(2020-08-08). Brazilian liberation theologist Dom Pedro Casaldáliga passes away. peoplesdispatch.org Dom Pedro Casaldáliga Plá, a Catholic missionary and an iconic voice of liberation theology, died on the morning of August 8, Saturday, at the age of 92. He was the Bishop Emeritus of the Prelature of Sà£o Félix do Araguaia and famous for his defense of the rights of the indigenous people of Brazil. He died of a pulmonary embolism at the Santa Casa de Batatais Hospital in the State of Sà£o Paulo. | Dom Pedro Casaldáliga Plá was admitted to the hospital after complaining of respiratory problems. He had earlier been admitted to the Hospital Sà£o Félix do Araguaia in the State of Mato Grosso. Casal…
(2020-08-08). Former Colombian President Alvaro Uribe Under House Arrest. popularresistance.org The Colombian Supreme Court of Justice has ordered the preventive home detention of Senator and former President Alvaro Uribe for the crimes of procedural fraud and bribery. The Latin American right-wing leader became the first former president to receive this type of arrest order, suspected of trying to manipulate the statement of a defendant who linked him to the creation of paramilitary groups. "The deprivation of my freedom causes me deep sadness for my wife, for my family and for the Colombians who still believe that I have done something good for the country," lamented Uribe…
(2020-08-08). New York Governor Cuomo sanctions statewide reopening of schools. wsws.org Cuomo's mandate provides crucial political support for the Trump administration's drive to reopen schools irrespective of the cost to human life.
(2020-08-08). Coronavirus Is Being Tackled By Nicaragua's Community-Based Health System. popularresistance.org Nicaragua's Sandinista government is — like every other government — engaged in a struggle to limit the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on its people. But Nicaragua suffers two additional handicaps. One is that it is subject to US and European sanctions, which severely limit the aid it gets from abroad or from multilateral bodies. The other is its internal opposition, which aims to use the pandemic in its latest attempt to destabilize the government and turn opinion against it. To do so it employs a wide range of propaganda methods, at home and abroad. These were very evident in a recent article in t…
(2020-08-08). 'Russiagate' Hoax Unravels, but Their Anti-Russia Sanctions Don't. strategic-culture.org Eric ZUESSE | It was reported only on 'fringe' media (such as "Disobedient Media" now gone from the Web) until recently. However, the evidence that the entire "Russiagate" charge — that Russia's Government had "hacked" the Democratic National Committee in 2016 — is an Obama Administration hoax (which was continued into Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report), is now starting to come out into public view and be endorsed publicly by retired U.S. intelligence professionals who can't be fired. It's not yet published in any mainstream U.S. news media, however. So, in this place will be chronologically pre…
(2020-08-08). [World Report] Egyptian health workers arrested after COVID-19 comments. thelancet.com At least seven doctors and two pharmacists have been detained for criticising the Egyptian Government's approach to the pandemic and working conditions. Sharmila Devi reports.
(2020-08-08). Poor People's Campaign, Black civic groups condemn McConnell's obstructionism. zcomm.org On the 55th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, The Poor People's Campaign: A National Call For Moral Revival and Black civic organizations representing millions of people worldwide announced a covenant to resurrect the protections of the Voting Rights Act…
(2020-08-07). Don't Let His New Book Fool You, Bush Laid the Groundwork for Today's Immigration Nightmare. thealtworld.com 
George W. Bush drastically increased the militarization of the Mexican border, sending 6,000 national guardsmen to patrol it, greatly increasing detention capacity for immigrants and using drones to patrol the area. | MPN— George W. Bush, the 43rd president of the United States, has announced he is releasing a new book called "Out of Many, One" which will celebrate America's diversity and immigrant populations. "Our immigrant heritage has enriched America's history. It continues to shape our society. Each generation of Americans — of immigrants — brings a renewal to our national character and add…
(2020-08-07). Pandemic highlights importance of indigenous self-determination: UN rights chief. news.un.org The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the need to ensure the world's indigenous people have control over their own communities, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has affirmed.
(2020-08-07). Canadian court rules Safe Third Country Agreement with US violates refugee rights. wsws.org The Trudeau government took advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic to eliminate the "loophole" that had allowed some refugees fleeing Trump's anti-immigrant witchhunt to escape immediate deportation under the STCA.
