Daily Archives: April 9, 2021

2021-04-09: News Headlines

Casey Davidson (2021-04-09). China rejects U.S.' human rights hypocrisy, points to repression of Black Lives Matter. peoplesworld.org Top officials from China and the United States exchanged verbal blows at the Alaska Summit last week, after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan opened the session by making false and unwarranted accusations about China's governance and international affairs. In the summit's opening remarks, Blinken accused China of …

Eve Ottenberg (2021-04-09). The Judicial Persecution of Steven Donziger. counterpunch.org For some, call them criminal justice ingenues, it may be hard to believe this is happening in the United States, that our famed judiciary has sunk this low. But in the U.S., a judge acts as prosecutor and jury on behalf of a giant oil company, Chevron, as it destroys the life and career of human rights lawyer Steven Donziger. His crime? Daring to win a judgment against Chevron in an Ecuadorian court. For those less enchanted with the U.S. justice system, this is no surprise. But there it is. This judicial travesty is occurring in New York state. And the Chevron friendly judges — first Lewis A. Kaplan and hi…

Ahmed Abdulkareem (2021-04-09). Biden's Empty Gesture: Houthis No Longer "Terrorists" but Yemen's Suffering Only Grows. mintpressnews.com Human rights groups have warned that levels of famine in Yemen are now among the highest recorded since 2015, suggesting that suffering in the country has actually grown worse under the Biden administration.

Jeffrey Kaye (2021-04-09). New Revelations on Germ Warfare: It's Time for a Reckoning with Our History from the Korean War. counterpunch.org The New York Times, which for years has maintained that U.S. airmen's statements about use of biological weapons during the Korean War were "false confessions" obtained by Chinese and North Korean torture, never acknowledged the following submission sent to its opinion section in November 2020. I am publishing the article instead at CounterPunch, which is

Pavan Kulkarni (2021-04-09). Court hearing of Communist Party of Kenya members postponed to Monday. peoplesdispatch.org The court hearing of 12 members of the Communist Party of Kenya who were detained on Wednesday has been postponed. The police action against them came as the party was organizing a movement against the skewed COVID-19 strategy of the government…

_____ (2021-04-09). Senate Unveils Sweeping Legislation To Confront China. popularresistance.org The Senate Foreign Relations Committee announced a new piece of bipartisan legislation to confront China through prioritized military spending and more arms sales in the Indo-Pacific, sanctions, money for "democracy promotion" in Hong Kong, and other areas where the US seeks to counter Beijing. | The legislation still needs to go through the Committee before being introduced in the Senate, but a draft of the bill, titled the Strategic Competition Act of 2021, was released by Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ), the Committee chairman. Menendez negotiated the bill with Committee Ranking Member Jim Risch (R-ID). | In a rel…

Pasqualina Curcio (2021-04-09). Global Proposal Against the Economic Blockade. orinocotribune.com By Pasqualina Curcio — Apr 5, 2021 | At least twenty countries are formally victims of US "sanctions". Since 1992, in the United Nations General Assembly, all countries except the US and Israel have voted against the unilateral coercive measures imposed by the United States on Cuba. Despite the evident majority, the US has ignored them. Good wishes, denunciations and calls to lift the blockades have not been enough to prevent these genocidal actions against entire peoples. | To put an end to these interference practices, we must make amends for two serious mistakes we made as humanity in 1944 and 1971. To do…

John Feffer (2021-04-09). International Law Uncanceled: Biden Lifts Sanctions Against ICC, But It's Not Enough. counterpunch.org When the loony right gathered at the Conservative Political Action Conference back in February, the theme of the Trump-heavy gathering was "America Uncanceled." Speaker after speaker railed against "political correctness" in American culture, from "woke mobs" to "censorship" in the mainstream news media. Incredibly, they tried to transform so-called cancel culture into the single greatest

Anonymous669 (2021-04-09). HTS Terrorist Attack On School Thwarted In Crimea (Video). southfront.org ROSTOV-ON-DON REGION, RUSSIA — JULY 15, 2019: Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) officers detain two members of a cell of the Islamic State terrorist organization (banned in Russia). Video screen grab/ Russian Federal Security Service/TASS | On April 9, the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) thwarted a terrorist attack in the city of Simferopol, the capital of Crimea. | In a statement, the FSB's Public Relations Center announced that two supporters of the Syria-based terrorist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) [m…

