(2019-01-02). Young cultural workers take lead in celebrating 50 years of art and culture in the Philippine revolution. fightbacknews.org Utrecht, Netherlands – Hundreds of cultural workers, youth, human rights and political activists, artists, academics, Filipino and other migrant nationalities and representatives of political parties and formations from all over the world, jampacked the auditorium of center for art and culture in this central Dutch city, December 29, to celebrate "Fifty Years of Art and Culture in the Filipino People's Struggle for National and Social Liberation" and the anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) on December 26, 1968. | The celebration was organized by the National Democratic Fron…
(2019-01-02). Selected Articles: America's Wars, Coups and Sanctions in 2019. globalresearch.ca For seventeen years, Global Research, together with partner independent media organizations, has sought Truth in Media with a view to eventually "disarming" the corporate media's disinformation crusade. | In 2019, we call upon our readers to participate in an important endeavor….
(2019-01-02). The Broader U.S. Movement for Peace, Economic Justice, Civil Rights and the Environment. globalresearch.ca There will be important opportunities in the next few years to advance the movement for economic, racial and environmental justice as well as peace. This article will focus on three opportunities: the 2020 elections, the decline of US empire and …
(2019-01-02). Venezuela Lost Millions as Result of US-led Sanctions: Maduro. telesurenglish.net Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro pointed out that the international sanctions applied by the United States and its allies against his country have caused multi-million dollar losses in 2018 in an effort to suffocate the Venezuelan economy. | RELATED: | Venezuelan President Denounces Int'l Attacks to 'Steal Wealth' | "We have a fierce battle against international sanctions that have caused Venezuela to lose at least 20 billion dollars in 2018," said the Venezuelan leader. | Maduro…
(2019-01-02). The New Year Past and Future. Multiple Wars, Coups, Sanctions and Trade Disputes. globalresearch.ca Introduction | They year 2018 ended with bitter partisan conflicts over narrow issues. Over seventy percent of the federal budget was approved by both parties and another twenty-nine percent was delayed because of a conflict over 'border security' involving expenditures of …
(2019-01-02). Border Agents' Latest Tear Gassing Prompts Call for Investigation. truthdig.com In what human rights groups condemned as a " cruel and inhumane" act that must be independently investigated, agents with President Donald Trump's Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on Tuesday reportedly hit women, children, and journalists near the U.S.-Mexico border with tear gas, smoke, and pepper spray. | According to an Associated Press photographer present a…
(2019-01-02). Austria: First Same-Sex Couple Weds Following Court Deadline. telesurenglish.net Following years of legal battles by Austrian LGBT rights groups, in the predominantly Catholic nation, two women have become the first same-sex couple to wed. | RELATED: | Brazil: 38 Couples Married Collectively by Fear of Bolsonaro | On Tuesday, the pair – Nicole Kopaunik and Daniela Paier – tied the knot in the southern region of the country in a…
(2019-01-02). Netflix Removed Clip That Criticized Saudi Arabia's Human Rights Record. commondreams.org The November episode of "Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj" addressed the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. (Photo: YouTube screen grab) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files……
(2019-01-02). US wants access to American held in Russia on spying charges. aljazeera.com US Secretary of State Pompeo says if Paul Whelan's 'detention is not appropriate, we will demand his immediate return'.
