2020-10-21: News Headlines

Medea Benjamin, Nicolas J. S. Davies (2020-10-21). How Biden Flubbed Town Hall Foreign Policy Question. counterpunch.org Toward the end of Joe Biden's October 15 town hall session, a Trump supporter asked Biden the only foreign policy question of the night. "So peace is breaking out all over the world," the questioner claimed. "Our troops are coming home. Serbia is talking to Kosovo. And the Arabs and Israelis are talking peace, which

MEE correspondent (2020-10-21). European MPs tell Egypt's Sisi to release prisoners of conscience. middleeasteye.net European MPs tell Egypt's Sisi to release prisoners of conscience | Egyptian president facing mounting calls by lawmakers from the US and Europe to end his government's rights violations | Wed, 10/21/2020 – 11: 17 | Egypt's President Sisi has been accused by international rights groups of presiding over the country's worst crackdown on human rights in its modern history (AFP/file photo)…

Jon Miltimore (2020-10-21). Masks Aren't Helpful in Beating COVID-19: Europe's Top Health Officials. globalresearch.ca This article was first crossposted in August. | Denmark boasts one of the lowest COVID-19 death rates in the world. As of August 4, the Danes have suffered 616 COVID-19 deaths, That's less

Mehr News Agency (2020-10-21). Boosting relations with Iranians, a priority for Turkey. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 21 (MNA) — Hailing the great volume of relations between Iranians and Turkish people, a Turkish official called boosting relations with Iran as one of the priorities of his government.

yenisafak (2020-10-21). Mosques in two French cities under police protection after threats, says minister. yenisafak.com French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said on Wednesday he had asked local authorities to put mosques in the cities of Bordeaux and Beziers in southwestern France under police protection following threats or acts of violence."Such actions are unacceptable on the soil of the Republic" the minister said in a tweet.

Aaron Maté (2020-10-20). Chomsky: OPCW cover-up of Syria probe is 'shocking'. thegrayzone.com Noam Chomsky says that the OPCW's cover-up, under US pressure, of a Syria chemical weapons probe raises "very severe suspicions." In his first public comments on the OPCW's Syria cover-up scandal, Noam Chomsky criticizes the chemical watchdog for suppressing, under US pressure, evidence that undermined the pretext for the US-led bombing of Syria in April 2018. The censorship recently extended to the UN Security Council, where the US, UK, and France blocked former OPCW Director General José Bustani from testifying …

Aaron Maté (2020-10-20). Chomsky: from nuclear weapons to Iran, Trump's worst threats are dangerously ignored. thegrayzone.com Noam Chomsky warns that the Trump administration poses a unique threat to humanity, and its most reckless policies are receiving far too little attention. Noam Chomsky discusses the White House's threats to the New START treaty, the last remaining accord limiting the US and Russia's nuclear weapons arsenals; its latest round of crippling sanctions and threats against Iran; the bipartisan US refusal to accept a Middle East Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone, which would terminate Israel's nuclear weapons program; and the silencing of …

Andrew Korybko (2020-10-20). The Expiry of The Iranian Arms Embargo. globalresearch.ca The 13-year-long anti-Iranian arms embargo expired on the 18th of October, which creates opportunities for the Islamic Republic to strengthen its national defense capabilities and cultivate even deeper relations with its top strategic partners such as China and Russia, possibly …

Dan Beeton (2020-10-20). Two Interviews on the Bolivian Coup and Its Aftermath. cepr.net In interviews recorded for a new podcast, "While We were Sleeping," host Francesca Emanuele investigates overlooked cases of state violence and the human stories behind them. Two new interviews offer useful context for the October 18 general elections just carried out in Bolivia. In the first, Emanuele interviews Jhocelin Caspa, an Indigenous Aymara woman from …

sputniknews (2020-10-20). Nova Scotia Fishers' Rights; US Accuses Russians of Cyberwarfare. sputniknews.com Tensions between Indigenous and non-Indigenous fishermen come to a head in Nova Scotia, Canada, as angry mobs attack.

