Hunger strike against inhumane conditions, forced labor and torture in Ukrainian prisons On August 5, 162 Ukrainian prisoners, among them 92 political prisoners, engaged in a one-day hunger strike to protest inhumane conditions, torture and killings within the Ukrainian prison system. According to the website anti-imperialism.by, over 200 people from 15 other countries, including Russia, Turkey, Great Britain, Germany and Greece, joined the hunger strike. Some 50 left-wing activists and anti-fascists, as well as 20 relatives of political prisoners in Ukraine also joined the protest action.
https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2026/08/12/wbaq-a12.html Putin threat pushes Germany to give spies major new powers Under the proposed reform, spies working for Germany’s foreign intelligence agency, the BND, could carry out acts of sabotage, conduct offensive cyber operations and pursue more aggressive espionage operations. Until now, those spies have been limited to information-gathering operations due to intentional restraints put in place after World War II to prevent a repeat of the abuses perpetrated by the Nazi spy apparatus.
https://www.politico.eu/article/germany-to-give-spies-bnd-new-powers-to-counter-russia-threat/https://archive.ph/4eaIYMigrant workers liken zero-hour contracts to conditions during the Industrial RevolutionMIGRANT hospitality workers have likened zero-hours contracts to working conditions during Britain’s Industrial Revolution. The United Voices of the World (UVW) union said that conditions under the contracts are “very similar” to the long working hours, fines and low wages that were rife in the 1700s.
https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/migrant-workers-liken-zero-hour-contracts-conditions-during-industrial-revolutionUK Government Won’t Release Files on Israeli Firm ‘Meddling’ in ElectionViginum, a French government agency that fights foreign digital interference, said BlackCore had coordinated hundreds of accounts to post negative comments about Scottish first minister John Swinney during his bid for re-election, which was nonetheless successful.
https://novaramedia.com/2026/08/12/uk-government-wont-release-files-on-israeli-firm-meddling-in-election/Israel deliberately starting wildfires in southern Lebanon, firefighters sayOn Tuesday, the Israeli military dropped flares in a wooded area outside Khiam, in south Lebanon, sparking blazes. When firefighters attempted to extinguish the flames, a drone struck close by, forcing them to withdraw, said the head of the civil defence in the Nabatieh region, Hussein Fakih.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/aug/12/israel-deliberately-starting-wildfires-in-southern-lebanon-firefighters-sayIran to join BRICS development bank soon, central bank governor saysThe bank was set up by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa in 2015 to finance infrastructure and sustainable development projects. It has since expanded its membership to include the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and other emerging economies.
https://www.newarab.com/news/iran-join-brics-development-bank-soonUS strikes in Yemen killed 153 civilians in 2025, says Pentagon reviewThe numbers mark a sharp increase from 2024, when the Pentagon assessed that US military operations killed two civilians and injured two others. The three strikes targeted Houthi forces in and around the rebel-held capital, Sanaa, as well as the Ras Isa fuel port.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/8/12/us-strikes-in-yemen-killed-153-civilians-in-2025-says-pentagon-reviewhttps://archive.ph/4f4Tb Libya reels from assassination, oil strikes and central bank turmoil The assassination came as emergency crews fought a major fire at the Zawiya oil refinery, west of Tripoli, following a drone attack on Monday evening. It was the third strike on the facility in two days. Libya’s National Oil Corporation said a drone directly struck a tank holding about 4.5 million litres of fuel. The resulting fire caused the tank to collapse and prompted the company to warn that further attacks could force it to suspend operations.
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/libya-reels-assassination-oil-strikes-and-central-bank-turmoilCanadian airline WestJet agrees to settle flight attendants’ sexual harassment class action A British Columbia judge on Monday approved the terms of the settlement, which were finalised on 22 June after months of negotiation. The payment will be distributed among the 3,452 flight attendants in the class action after expenses are removed, including legal fees. WestJet agreed to hire a third-party to conduct a workplace inquiry that will examine the prevalence of harassment, the extent of underreporting and how reporting systems can be made more effective.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/aug/12/canadian-airline-westjet-settle-flight-attendants-sexual-harassment-class-actionBrazil Supreme Court upholds laws that led to downfall of Amazon soy moratoriumIn January, major grain traders withdrew from the soy moratorium, which helped slash deforestation over its nearly two decades in effect, after top soy-producing states passed bills revoking tax benefits for participating companies. Brazil is the world’s largest soybean producer, accounting for about 40% of global output. Much of the crop is grown in central and northern states that include parts of the Amazon biome, such as Mato Grosso, Para and Rondonia.
https://apnews.com/article/brazil-amazon-rainforest-soy-moratorium-deforestation-4145415431832ff862b40e2ed1ab627eUS fuel exports to Cuba spur chaotic black marketThe embargo has hobbled essential state-run services like the healthcare system, public transport and schools. But under the Commerce Department exception, a trickle of gasoline and diesel is reaching private restaurants, retailers and taxis, the first significant landings of U.S. fuel on the Caribbean island since Castro nationalized refineries after the 1959 revolution.
Reuters could not determine which U.S. companies are shipping fuel to Cuba, but there is no sign major oil traders are involved.
https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/us-fuel-sales-cuban-business-bring-glimpse-capitalism-havana-2026-08-11/Australian food delivery drivers to get £16.40 minimum hourly rateThe agreement does not introduce a minimum wage, as drivers and riders will not be compensated for time spent waiting for jobs, but applies to “engaged time,” the time between accepting an order and delivering it — so workers would continue to earn if waiting for a restaurant to prepare an order, for example. The union has accepted the drivers being defined as “employee-like” workers rather than full employees.
https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/australian-food-delivery-drivers-get-ps1640-minimum-hourly-rateGovernment appointments fall short on inclusionHowever, appointments to constitutional and public bodies made on the recommendation of the Constitutional Council, chaired by Shah, and through cabinet decisions tell a different story. Critics say the government has fallen short of the constitutional principle of proportional inclusion, with women, Madhehis and other marginalised communities poorly represented in key appointments across the state.
https://kathmandupost.com/politics/2026/08/13/government-appointments-fall-short-on-inclusionhttps://archive.ph/BGt7mPakistan's ruling party poised to win Kashmir elections amid deadly clashes, analysts sayThe PML-N has benefited from a longstanding rule that mandates 12 seats for constituencies representing what the regional constitution defines as refugees from Indian-administered Kashmir. These seats — which were largely won by the PML-N — have become a flashpoint in Pakistani politics over the last few months. Kashmiri protesters say the seats have too often been filled by people living elsewhere in Pakistan who have little regard for the region's economic struggles.
https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/pakistans-ruling-party-poised-to-win-kashmir-elections-amid-deadly-clashes-analysts-sayhttps://archive.ph/DalZ2