(2021-05-01). Draconian Texas bill attacks healthcare rights of transgender youth. liberationnews.org 
Senate Bill 1646 seeks to amend the definition of abuse under the Texas Family Code to include administering or consenting to a child's use of puberty suppression treatment, hormones, or surgery for gender-affirming care/transition.
(2021-05-01). Progress In Vienna Talks: Iran's Top Negotiator Says US Is Ready To Lift Some Sanctions. southfront.org 
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani at the Bushehr nuclear power plant in Bushehr, Iran. Image source: Iranian Presidency office/EPA-EFE | The ongoing talks in Vienna between the US and Iran to revive the 2015 nuclear deal, commonly known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), are finally seeing some progress. | On May 1, Deputy Foreign Minister Abbass Araghchi, Iran's top nuclear negotiator, revealed that there is an agreement on lifting US sanctioned off some Iranian individuals and institutions. | After attending…
(2021-05-01). Vegan And Other Nonviolence News. indybay.org Smithfield pollution, chicken rights, Supreme Court and other news…
(2021-05-01). The Ongoing Torture and Medical Neglect of Julian Assange. globalresearch.ca Doctors for Assange was led by Dr. Stephen Frost and his colleagues. | The report below was initially published in The Lancet on June 25, 2020 | Dr. Frost is currently leading a new initiative entitled
(2021-05-01). Massacre in Cali amid National Strike in Colombia. peoplesdispatch.org The mobilizations carried out since Wednesday in Cali, the capital of Valle del Cauca, have been brutally repressed by state security forces. On the night of April 30 human rights organizations called an urgent press conference to shed light on what happened in the protests that day. | The press conference was called for after videos and information circulated on social media about people having been assassinated in Cali during the afternoon and night of April 30. These events took place in the midst of the protests part of the National Strike, called for by broad sectors of Colombian society beginning on Wednesd…
(2021-05-01). Clayton County, Georgia sheriff indicted on federal criminal charges for brutalizing detainees. wsws.org According to federal prosecutors, Sheriff Victor Hill directed his deputies to leave four inmates tightly strapped to a restraining chair for long hours.
(2021-05-01). Tax reform plans to be revised over massive protests. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 01 (MNA) — At least 209 police officers have been injured and 185 activists detained during the two-day protests against a tax reform proposal in Colombia, the country's police said.
(2021-05-01). UN calls for return to democracy and an end to violence in Myanmar. thecanary.co The UN Security Council has again demanded the restoration of democracy in Myanmar. It's also demanded the release of all detainees including Aung San Suu Kyi. | Moreover, the body has strongly backed calls by South-East Asian nations for an immediate cessation of violence. And for the commencement of talks as a first step towards a solution following the 1 February military coup. | Difficulties: | The council's press statement followed a briefing by the UN's senior envoy on Myanmar Christine Schraner Burgener. She said the demand for democracy by the country's people had created "unexpected difficulties"
(2021-05-01). Wednesday 5/5: Vigil for Refugee Rights Stop Child Detention Recognize Asylum. indybay.org 1187 Franklin Street @ Geary…
(2021-05-01). Colombian police are killing civilians. British police are training them. thecanary.co Over recent days, the Colombian national police have killed a number of civilians protesting a Though numbers remain unclear, human rights group Isais Cifuentes de Cali has Documents obtained…
(2021-05-01). Mumia Abu-Jamal Supporters Rise Up with March, Rally and Ritual in Oakland. indybay.org Remembering that the Black Panther Party started off with police-watching patrols, demonstrators took to the streets in Oakland on April 24 with the call "Free Mumia!" Earlier in the week, a group of UN human rights experts expressed serious concerns over his treatment and wellbeing and called on authorities to urgently address the situation.
(2021-05-01). Animal Liberation Conference in September. indybay.org The Animal Liberation Conference brings together the most dedicated animal rights activists from around the world and empowers them to take bold, collective action to achieve revolutionary social and political change for animals.
