Australia urges Israel to provide evidence for allegations UNRWA staff were involved in 7 October attacks - Josh Butler (The Guardian, 2024)
UN ambassador says Australia also wants details of UNRWA reform before humanitarian funding is restored
Keywords: Australia news; Australian foreign policy; Australian politics; Israel-Gaza war; United Nations

Church of England told to invest billion pounds over slavery - DW (DW.com, 2024)
An advisory group has urged the Church of England to raise its fund for redressing slavery to ten times of its current worth. The church set up the fund after it admitted it had invested in the African slave trade.

France enshrines abortion rights in Constitution with historic vote - euronews (euronews, 2024)
France will change its Constitution after lawmakers voted in a joint session of parliament.

Millions of research papers at risk of disappearing from the Internet - Wild, Sarah (Nature, 2024)
An analysis of DOIs suggests that digital preservation is not keeping up with burgeoning scholarly knowledge.
Keywords: Information technology; Publishing; Scientific community

UK and US accused of obstructing inquiry into 1961 death of UN chief - Julian Borger (The Guardian, 2024)
Governments said to be ‘dragging their feet’ in handing over evidence relating to death of Dag Hammarskjöld
Keywords: Dag Hammarskjöld; UK news; US news; United Nations; World news

Spyware ruling a welcome step towards accountability for those targeted with NSO spyware - Amnesty International (Amnesty International, 2024)
A US district court has ordered Israeli spyware firm NSO Group to disclose documents and code related to its notorious Pegasus spyware, to WhatsApp.

Spyware ruling a welcome step towards accountability for those targeted with NSO spyware - Amnesty International (Amnesty International, 2024)
The Amnesty International Security Lab has documented the massive scale and breadth of the use of Pegasus against human rights defenders and journalists across the world. It is vital that targets of Pegasus find out who has purchased and deployed the spyware against them so that they can seek meaningful redress.

Leaked Communist Party document warns of 'hostile forces' - Head, Jonanthan (BBC, 2024)
A leaked internal document, known as Directive 24, issued by the Politburo of the Central Committee, flags a threat to national security brought on by Vietnam's growing international ties.

China’s New State Security Rules Spark Fears Among Foreign Businesses - Tom Nagorski (The Cipher Brief, 2024)
China’s top legislative body adopted amendments to the country’s Law on Guarding State Secrets to include a new category of “work secrets,” broadening the scope of data and information sharing that will be considered a national security risk.

Rome: Jesuit archives on the Holocaust to be digitalized - Rytel-Andrianik, Pawet (Vatican News, 2024)
The Archive of the House of the Superior General of the Society of Jesus signs an agreement with the US Holocaust Memorial Museum to digitize archival material related to the Holocaust.
Keywords: Holocaust; Transparency

Ten Years of Occupation by the Russian Federation: Human Rights in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the City of Sevastopol, Ukraine - The United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (UN News, 2024)
The report cites human rights and humanitarian law violations since Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014.

Human Rights Film Festival: Winners hone in on Russia and Gaza - Euronews (Euronews, 2023)
For the past 22 years, Geneva has hosted the Human Rights Film Festival (FIFDH) in March, in collaboration with the UN Human Rights Council

Fake news campaign targets protesting Indian farmers - Elise Gallé-Tessonneau (The Observers - France 24, 2024)
Farmers in India have been organising large protests since early February calling for changes that would help them protect their livelihoods. These protests, however, have been the target of an online disinformation campaign.

Concerns raised over UK Data Protection Bill's impact on EU's GDPR - Tar, Julia (www.euractiv.com, 2024)
A letter sent by member of European Parliament Paul Tang, seen by Euractiv, raises questions regarding the potential effects of the UK's Data Protection Bill on the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

China’s Hacker Network: What to Know - Moreno, J. Edward (The New York Times, 2024)
Documents leaked on a public website show that China is hiring private hackers to obtain sensitive information from foreign companies and governments.
Keywords: China; Classified Information and State Secrets; Content Type: Service; Cyberattacks and Hackers; Cyberwarfare and Defense; Espionage and Intelligence Services; GitHub Inc; International Relations; Ministry of State Security of the People's Republic of China; Surveillance of Citizens by Government

Empowering Humanitarian Response Through Crisis Informatics - Nethope (Nethope, 2024)
In the age of polycrisis, humanitarian organizations responding to emergencies must do so as quickly and efficiently as possible. Having the right information for targeting actions correctly, and making good decisions, is essential both for these organizations and those they serve.

“We Will Find You” - Sparks, Lily (Human Rights Watch, 2024)
The 46-page report, “‘We Will Find You’: A Global Look at How Governments Repress Nationals Abroad,” is a rights-centered analysis of how governments are targeting dissidents, activists, political opponents, and others living abroad. Human Rights Watch examined killings, removals, abductions and enforced disappearances, collective punishment of relatives, abuse of consular services, and digital attacks. The report also highlights governments’ targeting of women fleeing abuse, and government misuse of Interpol.

Some Museums Scrambled to Remove Native American Items From Display. These Museums Didn’t Need to. - Mary Hudetz; Logan Jaffe (ProPublica, 2024)
As major U.S. museums in recent weeks closed displays and exhibit halls containing Native American objects, the Museum of Us in San Diego hasn’t done the same. More than five years ago, its board of trustees adopted a policy on collections from Indigenous communities that addressed the concerns the new rules focus on.

A cache of leaked Chinese hacking documents just confirmed experts' warnings about how compromised the US could be - Tan, Kwan Wei Kevin (Business Insider, 2024)
A cache of over 570 Chinese hacking documents was posted to GitHub last week. Cybersecurity experts say the files look authentic. The documents mentioned at least 20 hacking targets, including countries like the UK and India. The leaks come after multiple warnings by officials on the scales of China's hacking operations.

October 7 evidence pieced together in Israel, one terabyte at a time - Agence France-Presse (AFP) (Zawya.com, 2024)
The "Edut 710" project is one of several dozen initiatives feeding a "massive" database set up by the National Library of Israel, said Raquel Ukeles

How a wave of disinformation is endangering Rohingya refugees in Indonesia - Chaigne, Thais (The Observers - France 24, 2024)
Dozens of photos and videos that have been either "doctored" or taken out of context so as to negatively portray Rohingya refugees have been circulating on Indonesian social media.

‘Little by little, the truth is being discovered’: the archive rescuing China’s forbidden films - Hawkins, Amy (The Guardian, 2024)
A golden era of Chinese cinema was brought to a halt by Xi Jinping’s regime, but now, thousands of miles away, a rich world of banned documentaries and dramas is being studied and celebrated
Keywords: China; Culture; Documentary films; Film

Taylor Swift, the pope, Putin: in the age of AI and deepfakes, who do you trust? - Hurst, Alexander (The Guardian, 2024)
Rumours and gossip changed the course of French history. Now they’re weapons for ‘newsfluencers’ and dictators in the 21st-century information wars.
Keywords: Artificial intelligence (AI); Deepfake; Europe; France; Media; Russia; Social media; Technology; World news

How a wave of disinformation is endangering Rohingya refugees in Indonesia - Thaïs Chaigne (The Observers - France 24, 2024)
Dozens of photos and videos that have been either "doctored" or taken out of context so as to negatively portray Rohingya refugees have been circulating on Indonesian social media.

10 million children displaced in 2023 - NGO - Euro News (euronews, 2024)
"When children lose their homes, they lose almost everything: their access to healthcare, education, food, and safety," a spokesperson for the organisation said.

Hong Kong: Governments Should Oppose Security Bill - Human Rights Watch (Human Rights Watch, 2024)
National governments should strongly oppose the Hong Kong government’s introduction of so-called national security legislation, which will further devastate human rights protections in Hong Kong, civil society groups said today in a joint statement.
Keywords: China

France and Algeria revisit painful past in battle to mend colonial wounds - RFI (RFI, 2024)
A commission of French and Algerian historians created to reconcile colonial difficulties has agreed proposals for the exchange of archives, remains and artifacts. It is hoped the 10-member body – set up in August 2022 by presidents Emmanuel Macron and Abdelmadjid Tebboune – will help the countries turn the page on a shared and painful past.