(2019-01-02). 'Cruel and Inhumane': Trump Border Patrol Hits Women, Children, and Journalists in Mexico With Tear Gas. commondreams.org In what human rights groups denounced as a "cruel and inhumane" act that must be fully and independently investigated, agents with President Donald Trump's Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on Tuesday reportedly hit women, children, and journalists on the Mexican side of the border with tear gas, smoke, and pepper spray. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files……
(2019-01-02). US Border Patrol Hits Women, Children, and Journalists in Mexico With Tear Gas. theantimedia.com 
(CD) — In what human rights groups condemned as a "cruel and inhumane" act that must be independently investigated, agents with President Donald Trump's Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on Tuesday reportedly hit women, children, and journalists near the U.S.-Mexico border with tear gas, smoke, and pepper spray. According to an Associated Press photographer present at the scene, CBP agents fired …
(2019-01-02). US Border Patrol Unleashes Tear Gas Against Children in Mexico. truthout.org In what human rights groups condemned as a " cruel and inhumane" act that must be independently investigated, agents with President Donald Trump's Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on Tuesday reportedly hit women, children, and journalists near the U.S.-Mexico border with tear gas, smoke, and pepper spray. | According to an Associated Press photographer presen…
(2019-01-02). In 2019, Women's Rights Are Still Not Explicitly Recognized in US Constitution. truthout.org Over nine decades, efforts to amend the U.S. Constitution to recognize women's rights have faced major challenges. | Congress finally passed such legislation, known as the Equal Rights Amendment, in 1972. The amendment would recognize women's equal rights to men under the law. | Despite concerted campaigns by women's rights groups, it fell short of the 38 states that needed to ratify it in order for it to become part of the Constitution. The original deadline for states to ratify was 1979. Congress extended the deadline to 1982, b…
(2019-01-01). The Judge Tucker Court of Appeal's Decision Opens the Door to Mumia Abu-Jamal's Freedom. globalresearch.ca Dear Comrades and Friends Across the Globe: | On December 27, 2018, in a historic action, Court of Common Pleas Judge Leon Tucker granted Mumia's petition for new appeal rights, over the opposition of "progressive DA" Larry Krasner. | This is the …
(2019-01-01). Four Days in Occupied Western Sahara—A Rare Look Inside Africa's Last Colony. democracynow.org 
In this special rebroadcast of a Democracy Now! exclusive documentary, we break the media blockade and go to occupied Western Sahara in the northwest of Africa to document the decades-long Sahrawi struggle for freedom and Morocco's violent crackdown. Morocco has occupied the territory since 1975 in defiance of the United Nations and the international community. Thousands have been tortured, imprisoned, killed and disappeared while resisting the Moroccan occupation. A 1,700-mile wall divides Sahrawis who remain under occupation from those who fled into exile. The international media has largely ignored the occupat…
(2019-01-01). Netflix Bows to Saudi Pressure, Removes Episode on Khashoggi. telesurenglish.net Human rights' advocates Human Rights Watch has hit back at Netflix for removing an episode of the satirical show Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj from its Saudi catalogue, citing "an undermining of the streaming service's claim to support artistic freedom." | RELATED: | Turkish TV Airs Video Purporting Transfer of Khashoggi Remains | Netflix removed the program after the Saudi Kingdom took offense to a segment in the show that criticized Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's alleged in…
(2019-01-01). As UNESCO Says Its Only Wish for 2019 is World Peace, US and Israel Officially Ditch UN Body. commondreams.org Critics on Tuesday said the joint decision by the U.S. and Israel to leave the United Nations' organization dedicated to promoting peace and education speaks volumes about the two countries' current worldview, as they continue to defend ongoing attacks on the rights of Palestinians. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files……
(2019-01-01). Prosecutors Mull 'Assault' Charges After Videos Show Children Being Dragged and Hit at Arizona Immigration Detention Center. commondreams.org Maricopa County prosecutors in Arizona are considering potential criminal charges after viewing footage of children being dragged, hit, and shoved by staff members at a detention center near Phoenix, after the videos, first published by the Arizona Republic, provoked outrage. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files……
(2019-01-01). 'You Are Courting a Fascist': Pompeo Gives Inauguration US Blessing as Brazilians Brace for 'Repugnant' Bolsonaro. commondreams.org While progressives, women's rights advocates, journalists, and the LGBTQ community were among the many mourning Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro's inauguration on Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo angered critics Tuesday with a celebratory tweet congratulating the proud misogynist, who has defended Brazil's former military dictatorship. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files……
(2019-01-01). Human Rights Abuses: Israel Most Condemned Country At UN In 2018. iranian.com Israel was the most condemned country at the UN in 2018 with the General Assembly passing at least 20 resolutions against Tel Aviv for human rights abuses, illegal settlements on occupied Palestinian territory and its continued occupation of East Jerusalem says Anadolu Agency. At least six efforts passed at the end of November sought to draw attention to the […]
(2018-12-31). Not My Revolution. counterpunch.org "If I can't dance to it, it's not my revolution." — Emma Goldman The Women's March is not immune to the same forces that have confronted the political left in the U.S. for decades. The larger women's movement itself, that sprang from the antiwar movement and civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s, carried More
