(2020-08-31). US Sanctions Russian Research Institute that Developed COVID-19 Vaccine. globalresearch.ca Russia won the race to develop the first vaccine against the novel coronavirus. The United States has responded by slapping sanctions on a Russian research facility involved in creating it. | The US government has blacklisted several Russian scientific institutes, including …
(2020-08-31). Reflecting On 12 Years In Palestine. popularresistance.org In Palestine, I have split my time between working on human rights issues for Palestinians and working for the environment. These are not mutually exclusive as there is significant overlap. There are issues of colonizer assaults on the environment and environmental justice. There are issues of human sustainability and food security (dependent on the environment). Of course where and how we act evolves and changes in time. In those 12 years, I learned that our struggle as indigenous people in Palestine is connected to the struggle of indigenous people everywhere. I also learned that since the wealthy elites have n…
(2020-08-31). India's Communist youth raise $1.4 million for COVID relief with recycling drive. peoplesworld.org 
KERALA STATE, India—Ever since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, leftist youth organizations around the world have been in the forefront of both providing relief and resisting attempts to attack the rights of people. An instance of this has been the "Recycle Kerala" initiative launched by the communist Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), which …
(2020-08-31). Waiting for the Old Bailey: Julian Assange and Britain's Judicial Establishment. counterpunch.org 
On September 7, Julian Assange will be facing another round of gruelling extradition proceedings, in the Old Bailey, part of a process that has become a form of gradual state-sanctioned torture. The US Department of Justice hungers for their man. The UK prison authorities are doing little to protect his health. The end result, should
(2020-08-31). Hundreds march in St. Paul for clean Dream Act and legalization for all. fightbacknews.org Saint Paul, MN – Hundreds marched through the West Side of Saint Paul from Castillo Park to Senator Tina Smith's office on August 29 demanding the Senate take immediate action towards legalization for all residents. The march was part of an ongoing campaign by the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) demanding legalization for all immigrants eligible for DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals), TPS (Temporary Protective Status), and DED (Deferred Enforced Departure) status. | The Dream and Promise Act, which would accomplish that goal, has been passed by the U.S. House of Representatives. For…
(2020-08-31). Fall 2020 National Immigrant Solidarity Network Immigrant News Alert! indybay.org ICE Is Leaving Immigrants To Die In Detention, Trump Used Looted Venezuelan Public Money To Build Border Wall With Mexico…
(2020-08-31). EU Supports US Coup Plot Against Belarus, Imposes Illegal Sanctions. globalresearch.ca Nearly always, EU countries are subservient to Washington's geopolitical agenda — no matter how unlawful. | Support by Britain, France, Germany (the E3), and Brussels for Iran's right to buy and sell conventional arms once the UN embargo on the practice …
(2020-08-31). Venezuela's Oil Industry Between Sanctions and Strategic Blunders: A Conversation with Carlos Mendoza Potella. globalresearch.ca Carlos Mendoza Potella is an economics professor at Venezuela's Central University and advisor to Venezuela's Central Bank. He recently spoke to Venezuelanalysis about the origins of the crisis in the country's oil industry and what that means for its future….
(2020-08-31). Jacksonville demands People's Budget, justice for Jacob Blake. fightbacknews.org Jacksonville, FL – On Saturday August 29, the Jacksonville Community Action Committee organized a drive-in protest to demand a People's Budget, a Jacksonville Police Accountability Council (JPAC) and an end to the Law Enforcement Officers' Bill of Rights (LEOBOR). Protesters were joined by the families of Reginald Boston and Leah Baker; all of whom were killed by Jacksonville Sheriff Office (JSO) cops. Protesters also stood in solidarity with protestors in Kenosha, demanding Justice for Jacob Blake. | To ensure the safety of protesters in the midst of COVID-19 outbreaks in Florida, a drive-in protest was held. Ov…
(2020-08-31). Indian people's organizations stand up to Modi govt. peoplesdispatch.org Under the banner of Hum Agar Uthe Nahi Toh (If We Do Not Rise), over 400 Indian women's groups and human rights organizations are coming together for a joint campaign.
