(2020-11-15). A Dedicated Obsession: Washington's Continuing Iran Sanctions Regime. dissidentvoice.org One dogma that is likely to persist in US foreign policy during a Biden presidency will be the sanctions regime adopted towards Iran. Every messianic state craves clearly scripted enemies, and the demonology about the Islamic Republic is not going to go begging. Elliot Abrahams, the current US special representative for Iran, told Associated Press …
(2020-11-15). The COVID-19 RT-PCR Test: How to Mislead All Humanity. Using a "Test" To Lock Down Society. globalresearch.ca The misuse of the RT-PCR technique is used as an intentional strategy by some governments, supported by scientific safety councils and by the dominant media, to justify the violation of a large number of constitutional rights, the destruction of the economy with the bankruptcy of entire active sectors of society,…
(2020-11-14). Update: Abby Martin's Lawsuit Over Israel Loyalty Oath Mandate In US. popularresistance.org New developments in Abby Martin's major lawsuit challenging unconstitutional pro-Israel, anti-BDS law in the state of Georgia. | Abby Martin: "In February of this year, I was supposed to give a keynote speech at Georgia Southern University. Before the event, I refused to sign a state-mandated pledge to not boycott Israel in order to speak. My invitation was rescinded and the conference canceled as a result. I decided to sue the state of Georgia because signing an anti-BDS clause in order to work in the state is a direct violation of my rights to Constitutional free speech and to participate in political boycotts.
(2020-11-14). Yet another journalist killed in Afghanistan. peoplesdispatch.org On November 12, a journalist was killed and three others were critically wounded in an improvised bomb blast in Helmand's Lashkar Gah. 33-year-old Elyas Dayee was associated with Radio Free Afghanistan RFE/RL. | In another bomb blast last week, former Tolo news presenter Yama Siawash was killed in Kabul's Makrorayan-e-Char. Siawash had recently joined Afghanistan's central bank as an adviser. Abdullah Abdullah, who head the country's peace and reconciliation process, termed his death "an forgivable and unforgettable crime." | As many as 50 journalists and dozens of rights activists have been killed in Afghanistan…
(2020-11-13). Voting Activist Desmond Meade on Re-enfranchising People & Why "Ex-Felon" Is a Dehumanizing Label. democracynow.org 
In Florida, tens of thousands of newly eligible voters who were previously disenfranchised due to their criminal records turned out to the polls for the 2020 election. Amendment 4, a measure that in 2018 overturned a Jim Crow-era law aimed at keeping African Americans from voting, restored voting rights to people with nonviolent felonies who have completed their sentences and was hailed as the biggest win for voting rights in decades. However, hundreds of thousands of people in Florida remain disenfranchised due to a modern-day poll tax that requires formerly incarcerated voters to pay all fees and fines to court…
(2020-11-13). If US sanctions on Lebanon are about corruption, Saad Hariri should be top of list. thealtworld.com 
If the US was truly concerned about corruption in Lebanon, it should have targeted the discredited prime minister | The US Treasury recently Unfortunately, as frequently occurs with the US…
(2020-11-13). After Defund Police victory, Portland keeps marching. workers.org 
Portland, Ore. After 170 days of uninterrupted protests against racism, fascism and police brutality, 82 percent of Portlanders have voted for a community oversight board to investigate and discipline cases of police violence. Rally for Black Lives Matter and to defend workers' rights, Portland, Ore., Nov. 8 Since the brutal . . . |
(2020-11-13). Reported Ethiopia massacre: UN rights chief warns of spiralling situation, war crimes. news.un.org Disturbing reports of an alleged massacre have surfaced in Ethiopia's Tigray region, amid fighting between national and regional forces that may become impossible to control, the UN human rights chief warned on Friday.