France and Algeria revisit painful past in battle to mend colonial wounds - RFI (RFI, 2024)
A commission of French and Algerian historians created to reconcile colonial difficulties has agreed proposals for the exchange of archives, remains and artifacts. It is hoped the 10-member body – set up in August 2022 by presidents Emmanuel Macron and Abdelmadjid Tebboune – will help the countries turn the page on a shared and painful past.

‘Dahomey’ Review: Mati Diop Literally Gives Looted African Artifacts a Voice in Strange, Sensitive Doc - Solomons, Adam (IndieWire, 2024)
The French-Senegalese director’s first film since 2019’s “Atlantics” mulls the meaning of ancient treasures in defining identities

EU: Landmark Digital Services Act must be robustly enforced to protect human rights - Amnesty International (Amnesty International, 2024)
Digital Services Act takes full effect in Europe

Israel occupation: ICJ goes to the heart of the “political deadlock” - janderson, Janet H (JusticeInfo.net, 2024)
2 decisive questions will be debated from Monday February 19 at the ICJ (the UN court). The answers could have a deep impact not only on the Israel/Palestine conflict, but also on the world legal order and a possible peace solution.
Keywords: Palestine (permanent observer to the UN)

‘A betrayal’: mother’s fight for justice as Indonesia elects Suharto era figure - Ratcliffe, Rebecca; Hariandja, Richaldo (The Guardian, 2024)
President-elect Prabowo Subianto has human rights abuses to answer for, says mother of student shot at 1998 protest
Keywords: Asia Pacific; Human rights; Indonesia; World news

From extradition risks to broader implications: Human rights expert breaks down Assange case - United Nations (United Nations News, 2024)
Ahead of Julian Assange’s upcoming court hearing in the UK, where extradition to the US is a possibility, a UN independent human rights expert has expressed concern about the potential for severe rights violations against the WikiLeaks founder. Alice Jill Edwards cautions that the repercussions of this case could significantly influence global journalism and freedom of speech. |

Google stops notifying publishers of ‘right to be forgotten’ removals from search results - Hern, Alex (The Guardian, 2024)
Move comes after Swedish court rules that informing webmasters about delisted content is breach of privacy
Keywords: Alphabet; Data protection; Europe; European Union; GDPR; Google; Sweden; Technology; World news

The Office of the Special Rapporteur condemns the violence against journalists in Honduras and calls on the State to protect and guarantee freedom of expression and freedom of the press. - Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), 2024)
The Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression (SRFOE) of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) condemns the murder of journalist Luis Alonso Teruel Vega, as well as the persistence of acts of violence against journalists and media outlets in Honduras and urges the State to protect and guarantee the right to freedom of expression and of the press, in accordance with Inter-American standards.

After Promising to Make Government Health Care Data More Accessible, the Biden Administration Now Wants to Clamp Down - Miller, T. Christian (ProPublica, 2024)
Researchers across the country fear a new proposal by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will increase fees and decrease access to data used to support major health care reforms.

Pandemic Journaling Project Archive Opens for Research - Murray, Mac (UConn Today, 2024)
Described as a form of 'archival activism', the Pandemic Journaling Project (PJP), comprising nearly 27,000 entries, provides a window into how the pandemic impacted individuals and communities around the world.

Two OpenAI book lawsuits partially dismissed by California court - Creamer, Ella (The Guardian, 2024)
Comedian Sarah Silverman and novelist Paul Tremblay alleged the artificial intelligence software unlawfully scraped their work to train ChatGPT
Keywords: Artificial intelligence (AI); Books; ChatGPT; Computing; Culture; OpenAI; Publishing; Sarah Silverman; Technology; US news; World news

'The Settlers' depicts genocide of Chile's Indigenous people - Dege, Stefan (dw.com, 2024)
Nearly 150 years after the genocide of the Selk'nam people of Tierra del Fuego in Patagonia, a new film recounts the horrors of the mass murders that went nearly unnoticed by the rest of the world.
Keywords: Genocide

Slovakia excludes NGOs from disinformation fight - Silenská, Natália (www.euractiv.com, 2024)
Robert Fico’s government is mulling the exclusion of NGOs in the government’s plans to fight disinformation, which plans to scrap the former “non-conceptual” action plan “with elements of politicisation”.

French security experts identify Moscow-based disinformation network - Willsher, Kim; O'Carroll, Lisa (The Guardian, 2024)
Network operating in western Europe is ‘paving way for new wave of online manipulation’ in crucial election year.
Keywords: Cyberwar; Europe; European Union; France; Internet; Russia; Technology; Ukraine; United Nations; World news

French security experts identify Moscow-based disinformation network - Willsher, Kim; O'Carroll, Lisa (The Guardian, 2024)
Network operating in western Europe is ‘paving way for new wave of online manipulation’ in crucial election year, French agency says
Keywords: Cyberwar; Europe; European Union; France; Internet; Russia; Technology; Ukraine; United Nations; World news

‘People are scared’: Sweden’s freedom of information laws lead to wave of deadly bombings - Bryant, Miranda (The Observer, 2024)
Online access to home addresses is a cherished right. But as gangs target rivals with ease, innocent victims are caught in the blasts
Keywords: Drugs trade; Europe; Freedom of information; Organised crime; Sweden; World news

Absence of Evidence: Israel’s Case Against UNRWA - Kampmark, Binoy (International Policy Digest, 2024)
Israel’s case against the UNRWA, the Palestinian aid agency, isn't exactly air tight. In fact, it looks incredibly thin and increasingly hollow.

Crime And Punishment In Communist Hungary - Chapple, Amos (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 2024)
Hundreds of images made by police photographers in Budapest in the early 1970s have been released by the Hungarian photo archive Fortepan. Fortepan is a highly popular photo archive that draws from crowdsourced comments to glean information that is then verified, meaning further details of the images are likely to come to light in the coming days and months.
Keywords: Features; Hungary; Photo Galleries

Robert Badinter, French minister who ended the guillotine, dies at 95 - RFI (RFI, 2024)
Robert Badinter, the former justice minister who played a key role in abolishing the death penalty in France in 1981, has died at the age of 95.

Japan court lets transgender man change official status without sterilisation in legal first - Associated Press (The Guardian, 2024)
Ruling comes months after supreme court ruled that requiring sterilisation before a change of gender in official records was unconstitutional
Keywords: Asia Pacific; Gender; Japan; Society; Transgender

EU Parliament supports automated data exchange for police cooperation, despite concerns - Clasen, Alina (www.euractiv.com, 2024)
The European Parliament adopted its position on the controversial Prüm II regulation, a Commission proposal for automated data exchange for police cooperation, despite concerns.

Ulez fines scandal: Italian police ‘illegally accessed’ thousands of EU drivers’ data - Tims, Anna (The Guardian, 2024)
Italy’s data protection body is investigating claims that police shared names and addresses with firm collecting penalties from drivers
Keywords: Brexit; Congestion charging; Data protection; Environment; Europe; European Union; Italy; London; Low emission zones; Motoring; Politics; Privacy; Road transport; TfL; Transport; Transport policy; UK news

EU agrees first law combatting violence against women - France 24 (France 24, 2024)
EU member countries and lawmakers reached an agreement on Tuesday on the bloc's first rules to tackle violence against women, the European Parliament and officials said.

A platform tries to map the reduction of artistic freedom in Brazil - Jornalismo, Nonada (Global Voices, 2024)
Art can cause strangeness, anger, sadness or joy; it all depends on who sees it. But although arousing emotion in the viewer is a characteristic of artistic endeavor, the themes of some exhibitions and works can lead to censorship and boycott. Brazil has been proof of that.

Amnesty International publishes an introduction to defending the rights of refugees and migrants in the digital age - Amnesty International (Amnesty International, 2024)
A migrant is confronted by mass surveillance at a border crossing and is reminded of his uncertain future. Activists work to resist these systems.

The Suriname book prohibition in a global context of free expression - Fausia S. Abdul (Global Voices, 2024)
Suriname's book ban on corruption exposure is more than a local issue; it's a global wake-up call for the defence of free speech and press freedom against authoritarianism.

The Price of Defiance in Russia - Lokshina, Tanya (Human Rights Watch, 2024)
Amid the Kremlin’s vicious drive to eliminate dissent, last week brought two disturbing new developments in the prosecution of Oleg Orlov, cochair of leading Russian human rights organization Memorial.

