(2021-02-08). Biden's Iran Policy Is Just Trump's Iran Policy With A Rainbow Flag Emoji. thealtworld.com 
In a new interview with CBS Evening News, President Biden "Will the U.S. lift sanctions first in order to get Iran back to the negotiating table?" Biden was asked by CBS's Norah O'Donnell. | "No," the president replied. | "They have to stop enriching uranium first," asked O'Donnell. | Biden nodded…
(2021-02-08). Haiti: Protesters Demand President Moise Steps Down. popularresistance.org Amid ongoing protests, the diaspora watched as journalists reported the arrest of a Supreme Court justice and a police inspector in Haiti on Feb. 7, the day opposition leaders, civil society and human rights groups say President Jovenel Moise should step down. | During the week leading up to Feb. 7, politicians and civil society groups from throughout the diaspora called for U.S. intervention, some citing the need to convene dialogue, while others called for a transitional government. The U.S. State Department has stated that Moise's term ends in February 2022 and has called for elections this year, despite wides…
(2021-02-08). ICC's "Landmark Decision" Could Open Door to Prosecuting Israel for War Crimes in Palestine. democracynow.org 
In a landmark decision, judges at the International Criminal Court say the body has jurisdiction over war crimes committed in the Palestinian territories, opening the door to possible criminal charges against Israel and militant groups like Hamas. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the international tribunal's decision "pure anti-Semitism" and rejected its claim of jurisdiction, as did the United States, while Palestinian officials and human rights groups welcome the news. Human rights lawyer Raji Sourani, director of the Palestinian Center for Human Rights in Gaza, says the decision restores "the i…
(2021-02-08). Raji Sourani: Gaza Faces COVID Crisis as Israel Withholds Vaccines While Imposing Inhumane Blockade. democracynow.org 
The World Health Organization estimates there have been 51,312 confirmed cases and 522 deaths from COVID-19 in Gaza since reporting began in July 2020, and the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees warns the Gaza Strip's health system could collapse if the number of cases continues to rise. We get an update from Raji Sourani, human rights lawyer and director of the Palestinian Center for Human Rights in Gaza, on how Gaza has been impacted by COVID-19 as an ongoing blockade has destroyed its health infrastructure. "Our equipment is unable to deal with the emerging situation," Sourani says.
(2021-02-08). Landmark ICC Decision Could Open the Door for Prosecuting Israel on War Crimes. truthout.org 
In a landmark decision, judges at the International Criminal Court say the body has jurisdiction over war crimes committed in the Palestinian territories, opening the door to possible criminal charges against Israel and militant groups like Hamas. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the international tribunal's decision "pure anti-Semitism" and rejected its claim of jurisdiction, as did the United States, while Palestinian officials and human rights groups welcome the news. Human…
(2021-02-08). Loujain al-Hathloul to be freed on Thursday, sister says. middleeasteye.net 
Loujain al-Hathloul to be freed on Thursday, sister says | Saudi women's rights activist has been in jail, where her family says she endured torture, for more than 1,000 days | Mon, 02/08/2021 – 22: 20 | Saudi activist Loujain al-Hathloul had been sentenced to almost six years in jail (AFP/File photo) | After more than 1,000 days in detention where she endured torture and hunger strikes, Saudi women's rights acti…
(2021-02-08). Charlie Cobb: 'Protest is necessary… but it is not sufficient.'. therealnews.com 
Forty years ago, longtime civil rights activist and journalist Charlie Cobb spoke to prisoners at the Maryland Penitentiary as part of the "To Say Their Own Words" program. Four decades later, Eddie Conway speaks with Cobb about the news industry, internationalism, and how the world has changed since 1980.
