(2025-12-20). Guterres condemns killing of UN staff member in South Sudan. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 20 (MNA) — The UN chief on Friday strongly condemned the killing of a South Sudanese staff member working with the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), calling on authorities to swiftly bring those responsible to justice.
(2025-12-20). UN: Dec. 19] Peacekeepers Killed in Sudan So. Sudan, Congo Mission Renewed Lots More. passblue.com 
This Week @UN: UN person/envoy of the year; Slovenia is exhausted; UN's AI use. Plus: Sudan; Congo; US/Venezuela; US/ICC; Houthis/UN; Gaza. Follow us daily on Twitter (X), Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Blue Sky • Our #1 story: An Eastern European Woman Should Lead the UN, op-ed by Vesna Pusic • A short holiday note to thank our …
(2025-12-20). UN says famine phase overcome in Gaza Strip. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 20 (MNA) — No areas in the Gaza Strip are currently classified in famine, according to the latest reports by international bodies.
(2025-12-20). Israeli attack on Gaza school kills, injures 10. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 20 (MNA) — At least six Palestinians were killed and four others wounded after Israeli artillery shelled a school sheltering displaced people in eastern Gaza City on Friday night, Palestinian sources said.
(2025-12-20). Israeli attack on Gaza school kills five, most of them children. newarab.com 
Five Palestinians were killed in an Israeli attack on a school sheltering displaced people in The Palestinian civil emergency service said in a statement that most of the killed were A hospit…
(2025-12-20). Israel attack on Gaza school clear ceasefire violation: Hamas. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 20 (MNA) — The Palestinian Resistance movement Hamas has condemned the Israeli army's attack on a school sheltering displaced people in eastern Gaza City, describing it as a blatant violation of the ceasefire.
(2025-12-20). Iran's Armed Forces rapidly addressing shortcomings. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 20 (MNA) — Iran's Armed Forces are moving swiftly to address operational and technological shortcomings by drawing lessons from past operations, Iran's deputy army chief for executive affairs said.
(2025-12-20). US launches widespread airstrikes against Islamic State in Syria after deadly Palmyra attack. longwarjournal.org On December 19, US Central Command announced that US forces conducted "a large-scale strike against ISIS infrastructure and weapons sites in Syria." Al Arabiya reported that the United States hit "70 ISIS targets in sites in central Syria."
(2025-12-20). Hainan FTP Customs acts to spur investment. ecns.cn An aerial drone photo taken on Nov 21 shows Yangpu International Container Port in Yangpu Economic Development Zone, Hainan province."With China's strong consumption fundamentals and policy support, we are fully committed to long-term investment in Hainan FTP," said Seth.
(2025-12-20). Palestinian journalist Sami al-Sai alleges torture, sexual violence in Israeli prison. CPJ Staff
(2025-12-19). Nearly 540 migrants rescued off Crete: Greek coastguard. tribune.com.pk 
Nearly 540 migrants crammed on a sailing boat were rescued early Friday south of the island of Crete, the Greek coastguard said. | The 539 would-be asylum seekers were rescued by a patrol vessel of EU border agency Frontex near the small island of Gavdos in the Libyan Sea, a coastguard spokeswoman told AFP. | So far, the coastguard has recorded nationals from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Egypt, Eritrea, Somalia, Sudan and the Palestinian territories aboard the boat, the spokeswoman said. | Read More: US Homeland Security chief pauses green card lottery programme | They will first be taken to the Cretan city of Rethym…
(2025-12-19). Sudan: CNN and Lighthouse Reports publish evidence of SAF ethnically motivated atrocities. moderndiplomacy.eu CNN has reported that the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and allied militias have carried out a campaign of ethnically targeted killings in Sudan's Gezira (also known as Al Jazirah) state, including dumping bodies into canals and concealing mass graves. CNN, working with Lighthouse Reports, documented a months-long SAF-led campaign against "Kanabi" farming communities (largely non‚ÄëArab …
(2025-12-19). Gaza Freedom Flotilla Coalition Joins Increase Of 2026 Sailings To Gaza. popularresistance.org The 18 national campaigns of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla coalition (Australia, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, International Campaign to Break the Siege, Malaysia, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Türkiye, the United Kingdom, United States) met in Dublin, Ireland December 5-7, 2025 to plan for many more vessels to sail to challenge the illegal Israel naval blockade and the genocide of Gaza. | Israel continues to break the ceasefire in Gaza and has escalated the vicious attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinians and their land in the West Bank.
