(2019-12-18). India's Government is going to war against its own people. mronline.org 
On December 13, the United Nations high commissioner for human rights released a powerful statement that criticized India's new citizenship law. This "fundamentally discriminatory" Citizenship (Amendment) Act of 2019 would expedite citizenship for persecuted religious minorities from India's neighboring countries. But in the list of those minorities, it names only Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, […] | Source
(2019-12-18). Torture exposed in Cobb County Detention Center. workers.org 
By Arielle Robinson Marietta, Ga. Formerly incarcerated people from the Cobb County Adult Detention Center and loved ones of those currently incarcerated spoke out about the horrid conditions at a town hall meeting at Life Church here on Dec. 9. Seven people have died in the jail since last December. . . . | Continue reading Torture exposed in Cobb County Detention Center at Workers.org
(2019-12-18). World marks International Migrants Day. yenisafak.com UN member states on Wednesday marked the annual International Migrants Day under the theme "We Together."Antonio Guterres, the UN secretary-general, said in a message marking the day that all migrants are entitled to equal protection of their human rights."On this International Day, I urge leaders and people everywhere to bring the Global Compact to life, so that migration works for all," Guterres said in a statement.According to a new report by the UN's International Organization for Migration (IOM), over the last 20 years the number of global migrants has ballooned from 150 million to 272 million.More than half…
(2019-12-18). Facebook's Libra faces 'core set' of regulatory hurdles: Fed's Brainard. yenisafak.com U.S. Federal Reserve Governor Lael Brainard launched a broadside against Facebook's Libra digital currency project on Wednesday, saying it faces a "core set of legal and regulatory challenges" including clarity about how it would be tied to some basket of underlying assets.Facebook's concept of Libra as a "stablecoin" – a digital currency linked to government-backed money or other sound assets to avoid the wild fluctuations of pure cryptocurrencies like bitcoin – remains unproven, Brainard said, with an unclear set of rights for consumers."What would set Facebook's Libra apart, if it were to proceed, is the combi…
(2019-12-18). March For Housing Now Confronts MacArthur Commons in Oakland. indybay.org The East Bay Housing Justice Week of Action included Moms4Housing reclaiming a West Oakland home, demonstrations at Citibank and Wells Fargo on Broadway downtown, and housing rights banner hangs, among other actions. On November 23, a large March for Housing Now confronted the economic injustices represented by the new high-end MacArthur Commons housing complex.
(2019-12-18). A Totalitarian Republic? dissidentvoice.org Faction: A number of citizens, whether amounting to a minority or majority of the whole, who are united and actuated by some common impulse of passion, or of interest, adverse to the rights of other citizens, or to the permanent and aggregate interests of the community — James Madison, The Federalist No. 10, "The Utility …
(2019-12-18). A Totalitarian Republic? . counterpunch.org Faction: A number of citizens, whether amounting to a minority or majority of the whole, who are united and actuated by some common impulse of passion, or of interest, adverse to the rights of other citizens, or to the permanent and aggregate interests of the community —James Madison The executive of the modern state is but More
(2019-12-18). North Korean-US tensions rise as end-of-year deadline approaches. wsws.org In the absence of any US sanctions' relief or meaningful talks, North Korea has threatened to resume its nuclear- and missile-testing program.
(2019-12-18). Merkel opposes US sanctions against Nord Stream 2. yenisafak.com The U.S. Senate on Tuesday passed legislation to slap sanctions on companies building the massive underwater pipeline to bring Russian natural gas to Germany, but it was uncertain whether the measures would slow completion of the project.
(2019-12-18). Germany's Spiegel brushes off Browder's complaint about 'misrepresenting' Magnitsky story. rt.com 
British investor Bill Browder has lashed out at Der Spiegel weekly by accusing it of distorting the story of the death of his auditor Sergey Magnitsky. The outlet maintains it is Browder who has some questions to answer. | Der Spiegel published an investigative bombshell last month, detailing various flaws in the story about Magnitsky's death that Browder — a US-born investor who became Russian President Vladimir Putin's self-proclaimed "enemy number one" — used to convince Western governments to impose sanctions against Russian officials over supposedly endemic human rights violations. | Also on rt.
