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2020-11-07: News Headlines

_____ (2020-11-07). Media Silence Marks Ongoing OPCW Cover-Up Of Syria Chemical Weapons Scandal. popularresistance.org This should be a global scandal," said journalist Aaron Maté on the suppression of evidence from experts from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in order to push for war in Syria. "This is the U.S. government bombing Syria based on allegations that were later found by the investigating team to be false. But then once that team came back to write their report they were pressured by the U.S. government and had their evidence censored." | Unfortunately, it has not become a global scandal.

MEE and agencies (2020-11-07). Lebanon's president demands US evidence to justify Bassil sanctions. middleeasteye.net Lebanon's president demands US evidence to justify Bassil sanctions | Michel Aoun says country to 'take necessary legal measures' over case amid fears move will further damage economy | Sat, 11/07/2020 – 10: 45 | Washington has imposed sanctions on Free Patriotic Movement leader Gebran Bassil for alleged ties with Hezbollah (AFP) | Lebanon's President Michel Aoun said on Saturday that his…

MEE and agencies (2020-11-07). Iran temporarily releases jailed rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh. middleeasteye.net Iran temporarily releases jailed rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh | Release follows warnings by rights groups that Sotoudeh's health had severely deteriorated after a hunger strike | Sat, 11/07/2020 – 13: 43 | Nasrin Sotoudeh, pictured after being freed in 2013 after serving around half of a six-year jail sentence for spreading propaganda and conspiring to harm state security, charges she den…

MEE and agencies (2020-11-07). Erdogan fires head of Turkish central bank after lira plunge. middleeasteye.net Erdogan fires head of Turkish central bank after lira plunge | Appointment of Naci Agbal set to fuel longstanding criticism about political interference in monetary policy | Sat, 11/07/2020 – 12: 13 | Naci Agbal will be the country's fourth central bank governor in five years (Reuters) | Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday fired central bank governor Murat Uysal and replaced…

MEE and agencies (2020-11-07). Iraqi forces kill protester, wound several others in Basra. middleeasteye.net Iraqi forces kill protester, wound several others in Basra | Prime minister warns security forces not to fire at protesters amid reports of clashes continuing in southern city | Sat, 11/07/2020 – 16: 03 | Iraqi riot police form a barrier near the local administration building in Basra during anti-government protests on 6 November 2020 (AFP) | Iraqi security forces using live gunfire killed…

Mehr News Agency (2020-11-07). Iran standing by Afghans in fight against terrorism,extremism. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Nov. 07 (MNA) — Iranian Science Minister asserted that Iran has always stood by the Afghan Government in the fight against terrorism and extremism.

Mehr News Agency (2020-11-07). Iran not to participate in event held by Zionist regime. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Nov. 07 (MNA) — Sport For All Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran rejected the news regarding Iranian athletes competing with the Zionist regime in e-sports competitions.

Mehr News Agency (2020-11-07). A peek into nomad's lifestyle in SW Iran. en.mehrnews.com KUHRANG, Nov. 07 (MNA) — Following photos have been taken from Lirah village in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province.

Mehr News Agency (2020-11-07). Goods transit via Bashmaq Border Crossing hits about $2bn. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Nov. 07 (MNA) — Observer of Kordestan Customs said that goods, valued at $1,903,762,792, was transited via Bashmaq Customs, Iran's main border crossings with Iraqi Kurdistan region, in the current year (started March 21).

WSWS (2020-11-07). FBI seizes internet domain names it claims are part of Iranian influence campaign. wsws.org The DoJ made vague assertions of "covert influence" and "pro-Iranian propaganda," but presented no evidence of its allegations.

Mehr News Agency (2020-11-07). Azerbaijani MP reprimanded over anti-Iran remarks. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Nov. 07 (MNA) — Azerbaijan's National Assembly has blasted remarks of MP Bahruz Maharramov about Iran, noting that the position of the MP does not reflect that of the parliament.

Mehr News Agency (2020-11-07). Iraqi army launches anti-ISIL operation in Kirkuk Province. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Nov. 07 (MNA) — Iraqi sources announced that the army has launched an airstrike against ISIL positions in Kirkuk province.

Susan M Sawyer (2020-11-07). [Comment] Global growth trends in school-aged children and adolescents. thelancet.com Despite declining rates over the past few decades, stunting continues to affect over 30% of children younger than 5 years in many countries in sub-Saharan Africa, south Asia, and the Pacific.1 The extent to which stunting and underweight in early childhood are associated with premature death and disease explains why global nutrition policy, practice, and research have overwhelmingly focused on very young children. Yet, the rapid expansion of obesogenic environments, including in resource-poor countries, requires policy responses to address a more complex and dynamic nutritional landscape.

Mehr News Agency (2020-11-07). Iran to produce three new human vaccines by yearend: official. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Nov. 07 (MNA) — The Secretary of Biotechnology Development Headquarters of the Vice-Presidency for Science and Technology said that three new human vaccines will be produced in the country by yearend (March 20).

Aarathi Prasad (2020-11-07). [Perspectives] Roopa Dhatt: advancing gender equality in global health leadership. thelancet.com When Roopa Dhatt was 9 years old, she went into septic shock as a result of appendicitis. Her grandparents rushed her to a local hospital in India. Far from her home in the USA and apart from her émigré parents, who could not afford to join her, the experience is etched in Dhatt's memory. "In the early 1990s", she says, "the health system infrastructure [in India] was so weak, and so under-resourced, I was really fortunate that there was a paediatric surgeon in the city I was in, who was able to operate safely".

