(2021-02-04). Immigrant/refugee rights: It's now or never, Joe. workers.org 
Since the beginning of the most recent war on immigrants — which took shape starting in 2006 with the hypercriminalization of undocumented workers — the U.S. Congress has repeatedly talked of passing legislation labeled "Comprehensive Immigration Reform" to right some of those wrongs. We are long past "reforms," however. Conditions . . . |
(2021-02-04). 111 NGOs Call On Biden To Close Guantánamo. popularresistance.org On February 2, more than a hundred non-governmental organizations joined a letter led by the Center for Constitutional Rights and the Center for Victims of Torture, urging President Joe Biden to close the prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba and end indefinite military detention. The letter is signed by organizations ranging from those working to end anti-Muslim discrimination and torture to immigrant rights organizations and organizations working broadly on civil rights, civil liberties, and racial justice at the national and local level. It emphasizes the devastating and ongoing consequences of the prison, including…
(2021-02-04). Migrant Deportations Continue Despite Biden's Policies. popularresistance.org The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) continues to deport migrants despite president Joe Biden's 100-day moratorium on deporting most people in the U.S. without authorization. This decision was barred by a federal judge in Texas last week. | During the first days of Biden's administration, ICE has deported hundreds of immigrants, including 269 people, to Guatemala and Honduras last Friday. The agency has been accused of violating human rights as a coalition of immigrant groups denounced that Cameroonian asylum seekers were tortured to be forced to approve their deportations.
(2021-02-04). Thursday 2/11: Islam, Immigration & Women's Rights: Ending Marginalization and Assault of Immigrant Women. indybay.org Online event…
(2021-02-04). Israeli Military Detains One Palestinian, Attacks Fishermen, Farmers in Gaza. imemc.org 
The Israeli occupation army opened fire at Palestinian farmers, and fishermen, on Wednesday morning, in different areas of the besieged Gaza Strip, The Palestinian News and Information Agency (WAFA) reported. The army opened fire with live ammunition and smoke bombs at farmlands, while farmers were present, south of Khan Younis in the southern coastal enclave, …
(2021-02-04). WAFA: "Attorney, three minors among 25 Palestinians detained from West Bank" imemc.org 
RAMALLAH, Wednesday, February 03, 2021 (WAFA) — Israeli forces Wednesday overnight detained 25 Palestinians, including an attorney and three minors, from various parts of the occupied West Bank, according to local and security sources. They confirmed that Israeli forces detained five Palestinians, including two minors, aged 16 and 17, after ransacking their families' houses in …
(2021-02-04). Israel razes Palestinian Bedouin village for second time. middleeasteye.net 
Israel razes Palestinian Bedouin village for second time | Rights group denounces attempt to displace entire Palestinian community from Khirbet Humsa in Jordan Valley | Thu, 02/04/2021 – 08: 20 | On Wednesday, Israeli troops accompanied by bulldozers also knocked down several steel and wooden structures in the village (Reuters) | Israel has begun demolishing a Bedouin village in the occupi…
(2021-02-04). DeRay Mckesson — Policing is the laziest response. therealnews.com 
This week, civil rights activist DeRay Mckesson highlights some alarming statistics about police violence, which continued unabated in 2020 despite nationwide protests, and recounts his years as a teacher, connecting his pedagogical practice to his calling as an activist.
