Amid the politicized ugliness and street skirmishes around the 25th anniversary of 9-11 in New York City, a conspiracy-theory confab convenes, glorifying MAGA martyr Charlie Kirk and headlining such high-profile dictator-propagandists and reactionary charlatans as Roger Waters, Jimmy Dore and Ben Swann—indicating that a significant swath of the ostensible "left" has surrendered to the lure of fascism. In Episode 345 of the CounterVortex podcast, Bill Weinberg again dissects the emerging Red-Brown alliance.

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), pillar of India's ruling fascistic ideology of Hindutva, held a rally in New York City—which was happily met with a large protest outside Madison Square Garden. Some protesters drew a parallel between Kashmir and Palestine, an obvious connection given the Zionist-Hindutva anti-Muslim axis. However, progressive Congressional candidate Brad Lander—an opponent of military aid to Israel and a supporter of Israel's anti-war opposition—was accosted at the protest for being a "Zionist." This is mirrored in a similar incident in San Francisco, when another Jewish Democratic candidate, Scott Wiener, was driven from a Trans Pride event in Dolores Park. In Episode 344 of the CounterVortex podcast, Bill Weinberg attempts to cut through the propaganda and provide some clarity on the issues at play here.

Human Rights Watch on July 31 called on authorities in Thailand to take urgent measures to address a wave of online death threats and harassment against members of parliament Angkhana Neelaphaijit and Romadon Panjor, as well as human rights activist Anchana Heemmina, after they voiced their disapproval of actions of the Thai military and expressed their support for the Muslim community in the country's Deep South.

Indian authorities have deported thousands of Bangladeshi citizens in the month since Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won elections in the state of West Bengal. Shortly after taking power in West Bengal, BJP officials ordered the creation of detention centers both for undocumented Bangladeshis and Rohingya Muslims who are fleeing persecution in their native Burma and mistreatment in overcrowded refugee camps in Bangladesh.

The UN Independent Expert on the human rights situation in the Central African Republic (CAR), Aristide Nononsi, expressed concern June 1 about the persistent violence in the country, and its impacts on rights and humanitarian needs.

President Trump called for "reverse migration" and a "major reduction in illegal and disruptive populations" in a racist late-night online rant Nov. 27. In the bizarre Thanksgiving message, Trump vowed to "permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries" and to revisit immigration decisions made under his predecessor, Joe Biden. He said deportations will target "anyone who is not a net asset to the United States, or is incapable of loving our Country" or "non-compatible with Western Civilization." Trump's message followed the shooting of two National Guard soldiers in Washington DC, apparently by an Afghan refugee. Hours before the Washington shooting, the White House had already confirmed plans to re-vet refugees already settled in the US.

International human and civil rights groups on Sept. 15 urged the UN Human Rights Council to maintain its oversight of the situation in Sri Lanka. The appeal comes ahead of the Council's 60th session, where member states' compliance with international human rights treaties is to be reviewed.

Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the International Commission of Jurists and the Asian Forum for Human Rights & Development called for the renewal of the Sri Lanka Accountability Project, led by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). In their statement, the groups accused Sri Lanka's government of lacking the political will to establish an independent prosecutorial mechanism to ensure accountability for human rights violations and international crimes. The reported failures span across such questions as victim and witness protection, reconciliation between the Tamil and Sinhalese communities, and the repeal of counter-terrorism laws.

Amnesty International on Aug. 28 condemned the lack of accountability for the Chinese government's treatment of Uyghur Muslims in western Xinjiang region, noting that nearly three years have passed since a groundbreaking UN report detailed gross violations of international law against the ethnic group. In commenting on the sheer scale of crimes committed by state authorities against the community, Amnesty International's China director Sarah Brooks stated: "Lives have been ruined, families separated and communities dismantled by the Chinese authorities' continuing cruelty. Today, families of detainees continue to seek truth, justice and freedom for all those suffering in the Uyghur region."