020-11-14: News Headlines

_____ (2020-11-14). Update: Abby Martin's Lawsuit Over Israel Loyalty Oath Mandate In US. popularresistance.org New developments in Abby Martin's major lawsuit challenging unconstitutional pro-Israel, anti-BDS law in the state of Georgia. | Abby Martin: "In February of this year, I was supposed to give a keynote speech at Georgia Southern University. Before the event, I refused to sign a state-mandated pledge to not boycott Israel in order to speak. My invitation was rescinded and the conference canceled as a result. I decided to sue the state of Georgia because signing an anti-BDS clause in order to work in the state is a direct violation of my rights to Constitutional free speech and to participate in political boycotts.

Caitlin Johnstone (2020-11-14). Unelected Officials Override The President To Continue Wars (But Only Kooks Believe In The Deep State). thealtworld.com Outgoing US envoy to Syria James Jeffrey stated in a recent interview with Defense One that US officials have been …

Richard Horton (2020-11-14). [Comment] Offline: A different kind of lockdown. thelancet.com In April, 2019, Dr Mai Alkaila became the first woman to be appointed Minister of Health in the occupied Palestinian territory. An obstetrician and gynaecologist by training, she later earned a PhD in health policy and systems. But she also had a taste for diplomacy and has served the State of Palestine as Ambassador to Chile and Italy. Perfect credentials, one might imagine, for a role that comes with already delicate political challenges. And then the COVID-19 pandemic struck. How was a divided land and a divided government under occupation going to handle a health emergency that was confounding even the most u…

Deirdre Griswold (2020-11-14). Class oppression and the virus. workers.org The United States continues to lead the world — in the number of COVID-19 cases as well as in deaths. As of Nov. 9, this rich, high-tech imperialist country has now registered 243,302 deaths from the virus. This is twice as many coronavirus deaths as in India, even though the . . . |

Anand Naidoo (2020-11-14). The Heat: US presidential race and coronavirus surge. america.cgtn.com China on Friday congratulated Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, saying China will respect the choice of the American people…one week after the US media projected the former United States Vice President as the winner of the presidential election.

Staff (2020-11-14). Women and Students Are Leading Thailand's Fight for Democracy. truthout.org A mass movement for democracy has swept Thailand since July. Led by a new generation of students and workers, protests have taken place throughout the country. They are fighting for a profound transformation of Thai society. Thai socialist

Mehr News Agency (2020-11-14). IRGC launches attack on anti-revolutionary group in NW Iran. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Nov. 14 (MNA) — IRGC's Hamza Sayyid al-Shuhada Base announced that it has targeted the positions of anti-Revolutionary groups on the other side of the Iranian border.

_____ (2020-11-14). VIDEO: Russian Diplomacy Pulls Caucasus from Brink of Disaster. strategic-culture.org

Devi Sridhar (2020-11-14). [Perspectives] Staying sane in our new COVID-19 world. thelancet.com COVID-19 spread like wildfire across the world: from China to its neighbouring countries to east Asia, Iran, Europe, and the rest of the world. This pandemic showed how connected the world has become, and how even the best mathematical modelling could not predict which countries would be first affected and how elite travellers would move from hotels to ski resorts to cruise ships and restaurants. But during the pandemic, there has been anxiety about the virus and considerable uncertainty, with widespread reports of mental health issues and feelings of isolation, especially under lockdowns.

Mehr News Agency (2020-11-14). Iran's trade vol. exchange with Europe at $8.8bn in 7 months. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Nov. 14 (MNA) — Spokesman of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA) put the country's trade volume exchanged with Europe in the seven months of the current year (from March 21 to Oct. 22) at $8.8 billion.

Mike Daube, Maurice Swanson (2020-11-14). [Correspondence] Conflicts of interest should be declared. thelancet.com In her Correspondence about smoking cessation programmes in China,1 Yuchen Xue declares no competing interests. However, she writes from the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World, which is entirely funded by Philip Morris International, a tobacco company that has been heavily criticised for promoting tobacco industry agendas.

Mehr News Agency (2020-11-14). Iraqi army captures ISIL commander in Al Anbar province. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Nov. 14 (MNA) — Iraqi army forces identified and arrested an ISIL commander in a large-scale operation in Al Anbar province.