(2021-02-08). Gig Workers' Data Rights Should Be Prioritized in Labor's Next Fight. truthout.org 
In the November election, California voters delivered a blow to gig workers by
(2021-02-08). Uighur speaks out against husband's 'deportation' from UAE. middleeasteye.net 
Uighur speaks out against husband's 'deportation' from UAE | Amanissa Talip said she has not seen her husband since 2018, after he was detained while obtaining paperwork in Dubai | Mon, 02/08/2021 – 18: 11 | Ahmad Talip's wife said he was detained by Emirati officials and deported to China despite committing no crime in UAE (AFP) | The wife of a Uighur man suspected of being deported to China from the Un…
(2021-02-08). US rejoins UN rights council, but voices concern over 'focus on Israel'. middleeasteye.net 
US rejoins UN rights council, but voices concern over 'focus on Israel' | The move reverses the Trump administration's decision to pull Washington from council over its criticism of Israel | Mon, 02/08/2021 – 15: 31 | The empty seat of United States during an urgent debate on 'systemic racism' at Human Rights Council in Geneva, 17 June 12020 | The United States has rejoined the UN Human Rights Council, Secreta…
(2021-02-08). 'No families are opting out': Utah school REVERSES decision to allow children to skip Black History Month classes after backlash. rt.com 
A charter school in Utah made a U-turn on its decision to allow families to "exercise their civil rights" and opt their children out of lessons relating to Black History Month, after facing a major backlash online. | "We regret that after receiving requests, an opt-out form was sent out concerning activities planned during this month of celebration," Maria Montessori Academy's board of directors The school in North Ogden, which has a majority white student base according…
(2021-02-08). Washington ready to rejoin UN Human Rights Council… to shift its attention from Israel's violations. rt.com 
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has announced America will "re-engage" with the UNHRC as an "observer" in a bid to pressure the international body to dispense with what he called its "disproportionate" focus on Israel. | Touting the Biden administration's supposed return toward "a foreign policy centered on democracy, human rights, and equality," the newly-appointed diplomat tore into the council over its efforts to hold Israel accountable for its ongoing violations of international law. | "We recognize that the Human Rights Council is a flawed body, in need of reform to its agenda, membership, and focus,…
(2021-02-08). Universal Credit childcare payment system indirectly discriminates against women. ukhumanrightsblog.com 
R (Salvato) v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions [2021] EWHC 102 (Admin) As any working parent will tell you, childcare is expensive. Unlike in some other European countries, there is no universal provision of free or affordable childcare for school age children in the UK. This can create a barrier for parents, especially …
(2021-02-08). Armed raids, strip searches and torture: this is life for Turkey's students. thecanary.co Turkey's disgusting human rights record has come under the spotlight yet again as students continue to protest in Istanbul and other major Turkish cities. Since early January,
(2021-02-08). China puts US electric carmaker Tesla on notice. yenisafak.com China on Monday put US electric carmaker Tesla on notice, urging it to comply with local laws, according to Chinese media.China's market regulator and other government departments have summoned Tesla and raised questions over quality issues, CGTN reported."China urges Tesla to strictly abide by China's laws and regulations to protect the legitimate rights and interests of consumers," the news channel cited the country's State Administration for Market Regulation as saying in a statement.Other government bodies, including the Industry and Information Technology Ministry, Cyberspace Administration, Transport Minist…
(2021-02-08). Removal of all sanctions only way to prove goodwill. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Feb. 09 (MNA) — Iranian Ambassador to Paris Bahram Ghasemi said the only way for the new US administration to prove its goodwill to Iran is to lift all the sanctions.
(2021-02-08). Western sanctions against Iran unacceptable. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Feb. 08 (MNA) — The Chairman of Russia's State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin named the western anti-Iranian sanctions as unacceptable.
(2021-02-08). UN rights experts alarmed by rise in use of lèse-majesté laws in Thailand. news.un.org United Nations independent human rights experts on Monday voiced grave concerns over increasingly severe use of lèse-majesté laws in Thailand, warning that a rise in their usage is further restricting civic space and the enjoyment of fundamental freedoms in the country.
