(2021-04-28). Israel is an Apartheid State seeking Systemic Domination of Palestinians: Human Rights Watch. juancole.com Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) — Human Rights Watch has issued a 214-page report concluding that between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean there are 6.8 million Jews and 6.8 million Palestinians, and that the Israeli state systematically privileges the Jews, wherever they are, and disprivileges the Palestinians, on the basis of race. HRW, like other …
(2021-04-28). Israel is Seeking Systemic Domination of Palestinians. zcomm.org Human Rights Watch has issued a report concluding that the Israeli state systematically privileges the Jews, wherever they are, and disprivileges the Palestinians, on the basis of race…
(2021-04-28). Why delivery workers across the planet are rising up against exploitation. peoplesdispatch.org Even before the crisis of the pandemic, food delivery companies have seen their profits skyrocket while their so-called "self-employed" workers suffer rights violations and were banned from unionizing.
(2021-04-28). Bottom-up Politics: Grassroots Activism Behind Pro-Palestine Shift in the US. dissidentvoice.org 
At a recent virtual J Street Conference, US Senators, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren broke yet another political taboo when they expressed willingness to leverage US military aid as a way to pressure Israel to respect Palestinian human rights. Sanders believes that the US "must be willing to bring real pressure to bear, including restricting …
(2021-04-28). German judge under police surveillance after ruling compulsory mask-wearing in schools unconstitutional. ukhumanrightsblog.com 
On 8 April 2021, the Weimar District Family Court ruled in Amtsgericht Weimar, Beschluss vom 08.04.2021, Az.: 9 F 148/21) that two Weimar schools were prohibited with immediate effect from requiring pupils to wear mouth-nose coverings of any kind (especially qualified masks such as FFP2 masks), to comply with AHA minimum distances and/or to take …
(2021-04-28). German judge investigated by police after ruling compulsory mask-wearing in schools unconstitutional. ukhumanrightsblog.com On 8 April 2021, the Weimar District Family Court ruled in Amtsgericht Weimar, Beschluss vom 08.04.2021, Az.: 9 F 148/21) that two Weimar schools were prohibited with immediate effect from requiring pupils to wear mouth-nose coverings of any kind (especially qualified masks such as FFP2 masks), to comply with AHA minimum distances and/or to take …
(2021-04-28). Sanctions, War Preparations And An Endless Supply Of Weapons For Kiev. southfront.org 
Click to see full-size image | On April 21st a new act entered US Senate that will be voted on soon, titled Ukraine Security Partnership Act. | It passed the Senate Foreign Relations Committee without a hitch and aims to increase and improve U.S. military support to Ukraine, and sends a message that the United States will continue to support the people of Ukraine, their ability to defend themselves, and the country's democratic transition."Today, as Russia masses more than 100,000 troops on the Ukrainian border, mor…
(2021-04-28). Russia's "Harsh Response" To US: You Are Not My Friend Anymore. southfront.org 
Click to see full-size image | On April 27th, in response to all the sanctions, harsh rhetoric, diplomatic expulsions and threats, Russia's Channel 1 released a list of "unfriendly countries". | Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova announced over the weekend that the U.S. would be on the list following a presidential decree on April 23rd. | Also named were: Ukraine, Lithuania, Poland, Latvia, Czech Republic, Estonia, United Kingdom and Georgia. Another screen grab from Channel 1, circulating on soci…
(2021-04-28). World police: Washington seeks to imprison foreign businesspeople for violating illegal US sanctions. thegrayzone.com In violation of international law, the US is seeking to extradite and imprison foreign businesspeople for circumventing its unilateral sanctions. Washington's targets include Venezuelan national Alex Saab, North Korean Mun Chol Myong, and Chinese Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou. The United States uses economic sanctions as a weapon against states which choose a development path independent of US global domination. Sanctions can take the form of blocking a nation's financial and trade transactions, not allowing financial institutions to process them. The …
(2021-04-28). ACLU Urges Biden to Shut Down Detention Facilities 'Used to Abuse and Traumatize Immigrants'. commondreams.org "It's time to end our nation's newest system of mass incarceration of Black and Brown people," says the ACLU's Naureen Shah. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2021-04-28). Vegan And Other Nonviolence News. indybay.org Smithfield pollution, chicken rights, Supreme Court and other news…