(2021-05-01). Agreement on delisting sanctioned individuals, institutions. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May. 01 (MNA) — The top Iranian nuclear negotiator said after the 3rd round of Vienna talks on reviving JCPOA that there is an agreement on delisting sanctioned individuals and institutions, adding that the talks are continuing.
(2021-05-01). Americans' signatures not to guarantee sanctions removal. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 01 (MNA) — Signatures of US officials are no longer enough to guarantee to lift of the sanctions, an Iranian lawmaker said, adding, "We need to verify to make sure that the sanctions are completely lifted by the United States."
(2021-05-01). Tehran, Washington Reportedly Agree on Lifting of Sanctions Against Iran's Oil, Banking Sectors. sputniknews.com On Thursday, US media reported that the Biden administration was considering a "near wholesale rollback" of Trump-era Iran sanctions related to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action in a bid to end the months-long standoff over which side makes concessions first to restore the nuclear agreement to full working order.
(2021-04-30). Xinjiang shakedown: US anti-China lobby cashed in on 'forced labor' campaign that cost Uyghur workers their jobs. thegrayzone.com A campaign against supposed forced labor in Xinjiang has forced Uyghur workers out of their jobs while extracting a handsome payout from a US apparel company to Uyghur exile groups lobbying against China. A self-described "worker rights organization" in Washington DC called the Worker Rights Consortium has helped direct a Coalition to End Forced Labour in the Uyghur Region that has successfully pressured US apparel companies to leave the Xinjiang region of China. Claiming to represent "over 100 civil society …
(2021-04-30). Xinjiang shakedown: US anti-China lobby cashed in on 'forced labor' campaign that cost Uyghur workers their jobs. thegrayzone.com A campaign against supposed forced labor in Xinjiang has forced Uyghur workers out of their jobs while extracting a handsome payout from a US apparel company to Uyghur exile groups lobbying against China. A self-described "worker rights organization" in Washington, DC called the Worker Rights Consortium has helped direct a "Coalition to End Forced Labour in the Uyghur Region" that has successfully pressured US apparel companies to leave the Xinjiang region of China. Claiming to represent "over 100 civil society …
(2021-04-30). "A Threshold Crossed": Israel Is Guilty of Apartheid, Human Rights Watch Says for First Time. democracynow.org 
A major new report by Human Rights Watch says for the first time that Israel is committing crimes of apartheid and persecution in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The international human rights group says Israeli authorities dispossessed, confined and forcibly separated Palestinians. "For years, prominent voices have warned that apartheid lurked just around the corner. But it's very clear that that threshold has been crossed," says Omar Shakir, Israel and Palestine director at Human Rights Watch. "It's time for the international community to recognize the reality on the ground for what it is — aparthei…
(2021-04-30). Bottom-up Politics: Grassroots Activism Drive Pro-Palestine Shift in the US. counterpunch.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
(2021-04-30). 'I have rights too'. workers.org 
By Miley Selena Fletcher The following letter is from a transgender incarcerated worker at SCI Forest in Pennsylvania. When I write for Workers World about the wrongs going on here and the unprofessional abuse of authority by correctional officers or staff, I am called down to a security office. I . . . |
(2021-04-30). Central Syria: Russian Airstrikes Killed More Than 50 Terrorists In Past Month. southfront.org 
File image. | More than 50 terrorists of ISIS had been killed in central Syria over the past month as a result of airstrikes carried out by the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS), the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported on April 30. | According to the London-based monitoring group, Russian warplanes carried out at least 1,260 airstrikes on ISIS cells in central Syria."SOHR activists documented the death of 59 ISIS members and the injury of 38 others due to over 1,260 Russian airs…
(2021-04-30). Iranian-Affiliated Commander Killed In Drone Strike Near Syrian-Iraqi Border: Monitoring Group. southfront.org 
