SOUTH AFRICA 

SA hangs its head in shame as Time magazine highlights inequality

A picture depicting the chasm between the country’s rich and poor made the cover of Time magazine and the fact we live with every day of our South African lives comes out like a shameful secret. timeslive.co.za/

Farmworkers in Grabouw strike for R250 daily wage

The workers at Oak Valley Farm are also demanding an end to labour brokering and that the hostels, where they say only African and not Coloured workers are housed on the farm, be converted into family units. wwmp.org.za/

WhatsApps expose Floyd Shivambu and the ‘red boys’

 INTERNATIONAL 

Global military spending tops $1.8 trillion, highest on record

The US will spend $7 trillion on its military over the next decade, equivalent to the amount which will be spent on education, infrastructure and public health programs combined. wsws.org/

Firefighters protest prison for rescuing refugees

UK firefighters will protest outside the Italian embassy in London today, on Europe Day, in support of a Spanish firefighter facing prison for rescuing refugees. fbu.org.uk/

Will H&M shareholders take the opportunity to lift workers out of poverty?

The shareholder proposal submitted by Clean Clothes Campaign calls for all the profits made by H&M in 2018 to go into a special living wage fund. textiletoday.com.bd/

Namibia has the most free press in southern Africa

Namibia has reclaimed its spot as the country in Africa with the highest press freedom ranking – a position it held in 2017 as well. While number one in Africa, the sub-Saharan country ranks at 23 globally. frayintermedia.com

 ISRAEL-PALESTINE 

Israel’s siege of Gaza: When does it become a genocide?

No matter how much Zionists attempt to manipulate our stories, we must not let them blame Hamas for Israel’s “genocidal intent”. The perpetrator is Israel. middleeasteye.net/

 LABOUR 

French telecom giant Orange on trial over staff suicides

The toll is shocking: 19 suicides, 12 suicide attempts and eight cases of serious depression among employees over a three-year span at France’s main telephone and internet company. Its management is accused of emotional harassment. o.canada.com/

The Ride-Hail Strike Got Just Enough Attention to Terrify Uber

Australia joins global Uber outcry

Global protests against ride share giant Uber have been held in Australia, where drivers are calling for government intervention to ensure fair pay and better conditions. 9news.com.au/

A Sex Workers Union Is Organizing Against Instagram Discrimination

 NEW TECHNOLOGIES 

Alexa has been eavesdropping on you this whole time

Amazon has been eavesdropping on with its assistant Alexa in microphone-equipped Echo speakers. And it’s hardly alone: Bugging our homes is Silicon Valley’s next frontier. washingtonpost.com/

Big Tech and the Rise of Surveillance Capitalism

Smart phones, smart TVs, tablets and soon even smart homes, are invading every last nook and cranny of our individual and collective privacy. The very thing that was suppose to set us free and serve us, as internet creator Tim Berners Lee had hoped, has now evolved as Lee said “into an engine of inequity and division’. counterpunch.org/

 ENVIRONMENT 

Court bid to halt environment minister’s doubling of sulphur dioxide emission

Environmental Affairs Minister Nomvula Mokonyane is facing court action after her department doubled the amount of toxic sulphur dioxide that industry can pump into the air from coal boilers. dailymaverick.co.za/

Loss of biodiversity is just as catastrophic as climate change

The world needs to recognise that loss of biodiversity and human-induced climate change are not only environmental issues, but development, economic, social, security, equity and moral issues as well. theguardian.com/

Human society under urgent threat from loss of Earth’s natural life

Human society is in jeopardy from the accelerating decline of the Earth’s natural life-support systems, the world’s leading scientists have warned, as they announced the results of the most thorough planetary health check ever undertaken. theguardian.com/

U.S. Pressure Blocks Declaration on Climate Change at Arctic Talks

The Arctic Council issued a short joint statement on Tuesday that excluded any mention of climate change. It was the first time since its formation in 1996 that the council had been unable to issue a joint declaration spelling out its priorities. nytimes.com/