(2020-10-04). The 2020 Battle Lines Are Drawn—It's Time for Action. scheerpost.com risingthermals / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0] By Alan Minsky Sometimes, maybe, when a bout of writer's block arrives it's 'cause there's nothing left to say. This morning I woke, stared into the proverbial blank page and quickly came to the conclusion that it was a waste of time to torture myself with words not forthcoming. Here's why: We know the score. The time for words is over. It's time to get in the… |
(2020-10-04). 11/3/20 Election: The Stakes; The Cal & S.F Propositions. indybay.org What is at stake in this election are the very existence of Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act, food stamps, the right to abortion and birth control pills, funding Planned Parenthood, funding the Violence Against Women Act, the existence of all environmental regulations, all consumer protection laws, all gun control laws, all civil rights laws, all labor laws, an efficient, patronage-free mail system, federally funded affordable housing, public school education, federal funds for state governments and raising the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour. Further, all progress we have made in…
(2020-10-03). Julian Assange's Extradition Hearing: The Only Just Outcome Is His Freedom. popularresistance.org The testimony portion of the extradition hearing of Julian Assange, taking place in the United Kingdom, concluded after four weeks. Judge Vanessa Baraitser, who presided over the hearing, will not announce her decision until January. Until then, Assange will remain in detention in Belmarsh Prison. | Under conditions that violated Assange's rights and his ability to defend himself, his legal team made a clear case that for multiple reasons why the only just solution is to free Assange. However, Judge Baraitser has not ruled favorably for him in her past decisions or even in this hearing.
(2020-10-03). Social movements denounce Bolsonaro's plan for the mining sector. peoplesdispatch.org More room for foreign capital, more flexibility with environmental laws, the destruction of the environment and attacks against the rights of indigenous people. According to the Movement for People's Sovereignty Over Mining (MAM) and the Movement of People Affected by Dams (MAB), these will be the consequences of the Mining Development Program (PMD) announced this past Monday, September 28th, by the Federal government. | The program defines the
(2020-10-03). Pregnant Ethiopians languish in 'hellish' Saudi detention centres: Amnesty International. middleeasteye.net 
Pregnant Ethiopians languish in 'hellish' Saudi detention centres: Amnesty International | Detainees say they were forced to stay in crowded cells and to use their cell floors as toilets | Sat, 10/03/2020 – 11: 38 | Ethiopia has called for a halt in repatriations because of Covid-19. It brought back nearly 4,000 Ethiopians from Saudi Arabia between April and September 2020 (AFP) | Ethiopian migrants impr…
(2020-10-03). Peru Orders Arrest of Officials Linked to Corruption Case. telesurenglish.net Peruvian Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office requested preventive detention for some of the people linked to the singer Richard Swing's case. | RELATED: | Ten people, who were previously under pre-trial detention, will comply with other seven days of preliminary detention as part of the investigations. Among them, there are two former secretaries of Peru's President Martin Vizcarra. | "This case is still under evaluation an…
(2020-10-03). UN report on Venezuela omits the greatest violation of human rights: US aggression. peoplesdispatch.org The victim's of Venezuela's right-wing mobs have been completely left out of the UNHRC's report on Venezuela, Leonardo Flores looks at the politicized nature of this report and the intentional omissions…
(2020-10-03). Do Canadian Sanctions Against Venezuela Violate Canadian Law? A Question of Democracy. globalresearch.ca "Sanctions must be treated as a form of warfare. . . . Let us regard the imposition of sanctions with the same gravity as we would regard the act of going to war." — Mehran Nakhjavani[1] | There is widespread …
(2020-10-03). US deploys missile destroyer off coast of Venezuela. wsws.org The military provocation has come amid a wave of new sanctions against both Venezuela and Iran, which is supplying the South American country with vital fuel supplies.
(2020-10-03). EU summit backs herd immunity policy and sanctions against Belarus. wsws.org The European Council of EU heads of state met for two days in Brussels, Thursday and Friday, to discuss the bloc's foreign and economic policy.
(2020-10-03). UN Report On Venezuela Omits The Greatest Violation Of Human Rights. popularresistance.org On September 23, María Eugenia Russián, president of Fundalatin, Venezuela's oldest human rights organization, testified to the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and decried an attempt by a UNHRC fact-finding mission to erase people who were "lynched, burned alive, decapitated and murdered by extremist sectors of the Venezuelan opposition." This fact-finding mission had published a report a week earlier that generated sensationalist headlines of "crimes against humanity" and painted a bleak picture of the situation in Venezuela.
