Daily Archives: June 25, 2021

2021-06-25: News Headlines

Ed Holt (2021-06-26). [World Report] Mental health fears over Hungarian anti-LGBTQI laws. thelancet.com New legislation bans the portrayal of homosexuality to under-18s, sparking backlash from human rights and mental health experts. Ed Holt reports.

Staff (2021-06-26). Final Declaration of ALBA-TCP's 19th Summit for Heads of State & Government: Unity, Fair Vaccine Distribution & Opposition to Illegal Sanctions. orinocotribune.com The Executive Secretary of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America-Peoples' Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP), Sacha Llorenti, read the Final Declaration of the 19th Summit of Heads of State and Government, repudiating the aggressive and coercive measures exercised by the United States and Europe, advocating for a fair distribution of vaccines and medical supplies to combat COVID-19, and supporting and promoting respect for the sovereignty and the unity processes of the countries that make up ALBA-TCP, among other issues. | The document was put to a vote and was approved by the delegations present. Llorenti…

Anonymous669 (2021-06-25). Greater Idlib: Syrian Army Shells More Turkish Posts Following Ceasefire Violations. southfront.org Illustrative image. | On June 25, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) shelled three posts of the Turkish military in the northwestern region of Greater Idlib. | In the morning, the army shelled two Turkish posts in the northern outskirts of the government-held town of Saraqib in southern Idlib. No human losses were reported. However, a gathering of Turkish military vehicles was hit, according to the London-based for Human Rights. | A few hours later, the SAA artillery pounded a third Turkish post near the town of Qmenas, also in sout…

Anonymous669 (2021-06-25). Turkish Forces To Attack Manbij In Northern Syria: Monitoring Group. southfront.org Illustrative image. | The Turkish military and its proxies are preparing a large offensive on the Syrian town of Manbij and its surroundings in the northern Aleppo countryside, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported on June 25. | Manbij is currently held by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The US-backed group liberated the town from ISIS after a fierce battle in 2016. | According to the SOHR, the Turkish military and its proxies are making preparations and collecting information for the operation.

Ramona Wadi (2021-06-25). Pinochet-Style Detentions, Torture, Killings: Chile's President Sebastian Piñera Denounced at the ICC. globalresearch.ca The 2019 protests have ignited change in Chile, which the people are determined to bring to fruition, Ramona Wadi writes. | . | Chilean President Sebastian Piñera would not have imagined, upon his electoral victory in 2017, that he would have mangled …

_____ (2021-06-25). Nonviolent Protest Over Voting Rights Ends With Arrests In DC. popularresistance.org Activists with the national Poor People's Campaign were arrested Wednesday after blocking a street in front of the Hart Senate building in Washington, D.C. to demand passage of the For the People Act, a popular voting rights expansion bill that Republicans successfully filibustered just 24 hours earlier. | After rallying in front of the U.S. Supreme Court, hundreds of low-wage workers, faith leaders, and advocates—including residents of West Virginia, Kentucky, and several other states—marched to the nearby Senate building to demand meetings with Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin (W.Va.) and Republican Mino…

Staff (2021-06-25). Meet the Father Who Tricked Ex-NRA Head into Addressing 3,044 Empty Chairs for Gun Violence Victims. democracynow.org The parents of a student killed in the 2018 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School duped a former president of the National Rifle Association into giving a high school graduation speech defending gun rights in front of 3,044 empty white chairs — one chair for each student who could not graduate this year because they were killed by gun violence. David Keene, who still serves on the NRA board, thought he was giving a rehearsal speech for graduating students at the James Madison Academy in Las Vegas, but no such school exists. Video of the speech was turned into a viral video promoting universal bac…

Angel Guerra Cabrera (2021-06-25). Another Vile Lie from the United States. orinocotribune.com By Angel Guerra Cabrera — Jun 18, 2021 | The fondness of the rulers of the United States for the use of lies to justify their actions in the world, constituting, as a general rule, flagrant violations of international law and elementary humanist principles, is well known. | But rarely have the hypocrisy and cynicism of the empire of the North gone as far as when its spokesmen claim that the unduly named economic "sanctions" against countries such as Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Syria, Iran and North Korea seek to punish their leaders and not their populations. | I corroborate this when I read the very well do…

Asa Winstanley (2021-06-25). Labour bans Israel sanctions debate. electronicintifada.net Official alleges that demand for weapons embargo could cause "anti-Semitic behavior."