Peoples Dispatch (2020-11-14). Yet another journalist killed in Afghanistan. peoplesdispatch.org On November 12, a journalist was killed and three others were critically wounded in an improvised bomb blast in Helmand's Lashkar Gah. 33-year-old Elyas Dayee was associated with Radio Free Afghanistan RFE/RL. | In another bomb blast last week, former Tolo news presenter Yama Siawash was killed in Kabul's Makrorayan-e-Char. Siawash had recently joined Afghanistan's central bank as an adviser. Abdullah Abdullah, who head the country's peace and reconciliation process, termed his death "an forgivable and unforgettable crime." | As many as 50 journalists and dozens of rights activists have been killed in Afghanistan…

Women's March Action (2020-11-14). Monday 11/16: Georgia: Let's Get It! Mass Organizing Call w/ Women's March Action. indybay.org Online organizing call…

Peoples Dispatch (2020-11-14). Pro-govt. groups gain advantage in Jordanian polls amid poor turnout. peoplesdispatch.org Pro-government figures and independents won a majority of seats with a large number of them from military backgrounds. Out of 130 elected members, 100 are first-time winners…

Prabir Purkayastha (2020-11-14). Good news on vaccines but what about its delivery? peoplesdispatch.org If we plan to vaccinate the entire Indian people, the states need to be involved in a big way, however, the Modi government has so far centralized all aspects of the management of the epidemic, treating it only as an administrative problem.

Mehr News Agency (2020-11-14). Iran ready to aid Iraq boost its defense capabilities: Hatami. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Nov. 14 (MNA) — Iran's Minister of Defense voiced Iran's readiness to help Iraq strengthen its defense capabilities.

Danica Jorden (2020-11-14). Police Fire on Femicide Protest in Cancún. zcomm.org The details were sickening and at the same time so familiar. Another young woman missing, raped, murdered and mutilated…

Mehr News Agency (2020-11-14). Iranian "The Hunter" to vie at Canadian HECFF. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Nov. 14 (MNA) — The documentary film "The Hunter" directed by an Iranian filmmaker will be taking part in Human-Environment Care Film Festival in Canada.

Mehr News Agency (2020-11-14). Iran produces effective antiviral COVID-19 drug. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Nov. 14 (MNA) — Iranian researchers have developed an effective COVID-19 drug that has been approved by Iran's Food and Drug Administration (IFDA).

American Indian Resource Center at UCSC (2020-11-14). Friday 11/20: Indigethanx. indybay.org Online Event | http: //bit.ly/INDIGETHANX20…

Juan Cole (2020-11-13). Georgia Sen. David Perdue Ready to Save His Ocean-Front Mansion From Rising Seas While Voting to Burn More Oil and Gas. commondreams.org Perdue, who is worth between $13 million and $39 million, is worried about rising sea levels. But he votes like he isn't worried, because he is sure he has the wealth to protect his own property from the worst effects, at least in his lifetime. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/perdue_0.jpg

RT (2020-11-13). A very good boy: Turkmenistan unveils six-meter-tall golden statue of president's favorite dog breed. rt.com Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov has unveiled a giant statue of a dog in the center of Ashgabat, the country's capital. The gilded monument is dedicated to the Alabai, a popular breed in the Central Asian country. | Six meters tall on a nine-meter-high plinth, the canine statue is in the middle of a busy roundabout, surrounded by a brand new housing development. | According to the Turkmen government, "the sculpture looks very majestic," depicting the "dignity and self-assuredness" of the Alabai breed. The statue "is clearly visible from all sides and visible from a distance," the statement says.

Joseph Natoli (2020-11-13). The 77/72* Phenomenal World Divide. counterpunch.org "I can't tell you how many people are saying Trump's saying what I've been thinking all my life." "Most of them [Biden voters] are morons." "That V.P. of Biden's, oh my God, that woman is vicious," "The worst thing about the Trump presidency isn't what we've learned about Trump. It's what we've learned about our

Liberation Staff (2020-11-13). Protesters in Georgia demand justice for Jabril Robinson. liberationnews.org "This could've been anybody just like me, anyone who has dreads, anyone from Clayton County. That's why this is personal for me," said Johnny Ross, cofounder of the Justice For Georgia Coalition which organized the protest.