Kim Scipes (2020-10-20). Fighting Racism in the US Marine Corps. counterpunch.org By 1971, the Marine Corps had suffered racial outbreaks at every major Marine base in the world, except one. In Vietnam, some units were disarmed after coming out of the bush, as there had been firefights between white and Black Marines. A celebration of Martin Luther King's life by Black Marines at Chu Lai in April 1969, one year after his assassination, had been surrounded by tanks. Racial "relations" were terrible. (As was true in all the other branches, in Vietnam, the US and on bases in Europe.)

Ragip Soylu (2020-10-20). Turkey arrests Jordanian on suspicion of spying for UAE. middleeasteye.net Turkey arrests Jordanian on suspicion of spying for UAE | Sources tell MEE Ahmed al-Astal posed as a Muslim Brotherhood supporter to spy on Arab dissidents | Tue, 10/20/2020 – 10: 06 | Turkish police officers patrol in front of Hagia Sophia on 11 July 2020 in Istanbul (AFP) | Turkey's intelligence agency has arrested a Jordanian national on accusation of spying for the United Arab Emirates. | Turkish int…

MEE staff (2020-10-20). Turkish forces exit encircled military post in northern Syria. middleeasteye.net Turkish forces exit encircled military post in northern Syria | Sources told MEE that a combination of Russian and Syrian civilian pressure had forced Turkey's hand | Tue, 10/20/2020 – 15: 35 | A Turkish military convoy vacates the Morek post in Hama's countryside on 20 October 2020 (MEE/Ali Haj Suleiman) | Turkey has evacuated an observation station in Syria's northwestern Hama province that had been encircle…

Peoples Dispatch (2020-10-20). Anti-fascists across the UK honor volunteers of the International Brigade. peoplesdispatch.org Around 2500 volunteers from Britain and Ireland participated in the Spanish Civil War supporting the Spanish Left and Republican forces against the fascist forces led by Francisco Franco…

Carol Polsgrove (2020-10-20). Nuclear War Makes a Comeback. counterpunch.org On websites where policy makers, scholars, and military leaders gather, concern about the possibility of nuclear war has been rising sharply in recent months as China, the United States, and Russia develop new weapons and new ways of using old ones. On War on the Rocks, an online platform for national security articles and podcasts,

MEE staff (2020-10-20). Israeli firm signs deal to transport UAE oil to Europe. middleeasteye.net Israeli firm signs deal to transport UAE oil to Europe | The deal would create a cheaper, faster way to get oil from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean by bypassing Egypt's Suez Canal via a 'land bridge' | Tue, 10/20/2020 – 21: 37 | EAPC oil storage containers are seen on the shore of Israel's southern city of Ashkelon on 27 January, 2015 (Reuters/File photo) | An Israeli pipeline company has announced a prelimi…

Jenny Farrell (2020-10-20). Last of Communist Liam O'Flaherty's banned novels sees the light in Ireland. peoplesworld.org Liam O'Flaherty's banned novel The Martyr has just been republished by Nuascéalta, 87 years since its first and only edition in 1933. With this sensational republication of The Martyr, Nuascéalta publishers complete their epic task of restoring the remaining three major O'Flaherty novels banned by the Irish state. The other two novels reprinted by them …

John Winstead (2020-10-20). U.S. willing to risk nuclear arms race as New START negotiations go down to the wire. liberationnews.org The United States and Russia are locked in tense negotiations over the future of a key nuclear arms control treaty…

RT (2020-10-20). 'You don't need to completely isolate any more,' Sweden to tell elderly amid country's relaxed handling of Covid-19. rt.com In its latest approach to the pandemic, Sweden plans to ease coronavirus restrictions for elderly citizens. The country's state epidemiologist says the situation is less "dramatic" than in the rest of Europe. | With the exception of those over 70, Swedish citizens have faced few restrictions during the pandemic. Now, the government's "priority" is to return normalcy to the lives of elderly Swedes, according to Anders Tegnell. In contrast to most of Europe, older Swedish residents are now being encouraged to emerge from their isolation and resume their lives. | "We would send the message to elderly people, you…