WSWS (2021-06-25). Washington rebuffs Maduro's bid for US-Venezuela rapprochement. wsws.org The Biden administration has kept in place punishing sanctions that are starving Venezuelans and denying them access to COVID-19 vaccines.

Morgan Artyukhina (2021-06-25). US Doubles Down on Venezuela Sanctions as Guaidó Tours Europe Touting Penalties as Leverage Tool. orinocotribune.com By Morgan Artyukhina — Jun 26, 2021 | The Biden administration has rebuffed pressure from within and without to lower its destructive sanctions against Venezuela's economy, saying that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro must first negotiate with Juan Guaidó, a no-name Venezuelan former politician who has been championed by the US and its allies as the legitimate ruler of the country. | On Sunday, a US State Department spokesperson told Bloomberg that US sanctions would only be dropped against Venezuela after extensive reforms to end the "repression and corrupt practices" it claims Maduro's government is eng…

Martha Grevatt (2021-06-25). SCOTUS ruling: Bigotry behind the fig leaf of religion. workers.org The June 17 ruling by the Supreme Court of the United States, in Fulton v. Philadelphia, represents a bigoted attack on the rights of LGBTQ2S+ people. Outside Supreme Court, Oct. 8, 2019, demanding legal protection from anti-LGBTQ2S+ discrimination. In Philadelphia, discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is illegal; the . . . |

WSWS (2021-06-25). ACLU report highlights ICE brutality against hunger striking migrants under Obama and Trump. wsws.org Immigrants who went on hunger strikes to protest against the poor conditions in various detention centers were subjected to involuntary and invasive medical procedures including forced feeding and hydration.

Peter Koenig (2021-06-25). The West's Audacity of Sanctioning. Among the Latest Cases Is Belarus. globalresearch.ca

Stephen Sefton (2021-06-25). Michelle Bachelet, Alto Comisionado de la ONU para la defensa del crimen organizado. globalizacion.ca Las recientes declaraciones de la Alta Comisionada de la ONU para los Derechos Humanos, Michelle Bachelet, dejan claro que ella apoya abiertamente el crimen organizado en Nicaragua financiado por los gobiernos de Estados Unidos y la Unión Europea. Que lo…

Indivisible East Bay & SF, partners (2021-06-25). Wednesday 7/7: Oakland: Deadline for Democracy Rally to Demand Voting Rights Now! indybay.org Oscar Grant / Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, 1 Frank Ogawa Plaza, Oakland, CA 94705 | Follow all and any current COVID guidelines…

Deadline for Democracy Coalition (2021-06-25). Tuesday 6/29: Sacramento: Deadline for Democracy Rally for Voting Rights Now! indybay.org Robert T. Matsui United States Courthouse on front steps, 501 I Street, Sacramento, CA 95814 | Follow any and all COVID guidelines. This is a peaceful event.

Indivisible groups South Bay (2021-06-25). Tuesday 6/29: We Demand Voter Rights Now! Deadline for Democracy Rally in San Jose. indybay.org Intersection of Winchester Blvd. and Stevens Creek Blvd at the San Jose / Santa Clara border (sidewalk intersection of Santana Row shopping center). | Follow all and any COVID guidlines…

Staff (2021-06-25). "Better Than Trump" Isn't Good Enough. End Deportation Now. truthout.org On the campaign trail, Joe Biden went to great lengths to establish the dramatic differences between himself and Donald Trump on immigration. Biden was very clear: He would reunite separated families, resettle 125,000 refugees and put privately run immigration detention centers firmly in the past. | Six months into his administration, immigration organizers are feeling whiplash. | The White House followed through on its promise of a 100-day deportation moratorium, but quickly abandoned the goals of its own executi…

WSWS (2021-06-25). A Crime on the Bayou: Taking a principled stand during the civil rights era. wsws.org The movie concerns a young black fisherman from Louisiana, Gary Duncan, falsely charged with assault, whose case went to the US Supreme Court. He was defended by Richard Sobol, a white civil rights attorney from New York.

