(2021-08-12). Biden Must Call Off the B-52s Bombing Afghan Cities. dissidentvoice.org 
American flag is lowered as U.S. soldiers leave Helmand province, southern Afghanistan, May 2, 2021. Photo: Afghan Ministry of Defense Press Office. Nine provincial capitals in Afghanistan have fallen to the Taliban in six days — Zaranj, Sheberghan, Sar-e-Pul, Kunduz, Taloqan, Aybak, Farah, Pul-e-Khumri and Faizabad — while fighting continues in four more — Lashkargah, …
(2021-08-12). Biden Must Call Off B52 Bombing of Afghan Cities. zcomm.org The U.S. attacks will not stop the Taliban or end the war…
(2021-08-12). Antiwar Group Blocks Entry to Raytheon Facility to Protest Killing of Civilians. truthout.org 
A group of anti-war activists blockaded the entrances to a Raytheon facility in Portsmouth, Rhode Island on Thursday morning to protest the role the weapons-maker plays in the killing of civilians in Yemen, the occupied Palestinian territories, and elsewhere around the world. | The demonstration was organized and live-streamed on Facebook by Resist and Abolish the Military Industrial Complex (RAM INC) and The FANG Collective, a direct-action organization based in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. (…
(2021-08-12). Asesinato de Jovenel MoàØse: Premeditación, participación de los EEUU y complicidad del personal de seguridad. cubadebate.cu El informe preliminar elaborado por las autoridades haitianas deja asentadas sus presunciones sobre el magnicidio: la premeditación de los mercenarios colombianos en el plan de asesinato, la participación de dos empresas con sede en EE.UU. y la complicidad del personal de seguridad del mandatario en los hechos porque, cuando se ejecutó el asalto a la residencia de MoàØse, "la puerta principal estaba abierta".
(2021-08-12). Nicaragua: Encuesta confirma al FSLN como favorito a elecciones. cubadebate.cu Una encuesta publicada la víspera en Managua confirmó al gobernante Frente Sandinista de Liberación Nacional (FSLN) como favorito de cara a las elecciones generales del 7 de noviembre próximo.El estudio realizado solo en Managua reveló que el índice de predisposición política favorece al partido rojinegro, con el 62,7 por ciento.
(2021-08-12). Nearly 1.4 billion covered by health insurance in China. ecns.cn China's healthcare plans had covered 1.36 billion residents by the end of last year after the country worked for decades to create a sturdier insurance safety net in the world's most populous nation, a white paper said on Thursday.
(2021-08-12). Moscow to boost relations with Tehran based on mutual respect. en.mehrnews.com Iran is Russia's friend and neighbor, and the country will continue to strengthen relations based on mutual respect, the RussianEmbassy said.
(2021-08-12). Unilateral sanctions against Venezuela "crime against humanity": FM. ecns.cn Imposing unilateral sanctions against Venezuela and other countries is "a crime against humanity" that the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court must investigate, Venezuelan Foreign Affairs Minister Jorge Arreaza said Wednesday.
(2021-08-12). UNHCR objects to renewed U.S. expulsion flights of migrants under public health restrictions. ecns.cn The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) expressed concern on Wednesday over the resumption of the U.S. practice of flying non-Mexican asylum seekers and migrants to southern Mexico after expelling them under a U.S. health law regulation implemented last year amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
(2021-08-12). US Civil Rights Groups Escalate Pressure on Biden to Keep Prisoners at Home Amid Pandemic. sputniknews.com WASHINGTON (Sputnik), Barrington M. Salmon – A coalition of criminal justice activists is upping its campaign to prevent the Biden administration from forcing thousands of inmates to return to prison as COVID-19 infections continue to surge, Families Against Mandatory Minimums (FAMM) President Kevin Ring said.
(2021-08-12). Texas governor says anyone who defies state ban on mask mandates will be taken to court. rt.com 
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has asked an appeals court to strike down a masking requirement imposed by a country judge and promised more lawsuits against officials who rebel against his ban on mask mandates. | Abbot and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced that they had filed a petition asking the 5th Court of Appeals to strike down an order by Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins, who instructed businesses, public schools, child daycare centers and government offices to require indoor mask-wearing. | The governor banned Texas officials from imposing any form of a mask mandate in May, under the threat of a f…
(2021-08-12). Senator Rand Paul accused of 'insider trading' after he belatedly reveals wife invested in pharma firm in early days of Covid-19. rt.com 
Senator Rand Paul was accused of "insider trading" after he revealed that his wife bought stock in the firm that makes antiviral drug remdesivir in early 2020, disclosing the purchase more than a year after the reporting deadline. | The Kentucky Republican acknowledged the stock buy on Wednesday in a Senate filing, the Washington Post According to the filing, the senator's wife invested b…
(2021-08-12). Chomsky: Biden's "Radical" Proposals Are Minimum Measures to Avoid Catastrophe. truthout.org 
Looking at the state of the world, one is struck by the stark contradiction of progress being made on some fronts even as we are facing massive disruptions, tremendous inequalities and existential threats to humanity and nature. In this context, how do we evaluate the qualities of progress and decline? How significant is political activism to progress? | In this exclusive interview, Noam Chomsky, one of the world's greatest scholars and leading activists, shares his insights on the state of the…
(2021-08-12). Facts reveal U.S. failing in COVID-19 response: report. ecns.cn Furthermore, the "virus origin-tracing terrorism" that emerged in the country should be investigated as this is an attempt to manipulate "global public opinion," the authors said.