(2021-02-04). 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,…
(2021-02-04). Mass Rapes. Sweeping Surveillance. Forced Labor. Exposing China's Crackdown on Uyghur Muslims. democracynow.org 
China faces widespread condemnation following a BBC report about the mass rape and sexual torture of Uyghur women and other Muslims detained in the province of Xinjiang. Women who spoke with the BBC described gang rapes, routine sexual torture using electrocution tools, forced sterilizations and men outside the prison camps paying for access to the detainees. China has rejected the report as "wholly without factual basis" and claims its mass detention of Muslim minorities is part of a "vocational training" program to counter extremism. Meanwhile, The Intercept has obtained a massive police surveillance database u…
(2021-02-04). Iranian press review: Health officials reject Russia's Covid-19 vaccine. middleeasteye.net 
Iranian press review: Health officials reject Russia's Covid-19 vaccine | Meanwhile, Tehran hosts Taliban to talk about US-brokered Afghan peace deal, and the Islamic Republic is said to be eying the Caucasus to bypass US sanctions | Thu, 02/04/2021 – 11: 22 | A woman receives an injection during the first trial phase of a locally-made vaccine for Covid-19 in Iran's capital Tehran on 29…
(2021-02-04). Iran: Human rights experts condemn execution of Baloch minority prisoner. news.un.org United Nations independent human rights experts on Thursday, condemned the hanging of a prisoner from the Baloch minority in Iran, voicing fear that a "disturbing" recent increase in executions of community members "will continue".
(2021-02-04). The B'tselem Report On Israeli Apartheid. zcomm.org It is only Palestinian resistance from within and global solidarity from without that can have any prospect of achieving Palestinian rights and a peaceful future for both peoples…
(2021-02-04). Why Always Israel? Only One Country Matters to Congress and the Media. strategic-culture.org Pandering to Israel as part of the political process in the United States has become part of the DNA of both major parties. | The job of U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations must have some kind of curse on it as it seems to attract a type of woman who seeks to prove her suitability by running up a tally of how many wars she can start and how many people she can kill. One recalls fondly Bill Clinton's monstrous Madeleine Albright, who famously declared the deaths of 500,000 Iraqi children as "worth it" due to the sanctions that Washington had imposed and enforced. And then there was Barack Obama's darling Samanth…
(2021-02-04). Saturday 2/6: Meetup: Intro to MicroSanctuaries. indybay.org Online Zoom…
(2021-02-04). Philippines congressional committee approves amendment to open up key sectors to foreign capital. peoplesdispatch.org Left-wing opposition groups have criticized the measure which will allow the government to dilute protected rights of Philippines' citizens in key economic sectors…
(2021-02-03). Ramy Youssef and Tahar Rahim nominated for 2021 Golden Globes. middleeasteye.net 
Ramy Youssef and Tahar Rahim nominated for 2021 Golden Globes | Comedian Youssef is up for an award for second year running, while Rahim is being recognised for his portrayal of Guantanamo detainee | Wed, 02/03/2021 – 16: 11 | Egyptian-American Ramy Youssef and French-Algerian Tahar Rahim were nominated for the 2021 edition of the Golden Globes (AFP) | Egyptian-American actor Ramy Youssef and French-A…
(2021-02-03). Turkey: Twitter labels minister's 'LGBT deviants' post hateful amid university protest. middleeasteye.net 
Turkey: Twitter labels minister's 'LGBT deviants' post hateful amid university protest | Interior minister angered over picture mixing LGBT symbols and Islamic images during protests against Istanbul rector's appointment | Wed, 02/03/2021 – 08: 19 | Police detained 159 students on Monday after breaking up a group planning an all-night vigil outside the rector's office (AFP) | Intensifying…
(2021-02-03). WAFA: "Four minors among 30 Palestinians detained by Israel in the occupied territories" imemc.org 
RAMALLAH, Tuesday, February 02, 2021 (WAFA) — Israeli occupation forces last night and today detained at least 30 Palestinians, including four minors, from various parts of the occupied territories, according to local and Palestinian security sources. They said Israeli occupation forces rounded up five Palestinians, including a minor, from Ramallah and al-Bireh district, in the …
(2021-02-03). A Coup in Burma: Did Military Seize Power to Avoid ICC Prosecution for Rohingya Genocide? democracynow.org 