(2020-10-03). Tourism sector enjoying growth despite sanctions: min. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 03 (MNA) — The Minister of Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Ali Asghar Mounesan told Mehr News on Sat. that tourism sector had a growth in last year despite all the events including US sanctions which could affect this sector.
(2020-10-03). Belarus's Security Forces Detain 11 People During Saturday's Unauthorised Protests. sputniknews.com MINSK (Sputnik) – Belarusian security forces have detained 11 people who participated in unauthorised protests in the city of Minsk on Saturday, the press service of the capital's police department said.
(2020-10-02). US military seeks to "create new base in Syria" — Syrian journalist. thegrayzone.com Red Lines host Anya Parampil speaks with Syrian journalist Bashar Barazi, the correspondent for HispanTV in Damascus, about recent developments in the country. By Anya Parampil They discuss the impact of the new "Cesar sanctions" on the Syrian public, US and Turkish maneuvers within Syria, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's recent visit to the country, as well as the average Syrian's response to efforts from Gulf countries to normalize relations with Israel. Barazi explains why he believes the US is …
(2020-10-02). Using Human Rights To Promote War. popularresistance.org 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". She points out major flaws in the report's methodology and exposes one of its authors as a defender of Chilean fascists. She explains that the US and its allies are weaponizing human right in order to drum up support for a war on Venezuela.
(2020-10-02). Guatemalan President Threatens To Arrest the Caravan Migrants. telesurenglish.net Guatemala's President Alejandro Giammattei on Thursday ordered a "state of prevention" in six departments of his country because of the entry of a caravan with over 3,000 Honduran migrants traveling to the United States. | RELATED: | "All those Hondurans who have entered illegally will be detained," he stressed, arguing that this measure is the consequence of their "disrespect" for the health protocols implemented t…
(2020-10-02). Mediterranean Sea: 'Cycle of violence' for fleeing migrants must be addressed. news.un.org The UN human rights office OHCHR, called on Friday for urgent action to address the "unimaginable horrors" faced by migrants attempting to cross the central Mediterranean Sea in search of safety‚ÄØin Europe.
(2020-10-02). Amnesty presses Egypt to release detainees after rare protests. middleeasteye.net 
Amnesty presses Egypt to release detainees after rare protests | Rights group reports at least 496 people have been detained by Cairo since crackdown on protests began last month | Fri, 10/02/2020 – 18: 37 | Police had fired tear gas and in some instances live ammunition at demonstrators (AFP/File photo) | Amnesty International has called on Egyptian authorities to release hundreds of people who were arrested…
(2020-10-02). EU removes east Libya powerbroker Aguila Saleh from sanctions blacklist. middleeasteye.net 
EU removes east Libya powerbroker Aguila Saleh from sanctions blacklist | European Union says lifting sanctions, including travel ban, is due to Saleh's 'constructive engagement' in support of peace talks | Fri, 10/02/2020 – 21: 59 | Aguila Saleh is seen as a counterweight to Khalifa Haftar in east (AFP/File photo) | The European Union has removed an east Libyan powerbroker from its sanctions blacklist to enco…
(2020-10-02). Turkey arrests: New wave of detentions target pro-Kurdish HDP. middleeasteye.net 
Turkey arrests: New wave of detentions target pro-Kurdish HDP | Of 53 mayoralties won in March 2019 local elections, the party now only controls four as a result of repeated arrests | Fri, 10/02/2020 – 12: 23 | Demonstrators in Istanbul shout slogans during a protest against the arrest of scores of members of the pro-Kurdish Peoples Democratic Party (AFP) | Authorities in Turkey have detai…
(2020-10-02). The Leahy Laws: Why Biden's Promise to Israel is Illegal. counterpunch.org 
While co-hosting an interview on the Palestine Chronicle, I asked Dr. Richard Falk, former UN Special Rapporteur on Palestinian human rights, about his thoughts on Kamala Harris' promise to maintain unconditional aid to Israel. "I am disappointed of course by the Harris-Biden positions on Israel. I would have hoped for something closer to what Bernie
(2020-10-02). European Union Sanctions Against Belarus Will Backfire and Deepen Minsk's Ties to Moscow. globalresearch.ca Yesterday, it was agreed upon at the European Council special meeting that Belarus will be sanctioned. However, the scope of the sanctions and the long path to agree on them, demonstrates that the European Union is in a crisis and …
(2020-10-02). The Supreme Court Rulings You're Not Hearing About. aclu.org This past June, many breathed a sigh of relief when the U.S. Supreme Court rose above partisanship in controversial cases involving abortion, LGBTQ+ rights, the rights of DREAMERS, and the president's tax returns. In those cases, conservative justices relied on legal reasoning, rather than party loyalty, to guide their decisions., , But lurking in the shadows is a concerning new trend in the Supreme Court to grant an unprecedented number of emergency orders with little transparency and no opportunity for recourse. These cases comprise the court's aptly named "shadow docket." And under the Trump administration,…
