Daily Archives: March 8, 2021

2021-03-08: News Headlines

Raul Diego (2021-03-08). Public Fatigue, Distrust and Fear Taint Chauvin Trail Before it Even Begins. mintpressnews.com Jury selection in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was set to begin today, but a last-minute delay has added to the palpable tensions surrounding the case.

_____ (2021-03-08). Support Keeps Building For #BAmazon Union Drive. popularresistance.org Some three dozen organizations loaned their names to a letter urging President Joe Biden to come out on the side of the Amazon workers fighting for a union. Biden had angered unionists and progressives for publicly taking a "neutral" stance on the representation election taking place now through March 29. Signers included UNITE HERE and Flight Attendants (AFA-CWA) unions, Maine AFL-CIO, the National Employment Law Project and the Working Families Party. | Feeling the pressure, on Feb. 28 Biden came out against Amazon's union busting, affirming the right of every worker to choose union representation. | Solidarity…

Staff (2021-03-08). Headlines for March 8, 2021. democracynow.org Senate Passes $1.9 Trillion Stimulus Package, Votes Down $15/Hour Min. Wage Amendment, Fauci Warns of Possible 4th COVID Surge as More States Move to Open Up, Jury Selection Starts in Derek Chauvin's Trial for Murder of George Floyd, Rochester Police Tackle and Pepper-Spray Black Mother Walking with 3-Year-Old Daughter, Biden Issues Exec. Order to Expand Voting Access on Anniversary of Bloody Sunday, Deadly Clashes in Senegal Following Arrest and Rape Accusation Against Opposition Leader, Equatorial Guinea's President Blames Negligence After at Least 20 Killed in Blasts at Military Site, At Least 20 Dead in Mogad…

Simone Chun (2021-03-08). Biden's Hawkish Cabinet Portends Renewed US Militarism in Northeast Asia. counterpunch.org Although the Biden administration has yet to present its North Korea policy, the new president's cabinet includes many career diplomats and business lobbyists advocating the Cold War policy toward Asia and personnel from hawkish think tanks financed by the military industrial complex, leading many Korea experts to predict that an aggressive militaristic policy with respect

Ramzy Baroud (2021-03-08). 'Is This Who We Are?': Gitmo is America's Enduring Shame. mintpressnews.com Even if Biden is able to overcome pressure from the military, from the CIA, and from Congress to shut Guantánamo down, justice will still be absent, not only because of the numerous lives that are forever shattered but because America still refuses to learn from its mistakes.

Ramzy Baroud (2021-03-08). "Is This Who We Are?": Gitmo is America's Enduring Shame. dissidentvoice.org "That's certainly our goal and our intention." This was the non-committal answer given by White House Press Secretary, Jen Psaki, when, on February 12, she was asked by a reporter whether the new Joe Biden Administration intends to shut down the notorious Guantánamo Bay Prison by the end of the president's first term in office. …

M. K. Bhadrakumar (2021-03-08). Blinken Blinks on Human Rights. counterpunch.org On March 3, the US State Department has put on its website a hilarious statement titled The United States Opposes the ICC Investigation into the Palestinian Investigation. In a nutshell, the statement exposes that the Joe Biden Administration has blinked for a second time on the human rights situation in West Asia by refusing to

Stephen Lendman (2021-03-08). Joe Biden's "Barbarians at the Gates": "Keep Americans Free", The US Homeland is Threatened. globalresearch.ca Time and again, both right wings of the US war party …

Paul Dobson (2021-03-08). Venezuela Protests Biden's Extension of Executive Order 13692. venezuelanalysis.com The renewal flies in the face of recent recommendations from independent UN experts.

