Some (mostly) human rights links [Note: Content Warning - reader discretion is advised!] and thoughts - Saturday 5th February, 2022

Some human rights (including significant, relevant links in other fields - such as geopolitics, democracy, or authoritarianism) links: 

• the European Commission (the executive branch of the EU) has shown itself to be incompetent by declaring unsustainable fuels to be sustainable . . . but some leading nations want to form a climate crisis club to share ideas and punish bludgers like Australia - where a national neolib government member has wrongly claimed the carbon tax cost jobs;
  
• a video on the background, tools and possible events of a Russian war with Ukraine (including accusation of a possible fake ["false flag"] event as a pretext) - during which, NATO will support but not send troops directly to Ukraine - see also here, on the possible human rights impact; 
• as the US defence industry insanely claims a nuclear war can be "won", the USA's President Biden has been urged to keep his pledge to limit nuclear weapons;  
• in a blow to hopes of renewing the nuclear deal, the USA considers Iran could manufacture weapons much more quickly than in 2015, when the nuclear deal was reached;  
• a major violent extremist leader committed suicide to avoid being captured by the USA;
  
• an assessment of the dire situation in Lebanon; 
• the need for an economic ceasefire, as well as a military ceasefire and a political agreement, in Yemen, as the USA sends military support to a notorious  human rights abusing regime to defend it against human rights abusing rebels in Yemen;
  
• "Syrian war photos misused by senior Chinese diplomat";
  
• the humanitarian crisis in Tigray, northern Ethiopia; 
• example details of the torture - and it was that, no matter what US courts have declared - inflicted by unpatriotic (do those IPOCs have any idea how much damage they have done to the USA's standing in the world?), sadistic, psychopaths of the CIA; 
• Russian mercenaries are torturing their supposed colleagues in the CAR army; 
  
• violent right wing extremists and white supremacists - including in police - in the USA have appropriated a violent "superhero";
  
• the genocidal junta which seized power in Burma a year ago is repeating its village-burning atrocities - this time to attempt to intimidate the remaining population - and blocking aid as it slides towards economic collapse and possibly civil war; 
• concerns that some Hindus in India may commence a genocide against members of other religions;  
• calls for a fair trial of a whistleblower who reported worker abuses on a sports project in a Gulf state;
  
• as the struggle against the dissent suppressing military continues, " Sudan’s imperilled transition: policy recommendations for the USA ";
  
• "Australia’s Future Fund has invested over $90m in [a] weapons manufacturer"; 
• Turkey is extending its silencing of dissent to kidnapping whistleblowers to hide possible crimes; 
• Burundi is still silencing dissent;
  
• a call for Japan to match its actions to its words and stop funding coal powered power plants in Bangladesh, as it said it would;
  
• ECOWAS has suspended Burkina Faso's membership over the coup in that nation, as another coup is attempted and fails in Guinea-Bissau (with allegations of a drug connection); 
• the USA will block aid to Egypt over human rights abuses in Egypt; 
• "in Hungary, journalists sue state over spyware"; 
• teaching journalism in Hong Kong is now dangerous;
  
• The Democratic Republic of Congo will compound the murders of two UN workers by legally murdering DOZENS of people convicted (hopefully by a genuinely fair trial) of the two murders - thereby confirming that the DRC does not hold life as inviolable;  
• fears that a private (and therefore elitist) security company's plans to use cameras will be used against Indigenous youth and "fears over Aboriginal child removals as report reveals 'endemic racism' in WA Department of Communities"; 
• "confused polling distorts the debate on an Indigenous Voice to Parliament"; 
• "a Queensland parliamentary committee has concluded more needs to be done to counter “on-line and off-line hatred”, saying police data does not accurately reflect serious vilification in the state"; 
• "Australia’s structural cruelty goes beyond refugee policy";
  
• criticism of a major tech company over racism;
  
• racist hypocrisy on the part of the republican party in the USA; 
• "it is not necessary for race to be real for racism to be real. It is only necessary that people believe race to be real";
  
• our national neolib nitwits are, in my opinion, showing their true colours by wanting to be able to deport Indigenous people . . . (on the grounds that Indigenous ownership was allegedly extinguished . . . despite native title recognitions!!!); 
  
• the intersex ex-girlfriend of a former swimmer has criticised his hypocrisy over a trans swimmer; 
• revelations of the disturbing manipulation of social media algorithms by LGBT-phobic haters;
  
• as the majority of voters reject the national neolib nitwits desire to allow discriminatory religious statements, a school in Queensland - over the religious  objections of some of its parents - tried to get around anti-discrimination laws (and why are they getting public money? The principal has either lied or shown that he is an idiot), leading to moderate Liberals pushing for protection - and, eventually, after a costly backlash, a back-down; 
• as the opposition "offers conditional support" to the neolib's notorious (enable) religious discrimination bill, "reports on religious bill show both major parties out of touch";
  
• the importance of TGD inclusive language to ensure TGD access to health care (see also here);
  
• Poland is trying to stop human rights groups accessing schools to stop education on the Holocaust and human rights; 
• a Nigerian oil ship has exploded (with unknown consequences for the crew), creating a risk of an oil spill; 
• "Indian village banks on tree mortgages in bid to go carbon-neutral";
  
• a US coal mining company is alleged to have misreported its emissions in Australia; 
• "more than 20 women working for [a mining company] have reported actual or attempted rape or sexual assault in the last five years to a formal, independent review commissioned by the company" - and criticism of the complaints process at another; 
• 97% of those committing sexual assault are male - and it is important to note that women DO also commit sexual assault; 
  
• a court has found Mexico's government must protect human rights defenders; 
• Japan's Parliament has adopted a resolution asking Japan's government to 'relieve" the human rights "situation" in China; 
• "‘Apartheid state’: Israel’s fears over image in US are coming to pass";
  
• "the bombing of Gaza in May 2021 marred the last months of implementation of a five-year Australian government-funded agriculture development project in the Occupied Palestinian Territories"; 
• "Australians found to overwhelmingly support [a] path to permanent residency for migrants on temporary visas";
  
• the head of the neochristian catholic sect has described COVID misinformation as a human rights violation; 
• an opinion that a social media platform's response to a COVID misinformation scandal "falls short of its ethical and editorial obligations"; 
• "Australian billionaire mining magnate Andrew 'Twiggy' Forrest has launched criminal proceedings against social media giant Facebook, alleging the company has breached Australia's money laundering laws by failing to prevent false cryptocurrency advertisements"; 
  
• a translation app is being used to track ethnic minorities at the IOC's event in China - and a reminder of China's atrocities in Tibet;
  
• a call for Queensland's new "shield" laws to extend protection to journalists appearing before the anti-corruption body as well; 
• as a US politician pushes "for an internet Bill Of Rights", "electronic surveillance law review won’t stop Border Force’s warrantless phone snooping";
  
• "police officers face corruption charges for allegedly [remember: innocent until proven guilty] lying to obtain warrants"; 
  
• concerns that a religious chaplaincy programme would put volunteers at risk (and impinge on human rights of recently released prisoners); 
• an opinion that misinformation is less of a problem than is thought; 
• concerns over the influence of large political donations by a few conservative companies;
• progress in a campaign to ban asbestos from Asia; 
  
• a call for companies to share the benefits they get when people work from home (such as reduced power and Internet charges);
  
• a same sex penguin couple in a US zoo have successfully become foster parents;
  
• the benefits of migration.