(2020-10-02). Argentina Demands the Liberation of Photographer in Bolivia. telesurenglish.net Argentina's Foreign Affairs Ministry demanded Bolivia's de facto government free Argentinian photographer Facundo Molares Schoenfeld, detained during the coup d'etat against former President Evo Morales. | RELATED: | The Argentinian Foreign Affairs Ministry said that the release of Molares is "particularly urgent given their state of health, added to the impact of the unjustified and consecutive cancellations of hearings called by the…
(2020-10-02). UN Venezuela Report Omits US Human Rights Violations. mintpressnews.com On September 23, María Eugenia Russián, president of Fundalatin, Venezuela's oldest human rights organization, testified to the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and decried an
(2020-10-02). Belarus Announces Reciprocal Sanctions Against the EU. telesurenglish.net The government of Belarus announced on Friday, a group of reciprocal measures against the European Union (EU) after the regional bloc sanctioned some 40 high-ranking Belarusian officials. | RELATED: | The Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed in a statement that "given the sanctions imposed by the EU on several Belarusian officials, as of today, a list of those sanctioned will come into effect as a response. In acco…
(2020-10-02). Civil Rights Groups Are Finally Waking Up to the ADL's Right Wing Agenda. mintpressnews.com From its National Counter Terrorism Seminars, its mapping of pro-Palestinians activists, and its silence over Israeli human rights violations, the ADL's thin veneer of civil rights advocacy is quickly wearing.
(2020-10-02). LA Sheriffs Attack Compton Protestors, Arrest KPCC Journalist. counterpunch.org The Los Angeles Sheriff's Department (LASD) has been under fire for years for violating people's rights, struggling with corruption, and so much more. Despite proclamations of reform (Remember the Ramparts Police station beatings? How about body cams that were called for and never purchased?) Now, with two recent shootings in the city of Compton, on
(2020-10-02). Voting by Mail is Easier and Safer than You Think. Here's how. aclu.org Millions of people are planning to vote by mail in this election, and for most, it will be the first time. COVID-19 has made voting by mail more popular than ever because it's the safest way for many to cast a ballot. But some voters still have questions about the safety and security of this method, and whether their mail-in ballot will be counted. Contradictory messages from President Trump add to the confusion — even though the president, and
(2020-10-02). Inside Irwin County: Letters from a notorious ICE detention center. splcenter.org …
(2020-10-02). Iraq urged to investigate attacks on women human rights defenders. news.un.org UN-appointed independent rights experts have urged the Iraqi authorities to investigate the murder of a female human rights defender, and the attempted killing of another, targeted "simply because they are women".
(2020-10-02). Texas Governor Cuts Ballot Drop-Off Sites to Only One Per County. truthout.org In a last-minute move that voting rights groups and Democratic officials decried as a desperate and "
(2020-10-02). Court Breathes New Life into Lake Erie Bill of Rights Legal Fight. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2020-10-02). Federal Court Requires EPA to Enforce Civil Rights. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2020-10-01). Indigenous Leaders in the Amazon Need Immediate Protection. telesurenglish.net The Inter-Ethnic Association for the Development of the Peruvian Jungle (AIDESEP) and the Law, Environment, and Natural Resources (DAR) NGO reported that Indigenous peoples asked the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) to "intercede" so that the governments of the Amazonian countries "take effective protection measures." | RELATED: | Leaders of Indigenous communities in the Amazon asked this multilateral org…
(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). Evidence of war crimes, torture, surveillance and assassination plots: Assange hearing nears final day. wsws.org The CIA's surveillance was targeted against Assange's communication with his legal representatives, considered "priority targets."
(2020-10-01). Colombia: Women Organizations Protest Against Police Brutality. telesurenglish.net Colombian feminist organizations, women rights advocators, artists, and activists marched on Thursday in Bogota to protest against Police gender-based violence, sexism, and abuses against womenfolk. | RELATED: | The demonstrators marched from the District Planetarium to Bolivar Square while shouting out slogans like "No more fear," "They will not silence us, it's time to denounce, this must stop," and "Women are not spoi…
(2020-10-01). Top humanitarian award winner 'nothing short of heroic': UN refugee chief. news.un.org An educator and rights defender who has spent more than 20 years rescuing exploited and trafficked children in Colombia, represents "the best of us", the UN refugee chief said on Thursday, as she was named the winner of this year's Nansen Refugee Award.