RT (2020-10-20). Russian Cabinet strikes down proposed law to ban transgender people from amending sex assigned at birth on official documents. rt.com Russian authorities have rejected amendments to the country's family code, which would have enshrined in law a ban on marriage and adoption by same-sex couples, and restricted transgender people from officially changing gender. | The proposed laws, written by Senator Elena Mizulina, were focused on the rights to be the parent of a child, including changing the rules for deprivation of custody. If passed, the new family code would have taken custody decisions into the hands of the court, meaning that a parent would have to be found guilty before their offspring could be removed. | However, most prominently, the…

RT (2020-10-20). Spanish government eyes Covid-19 curfews, but needs opposition backing to extend state of alarm. rt.com The Spanish government is considering new curfews and other measures in a bid to curb rising Covid-19 infections as the country battles a second wave, with Health Minister Salvador Illa warning that "very tough weeks are coming." | Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Illa stressed that another state of alarm would need to be enacted for his government to bring in curfews across Spain, with a particular focus on the Community of Madrid. The region has been the worst affected in the country, with 281,388 confirmed Covid-19 cases as of Monday. | The Community of Madrid's President Isabel Díaz Ayuso…

RT (2020-10-20). Greece urges EU states to stop military exports to Turkey & consider suspending customs union deal. rt.com Athens wants EU countries to halt military exports to Turkey, Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias said on Tuesday, accusing Ankara of violating the criteria of integration into the bloc. | Speaking of the request to other EU members to stop the exports, Dendias claimed that "this equipment is being used in actions that destabilize our region." | "Turkey continues to violate the fundamental criteria of integration into the EU," Dendias added. Ankara's entry talks with the EU started in 1999, but have been long stalled. | The minister said that he has also written to EU Enlargement Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi,…

RT (2020-10-20). 'One of the most impressive phenomena in modern Russia': Communist leader Zyuganov asks Kremlin to listen to Khabarovsk protesters. rt.com The leader of Russia's Communist Party has called for the government to "hear the voice of the people" in Khabarovsk, where citizens have been protesting daily for more than three months over the arrest of their former governor. | Writing on Twitter, four-time presidential candidate Gennady Zyuganov called the demonstrations "one of the most impressive phenomena in modern Russia," and asked the Kremlin to listen to the concerns of the aggrieved and "take the path of development and progress." | –í –•–∞–±–∞—Ä–æ–≤—…

RT (2020-10-20). What's 'verifiable'? Extension of US-Russia nuclear New START treaty hinges on word. rt.com The sole remaining US-Russia nuclear arms control deal may get a last-moment extension after all, but everything now depends on what the US State Department means when it says warhead caps need to be "verifiable." | New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) is scheduled to expire in February 2021. While Russia has offered a "clean" renewal of the existing treaty, without preconditions, the Trump administration has first sought to expand it to include China, then demanded a limit on total nuclear warheads as a condition for agreeing to an extension. | The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that Russia i…

RT (2020-10-20). France will dissolve pro-Hamas Muslim group, as Islamist crackdown continues — Macron. rt.com French President Emmanuel Macron has said that a Hamas-linked Muslim group connected with the beheading of a teacher in Paris will be disbanded. Macron also promised to take "concrete actions" against radical Islamist terrorism. | "We know what needs to be done," the president told reporters in Paris on Tuesday, announcing that a Muslim group connected to Palestinian Hamas militants would be broken up. The group is believed to be linked to the beheading of history teacher Samuel Paty by a teenage Chechen refugee last week. Prior to the killing, Paty had shown his class a caricature of the Prophet Mohammed. | A…

sputniknews (2020-10-20). UN Urges Greek, Turkish Cypriots to Avoid Steps That Erode Prospects for Talks. sputniknews.com UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) – UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expects that the election of Ersin Tatar as the president of the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) will help to bring the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities closer together, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in a press briefing on Tuesday.