Eva Bartlett (2021-03-08). Joe Biden Stands for Same Grotesque and Brutal Policies Against Venezuela, Shows Just How Little They Actually Care for People. globalresearch.ca Venezuelan non-president, Juan Guaido, is back in headlines after the …

Karen Conner (2021-03-08). PREVIEW: What to Look for in the February Consumer Price Index. cepr.net (The monthly Consumer Price Index (CPI) is scheduled for release by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on Wednesday, March 10th at 8: 30 AM Eastern Time.) There is widespread concern that President Biden's rescue package, along with the containment of the pandemic, could lead to inflationary pressures. While we would not see any effect from the Biden rescue …

WSWS (2021-03-08). US Senate passes pared-back COVID relief bill. wsws.org In his remarks following the Senate vote, Biden unwittingly shed light on the gap between the massive scale of the crisis and the aid on offer.

Marc Bayard (2021-03-08). How Biden Can Spread the Benefits of Trade to Black Workers. counterpunch.org Last week, President Joe Biden's nominee for US trade representative Katherine Tai — a well-seasoned trade expert with decades of trade experience — faced the Senate Finance Committee for confirmation. The job will not be an easy one. As the nation's chief trade representative, Tai will inherit a turbulent legacy of trade policy decisions during

Ben Norton (2021-03-08). Right-wing Central American leaders praise neoliberal 'Biden Plan' to strengthen US 'sphere of influence'. thegrayzone.com Right-wing Central American politicians are applauding Plan Biden, a US strategy promising corporate investment in return for neoliberal reforms. They pledge to remain in the US "sphere of influence" and isolate China and Russia, while calling for regime change against Nicaragua's leftist government. The Joe Biden administration has prioritized Central America in its foreign policy, developing a comprehensive plan that pledges $4 billion in funding for the impoverished region, along with foreign corporate investment, in return for aggressive neoliberal "free …

Dean Baker (2021-03-08). Environment Versus How Many Jobs? cepr.net The Washington Post had an article on concerns among unions about job loss due to various measures from the Biden administration to promote clean energy. The article noted concerns that Biden's agenda may lead to the loss of good-paying jobs in the fossil fuel sector. It would have been helpful to point out how many …

Fight Back (2021-03-08). Dallas Anti War Committee protests Biden airstrikes. fightbacknews.org Dallas, TX – About 30 protesters from the Dallas Anti War Committee assembled in downtown Dallas on March 6, to denounce President Joe Biden's strikes on allegedly Iran-backed groups in Syria and demand no war on Iran. Protesters set up on the Akard Street Bridge over Interstate 30, holding signs and a large banner that read "No war on Iran." The Dallas Anti War Committee (DAWC) called the event, and protesters were mostly from DAWC-affiliated groups, including Democratic Socialists of America, Party for Socialism and Liberation, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, and the Dallas Peace and Justice Center.

Fight Back (2021-03-08). Dallas Anti War Committee protests Biden airstrikes. fightbacknews.org Dallas, TX – About 30 protesters from the Dallas Anti War Committee assembled in downtown Dallas on March 6, to denounce President Joe Biden's strikes on allegedly Iran-backed groups in Syria and demand no war on Iran. Protesters set up on the Akard Street Bridge over Interstate 30, holding signs and a large banner that read "No war on Iran." The Dallas Anti War Committee (DAWC) called the event, and protesters were mostly from DAWC-affiliated groups, including Democratic Socialists of America, Party for Socialism and Liberation, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, and the Dallas Peace and Justice Center.

Richard C. Gross (2021-03-08). The Futility of Bipartisanship. counterpunch.org President Joe Biden should know that he isn't facing his father's far more moderate Republican Party, the one he dealt with as a Senate Democrat for 36 years. Many of today's do-nothing Republicans pretend they believe in the tooth fairy, sex trafficking Democrats running pedophile rings and beholden to Satan and nearly every other conspiracy

Jeet Heer (2021-03-08). Two Cheers for Joe Manchin. thenation.com Two Cheers for Joe Manchin…

