Valentine’s Day: Tainted Jewelry Supply Chains

(London) – Jewelry and watch companies need to do more to ensure that their supply chains are free of human rights abuse, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today, ahead of Valentine’s Day. In addition, 29 civil society groups and trade unions jointly appealed to the jewelry industry to improve its sourcing practices. The 99-page report, “The Hidden Cost of Jewelry: Human Rights in Supply Chains and the Responsibility of Jewelry Companies” scrutinizes the sourcing of gold and diamonds by 13 major jewelry and watch brands that collectively generate over US$30 billion in annual revenue…

Read complete article

~	Ukraine: Civilians killed and injured as attacks on power and rail systems intensify

~	EU Parliament condemns the reintroduction of Georgia's foreign agent bill

~	Uganda’s tax system isn’t bringing in enough revenue, but is targeting small business the answer?

~	Is the London mayoral race tightening? New poll shows Sadiq Khan leads Susan Hall by 13 points

~	Gum arabic from Africa’s acacia trees in the Sahel is used in hundreds of products: what’s worth knowing

~	Young middle-class Nigerians are desperate to leave the country: insights into why

~	Dan Poulter defects from Tories to Labour: inside the art of switching teams

~	Saudi Arabia: Halt Executions of Child Offenders

~	Togo: Elections against a backdrop of muzzling dissenting voices

~	An activist translates Minecraft, manga, and Harry Potter from Russian into the Chuvash language