(2025-12-19). Friday 12/19: Protest israeli crimes at their consulate in SF. indybay.org 456 Montgomery St, SF the israeli consulate…
(2025-12-19). Ceasefires in the Gaza Genocide: A Historical Perspective. counterpunch.org 
What is new in the current situation and particularly ominous, is that, formerly, even the most exclusivist version of Zionism did not rely on genocide as a tool: generations of Zionists have tried to buy land from Palestinians, to expel them through bureaucratic means, to use violent Apartheid and ethnic cleansing strategies, or to engage in what Palestinian political scientist Saleh Abdel Jawad calls "sociocide" — to make life so legally, financially, psychologically, and physically difficult that Palestinians themselves would choose to leave. In previous writing, I have argued that, while Zionism before…
(2025-12-19). BBC finally mentions hunger strike — but still ignores reason for it. thecanary.co The BBC News website has finally broken its obstinate silence about the hunger strike by anti-genocide protesters — but only as two of the political prisoners ended their strike and still ignoring almost everything else of relevance. Mentions hunger strike obscurely The BBC's article about the decision of Jon Cink and Umer Khalid to […] | By
(2025-12-19). Big Tech and the Architecture of the Israeli Genocide Against Palestinians. counterpunch.org 
History is filled with examples of corporations fueling war machines and global colonization. IBM supplied technology used in Nazi death camps; shipping and trading companies played central roles in the transatlantic trafficking of Africans; and multinational firms helped bankroll South Africa's apartheid regime. The companies that once profited from South Africa's pass laws, today empower
(2025-12-19). "White men targeted?" Trump positions them as victims of "reverse discrimination" albawaba.com ALBAWABA – The Trump administration is now encouraging "white men" to lodge complaints of discrimination, a move that coincides with a growing effort to roll back diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. The Trump administration took the unusual step of urging white men who feel they've been discriminated against at work to lodge formal civil rights complaints. Critics argue this is a direct attack on diversity, equity, and inclusion programs nationwide. Andrea Lucas, currently serving as the acting chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), shared a post on X. In it, she stated that white…
(2025-12-19). A People's Orientation To The Praxis Of People(S)-Centered Human Rights. popularresistance.org Since the launch of the North-South Project for People(s)-Centered Human Rights (North South Project) last year, the framework has been steadily increasing in the global lexicon. The framework itself was produced by Black Alliance for Peace (BAP) founder, Ajamu Baraka, who is also the Director of the North South Project, as a direct result of his observations and practice as a long-time human rights activist. Baraka's observations and practice was systematized into what he refers to as, "the Black radical human rights tradition that is people(s)-centered – hence People(s)-Centered Human Rights (PCHRs).
(2025-12-19). Martín Mosquera: The Meaning of Milei. newleftreview.org With Latin America in Trump's cross-hairs, a report from Buenos Aires on the social stalemate that allowed far-right firebrand Javier Milei to impose the harshest shock therapy in Argentina's history. Mosquera mobilizes the conceptual legacies of Gramsci, Trotsky, Otto Bauer and Angelo Tasca to identify the function of the region's highly successful new rights.
