UPDATE 24 December: At least in its rhetoric, the Obama Administration appears to have made  a coordinated shift to the issue of “rights” for the Iranian people. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley made his second statement in two days on the topic on Wednesday: “Iran is increasingly showing itself to be a police state”, claimed Crowley, adding that the regime is using its security forces to try to “stamp out” the “aspirations of the Iranian people”.

UPDATE 1920 GMT: Yesterday the US Senate passed a resolution “condemning the Government of Iran for restricting and suppressing freedom of the press, freedom of speech, freedom of expression, and freedom of assembly, and for its human rights abuses, and for other purposes”. The resolution urges the implementation of the VOICE Act, amongst other measures, but does not appropriate funds or carry any legal authority.

Thanks to EA readers, who have brought me up-to-date on the US Government’s initiatives on Iran.

The Latest from Iran (24 December): Another Day, Another Demonstration
The Latest from Iran (23 December): This Time, No Pause?

This includes the Victims of Iranian Censorship (VOICE) Act, unanimously passed by the US Senate in July to provide $30 million for expanded Persian-language broadcasting into Iran and $20 million for a new “Iranian Electronic Education, Exchange, and Media Fund” to aid in getting access to information and circumventing censorship and filtering. The money was not appropriated, however, merely authorised (in other words, a statement of intention rather than confirmed action), and the measure has not been agreed yet with the US House of Representatives.
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Tags: Iran, Iran Elections 2009, P.J. Crowley, US House of Representatives, US Senate, US State Department, VOICE Act

Photograph: Mohammed Saber/EPA

Earlier Updates on The Israeli Invasion of Gaza (8 January)
Latest Story: Breaking News: Obama Administration “Prepared To Talk to Hamas”?
Latest Story: How the US is Fighting for “Peace” in Gaza: Bunker-Busting Bombs
Latest Article: Gaza: One Man’s Tragedy is Another Man’s Marketing Opportunity

1:30 a.m. A bit of downtime. We’ll be back in the morning, updating on the discussions at the UN Security Council, on the humanitarian situation, and on any military developments.

12:30 a.m. The Guardian of London is reporting the statement of the head of the Arab League that Arab nations have accepted the US-UK-France resolution to be presented to the United Nations Security Council.

11:20 p.m. Gazan photojournalist and peace activist Sameh Habeeb, who has been blogging on his experience of the conflict, reports via Twitter that his area is under heavy Israeli bombardment.

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Tags: Amnesty International, Arab League, Barack Obama, Bernard Kouchner, Condoleezza Rice, David Miliband, Gaza, Hamas, human shields, Israel, Juan Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, Mahmoud Abbas, Mitch McConnell, Palestine, Sameh Habeeb, United Nations, United Nations Relief and Works Agency, United Nations Security Council, US Senate

Well, it only took two months but Democrat Al Franken is on the verge of unseating Republican Norm Coleman in the Minnesota Senate race:

A Minnesota board has certified results showing Democrat Al Franken winning the state’s U.S. Senate recount over Republican Norm Coleman, but a legal challenge probably will keep the race in limbo. The Canvassing Board’s declaration Monday starts a seven-day clock for Coleman to file a lawsuit protesting the result. If he doesn’t, Franken will get the election certificate he needs to take the seat in Washington.

Tags: Al Franken, Norm Coleman, US Senate