(2021-08-12). The Taliban Takes Over Herat City Despite Fierce Resistance From Government Forces, Locals (Videos). southfront.org 
File image. | On August 12, the Taliban finally took over Herat, Afghanistan's largest city, according to the France-Press Agency (AFP). | An unnamed Afghan security official told the agency that government forces and administration officials had retreated from the northwestern city. | Afghan sources shared on social media several videos showing Taliban fighters at the center of Herat and near the city's main Police Headquarters. One of the videos shows dozens of prisoners who were released from Herat p…
(2021-08-12). Cuba Supports China, Rejects US Attempt to Politicize Origin of COVID-19. orinocotribune.com Cuba lashed out at attempts to politicize studies about the origin of COVID-19, as the United States continues its attempts to link China with the spread of the virus. | On Wednesday, August 11, Cuban Foreign Affairs Minister Bruno Rodríguez commented on the positions of some Western powers regarding the origin of COVID-19, mainly that of the United States in relation to China. In a message posted on Twitter, the Cuban Foreign Affairs Minister rejected the "attempts to politicize, single out, and stigmatize studies about the origin" of the new coronavirus pandemic, and praised the responsible and transparent cont…
(2021-08-12). Asesinato de Jovenel MoàØse: Premeditación, participación de los EEUU y complicidad del personal de seguridad. cubadebate.cu El informe preliminar elaborado por las autoridades haitianas deja asentadas sus presunciones sobre el magnicidio: la premeditación de los mercenarios colombianos en el plan de asesinato, la participación de dos empresas con sede en EE.UU. y la complicidad del personal de seguridad del mandatario en los hechos porque, cuando se ejecutó el asalto a la residencia de MoàØse, "la puerta principal estaba abierta".
(2021-08-12). Nicaragua: Encuesta confirma al FSLN como favorito a elecciones. cubadebate.cu Una encuesta publicada la víspera en Managua confirmó al gobernante Frente Sandinista de Liberación Nacional (FSLN) como favorito de cara a las elecciones generales del 7 de noviembre próximo.El estudio realizado solo en Managua reveló que el índice de predisposición política favorece al partido rojinegro, con el 62,7 por ciento.
(2021-08-12). U.S.-Made GPS In Service With Russian Aerospace Forces In Syria. southfront.org 
Click to see full-size image | The Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) are using American-made GPS systems during their combat missions in Syria. | The revelation was made by Russian politician Soviet Air Force veteran Colonel Viktor Alksnis, on his Facebook page. | He drew attention to recently-released photographs of the cockpit of a Su-34 Fullback fighter-bomber in Syria. This is also the case of the Su-25SM3 fighter jets. | Experts later confirmed that the photo shows a U.S.-manufactured GPS receiv…
(2021-08-12). Nearly 1.4 billion covered by health insurance in China. ecns.cn China's healthcare plans had covered 1.36 billion residents by the end of last year after the country worked for decades to create a sturdier insurance safety net in the world's most populous nation, a white paper said on Thursday.
(2021-08-12). The Eviction Crisis Is A Race And Gender Wage Gap Issue. popularresistance.org For Congresswoman Cori Bush (D-MO), sleeping away from the comfort of a bed is an unfortunately familiar feeling. Years ago, Bush had to live out of her car for a time with her two young children, all while working a full-time job. Her experience as an unhoused person drove her to take bold action on July 30, as the federal eviction moratorium was about to expire. "Many of my Democratic colleagues chose to go on vacation early today rather than staying to vote to keep people in their homes," Bush tweeted. "I'll be sleeping outside the Capitol tonight. We've still got work to do."
