2020-09-05: News Headlines

The Canary (2020-09-05). Refugee rights activists gather in Dover amid fears of disruption from far-right. thecanary.co Protesters have gathered at the port of Dover to show their support for refugees reaching the UK in small boats.There were fears of violence ahead of Saturday 5 September with right-wing anti-immigrant groups also announcing their intention to assemble in the Kent town.It comes despite pleas from local MP Natalie Elphicke to "stay away" to prevent a second wave of coronavirus (Covid-19)."Refugees welcome": On Friday 4 September, the words "Rise above fear. Refugees welcome" were beamed onto the White Cliffs of Dover by humanitarian charity Freedom From Torture.A heavy police presence is in place in the tow…

WSWS (2020-09-05). Rochester, New York police tortured and murdered a man in March, video shows. wsws.org Footage from body-cameras shows police tormenting Daniel Prude for several minutes while he lay naked, handcuffed and hooded on a freezing street.

news.un (2020-09-05). End secret detention of rights defender, independent experts urge Pakistani authorities. news.un.org Independent UN rights experts have called on the Government of Pakistan to end the secret detention of a human rights defender, who has not been heard from in more than nine months.

Raphael Satter (2020-09-05). U.S. court: Mass surveillance program exposed by Snowden was illegal. zcomm.org "Today's ruling is a victory for our privacy rights," the ACLU said in a statement, saying it "makes plain that the NSA's bulk collection of Americans' phone records violated the Constitution."

Posted by Lynda Carson (2020-09-05). Tenant Rights Groups Bracing for Flood of Questions Around New State Law. indybay.org Eviction Protections During The Coronavirus Covid-19 Pandemic…

Luca Valera, Paulina Ramos, Marcelo Barrientos, Fernando Altermatt, Sergio Ruiz, Rommy von Bernhardi, Mauricio Cuello (2020-09-05). [Correspondence] Clinical research in Chile: do not block the way of inquiry. thelancet.com Clinical research in Chile has grown rapidly during the past 20 years because of various research studies that were conceived and done by Chilean researchers, or through multicentre clinical trials. Nevertheless, clinical research in the areas of neurodegenerative diseases, dementia, or those involving people with mental disabilities has been impeded by the enactment of Law 20.584 in 2012.1 This law regulates people's rights and duties concerning actions associated with their health care. Article 28 of this law states: "No person with a mental or intellectual disability, and who cannot express his or her will, ma…

yenisafak (2020-09-05). Pakistan's 'lonely' elephant is fit to be moved. yenisafak.com Pakistan's "lonely" elephant Kaavan has come one step closer to his rescue after a team of wildlife experts declared him "well enough" to be relocated to a sanctuary in Cambodia."Following the checks, which confirmed Kaavan is strong enough, steps will now be taken to finalize his relocation to an animal sanctuary potentially in Cambodia," said a statement on Saturday by Austrian-based FOUR PAWS International, a global animal welfare organization which examined Kaavan in the capital Islamabad to see if he is fit to travel."Due to malnutrition and lack of physical exercise, Kaavan shows visible signs of obesity. A…

Staff (2020-09-04). "Death Is on the Ballot": Lessons for the US, 50 Years After Allende's Socialist Revolution in Chile. democracynow.org Today marks the 50th anniversary of the election of socialist President Salvador Allende in Chile, a significant moment in the history of political revolutions. We speak with Chilean American author, human rights defender and poet Ariel Dorfman, who was cultural and press adviser to Allende's chief of staff in the last months of his presidency, about how the revolution used peaceful means to bring about radical change in Chile and beyond. "Allende's revolution, which was a peaceful revolution, was the attempt to put the resources of the country and the future of the country into the hands of the majority," Dorfma…

teleSUR Desk (2020-09-04). U.S. sanctions ICC prosecutor for investigating its troops. mronline.org U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made the announcement in response to an investigation on U.S. military crimes in Afghanistan.

