(2020-01-13). US imposes sanctions on 7 Venezuelans, Treasury Department says. rt.com 
The United States on Monday imposed sanctions on seven Venezuelans, the US Treasury Department said. The move is Washington's latest action to ramp up pressure on President Nicolas Maduro's government. | The US special envoy for Venezuela said on January 6 that Washington was looking at imposing additional sanctions on Caracas. Elliott Abrams made the statement at the US State Department a day after troops blocked Venezuelan opposition legislators, including their leader Juan Guaido, from entering parliament, Reuters said. | Washington imposed sanctions on the Venezuelan state company PDVSA in early 2019 in a…
(2020-01-13). 'Stop buying Iranian oil or face sanctions': US in talks with China over Iran. rt.com 
Washington has managed to "cut off probably over 95 percent of the oil revenues" of Iran, according to US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. | He told Fox News that US officials are now working on the issue with China, as the country accounts for a significant part of Iran's remaining oil exports. | "I sat down with the Chinese officials. They flew in a delegation to meet with us and the State Department to talk about this. They've cut off all of the state companies from buying oil, and we're working closely with them to make sure that they cease all additional oil activities," Mnuchin said. | Also on rt.com…
(2020-01-13). Shedding 'crocodile tears' and 'dishonoring' Persian language: Iranian officials blast Trump's Farsi tweets. rt.com 
Officials in Tehran slammed both the language and the message of US President Donald Trump's tweets in Farsi, in which he backed anti-government protesters in the country and claimed to be standing up for ordinary Iranians. | "Hands and tongues smeared with threatening, sanctioning and terrorizing the #Iranian nation, are not entitled to dishonor the ancient #Persian language," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Abbas Mousavi tweeted on Monday. | By the way, are you actually 'standing by' millions of Irania…
(2020-01-13). Review: "To The Promised Land," King's fight for economic justice. peoplesworld.org 
As we near the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Holiday we would do well to reassess the role that economic justice played in the 1960s civil rights movements, especially for African Americans. Dr. King said in 1967, "It is the black man who to a large extent produced the wealth of this nation…the black man …
(2020-01-13). UK summons Iran's ambassador over brief detention of British envoy accused of taking part in 'illegal rally' in Tehran. rt.com 
The Foreign Office has summoned the Iranian ambassador to express its "strong objections" over the brief detention of his UK counterpart in Tehran who was nabbed by law enforcement when he took part in an "illegal rally." | In the ongoing diplomatic spat, London summoned Ambassador Hamid Baeidinejad in an apparent tit-for-tat move. UK envoy Rob Macaire was summoned to the Iranian Foreign Ministry on Sunday over his "unconventional behavior." | "This was an unacceptable breach of the Vienna Convention and it needs to be investigated," the Foreign Office said on Monday. "We are seeking full assurances from the I…
(2020-01-13). New Poll Shows Most Americans Oppose Trump's Iran Agenda. globalresearch.ca All nations unwilling to subordinate their sovereign rights to US interests are on its target list for regime change. | US policies toward them are based on Big Lies and mass deception. | Throughout…
(2020-01-13). Rank-and-file teachers in San Diego County initiate fight against layoffs and school cuts. wsws.org After union-sanctioned mass layoffs, San Diego area teachers call for rank-and-file committees in every school to mobilize students, parents and workers to defend hundreds of educators' jobs.
