(2020-10-01). Pandemic of Repression: Modi Government Crushes Dissent While Ignoring India's 6 Million COVID Cases. democracynow.org 
As India becomes just the second country to hit 6 million confirmed COVID-19 cases, we speak to journalist Rana Ayyub in Mumbai, who was recently hospitalized after testing positive for the disease. India's lead pandemic agency says an antibody study suggests more than 60 million people in the country have already been infected with the coronavirus — 10 times the official count but still a small fraction of its population of 1.3 billion. "It doesn't feel like India is even talking about the pandemic," says Ayyub, a global opinions writer for The Washington Post. "More than the fear of the pandemic, people i…
(2020-10-01). Using human rights to promote war: debunking UN's new Venezuela report. thegrayzone.com Red Lines host Anya Parampil debunks a new report issued by the UN Human Right's Council which accuses Venezuela's government of "crimes against humanity". Transcript below. By Anya Parampil A new report by a special mission of the United Nations Human Rights Council was released in September and is making headlines after it accused Venezuela's government of crimes against humanity. Because it is getting so much attention, several people have reached out to me asking for clarification regarding the information …
(2020-10-01). Two Iranian-Flagged Tankers Reportedly Arrive in Venezuela as Maduro Vows to Improve Gasoline Output. sputniknews.com In May, five Iranian tankers delivered more than a million barrels of oil to Venezuela, hit by a serious fuel shortage caused by US sanctions.
(2020-10-01). 34 million workers lost jobs in Latin America and Caribbean region due to pandemic: report. peoplesdispatch.org 
The International Labour Organization study based on nine major economies in Latin America and the Caribbean says there was a 21% contraction in working hours in the first three quarters of 2020…
(2020-10-01). The key to Viet Nam's successful COVID-19 response. mronline.org 
There were less than 400 cases of infection across the country during that period, most of them imported, and zero deaths, a remarkable accomplishment considering the country's population of 96 million people and the fact that it shares a 1,450 km land border with China.
(2020-10-01). Take the jab or lose your job: Medical journal calls for a MANDATORY Covid vaccine, says 'noncompliance should incur a penalty'. rt.com 
With half the US population reportedly unwilling to submit to an experimental Covid-19 shot, a new scientific paper has shed light on how state health authorities might enforce compliance with vaccine mandates. | Published in the New England Journal of Medicine on Thursday, the The writers acknowledge that…
(2020-10-01). Governor of Russia's remote & frozen far-eastern peninsula of Kamchatka plans to lift local mood with 'Ministry of Happiness'. rt.com 
Pharrell Williams would surely approve: the governor of the vast, but remote and sparsely populated Kamchatka region has proposed setting up a Ministry of Happiness to lift the mood on the wet and windy weather-beaten promontory. | Kamchatka, the size of the United Kingdom, with a population smaller than that of Malta, is snowbound for half the year, and has a climate ranging from subarctic in the south to polar in the north. Now, Governor Vladimir Solodov plans to get locals smiling, against the odds. The move forms part of wider reforms to government agencies on the peninsula. | In a statement on the Kamchat…
(2020-10-01). 'You cannot lock down everybody': Madrid leaders oppose Spanish govt's plan to lock down capital. rt.com 
Conservative-led authorities in the Madrid region on Thursday criticized the Spanish government's plan to confine the capital city in an effort to tackle a surge in Covid-19 cases. | Announcing its plan late on Wednesday, the Health Ministry said the central government was overriding regional authorities to impose a lockdown of the city of over 3 million people in the coming days. Nine surrounding municipalities with populations of at least 100,000 each will also be included in the plan. | "You cannot lock down everybody," regional chief Isabel Diaz Ayuso said, speaking on esRadio. "I'm sure the Madrid plan is…
(2020-10-01). Selected Articles: The 2020 Election: Nothing Will Change. globalresearch.ca 
By The Western European democratic revolutions of the late eighteenth century sought to establish more just societies through replacement of monarchies with …
(2020-10-01). Cuba Slams US for Discrediting Its Medical Cooperation. telesurenglish.net Cuba's Foreign Affairs Ministry on Wednesday condemned "pressure and blackmail" from the U.S. government against the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). | RELATED: | "The Ministry denounces a spurious and mendacious evaluation that is being prepared by and for the aggressive purposes of the United States in its eagerness to discredit Cuba's international cooperation," the ministry said in a statement. | The F…
(2020-10-01). Venezuela Rejects EU Conditions To Monitor Upcoming Elections. telesurenglish.net The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Venezuela, Jorge Arreaza, described as inadmissible the conditions that the European Union (EU) requested from his country to send a mission to monitor the parliamentary elections on December 6. | RELATED: | On Sept. 30, the EU asked to postpone the elections 6 months, arguing that conditions for a free, fair, and democratic electoral process do not exist. | "Venezuela regrets the unfortunate…
(2020-10-01). Ghalibaf condoles passing of Emir of Kuwait. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 01 (MNA) — Iranian Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf offered his condolence over the death of Emir of Kuwait Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah.