(2019-12-18). Fake GRU agent with crush on last Tsar detained over weapons & accused of raping own daughter he fathered with cousin 'wife'. rt.com 
A seemingly respectable religious family is suspected of hiding a despicable story of domestic abuse and incestuous rape. Police have already arrested the father for stashing an illegal arsenal of firearms. | If all details about the 10-member family at the center of the story currently floating around in the media are confirmed, it may well give fodder to a horror movie script. Officials have, so far, been restrained in their reporting, but what they said is already disturbing. | On Monday evening, police went to the family home in the village of Khimozi, which is located some 30km (18.6 miles) south of St. P…
(2019-12-18). US opposes lifting UN sanctions on key Pyongyang exports. rt.com 
The United States opposed on Tuesday a draft resolution proposed by China and Russia that would terminate UN sanctions on key North Korean exports. Washington called the measure "premature," citing Pyongyang's threat to conduct "an escalated provocation," AP reports. | The draft resolution circulated to UN Security Council members would terminate sanctions on North Korean exports including textiles and seafood with the intent of enhancing the livelihood of the civilian population. | It would also lift a ban on North Koreans working overseas and terminate a decision to repatriate all those earning income abroad…
(2019-12-18). US sanctions won't stop completion of Russian natural gas pipeline to Europe — Kremlin. rt.com 
The latest US sanctions targeting Russia's Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which will deliver natural gas to Germany, will not stop the project, presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday. | "We assume that [Nord Stream 2] will be completed," he told journalists when asked whether Washington's potential sanctions might result in construction being suspended. | Peskov's comments followed the approval of a bill by the US Senate, which would sanction companies involved in the construction of Nord Stream 2. It is expected to be signed by US President Donald Trump later this week. | Also on rt.com…
(2019-12-17). Actions planned to 'Abolish sanctions!'. workers.org 
New York Organizers from New York-based anti-war, anti-racist and anti-imperialist organizations and defenders of human rights gathered at the Solidarity Center Dec. 14 to plan an ongoing campaign against Washington's use of economic sanctions, calling such sanctions the "equivalent of war." The planning meeting of about 40 organizers showed what . . . | Continue reading Actions planned to 'Abolish sanctions!' at Workers.org
(2019-12-17). The real interest of the United States and transnational corporations in Latin America and the Caribbean. mronline.org 
What are the real interests of the U.S. and corporations in the region? Freedom, democracy, human rights? No. Their goal is to preserve imperialist domination of our natural resources. | Source
(2019-12-17). In the Midst of Trump's Attacks, Offshoots of Progress in Congress for Immigrants' Rights. aclu.org From the continued separation of families, to attacks on asylum-seekers, to the largest immigration raid ever in a state, to an unprecedented number of immigrants jailed by ICE, this year was filled with new lows for the…
(2019-12-17). Activists demand release of Sahrawi human rights defender. peoplesdispatch.org Human rights defenders and activists in Western Sahara and internationally are demanding the immediate and unconditional release of Mahfouda Bamba Lefkir, a prominent Sahrawi human rights activist who was arrested and sentenced by Moroccan authorities last month. Lefkir's detention and imprisonment is believed to be politically motivated as she has been politically targeted and physically assaulted by the Moroccan authorities in the past for standing up against its occupation and illegal detention of activists. | According to reports, Lefkir tried to object to the sentencing of fellow activists, Mohammed Lamine S…
(2019-12-17). Chile: Piñera May Face 20 Years for Crimes Against Humanity. telesurenglish.net The 7th Court of Guarantees of Santiago Tuesday admitted a complaint about crimes against humanity presented by the Upper House's Human Rights Commission president Alejandro Navarro against Chile's President Sebastian Piñera. | RELATED: | Chilean NGO Detects Caustic Soda in Water Used by Riot Police | "He will be punished with imprisonment in any of its g…
(2019-12-17). Indian students unite in solidarity against police brutality. peoplesdispatch.org On Sunday December 15, police brutally attacked two institutions (Jamia Millia Islamia University in the New Delhi and Aligarh Muslim University in Uttar Pradesh) where students were protesting the recently passed Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). At least 125 people were injured in the police attacks and 50 were detained. In response to the barbaric violence, students from across India have taken to the streets against police brutality and the 'unconstitutional' CAA. | The university campus and the surrounding areas remain besieged by the police. Despite the imminent risk of further violent repression by the poli…
(2019-12-17). Tuesday's Daily Brief: Refugees, indigenous languages, Niger, Syria and Kyrgyzstan. news.un.org Our top stories for Tuesday include: UN chief at refugee forum; eyes of the world need to be on Niger; International Year of Indigenous Languages closes; Strengthening minority rights in Kyrgyzstan; hostilities in Syria's Idlib.
