(2020-10-28). The U.S. Just Blackmailed Sudan. strategic-culture.org 
Washington has proven that it is willing to make people suffer, and even starve, if governments don't acquiesce to normalization with Israel, writes As`ad AbuKhalil. | As`ad ABUKHALIL | The recent announcement that Washington would be lifting U.S. sanctions on Sudan in return for Sudan's normalization with Israel is a case study of U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East. | Sudan, like Somalia, has long been a battleground for Cold War intrigues by the U.S., which is responsible for the massive export of arms to both countries. Like the longtime Somali dictator, Muhammad Siad Barre, Sudan's Jaafar Nimeiry (1969-19…
(2020-10-28). "Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS)" against Israel: Resolution of Defamation Lawsuit by CJPME. globalresearch.ca Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) is pleased to announce that its defamation lawsuit with Ezra Levant and Rebel Media News Network Ltd. has been settled. Launched in 2016, CJPME's suit was based on a series …
(2020-10-28). US Policy to Encounter Another Strategic Defeat in Macedonia? globalresearch.ca The U.S. supported tarnishing of democracy is only causing a re-birth of sovereignty and freedom movement in Macedonia. | Not standing for democracy, rule of law and human rights, the United States can no longer claim the moral high ground it …
(2020-10-28). Evo Morales will return to Bolivia on November 9. peoplesdispatch.org On Monday, a Bolivian judge annulled the arrest warrant that had been issued against former president Evo Morales for alleged crimes of sedition and terrorism, clearing the way for him to return to his country without facing the risk of detention…
(2020-10-28). Pandemic Transforms People Into Voting Rights Activists. popularresistance.org For Regina Root, 53, the journey to suing Virginia's election officials began during the state's nomination contest in June when the university professor cast her ballot in person before the voting day to avoid potential crowds at her polling place. | The brain surgery that saved Root's life left her with impaired vision and her election office lacked a machine that would allow her to cast her vote without relying on her husband. | "I thought wait, this doesn't make sense. I can vote on my own. I have a PhD," said the Williamsburg, Virginia, resident.
(2020-10-28). Whistleblower Sues EPA Over Retaliation. popularresistance.org An Environmental Protection Agency whistleblower, whose disclosures ultimately led to former EPA administrator Scott Pruitt's resignation, filed a lawsuit in federal court alleging his free speech and due process rights were violated. | The lawsuit [PDF] says Kevin Chmielewski was a political appointee and worked as Pruitt's deputy chief of staff for operations. He faced a retaliatory investigation from the EPA's Office of the Inspector General that "falsely accused" him of "not having a security clearance and covering up a past arrest."
(2020-10-28). Protests in Poland continue against the recent court ban on abortions. peoplesdispatch.org Women's rights groups and other progressive sections in Poland have been protesting since October 22.The protests were triggered after the country's constitutional court banned abortions in case of foetal defects on October 22.
(2020-10-28). US Sanctions on Venezuela Are Deadly — and Facing Mass Resistance. zcomm.org For years, right-wingers have sought to destabilize Venezuela, and even proclaimed their own rival "president," Juan Guaidó. But average Venezuelans understand that US sanctions hurt them — and should be resisted…
(2020-10-27). Over 60 Organizations Send Letter to Liberty Mutual Demanding the Company End its Involvement in Indigenous Rights Violations. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2020-10-27). US Sanctions: Shooting Blanks Against the Resiliency of Targeted Nations. globalresearch.ca As explained many times before, Security Council members alone may legally impose sanctions on nations, entities and individuals. | When used by countries against others, they breach the UN Charter, how the US, NATO and Israel operate time and again. | The …
(2020-10-27). Israeli rights group says shelving West Bank annexation plans mean little. middleeasteye.net 
Israeli rights group says shelving West Bank annexation plans mean little | B'tselem said continued construction and seizing of land meant 'de-facto' annexation already exists in West Bank | Tue, 10/27/2020 – 11: 57 | Palestinian villagers scuffle with Israeli security forces as an Israeli bulldozer demolishes a Palestinian farm in the village of al-Fikheet within area C in the occupied We…
(2020-10-27). Iran says US is addicted to sanctions and needs to 'kick the habit'. middleeasteye.net 
Iran says US is addicted to sanctions and needs to 'kick the habit' | Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif slams the role of sanctions in American foreign policy, claiming it is detrimental to its policy goals | Tue, 10/27/2020 – 16: 50 | Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the US was a 'sanction addict' (AFP/File photo) | Iran's foreign minister has compared the frequent levying of internation…
(2020-10-27). Thousands of ex-felon first-time voters in Florida could help decide the 2020 election. therealnews.com 
In 2000, with all eyes on Florida, a young lawyer named Amy Coney Barrett helped swing the controversial Bush v. Gore decision, securing a Republican presidency. In 2020, the courts could again be decisive in swing states. Voting rights activist Desmond Meade is working to get court costs paid and ex-felons registered to vote.