Mehr News Agency (2020-11-07). "Resistance" only way to confront terrorists: Haddad Adel. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Nov. 07 (MNA) — The Director of Academy of Persian Language and Literature said that noble nation of Afghanistan are not alone, stating that 'resistance' is the sole way to deal with terrorists.

Peoples Dispatch (2020-11-07). Women were active hunters too during prehistoric times, says new study. peoplesdispatch.org An excavation from the Andean Highlands in Peru of the remains of a woman reveals that hunting tools were buried alongside her. The tools recovered include six stone projectiles and 24 other stone artifacts…

Peoples Dispatch (2020-11-07). Police crackdown leaves one farmer dead in Pakistan. peoplesdispatch.org Malik Ashfaq Langarial died in hospital on Wednesday after the police dispersed a sit-in by farmers in Lahore in Pakistan. The farmers were demanding a better price for their produce such as wheat and sugarcane…

Mehr News Agency (2020-11-07). Terror attacks not to affect Afghans' will for building peace. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Nov. 07 (MNA) — The Iranian Parliament Speaker condemned the terrorist attack at Kabul University, noting that the path of building a peaceful Afghanistan will continue.

Mehr News Agency (2020-11-07). American Bull wins at Arlington film festival. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Nov. 07 (MNA) — Iranian short 'American Bull' directed by Fateme Tousi has won at the 10th edition of the Arlington International Film Festival in the US.

Kaya Genàß (2020-11-07). [World Report] Turkish Medical Association clashes with politicians. thelancet.com Political leaders in Turkey have clashed with the biggest professional body for doctors in the country. Kaya Genàß reports from Istanbul.

Tony Kirby (2020-11-07). [World Report] New Zealanders approve euthanasia in landmark vote. thelancet.com On the same day that Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern returned to power with a rare parliamentary majority, the people also voted in favour of legalised euthanasia. Tony Kirby reports.

_____ (2020-11-06). Campaigners Take Direct Action As Palestinians Remember Balfour's Shameful Declaration. popularresistance.org The Balfour Declaration is the name given to the statement in 1917 by British foreign secretary lord Balfour promising a "national home for the Jewish people" in Palestine. Britain had taken control of Palestine after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. That "national home" was to be created at the expense of the indigenous Palestinian population. According to a press release from campaign group Palestine Action: | This 67-word document presented by Arthur Balfour in 1917 paved the way for the ethnic cleansing of Palestine and the violent dispossession of 750,000 Palestinians —more than half the indigenous…

Ramzy Baroud (2020-11-06). Escalating the demographic war: The strategic goal of Israeli racism in Palestine. mronline.org The discussion on institutional Israeli racism against its own Palestinian Arab population has all but ceased following the final approval of the discriminatory Nation-State Law in July 2018. Indeed, the latest addition to Israel's Basic Law is a mere start of a new government-espoused agenda that is designed to further marginalize over a fifth of …

MEE staff (2020-11-06). Israeli forces stop Palestinians attending Friday prayers at Al-Aqsa. middleeasteye.net Israeli forces stop Palestinians attending Friday prayers at Al-Aqsa | Worshippers barred from West Bank entry, with makeshift barriers erected at three gates in East Jerusalem's Old City | Fri, 11/06/2020 – 13: 53 | Palestinians, unable to reach the Al-Aqsa mosque compound amid strengthened restriction due to the coronavirus, perform Friday prayers in front of the Lion's Gate on 25 September (AFP) | Israeli f…

Greg Palast (2020-11-06). How the Republicans are stealing Georgia. zcomm.org Hundreds of thousands of people of color have had their names erased from the voter list in this vital state…

news.un (2020-11-06). Long-term displacement worries for families hit hard by 'super typhoon' Goni. news.un.org The trail of devastation left by Typhoon Goni in the Philippines, runs straight through some heavily populated areas — including places where COVID-19 cases are high, and where returning migrants are concentrated – UN agencies reported on Friday.

Gordon Duff (2020-11-06). Putting the Pieces Together, an Intel Drop. thealtworld.com I began today setting up my JBL Boombox (Amazon/refurb) playing my running playlist. Normally, I would be roadtripping, visiting friends in the UK or family in Germany, family I miss. | The music is all I have that ties me to myself, Nina, Django, Ella and Vietnam era stuff. So many of us remain in Vietnam. I close my eyes and I am there, beautiful days looking across rice paddies, on landing ships, or sitting up on watch during ambushes. | It is frightening to think a year or so of one's life is defining. I found myself tested there in every way, loyalty to friends, compassion and conquering fear, 'the mind kill…

Andrew Korybko (2020-11-06). Facebook's Censorship Spree Is VK's Time To Finally Shine As A Free Speech Alternative. thealtworld.com The censorship spree that Facebook's been on since the US' contentious elections is the golden opportunity that its Russian competitor VK has been waiting for in order to finally present itself as a credible and easy-to-use free speech alternative, but it can only do so if the awareness and will exist at its leadership level to seize the moment through a clever marketing strategy aimed at Facebook's politically minded audience. | Facebook isn't even hiding the fact that it's censoring its users in the aftermath of the US' contentious elections. It used to just shadow block them, but now it adds a so-called "fact-…