(2020-08-07). Prohibited From Holding Police Officer to Account, Federal Judge Calls on Supreme Court to Overturn 'Qualified Immunity'. commondreams.org Handing down a ruling dismissing a civil lawsuit which alleged a police officer violated a Black man's Fourth Amendment rights during a traffic stop in 2013, a federal judge in Mississippi made clear that he sided with the plaintiff—and demanded the U.S. Supreme Court overturn qualified immunity. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-08-07). Thousands march across Turkey to denounce violence against women. peoplesdispatch.org Thousands of women marched in different cities in Turkey on Wednesday, August 5, demanding that the government take strong steps to stop the violence against women and asking it to not withdraw from the Istanbul convention. | Wednesday's protests were part of the ongoing movement that started last month after the brutal murder of a 27-year-old woman, Pinar Gultekin. Protests were held in several cities across Turkey including Istanbul, Izmir, Ankara, Adana and Antalya. In Izmir, the women carried out a sit-in when the police used force and detained several of the protestors. | Hundreds of protestors gathering in…
(2020-08-07). Amendment 4 is Back in Court as Florida Fights Our Victory Over its Modern-Day Poll Tax. aclu.org Betty Riddle, a grandmother and university graduate,
(2020-08-07). Thursday 8/6: Communities of Color: Communicating Safe Voting Options for November. indybay.org Online via livestream at Human Rights Campaign Facebook…
(2020-08-07). Thursday 8/6: Voting Rights Act 55th Anniversary: COVID19, Voter Suppression, Vote by Mail, & More. indybay.org Online via Twitter…
(2020-08-07). Putin and Lukashenko discuss Belarus' detention of 33 Russians: Kremlin. yenisafak.com Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin expressed confidence on Friday that tensions over the detention of 33 Russian citizens in Minsk can be resolved, the Kremlin said.The arrests further strained relations between the two traditional allies, already soured this year by a dispute over oil, in the run-up to a presidential election in Belarus on Sunday, seen as Lukashenko's toughest political challenge in years.The two leaders spoke by telephone, the Kremlin added.
(2020-08-06). CLDC Fighting Corporate-Fueled Legal Persecution Of Human Rights Lawyer. popularresistance.org For several years now, human rights attorney Steven Donziger has been in the fight of his life and career after Chevron vowed to destroy him for winning a $9.5 billion judgment for indigenous communities in the Ecuadorian Amazon that had been poisoned by the company's oil drilling. From buying off judges and experts in Ecuador to filing trumped up racketeering charges in the U.S. and getting the inappropriately sympathetic federal judge Kaplan to demand that Mr. Donziger turn over his laptop, cell phone, and attorney-client communications with his extremely vulnerable indigenous clients, Chevron will stop at noth…
(2020-08-06). Progressives score big wins in Missouri and Michigan. peoplesworld.org 
ST. LOUIS—Progressive candidates, running on causes such as Medicare For All, the $15 minimum wage, workers' rights, and the Green New Deal, scored impressive wins in the August 4 Democratic primaries in Missouri and Michigan. Next battle up: Minnesota. The biggest win came in St. Louis, where Cori Bush, in her second try for the …
(2020-08-06). Sergey Furgal for President? LDPR leader refuses to rule out choosing ousted Khabarovsk governor as 2024 presidential nominee. rt.com 
The former Governor of Khabarovsk, Sergey Furgal, won't be excluded from the opposition LDPR party,even if found guilty, and could stand for Russian President if acquitted of murder, according to its leader, Vladimir Zhirinovsky. | Furgal, who was elected to his post in September 2018, was arrested on July 9 on suspicion of ordering three murders —two successful and one failed— in the mid-2000s. Following his detention, he was flown to Moscow, where he is currently awaiting trial. | "We won't rule it out. He's still ours. We will keep him in the ranks of the LDPR, we will support him, we will give hi…
(2020-08-06). NY Attorney General announces lawsuit to dissolve National Rifle Association for 'years of self-dealing' and 'illegal conduct'. rt.com 
New York Attorney General Letitia James has said that she is filing a lawsuit with the intention of dissolving the National Rifle Association (NRA), alleging they are guilty of years of "illegal conduct." | Announcing the lawsuit on Thursday, James accused the NRA of diverting millions of dollars "away from its charitable mission" and into the pockets of "senior leadership." This, she says, violates New York's charity laws. | The lawsuit is targeting the gun-rights organization as a whole, but also names senior leadership, including NRA Chief Executive and Executive Vice President Wayne LePierre. | #BREAKING
(2020-08-06). Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals refuses to hear Socialist Equality Party candidates' appeal in California voting rights case until after ballots are printed. wsws.org The decision effectively deprives Joseph Kishore and Norissa Santa Cruz of the right to have their appeal heard on the merits before the ballots are printed.