‘Stolen and disrespected’: museum inters 200-year-old remains of Black Philadelphians - Pilkington, Ed (The Guardian, 2024)
Bones had been used to provide disproven scientific justification for white supremacy before being housed in the Penn Museum
Keywords: Pennsylvania; Philadelphia; Race; US news

Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger Quit Regional Bloc - Allegrozzi, Ilaria (Human Rights Watch, 2024)
On January 28, the three military juntas in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger announced they would leave the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), a move that would limit opportunities for their citizens to seek justice for human rights violations.
Keywords: ECOWAS; Mali; Niger

Forbidden Stories continues work of imprisoned Azerbaijani journalists - Langlois, Roméo; Chabour, Karina (France 24, 2024)
In the run-up to the presidential election on February 7 2024, repression intensified in Azerbaijan, a former Soviet republic in the Caucasus bordering Iran and Armenia. Any opposition to President Ilham Aliev is suppressed. Human rights activists, journalists and political opponents suffer the regime's wrath on a daily basis.

Massaquoi affair: epilogue to a fiasco - Thierry Cruvellier (JusticeInfo.net, 2024)
The Court of Appeal in Turku, Finland, has confirmed the acquittal of Gibril Massaquoi, accused of war crimes in Liberia. This is the end of a fiasco in which the Finnish judges twice avoided a miscarriage of justice.
Keywords: Finland; Sierra Leone

What is Tor and how does it advance human rights? - Amnesty International (Amnesty International, 2024)
Our right to privacy and open information online is more at risk than ever before. Governments use spyware to target human rights defenders and block entire websites that talk about human rights. In fact, Amnesty’s websites are completely blocked to people living in countries like Russia, Iran and China.

Children held in B.C. Doukhobor camp in 1950s offered $10M compensation package - Canadian Press (CBC News, 2024)
Up to 200 children of members of the Sons of Freedom religious sect were forcibly taken by the province, with many held in a camp in the B.C. Interior in the 1950s.

Refugee files complaint to UN against Spain over 2014 border deaths - Kassam, Ashifa (The Guardian, 2024)
A 2014 incident where at least 15 people died attempting to enter Spanish territory led to three judicial investigations. However, the investigations were archived without hearing the testimony of survivors and affected families. A complaint to the UN Committee Against Torture has prompted a call for Spain to reopen the investigation.

Ottawa declassifies more details from Rodal report on Nazi war criminals in Canada - Osman, Laura (Prince George Citizen, 2024)
The federal government has released previously classified details from a report that outlines the extent to which Canada provided a safe haven to former Nazis during the Cold War.

Covid-19 Inquiry: Without Proper Records Management, We Would Know Nothing - sca (Scottish Council on Archives, 2024)
The live Scottish Covid-19 Inquiry and UK Covid-19 Inquiry were set up to examine Scotland’s and the UK’s responses to the Covid-19 pandemic and to learn lessons for the future

Ex-CIA software engineer sentenced to 40 years for giving secrets to WikiLeaks - The Guardian (The Guardian, 2024)
Joshua Schulte, who prosecutors said was responsible for agency’s largest data breach, also guilty of possessing child abuse images
Keywords: CIA; Espionage; US news

Sturgeon admits errors in handling of ‘incredibly stressful’ Covid crisis - Carrell, Severin; Brooks, Libby (The Guardian, 2024)
Former first minister of Scotland admits to inquiry that she failed to properly record key discussions
Keywords: Coronavirus; Covid inquiry; Health; Health policy; Nicola Sturgeon; Politics; Scotland; Scottish National party (SNP); Society; UK news

EU top court finds indiscriminate storing of convicts' data illegal - Tar, Julia (www.euractiv.com, 2024)
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled that law enforcement agencies cannot indiscriminately store biometric and genetic data on those who committed criminal offences until their death.

We must ‘rehumanise ourselves’: Palestinian artist Sliman Mansour - Hilden, Nick (Al Jazeera, 2022)
The prominent painter says that peace is possible when everyone is considered a human being and ‘has the same rights’.

Germany rejects new negotiations over Namibia genocide - Pelz, Daniel (DW, 2022)
Berlin insists on implementing a controversial deal that recognizes the colonial-era genocide in Namibia. The plan draws strong criticism from politicians and some descendants of the victims, who demanded fresh talks.

Germany rejects new negotiations over Namibia genocide - Pelz, Daniel (DW, 2022)
Berlin insists on implementing a controversial deal that recognizes the colonial-era genocide in Namibia. The plan draws strong criticism from politicians and some descendants of the victims, who demanded fresh talks.

Alexei Navalny, Russia's most vociferous Putin critic - BBC News (BBC News, 2011)
Russian anti-corruption campaigner Alexei Navalny was the main opposition threat to the Kremlin.

Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan gets 10 years in prison ahead of elections - Ahmed, Munir (Associated Press, 2024)
Former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, was accused of exposing state secrets by revealing a confidential document at a political rally. Khan was convicted and sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Keywords: 2024-01 January

Another Brick In The Great Kremlin Firewall: Mass Internet Outages Part Of 'Sovereign Internet' - Eckel, Mike (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 2024)
Broader and wider than previous outages, the disruptions in Russia's Internet were the latest indication that Russian digital regulators are moving forward to create a "sovereign Internet" to wall off Russia's cyberspace and to restrict the free flow of information.
Keywords: 2024-01 January; Features; Russia

UN top court rejects most of Ukraine’s ‘terror financing’ case against Russia - France 24 (France 24, 2024)
The United Nations’ top court on Wednesday mostly rejected Ukraine’s claims that Russia was financing “terrorism” in eastern Ukraine, saying only that Moscow had failed to investigate alleged breaches.
Keywords: 2024-01 January; Netherlands; Russia

New Transitional Justice Process Lacks Credibility - Human Rights Watch (Human Rights Watch, 2024)
The Sri Lankan government’s proposed law to create another body to investigate wartime abuses replicates previous failed efforts, ignores the needs of victims, and falls far short of meeting Sri Lanka’s international legal obligations.
Keywords: 2024-01 January

EU to review UNRWA funding, calls for staff probe after allegations - Jones, Mared Gywn (euronews, 2024)
The European Commission said on Monday it will "review" its support to UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, following allegations several of its staff members were involved in the October 7 attacks on Israel
Keywords: 2024-01 January; Palestine (permanent observer to the UN)

By opening up the archives, Canada can finally address its past with Nazi war criminals - McBride, Jared; Rudling, Per (Globe and Mail, 2024)
In Canada, attempts to access records containing information on potential war criminals have been stymied by privacy and national security restrictions. Given the poor record of dealing with Holocaust perpetrators, scholars are now calling for widespread disclosure and declassification of records—comparable with that of the United States—so that Canada can finally address this troubling aspect of its past.
Keywords: 2024-01 January

Gaza: World Court Orders Israel to Prevent Genocide - Human Rights Watch (Human Rights Watch, 2024)
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered provisional measures on January 26, 2024, in South Africa’s case alleging that Israel is violating the Genocide Convention.
Keywords: 2024-01 January; Netherlands

Gaza: World Court Orders Israel to Prevent Genocide - Human Rights Watch (Human Rights Watch, 2024)
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered provisional measures on January 26, 2024, in South Africa’s case alleging that Israel is violating the Genocide Convention.
Keywords: 2024-01 January; Netherlands

US immigration officials didn’t properly document hysterectomies – watchdog - Levine, Sam (The Guardian, 2024)
Officials didn’t document medical necessity in two cases. Based on that sample, the OIG said it could infer with 95% confidence that between 137 and 217 of 553 major surgical procedures were not properly approved in the timeframe it studied.
Keywords: 2024-01 January; Reproductive rights; US immigration; US news; Women's health

Louisiana’s ‘Cancer Alley’ - Human Rights Watch (Human Rights Watch, 2024)
The fossil fuel and petrochemical industry in the Louisiana area that has come to be known as “Cancer Alley” has devastated the health, lives, and environment of residents.
Keywords: 2024-01 January