Tracey L. Rogers (2020-09-04). The Weathering of Black America. counterpunch.org After Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in 1968, his autopsy report revealed that at the young age of 39, he had "the heart of a 60-year old." Doctors concluded that King's heart had aged due to the stress and pressure endured throughout his 13-year civil rights career. A 13-year tribulation sounds more fitting. Along

teleSUR (2020-09-04). Chile: Left-Wing Party Presents Bill to Prevent Police Brutality. telesurenglish.net Chile Democratic Revolution (Revolución Democrática) political party and the Foundation Eyes of Chile (Ojos de Chile) on Friday presented a bill to the Lower House to prevent Chilean Police (Carabineros) from using bullets and pellets, as well as sound and tear guns. | RELATED: | "We have presented this bill so that the tragedy of human rights violations that we saw recently and that five international reports ac…

news.un (2020-09-04). Mystery surrounds Algeria article branded 'complete fabrication' by UN rights office. news.un.org The UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) is dismissing as a "complete fabrication" an Algerian news report claiming that a UN tribunal has rejected a complaint by a group of political activists.

Thomas Knapp (2020-09-04). Trump Regime vs. the ICC: the Wrong Side of "Sovereignty" counterpunch.org In June, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order providing for sanctions against persons who "have directly engaged in any effort by the [International Criminal Court] to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute any United States personnel without the consent of the United States." On September 2, The US regime imposed such sanctions on two

teleSUR (2020-09-04). Chile: Copper Workers Demand Rights Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic. telesurenglish.net Chile's Federation of Copper Workers (FTC) warned on Friday that they would take action to protect their jobs if Codelco's executives jeopardize them amid the COVID-19 pandemic. | RELATED: | The FTC said in a statement that "it will ensure the unrestricted defense of employment amid this pandemic," as tensions between the company's representatives and the miners have escalated in recent months over threats of massive layoffs and lac…

International Criminal Court (2020-09-04). International Criminal Court (ICC) Condemns US Economic Sanctions. Washington's Interference in ICC Judicial and Prosecutorial Independence. globalresearch.ca The International Criminal Court ("ICC" or "Court") condemns the economic sanctions imposed by the US earlier today on the Court's Prosecutor and a member of her Office. | The new measures, announced pursuant to the US Executive Order 13928 dated 11 …

Staff (2020-09-04). The Milwaukee Bucks Strike Is Part of a Long Tradition of Athlete Resistance. truthout.org "Everybody knows me. I'm the big basketball star, the weekend hero, everybody's All-American," Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (at the time, known as Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor) said at a founding meeting of the Olympic Project for Human Rights in 1967. "Well, last summer I was almost killed by a racist cop shooting at a black [man] in Harlem. He was shooting on the street — where masses of people were standing around or just taking a walk. But he didn't care. After all we were just [Blacks]." | Abdu…

Staff (2020-09-04). Trump Threats to Anti-Doping Agency May Result in Sanctions on US Olympics Team. truthout.org Due to threats that the Trump administration made earlier this year to withhold funding from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), the United States may face punishments in the international sporting world. | However, Witold Banka, the head of WADA, sought to assure U.S. athletes on Friday that their participation in such events, including in the Olympics next year, would not be jeopardized due to political disagreements between the agency and the U.S. | The White House's Office of National…

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2020-09-04). Earth Defenders Warn Against Democrats Undermining 'Rights of Nature' Movement With Watered-Down Approach. commondreams.org The fresh push for recognizing ecosystems as rights-bearing entities comes as the documentary film Invisible Hand premieres worldwide. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…

commondreams (2020-09-04). STATEMENTS: Democratic Party Must Not Water Down 'Rights of Nature'. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Staff (2020-09-03). Headlines for September 3, 2020. democracynow.org CDC Urges States to Be Ready by Late October to Distribute COVID-19 Vaccine, Iowa Sen. Ernst Spreads COVID-19 Conspiracy Theories as Cases Soar in State, U.S. Pulls $62 Million in Funding for World Health Organization, U.S. Sanctions Top ICC Prosecutors for Investigating U.S. War Crimes, Trump Campaign Aide Justifies Vigilante's Killing of Black Lives Matter Protesters, Trump Moves to Cut Billions in Federal Aid to Cities, Citing "Anarchist Jurisdictions", The Killing of Daniel Prude: Naked Black Man Suffocated After Police Put Hood Over His Head, California Police Officer Charged with Shooting Dead Black Man in…