Staff (2021-03-08). Close Guantánamo: Ex-Prisoner & Torture Survivor Mohamedou Ould Slahi Calls on Biden to Shut Prison. democracynow.org President Joe Biden is facing new calls to close the U.S. military prison in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, an enduring symbol of U.S. abuses in the "war on terror." Since 2002, about 770 men and boys have been held at the prison, and only eight have been convicted of a crime. Three of the convictions were later overturned on appeal. Today the prison's population is down to 40, and shortly after Biden's inauguration, seven former prisoners penned an open letter to the new president pleading with him to finally close the facility. One of the seven authors was Mohamedou Ould Slahi, a Mauritanian man who was held without cha…

Reese Erlich (2021-03-08). Biden drops bombs in the Middle East. zcomm.org Foreign Correspondent: Biden drops bombs in the Middle East…

MEE staff (2021-03-08). US senator blames Biden's Iran policy for attacks on Saudi oil facilities. middleeasteye.net US senator blames Biden's Iran policy for attacks on Saudi oil facilities | Republican Bill Hagerty says 'Biden's desire to give Tehran sanctions relief' is emboldening Iran to attack US allies | Mon, 03/08/2021 – 16: 32 | Senator Bill Hagerty currently sits on the Foreign Relations Committee (AFP) | A prominent Republican senator has criticised President Joe Biden's "relaxed" policy on Iran, which he says pro…

Carlos Fazio (2021-03-08). Biden, remedo de Trump. globalizacion.ca El 4 de marzo, el ministro de Relaciones Exteriores de Venezuela, Jorge Arreaza, rechazó la renovación, por parte de la administración Biden, del decreto que cataloga al gobierno constitucional de Nicolás Maduro como amenaza inusual y extraordinaria para la seguridad…

RT (2021-03-08). Texas launches 'Operation Lone Star', sending National Guard & state troopers to secure border after Biden opened floodgates. rt.com Texas Governor Greg Abbott is taking border security into his own hands, sending National Guard troops and state police to combat drug and people smuggling as Biden administration policies spur a surge in illegal immigration. | The new 'Operation Lone Star' initiative will send ground, air, marine and tactical security assets to high-threat areas of the state's border with Mexico to stop cartels and other smugglers from bringing drugs and illegal aliens into Texas. Abbott announced the strategy late on Saturday, one day after former president Donald Trump blasted President Joe Biden for creating a "spiraling t…

RT (2021-03-08). South Korea agrees to 'meaningful increase' in payouts for the privilege of hosting 28,500 US troops. rt.com The US and South Korea have finally reached an agreement on "sharing costs" for stationing American personnel, after talks stalled over demands by former president Donald Trump that Seoul quintuples its spending for the privilege. | Seoul currently pays Washington roughly $920 million a year to host some 28,500 American personnel on its soil, but back in 2019 Trump demanded an increase of annual payouts to $5 billion. With a new commander-in-chief in the White House, the US has moved to soothe disagreements with its military allies as part of Joe Biden's commitment to "reinvigorate" Washington's "democratic al…

RT (2021-03-08). Biden preparing to launch series of 'clandestine' cyberattacks against Russia — NYT. rt.com The Biden administration is gearing up to carry out cyberattacks aimed at Russian networks, the New York Times has reported, describing the provocation as a retaliatory measure designed to send Moscow a message. | Citing officials familiar with the operation, the Times

RT (2021-03-08). Where's Biden hidin'? EVEN CNN begins asking questions, as president goes record time without press conference with Q&A. rt.com Joe Biden has gone longer without giving a press conference with questions and answers than any US president in modern history. Now the elation of his inauguration's worn off, even his allied media are beginning to wonder why. | Monday marked Joe Biden's 47th day in office, and also his 47th without appearing before the press to take questions. The president has sat down to several taped interviews, and has given brief soundbites to reporters at events, but not a single proper Q&A session has materialized. | He has gone longer without holding a press conference than any of his 15 most recent predecessors, all…

