Some human rights and other news links and thoughts

Black Lives Matter! Be Anti-Racist, Anti-Sexist, and Actively Inclusive in ALL Areas.
The Climate Crisis is real, urgent and existential!
The Pandemic is Real, and Vaccinations save lives. Stay safe - wash your hands, wear a face mask in public if prudent to do so, and follow informed medical advice.

Some mostly human rights (including significant, relevant links in other fields - such as geopolitics, democracy, or authoritarianism) links (note: the source of news items [but not reference links] is in brackets after each item - normal rules around abbreviations will apply, and abbreviations are listed at the end of this post; links behind hard paywalls have a [$]; also, comments by me are in purple). 

Note: CONTENT WARNING - some of this content is about upsetting, disturbing or triggering events & attitudes. Seek competent help - including professional - if you need it. Content shown in green (which may be only part of a news story) is about what is generally considered “good news”, but personal history may still make such events triggering. Reader caution is recommended.

• on the CLIMATE CRISIS (noting the UNFCCC) and ENVIRONMENT (noting multiple  international agreements): 
• Europe will require imported products to state whether they are associated with land clearing (TG);   the climate crisis is ravaging Indigenous heritage (TC);   “free carbon credits to fossil companies could threaten Australia’s emission reduction targets” (TG) - and zombie subsidies (TG);   resistance is growing to the growing resistance to fossil fuels (TG);   how to protect pollinators (DW);   a major mining company will invest $9 billion to decarbonise its mining operations by 2030, and expects to save $1 billion a year as a result (TA), and a fossil fuel exploration programme has been stopped by legal action brought by Indigenous owners (ABC), but a call has been made for a climate emission reduction enforcement programme (safeguard programme) with teeth (ACCR);   “climate change threatens up to 100% of trees in Australian cities, and most urban species worldwide” (TC);   “as irreversible 'tipping points' loom, scientists are trying to figure out how to communicate the risks - and push action” (TRF);   the water saving plan for the Murray-Darling is on the brink of collapse (TG);   the problematic stubbornness of world leaders’ “protecting their own patch” (Lowy);   the UN has ordered Australia to compensate Torres Strait Islanders (TND);   an assessment of the UN Secretary-General's recent speech to the General Assembly (M);   “TV news did more stories on Queen Elizabeth II in the past 2 weeks than on climate change in the past 2 years” (The Column [substack]);  
  
  
• climate / environmental issues have occurred in:   Africa (TG),   France-Canada (DW),   Australia (TG),   Iraq (TRF),   Indigenous communities (TRF),   Türkiye (HRW),   France (good news) (F24),   Indonesia-Norway (TRF); 
  
  
• on the COVID-19 PANDEMIC (noting WHO advice, Article 12 of the ICESCR, and public emergency provisions of the ICCPR and the ICESCR) and other health matters: 
• 27 people on a COVID quarantine bus in China were killed in a crash (TG);   the pandemic is NOT over, and this and other viral threats will persist (The West Australian) - see also this (TG);  
  
  
• on NATURAL and OTHER DISASTERS (noting Article 1(3) of the UN Charter): 
  
• storms in Italy (F24);  cyclones in the Caribbean (F24) - see also this (TG) and this (TG), and Japan (TG);   floods in Nigeria (TG), Alaska (TG), Australia (TG), and in (or ongoing effects in) Pakistan (AJ);   27 people on a COVID quarantine bus in China were killed in a crash (TG), and there was also a bus crash in Australia (TND) where seat belts saved lives (TG);   earthquakes in Taiwan (TG) and Mexico (ABC);   the need for disaster preparation to be disability inclusive (Lowy);   an outbreak of a rare form of Ebola in Uganda (WSJ [$]);  
  
  
• on Rashist  Putin and his cronies’ ILLEGAL (it is contrary to Chapters VI and VII of the UN Charter  and international law [and the 1928 Pact of Paris which was successfully used in post-WW2 trials], and possibly includes conduct contrary to the "laws" of war and international humanitarian law (IHL)) INVASION of UKRAINE: 
• on military matters:   successful countering of Russian disinformation (DW);   a critique of Russia’s “underperforming” military;   a critique of why Ukraine's military has been underestimated (TG);   an opinion that “Putin seeks to 'make Ukraine run out of bullets before Russia runs out of soldiers'” (DW);  
  
• on the nuclear (weapons and power) situations:   the damaged nuclear power plant has been reconnected to the power grid (which enables maintenance of safety) (F24) - and is close to fighting again (DW);  any attempt by Russia to use battlefield nuclear weapons may be ineffective against Ukraine's dispersed troops - and may set China against Russia (YT), but Putin is again (TND) threatening (TG) to use them - or strategic weapons? - anyway, and has announced a partial mobilisation (AJ) - which may not succeed (DW);   the USA has been privately warning Russia not to use battlefield weapons (which explains some of the words Putin used) (CNN);  
  