(2020-08-31). Know Your Rights — Don't Talk To Cops At The Airport. popularresistance.org "Have you ever been arrested for a crime?" I wasn't surprised that was the first question. I've said consistently over the past eight years that I wear my conviction for blowing the whistle on the CIA's torture program like a badge of honor. I said so on CNN, MSNBC, Fox News and NBC's Today Show. It's no secret. "I'm going to tell you guys exactly the same thing that I tell your friends at Dulles Airport when they harass me. I'm represented by counsel. I don't talk to cops. You have no right to detain me. I'm a journalist and I'm going to write about this incident using your true names. And you have no legal righ…
(2020-08-31). Minsk Will Have to Respond to Baltic States' Sanctions, Belarusian Foreign Ministry Says. sputniknews.com MINSK (Sputnik) – Minsk will be forced to adequately respond to the sanctions of the Baltic states, Belarusian Foreign Ministry spokesman Anatoly Glaz said.
(2020-08-31). Germany says it supports Belarus protesters. yenisafak.com The German government supports those protesting against the results of the Aug. 9 presidential election in Belarus, a spokesperson said on Monday.Steffen Seibert, chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman, told a press conference that there were convincing reports of police detaining "peaceful protestors" in Belarus, during what he called "impressive protests" over the weekend.He hailed the protestors' courage despite pressure from President Alexander Lukashenko, and called on him to "recognize the reality in the country."There needs to be an open dialogue between the government, opposition and the society in Belarus,…
(2020-08-31). Human Rights Organizations Urge Court to Safeguard Children's Rights and Family Unity. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2020-08-30). US Sanctions Russian Institute That Developed COVID-19 Vaccine. popularresistance.org Russia won the race to develop the first vaccine against the novel coronavirus. The United States has responded by slapping sanctions on a Russian research facility involved in creating it. | The US government has blacklisted several Russian scientific institutes, including the Russian Defense Ministry's 48th Central Research Institute, which has worked with other non-military medical centers to develop and test the world's first Covid-19 vaccine. | In the midst of the global coronavirus pandemic and a historic economic crisis, Washington has escalated its global campaign of economic warfare, imposing sanctions o…
(2020-08-30). How To Destroy Surveillance Capitalism. popularresistance.org Figuring out what we want our tech to look like is crucial if we're going to get out of this mess. Today, we're at a crossroads where we're trying to figure out if we want to fix the Big Tech companies that dominate our internet or if we want to fix the internet itself by unshackling it from Big Tech's stranglehold. We can't do both, so we have to choose. | I want us to choose wisely. Taming Big Tech is integral to fixing the internet, and for that, we need digital rights activism.
(2020-08-30). Turkish president marks 98th anniversary of Victory Day. yenisafak.com Turkey on Sunday celebrated the 98th anniversary of Victory Day, which commemorates the resounding defeat of the Greek forces at the hands of the Turks in the Battle of Dumlupinar in 1922.President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, senior government and high-ranking military officials, and opposition leaders laid a wreath at Anitkabir, the mausoleum of Turkish Republic's founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk in the capital Ankara."Our critical achievements in different fields are the clearest indication of our will to protect the rights and interests of our country," Erdogan wrote in the Anitkabir memorial book.He also wrote: "We ar…
(2020-08-30). Missing persons in Syria near 100,000: Watchdog. yenisafak.com In a report released on the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, the Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) said a vast majority of these people were picked up by the Syrian regime forces, followed by the ISIS/Daesh.A total of 84,371 were forcibly disappeared by the Syrian regime forces, including 1,738 children and 4,982 women, it said.An additional 8,648 individuals, including 319 children and 225 women, were disappeared by ISIS [Daesh], the report added.Stating that disappearances were on the rise since 2011, the report said 991 people according to the Syrian regime died in detention. T…
(2020-08-29). A Colombian Activist Is Killed Every 20 Hours. popularresistance.org The Alliance for Global Justice is extremely concerned with the recent increase of violence in Colombia. In our June 16, 2020 action, we asked you to sign a letter asking Members of the USA Congress to act immediately to protect the lives of social leaders, peasants, indigenous and Afro Colombians victims of the violence generated by the illegal arm forces present in their communities. Unfortunately, despite our efforts, the human rights situation in Colombia has worsened to disturbing levels. | In 2020, there have been 43 massacres with most of the victims in the Colombia states of Nariño, Cauca, Valle del Cauca…
