Daily Archives: October 27, 2020

2020-10-27: News Headlines

news.un (2020-10-27). Tanzania: UN chief calls for safe, peaceful voting process. news.un.org The UN Secretary-General has called on everyone involve inTanzania's political process to ensure that Wednesday's general elections are held in a safe, inclusive and peaceful manner, amid reports of intimidation and harassment of political opponents, journalists and activists.

Mark Devlin (2020-10-27). Video: Stand Up, Say No to "New Normal". Leeds Protest Speech by Mark Devlin. globalresearch.ca Here's my speech to the crowd in attendance at the Stand Up X protest event in Millennium Square, Leeds, on Sunday 18th October 2020. (I would have said 'peaceful protest,' but the order-following thug police saw to it that things …

Mehr News Agency (2020-10-27). Muslims not to bear any insults to Prophet of Mercy. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 27 (MNA) — Iran Embassy in Moscow stated that Muslims will never allow enemies of Islam to reach their evil goals through insulting the holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) who's the messenger of love and peace.

yenisafak (2020-10-27). Israeli football fans share songs insulting Prophet Muhammad. yenisafak.com Israeli football fans shared songs containing insulting phrases of the Prophet Muhammad on YouTube, according to Arab member of Knesset (Israel's parliament) Ayman Odeh. | Odeh said, "Fans of the [Beitar Jerusalem] football club recently published on YouTube offensive songs of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him." | He added the songs have recently begun to gain "popularity with the rise in Islamophobic incitement in the world." | He demanded internet giant Google, which owns YouTube, to delete the offensive songs. | The songs come in conjunction with increasing Islamophobia in France manifested in the public…

news.un (2020-10-27). Tanzania: UN chief calls for safe, peaceful elections. news.un.org The UN Secretary-General has called on everyone involve inTanzania's political process to ensure that Wednesday's general elections are held in a safe, inclusive and peaceful manner, amid reports of intimidation and harassment of political opponents, journalists and activists.

South Front (2020-10-27). Video: Nobody Believes in Peace. Azerbaijan Attacks Armenian Forces Despite US-sponsored Ceasefire. globalresearch.ca As of October 26, Azerbaijan and Turkey kept their operational initiative in the war with Armenia in the contested Nagorno-Karabakh region. Their forces continue developing their offensive in southern Karabakh by trying to remove Armenian forces from of the Lachin …

Paul Antonopoulos (2020-10-27). Israel Chooses to Normalize Relations with Countries Which Have Directly Supported Terrorism. globalresearch.ca A new agreement of enormous importance to the Middle East has followed Israel's peace deals with Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates — the normalization of relations between Israel and Sudan. The agreement marks a new direction in Israel's normalization …

Communist Party USA (2020-10-27). CPUSA: Electoral uprising shatters records, signals possible democratic breakthrough. peoplesworld.org The popular chant, "This is what democracy looks like!" can mean many things: people hitting the streets, getting arrested in peaceful protest, organizing themselves into unions, lobbying their elected officials, and yes, even the "simple" act of voting. The yearning for more democracy is reflected in what can only be described as an electoral upsurge that's …

Nadda Osman (2020-10-27). Saudi activist Loujain al-Hathloul begins new hunger strike. middleeasteye.net Saudi activist Loujain al-Hathloul begins new hunger strike | Jailed women's rights campaigner protesting against restrictions on contact with her family, her sisters say | Tue, 10/27/2020 – 11: 57 | Al-Hathloul's family have expressed concern for her as she starts a hunger strike for a second time (Reuters) | Jailed Saudi women's rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul has gone on hunger strike, her family…

_____ (2020-10-27). Republicans and Democrats Will Never Deliver Peace. strategic-culture.org The Libertarian Party presidential candidate makes her case for why a third party is needed to bring the troops home. | Jo JORGENSEN | The 2016 Republican presidential primary debates revealed a sea change. From 2008 to 2012, then-congressman Ron Paul was routinely booed for his criticism of America's foreign policy. It was even common to hear Republican office holders, commentators, and activists say they "agreed with Ron Paul on everything but foreign policy." Yet in 2016, candidate Donald Trump was cheered for calling the Iraq war the biggest blunder in American history. | One would have thought Trump's victor…

John Laforge (2020-10-26). White House Gangster Wants to Avoid Nuclear-Armed Stigma. counterpunch.org The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons is about to win its 50th state ratification, the golden number needed for the treaty to enter into force. The list of 47 current signatories can be seen at ICANw.org, website of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize-winning coalition that helped

news.un (2020-10-26). UN's mission 'more important than ever', Secretary-General says at UN Day ceremony. news.un.org Seventy-five years after world leaders united to promote global peace and progress through cooperation, representatives from the international community stood in the UN General Assembly Hall on Monday to reaffirm their commitment to this promise.