• on human rights in the region and globally:   an EU human rights official has suggested Russia will be held accountable for human rights crimes in Ukraine - including Putin, much as happened with Milosovic (RFE);  more on the signs of torture and execution at a recently discovered mass grave (DW);   Russia’s crimes include raping and torturing children (AJ);  
  
• inside Russia:   indirect research suggests most Russians actually support their nation’s invasion (LFB) - but hundreds of Russians have been arrested for protesting the latest plans for partial mobilisation (which doesn’t necessarily mean they are against the invasion) (F24), and flights out of Russia have been booked out (AJ) as one European nation offers Russian deserters asylum (DW);  
• internationally:   a call to “stay the course” (ICG);   an opinion that Russia may not find much support in Asia (DW) - see also this (Lowy);   more sham annexation votes in Russian occupied territory (F24);   Ukraine has downgraded its ties to Iran in response to Iran supplying Russia (TG);   
   
• on INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS (noting the UN Charter [particularly Chapters VI and VII] and numerous  international  treaties): 
• US President Biden has reiterated that the USA would defend Taiwan against a military invasion (TG);   Iran has said it won’t enter another nuclear deal unless the USA guarantees it won’t pull out again (WP [$]);   a call for more effective multilateralism “based on facts, science and knowledge” (SIPRE);   signs of continuing repair  to the relationship between Australia and China (ABC);   Israel has supported a two state solution at the UN (provided the Palestinian nation was a genuinely sovereign state with its own military, votes, and no Israeli presence, that MIGHT ease the tensions) (F24);  
  
  
• noting particularly Chapters VI and VII of the UN Charter, the 1928 Pact of Paris used in post-WW2 trials, the "laws" of war and IHL and Article 20 of the ICCPR on WAR / CONFLICT:   a ceasefire between Armenia and Azerbaijan seems to be holding (F24);  
  
  
• incidents / action of concern in/regarding:   Tigray-Eritrea (DW),   Kyrgyzstan-Tajikistan (eurasianet),   Rwanda-DRC (TEA);
   
• on CORRUPTION (noting international  agreements and monitoring), MISGOVERNANCE, MAL-/MIS-/NON-FEASANCE and MISCONDUCT: 
• we are still lobotomising troublemakers - but metaphorically (victim blaming, denialism, etc), rather than physically (M);   cracks are appearing in the “blue wall” of denial against DV problems in Qld’s police (TG);   Australia cancelled a New Zealand man’s visa before, stressed by fear of deportation and inability to gain work because he had no visa, he died by suicide (TG);   yet more money will be spent trying to cover up our appalling spying on East Timor (MW);   a whistleblower has pointed out the callous indifference to the risk of suicide amongst victims of bureaucracy - and, from my personal experience, I second that, especially re this (TG);   the ultra-rich keep getting ultra-richer (TG);   more on the loss of foodbowl land to development (a central Qld council was trying to prevent this back in the 80s)  (TC);   an egregious abuse of data brokerage (LFB);   “African autocrats have new allies: street goons” (AJ);   a call to focus on the enablers of kleptocratic leaders (The Sentry);   the true scale of the problem of corruption in Africa (VoA);   China is providing tech for autocrats to surveil; their populace (TRF);   yet another massive cyber hack (TG) - see here for my thoughts;   a report “finds there has been a sharp rise in the proportion of political appointments to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) during the Abbott/Turnbull/Morrison administration” (The Australia Institute);  
  
  
• on DEMOCRACY AND GOVERNANCE (noting Article 25 of the ICCPR and monitoring  projects): 
• globally:   a fear that the world is giving up on freedom (M);   an editorial on the disturbing rise of the far right in Europe (TG);   an opinion piece which contains an interesting comment that one should read speeches rather than listen to them to avoid missing key matters as a result of being caught up in the hype (M);   the risk of election denial in Brazil (FH);   an opinion that “loneliness is feeding authoritarianism. To defend democracy and decency, we must build belonging” (The Globe and Mail);   Nigeria’s President has condemned those who extend term limits (news24);   an opinion that we are at risk of an “unprecedented” global recession (do they really mean unprecedented, or just not seen in their lifetime? The Great Depression is still the benchmark for human suffering in economic recession/depressions, IMO) (TG);   Equatorial Guinea has brought forward its Presidential elections - which are the first in 43 years which will definitely result a new leader (Globe Echo);  
  