(2018-12-31). Prisoner for Free Speech: the Relentless Pursuit of Julian Assange. counterpunch.org CNN correspondent Jim Acosta returned to the White House on 17 November, a few days after a US judge had forced President Donald Trump to reverse the revocation of his press pass. Smiling before 50 or more photographers and cameramen, Acosta said triumphantly: 'This was a test and I think we passed the test. Journalists need to know that in this country their First Amendment rights of freedom of the press are sacred, they're protected in our constitution. Throughout all of this I was confident and I thought that … our rights would be protected as we continue to cover our government and hold our leaders accounta…
(2018-12-31). An Extraordinary Year for Civil Rights. naacp.org This was an extraordinary year for the NAACP. From building more political power in communities of color to fighting to protect the federal bench from those who have a record of purposefully harming our communities, we've had great successes—and it was your support that made it all happen. Here's a look at what we did […]
(2018-12-31). Worse than Obsolete: NATO Creates Enemies. counterpunch.org NATO's and the US military's desecration of corpses, attacks on wedding parties, mosques, hospitals and market places — along with the bombing of allied troops, torture of prisoners, and their notoriously unaccountable drone warfare — are a few of the alliance's more infamous outrages in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Yemen, and Somalia. More
(2018-12-31). A Disaster for Brazil: Noam Chomsky on Brazil's New Far-Right President Jair Bolsonaro. democracynow.org 
As Brazil's President-elect Jair Bolsonaro prepares to take office on Tuesday, we return to our conversation with world-renowned political dissident, linguist and author Noam Chomsky shortly after the election. Bolsonaro's impending presidency marks the most radical political shift Brazil since military rule ended more than 30 years ago. Bolsonaro is a former Army officer who has praised Brazil's former military dictatorship, spoken in favor of torture and threatened to destroy, imprison or banish his political opponents. Bolsonaro has also encouraged the police to kill suspected drug dealers, and once told a fem…
(2018-12-31). The Long Hand of U.S. Intervention: The Intercept's 2018 World Coverage. theintercept.com 
Many of the world's troubles are legacies of American intervention. In Iraq, there is the continuation of a war that began with the U.S. invasion in 2003. One of the casualties is an American citizen imprisoned in Iraq for more than a decade, a victim of torture, secret evidence, and witnesses who later recanted. Decades of U.S. meddling in Central America, and support for repressive dictatorships there, have undermined social fabrics; gangs are rampant, and if joining them is easy, getting out is not. In Yemen, where the Saudi-led war has been supported by the U.S. military, children are dying of starvation. | <...
(2018-12-31). Bahrain: Rights Defender's Conviction Upheld. hrw.org 
| | Bahraini human rights activist Nabeel Rajab arrives for his appeal hearing at court in Manama, February 11, 2015. | © 2015 Hamad I Mohammed/Reuters | (Beirut) — The Bahrain Court of Cassation, the country's court of last resort, on December 31, 2018 upheld a five-year sentence for Nabeel Rajab, a prominent human rights defender, Human Rights Watch said today. | The sentence arose from comments criticizing torture in a Bahrain prison and the Saudi-…
(2018-12-31). UAE: Rights Defender's Conviction Upheld. hrw.org 
| | Ahmed Mansoor speaks to Reuters in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, November 30, 2011. | © 2011 Reuters | The United Arab Emirates Federal Supreme Court, the country's court of last resort in state security cases, on December 31, 2018, upheld a 10-year sentence for Ahmed Mansoor, an award-winning human rights activist, Human Rights Watch said today. | In May, an Abu Dhabi court sentenced Mansoor to 10 years in prison for "defaming" the UAE on s…
(2018-12-31). UDHR: Setting Limits On Power Still Pending Since 1948. therealnews.com 
An attentive review of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights suggests that 70 years on we have not fully averted the kinds of mistakes that the drafters of the UDHR sought to prevent from ever being repeated
(2018-12-30). Canada's Barbaric Policies Toward Native Peoples (2/2). therealnews.com 
MP Niki Ashton tells Paul Jay that Canadian government policy in Indigenous communities must be premised on the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, including the principle of respect for free, prior, and informed consent in cases of land development
(2018-12-29). Exploitation, Marxism, and Labour Law (Part Two). mronline.org 
The first model is a radical critique of all forms of bourgeois right, including employment rights, which are considered to constitute an ideological reflection of the capitalist mode of production, and therefore an inseparable companion of exploitation. | Source
(2018-12-28). The Courts Consistently Brushed Back Trump's Assaults on Immigrants in 2018. aclu.org From family separation to the asylum ban, our independent judiciary stepped in to ensure that the president is not above the law. | This article was originally published in t he Los Angeles Times. | For immigrants, there's no way to sugarcoat 2018. The Trump administration enacted a series of draconian policies targeting noncitizens, and the one that will most define the year — and this administration — is the separation of thousands of children, some less than a year old, from their mothe…
(2018-12-28). How Israel's Conscription Law Assaults its Own Ultra-Orthodox Community. mintpressnews.com 
Not unlike the Palestinian people whose stance against Zionism is anchored in historical and moral rights, the Haredi community's heroic stance on military conscription is anchored in faith and principle that no power has been able to defeat.