(2020-10-27). Barrett's confirmation threatens fair election, healthcare, and women's rights. therealnews.com 
Hundreds at the White House celebrated the confirmation of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court—just one month after her nomination became a COVID-19 superspreader event that infected the president and at least three dozen others.
(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). Israel arrests Palestinian journalist in West Bank. middleeasteye.net 
Israel arrests Palestinian journalist in West Bank | Filmmaker Abdelrahman al-Thaher one of more than 20 Palestinian journalists reportedly currently detained by Israel | Tue, 10/27/2020 – 12: 48 | Abdelrahman al-Thaher, 38, is Palestinian journalist and filmmaker from Nablus (Screengrab) | Israeli forces on Tuesday arrested Palestinian journalist and filmmaker Abdelrahman al-Thaher at his home in the city of…
(2020-10-27). On prison hunger strike, Maher al-Akhras fights for all Palestinians. workers.org 
Maher al-Akhras, a 49-year-old Palestinian political prisoner and father of six from the Occupied West Bank, has been on hunger strike since his July 27 arrest by Israeli forces. He is under administrative detention — a practice both British and Israeli colonizers have long used to hold Palestinians captive indefinitely . . . |
(2020-10-27). Headlines for October 27, 2020. democracynow.org Amy Coney Barrett Sworn In, Giving SCOTUS Heavy Conservative Majority Ahead of Pivotal Cases, SCOTUS Rules Wisconsin Cannot Count Ballots Received After Election Day, Surging COVID-19 Cases Trigger Curfews; Doctors Say 800,000 Children Have Been Infected, China Testing 5 Million People After One Asymptomatic Case in Xinjiang, New Lockdowns in Germany, Mask Orders in Russia as COVID-19 Cases Surge, Oxford Vaccine Shows Promising Results as New Data Suggests Antibodies in Recovered Cases Don't Last, U.S. Imposes Harsh New Sanctions on Iranian Oil, Airstrikes Kill Dozens at Training Camp in Idlib, Syria, Explosion a…
(2020-10-27). 'Serious concerns' over rights situation in Myanmar ahead of next month's elections. news.un.org The UN human rights office (OHCHR) voiced "serious concerns" on Tuesday over the situation in Myanmar — including rights violations and proliferation of hateful speech against minority communities — as the country prepares for general elections next month.
(2020-10-27). Wednesday 10/28: Strength Thru Unity: Multicultural Election Special on COVID, Racism, & Human Rights. indybay.org Watch online via website livestream…
(2020-10-27). The US announces fresh sanctions against Iran's petroleum sector. peoplesdispatch.org The sanctions mostly target entities and individuals in Iran's petroleum sector, including the minister of petroleum, Bijan Zangeneh. US sanctions have massively affected Iran's ability to deal with the outbreak of COVID-19…
(2020-10-27). We're Ready for the Election. aclu.org With less than a week to go, the only thing we can be sure of is that this Election Day will most likely look, feel, and be different than previous years. We are, after all, living through a pandemic, economic crisis, fight for racial justice, and an election season. , , If you haven't planned how you are going to cast your vote or already voted this election, there's still time. You can find more information
(2020-10-27). ICE Doubles Down on Detention to Deter and Punish Families for Seeking Safety. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2020-10-27). IADL Demands Immediate Release Of Palestinian Maher al-Akhras. popularresistance.org IADL calls for the immediate release of Maher al-Akhras, a Palestinian man and father of six, jailed by Israel without charge or trial. As IADL convenes its Council, al-Akhras has been on hunger strike for 91 days to protest his arbitrary detention and demand his freedom. His health condition is increasingly critical and his life is at grave risk. | Al-Akhras is jailed under Israel's policy of administrative detention, used routinely against Palestinians. These detention orders may be issued for up to six months at a time, and they are indefinitely renewable.
(2020-10-27). Anti-Iran sanctions to do 'no good' for US internal problems. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 27 (MNA) — Iranian envoy to London said that the US act of reannouncing a sanction for a hundred times as well as adding new Iranian political figures and economic institutions won't resolve US internal problems.