(2019-12-17). Take Action Now: Protect Workers' Rights. thenation.com Take Action Now: Protect Workers' Rights…
(2019-12-17). For Many of the World's Children, Education Proves Elusive. progressive.org Especially in countries with widespread human rights abuses, kids—especially girls—don't get the chance to go to school.
(2019-12-17). Democratic 2020 Candidates Focus on Public Education at Historic Forum. truthout.org Ahead of the last Democratic presidential debate of the year this Thursday, seven candidates appeared Saturday at the historic Democratic Presidential Forum on Public Education in Pittsburgh, an event organized by public education organizations, unions, civil rights organizations and community groups. We play highlights from the forum and get response from Keron Blair, director of the Alliance to Reclaim Our Schools in Atlanta; Jitu Brown, national director of the Journey for Justice Alliance; and Car…
(2019-12-17). The Real Interest of the U.S. in Latin America and the Caribbean. Preserve Imperialism. globalresearch.ca What are the real interests of the U.S. and corporations in the region? Freedom, democracy, human rights? No. Their goal is to preserve imperialist domination of our natural resources | *** | Our America is again suffering escalating aggression by U.S. imperialism …
(2019-12-17). UK's PM Johnson to Ban Boycott Campaigns in Anti-BDS Bid. telesurenglish.net Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to ban the country's public bodies from taking part in the boycott and divestment campaigns of any products coming from foreign countries including Israel. | RELATED: | Trump Redefines Anti-Semitism in Bid Against Critics of Israel | The move is seen as a way to target the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement (BDS), meaning the new legislation will bar national bodies and universities from endorsing a movement meant to f…
(2019-12-17). Deforestation on Brazilian Indigenous Lands Highest in 11 Years. telesurenglish.net Deforestation on protected Indigenous lands in the Amazon was almost three times higher than the loss of trees in the region as a whole and the highest since 2008, according to a new study based on satellite imagery published Friday. | RELATED: | UN Accuses Brazil's Bolsonaro of Violating Anti-Torture Pact | The data from Brazil's space research institute INPE st…
(2019-12-17). Democratic Candidates Focus on Public Education at Historic Forum with Civil Rights & Labor Groups. democracynow.org 
Ahead of the last Democratic presidential debate of the year this Thursday, seven candidates appeared Saturday at the historic Democratic Presidential Forum on Public Education in Pittsburgh, an event organized by public education organizations, unions, civil rights organizations and community groups. We play highlights from the forum and get response from Keron Blair, director of the Alliance to Reclaim Our Schools in Atlanta; Jitu Brown, national director of the Journey for Justice Alliance; and Carol Burris, executive director of the Network for Public Education Action. She recently authored a report titled "S…
(2019-12-17). It took Boris Johnson less than a week to betray all the working class voters who backed him. thecanary.co Boris Johnson is ploughing ahead with getting his Withdrawal Agreement for Brexit through parliament. So any voter who backed him for that can rest somewhat assured for now. But will Johnson give working people the continued rights he promised? Or the policies necessary to ensure the world is still safe and liveable for their kids and grandchildren? | In short, probably not. Because Johnson has already made an apparent u-turn on…
(2019-12-16). EXPLAINED: What Really Happened in Jamia? peoplesdispatch.org In the afternoon of December 15, news broke about violent clashes between youths and students protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the police in Delhi's Jamia area. What followed was a series of violent attacks and detentions through the evening and night to early Monday morning. As these developments took place, social media started getting flooded with different reports about the events, some true, and some unverified. But what really happened? NewsClick brings to you a timeline of events, as they took place yesterday.
