The United States urged&nbsp;Sri&nbsp;Lanka&nbsp;on Wednesday to&nbsp;end&nbsp;detentions&nbsp;under its draconian anti-terror laws and ensure&nbsp;justice&nbsp;for wartime atrocities.

Sri&nbsp;Lanka's&nbsp;rights&nbsp;record has drawn the ire of the international community with Colombo accused of carrying out war-time atrocities against its Tamil minority during the decades-long civil war that ended in 2009.&nbsp;

Under pressure from the European Union -- which threatened to revoke the country's favourable trade status --&nbsp;Sri&nbsp;Lanka's parliament on Tuesday amended its controversial Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) but opposition lawmakers have said the changes will not stop abuses under the law.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/sri-lankas-economic-crisis-as-peoples-patience-runs-out-top-leadership-play-blame-game-464945">Sri Lanka’s economic crisis: As people’s patience runs out, top leadership play blame game</a>

On Wednesday, US under secretary for political affairs, Victoria Nuland stressed "the importance of the non-governmental sector, journalists and civil society, and ending surveillance, ending detention (under the PTA) and ending harassment," after talks with local leaders in capital Colombo.

Her remarks came a day after Colombo reduced detention without judicial supervision under the PTA from 18 to 12 months.

"We commend the first steps... particularly the amendments passed yesterday to the PTA and the release of soft prisoners," she said.

"There is more to do."

As many as 78 Tamil prisoners are behind bars under the act without being formally charged, some of them for more than three decades.

Rights&nbsp;activists have also said they face increasing pressure from security authorities while many journalists have complained of attacks and intimidation.&nbsp;

Nuland arrived in&nbsp;Sri&nbsp;Lanka&nbsp;on Tuesday night on a brief overnight visit after travelling to Bangladesh and India.

Also read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/amid-economic-crisis-in-the-island-nation-6-sri-lankan-nationals-illegally-enter-india-via-boat-464747">&nbsp;Amid economic crisis in the island nation, 6 Sri Lankan nationals illegally enter India via boat</a>

She said improving&nbsp;human rights&nbsp;will ease cooperation around security between Washington and Colombo.

"As you take those steps (to&nbsp;improve&nbsp;rights), it will open even more space for our partnership, particularly in the security arena," she said.

The US called for a credible investigation before the UN&nbsp;Human Rights&nbsp;Council into allegations that&nbsp;Sri&nbsp;Lanka's military killed at least 40,000 Tamil civilians in the final stages of the war.

Colombo has denied killing any civilians and resisted calls for an independent probe.

Nuland also said that Washington was willing to provide unspecified help as Colombo seeks an IMF seeking bailout to ease its worst economic crisis since independence from Britain in 1948.

Protests have erupted in the country with people lining up for hours for food, fuel and medicines with Colombo short of dollars to finance critical imports.

"As you roll up your sleeves and do the hard work to strengthen and heal the economy here, the United States will be your partner," she said.&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;Sri Lanka deploys army at fuel stations amid the ongoing Dollar crunch

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/sri-lanka-deploys-army-at-fuel-stations-amid-the-ongoing-dollar-crunch-464524/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The United States urged Sri Lanka on Wednesday to end detentions under its draconian anti-terror laws and ensure justice for wartime atrocities. Sri Lanka's rights record has drawn the ire of the international community with Colombo accused of carrying out war-time atrocities against its Tamil minority during the decades-long civil war that ended in 2009.