(2021-04-28). Israel is an Apartheid State seeking Systemic Domination of Palestinians: Human Rights Watch. juancole.com Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) — Human Rights Watch has issued a 214-page report concluding that between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean there are 6.8 million Jews and 6.8 million Palestinians, and that the Israeli state systematically privileges the Jews, wherever they are, and disprivileges the Palestinians, an the basis of race. HRW, like other …
(2021-04-28). Two Vehicles Destroyed In Guided Missile Attack In Turkish-Occupied Afrin In Northern Syria. southfront.org 
Screen grab from the April 26 ATGM attack video. | On April 28, an attack with anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) targeted the Turkish-occupied area of Afrin in northern Syria. | According to the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and several other sources, two vehicles were targeted with ATGMs in the town of Bosoufane in southern Afrin. The town is a hub for drug and arms smugglers. | Both vehicles were Hyundai Santa Fe SUVs. This model is preferred by militant commanders. So far, there have been no reports of…
(2021-04-28). Is Grassroots American Activism Shifting Public Opinion toward the Palestinians? juancole.com ( Middle East Monitor) — At a recent J Street Conference online, US Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren broke yet another political taboo when they expressed willingness to leverage US military aid as a way of putting pressure on Israel to respect Palestinian human rights. Sanders believes that the US "must be willing to …
(2021-04-28). Race, Poverty, Farming And A Natural Gas Pipeline. popularresistance.org Five years ago, the mayor of Hopkins Park, a Black, rural community in Kankakee County, Illinois, argued for building an immigration detention center there to boost the economy. The people who lived there said: No, thanks. | Mayor Mark Hodge now has another idea for new development in his town and the surrounding, historic farming community of Pembroke Township, south of Chicago. He's backing a proposal for a pipeline, built by the utility Nicor, that would run through the area and, he hopes, bring with it natural gas and a boost to taxes and the local economy. And again, some residents are not pleased. | "People…
(2021-04-28). South Africa Celebrates Freedom Day. eurasiareview.com South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa says government has made great progress towards realising the rights of people and advancing human dignity. | "Today we have a country where all enjoy human rights and freedoms," the President said. | Speaking at this year's Freedom Day celebration in Botshabelo in the Free State, President Ramaphosa said the country has a Constitution that is a shield and a protection for all. | "And yet, even as we have lived in a democratic country for the past 27 years, we know that across many parts of South Africa, the promise of 1994 has not yet been fulfilled. Millions of South…
(2021-04-28). West's allegations over human rights in China's Xinjiang hypocritical: Brazilian scholar. ecns.cn The West's well-orchestrated allegations of "forced labor" and "genocide" in China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region are glaringly hypocritical and clearly aim to obscure an ulterior motive, a Brazilian scholar has said.
(2021-04-28). West's allegations over human rights in China's Xinjiang hypocritical: Brazilian scholar. ecns.cn The West's well-orchestrated allegations of "forced labor" and "genocide" in China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region are glaringly hypocritical and clearly aim to obscure an ulterior motive, a Brazilian scholar has said.
(2021-04-28). Human Rights Watch: Israel Is an Apartheid State. thenation.com Human Rights Watch: Israel Is an Apartheid State…
(2021-04-28). Abusive Israeli Policies Constitute Crimes Of Apartheid, Persecution, Says HRW. eurasiareview.com Israeli authorities are committing the crimes against humanity of apartheid and persecution, Human Rights Watch said in a report released Tuesday. The finding is based on an overarching Israeli government policy to maintain the domination by Jewish Israelis over Palestinians and grave abuses committed against Palestinians living in the occupied territory, including East Jerusalem. | The 213-page report, "
(2021-04-28). DOJ Rescinds Trump-Era Policy Denying Grant Money to Sanctuary Cities. commondreams.org The U.S. Justice Department has revoked a Trump-era policy conditioning certain law enforcement grants upon cooperation with immigration authorities. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2021-04-27). US Weighs Policy on Venezuela as Maduro Signals Flexibility. latinorebels.com MIAMI (AP) — Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro's government is intensifying efforts to court the Biden administration as the new U.S. president weighs whether to risk a political backlash in Florida and ease up on sanctions seeking to isolate the socialist leader.