_____ (2021-06-25). Supreme Court limits California Union Recruiting In Favor Of Property Rights. popularresistance.org In a blow to labor, the U.S. Supreme Court invalidated a decades-old California rule inspired by César Chávez that allowed union organizers to meet with farmworkers at their place of work. Commercial growers applauded the conservative court's ruling to uphold property rights while union representatives vowed not to be deterred. | Two agricultural producers filed suit after organizers with the United Farm Workers sought to access their property to speak with farmworkers. The plaintiffs in Cedar Point Nursery v Hassid, Cedar Point Nursery and Fowler Packing Company, argued the California regulation requiring them t…

Zoe Brennan-Krohn (2021-06-25). Britney Spears' Reproductive Freedom is a Disability Rights Issue. aclu.org There were many shocking moments in Britney Spears'

Coastside United for Action (2021-06-25). Wednesday 7/7: Voting Rights Now! Sidewalk Rally for Democracy in Pacifica. indybay.org Intersection of CA-1 and Reina Del Mar @ 1 Reina Del Mar, Pacifica, CA 94044…

John Nichols (2021-06-25). Susan Collins Sums Up Her Scorching Cynicism With a States' Rights Defense of Voter Suppression. thenation.com Susan Collins Sums Up Her Scorching Cynicism With a States' Rights Defense of Voter Suppression…

Chris Peterson (2021-06-25). Medivac refugees on hunger strike have been hospitalised. greenleft.org.au Fourteen refugees have been on hunger strike for more than a week in protest at their imprisonment. Some have been detained for eight years. Chris Petersen and Chloe DS report.

Chloe DS (2021-06-25). How temporary protection visas punish refugees. greenleft.org.au If the Murugappan refugee family is released from Perth community detention, they are likely to join 18,000 others on insecure temporary visas. Chloe DS reports on the cruel visa system.

Joe Glenton (2021-06-24). The UK military should stop recruiting children, human rights organisations say. thecanary.co The UK military must stop recruiting under 18s, a coalition of human rights groups has urged. An The letter highlights that while "most states worldwide now allow only adults to be recruited", the British Army "still recruits more so…

Joe Glenton (2021-06-24). The UK military should stop recruiting children, human rights organisations say. thecanary.co The UK military must stop recruiting under 18s, a coalition of human rights groups has urged. An The letter highlights that while "most states worldwide now allow only adults to be recruited", the British Army "still recruits more so…

Anonymous669 (2021-06-24). Central Syria Insurgency: 60 Russian Airstrikes Hit ISIS Hideouts As Terrorists Continue Their Attacks. southfront.org Russian Su-25 attack aircraft take off from the Khmeimim airbase in Syria © Dmitriy Vinogradov / Sputnik | On June 23 and 24, warplanes of the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) carried out more than 60 airstrikes on ISIS cells in Syria's central region, according to the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. | The Russian airstrikes targeted ISIS hideouts in: | The al-Bishri Mount on the administrative border between Raqqa and Deir Ezzor; | The outskirts of the town of al-Sukhnah in the eastern countryside of Ho…

news.un (2021-06-24). Governments must protect those who help torture victims, say human rights experts. news.un.org Top UN rights experts appealed on Thursday for all governments to ensure that victims of torture receive the rehabilitation services they need, along with guarantees that those who help them do not suffer reprisals.

Federico Fuentes (2021-06-24). 'Turning right, repressing left': Under pressure, Venezuela's Maduro shifts course. greenleft.org.au In the face of a prolonged and deep economic and political crisis, Venezuela's government has embarked on a "turn to the right" in economic policy, while resorting to repression against the left. Federico Fuentes speaks with human rights activist Antonio GonzaÃÅlez Plessmann about the situation.