RT (2020-11-06). Russia & Germany call for immediate ceasefire amid fears Nagorno-Karabakh war could become Yugoslavia-like humanitarian crisis. rt.com The capital of the contested region of Nagorno-Karabakh is preparing for an assault by Azerbaijani troops, this weekend, while Russia and the European Union work to try to secure at least a temporary pause in hostilities. | Stepanakert, the administrative centre of the de facto Armenian-controlled breakaway region, which Azerbaijan considers part of its territory, is expected to be the next frontier in the war between the two nations. The city is home to around 55,000 people and is the largest conurbation in the self-proclaimed Republic of Artsakh. There are fears that fighting there could precipitate a humani…

Vijay Prashad (2020-11-06). Wage war against the philosophy of war. mronline.org In 1965, as India and Pakistan slipped into another war, Sahir Ludhianvi, one of the great Urdu poets of his generation, wrote a poem called Ai Sharif Insano ('O Nobel Souls').

Brett Wilkins, staff writer (2020-11-06). 'This Is a Grave Crime': Rep. Ilhan Omar Condemns Israeli 'Ethnic Cleansing' After IDF Destruction of Palestinian Hamlet. commondreams.org Dozens of Bedouins—including 41 children—were left homeless after occupation troops bulldozed their community to the ground on Tuesday. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-1130260322_0.jpg

Staff (2020-11-06). Headlines for November 6, 2020. democracynow.org Biden Takes Lead in Georgia & Pennsylvania, Moving Him Closer to Presidency, Biden Calls for Counting Every Ballot; Trump Claims Dems Are Stealing Election, Trump Campaign Faces Legal Setbacks in Election-Related Lawsuits, Trump Campaign Adviser: "Hopefully Amy Coney Barrett Will Come Through" to Help Trump Win Election, Sen. Graham: State GOP Lawmakers Should Consider Invalidating Election Results, Philly Police Foil QAnon-Linked Plot to Attack Ballot-Counting Site, Bannon Calls for Beheading of Dr. Fauci & FBI Director Wray, 18 Protesters Arrested in NYC in Demo Against Trump Stealing Election, Georgia May Have…

news.un (2020-11-06). Aid agencies call for urgent action to prevent famine in hunger hotspots. news.un.org People in four food insecurity "hotspots" inside Burkina Faso, northeastern Nigeria, South Sudan and Yemen, need help urgently to avoid sliding into famine, UN humanitarians said on Friday.

_____ (2020-11-06). Trump's Bid to Stop the Count Risks Turning America Into an 'Illiberal Democracy' like Turkey. strategic-culture.org Patrick COCKBURN | By claiming victory in the presidential election while it is still in the balance, President This approach is a rerun of the strategy employed by several populist national leaders across the world in recent years to stay in power by prematurely claiming a win at the polls, and then manipulating the final result in their favour through their control of state institutions, such as election supervisory boards and th…

MEE and agencies (2020-11-06). Facebook takes down alleged Muslim Brotherhood accounts sharing 'inauthentic' information. middleeasteye.net Facebook takes down alleged Muslim Brotherhood accounts sharing 'inauthentic' information | The accounts operated from Egypt, Morocco and Turkey and shared 'terrorism-related content' | Fri, 11/06/2020 – 14: 33 | Facebook removed nearly 8,000 pages involved in spreading misinformation in October (AFP) | Facebook has taken down a network of fake accounts operating across the Middle East and…

RT (2020-11-06). China condemns US for 'whitewashing' terrorist organizations after dropping Islamic extremist group's designation. rt.com Beijing has called on the US to reverse its decision to remove the East Turkestan Islamic Movement from its list of terrorist organizations, accusing Washington of 'whitewashing' militant groups. | Speaking at a press briefing on Friday, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said that "China deplores and firmly opposes the US decision" to drop the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) from its list of designated terrorist groups. | Demanding the US reverse its decision, he strongly affirmed that "terrorism is terrorism" and urged America to "refrain from 'whitewashing' terrorist organizations or going bac…

Robert Hunziker (2020-11-06). A Troubling Discovery in the Arctic. counterpunch.org A notable satellite-telephonic call to colleagues in late October from Swedish scientist àñrjan Gustafsson of Stockholm University briefly described a haunting discovery. On board the research ship R/V Akademik Keldysh, a 6,240-ton Russian scientific research vessel equipped with 17 on-board laboratories and a library, far off the coast of Russia, Dr. Gustafsson reported: "This East

RT (2020-11-06). Budapest & Brussels on potential collision course as Hungary says it will import Russian Covid-19 vaccine despite EU objections. rt.com Hungary announced it will purchase Russia's Sputnik-V coronavirus vaccine for research and licensing purposes, in a move that risks creating tensions with EU authorities who insist only formulas made in the bloc should be used. | Foreign Minister Peter Sijarto said on Thursday that Budapest will place an order for the vaccine. "Russia will start supplying small batches in December to complete clinical trials and research here," he told journalists. | Russia became the first country in the world to approve a jab for Covid-19 in September. It drew criticism from some international commentators for the speed of t…

MEE staff (2020-11-06). Palestinian ends 103-day hunger strike after Israel agrees not to extend detention. middleeasteye.net Palestinian ends 103-day hunger strike after Israel agrees not to extend detention | Maher al-Akhras, set to be released at end of November, has spent nearly four months in detention without charge or trial | Fri, 11/06/2020 – 16: 56 | Palestinians carry placards demanding release of Maher al-Akhras at demonstration in Hebron (AFP) | Palestinian political prisoner Maher al-Akhras, who had been held without cha…