(2021-02-08). Protesters Say Mine Expansion Ignores Nunavut Agreement. popularresistance.org Protests continue in Pond Inlet, Nunavut, on Saturday, as a two-week environmental hearing on an expansion at the Mary River iron ore mine wraps up. | At noon Saturday, around 50 residents gathered outside the community hall where the hearings are happening. It was — 32 C with the windchill, according to Environment Canada. | "We protested and chanted, 'Nunavut Land Claims Agreement, protect our rights, protect our people, protect our animals'," said resident Sheena Akoomalik. | At the protest, she brandished a copy of the Nunavut Agreement. She said the legal agreement between Nunavut Inuit and the Canadia…
(2021-02-08). Will return to obligations under nuclear deal after all Trump-era sanctions are lifted, says Iran. peoplesdispatch.org The Biden administration, however, has refused to lift sanctions first and has put pre-condition of Iran's full compliance to the Iran nuclear deal before it rejoins it…
(2021-02-07). BAP Solidarity Network Demands Biden End War In Afghanistan. popularresistance.org In response to the Biden administration suggesting it will not complete the withdrawal of U.S. forces, per the Doha Agreement of February 2020, the Black Alliance for Peace Solidarity Network demands the United States end the war in Afghanistan. | The BAP Solidarity Network, comprised of non-African/Black people and organizations who support BAP's anti-imperialist mission, released a petition today, calling on everyone committed to peace, human rights and common sense, to demand Biden re-start peace talks; immediately withdraw all U.S. forces, private contractors, and other mercenaries; close all U.S. bases; and…
(2021-02-07). St. Louis Inmates Take Over Units After Weeks Of Complaints. popularresistance.org More than 100 inmates at the St. Louis City Justice Center took over two units of the jail early this morning, shattering fourth-floor windows and setting small fires as they called out jubilantly to a crowd of supporters who gathered on the street below. | The uprising began around 2: 30 a.m., and detainees held control of the units for more than six hours before teams of city sheriff's deputies and police regained custody. | For weeks, tensions have been high at the downtown jail. Inmates staged two protests in late December and early January to complain about COVID-19 protocols and other conditions in the facil…
(2021-02-07). China Detaining Millions of Uyghurs? Serious Problems With Claims by US-Backed NGO and Researcher 'LED by God' Against Beijing. anti-empire.com 
Text is from December 2019. | The US House of Representatives passed the To drum up support for the sanctions bill, Western governments and media outlets have portrayed the People's Republic as a human rights violator on par with Nazi Germany. Republican Rep. Chris S…
(2021-02-07). Jailed Saudi teen Ali al-Nimr has death sentence commuted to 10 years in prison. middleeasteye.net 
Jailed Saudi teen Ali al-Nimr has death sentence commuted to 10 years in prison | Rights group Reprieve welcomes the news but calls for others imprisoned as minors to receive similar treatment | Sun, 02/07/2021 – 14: 11 | Ali al-Nimr, a Saudi youth facing the death penalty for taking part in pro-reform protests, posing for a photo at an unknown location (AFP) | Saudi Arabia has commuted the deat…
(2021-02-07). Ali al-Nimr and two other Saudis jailed as minors have death sentences commuted. middleeasteye.net Ali al-Nimr and two other Saudis jailed as minors have death sentences commuted | Rights group Reprieve welcomes the news but calls for others imprisoned as minors to receive similar treatment | Sun, 02/07/2021 – 14: 11 | Ali al-Nimr, a Saudi youth facing the death penalty for taking part in pro-reform protests, posing for a photo at an unknown location (AFP) | Saudi Arabia on Sunday commuted th…
(2021-02-07). Joe Biden says no lifting of Iran sanctions before talks. middleeasteye.net 
Joe Biden says no lifting of Iran sanctions before talks | Tehran has previously called for the lifting of sanctions before it returns to the 2015 nuclear accords | Sun, 02/07/2021 – 15: 52 | US President Joe Biden makes his way to board Air Force One before departing from Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland on 5 February 2021 (AFP) | US President Joe Biden said he would not lift sanctions…
(2021-02-07). Khamenei: No return to nuclear deal before Iran sanctions lifted. middleeasteye.net 
Khamenei: No return to nuclear deal before Iran sanctions lifted | Iran's supreme leader says US needs to 'completely lift sanctions… not just on paper' before any return to 2015 deal | Sun, 02/07/2021 – 10: 08 | Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei delivering a speech in front of air force commanders on 7 February, days ahead of the 42nd anniversary marking the victory of the Is…