(2021-08-12). TODAY — Canada in Venezuela: Orinoco Tribune to Host Live Interview with Yves Engler (Facebook Livestream). orinocotribune.com August 3, 2021 (special for Orinoco Tribune)—Orinoco Tribune will host Canadian writer Yves Engler for a discussion of Canada's foreign policy regarding Venezuela and the economic interests of Canadian corporations in the region on Thursday, August 12. While the US has taken the lead in "regime"-change operations against Presidents Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro, Canada has played a disproportionately significant role that has been less widely publicized—at times Canada is even presented as a benevolent actor in the region. We will learn that Canada's complicity extends far beyond its general support…
(2021-08-12). Facebook stonewalls Biden on stopping vaccine disinformation. zcomm.org Because right-wing lies are enriching…
(2021-08-12). UN Experts Urge US to Withdraw Illegal 'Sanctions' Against Venezuela. orinocotribune.com On Wednesday, August 11, the Foreign Affairs Minister of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Jorge Arreaza, disclosed a statement issued by United Nations human rights experts who qualified US illegal unilateral "sanctions" as punishment against an innocent population and urged the cessation of these actions that violate the rule of law in Venezuela and other countries. | In a post on his official Twitter account @jaarreaza, the senior official added that "there is no doubt that this is a crime against humanity that the Prosecutor's Office of the International Criminal Court must investigate." | Likewise, the s…
(2021-08-12). Texas governor says anyone who defies state ban on mask mandates will be taken to court. rt.com 
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has asked an appeals court to strike down a masking requirement imposed by a country judge and promised more lawsuits against officials who rebel against his ban on mask mandates. | Abbot and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced that they had filed a petition asking the 5th Court of Appeals to strike down an order by Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins, who instructed businesses, public schools, child daycare centers and government offices to require indoor mask-wearing. | The governor banned Texas officials from imposing any form of a mask mandate in May, under the threat of a f…
(2021-08-12). Senator Rand Paul accused of 'insider trading' after he belatedly reveals wife invested in pharma firm in early days of Covid-19. rt.com 
Senator Rand Paul was accused of "insider trading" after he revealed that his wife bought stock in the firm that makes antiviral drug remdesivir in early 2020, disclosing the purchase more than a year after the reporting deadline. | The Kentucky Republican acknowledged the stock buy on Wednesday in a Senate filing, the Washington Post According to the filing, the senator's wife invested b…
(2021-08-12). UNHCR objects to renewed U.S. expulsion flights of migrants under public health restrictions. ecns.cn The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) expressed concern on Wednesday over the resumption of the U.S. practice of flying non-Mexican asylum seekers and migrants to southern Mexico after expelling them under a U.S. health law regulation implemented last year amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
(2021-08-12). US Civil Rights Groups Escalate Pressure on Biden to Keep Prisoners at Home Amid Pandemic. sputniknews.com WASHINGTON (Sputnik), Barrington M. Salmon – A coalition of criminal justice activists is upping its campaign to prevent the Biden administration from forcing thousands of inmates to return to prison as COVID-19 infections continue to surge, Families Against Mandatory Minimums (FAMM) President Kevin Ring said.
(2021-08-12). Facts reveal U.S. failing in COVID-19 response: report. ecns.cn Furthermore, the "virus origin-tracing terrorism" that emerged in the country should be investigated as this is an attempt to manipulate "global public opinion," the authors said.
(2021-08-12). Unilateral sanctions against Venezuela "crime against humanity": FM. ecns.cn Imposing unilateral sanctions against Venezuela and other countries is "a crime against humanity" that the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court must investigate, Venezuelan Foreign Affairs Minister Jorge Arreaza said Wednesday.
(2021-08-12). Average life expectancy in China rises to 77.3 yrs: white paper. ecns.cn
(2021-08-12). China has over 1 mln medical, health institutions: white paper. ecns.cn The number of medical and health institutions in China skyrocketed from 170,000 in 1978 to over 1 million in 2020, according to a white paper.
(2021-08-12). China lifts nearly 99 mln rural poor out of poverty in 8 yrs: white paper. ecns.cn By the end of 2020, China had lifted all the 98.99 million rural residents living below the current poverty line out of poverty after eight years of efforts, according to a white paper.