(2020-01-13). Saudi Arabia Executed 184 People in 2019: Rights Organization. telesurenglish.net 184 people were executed in Saudi Arabia in 2019, according to a statement released Monday by United Kingdom-based human rights organization Reprieve. | RELATED: | Human Rights Advocates Demonstrate, Demand Guantanamo's Closure | The organization said the figure is the highest in a calendar year since it started tracking down executions six years ago. | "This is another grim milestone for Mohammed Bin Salman's Saudi Arabia," Reprieve dire…
(2020-01-13). Turkey nabs over 2,500 irregular migrants past week. yenisafak.com Nearly 2,530 irregular migrants were arrested across Turkey over the last week, according to data compiled by Anadolu Agency from security sources.Turkish gendarmerie forces held 962 of migrants in the northwestern Edirne province, which borders Greece and Bulgaria.According to local sources in Edirne, Greece has stepped up efforts to send irregular migrants to Turkey in violation of the Geneva Conventions, the European Convention on Human Rights and the UN Convention Against Torture.In the coastal western cities of Mugla, Canakkale, Izmir and Aydin, the Turkish Coast Guard and gendarmerie forces rounded up more…
(2020-01-13). Iraq | considers buying Russian S-400 missile system as Mideast tensions | boil. yenisafak.com The Iraqi government has gravitated toward the Russian defense industry amid simmering tensions between Washington and Baghdad after the killing of top Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, in a move that might trigger U.S. sanctions.Members of the Iraqi parliament said the country was considering purchasing the Russian-made S-400 air defense missile systems, the Wall Street Journal on Monday quoted Karim Elaiwi, a member of the Iraqi parliament's Security and Defence Committee, as saying."We are talking to Russia about the S-400 missiles but no contracts have been signed yet. We need to get these missiles, especiall…
(2020-01-13). Finnish court rejects Rotenberg's suit against Nordic banks. yenisafak.com Boris Rotenberg, a Russian businessman under U.S. sanctions over the Ukraine conflict due to his close ties with President Vladimir Putin, on Monday lost a discrimination lawsuit he filed in a Finnish court against four Nordic banks."Helsinki District Court has rejected Boris Rotenberg's complaint over the right to banking services and damages for discrimination," the court said in its decision.Rotenberg, who also holds Finnish citizenship, accused Nordea, Danske Bank, Handelsbanken and OP Bank of refusing to allow him to make payments and of violating his right to equal treatment as an EU citizen.
(2020-01-13). Big Tech Firms Are Joining Trump's All Out War Against Iran. mintpressnews.com 
Deleting messages of support for Iran may seem a petty, childish retaliation for opposing the Trump administration, but it has profound ramifications for freedom of access to information.
(2020-01-12). Facebook 'thought police' censors pro-Iran posts 'to comply with US sanctions'… as Trump warns Tehran against censorship. rt.com 
Facebook has admitted to selectively censoring pro-Iranian government Instagram posts about the murdered General Soleimani, as US President Donald Trump hypocritically championed free speech and warned Tehran against censorship. | Instagram has confirmed that they have been removing posts that voice support for Qassem Soleimani, with a Facebook spokesperson claiming that censorship is fully justified in order to comply with US sanctions. Instagram is one of the few social media platforms that is not blocked in Iran, and it is where many within the country went to fuel outrage over the US assassination strike i…
(2020-01-12). 'Totally up to them': Trump says he 'couldn't care less' if Iran negotiates with US or not. rt.com 
US President Donald Trump said his maximum pressure campaign against Iran is not about bringing it to the negotiating table, but ensuring that Tehran doesn't obtain nuclear weapons or kill protesters. | "Actually, I couldn't care less if they negotiate. Will be totally up to them but, no nuclear weapons and 'don't kill your protesters'," Trump said in a tweet Sunday night, contradicting the narrative of National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien. | National Security Adviser suggested today that sanctions & protests have Iran "choked off", will force them to negotiate. Actually, I couldn't care less if they negot…
(2020-01-12). Human Rights Advocates Demonstrate, Demand Guantanamo's Closure. telesurenglish.net As Jan. 11 marked the 18th anniversary of the Guantanamo Bay detention camp opening by the United States, human rights activists rallied Saturday outside the White House to demand the prison's immediate closure and an end to "years of torture and human rights violations." | RELATED: | Roger Waters Plays 'Wish You Were Here' Live in Support of Assange | The organizers explained on social media that their goal was to call "attention to the brutality of the prison, including in…
(2020-01-12). Ex-US intel officer: Pompeo 'lying through his teeth' on Iran. thegrayzone.com The Trump administration is imposing new sanctions on Iran and defying Iraq's call for a US troop withdrawal. This comes…
(2020-01-12). Activists Demand U.S. Close Guantánamo and End 18 Years of Torture. truthdig.com Human rights advocates marked the 18th anniversary of the opening of the U.S. military prison at the Guantánamo Bay Naval Station in Cuba with a rally outside the White House on Saturday to "demand an end to years of torture and human rights violations" and call for the detention camp's immediate closure. | In January 2018, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to keep the prison open. The move, which revoked an order from Trump's predecessor that called for the pri…
