(2019-05-27). Iraq Vows to Resist US Aggression Against Iran. telesurenglish.net Iraq will not support any military action against its eastern neighbor, Iran, Iraqi Foreign Minister Mohammad Ali Al-Hakim said at a joint press conference with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif on Sunday. | RELATED: | General Qorbani: Iran Can Sink US War Ships | "We stand by our neighbor Iran, and economic sanctions are unnecessary and cause great suffering to the Iranian people," Hakim said. | Zarif responded: "We are currently repelling all the efforts of war against Iran, whethe…
(2019-05-27). Disaster capitalism, national liberation and the Philippines election. greenleft.org.au 
Left-wing parties ran a separate Senate campaign in the May 13 Philippines elections to the mainstream opposition parties, which ran as part of the Otso Diretso electoral alliance. | Centred round the Liberal Party of former President Ninoy Aquino, these opposition parties have a better record on human rights and respect for the rule of law than psychotic incumbent, President Rodrigo Duterte, but are still dominated by corrupt trapos — traditional politicians from the political dynasties of the ruling oligarchy. | However, one Otso Diretso candidate endorsed by the left-wing Partido Lakas ng Masa (PLM) was…
(2019-05-27). Philippines: Left prepares for 'long fight' against Duterte following stolen election. greenleft.org.au 
The election of 12 new senators was proclaimed on May 22 by the Philippines electoral commission (COMELEC) following mid-term elections on May 13. All were from the grouping endorsed by authoritarian President Rodrigo Duterte. | Duterte is best known internationally for his "war on drugs". In reality this is a war on the country's poor majority, a turf war by drug traffickers (who are Duterte's cronies) and a human rights catastrophe that has killed thousands — some estimate more than 20,000. | The unlikely clean sweep by his candidates for the Senate is just part of the evidence for electoral fra…
(2019-05-27). Trump Regime Demand for Palestinian Surrender. Washington's "Peace Process" is a Colossal Hoax. globalresearch.ca Trump's so-called "deal of the century" has nothing to do with peace, nothing to do with resolving irreconcilable Israeli/Palestinian differences — everything to do with serving Israeli interests at their expense. | Throughout his tenure, Trump waged war on Palestinian rights, …
(2019-05-27). In San Jose, Protesters Call for Preservation of Abortion Rights. indybay.org "If You're Against Abortions Have a Vasectomy" and other placards at protest in San Jose on May 21. | Photos by: Aria Barajas, ProBonoPhoto. Please credit the author. Non-commercial use only.
(2019-05-27). Military Families' Rights Are at Risk Thanks to This Law. truthdig.com When our loved ones join the military, we know that wearing the uniform could cost them their lives. | Military family members do all kinds of calculations about the potential price of serving this nation. We run the numbers and wargame the risks; we bargain with God and make deals with the devil hoping our service member never becomes a casualty. | But what most of us don't know is that when our family members sign up, they sign away some of their rights — and ours. | Under what's called the Feres Doctrine, members of the Armed Forces an…
(2019-05-26). UN Mission in Afghanistan gravely concerned about ill-treatment of prisoners by Taliban, following first-hand testimony. un.org The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) expressed "grave concern" on Sunday over "credible accounts" it has been given that Taliban militants have been mistreating prisoners, which in some cases "may amount to torture".