(2021-04-27). Some in Congress want Oversight of US funds used by Israel for War Crimes, but AIPAC says 'No'. juancole.com 
Akron, Oh. (Special to Informed Comment) — In mid-April, Rep. Betty McCollum (D.-MN) introduced a bill requiring oversight of how Israel uses U.S. aid and forbidding its use to detain Palestinian children. Although Congressional limitations on the billions of dollars it sends Israel every year were the norm only a few decades ago, it is …
(2021-04-27). Some in Congress want Oversight of US funds used by Israel for War Crimes, but AIPAC says 'No'. juancole.com Akron, Oh. (Special to Informed Comment) — In mid-April, Rep. Betsy McCollum (D.-MN) introduced a bill requiring oversight of how Israel uses U.S. aid and forbidding its use to detain Palestinian children. Although Congressional limitations on the billions of dollars it sends Israel every year were the norm only a few decades ago, it is …
(2021-04-27). HRW Accuses Israel Of Apartheid, Tel Aviv, Naturally, Calls It "Nazi" southfront.org 
Click to see full-size image | On April 27th, Human Rights Watch released a report concluding that Israel is carrying out apartheid in the West Bank against the Palestinians. | It said that after decades of warnings that an entrenched hold over Palestinian life could lead to apartheid, it had found that the "threshold" had been crossed."This is the starkest finding Human Rights Watch has reached on Israeli conduct in the 30 years we've been documenting abuses on the ground there," said Omar Shakir, the group's Israel and Pale…
(2021-04-27). Focusing Purely on Injustices in China and Russia With a Cold War Mindset Damages Human Rights Everywhere. strategic-culture.org By Patrick COCKBURN | During the first The essence of such propaganda is not lies or even exaggeration, but selectivity. To give one example, the focus was kept on very real Soviet oppression in Eastern Europe and away from the savage rule of Wes…
(2021-04-27). Focusing Purely on Injustices in China and Russia with a Cold War Mindset Damages Human Rights Everywhere. counterpunch.org 
As we enter a second Cold War against China and Russia, there are lessons to be learned from the first, since much the same propaganda mechanisms are once again hard at work. Western governments and media unrelentingly criticise China for the persecution of Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang province, but there is scarcely a mention of the repression of Kashmiri Muslims in Indian-controlled Kashmir. Diplomatic and media outrage is expressed when Russia and the Syrian government bomb civilians in Idlib in Syria, but the bombing of civilians during the Western-backed, Saudi-led air campaign in Yemen, remains at the bottom…
(2021-04-27). Scathing Human Rights Watch Report Says Israel Guilty of Apartheid. commondreams.org "Prominent voices have warned for years that apartheid lurks just around the corner if the trajectory of Israel's rule over Palestinians does not change," said HRW executive director Kenneth Roth. "This detailed study shows that Israeli authorities have already turned that corner and today are committing the crimes against humanity of apartheid and persecution." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2021-04-27). Headlines for April 27, 2021. democracynow.org Anthony Brown Had Hands on Steering Wheel, Was Shot by Officers in Back of Head, Lawyer Says , Justice Department to Investigate Louisville Police, 13 Months After Breonna Taylor's Killing, Coronavirus Infections Hit New Global High, Fueled by India's "Heartbreaking" Outbreak, U.S. to Ship Up to 60 Million Doses of AstraZeneca Vaccine Abroad, Biden Orders $15/Hour Minimum Wage for Federal Contractors, Proposes Capital Gains Tax Hike, Supreme Court to Hear Torture Survivor's State Secrets Case & NRA-Backed Challenge to NY Gun Law, 2020 Census Results Alter Balance of Power in House of Representatives, Florida Sena…
(2021-04-27). Headlines for April 27, 2021. democracynow.org Andrew Brown Had Hands on Steering Wheel, Was Shot by Officers in Back of Head, Lawyer Says , Justice Department to Investigate Louisville Police, 13 Months After Breonna Taylor's Killing, Coronavirus Infections Hit New Global High, Fueled by India's "Heartbreaking" Outbreak, U.S. to Ship Up to 60 Million Doses of AstraZeneca Vaccine Abroad, Biden Orders $15/Hour Minimum Wage for Federal Contractors, Proposes Capital Gains Tax Hike, Supreme Court to Hear Torture Survivor's State Secrets Case & NRA-Backed Challenge to NY Gun Law, 2020 Census Results Alter Balance of Power in House of Representatives, Florida Senat…
(2021-04-27). People of Minority Faiths Could Be Turned Away From Taxpayer-Funded Programs. aclu.org Any moment now the Supreme Court could issue a decision that would permit taxpayer-funded government programs to turn people away because they are Jewish, Muslim, Mormon, or otherwise do not meet a government contractor's religious requirements. | In