Shocking images show why many Aussies are no longer celebrating Australia Day - Sutton, Candace (Daily Mail Online, 2024)
January 26 is 'Australia Day'. It marks the 1788 landing of the First Fleet and raising of the Union Flag of Great Britain on the southern shore of Sydney Harbour. It is also a day the day of remembrance of the start of the violent colonization of Australia. The item describes the shocking genocidal process that started on that day.
Keywords: 2024-01 January

‘Our god was locked in a US museum’: the heritage hunters bringing home Nepal’s lost treasures - Adhikari, Rojita (The Guardian, 2024)
Thousands of ancient artefacts have been taken out of the country. These Nepalese citizens are determined to get them back.
Keywords: 2024-01 January; Culture; Global development; Heritage; Nepal; South and central Asia; World news

A Virginia tribe says racism wiped their Native identity from historic records. Nearly a century later, they’re still fighting for recognition - Duster, Chandelis (CNN, 2024)
The Patawomeck Indian Tribe has been fighting to gain federal recognition from the US government for more than a decade. The tribe says the designation is critical to preserving its cultural traditions.
Keywords: 2024-01 January

Several Investigative Journalists Under Pressure in Ukraine - Denber, Rachel; Gorbunova, Yulia (Human Rights Watch, 2024)
On January 14, unknown assailants attempted to break into the Kyiv apartment of Ukrainian journalist Yurii Nikolov, co-founder and editor of anti-corruption media investigative project Nashi Groshi (Our Money).
Keywords: 2024-01 January

Grieving Louisiana father faces $18,000 bill to access state records of son’s case - Vargas, Ramon Antonio (The Guardian, 2024)
Lawsuit alleges that office of Jefferson parish district attorney is violating state public records laws by setting such a high price.
Keywords: 2024-01 January; Louisiana; US crime; US news

Foreign Office lawyers ‘unable to conclude if Israeli bombing was lawful’ - Wintour, Patrick (The Guardian, 2024)
The evidence shows a far more intensive investigation was under way inside the government about Israel’s compliance with international law than suggested by the foreign secretary.
Keywords: 2024-01 January; Arms trade; David Cameron; Foreign policy; Gaza; Human rights; Israel; Israel-Gaza war; Middle East and north Africa; Palestinian territories; Politics; UK news; World news

End Abuses Against Journalists - Human Rights Watch (Human Rights Watch, 2024)
No Justice for Suspicious Death; Detainee journalist Dieudonné Niyonsenga Denounces Torture in Court
Keywords: 2024-01 January

Google promised to delete location data on abortion clinic visits. It didn’t, study says - Bhuiyan, Johana (The Guardian, 2024)
Tech giant said it would delete entries for locations deemed ‘personal’ or sensitive, but 18 months later, it’s still retaining data in some cases.
Keywords: 2024-01 January; Abortion; Alphabet; Google; Health; Surveillance; Technology; Women

Spain to declassify secret documents in ‘Catalan Gate’ scandal - Heller, Fernando (www.euractiv.com, 2024)
The Spanish government agreed on Tuesday to release secret documents on the tapping of the mobile phone of Catalan President and leader of the separatist party ERC Pere Aragonés by agents of the state-run National Intelligence Centre (CNI) using the Israeli spying software Pegasus, a scandal known as “Catalan Gate”.
Keywords: 2024-01 January

Court rules Barita must comply with IC request for financial records of public officials - Jovan Johnson (The Jamaica Gleaner, 2024)
The Supreme Court has ruled that Barita Investments Limited must comply with an Integrity Commission (IC) request for financial information on 151 current and former public officials.
Keywords: 2024-01 January

Internet access a human right - The Jamacia Gleaner (The Jamaica Gleaner, 2024)
Minister with responsibility for Information, Robert Morgan, says the Government sees internet access as a human right that should be available to citizens wherever they reside.
Keywords: 2024-01 January

Gaddafi Son Wrongfully Held for 8 Years - Human Rights Watch (Human Rights Watch, 2024)
Lebanese authorities should immediately release Hannibal Gaddafi, a son of Libya’s former leader, who has been held in pre-trial detention on spurious charges since his arrest in December 2015.
Keywords: 2024-01 January

Canada led efforts to weaken original UN Indigenous rights declaration - Forester, Brett (CBC News, 2024)
The Canadian Liberal government led efforts to weaken the original draft United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, working secretly with Australia to develop a watered-down, state-friendly substitute in the early 2000s, newly released documents show.
Keywords: 2024-01 January

Canada led efforts to weaken original UN Indigenous rights declaration - Forester, Brett (CBC News, 2024)
The Canadian Liberal government led efforts to weaken the original draft United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, working secretly with Australia to develop a watered-down, state-friendly substitute in the early 2000s, newly released documents show.
Keywords: 2024-01 January

France Should Commit to an International Treaty on Autonomous Weapons - Fortin, Tony; Jeannerod, Bénédicte; Patrouillard, Manuel; Samouiller, Jean-Claude (Human Rights Watch/ Le Monde, 2024)
France initiated the first multilateral talks on autonomous weapons a decade ago at the CCW and has been one of the most active and engaged states on this concern, but it has the potential to do so much more.
Keywords: 2024-01 January

Human rights tribunal to be told Canada is still failing First Nations kids - Passafiume, Alessia; Canadian Press (CTV News, 2024)
The First Nations Family and Caring Society will argue before the Human Rights Tribunal Friday that Canada isn't living up to its promise of timely access to health care for Indigenous children. Jordan's Principle is a legal rule that ensures First Nations kids are able to access health care, social and educational supports when they need them, with questions about which jurisdiction pays for them to be worked out afterward.
Keywords: 2024-01 January

‘It could foster empathy’: Black archives look to preservation amid growing US history bans - Walker, Adria R. (The Guardian, 2024)
Matter-of-fact accounting of the legal mechanism of slavery provides insight into American history and the country’s fraught present. At a time when many schools across the country grapple with teaching truthful American history, the preservation of precious archival documents can provide a vital lens through which to understand the past and its implications for the present and future.
Keywords: 2024-01 January; Education; Harvard University; Race; Slavery; US news

Why sex workers and unmarried women worked for no pay at these commercial laundries - Abela, Donna; Kelsey-Sugg, Anna (ABC News, 2024)
In the 19th century, Australia was home to Magdalene "retreats", Catholic-run institutions to reform wayward women. For some, the path to penitence was a brutal one.
Keywords: 2024-01 January; St Magdalene Retreat; fallen women; laundry slaves; magdalene refuge; penitent; st magdalene laundry

Volunteers Race to Preserve Culturally Significant Records in Chinatown - Wu, Zhe (San Francisco Public Press, 2024)
A community-based volunteer group worked on digitising records related to community organisations in San Francisco’s Chinatown. The records include those of organisations such as the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association, which was at the forefront of filing civil rights lawsuits against the Chinese Exclusion Act and supporting newly arrived immigrants.
Keywords: 2024-01 January

Crackdown Amid Growing Information Vacuum - Human Rights Watch (Human Rights Watch, 2024)
Belarusian authorities carried out a widespread and systematic crackdown on dissent and on the spread of information about rights abuses during 2023.
Keywords: 2024-01 January

Lower House discusses draft amendments for Right to Access Information in Jordan - The Jordan Times (The Jordan Times, 2024)
The Joint Lower House Committee approved the 2023 amendments, incorporating modifications after discussions with experts and relevant bodies.
Keywords: 2024-01 January

World Court to hear Genocide Case Against Israel - Human Rights Watch (Human Rights Watch, 2024)
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) hearings on January 11 and 12, 2024, on genocide in Gaza will include the first formal response by Israel before an independent and impartial court, to allegations of atrocities against the Palestinian people since October 7, 2023.
Keywords: 2024-01 January; Gaza; Isreal

World Court to hear Genocide Case Against Israel - Human Rights Watch (Human Rights Watch, 2024)
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) hearings on January 11 and 12, 2024, on genocide in Gaza will include the first formal response by Israel before an independent and impartial court, to allegations of atrocities against the Palestinian people since October 7, 2023.
Keywords: 2024-01 January; Gaza; Israel

Zambia enacts new Access to Information law - New Zimbabwe.com (New Zimbabwe, 2024)
Zambia has become the latest country to enact an Access to Information law, signed the bill last month. Under the new law, every citizen can request unclassified information from the government on any issue of public interest.
Keywords: 2024-01 January; Access to Information law