(2020-10-01). Kuwait will remain loyal to Palestinian cause: new Emir. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 01 (MNA) — New Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Sabah said that the country will remain loyal to the Palestinian cause.
(2020-10-01). India Hits 6 Million COVID Cases as Modi Government Represses Dissent. truthout.org As India becomes just the second country to hit 6 million confirmed COVID-19 cases, we speak to journalist Rana Ayyub in Mumbai, who was recently hospitalized after testing positive for the disease. India's lead pandemic agency says an antibody study suggests more than 60 million people in the country have already been infected with the coronavirus — 10 times the official count but still a small fraction of its population of 1.3 billion. "It doesn't feel like India is even talking about the pande…
(2020-10-01). Turkish foreign minister in Kuwait upon emir's death. yenisafak.com "In #Kuwait to convey our condolences on behalf of [Turkish] President @RTErdogan and the Turkish nation," Mevlut Cavusoglu wrote on Twitter.On Tuesday, Emir Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, who ruled oil-rich state since 2006, died at age 91. Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah was named the new Kuwaiti emir to succeed the late ruler.In a statement, Turkish President Recep Tayyip had said he received the news of the emir's demise with "great sadness"."On behalf of the Turkish nation, I convey my sincere condolences to the friendly and brotherly people of Kuwait."
(2020-09-30). Pompeo Campaigns Against China and Venezuela From Italy. telesurenglish.net During a meeting with Italy's Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte and Foreign Affairs Minister Luigi Di Maio, the U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reactivated his smear campaign against the Chinese 5G technology and the Bolivarian revolution in Venezuela. | RELATED: | "China's Communist Party is trying to exploit its presence in Italy for its own strategic purposes… It is not here to establish a mutually benefici…
(2020-09-30). ILO: Latin America Lost 34 Million Jobs Amid COVID-19 Pandemic. telesurenglish.net The International Labor Organization (ILO) revealed that Latin America and the Caribbean lost at least 34 million jobs and are the region hardest-hit by the COVID-19 pandemic regarding labor income. | RELATED: | ILO's latest report shows that during the first three quarts of the year, labor income decreased by 19.3 percent, and the situation turned even more critical during the second quarter. In this period, 33.5…
(2020-09-30). Up to half a million sharks could be killed to create global coronavirus vaccines, conservationists warn. nationofchange.org Conservationists fear that if two doses of the vaccine are needed to immunize the global population than half a million sharks would subsequently die.