We speak with a Burmese dissident about the military coup underway in Burma as de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been arrested. The coup unfolded hours before lawmakers were to take their seats in the opening of parliament, following a November election in which Aung San Suu Kyi's party won over 80% of the contested seats in the Burmese parliament and the military made unsubstantiated claims of fraud. Hundreds of lawmakers, activists and human rights defenders have also been detained since the coup, and telecommunications have been cut in parts of Burma, which the military calls Myanmar. "The military decided…
(2021-02-03). Two actors of Arab descent nominated for 2021 Golden Globes. middleeasteye.net Two actors of Arab descent nominated for 2021 Golden Globes | Comedian Youssef is up for an award for second year running, while Rahim is being recognised for his portrayal of Guantanamo detainee | Wed, 02/03/2021 – 16: 11 | Egyptian-American Ramy Youssef and French-Algerian Tahar Rahim were nominated for the 2021 edition of the Golden Globes (AFP) | Egyptian-American actor Ramy Youssef and French-Alg…
(2021-02-03). 'Still waiting for answers': HRW says no justice served after Beirut port blast. middleeasteye.net 
'Still waiting for answers': HRW says no justice served after Beirut port blast | Rights group says stalled investigation is 'riddled with serious due process violations', as well as political leaders' attempts to stop probe | Wed, 02/03/2021 – 18: 45 | The Beirut port explosion killed more than 200 people and injured more than 6,000 (AFP) | Human Rights Watch has accused Lebanon's political leaders of "stalli…
(2021-02-03). 'Still waiting for answers': Beirut port blast victims denied justice, says HRW. middleeasteye.net 'Still waiting for answers': Beirut port blast victims denied justice, says HRW | Rights group says stalled investigation is 'riddled with serious due process violations', as well as political leaders' attempts to stop probe | Wed, 02/03/2021 – 18: 45 | Beirut port explosion killed more than 200 people and injured more than 6,000 (AFP) | Lebanon's political leaders are "stalling" an investigation into a massiv…
(2021-02-03). Biden and Iran. counterpunch.org 
Last week's statements by the Biden appointees made the matter unnecessarily more complicated, sounding more like a continuation of the Trump policy rather than its refutation. In his confirmation hearing, Antony Blinken, Biden's choice for secretary of state, told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that the new administration believes that Iran needs to resume strict compliance with the nuclear agreement before the US contemplates a return to the JCPOA. In response to the question of lifting the economic sanctions that the previous administration imposed on Iran, Blinken told the committee that "we are a lon…
(2021-02-03). Supreme Court pauses Trump immigration cases, as Biden plans to overturn Trump policies & orders a review of 'kids in cages'. rt.com 
The US Supreme Court has canceled arguments on two Trump-era immigration and border security cases, as President Joe Biden eases Donald Trump's "zero tolerance" policies. However, the controversial detention of minors continues. | The cases related to Trump's use of military funding to build his long-promised wall on the US-Mexico border, and his "remain in Mexico" asylum policy that required Central American migrants to wait in Mexico while their US asylum claims were processed. Both cases had been challenged by lower courts, and the Supreme Court was preparing to hear oral arguments in their favor until the…
(2021-02-03). The Struggle Inside Senator Mitch McConnell's Brain. commondreams.org Allowing the Trumpian half of his brain to overpower his judgment and vote to acquit Dangerous Donald would spell disaster for the Republican Party (assuming the Democratic Party doesn't go to sleep as it did after Obama's win in 2008). | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2021-02-03). 'Victory': Iran hails UN court decision to hear case against US sanctions. middleeasteye.net 
'Victory': Iran hails UN court decision to hear case against US sanctions | International Court of Justice says it has jurisdiction to take on Iran's case challenging US over Trump-era sanctions | Wed, 02/03/2021 – 16: 36 | Zarif asked European Union to coordinate synchronised return of Washington and Tehran to nuclear deal (AFP) | Iran's foreign minister hailed a decision by the UN's top court on Wednesday th…
(2021-02-03). Rights groups condemn Turkey's 'illegal' transfers of detainees out of Syria. middleeasteye.net 