Fight Back (2020-09-03). Philippines: Trade unions call for release of vulnerable prisoners. fightbacknews.org The militant labor group Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) went to the Supreme Court grounds on Wednesday, September 2, to amplify the call for the release of minor, sick, elderly and other vulnerable detainees. | "We urge the Supreme Court to decisively act on the urgent petition of kin of sick, elderly and other vulnerable detainees. The petition was filed on April 8, and no action has been taken by the Supreme Court since. We ask the Supreme Court this on humanitarian grounds in this time of pandemic," said Eleanor de Guzman, KMU secretary for human rights. | KMU cited the fragile state of prisons as basis for the relea…

teleSUR (2020-09-03). Brazil: Federal Court Restitutes Disputed Land to Pataxo People. telesurenglish.net Brazil's Supreme Federal Court (STF) on Thursday put out an order to cease the evictions of Pataxo people, an Indigenous community in Bahia state. | RELATED: | "Minister Gilmar Mendes of the STF has just decided in favor of the community, also suspending the decision of the judge from Eunápolis for not complying with the decision of the STF. Double victory of the Patax people!" tweeted Indigenous rights' activi…

yenisafak (2020-09-03). EU urges Greece to respect rights of asylum seekers. yenisafak.com "We fully expect the Greek authorities to act in accordance with the law. In case of any breach of EU law, we expect the authorities to investigate the facts and to appropriately follow up," Adalbert Janhz, the European Commission's spokesman on home affairs and citizenship, commented on recent remarks by Greek Shipping Minister Yiannis Plakiotakis.Plakiotakis — whose ministry is in charge of the coast guard — said on Wednesday that Greece this year stopped more than 10,000 migrants trying to cross to the country by boat."We had 68 cases of prevention and we succeeded in 3,000 people not entering our country" i…

RT (2020-09-03). EU & France call on US to reverse 'unacceptable' sanctions against International Criminal Court's war crimes investigators. rt.com US sanctions against two International Criminal Court officials are "unacceptable and unprecedented" and should be reversed, said the EU's top diplomat, while the French foreign minister called them "a grave attack" on the court. | The sanctions are "unacceptable and unprecedented measures that attempt to obstruct the court's investigations and judicial proceedings," EU High Representative for Foreign Policy Josep Borrell said in a statement on Thursday. | The US should "reconsider its position and reverse the measures it has taken," Borrell added. | His comments came shortly after French Foreign Minister Jean…

Stephen Lendman (2020-09-03). JCPOA Signatories in Vienna Reject Snapback Sanctions on Iran. globalresearch.ca Hegemon USA increasingly finds itself isolated on the world stage. | The harder it pressures, bullies, otherwise threatens and/or bludgeons other countries to bend to its will, the further its isolation longer-term. | On Tuesday, Joint Commission of the JCPOA signatories Russia, …

Stephen Lendman (2020-09-03). Trump Regime Sanctions ICC Officials for Investigating US War Crimes. globalresearch.ca Unlawfully imposed US sanctions on targeted nations, entities and individuals are weapons of war by other means. | On Wednesday, Pompeo said the Trump regime blacklisted ICC Chief Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda and the court's Jurisdiction, Complementary, and Cooperation Division head Phakiso …

_____ (2020-09-03). US Punishes ICC For Investigating Potential War Crimes. popularresistance.org The Trump administration has sought to weaken or abandon various international agencies since 2016. Now it's taking aim at the International Criminal Court, a global tribunal that investigates and prosecutes war crimes, torture and genocide. | Claiming the ICC's investigation into alleged war crimes by U.S. forces in Afghanistan poses a national security threat, President Donald Trump issued an executive order on June 11 effectively criminalizing anyone who works at the ICC. Its lawyers, judges, human rights researchers and staff could now have their U.S. bank accounts frozen, U.S. visas revoked and travel to the…

Peoples Dispatch (2020-09-03). International Criminal Court condemns US sanctions on its officials. peoplesdispatch.org The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a press release on Wednesday, September 2, condemning the sanctions announced by the US against Fatou Bensouda, chief prosecutor of ICC, and Phakisa Mochochoko, her aide and director of the ICC's Jurisdiction, Complementary and Cooperation Division. Both are investigating allegations of war crimes committed by US personnel in Afghanistan. | The US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, announcing the imposition of economic sanctions on Bensouda and Mochochoko on Wednesday, said that "the United States will not tolerate ICC's reckless targeting" of its personnel. | The sanct…

Peoples Dispatch (2020-09-03). Saudi activist Loujain al-Hathloul's health deteriorates following hunger strike. peoplesdispatch.org Saudi women's rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul launched a hunger strike last week after she was not allowed to meet her family members. Following the strike, she was allowed to do so but her health has declined…