How digital archives are preserving Palestinian history amid Israel’s bombardment of Gaza - Malvisi, Gabriele (Arab News, 2024)
Keen to preserve items and documents pertaining to the history of Palestine, a digital platform, Palestine Nexus, launched in 2020, has redoubled its efforts to gather and protect treasures drawn from archives across the Middle East.
Keywords: 2024-01 January

Labour to table vote calling for release of Rwanda deportation plan documents - Syal, Rajeev (The Guardian, 2024)
Party to ask for details of individual relocation costs and any payments to the Rwandan government.
Keywords: 2024-01 January; Africa; Conservatives; Immigration and asylum; Politics; Refugees; Rishi Sunak; Rwanda; UK news; World news; Yvette Cooper

Is Israel's treatment of Palestinians a form of apartheid? - Wilkinson, Tracy (Los Angeles Times, 2024)
In 1976, then-Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin said the then-nascent right-wing movement that pushed Jewish settlers into what was supposed to be Palestinian land was a “cancer” and an “acute danger” to Israel’s democracy. He warned that it would lead to apartheid, a specter raised in later years by his successors Ehud Barak and Ehud Olmert.
Keywords: 2024-01 January

Taonga archive of Māori history in photos acquired by national library - 1News Reporters (1 News, 2024)
The purchase of thousands of photos has come as a result of a new deal between the archive's foreign owner and the National Library of New Zealand. The historic archive includes important images of key figures in Māoridom and a significant section of images documenting political activation.
Keywords: 2024-01 January; Duncan Miller Gallery; Maori; New Zealand; United States of America

A Journey Through the Documents That Inspired ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ - Montoya, Stephen (Fort Worth Magazine, 2024)
Many of the documents written and received by the real-life people portrayed in Martin Scorsese’s latest film are housed in Cowtown.
Keywords: 2024-01 January; Murders; Osage; United States of America

United Arab Emirates acknowledges mass trial of prisoners previously reported during COP28 - Grambell, Jon; UPI (The Globe and Mail, 2024)
The United Arab Emirates acknowledged it is conducting a mass trial of 84 inmates previously reported by dissidents.
Keywords: 2024-01 January; Social Issues

Switzerland/Gambia: Jammeh-Era Crimes on Trial - Human Rights Watch (Human Rights Watch, 2024)
The opening of a Swiss trial for serious crimes committed in The Gambia on January 8, 2024 represents a significant advance for justice for the victims of grave abuses.
Keywords: 2024-01 January; Switzerland

Release of Virginia Laparra is a triumph against injustice - Amnesty International (Amnesty International, 2024)
Ana Piquer, Americas director at Amnesty International, said: “Virginia Laparra should never have spent a day in jail. It’s great news that she can be reunited with her loved ones after nearly two years as a prisoner of conscience. Her release is a first step towards ending the terrible human rights violations she has faced in retaliation for her outstanding work as an anti-corruption prosecutor.”
Keywords: 2024-01 January

Russian News Outlet Says Data Shows Putin Signed Record Number Of Secret Decrees In 2023 - Current Time (RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty, 2024)
Almost one-half of the presidential decrees signed by Russian leader Vladimir Putin last year were done in secret, a local media outlet said, more than any other year on record.
Keywords: 2024-01 January

Meet the retired women bringing Switzerland to court over climate inaction - Niranjan, Ajit (Mother Jones, 2024)
"Our generation has done so much to destroy the climate. We have a responsibility." The women are suing the Swiss government in Europe’s top court for violating their human rights with policies that do too little to stop the planet from baking
Keywords: 2024-01 January

For families of LGBTQ+ hate crime victims, our tragic loss was compounded by NSW police who turned away with a ‘sorry, mate’ - Steve Johnson (The Guardian, 2024)
Dozens of cases profiled by special commission are studies in police tactics to erase LGBTQ+ murders from the history books.
Keywords: 2024-01 January; Australia news; Australian police and policing; LGBTQ+ rights; New South Wales

Statement by ICC Prosecutor Karim A.A. Khan KC on conference addressing cyber-enabled crimes through the Rome Statute system - Khan KC, Karim A.A (International Criminal Court, 2024)
The Office of the Prosecutor hosts an innovative conference addressing cyber-enabled crimes through the Rome Statute system. Gathering more than 100 participants including from 12 cybersecurity and technology companies at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague
Keywords: 2024-01 January

Meta documents show 100,000 children sexually harassed daily on its platforms - McQue, Katie (The Guardian, 2024)
Employees fretted over company’s ‘negligible’ response to child grooming, according to internal documents made public in lawsuit.
Keywords: 2024-01 January; Children; Facebook; Instagram; Meta; Sexual harassment; Social networking; Technology; US news

The Office of the Prosecutor launches public principles to advance understanding of the crime of gender persecution - Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (International Criminal Court, 2024)
The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, announced a new initiative to advance accountability for the crime against humanity of persecution on the grounds of gender. This initiative will culminate in a comprehensive set of principles on gender persecution to provide guidance for increasing its prevention, and ensuring protection and participation of its survivors.
Keywords: 2024-01 January

Danger and dignity in some of the world’s vanishing trades – a photo essay - Farand, Chloé (The Guardian, 2024)
From Egypt to Bangladesh, photographer Lucien Migné has documented the work of marginalised groups whose livelihoods have remained largely untouched by the modernisation of work.
Keywords: 2024-01 January; Bangladesh; Egypt; Ethiopia; Global development; Photography; South and central Asia; World news

Drought Touches a Quarter of Humanity, U.N. Says, Disrupting Lives Globally - Sengupta, Somini (The New York Times, 2024)
The crisis, worsened partly by climate change, has been accompanied by soaring food prices and could have consequences for hunger, elections and migration worldwide.
Keywords: 2024-01 January; Agriculture and Farming; Drought; Food; Food Insecurity; Global Warming; Greenhouse Gas Emissions; Malnutrition; Poverty

Former 'Namgis Nation chief remembered as 'example of how we should carry ourselves in this world' - CBC News (CBC, 2024)
Chief Bill Cranmer was known for repatriating cultural objects, helping preserve 'Namgis culture, language. He died in his Alert Bay home on Wednesday at the age of 85.
Keywords: 'Namgis Nation; 2024-01 January; Canada; Repatriation

Hydroxychloroquine use in COVID pandemic may have led to 17,000 deaths - Duboust, Oceane (euronews, 2024)
The drug hydroxychloroquine was prescribed off-label during the pandemic and touted in particular by a prominent French researcher.
Keywords: 2024-01 January

Transatlantic slavery continued for years after 1867, historian finds - Alberge, Dalya (The Guardian, 2024)
Evidence found by Hannah Durkin includes ships landing in Cuba in 1872, and people held in Benin in 1873.
Keywords: 2024-01 January; Africa; Americas; Benin; Cuba; Europe; Nigeria; Slavery; Spain; US news; World news

Ending violence against women: can a UN protocol make a difference? - Langrand, Michelle (Geneva Solutions, 2024)
A record 89,000 women were intentionally killed in 2022, including more than 130 killed every day by a partner or relative. This is just one of the many forms of violence against women and girls that Costa Rica, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Antigua and Barbuda and Sierra Leone are hoping to tackle through a globally agreed framework.
Keywords: 2024-01 January

Beware the ‘botshit’: why generative AI is such a real and imminent threat to the way we live - Spicer, André (The Guardian, 2024)
With pivotal global elections approaching, experts warn of AI's capability to influence outcomes through the production of deceptive content, a phenomenon termed "botshit." There is an urgent need for measures to mitigate AI's negative effects on political discourse and the information landscape.
Keywords: 2024-01 January; Artificial intelligence (AI); Computing; Politics; Technology; UK news; US news; US politics; World news

Tony Blair urged 'radical' measures to cut asylum, archive papers reveal - Berg, Sanchia (BBC News, 2023)
Government records from 2003 released by the UK National Archives reveal the extent of "radical" measures discussed during the Blair premiership in order to prevent migrants from entering the UK.
Keywords: 2023-12 December

Read the letters from around the world calling on Mary Robinson to intervene in X Case - Riegel, Ralph (Irish Independent, 2023)
Released confidential records reveal the concern expressed by organisations and individuals about the human rights implications of a 1992 Irish High Court injunction against a 14-year-old rape victim seeking to travel overseas for an abortion.
Keywords: 2023-12 December; Abortion

