(2019-05-30). Trial Begins for Man Facing 20 Years in Prison for Giving Water to Migrants in Desert. theantimedia.com (CD) — Human rights advocates accused the U.S. Justice Department of "criminalizing compassion" as a federal trial began in Arizona Wednesday for activist Scott Warren, who faces up to 20 years in prison for providing humanitarian aid to migrants in the desert. Warren, a 36-year-old college geography instructor from Ajo, Arizona, is a volunteer for the humanitarian organization No More Deaths/No …
(2019-05-30). 'Fire Zuck' Projected onto Hotel as Facebook Shareholders Arrive for Annual Meeting. commondreams.org Accusing the social media giant Facebook of actively working in opposition to "democracy and human rights," the internet freedom and civil rights group Fight for the Future greeted the company's shareholders arriving for their annual meeting with a demand that they fire CEO Mark Zuckerberg. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files……
(2019-05-30). 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.
(2019-05-30). Democrats' 2020 Policy Blitz Largely Lacking on Immigration. truthdig.com WASHINGTON — Democratic presidential contenders are in a feverish battle to one-up each other with ever-more-ambitious plans to beat back global warming, curb gun violence, offer universal health care coverage, slash student debt and preserve abortion rights. Larg…
(2019-05-30). A win for women: Federal judge strikes down Mississippi abortion ban. nationofchange.org In the latest decision from the string of anti-abortion laws conservative lawmakers are trying to push throughout the nation, a federal court has blocked a Mississippi law that would ban abortions as early as six weeks after a woman's last period. | Late last year, U.S. Judge Carlton Reeves ruled against a similar proposed law in Mississippi that would ban abortions as early as 15 weeks. Saying that the newest, more extreme, proposal "smacks of defiance to this court," Judge Reeves says that the law "threatens immediate harm to women's rights, especially considering most women do not seek abortions services un…
(2019-05-30). Rally vows to defend refugees' rights. greenleft.org.au 
Three hundred people rallied on May 24 to show solidarity with refugees, who face increasing attacks following the re-election of the Coalition government. | Lucy Honan, representing the Refugee Action Collective which called the rally, said the election result had been "bruising" for refugees and their supporters. Even though Labor and the Coalition shared bipartisan policies of offshore detention and boat turnbacks, refugees had hoped for some changes from a Labor government. | Labor had promised to accept New Zealand's offer to take 150 refugees a year from Manus and Nauru. This had raised the hopes of th…
(2019-05-30). Semenya files appeal against IAAF ruling. cgtn.com 
Caster Semenya of South Africa celebrates after winning the Women's 800 event at the IAAF Diamond League athletics meet in Doha, Qatar May 6, 2016. REUTERS/Ibraheem Al Omari | Two-time Olympic champion Caster Semenya filed a legal challenge Wednesday in a Swiss court to block a ruling made this month that required the South African middle-distance runner to artificially lower the testosterone level in her bloodstream to compete in certain women's events. Her appeal, her lawyers said in a news release, "focuses on fundamental human rights." | "I am a woman and I am a world-class athlete. The IAAF (International As…
(2019-05-30). Sydney Peace Prize recipients urge support for Julian Assange. greenleft.org.au 
The Council for Peace with Justice (CPJ) University of Sydney released the following statement on May 26. | *** | As Julian Assange faces US Espionage Act charges, which carry 175 years prison, high profile recipients of Australia's prestigious international Peace Prize are calling on the Australian government to "protect the human rights of this distinguished Australian citizen". | Professor Noam Chomsky; Dr. Vandana Shiva; artist George Gittoes; Julian Burnside QC; journalist and film maker John Pilger; and Senator Sekai Holland, have joined former Chair of the Sydney Peace Foundation, Mary Kostakidis and Found…
(2019-05-30). South Sudan wants UN sanctions removed. cgtn.com 
