(2020-10-20). Headlines for October 20, 2020. democracynow.org Trump Continues Attack on Fauci as U.S. Coronavirus Cases Surge and Death Toll Mounts, SCOTUS Deadlock Hands Victory to Voters in Pennsylvania as Floridians Break Early Voting Record, Debate Commission Announces Changes Ahead of Final Presidential Face-Off, Evo Morales Celebrates Victory of MAS Party, Says He Will Return to Bolivia, Trump Admin to Remove Sudan from U.S. List of Terrorist States, At Least 15 People Killed as Nigerian Protests Against Police Violence Continue, WSJ: U.S. Held Talks with Syrian Intelligence About Missing U.S. Citizens, Palestinian Prisoner in Critical Condition After Nearly 3 Months…
(2020-10-20). Bahrain's Mounting Anger over the Monarchy's Official Formalization of Ties with Tel Aviv. thealtworld.com 
A joint delegation, head by US Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, headed to Manama on Sunday, hoping to ink a communique that officially bolster the US-brokered normalization deal and establish the embassies in the two capitals. | According to the US Treasury, the trip focused on inking memorandums of understanding that cover trade, aviation services, telecommunications, finance as well as economic cooperation, tourism, science and technology. | Public Outrage: | Streams of citizens, from different backgrounds and affiliations, flood the streets across Bahrain in huge peaceful push to vehemently denounce the visit…
(2020-10-20). Nigerian anti-police protests continue and garner international support. wsws.org The dire social conditions are the product of colonial and neocolonial oppression by the imperialist powers on behalf of their banks and corporations, exacerbated by the venal and corrupt rule of the national bourgeoisie.
(2020-10-20). Nigerian protesters stay on the streets defying armed thugs as army begins 2-month-long exercise. peoplesdispatch.org Reports of armed thugs being on the prowl and even attacking protesters have come from many cities. The protests in Nigeria began on October 8 demanding the abolition of the infamous SARS police units…
(2020-10-20). US to remove Sudan from list of states sponsoring terror. peoplesdispatch.org US president Donald Trump made the announcement after the Sudanese transitional government agreed to pay a compensation of USD 335 million to the victims of attacks on US embassies in Tanzania and Kenya in 1998 and the USS Cole in 2000…
(2020-10-20). Welcome to the new normality! indybay.org Contradiction is demonized in general. A state of emergency becomes the new normality. Corona criticism creates "strange bedfellows."
(2020-10-19). Burkina Faso 'one step short of famine', warns UN food relief agency. news.un.org Unless access is urgently granted to humanitarian organizations, thousands in the Central Sahel will be "pushed into further destitution", the UN emergency food relief agency warned on Monday.
(2020-10-19). Democrats urge Egypt's Sisi to free dissidents before jail terms 'become death sentences'. middleeasteye.net 
Democrats urge Egypt's Sisi to free dissidents before jail terms 'become death sentences' | More than 50 lawmakers issued a letter to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi urging him to release prisoners of conscience during the coronavirus pandemic | Mon, 10/19/2020 – 17: 02 | An Egyptian police officer at the entrance of the Tora prison in the Egyptian capital Cairo on 11 February (AFP/File photo) | More t…
(2020-10-19). Arabic press review: Tunisia investigates MP's Facebook post on French teacher beheading. middleeasteye.net 
Arabic press review: Tunisia investigates MP's Facebook post on French teacher beheading | Meanwhile, Arab financial support for the Palestinian government reportedly falls by 82 percent and Bahrainis protest against Israeli visit | Mon, 10/19/2020 – 14: 47 | A man holds a French flag as people gather in Paris on 18 October 2020, to remember teacher Samuel Paty, beheaded by an attacker (AFP) | <...
