This week's show features stories from Radio Deutsche-Welle, Spanish National Radio, and Radio Havana Cuba.

http://www.outfarpress.com/swr201016.mp3

From GERMANY- A series of brief reports including Greece imprisons leaders of Golden Dawn the neo-nazi political party, Greece, Turkey, Israel, and Lebanon all look to develop gas in the Mediterranean, and at least half of the corals in the Great Barrier Reef have died from climate change in the past 25 years. In Thailand protests against the monarchy have continued to escalate, the EU has sanctioned Russians over the poisoning of an opposition leader, while China and Russia have been elected to the UNHR Council. In Covid news, the UN predicts food shortages in many countries, new tough restrictions have been imposed across Europe in reaction to a serious rise in Covid infections, and curfews are in effect in major cities in France including Paris.

From SPAIN- Alison Hughes begins with one of the few positive results of the Covid pandemic- the International Energy Agency predicts a reduction in energy demands and CO2 emissions for the coming decade and much wider use of solar energy. The WHO explained that herd immunity is only effective in the presence of an effective vaccine. Oxfam released a report noting that the majority of loans from the IMF to countries in Covid crisis entail spending cuts and austerity measures that will worsen inequality- activists are calling for the IMF to sell a small amount of its massive gold reserve to cover debt payments owed by the world’s poorest countries. In Costa Rica citizens have been protesting their government for negotiating an IMF loan- this week the demonstrations became violent after police tried to disperse crowds.

From CUBA- Venezuelan President Maduro says 1000 mercenaries are being trained in Colombia to sabotage Venezuelan parliamentary elections in December. Exiled Bolivian President Evo Morales says that attempts are underway to interfere with this weekends election. China has called on the US to restrict military operations in the South China Sea. Latin America has the highest number of regional deaths from the coronavirus. The NYT says the White House blocked a CDC order requiring face masks on all public transport, and an editorial Trump has built a system of direct presidential influence unrivaled in modern US politics. The UN reports that climate change is largely to blame for a near doubling of natural disasters in the last 20 years.