MEE staff (2020-11-06). US sanctions former Lebanon foreign minister Gebran Bassil. middleeasteye.net US sanctions former Lebanon foreign minister Gebran Bassil | Leader of Lebanon's Free Patriotic Movement sanctioned for assisting Hezbollah, says US Treasury | Fri, 11/06/2020 – 08: 15 | Gebran Bassil is the son-in-law of Lebanon President Michel Aoun (Reuters) | The United States has imposed sanctions on Gebran Bassil, the leader of Lebanon's Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) party founded by President Michel Aou…

RT (2020-11-06). Lebanon's former FM Gebran Bassil hit by US sanctions over alleged corruption & Hezbollah support. rt.com The US has imposed sanctions on prominent Hezbollah-allied Lebanese politician Gebran Bassil "for his role in corruption." The former foreign minister branded the move an "injustice." | Bassil is accused by the US of "appointing friends to positions" in 2017 and funneling government cash through shell companies to "individuals close to him" in 2014 when he was minister of energy. | "The systemic corruption in Lebanon's political system exemplified by Bassil has helped to erode the foundation of an effective government that serves the Lebanese people," US Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin said when announcin…

MEE staff (2020-11-06). US removes Uighur group from terror list blamed by China for attacks. middleeasteye.net US removes Uighur group from terror list blamed by China for attacks | China frequently blames the East Turkestan Islamic Movement for attacks in Xinjiang, but scholars say Beijing has produced little evidence | Fri, 11/06/2020 – 22: 34 | The decision comes days before 12 November, the 76th and 87th anniversary of two short-lived Uighur republics, known as East Turkestan (AFP/File photo) | The United States ha…

Prabhat Patnaik (2020-11-06). India's move toward a de facto unitary state. mronline.org India is being pushed toward a de facto unitary state, with states being kept totally out of the loop in decision-making, as seen in the new agricultural laws, goods and services tax compensation, Jammu and Kashmir bifurcation and new National Education Policy.

Mohammad Ersan (2020-11-06). Covid tears through Jordan on eve of parliamentary elections. middleeasteye.net Covid tears through Jordan on eve of parliamentary elections | After managing to keep a lid on coronavirus for months, the kingdom's healthcare system is overwhelmed and a senior official is being treated in Jerusalem | Fri, 11/06/2020 – 14: 58 | A man walks past a poster of one of the candidates ahead of parliamentary elections on 10 November, amid a second wave of the coronavirus (Reuters) | O…

Eve Ottenberg (2020-11-06). U.S. Foreign Policy is a Failure, Whoever's President. counterpunch.org The world recognizes what U.S. elites don't: the utter, total American failure to contain Covid-19 has damaged U.S. standing and will do so until the virus is controlled. Meanwhile, regional powers, China and Russia, cooperate and share resources, particularly vaccines. Cuba provides treatments, but the U.S. turns up its nose at Cuban medicine, even if it means more American covid patients die — this, though Cuba's pharmacopeia for this plague appears superior. China sends doctors and medicines across the globe. Russia opts for sane herd immunity — through vaccination. These countries act like adults.

MEE and agencies (2020-11-06). US expected to sanction former Lebanon foreign minister Gebran Bassil. middleeasteye.net US expected to sanction former Lebanon foreign minister Gebran Bassil | Leader of Lebanon's Free Patriotic Movement to be sanctioned for assisting Hezbollah, says US newspaper | Fri, 11/06/2020 – 08: 15 | Gebran Bassil is the son-in-law of Lebanon President Michel Aoun (Reuters) | The United States is planning to sanction Gebran Bassil, the leader of Lebanon's Free Patriotic Movement (FPM)…

Daniel Beaumont (2020-11-06). Prison, the Plague, Writing and Exile: an Interview With Aslı Erdogan. counterpunch.org This interview with the Turkish author Aslı Erdogan was conducted by mail in recent weeks. She is a renowned author in Turkey, and well known in Europe where works have been translated into English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and possibly some other languages. Her works have won numerous international literary prizes. She is also

Oscar Grenfell (2020-11-06). New Documents Show Mueller Investigation Unable to Concoct Charges Against Assange and WikiLeaks. globalresearch.ca Previously redacted portions of the Mueller report into supposed Russian interference in the US, released this week, have shown that despite every effort, the Justice Department was unable to concoct evidence of any criminal wrongdoing on the part of WikiLeaks …

Mehr News Agency (2020-11-06). Martyr Soleimani to remain in hearts of freedom seekers. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Nov. 06 (MNA) — An advisor to Yemen Prime Minister underscored that Martyr General Qasem Soleimani was a pioneer in resistance and has always been a role model for all Resistance movement's leaders.