Netherlands accused of spying on Jews after World War II - euronews (euronews, 2023)
The secret services reportedly monitored members of the Netherlands Auschwitz Committee and infiltrated its meetings.
Keywords: 2023-12 December

Poland’s Media Transparency Under Threat: State Archives Allegedly Destroyed - Zylm, Wojciech (BNN Breaking, 2023)
The archives of public broadcasters, TVP (Telewizja Polska) and Polish Radio, have been allegedly destroyed according to the National Broadcasting Council of Poland (KRRiT).
Keywords: 2023-12 December

Good morning, Mogadishu! Preserving Somalia’s cultural history, one tape at a time - UN News (UN News, 2023)
Historic audio recordings covering the recent history of Somalia are being preserved for future generations thanks to UN support.
Keywords: 2023-12 December

Archives From Oslo Era Reveal the US Press Wasn’t Always in Lockstep on Israel - Falcone, Daniel (Truthout, 2023)
A Truthout analysis of the archival material uncovers how mainstream papers portrayed the asymmetries of the accords.
Keywords: 2023-12 December

The shocking state of US LGBTQ rights in 2023 - Hansford, Amelia (Pink News, 2023)
State legislators in the US have spawned so many anti-LGBTQ+ bills in the past 12 months that it’s easy to lose track. The independently researched trans legislation tracker puts the number at 589, across 49 states. By comparison, a conservative estimate of the number of bills filed against the LGBTQ+ community in 2022 is 174, meaning the count has increased by more than 230 per cent this year.
Keywords: 2023-12 December

Rite Aid facial recognition misidentified Black, Latino and Asian people as ‘likely’ shoplifters - Bhuiyan, Johana (The Guardian, 2023)
Surveillance systems incorrectly and without customer consent marked shoppers as ‘persons of interest’, a Federal Trade Commission settlement says
Keywords: 2023-12 December; Artificial intelligence (AI); Facial recognition; Race; Technology; US news

Surveillance technology is advancing at pace – with what consequences? - Boffey, Daniel (The Guardian, 2023)
Plans for facial recognition searches across UK driving licence records could threaten idea of policing by consent.
Keywords: 2023-12 December; Police; Surveillance; UK news

No Right to Medical Care, Compensation for Injuries or Time Off: How Immigrant Dairy Workers Go From Vital to Disposable - Jameel, Maryam; Sanchez, Melissa (ProPublica, 2023)
Immigrant workers are essential to Wisconsin’s dairy industry. But when they get injured, they’re often cast aside.
Keywords: 2023-12 December

Troubles legacy act: Ireland takes human rights case against UK - O'Neill, Julian (BBC News, 2023)
The Irish government is to begin a legal challenge against the UK government over its decision to offer immunity for Troubles-era crimes. The UK's controversial Troubles legacy act became law in September, despite opposition from Dublin and all Northern Ireland's main political parties. Critics argued the law gave an amnesty and removed access to justice.
Keywords: 2023-12 December

Troubles legacy act: Ireland takes human rights case against UK - O'Neill, Julian (BBC News, 2023)
The Irish government is to begin a legal challenge against the UK government over its decision to offer immunity for Troubles-era crimes despite opposition from Dublin and all Northern Ireland's main political parties. Critics argued the law gave an amnesty and removed access to justice.
Keywords: 2023-12 December

Yellowhead Institute to end reports on TRC calls to action - Passafiume, Alessia; Canadian Press (Vancouver Sun, 2023)
The 2023 report by the Yellowhead Institute found that no calls to action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission were completed this year. It says that if Canada continues at this pace, it will not finish the work until 2081
Keywords: 2023-12 December; Reconciliation; Yellowhead Institute

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signs controversial legislation to create slavery reparations commission - Duddridge, Natalie (CBS New York, 2023)
The new law authorizes the creation of a community commission that will study the history of slavery in New York state and what reparations could look like.
Keywords: 2023-12 December

We know who created Syria’s torture programme and how | Opinions - Jelacic, Nerma (Al Jazeera, 2023)
After 12 years of civil war, hundreds of thousands of people killed and tens of thousands missing, a glimmer of hope for the Syrian people came from the world’s top court. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that the Syrian state must prevent torture of detainees and refrain from destroying evidence of these unlawful acts.
Keywords: 2023-12 December

Binder of classified material on Russia reportedly went missing in final Trump days - Pengelly, Martin (The Guardian, 2023)
Reported disappearance of 2,700 pages of classified material caused alarm in US intelligence circles.
Keywords: 2023-12 December; Donald Trump; Europe; Robert Mueller; Russia; US foreign policy; US news; US politics; World news

Videos of stripped detainees in Gaza: A practice condemned under international law? - Gallo, Nathan (The Observers - France 24, 2023)
Israeli authorities say they undressed the detainees as a security measure, but that photos of them in their underwear "serve nobody". The images have sparked debate on the legality of the IDF's arrest procedures. Human Rights Watch told FRANCE 24 that sharing humiliating images of prisoners can amount to a war crime
Keywords: 2023-12 December

Senate Passes $886 Billion Military Bill That Extends Mass Spying Authorization - Johnson, Jake (Truthout, 2023)
In an overwhelming bipartisan vote, the U.S. Senate passed a military policy bill that includes an extension of surveillance authority that the government has used — and heavily abused — to access the communications of activists, journalists, lawmakers, and others without a warrant.
Keywords: 2023-12 December

How Israeli settler violence is forcing Palestinians to flee their homes – video - McKernan, Bethan; Evangelou, Kyri; Doran, Temujin (The Guardian, 2023)
After weeks of intense settler violence in the aftermath of the Hamas attack on Israel on 7 October, and despite the decades-long fight to remain in their homes, these communities are now being forced off their land.
Keywords: 2023-12 December; Gaza; Israel; Israel-Gaza war; Middle East and north Africa; Palestinian territories

Embassies allegedly fail to investigate abuse of women migrant workers, incl. in care & garment sectors, showing need for greater protection of women migrants - Business & Human Rights Resource Centre (Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, 2023)
In recent years, a number of stories have been reported in the media about the awful sufferings and exploitation of Bangladeshi women migrant workers in some Middle East countries. Many of the victims returned home empty-handed, tortured or even dead, which posed questions about the protection of women migrant workers in those countries.
Keywords: 2023-12 December

The World remembers the Nanjing Massacre on anniversary as new evidence continues to surface - Media OutReach Newswire (Zawya, 2023)
An American pawnshop owner donated an album containing photos of atrocities committed by the Japanese Army in World War II in China, updating the complete electronic archive of the album.
Keywords: 2023-12 December

The Remorse That Follows Wartime Actions Against Civilians - Shore, Zachary (TIME, 2023)
The U.S. learned this lesson during World War II—and it should guide those countries at war in 2023.
Keywords: 2023-12 December; Japanese American Internment

Suspended sentences in Japan army sexual assault case - Agence France-Presse; Charles, Frédéric (RFI, 2023)
Three Japanese ex-soldiers were found guilty Tuesday but given only suspended jail sentences for sexually assaulting a female colleague who won praise but also online hate for going public with her accusations.
Keywords: 2023-12 December

Zimbabwe: Acquittal of imprisoned opposition leader shows growing cases of misuse of justice system to target critical voices - Amnesty International (Amnesty International, 2023)
Responding to yesterday’s High Court acquittal of opposition leader, Jacob Ngarivhume, who was sentenced in April to 48 months imprisonment for leading protests against government corruption, Khanyo Farisè, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for Southern Africa, said: “His imprisonment is a travesty, and an affront to Zimbabwe’s constitution and the country’s international human rights obligations. No […]
Keywords: 2023-12 December

Haxhi Shala arrested on charges of witness intimidation and transferred to the KSC Detention Facilities in The Hague – Initial Appearance scheduled for 13 December 2023 - Kosovo Specialist Chambers (Kosovo Specialist Chambers & Specialist Prosecutor's Office, 2023)
Haxhi Shala was arrested yesterday, 11 December 2023, in Kosovo by the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office, pursuant to an arrest warrant, transfer order and a confirmed indictment issued by a Pre-trial Judge of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers.
Keywords: 2023-12 December; Kosovo