The United States urged Sri Lanka on Wednesday to end detentions under its draconian anti-terror laws and ensure justice for wartime atrocities. Sri Lanka's rights record has drawn the ire of the international community with Colombo accused of carrying out war-time atrocities against its Tamil minority during the decades-long civil war that ended in 2009. Under pressure from the European Union -- which threatened to revoke the country's favourable trade status -- Sri Lanka's parliament on Tuesday amended its controversial Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) but opposition lawmakers have said the changes will not stop abuses under the law. Also read | Sri Lanka’s economic crisis: As people’s patience runs out, top leadership play blame game On Wednesday, US under secretary for political affairs, Victoria Nuland stressed "the importance of the non-governmental sector, journalists and civil society, and ending surveillance, ending detention (under the PTA) and ending harassment," after talks with local leaders in capital Colombo. Her remarks came a day after Colombo reduced detention without judicial supervision under the PTA from 18 to 12 months. "We commend the first steps... particularly the amendments passed yesterday to the PTA and the release of soft prisoners," she said. "There is more to do." As many as 78 Tamil prisoners are behind bars under the act without being formally charged, some of them for more than three decades. Rights activists have also said they face increasing pressure from security authorities while many journalists have complained of attacks and intimidation. Nuland arrived in Sri Lanka on Tuesday night on a brief overnight visit after travelling to Bangladesh and India. Also read | Amid economic crisis in the island nation, 6 Sri Lankan nationals illegally enter India via boat She said improving human rights will ease cooperation around security between Washington and Colombo. "As you take those steps (to improve rights), it will open even more space for our partnership, particularly in the security arena," she said. The US called for a credible investigation before the UN Human Rights Council into allegations that Sri Lanka's military killed at least 40,000 Tamil civilians in the final stages of the war. Colombo has denied killing any civilians and resisted calls for an independent probe. Nuland also said that Washington was willing to provide unspecified help as Colombo seeks an IMF seeking bailout to ease its worst economic crisis since independence from Britain in 1948. Protests have erupted in the country with people lining up for hours for food, fuel and medicines with Colombo short of dollars to finance critical imports. "As you roll up your sleeves and do the hard work to strengthen and heal the economy here, the United States will be your partner," she said. Watch | Sri Lanka deploys army at fuel stations amid the ongoing Dollar crunch

US asks Sri Lanka to end detentions, improve rights

As more and more companies pull out from Russia over its war on Ukraine, Kremlin is reportedly easing its copyright laws and allowing domestic companies to steal intellectual property from “unfriendly nations”.

Earlier this week, the Russian Ministry of Economic Development proposed relaxing piracy legislation to undermine sanctions imposed by the Western countries.

“The possibility of lifting restrictions on the use of intellectual property contained in certain goods, the supply of which to Russia is limited, is being considered,” the ministry said in a statement.

“This will smooth out the impact on the market of breaks in supply chains, as well as the shortage of goods and services that arose due to new sanctions by Western countries.”

According to a TASS report, such measures would “mitigate the impact on the market of supply chain brakes as well as shortages of goods and services that have arisen due to new sanctions of western countries.”

State-backed newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazeta reports that new laws allow will Russian firms to steal from unfriendly countries without paying to use their intellectual property.

“Since many Western studios have refused to release new films in Russia, the parliamentarian believes that thanks to the torrent tracker, users will be able to watch Hollywood films,” reports Gazetta.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/white-house-briefs-tiktokers-on-ukraine-as-information-war-against-russia-heats-up-461466">White House briefs TikTokers on Ukraine as information war heats up</a>

The list of ‘unfriend countries’ includes the US, Australia, Great Britain, Iceland, Canada, Monaco, New Zealand, Norway, South Korea, Japan, Ukraine, Switzerland and EU member states.

More than a dozen companies originating in the West have halted operations in Russia in response to the attack on Ukraine.

Streaming platforms such as Netflix, Disney+Hotstar have blocked their services in Russia.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/in-pics-list-of-foreign-companies-pulling-out-of-russia-keeps-on-growing-459518">List of foreign companies pulling out of Russia keeps on growing</a>

Software companies like Microsoft, Google, Meta, Samsung, Apple, fashion designers like Zara and H&amp;M, apart from automobile companies such as Toyota, Renault, have all ceased operations.

Food and retail companies like McDonald's, Starbucks and Coca-Cola have exited the Russian market. While consumer goods brands Unilever and Kraft Heinz suspended all Russian imports and exports.

(With inputs from agencies)

As more and more companies pull out from Russia over its war on Ukraine, Kremlin is reportedly easing its copyright laws and allowing domestic companies to steal intellectual property from “unfriendly nations”.