2020-11-06: News Headlines

Oscar Grenfell (2020-11-06). New Documents Show Mueller Investigation Unable to Concoct Charges Against Assange and WikiLeaks. globalresearch.ca Previously redacted portions of the Mueller report into supposed Russian interference in the US, released this week, have shown that despite every effort, the Justice Department was unable to concoct evidence of any criminal wrongdoing on the part of WikiLeaks …

Greg Palast (2020-11-06). How the Republicans are stealing Georgia. zcomm.org Hundreds of thousands of people of color have had their names erased from the voter list in this vital state…

Ramzy Baroud (2020-11-06). Escalating the demographic war: The strategic goal of Israeli racism in Palestine. mronline.org The discussion on institutional Israeli racism against its own Palestinian Arab population has all but ceased following the final approval of the discriminatory Nation-State Law in July 2018. Indeed, the latest addition to Israel's Basic Law is a mere start of a new government-espoused agenda that is designed to further marginalize over a fifth of …

MEE staff (2020-11-06). Israeli forces stop Palestinians attending Friday prayers at Al-Aqsa. middleeasteye.net Israeli forces stop Palestinians attending Friday prayers at Al-Aqsa | Worshippers barred from West Bank entry, with makeshift barriers erected at three gates in East Jerusalem's Old City | Fri, 11/06/2020 – 13: 53 | Palestinians, unable to reach the Al-Aqsa mosque compound amid strengthened restriction due to the coronavirus, perform Friday prayers in front of the Lion's Gate on 25 September (AFP) | Israeli f…

_____ (2020-11-06). Campaigners Take Direct Action As Palestinians Remember Balfour's Shameful Declaration. popularresistance.org The Balfour Declaration is the name given to the statement in 1917 by British foreign secretary lord Balfour promising a "national home for the Jewish people" in Palestine. Britain had taken control of Palestine after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. That "national home" was to be created at the expense of the indigenous Palestinian population. According to a press release from campaign group Palestine Action: | This 67-word document presented by Arthur Balfour in 1917 paved the way for the ethnic cleansing of Palestine and the violent dispossession of 750,000 Palestinians —more than half the indigenous…

Staff (2020-11-06). Headlines for November 6, 2020. democracynow.org Biden Takes Lead in Georgia & Pennsylvania, Moving Him Closer to Presidency, Biden Calls for Counting Every Ballot; Trump Claims Dems Are Stealing Election, Trump Campaign Faces Legal Setbacks in Election-Related Lawsuits, Trump Campaign Adviser: "Hopefully Amy Coney Barrett Will Come Through" to Help Trump Win Election, Sen. Graham: State GOP Lawmakers Should Consider Invalidating Election Results, Philly Police Foil QAnon-Linked Plot to Attack Ballot-Counting Site, Bannon Calls for Beheading of Dr. Fauci & FBI Director Wray, 18 Protesters Arrested in NYC in Demo Against Trump Stealing Election, Georgia May Have…

news.un (2020-11-06). Long-term displacement worries for families hit hard by 'super typhoon' Goni. news.un.org The trail of devastation left by Typhoon Goni in the Philippines, runs straight through some heavily populated areas — including places where COVID-19 cases are high, and where returning migrants are concentrated – UN agencies reported on Friday.

news.un (2020-11-06). Aid agencies call for urgent action to prevent famine in hunger hotspots. news.un.org People in four food insecurity "hotspots" inside Burkina Faso, northeastern Nigeria, South Sudan and Yemen, need help urgently to avoid sliding into famine, UN humanitarians said on Friday.

Vijay Prashad (2020-11-06). Wage war against the philosophy of war. mronline.org In 1965, as India and Pakistan slipped into another war, Sahir Ludhianvi, one of the great Urdu poets of his generation, wrote a poem called Ai Sharif Insano ('O Nobel Souls').

_____ (2020-11-06). Trump's Bid to Stop the Count Risks Turning America Into an 'Illiberal Democracy' like Turkey. strategic-culture.org Patrick COCKBURN | By claiming victory in the presidential election while it is still in the balance, President This approach is a rerun of the strategy employed by several populist national leaders across the world in recent years to stay in power by prematurely claiming a win at the polls, and then manipulating the final result in their favour through their control of state institutions, such as election supervisory boards and th…

Alan Macleod (2020-11-06). Media Silence Marks Ongoing OPCW Cover-Up of Syria Chemical Weapons Scandal. mintpressnews.com "Clearly the U.S. and its allies do not want transparency and open debate about the OPCW Douma investigation, and one can only conclude that this is the case because they know full well that their claims cannot be substantiated. Smears and censorship are the only tactics they have left." – Propaganda Expert Piers Robinson…

Eve Ottenberg (2020-11-06). U.S. Foreign Policy is a Failure, Whoever's President. counterpunch.org The world recognizes what U.S. elites don't: the utter, total American failure to contain Covid-19 has damaged U.S. standing and will do so until the virus is controlled. Meanwhile, regional powers, China and Russia, cooperate and share resources, particularly vaccines. Cuba provides treatments, but the U.S. turns up its nose at Cuban medicine, even if it means more American covid patients die — this, though Cuba's pharmacopeia for this plague appears superior. China sends doctors and medicines across the globe. Russia opts for sane herd immunity — through vaccination. These countries act like adults.