Rà§ikkà∂nen K, Gissler M, Kajantie E. (2020-10-20). Maternal Antenatal Corticosteroid Treatment and Childhood Mental and Behavioral Disorders—Reply. jamanetwork.com In Reply Dr Gyamfi-Bannerman and colleagues stated that our primary outcome was a composite of billing codes and that only a few of the associations for secondary outcomes were statistically significant. In Finland, mandatory codes recorded in nationwide medical registers are International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems codes, not billing codes. We used any mental or behavioral disorder diagnosis as the primary outcome because the existing data do not allow disorder-specific hypotheses. This outcome also decreases inaccuracy of a specific diagnosis, decreases type I error, and…

Kuehn BM. (2020-10-20). New Insights on COVID-19's Hyperinflammation in Children. jamanetwork.com A rare, life-threatening hyperinflammatory syndrome that some children develop after coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is distinct from Kawasaki disease, according to a collaboration among European scientists.

Baxter B, Curci JA, Terrin ML. (2020-10-20). Doxycycline and Growth of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms—Reply. jamanetwork.com In Reply Dr Sterpetti's concerns about statins and aspirin were considered as we designed and performed the Non-Invasive Treatment of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms Clinical Trial (N-TA3CT). As a matter of medical practice, the preponderance of patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms in the US, Canada, and Europe can be expected to be prescribed aspirin or statins because of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease; our findings do not support adding doxycycline to their regimens. In our clinical trial, a secondary interest was in whether doxycycline, compared with placebo, would reduce systemic levels of MMP-9; it di…

WSWS (2020-10-20). Macron launches anti-Muslim police-state crackdown after terror attack in France. wsws.org Macron's policy is indistinguishable from the fascistic ravings of National Rally leader Marine Le Pen.

Mehr News Agency (2020-10-20). Foreign drone crashes in NW Iran. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 20 (MNA) — A foreign drone has crashed in Khoda Afarin county, East Azarbaijan province, amid military conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Mehr News Agency (2020-10-20). VIDEO: Miraculous rescue of woman from an accident in Ukraine. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 20 (MNA) — A woman was miraculously rescued from a deadly accident with a loader in Ukraine.

sputniknews (2020-10-20). France to Step Up Fight Against Radicalization in Wake of Teacher Murder, Macron Says. sputniknews.com PARIS (Sputnik) – France has already reinforced measures aimed at combating radicalization across the country and will continue the fight in the wake of the brutal murder of a history teacher, President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday.

sputniknews (2020-10-20). Two Weeks Until Election Day PLUS Google Lawsuit Filed. sputniknews.com On today's episode, Lee discussed current events, including the new Hunter Biden information to be released by Bannon and Giuliani, the Justice Department's lawsuit against Google, France's closing of a mosque after the beheading of a teacher, an H1B1 visa lawsuit filed by the Chamber of Commerce, and new debate rules announced for debates.

sputniknews (2020-10-20). 'Fling Enough Mud, Some Will Stick': US Routinely Levies Hacking Accusations It Can't Prove – Journo. sputniknews.com The US has charged six Russians with working as Russian intelligence agents to direct hacking attacks around the globe, including the infamous NotPetya ransomware. However, a journalist tells Sputnik such claims are virtually impossible to prove, which is why Washington loves to throw them around.

yenisafak (2020-10-20). 'China's potential vaccines show no adverse reaction'. yenisafak.com China claimed on Tuesday that its experimental vaccines for protection against COVID-19 have shown "no adverse reaction." "So far, none of those who have received the 'emergency use' vaccine have shown severe adverse reactions," Zheng Zhongwei, a top official at China's National Health Commission, was quoted as saying by the state-run Global Times newspaper.Pharma giants in many countries have resisted the idea of taking a shortcut in rolling out an antigen for the novel virus.China and Russia, however, have started vaccinating a select group of people with experimental shots, prompting a debate on risks of admin…

yenisafak (2020-10-20). Russia's daily coronavirus cases hit record high of 16,319. yenisafak.com Russia recorded a record high 16,319 new cases of coronavirus on Tuesday, including 4,999 in the capital Moscow, to take the national total to 1,431,635.Authorities reported 269 deaths in the last 24 hours, taking Russia's official death toll to 24,635.