(2021-02-07). No return to nuclear deal before Iran sanctions lifted, says Khamenei. middleeasteye.net No return to nuclear deal before Iran sanctions lifted, says Khamenei | Supreme Leader says US needs to 'completely lift sanctions… not just on paper' before any return to 2015 deal | Sun, 02/07/2021 – 10: 08 | Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei delivering a speech in front of air force commanders on 7 February, days ahead of the 42nd anniversary marking the victory of the Isla…
(2021-02-07). School faces backlash after allowing kids to 'opt out' of Black History Month to 'exercise their civil rights'. rt.com 
A Utah charter school is facing a major backlash after it was revealed to be allowing parents to opt their students out of lessons relating to Black History Month. | In a letter sent to families by Maria Montessori Academy Director Micah Hirokawa, the school said complaints from a handful of families had led to them offering the decision for everyone to "exercise their civil rights to not participate in Blac…
(2021-02-07). Biden puts US in standoff with Iran, says sanctions won't be lifted until country stops enriching uranium. rt.com 
In a new excerpt from his pre-Super Bowl interview, President Joe Biden made it clear there is no chance of the US lifting sanctions on Iran unless they "stop enriching uranium first," a step Tehran is not willing to take. | Biden's stance puts him at odds with Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who said before the US president's comments aired that the US must lift all sanctions if it wants Iran to "return to its commitments." | "It must lift all sanctions in practice, then we will do verification … then we will return to our commitments," he stated, according to local media. | Also on rt.com…
(2021-02-07). 'We Want Democracy!': Despite Internet Blackout, Tens of Thousands Protest Military Coup in Myanmar. commondreams.org "The Myanmar military has engaged in a naked power grab that if not reversed will set back democracy and the protection of human rights for a generation," warned one human rights advocate. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2021-02-07). Suu Kyi's party asks world not to recognize military junta. yenisafak.com Myanmar's former ruling party on Sunday called on the UN and international community not to recognize the State Administrative Council formed following a military coup in the country.Established on Feb. 2 following the detention of scores of government officials, the council, led by commander-in-chief of the armed forces, is the executive body currently governing the country.The National League for Democracy (NLD), led by ousted State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi, who was among those detained during the coup, released a statement on Sunday calling on the UN and the international community not to recognize the milit…
(2021-02-07). Iranian nation 'serious' in overcoming sanctions. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Feb. 07 (MNA) — Noting that the arrangement of the Iranian nation to overcome the sanctions and the enemies is serious, IRGC Chief Commander said, "Iranian youth have managed to stand on their own feet to bury the wishes of the enemies."
(2021-02-07). Biden: US won't lift sanctions unless Iran stops enriching uranium. laprensalatina.com Washington, Feb 7 (efe-epa).- President Joe Biden confirmed that he will not lift sanctions on Tehran unless the Islamic government there stops enriching uranium, according to an excerpt of an interview that CBS will air later on Sunday. When questioned by the interviewer whether the US will first lift sanctions on Iran to entice it …
(2021-02-07). Myanmar internet blockade continues amid new demonstrations. laprensalatina.com Update 1: Adds detail about number of detainees, internet usage Yangon, Myanmar, Feb 7 (efe-epa).- Myanmar continued Sunday with the nationwide internet blockade imposed by the military junta that launched a coup earlier in the week, as demonstrations protesting the putsch continued in Yangon. The outage, ordered the day earlier, does not affect national and …
(2021-02-07). Flames of protests against Kremlin burn behind bars. laprensalatina.com Zakharova, Russia, Feb 7 (efe-epa).- Bags of cigarettes, sachets of tea and boxes of cookies are piled up in the snow in front of the detention center. They are for demonstrators who were detained in the mass protests in favor of opposition leader Alexei Navalny. The demonstrations have stopped, but the discontent of these young …
(2021-02-07). India: UN rights office urges 'maximum restraint' in ongoing protests. news.un.org The United Nations human rights office (OHCHR) has called on authorities and protesters in India to "exercise maximum restraint" amidst ongoing protests by farmers.