(2018-12-28). What Can Humanity Learn From The Great Law Of Peace (2/2). therealnews.com 
Stuart Myiow, Wolf Clan Representative of the Mohawk Traditional Council, says Western 'democracies' wrongly prioritize individual rights over the rights of the collective
(2018-12-28). The Roots of Venezuela's Economic Crisis. therealnews.com 
As US sanctions against Venezuela take an ever-greater toll on the country and its people, it is important to understand how the sanctions work and the extent of the damage they have caused, say Steve Ellner and Greg Wilpert, in a joint analysis of the situation
(2018-12-27). Amber Heard: I Spoke Up Against Sexual Violence and Faced Our Culture's Wrath. aclu.org It's time to reform institutions that protect men accused of abuse. | This piece was originally published in The Washington Post. | I was exposed to abuse at a very young age. I knew certain things early on, without ever having to be told. I knew that men have the power — physically, socially and financially — and that a lot of institutions support that arrangement. I knew this long before…
(2018-12-27). The First Step Act Is a Small Step for Incarcerated Women. aclu.org While the law ends two gender-specific indignities of federal incarceration, it only begins to scratch the surface for incarcerated women. | The enactment of the First Step Act earlier this month will bring some much-needed change to our criminal justice system. But the First Step Act remains just that, a first step — particularly with respect to the impact that mass incarceration has had on cisgender women and trans people. | The legislation ends two gender-specific indignities…
(2018-12-27). Counterbalancing Disproportionate Power: The Message from Harris Gleckman. therealnews.com 
No major democratic country deals with domestic civil or criminal matters related to human rights based on a voluntary system, explains Harris Gleckman, in an op-ed on the disproportionate power wielded by transnational businesses in the current world system
(2018-12-26). Muslim Ban: Meet the Yemeni Americans Suing Trump in an Attempt to Reunite with Loved Ones. democracynow.org 
A group of Yemeni Americans have filed a new federal lawsuit over President Trump's Muslim ban. The suit alleges the State Department has revoked previously approved visas, preventing many Yemenis from reuniting with their families living in the United States. We speak to two of the plaintiffs and the Center for Constitutional Rights, which brought the lawsuit.
