• On the sidelines of the Iran nuclear talks with European powers in Vienna, Iran and Sunni Persian Gulf states are engaged in diplomatic talks to entice Iran to sign a new nuclear agreement with the U.S. in exchange for massive trade and investment opportunities. The thaw in tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran comes 6 years after the Arab Gulf states condemned President Obama’s nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, from which the Trump administration unilaterally withdrew from in 2018. Iran is now seeking a guarantee that the U.S. won’t again withdraw from a future nuclear agreement.
(“Can Arab Gulf States Entice Iran to Cut New Nuclear Deal,” Christian Science Monitor, Jan. 13, 2022)
• For months, massive pro-democracy protests in Sudan have faced off against security forces, demonstrating widespread opposition to the nation’s Oct. 25th military coup. Protesters are demanding the reinstatement of civilian rule — and removal of the coup leaders. Abdalla Hamdok, the civilian prime minister who was reinstated by the military, later quit for lack of progress on the restoration of democracy.
(“Sudanese Judges, US denounce Crackdown on Anti-Coup Protesters,” Al-Jazeera, Jan, 20 2022; “Why Won’t Biden Support Sudan’s Democracy Movement?” Foreign Policy, Jan. 7, 2022)
• New York State’s Farm Laborers Fair Labor Practices Act was signed into law in 2019, thanks in part to a slate of progressive state politicians elected the previoius year. Before passage of the bill, New York’s farmworkers had no collective bargaining rights and were not eligible for workers’ compensation or overtime compensation.
(“How Farmworkers are Organizing to Close the Wage Gap,” Pro-American Prospect, Jan. 11, 2022)
This week’s News Summary was narrated by Anna Manzo.