(2021-04-27). Pharmaceutical Industry Dispatches Army of Lobbyists to Block Generic COVID-19 Vaccines. orinocotribune.com By Lee Fang — Apr 23 2021 | New lobbying disclosures show over 100 drug lobbyists working to defeat the IP waiver request at the WTO. | The Pharmaceutical Industry is pouring resources into the growing political fight over generic coronavirus vaccines. | Newly filed disclosure forms from the first quarter of 2021 show that over 100 lobbyists have been mobilized to contact lawmakers and members of the Biden administration, urging them to oppose a proposed temporary waiver on intellectual property rights by the World Trade Organization that would allow generic vaccines to be produced globally. | Pharmaceutical…
(2021-04-27). MPs and peers call for review of all coronavirus fines. thecanary.co Coronavirus fines are "muddled, discriminatory and unfair", according to a group of MPs and peers who have called for a review of all of those issued under lockdown laws. | The Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR) said the system "criminalises the poor over the better-off" and no Covid-19 fine should result in a criminal record. | "Significant concerns" about the validity of the fines, the inadequacy of the review and appeal process, the size of the penalties and the criminalisation of those who cannot afford to pay, were set out in a report. | Committee chairman Harriet Harman said: "Swift action to make restr…
(2021-04-27). In Photos: Two Consecutive Explosions Hit Syria's Jarabulus, Child Reportedly Killed. southfront.org 
Click to see full see full-size image | On April 27, two consecutive explosions hit the town of Jarabulus in the north-eastern countryside of Aleppo. | According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an IED explosion hit a vehicle that belonged to a member of the Turkish-backed police, after that a motorcycle-bomb explosion took place near a former military headquarters in Jarabulus city. 14 people were reportedly injured, including a child, and as material damage was caused. According to Syria Civil Defence,…
(2021-04-27). Struggle for the future of food. mronline.org 
With so much at stake, representatives of food producers and consumers need to act urgently to prevent governments from allowing a UN sanctioned corporate takeover of global governance of food systems. | April 27, 2021 | Newswire…
(2021-04-27). Vaccine hesitancy and the Court of Protection: who decides? ukhumanrightsblog.com 
Informed consent to medical treatment is at the heart of the vaccine debate. Consent is also at the centre of most of the cases that come before the Court of Protection. So now we have a very specific problem: what happens, if someone lacks capacity under the Mental Capacity Act, and their family for whatever …
(2021-04-27). The missing Rule 35 mechanism for immigration detention in prison. ukhumanrightsblog.com 
The Court of Appeal in MR (Pakistan) and Another v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2021] EWCA Civ 541 recently dealt with appeals regarding the absence of a process to assess the vulnerability of a person detained under immigration powers at Her Majesty's Prisons ("HMPs"). This absence remains despite such a process existing …
(2021-04-27). Myanmar: Only 32 Of 70 Journalists Detained Post-Coup Released. eurasiareview.com As of April 19, a total of 70 journalists have been arrested since Myanmar's military staged a coup on February 1, with only 32 of them released from detention so far, Burma News International (BNI) said on Friday. | The 57 male journalists and 12 female journalists are from 33 news outlets, with 16 freelance journalists among those detained, according to BNI. (The 70th individual's information could not be confirmed, BNI said.) | Among the detained journalists, 19 have been charged; most of them have been charged under Section 505(a) of the Penal Code, covering incitement. | "Previously, journalists were arre…
(2021-04-27). With 300,000 Deported in First 100 Days, Rights Group Warns Biden 'Well on Track to Repeat' Obama Failures. commondreams.org Biden "must make a choice," argues United We Dream: "repeat the mistakes of the Obama administration or do everything in his power to end the cruelty of detentions, expulsions, and deportations." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2021-04-27). Nepal: New appointments 'undermine independence' of rights oversight body, UN experts warn. news.un.org United Nations independent human rights experts on Tuesday voiced serious concerns over recent appointment of new members to Nepal's National Human Rights Commission, which they said "undermined its independence, integrity and legitimacy".