(2021-08-12). Moscow to boost relations with Tehran based on mutual respect. en.mehrnews.com Iran is Russia's friend and neighbor, and the country will continue to strengthen relations based on mutual respect, the RussianEmbassy said.
(2021-08-12). Reportan el asesinato de firmante de la paz en Nariño, Colombia. telesurtv.net Con José Harleyo Popayán serían 34 los firmantes de acuerdo de paz asesinados en 2021.
(2021-08-12). Awkward Moment: Biden –°onfuses Gov. Gretchen Whitmer With Energy Sec Jennifer Granholm – Video. sputniknews.com US President Joe Biden is no stranger to blunders and awkward behaviour: just earlier this week he seemingly took a cue from a Secret Service agent to follow the sidewalk path into the White House and followed the security officer across the lawn, prompting social media users to mock him for "getting lost in the bushes".
(2021-08-12). Denuncian asesinato de líder social en el Meta, Colombia. telesurtv.net Indepaz señala que en lo corrido del 2021 se han asesinado 107 líderes sociales y 1.223 desde la firma de los Acuerdos de Paz en 2016.
(2021-08-11). Arrests of Palestinian rights defenders part of 'wider crackdown'. news.un.org Israel must safeguard human rights activists in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and within its borders, a UN-appointed expert said on Wednesday.
(2021-08-11). US has No Mandate to Keep Troops in Syria & America's Interpretation of International Law is 'Ridiculous,' Says Russian Ambassador. orinocotribune.com Washington has no legal mandate to keep its armed forces in Syria, and the presence of American soldiers in the country contradicts the 2015 UN Security Council resolution that called for a ceasefire and a political settlement. | That's according to the Russian embassy in Washington, which responded to a tweet by Wayne Marotto, the official military spokesman for Operation Inherent Resolve, the American campaign in the Middle East to defeat ISIS. | Writing on social media, Marotto said that the US has a "clear mandate under international law" to keep boots on the ground in Syria. | On Monday night, the Russian Em…
(2021-08-11). YouTube suspended channel with my films. zcomm.org What YouTube is engaged in here is outright political censorship. They make use of their de facto monopoly to act as they please.
(2021-08-11). Filmmaker Oliver Ressler accuses YouTube of censorship after account suspended 'without warning'. zcomm.org Austrian artist who creates political and environmental documentaries believes his videos have been deleted because of their "anti-capitalist content"
(2021-08-11). Meet the Censored: Paul Jay. scheerpost.com By Matt Taibbi / Substack This article is out a day late. I was about to hit "send" on Meet the Censored: Paul Jay last night when the YouTube press team, whom I'd contacted for comment, suddenly reversed a series of penalties in a case involving a Canadian broadcaster named Paul Jay. Kudos to the Google/YouTube communications department for taking the time to get to the bottom of Jay's complaint… |
(2021-08-11). THIS THURSDAY — Canada in Venezuela: Orinoco Tribune to Host Live Interview with Yves Engler (Facebook Livestream). orinocotribune.com August 3, 2021 (special for Orinoco Tribune)—Orinoco Tribune will host Canadian writer Yves Engler for a discussion of Canada's foreign policy regarding Venezuela and the economic interests of Canadian corporations in the region on Thursday, August 12. While the US has taken the lead in "regime"-change operations against Presidents Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro, Canada has played a disproportionately significant role that has been less widely publicized—at times Canada is even presented as a benevolent actor in the region. We will learn that Canada's complicity extends far beyond its general support…
(2021-08-11). NATO monitoring Belarusian "aggression" against alliance members: Stoltenberg. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com NATO chief flags Baltic tensions ahead of Zapad military drill NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance would keep a close eye on "hybrid activities" by Belarus against alliance member Lithuania, as the former teams up with Russia for the Zapad 2021 military drill next month. In an Aug. 9 tweet, Stoltenberg said he …
(2021-08-11). YouTube Bans Rand Paul for Urging People to Defy Basic Public Health Guidelines. truthout.org 