Photo: U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Brian Ferguson | An Iranian-affiliated commander was killed as a result of a drone strike on the eastern Syrian governorate of Deir Ezzor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported on April 29. | The strike targeted a house and military vehicle in the town of al-Sayyal, which is located around 20 km to the north of the al-Bukamal border crossing with Iraq."The attack resulted in the death of a commander of a non-Syrian nationality and the injury of five militiamen,…
(2021-04-30). Human Rights Watch Confirms Israel Is an Apartheid State. strategic-culture.org 
By Craig MURRAY | The forthright branding of Israel
(2021-04-30). Why Does Washington Keep Punishing Cuba? counterpunch.org 
According to the geopolitical analysis site STRATFOR, sanctions are "a coercive tool to compel a targeted entity to adjust its behaviour" and can be effected in a number of ways and, indeed, applied for very different reasons. An intriguing aspect of sanctions' imposition is that some of these reasons are not intended primarily to alter the target's behaviour
(2021-04-30). The Supreme Court Considers a Cheerleader's Off Campus Free Speech Rights. aclu.org This week, the Supreme Court heard arguments in a case that has huge implications for the free speech rights of students. The case involves then 14-year-old Brandi Levy, a cheerleader at Mahanoy Area High School in Pennsylvania, and her post on the social media platform Snapchat. One of her cheerleading coaches saw…
(2021-04-30). Vegan And Other Nonviolence News. indybay.org Smithfield pollution, chicken rights, Supreme Court and other news…
(2021-04-30). Undocumented Immigrants and Allies Risk Arrest, Deportation to Protest Biden's First 100 Days Without Sufficient Action on Immigration. latinorebels.com Immigrant rights activists —including undocumented immigrants risking deportation— are protesting President Biden's 100 days in office and what they call "the Democratic Party's broken promises to the immigrant community" with a direct action in Washington, D.C., on Friday.
(2021-04-30). Europe: COVID must spark rethink to prioritize 'human lives' over economic policies. news.un.org The devastating impact of COVID-19 serves as a stark reminder that the European Union must "put human lives" above economic policy considerations, that privilege competition between EU Member States, an independent UN human rights expert said on Friday.
(2021-04-30). Headlines for April 30, 2021. democracynow.org India COVID Cases Continue to Soar as Arundhati Roy Decries "Crime Against Humanity", Deaths Soar in Latin America; Brazil COVID Death Toll Tops 400,000, 44 Ultra-Orthordox Jews Die in Stampede at Religious Site, Abbas Postpones Palestinian Elections, USAID Watchdog Criticizes Trump's Politicization of Aid to Venezuela, Thousands Flee into Thailand as Burmese Junta Launches Airstrikes Near Border, Florida Approves Sweeping Voter Suppression Bill, West Virginia, Florida & Texas Bills Target Trans Youth, Biden Vows to Close Private Detention Centers in Response to Georgia Protesters, Right-Wing Extremists Face New…
(2021-04-30). Chad: Protesters on the Street Against Military Junta. telesurenglish.net Chad's people remain on the street demonstrating against the military junta that took over the government in the aftermath of the death of President Idriss Deby. | RELATED: | On April 27 the military junta led by Deby's son Mahamat Deby reported the death of five civilians during the protest. Human rights organizations such as the Chadian Convention for the Defence of Human Rights (CTDDH) revealed nine fatalities. | Protest…
(2021-04-30). How the US is shielding Israel from Apartheid charges and itself from complicity charges. juancole.com ( Middle East Monitor) — The Palestinians mentioned apartheid in connection with Israel long before B'Tselem used the description. Now it is the turn of Human Rights Watch (HRW) to — rightfully, if belatedly — accuse Israel of apartheid in its latest report titled A Threshold Crossed: Israeli Authorities and the Crimes of Apartheid and …
(2021-04-30). Mumia Abu-Jamal Supporters March in Oakland. indybay.org Remembering that the Black Panther Party started off with police-watching patrols, activists marched and rallied in Oakland on April 24 with their call, "Free Mumia!" Earlier in the week, a group of UN human rights experts expressed serious concerns over his treatment and wellbeing and called on authorities to urgently address the situation.