Marco Carnelos (2020-11-13). If US sanctions on Lebanon are about corruption, Saad Hariri should be top of list. thealtworld.com If the US was truly concerned about corruption in Lebanon, it should have targeted the discredited prime minister | The US Treasury recently Unfortunately, as frequently occurs with the US…

MEE staff (2020-11-13). 'Dangerous precedent': Palestinian premier warns Pompeo over settlement visit. middleeasteye.net 'Dangerous precedent': Palestinian premier warns Pompeo over settlement visit | Mike Pompeo's visit, a first for a US secretary of state, will 'legitimise' Israeli settlements despite international consensus over their illegality, warns Prime Minister Shtayyeh | Fri, 11/13/2020 – 21: 32 | Protesters in Nablus burn cardboard cutout of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo earlier this year during demonstration agai…

The Canary (2020-11-13). Met Commissioner admits force 'not free of discrimination, racism or bias'. thecanary.co The Metropolitan Police commissioner has said she feels "very sorry" that trust among Black communities is so low, as she admitted her force "is not free of discrimination, racism or bias".Cressida Dick issued a statement as the force outlined plans for 40% of new recruits to be from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds (BAME) from 2022.It comes as London mayor Sadiq Khan published an action plan to address concerns over the use of police powers affecting Black Londoners, including stop and search and the use of Tasers. It also comes after the mother of Stephen Lawrence argued "that there has been very li…

MEE staff (2020-11-13). Obama says disagreements with Israel carried 'domestic political cost': Report. middleeasteye.net Obama says disagreements with Israel carried 'domestic political cost': Report | In excerpts from upcoming book, former US president accuses Benjamin Netanyahu of orchestrating political pressure on his administration | Fri, 11/13/2020 – 16: 43 | Obama says AIPAC echoed Israeli government even when it was "contrary to US policy" (AFP/File photo) | In his upcoming memoir, A Promised Land, former US president Ba…

RT (2020-11-13). Soldiers and civilians reportedly killed as shells fired along Pakistan-India border in Kashmir (VIDEO). rt.com At least a dozen people have been killed in fighting between Pakistani and Indian forces at the disputed border in Kashmir, according to reports, in one of the deadliest encounters between the two militaries this year. | Indian officials reported the death of six civilians, three soldiers and one border guard following a day of heavy shelling between the neighboring states on Friday. | Meanwhile, Pakistan reports four civilian deaths but has not named any military fatalities, despite Indian officials claiming that they inflicted casualties among Pakistani security forces. | Both sides contend that the other in…

RT (2020-11-13). Ties between Moscow & OPCW going through 'period of challenges,' but point of no return not yet reached, Russian envoy tells RT. rt.com The US and its allies are trying to turn the UN's chemical arms watchdog into a political tool, but it remains an important platform via which Moscow can defend its interests, Alexander Shulgin, Russian envoy to the body, told RT. | The ambassador was speaking in the light of a statement made by Russia's Permanent Representative to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, on Thursday. Nebenzia had suggested that the country may well consider quitting the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) altogether, if "it completely loses credibility." | The statement was made amid a row between Moscow and the Wes…

Paul Antonopoulos (2020-11-13). War in Ethiopia Threatens China's Economic Penetration in Africa. globalresearch.ca Less than a year after being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed launched a military operation against the country's northern Tigray province. Ethiopia is often described as the Horn of Africa's pillar of stability and …

WSWS (2020-11-13). Socialist Equality Group webinar discusses New Zealand and US elections. wsws.org Speakers debunked the claims of pseudo-left groups that the re-election of Jacinda Ardern's Labour Party is a win for workers, and outlined the stronger military alliance between New Zealand and the US in the context of a crisis of democracy in Washington and preparations for war against China.

Kim Petersen (2020-11-13). The Ramblings of a Self-confessed Liar, Cheater, and Thief. dissidentvoice.org On 10 November 2020, the United States secretary-of-state Mike Pompeo, he of the ill-famed confession "We lied, we cheated, we stole," spoke at the Ronald Reagan Institute. The liar Pompeo can even speak candidly, "I've talked about American exceptionalism. I did so in Brussels; I did it in Cairo; I did it in Jakarta, and …

commondreams (2020-11-13). Student Action Spurs Student Vote to Help Turn Georgia Blue and Defeat Trump. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Mehr News Agency (2020-11-13). VIDEO:Moment Saudi mercenaries targeted by Yemen's Ansarullah. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Nov. 13 (MNA) — Saudi Arabia's mercenaries were targeted by Yemen's Ansarullah military forces.