(2020-10-26). How Bolivia's new socialist senator resisted coup terror: Meet torture survivor Patricia Arce. thegrayzone.com The Grayzone traveled to rural Bolivia to meet Patricia Arce, a former mayor who was publicly tortured during a US-backed coup in November 2019, and is now a senator-elect from the indigenous-led Movement Toward Socialism party, which won in a historic landslide election on October 18. By Max Blumenthal Video and translation by Ben Norton Transcript MAX BLUMENTHAL: Just a few days after the dramatic landslide victory on October 18 of the Movement Toward Socialism (MAS) party founded by Evo …
(2020-10-26). How Bolivia's new socialist senator resisted coup terror: Meet MAS party leader Patricia Arce. thegrayzone.com The Grayzone traveled to rural Bolivia to meet Patricia Arce, a former mayor who was publicly tortured during a US-backed coup in November 2019, and is now a senator-elect from the indigenous-led Movement Toward Socialism party, which won in a historic landslide election on October 18. By Max Blumenthal Video and translation by Ben Norton Puede leer esto en español aquí. Transcript MAX BLUMENTHAL: Just a few days after the dramatic landslide victory on October 18 of the Movement Toward …
(2020-10-26). US lawmakers urge Pompeo to speak out against allies restoring Syria ties. middleeasteye.net 
US lawmakers urge Pompeo to speak out against allies restoring Syria ties | More than 30 legislators, across both major parties, have warned against the trend of establishing relations with Syrian president Bashar al-Assad | Mon, 10/26/2020 – 20: 40 | People wave Syrian national flags and pictures of President Bashar al-Assad as they protest against US sanctions on the country, at Umayyad Square in central Dam…
(2020-10-26). Bolivian court drops 'terrorism' charges against ex-President Evo Morales, withdraws arrest warrant — judge. rt.com 
Bolivia's regional court in La Paz has dismissed "terrorism" charges and dropped the arrest warrant issued against former President Evo Morales, arguing that his rights were violated and judicial procedures breached. | The ex-president's rights, including his right for judicial protection, have been violated, Judge Jorge Quino, the head of the Departmental Court of Justice in La Paz, said as he explained the court's decision to grant a request filed by Morales' lawyers. | He also said that judicial procedures were violated in this case since Morales was not properly summoned. The charges were dropped as the pr…
(2020-10-26). "They Wanted to Take My Womb Out": Survivor of Medical Abuse in ICE Jail Deported After Speaking Out. democracynow.org 
An independent medical review team has submitted a report to Congress on a lack of informed consent and "disturbing pattern" of questionable gynecological surgical procedures at the Irwin County Detention Center in Georgia, after an account from a nurse whistleblower in September prompted congressional and federal investigations. At least 19 women, most of whom are Black and Latina, have come forward to allege they were pressured into "unnecessary" gynecological treatment and surgeries — including procedures that left them sterile — while they were detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. We s…
(2020-10-26). Adding More Dust onto a Threadbare Empire. dissidentvoice.org 
Barbara Lee: I'm very terrified with regard to what we see taking place. And the signs are there. When you talk about shutting down the media, putting out their alternative facts, banning dissent and opposition, criticizing people who are exercising their First Amendment rights; trying to get people to believe, really, the distortions that they're …
(2020-10-26). New COVID-19 Security Measures Will Make Health a Prerequisite for Travel. mintpressnews.com 
As the multi-sector, global response to the coronavirus tightens the noose around civil liberties, CommonPass stands out as one of the most appalling and dangerous attacks on basic human rights in the name of public health.
(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
(2020-10-26). Don't Let the Supreme Court Open the Door to More Discrimination Against LGBTQ People. aclu.org The Supreme Court will soon hear oral arguments in
(2020-10-26). Oxford Study Challenges Israel's Claims Concerning Palestinian Refugees. popularresistance.org There needs to be a fundamental change in the way Palestinian refugees are seen, no longer as victims but as people with rights who are entitled to shape their own destiny. This assertion is made in a new study whose importance cannot be overstated. | According to international law, Palestinian refugees have a right to return to their homes and land and receive restitution and compensation for their suffering and personal and communal losses. Furthermore, the State of Israel, which is responsible for Palestine's ethnic cleansing, must pay for the repatriation, the rehabilitation, and the rebuilding that the retur…
(2020-10-26). ICE uses torture to pressure African asylum seekers to agree to deportation. wsws.org In a blatant violation of international law and the US constitution, ICE officials in the privately run detention center in Mississippi have been forcing asylum seekers from Cameroon to sign their own deportation forms and quickly shipping them back on secret flights.
(2020-10-26). International Study Finds US Republican Party Heading Towards Becoming One of World's Most Authoritarian Factions. commondreams.org "Disrespect of political opponents, the encouragement of violence, and also the violation of minority rights… they have all clearly increased with the Republican Party in recent years," said one of the lead authors. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-10-26). Survivor Deported After Speaking Out About Medical Abuse in ICE Jails. truthout.org An independent medical review team has submitted a report to Congress on a lack of informed consent and "disturbing pattern" of questionable gynecological surgical procedures at the Irwin County Detention Center in Georgia, after an account from a nurse whistleblower in September prompted congressional and federal investigations. At least 19 women, most of whom are Black and Latina, have come forward to allege they were pressured into "unnecessary" gynecological treatment and surgeries — includin…
(2020-10-26). Iran considers anti-HR report, a part of maximum pressure. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 27 (MNA) — Iran's representative in the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly said that Islamic Republic of Iran considers anti-human rights report 'a part of maximum pressure against the Iranian people'.