(2020-10-19). UAE cabinet approves Israel normalisation deal. middleeasteye.net 
UAE cabinet approves Israel normalisation deal | First Emirati passenger flight lands at Tel Aviv as UAE government approves establishing relations | Mon, 10/19/2020 – 14: 45 | UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan (L) and his Israeli counterpart Gabi Ashkenazi are pictured before their historic meeting in Berlin, 6 October (AFP) | The Emirati cabinet has approved an agr…
(2020-10-19). Massive people's movement in Nigeria challenges elite SARS police unit. liberationnews.org 
Protests continue to take place across Nigeria after erupting earlier this month over incidents of extreme police brutality and corruption at the hands of the elite Nigerian police force, the Special Anti-Robbery Squad. The protests were initially sparked after widespread online outcry after a video published online showcased a SARS officer murdering a young man …
(2020-10-19). Trump says US to remove Sudan from state sponsors of terrorism list. middleeasteye.net 
Trump says US to remove Sudan from state sponsors of terrorism list | US president says transitional government agreed to pay $335m to 'US terror victims and families' | Mon, 10/19/2020 – 19: 51 | US President Donald Trump made the announcement over Twitter (AFP/File photo) | US President Donald Trump said on Monday that Washington will remove Sudan from its list of state sponsors of terrorism after the countr…
(2020-10-19). US to remove Sudan from its terrorism sponsors list in exchange for $335 MILLION payment to terrorist attack victims — Trump. rt.com 
Washington will take Sudan off its list of state sponsors of terrorism as soon as the African state pays $335 million in compensation to victims of Al-Qaeda attacks on US embassies, President Donald Trump has said. | The US and Sudan reached an agreement on the payment, Trump announced in a Twitter post, adding that once the money is transferred he will remove it from the terrorist sponsors list. The president called it "a big step" for Sudan and said that American people would finally get long-deserved justice. | GREAT news! New government of Sudan, which is making great progress, agreed to pay $335 MILLION t…
(2020-10-19). 'The English and Americans are hypocrites': Mauritian PM calls out UK & US duplicity, revives colonial row over evicted islanders. rt.com 
Mauritian Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth has slammed the UK and US for their mistreatment of the Chagossian people, evicted from their homeland by the British in the 1960s and 1970s so that the US could use it as a military base.
(2020-10-19). Widespread abuse revealed in Islamic schools across Sudan. middleeasteye.net 
Widespread abuse revealed in Islamic schools across Sudan | An investigation by BBC Arabic into Sudan's khalwas has revealed that thousands of boys are routinely tortured by their teachers | Mon, 10/19/2020 – 14: 42 | As many as six or seven children are often chained together as punishment at some religious schools in Sudan (Jess Kelly/BBC News) | Thousands of boys are routinely brutally beaten, shackled and…
(2020-10-19). Energy Research Platform Takes Central Stage Under Russia's BRICS Chairmanship. globalresearch.ca After the Ufa declaration in 2015, BRICS, an association of five major emerging economies that includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, has made energy cooperation one of its priorities besides attaining an admirable significant influence on regional affairs …
(2020-10-19). A Milestone For South African Shack Dwellers Movement. popularresistance.org The shack dwellers' movement of South Africa marked 15 years of struggle for land, housing and dignity on October 4. It held a seminar, Sifike kanjani la? (How did we get to where we are?) and, the following day, relaunched the eKhenana branch of the movement. | The celebration of the 15th anniversary of the formation of AbM was held at the eKhenana Occupation in Cato Manor, Durban. This occupation has an office, a farm, a recreation center and a political school, which is called The Frantz Fanon Political School. The first seeds for the farm were received from the MST (Landless Workers Movement) in Brazil.
(2020-10-19). Two Deep Mysteries of the 1973 Arab-Israeli War. strategic-culture.org Eric S. MARGOLIS | Forty-seven years ago, Egypt and Syria launched a massive surprise attack on Israeli forces dug into fortifications along the Suez Canal and Golan Heights. The 'limited' Arab objective was to recapture both strategic areas that had been seized from the two Arab states in Israel's victorious 1967 War. | Re-armed with modern — but by no means top drawer — Soviet weapons, Egypt and Syria sought to drive the Israelis back, then wait for the great powers to impose a truce. It was a badly flawed strategy, which assured the heavily armed Israelis would control the military initiative with…
(2020-10-19). Enemy not to give up malicious goals against Iran: Sayyari. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 19 (MNA) — Deputy Coordinator of the Islamic Republic of Iran's Army said that enemy will not give up its malicious goals hatched against the Islamic Republic of Iran.
(2020-10-19). Envoy submits credentials to president of Equatorial Guinea. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 20 (MNA) — The accredited ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Equatorial Guinea submitted his credentials to the country's president.
(2020-10-19). Khartoum Thanks US for Potential Exclusion of Sudan From Terrorism Sponsors List. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The head of the Sudanese Sovereign Transitional Council, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, on Monday expressed his gratitude to US President Donald Trump who said the African country might be excluded from the US' State Sponsors of Terrorism list.