(2025-12-19). Trump Labels Fentanyl 'Weapon of Mass Destruction'. hrw.org Click to expand Image | US President Donald Trump shows a signed executive order classifying fentanyl as 'weapon of mass destruction' during a Mexican Border Defense Medal presentation in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC, December 15, 2025. | © 2025 Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters…
(2025-12-19). Indonesia Shouldn't Trade Workers' Rights for Chinese Investment. fairobserver.com On December 12, some 300 workers at PT. CTLI (Shengtuo Company), a Chinese-owned company operating inside Indonesia's Morowali Industrial Park, walked off the job. Their demands were neither radical nor vague. They asked for payslips that arrive on time, personal protective equipment that fits their work, rest days that are not quietly erased, meals on…
(2025-12-19). The Right to Resist: Palestine and the Semantics of Terrorism. counterpunch.org 
The Palestinian struggle, which spans over a century, is fundamentally about the dispossession of land, resistance to displacement, self-determination and human rights. The indigenous people of Palestine have paid in lives, treasure, hopes and lost dreams because of Europe's history of racism, antisemitism and colonial exploitation; a legacy that was transplanted into the Middle East
(2025-12-19). Kazakhstan: Physical attacks and judicial harassment of LGBTQIA+ defenders Temirlan Baimash, Ardzh Tursynkhan, and Zhanar Sekerbayeva. fidh.org At the end of November 2025, unidentified individuals and state authorities physically attacked Kazakhstani LGBTQIA+ defenders Temirlan Baimash, Ardzh Tursynkhan, and Zhanar Sekerbayeva. The three defenders were subsequently arbitrarily arrested and subjected to judicial harassment. The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (OMCT-FIDH) condemns the repeated acts of physical and verbal violence, intimidation, and arbitrary detention targeting LGBTQIA+ human rights defenders (…) | – |
(2025-12-19). Iran: Narges Mohammadi, several other human rights defenders arbitrarily arrested in massive crackdown. fidh.org More than 50 people were arrested, including five women human rights defenders, while they were taking part in a memorial ceremony honouring a recently deceased fellow human rights defender. The Observatory (FIDH-OMCT) and the League for the Defence of Human Rights in Iran (LDDHI) strongly condemn these new arrests and call on the Iranian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release all those arbitrarily detained, including human rights defenders.
Paris-Geneva, 18 December 2025. (…) | – |
(2025-12-19). Sunday 1/11: The State of Immigrant Rights 2026: Updates on the Courts and ICE Actions. indybay.org La Peña Cultural Center, 3105 Shattuck Ave. Berkeley…
(2025-12-19). In Uzbekistan, Motor Sports Body Misses the Mark on Rights. hrw.org Click to expand Image | The F1 Grand Prix at Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, April 20, 2025. | © 2025 Qian Jun/Paddocker via AP Photo | The International Automobile Federation (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile, or FIA), the international body governing motor sports, including Formula1, held its annual General Assemblies last week in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. At the General Assemblies, the federation presented Uzbekistan as the "star of the east," seemingly without a single reference to Uzbekistan's deeply problematic human rights record. In recent years, Uzbek authorities have increa…
(2025-12-19). Madison, January 10, 2026: Know Your Rights, Trans Edition. wibailoutpeople.org 
(2025-12-19). Trump's Expanded Drug War Will Make Overdose Crisis Worse, Experts Say. truthout.org As President Donald Trump exploits fear about fentanyl to justify military aggression in Latin America, experts warn that his administration's choice to slash federal support for public health programs threatens to erode progress in reducing fatal overdoses linked to synthetic opioids. Trump issued an executive order on Monday declaring fentanyl a "weapon of mass destruction" that could be… |
(2025-12-19). Dar accuses India of violating IWT as Chenab levels fall. tribune.com.pk 
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar has accused India of violating the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), warning that New Delhi's alleged manipulation of water flows into Pakistan could trigger a humanitarian crisis, as water levels in the Chenab River continue to fall. | The warning comes amid fluctuating water patterns on the river system. On December 8, reports indicated that India had released a surge of water into the Chenab River, pushing the flow up to 58,300 cusecs. However, Pakistani officials said levels have since plunged sharply. | A day earlier, Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir…
(2025-12-19). Assassination Ignites Crisis: Why Bangladesh Is Burning After Hadi's Death. thinktank.pk As Bangladesh grapples with fresh turmoil on December 19, 2025, the death of prominent youth activist Sharif Osman Hadi has ignited widespread protests, arson attacks, and heightened political tensions. This latest crisis threatens the fragile stability of the interim government and raises concerns about the upcoming February elections. From anti-India sentiments to attacks on media …
(2025-12-19). Bangladesh on edge after student leader's killing sparks unrest. moderndiplomacy.eu Bangladesh deployed police and paramilitary forces across Dhaka and other cities after violent overnight protests erupted over the death of Sharif Osman Hadi, a 32-year-old student leader and election candidate. Hadi, a spokesperson for the Inquilab Mancha platform, was shot by masked assailants in Dhaka last week while launching his campaign and later died in …
(2025-12-19). US Citizens Deported By Zionist State After A Week Of Detention. popularresistance.org New York-based Irene Cho and Boston-based Trudi Frost, who were arrested by Israeli forces last Friday, remain in custody at the Givon prison after Israeli courts have summarily denied all their appeals while refusing to examine the evidence proving they have committed no offense. They are expected to be deported later tonight from Ben Gurion airport. | Cho and Frost were arrested on Friday, December 12, in the West Bank village of al-Mughayyer while staying with the Abu Hamam family, which is threatened with forced displacement by military and settler violence.
