Judge Laura Taylor Swain approved a deal to restructure $17 billion of Puerto Rico's $72 billion debt on Monday. Court approval was the last hurdle creditors and the island's oversight board needed for a plan to address sales tax backed debt or "COFINA" debt.
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The London-based International Observatory of Human Rights have added to the long list of the country’s human rights violations in their recent 2018 in Review: Human Rights Violations in Turkey read full story / add a comment

We firmly condemn the escalation of interference and blackmail by the European Union against the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, aligned and concerted with the coup operation of «self-proclamation» of a puppet president, orchestrated and commanded by the Trump Administration who, in an arrogant violation of International Law, seeks to overthrow the legitimate President, Nicolás Maduro, elected by popular vote, and subvert the Venezuelan constitutional order. read full story / add a comment

The world’s 26 richest people possess the same wealth as the poorest 50%, a figure estimated to be 3.8 billion people read full story / add a comment

Rightwing "President" Bolsonaro who was appointed president of Brazil by arranging for a stich-up of former president Lula da Silva and getting him sent to jail but for whom polls show he would have won the election, rose to power on a rethoric of fighting corruption.It was clear all along that this concern as well as himself was bogus. However he was backed by the Western media at all stages and looked on lovingly from Washington. It been cleared all along he was their man.

Now thankfully it looks like this could all unravel, because he and his family have been embroiled in a huge scandal in Brazil involving money laundering, corruption and murder through his connections to right wing mafia type dead squads composed of former police and military officials.

During his fake campaign he rallied endlessly against a particular law in Brazil allowing federal officials immunity from prosecution and investigation and has now eaten his own hat as it were by invoking the use of the very same law to protect himself. read full story / add a comment

Executives from the transnational financial institution HSBC contacted British military intelligence to discuss targeting of anti-fracking activists, according to documents released by Anonymous Europe. read full story / add a comment

Well I must say that although I have not seen much of the debate about Brexit I am impressed by Mrs. Teresa May. She has maintained a rational and forthright attitude. Many a good leader has been ditched long before the end of the road. But I hope she is able to lead this Brexit process to a satisfactory conclusion.

To be simplistic about it I do not think it is a case of The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland wrong; The European Union right. It's a big decision for EU as well as for UKGBNI. Candidly I think EU needs to review and adjust. There are many facets of the EU and The European Commission that are open to negative criticism. I need not retail them here. Most people can make out their own shopping list. read full story / add a comment

It seems that the fate of the Kurds and their allies and neighbours in this tormented part of the world depends on the quickly changing allegiances between a number of international players – none of which you would trust to walk your grandmother across a busy road read full story / add a comment

On Thursday, Judge Laura Taylor Swain delayed approval of a $17 billion debt deal between Puerto Rico "COFINA" creditors and the island's oversight board. read full story / add a comment

Through Thursday, the judge presiding over Puerto Rico's bankruptcy process will hear testimony about a debt deal to restructure about $17 billion of the island's $72 billion debt. read full story / add a comment

The Donegal Woman based on the life of my grandmother. On publication and without an agent and self published was number two on best sellers list in the North. "We'll Take A Cup Of Kindness Yet" Memoir and Manifest of my self John Throne. From Donegal small farmer Orange Order family to international revolutionary socialist via the Bogside Uprising and other struggles. read full story / add a comment

Is there not something absurd (if not for the cost in human suffering) in Turkey’s ruling coalition’s deep seated venom for the social and cultural presence of its not-Turkish people? read full story / add a comment

This article is being reposted here as it is incredibly important and gives an insight into the larger framework of forces acting on the EU. From this perspective one can see how Brexit is the sabotage operation. Even though a majority voted for Brexit, clearly bigger forces wanted it and as we know the people are usually ignored. As in when in Ireland we had to vote twice on separate occasions in EU referendum before we got the right answer.

The European Union enters 2019 with a mass of unresolved problems, in addition to being torn apart by the most severe contradictions…

The first and main problem is that the EU was created as one of the mechanisms of the US’ control over Western Europe. Without the American Marshall Plan, without opening American markets for European goods, without American troops on the European continent, without NATO, eventually, the European Union wouldn’t be possible. read full story / add a comment

Nobel Peace Laureate Maguire gives reasons for nominating thw Wikileaks founder read full story / add a comment

The Times did a valuable service by investigating the murder of a Palestinian medic by Israeli snipers, but undermined their own work with pro-apartheid framing and both-sides tropes. read full story / add a comment

Dublin and Wexford - jobs done! read full story / add a comment

The Syrian Observatory of Human Rights who have continuously monitored the civil war in Syria, have identified an increase in US military activity in the area close to the Turkish Border in conjunction with Turkey's threats to invade Rojava read full story / add a comment

Wednesday, December 12, Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, announced plans for his new military adventure against the Kurds read full story / add a comment

On Thursday 6th December, to coincide with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU)’s General Assembly, the Irish Campaign to Boycott the Eurovision in Apartheid Israel 2019 wrote to the Director General of RTÉ, Dee Forbes, Rory Coveney, Strategic Advisor to the Director General, and Michael Kealy, Head of RTÉ’s delegation for Eurovision, asking them to call on the EBU not to broadcast any Eurovision events into Israel’s illegal settlements in occupied Palestine. read full story / add a comment

Many of us have been following the Yellow Vest clashes on the streets of France with great interest and trying to understand this movement that appeared to come from nowhere. It is another story of the pressures of late stage capitalism collapsing the center of politics, a center no longer able to fool more of the people most of the time. A movement made possible by social media but which also reflects the often chaotic ‘apolitics’ of such movements. And worrying in the context of the millions being poured into far right propaganda a movement in which the far-right have made some progress in infiltrating, even if our comrades in France are physically driving them out of the protests.
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