(2019-05-26). The Indian Government Has Systematically Used Torture to Crush Opposition in Kashmir, New Report Finds. theintercept.com 
A landmark report has accused the Indian government of "systematically and indiscriminately" using torture as a tool to crush an independence movement in the northern state of Kashmir. | The roughly 550-page report, issued last week, documents hundreds of individual cases of torture perpetrated by the Indian military over the last four decades — and not a single prosecution to hold the perpetrators accountable. The conflict in Kashmir dates back to the 1…
(2019-05-26). The US Is Aware the Confrontation with Iran Is over a Large Geographical Area. globalresearch.ca US President Donald Trump no longer has any cards to wave in the face of Iran nor any grounds for negotiation. He can only resort to more economic sanctions and wait by the phone for a call from Iran, unlikely …
(2019-05-26). US Sanctions Leave Millions of Venezuelans Without Water. therealnews.com 
"You can't blame the Maduro government, but as for the United States, this Donald Trump is mean. He's mean and he's blocked a lot of things. We have to support each other and this U.S. blockade has to end." — Yolimar Contreras…
(2019-05-26). Russian Gas to Germany: Will the U.S. Slap Sanctions on Nord Stream 2? globalresearch.ca There is a growing push in the U.S. Congress to slap sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. | The pipeline under construction would carry Russian natural gas to Germany, and has been a lightning rod of controversy both in Europe …
(2019-05-26). Iran Economic Sanctions Kill as Effectively as Bombs. therealnews.com 
The Trump administration's illegal economic sanctions against Iran makes it impossible to import essential medicines, says CEPR's Mark Weisbrot…
(2019-05-26). NYC: 1,000 rally to defend abortion rights. liberationnews.org 
"Without this basic right women can't be free, abortion on demand and without apology," chanted the multi-generational crowd.
(2019-05-26). Thousands in Chicago rally for abortion rights. liberationnews.org 
"We won't go back!"
(2019-05-26). 'Time for some statue removals?' Twitter reacts to MLK sex life claims, rape comments. rt.com 
US civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr. allegedly "looked on and laughed" as a Baptist minister friend raped a woman, according to FBI records accessed by an American historian.
(2019-05-25). One Night, Two Executions, and More Questions About Torture. theintercept.com 
As the sun began to set over the prayer vigil outside Tennessee's Riverbend Maximum Security Institution, where 68-year-old Don Johnson was about to die, another execution was underway some 400 miles south of Nashville. "I would like to thank Jesus for everything he's done for me," Michael Brandon Samra said as he lay on the gurney in Atmore, Alabama. "I want to thank Jesus for shedding his blood for my sins. Thank you for your grace, Jesus. Amen." | Samra was strapped down and wrapped in a tight white blanket covering his feet. His execution had been scheduled for 6 p.m. on May 16, but for reasons no one explain…
(2019-05-25). 70+ US Army & Navy veterans urge Trump to stop Iran war-mongering, stick to diplomacy. rt.com 
An open letter signed by 76 retired generals, admirals, and ambassadors calls on US President Donald Trump to stop stoking fears of war with Iran and ditch "ineffective" sanctions and threats in favor of "aggressive diplomacy."
(2019-05-25). "They'll Give Me a Detention but It'll Be Worth It"—A Climate Scientist Interviews His Climate Striking Daughter. commondreams.org Young people take part in the March 15, 2019 global youth strike for climate justice in Nottingham, England. (Photo: kthtrnr/flickr/cc) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files……
(2019-05-25). Only Donald Trump Can Stop Mohammed bin Salman's Execution Spree. theantimedia.com (MEE) — The world took no notice when three Muslim scholars — Salman al-Odah, Awad al Qarni and Ali al-Omari — were first detained in September 2017. Reuters reported at the time that all three were outside the state-backed clerical establishment and recorded Odah's past period of imprisonment two decades earlier for having tried to set up a Muslim Brotherhood inspired …
(2019-05-25). Pipeline opposition groups fight back against anti-protest laws 'designed to intimidate'. nationofchange.org "The response of the government to protest ought to be engaging on the issue, listening to the concerns of the people that are speaking out, and trying to respect and work with them, not stifle First Amendment rights."