Rights groups condemn Turkey's 'illegal' transfers of detainees out of Syria | Sixty-three Syrian Arabs and Kurds have been transferred to Turkey over suspected links to 'terrorist' organisations | Wed, 02/03/2021 – 12: 03 | Turkey-backed Syrian rebels take part in a military exercise in Ghandoura, in the northeastern countryside of Syria's Aleppo province, on 14 January 2021 (AFP) | Human rights groups have c…
(2021-02-03). 'Victory': Iran hails UN court decision to hear case over US sanctions. middleeasteye.net 'Victory': Iran hails UN court decision to hear case over US sanctions | International Court of Justice says it has jurisdiction to take on Iran's case against US over Trump-era sanctions | Wed, 02/03/2021 – 16: 36 | Zarif asked the European Union to coordinate a synchronised return of Washington and Tehran to the nuclear deal (AFP) | Iran's foreign minister hailed a decision by the UN's top court on Wednesday…
(2021-02-03). Huawei Struggles in Smartphone Market as Sanctions Bite, Apple Profits. anti-empire.com 
Chinese telecom giant Huawei saw a substantial drop in both smartphone shipments and market share in China market in 2020, following a tough year of US government's strangle on semiconductors supply, allowing US rival Apple to rise to fill up the void. | Under the US' relentless assault, Huawei saw a drop in market share in China from 38.5 percent in the fourth quarter of 2019 to 25.1 percent in the fourth quarter of 2020, the only one of the top five smartphone makers in China whose share declined, an International Data Corp (IDC) report showed on Tuesday. | Industry experts said that Huawei's rare market share…
(2021-02-03). Russia: UN rights office 'deeply dismayed' by Navalny sentencing. news.un.org The UN human rights office, OHCHR, expressed dismay on Wednesday over the sentencing of Russian opposition politician and activist Aleksei Navalny, and urged the authorities to release scores of his supporters arrested during rallies protesting his detention.
(2021-02-03). Afghanistan: Detainee torture allegations remain 'alarming', UN report reveals. news.un.org Torture claims among people detained for security or terrorism-related offences in Afghanistan remain high, according to a new UN human rights report published on Wednesday.
(2021-02-03). 'Peaceful future will not arise until Israel dismantles apartheid'. yenisafak.com A former UN human rights rapporteur and international law expert at the US-based Princeton University said a "peaceful future" in the Palestinian issue "will not arise until Israel dismantles apartheid.""A peaceful future will not arise until Israel dismantles apartheid and agrees to treat Palestinians under human rights standards, including respect for the Palestinian right of self-determination," said Richard Falk in an exclusive interview with Anadolu Agency.A leading Israeli human rights organization, B'Tselem, recently published a report labeling Israel as an "apartheid state" over its policy of favoring Jew…
(2021-02-03). Biden's Private Prison Reform Must Include Immigration Detention Centers. commondreams.org To fully address profit-driven punishment, the Biden administration will need to take aim at every tendril of the private prison industry. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2021-02-03). Tackling Prison Profiteers Will Take More Than Banning Private Prisons. zcomm.org To fully address profit-driven punishment, the Biden administration will need to take aim at every tendril of the private prison industry — including immigration detention centers…
(2021-02-03). Over 1,400 arrested after Putin critic Navalny jailed in Russia. laprensalatina.com Moscow, Feb 3 (efe-epa).- Russian police have arrested more than 1,400 people from various places during overnight protests to support jailed Kremlin critic Alexey Navalny, a rights monitoring group said on Wednesday. The OVD-Info that keeps track of political persecutions in Russia said the police detained 1,145 protesters from Moscow streets. Nearly 250 were arrested …
(2021-02-03). Deposed Myanmar president moved to interrogation center. laprensalatina.com Yangon, Myanmar, Feb 3 (efe-epa).- Deposed Myanmar president Win Myint has been moved to an interrogation center in Yangon, sources close to the politician told EFE on Wednesday. Myint, 69, was detained on Monday by the military along with leader Aung San Suu Kyi and held under house arrest in the capital Naypyitaw. "President U …
(2021-02-03). Detained Medevac refugees call for support. greenleft.org.au Refugee rights supporters gathered outside the Park Hotel prison again to demand the detainees be released and for all detention centres to be closed down. Chloe DS reports.