(2020-01-12). Iran Summons UK Ambassador Over Role in Anti-Gov't Protest. telesurenglish.net The Iranian Foreign Ministry announced on Sunday that the U.K.'s Ambassador to Tehran was summoned over his participation in the anti-government protests this weekend. | RELATED: | Iran Rejects New Sanctions Imposed by the US | "Today, Rob Macaire was summoned because of his unconventional behaviour of attending an illegal rally on Saturday", the Foreign Ministry's website said. | Prior to his summoning, Macaire was reportedly detained by the Iranian authorities for breaking diplomatic protocol…
(2020-01-12). Detainee Zahran on Hunger Strike for 112 Days. imemc.org A Palestinian detainee in Israeli jails, Ahmad Zahran, has been on hunger strike for 112 days in a row, protesting his administrative detention without charge or trial, amid very critical health conditions. An Israeli occupation court dismissed, on Tuesday, an appeal submitted by Zahran, where it asked him to …
(2020-01-12). Pentagon Had No Evidence of Iran's Plan To Attack US Embassies. telesurenglish.net U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper admitted Sunday that he has seen no concrete "evidence" that Iranian General Qasem Soleiman, killed this month in a U.S. operation in Baghdad, planned to attack four U.S. embassies, as President Donald Trump claims. | RELATED: | Iran Rejects New Sanctions Imposed by the US | Esper said he agreed with Trump that attacks against U.S. embassies were likely, however, stated that Trump's remarks to Fox News about Iran's plan to attack four U.S. embassies were not bas…
(2020-01-12). Chilean Government Prepares Bill To Regulate Right To Assembly. telesurenglish.net Chile's Minister of Justice and Human Rights Hernan Larrain revealed this Sunday in an interview with the newspaper "El Mercurio" that the government is working on a bill to regulate the right to assembly. | RELATED: | Star War Actor Rejects Advertising Depicting Pinochet as Jedi | According to Larrain, this "is a complex issue" and work is being done with the legal community, including the director of the Human Rights National Institute (HRNT) to provide good legislation. On th…
(2020-01-12). Israeli to Demolish Detainee's Home for Second Time. imemc.org Israeli forces, for the second timeo, have ordered the punitive demolition of the family house of Ahmad Jamal Qunbu, a Palestinian in Israeli detention, who comes from the occupied West Bank city of Jenin, according to local sources. Qunbu's father told WAFA that Israeli authorities handed him a notice informing …
(2020-01-12). Israel Escalates Violates Against Detained Palestinian Children. imemc.org The Palestinian Prisoners' Society (PPS) issued a statement, Saturday, strongly denouncing Israel's escalating violations against the detained Palestinian children, especially after forcing them in solitary confinement. The PPS said that the Israeli Prison Authority transferred imprisoned Palestinian children from Ofar Prison and placed them in solitary condiment cells. It added …
(2020-01-12). Human Rights Advocates Rally at White House to Demand US 'Close Guant√°namo and End Torture'. commondreams.org Human rights advocates marked the 18th anniversary of the opening of the U.S. military prison at the Guant√°namo Bay Naval Station in Cuba with a rally outside the White House on Saturday to "demand an end to years of torture and human rights violations" and call for the detention camp's immediate closure. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-01-11). Canada, the RCMP, and Human Rights Obligations to the Wet'suwet'en Nation. commondreams.org The impartiality of state institutions and international human rights obligations towards Indigenous land defenders are crucial elements in making space for peace.
(2020-01-11). Women's March Global Worldwide Protests Against the Rollback of Women's Human Rights One Week Away. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2020-01-11). Iran Rejects New Sanctions Imposed by the US. telesurenglish.net The Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Abbas Mousavi, condemned Saturday the new U.S. sanctions against the Persian country, after the increase of tensions between the parties for the murder of the Iranian general, Qassem Soleimani. | RELATED: | US Announces New Sanctions on Iran, Refuses to Pull Out Troops | "Unfortunately, the Americans are taking unilateral, illegal and unsuccessful measures, and insist on repeating that," said Abbas Mousavi, referring to Washington's actions…
(2020-01-11). Salt Lake denounces war on the homeless and war with Iran at four energetic rallies. fightbacknews.org Salt Lake City, UT – The Trump administration rang in the New Year by putting millions of lives at risk with the assassination of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani and threatening a war with Iran. Similarly, Salt Lake City police began 2020 with a violent raid on the homeless community and the organizers fighting to protect them. | Salt Lake residents responded fiercely with no less than three anti-war rallies in the last week, as well as a rally in support of unsheltered folks and tenants' rights. | On January 4, 200 gathered at an event organized by supporters of Bernie Sanders, and on January 8, hundreds more…
(2020-01-11). Iranian Americans Have Rights, Too—No Matter What's Happening Abroad. commondreams.org What happened at the U.S. border this past weekend was a painful reminder that sometimes, we are still considered outsiders.