United States Senator Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) was suspended from the video social media site YouTube on Tuesday after he uploaded a video of himself disseminating false and misleading information about the coronavirus pandemic. Paul falsely claimed masks that people buy "over the counter don't work" to prevent the spread of COVID-19. He also said that …
(2021-08-11). Texan House speaker signs arrest warrant for 52 runaway Democrats after lawmakers fled state to block passage of Republican bill. rt.com 
A senior Texan lawmaker has signed an arrest warrant for 52 Democrats who fled the state to avoid voting on a controversial Republican bill which cannot be passed into law without the presence of five more lawmakers. | Late on Tuesday evening, Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan signed the arrest warrants, understood to be civil not criminal, for 52 Democrat legislators who have avoided their duties in the assembly, according to US news agencies. | The move came after the Texas Supreme Court gave lawmakers permission to use law enforcement to compel the runaway Democrats to return to the House. According to The Da…
(2021-08-11). NYPD spent $159mn on facial recognition, 'stingray' cellphone trackers & X-ray van spy tools using secretive fund, documents show. rt.com 
For years, the NYPD used a "surveillance slush fund" for a range of policing tech with no public oversight — under a shadowy deal with city officials that kept equipment used in "confidential operations" secret. | Newly released documents reveal the New York Police Department (NYPD) has spent at least $159 million in public money since 2007, through a "Special Expenses" fund, on potentially invasive surveillance tools like facial-recognition software, predictive policing programs, "stingray" cellphone trackers — and even vans fitted with X-ray machines to spot weapons. | That year, the force entered…
(2021-08-11). ALL California teachers face Covid vaccine mandate or regular testing, Newsom announces. rt.com 
California Governor Gavin Newsom has announced a Covid-19 vaccine mandate or weekly testing for teachers and school staff, saying it is "the right thing to do" and making his state the first to pass such a requirement. | The mandate will apply to teachers, as well as "custodial staff, the bus drivers, folks that are critical to supporting the entire school ecosystem," Newsom said at a Wednesday press conference at Carl B. Munck Elementary School in Oakland. | "We think this is the right thing to do," the governor continued, "and we think this is a sustainable way to keeping our schools open and to address the…
(2021-08-11). UNHCR alarmed over US 'expulsion flights' to southern Mexico. news.un.org The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) raised concern on Wednesday over a new policy by the United States, using public health orders linked to COVID-19, to expel some asylum-seekers and migrants by flying them to southern Mexico.
(2021-08-11). Assange is 'an innocent man accused of practising journalism'. thecanary.co Julian Assange's partner has described him as "an innocent man accused of practising journalism" as she arrived at a legal hearing which will see the US government challenge a judge's decision not to extradite him to the US on espionage charges. | Stella Moris, who has two children by Assange, stood in front of the steps of the High Court and told his supporters: "The US government is exploiting the inherently unfair arrangement between the US and the UK. | "They are exploiting the inherently unfair extradition arrangements with this country in order to arbitrarily prolong his imprisonment. The imprisonment of an…
(2021-08-11). North Korea eyes stronger cooperation with Russia to resist US — envoy. tass.com According to North Korean Ambassador to Russia Sin Hong-chol, Pyongyang cannot ignore the threats it faces at the backdrop of the hostile policy that the US pursues against North Korea…
(2021-08-11). Punishment of 'innocent civilians' through government sanctions must end: UN experts. news.un.org Unilateral coercive measures by some governments are denying many people around the world the right to personal development, as well as holding back sustainable national development, four independent UN human rights experts said on Wednesday.
(2021-08-11). WHO supports Guinea after detection of first-ever case of Marburg disease. news.un.org The World Health Organization (WHO) is supporting Guinea following a confirmed death from Marburg virus disease, the first known case in the country and West Africa, the UN agency reported on Wednesday.