Some human rights and other news links [Note: Content Warning - reader discretion is advised!] and thoughts - Saturday, 14th January 2023

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. For anyone distressed by anything in this post, or for any other reason considering seeking support, resources are available in Australia here, here, and here. In other nations, you will have to do an Internet search using terms such as “mental health support - <your nation>” (which, for instance, may lead to this, this, and this, in the USA, or this, this, and this, in France [biased towards English-language - my apologies]).

• staggering  (TG) confirmation (F24) that oil company executives knew IN THE 1970s that climate change was real ... and covered it up and actively promoted denialism! - my thoughts, from an email to my local MPs, here;   another fascist attempt to violently overturn a democratic election has been made - this time in Brazil (details below);   according to the House’s Sergeant At Arms’ testimony, “blood would have flowed like a river if J-6 rioters were Black” (M);   why AI’s racist problems matter (M) - and “artists angry after discovering artworks used to train AI image generators without their consent” (TG), “the human cost of the digital revolution” (M), “Australian universities to return to ‘pen and paper’ exams after students caught using AI to write essays” (TG), and, as a social media platform makes further cuts to safety (TG), a US city’s “public schools [are suing] social media platforms for youth ‘mental health crisis’” (TG) - and “young people don’t hate their bodies because they are weak – but because capitalism demands it” (TG);   “robodebt and the transmission of shame” (TM);   “restorative justice doesn’t work with fascists” (M) - see also this (M);   “in a first, the US government unveils a plan to decarbonize all transport” (electrek);   “‘I was wrong’: how Covid conspiracies became a gateway to extreme views” (TG);   “some US police forces claim banning white supremacists will hurt recruitment” (that is staggering!!!) (M);   “fighting corruption is key to countering authoritarianism, and protecting human rights” (FH);   the USA’s government is admitting (TG) to more genuine (TND) UFO/UAP sightings, but continues to miscast these as a threat;   “children in Australia’s poorest households have about 10% chance of becoming top earners ... treasury research finds most severe poverty is ‘particularly entrenched’ but children far more likely to progress than in USA” (TG);  
  
• on the CLIMATE CRISIS (noting the UNFCCC) and ENVIRONMENT (noting multiple  international agreements): 
• “an independent review of Australia’s carbon credit market has defended the scheme while making sweeping recommendations to improve transparency and confidence in the market” (TND) - but see also this, on doubts and concerns (SBS);   a plan (TND) to ensure (TG) big polluters (ABC) do more to reduce their emissions, but see also this (TC);   successes with the ozone layer (UN) and the mala wallaby (ABC) as a call is made to manage an introduced plant disease to save other species (ABC);   a first ever ‘healthy cities’ summit will be held in March (UN);   “voluntary immobility” (TC);   “the global loss of pollinators is already causing about 500,000 early deaths a year by reducing the supply of healthy foods, a study has estimated” (TG);   in 2013 the national neolib nitwits government “scrapped [a] pesticide monitoring program that found residues 90 times the limit on strawberries” (TG);   another article on the health impacts of the climate crisis (TND);   a scheme to export our solar power has entered into administration (TG);   “Honduran environmental defenders shot dead in broad daylight” (TG);   “6 ways we need to change our global economy to save our planet” (M);   reasons 2023 could be good for dealing with the climate crisis (TC);   more trees for my home city (ABC);   last year was the hottest (TG) ever recorded (ABC);   the impact of natural disasters on the economy (TND);  
  
• climate / environmental issues have also occurred in:   Indonesia (ABC),   Europe (TG),   USA (TG),   oceans (TG),   UAE (BBC),   Murray-Darling river (TG) - see also this (ABC),   USA (TG),   Australia (archaeological record of bushfires) (ABC),   NT (land clearing) (TND);
  
  
• 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: 
• sleep problems are part of long COVID (DW);   masks are recommended on long flights (ABC);   “Wales coroner rules nurses’ Covid deaths as industrial disease” (TG);  
  
  
• on NATURAL and OTHER DISASTERS (noting Article 1(3) of the UN Charter): 
  
• relief supplies have arrived in areas affected by severe flooding in Australia (NIT), where 68% of the population were affected by natural disaster declarations last year (ABC) - see also this, on the coming clean up (ABC), this call for more aid (NIT), and this, on the incompetent decisions made in defiance of observation and Indigenous knowledge (ABC), this (TND), this (ABC), this (ABC), this (ABC);   more drownings in Australia (TG);   Pakistan still needs (DW) aid (UN) after floods last year covered one third of the nation;   a traffic accident has killed mourners (TG) at a funeral in China (ABC);   a train collision in Mexico (TG);   after last weeks bus crash national mourning has been declared in Senegal (ABC);   cross border aid will be extended for Syria (UN);   carbon monoxide from faulty heaters has killed 20 people in Afghanistan (AJ);   Uganda says the Ebola outbreak is over (UN);   storms in the USA (TND);   the UN has called for urgent action to address malnutrition in 15 nations (HA);   cholera in Malawi (The Telegraph);  
  
