State lawmakers in South Carolina, Nebraska, and North Carolina are pushing forward with abortion restrictions despite vocal opposition from Democrats and reproductive rights advocates. South Carolina's state House began debating a bill that would ban most abortions after six weeks, while Nebraska's legislature took up a package of bills that would restrict gender-affirming care and prohibit abortions beyond 12 weeks. In North Carolina, the Republican-controlled state Senate overrode Democratic Governor Roy Cooper's veto of a bill banning most abortions after 12 weeks, and the state House was expected to follow suit. These legislative maneuvers come in the wake of the Supreme Court's June decision to revoke federal abortion rights, which has led to an increase in GOP-led state legislatures passing near-total abortion bans.
The register of damages created by a summit of the Council of Europe will record Russia's "harm and destruction" in Ukraine, with the aim of using it for future compensation. The register will hold the tangible costs Russia has demanded from Ukraine over the last 15 months. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky used a video address to the summit to call for more air defence systems and missiles, as the register was launched in The Hague. Zelensky received defence pledges from France, Germany and Britain but is unable to equip Ukraine with advanced fighter aircraft.
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has called for reform of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) to prevent future illegal migrant deportations being blocked “arbitrarily” in last-minute injunctions. Sunak met Siofra O’Leary, the court’s president, in Reykjavik to appeal for alterations to the court’s rules to prevent a repeat of the “opaque” rule 39 procedures, which in June 2020 saw a judge block the first deportation flight to Rwanda by the UK government at the eleventh hour. Sunak said that the UK had a record of “leading and being at the heart of these conversations” on ECHR change.
A Group of Seven summit is expected to face significant tensions on the issue of nuclear disarmament. Many atomic bomb survivors in Hiroshima fear that the summit may be the last time that world leaders will call for disarmament. For those in the West, Russia's invasion of Ukraine has reminded them of the important role played by nuclear deterrence. The summit is also expected to discuss ways of curbing nuclear programmes in Iran and North Korea. Barack Obama, the last US President to visit Hiroshima, chose the city as an opportunity to express his hope for a world without nuclear weapons.
Thailand's pro-democracy opposition has won a tight election, likely shutting the door on military rule under incumbent Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha. With tallies of all votes cast counted, state television said the main opposition Pheu Thai party won the popular vote with 8.4 million votes, while the pro-army Palang Pracha Rath won 7.9 million votes. The results of the poll for the 500-seat parliament were expected to be a close call meaning weeks of negotiation and uncertainty of the formation of a workable coalition government are expected. The prime minister oversees a sharp decline in exports and rising public debt. The army had ruled the Southeast Asian country since 2014, when they ousted the civilian government.
According to Amnesty International, executions across the world rose to their highest number in five years in 2022 despite growing moves to ban the death penalty. The annual report recorded 883 executions globally, up from 579 in 2021. Including information from countries such as China, where high levels of secrecy make it difficult to determine numbers, could mean that thousands more people were executed globally. Such information means the true scale of executions across the world could be even higher. Approximately 90% of the documented executions were carried out in Egypt, Iran, and Saudi Arabia. The report found that non-lethal crimes such as drug offences were common in Saudi Arabia and Iran, which is in violation of international law. Executions in the Middle East and North Africa rose by 59% in 2022. In total four countries, Kazakhstan, Papua New Guinea, Sierra Leone and the Central African Republic, abolished the death penalty for all crimes, however. Also, public support for the death penalty decreased in certain countries.
The Council of Europe (CoE) has approved a “Register of Damage” to identify financial compensation owed for damage in Ukraine caused by Russian forces. Marija Pejcinovic Buric, Council head, called the register an “urgent, necessary, first step.” The US, Canada, and Japan, as well as over 40 countries, backed the register. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said it would be important in punishing “war crimes of Russian occupiers” while supporting potential future legal proceedings. The Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and the British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also pledged to provide a coalition giving Ukraine combat air capabilities.
Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has had his protective bail extended until 31 May, due to violent protests following his arrest on 9 May. Lawyer Faisal Chaudhry said the extension was requested by Khan’s prosecutor. Thousands of Khan supporters have burnt and attacked public and government buildings including the army headquarters in response to the arrest. The military has claimed his party is responsible for ordering the attacks, leading to the Pakistani government moving some of those involved to military courts, which have been accused of conducting summary trials. Khan has disowned those involved, demanding an independent inquiry.
Tunisia detains two students over satirical song criticizing police
Reuters
23-05-17 09:10
Tunisian police have arrested two students for posting a satirical song criticizing the police on social media. The students risk facing charges of insulting others through social networks and up to a year in prison if found guilty. The arrest has sparked concern among activists and bloggers that freedoms have become besieged in Tunisia. Tunisia was seen as a beacon of hope during the Arab Spring for its gains in freedom of speech and media after the 2011 revolution led to the departure of former President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. However, since seizing power in 2019, President Kais Saied has limited these freedoms and his opponents accuse him of suppressing critical voices and establishing one-man rule.
The 30,000 Afghan refugees who have fled their country after the Taliban seized power in August are struggling to find employment and housing in Canada. Many have neither the work history nor credit score that landlords demand, and are being asked for a 12-month deposit before being able to rent. While the Canadian government has pledged one year’s aid to new immigrants, the funds will end in June this year, increasing the urgency of the situation. Polycultural Immigrant and Community Services is among the organisations trying to support refugees with housing and job placement.