(2021-04-30). Human Rights Watch declares Israel has crossed apartheid threshold. wsws.org HRW draws on years of human rights documentation, case studies and a review of government planning documents, statements by officials and other sources. It documents a catalogue of Israeli abuses committed against the Palestinians.
(2021-04-30). Chagos Islanders Sue the Queen £1 Billion for Lost Fishing Rights. globalresearch.ca The Chagossian people have sued the British Crown for lost fishing …
(2021-04-30). Chad: UN rights office profoundly disturbed over violence against protesters. news.un.org The UN rights office, OHCHR, said on Friday that it is deeply disturbed by security forces in Chad's use of live ammunition during recent protests after the death of former President Idriss Déby, on 19 April.
(2021-04-30). Animal Liberation Conference in September. indybay.org The Animal Liberation Conference brings together the most dedicated animal rights activists from around the world and empowers them to take bold, collective action to achieve revolutionary social and political change for animals.
(2021-04-30). DeSantis Says 'Of Course' He Will Sign Into Law Florida GOP's Massive Attack on Voting Rights. commondreams.org "Simply put, S.B. 90 is undemocratic to its core," said the ACLU of Florida. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2021-04-30). Targeting Roe v. Wade, GOP Has Launched 'Unprecedented' Attack on Abortion Rights in 2021. commondreams.org Experts at the Guttmacher Institute warn 2021 is on track to be "the most damaging anti-abortion state legislative session in a decade—and perhaps ever." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2021-04-30). Argentina Fines Agrochemical Firms For Environment Law Evasion. telesurenglish.net Argentina on Thursday fined Bayer, Syngenta, Dow, and Dupont US$783 million for not collecting used containers from the country's farmlands. | RELATED: | "This is the largest environmental sanction in Argentina's history," Sustainable Development Agency (OPDS) Director Juan Brardinelli explained, mentioning that 70 companies traded over 13 million plastic containers in Buenos Aires in 2020 | "Only one million of those containers were…
(2021-04-30). The US Plan to Imprison Businesspeople in Other Countries for "Violating" Illegal US Sanctions: The Cases of Alex Saab, Meng Wanzhou, Mun Chol Myong. orinocotribune.com By Stansfield Smith — Apr 27, 2021 | The The US uses sanctions as a tool to overthrow governments that do not kow-tow to it. Sanctions are a weapon of war on civilians. They destroy the economy of a country ("make the economy scream") by causing hyp…
(2021-04-30). RENACER Act: US Congress To Expand Nicaragua Sanctions. popularresistance.org Nicaragua's Sandinista Revolution is being targeted with a new sanctions bill as retaliation for triumphing over Washington's domination attempts and as President Daniel Ortega is anticipated to win this year's election. | The Reinforcing Nicaragua's Adherence to Conditions for Electoral Reform (RENACER) Act (full text of the bill here), introduced in March, would require the U.S. government to increase sanctions coordination with Canada and the European Union and proposes new immediate measures against the Nicaraguan government and officials ahead of Nicaragua's November elections, all under the guise of promoti…
(2021-04-30). Lifting all illegal sanctions key to success of Vienna talks. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 30 (MNA) — China's State News Agency said that success of JCPOA talks in Vienna strictly hinges on lifting of all unilateral and illegal sanctions imposed by the United States against the Islamic Republic of Iran.
(2021-04-30). US Sanctions Led to Huawei Losing Smartphone Market Share to Rivals, Company Executive Says. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Chinese tech giant Huawei lost its smartphone market share to key rivals including Apple and Samsung, under pressure from strident US sanctions, a top company executive said on Friday.
(2021-04-30). RENACER Act: U.S. Congress to Expand Nicaragua Sanctions. libya360.wordpress.com Kawsachun News Nicaragua's Sandinista Revolution is being targeted with a new sanctions bill as retaliation for triumphing over Washington's domination attempts and as President Daniel Ortega is anticipated to win this year's election. The Reinforcing Nicaragua's Adherence to Conditions for Electoral Reform (RENACER) Act (full text of the bill here), introduced in March, would require the U.S. government…