(2020-01-11). The DWP is taking Greggs' staff bonuses. thecanary.co THE INFORMATION IN THIS ARTICLE DOES NOT CONSTITUTE LEGAL ADVICE. YOU SHOULD ALWAYS SEEK SUPPORT FROM A WELFARE RIGHTS PROFESSIONAL WHEN NEEDED, BASED ON YOUR OWN PERSONAL CIRCUMSTANCE. | The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is taking the bonuses of some Greggs' staff. This is because many workers receive Universal Credit. But a court case from 2019 could provide a route of appeal for some of the high streets firm's employees. | The DWP: taking away bonuses?: | As much of the media reported, Greggs is going…
(2020-01-11). 'Utterly Shameful': Progressives Slam Texas GOP Gov. Greg Abbott's Decision to Refuse New Refugees. commondreams.org Progressive politicians, refugee advocates, and human rights groups swiftly condemned Republican Gov. Greg Abbott's announcement on Friday that Texas will no longer accept the resettlement of new refugees—a move enabled by an executive order President Donald Trump signed in September. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-01-10). The Critical Role Auditing Plays in the Battle Against Police Surveillance. therealnews.com 
Auditors across the country are turning the tables on police surveillance. The Police Accountability Report spoke to an auditor who was arrested to understand how filming cops ultimately preserves our civil rights.
(2020-01-10). 'Iranian with MACHETE & knives' arrested near Trump resort of Mar-a-Lago, US media report. rt.com 
Palm Beach police have arrested a man armed with a set of knives near President Donald Trump's Florida resort. US media emphasized he is an Iranian national while bringing up a non-existent $80mn Iranian 'bounty' on Trump's head. | The man had no known address and was detained on the Flagler Memorial Bridge on Friday morning. He had "several knives" and an undisclosed amount of cash on him, according to WPTV. | Other local outlets claimed the man's arsenal included a machete, two knives, a pick axe and $22,000 in cash, and that a bomb squad was searching his vehicle, found at the Palm Beach International Airpo…
(2020-01-10). California's New 'Gig Worker' Law Will Hurt Freelancers. thenation.com California's New 'Gig Worker' Law Will Hurt Freelancers…
(2020-01-10). Elizabeth Warren Has Made Disability Rights Central to Her Campaign. thenation.com Elizabeth Warren Has Made Disability Rights Central to Her Campaign…
(2020-01-10). Pregnant Workers Are Still Fighting for the Right to Work. aclu.org In 2015, | Michelle Durham, an ACLU client, was faced with an impossible choice: | continue working and risk the health of her pregnancy or give up her paycheck. | She was working | as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) for Rural/Metro Corporation, a company | in Alabama that provides emergency medical care to people living in areas that | lack basic medical services. Shortly after joining Rural/Metro Corporation in | Alabama, Michelle learned she was pregnant with her first child and was advised | by her health professional not to lift more than 50 pounds. She was confident | the company would grant her a…
(2020-01-10). Venezuela: Guaido installs parallel parliament, US threatens more sanctions. greenleft.org.au 
Venezuela Ricardo VazIssue 1248 Venezuela Juan Guaido US Vice President Mike PenceJanuary 10, 2020Opposition leader Juan Guaido installed a "parallel" parliament in Caracas on January 7. | The…
(2020-01-09). Andrew Bacevich: Trump Sparked "Unnecessary Crisis" by Killing Soleimani, Barely Avoiding War. democracynow.org 
President Trump vowed on Wednesday to hit Iran with new sanctions but appeared to pull back from taking any new military action. Tension between the two countries soared after the U.S. assassinated Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani at the Baghdad International Airport last week. Early on Wednesday, Iran retaliated by firing 22 ballistic missiles at military bases in Iraq housing U.S. forces, but no one was injured in the attack. Iran had warned the Iraqi government about the strike in advance. Two small rockets also later hit the Green Zone near the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. During a televised address on Wednesda…
(2020-01-09). International Criminal Court Prepares to Try Israelis over War Crimes. therealnews.com 
Shawan Jabarin of the Al-Haq human rights organization discusses the International Criminal Court decision to prepare a lawsuit against the state of Israel regarding war crimes committed against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip. Israeli authorities are already panicking.