As more and more companies pull out from Russia over its war on Ukraine, Kremlin is reportedly easing its copyright laws and allowing domestic companies to steal intellectual property from “unfriendly nations”. Earlier this week, the Russian Ministry of Economic Development proposed relaxing piracy legislation to undermine sanctions imposed by the Western countries. “The possibility of lifting restrictions on the use of intellectual property contained in certain goods, the supply of which to Russia is limited, is being considered,” the ministry said in a statement. “This will smooth out the impact on the market of breaks in supply chains, as well as the shortage of goods and services that arose due to new sanctions by Western countries.” According to a TASS report, such measures would “mitigate the impact on the market of supply chain brakes as well as shortages of goods and services that have arisen due to new sanctions of western countries.” State-backed newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazeta reports that new laws allow will Russian firms to steal from unfriendly countries without paying to use their intellectual property. “Since many Western studios have refused to release new films in Russia, the parliamentarian believes that thanks to the torrent tracker, users will be able to watch Hollywood films,” reports Gazetta. Also read | White House briefs TikTokers on Ukraine as information war heats up The list of ‘unfriend countries’ includes the US, Australia, Great Britain, Iceland, Canada, Monaco, New Zealand, Norway, South Korea, Japan, Ukraine, Switzerland and EU member states. More than a dozen companies originating in the West have halted operations in Russia in response to the attack on Ukraine. Streaming platforms such as Netflix, Disney+Hotstar have blocked their services in Russia. Also read | List of foreign companies pulling out of Russia keeps on growing Software companies like Microsoft, Google, Meta, Samsung, Apple, fashion designers like Zara and H&M, apart from automobile companies such as Toyota, Renault, have all ceased operations. Food and retail companies like McDonald's, Starbucks and Coca-Cola have exited the Russian market. While consumer goods brands Unilever and Kraft Heinz suspended all Russian imports and exports. (With inputs from agencies)

Russia legalises piracy, allows patent thefts to counter West sanctions: Report

After years of controversy and criticism from gynaecologists,&nbsp;Germany&nbsp;is planning to scrap a&nbsp;Nazi-era&nbsp;law&nbsp;that limits information&nbsp;on&nbsp;abortion, while access to the procedure in the country remains beset by obstacles.

The Social Democrats, Greens and the Free Democrats, ruling together as a government since December, promised in their coalition agreement to scratch from the statute books one of the most controversial sections of the penal code.

Paragraph 219a, adopted in 1933 shortly after Adolf Hitler had taken power, prohibits the "promotion" of&nbsp;abortion, a crime punishable by "up to two years of imprisonment or a fine".

It is on this basis that courts have in recent years handed out penalties to medical professionals offering&nbsp;information&nbsp;on pregnancy terminations on the internet.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/to-remove-obstacle-for-reviving-nuke-deal-iran-iaea-agree-on-3-month-timeline-459480">To remove obstacle for reviving nuke deal, Iran, IAEA agree on 3-month timeline</a>

In some cases, the sites offered a simple statement that the gynaecologist carries out abortions, with no further details.

But an end came a step closer after the Justice Minister Marco Buschmann put forward draft legislation at the start of the year to remove the paragraph, though it has yet to be voted on in the Bundestag.

&nbsp;Strictly limited

Among the doctors prosecuted in recent years is Kristina Haenel, a general practitioner from Giessen in western&nbsp;Germany, who became the face of the campaign to ditch the&nbsp;law&nbsp;after being fined 6,000 euros ($6,558).

Her legal misadventures created a sensation in the media, reminding Germans that&nbsp;abortion&nbsp;remains severely restricted in&nbsp;law.&nbsp;

The many pitfalls for practitioners dissuade doctors from offering the procedure in a country that was at the forefront of the women's rights movement in the 1970s.

In June 2019, two gynaecologists in Berlin, Bettina Gaber and Verena Weyer, were each also handed two-thousand-euro fines for the same offence.

"I'm pleased that taking an informed decision will now be possible" for pregnant women, Haenel said when the plan to remove the&nbsp;law&nbsp;was announced.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/in-pics-german-flood-victims-receive-tiny-houses-just-before-christmas-439700">In Pics | German flood victims receive tiny houses just before Christmas</a>

Anti-abortion&nbsp;militants, who organise themselves online, are behind most of the complaints made against medical professionals, while one activist was recently convicted for comparing&nbsp;abortion&nbsp;to the Holocaust.

Under pressure from campaigners, many medics have removed all relevant&nbsp;information&nbsp;from their websites and have declined to be included in family planning lists shared with women looking to end their pregnancies.&nbsp;

The outcry that came in response to the prosecutions led Angela Merkel’s government to relax legislation slightly, allowing gynaecologists and hospitals to indicate online that they offered abortions.&nbsp;

Advertising&nbsp;

Specifying what methods were used was, however, still prohibited, a compromise solution that did not satisfy practitioners.

