Highlighting Independent and Solidarity News

Today, officials from the European Union plan to sign off on a major trade and investment agreement with Japan, known colloquially as JEFTA. The deal, which is multiple years in the making, has drawn intense concern from environmental and labour campaigners due to its lack of provisions on whaling (amazingly still a problem in 2018), weak commitment to sustainable development, and inclusion of rules that could facilitate the privatisation of public services, including water, in Germany and other EU states. In addition, the deal refuses to recognise the precautionary principle and includes restrictions on the right of states to regulate multinational corporations.  JEFTA, written behind closed doors by lobby shops, is only visible to campaigners because it was leaked to Greenpeace. Yet, bar a freak accident, it will be signed off tomorrow without a public referendum in any country.  The agreement, like its sister deal CETA and the WTO, should be reminders of the dark ...

The Establishment’s Question Times, commentators, and newspapers: how they long for a “sensible” and “responsible” opposition, and how the public vehemently rejects their every appeal. From the Centrist Dads’ knight in armour, David Miliband, to the ghost-like Liberal Democrats, the options on the table are unpopular at best and objects of ridicule at worst. Attempts at creating a prepackaged, out-of-the box neoliberal party along the lines of Emmanuel Macron’s En Marche have flopped, despite the best efforts of Renew and similar elitist watering holes. Seeing this situation, it is only natural that Tony Blair, whose supporters can’t even muster 5 percent of the vote in the party he nearly destroyed, is seething with anger. His pet think tank, The Tony Blair Institute For Global Change, described by the New York Times of all outlets as “a front for the restoration of the global elite,” has worked overtime railing against “extremism” and “ideology,” as if it were still 1991...

VIDEO: Police State: Macron Launches CRS to Attack the Sorbonne #NonALaSelection #Sorbonne CRS Horribly Wound Protesters, Chemical, Blood And Bullet Injuries Is May 1968 About to Happen Again, or Be Surpassed? Mass Strikes, Occupations and the Fight for the Future Perfect in France May 68 Veteran Ex-Students Express Solidarity With ZAD, Students In Letter One in Three French Students Ready to Confront Police: Study Demonstration in Paris- From the Free Town of Tolbiac to the Gare d'Austerlitz Architects, Urbanists, Thinkers, And Citizens: A Statement For The ZAD And What It Represents Actions For #ZAD in Brussels By Anti-TTIP Group Join A Protest Against Syria Strikes! Click Here For UK!   Click Here For US! LIVE: Latest From Syria From Forex Wire CORBYN: May Is Waiting For Donald Trump's Instructions On Syria Italy, Netherlands, More EU States Join Merkel In Refusing Attack On Syria Die Linke Leader Kipping: Germany Should Veto A...

Online filters, automated takedowns and algorithms allegedly introduced to stop the spread of terrorist and fake content have led to the removal or blocking of several human rights groups, news organisations, videos, and accounts covering alter-globalisation, environmentalist, anti-war, refugees' rights, Palestinian and pro-Afrin content, according to articles and testimonies from the groups involved. Yesterday, the page of the website "Insurrection News" was removed from Facebook without explanation. After the website created a new Facebook page, this page was also removed within only a few hours. Insurrection News has been one of the most prominent English-language sources for news related to Turkey's invasion of Afrin, and has also provided essential coverage of police brutality, international protests, and solidarity actions with refugees. According to the independent news website Gatorna, Facebook has also been involved in the repression of other Kurdish-r...