Tyla’s racial identity: South African singer sparks culture war - Nesta Kupemba, Danai (BBC News, 2023)
The term "coloured" is a slur in the US, but for millions of South Africans it is part of their identity. Apartheid was a political system with a racial hierarchy and the Population Registration Act of 1950 required people to be registered into one of four racial categories - white, black, Indian or coloured.
Keywords: 2023-12 December; Apartheid

Why Ukrainian archives must be protected - Reymann-Schneider, Kristina (dw.com, 2023)
Many archives have been destroyed in Ukraine since the Russian invasion. Is Vladimir Putin trying to erase Ukraine's cultural memory?
Keywords: 2023-12 December

It's one of the biggest experiments in fighting global poverty. Now the results are in - Aizenman, Nurith (NPR, 2023)
The study focuses on a universal basic income and spans 12 years and thousands of people in Kenya. How did the money change lives? What's better: monthly payouts or a lump sum.
Keywords: 2023-12 December

United States-born Pinochet hitman's "confessions" declassified - Contreras, Russell (Axios, 2023)
Recently declassified notes reveal for the first time the entire scope of the role an agent in Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet's secret police played in multiple assassinations and in a fatal 1976 Washington car bombing that shocked Americans.
Keywords: 2023-12 December

Peru braces for protests after former President Fujimori's release from prison - Tegel, Simeon (NPR, 2023)
The release from prison of the former authoritarian leader has triggered uproar in the Andean country. He had been serving a 25-year sentence for directing death squads against supposed subversives.
Keywords: 2023-12 December

Burundi: Amend gender-based violence law - Amnesty International (Amnesty International, 2023)
Burundi’s 2016 law against gender-based violence was a milestone achievement, bringing improved protection. However, it falls short of regional and international best practice, and in some instances undermines rather reinforces the fight against gender-based violence. This briefing proposes how to strengthen protections, including through revisions of the law.
Keywords: 2023-12 December

Security forces used rape and other sexual violence to crush “Woman Life Freedom" uprising with impunity - Amnesty International (Amnesty International, 2023)
A report demonstrates that security forces in Iran used rape and other forms of sexual violence, amounting to torture and other ill-treatment, to intimidate and punish peaceful protesters during the 2022 “Woman Life Freedom” uprising.
Keywords: 2023-12 December

Barbados PM says country owed $4.9tn as she makes fresh call for reparations - Gentleman, Amelia (The Guardian, 2023)
Mia Mottley, Barbados PM, said during a visit in the UK that Barbados was owed $4.9tn (£3.9tn) by slave-owning nations, noting that conversations over how this debt should be repaid would “be difficult and will take time”
Keywords: 2023-12 December; Americas; Barbados; King Charles III; Mia Mottley; Monarchy; Slavery; UK news

Tribes in Maine Spent Decades Fighting to Rebury Ancestral Remains. Harvard Resisted Them at Nearly Every Turn. - Hudetz, Mary; Ngu, Nash (ProPublica, 2023)
The university’s Peabody Museum exploited loopholes to prevent repatriation to the Wabanaki people while still staying in compliance with NAGPRA. The tribes didn’t give up.
Keywords: 2023-12 December

'The category of domestic animals': Aboriginal people named Hitler, Stalin and Bing Crosby - Parke, Erin (ABC News, 2023)
Across northern Australia, some Aboriginal people have grown up bearing the names of Hollywood stars and fascist dictators. It's a link back to a dark chapter in history.
Keywords: 2023-12 December; Australian history; bing crosby; cattle stations; hitler; names; slavery; stalin

Young Chinese people are finding creative ways keep 'white paper' protest alive - Asia Pacific Newsroom (ABC News, 2023)
One year on from the "white paper protests", one of the biggest displays of civil disobedience in China since the 1989 Tiananmen massacre, young people are finding creative ways to express political dissent.
Keywords: 2023-12 December; art; blank paper protest; china; dissents; protest; resistance; white paper anniversary; white paper protest; young people

Russian Destruction Causes Loss of Ukrainian Archives - Kyiv Post (Kyiv Post, 2023)
Ukraine’s state archives were under threat even before the full-scale invasion of 2022, because of a lack of funding and resources. Now Russian occupiers seem intent on destroying what’s left.
Keywords: 2023-12 December

'Israel destroyed Central Archives of Gaza City': Head of Gaza Municipality - Middle East Monitor (Middle East Monitor, 2023)
The head of Gaza Municipality said that Israel destroyed the “Central Archives” which contained thousands of historical documents dating more than 150 years.
Keywords: 2023-12 December

Human rights defenders in Gaza risk death and can no longer carry out their mission - International Federation for Human Rights (International Federation for Human Rights, 2023)
Staff from international organisations are left almost entirely inoperative: they cannot document the human rights violations that are currently being committed, which reinforces the cycle of impunity for international crimes.
Keywords: 2023-12 December

Disney says in lawsuit that DeSantis-appointed government is failing to release public records - Schneider, Mike (AP News, 2023)
Disney has filed a lawsuit claiming that the oversight government for Walt Disney World, which was taken over by appointees of Gov. Ron DeSantis earlier this year, has failed to release documents and properly preserve records in violation of Florida public records law.
Keywords: 2023-12 December

How Environmental and Climate Racism Manifests in Cities - Ghisleni, Camilla (ArchDaily, 2023)
Given the impacts of climate change on the planet, environmental racism has expanded to encompass climate racism as well. However, the nations facing the most severe consequences of climate change are those in the global south. It's important to emphasize that the historical settlement of disenfranchised slaves is connected to its colonial past, with social structures based on the enslavement.
Keywords: 2023-12 December; Reparation; Slavery

Climate Reparations Are Becoming a Reality. Here’s What They Could Look Like. - Doré, Gabrielle (Worth, 2023)
Grist asked 10 countries how they would use the long-awaited “loss and damage” fund launched at COP28.
Keywords: 2023-12 December

Revised edition of 'Tintin in the Congo' aims to address racism, colonialism - RFI (RFI, 2023)
A new version of the comic book "Tintin in the Congo" seeks to address accusations of racism and colonialism with a reworked cover, new preface and modifications to the story. But the response from anti-racism groups has been mixed.
Keywords: 2023-12 December

Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court publishes new Policy on Children: Statement by ICC Prosecutor Karim A.A. Khan KC - International Criminal Court (ICC) (Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, 2023)
As the suffering of children is witnessed worldwide, the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court has launched a new Policy on Children to help remedy their historic underrepresentation and lack of engagement in international criminal justice processes.
Keywords: 2023-12 December

After 75 years, what is the UN human rights system’s theory of change? - Limon, Marc (Geneva Solutions, 2023)
While celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights most commentaries have focused on the historical importance of the document, its relevance, and the fact that it would be impossible today for United Nations member states to adopt such an agreement. Yet two equally – if not more – crucial questions linger: what was the Universal Declaration’s theory of change, meaning how did its authors intend for it
Keywords: 2023-12 December

EU Parliament agrees position on digitalising health data - Peseckyte, Giedre (www.euractiv.com, 2023)
The European Parliament agreed on their position on digitalising EU health data, paving the way for the start of interinstitutional negotiations. Secondary use of data would be possible after being anonymised or pseudonymised.
Keywords: 2023-12 December

Digital archive on forced labor of the Dutch during WWII visited over 400,000 times - ANP (NL Times, 2023)
The digital archive of Dutch people who had to perform forced labor in Germany during the Second World War was accessed more than 400,000 times in the first week.
Keywords: 2023-12 December; Dutch; Dutch ancestors; World War II

75 years after the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a review - Ilaria, Federico (euronews, 2023)
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is 75 years old. What was so significant about this treaty and is it still relevant?
Keywords: 2023-12 December

Images of Syrian Civil War Take on a Second Life in Gaza Conflict - Koltai, Kolina (bellingcat, 2023)
The avalanche of disinformation shared about Israel and Palestine amid the recent conflict has been well documented. There is also a trend of footage and images from Syria’s long-running civil war being recycled and misattributed to the current Israel-Hamas conflict.
Keywords: 2023-12 December

Activists give 540,000 strong petition on online child abuse to MEPs - Marques da Silva, Isabel (euronews, 2023)
They are calling for the strongest possible measures when it comes to the EU's measures preventing and combating online child abuse.
Keywords: 2023-12 December