_____ (2021-03-08). Blinken Talks the Talk, but Will He Walk the Walk? strategic-culture.org Biden has so far made no move whatsoever to rein in the continued bold and potentially very dangerous US military exercises with allies right up to the very borders of Russia. | Secretary of State Antony Blinken's March 3 speech at the US State Department should be warmly welcomed around the world, especially in Caracas and Tehran: It does indeed mark a highly significant shift in US foreign policy and deserves to be taken at face value: But it does not address fundamental policy conflicts with Russia and China that Biden inherited from his predecessors — and not just Donald Trump. And it is these far bigger…

Jake Johnson, staff writer (2021-03-08). 'A Climate Time Bomb': 370+ Groups Urge Biden to Immediately Halt Line 3 Pipeline. commondreams.org "It's up to President Biden to continue with the country's renewable energy agenda and reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. After his action to halt Keystone XL, stopping Line 3 is essential." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-12308770711.jpg

commondreams (2021-03-08). Over 350 Groups Urge President Biden to Stop the Line 3 Pipeline and Protect Indigenous Rights, Climate. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Max Blumenthal (2021-03-08). Biden Iran envoy boasted of depriving civilians of food, driving up Iranian inequality in sadistic sanctions manual. thegrayzone.com Richard Nephew has taken personal credit for depriving Iranians of food and driving up their unemployment rates, celebrating the economic destruction he caused as "a tremendous success." Under Biden, he will help direct policy on Iran. The Joseph Biden administration has named Richard Nephew as its deputy Iran envoy. As the former principal deputy coordinator of sanctions policy for Barack Obama's State Department, Nephew took personal credit for depriving Iranians of food, sabotaging their automobile industry, and driving up unemployment …

Tomdispatch (2021-03-08). We're Stalked by the 4 Horsemen of Apocalyptic Media: Rush, Roger, Rupert, and The Donald May Ride Forever. juancole.com By Robert Lipsyte | — ( Tomdispatch.com) — The Four Horsemen of our media apocalypse — Rush Limbaugh, Roger Ailes, Rupert Murdoch, and Donald Trump — have ridden roughshod over us this past half-century leaving their hoofprints on our politics, our culture, and our lives. Two of them are gone now, but their legacies, including …

_____ (2021-03-08). How 'Big Ag' Ate Up America's Small Farms. popularresistance.org The roads were icy and the wind biting cold as we started our 10,000-km journey through the heart of America one January morning. Sristy Agrawal, Rajashik Tarafder — young physicists pursuing their PhDs — Rumela Gangopadhyay, a theatre artiste, and I wanted to witness the state of farming in rural America, the quintessential "Trump country". | Shooting in the frigid weather amid a pandemic was gruelling, but the warm welcome we got from farmers — Republican or Democrat, black or white — made up for it. We were surprised to learn that the American farm landscape, like India's, is dominated…

WSWS (2021-03-08). FBI reveals contact between Proud Boys and "Trump associate" days before assault on US Capitol. wsws.org The Proud Boys, which played a leading role in the January 6 assault on the Capitol, has close relations with the Republican Party.

Thom Hartmann (2021-03-08). COVID-19 and Trump's Racism. zcomm.org Photo by bgrocker/Shutterstock How is it that in Australia, it's 3 out of every 100,000 people, and in New Zealand it's 1 out of every 200,000 people, but here in America we're dropping like flies? Chalk it up to Republican racism and a libertarian indifference to the notion of society. Trump's official national emergency

Staff (2021-03-08). "The Mauritanian": Film Tells Story of Innocent Man Held at Guantánamo for 14 Years Without Charge. democracynow.org A new feature film, "The Mauritanian," tells the story of Mohamedou Ould Slahi, a Mauritanian man who was held without charge for 14 years at the U.S. military prison at Guantánamo and repeatedly tortured. We speak with Mohamedou Ould Slahi, who says the film is not just about his struggle. "This is not my movie. This is the movie of so many people," he says. "Some of the people who were kidnapped after 9/11 were tortured to death. They did not have a chance to tell their story." We also speak with Kevin Macdonald, director of "The Mauritanian"; Nancy Hollander, the lead lawyer for Mohamedou Ould Slahi; and actor…

Staff (2021-03-08). Millions Mark International Women's Day as Pandemic Deepens Inequality, Violence Around the World. democracynow.org Millions of women around the world are taking to the streets today to mark International Women's Day — in a year where women have been disproportionately impacted by rising poverty, unemployment and violence during the pandemic. We hear voices from protests in the Philippines, Mexico and Guatemala.