(2021-08-12). Myanmar: 5 Youths Jumped From Building To Escape Repression. telesurenglish.net On Wednesday, Radio Free Asia (RFA) reported that two pro-democracy activists died and three others were seriously injured when they jumped from a building in Yangon to avoid capture by the Myanmar police. | RELATED: | "The fleeing activists apparently got trapped on the rooftops of the old buildings… There was a five-store building blocking their path on one side and an eight-store building on the other, and they must have r…
(2021-08-12). Average life expectancy in China rises to 77.3 yrs: white paper. ecns.cn
(2021-08-12). China has over 1 mln medical, health institutions: white paper. ecns.cn The number of medical and health institutions in China skyrocketed from 170,000 in 1978 to over 1 million in 2020, according to a white paper.
(2021-08-12). China lifts nearly 99 mln rural poor out of poverty in 8 yrs: white paper. ecns.cn By the end of 2020, China had lifted all the 98.99 million rural residents living below the current poverty line out of poverty after eight years of efforts, according to a white paper.
(2021-08-12). Grieving the Loss of Yemeni Children–US Complicit. indybay.org Members of the Yemeni-American community and world peace activists grieved the third year anniversary of the loss of dozens of innocent children whose lives were taken by a 500 pound U.S. made, Saudi-UAE led bomb.
(2021-08-12). Denuncian asesinato de líder social en el Meta, Colombia. telesurtv.net Indepaz señala que en lo corrido del 2021 se han asesinado 107 líderes sociales y 1.223 desde la firma de los Acuerdos de Paz en 2016.
(2021-08-12). Awkward Moment: Biden –°onfuses Gov. Gretchen Whitmer With Energy Sec Jennifer Granholm – Video. sputniknews.com US President Joe Biden is no stranger to blunders and awkward behaviour: just earlier this week he seemingly took a cue from a Secret Service agent to follow the sidewalk path into the White House and followed the security officer across the lawn, prompting social media users to mock him for "getting lost in the bushes".
(2021-08-12). Reportan el asesinato de firmante de la paz en Nariño, Colombia. telesurtv.net Con José Harleyo Popayán serían 34 los firmantes de acuerdo de paz asesinados en 2021.
(2021-08-11). Palestine Action Is Hitting Drone Maker Elbit Hard. popularresistance.org A new short film by Real Media follows the group Palestine Action over the past year. Activists have carried out sit-ins and sabotage against Elbit premises, shutting factories down, smashing windows, damaging equipment, graffiting and splashing walls with red paint to symbolize Palestinian blood. According to the film, Palestine Action have carried out more than 70 actions against Elbit in their first year, including 20 high-profile occupations of sites and factories.
(2021-08-11). Arrests of Palestinian rights defenders part of 'wider crackdown'. news.un.org Israel must safeguard human rights activists in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and within its borders, a UN-appointed expert said on Wednesday.
(2021-08-11). Families denounce LA Sheriff Villanueva, call for August 29 protest. fightbacknews.org Los Angeles, CA – Local activists with the Chicanx Moratorium Committee and families who have lost loved ones to LA Sheriff's killings held a press conference on August 5, to denounce Sheriff Villanueva, call for his ouster and urge participation in a protest on August 29. | Family members of Anthony Vargas, David Ordaz and Paul Rea were present. Attendees also included many young people, Black Lives Matter-LA member Baba Akili, union members from SEIU and UTLA, and the community group Centro CSO. Carlos Montes, longtime Chicano human rights activist, urged Chicano and all working people to stand up against…
(2021-08-11). Texan House speaker signs arrest warrant for 52 runaway Democrats after lawmakers fled state to block passage of Republican bill. rt.com 
A senior Texan lawmaker has signed an arrest warrant for 52 Democrats who fled the state to avoid voting on a controversial Republican bill which cannot be passed into law without the presence of five more lawmakers. | Late on Tuesday evening, Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan signed the arrest warrants, understood to be civil not criminal, for 52 Democrat legislators who have avoided their duties in the assembly, according to US news agencies. | The move came after the Texas Supreme Court gave lawmakers permission to use law enforcement to compel the runaway Democrats to return to the House. According to The Da…
(2021-08-11). Sen. Booker's enthusiastic 'embrace' of anti-defund the police measure riles activists & BLM (VIDEO). rt.com 
Senator Cory Booker (D-New York), a vocal proponent of criminal justice reform in the US, has rubbed some people the wrong way with a sarcasm-dripping endorsement of a measure against defunding the police. | Booker delivered an impassioned short speech on the Senate floor on Tuesday as the chamber worked through a grueling 13-hour vote-a-rama on hundreds of proposed amendments to the bipartisan infrastructure bill. He offered a full-throated backing to a "gift" of a proposal to "establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund relating to decreasing federal funding for local jurisdictions that defund the police." | pi…