Dr. Binoy Kampmark (2020-09-03). Fruits of Illegality: The NSA, Bulk Collection and Warrantless Surveillance. globalresearch.ca He has become part of the furniture when it comes to discussions about privacy rights and personal liberties, arguably an odd sort of thing for a man who also dealt in the shadows of intelligence secrets. But Edward Snowden has …

Animal Liberation Conference (2020-09-03). Saturday 9/12: When Black Power Meets Animal Rights. indybay.org Online…

_____ (2020-09-03). New Month Brings Added Urgency To Minneapolis' Housing Needs. popularresistance.org Minneapolis, MN — Advocates for people without housing are meeting today outside of the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board headquarters, hours after a sanctuary encampment in the Phillips area was cleared by police. They're demanding immediate sanctuary for the Safe Haven Encampment (SHE), a sanctuary camp for women and children, along with "any other park who is asking for a consideration to exist." | Two weeks ago, community members demanded that the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board (MPRB) amend Resolution 2020-267 to guarantee no evictions.

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-03). Iran able to export billions of dollars of military equipment. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 03 (MNA) — The Head of the Iranian Defense Ministry's Marine Industries Organization pointed to the capacity of the Islamic Republic in exporting military equipment after the sanctions lifted.

Staff (2020-09-03). Putin Wants Belarus Dictator to Retain Power — But the Masses Are Still Rising. truthout.org Mass protests entered their fourth week in Belarus to demand the ouster of authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko, who claimed victory in the country's August 9 election that critics say was rigged. But Lukashenko shows no sign of backing down, and authorities have responded to protests with violence and arrests. Sadakat Kadri, a human rights lawyer and writer, says Russian President Vladimir Putin is invested in keeping Lukashenko in power. "He can't afford to see Belarus fall," Kadri not…

yenisafak (2020-09-03). At least 25 Palestinian groups call for general elections. yenisafak.com Several Palestinian civil society and rights groups on Thursday urged leadership to conduct presidential and parliamentary elections.Signed by 25 Palestinian groups, a letter was handed over to Hanna Nasser, the chairman of the Palestinian Central Elections Commission, ahead of the intra-Palestinian meeting scheduled to take place in the evening.Addressing a press conference in front of the Elections Commission office in Ramallah, Issam Arouri, director-general of Jerusalem Legal Aid Center, said the letter will be presented to President Mahmoud Abbas and the heads of Palestinian groups, asking them to conduct pa…

yenisafak (2020-09-03). UN calls for probe into rights violations in Kashmir. yenisafak.com The UN has again called on India to probe alleged cases of forced disappearance and mass graves in Jammu and Kashmir. In a letter this week addressed to the Indian government, at least nine UN rapporteurs also asked New Delhi to reconsider the closure of the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) in the disputed region."We urge [India]…and local authorities in Jammu and Kashmir to undertake prompt, thorough and impartial investigations into all alleged enforced disappearances…and take measures to identify the remains in each of the thousands of unmarked graves," said the letter, which was posted to the governme…

Julia Conley, staff writer (2020-09-03). Dismissing Need for Abortion Access, Ted Cruz Claims Pregnancy Is Not 'Life-Threatening'—Despite Alarming Maternal Mortality Rate in US. commondreams.org Reproductive rights advocates rebuked Sen. Ted Cruz on Thursday after he claimed that pregnancy is "not a life threatening" condition for women while arguing that medication abortions should not be available to women in the United States. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…

Kenny Stancil, staff writer (2020-09-03). Covid-19 Gag Rules Endanger Everyone, But Study Shows Unions Make It Easier to Assert Workplace Safety Rights. commondreams.org "To stop this pandemic, workers need to be listened to rather than silenced," something that is far more likely when workers are unionized. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2020-09-03). As Pence Attends Anti-Choice Event in North Carolina, Providers and Rights Groups Sue Over State Abortion Restrictions. commondreams.org "If we are not able to get reproductive healthcare when we need it, from providers we trust, in spaces that are accessible and affirming to our communities and our needs, then we are not actually free." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…

_____ (2020-09-02). Documentary — The War On Journalism: The Case Of Julian Assange. popularresistance.org Journalists are under attack globally for doing their jobs. Julian Assange is facing a 175 year sentence for publishing if extradited to the United States. The Trump administration has gone from denigrating journalists as 'enemies of the people' to now criminalizing common practices in journalism that have long served the public interest. | Imprisoned WikiLeaks founder and editor Assange's extradition is being sought by the Trump administration, in a hearing to begin Sept. 7, for publishing U.S. government documents, which exposed war crimes and human rights abuses.