Eds. (2021-03-08). The birth of Marxism in France: Remembering the Paris Commune and Jules Guesde. mronline.org Guesde (1845-1922) introduced Marxism to France and contributed to building the Socialist Party in the north of the country, where the left, socialism, and then later communism became very strong.

Maria Fernanda Marcelino (2021-03-08). Women take the lead in fight to impeach Bolsonaro in Brazil. peoplesworld.org SAO PAULO—Today in Brazil, women are facing the advancement of predatory neoliberalism, imperialism, an anti-democratic state, the politics of death, and the extermination of the people, which has been escalating with the coronavirus pandemic. In 2016, women were the first to rise up and denounce the coup staged against the first female president elected in …

Max Blumenthal (2021-03-08). Biden Iran envoy boasted of depriving civilians of food, driving up Iranian inequality in sadistic sanctions manual. thegrayzone.com Richard Nephew has taken personal credit for depriving Iranians of food, driving up their unemployment rates, and celebrated the economic destruction he caused as "a tremendous success." Under Biden, he will help direct policy on Iran. The Joseph Biden administration has named Richard Nephew as its Deputy Iran Envoy. As the former Principal Deputy Coordinator of Sanctions Policy for Barack Obama's State Department, Nephew took personal credit for depriving Iranians of food, sabotaging their automobile industry and driving up unemployment …

MEE, agencies (2021-03-08). Syria: Bashar and Asma al-Assad test positive for Covid-19. middleeasteye.net Syria: Bashar and Asma al-Assad test positive for Covid-19 | Assad's office confirmed that the Syrian president and his wife had caught the novel coronavirus | Mon, 03/08/2021 – 12: 11 | A file handout picture released by the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) on 4 November 2020 shows Syrian President Bashar al-Asad and his wife Asma, wearing face masks due to the Covid-19 pandemic (A…

Lynda Carson (2021-03-08). Oakland A's and the invasion of the democracy snatchers. indybay.org Invasion of the democracy snatchers in the midst of the coronavirus covid-19 pandemic!

Alan Macleod (2021-03-08). Govt-Linked CSIS Urges DC To Partner with Social Media Firms To "Promote Protests Movements" mintpressnews.com Widespread protests were a feature of 2020, engulfing 68 nations. However, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a pro-regime-change think tank based in DC, is most preoccupied with those in China and Russia.

Eds. (2021-03-08). Why Cornel West's tenure fight matters. mronline.org I wrote letters for West's hire and renewal at Harvard. The school's administrators completely miss the point of tenure. — ROBIN D. G. KELLEY…

Eds. (2021-03-08). Digital colonialism: the evolution of American empire. mronline.org American "Big Tech" corporations are gaining massive profits through their control over business, labor, social media and entertainment in the Global South.

Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting (2021-03-08). NYT Fails to Examine Its Participation in Brazil's 'Biggest Judicial Scandal'. fair.org The Brazilian Supreme Court on March 8 dismissed all charges against former President Luis Inacio "Lula" da Silva made during the Lava Jato investigation, a little over a month after the investigation was A small portion of the leaks, released slowly by the Intercept Brasil and local media partners in <...