(2020-10-19). At least 56 US lawmakers urge Egypt's Sisi to release prisoners. yenisafak.com In a letter being sent to the Egyptian leader on Monday, the 55 Democrats and one Independent — Senator Bernie Sanders — said al-Sisi should free detained lawyers, activists, journalists and other prisoners of conscience amid a COVID outbreak in Egypt's prison system.Led by Democratic lawmakers Ro Khanna, Jim McGovern and Sherrod Brown, the bicameral letter urges Sisi "to immediately and unconditionally release those prisoners whose cases we have cited, and all other prisoners of conscience unjustly detained for exercising their fundamental human rights.""These are people who should never have been im…
(2020-10-19). Tunisian PM orders nationwide curfew over pandemic. yenisafak.com Tunisia's Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi on Monday ordered a curfew starting from Tuesday in all regions of the country.Coronavirus cases have been surging in Tunisia, which had managed to contain the virus earlier in the year, and have now reached more than 40,000.
(2020-10-19). India says Chinese soldier apprehended in Ladakh, to be returned. yenisafak.com The Indian army said on Monday that it had captured a Chinese soldier after he strayed across a contested de facto border in the western Himalayan region where both countries have amassed thousands of troops after a deadly clash in June.The People's Liberation Army soldier was apprehended in the Demchok area of eastern Ladakh, and would be returned after the completion of formalities, the Indian army said in a statement."The PLA soldier has been provided medical assistance including oxygen, food and warm clothes to protect him from the vagaries of extreme altitude and harsh climatic conditions," the statement sai…
(2020-10-19). Palestinian talks not condition for Arab ties: Israel. yenisafak.com A top Israeli intelligence official said on Monday that Israel's normalization with the Arab countries must not be conditioned with advancing negotiations with the Palestinians."The negotiations with the Palestinians must not be a condition or obstacle in front of continuing contacts for normalization with the region's states," Mossad chief Yossi Cohen told the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation.Israeli media reported earlier that Cohen was assigned with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to conduct secret contacts with heads of Arab states.Israel signed recently two normalization deals with the United Arab Emirates…
(2020-10-18). Egypt court releases satirist and blogger Shady Abu Zaid. middleeasteye.net 
Egypt court releases satirist and blogger Shady Abu Zaid | Cairo's Criminal Court orders release of Abu Zaid with probationary measures after more than two years in detention | Sun, 10/18/2020 – 12: 18 | Abu Zaid's release was met with jubilation and scepticism as thousands continue to languish in Egypt's jails (Screengrab/Facebook) | A Giza criminal court ordered the release of satirist and video blogge…
(2020-10-18). US predicts further Israeli-Arab rapprochement even if Trump loses election. middleeasteye.net 
US predicts further Israeli-Arab rapprochement even if Trump loses election | Middle East envoy says normalisation deals have bipartisan support in Washington and are designed to bear long-term fruit | Sun, 10/18/2020 – 20: 19 | US Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin at a press conference with Bahrain's Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani (R) and Israel's Meir Ben Shabbat, in Manama, Bahrain, 18…
(2020-10-18). Golden oldie: Egyptian GRANDFATHER sets new record as the world's OLDEST professional footballer. rt.com 
Egyptian grandfather Ezzeldin Bahader is officially the world's oldest professional footballer after the 74-year-old completed his second full match as a pro. | Bahader's achievement was officially recognized by Guinness World Records on Saturday event after he played for his team, "6th October," in their 3-2 defeat to Al Ayat Sports in Egypt's third division. | Bahader's achievement was a welcome diversion from his performance as he missed a penalty during the game. | The former amateur player, who turns 75 on Nov. 3, netted from the spot on his debut back in March. He was all set to play in his second 90-min…
(2020-10-18). Israel, Bahrain formalize diplomatic relations during joint US-Israeli visit to Gulf state. rt.com 
Bahrain has become the fourth Arab nation to formally establish diplomatic ties with Tel Aviv as officials from both states signed a joint communique on the issue during a visit by a high-level US-Israeli delegation to Manama. | The development comes after Bahrain and Israel struck a US-brokered deal on normalization of relations in Washington in mid-September. Now, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's national security adviser, Meir Ben-Shabbat, and the US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin flew to the Bahraini capital at the helm of a high-level joint delegation to finalize the issue. | Also on rt.com…
(2020-10-18). Rail workers in South Africa return to work after union wins wage hike. peoplesdispatch.org The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa, which was representing the workers of BOC, reached an agreement for a wage hike of up to 10%. The company had earlier offered only 4%…
(2020-10-18). South Africa's shack dwellers' movement to protest theft of COVID-19 funds in KwaZulu-Natal. peoplesdispatch.org The shack dwellers' movement, Abahlali baseMjondolo, will hold a rally in Durban protesting the theft of COVID-19 funds. Almost R2 billion has been lost in the KwaZulu-Natal province alone…
(2020-10-18). Will Sudan Become the Fifth Arab League State to Normalise Ties With Israel? sputniknews.com The US is reportedly pushing Sudan to normalise ties with Israel: the chances the African country would become the next to conclude a peace pact with the Jewish state after the UAE and Bahrain are high, according to political researcher Mohammad Fawzi, who has weighed up the potential consequences of the move.