(2020-08-29). U.S. Sanctions Russian Research Institute That Developed Covid-19 Vaccine. strategic-culture.org 
The US Commerce Department blacklisted a Russian research institute that helped create the world's first Covid-19 vaccine. | Ben NORTON | Russia won the race to develop the first vaccine against the novel coronavirus. The United States has responded by slapping sanctions on a Russian research facility involved in creating it. | The US government has blacklisted several Russian scientific institutes, including the Russian Defense Ministry's 48th Central Research Institute, which has worked with other non-military medical centers to develop and test the world's first Covid-19 vaccine. | In the midst of the global c…
(2020-08-29). 'Pipelines aren't built just to annoy somebody': Former Austrian FM Karin Kneissl believes Nord Stream 2 will be completed. rt.com 
The joint Russian-German Nord Stream 2 pipeline project is likely to be completed despite all the obstacles, Austria's former FM Karin Kneissl believes. Still, the US will try its best to stop it going ahead, she warned. | Commenting on recent remarks by Chancellor Angela Merkel, who called for the pipeline project not to be politicized, Kneissl said the German leader was absolutely right. Nord Stream 2's construction should proceed regardless of the alleged poisoning of Kremlin critic Alexey Navalny or US opposition to the project. | "As I've said on various occasions, also to my counterparts when I was still…
(2020-08-29). Enforced disappearances 'rife across the world' — UN chief. news.un.org More than a human rights violation against an individual, enforced disappearances have frequently been used as a strategy to spread terror within the whole of society, the United Nations said on Sunday, the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearance.
(2020-08-29). Argentine government declares cell phone, internet and pay television as essential services. peoplesdispatch.org Argentine President Alberto Fernández, on August 21, announced that cell phone, internet and pay television services will be considered essential public services. He also anticipated that the rates of these services will be frozen until December 31. "In the face of the restrictions imposed by the pandemic, no one should give up a part of their income to face the increases in the prices of these services," said Fernández. | In a tweet, Fernández announced that "Education, access to knowledge, culture and communication are basic rights that we must preserve. That is why we have ordered that from now on there are in…
(2020-08-29). 500,000 Kashmiri have lost their jobs because of digital apartheid, says JKCCS report. peoplesdispatch.org A report by the Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society remarks that the multi-faceted and targeted denial of digital rights is a "systemic form of discrimination, digital repression and collective punishment" for the Kashmiri population…
(2020-08-29). These Six Banks Have Frozen $4.6 Billion Belonging To Venezuelans. popularresistance.org The looting, theft and hijacking of resources from Venezuela has been of great magnitude, six banks withhold under the excuse of US sanctions, around 4.6 billion dollars much needed by and belonging to the Venezuelans, currently facing a spike in Covid-19 cases. The website La Tabla cited the data published by the Venezuelan NGO dedicated to the study, promotion, education and defense of human rights, "Organización Sures", which explained that this Venezuelan money is in the following banks: | Novo Banco: $ 1,547,322,175.89, | Bank of England: $ 1,323,228,162.57, | Clearstream: $ 517,088,580.00, | Citibank: $ 458…
(2020-08-29). Jordan urged to free cartoonist held over UAE drawing. yenisafak.com Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on the Jordanian authorities to immediately release a cartoonist for drawing a satirical cartoon about a recent normalization deal between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Israel.Emad Hajjaj was arrested by Jordanian police on charges of insulting an Arab country."Calling a satirical cartoon a terrorism offense only confirms that Jordan intends to muzzle citizens who speak freely," Joe Stork, HRW's deputy Middle East director, said in a statement."This arrest sends the message that Jordanian authorities would rather abuse the rights of their own citizens than risk offending…
(2020-08-29). Turkey Launches Shooting Exercises in Eastern Mediterranean Amid Drilling Tensions With Greece. sputniknews.com The development comes as Ankara is engaged in a bitter territorial dispute with Greece and Cyprus. The European Union has threatened to slap sanctions on Turkey if it continues with what Brussels has called "illegal drilling".