Calla Randall (2021-03-08). The Weekly Round-Up: Family Benefits and Domestic Abuse (pt. 2). ukhumanrightsblog.com In the news: The High Court will hear a case brought by a mother and her 11-month-old baby, who are arguing that they should not be excluded from the UK government's 'Healthy Start' scheme. The scheme provides vouchers for healthy food, nutritional advice, and vitamins to low-income families, but currently excludes many migrant families, including those who …

MEE, agencies (2021-03-08). Yemen: UN fears many dead after fire in Sanaa migrant detention centre. middleeasteye.net Yemen: UN fears many dead after fire in Sanaa migrant detention centre | Houthis criticised the UN for not deporting migrants, thought to be mainly Ethiopians, detained in the centre | Mon, 03/08/2021 – 15: 21 | Ethiopians in 2018 waiting to be repatriated back to Djibouti from Yemen's Hodeidah (AFP) | Eight people are confirmed dead after a migrant detention centre in Sanaa caught fire on…

Alexandra Kollontai (2021-03-08). Celebrating International Women's Day. liberationnews.org To commemorate International Women's Day, we publishe excerpts from Kollontai's 1920 article, "International Women's Day," written just over two years after the October 1917 socialist revolution in Russia.

Liberation Staff (2021-03-08). Rural Washington state rally demands: "Stop the war on Black America" liberationnews.org Some 50 assembled in solidarity with the Movement for Black Lives Feb. 28 rally in Sequim, a small town in the Olympic Peninsula of Washington state.

John Clamp (2021-03-08). Somalia: a Knotted Web of Causes. counterpunch.org In one translation of Seneca's Oedipus Rex, the unfortunate (anti)hero laments his dark fate by complaining of being 'tangled in the knotted web of causes'. The words have an aptness far beyond their origin. Somalia is a perfect expression of the metaphor. Its dysfunction has so many potential—nay, likely—causative factors that who the hell knows

Juan A. Lozano (2021-03-08). Deep freeze just latest disaster to befall Houston's needy. peoplesworld.org HOUSTON (AP) — Ernest and Hester Collins already faced their share of hardships before last month's deadly winter storm plunged much of Texas into a deep freeze and knocked out power to millions of homes, including their modest rental in one of Houston's historically Black neighborhoods, Fifth Ward. The brother and sister were getting by …

Marilyn Bechtel (2021-03-08). The marvelous life of Marvel Cooke, pioneer Black woman journalist. peoplesworld.org At the intersection of African American History and Women's History months is a long list of Black women who have made history as civil rights, labor, and peace activists, educators, scientists, elected officials, physicians, astronauts, artists, and much more. Prominent among them, and combining several of those roles, is the journalist and activist Marvel Cooke. …

Chris Orlet (2021-03-08). Did Racist Images in Dr. Seuss Books Contribute to War Crimes? counterpunch.org A friend delights in sending me news stories that demonstrate what he says are the excesses of liberalism. One recent article that arrived in my inbox concerned Dr. Seuss Enterprises' decision to halt publication of six childrens' books it now believes contain racist imagery. "I didn't realize Dr. Seuss made us all racists," he quipped.

Byul Ryanim (2021-03-08). The Weekly Round-Up: Ministerial Maternity Leave, a New Offence and Guidance on Visiting Gran (pt. 1). ukhumanrightsblog.com On Monday the Ministerial and other Maternity Allowances Act 2021 came into force, allowing the Attorney General, Suella Braverman QC, to be the first minister to take maternity leave. The Act grants cabinet ministers six months' maternity leave whilst retaining their government post, whereas in the past MPs would have to resign to take time off to give …

Dean Baker (2021-03-08). Economy Adds 379,000 Jobs in February; Unemployment Edges Down to 6.2 Percent. counterpunch.org The establishment survey showed the economy added 379,000 jobs in February. In addition, the figures from December and January were revised up by 38,000. This brings the average job gain over the last three months to 79,700. Employment in the survey stands at 9,475,000 below its year-ago level. The household survey showed the unemployment edging

Eds. (2021-03-08). International Women's Day: A militant celebration. mronline.org Women's Day or Working Women's Day is a day of international solidarity, and a day for reviewing the strength and organization of proletarian women.