(2020-11-13). Biden Defends Sanctions Against Brazil and Irritates Bolsonaro. globalresearch.ca A new era is beginning in bilateral relations between Brazil and the US. Unlike Donald Trump, who demonstrated greater neutrality in environmental and humanitarian issues and always avoided pronouncements about the Amazon, the presumptive president-elect, Joe Biden, is marked …
(2020-11-13). Developing trade ties with neighbors, way to counter sanction. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Nov. 13 (MNA) — Chairman of Iran-Russia Joint Chamber of Commerce said that development of economic relations with neighboring countries is the best way to deal with sanctions.
(2020-11-13). Jurists Shocked by Justice Alito's 'Wildly Inappropriate' Attack on LGBTQ Equality, Reproductive Rights, and More. commondreams.org "How can litigants with claims on these issues now believe they can get a fair hearing from Alito?" wondered one legal reporter. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-11-13). Implications for the Deepening Political Crises in the United States. globalresearch.ca Note: These remarks were delivered by Abayomi Azikiwe at the Michigan Coalition for Human Rights (MCHR) Virtual Forum held on November 12, 2020. The event was entitled: "What Now? A Post-Election Town Hall Meeting." The program featured Abayomi Azikiwe, editor …
(2020-11-13). Mozambique Cabo Delgado violence is a 'desperate' situation, warns Bachelet. news.un.org There is increasing concern about the worsening security situation in Cabo Delgado province in northern Mozambique, which the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights described on Friday as "desperate".
(2020-11-13). Violations continuing against Belarus protesters, UN human rights office warns. news.un.org More than three months on from the disputed presidential election in Belarus, the Belarusian Government continues to "wield the machinery of the State to commit human rights violations", the Spokesperson for the UN human rights office warned on Friday.
(2020-11-13). Unhoused Community Forms Tenants Union. popularresistance.org Minneapolis, MN — A tenants union was formed this past weekend by unhoused community members who have been living at the Extended Stay America hotel in Bloomington, MN. After a deal for Hennepin County to purchase the building unexpectedly fell through, residents say they are standing up for their rights as tenants. Their lawyers are helping them argue that Minnesota Governor Tim Walz's suspension of evictions during the pandemic protects people experiencing homelessness who had been housed in hotels as an emergency temporary measure.
(2020-11-13). How COVID-19 is Setting Working Women Back. aclu.org In early October, the United States Labor Department reported that women were leaving the workforce at four times the rate of men. A few months earlier, a report from McKinsey Global revealed that while women made up 43 percent of the workforce, they had borne 56 percent of COVID-related job losses. This data — and much more — led one news source to call this moment "America's First Female Recession.", , This week, Colleen Ammerman joined At Liberty to discuss why this is happening, and what we can do about it. Ammerman is the director of Harvard Business School's Gender Initiative. She is also the…
(2020-11-13). The Fight to Re-Enfranchise Voters Continues. truthout.org Image Credit: Florida Rights Restoration Coalition | In Florida, tens of thousands of newly eligible voters who were previously disenfranchised due to their criminal records turned out to the polls for the 2020 election. Amendment 4, a measure that in 2018 overturned a Jim Crow-era law aimed at keeping African Americans from voting, restored voting rights to people with nonviolent felonies who have completed their sentences and was hailed as the biggest win for voting rights in decades. However, hundreds of thousands of people…
(2020-11-12). Brazil: Trump Ally Bolsonaro Refuses to Acknowledge Biden Win & Downplays COVID as Death Toll Mounts. democracynow.org 
The White House has ordered agencies not to cooperate with Biden's presidential transition team, and President Donald Trump continues to refuse to accept defeat in the 2020 election, which means Biden cannot receive security briefings or access government funds for the transition. But while the standoff continues in the U.S., other countries are already preparing for a new administration. For more on how the historic U.S. election is playing out internationally, we speak with analysts from around the world, including Maria Luísa Mendonàßa, director of the Network for Social Justice and Human Rights in Brazi…