  
• in Australia:   a defence of the right of victims of colonialism to speak up (ABC) - see also this (SBS);   “almost half of jobseeker recipients [are] unable to work full-time due to sickness or disability” (TG);   “student loans are getting bigger and hurting Australians’ chances of buying their own home” (TG);   education (AAP) and basic information (BT) on the Voice to the Parliament is needed;   a mandatory pre-commitment gambling scheme has been introduced in Tasmania (ABC);   “a Victorian Liberal Party politician who was ousted at pre-selection by a candidate linked to a Pentecostal church has lashed out at extremism in politics in her final speech as a parliamentarian” (ABC);   the problems caused by e-changers (TC);  
  
  
• suppression of dissent / media in   Jordan (HRW);
  democracy is also at risk in   Tunisia (DW),   Jordan (HRW),   Tunisia (news24); 
  
  
• on HUMAN RIGHTS (noting the various rights and treaties summarised here, IHL, Article 5 of the Rome Statute founding the ICC): 
• “children: The forgotten victims of war crimes” (DW) - see also this (SBS);   anger at far right wing state governors in the USA using human trafficking to illustrate their prejudices against “migrants” (F24);   the confession of a convicted neo-nazi murderer in Hungary that he had accomplices is being ignored (DW);   a call for employers to stop being ageist (ABC);   Qld police are threatening to use physical violence, rather than PPE, in response to a ban on spit hoods (TG);   child abuse survivors can finally access proper compensation - even if they have been bullied into unfair deals previously (TG);   “‘if only they made better life choices’ – how simplistic explanations of poverty and food insecurity miss the mark” (TC);   Libya has arbitrarily detained hundreds of Chadians after four Libyan poachers were arrested (TG);   three French police officers have been convicted of manslaughter for killing a person in 2015 by using a choke hold (F24);   the UN Secretary-General has said that the “world [is] falling ‘far short’ of pledge to protect minority rights” (UN);   more than 100,000 people are still missing in Syria (DW);  
   
• human rights are at risk or abuses have occurred in:   Qatar-FIFA (DW),   Ethiopia (TEA);
  
  
• violence in:   Thailand (AJ),   Chad (Barrons);
  
  
• noting the GENOCIDE  Convention:   an atrocity alert for Ukraine and Syria (GCR2P);   the genocide against the Rohingya has put the region’s stability at risk (Lowy);  
  more genocide / mass atrocity issues:   Burma (TND);
  
  
• noting Article 19 of the ICCPR on FREEDOM of POLITICAL EXPRESSION:   Egypt has freed a journalist held for two years without trial (news24);  
  
  
• noting the Yogyakarta Principles on LGBTIQ+ PEOPLE:   the background to a notorious transphobe’s ludicrous and defamatory allegations (M) - see also this (M);   one of the transphobic officers who breached the privacy of a transwoman may receive nominal “punishment” - but many police are unhappy with that, as they consider the behaviour has no part in our police force (TG);   the benefits of cis- people identifying their pronouns (M);   a man has been convicted in NSW of planning a terrorist attack on LGBT people (Star);   after 30 years of activism and reform in Tas, work remains to be done - including on police (Star);   Tasmania is fumbling towards banning conversion practices (TBS);  
  more LGBTIQA+ issues:   Serbia (DW);
  
  
• noting ICERD and DRIP on RACISM:   “the first culture on this planet wasn’t human at all” - it was Neanderthal, and we killed them (M);   a call to right past wrongs in Australia (TND) - see also this (AIM);   more on the systemic racism in Australia’s legal system shown by police text messages (TC) - and a police officer would not have asked for help if she knew those texts existed (TG) - let alone that they had assault rifles (TG);   allegations of egregious racism and misogyny (telling a sports player his wife should get an abortion) are being investigated (TND) - see also this backgrounder (TC), this (TG), and this (TG);  
  
  
• noting CEDAW on SEXISM:    a woman appears to have been murdered by Iran’s so-called “morality police” (HRW), leading to protests (F24) - see also this (TG), this (ICG), this (CNN), this warning of the use of facial recognition against protestors (TRF), and this (AI) - and a shutdown of the Internet (TG), which the USA is helping people circumvent (CNN);   allegations of sexual harassment of a global fast food chain (DW);   “women are skipping meals, medical appointments and treatments in order to make ends meet as living costs rise worldwide” (TRF);  
  more sexism issues:   France (TG),   Nigeria (good news) (TRF),   South Korea (TG);
  
  
• noting the laws listed here, the conventions listed here, and principles discussed here, here, here, here, and here, on the RIGHTS OF ANIMALS:   a consideration of the possibility that plants have consciousness (The Unknown Country);   animal husbandry abuses are continuing in my home state despite promises they would be stopped (TG);   assistance at a mass whale stranding will be limited to experts using appropriate equipment and trained to keep themselves safe and make decisions (ABC);  
  
  
• noting Article 17 of the ICCPR,   Article 16 of the CRC,   Article 22 of the CRPD,   and   Article 12 (1) of the DRIP on PRIVACY:   data privacy laws are not being enforced (TC);   Indonesia has finally passed a data protection bill (TRF);   
  