Gordon Duff (2020-11-06). Putting the Pieces Together, an Intel Drop. thealtworld.com I began today setting up my JBL Boombox (Amazon/refurb) playing my running playlist. Normally, I would be roadtripping, visiting friends in the UK or family in Germany, family I miss. | The music is all I have that ties me to myself, Nina, Django, Ella and Vietnam era stuff. So many of us remain in Vietnam. I close my eyes and I am there, beautiful days looking across rice paddies, on landing ships, or sitting up on watch during ambushes. | It is frightening to think a year or so of one's life is defining. I found myself tested there in every way, loyalty to friends, compassion and conquering fear, 'the mind kill…

MEE staff (2020-11-06). US sanctions former Lebanon foreign minister Gebran Bassil. middleeasteye.net US sanctions former Lebanon foreign minister Gebran Bassil | Leader of Lebanon's Free Patriotic Movement sanctioned for assisting Hezbollah, says US Treasury | Fri, 11/06/2020 – 08: 15 | Gebran Bassil is the son-in-law of Lebanon President Michel Aoun (Reuters) | The United States has imposed sanctions on Gebran Bassil, the leader of Lebanon's Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) party founded by President Michel Aou…

MEE and agencies (2020-11-06). US expected to sanction former Lebanon foreign minister Gebran Bassil. middleeasteye.net US expected to sanction former Lebanon foreign minister Gebran Bassil | Leader of Lebanon's Free Patriotic Movement to be sanctioned for assisting Hezbollah, says US newspaper | Fri, 11/06/2020 – 08: 15 | Gebran Bassil is the son-in-law of Lebanon President Michel Aoun (Reuters) | The United States is planning to sanction Gebran Bassil, the leader of Lebanon's Free Patriotic Movement (FPM)…

Prabhat Patnaik (2020-11-06). India's move toward a de facto unitary state. mronline.org India is being pushed toward a de facto unitary state, with states being kept totally out of the loop in decision-making, as seen in the new agricultural laws, goods and services tax compensation, Jammu and Kashmir bifurcation and new National Education Policy.

MEE staff (2020-11-06). US removes Uighur group from terror list blamed by China for attacks. middleeasteye.net US removes Uighur group from terror list blamed by China for attacks | China frequently blames the East Turkestan Islamic Movement for attacks in Xinjiang, but scholars say Beijing has produced little evidence | Fri, 11/06/2020 – 22: 34 | The decision comes days before 12 November, the 76th and 87th anniversary of two short-lived Uighur republics, known as East Turkestan (AFP/File photo) | The United States ha…

MEE and agencies (2020-11-06). Facebook takes down alleged Muslim Brotherhood accounts sharing 'inauthentic' information. middleeasteye.net Facebook takes down alleged Muslim Brotherhood accounts sharing 'inauthentic' information | The accounts operated from Egypt, Morocco and Turkey and shared 'terrorism-related content' | Fri, 11/06/2020 – 14: 33 | Facebook removed nearly 8,000 pages involved in spreading misinformation in October (AFP) | Facebook has taken down a network of fake accounts operating across the Middle East and…

MEE staff (2020-11-06). Palestinian ends 103-day hunger strike after Israel agrees not to extend detention. middleeasteye.net Palestinian ends 103-day hunger strike after Israel agrees not to extend detention | Maher al-Akhras, set to be released at end of November, has spent nearly four months in detention without charge or trial | Fri, 11/06/2020 – 16: 56 | Palestinians carry placards demanding release of Maher al-Akhras at demonstration in Hebron (AFP) | Palestinian political prisoner Maher al-Akhras, who had been held without cha…

Mohammad Ersan (2020-11-06). Covid tears through Jordan on eve of parliamentary elections. middleeasteye.net Covid tears through Jordan on eve of parliamentary elections | After managing to keep a lid on coronavirus for months, the kingdom's healthcare system is overwhelmed and a senior official is being treated in Jerusalem | Fri, 11/06/2020 – 14: 58 | A man walks past a poster of one of the candidates ahead of parliamentary elections on 10 November, amid a second wave of the coronavirus (Reuters) | O…

Robert Hunziker (2020-11-06). A Troubling Discovery in the Arctic. counterpunch.org A notable satellite-telephonic call to colleagues in late October from Swedish scientist àñrjan Gustafsson of Stockholm University briefly described a haunting discovery. On board the research ship R/V Akademik Keldysh, a 6,240-ton Russian scientific research vessel equipped with 17 on-board laboratories and a library, far off the coast of Russia, Dr. Gustafsson reported: "This East

Mehr News Agency (2020-11-06). 'Silk Road to expand economic ties between Iran, China'. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Nov. 07 (MNA) — Consul General of the Islamic Republic of Iran in shanghai said that the Silk Road will expand cultural and economic ties between Iran and China.

teleSUR (2020-11-06). Iranian FM Arrives in Cuba After Completing Visit to Venezuela. telesurenglish.net Iranian Foreign Minister Mohamad Javad Zarif has arrived in Cuba, the second stop on his Latin American tour, to address mutual interest issues. As informed this Friday by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Persian Diplomacy head is already in Havana, the Cuban capital, after having finished his official visit to Venezuela. | RELATED: | During his trip to Cuba, besides meeting…

Rohollah Faghihi (2020-11-06). Millions of Iranians at risk as US sanctions choke insulin supplies. zcomm.org New penalties have seen the diabetic treatment disappear from Iran's pharmacies and black market…

Ahmad Al-Bazz (2020-11-06). Israel Carries Out Largest West Bank Demolition Operation in a Decade. globalresearch.ca In the

teleSUR (2020-11-06). Biden Leads in Georgia and Gets Closer To Trump in Pennsylvania. telesurenglish.net Democratic candidate Joe Biden reversed the provisional results in the state of Georgia and beat the Republican candidate Donald Trump. | RELATED: | The latest data announced by local media around 4: 30 a.m. gave Biden an advantage over Trump of 917 votes. While it could seem a minor difference, those votes are significant because the U.S. President had a 1,267 vote lead a few hours earlier. | In Pennsylvania, wher…

