2020-10-16: News Headlines

Oliver Vargas (2020-10-16). Bolivia: First Election Since US-Backed Coup Pits Right against Left, Rich Against Poor and White against Everyone Else. mintpressnews.com This coming Sunday represents Bolivia's best chance to secure lasting peace, with a widely anticipated MAS victory expected to be a repudiation of last November's US-backed military coup.

Stephen Lendman (2020-10-16). Turkish and Israeli Weapons Fueling Conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh. globalresearch.ca Weapons-makers — aka merchants of death and mass destruction — fuel conflicts when occur. | The US by far dominates the global arms trade. | According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the US accounted for 36% of major conventional …

news.un (2020-10-16). Bolivia elections, an opportunity to defuse extreme polarization: UN rights chief. news.un.org The UN's top human rights official has called on everyone active in Bolivian politics, to ensure calm on the streets, and refrain from any action that could undermine the peaceful conduct of the general elections, taking place on Sunday.

news.un (2020-10-16). UN chief calls for swift action following attacks on peacekeepers in Mali. news.un.org Authorities in Mali are being urged to act swiftly to apprehend those responsible for two separate attacks on Thursday against peacekeepers serving with the UN Mission in the country, MINUSMA.

teleSUR (2020-10-15). Brazil Carried Out War Games on the Border With Venezuela. telesurenglish.net During the visit of the U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to Brazil in September, President Jair Bolsonaro's administration conducted war drills in the jungles of the state of Amazonas on the border with Venezuela. | RELATED: | The military games cost US$1.1 million, involved 3,600 men, and carried out the launching of artillery rockets with a range of 80 kilometers. | Under the Access to Information Law, the loc…

Andrew Korybko (2020-10-15). Scenario Forecasting: What Could a Russian Intervention in Nagorno-Karabakh Look Like? globalresearch.ca Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov's suggestion to deploy Russian peacekeepers and military observers into the universally recognized Azerbaijani territory of Nagorno-Karabakh and its seven surrounding districts under Armenian occupation pending both sides' agreement raises the prospect of Moscow's military intervention in …

Jan Oberg (2020-10-15). The Lost Peace Discourse and the Arts as a Possible Way Out? globalresearch.ca The discourse about, or for, peace has mostly disappeared over the last 2-3 decades. It applies to research (and its non-governmental funding possibilities), to politics in general and to the media. | In foreign and security politics, the intellectual level is …

Manuela Solé (2020-10-15). Venezuela's Maduro Vows to Train More Doctors as Covid Numbers Recede. venezuelanalysis.com A Chinese Covid-19 vaccine will soon arrive in the nation for clinical trials.

teleSUR (2020-10-15). Venezuela Starts Clinical Trials of Russia's COVID-19 Vaccine. telesurenglish.net Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro informed his nation that 2,000 volunteers are already participating in the clinical trials of Sputnik, the Russian COVID-19 vaccine. | RELATED: | "The Russian vaccine is here and the tests have already begun… In addition, thousands of Chinese vaccines will come to the country," Maduro said during a program broadcast by Venezolana de Television on Wednesday. | In the first half of 2…

Ricardo Vaz (2020-10-15). Venezuela: Oil Production Shows Modest Uptick as Gov't Seeks Foreign Investment. venezuelanalysis.com The country's new "anti-blockade law" looks to boost conditions for foreign investors.

teleSUR (2020-10-15). UN: Parties To Yemen Conflict To Protect Women From Violence. telesurenglish.net "In Yemen, as in all sub situations, women have worked tirelessly, mostly behind the scenes, always below the radar to stop the war, reduce violence, release detainees and build back peace. They do this against all odds with a courage we can only imagine and often under circumstances which threaten their lives, their livelihoods and their families," says UN Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths.

news.un (2020-10-15). An 'airlift of hope' in Yemen, UN envoy tells Security Council. news.un.org An "airlift of hope" agreed by Yemen's warring parties to return more than 1,000 detainees to their families has been welcomed by UN Special Envoy Martin Griffiths, who has urged both sides to agree to further peace-building measures.

_____ (2020-10-15). Nicaragua Attacked For Using Same US Policies Against Foreign Meddling. popularresistance.org US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo launched another attack on Nicaragua's Sandinista government last month, accusing President Daniel Ortega of being a "dictator" who is "doubling down on repression and refusing to honor the democratic aspirations of the Nicaraguan people."[1] The State Department openly supports what it calls "a return to democracy in Nicaragua", saying that "the people of Nicaragua rose up peacefully to call for change."[2] | Pompeo's accusations came in a month in which Nicaragua's National Assembly made three new legislative proposals…

Michael Galant (2020-10-15). 5 Foreign Policy Issues to Look Out For in Tonight's Town Halls. commondreams.org The absence of war is not enough; we need to build a positive peace by supporting gender-equitable and locally-led peacebuilding, committing to multilateralism and international law, promoting green, justice-based development, and more. (Photo by NurPhoto/Corbis via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/screen_shot_2020-07-20_at_4.34.59_pm_0_0.png

Eds. (2020-10-14). Exposing Trump's deadly sanctions on Venezuela. mronline.org KEN LIVINGSTONE looks in-depth at the story of U.S. sanctions on Venezuela.

Vijay Prashad (2020-10-14). Venezuela's ability to fight COVID-19 is badly hamstrung by the 31 metric tons of gold stolen from its treasury. mronline.org On October 5, 2020, the England and Wales Court of Appeal overturned a lower court decision from July that denied the Venezuelan government access to 31 metric tons of its gold stored in the Bank of London.