(2020-11-12). Saudi embassy denies UK ambassador discussed freeing women's rights activists. middleeasteye.net 
Saudi embassy denies UK ambassador discussed freeing women's rights activists | Envoy was quoted by the Guardian as saying Riyadh was considering releasing detainees such as Loujain al-Hathloul ahead of G20 summit | Thu, 11/12/2020 – 12: 02 | Hathloul, who has been on hunger strike for 17 days, was arrested and detained in 2018 along with a number of other activists on charges including 'a…
(2020-11-12). Qatar blockade: Independent UN expert calls for it to end. middleeasteye.net 
Qatar blockade: Independent UN expert calls for it to end | Special rapporteur highlights how three-year blockade has negatively impacted lives and 'fundamental human rights' | Thu, 11/12/2020 – 20: 43 | Blockading countries have closed their airspace to Qatari aircraft and sealed their borders and ports since 2017 (AFP/File photo) | An independent UN expert released a preliminary report calling on Saudi Arabi…
(2020-11-12). 'Antithesis of peace': Palestine advocates decry Israeli settlers' visit to UAE. middleeasteye.net 
'Antithesis of peace': Palestine advocates decry Israeli settlers' visit to UAE | After visit to Dubai, right-wing settler leader Yossi Dagan says direct trade between settlements and UAE will start soon | Thu, 11/12/2020 – 22: 00 | 'Normalisation is betrayal,' reads mural in Palestinian West Bank city of Hebron (AFP/File photo) | Palestinian rights advocates condemned a visit by Israeli settlers to the United Ar…
(2020-11-12). Groups critical of Israel to be branded 'antisemitic' under Pompeo plan: Report. middleeasteye.net 
Groups critical of Israel to be branded 'antisemitic' under Pompeo plan: Report | Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, Oxfam and others would likely be targeted by campaign | Thu, 11/12/2020 – 18: 01 | US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Jerusalem after meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in August (AFP/File photo) | The US State Department is expected to announce plans to create a ne…
(2020-11-12). There Are No War Heroes, Only War Victims: Notes From The Edge Of The Narrative Matrix. thealtworld.com It's still really, really weird that we don't all talk about Yemen all the time. It's like there's someone in the room being tortured with a blowtorch and we're all just chatting about politics at the dinner table without noticing. | ‚ùñ | I'm sorry your election results are being disputed as fraudulent, America. Have you tried not having the ‚ùñ | "The media do not decide who's president!"
(2020-11-12). Venezuela: Oil Output Falls as Tankers Approach. venezuelanalysis.com US sanctions and threats have forced a number of oil corporations to cease their dealings with Venezuela's PDVSA.
(2020-11-12). Men Are Being Fired for Being Caregivers. Here's Why that Hurts Women Too. aclu.org One of the simplest joys of expecting a baby is sharing the news with other people. That wasn't the
(2020-11-12). Tuesday 11/10: NARAL Post-Election Town Hall on Repro Rights. indybay.org Livestream online…
(2020-11-12). EU Extends Sanctions on Venezuela Until November 2021. telesurenglish.net The European Union (EU) Thursday announced it is prolonging restrictive sanctions against Venezuela for one year, until November 14, 2021. | RELATED: | These sanctions include the weapon and equipment blockade that may be used in Venezuela and the prohibition of 36 high-ranking officials -including Diosdado Cabello, President of the National Constituent Assembly of Venezuela- from entering the EU, as well as…
(2020-11-11). The UK Equalities Commission's Labour Antisemitism Report is the Real 'Political Interference'. counterpunch.org 
I recently published for the Middle East Eye website a detailed analysis of last week's report by the Equalities and Human Rights Commission into the question of whether the UK Labour party had an especial antisemitism problem. (You can read a slightly fuller version of that article on my website.) In the piece, I reached two main conclusions. First,
(2020-11-11). Release detained refugees and give them permanent protection. greenleft.org.au Regular actions are being organised to demand the federal government frees almost 120 refugees detained at Kangaroo Point, reports Alex Bainbridge.