(2021-02-05). China's Sea of Conflict. counterpunch.org 
Biden 's administration faces a host of difficult problems, but in foreign policy its thornist will be its relations with the People's Republic of China (PRC). How it handles issues of trade, security and human rights will either allow both countries to hammer out a working relationship or pull the US into an expensive–and unwinnable–cold war that will shelve existential threats like climate change and nuclear war.
(2021-02-05). The Struggle Inside Senator Mitch McConnell's Brain. counterpunch.org Since 2015, Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell has ruled the Senate with an iron hand, describing himself as "the Guardian of Gridlock." He was Senator "NO," except for confirming over 200 mostly corporatist federal judges. Now comes a new challenge for Mitch McConnell as he leads 49 other Republican Senators, twenty of whom are up
(2021-02-05). Brewer Kirin to cut ties with Myanmar military in wake of coup. laprensalatina.com Tokyo, Feb 5 (efe-epa).- Japanese brewer Kirin Holdings announced Friday that it will end its two operations in Myanmar as a result of this week's military coup in the Southeast Asian country. Kirin said the military's actions were "against our standards and Human Rights Policy." The Japanese multinational owns 51 percent of two Myanmar operations, …
(2021-02-05). UN Security Council urges democratic return in Myanmar. yenisafak.com The UN Security Council voiced "deep concern" Thursday at the situation in Myanmar after the military overthrew the civilian government and jailed political and civil society leaders.The council decided what it said was the "arbitrary" detentions of State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint, as well as the military's unilateral imposition of a state of emergency. It called for the "immediate release" of all those swept up in military raids and urged a return to democratic norms."The members of the Security Council emphasized the need for the continued support of the democratic transition in Myanma…
(2021-02-05). Washington and Tehran: Who will make the first move? juancole.com ( Middle East Monitor) — From the outside, the heated debate between Tehran and Washington seems as though it could be summarised by the question: Which side will make the first move? Tehran wants Washington, which was responsible for violating its obligations and inflicting heavy losses on Iran, to start by lifting all additional sanctions …
(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). 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). 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). 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). 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). Tehran slams Iranian diplomat's 20-year jail term for bomb plot as 'violation of international law'. rt.com 
The 20-year jail term handed down to an Iranian diplomat by a Belgian court for his role in a foiled bomb plot is illegal and a clear violation of international law, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Thursday. | Assadolah Assadi, 49, who served as Iran's envoy in Vienna, was given the maximum sentence on Thursday in Europe's first trial of an Iranian official on terrorism charges since the Iranian revolution of 1979. | "As we have stated many times before, Assadolah Assadi's detention, the judicial process and the recent sentencing are illegal and a clear violation of international law, especially t…
(2021-02-04). PCHR: Weekly Report on Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. imemc.org 
Summary for 28 January — 03 February 2021 Israeli occupation forces (IOF) continued to commit crimes and multi-layered violations against Palestinian civilians and their properties, including raids into Palestinian cities that are characterized with excessive use of force, assault, abuse and attacks on civilians that are mostly conducted after midnight and in the early morning …
(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). 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). Why Always Israel? Only One Country Matters to Congress and the Media. thealtworld.com 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). There's No Secret Chinese Hand In Myanmar's State Of Emergency. thealtworld.com The People's Republic isn't involved in the Tatmadaw's state of emergency, but falsely claiming otherwise is yet another attempt by self-interested forces to pressure Biden into continuing Trump's anti-Chinese policies. | American media has gone wild speculating about a secret Chinese hand in Myanmar's recent decision to announce a year-long state of emergency. The country's military, known as the Tatmadaw, detained members of the National League for Democracy (NLD) on Monday in response to what it claimed was their refusal to seriously consider its concerns about November's contested elections. The Tatmadaw lega…
(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). Moscow officials deny conditions at post-protest detention centers are overcrowded as journalist live-blogs time behind bars. rt.com 
A row has broken out over conditions in Russian jails as facilities struggle to accommodate the large number of arrests made at protests earlier this week in support of imprisoned opposition figure Alexey Navalny. | A series of photographs published on Thursday, purportedly taken by detainees at the Sakharovo immigration detention center in the Moscow Region, which has been co-opted to house arrested demonstrators, show them sleeping two to a bunkbed, or resting at picnic tables. One cell, equipped with four metal beds without mattresses, reportedly housed 28 people. The scenes sparked concern for the wellbein…
(2021-02-04). UN Security Council 'deeply concerned' at Myanmar military coup, calls for release of leader Aung Sang Suu Kyi. rt.com 
The United Nations Security Council has expressed its "deep concern" at the military coup in Myanmar and has called for the release of all detainees, including State Counsellor Aung Sang Suu Kyi, who was detained on Monday. | "The members of the Security Council emphasized the need for the continued support of the democratic transition in Myanmar," the 15-member council said in a joint statement. | "They stressed the need to fully uphold democratic institutions and processes, refrain from violence, and fully respect human rights, fundamental freedoms and the rule of law." | Nobel Peace Prize winner Suu Kyi is…
(2021-02-04). Iran May Reverse Religious Ruling Banning Nukes if Israel, US Act Aggressively – Ex-Diplomat. sputniknews.com In 2018, the United States unilaterally withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal and reimposed sanctions on Iran. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has stated that the US would reciprocate Iran's resumed compliance with the nuclear deal but would seek a broader agreement that also covers the country's missile program.
(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). 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). 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). 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). 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). 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). '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). 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). '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). 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 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). 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). 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). 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). 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). 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). 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). 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). '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). 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). How Do Chickens Die? 16 Of Many Ways. indybay.org The more one knows, the easier it is to make changes.
(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.