(2020-08-29). Venezuela Reportedly Sends Ship Full of Aluminium to Iran Following Fuel Deliveries From Tehran. sputniknews.com The two countries have been actively cooperating after unilateral US sanctions started affecting their economies. Tehran has namely delivered several shipments to help Caracas restart its massive oil refining industry.
(2020-08-29). Turkey expects 'equity' from EU amid East Med tension. yenisafak.com The Turkish vice president Saturday called on the EU for equity amid ongoing tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean.In an exclusive interview with Anadolu Agency, Fuat Oktay said: "Turkey expects equity from the EU, no one should expect Ankara to take a step back based on this equity."Oktay further asked: "If the Greek attempts to expand its territorial waters isn't a cause of war, then what is?" stressing that the country "will protect its rights on every cubic meter in the Eastern Mediterranean waters no matter what.""It is insincere for the EU to call for dialogue on the one hand and make other plans on the oth…
(2020-08-29). Saving the U.S. Postal Service is a Civil Rights Issue. commondreams.org Dozens of mail boxes sit in the parking lot of a post office on Lafayette Avenue in the Bronx borough of New York City on August 17, 2020 . Mayor Bill De Blasio has called for an investigation after receiving reports of mailboxes being removed throughout the city. (Photo: David Dee Delgado/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-08-28). Reporters Without Borders petition against Assange's extradition, raise concern over his health. peoplesdispatch.org Reporters Without Borders has called on the British government to respect press freedom and human rights in Assange's trial and not comply with the US extradition request…
(2020-08-28). UN rights chief urges DR Congo to protect Nobel laureate Mukwege amid death threats. news.un.org UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet has condemned death threats made against Congolese Nobel Prize laureate Dr. Denis Mukwege and called for his protection.
(2020-08-28). MIRAC demands Minnesota divest from border militarization corporation Elbit Systems. fightbacknews.org Saint Paul, MN – At the State Board of Investments (SBI) meeting on August 26, Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) member Mari Mansfield spoke out, demanding that Minnesota divest its funds from the border militarization corporation Elbit Systems. | This was part of an ongoing campaign to press the State Board of Investments on this issue. Activists from MIRAC, the Anti-War Committee and other organizations have spoken at several previous SBI meetings, have presented thousands of petitions, and have protested in front of Governor Walz's mansion to demand divestment from Elbit System because of the…
(2020-08-28). Rights groups, opposition parties in the UK oppose bill claiming it provides amnesty to war crimes. peoplesdispatch.org 
The controversial Overseas Operations Bill will provide partial amnesty to soldiers if the case is filed after five years from the date of the crime or if the investigation is not completed within five years…
(2020-08-28). March on Washington commemorations expected to be attended by thousands. thecanary.co 
Civil rights advocates in the US will highlight police and vigilante violence against Black people at a commemoration of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.Thousands are expected at the steps of the Lincoln Memorial where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his historic I Have A Dream address about racial equality.They are gathering after another shooting by a white police officer of a Black man — this time 29-year-old Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on 23 August — sparking days of protests and violence that left two dead."We've got to create a different consciousness and a different clim…
(2020-08-28). New guidelines aim to dismantle barriers blocking people with disabilities from access to justice. news.un.org The first-ever guidelines on access to justice for people with disabilities are an "indispensable contribution" towards ensuring justice for all, UN human rights experts said on Friday.
(2020-08-28). "Made in Bangladesh". Women Workers in Dhaka Factories Fight For Their Rights. A Union Story. globalresearch.ca If you're gathering evidence of the victimization of Muslim women, this is not your film. Yes, Made in Bangladesh highlights exploitation in a country, most of whose citizens are Muslim. But this film's focus is women workers: people working to …
(2020-08-28). 100 Years and Counting: The Fight for Women's Suffrage Continues. aclu.org One hundred years ago this month, the
(2020-08-28). Myanmar: Upcoming elections an opportunity to take a new inclusive democratic path. news.un.org The Government of Myanmar should embrace upcoming national elections, scheduled for November, as an opportunity to take a new and fully inclusive democratic path, and to address the root of causes of abuses suffered by ethnic minorities, the UN human rights office (OHCHR) has urged.