(2020-09-30). Cuba: Havana Begins Gradual Opening October 1st. telesurenglish.net With ten new positive cases of COVID-19 in Havana announced Wednesday, and a total of 282 active cases in Cuba's most populous province, the two Cuban officials presented the elimination of certain restrictive measures and the maintenance of others to the entire nation Wednesday. | Standing out among the new measures for Havana is the resumption of public transportation at 80% capacity; the opening of beaches and public and private pools (at 30% capacity); the lifting of the general curfew from 7 PM to 5 AM; the initiation of the 2020-21 school year on November 2nd; and the permission for citizens to purchase…
(2020-09-30). Cuba Elected to PAHO Executive Committee Despite US Opposition. telesurenglish.net In a crude move, Kristen Pisani, Director of the Office of Economic Assistance and Development of the U.S. Department of State, intervened to "categorically" oppose the Cuban candidacy. The U.S. representative reiterated the lies and accusations that make up the campaign that the U.S. government has been waging for months to try to link Cuba's international medical cooperation with human trafficking. | In her words, she also questioned the More Doctors for Brazil program. The U.S. representative said that the election of Cuba would be offensive and could "undermine the principles of that Organization. | RELATE…
(2020-09-30). Colombians Denounce Assassination of Social Leader in Risaralda. telesurenglish.net There have been 222 leaders and human rights defenders murdered in Colombia in 2020 alone. | Social and peace organizations in Colombia denounced the murder Monday of the president of the Community Action Board of the Sabanitas neighborhood of the Dosquebradas municipality of Risaralda department, Jorge Quintero Villada. | RELATED: | Quintero was intercepted in the rural area of the municipality of Dosquebradas i…
(2020-09-30). Report: Special Police Units Exclusively Used Force On Black People. popularresistance.org The vast majority of people stopped, frisked, or arrested by officers in D.C.'s special gun recovery and narcotics units were Black, according to a new report mandated by the D.C. Council. Black people were the subjects of 87% of stops, 91% of arrests, and 100% of use-of-force incidents, despite making up 46% of the population. White people accounted for just 5% of stops. | The report gives a more complete picture of the operations of these special units, which have been accused of using aggressive tactics with little oversight or transparency. The units are responsible for complex narcotics investigations, as we…
(2020-09-30). Feminists across Latin America demand safe and legal abortions. peoplesdispatch.org The struggle for free, safe and legal abortion in Latin America and the Caribbean has been one of the key uniting issues for movements in the region as across the board, access is severely restricted…
(2020-09-30). China, Climate Change and the Uighurs. thealtworld.com China's new national objective of achieving carbon neutrality by 2060 depends on bringing the remainder of its population out of poverty and then focusing on carbon-neutral technologies to achieve full sustainability. To support this ambition, China is counting on the economic and political success of its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) for foreign investment and development, and especially the New Silk Road transportation system connecting Chinese manufacturing and markets to consumers in Central Asia and Europe. This geographical pivot in trade and investment draws heavily on the vast spaces of western China [md…
(2020-09-29). Colombia-U.S. Axis: Hitting at Venezuela. globalresearch.ca Secretary of State Michael Pompeo and Colombian President Iván Duque, meeting in Bogotá on Sept. 20, talked about "managing the COVID-19 response … narcotraffickers … and [President] Maduro's illegitimate regime," according to the
(2020-09-29). Unfounded UN Report On Venezuela Used As Regime Change Tool. popularresistance.org The United Nations Human Rights Council issued a report* by the Independent Mission to Determine the Facts in Venezuela (Independent Mission), which accuses Venezuela of "cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment committed since 2014." The veracity, timing, and political intent of this report is best understood in the context of a campaign led by the U.S. to overthrow Venezuela's democratically elected government of President Nicolás Maduro and before him of Hugo Chávez. | Venezuela is a historically petroleum exporting nation and has consequently suffered from the crash in the international oil prices starting in 20…
(2020-09-29). Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah dies at 91. middleeasteye.net 
Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah dies at 91 | Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah had been receiving medical treament in the United States | Tue, 09/29/2020 – 14: 31 | Kuwait's Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al-Sabah waves upon his arrival to open the parliament's new term at the Gulf emirate's National Assembly in Kuwait City (AFP) | Kuwait on Tuesday confirmed the death of Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sab…
(2020-09-29). Kuwait: Sheikh Nawaf al-Sabah sworn in as new emir. middleeasteye.net 
Kuwait: Sheikh Nawaf al-Sabah sworn in as new emir | The 83-year-old emir ascends to the throne amid regional turmoil and geopolitical shifts | Tue, 09/29/2020 – 19: 58 | Nawaf was the late emir's half brother and previously held the position of minister of defence and interior minister (AFP) | Kuwait's Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah was sworn in as the Gulf monarchy's new emir in parliament on Wednes…
(2020-09-29). Kuwait's Sheikh Sabah: The Gulf's 'great balancer'. middleeasteye.net 
Kuwait's Sheikh Sabah: The Gulf's 'great balancer' | Dead at 91, Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah closes 60 years of service to his country and leaves a significant diplomatic vacuum | Tue, 09/29/2020 – 14: 47 | Kuwait Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah at the Arab League in Tunis in March 2019 (AFP) | The death at 91 of the Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah brings to a cl…
(2020-09-29). Universal Collaboration is Needed to End This Pandemic. dissidentvoice.org Cuba, battling successfully to contain COVID-19 at home, also provides medical internationalism and solidarity abroad. While Cuba dispatches the Henry Reeve Brigade to countries requesting healthcare assistance, Donald Trump's administration escalates the anti-Cuba economic, financial and commercial blockade while threatening sovereign states who request needed Cuban medical solidarity — in a global pandemic. The limited measures implemented …
(2020-09-29). Venezuela: Democracy Versus Blockade. popularresistance.org On December 6 there will be elections in Venezuela to elect all the deputies to the National Assembly (NA), an event of extraordinary political transcendence. But before going into that subject I will mention the elections that will be held in several Latin American countries in the coming months, all of them are very important in the dispute for our America between the right-wing and the popular forces. | On October 18, general elections in Bolivia, where Evo Morales' MAS is the favorite to win in the first round, but the big question remains whether the same oligarchic and racist group that, supported by Washin…
(2020-09-29). Domestic Workers Are Organizing to Make Care Work a 2020 Election Issue. truthout.org Angella Foster, 56, has worked as a nanny in the Boston area since immigrating from Jamaica in 2000. She is also a local political activist. Foster has been reaching out to voters since the early days of the 2020 presidential primary, before COVID-19 hit. | "At first, I was fearful to canvas door to door in case I came across someone who was racist, but I knew I had to do it. I did it for myself, and for the next generation," Foster told Truthout. | Since the pandemic has made in-person canvassing…
(2020-09-29). Pakistan: 2 killed in border clash with India. yenisafak.com A Pakistani army soldier and a civilian were killed in a clash along the Kashmir border with India, the military said on Tuesday. | The clash, the latest in a string of border skirmishes, took place along the Line of Control (LoC) — a de facto border that splits the disputed region of Jammu and Kashmir between the two longstanding rivals. | "Indian Army resorted to unprovoked fire in Baroh and Tandar Sectors along LOC targeting civilian population. A 15-year-old boy embraced shahdat [martyrdom] while four civilians including a woman and an 80-year-old male got injured," said a statement from the Pakistan Army.
(2020-09-28). Nicolas Maduro: Venezuela's Truth. telesurenglish.net Your Excellency, President of the General Assembly, Mr. Volkan Bozkir, Your Excellency, SecretaryGeneral, Mr. António Guterres, Heads of State, Heads of Government Authorities participating in this 75th Session of the United Nations General Assembly | First, I want to apologize for removing my face mask, which is necessary in this time of pandemic, and I want to greet all who watch and listen to us around the world. | Allow me to congratulate you, Mr. President, on behalf of the Constitutional Government of Venezuela and the People of our Bolivarian Republic for assuming the Presidency of this 75th Session of…