(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). Somalis join calls for boycott of French products. yenisafak.com Calls are growing in the Muslim world to boycott French goods in protest of President Emmanuel Macron's controversial plans to crack down on "Islamist separatism," and continue publishing blasphemous cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad.While trade groups and netizens in many nations have announced their boycott of French products, young Somalis have also joined the campaign."…Someone must tell us how we can boycott France while being in Somalia… No human rights and religious freedom in France," tweeted Abdikarim Hussein. Some users in the East African country asked Muslim African football players to reconsider t…
(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). UN urges Israel to allow staff to return to Palestine. yenisafak.com The UN's special coordinator for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict urged Israel on Monday to allow its international staffers to return to the occupied Palestinian territories.Nickolay Mladenov told the Security Council that Israel has not responded to visa renewal requests for international staffers with the UN's Human Rights Office "over the past months."It is unclear exactly how long Tel Aviv has been doing so, but Mladenov said the rights body is continuing to "deliver on its mandate" with most staffers working outside of the area."After the release of the report to the Human Rights Council on business activit…
(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). 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). 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.
(2020-10-27). 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). 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). 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…
(2020-10-26). Over 500 Belarus protesters taken into custody. yenisafak.com Hundreds of people protesting against Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who won a sixth term in the disputed Aug. 9 vote, have been taken into custody, the country's Interior Ministry confirmed on Monday. | Spokeswoman Olga Chemodanova said in a statement that "illegal" protests were held in 19 different places across the country on Sunday, and the police took the necessary measures to maintain law and order. | The demonstrators, she said, blocked traffic in the capital Minsk, injured two police officers, and stoned the Minsk police department building, adding that "aggressors" have been detained. | "A t…
(2020-10-26). Video: Police Violence in Berlin Protests. Brutal Arrest of Human Rights Lawyer Markus Haintz. globalresearch.ca This evening, Mr. Markus Haintz, a prominent and courageous human rights lawyer in Germany was brutally arrested by Berlin police. His assistant, Frederike, was also brutally arrested. The arrest was filmed. | It is important to report this arrest worldwide …
(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). Washington approves sale of 400 ANTI-SHIP missiles worth $2.37bn to Taiwan after Beijing vows sanctions for US arms dealers. rt.com 
The US State Department has given the nod for the sale of 100 Harpoon anti-ship missile systems to Taiwan, the latest in a series of massive weapons transfers to the island as Beijing warns it will retaliate with sanctions. | The $2.37 billion deal,
(2020-10-26). NIAC Statement on Latest Politically-Motivated Iran Sanctions. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(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). 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). 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). 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). 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). Argentina's Veteran Ambassador Makes a Stand for the Sovereignty of Latin America. counterpunch.org 
Alicia Castro does not shy away from her views. She came to diplomacy from the trade union movement, where she was a leader when she was a flight attendant with Aerolíneas Argentinas. Castro spent eight years as a member of parliament in the Argentine National Congress, where she fought for the rights of working people.
(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). 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). Whose Vote Counts, Explained: Netflix series examines voting rights in America. wsws.org Like all basic democratic rights, the right to vote can only be defended through the independent political struggle of the working class.
(2020-10-26). The Supremely Undemocratic Court. popularresistance.org In this first installment of the Deception 2020 Series, we dig into that most supreme of undemocratic courts – just as Amy Coney Barrett looms over a smooth confirmation. Could the Democrats have stopped her? Then, we sit down with Dan Kovalik, human rights lawyer and author, for his take on the court, RBG, and more.
(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). The US Proposed a Partial Withdrawal and Ease in Sanctions, Damascus Rejected the Offer. globalresearch.ca Damascus confirmed the visit of President Donald Trump's Special envoy for Hostage Affairs Roger Carstens and Senior Director for Counterterrorism Kash Patel to Syria and their meeting with the Syrian Director of the National Security Ali Mamluk (sanctioned by the …
(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). 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). "Democratic" Means Social Equality. counterpunch.org Pundits in the international media and political classes twist an distort the word "democratic" until it has no resemblance to the actual meaning of the word. Start with "democracy" from which "democratic" is born. "Government by the people exercised either directly…? or by elected representatives" and later "the principles of social equality and individual rights".
(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). 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). 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). 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). 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). 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.
(2020-10-26). 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). Call for Prosecution of War Crimes, Crimes Against Humanity, and Genocide Crime in DRC. indybay.org "Congo Week," the annual series of forums, films, and conversation organized by Washington D.C.-based Friends of the Congo was, like so much else, a virtual event this year. It concluded today with the presentation of humanitarian awards to two Congolese groups defending human rights, and to Dr. Denis Mukwege, the world renowned gynecologist and Nobel Prize Winner who founded Panzi Hospital to treat women victims of sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). In his acceptance speech, Dr. Mukwege called for prosecution of the 617 war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide crimes documented i…
(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… …
(2020-10-25). 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). Tens of people detained, tear gas deployed at protest in west Belarus. yenisafak.com Tens of people were detained by police in the town of Lida in western Belarus on Sunday during a protest, Russia's RIA news agency cited the regional branch of the Belarus interior ministry as saying.Police fired tear gas at protesters, RIA said.Protesters have been gathering ahead of the expiry at midnight on Sunday of an ultimatum for Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko to resign, the latest in 11 weeks of demonstrations following a disputed election result.
(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). '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). 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). Seven Arrested as Commandos Storm 'Hijacked' Oil Tanker Off Isle of Wight. sputniknews.com The Nave Andromeda was spotted sailing erratically near the Isle of Wight early on Sunday and authorities were unable to contact the crew by radio. Late in the day, the elite Special Boat Service was given the green light by ministers, and commandos boarded the ship from navy helicopters and detained seven suspected hijackers.
(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…
(2020-10-24). Israel Lobby Spreads More Lies About Palestine Groups At NYU. popularresistance.org New York University has agreed to settle with the US Department of Education over allegations that the university had not appropriately responded to claims of anti-Semitism. | Two attorneys filed the complaint last year on behalf of a student who alleged that she faced "two years of extreme anti-Semitism on the NYU campus which has created an intolerable and unlawful hostile atmosphere for Jewish students." | Echoing previous attempts by Israel advocates to silence Palestinian rights activists on campuses, the complaint accused Students for Justice in Palestine of creating the "hostile" climate due to the group's…
(2020-10-24). The Covid-19 Numbers Game: The "Second Wave" is Based on Fake Statistics. globalresearch.ca "Red zones", travel bans, quarantines, "red lists". A "Second Wave". Millions of people are lining up for Covid-19 testing. The "Numbers Game". How statistics and "estimates" are used by politicians to justify the closure of the national economy and the derogation of fundamental civil rights.