Staff (2020-10-26). Organizers Are Gearing Up to Resist Far Right Intimidation at Polls. truthout.org As the election approaches, progressives are experiencing a lot of fear and anxiety. Of course, a major fear — beyond Trump winning — is that he will lose but refuse to step down. But far right intimidation at the polls themselves, as well as pre- and post-election violence, are also possibilities — and progressive organizers are making plans for all of these scenarios. | Already there have been ominous signs. Trump and Vice President Mike Pence have both refused to commit to a peace…

news.un (2020-10-26). Coronavirus 'feeds off instability', disrupting Israel-Palestine peace efforts. news.un.org The UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process reminded the Security Council on Monday of the Secretary-General's renewed appeal for a global ceasefire to respond to COVID-19, highlighting that the "the virus feeds off instability".

Finian Cunningham (2020-10-26). Russia's Threat… Of Peace. thealtworld.com Here we go again. Joe Biden is whipping up Russophobia by claiming that Russia is the "biggest threat" to American security. | In a media interview at the weekend, the Democrat politician said: "I think the biggest threat to America right now in terms of breaking up our — our security and our alliances is Russia." | That a presidential candidate can

Ed Lehman (2020-10-26). Pan-Canadian Day of Action Opposes Plan to Buy Fighter Jets, Drones. globalresearch.ca On October 2 Canadian peace activists held their second pan-Canadian Day of Action against the purchase of 88 new fighter jets. At some locations activists also underscored their objections to the purchase of 12 armed drones at a projected cost …

Kevin Martin (2020-10-26). Nuclear Weapons Prohibition Treaty Enters Into Force. peaceaction.org Peace Action Statement on the Entry Into Force of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons Kevin Martin, President of Peace Action and Peace Action Education Fund, issued the following statement: "A distinct honor in my work is representing Peace Action at peace and disarmament conferences at the United Nations. I was there in …

Fight Back (2020-10-26). State attorney reduces some charges; refuses diversion to Tally 19 felony arrestees. fightbacknews.org Tallahassee, FL – All spring and summer, organized groups of anti-police crimes protesters took to the streets, including the intersection in front of the historic capitol for over an hour at a time and on many occasions. Police regularly redirected traffic at least a block in every direction. Organizers would eventually announce the conclusion of street actions, at which time attendees dispersed without incident. Having spent all summer referring to these frequent street protests as "peaceful," law enforcement agencies pivoted to making threats to crack down on "unpermitted" protesters for blocking traffic. This…

yenisafak (2020-10-26). Arab Christians slam French insults against Islam. yenisafak.com Arab Christians on Sunday joined those condemning recent statements by French authorities against Islam and Prophet Muhammad. | On Wednesday, French President Emmanuel Macron said he will not prevent the publishing of insulting cartoons of Prophet Muhammad under the pretext of freedom of expression, a statement that sparked outrage in the Arab and Muslim world.Jalal Chahda, a senior anchor with the Qatar-based Al-Jazeera news channel, said in a tweet: "I am Jalal Chahda, an Arab Levantine Christian, and I strongly reject and denounce the insult to the Prophet of Islam, the Messenger #Mohammad. Blessings and peace…

Lautaro Rivara (2020-10-26). Haiti Has a Long History of Being Assaulted by Its Latin American Neighbors. counterpunch.org Thirteen United Nations peacekeeping missions are underway in various countries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Haiti has been the epicenter of the UN peacekeeping missions in Latin America and the Caribbean; there have been eight UN missions since the International Civilian Mission in Haiti (MICIVIH) was deployed in Haiti in 1993. On October

RT (2020-10-26). US threatens to destroy Iranian missiles if shipped to Venezuela as Washington slams Tehran with new oil sanctions. rt.com Washington will "eliminate" any long-range missiles shipped to Venezuela from Iran, the US envoy to both countries warned after an arms embargo on Tehran expired this month — but offered no evidence a single sale has taken place. | "The transfer of long-range missiles from Iran to Venezuela is not acceptable to the United States and will not be tolerated or permitted," Elliott Abrams, the State Department Special Representative for Iran and Venezuela

Paul Dobson (2020-10-26). Venezuela: '100% Effective' Covid-19 Treatment Allegedly Discovered. venezuelanalysis.com The announcement came as Maduro unveiled a cabinet reshuffle and Venezuelans held an electoral dry run.