(2020-08-28). New killings after Jacob Blake shooting reveal chronic problems still to be overcome in US. news.un.org Disturbing video footage purportedly showing a teenager involved in a deadly shooting in the US state of Wisconsin is evidence that far stricter gun control measures are needed, the UN human rights office, OHCHR said on Friday..
(2020-08-28). Saturday 8/29: ERA: Strictly Speaking Equal Rights Should Have No Deadline. indybay.org Online via livestream…
(2020-08-28). Zarif trying to simplify law for US officials. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 28 (MNA) — Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif reacted to recent threats of the United States for imposing sanctions against any country that stands against their snapback measures.
(2020-08-28). Russian FM: US Sanctions on Institute Working on COVID Vaccine Aimed at Promoting Their Own Pharma. sputniknews.com On Wednesday, the US slapped sanctions on five Russian institutes, accusing them of developing chemical and biological weapons. The restrictions were specifically imposed on a research institute of the Russian Defence Ministry that developed the first COVID-19 vaccine together with the Gamaleya Institute.
(2020-08-28). Merkel on Greece-Turkey East Med Row: All EU Countries Have Obligation to Support Athens. sputniknews.com Tensions in the eastern Mediterranean have been escalating since Turkey renewed its efforts to explore energy reserves near Cyprus. Ankara claims rights to parts of the island's offshore resources despite vehement opposition from Greece and some other EU states.
(2020-08-28). Foreign missions condemn rights abuses in Zimbabwe. yenisafak.com In a joint statement issued Friday, the envoys urged Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa to walk the talk, after pledging two years ago to work with all citizens."It is in this spirit that the Heads of Mission express their deep concern with the current political, economic, social, and health crisis that most Zimbabweans are facing today."The Heads of Mission stand by the people of Zimbabwe in their desire for a peaceful and prosperous democracy," the joint statement read.The mission heads noted that the government was criticizing almost everyone including the Catholic Bishops for raising their voices against h…
(2020-08-28). Germany calls for dialogue between Turkey, Greece. yenisafak.com German Chancellor Angela Merkel Friday reiterated her call for dialogue between Turkey and Greece over the offshore energy exploration in Eastern Mediterranean. | "I made an effort to reduce tension. Sometimes this is only possible with both parties speaking over and over again," said Merkel during her traditional annual summer news conference. | "The discussion regarding the distribution of economic zones can only be carried out together. Germany is making an effort for this," she added. | "As EU member states, we all have a duty to take our Greek friends' rights seriously and support them where they are right."
(2020-08-28). Germany would be ready to sanction Russia over Navalny case: Maas. yenisafak.com Germany would be ready to impose diplomatic sanctions against Russia if it concludes that Russian state agencies were behind the poisoning of a critic of President Vladimir Putin, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said on Friday."Concerning Russia's readiness to clear up the case of (Alexei) Navalny we will act like we did in the case of the Tiergarten murder," Maas said, referring to Germany's expulsion of Russian embassy employees over Moscow's lack of cooperation in a probe into the murder of a Georgian man in a Berlin park.
(2020-08-28). Securing 'Real Change' for Voting Rights, NBA Players Strike Wins Use of Stadiums for Polling Stations, Other Reforms. commondreams.org "Don't give into something that hasn't happened. Keep pushing, keep working." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-08-28). 'Get Your Knee Off Our Necks': On 57th Anniversary of Historic Civil Rights Rally, Tens of Thousands March on Washington. commondreams.org Fifty thousand people are expected to attend the "Get Your Knee Off Our Necks" March in Washington, D.C. on Friday as racial justice advocates gather to mark the 57th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s speech at the 1963 March on Washington and commit to fighting for meaningful criminal justice reform. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-08-27). Human rights are the 'means by which governments can successfully beat pandemics', says UNAIDS chief. news.un.org Some of the world's most marginalized and defenseless communities have fallen victim to violence and other rights abuses during the COVID-19 pandemic, prompting the UN agency dedicated to tackling the AIDS virus to urge Governments to protect the most vulnerable, particularly key populations at higher risk of HIV.