Opposition from within Merkel's own Christian Democrats had prevented the paragraph from being struck from the penal code completely.

Removing the paragraph would mean no longer being able to tell "whether the advertisement came from a cosmetic clinic or an&nbsp;abortion&nbsp;clinic", said Merkel's party colleague Helge Braun, one of her closest aides and who is himself a doctor.

In&nbsp;Germany, a woman wishing to have an&nbsp;abortion&nbsp;in the first 12 weeks of her pregnancy must have an obligatory consultation at an approved centre.&nbsp;

The aim of this dialogue is to "encourage the woman to continue her pregnancy", even if in the end the choice was up to her. After the consultation patients must wait through a "reflection period" of three days.

Except in exceptional circumstances, such as a risk to the life of the mother or in the event of rape, abortions are not paid for by health insurance, despite sometimes costing hundreds of euros.

Around 100,000 abortions are carried out in&nbsp;Germany&nbsp;every year although the number has gone down in recent years.

The subject is still a taboo in&nbsp;Germany, according to a number of gynaecologists, and can be like an obstacle course for patients, particularly in traditionally Catholic Bavaria.

In some parts of the vast southern state, no hospitals offer the procedure, with many people opting to cross the border to Austria instead.

After years of controversy and criticism from gynaecologists, Germany is planning to scrap a Nazi-era law that limits information on abortion, while access to the procedure in the country remains beset by obstacles.

After years of controversy and criticism from gynaecologists, Germany is planning to scrap a Nazi-era law that limits information on abortion, while access to the procedure in the country remains beset by obstacles. The Social Democrats, Greens and the Free Democrats, ruling together as a government since December, promised in their coalition agreement to scratch from the statute books one of the most controversial sections of the penal code. Paragraph 219a, adopted in 1933 shortly after Adolf Hitler had taken power, prohibits the "promotion" of abortion, a crime punishable by "up to two years of imprisonment or a fine". It is on this basis that courts have in recent years handed out penalties to medical professionals offering information on pregnancy terminations on the internet. Also read | To remove obstacle for reviving nuke deal, Iran, IAEA agree on 3-month timeline In some cases, the sites offered a simple statement that the gynaecologist carries out abortions, with no further details. But an end came a step closer after the Justice Minister Marco Buschmann put forward draft legislation at the start of the year to remove the paragraph, though it has yet to be voted on in the Bundestag. Strictly limited Among the doctors prosecuted in recent years is Kristina Haenel, a general practitioner from Giessen in western Germany, who became the face of the campaign to ditch the law after being fined 6,000 euros ($6,558). Her legal misadventures created a sensation in the media, reminding Germans that abortion remains severely restricted in law. The many pitfalls for practitioners dissuade doctors from offering the procedure in a country that was at the forefront of the women's rights movement in the 1970s. In June 2019, two gynaecologists in Berlin, Bettina Gaber and Verena Weyer, were each also handed two-thousand-euro fines for the same offence. "I'm pleased that taking an informed decision will now be possible" for pregnant women, Haenel said when the plan to remove the law was announced. Also read | In Pics | German flood victims receive tiny houses just before Christmas Anti-abortion militants, who organise themselves online, are behind most of the complaints made against medical professionals, while one activist was recently convicted for comparing abortion to the Holocaust. Under pressure from campaigners, many medics have removed all relevant information from their websites and have declined to be included in family planning lists shared with women looking to end their pregnancies. The outcry that came in response to the prosecutions led Angela Merkel’s government to relax legislation slightly, allowing gynaecologists and hospitals to indicate online that they offered abortions. Advertising Specifying what methods were used was, however, still prohibited, a compromise solution that did not satisfy practitioners. Opposition from within Merkel's own Christian Democrats had prevented the paragraph from being struck from the penal code completely. Removing the paragraph would mean no longer being able to tell "whether the advertisement came from a cosmetic clinic or an abortion clinic", said Merkel's party colleague Helge Braun, one of her closest aides and who is himself a doctor. In Germany, a woman wishing to have an abortion in the first 12 weeks of her pregnancy must have an obligatory consultation at an approved centre. The aim of this dialogue is to "encourage the woman to continue her pregnancy", even if in the end the choice was up to her. After the consultation patients must wait through a "reflection period" of three days. Except in exceptional circumstances, such as a risk to the life of the mother or in the event of rape, abortions are not paid for by health insurance, despite sometimes costing hundreds of euros. Around 100,000 abortions are carried out in Germany every year although the number has gone down in recent years. The subject is still a taboo in Germany, according to a number of gynaecologists, and can be like an obstacle course for patients, particularly in traditionally Catholic Bavaria. In some parts of the vast southern state, no hospitals offer the procedure, with many people opting to cross the border to Austria instead.

