(2018-09-05). Mauritania: Rape Survivors at Risk. hrw.org 
The criminalization of sexual relations outside marriage in Mauritania puts rape survivors at risk. The law deters them from filing complaints because they could themselves face prosecution. | (Nouakchott) — The criminalization of sexual relations outside marriage in Mauritania puts rape survivors at risk, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. The law deters them from filing complaints because they could themselves face prosecution. | The 90-page report, "'They Told Me to Keep Quiet': Obstacles to Justice and Remedy for Sexual Assault Survivors in Mauritania," found that when survivors do come forward, police and judicial investigators do not respect their rights and dignity. Human Rights Watch found that investigative procedures do not ensure privacy or confidentiality, rarely offer the possibility to interact with female officials, and can turn into an investigation of the rape survivor's moral character.
(2018-09-05). Where are they? Their loved ones deserve to know. amnesty.org …
(2018-09-04). China Offers African Nations $60 Billion in Development with 'No Strings Attached'. mintpressnews.com 
In response to accusations of encouraging "debt trap" diplomacy in Africa, Chinese President Xi Jinping said the announced aid package is not "a scheme to form an exclusive club or bloc against others. Rather it is about greater openness, sharing and mutual benefit."
(2018-09-04). Drones Are Revolutionizing Journalism, but Congress Could Curb This New Tool. aclu.org The bill in Congress would give the government enormous power to seize and destroy drones, including in ways that could hamper freedom of the press. | At a time when journalists face unprecedented attacks, Congress is now considering legislation that may make it even harder for them to do their jobs., , Earlier this year, Sens. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) and Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) introduced legislation that would grant the Departments of Homeland Security and Justice enormous power to intercept, surveil, se…
(2018-09-03). This week in history: September 3-9. wsws.org 25 years ago: US helicopter gunships murder hundreds in SomaliaOn September 9, 1993, two US Cobra helicopter gunships swooped down on a large crowd of Somali civilians protesting at a checkpoint in Mogadishu, the capital city, mowing down hundreds with gunfire from 20 millimeter cannons, whose rounds are powerful enough to destroy armored vehicles and soldiers in fortified bunkers.
(2018-09-01). Libya: Civilians Killed in Tripoli Clashes. hrw.org 
(Beirut) — Rival armed groups have killed at least 18 civilians, including four children, since clashes broke out in the southern suburbs of Tripoli on August 26, 2018, Human Rights Watch said today. Armed groups should urgently allow the hundreds of civilians trapped to leave and allow safe passage of humanitarian and medical aid and take all feasible precautions to avoid or minimize harm to civilians. | therealnews.com 
Canada's Federal Court of Appeals completely halted work on the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain Pipeline, scoring a major victory for environmentalists and Canada's First Nations. It is unlikely that the pipeline project, which would have increased tanker traffic seven-fold, will ever be built, say Eugene Kang and Clayton Thomas Muller
(2018-08-31). Four Days in Occupied Western Sahara—A Rare Look Inside Africa's Last Colony. democracynow.org 
In this exclusive broadcast, Democracy Now! breaks the media blockade and goes 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 occupation—in part because M…
(2018-08-31). Iran: Free People Jailed for Peaceful Protests. hrw.org 
(Beirut) — Iranian authorities should drop all charges brought against protesters for peaceful assembly and release those detained on that basis, Human Rights Watch said today. Since August 2, 2018, authorities have detained more than 50 people during protests in Tehran. | hrw.org 
The Hofburg in Vienna, home to the OSCE's main regular decision-making body, the Permanent Council. | © OSCE | Fifteen governments in Europe and North America have taken a rare but important step to (2018-08-30). From the Grassroots to the Ballot Box: How Gubernatorial Candidate Andrew Gillum Won in Florida. democracynow.org 
After progressive candidate Andrew Gillum pulled off a stunning upset in Florida's Democratic primary for governor Tuesday, putting him on a path to become the state's first African-American governor, he was attacked within hours by his Republican opponent—handpicked by Trump—who warned voters not to "monkey this up" by supporting Gillum. Even Fox said they they don't condone his comments. We speak with two activists who've worked with Gillum: Phillip Agnew with Dream Defenders in Florida and Charlene Carruthers, head of Black Youth Project 100 and author of the new book "Unapologetic: A Black, Queer,…
(2018-08-30). Sudán: Ciberactivista recluido en régimen de incomunicación durante más de un mes. amnesty.org El periodista y ciberactivista Ahmed al Dai Bushara Joudah fue detenido arbitrariamente el 16 de julio en la ciudad sudanesa de Omdurman por agentes del Servicio de Inteligencia y Seguridad Nacional (NISS). En la actualidad está recluido sin cargos en el centro de detención del NISS de Jartum Norte. Le han negado acceso a asistencia letrada y a sus familiares. Corre peligro de sufrir tortura y otros malos tratos en detención.
(2018-08-30). Eswatini: Forced evictions expose flawed land laws as hundreds face homelessness. amnesty.org The Eswatini government must halt forced evictions which have left hundreds of people homeless and pushed them deeper into poverty, Amnesty International said in a new report today. | | They don't see us as people: security of tenure and forced evictions in Eswatini details forced evictions in two areas of the country that resulted in more than 200 people, most of them subsistence farmers, being made homeless and without access to land where they could continue farming. | Although the evictions involved a long legal process, they were carried out in the absence of adequate notice, genuine consultation and without adequate compensation, in…
(2018-08-29). Headlines for August 29, 2018. democracynow.org Puerto Rico Increases Hurricane Death Toll to 2,975, Andrew Gillum, a Black Progressive Backed by Bernie Sanders, Wins Florida Gubernatorial Primary, Trump-Backed Martha McSally Wins Arizona GOP Senate Primary, Trump Warns of "Violence" If Democrats Win Control of Congress, Texas Police Officer Convicted for Killing 15-Year-Old African-American Student, Teachers in Washington State Begin Strike, U.N. Secretary-General: Report on Genocide Targeting Rohingya Needs Serious Consideration, India Carries Out Raids Arresting Critics of Modi Government, France's Environment Minister Resigns On-Air over Climate Change, De…
(2018-08-24). Headlines for August 24, 2018. democracynow.org Yemen: 31 Reportedly Killed in U.S.-Backed Airstrikes, Including 22 Children, National Enquirer Executives Had Safe Containing Dirt on Trump, New York City Prosecutor Opens Criminal Probe into Trump Organization, GOP Senators Give Trump Green Light to Fire AG Jeff Sessions, Rep. Duncan Hunter and His Wife Plead Not Guilty to Looting Campaign Funds, Prison Strike Against "Modern-Day Slavery" Spreads Nationwide, NSA Whistleblower Reality Winner Sentenced to 63 Months in Prison, Hawaii: Flooding and Landslides Reported as Hurricane Lane Strikes, South Africa Rejects Trump Claim of "Large Scale Killing" of Farmers, A…
(2018-08-23). NC's Sole Black Woman Historical Commissioner: Confederate Statues Don't Belong at State Capitol. democracynow.org 
Just two days after protesters tore down the "Silent Sam" Confederate statue at the state's flagship school, the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, the state's Historical Commission voted 9 to 2 to keep Confederate monuments on the grounds of the state Capitol. We speak with the African-American woman who dissented in the vote to keep the three Confederate monuments in place at the state Capitol. She also voted against adding historical context to the monuments. Valerie Johnson is one of only two black members of the North Carolina Historical Commission and the only black woman. She is a professor of wome…
(2018-08-17). In DeVos's Home State, Students Push for their Right to Literacy. progressive.org Literacy has been, and continues to be, a critical component of African-American liberation.