India is set to host a G20 meeting on tourism in Indian-administered Kashmir, in the first global event in the region since the Indian government removed its special status in 2019. The event has been organised to boost tourism in the region, promoting its picturesque Himalayan valley to G20 delegates. However, residents and experts have said the meeting is aimed at projecting a false image of normality and downplaying India’s “brutal and repressive denial of democratic and other rights of Kashmiri Muslims and minorities”. Much of the international community regards India as a key trade partner, meaning that few have spoken out on human rights violations in the region.
Hundreds killed as fighting worsens in Sudanese region of West Darfur
CNN
23-05-17 13:56
Hundreds of people have died and more than 150,000 have been displaced in the Sudanese region of West Darfur as fighting between rival military factions escalated and drew in local militia groups. The recent uptick of violence in the city of El-Geneina went on for three consecutive days of intense fighting. Attacks came to a halt but had left tens of thousands of people homeless and with no access to power and water. The fighting has also forced tens of thousands of people to flee across the border to Chad, the UN Refugee Agency said that 60,000 refugees have moved across since the conflict broke out.
Activist jailed for 7 years in Russia for "justifying terrorism"
Reuters
23-05-17 13:53
A Ukrainian-born activist, Mikhail Krieger, has been sentenced to seven years in prison by a Russian court. He was found guilty of "justifying terrorism" in social media posts made last year praising two men who attacked buildings of Russia's Federal Security Service. Prosecutors accused him of "inciting hatred" in statements on social media that President Vladimir Putin should be hanged. Krieger denied the charges and used the trial as an opportunity to speak out against the war in Ukraine. Russian rights groups have designated him a political prisoner.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who had been isolated by Arab states for a decade following the uprising against his rule in 2011, has returned to the Arab League at its summit in Saudi Arabia. Pro-Assad forces backed by Russia and Iran have regained control of most of the country. However, the return has met with opposition from some member states including Qatar and Kuwait, while it has been viewed sceptically by the US. Additionally, while Assad has been permitted to return, Arab states are pushing for action against Syria’s drugs trade and want to see the return of war refugees.
Khalaf al-Rumaithi, an Emirati-Turkish man who was sentenced to 15 years in jail in absentia by the UAE’s Federal Supreme Court has been extradited from Jordan to the UAE to have a retrial. According to rights groups, al-Rumaithi’s case, and that of his co-defendants, had previously drawn concern from rights groups and were convicted by what they called an “unfair” mass trial resulting in the conviction of 69 people including 94 critics of the UAE government. The UAE classifies the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization.
Thai police arrest 2nd teenager for defaming monarchy amid renewed debate over rigorous law
The Toronto Star
23-05-17 11:43
A 16-year-old girl in Thailand has been charged with defaming the monarchy for allegedly posting two messages on Facebook two years ago. She is believed to be the youngest person to face the charge, with 19 minors accused under the charge in the last eight months. Devotion to the monarchy is a pillar of Thai society, but the lese majeste law is heavily criticised. The two top opposition parties in Sunday’s general election both acknowledged the need for law reform. Conservative groups, which have ruled since a 2014 coup, are strong supporters of the legislation.
Vigilante justice in Haiti risks worsening the escalating levels of violence, according to a spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. Suspected Haitian gang members have been killed and lynched amid the latest vigilante justice wave, which has already led to the deaths of nearly 1,500 gang members since the beginning of the year. Schools and clinics have closed, while crops lie unharvested following the violence. Haiti’s de facto leader, Prime Minister Ariel Henry, has faced a crisis of legitimacy and UN observers have expressed concern over the ability of Haitian police to respond.
The US Supreme Court denied a request to block a Democratic-supported ban on assault-style rifles and large capacity magazines introduced in Illinois, dealing a blow to gun rights advocates. The National Association for Gun Rights and a firearms retailer had sought a temporary injunction to stop implementation of the state law, which was signed by a Democrat governor in January 2023. The move came after a mass shooting in Highland Park, a Chicago suburb, in 2022, which left seven people dead and injured dozens more.
A UN report says that Myanmar's military has spent $1bn on arms since staging a coup in February 2021 and called out China and Russia for supporting the junta's campaign to repress opposition. The report details the transfers of arms and other goods, including raw materials for Myanmar’s domestic arms production, to the military since the coup worth $406m from Russia and $267m from China, including from state-owned entities in both countries. State-owned entities in India also made a smaller volume of transfers, and companies in Singapore, India, and Thailand were also involved in transfers to the military.
US sues New Jersey county for depriving jailed inmates of civil rights
Reuters
23-05-17 14:53
The US government has filed a civil lawsuit against Cumberland County in New Jersey, accusing the county of failing to identify and provide care for inmates at risk of self-harm or suicide and thus depriving them of their civil rights. The lawsuit alleges that the county violated the US Constitution with regard to inmates at the Cumberland County Jail, and specifically accuses the county of inadequate screening of inmates who may be at risk due to opiate withdrawal or serious mental health conditions. County officials have not yet responded to the allegations.