(2019-05-25). Virginia Prisons Putting Up Obstacles to Ramadan Observance. theintercept.com For the last three weeks, Muslims around the world have been observing the month of Ramadan by fasting from food and drink from dawn to sunset — a period of about 16 to 18 hours in the United States. The six to eight non-fasting hours, then, are an important time to recharge and rehydrate. Yet in at least two Virginia state prisons, according to civil rights groups, Muslims are being denied basic rights, despite constitutional protections and federal laws around religious freedom. | In one Virginia prison, Muslims known to be fasting are not being served breakfast before sunrise, while at another prison, Mu…
(2019-05-25). Detroit Strong: Rashida Tlaib is the American right's worst nightmare. nationofchange.org While the leadership of the U.S. House of Representatives, including Speaker Nancy Pelosi, have made it clear that they don't want to pursue an impeachment inquiry against the current president, one of the newest members of the body, Rashida Tlaib, has been a strong voice for accountability, drawing up a resolution to start the process by having the Judiciary Committee begin an investigation. | Three main arguments have been made against Representative Tlaib's call. The first is made most often by the Democratic leadership in the House, who say that the country's judicial system is the best place for fights ov…
(2019-05-24). DHS is Locking Immigrants in Solitary Confinement. aclu.org As ICE detention numbers reach record high, new reports are extremely troubling. | In 2012, I visited the federal supermax prison ADX Florence in Colorado and spoke with men living in solitary confinement. I listened closely to their stories of anguish, but I could not understand how they survived it. They told me of the horror of being trapped in a small room, without access to fresh air or sunlight, for at least 22 hours a day—alone, afraid, and not knowing when it would end. I learned that people in solitary confinement talk to the walls, to themselves, to no one — sometimes they stop talking altog…
(2019-05-24). Oakland council resolution puts heat on county sheriff's office. peoplesworld.org 
OAKLAND, Calif. — With unanimous passage May 21 of a resolution urging an independent performance and financial audit of the Alameda County Sheriff's Office headed by Sheriff Gregory Ahern, the Oakland City Council has joined a rising chorus of demands by human rights and racial justice organizations and family members of inmates who have lost …
(2019-05-24). Trump's charges against Assange are historic attack on press freedoms. Media and Obama helped set the stage. thegrayzone.com It is not just Trump, but the media, Obama, Bush, mainstream "human rights" organizations, Republicans and Democrats alike that put…
(2019-05-24). As the far right grows, its mask comes off. greenleft.org.au 
The brutal face of hard right and fascist reaction has been on vivid display on the issues of women's rights and the climate crisis in the past few weeks. | In Germany the AfD (Alliance for Germany) launched a vicious attack on inspirational teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg, portraying her as an extremist and suggesting she needs treatment for her "psychosis" — a shabby reference to her autism. | Rejecting near-unanimous scientific opinion, the AfD said that the climate justice movement is scare mongering about levels of carbon dioxide emissions, asserting that the gas is a beneficial plant nutrient.
(2019-05-24). US abortion rights attacks escalate. greenleft.org.au 
Legislative attacks on abortion rights in the US have escalated this year, as social conservatives have shifted tactics with an unprecedented wave of state abortion bans adopted. | The most restrictive legislation was signed into law by Alabama's governor on May 15. It bans abortion altogether, except for cases of medical emergency. Pregnancy resulting from sexual assault is no exception and doctors performing abortions are criminalised with penalties of up to 99 years in jail. | On May 7, Georgia became the fourth state this year (after Kentucky, Mississippi and Ohio) to sign into law an abortion ban from t…
(2019-05-24). Friday's Daily Brief: Honouring fallen peacekeepers, action against gender-based violence; LGBT rights in Kenya, Rohingya water crisis. un.org Friday's main stories include: Honouring UN peacekeepers; landmark conference to combat sexual and gender-based violence in crises; Kenya upholds LGBT ban; UNICEF's plea for Afghani children; Brazil's bid to compensate tobacco smokers; Water shortages in Bangladesh…
(2019-05-24). Alabama Is Trying to Ban Abortion. Today We Filed Suit to Stop Them. aclu.org Abortion is a right and this attack on abortion rights won't succeed. | Last week, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed legislation banning nearly all abortions. The law, which threatens doctors with up to 99 years in prison for performing abortions, is the anti-abortion opposition's true agenda on display: ban abortion, jail doctors, and push this essential health care out of reach. | These are undoubtedly dark times in the fight for reproductive freedom as Alabama and states across the South and Midwest aggressively push to place such onerous restrictions on abortion so that the procedure is all but rendered inaccessib…
(2019-05-24). War is War on Mother Earth. counterpunch.org 
"In order to achieve the massive systemic and cultural transformations required for mitigating climate change…we're going to have to deal with the socially sanctioned, institutionalized violence perpetrated by U.S. foreign policy that is pouring fuel on the fire of global warming." — Stacy Bannerman Climate Change Causes War There is the close relationship between war More
(2019-05-23). Why Are Leading Democrats Supporting Trump on Venezuela? thenation.com Why Are Leading Democrats Supporting Trump on Venezuela?