  
• noting Articles 2 (1) (also noting this, this, this, and this), 3, 7, 14 (see here and here), 15, 16, and 26 of the ICCPR,   Articles 3, 5 (a), and 6 (see here and here) of the ICERD,   Articles 2, 12 (2), 37, 39, and 40 of the CRC,   Articles 5, 12, 13, and 14 of the CRPD,   and   Articles 1 - 2, 7 (2), 8 (2) (c), 9 - 10, 12 (2), 20 (2), 27, and 40 of the DRIP on the JUDICIARY / JUSTICE SYSTEM:   a proposed “no body, no parole” law in NSW has obvious problems - such as people having been wrongly convicted (TG) - and see this article on wrongful convictions (TC), and this, on DNA testing failures (TG);   
  
  
• noting the CRPD on PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES:   the exclusion of over 65s from the NDIS has led to a massive class action (TG);   appalling abuse of a traveller with a disability in Abu Dhabi (ABC);   
  
  
• noting Articles 6 (1), 7, and 8 (see here) of the ICESCR,   Article 5 (e) (i) (ii) (see here and here) of the ICERD,   Article 11 (1) (a - c) of the CEDAW,   and   Article 27 (1) of the CRPD on WORK and FAVOURABLE WORK CONDITIONS:   better national conditions for gig workers may be coming (ABC);   “3 ways ‘bossware’ surveillance technology is turning back the management clock” (TC);   an article on the right to disconnect (AU);   “why young people do dream of labour but not as we know it” (AU);   
  
  
• noting Article 6 (1) of the ICCPR,   Article 11 of the ICESCR,   Article 5 (e) (iii) (see here and here) of the ICERD,   Article 14 (2) (h) of the CEDAW,   Article 27 (3) of the CRC,   Article 28 of the CRPD,   and   Article 20 of the DRIP on FOOD, CLOTHING, and HOUSING:    “a change to planning rules to allow Queenslanders to rent out their granny flats will increase affordable housing stocks” (now for other states to follow in their steps) (TG);   

(Should you elect to write to your elected representatives or others on these matters, it may be useful to familiarise yourself with the links shown in blue - or to at least refer to them. Don't forget to CHECK whether your nation has RATIFIED the treaty concerned.)

Abbreviations:   Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project - ACLED;   Aeon Magazine - Aeon;   Africa Centre for Strategic Studies - ACSS;   Africa News - AN;   Al Jazeera - AJ;   Amnesty International - AI;   Associated Press - AP;   Australian Associated Press - AAP;   Australian Broadcasting Corporation - ABC;   Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility - ACCR;   Australian Independent Media Network - AIMN;   Australian Unions - AU;   Barrons;   Bellingcat (B);   Bloomberg - BB;   Brisbane Times - BT;   British Broadcasting Commission - BBC;   Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists - BAS;   Cable News Network - CNN;   Canadian Broadcasting Corporation - CBC;   Centre for Strategic and International Studies - CSIS;   Committee to Protect Journalists - CPJ;   the (US) Council on Foreign Relations (CFR);   Crikey - C [$];   Dabanga Sudan - DS;   Deutsche Welle - DW;   European Union - EU;   Forbes - F;   Foreign Policy - FP;   France 24 - F24;   Freedom House - FH;   Genocide Watch - GW;   Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect - GCR2P;   HumAngle - HA;   Human Rights Law Centre - HRLC;   Human Rights Watch - HRW;   Independent Australia - IA;   International Crisis Group - ICG;   Lawfare Blog - LFB;   Lowy Institute - The Interpreter - Lowy;   mainstream media - MSM;   Medium - M;   Michael West (news media platform) - MW;   Mirage News - MN;   Nation Africa - NA;   National Indigenous Times - NIT;   New York Times - NYT [$];   News24;   North Africa Post - NAP;   Out in Perth - OiP;   Pearls and Irritations - PnI;   Political Violence at a Glance - PVG;   Politico - P;   Premium Times Nigeria - PT;   Q News - QN;   Radio France International - rfi;   Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty (RFE);   Reuters - R;   Robert Reich - RR;   (Bruce) Schneier - Sch;   Special Broadcasting Service - SBS;   Star Observer - Star;   Sudan Tribune - ST;   Sydney Morning Herald - SMH;   The Age - TA;   The Big Smoke (TBS);   The East African - TEA;   The Guardian - TG;   The Monthly - TM;   The National Tribune - tNT;   The New Daily - TND;   The Saturday Paper - TSP;   The Shot - TS;   Thomson Reuters Foundation - TRF;   United Nations - UN;   Voice of America - VoA;   Wall Street Journal - WSJ [$];   War on the Rocks - WotR;   Washington Post - WP [$];   Yahoo News - Yahoo; YouTube - YT;