(2019-12-16). 2019 was a Watershed Year in the Movement to Stop Solitary Confinement. aclu.org Back in 2016, then President of the United States, Barack Obama, called | solitary confinement " an | affront to our common humanity" and ordered the Justice Department to | implement reforms to the practice in U.S. prisons. Although just three short | years ago, in too many ways it seems a different age: We have seen a resurgence | of the "tough on crime" rhetoric that favors harsh policies and approaches that | we know don't work. Despite these…
(2019-12-16). UN Accuses Brazil's Bolsonaro of Violating Anti-Torture Pact. telesurenglish.net The United Nations in Geneva accused Monday the government of far-right President Jair Bolsonaro for failing to comply with the international pact against torture. | RELATED: | Brazil's Amazon Deforestation Rises Over 100% Year-Over-Year | A report written by the U.N. Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture denounced the dismantling of the National Mechanis…
(2019-12-15). US Treasury chief applauds sanctions as ALTERNATIVE to military conflicts…but it hardly sits well with those sanctioned. rt.com 
Sanctions imposed on some stubborn countries are a better option than military conflicts, Steve Mnuchin claimed, just as the US rolled out fresh penalties against Iran and EU firms helping build a German-Russian pipeline. | "The reason why we're using sanctions is because they are an important alternative for world military conflicts. And I believe it's worked," Mnuchin told CNBC's Hadley Gamble at the Doha Forum in Qatar on Saturday. He singled out North Korea and I…
(2019-12-13). COP25 Was Moved to Spain to Conceal Chilean Government's Human Rights Violations. therealnews.com 
The concept of "loss and damage" and carbon markets are a sticking point at the UN's climate summit, and protests are continuing in Chile, the original site of the talks. Oxfam's Nafkote Dabi and Gary Hughes of Biofuelwatch discuss the realities of COP25.
(2019-12-13). Friday's Daily Brief: Yemen exclusive, India rights, Chile, Ebola updates. news.un.org Our top stories for Friday include an exclusive UN News interview with Yemen Envoy Martin Griffiths; India's new "discriminatory" citizenship law; a milestone smallpox eradication anniversary; helicopters deployed in DR Congo Ebola fight; Mediterranean migrant latest, and Chile's deadly protests: UN report finds clear pattern of repression.
(2019-12-13). UN human rights report cites 'multiple root causes' of deadly Chile protests. news.un.org During the recent mass protests which led Chile to declare a state of emergency, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said in a report published on Friday that international human rights norms had been violated by both police and army personnel, which should be prosecuted.
(2019-12-13). UN Counters US Claims Of "Proof" Iran Attacked Saudi Arabia, Netanyahu Impunity & Turkey Sanctions. thelastamericanvagabond.com Welcome to The Daily Wrap Up, a concise show dedicated to bringing you the most relevant independent news, as we see it, from the last 24 hours (12/12/19). As always, take the information discussed in the video below and research it for yourself, and come to your own conclusions. Anyone telling you what the truth …
(2019-12-12). Support the Workers of Iran, but Oppose US Sanctions. therealnews.com 
How is it possible to oppose the violent suppression of Iranian protest while still condemning U.S. sanctions on Iran?
(2019-12-12). MN withstands -10 windchill to demand human rights at home and abroad. fightbacknews.org Minneapolis, MN – On December 10, 25 protesters rallied outside of Senator Amy Klobuchar's office to mark International Human Rights Day. After chanting outside the senator's office, Brad Sigal from the MN Immigrant Rights Action Committee addressed the crowd to draw attention to Trump's record of human rights abuses against immigrants. The protesters then marched in -10 degrees windchill to the legendary May Day Books in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood. | Tracy Molm of the Anti-War Committee spoke at the closing rally inside the bookstore. "On Human Rights Day we come together to call attention to human rights…
(2019-12-12). The 2020 Election Promises Record Turnout. aclu.org Due to high levels of enthusiasm and interest, election experts are predicting record-setting turnout rates in the upcoming 2020 election. In anticipation of this historic election, the ACLU, volunteers, and supporters of voting rights across the country have been advocating for state legislatures to adopt policies that improve registration, the voting process, and ensure that more citizens are eligible to participate. | This year, no state made greater improvements to the registrati…
(2019-12-12). Perth Pride: LGBTI community challenges corporatisation. greenleft.org.au 
LGBTIQ rights Petrina HarleyIssue 1248 Australia Rainbow Rebellion PerthDecember 12, 2019Perth Pride assembled its biggest parade to date on November 30, with 115 floats. But many in the LGBTIQ comm…
(2019-12-11). The Fight Inside the NLRB for Union Rights. progressive.org The NLRB unions argue that a recent set of executive orders from the board prevent them from undertaking basic union functions.