Mehr News Agency (2020-11-13). Five Iranian COVID-19 vaccines included in WHO's list: IFDA. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Nov. 13 (MNA) — Spokesman of Iran Food and Drug Administration (IFDA) announced that five Iranian vaccines were included in the list of candidates of coronavirus, COVID-19, vaccine of World Health Organization (WHO).

Johanna Ross (2020-11-13). With Biden, Don't Expect this 'Cold War' to Thaw Anytime Soon. globalresearch.ca Russian President Vladimir Putin is no stranger to changes in the US administration. In the last couple of decades, as a member of Boris Yeltsin's office, then as both President and Prime Minister he has dealt with Republican and Democrat …

_____ (2020-11-13). 'We Won't Quit Until We Stop It'. popularresistance.org Naha, Okinawa – Every day except weekends, holidays, and typhoon days, even in the pandemic, charter buses leave from Naha and other cities on this island to transport protesters to three locations in the north, where the Japanese government is trying to build a super airbase for the US Marines. | One location is Shirakawa, on the Pacific Ocean side of the island, where the government's Okinawa Defense Bureau is tearing down a mountain and loading it into dump trucks. There, protesters delay the work by standing in front of the trucks.

Mehr News Agency (2020-11-13). Developing trade ties with neighbors, way to counter sanction. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Nov. 13 (MNA) — Chairman of Iran-Russia Joint Chamber of Commerce said that development of economic relations with neighboring countries is the best way to deal with sanctions.

Mehr News Agency (2020-11-13). Iran produces 13.9mn tons of steel ingot in H1. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Nov. 13 (MNA) — Islamic Republic of Iran produced 13.9 million tons of steel ingot in the first six months of the current year (from March 21 to Sept. 22).

WSWS (2020-11-13). Overstretched Russian hospitals turn away COVID cases. wsws.org Desperate health care workers and family members of those infected with the coronavirus are finding that there are no more beds in the country's medical facilities, even as the government insists that the situation is "under control."

_____ (2020-11-13). Russian Diplomacy Pulls Caucasus From Brink of Disaster. strategic-culture.org

WSWS (2020-11-13). Workers report dangerous outbreak at Fiat Chrysler transmission factory in Indiana. wsws.org Workers are reporting an outbreak of COVID-19 which is being covered up by FCA management and the United Auto Workers union.

Sharon Lerner (2020-11-13). Georgia Senator Dismisses Climate Change While Enjoying Protected Beachfront Mansion. zcomm.org Facing runoff, Sen. David Perdue says climate change is a hoax, but his beach community is sure worried about rising sea levels…

sputniknews (2020-11-13). Beijing Warns of Response After Pompeo Rejects Chinese Sovereignty Over Taiwan. sputniknews.com The United States has moved closer to Taiwan in recent months. Top US officials have pledged to ramp up economic and military ties as well as heightened their rhetoric in support of the breakaway province.

Mehr News Agency (2020-11-13). Russia not rule out possibility of US returning to JCPOA. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Nov. 13 (MNA) — Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that Russia does not turn down the possibility of US returning to Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Mehr News Agency (2020-11-13). COVID-19 claims 461 lives in past 24 hours in Iran. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Nov. 13 (MNA) — The novel coronavirus, COVID-19, claimed lives of other 461 people in the country in the past 24 hours, bringing the total death tally to 40,582.

teleSUR (2020-11-13). China Praises Biden and Harris for Their Victory in US Election. telesurenglish.net China Friday congratulated President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on their victory in the November 3 presidential election, a result that President Donald Trump refuses to acknowledge. | RELATED: | "We respect the choice of the American people and pass on our congratulations to Mr. Biden and Mrs. Harris," China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said. | China waited until the most votes wer…

Mehr News Agency (2020-11-13). Sponge iron production vol. tops 18.1mn tons in 7 months. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Nov. 13 (MNA) — Production volume of sponge iron in the country exceeded 18.1 million tons in the first seven months of the current Iranian calendar year (from March 21 to Oct. 22).