(2020-08-06). Congress Fiddles While the Unemployed Burn Through Life Savings. sputniknews.com On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Pete Dolack, an activist and writer with Trade Justice New York Metro, who focuses on human rights, social justice, and environmental and trade issues and is the author of "It's Not Over, Learning from the Socialist Experiment."
(2020-08-06). Dreamers' Children: Up to 200,000 American Kids Could be Left Parentless. commondreams.org Immigration rights activists take part in a rally in front of the US Supreme Court in Washington, DC on November 12, 2019. (Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-08-06). Artists, writers and human rights groups urge Egypt to release Sanaa Seif. peoplesdispatch.org Sanaa Seif has been held in pre-trial detention since June for protesting the illegal detention of her brother, activist Alaa Abdel Fattah. She was abducted from outside the prosecutor general's office where she had gone to file a complaint…
(2020-08-06). Yemen: Human right violations against journalists, coming 'from all quarters'. news.un.org Unparalleled rights violations and abuses against journalists are being carried out by all parties to the armed conflict in Yemen, the UN human rights chief said on Thursday…
(2020-08-06). Yemen: Human rights violations against journalists, coming 'from all quarters'. news.un.org Unparalleled rights violations and abuses against journalists are being carried out by all parties to the armed conflict in Yemen, the UN human rights chief said on Thursday…
(2020-08-06). Wearing the Mask is Mandatory in Quebec: The Legault Government's Legitimacy Questioned. globalresearch.ca "More than a thousand people responded to the call for a rally in front of the National Assembly on Sunday to protest against the mandatory wearing of masks in Quebec and more broadly for the preservation of their rights and …
(2020-08-06). Mexican State Bans The Selling Of Junk Food To Children. telesurenglish.net The Mexican state of Oaxaca banned on Thursday the sale of sugary drinks and high-calorie snacks to children, an unprecedented decision aimed at tackling obesity. | RELATED: | The state congress approved the reform to article 20 of the children and adolescents' rights law, with a majority of 31 votes. The decision turns Oaxaca in the first state ever in Mexicos' history to legally prevent the consumption of junk food…
(2020-08-06). Sunday 8/9: Our Freedom, Our Fight: NARAL Activists' Summit for Reproductive Rights (Day 2). indybay.org Online via Hopin…
(2020-08-06). Saturday 8/8: Our Freedom, Our Fight: NARAL Activists' Summit for Reproductive Rights (Day 1). indybay.org Online via Hopin…
(2020-08-06). Two Palestinians contract coronavirus in Israeli prisons. yenisafak.com Two more Palestinian detainees have been infected with coronavirus in Israeli prisons in Ramallah, occupied West Bank. In a statement Thursday, the Palestinian Prisoner Society (PPS), a non-governmental organization, said: "The administration of the Israeli prison of Ofer — western Ramallah — announced that Naim Abu Turki, 38, has been infected with coronavirus."Abu Turki, arrested at his home in Hebron, has been under detention for the last four days. The PPS warned of further spread of coronavirus among the Palestinian prisoners. | Earlier in the day, the Palestinian Authority Prisoners' Affairs Com…
(2020-08-06). 'India not releasing jailed critics despite virus risk'. yenisafak.com India is among several countries where human rights defenders and activists imprisoned for criticizing the government have been kept in jail despite the risk of COVID-19, Amnesty International said in a report released on Thursday.The new briefing, Daring to Stand up for Human Rights in a Pandemic, states that India is one of the countries that has "left prisoners of conscience to languish in appalling conditions despite widely publicized prisoner release programs."According to the report, 131 people who speak up for human rights have been harassed, prosecuted, killed, or imprisoned on COVID-19-related pretexts i…
(2020-08-06). Saying ICE Has 'Lost the Right to Be Trusted,' Federal Judge Orders Mandatory Testing at Detention Center Hit by Covid-19. commondreams.org Court order follows an outbreak at the Mesa Verde Detention Center and evidence that officials opted not to test detainees for fear of positive test results. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-08-06). Voting Rights Act Turns 55 and Must be Restored in Honor of John Lewis. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2020-08-06). On 55th Anniversary of Voting Rights Act, Advocates Call on Congress to Fully Restore Law to Honor John Lewis's Fight for Justice. commondreams.org Civil rights advocates on Thursday marked the 55th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, both in celebration of the hard-won victory of activists in the 1960s and in honor of the late Rep. John Lewis, whose tireless organizing helped pressure lawmakers to sign the legislation. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-08-06). 