  
• 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:   Russia’s unilateral ceasefire has not held (AJ);   propaganda claims by Russia (TND);   a change of Russia’s military leadership (TG);  
  
• inside Russia:   soldiers’ mothers groups (TC);  Russia may increase the size of its armed forces (DW);   Russia is adapting to sanctions and has not yet fully mobilised for war (this bodes poorly for the sustainability of the war - Western nations have greater capacity as well, but are limited by public interest) (TC);   
• internationally:   growing concerns that Belarus is being pushed to join the war (TG);   intractable tensions remain between Sweden and Turkey and continue to block Sweden’s admission (which shows the problem and allowing dodgy nations to be friends - and not acting when they become even worse - and Sweden’s admission would be a major boost to NATO) (F24);   
   
• on INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS (noting the UN Charter [particularly Chapters VI and VII] and numerous  international  treaties): 
• the Ivorian soldiers who were “sentenced” to jail (if male) or death (in absentia, if female), have been “pardoned” by the junta in power in Mali (VoA) - where the UN says the security situation is deteriorating (Journal du Cameroun);   “Israel orders police to remove Palestine flags from public spaces” (AJ);   “Australia needs to rethink Papua New Guinea aid. People need power and water, not governance workshops” (TG);   China is looking to build ties with Africa (VoA);   Sweden’s discovery of a large rare earth deposit could help reduce the worlds dependence on China (CNN);   the UAE will start teaching about the Holocaust - the first Arab nation to do so (CNN);   West Africa has pledged aid for Burkina Faso (AN);  
  
• 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:   NATO has declined to get involved in increasing tensions between Serbia and Kosovo (ABC);   as a US carrier group starts operating in the South China Sea (CNN), a “war game simulation suggests Chinese invasion of Taiwan would fail at a huge cost to US, Chinese and Taiwanese militaries” (CNN) - see also this consideration of whether China would risk a diversionary war against Taiwan (LFB);   an expert commentary on UK Prince Harry’s recent comments about having killed people during combat in Afghanistan, and being able to do so because of military training causing “othering” (TG);   as tensions continue to climb between the DRC and Rwanda, Rwanda threatens to evict all Congolese refugees (The Standard) - meanwhile, rebels have agreed to a ceasefire in, and withdrawal from, part of eastern DRC (NA);   “Ethiopia’s war in Tigray has ended, but deep fault lines remain” (The Economist);  
   
• on CORRUPTION (noting international  agreements and monitoring), MISGOVERNANCE, MAL-/MIS-/NON-FEASANCE, MISCONDUCT and THREATS TO DEMOCRACY/FREEDOM: 
• a notorious neochristian  protector (TG) of child (TG) abusers (TG), member of the current version of the Spanish Inquisition, has (ABC) died (TND), and is being misrepresented (TND) (even as a legal case continues (TND) against his estate) which is likely (TG) to cause distress (ABC) to victims of child abuse (TND) ... at least there will not (TND) be any (TG) official event in two states (TG) - see also this, on their anti climate science stance (TG), this on their criticism of the current Pope (TG);
  
• US military biometric data has been found for sale on an online market (social media, citing NYT [$]);   “researchers could track the GPS location of all of California’s new digital license plates” (Vice);   a social media hack was more extensive than previously thought (9 to 5 Mac);   “WhatsApp and other messaging services left out of new Australian misinformation code, regulator says” (TG);   strong (TND) penalties (TG) after egregious abuses (ABC) by a sporting clubs fans;   “Lismore's Koori Kitchen told to shut down to make way for more car parks” (SBS);   “the public now views the US Supreme Court as 'fundamentally partisan'” (AlterNet);   the NSW Premier’s statement (TG) that he loved politics from a young age and shared information at the family dinner table renders his decision (TG) to wear at nazi uniform at his 21^st birthday party and claims of shame deficient in credibility, judgement, and decency - see also this (ABC);   an opinion piece that “gambling industry’s extraordinary hold over NSW Labor continues” (TND);   concerns about “abuses and breakdowns in rogue system of global diplomacy” (ProPublica);   measures are being taken to stop influencers causing diabetics to access to a key medicine (SBS);  
  