(2021-02-03). Smart Ass Cripple: Biden's Low Priority, Our High Hopes. progressive.org It's still disturbing that disability rights was an afterthought for the Biden campaign.
(2021-02-03). New Mexico educators: Form rank-and-file safety committees to close schools and save lives! wsws.org We call on teachers, school workers, parents and their families in New Mexico to build committees in their districts and unite with us to defend the lives, livelihoods, and rights of educators, students and communities.
(2021-02-03). No More Anti-Protest Laws. counterpunch.org The right to peaceful assembly is enshrined in the Bill of Rights because it is critically important. Indeed, research has shown that peaceful protests and nonviolent tactics are the most effective tools in making social change, even including overthrowing dictators. To date, 43 states have considered and 26 have enacted some type of anti-protest law.
(2021-02-03). How Do Chickens Die? 16 Of Many Ways. indybay.org The more one knows, the easier it is to make changes.
(2021-02-02). The Heat: Myanmar military takeover. america.cgtn.com 
The military in Myanmar takes over after detaining Aung San Suu Kyi and other democratically elected leaders.
(2021-02-02). Germany Rejects French Call to Scrap Russia Gas Pipeline Over Navalny. anti-empire.com 
France on Monday urged Germany to scrap a major gas pipeline project with Russia in protest over the detention in Moscow of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, but the plea fell on deaf ears in Berlin. | "We have always said we have the greatest doubts on this project in this context," European Affairs minister Clement Beaune told France Inter radio. | Asked specifically if France wanted Berlin to drop the project, Beaune said: "Indeed, we have already said this." | Nord Stream 2 is a 10 billion euro ($11 billion) pipeline that will run beneath the Baltic Sea and is set to double Russian natural-gas shipments to Ge…
(2021-02-02). Facility for 'Quarantine Objectors' in Germany Ready for Inmates. anti-empire.com 
Machine translated from German | Today is the official start, but so far the rooms have not been used. Until Friday afternoon it was not foreseeable that the districts would already make use of the accommodation, said a spokeswoman for the district assembly. In the building on the grounds of the Moltsfelde juvenile detention center in Neumàºnster, there is space for up to six quarantine objectors. The cells are each twelve square meters in size and the facility is closed from the outside. The operator is the Segeberg district and makes them available to the other districts and independent cities. | Housi…
(2021-02-02). Atmospheric pollution relevant to asylum claim, holds French court. ukhumanrightsblog.com 
On 18 December of last year, a judgment was handed down by the cour administrative d'appel à Bordeaux (the appeals court of the administrative court of Bordeaux) which, until quite recently, went under the international radar. In a landmark judgment, the Court ruled that the respondent, an asylum seeker from Bangladesh ('Mr A'), could not …
(2021-02-02). Revoke police license to kill disabled people! workers.org 
People with untreated mental illness are 16 times more likely to be killed during a police encounter than other civilians approached or stopped by law enforcement, according to a study released December 2015 by the Treatment Advocacy Center. Disability rights journalist David M. Perry, whose son has Down syndrome, documented . . . |
(2021-02-02). China's New Digital Currency — A Preemptive Move Against Domestic Big Tech, US Sanctions, and Cryptos. anti-empire.com 
The take is by a Hungarian engineer who used to work in China for their smartphone maker Oppo. I assume he knows his stuff: | Source:
(2021-02-02). Bill Gates and the Depopulation Agenda. Robert F. Kennedy Junior Calls for an Investigation. globalresearch.ca Robert F Kennedy Jr, an avid Defender of Children's Rights and anti-vaccination activist, has launched a petition sent to the White House, calling for "Investigations into the 'Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation' for Medical Malpractice & Crimes Against Humanity"
(2021-02-02). Defend Boƒüaziàßi University students against police state repression! wsws.org The Socialist Equality Group in Turkey condemns the police attacks and detention of more than 150 students yesterday at Boƒüaziàßi University and in ƒ∞zmir.