(2019-05-23). "India Loses Again, and the World Loses with It": Siddhartha Deb on Modi's Landslide Re-election. democracynow.org 
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi appears set to enter a second term in a landslide victory. Election results show Modi's Hindu nationalist BJP party leading in 325 of the 543 seats in Parliament. At this rate, these numbers will give him an even greater majority than in 2014, when his party claimed the first outright majority in decades. Most analysts had predicted Modi's BJP party would lose seats in this election. Modi's government has been criticized for a crackdown on civil society, targeting political opponents, journalists, human rights activists, lawyers and writers. Human rights groups have also raised…
(2019-05-23). For Afro-Colombians, the 2016 Peace Treaty Brought No Peace. thenation.com For Afro-Colombians, the 2016 Peace Treaty Brought No Peace…
(2019-05-23). How the U.S. Crackdown on Abortion Laws Influences Other Countries. therealnews.com 
As Americans struggle to decide the fate of reproductive rights state by state, the U.S. government has imposed a "Gag Rule" that would remove U.S. federal funding from any country or international organization that provides abortions or even advises women that abortion is their choice…
(2019-05-23). Palestinians overwhelmingly condemn German Parliament's anti-Palestinian resolution. bdsmovement.net 
Palestinians overwhelmingly condemn German Parliament's anti-Palestinian resolution: Open LetterPalestinian civil society coalitions, human rights organizations, labor unions, and representatives of the Palestinian people, condemn in the strongest terms the German Parliament's resolution which is based on outright lies and equates the nonviolent BDS movement for Palestinian right…
(2019-05-22). How ICE Is Using Solitary Confinement to Punish Asylum Seekers, Including LGBT & Disabled Immigrants. democracynow.org 
Since 2012, ICE has used solitary confinement as a routine punishment for thousands of immigrants and asylum seekers locked up in immigration jails across the country. We look at a new, damning investigation by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists that has revealed this widespread abusive use of solitary confinement in immigration jails overseen by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The United Nations special rapporteur on torture says solitary confinement should only be used in exceptional circumstances, and defines extended use of solitary as "inhuman and degrading treatment." Despit…
(2019-05-22). Abortion rights rally in St. Paul, MN. fightbacknews.org Up to 500 people gathered at the state capitol building here, May 21, joining a national day of action in response to the new round of abortion restrictions and bans in Alabama, Kentucky, Ohio, Missouri and Georgia. Chants of "Our bodies, our choice," and "No more" echoed across the capitol complex. | Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice Minnesota helped organized the rally. There were a range of speakers and supportive politicians urging all to fight back on the attacks on women and choice. A woman spoke about a very hard personal decision she and her husband made in the second trimester. Doctors stated their…
(2019-05-22). Activists Push Back Against Conservative Threat to Safe and Legal Abortion. therealnews.com 
With abortion rights under threat across the country and conservative anti-abortion bills gaining momentum, women and activists are taking their protests to the streets to defend their right to privacy and bodily autonomy…
(2019-05-21). Jennifer Harbury: Deaths of Guatemalan Children at Border Have Roots in Decades of U.S.-Backed Genocide. democracynow.org 
Five Guatemalan children have died after being apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol since December. We look at the humanitarian crisis unfolding on the border and its ties to decades of bloody U.S. intervention in Latin America with human rights attorney Jennifer Harbury. Her husband, Efraín Bámaca Velásquez, was a Mayan comandante and guerrilla who was disappeared after he was captured by the Guatemalan army in the 1980s. After a long campaign, she found there was U.S. involvement in the cover-up of her husband's murder and torture. "We trained them. We taught them torture techniques. We funded them, and we armed t…
(2019-05-21). Detained, Abused & Denied Medical Care: How Trump Immigration Policies Led to Child Deaths at Border. democracynow.org 
A 16-year-old Guatemalan boy died in U.S. custody Monday after spending a week in immigration jail. Carlos Gregorio Hernandez Vasquez was found dead at a Border Patrol station at Weslaco, Texas, just one day after being diagnosed with the flu. He was not hospitalized. This marks the fifth death of a Guatemalan child apprehended by Border Patrol since December. Before last year, it had been more than a decade since a child died in the custody of U.S. immigration officials. We speak with Fernando Garcia, the founding director of the Border Network for Human Rights, an advocacy organization based in El Paso, and Jen…
(2019-05-21). Children of ISIL terrorists likely held in 'secret detention facilities', UN human rights office warns. un.org In Syria, it is suspected that children whose fathers fought for terrorist group ISIL are being held in unidentified "settlements" and "secret detention facilities" away from their mothers, the UN human rights office (OHCHR) said on Tuesday.