Liberation Staff (2021-03-08). Rural Washington state rally demands: 'Stop the war on Black America'. liberationnews.org Some 50 assembled in solidarity with the Movement for Black Lives Feb. 28 rally in Sequim, a small town in the Olympic Peninsula of Washington state.

Sonali Kolhatkar (2021-03-08). Why Big Pharma Shouldn't Have Any Control Over COVID-19 Vaccines. counterpunch.org At a recent virtual gathering of parents and faculty at my children's school, one parent who is a teacher and therefore eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine mentioned that she got her first Pfizer shot at a local pharmacy, and when she asked about a leftover dose that could be given to her husband rather

Kerry-anne Mendoza (2021-03-08). The real reason England's angry white men hate Meghan Markle. thecanary.co Women of colour operate in the arena where two of society's deepest hatreds collide. It's where racism and patriarchy unite and create their beloved bastard: misogynoir. Most women of colour have experienced some version of what Meghan Markle is living right now. England's monarchy and its useful idiots hold a special hatred for women of colour who dare to grow into their own power. Meghan is Black, beautiful, brave, and she owes them nothing. | Misogynoir: | As women of colour, our bodies are simultaneously reviled and hyper-sexualised. To understand better how this works in reality, we can look at the k…

Nadda Osman (2021-03-08). International Women's Day marked across the Middle East. middleeasteye.net International Women's Day marked across the Middle East | From protests to calls for action, women across the Middle East and North Africa mark International Women's Day | Mon, 03/08/2021 – 17: 54 | Women in Istanbul mark international Women's Day (Screengrab/Twitter) | Across the Middle East, women have marked International Women's Day by rallying in public spaces and calling for greater equality and fr…

Paul Cochrane (2021-03-08). Saudi Arabia's 'Programme HQ': Can Riyadh rival Dubai as a business hub? middleeasteye.net Saudi Arabia's 'Programme HQ': Can Riyadh rival Dubai as a business hub? | Plans to make access to mega-project contracts conditional on companies establishing regional headquarters in the kingdom are ambitious but ambiguous | Mon, 03/08/2021 – 16: 29 | Riyadh's King Abdullah Financial District in 2018. Saudi Arabia is seeking to persuade more multinational companies to set up shop in the kingdom (…

Nadda Osman (2021-03-08). Saudi Arabia: Online campaign for the release of prominent scholar Safar al-Hawali. middleeasteye.net Saudi Arabia: Online campaign for the release of prominent scholar Safar al-Hawali | Seventy-year-old has been imprisoned for over 1,000 days and reportedly suffers from various health conditions | Mon, 03/08/2021 – 13: 15 | The Saudi scholar was arrested in 2018 and concerns have been raised about his deteriorating health (Screengrab/Twitter) | Activists have launched an online campaign calling for the…

Tom Westcott (2021-03-08). Iraq: Christians await better future following Pope Francis visit. middleeasteye.net Iraq: Christians await better future following Pope Francis visit | Iraqis express hopes that the Pope's successful visit would send a message that their country is safe for religious and cultural tourism | Mon, 03/08/2021 – 14: 47 | Pope Francis gestures as he bids farewell to his hosts before boarding his Alitalia Airbus A330 aircraft as he departs from the Iraqi capital's Baghdad International Airp…

MEE staff (2021-03-08). France: European Commission urged to investigate Paris over 'imam charter'. middleeasteye.net France: European Commission urged to investigate Paris over 'imam charter' | Civil society groups say a number of French laws disproportionally discriminate against Muslims, violating their fundamental human rights | Mon, 03/08/2021 – 15: 48 | French President Emmanuel Macron wears a mask after delivering a speech in October 2020 (AFP) | A coalition of civil society organisations on Monday urged European Commi…