MEE and agencies (2020-10-14). Israel approves new West Bank housing, just weeks after 'peace' deals with UAE, Bahrain. middleeasteye.net Israel approves new West Bank housing, just weeks after 'peace' deals with UAE, Bahrain | Gulf normalisation agreements were initially advertised as hinging on a freeze in settlement construction | Wed, 10/14/2020 – 12: 40 | New apartments buildings under construction in the Beit El settlement in the occupied the West Bank (AFP) | Israel has approved the construction of new homes in its il…

MEE and agencies (2020-10-14). Lebanon and Israel hold unprecedented talks on disputed maritime border. middleeasteye.net Lebanon and Israel hold unprecedented talks on disputed maritime border | The two countries, technically at war, are seeking to settle a maritime border dispute and clear the way for oil and gas exploration | Wed, 10/14/2020 – 11: 14 | Vehicles of the UN peacekeeping force UNIFIL are pictured in the southernmost area of Naqoura, by the border with Israel, where talks between Israel and Leb…

Vijay Prashad (2020-10-14). Venezuela's ability to fight COVID-19 is hamstrung by 31 metric tons of gold stolen from its treasury. peoplesdispatch.org The Bank of England has refused to hand over 31 metric tons of gold that belongs to Venezuela. This gold worth $1.95 billion is planned to go toward the purchase of essential medical equipment and supplies…

African Bar Association (2020-10-14). Threats to the Life of Nobel Laureate Dr. Denis Mukwege in Seeking Peace and Justice in the DRC. globalresearch.ca The African Bar Association wishes to express deep concern about the recent threats to the life and person of Dr. Denis Mukwege. This misguided threats arising from the activist activities of the Nobel Laureate in seeking for justice in …

Scott Ritter (2020-10-14). Dangerous delusions: US claims arms control 'agreement' with Russia for Trump election points. thealtworld.com Extending the New START treaty until a new arms control agreement can be negotiated is in the best interest of world peace. President Trump, however, seems ready to sacrifice that security for a few points in pre-election ratings. | There is one thing virtually every arms control expert can agree on: extending the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, known as New START, past its February 2021 expiration date is essential for preventing a new nuclear arms race between the US and Russia. As such, it should be done even in the face of widespread disagreement over what a new arms control treaty would look like, and who w…

Robert J. Burrowes (2020-10-14). 'We are Many, They are Few': Nonviolent Resistance to the Elite's COVID-19 Coup. globalresearch.ca On 16 August 1819, an estimated 60,000 pro-democracy and anti-poverty activists were peacefully protesting the utterly corrupt nature of the Parliament in Westminster and demanding the reform of parliamentary representation (which afforded less than 2% of people the right to …

oneworld.press (2020-10-14). Scenario Forecasting: What Could A Russian Intervention In Nagorno-Karabakh Look Like?>. oneworld.press Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov's suggestion to deploy Russian peacekeepers and military observers into the universally recognized Azerbaijani territory of Nagorno-Karabakh and its seven surrounding districts under Armenian occupation pending both sides' agreement raises the prospect of Moscow's military intervention in this conflict, which is worthwhile examining since this scenario isn't as far-fetched as some might think.

Askiah Adam (2020-10-14). The Palestinian Struggle Betrayed. globalresearch.ca The Abraham Accord signed recently between Israel on the one hand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain on the other, is touted as a peace deal. They were not at war. There was peace between them and much …

news.un (2020-10-14). Continued violence strains Colombia peace process, Security Council hears. news.un.org Enormous challenges remain on the road to lasting peace in Colombia, where despite ongoing attacks and stigmatization, the vast majority of former FARC-EP fighters who laid down their weapons under a 2016 peace agreement with the Government, remain engaged in the reintegration process, the head of the UN mission in the South American country says.

_____ (2020-10-13). Native Americans Tear Gassed, Arrested On Indigenous Peoples' Day. popularresistance.org Twelve people, including at least eight Native Americans, were arrested near an immigration checkpoint in Southern Arizona on Indigenous Peoples' Day after United States Border Patrol agents and Arizona law enforcement officials violently repressed a peaceful action held Monday morning by roughly 30 land and water protectors. | The O'odham Anti Border Collective—a group of Akimel O'odham, Tohono O'odham, and Hia Ced O'odham tribal members that seeks to promote the cultural practices and protect the homelands of all O'odham nations "through the dismantling of colonial borders"…

The Canary (2020-10-13). Activists board supertrawler to prevent it from fishing in 'protected waters'. thecanary.co Greenpeace activists have boarded a supertrawler in the North Sea and prevented it from fishing in what it claims are protected waters.The environmental group said the Helen Mary vessel was fishing in the Central Fladen protected area, east of Scotland.Activists from the Greenpeace ship Esperanza boarded the 117 metre-long vessel and hung a banner reading: Ban supertrawlers now!Greenpeace activists board the Helen Mary supertrawler (Greenpeace/PA)Protected areas: They placed fishing deterrents in the supertrawler's nets before the Germany-registered Helen Mary left the area.In 2019, the same vessel was deta…

Frances Madeson (2020-10-13). Cameroonian Asylum Seekers Said to be One Day Away From Deportation Back to the Oppression They Fled. counterpunch.org There is a peaceful room in a safe, joyful home in the Washington metro area waiting for Micah, an English-speaking Cameroonian refugee who spent his 20th birthday on hunger strike in Pine Prairie Detention Center. His 19th birthday was also spent in ICE detention. His uncle, who raised him, has been counseling patience while waiting