(2021-08-12). Military Situation In Afghanistan On August 12, 2021 (Map Update). southfront.org 
Click to see full-size image | On August 12, Taliban captured Ghazni city the capital of Ghazni province | On August 12, clashes between the Afghan Army and Taliban continued inside the city of Lashkar Gah | On August 12, clashes between the Afghan Army and Taliban continued to the west and south of Herat city | On August 12, clashes between the Afghan Army and Taliban continued inside the city of Farah | On August 11, Taliban captured Kandahar prison in west of the city | 217 Taliban militant…
(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). 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). 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). 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). Minneapolis Public Schools and teachers union pursue agreement to prioritize race in hiring and firing. wsws.org The measure's aim, in line with the Democratic Party's program of identity politics, is to undermine legislation passed during the Civil Rights movement which outlawed racial discrimination, render seniority rights moot, and stoke divisions among educators, parents and students.
(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). 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). 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). Incarcerated and disabled: Keeping the struggle alive 'behind the wall'. workers.org 
The following was excerpted from a July 29 webinar held by the Disability Justice and Rights Caucus of Workers World Party that emphasized the interconnections between the struggles of disabled people and incarcerated people. Caucus members participating were comrades Betsey Piette, Brian Shea and mYia X. The entire webinar can . . . |
(2021-08-12). WW interviews Attica survivor, Jorge 'Che' Nieves ‚àí Part 2: 'I carried the legacy of struggle in prison'. workers.org 
The following edited interview with Jorge "Che" Nieves, a survivor of the 1971 Attica Prison Rebellion and a founding member of the Young Lords Party in Greenhaven and Attica Prisons, was conducted July 20 by Monica Moorehead, a Workers World managing editor. More segments of the interview will appear in . . . |
(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). Midwest Connections: A Regional Fight For Abolition. popularresistance.org Awave of prison abolition actions and demands have swept the United States every August since 1979 from inside the walls to outside. New groups in the Midwest such as Abolition Is a Practice and Community Not Cages (CNC) are carrying on the Black August traditions. With a proposed new county jail in Winona, Minnesota, slated to cost taxpayers at least $28 million, we heard from abolitionists opposed to the project about their efforts.
(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). 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.
(2021-08-12). 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".
(2021-08-11). Headlines for August 11, 2021. democracynow.org Senate Dems Approve $3.5 Trillion Budget Hours After Passage of Bipartisan Infrastructure Plan, Gov. Andrew Cuomo Resigns, Continues to Faces Ongoing Probes and Possible Impeachment, Cases Spike in Tacoma ICE Jail; TX Counties Can Bypass Mask Mandate Ban as Delta COVID Cases Surge, COVID-19 Surges in Mexico; Bangladesh Launches Rohingya Refugee Vaccination Drive, Taliban Claim More Territory, Seizing Three More Afghan Cities, Ethiopian PM Calls for Citizens to Join Fight Against Tigray Forces as Humanitarian Disaster Grows, U.S. Appeals Ruling That Blocked Julian Assange's Extradition, Algerian Wildfires Kill 42…
(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). The Nature Of Prosecutors. popularresistance.org For the past two weeks I've been ruminating about the prosecution of drone whistleblower Daniel Hale, who was sentenced on July 27 in the Federal District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia in Alexandria. He was given 45 months in prison. | With good behavior and drug and alcohol counseling, it'll end up being closer to 18 months. | I was in the courtroom and witnessed the sentencing and the vindictive behavior of the prosecutor, Assistant U.S. Attorney Gordon Kromberg, who acted as though Hale's case was a personal slight. Kromberg is also the prosecutor who has feverishly led the extradition case agains…
(2021-08-11). Families denounce LA Sheriff Villanueva, call for August 29 protest. fightbacknews.org Los Angeles, CA – Local activists with the Chicanx Moratorium Committee and families who have lost loved ones to LA Sheriff's killings held a press conference on August 5, to denounce Sheriff Villanueva, call for his ouster and urge participation in a protest on August 29. | Family members of Anthony Vargas, David Ordaz and Paul Rea were present. Attendees also included many young people, Black Lives Matter-LA member Baba Akili, union members from SEIU and UTLA, and the community group Centro CSO. Carlos Montes, longtime Chicano human rights activist, urged Chicano and all working people to stand up against…
(2021-08-11). Tennessee Compiled Secret Dossiers on Civil Rights Protesters. commondreams.org "In their assault on public education, the network has taken actions to increasingly privatize and corporatize K-12 institutions."
(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). 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). 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). Chilean Senate to Vote Pardon Bill for Political Prisoners. telesurenglish.net The Chilean Senate is set to vote on a bill to release all political prisoners during the social unrest of 2019. | RELATED: | Hundreds of people were arrested during the demonstrations and have been kept thus far under preventive detention. However, top government officials such as the Interior Minister Rodrigo Delgado, considers that "those who are deprived of liberty are people who committed crimes, in a contex…
(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). 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.
(2021-08-11). 3 Iraqis die after allegedly being tortured during detention. peoplesdispatch.org The report of these deaths comes just days after a UN report accused Iraqi and Kurdistan regional government officials of torture and ill treatment of detainees on a large scale…
(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). 'Utter Lack of Credibility as a Climate Leader': Biden Pressures OPEC to Pump More Oil. commondreams.org "You can't even keep these files because there's potential for abuse," said the ACLU of Tennessee.