(2018-12-26). 8-Year-Old Guatemalan Boy Dies in Border Patrol Custody Days After High Court Rejects Asylum Ban. democracynow.org 
For the second time this month, a Guatemalan child has died in the custody of U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Eight-year-old Felipe Gómez Alonzo died in New Mexico on Christmas Eve, after being detained since December 18. This follows the death of a 7-year-old indigenous Guatemalan girl, Jakelin Caal Maquín, who died on December 8, two days after she and her father presented themselves at the border in a bid for asylum. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has rejected President Trump's asylum ban, which attempted to deny asylum to anyone entering the country from outside of a legal port of entry. Supreme Court Chief…
(2018-12-26). The Battle to Stop Family Separation. aclu.org How a Congolese mother and child set in motion an extraordinary battle that exposed government conduct unprecedented in its cruelty and carelessness. | This piece originally appeared at The New York Review of Books. | In March 2017, John Kelly, then Secretary of Homeland Security, said in an interview with CNN that the Trump administration was considering a national policy to separate parents f…
(2018-12-24). UN Members Thwart China's Bid to Gut Funds for Myanmar Probe. hrw.org 
| | Smoke is seen rising from Burma's Taung Pyo Let War village from across the border in Bangladesh. | | © 2017 Private | United Nations member countries thwarted an attempt by China to slash proposed funding for investigations into Myanmar's ethnic cleansing campaign against Rohingya Muslims. This ensures that a newly established UN body will have the necessary financing to gather and preserve criminal evidence for future trials. | After marathon negotiations — during which China called for cutting the propos…
(2018-12-23). Iraq/Kurdistan Region: Risk of Double Trials for ISIS Ties. hrw.org 
| | Cigarette burns cover the hands and arms of 18-year-old "Karim." Kurdish authorities held him for 13 months. He then returned home and was rearrested by authorities under Baghdad's control, who tortured and held him for months. | © 2018 San Saravan | (Beirut) — Sunni Arab boys who serve prison time in Iraq's Kurdistan region for Islamic State (also known as ISIS) connections risk rearrest after their release if they try to reunite with their families…
(2018-12-22). Bangladesh: Violent Campaign Targets Opposition. hrw.org 
| | Police rush Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) supporters at a protest on February 9, 2018, Dhaka, Bangladesh. | © 2018 Allison Joyce/Getty Images | (New York) — A repressive political environment in Bangladesh ahead of the December 30, 2018 national elections is undermining the credibility of the process, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. Bangladeshi authorities should impartially investigate allegations of election violence and ensure that…
(2018-12-21). States Are Cracking Down on the Movement for Palestinian Rights—but Cities Are Pushing Back. thenation.com States Are Cracking Down on the Movement for Palestinian Rights—but Cities Are Pushing Back…
(2018-12-21). 'We Should Expect Them to Keep Developing New Ways to Subvert Public Will' – CounterSpin interview with Paul Rosenberg on GOP power grabs. fair.org 
Janine Jackson interviewed Paul Rosenberg about Republican post-election power grabs for the December 14, 2018, episode of CounterSpin. This is a lightly edited transcript. | Media…
(2018-12-21). #SaveHakeem — Stop deportation of Bahraini refugee. greenleft.org.au 
Bahraini refugee Hakeem Al-Araibi has been held in detention in Thailand since November 27, facing the terrifying prospect of deportation to the country where he was tortured. | Al-Araibi fled to Australia in 2014 and was accepted as a refugee. In November, he travelled on UN travel documents to Thailand for a short holiday with his wife. When he arrived at Bangkok airport, Al-Araibi was arrested under an Interpoll "Red Notice" (an international arrest warrant) issued by the Bahrain government. | Interpol is not meant to issue red notices for refugees, so this red notice should never have been issued for Al-Araib…
(2018-12-21). US: Don't Return Asylum Seekers to Mexico. hrw.org 
| | The port of entry to Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. © 2017 Human Rights Watch | (Washington, DC) — The US Department of Homeland Security has announced a policy, effective immediately, that will return asylum seekers to Mexico while their claims are processed in the United States. This raises serious concerns about whether asylum-seeking adults and families will be obstructed in their ability to pursue their asylum claims…
(2018-12-20). 'Domestic Workers Don't Have Protections Against Discrimination and Harassment' – CounterSpin interview with Mariana Viturro on Domestic Workers Bill of Rights. fair.org 
Janine Jackson interviewed Mariana Viturro about the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights for the December 14, 2018, episode of CounterSpin. This is a lightly edited transcript. | Media…
(2018-12-20). Congress Just Took a Big Step Toward Ending the Shackling of Pregnant Prisoners. aclu.org Passing the First Step Act will be a step toward upholding the rights and protecting the health of pregnant prisoners. | Congress on Thursday passed the Senate version of the First Step Act, which is now headed for signature to President Trump. He is expected to sign it on Friday. | The First Step Act would, in addition to enacting other important criminal justice reforms, prohibit the shackling of p…