(2025-12-19). Sweida violence reignites as Druze forces clash with HTS. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 19 (MNA) — Intense fighting has erupted in Syria's southern province of Sweida between Druze forces and armed elements affiliated with Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and its allies, leaving several individuals wounded, report say.
(2025-12-19). Syria, Kurdish forces race to salvage integration deal. moderndiplomacy.eu Syrian, Kurdish and U.S. officials are intensifying talks ahead of a year-end deadline to show progress on a stalled agreement to integrate Kurdish-led forces into the Syrian state. The deal, first outlined in a March 10 accord, was meant to see the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) merge into national military and state institutions. Recent …
(2025-12-19). Israel attacks Gaza by air and sea as mediators meet in US. newarab.com 
Israeli forces carried out a wave of air and naval strikes on In
(2025-12-19). Escalation in Southern Gaza: Airstrikes Target Khan Younis, Rafah Amidst Truce Violations. english.almanar.com.lb Israeli occupation forces intensified military aggression in southern Gaza Strip early Friday, launching a series of airstrikes on the cities of Khan Younis and Rafah. In Khan Younis, Israeli warplanes targeted the Bani Suheila area east of the city, with simultaneous machine-gun fire directed at eastern neighborhoods accompanied by artillery shelling. Additionally, Israeli naval vessels …
(2025-12-19). Bill To Block Trump From Launching War With Venezuela Fails. popularresistance.org The House on Wednesday voted down a War Powers Resolution meant to block President Trump from launching a war with Venezuela without congressional authorization, as required by the Constitution. | The bill failed in a vote of 211-213, with nine representatives not voting. Just three Republicans joined Democrats in supporting the bill: Reps. Thomas Massie (R-KY), Marjorie Taylor Greene (GA), and Don Bacon (NE). One Democrat, Henry Cuellar (TX), voted against the legislation. | The legislation would have directed the president to remove "United States Armed Forces from hostilities within or against Venezuela that h…
(2025-12-19). In The Pay Of Foundations Revisited: How US Power Elite Funds "Parallel Left" Media (1). indybay.org Some U.S. "parallel left" alternative media groups have funded their news operations by accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in "charitable" grants from tax-exempt foundations of same U.S. power elite whose undemocratic abuses of power, crimes and immoral policies they claim to be exposing and holding accountable in their "independent journalism" work and reporting.
