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Brown-Forman, a company in the alcoholic beverages industry, has decided to eliminate its diversity and inclusion policies and withdraw from an LGBTQ corporate equality index. The company stated that it is making these changes to adapt to the evolving landscape. The Human Rights Campaign criticized Brown-Forman for giving in to a conservative activist and argued that these decisions could harm consumer trust and employee success. Brown-Forman's diversity and inclusion strategy was first introduced in 2019. [Extracted from the article]

The article offers an overview of the political crisis in Belarus. The government reportedly detained about 35,000 Belarusians as part of its political, media and civil society crackdown on human rights monitors since August 2020. It mentions the implication of the partnership of Belarus with Russia under the Russia-led Collective Security Treaty Organization. Also noted is the budget allocation of the State Department to support the democratic aspirations of Belarusians for fiscal year 2022.

The article discusses efforts provided by Oman to the U.S. during its military operation in and around the Gulf since 1980, and mentions reason of presence of the U.S. military in that region. It mentions the U.S. efforts to achieve a Middle East peace by publicly endorsing the peace treaties, to promote human rights and democracy and empowerment of civil society, and its free trade agreement (FTA) with Oman.

Under the populist rule of President Hugo Chávez, first elected in 1998 and most recently re-elected to a six-year term in December 2006, Venezuela has undergone enormous political changes, with a new constitution and unicameral legislature, and even a new name for the country, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. U.S. officials and human rights organizations have expressed concerns about the deterioration of democratic institutions and threats to freedom of expression under President Chávez, who has survived several attempts to oust him from power. The government has benefitted from the rise in world oil prices, which has sparked an economic boom and allowed Chávez to increase expenditures on social programs associated with his populist agenda. Since he was re-elected, President Chávez has announced new measures to move the country toward socialism. Chávez's closure of a popular Venezuelan television station (RCTV) that was critical of the government in late May 2007 has sparked student-led protests and international condemnation. The United States traditionally has had close relations with Venezuela, the fourth major supplier of foreign oil to the United States, but there has been friction in relations with the Chávez government. U.S. officials have expressed concerns about President Chávez's military arms purchases, his relations with such countries as Cuba and Iran, his efforts to export his brand of populism to other Latin American countries, and concerns about the state of democracy. A dilemma for U.S. policymakers has been how to press the Chávez government to adhere to democratic principles without taking sides in Venezuela's polarized political conflict. Declining cooperation on anti-drug and anti-terrorism efforts has also been a U.S. concern. In 2005 and 2006, President Bush designated Venezuela as a country that has failed demonstrably to adhere to its obligations under international narcotics agreements, and in 2006, the Department of State prohibited the sale of defense articles and services to Venezuela because of its lack of cooperation on anti-terrorism efforts. Congressional concerns regarding Venezuela focus on human rights and political conditions in the country, energy issues, and the overall status of bilateral relations and U.S. policy. On May 24, 2007, the Senate approved S.Res. 211 (Lugar) expressing profound concerns regarding freedom of expression and Venezuela's decision not to renew the license of RCTV. In the House, two human rights resolutions have been introduced: H.Con.Res. 50 (Fortuño) and H.Con.Res. 77 (Weller). Another House resolution, H.Res. 435 (Klein), would express concern about the relationships between the leaders of Iran and Western Hemisphere countries such as Venezuela. Two Senate bills, S. 193 (Lugar), the Energy Diplomacy and Security Act of 2007, and S. 1007, the United States-Brazil Energy Cooperation Pact of 2007, would increase hemispheric cooperation on energy issues. The Administration's FY2008 foreign aid budget request includes $3 million in Development Assistance for support to Venezuelan civil society and $50,000 in International Military Education and Training. For additional information on Venezuela, see CRS Report RL33693, Latin America: Energy Supply, Political Developments, and U.S. Policy Approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The award of the Nobel Peace Prize to the Iranian human rights lawyer Shirin Ebadi in October 2003; the first ever to a Muslim woman or an Iranian, received a mixed reaction when it was announced. The Iranian media coverage also focused on passing statements that Ebadi had made in Paris (where she was attending a conference when she learnt of her award), stating that there was no need for foreign intervention in the Republic's internal affairs. The media's response to the award, which was clearly sanctioned by government officials, is a clear sign that the authorities feel threatened by the motives of the Nobel committee, which has a history of awarding the prize to representatives of issues of particular salience in western press.

The article discusses foreign relations between the U.S. and China following the May 2012 arrival of Chinese political activist Chen Guangcheng in the U.S. According to the article, China has asked for an apology from the U.S. for interfering in internal matters. The author also covers support from human rights advocacy groups, the impact of foreign relations on the U.S. economy, and U.S. relations with Vietnam.

The article discusses two legislative proposals in Russia that would restrict free speech rights. One such bill expands the power of the Federal Security Service (FSB), Russia's domestic security agency, to take pre-emptive measures against groups suspected of being extremists. The article discusses criticism against the legislation from human rights advocacy groups, who believe that political expression would be threatened by the laws.

The article reports that human rights advocates are opposing the election of seven countries to the United Nations Human Rights Council by the General Assembly based on those country's rights records. Groups such as the United Nations Watch, Freedom House, and Human Rights Without Frontiers protested the inclusion of countries including Libya, Uganda, and Qatar.

The article discusses an international coalition formed to enforce the rights and punishments associated with human rights. It states that the group, consisting of academics, corporate leaders, and non-governmental organizations, intends to pass an International Convention on Human Rights that would be applicable in the courts of every country with the help of the United Nations General Assembly. The article also covers the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) from the United Nations.