(2019-05-21). Family of Jailed Saudi Feminist Loujain Al-Hathloul: She Was Waterboarded, Flogged & Electrocuted. democracynow.org 
It's been a year since women's right activist Loujain Al-Hathloul was detained and jailed in Saudi Arabia for leading a movement to lift the kingdom's ban on female drivers and overhaul its male "guardianship" system. Despite international outcry, she's been imprisoned ever since. During that time, her family says, she's been held in solitary confinement and faced abuse, including electric shocks, flogging and threats of sexual violence. The Saudi government has resisted calls from human rights groups and lawmakers from around the world to release Loujain and the other jailed activists. We speak with two of Louja…
(2019-05-21). Tuesday's Daily Brief: Libya civil war, African displacement, global trade tensions, terrorists' children 'secretly detained', and more. un.org Tuesday's stories include: Libya facing "permanent division", regional war; Africa event highlights forcible displacement; terrorists' children 'secretly detained' in Syria; Venezuelans need protection; global trade tensions rise.
(2019-05-21). 'We're Still Going to Be Making Sure People Have Access to Abortions They Want and Need' – CounterSpin interview with Jill Heaviside and Oriaku Njoku on reproductive rights assaults. fair.org 
Janine Jackson interviewed Jill Heaviside and Oriaku Njoku about resisting assaults on reproductive rights for the May 17, 2019, episode of CounterSpin. This is a lightly edited transcript. | Media…
(2019-05-21). Taking Action to #StopTheBans. progressive.org Across the country this week, advocates for reproductive justice and women's rights are rallying to put a stop to the onslaught of restrictive abortion laws.
(2019-05-20). Venezuela: Widespread Gasoline Shortages as Sanctions Take Toll on Oil Sector. venezuelanalysis.com Long queues have been seen at gas pumps around the country in recent days.
(2019-05-20). Border Patrol Museum Demonstrators Targeted In Crackdown On Immigrant Rights Protests. shadowproof.com Four activists turned themselves in to El Paso police on May 13 after the police issued warrants for their arrest related to a nonviolent demonstration inside a United States Border Patrol museum.
(2019-05-17). NAACP and Civil Rights Groups Hold Rally on the 65th Anniversary of Brown v. Board. naacp.org 
On May 16, NAACP along with civil rights organizations and members of Congress held a rally on Capitol Hill to make the promise of Brown v. Board of Education a reality for all. In honor of the 65th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education, speakers addressed the still urgent struggle for education equity as well …
(2019-05-17). Oriaku Njoku & Jill Heaviside on Abortion Rights in Georgia and Beyond. fair.org 
Abortions will happen, as they always have. The question is what they'll be like, for whom? If that's your question about the future, it makes sense to talk with the people who are doing the work now — of support, advocacy and funding to allow women to access safe and affordable abortion care.
(2019-05-13). SPLC launches voting rights legal team, testifies before U.S. House panel in Alabama. splcenter.org Ever since state and local law enforcement officers attacked peaceful civil rights marchers with billy clubs and tear gas on "Bloody Sunday" in 1965, Alabama has been at the epicenter of the fight for voting rights.