yenisafak (2020-10-20). Coronavirus cases in Eurasia up by 7,376. yenisafak.com Coronavirus infections and deaths continued their upward trend across Eurasia and Central Asia on Tuesday.- UkraineUkraine's Health Minister Maksim Stepanov announced 5,469 new cases over the past 24 hours, bringing the tally on 309,107.The death toll in the country rose to 5,786 as 113 people died from COVID-19, while 3,044 more patients recovered, raising the total number of recoveries to 126,489, Stepanov said.Ukraine's President Vladimir Zelenskiy met with religious leaders in his country and asked for their support amid the rising number of virus cases.Zelenskiy said that if the number of daily cases reach 9…

yenisafak (2020-10-20). Bosnia commemorates 1st president Izetbegovic's death. yenisafak.com Bosnia and Herzegovina this week commemorates the 17th death anniversary of Alija Izetbegovic, independent Bosnia's first president and one of the most important Muslim thinkers of the last century.Izetbegovic — a politician, writer, lawyer, and philosopher who came to international prominence during the bitter 1992-1995 Bosnian War — is commemorated every year on the anniversary of his death.Having struggled against fascism and Chetnik nationalists during World War II and later communism, Izetbegovic fought for the independence of Bosnia Herzegovina from Yugoslavia in the 1990s as well as to raise the religiou…

Paul Craig Roberts (2020-10-20). The New York Times Is Anti-White and Anti-American. thealtworld.com The vast majority of the New York Times's subscribers are white people. These are people who apparently are so emotionally and mentally weak and so full of guilt and self-loathing that they support a rabid anti-American propaganda organization that brands its readers "racists" and delegitimises the founding principles of the United States. | The US Defense Secretary, Espy, distracts us with the "Russian and Chinese enemies," while the worst enemy that the United States has ever had—The New York Times—carries on its deadly attack of deconstructing America. The New York Times' position is that America i…

Andrew Korybko (2020-10-19). The Expiration Of The Iranian Arms Embargo Opens Up Exciting Opportunities. thealtworld.com The 13-year-long anti-Iranian arms embargo expired on Sunday, which creates exciting opportunities for the Islamic Republic to strengthen its national defense capabilities and cultivate even deeper relations with its top strategic partners such as China and Russia, possibly even playing them off against one another in a "friendly competition" so as to derive the greatest benefit. | The End Of The Embargo | The US is enraged that the UN let the 13-year-long anti-Iranian arms embargo

Stephen Lendman (2020-10-19). Nagorno-Karabakh Ceasefire 2.0? globalresearch.ca An October 9 Russia-brokered ceasefire between Armenia and Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh (NK below) failed to take hold. | On Saturday, warring sides again agreed to halt fighting, effective Sunday, citing humanitarian reasons. | An Azeri Foreign Ministry statement said the following: | "The …

RT (2020-10-19). Greece to expand wall on Turkish border to block migrants. rt.com Athens said on Monday it had finalized plans to build a wall along Greece's border with Turkey, to prevent large numbers of migrants from crossing into the country illegally. | About 26 kilometers (16 miles) of wall will be added to an existing 10 km section of fence, government spokesman Stelios Petsas said, adding that the project is due to be completed by the end of April. The five-meter (15-foot) barrier would cost €63 million ($74 million). | The wall will be made of galvanized square steel tubes and concrete foundations, Greece's public order ministry has said. In addition, a surveillance camera net…

Ragip Soylu (2020-10-19). EXCLUSIVE: Turkey to abandon some observation stations in Syria's Idlib. middleeasteye.net EXCLUSIVE: Turkey to abandon some observation stations in Syria's Idlib | Withdrawal comes as Russians hinder resupply efforts and Damascus stokes protests against Turkish presence | Mon, 10/19/2020 – 08: 53 | A Syrian army soldier looks at a Turkish military observation post in al-Rashidin district, in Aleppo's southwestern countryside in January (AFP) | Turkey has decided to abandon some of its militar…