yenisafak (2020-10-25). New fighting flares over Karabakh as Aliyev warns against Russian involvement. yenisafak.com New fighting erupted between Azerbaijan and ethnic Armenian forces on Sunday over the mountainous enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh as both sides blamed each other for blocking a peaceful settlement to the conflict.Armenia accused Azeri forces of shelling civilian settlements. Baku denied killing civilians and said it was ready to implement a ceasefire, provided that Armenian forces withdrew from the battlefield.The weekend's clashes in and around Nagorno-Karabakh, a part of Azerbaijan populated and controlled by ethnic Armenians, came after U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo hosted the foreign ministers of both count…

teleSUR (2020-10-25). Chile Plebiscite: Police Repression Prior to Polls Closing. telesurenglish.net Various social organizations denounced this Sunday repression by Carabineros (Chilean Police) against protesters who gathered in the Plaza de la Dignidad, located in Santiago de Chile, minutes after the polls closed for the constitutional plebiscite. | Although the day was developing peacefully, a group of police attacked the citizens with water and tear gas jets, preventing the people's gathering temporarily. Ultimately the police retreated, and people have taken over the square. | According to witnesses, the place is surrounded by police officers. Likewise, alternative media journalists also denounced attack…

yenisafak (2020-10-25). 'Regional consensus can drive peace in Afghanistan'. yenisafak.com Consensus among regional countries can drive peace in Afghanistan with people of the war-torn country in the driver's seat, speakers said at an international virtual conference said."The Afghan peace process seems long, [and] complex with the bumpy road," said Oguzhan Ertugrul, Turkey's ambassador in Kabul, at the conference hosted by Ankara-based Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research (SETA) on Friday.In February, the US reached a deal with Taliban to end the war. The US promised to withdraw all troops within 14 months if the Taliban uphold the deal. The deal followed the intra-Afghan dialogue in…

RT (2020-10-25). Belarusian police use stun grenades to disperse protesters during huge opposition march in Minsk, with 'gunfire' reported (VIDEOS). rt.com Belarusian police have used stun grenades to disperse protesters heading to President Alexander Lukashenko's residence in Minsk, after thousands of anti-government demonstrators peacefully marched through the city's streets. | During the huge anti-government rally, held in the capital on Sunday, participants ran into multiple police cordons and were forced to circumvent them. One such encounter turned out to be particularly fiery, as law enforcement used harsh measures to disperse the crowd. | –ù–∞ –û—Ä–ª–æ–≤—Å–&i…

Ricardo Vaz (2020-10-25). [UPDATED] Venezuelan Hard Right Opposition Leader Leopoldo Lopez Flees to Spain. venezuelanalysis.com Lopez had been in the Spanish Ambassador's residence after escaping house arrest.

teleSUR (2020-10-25). Venezuela Launches National Voting Simulation. telesurenglish.net Venezuela's national voting simulation Sunday started at 8h00 local time, with the application of all biosecurity measures due to the COVID-19 pandemic ahead of the parliamentary elections of next December 6. | RELATED: | The trial will take place this Sunday from 8h00 to 15h00 local time, for which the National Electoral Council has set up 381 polling stations throughout the country. | Today, all the technical elements of the Auto…

Al Carroll (2020-10-25). Trump's Body Count: Could Be Over a Million. indybay.org The combined death toll from all of Trump's many crimes is not "just" the over 222,000 COVID deaths. It includes at least 40,000 Venezuelans, Syrian Christian and Yazidi refugees, Karen Christians, Rohingya, refugees from Latin America, Afghans, Iraqis, Somalis, Yemenis, and tens of thousands of Americans who died by Trump sabotaging their healthcare.

Ricardo Vaz (2020-10-25). Venezuelan Hard Right Opposition Leader Leopoldo Lopez Flees to Spain. venezuelanalysis.com Lopez had been in the Spanish Ambassador's residence after escaping house arrest.

teleSUR (2020-10-25). Venezuela: Leopoldo Lopez Leaves Spanish Embassy in Caracas. telesurenglish.net Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez Saturday left the Spanish Embassy in Caracas were he remained as a guest since April 30th last year. | RELATED: | The right-wing's representative could not apply for political asylum status from Venezuela before, since that request must be made only within Spanish territory. | Since the Venezuelan opponent could not apply for asylum, he was in the condition of a guest, a figure…

yenisafak (2020-10-24). UAE, Bahrain hail normalization of Sudan-Israel ties. yenisafak.com In a statement, the UAE Foreign Ministry described the announcement as "an important step toward enhancing security and prosperity in the region". | It said the move to normalize the Sudanese-Israeli relations "would expand the scope of economic, commercial, scientific and diplomatic cooperation". | The Bahraini Foreign Ministry, meanwhile, described the announcement as "an additional historical step on the path for achieving peace, stability and prosperity in the Middle East region". | It went on to hail US efforts for facilitating the normalization of the Sudanese-Israeli relations. | On Friday, Sudan's acti…

Steve Pleich (2020-10-24). UNA Santa Cruz Celebrates Nobel Prize and United Nations Day. indybay.org UN World Food Program Awarded 2020 Nobel Peace Prize…

news.un (2020-10-24). UN expresses hope 'new opportunities' will arise from Sudan's recognition of Israel. news.un.org The UN chief on Saturday said he was taking note of the announcement that Sudan has agreed to normalize relations with Israel, expressing hope that further cooperation will advance international peace and prosperity.