(2021-04-27). Latvian Human Rights Activists Condemn Homophobia In China, Latvia And The World — OpEd. eurasiareview.com The issue of human rights of LGBT persons is like a hot potato — hard to spit it out, but also hard to swallow. Despite majority of the public having nothing against the LGBT community, people are afraid to allow them to have the same human rights everyone else has. | Governments and politicians also clash when it comes to fully recognizing the human rights of LGBT persons — and communist China is no exception. Interestingly, the Chinese Communist Party maintains a stance of double morals on this issue. On the one hand, during UN meetings China always reproaches other nations about homophobia and v…
(2021-04-27). Tuesday 4/27: Sharat G. Lin: Power, Social Movements, and Human Rights in the Middle East. indybay.org Join Zoom meeting: | cccconfer.zoom.us/j/93402090982 | Meeting ID: 934 0209 0982 | Dial in: +1 669 900 6833…
(2021-04-27). Iran: Dreadful Human Rights Violations By Regime — OpEd. eurasiareview.com According to Amnesty International's annual report, Iran ranked second in the world last year in terms of the highest number of executions in the world. However,
(2021-04-27). Human Rights Watch says Israel's actions against Palestinians are crimes of apartheid. thecanary.co Human Rights Watch (HRW) has released a The advocacy group's 213 page report compares policy and practices in Israel and occupied territories towards Palestinians and Jewish Israeli people. | HRW concluded that there is "an overarching Israeli government policy to maintain the domination by Jewish Israelis over Palestinians". It also detailed evidence of "grave abuses" against Palestinia…
(2021-04-27). International Rights Experts Condemn US Police Killings as 'Crimes Against Humanity'. commondreams.org "This country, which claims to be a global champion of human rights, itself fails to comply with international law," said one human rights lawyer of police violence against Black civilians in the United States. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2021-04-27). People's Action and The New Conversation Initiative Join Forces to Launch Nation's First Deep Canvass Institute. peoplesaction.org Growing in Popularity as Movement Tool, Deep Canvassing is a Method Used to Defeat Trump, Pass LGBTQ Rights, and Win Big Contact: Johanna Kichton, press@peoplesaction.org, 240.206.1145 WASHINGTON, D.C.—People's Action and The New Conversation Initiative today announced the launch of the nation's first Deep Canvass Institute. Deep canvassing is a groundbreaking conversation methodology that is proven …
(2021-04-27). Bring Uncle Ken Canning home. greenleft.org.au Ken Canning, a much-loved fighter for the rights of First Nations people and all down-trodden, needs your help to return to Australia for medical treatment, writes Kerry Smith.
(2021-04-27). Fishing In African Waters. eurasiareview.com African waters have been contributing to the global supply of fish for years, with three of the four most productive marine ecosystems in the world near the continent. African countries' Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) contributed over 6 million metric tons of fish to the world's food supply, supporting food security and livelihood in the continent, while generating $15 billion to the African gross domestic product in 2011. Every sovereign state has an EEZ, an area of ocean adjacent to their shores in which they have special rights regarding the exploration and use of marine resources. | Industrial fleets from…
(2021-04-27). Sabotage to have no effect on Iran's nuclear calculations: FP. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 28(MNA) — An American-based periodical 'Foreign Policy' in an editorial wrote that Zionist regime's sabotage on Natanz Nuclear Enrichment Site as well as sanctions imposed by the United States against Iran did not work.
(2021-04-27). Rapprochement Iran-Arabie saoudite: Qu'en est-il de la position des USA? thealtworld.com À la suite de la première rencontre irano-saoudienne à Bagdad le 9 avril, une deuxième rencontre a été reprogrammée dans la capitale irakienne à la fin de cette semaine. Après avoir échangé leurs premières impressions lors de cette première réunion, les deux parties ont mesuré leur degré de volonté de rebâtir les ponts coupés depuis longtemps entre les deux pays. Les délégations sont maintenant prêtes à établir une feuille de route pour discuter de leurs priorités respectives. | L'Iran négocie avec l'Occident depuis que le président Jimmy Carter a imposé les premières sanctions à la République islamique en 1979.