Staff (2021-06-24). End Trans Detention: Biden Admin Urged to Release Trans & HIV+ Asylum Seekers After Deaths, Neglect. democracynow.org Ahead of Vice President Kamala Harris's visit to the U.S.-Mexico border, immigrant rights activists marched on the White House to call on the Biden administration to stop detaining trans asylum seekers, who often face severe abuse, discrimination and medical neglect in custody. Their actions included a service honoring and mourning the deaths of several trans people who died due to ICE negligence. Eight immigrant rights groups also sent a letter to the White House demanding the release of all transgender people and people with HIV/AIDS from immigrant detention centers. Jennicet Gutiérrez, a community organizer an…

teleSUR (2021-06-24). Russia Pledges Aid to Latam Countries in the Face of "Threats" telesurenglish.net Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu highlighted historical alliances between Russia and Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela, three Latin American countries facing U.S. sanctions, at the 9th International Security Conference in Moscow. | RELATED: | "They have resisted various forms of pressure, including the threat of open use of military force for many years. Russia's support is required now more than ever," Shoigu said Wednesday at the 9t…

James O'Neill (2021-06-24). The United States Continues to Play its Geopolitical Games but the Rest of the World Moves On. dissidentvoice.org One has to seriously wonder what game Joe Biden thinks he is playing. Fresh from what appears to have been an amiable meeting with Vladimir Putin in Geneva, the United States promptly announced a new range of sanctions upon Russia. The ostensible reason for the latest sanctions was the imprisonment of minor Russian dissident Alexei …

Editor2 (2021-06-24). Message on Websites of Iranian, Regional TVs Claims 'Domain Seizure by US Govt.'. orinocotribune.com In what seems to be a coordinated action, a similar message has appeared on the websites of a series of Iranian and regional television networks that claims their domains have been "seized by the United States Government." | The notice, which appeared late Tuesday on the website of English-language television news network Press TV as well as a number of other Iranian and regional news channels, cited US sanctions laws for the seizure and was accompanied by the seal of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the US Department of Commerce. | "The domain presstv.com has been seized by the United States Governm…

teleSUR (2021-06-24). Iran and Venezuela to Strengthen Bilateral Cooperation. telesurenglish.net On Wednesday, Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro and Iran's President-elect Ebrahim Raisi highlighted their commitment to strengthen bilateral cooperation to overcome U.S. sanctions against their countries. | RELATED: | "I had a telephone conversation with Seyed Ebrahim Raisi, President-Elect of the Islamic Republic of Iran. We agree to strengthen our ties of brotherhood and cooperation to advance in the joint…

Staff (2021-06-24). Venezuela's Attorney General Labels Alex Saab's Illegal Detention as an Abduction. orinocotribune.com The Attorney General of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Tarek William Saab, described the illegal detention of the Venezuelan special envoy and Alternate Ambassador to the African Union, Alex Saab, as an "abduction." The case constitutes an example of a flagrant disregard of the right to a legal defense and to due process, and a clear violation of Alex Saab's human rights. | When inaugurating his new Twitter Space, #twitterspacesdelfiscaltarek, on the popular social media platform, the highest representative of the Venezuelan Public Ministry stressed that this illegal process against Alex Saab "has been use…

_____ (2021-06-24). US and Israel Vote 'No' as 184 Nations Condemn American Blockade of Cuba. popularresistance.org "The U.N. vote… on Cuba was a chance for President Biden to show global leadership," said CodePink co-founder Medea Benjamin. "He failed miserably." | Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Padilla slammed the blockade as a "massive, flagrant, and unacceptable violation of the human rights of the Cuban people" and "an economic war of extraterritorial scope against a small country already affected in the recent period by the economic crisis derived from the pandemic."

_____ (2021-06-24). US And Israel Vote 'No' As 184 Nations Condemn American Blockade Of Cuba. popularresistance.org Peace and human rights advocates joined the United Nations General Assembly Wednesday in their annual condemnation of the United States' disastrous economic embargo against Cuba. | For the 29th straight year, the members of the General Assembly voted overwhelmingly in favor of a resolution demanding an end to the 60-year U.S. economic blockade on Cuba. This year, 184 nations voted in favor of the resolution, while the U.S. and Israel voted against it. Three nations—Brazil, Colombia, and Ukraine—abstained. | Critics this year noted the detrimental effects of the embargo on Cuba's ability to combat the…

Staff (2021-06-24). Sen. Merkley on Voting Rights, the Filibuster & Why Infrastructure Deal Must Address Climate Crisis. democracynow.org Pressure is growing on Democrats to abolish the Senate filibuster in order to pass a major voting rights bill and other legislation. Republicans this week used the filibuster to prevent debate on the For the People Act, which would restore the protections of the 1965 Voting Rights Act gutted by the Supreme Court eight years ago. Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon, who is a lead sponsor of the For the People Act and self-described "Chief Filibuster Antagonist," says Republicans have broken the Senate's "social contract" of bipartisan cooperation in favor of total obstruction of all Democratic priorities. "The majority…