Roger Stoll (2021-04-09). Unconventional US Warfare Won't Stop Nicaragua's Revolution. dissidentvoice.org Republican strategist Karl Rove often advised his clients to attack not the enemy's weaknesses but its strenghts. The bipartisan US foreign policy disinformation machine has taken Rove's advice with tedious devotion. So, to attack Nicaragua, the machine's fabrications and propaganda have targeted some of that country's strengths: gender equity, Indigenous rights and autonomy, democracy, sovereignty, …

Socorro Diaz (2021-04-09). Protect Care Workers — You'll Need Us Someday. zcomm.org All we're asking is for the same rights and protections other workers enjoy…

John Feffer (2021-04-09). International Law Uncanceled. zcomm.org The Biden administration lifted sanctions against the International Criminal Court. It's not enough…

Peter Koenig (2021-04-09). Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination and the SPARS 2025-2028 Simulation? A Plan to Launch a New Pandemic? globalresearch.ca Compulsory Vaccination in Europe | Today the European Court of Human Rights …

MEE staff (2021-04-09). UN concerned by 'lack of transparency' over arrests in Jordan. middleeasteye.net UN concerned by 'lack of transparency' over arrests in Jordan | UN human rights office says it's unclear whether Prince Hamzah remains under de facto house arrest | Fri, 04/09/2021 – 17: 43 | Jordan's former crown prince is accused of trying to destabilise the kingdom (AFP) | The UN human rights office said on Friday it remained unclear whether Jordan's Prince Hamzah remains under de facto house arrest, and vo…

webdev (2021-04-09). Amnesty Int'l: COVID-19 Exacerbates Inequality in Americas as U.S. Policy Drives Refugees to Border. democracynow.org A new Amnesty International report lays out how the pandemic has significantly exacerbated inequality across the Americas over the past year. Over 1.3 million people have died in the region from COVID-19, making the Americas the hardest-hit area in the world. Women, refugees, migrants, underprotected health workers, Indigenous peoples, Black people and other groups historically excluded and neglected by governments have borne the brunt of the pandemic, according to the report, which also points out the rise in gender violence and lethal crackdown on human rights defenders. "It's not a surprise that the Americas h…

Dave DeCamp (2021-04-09). China Blasts US Military Interventions in Human Rights Report. news.antiwar.com In the face of constant attacks by US officials over alleged human rights abuses, The report, titled "Severe Humanitarian Disasters Caused by US Aggressive Wars against Foreign Countries," was "The majority of th…

DMG (2021-04-08). Myanmar: 53 Journalists Detained, Prosecuted Since Military Coup. eurasiareview.com A total of 53 reporters have been detained or prosecuted since the military coup on February 1, said journalist U Myint Kyaw, citing data from fellow members of the media. | Twenty-six of them are under detention, 15 of them have been charged under Section 505(a) of the Penal Code, and the rest have been released, said U Myint Kyaw. | "Prosecution is not a good sign for all the journalists. It is no longer safe for them to do reporting. In some cases, family members are urging journalists to quit. In some cases, journalists themselves have concerns for their safety. All these factors contribute to a decline in…

Workers World Party (2021-04-08). PDF of April 8 issue. workers.org Download the PDF. NO STALLNG: U.S. out of Afghanistan! Alabama mine workers strike What Bessemer union drive means Philly: Protect Squirrel Hill George Floyd's killer on trial Cesar Chavez Day Georgia anti-vote law strikes out Editorial: Wanna pay no taxes? TEAR DOWN THE WALLS: Detention centers exploit trans people Evaluating . . . |

Eds. (2021-04-08). Ukraine, U.S. drum up war threats against Donbass and Russia. mronline.org The USA has the unique condition of being a flagrant violator of human rights within its own borders and in practically every region of the world. No other nation has such a systematic record. Its massive control of media and communications hides this truth from its own people. | April 8, 2021 | Newswire…

_____ (2021-04-08). The Capitol Raid And Pandemic Can Help Us Empathize With Venezuelans. popularresistance.org The January 6th raid on the Capitol and the pandemic that has upended the lives of every American seemingly have nothing to do with Venezuela. But the effects they had on U.S. political and economic stability offer a glimpse into what Venezuelans have been going through for the past several years of failed coups and sanctions. | Remember how January 6th felt? The shock, confusion and fear. The constant refreshing of Twitter feeds or eyes glued to cable news, watching a bunch of extremists attempt to overthrow the government. The not knowing what was going to happen next and whether it would impact our daily lives…