(2020-01-09). Sanctions Are Economic Warfare. thenation.com Sanctions Are Economic Warfare…
(2020-01-08). Trump Announces Additional 'Punishing' Sanctions on Iran. therealnews.com 
Updated 1: 15 PM ET | U.S. President Donald Trump made a statement Wednesday morning at 11: 30 AM EST and announced that Iran "appears to be standing down" following strikes on U.S. air bases in Iraq. He said there were no American or Iraqi casualties resulting from the attacks. | Trump said that while the U.S. was evaluating its options, it would "immediately impose additional punishing sanctions" against Iran until it "changes its behavior." He called Iran the "leading sponsor of terrorism" and repeatedly said that he would not allow Iran to develop nuclear weapons. Since 2017, the Trump administration has impose…
(2020-01-08). Iranian-American Lawmaker Warns of Rising Xenophobia as U.S.-Iran Tension Escalates. democracynow.org 
In the midst of escalating U.S.-Iran tensions, Border Patrol has been detaining Iranian Americans at the U.S.-Canada border. At least 100 people were delayed at ports of entry along the border over the weekend, following the U.S. assassination of Qassem Soleimani on January 3. For response, we speak with Anna Eskamani, Florida Democratic state representative of Orlando. She is the first Iranian American to be elected to any public office in Florida. "The reality is that when we see the potential war rise in countries like Iran … we'll see xenophobia rise right here locally" in the U.S., Eskamani says.
(2020-01-08). Iranian Americans Have Rights, Too — No Matter What's Happening Abroad. aclu.org Like most Iranian Americans, my family immigrated to the United States in the aftermath of the 1979 revolution in Iran, hoping to find safety and acceptance in a country that prides itself on diversity and freedom of expression. We learned and embraced the principles of the Constitution, including freedom of speech and religion, due process, and equal protection — protections that apply to every person, citizen and non-citizen alike. But what happened at the U.S. border this past weekend was a painful reminder that sometimes, we are still considered outsiders. | In the state of Washington this weekend,…
(2020-01-08). Trump Backs Away from Threats to Retaliate for Iranian Missile Strikes, Promises New Sanctions. mintpressnews.com Following Iran's military response to the deaths of Soleimani and his Iraqi ally, Trump's tone
(2020-01-08). Venezuela: Guaido Installs Parallel Parliament After Washington Threatens More Sanctions. venezuelanalysis.com The Trump administration is reportedly mulling sanctions against opposition deputies who voted against Guaido.
(2020-01-07). Iranian Americans Harassed and Detained at US Border. therealnews.com 
Dozens of people, including American citizens, faced hours of questioning at the Washington entry point. Jamal Abdi of the National Iranian American Council says the reports could indicate a directive for heightened screening of people born in Iran.
(2020-01-07). It Is Time for a New Way Forward. aclu.org In 1996, at the height of the "tough on crime" era, President Bill Clinton signed two laws that dramatically changed the criminal legal system and radically altered the U.S. immigration system. Just as the 1994 crime bill instituted unjust mandatory minimum sentences and ballooned the prison population, the immigration bills of that same era led to similarly disastrous consequences for immigrants — an explosion in the growth of detention and unfairly harsh punishments for immigrants, including mandatory deportations for minor…
(2020-01-06). Trump's Killing of Qassem Soleimani Means "Rules of the Game Have Totally Changed" in Middle East. democracynow.org 
The Iraqi Parliament voted Sunday to expel all U.S. military forces from Iraq. President Trump responded by threatening to impose sanctions on Iraq "like they've never seen before." Iraq has already been the target of some of the harshest sanctions the world has even seen. U.S.-backed sanctions killed more than a million Iraqis, including over 500,000 children, between 1990 and 2003. From Baghdad, we talk to Ghaith Abdul-Ahad, correspondent for The Guardian newspaper.
(2020-01-06). Headlines for January 6, 2020. democracynow.org Iraqi Parliament Votes to Oust U.S. Military; Trump Threatens Sanctions, In Dozens of U.S. Cities, Protesters Say No War with Iran, Elizabeth Warren Accuses Trump of Killing Soleimani to Distract from Impeachment, Al-Shabab Kills U.S. Soldier and 2 U.S. Contractors in Attack in Kenya, 17 Killed, Dozens Wounded in Airstrike in Tripoli, Libya, 14 Killed, including 7 Children, in IED Attack in Burkina Faso, Australia Deploys Military as Unprecedented Wildfires Rage, Death Toll in Jakarta Flooding & Landslides Rises to 53, Masked Men Attack Students at Jawaharlal Nehru University in India, 36 Killed in Collapse of Ho…
(2020-01-06). SPLC Statement on the Detainment of Iranians and Iranian Americans. splcenter.org The following statement is by Southern Poverty Law Center Interim President and CEO Karen Baynes-Dunning following reports that Iranians and Iranian Americans are being detained and questioned at U.S. ports of entry:…