(2020-10-26). 'Let This Echo Around the World': Nearly 50 Years After US-Backed Coup, Chile Votes to Rewrite Pinochet Era Constitution. commondreams.org "This historic day belongs to those who have struggled for decades, to those who have given their lives, to the tortured, to the mutilated, and especially to those who remain imprisoned." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-10-26). Jailed Voters Can Swing Elections if they Know and Can Exercise their Rights. zcomm.org Unlike many people incarcerated in state and federal prisons legally ineligible to vote, moat in local jails — detained pretrial or held on misdemeanor charges — are legally eligible to vote, but are unable to do so…
(2020-10-26). NIAC Statement on Latest Politically-Motivated Iran Sanctions. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2020-10-26). What Amy Coney Barrett Means for the Future of Voting Rights. thenation.com What Amy Coney Barrett Means for the Future of Voting Rights…
(2020-10-26). US imposes new sanctions on Iran's Ministry of Petroleum. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 26 (MNA) — The US has imposed new sanctions on Iran's Ministry of Petroleum and a number of top Iranian officials.
(2020-10-26). Nord Stream 2 Gas Pipeline Edges Closer to Completion as Broader US Sanctions Come Into Effect. sputniknews.com The EU imported the highest ever volume of LNG in 2019 at 108 billion cubic meters, marking 27% of total gas imports and 22% of the EU's gas consumption, according to the European Commission. The gas market report showed that Qatar supplied 30 bcm of LNG to the EU in 2019, followed by Russia with 21 bcm and the US with 17 bcm.
(2020-10-25). 'US doesn't know who it's dealing with!' Erdogan dismisses Washington's threats over S-400 deployment. rt.com 
Turkey is not a "tribal state" that can be pushed around, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said, dismissing the American warnings over its procurement of Russian-made S-400 anti-aircraft systems. | Ankara will see through the deployment of its S-400 systems, which will not be disrupted by any threats or sanctions, Erdogan made clear, speaking in the eastern Turkish city of Malatya on Sunday. The Turkish leader even dared Washington to go ahead and introduce any S-400-related sanctions it might be planning. | You don't know who you're dealing with. Whatever sanctions you have, don't keep us waiting — int…
(2020-10-25). UK ARMED FORCES seize control of oil tanker & detain 7 people after reported 'hijacking attempt' by stowaways. rt.com 
A British Special Forces unit has boarded a Greek-operated oil tanker off the coast of the Isle of Wight in the English Channel, after reports of an attempted hijacking by a group of stowaways. Seven people have been detained. | Armed forces personnel "have gained control of the ship," the UK Defense Ministry confirmed late on Sunday, adding that "seven individuals" were detained in the operation. The vessel's crew are reported to be "safe and well," according to Reuters. | Earlier, the British police and coastguard were deployed to deal with what was described only as an "incident" on board a Greek-operated L…
(2020-10-25). Life Of Palestinian Hunger Striker In Immediate Danger. popularresistance.org Maher al-Akhras, who has been on a hunger strike since his administrative detention on July 27, is waging a battle against the mighty Israeli occupation apparatus. Every day brings him closer to death, as Israel seems to be trying to prove through his case that the life of Palestinians, like their freedom and human rights, are worth nothing. But the formidable insistence of his hunger strike against the principle of administrative detention, and his determination that the strike will end only once he is free or becomes a martyr, is mobilizing more and more people to his support.
(2020-10-25). How A Police Killing In Nigeria Sparked A Nationwide Movement. popularresistance.org Nigerian security forces opened fire this week on protesters in Lagos, killing at least 12 demonstrators and marking a deadly escalation in the weekslong protests against police brutality. | Since early October, tens of thousands of Nigerians have been marching in cities throughout the country, demanding the disbandment of a notorious police unit known as SARS—the Special Anti-Robbery Squad. An Amnesty International report published in June documented dozens of cases of torture and extrajudicial killing by the unit. But the incident that sparked the movement was a video of what appeared to be an unprovoked…
(2020-10-25). Macron's Gamble Will Backfire as Brexit Will Make Both Him and France Big Losers of a No-Deal With Brussels. strategic-culture.org He couldn't save Lebanon, despite all the rhetoric. Libya too was a disaster, as was his more recent battle with the firebrand Turkish president over a row in the Eastern Med about energy exploration. And now, France's cursed President, Emmanuel Macron, is going to lead his nation in a campaign which will take him and the entire French economy over the abyss on Brexit. | Remarkably, as the EU stands and watches, Macron, a man tortured and cursed by defeat wherever he goes around the world, is about to throw the lever on the French economy as he prepares to go into battle against Boris Johnson over UK's rights to…