Peoples Dispatch (2020-11-06). Israel destroys entire Palestinian village in a massive demolition operation. peoplesdispatch.org The demolition has left close to 80 Palestinians from the Bedouin herding-farming community displaced and homeless. 41 among them are children, according to the United Nations…

Tim Anderson (2020-11-06). Iran's Resistance Economy and Regional Integration. thealtworld.com Journal of World Sociopolitical Studies: | Abstract | Iran's 'resistance economy' is sometimes presented as defensive strategy. Despite Washington's 'New Middle East' wars and the rapid evaporation of expected benefits from the long JCPOA (nuclear deal) process, a certain illusion remains that a general 'normalisation' with the outside powers might still bring economic benefits to the country. Nevertheless, it remains true that, while Iran is a large country, pure self-sufficiency would impose physical limits. Therefore, the question that one may ask is what are the better economic opportunities for the n…

Prof Michel Chossudovsky (2020-11-05). The Corona Pandemic and Trump's Trade War against China: America's Dependence on "Made in China". Potential Disruption of the US Economy. globalresearch.ca First published in May 2020, updated June 14, 2020 | What Prospects for trade relations with China, in the wake of the 2020 US November Presidential Election? | Introduction | The US has been threatening China with trade sanctions for several years. At …

Andre Vltchek (2020-11-05). The Uyghur Issue: How Can the U.S. Dare Lecturing China About the Rights of the Muslims? globalresearch.ca This article by the late Andre Vltchek was first published in 2019. | In 2019, I have written a long analysis about "the Uyghur issue"; analysis which will be soon published as a book. | For some time, I have been warning …

Ilan Pappe (2020-11-05). From Balfour to the Nakba: The Settler-Colonial Experience of Palestine. globalresearch.ca The late prominent scholar of settler-colonialism, Patrick Wolfe, reminded us repeatedly that it is not an event, it is a structure. While settler-colonialism in many cases has a historical starting point, its original motivation guides its maintenance in the …

news.un (2020-11-05). Protect Palestine olive harvest from settler violence, Israel urged. news.un.org UN agencies, together with other international NGOs, are calling on Israel to better protect Palestinian farmers from violence by Israeli settlers, as they bring in their traditional olive harvest – crucial to livelihoods – and ensure families can access their land "freely and safely".

David Hearst (2020-11-05). Suspension of Jeremy Corbyn Will Define UK Labour Leader Keith Starmer as Iraq Defined Tony Blair. globalresearch.ca One of the lesser known aspects of Keir Starmer's assault on the left of his party since becoming Labour leader is his growing silence on Palestine. | Silencing the Palestinian lobby in Britain has always been a goal of Israel's …

MEE staff (2020-11-05). Palestinian prisoner Maher al-Akhras passes 100 days on hunger strike. middleeasteye.net Palestinian prisoner Maher al-Akhras passes 100 days on hunger strike | Taghreed, Akhras's wife, says her husband has been in and out of a coma as his health deteriorates | Thu, 11/05/2020 – 12: 01 | Palestinians carry placards demanding the release of administrative detainee in Israeli custody Maher al-Akhras during a demonstration Hebron, 3 November (AFP) | Palestinian prisoner Maher al-Akhras is on the "ver…

Shatha Hammad (2020-11-05). 'I cry for my trees': Israeli settler attacks wreck Palestinian olive harvest. middleeasteye.net 'I cry for my trees': Israeli settler attacks wreck Palestinian olive harvest | Israel's settlers threaten Palestinian farmers all year long, but during harvest season, the attacks increase in intensity and number, with devastating impact | Thu, 11/05/2020 – 16: 46 | Masked Israeli settlers attack Palestinian olive farmers from the village of Hawara on fields near the settlement of Yitzhar in the I…

Akram Al-Waara (2020-11-05). Israel makes 41 Palestinian children homeless as world watches US election. middleeasteye.net Israel makes 41 Palestinian children homeless as world watches US election | Eleven families left searching for shelter after Israeli forces destroyed their village in the Jordan Valley | Thu, 11/05/2020 – 10: 35 | Palestinian children playing next to their demolished home in the Bedouin village of Khirbet Humsa, 4 November (MEE/Akram el-Waara) | On the evening of Wednesday 4 November, a cold, b…

Paul Antonopoulos (2020-11-05). Belarusian Protests Are Spilling over into Poland but Warsaw Is Beginning to Blame Russia. globalresearch.ca Polish leaders at all levels continue to speak with enthusiasm about the need to fully support "peaceful protests" in Belarus and to help them morally and financially. However, with widespread protests across Poland now, the same national leaders are angrily …

Ralph Nader — Bruce Fein (2020-11-05). How Trump, Hannity and Limbaugh Violated Election Law. counterpunch.org Conservative media celebrities Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh have flagrantly violated the federal election law prohibition of donating anything of value exceeding $2,800 to a presidential candidate. The ongoing strategic collaboration between Trump, Hannity and Limbaugh is obvious and has been widely documented in newspapers and books. Both Hannity and Limbaugh have collaborated with President

teleSUR (2020-11-05). UN Asks to Protect Palestinian Harvesters From Israeli Settlers. telesurenglish.net The United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and other international NGOs on Thursday call on the Israeli authorities to protect Palestinian olive pickers from violence by Israeli settlers living in the West Bank. | RELATED: | As of October 7, the OCHA has recorded 33 incidents where Israeli settlers attacked Palestinians or damaged their trees or produce. At least 25 Palestinians were i…

news.un (2020-11-05). Dozens displaced in largest demolition in years in the West Bank, reports UN relief office. news.un.org Seventy-three people, including 41 children have been displaced after Israeli authorities demolished their homes and other structures, and destroyed belongings in the Palestinian community of Humsa Al Bqai'a in the West Bank, the UN humanitarian wing has reported.