The South Sudan government has urged the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to remove the sanctions against it. | The world's security body placed South Sudan in the sanctions list in 2015 following reports of gross human rights violations in the conflict that ravaged the country. | The sanctions ranged from an arms embargo against Juba, and others that targeted individuals believed to be obstructing the peace process in South Sudan. | Several senior government officials, including military commanders from both President Salva Kiir and former Vice President Riek Machar factions, were among those sanctioned…
(2019-05-30). How Indigenous Peoples Won a Landmark Victory Protecting the Amazon From Oil Drilling. commondreams.org In 2008, Ecuador became the first country to recognize the rights of nature in its constitution, which was rewritten to acknowledge that nature in all its life forms "has the right to exist, persist, maintain and regenerate its vital cycles, structure, functions and its processes in evolution."(Photo: Jeronimo Zuniga) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files……
(2019-05-30). Decision reserved on Wangan and Jagalingou Adani appeal. greenleft.org.au 
The Federal Court reserved its decision on May 28 and adjourned so parties can consider a complex administrative issue that could mean that an appeal by Wangan and Jagalingou Family Council (W&J) against Adani could be thrown out. | The Full Court of the Federal Court came across the potential problem on the second day of the appeal hearing. It relates to a decision of a court registrar, not heard at the original trial, which threw out objections to Adani's Indigenous Land Use Agreement (ILUA). The agreement, which Adani requires to develop the mine, extinguished the group's land rights. | They have appealed…
(2019-05-30). Stripped of Their Rights: Understanding the Gaza Strip. globalresearch.ca Many wonder why Israel continues to persecute the Palestinians in Gaza with such brutal repression. | The answer is simple; Palestinians in Gaza pose a demographic and, indeed, an existential threat to the Jewish state, which created the inferno that is …
(2019-05-30). A major win for transgender rights: UN health agency drops 'gender identity disorder', as official diagnosis. un.org "To reflect critical advances in science and medicine", the World Health Organization, WHO, has removed so-called "gender identity disorder" from its official manual of diagnoses, which is being hailed as a major win for transgender rights.
(2019-05-30). Trump's New "Fundamentally Cruel" Policy Would Effectively Bar Central American Refugees From Seeking Asylum. commondreams.org Immigrant and human rights advocates responded with alarm Thursday to a report that the Trump administration "is considering sweeping restrictions on asylum that would effectively block Central American migrants from entering the U.S.," condemning the proposed policy as both inhumane and unconstitutional. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files……
(2019-05-30). US Abortion Rights Activists Can Draw Inspiration From Ireland. truthout.org A year ago, I stood in the street in Dublin with friends, awaiting the first exit polls of the Irish abortion referendum. The tension of the past weeks was peaking as we approached the final hours of the vote to repeal the Eighth Amendment of the Irish constitution and overturn the ban on abortion. Many of the activists and campaigners I had met over the previous days hoped to edge by with a narrow margin. As the sunny day came to a close and the first polls trickled out, we looked at our phones in disbelief. | The first polls showed a shock victory for Together for Yes, with 66 percent of voters in favor of r…
(2019-05-30). Unified Europe is ' More Necessary than Ever ', UN Asserts. plenglish.com Berlin, May 30 (Prensa Latina) The Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN), Antonio Guterres, has said Thursday that for the European Union (EU) unity is "more necessary than ever" in view of danger of regression in terms of human rights and multilateralism.
(2019-05-30). Raising Some Issues at Oral Communications. indybay.org Continued delay and inaction on providing homeless shelter and services (to say nothing of civil rights) for homeless folks was the silent part of yesterday's Santa Cruz City Council agenda. Several of us raised issues at Oral Communications…
(2019-05-30). Thursday's Daily Brief: the European Charlemagne prize, sexual abuse, transgender rights, Somalia and Libya updates. un.org Top stories this Thursday: UN chief Guterres received the Charlemagne Prize for services towards European unification; sexual abuse in Somalia and within the UN; a leap in transgender rights; news from Libya; and new political appointments at the UN.