'Thoughts and Prayers': Gun Control Groups Send Ironic Condolences After New York AG Files Lawsuit Seeking to Dissolve NRA. commondreams.org Gun control advocates repurposed the pro-gun movement's frequent refrain Thursday, offering "thoughts and prayers" to the National Rifle Association after New York Attorney General Letitia James announced that she had filed a lawsuit seeking to dissolve the powerful gun rights organization. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-08-05). U.S. Cold War China Policy Will Isolate the U.S, Not China. counterpunch.org Tensions between the United States and China are rising as the U.S. election nears, with tit-for-tat consulate closures, new U.S. sanctions and no less than three U.S. aircraft carrier strike groups prowling the seas around China. But it is the United States that has initiated each new escalation in U.S.-China relations. China's responses have been
(2020-08-05). Gloria La Riva stands with San Juan County prisoners in their revolt. liberationnews.org 
Liberation News screenshot of video of San Juan County Adult Detention Center posted by San Juan County Sheriff's Office U.S. presidential candidate Gloria La Riva, who will appear on the ballot in New Mexico and other states on the Party for Socialism and Liberation's ticket, expresses solidarity with the July 13 uprising at San Juan …
(2020-08-05). Don't fall victim to the right's anti-science coronavirus conspiracy theories. peoplesworld.org 
With no early end in sight to the COVID-19 pandemic, two crucial questions are on the agenda: How can we protect lives in this emergency, and what fundamental economic changes can prevent big corporate interests from imposing the burden of this crisis on working people? The second question is a subject for another commentary, but …
(2020-08-05). Beirut Blast a Deadly Blow to Lebanon's Already Shattered Economy. mintpressnews.com 
With Lebanon already suffering from a food crisis, currency collapse, and economic sanctions, the devastating explosion at Beirut's biggest port may be a death knell for the country's economy.
(2020-08-05). Rights Groups Raise Alarm Over Upcoming Supreme Court Case That Could Turn US Into 'Safe Haven' for Abusive Corporations. commondreams.org The U.S. Supreme Court could soon turn the United States into "a safe haven for human rights abusers," rights groups said Wednesday, raising alarm over the court's plan to hear arguments from Nestle and Cargill about a lawsuit brought against the companies in 2005. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-08-05). Kashmir, India and Human Rights. globalresearch.ca It is one year since the Indian government revoked article 370 of their constitution, thus rendering Kashmir an oppressed colony of India. This is not to imply that Kashmiris enjoyed any semblance of independence prior to August 5 of 2019, …
(2020-08-05). Independent rights experts call on India to remedy 'alarming' situation in Jammu and Kashmir. news.un.org UN-appointed independent human rights experts have called for urgent action in India's Jammu and Kashmir, amid concerns of ongoing abuses against civilians there.
(2020-08-05). 'The world is watching': Amnesty report details human rights violations by US police during racial justice protests. nationofchange.org "Similar to the arrest of journalists—at the end of day, we need people who can tell this story, collect this information, or the government can do whatever it wants."
(2020-08-05). United Steelworkers shuts down strike by Asarco copper miners. wsws.org In a monstrous betrayal, the union has closed down picket lines and ordered striking miners to accept any job offered by the company or risk losing their unemployment benefits and any recall rights.
(2020-08-05). The U.S. Refuses to Give Up Its Colonies. progressive.org Representatives from five U.S. island territories are demanding either equal rights or a path to independence.
(2020-08-05). Restoring the Voting Rights Act in Congressman John Lewis' Memory. splcenter.org As we commemorate the 55th anniversary of the most effective civil rights legislation ever passed, I can't think of a more meaningful way to honor the congressman's legacy…
(2020-08-05). US imposes new sanctions on China over alleged Uyghur abuses. wsws.org US propaganda now includes allegations of Uyghur "genocide," based on sensational accounts of forced birth control and the sterilization of Uyghur women in Xinjiang province.
(2020-08-05). Turkey stresses import of European watchdog reports. yenisafak.com Turkey values the Council of Europe's independent monitoring mechanisms and its cooperation with them, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.The assertion was part of a statement announcing the release of reports by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) on its 2017 and 2019 visits to Turkey.The ministry stressed that the reports, available on the CPT website, were released with Ankara's authorization and include the Turkish government's responses."Turkey attaches importance to the independent monitoring mechanisms of the Council of Eur…
(2020-08-05). Lawyers' Committee Statement on Iowa Governor Executive Order Restoring Voting Rights to Iowans with Former Convictions. commondreams.org ______________________________…