(2021-02-07). Egyptian student Ahmed Samir Santawy remanded to 15 days in prison. peoplesdispatch.org Ahmed Samir Santawy, a student of the Central European University (CEU) in Vienna, was detained by the police in Cairo on February 1, leading to an international outcry…
(2021-02-06). Citizen Scientists Are Filling Research Gaps. popularresistance.org The rapid spread of COVID-19 in 2020 disrupted field research and environmental monitoring efforts worldwide. Travel restrictions and social distancing forced scientists to cancel studies or pause their work for months. These limits measurably reduced the accuracy of weather forecasts and created data gaps on issues ranging from bird migration to civil rights in U.S. public schools. | Our work relies on this kind of information to track seasonal events in nature and understand how climate change is affecting them. We also recruit and train citizens for community science — projects that involve amateur or vo…
(2021-02-06). Iran again warns US of dangers in delaying return to nuclear deal. middleeasteye.net 
Iran again warns US of dangers in delaying return to nuclear deal | Foreign minister says December legislation passed in parliament, dominated by hardliners, set a two-month deadline for the easing of sanctions | Sat, 02/06/2021 – 20: 17 | "We don't need to return to the negotiating table. It's America that has to find the ticket to come to the table,' said Mohammad Javad Zarif (AFP) | Ira…
(2021-02-06). Republicans Have Already Introduced Over 100 Voter Suppression Bills This Year. truthout.org 
Since former President Donald Trump failed to reverse the outcome of the 2020 presidential election, Republicans in more than two dozen states have introduced over 100 bills to restrict voting access, an alarming development that voting rights advocates have pointed to as yet another reason for Democrats to
(2021-02-06). Over 45 Palestinians arrested by Israel in January: NGOs. yenisafak.com Israeli forces rounded up 456 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank in January, according to Palestinian organizations that monitor the conditions of Palestinian prisoners.Ninety-three minors and eight women were among those detained last month, the Palestinian Authority's Prisoners' Affairs Commission, the Palestinian Prisoner Society, the Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association, and the Wadi Hilweh Information Center said in a joint statement.According to the statement, 105 administrative detention orders were carried out by occupation authorities, including 30 new orders along with the extensio…
(2021-02-06). EU keeps PKK on terrorism list. yenisafak.com The European Union on Friday renewed its terrorist list for a further six months.The sanctions list features 14 persons and 21 entities or groups, including the PKK and Dalokay Sanli, a senior figure of the terrorist group.Terrorist organizations DHKP/C, IBDA-C, and TAK — a PKK offshoot — are also on the list.In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK — also listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey and the US — has been responsible for the deaths of 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants.In order to combat terrorism, the bloc freezes the funds and financial a…
(2021-02-06). At least 456 Palestinians arrested by Israel in January: NGOs. yenisafak.com Israeli forces rounded up 456 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank in January, according to Palestinian organizations that monitor the conditions of Palestinian prisoners.Ninety-three minors and eight women were among those detained last month, the Palestinian Authority's Prisoners' Affairs Commission, the Palestinian Prisoner Society, the Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association, and the Wadi Hilweh Information Center said in a joint statement.According to the statement, 105 administrative detention orders were carried out by occupation authorities, including 30 new orders along with the extensio…
(2021-02-06). Biden weighs easing pressure on Iran without lifting sanction. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Feb. 06 (MNA) — Biden administration is reportedly weighing ways to ease financial pressure on Iran without lifting economic sanctions including on oil sales.
(2021-02-06). Myanmar: Respect right to peaceful assembly, UN human rights office says. news.un.org The United Nations human rights office (OHCHR) on Saturday called on the security forces in Myanmar to ensure that people's right to peaceful assembly is fully respected and that demonstrations are not subjected to reprisals.
(2021-02-06). Who Controls American Imperialism? strategic-culture.org America does most of the entire world's invasions and coups and sanctions. This has been the case ever since 1945, Eric Zuesse writes. | U.S. imperialism is a fact, which the U.S. Government always denies. However, U.S. President Barack Obama implicitly 'justified' it when he
(2021-02-06). Standing Rock Lakota Youth Call For Biden To Shut Down Dakota Access Pipeline. popularresistance.org Standing Rock – Today, Lakota youth from the Standing Rock and Cheyenne River tribal nations announced a plan to run over 93 miles back to the Oceti Sakowin Camp site to call on President Biden to shut down the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL). The youth are asking for everyone who stood with Standing Rock four years ago to participate by uploading their own #NoDAPL | The oil pipeline poses a grave threat to the safety and sanctity of the tribes' water, hunting and fishing rights, and cultural and religious practices. Federal courts have sided with the tribes on the years-long litigation and have revoked DAPL's fede…
(2021-02-06). Behind Biden's invocations of "democracy," US military prepares for nuclear war. wsws.org As Biden devoted his first foreign policy speech to invocations of "democracy" and "human rights," the head of US nuclear forces declared nuclear war "a very real possibility."
(2021-02-06). Illegal demolition of Palestinian Bedouin village condemned. peoplesdispatch.org Israeli forces demolished the village of Khirbet Humsa for the second time in four months. The rights organization B'Tselem accused Israel of trying to displace the entire Palestinian Bedouin community of the village…