In 2024 elections, we have to act against AI-aggravated bias - Selva, Meera (euronews, 2023)
Journalists must give a voice to the underrepresented and underprivileged communities at the receiving end of much of the misinformation that drives polarising narratives and undermines trust in democracy itself.
Keywords: 2023-12 December; Government

Censorship rises in Malaysia under Anwar despite his pro-reform pledge: report - Azmi, Hadi (South China Morning Post, 2023)
The People Power Under Attack 2023 report cited an increase in censorship under Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s administration despite his pro-reform pledge.
Keywords: 2023-12 December; Indonesia; Malaysia

The Qatargate Files: Hundreds of leaked documents reveal scale of EU corruption scandal - Braun, Elisa; Volpicelli, Gian; Wax, Eddy (POLITICO, 2023)
Evidence from the European Parliament graft investigation provides a record of more than 300 alleged attempts to manipulate EU democracy.
Keywords: 2023-12 December

ICC: Combat Double Standards for Justice - Human Rights Watch (Human Rights Watch, 2023)
Member countries of the International Criminal Court (ICC) should step up their political, practical and financial support so that the court can fully deliver on its mandate.
Keywords: 2023-12 December

South Korea: Jail sentence for man who praised North an attack on freedom of expression - Amnesty International (Amnesty International, 2023)
Responding to the sentencing of a South Korean man, Lee Yoon-seop, to 14 months in prison for praising North Korea in a poem, Amnesty International’s East Asia Researcher Boram Jang said: “South Korean authorities must drop all charges against Lee Yoon-seop, who has been sentenced to jail simply for exercising his right to freedom of […]
Keywords: 2023-10 November; Republic of Korea

Kazakhstan Woman’s Death a National Tragedy | Human Rights Watch - Kim, Viktoriya (2023)
Saltanat Nukenova is a name that is widely recognized in Kazakhstan these days. That is because, on November 9, Saltanat’s husband, Kuandyk Bishimbayev, the former economy minister, was detained in connection with her death. She was just 31 years old.
Keywords: 2023-10 November

‘Like knives penetrating me’: Greenland’s victims of forced contraception seek justice - France 24 (France 24, 2023)
In the late 1960s, Denmark implemented a brutal contraceptive policy to limit births in its former colony of Greenland, forcing thousands of teenage girls to have IUDs inserted without their consent. After decades of repressing their trauma, the women are now speaking out and demanding reparation.
Keywords: 2023-10 November; Greenland

Japan ordered to compensate wartime 'comfort women' - BBC News (BBC News, 2023)
A South Korean court has ordered Japan to compensate a group of women who were forced to work in wartime brothels.
Keywords: 2023-10 November

Personal data stolen in British Library cyber-attack appears for sale online - Sherwood, Harriet (The Guardian, 2023)
The library said it was “aware that some data has been leaked, which appears to be from files relating to our internal HR information”. Academics and researchers who use the library have been told that disruption to the institution’s services after the serious ransomware attack was likely to continue for months.
Keywords: 2023-10 November; Books; British Library; Cybercrime; Data and computer security; Internet; Libraries; London; Technology; UK news

French Senate debates compensation for gay men jailed under homophobic laws - France 24 (France 24, 2023)
An estimated 60,000 gay men were convicted by French courts between 1942 and 1982 under homophobic laws that were repealed just four decades ago. On Wednesday, French senators will discuss a bill acknowledging France’s role in the persecution of homosexuals and offering compensation to those still alive, mirroring steps taken elsewhere in Europe.
Keywords: 2023-10 November

British Library: Employee data leaked in cyber attack - Rufo, Yasmin (BBC News, 2023)
A group of cyber criminals have claimed they are behind the ransomware attack and are auctioning off the data.
Keywords: 2023-10 November

On #International_Children_Day: #Justice_for_Yemen_Children Must Be Included in Peace Talks - Human Rights Watch (Human Rights Watch, 2023)
November 20th marks International Children's Day. This day serves as a poignant reminder that we must take a resolute stand to defend, promote, and celebrate the rights of Yemeni children. We, the undersigned, call on the parties to the conflict in Yemen and the international community to work towards securing justice for Yemeni children and enabling them to lead dignified lives, in accordance with the principles enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, to which Yemen is a signatory.
Keywords: 2023-10 November

Urge Laos to Address Rights Abuses - Human Rights Watch (Human Rights Watch, 2023)
In the context of the upcoming Australia-Laos 8th bilateral human rights dialogue, the Australian government should press Lao government leaders to end their systemic human rights violations when the two governments meet for a bilateral rights dialogue.
Keywords: 2023-10 November

Damaged cultural sites in Ukraine verified by UNESCO - United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, 2023)
As of 15 November 2023, UNESCO has verified damage to 329 sites since 24 February 2022 – 125 religious sites, 143 buildings of historical and/or artistic interest, 28 museums, 19 monuments, 13 libraries, 1 Archive.
Keywords: 2023-10 November

Statement of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Karim A.A. Khan KC, on the Situation in the State of Palestine: receipt of a referral from five States Parties - International Criminal Court (ICC) (International Criminal Court, 2023)
The Office of the International Criminal Court Prosecutor received a referral of the Situation in the State of Palestine, from the following five States Parties: South Africa, Bangladesh, Bolivia (Plurinational State of), Comoros, and Djibouti.
Keywords: 2023-10 November; Palestinian Statehood

Five Anti-War Price Tags, Seven Years in Russian Prison | Human Rights Watch - Lokhmutov, Aleks (Human Rights Watch, 2023)
Russian court sentenced artist Aleksandra Skochilenko to seven years in prison for replacing supermarket price tags with information about Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Keywords: 2023-10 November

UN Rights Review Amid Violent Crackdown - Human Rights Watch (Human Rights Watch, 2023)
The Bangladesh government should seriously respond to concerns regarding grave abuses and the crackdown on civil society raised by member states on November 13, 2023, during Bangladesh’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR).
Keywords: 2023-10 November

World Court Rules Against Syria in Torture Case - Human Rights Watch (Human Rights Watch, 2023)
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) order on November 16, 2023, directing Syria to take all measures within its power to prevent acts of torture and other abuses is a milestone toward protecting civilians in the country
Keywords: 2023-10 November; The Netherlands

France issues arrest warrant for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad - France 24 (France 24, 2023)
France has issued an international arrest warrant for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, accused of complicity in crimes against humanity over chemical attacks in 2013
Keywords: 2023-10 November; Syrian Arab Republic

Why Buffy Sainte-Marie's 'pretendian' case strikes a nerve - Yousif, Nadine (BBC News, 2023)
Prominent figures in North America have faced allegations of lying about being indigenous. But none have touched a nerve quite like the recent allegations about Buffy Sainte-Marie - an Oscar-winning folk singer long celebrated as an indigenous icon and biggest name caught up in questions around indigenous identity.
Keywords: 2023-10 November

Cambodia: Mass evictions at UNESCO World Heritage site Angkor violate international law - Amnesty International (Amnesty International, 2023)
Cambodian authorities cruelly uprooted families who have lived in Angkor for several generations.
Keywords: 2023-10 November

US Army clears historical convictions of 110 black soldiers - Comerford, Ruth (BBC News, 2023)
The soldiers were court martialled after a 1917 riot in a process with "numerous irregularities".
Keywords: 2023-10 November

WHO paid compensation money to sexual abuse victims in Congo - Euro News (euronews, 2023)
Internal documents show the World Health Organisation paid $250 to victims in Congo who were sexually abused by their employees during the Ebola outbreak and made them take a training course to receive the money.
Keywords: 2023-10 November

Rights Concerns Over License Plate Tracking - Human Rights Watch (Human Rights Watch, 2023)
Uganda’s new surveillance system, which allows the government to track the real time location of all vehicles in the country, undermines privacy rights, and creates serious risks to the rights to freedom of association and expression.
Keywords: 2023-10 November

“They Don’t Treat Us like Human Beings” - Kasai, Teppei (Human Rights Watch, 2023)
“‘They Don’t Treat Us like Human Beings’: Abuse of Imprisoned Women in Japan,” documents the abusive conditions in many women’s prisons in Japan.
Keywords: 2023-10 November