(2020-10-17). Twelve migrants dead, others missing off the coast of Djibouti: IOM. news.un.org Twelve migrants have died and others are missing after being thrown off a boat by smugglers off the coast of Djibouti in the Horn of Africa, the UN International Organization for Migration (IOM) has reported.
(2020-10-17). UN chief urges inclusive, peaceful elections in Guinea. news.un.org On the eve of the presidential elections in Guinea, the UN Secretary-General has called on all national stakeholders to ensure that the polls are conducted in an inclusive and peaceful manner.
(2020-10-17). 'We want justice for these girls': the Kenyan helpline for victims of gender violence. news.un.org Around four million girls worldwide suffer female genital mutilation every year. Although it is forbidden in Kenya, COVID-19 has led some families to revive itthe traditional practice, and a UN-supported phone helpline for victims of gender-based violence in the country has seen a big rise in calls since the pandemic hit.
(2020-10-17). East Africa: Social service penalties replacing prison terms. yenisafak.com Two years ago, award-winning Tanzanian actress Elizabeth Michael was seen cleaning hospitals, picking up rubbish, and taking care of shrubs in public gardens.The rich actress was not doing it as a hobby but was serving a prison sentence after being convicted of a homicide that killed her fellow actor. Though the court had gave her a two-year prison sentence, afterwards she got engaged in community service, with her sentence reduced to just six months.In 2013 the actress, 25, won the Zanzibar International Film Festival award for Best Actress for Woman of Principles.Over the past many years, many East African coun…
(2020-10-17). UK urges peaceful presidential elections in Guinea. yenisafak.com The UK minister of state for Africa on Saturday called for peaceful presidential elections in the West African nation of Guinea, according to a statement.Twelve candidates, including two women, are vying for the top post in Sunday's poll."We urge all parties to ensure that the presidential elections are conducted in a peaceful, transparent and credible manner," said James Duddridge."We are concerned by the violence and loss of life in Guinea following the legislative elections and referendum in March. Recent violence has exacerbated these concerns. We urge the Guinean authorities to ensure that deaths are properl…
(2020-10-16). Family of Egyptian doctor paralysed by coronavirus faces possible deportation from Britain. middleeasteye.net 
Family of Egyptian doctor paralysed by coronavirus faces possible deportation from Britain | Dr Basem Enany served the NHS during Britain's pandemic and is now fighting for his life after contracting Covid-19 | Fri, 10/16/2020 – 15: 37 | Since his diagnosis, Enany developed paralysis in both of his legs after developing Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GoFundMe) | The family of an Egyptian doctor who worked on t…
(2020-10-16). No, China didn't 'stall' critical Covid information at outbreak's start. mronline.org 
Now that some time has passed since the beginning of the outbreak, it's worth revisiting the less-conspiratorial corporate media narrative that the Chinese government maliciously or incompetently delayed the release of critical information early on, thereby causing many unnecessary deaths.
(2020-10-16). Protests against police brutality in Nigeria amid economic catastrophe. wsws.org The protests were sparked by the killing of a young man in Delta State, in southern Nigeria, during a stop-and-search operation on October 3, although the police denied that Special Anti-Robbery Squad officers were involved.
(2020-10-16). Nigerians demand an end to police brutality. peoplesdispatch.org Massive protests have been held for the past nine days against police brutality across Nigeria.The protesters are demanding the dissolution of the SARS units of the police, and an end to all forms of police brutality in the country.
(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.
(2020-10-16). Libya resumes flights between Tripoli, Benghazi. yenisafak.com The first flight from Libya's Tripoli arrived on Friday at Benghazi's Benina International Airport after more than a year of suspension.Local media reported that an African Airlines plane arrived at Benina International Airport in Benghazi from Tripoli after a hiatus of more than a year.According to the local media, the plane has a delegation from the airport and civil aviation authorities to contribute to providing everything needed to restart it and ensure the implementation of measures to stem the spread of novel coronavirus. | Earlier Friday, Tripoli's Mitiga International Airport announced resumption of its…