_____ (2020-09-02). Hundreds Of Lawyers File Complaint Against Judge Over Targeting Steven Donziger. popularresistance.org Dozens of legal organizations around the world representing more than 500,000 lawyers along with over 200 individual lawyers today submitted a judicial complaint documenting a series of shocking violations of the judicial code of conduct by United States Judge Lewis A. Kaplan targeting human rights lawyer Steven Donziger after he helped Indigenous peoples win a historic judgment against Chevron in Ecuador to clean up the pollution caused by decades of oil drilling with no environmental controls. | The complaint was formally filed by the National Lawyers Guild in conjunction with the International Association of D…

Sean Callebs (2020-09-02). The Heat: Iran nuclear deal and U.S. sanctions. america.cgtn.com The United States seeks to re-impose sanctions on Iran. It was back in 2015 when Iran agreed to a long-term deal on its nuclear program with a group of world powers known as the P5+1 — the U.S., UK, France, China, Russia and Germany. The …

yenisafak (2020-09-02). Hamas chief to visit Palestinian refugees in Lebanon. yenisafak.com "Haniyeh will meet Lebanese officials from the presidency, government, parliament and parties," Maher Salah, the head of Hamas' Diaspora Office, told Anadolu Agency. | He reiterated his movement's support to the Lebanese people in their current crisis in the wake of the Beirut port blast. | Salah added the Hamas leader, who arrived in Lebanon on Tuesday, will also meet Palestinians in Lebanon and in the refugee camps. | "Our people in the camps have a distinguished history in the resistance for the liberation of Palestine," he said, adding that Haniyeh's talks in Lebanon will focus on the rights and interests of…

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2020-09-02). 'Full Frontal Attack on Rule of Law': Trump Sanctions Top ICC Officials Probing US War Crimes in Afghanistan. commondreams.org Human rights advocates blasted the move as "another brazen attack against international justice" that "is designed to do what this administration does best—bully and intimidate." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…

news.un (2020-09-02). UN dismayed over US sanctions on top International Criminal Court officials. news.un.org The UN Secretary-General on Wednesday noted "with concern" the imposition by the United States of sanctions against the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and another senior official, in the latest of a series of unilateral policy moves against the body.

Peoples Dispatch (2020-09-02). Barring US, all parties reiterate commitment to Iran nuclear deal. peoplesdispatch.org Delegates from Iran, Russia, China, the UK, France and Germany said the deal was a key component in the global nuclear non-proliferation architecture. They also rejected US bids to trigger snapback sanctions…

Irene Kai (2020-09-02). Systemic Change Starts with Us. counterpunch.org The first World Peace Flame in North America was installed in the lobby of the Civil Rights Museum, at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee in 2002. The World Peace Flame is eternal as the ideals and inspiration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. are universal and timeless. In the current times, his words are

WSWS (2020-09-02). Waiting for the Barbarians: "You are an obscene torturer. You deserve to be hanged!" wsws.org Based on the 1980 novel by South Africa-born writer J.M. Coetzee, with also—importantly—a screenplay by Coetzee, the film is set on the remote outskirts of a fictional (or composite) "Empire" sometime apparently in the 19th century.

Staff (2020-09-02). Eviction Moratorium Delays Crisis Until January, When Tenants Will Owe Back Rent. truthout.org The nationwide eviction moratorium announced Tuesday by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will provide immediate and welcome relief through the end of the year for certain renters, but housing rights advocates say the move is woefully inadequate because it fails to provide any payment assistance to renters. | Tenants will still owe back rent plus interest and fees once the moratorium ends in January. | The HHS/CDC evi…

yenisafak (2020-09-02). Israel arrests Jordanian who swam into coastal city. yenisafak.com Israeli police on Wednesday detained a Jordanian citizen who arrived in the coastal resort city of Eilat by swimming, the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation said.Israeli police evacuated the beach of people, it said.Israeli police said it deployed forces in Eilat over a "suspicion of a security incident."There was no comment from Jordanian authorities on the incident.