(2019-05-30). WikiLeaks Expresses 'Grave Concerns' for Assange's Health. consortiumnews.com WikiLeaks on Wednesday said it was gravely concerned for the health of its publisher, Julian Assange, and questioned Britain's "standing as a human-rights abiding nation." By Joe Lauria Special to Consortium News WikiLeaks has condemned Britain for its treatment of… Read more →
(2019-05-30). Colombia: FARC Leader Jesus Santrich Freed at Top Court's Order. telesurenglish.net Colombia's Prosecutor office announced Thursday the release of Jesus Santrich, less than a day after the country's Supreme Court ordered his release, the latest development in a legal saga concerning his detention and possible extradition to the United States. | RELATED: | Supreme Court of Colombia Orders Release of Jesus Santrich | From prison, Santric…
(2019-05-30). Video: Kosovo Police Raids in Serb-majority Areas Spark New Round of Tensions in the Balkans. globalresearch.ca On May 28, Kosovo Police's Regional Operational Support Unit (ROSU) carried out mass raids in areas of compact settlement of ethnic Serbs in the northwestern part of the breakaway region. ROSU units, reportedly supported by over 70 vehicles, detained more …
(2019-05-30). White House protest says 'End the sanctions on Zimbabwe!'. workers.org 
Protest at the White House, May 25. A march and rally was held in Washington, D.C., on May 25, African Liberation Day, to demand an end to sanctions against the southern African country of Zimbabwe. Known as Rhodesia after it was colonized by England in the late 1800s, Zimbabwe has . . . | Continue reading White House protest says 'End the sanctions on Zimbabwe!' at Workers.org
(2019-05-30). Why the imperialists hate Huawei. workers.org 
The Chinese company Huawei has been targeted by the Donald Trump administration. At Washington's request, Canada arrested Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer of the company, last December. The charge? That the company did business with Iran, contrary to U.S. sanctions on that country. Meng, the daughter of Huawei founder . . . | Continue reading Why the imperialists hate Huawei at Workers.org
(2019-05-29). London: Diaspora Ugandans Protest Deadly Lawless Land-grabs By Country's Dictator Gen. Museveni For "Investors" blackstarnews.com 
Ugandan Diaspora in U.K. protest the deadly lawless regime land-grabs for foreign investors in their homeland. | [Comment: Open Letter] | Statement by Ugandans in the United Kingdom Demanding End to Land Grabs and Evictions. | 28 May 2019, London | | Ugandans in Britain held a demonstration at the Uganda High Commission in central London on 28 May 2019 and called for rights to land and against seizures. | The protest followed high profile cases of evictions by the Uganda Wildlife Authority, including Uganda police and military, known as the UPDF (Uganda Peoples Defense Force) killings, shooting and arrests of…
(2019-05-29). The Government Needs to Get a Warrant if It Wants Access to Our Private Health Information. aclu.org Choosing between obtaining health care and giving up one's privacy rights is no choice at all. | The Drug Enforcement Administration is once again trying to access private prescription records of patients — this time in New Hampshire — without a warrant, despite a state law to the contrary. Today the ACLU filed a brief in support of the state of New Hampshire's fight to defend the privacy of our sensitive medical information against unwarranted searches by law enforcement. | New Hampshire — like 48 other states, the…
(2019-05-29). Six Children Have Died While in ICE Custody — Why? therealnews.com 
Undocumented immigrants seeking asylum are being separated from their children and detained in prison camps as more restrictive racist policies are being imposed by Trump. We discuss the policy with the Border Rights Center Director of ACLU Texas, Astrid Dominguez…
(2019-05-29). ACLU Lawyer: "Abortion Today Is Still Legal in All 50 States" Despite Draconian Anti-Choice Bills. democracynow.org 
As states around the country ramp up their attacks on reproductive rights, the Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to rule on an Indiana law that would bar abortions based on the sex, race or disability of the fetus. The decision will keep in place a lower court's injunction on the measure. However, the Supreme Court decided to allow Indiana's so-called fetal burial law to go into effect, which stipulates that abortion clinics must dispose of fetal remains either through burial or cremation. The measure was signed into law by then-Governor Mike Pence in 2016. We speak with Alexa Kolbi-Molinas, senior staff attorney…