(2021-08-11). NYPD spent $159mn on facial recognition, 'stingray' cellphone trackers & X-ray van spy tools using secretive fund, documents show. rt.com 
For years, the NYPD used a "surveillance slush fund" for a range of policing tech with no public oversight — under a shadowy deal with city officials that kept equipment used in "confidential operations" secret. | Newly released documents reveal the New York Police Department (NYPD) has spent at least $159 million in public money since 2007, through a "Special Expenses" fund, on potentially invasive surveillance tools like facial-recognition software, predictive policing programs, "stingray" cellphone trackers — and even vans fitted with X-ray machines to spot weapons. | That year, the force entered…
(2021-08-11). ALL California teachers face Covid vaccine mandate or regular testing, Newsom announces. rt.com 
California Governor Gavin Newsom has announced a Covid-19 vaccine mandate or weekly testing for teachers and school staff, saying it is "the right thing to do" and making his state the first to pass such a requirement. | The mandate will apply to teachers, as well as "custodial staff, the bus drivers, folks that are critical to supporting the entire school ecosystem," Newsom said at a Wednesday press conference at Carl B. Munck Elementary School in Oakland. | "We think this is the right thing to do," the governor continued, "and we think this is a sustainable way to keeping our schools open and to address the…
(2021-08-11). Assange is 'an innocent man accused of practising journalism'. thecanary.co Julian Assange's partner has described him as "an innocent man accused of practising journalism" as she arrived at a legal hearing which will see the US government challenge a judge's decision not to extradite him to the US on espionage charges. | Stella Moris, who has two children by Assange, stood in front of the steps of the High Court and told his supporters: "The US government is exploiting the inherently unfair arrangement between the US and the UK. | "They are exploiting the inherently unfair extradition arrangements with this country in order to arbitrarily prolong his imprisonment. The imprisonment of an…
(2021-08-11). UNHCR alarmed over US 'expulsion flights' to southern Mexico. news.un.org The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) raised concern on Wednesday over a new policy by the United States, using public health orders linked to COVID-19, to expel some asylum-seekers and migrants by flying them to southern Mexico.
(2021-08-11). Keep Big Oil Out Of Public Science. popularresistance.org Above Photo: Activists from the Extinction Rebellion climate change group demonstrate against Shell's sponsorship of the exhibit. (Credit: Justin Tallis/AFP via Getty Images) The gagging clause in the Science Museum's sponsorship contract with polluting giant Shell makes one thing clear — we can't rely on corporate profiteers to fund the pursuit of knowledge. It feels …
(2021-08-11). Lockdown Halts Mountain Valley Pipeline Construction Site for 8 Hours or More. itsgoingdown.org Report back on recent action against the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) which shut down construction for more than 8 hours. On the 9th of August, activists opposing fracked gas pipelines and eminent domain for corporate profit locked themselves to construction equipment at a Mountain Valley Pipeline construction site near I-81. The lockdown held for 8…
(2021-08-11). Héctor Béjar: Life of a Brilliant Foreign Affairs Minister in a Continent Where Many of his Colleagues are Felons of the Empire. orinocotribune.com Héctor Béjar was born on September 2, 1935, in Ricardo Palma district, Huarochirí province, Lima department, in Peru. His father, Mariano Béjar Pacheco, was a musician and member of the American Popular Revolutionary Alliance (APRA) party who was not in total agreement with the party leadership. His mother, Zoila Rivera Rodríguez, was a teacher. She studied law at The National University of San Marcos (UNMSM) and was never a student leader there, but rather a press secretary at the Centro Federado de Letras. | From the age of 16 Béjar worked as a news anchor and presenter for national and international artists on…
(2021-08-11). North Korea eyes stronger cooperation with Russia to resist US — envoy. tass.com According to North Korean Ambassador to Russia Sin Hong-chol, Pyongyang cannot ignore the threats it faces at the backdrop of the hostile policy that the US pursues against North Korea…
(2021-08-11). "This Was Avoidable," Climate Activists Say About Apocalyptic UN Climate Report. commondreams.org "It's not a wildfire season anymore," said one journalist, "it's a wildfire year."
(2021-08-11). WHO supports Guinea after detection of first-ever case of Marburg disease. news.un.org The World Health Organization (WHO) is supporting Guinea following a confirmed death from Marburg virus disease, the first known case in the country and West Africa, the UN agency reported on Wednesday.
(2021-08-11). Punishment of 'innocent civilians' through government sanctions must end: UN experts. news.un.org Unilateral coercive measures by some governments are denying many people around the world the right to personal development, as well as holding back sustainable national development, four independent UN human rights experts said on Wednesday.