  
• on DEMOCRACY AND GOVERNANCE (noting Article 25 of the ICCPR and monitoring  projects): 
• globally:   
• increased diversity in Brazil’s new government (F24), but then another (TG) fascist (TG) attempt (CNN) to violently (TND) overturn (AJ) a democratic election was made - possibly with security forces support (F24) but without (F24) success and leading to promises (F24) of judicial punishment for those involved directly (1,500  [F24] arrests [AJ] so far - and the former Justice Minister will be arrested [ABC] and extradited [AJ] and Bolsonaro’s role will be investigated [R] and his supporters purged [R] ) and indirectly (financiers were mentioned), all while that nations previous leader hid in the USA, leading to calls for extradition as part of widespread condemnation (TG) - see also this analysis (TC), this (TG), this (DW), this, on the wanton damage and urination (DW) - and this (TG), this, on the use of social media (TG), this (TG), this (CNN), this (ICG), this, on how the swift and robust response highlights the strength of democracy (TC),   this, on the connections to figures connected to the attempted US insurrection (Media Matters);   security has been tightened in Brazil amid fears of new attacks (TG);   a Reuters exclusive reports that US and Brazil lawmakers are seeking to cooperate on investigation of the attempted insurrection in Brazil (R);   “Ethiopia lost $146 million due to internet blackouts in 2022” (some associated with the war in Tigray) (Q);   “with the number of people aged 65 and over projected to more than double by the middle of the century, the rights and well-being of older persons must be prioritised in efforts to achieve a sustainable future, the UN said in a new report” (UN);  
  
• another day of fatal protests in Peru (AJ) - where an investigation (TG) of the current President has (AJ) begun (DW);   the right wing extremist party - described (YT) as nihilists - in the USA has finally (TND) elected a speaker - despite near violence, and shown their unfitness to govern and the damage (ABC) that has been done to the USA;   people in the USA “still refuse to recognise that there are consequences for ignorant political beliefs” (M);   attacks on voter access in the USA (Democracy Docket);   an opinion that US voters “must unite to defend [their] democracy. Policy opponents can also be allies when it comes to protecting core values and institutions” (FH);   analysis here (LFB) and here (AP) of the discovery and investigation (F24) of classified documents at US President Biden’s home - and why this is different to former POTUS45’s wilful and egregious wrongdoing;   shootings in the USA have targeted elected Democrat officials (ABC News);   Haiti has NO elected politicians (CNN);   “creeping civil society curbs in Europe threaten rights in 2023” (HRW);   risk of global recession (TND);   the transition back to democracy in Sudan has been welcomed (UN) - see also this (TEA) and this (PVG);    a US agricultural machinery manufacturer has allowed farmers the right to repair(ABC);   “New Zealand does not offer tenure to academics, but a recent employment dispute shows it’s more than a job perk” (I once considered changing to lecturing at a tertiary institution, but opted out as I had just taken on a relationship with step-kids and wasn’t prepared to disrespect them by losing job insecurity) (TC);   “racism poses a threat to Germany's democracy” (DW);   a court has ordered Senegal to release a critic (VoA);   a court in Uganda has quashed part of a controversial Internet law (NA);  
  
• in Australia:   a powerful article on the Voice and coming referendum (TSP), and a call for funding to prevent social media becoming the main source of information (TG);   “how housing made rich Australians 50% richer, leaving renters and the young behind – and how to fix it” (TC);   “‘urgent need’ to understand link between teens self-diagnosing disorders and social media use, experts say ... sufferers may be driven online because of the difficulty in accessing affordable GP appointments, professor says” (TG);   “Australia’s problem with the truth” (ABC);   by imposing limits on pokie machines, “Western Australia shows the harm poker machines are doing to the rest of the country” (TG);   “a new ‘build your own budget’ tool reveals just how bad the stage-three tax cuts are” (TG);   calls for actions to stop false claims of election fraud and risk of Brazil/USA style violence here (SBS);  
  
• suppression of dissent / media in   South Sudan (NA),   Nicaragua (AJ);
  democracy is also at risk in   USA (TG) - see also this (Urban Milwaukee),   Kazakhstan (DW),   Nigeria (because of violence) (Vanguard Nigeria) - see also this, on West African insecurity (UN),   Hong Kong (ABC); 
  
  
• on HUMAN RIGHTS (noting the various rights and treaties summarised here, IHL, Article 5 of the Rome Statute founding the ICC): 
• we (Australia) are exporting weapons to despots (ABC);   in the USA a six year old boy shot (ABC) a teacher (CNN) when she tried to confiscate the gun (TG), who then led students to safety (ABC) - see also this (TG);   Iran has executed (F24) two more (CNN) protestors (DW), and is oppressing protestors, journalists and critic (DW), but the regime is also showing signs of cracking (ABC);   calls for an impartial investigation into recent killings in Burkina Faso (F24);   a neo-nazi will not be jailed for a violent assault (partly because his wife is an advanced stage of pregnancy) (TG);   “Australia’s credibility on human rights blighted by laws targeting climate protesters and jailing children, report says” (TG);   “Indonesian President ... acknowledges his country's past 'gross human rights violations'” (ABC) - see also this (UN);   “Human Rights Watch criticises South Africa, Eswatini and Zimbabwe governments in latest report” (news24);  
  