_____ (2020-10-19). Treason in America: An Overview of the FBI, CIA and Matters of 'National Security'. strategic-culture.org "Treason doth never prosper; what is the reason? Why, if it prosper, none dare call it treason." | — Sir John Harrington. | As Shakespeare would state in his play Hamlet, "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark," like a fish that rots from head to tail, so do corrupt government systems rot from top to bottom. | This is a reference to the ruling system of Denmark and not just the foul murder that King Claudius has committed against his brother, Hamlet's father. This is showcased in the play by reference to the economy of Denmark being in a state of shambles and that the Danish people are ready to revolt…

RT (2020-10-19). Wikipedia says Hunter Biden scandal 'DEBUNKED', as editing war rages & new page emerges calling it a 'conspiracy'. rt.com Allegations of corruption against ex-Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter have apparently been "debunked" and are merely a "conspiracy theory" according to Wikipedia, where editors are battling over the terms. | Hunter Biden was the subject of an explosive report last week as the New York Post published emails alleging that he involved his father in dodgy business dealings in Ukraine and China. | While the story is still unfolding, the Wikipedia page for Hunter Biden simply

RT (2020-10-19). US charges six Russian 'intelligence agents' with hacking Ukraine, Georgia, France and 2018 Olympics. rt.com The US Justice Department has announced charges against six alleged officers of Russian military intelligence, accusing them of cyber attacks against Georgia, France, the UK, the OPCW, Ukraine and the 2018 Winter Olympics. | A grand jury in Pennsylvania indicted the six men for "conspiracy, computer hacking, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and false registration of a domain name," the DOJ announced on Monday, describing them as officers in Unit 74455 of the Russian Main Intelligence Directorate, or GRU. | The indictment identifies them as Yuriy Sergeyevich Andrienko, Sergey Vladimirovich Detistov, Pavel…

RT (2020-10-19). They love Big Brother? Majority of Russians support using facial recognition cameras to identify those in contact with Covid-19. rt.com The majority of Russians are happy to give up their personal data to combat Coronavirus, with over three-quarters supporting the use of facial recognition tech to identify who came in contact with those infected by the disease. | According to a joint study by the Russian Venture Company and the Institute of National Projects, 54 percent of Russians think it is acceptable for the government to collect personal data for issuing passes for freedom to move around. Furthermore, 66 percent of respondents consider it acceptable for the state to collect information about who people have spent time with, in order to id…

RT (2020-10-19). 'I could spend a MILLION a day': Gymnast tells ALL on NHL ex-husband as she admits hiring DETECTIVE over 'intimate texts to girls'. rt.com Russian world champion gymnast Daria Dmitrieva has admitted that she was driven "crazy" by ex-husband Alexander Radulov's messages to other women during their two-year marriage, adding that she loved spending his hefty NHL wages. | Four-time World Championships gold medalist Dmitrieva has claimed that "moral principles" caused her to split from Dallas Stars winger Radulov in 2017, calling her assumption that the situation would change a "ridiculous mistake" while accusing the Russia veteran of sending steamy texts via WhatsApp. | The Canada-based 27-year-old confessed that she had tracked Radulov's exchanges "

RT (2020-10-19). Gym seeks to dodge Poland's new Covid-19 lockdown by rebranding as 'Church of the Healthy Body'. rt.com With the government in Warsaw imposing strict lockdown measures on almost 70 percent of Poland's population, a gym in Krakow has found a way to operate, albeit in a severely limited capacity — by declaring itself a church. | "Since fitness classes cannot function, starting today our club will start hosting religious gatherings of the 'Church of the Healthy Body'," Marta Jamroz, manager of the Atlantic Sports Fitness in Poland's second-largest city, Hard to believe?