Editor2 (2021-04-08). Court Upholds $10 Million Judgment Against Bolivian Leaders for 2003 Massacre. orinocotribune.com April 6, 2021, Miami — Yesterday, a federal judge rejected an attempt by Bolivia's former president, Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada, and former defense minister, José Carlos Sánchez Berzaín, to vacate a $10 million damages award against them for the massacre of unarmed Indigenous people in 2003. A jury found the former officials liable under the Torture Victim Protection Act (TVPA) in April 2018, after a month-long trial that included six days of jury deliberations. The trial marked the first time in U.S. history that a former head of state sat before his accusers in a U.S. human rights trial. In an unusual move…

Project Censored (2021-04-08). Shahid Buttar and Dan Kovalik. projectcensored.org Mickey's first guest is Shahid Buttar, who in 2020 ran against Speaker Nancy Pelosi for her seat in the House of Representatives; he speaks about prospects for progressive change in 2021. Then author Dan Kovalik returns to the program to discuss his latest work, "Cancel This Book," which warns of the dangers of 'cancel culture.' | Notes: | Shahid Buttar is a civil-rights lawyer; he's worked at public-interest organizations including the Bill of Rights Defense Committee and the Electronic Frontier Foundation. In the 2020 election, he challenged long-time incumbent Nancy Pelosi for her seat in California's 12th Dis…

Dr. Leon Tressell (2021-04-08). United States Is Using Human Rights Issues to Attack China to Maintain Its Hegemony over the Global Economy. globalresearch.ca Joe Biden's presidency has been welcomed by Western media outlets …

_____ (2021-04-08). Judge Terminates Zoom Access To Donziger Trial To Limit Public Access. popularresistance.org New York — U.S. trial judge Loretta Preska has denied all Zoom access to the upcoming contempt trial of human rights lawyer Steven Donziger in a widely condemned move that his lawyers say is designed to limit public access to an unprecedented one-sided trial run by a private Chevron prosecutor. | Marty Garbus, who is representing Donziger along with Rob Kuby, condemned the move as an "obvious and transparent attempt to hide public scrutiny of a farcical proceeding with a biased judge, no jury, and a private Chevron prosecutor." | Donziger organized the international legal team that won a historic $9.5 billi…

_____ (2021-04-08). Standing With Daniel Hale, Standing With Whistleblowers. popularresistance.org Join us for a special broadcast featuring DRAD Policy Director Chip Gibbons, Jesselyn Radack head of Whistleblower and Source Protection Program (WHISPeR) at ExposeFacts, and whistleblowers who have faced Espionage Act charges. | Last week, Daniel Hale, a drone whistleblower, pled guilty to one count of violating the Espionage Act. Hale admitted in court that he gave to an investigative reporter documents detailing human rights abuses pertaining to the US's troubling assassination program. Although this information was in the public interest, the government nonetheless indicted Hale under the Espionage Act. | Thi…

teleSUR (2021-04-08). US: Muslim Advocacy Group Sues Facebook Over Hate Speech Use. telesurenglish.net Muslim Advocates, a civil rights organization based in Washington, DC, in the United States, has repeatedly called on the social media giant to take more decisive actions on content displaying anti-Muslim bigotry and white supremacist content. | RELATED: | Muslim Advocates is one of several civil rights organizations that have repeatedly called on Facebook to do more to eliminate anti-Muslim bigotry and white supremacist co…

Dave DeCamp (2021-04-08). Report: Biden May Expel Russian Diplomats and Impose More Sanctions. globalresearch.ca According to

teleSUR (2021-04-08). US Imposes Sanctions on Seven Chinese High Technology Companies. telesurenglish.net According to Commerce officials, the Chinese companies' supercomputers are used by the military. | The U.S. Commerce Department reported Thursday that it decided to add seven Chinese supercomputer companies to its so-called economic "blacklist" "for engaging in activities that are contrary to U.S. national security or foreign policy interests." | RELATED: | According to Department representatives, the seven companies are "involve…

WSWS (2021-04-08). Autoworkers speak out against 84-hour workweek for skilled trades at Sterling Heights Assembly Plant: "It seems like torture" wsws.org Inside the plant, anger is simmering among both skilled trades and production workers, who have been subjected to months of forced overtime even as the virus spreads out of control.