Anthony Cartalucci (2020-11-05). Why Taking US NED Money is Wrong. thealtworld.com The National Endowment for Democracy has as much to do with promoting "democracy" as the illegal US invasion of Iraq — code name "Operation Iraqi Freedom" had to do with bringing "freedom" to the Iraqi people. And as it turns out the same circle of regime change promoters are/were involved in both. | I cover the US National Endowment for Democracy's (NED) board of directors — pointing out how many of them have been involved in some of the worst crimes against humanity of the 21st century including promoting and even participating in the invasion and occupation of Iraq in 2003. | I also explain why takin…

Vijay Prashad (2020-11-05). U.S. is doing its best to lock out China from Latin America and the Caribbean. mronline.org Regional governments from both right and left see the BRI as lucrative and free of political interference.

Brett Wilkins, staff writer (2020-11-05). With World's Eyes on US Election, Israel Bulldozes West Bank Village in Biggest Single Demolition in 10 Years. commondreams.org The razing of Khirbet Humsa—which left dozens of people homeless—"can only be considered an act of ethnic cleansing against the indigenous Palestinian population," said one human rights group. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/razed.jpg

Kathy Fairfax (2020-11-05). Indigenous water defender demands court hearing in Wilcannia. greenleft.org.au Leah Ebsworth, a Barkindji woman from the far-west NSW town of Wilcannia, faced the District Court there on October 21 charged with not moving off a bridge when ordered and assaulting a public officer with water after a Local Court dropped charges of being drunk and disorderly and not obeying a move on order.

South Front (2020-11-05). Video: Presence of Turkish-backed Syrian Militants in Nagorno-Karabakh Gives Armenia Additional Chances in War. globalresearch.ca The Azerbaijani Armed Forces and their allies continue to storm Armenian positions in the mountainous terrain near Shusha and the Lachin corridor in Nagorno-Karabakh. After making rapid advances, the Azerbaijani forces now appear to be stuck in a kind of …

Eds. (2020-11-05). Climate Crisis and Imperialism: The Unfair Demonization of the East. mronline.org Last week in the presidential debate, Donald Trump said "Look at China, how filthy it is. Look at Russia. Look at India. It's filthy. The air is filthy," when asked about his decision to pull out of the Paris Climate Accord.

RT (2020-11-05). To have & to hold? Japanese scientists create robot to simulate hand-holding with a girlfriend. rt.com Robotics experts have developed a somewhat creepy-looking device that can simulate the experience of holding hands with a woman, in an effort to combat Japan's loneliness epidemic. | "For some people, finding a girlfriend is very difficult," say the researchers behind the project at Gifu University. With that problem in mind, they decided to create a new way for lonely men to "experience holding their girlfriend's hand more easily" than by actually dating. | Thus, their project was born, a robotic hand called Osampo Kanojo, or the 'Walking Bride'. | At a first glance, the Walking Bride might seem like just…

RT (2020-11-05). Brussels vs. Lukashenko: EU to impose additional sanctions on Minsk, targeting both President and his son, sources tell TASS. rt.com The EU has agreed to impose new sanctions against Belarusian officials, including President Alexander Lukashenko, three months after the country's controversial election, which the opposition claims was obviously rigged. | That's according to the sources of Moscow-based news agency TASS, which reported on Wednesday that permanent representatives of the 27 EU member states had agreed on a new set of measures against Minsk. In October, EU leaders announced sanctions on 40 Belarusian officials, but the list did not include Lukashenko. Thus far, they appear to have had little consequence, with the country's leader…

RT (2020-11-05). Kremlin says coronavirus situation 'tense but under control' as Omsk region health chief fired over shortage of beds. rt.com President Vladimir Putin's spokesman sought to reassure Russians on Thursday that the coronavirus pandemic in the country is under control. Meanwhile, a number of cities across the country are bracing for a rise in cases. | Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the president is aware of a number of failings of local healthcare systems, saying that "the epidemic is developing, and it is continuing. The situation is indeed very tense, but it is under control. Unfortunately, in some regions we see disruptions, the president knows about them and there is a system in place to respond to them." | The news comes as Russi…

Sheren Khalel (2020-11-05). US elections 2020: Campa-Najjar holds on with 'measure of hope' as Issa claims victory. middleeasteye.net US elections 2020: Campa-Najjar holds on with 'measure of hope' as Issa claims victory | Palestinian-American Democrat running for House trails amid outrage over Twitter posts praising ex-Israel PM responsible for death of grandparents | Thu, 11/05/2020 – 21: 32 | Now trailing in votes, Campa-Najjar's campaign says it is 'still looking at the returns with a measure of hope' (AFP/File photo) | The r…