Shaw Drake (2021-06-24). Unaccompanied Children's Well-Being Must Come First at Fort Bliss and Across Texas. aclu.org "A Border Patrol facility is no place for a child," We could not agree more. | Border Patrol facilities hav…

Staff (2021-06-24). Biden Admin Urged to Release Trans and HIV+ Asylum Seekers Following Deaths. truthout.org Image Credit: Familia: Trans Queer Liberation Movement | Ahead of Vice President Kamala Harris's visit to the U.S.-Mexico border, immigrant rights activists marched on the White House to call on the Biden administration to stop detaining trans asylum seekers, who often face severe abuse, discrimination and medical neglect in custody. Their actions included a service honoring and mourning the deaths of several trans people who died due to ICE negligence. Eight immigrant rights groups also sent a le…

WSWS (2021-06-24). Migrant children speak of horrifying conditions in detention centers set up by the Biden administration. wsws.org Children detained in federal custody face horrifying conditions including being deprived of edible food, clean drinking water, access to health care, education and legal support.

Editor2 (2021-06-24). Interview with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). orinocotribune.com The following is an interview that I conducted with a representative of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), Comrade Guevara Hadad. | Q: Of course we are aware that your movement rejects the so-called "two-state solution" in Palestine. What kind of Palestine is your organisation fighting for? Many prominent anti-Zionist activists advocate for what is known as a "one-state solution", or a "bi-national state", that is, one, secular, democratic state with fully equal rights for all, irrespective of race or faith, and with the right of return for Palestinian refugees, what is the PFLP's view on s…

Editor2 (2021-06-24). Interview with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). orinocotribune.com Q: Of course we are aware that your movement rejects the so-called "two-state solution" in Palestine. What kind of Palestine is your organisation fighting for? Many prominent anti-Zionist activists advocate for what is known as a "one-state solution", or a "bi-national state", that is, one, secular, democratic state with fully equal rights for all, irrespective of race or faith, and with the right of return for Palestinian refugees, what is the PFLP's view on such a proposal? | A: The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine is a militant political party that fights and works to educate, organize and lead th…

Raouf Halaby (2021-06-24). From Selma to Palestine. counterpunch.org Despite its shortcomings as an historical portrayal of the rabid racism that plagued the 1960's American South, CBS's June 20, 2021 Selma special drama did present a fair depiction of Dr. Martin L. King's role in African Americans' struggle to earn the right to vote as sanctioned by the Constitution of the United States. The movie's sanitized

Raouf Halaby (2021-06-24). From Selma to Palestine. counterpunch.org Despite its shortcomings as an historical portrayal of the rabid racism that plagued the 1960's American South, CBS's June 20, 2021 Selma special drama did present a fair depiction of Dr. Martin L. King's role in African Americans' struggle to earn the right to vote as sanctioned by the Constitution of the United States. The movie's

Workers World Party (2021-06-24). PDF of June 24 issue. workers.org Download the PDF. Struggle goes beyond Juneteenth Emancipation and resistance Editorial: Reparations and abolition Pride coverage: Bigotry behind SCOTUS ruling; Atlanta, Buffalo, Cleveland; Also: Consuewella Africa remembered; Reproductive rights under attack; Indigenous victory over pipeline; Kamala Harris & Wall Street; Biden, G7 and NATO. GLOBAL: Peru, Haiti, Palestinian Resistance, China. . . . |

Jonathan Lockhart (2021-06-24). Critical Race Theory: The right's latest target in the culture wars. greenleft.org.au The attack on Critical Race Theory is the latest right-wing onslaught against "cultural Marxism" and its supposed hidden intention to destroy Western civilisation, writes Jonathan Lockhart.

Deadline for Democracy Coalition (2021-06-24). Tuesday 6/29: Sacramento: Deadline for Democracy Rally for Voting Rights Now! indybay.org Robert T. Matsui United States Courthouse on front steps, 501 I Street, Sacramento, CA 95814 | Follow any and all COVID guidelines. This is a peaceful event.

2021-06-26 03:44 | 23:44 EST | 50 | 1 | 24 | 24 | 2