Jason Ditz (2021-04-08). Israeli Airstrikes Killed Three Near Syrian Capital. news.antiwar.com Following up on reports of overnight Israeli airstrikes near Damascus, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights now reports a weapons depot was hit and destroyed, and that three people, whom they labeled as " Last night reports were that Syrian air defenses had intercepted almost everything, and that four soldiers were wounded. Israel often carries out attacks on alleged weapons depots in Syria, usually on the pretext of keeping arms away from Iran's al…

Jason Ditz (2021-04-08). Israeli Warplanes Attack Syrian Capital, Wounding Four Soldiers. news.antiwar.com Syrian state media is reporting that Israeli warplanes operating in Lebanon attacked the capital city of Damascus overnight, with Syrian air defenses were quick to activate during the attack, and Syria reported that they were able to shoot down most of the missiles before anything was hit. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says the attacks were aimed at a military post. | Lebanon's al-Manar TV reported that air defense missiles were heard exploding near the border. The…

Staff (2021-04-08). Biden Administration Slammed for Claiming Landmines Are a "Vital Tool" truthout.org The Biden administration is facing criticism from human rights groups after it announced this week it will leave in place a Trump-era policy to allow military commanders to use landmines across the globe. A Pentagon spokesperson described landmines as a "vital tool in conventional warfare" and said restricting their use would put American lives at risk, despite Biden's campaign promise to promptly roll back Trump's policy. Jody Williams, recipient of the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize for her work with the Inte…

Zachary Conti (2021-04-08). 260 Faith, Labor and Development Groups Press IMF, G20 and White House on COVID Response. indybay.org Ahead of Spring IMF and World Bank Meetings, World's Largest Unions, Human Rights Groups, Environmental and Religious Institutions Call for Aid, Debt Relief, Access to Emergency Reserves and Climate Protections…

Laura Wells (2021-04-08). Ten Things for US to Understand about Latin America. indybay.org The more we know about what is really happening in Latin America, the more we can see that the region can be a source of inspiration rather than a threat requiring US sanctions.

MEE staff (2021-04-08). Facebook sued for 'failing' to stop anti-Muslim hate speech. middleeasteye.net Facebook sued for 'failing' to stop anti-Muslim hate speech | US civil rights group asserts Facebook falsely promised to remove content that violated moderation standards | Thu, 04/08/2021 – 21: 01 | Facebook has been accused of providing a platform for the incitement of violence against Muslims across the world (AFP) | A US civil rights group launched legal proceedings against Facebook on Thursday, claiming t…

MEE staff (2021-04-08). Israel 'flagrantly violated' obligations to vaccinate Palestinians, Amnesty says. middleeasteye.net Israel 'flagrantly violated' obligations to vaccinate Palestinians, Amnesty says | Rights group says failure to vaccinate Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza is a sign of 'institutionalised discrimination' | Thu, 04/08/2021 – 16: 52 | For Palestinians living in the occupied West Bank and Israeli-blockaded Gaza, the vaccination rollout has lagged far behind (AFP) | Amnesty International has accused…

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2021-04-08). As Texas Lawmakers Attack Voting Rights, GOP Official Aims to 'Build an Army' of Poll Watchers. commondreams.org "When I hear someone say he needs 'courageous' volunteers to be part of an 'army' that will keep an eye on voters in minority neighborhoods, I hear all the same old dog whistles with a slightly updated harmony." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…

webdev (2021-04-08). Nobel Peace Prize Winner Jody Williams Slams Biden Admin for Claiming Landmines Are a "Vital Tool" democracynow.org The Biden administration is facing criticism from human rights groups after it announced this week it will leave in place a Trump-era policy to allow military commanders to use landmines across the globe. A Pentagon spokesperson described landmines as a "vital tool in conventional warfare" and said restricting their use would put American lives at risk, despite Biden's campaign promise to promptly roll back Trump's policy. Jody Williams, recipient of the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize for her work with the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, says landmines were invented "in order to maim people" and have a devastati…

ecns.cn (2021-04-08). Chinese Foreign Ministry hits back at U.S. over 5 human rights 'sins'. ecns.cn Chinese Foreign Ministry on Wednesday hit back at the United States after State Department insisted its sanctions on China is 'meaningful' in curbing the Chinese government's violation of human rights and genocide in Xinjiang.

P. K. Balachandran (2021-04-08). Evolution Of China's Policy On Minorities — Analysis. eurasiareview.com Among issues on which China is unsparingly criticized in the Western world is the way it treats its minorities. No doubt, China has problems with its minorities, like other countries. And again, like other political systems, Chinese political systems have, over the centuries, tackled the question in a variety of ways with varying degrees of success. | To put the issue in the contemporary context, Human Rights Watch (HRW), has charged that Beijing's "Strike Hard Campaign against Violent Extremism" has entailed mass arbitrary detention, surveillance, indoctrination, and the destruction of the cultural and religi…

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