MEE staff (2021-03-08). Lebanon is next for visit, says Pope Francis. middleeasteye.net Lebanon is next for visit, says Pope Francis | Head of Catholic Church tells reporters on his way back from historic Iraq tour that Beirut will be his next destination | Mon, 03/08/2021 – 14: 57 | Pope Francis speaks to reporters during a news conference while in the air aboard the Alitalia papal plane on his flight back from Iraq (AFP) | Pope Francis has said his next trip will be to Lebanon, which is sufferi…

MEE staff (2021-03-08). US flies bombers over Middle East in apparent message to Iran. middleeasteye.net US flies bombers over Middle East in apparent message to Iran | Saudi, Israeli and Qatari jets accompanied two American B-52 bombers 'at different points during the flight', Pentagon says | Mon, 03/08/2021 – 20: 21 | US Air Force B-52 Stratofortress flying with Saudi F-15SAs during a mission, 27 January (AFP/US Air Force handout) | The US Air Force – in cooperation with Israel, Saudi Arabia and Qatar – flew je…

MEE staff (2021-03-08). Iran's Quds force played role in blast near Israeli embassy in New Delhi, probe claims. middleeasteye.net Iran's Quds force played role in blast near Israeli embassy in New Delhi, probe claims | The January explosion was set by a remote-controlled device triggered by a local Shia group working with Iran, India's central counterterrorism agencies concluded | Mon, 03/08/2021 – 17: 08 | Police close off a street after an explosion near the Israeli embassy in New Delhi on 29 January (AFP/File photo) | India's central…

MEE, agencies (2021-03-08). Syria: Bashar and Asma al-Assad test positive for Covid-19. middleeasteye.net Syria: Bashar and Asma al-Assad test positive for Covid-19 | Assad's office confirmed that the Syrian president and his wife had caught the novel coronavirus | Mon, 03/08/2021 – 12: 11 | Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his wife Asma have tested positive for An official statement confirme…

RT (2021-03-08). WATCH: Minneapolis battens down the hatches with extreme security ahead of trial of George Floyd's alleged killer. rt.com Authorities in Minneapolis have erected steel fencing, barbed wire and concrete barricades outside the city's courthouse and local police stations ahead of the Derek Chauvin trial, set to begin Monday. | The former police officer will stand trial for the May 25 killing of George Floyd in an incident which rocked the US to its core and triggered months of unrest and billions of dollar's worth of damage. | An estimated 15 million to 26 million people participated in Black Lives Matter protests in the US in the aftermath of Floyd's death. | Armored personnel carriers have been deployed and local Minneapolis polic…

RT (2021-03-08). Three police injured, SWAT vehicle damaged and local cars FLIPPED as Colorado university party turns violent (PHOTOS, VIDEOS). rt.com Three SWAT team officers were injured as violent revellers bombarded first responders with bricks and rocks, setting off fireworks and flipping a car during a wild Colorado university street party which attracted up to 800 people. | The violence occurred in the University Hill neighborhood of Boulder, Colorado on Saturday night, as hundreds of partygoers shot off fireworks and flouted social-distancing rules and mask-wearing advice. | #Boulder police arrived pic.twitter.com/t1Yd7Xkclq— Mitchell Byars (@mitchellbyars) Martin Downs (2021-03-08). Our first Blogcast: India and the Rule of Law. ukhumanrightsblog.com The UK Human Rights Blog doesn't write about itself. There is too much of interest in the law of Human Rights to cover and the Blog has been providing this service ever since 1998 when Rosalind English and others started the Human Rights Update. With the know-how and energy of Adam Wagner, this developed into …

Ben Jealous (2021-03-08). Democracy Is Not Exclusive. thenation.com Democracy Is Not Exclusive…

Hamilton Nolan (2021-03-08). Can a Federal Job Guarantee Unite the Left? zcomm.org Rep. Ayanna Pressley's proposal aims to achieve racial, economic and environmental justice all at once…