(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). Trump administration prepares anti-immigrant raids in Democratic Party-led "sanctuary cities" ahead of November election. wsws.org The latest maneuver in Trump's war on immigrants cannot be separated from his effort to carry out a coup d'état and establish a presidential dictatorship.
(2020-10-01). Stranded migrants need safe and dignified return, says independent UN rights panel. news.un.org Governments should immediately address the inhumane conditions in detention faced by migrant workers who are also being blamed for spreading the coronavirus, a UN panel of independent rights experts said on Thursday.
(2020-10-01). Rights Groups Warn Trump 'Jeopardizes Lives' with Cuts to Refugee Resettlement Program. commondreams.org The Trump administration is "trying to grind our refugee system to a halt and ensure that Black and Brown immigrants don't have refuge here." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-10-01). Iranian press review: Tensions flare in Iraq and Iran over criticism of Sistani. middleeasteye.net 
Iranian press review: Tensions flare in Iraq and Iran over criticism of Sistani | Meanwhile, oil exports sharply increase despite US sanctions and three authors are jailed for 'propaganda against the state' | Thu, 10/01/2020 – 12: 58 | Mask-clad members of the Hashd al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilisation) paramilitary force stand near portraits of Sistani, left, and Soleimani, right (AFP) |
(2020-10-01). France temporarily detains relatives of citizens trapped in Syria camps. middleeasteye.net 
France temporarily detains relatives of citizens trapped in Syria camps | At least six people were arrested by anti-terrorism unit for sending funds to family members | Thu, 10/01/2020 – 17: 18 | A woman covers her face with a veil as she holds a manifest of names while sitting by children outside a tent at al-Roj camp, 30 September 2020 (AFP) | French authorities arrested at least six French citizen…
(2020-10-01). US lawsuit challenges Trump's sanctions against ICC. middleeasteye.net 
US lawsuit challenges Trump's sanctions against ICC | Rights group and law professors are suing administration to block US measures against International Criminal Court | Thu, 10/01/2020 – 21: 15 | President Donald Trump during visit to US troops in Afghanistan last November (AFP/File Photo) | A human rights group, along with four law professors, has filed a lawsuit against the US President Donald Trump's admi…
(2020-10-01). EU agrees on 'immediate' sanctions against 40 Belarus officials, but not President Lukashenko… yet. rt.com 
Breaking opposition from Cyprus, the 27 EU members agreed to immediately blacklist some 40 officials from Belarus — but not President Alexander Lukashenko — over what the bloc claimed were rigged presidential elections in August. | "We have unblocked sanctions on Belarus," a senior EU official told Reuters in the early hours of Friday in Brussels. | European Council President Charles Michel said the sanctions would go into effect right away and noted that while Lukashenko wasn't among the 40 officials, that "can change." | Cyprus had sought to tie any moves against Belarus to punishment of Turkey o…
(2020-10-01). EU agrees on 'immediate' sanctions against 40 Belarusian officials, but President Lukashenko escapes censure… for now at least. rt.com Despite opposition from Cyprus, the 27 EU members have agreed to immediately blacklist some 40 officials from Belarus — but not President Alexander Lukashenko — over what the bloc says were rigged presidential elections in August. | "We have unblocked sanctions on Belarus," a senior EU official told Reuters in the early hours of Friday in Brussels. | European Council President Charles Michel said the sanctions would go into effect right away and noted that while Lukashenko wasn't among the 40 officials, that "can change." | Cyprus had sought to tie any moves against Belarus to punishment of Turkey…
(2020-10-01). Russia's FSB detains Siberian nuclear scientist suspected of passing classified technologies & state secrets to China. rt.com 
A Russian physicist is being accused of divulging state secrets, after conducting research at a physics lab in China. He couldn't return to his work there due to Covid rules and had recently been working at Tomsk State University. | The Urals-based news site Znak identified the suspect as 64-year-old nuclear physicist Alexander Lukanin. Znak reported that Lukanin was arrested for disclosing classified information belonging to the Russian government, but there has been no official confirmation of this. The outlet also reported that the scientist is currently in a pre-trial detention centre, and that the FSB has…
(2020-10-01). UAE police chief accused of torture 'frontrunner for top Interpol job'. middleeasteye.net 
UAE police chief accused of torture 'frontrunner for top Interpol job' | Nasser Ahmed al-Raisi, accused of serious human rights abuses, could be named Interpol president in December | Thu, 10/01/2020 – 14: 26 | UAE police chief Ahmed Nasser al-Raisi (L), pictured in 2018 (Wikicommons) | A United Arab Emirates security chief accused of presiding over the "torture" of a British student is at…