• human rights are at risk or abuses have also occurred in:   Iran (AJ) - and the UN has warned against any more state sanctioned killing (UN), but see this (F24),   Indonesia (HRW),   Zimbabwe (TG);
  
• violence in:   Nigeria (R),   Afghanistan (ABC),   Mali (AP);
  
  
• noting the GENOCIDE  Convention:   “global action is needed to topple Myanmar’s criminal junta boss” (TG);   an atrocity alert has been issued for Ukraine, Burkina Faso and South Sudan (GCR2P);   
  
  
• noting the conventions and the Global Compact on REFUGEES:   at least five refugees have drowned off the coast of Tunisia after their boat sank (AJ);   aid workers in Greece providing aid to refugees could face years in prison (DW) - see also this (UN);   detainees are not getting medical attention (TG);  
  more refugee issues:   USA-Mexico (AP),   Australia (SBS);
  
  
• noting the Yogyakarta Principles on LGBTIQ+ PEOPLE:   a census in the UK undercounted LGBTIQA+ people for obvious reasons (TG);   “Aromantic Spectrum Awareness Week”;   more transphobic child abuse by five US states (Erin in the Morning, SubStack);  
  
  
• noting ICERD and DRIP on RACISM:   another indicator of how racist some people are (M) - see also here (M);   “a Māori tribe in New Zealand is calling for the return of treasured relics listed for sale by ... auction” (TG);  
  more racism issues:   the national neolib nitwits (NIT); 
  
  
• noting the CRPD on PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES:   an explainer on “‘masking’ and ‘camouflaging’ in the context of autism and ADHD” (TC);   a reframing of dwarfism (ABC);   “people with disabilities reap benefits of surge in telework” (TG);
  
  
• 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:   working from home will get easier (but watch for invasive monitoring) (ABC);   the importance of a psychologically safe workplace (TC);   
  
  
• 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:    more on the record drop in house prices (TND);   a call to double rent assistance (TC);   a ‘cruel and cold’ man in the USA doused a homeless woman with water in freezing conditions (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;   Climate Change News - CCN;   Committee to Protect Journalists - CPJ;   Context - CT;   the (US) Council on Foreign Relations (CFR);   Crikey - C [$];   Dabanga Sudan - DS;   Deutsche Welle - DW;   European Union - EU;   Forbes - F;   Foreign Policy - FP;   France 24 - F24;   Freedom House - FH;   Genocide Watch - GW;   Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect - GCR2P;   Globe Echo - GE;   HumAngle - HmA;   Human Rights Law Centre - HRLC;   Human Rights Watch - HRW;   Independent Australia - IA;   International Crisis Group - ICG;   Just Equal - JE;   Lawfare Blog - LFB;   Lowy Institute - The Interpreter - Lowy;   Mail & Guardian - MG;   mainstream media - MSM;   Medium - M;   Michael West (news media platform) - MW;   Minority Rights Group - MRG;   Mirage News - MN;   Nation Africa - NA;   National Indigenous Television - NITV;   National Indigenous Times - NIT;   New York Times - NYT [$];   News24;   North Africa Post - NAP;   Openly - Op;   Out in Perth - OiP;   Pearls and Irritations - PnI;   Political Violence at a Glance - PVG;   Politico - P;   Premium Times Nigeria - PT;   Q News - QN;   Quartz - Q;   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 (Nigerian) Guardian - TG-N;   The Monthly - TM;   The National Tribune - tNT;   The New Daily - TND;   The Saturday Paper - TSP;   The Sentry - TS;   The Shot - TS;   Union Aid Abroad - APHEDA;   United Nations - UN;   Voice of America - VoA;   Wall Street Journal - WSJ [$];   War on the Rocks - WotR;   Washington Post - WP [$];   Wikipedia - WP;   Yahoo News - Yahoo; YouTube - YT.

Note: news sources are never perfectly accurate or good - for instance, some have been transphobic (which is why I may, for instance, cancel email subscriptions), but may be good in other areas (e.g., racism) - and attributes may vary depending on region. I do NOT provide an unqualified endorsement of ANY of the media sources I use.

Finally, remember: in general, we need to be more human being rather than human doing.