Fight Back (2020-10-24). Commentary on Bolivia: How a coup failed. fightbacknews.org Chicago, IL – On November 10, 2019, a hastily-assembled coalition of generals, middle class liberals and fascist paramilitaries overthrew the democratic government of Evo Morales in Bolivia. Coming on the heels of a coup attempt in Venezuela and the vicious repression of a people's uprising in Chile, it seemed to many that the continental struggle against U.S. imperialism had reached a tipping point in the empire's favor. | Today, not even a year later, the official results for Bolivia's presidential elections were announced. Evo's comrade and successor Luis "Lucho" Arce received a resounding 55% of the vote…

yenisafak (2020-10-24). UN hails Libya's lifting of force majeure on oil ports. yenisafak.com The UN mission in Libya on Saturday welcomed an announcement of lifting the state of "force majeure" from Libya's eastern Sidra and Ras Lanuf ports."This decision is a result of the confidence-building measures agreed and implemented through the Joint Military Commission. It's a win-win for the Libyan people," the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) said in a statement.The UN mission said the announcement "demonstrates what can be accomplished when Libyans come together in good faith for the sake of their country".The move by the Libyan National Oil Corporation (NOC) came after the announcement of a permanent ce…

news.un (2020-10-23). UN salutes new Libya ceasefire agreement that points to 'a better, safer, and more peaceful future'. news.un.org Warring parties in Libya on Friday agreed an historic ceasefire, which was hailed by the head of the UN Support Mission in the country (UNSMIL), who led the mediation, as a courageous act that can help secure a "a better, safer, and more peaceful future for all the Libyan people".

Robert S. Becker (2020-10-23). Ten uplifting teaching moments from President Fiasco. nationofchange.org How to achieve peace in our time, universal happiness, and healthy goodwill towards our neighbor.

teleSUR (2020-10-23). Ex-FARC Members March Over Selective Killings Against Them. telesurenglish.net Hundreds of former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrillas marched from the municipality of Mesetas, in Meta Department, to protest against the targeted killing of 234 of their fellow FARC party members since the signing of the Peace Agreement. | RELATED: | The march for "Life and Peace" was organized by members of the Revolutionary Alternative Forces of the Commons (FARC), which became a legal political party after their dem…

_____ (2020-10-23). Guess Who Arms Both Azerbaijan And Armenia. popularresistance.org This war between Azerbaijan and Armenia is, quite typically, a U.S. war even if the U.S. public doesn't think so, even if the news is that the United States is trying to negotiate peace — news that includes zero mention of cutting off the weapons flow or even threatening to cut off the weapons flow. The Washington Post would like to send in the U.S. military — which it thinks is a simple and obvious solution. That claim is dependent on nobody even thinking of the idea of cutting off the weapons. This is not a Trump war or an Obama war.

Andrea Germanos, staff writer (2020-10-23). Greenpeace Warns 'Potential Damage to Human DNA' at Risk With Japan's Plan to Dump Fukushima Water Into Ocean. commondreams.org "The policy of the Japanese government to dump nuclear waste into the Pacific Ocean is not based on scientific or environmental protection principles and has no justification." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/grenpeace-carbon-14-fukushima.jpg

teleSUR (2020-10-23). UN Chief Welcomes Libya Cease-Fire Accord. telesurenglish.net UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday welcomed the signing of a cease-fire agreement by the Libyan parties in Geneva under the auspices of the United Nations. | "This is a fundamental step toward peace and stability in Libya. I congratulate the parties for putting the interest of their nation ahead of their differences," Guterres told reporters at UN Headquarters in New York. | RELATED: | He appealed to…

_____ (2020-10-23). A New Revolutionary Alternative For The People Of Venezuela. popularresistance.org For many on the left in Britain and within the heart of the global capitalist system, Venezuela has been an example of staunch opposition to US and Nato imperialism, with a broad collection of revolutionaries fending off multiple coups, mercenary attacks and resisting an imperialist blockade of late. | This vision of defiance and tenacity has painted a very particular idea of what the experience is in Venezuela, which ultimately makes the formation of the Popular Revolutionary Alternative (APR), a new bloc of left wing groups without the ruling PSUV, quite a remarkable surprise.