(2025-12-19). Zelensky's peace talk & Drone war: Kyiv pushes talks as Rostov burns in strikes. hindustantimes.com Peace overtures are playing out in conference rooms while a shadow war of drones rages across borders, with Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles slamming into Russia's Rostov Region and triggering deadly fires and civilian casualties. In coordinated overnight strikes on Rostov-on-Don, Bataysk and Taganrog, Ukrainian drones ignited a cargo vessel in the port of Rostov-on-Don, killing two crew members and injuring three others, as well as setting private homes ablaze in Bataysk and damaging civilian infrastructure across the area. Watch for details…
(2025-12-19). Ukraine's low-tech shield: Fishing nets turned into Drone defense against UAVs. hindustantimes.com As Russian FPV and fiber-optic drones tighten their grip on Ukraine's skies, Kyiv is being forced into a starkly low-tech defensive improvisation. Viral visuals from southern and eastern Ukraine show roads and buildings draped in fishing nets and mesh tunnels—an emergency shield against deadly drone strikes. With advanced air-defence systems stretched thin and military aid delayed, Ukraine is repurposing discarded deep-sea fishing nets sent by European charities to protect civilians and military convoys. The tactic underscores both Ukraine's adaptability and the growing pressure of a war where billion-dolla…
(2025-12-19). Trump sues BBC for $10 Billion over altered capitol speech. albawaba.com ALBAWABA – Former President Donald Trump has launched a significant lawsuit against the BBC, alleging defamation. The lawsuit stems from the network's broadcast of an edited version of his January 6, 2021 speech. Trump's legal representatives claim the edit misrepresented his words, suggesting he had incited his supporters to breach the U.S. Capitol. The lawsuit, lodged in a Miami federal court, seeks $10 billion in damages. Trump contends that the BBC's editing of his speech was misleading. He claims they cut the video to omit his appeal for a peaceful demonstration, while emphasizing remarks that could be His l…
(2025-12-19). EU opts for joint borrowing to bankroll Ukraine, shelves risky Russian asset plan. moderndiplomacy.eu European Union leaders agreed to raise 90 billion euros through joint borrowing backed by the EU budget to support Ukraine's defence over the next two years, setting aside a controversial plan to use frozen Russian sovereign assets. The bloc holds around 210 billion euros in Russian assets, most of them in Belgium, but legal, financial …
(2025-12-19). Support Judge Hannah Dugan! ICE Out of Milwaukee Everywhere! wibailoutpeople.org 
(2025-12-19). Pakistan eyes January Panda Bond debut. tribune.com.pk 
Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb reviewed progress on Pakistan's inaugural Panda Bond issuance under a planned $1 billion programme aimed at diversifying funding sources and supporting debt sustainability. | He was briefed by officials of the Ministry of Finance's Debt Management Office on regulatory approvals, investor outreach and market readiness, as Pakistan prepares to enter China's onshore bond market with the first issuance targeted for January. | Pakistan Advances Toward USD 1 Billion Panda Bond Program with Inaugural Issuance Targeted for January | Federal Minister for Finan…
(2025-12-19). Japan Injects $3.5 Million to Transform Pakistan's Merged Districts. thinktank.pk In a significant step toward sustainable peace and inclusive growth, Japan has pledged fresh support for Pakistan's formerly tribal areas. A new international cooperation initiative was launched in Islamabad, focusing on empowering local governments and delivering vital public services in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's (KP) Merged Districts. A New Era of Community-Driven Development The "Project for Development …
(2025-12-19). Erika Kirk endorses JD Vance for U.S. President in 2028 as Trump refuses to… hindustantimes.com Erika Kirk, CEO of Turning Point USA, made a bold declaration in Phoenix, Arizona, on December 18, 2025, pledging full support for her husband's friend, JD Vance, in his anticipated 2028 presidential run. Kirk promised, "We are going to get my husband's friend JD Vance elected for '48 in the most resounding way possible." Watch for details…
(2025-12-19). Assassination of student leader Osman Hadi leads to protests across Bangladesh. tribune.com.pk 
Police and paramilitary troops fanned out across Dhaka and other cities in Bangladesh on Friday after violent protests overnight over the death of a popular youth leader, with concerns of further unrest ahead of national elections in which he was due to run. | Streets were calm in the morning, but residents in the Muslim-majority South Asian nation said they were worried there could be fresh violence after Friday prayers later in the day. | Sharif Osman Hadi, 32, was a spokesperson for the Inquilab Mancha, or Platform for Revolution, and participated in the student-led protests that overthrew the government of…
(2025-12-19). Violence erupts in Bangladesh after wounded youth leader dies. geo.tv 
(2025-12-19). 'We don't care about politics': Violence-hit Uvira locals just want peace. aljazeera.com As M23 captures and then withdraws from key DRC city, residents say 'whoever comes with peace is welcome here'.