(2019-05-29). Interfaith Activists Push for Reproductive Justice. progressive.org Less visible, but no less vocal than anti-abortion groups, are religiously-grounded defenders of strong and expansive reproductive rights…
(2019-05-29). Headlines for May 29, 2019. democracynow.org SCOTUS Makes 2 Key Decisions on Indiana Abortion Laws, Missouri's Last Abortion Clinic May Shut Down This Week, Netflix Considers Georgia Production Boycott After Abortion Ban, Sen. Kamala Harris Announces Plan for Gov't Oversight of New State Abortion Laws, Rights Groups Challenge Rule Allowing Providers to Refuse Healthcare Based on Religious Belief, PA Policy Allowing Students to Choose Bathroom Remains in Place After SCOTUS Declines Challenge, Sen. McConnell Would Confirm a Trump SCOTUS Nominee in 2020, Angela Merkel Warns Against Rise of Nationalism, At Least 20 Civilians Killed in Syria as U.N. Warns of Hum…
(2019-05-29). Prominent Dems introduce anti-forced arbitration bill. peoplesworld.org 
WASHINGTON—Prominent congressional Democrats, including the chair of the relevant House committee and eight presidential hopefuls, want to negate the Supreme Court's ruling that mandates company-friendly forced arbitration that overrides workers' rights. The Restoring Justice for Workers Act, unveiled by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., House Education and Labor Committee Chairman Bobby Scott, D-Va., …
(2019-05-29). The Crimes of US Blockade Against Venezuela. telesurenglish.net teleSUR provides comprehensive coverage of the brutal impacts of half a decade of U.S. sanctions.
(2019-05-29). US Hints at Sanctions Against Venezuela CLAP Food Programme as Maduro Incorporates Militia. venezuelanalysis.com The Venezuelan President looks to combat corruption and improve the programme which benefits 6 million Venezuelan families.
(2019-05-29). The Ever Dependable Bully on Embassy Row. counterpunch.org Embassy raided; citizens starved by sanctions; coveted oil resources targeted—again. The United States is still punishing Iran for the 1979 takeover of its 'sacred' premises, its embassy in Tehran. By contrast, when American authorities occupy another nation's embassy there's nothing but approval from its citizens and silent acquiescence by others. I don't know about you, More
(2019-05-28). Tuesday's Daily Brief: violence surges in Nigeria, anti-Semitism on the march, taxing pollution to tackle climate crisis, and more. un.org Tuesday's main stories include: thousands fleeing into Niger as violence surges in Nigeria; UN rights office condemns rise in anti-Semitic incidents; UN chief says tax pollution, not people for climate's sake; North Koreans trapped in vicious cycle of corruption and bribery; Ebola latest from DR Congo.
(2019-05-28). North Koreans trapped in 'vicious cycle of deprivation, corruption, repression' and endemic bribery: UN human rights office. un.org Bribery is the main way people in North Korea get food, healthcare, shelter and work, a new UN human rights office report said on Tuesday.
(2019-05-28). Lawmakers From 11 States Have a Plan to Tackle Suicide and Other Issues Veterans Face. theintercept.com "When you look at the interest for this in red, blue, and purple states, that is a great mandate for the federal government to do something."
(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' after Duterte steals 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 of electoral frau…
(2019-05-26). Thousands in Chicago rally for abortion rights. liberationnews.org 
"We won't go back!"
(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). Iran Economic Sanctions Cost Lives. therealnews.com 
The Trump administration's illegal economic sanctions against Iran reduce access to essential medicines, according to UN experts and interview with CEPR's Mark Weisbrot…
(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). 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). 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".
(2019-05-25). 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). 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…
(2019-05-24). 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). 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). 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). 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.