(2019-12-11). How can the U.S. dare lecturing China about Rights of the Muslims? dissidentvoice.org In 2019, I have written a long analysis about "the Uygur issue"; analysis which will be soon published as a book. For some time, I have been warning the world that the West, and the United States in particular, are helping to radicalize the Uyghurs in Xinjiang Province and outside. And not only that: I …
(2019-12-11). The Battle for Abortion Access Is In the States. aclu.org This past year has been a critical one in | the fight for reproductive freedom. For decades, politicians who want to | interfere with people's personal decisions about pregnancy have worked to push | abortion care out of reach. They've quietly passed 483 state abortion | restrictions since 2011 — including 59 new restrictions passed in 2019 alone. | And after Trump was able to put two new justices who are hostile to abortion | rights on the Supreme Court, politicians decided to go for broke. | Since Justice Kavanaugh's confirmation, | seven states have passed laws banning abortion from the earliest day…
(2019-12-10). "Listen to Mother Earth": Indigenous Youth Leaders at COP25 in Madrid Protest Fossil Fuel Extraction. democracynow.org 
"Our movements must be bigger than recycling and braver than holding signs," said Rose Whipple, a member of the Santee Dakota and Ho-Chunk, and youth delegate with SustainUS, who joined a panel of youth climate activists at the United Nations climate summit in Madrid, Spain. Indigenous peoples from Canada and the United States are at the summit, speaking out against extraction, new pipeline projects and the environmental devastation of their territories, and calling for movements to center the rights of indigenous peoples.
(2019-12-10). Aboriginal leader Sam Watson's farewell draws big numbers. greenleft.org.au 
Aboriginal rights Jim McIlroyIssue 1248 Australia BrisbaneDecember 11, 2019More than 1000 people attended the funeral for Wangerriburra and Birri Gubba leader Sam Watson in Musgrave Park on December 6. | Watson passed away on November 26, just two weeks after his 67t…
(2019-12-09). Arizona educators, progressives confront ALEC summit and Betsy DeVos. fightbacknews.org Tucson, AZ – On December 4, a coalition of union educators, immigrant rights, police crimes, and climate change activists confronted the agenda of corporations like UPS and energy industry giants and billionaires like Charles Koch and Sheldon Achelson. At its height the crowd numbered around 200 with signs reading: "ALEC: Oligarchy in progress" and "Privatization, criminalization, incarceration, climate change, imperialism: #ALECisBehindIt." | The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a notorious organization of hardcore conservatives, was holding its States and Nation Policy Summit in Arizona. ALEC hoste…
(2019-12-09). On Human Rights Day, Let's Abolish Nuclear Weapons. progressive.org A nuclear war would create one of the worst humanitarian crises imaginable, one for which no nation would have an adequate emergency or health response.
(2019-12-07). US Claims "Fresh Intelligence" Of Iran Attacks Yet Provides Zero Evidence — MSM Blindly Regurgitates. thelastamericanvagabond.com Here we go again with "fresh intelligence" to justify the continued sanctions and destabilization of Iran. It's a plan that has been well documented even by their own writings (See Which Path to Persia? — 2009). Of course, complicating U.S. foreign policy is the involvement of Israel. The Last American Vagabond covers the latest political posturing, distortion, and general …
(2019-12-06). Anti-Imperialism As An Intellectual Trap. zcomm.org The US-led economic sanctions have caused a great deal of death and destruction in Iranian society, and the IMF policies in Iran, similar to other developing countries, have resulted in a widening of the class gap, poverty, severe marginalization of the peripheries, and a lowering of living standards. Yet, the US sanctions together with IMF Read more…
(2019-12-05). Rights for workers means no going soft on Hansonism. greenleft.org.au 
union rights Sam WainwrightIssue 1248 Australia Ensuring Integrity Bill ACTUDecember 5, 2019Supporters of workers' rights breathed a big sigh of relief when the Coalition's union-busting Fair Work (…