Germany looks to reform Nazi-era abortion information laws

UN&nbsp;Security Council members&nbsp;China&nbsp;and&nbsp;Russia, as well as Serbia have continued supplying Myanmar's junta with weapons used to attack civilians since last year's coup, a&nbsp;UN&nbsp;rights&nbsp;expert&nbsp;said Tuesday.

United Nations Special Rapporteur on the&nbsp;rights&nbsp;situation in&nbsp;Myanmar, Tom Andrews, urged the Security Council to convene an emergency session "to debate and vote on a resolution to, at a minimum, ban those arms transfers that the&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;military are known to use to attack and kill&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;civilians."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-army-defector-recounts-heavy-losses-inflicted-by-chin-rebels-452562">Myanmar army defector recounts heavy losses inflicted by Chin rebels</a>

He released a long-awaited report Tuesday detailing where the&nbsp;junta&nbsp;is getting its weapons from, highlighting that two permanent members of the Security Council itself, who hold veto power over its decisions, remain among the main suppliers.

"Despite the evidence of the military&nbsp;junta's atrocity crimes being committed with impunity since launching a coup last year,&nbsp;UN&nbsp;Security Council members&nbsp;Russia&nbsp;and&nbsp;China&nbsp;continue to provide the Myanmar military junta with numerous fighter jets, armoured vehicles, and in the case of&nbsp;Russia, the promise of further arms," Andrews said in a statement.

"During this same period, Serbia has authorised rockets and artillery for export to the&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;military," said Andrews, who is an independent&nbsp;expert&nbsp;appointed by the&nbsp;UN&nbsp;Human Rights&nbsp;Council, but who does not speak on behalf of the world body.

'Crimes against humanity'

In his report, he maintained that the arms transfers by the three countries had "occurred with the full knowledge that they would be used to attack civilians, in probable violation of international law."

Myanmar&nbsp;has been in chaos, its economy paralysed, and more than 1,500 civilians have been killed in a military crackdown since the putsch in February 2021, according to the&nbsp;UN.

Also read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/new-asean-myanmar-envoy-says-wants-to-meet-junta-opponents-454056">&nbsp;New ASEAN Myanmar envoy says wants to meet junta opponents</a>

Since the February 1, 2021 coup, at least 12,000 people have been detained, including the de facto head of the civilian government, Aung San Suu Kyi, while more than 440,000 people have been forcibly displaced.

Andrews reiterated in his report that "there is strong evidence the&nbsp;junta&nbsp;has committed war crimes and crimes against humanity," including murder, sexual violence and torture.&nbsp;

"The situation of&nbsp;human rights&nbsp;in&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;is dire and deteriorating," it said.&nbsp;

The report provides an overview of countries that have authorised the transfer of weapons to&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;since 2018, when the military's attacks on the Rohingya ethnic minority were widely documented and after a&nbsp;UN&nbsp;fact-finding mission had urged an arms embargo.

Israel, India, Pakistan, South Korea, Belarus and Ukraine also figure on that list, although only&nbsp;China,&nbsp;Russia&nbsp;and Serbia have continued their transfers since the coup.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-junta-accused-of-burning-hundreds-of-homes-451051">Myanmar junta accused of burning hundreds of homes</a>

'Imperative'

The&nbsp;UN&nbsp;General Assembly adopted a resolution last June calling for countries to prevent the flow of arms to&nbsp;Myanmar, but Andrews said that it had failed to have "any discernible impact on the crisis and the capacity of the&nbsp;junta&nbsp;to launch attacks on civilians."

He pointed out that while none of the Security Council members had voted against that resolution, the council had also not even considered voting to make the text binding for member states.

"It is imperative that member states and the Security Council act urgently to stop weapons sales to the military&nbsp;junta. Human lives, and Security Council credibility, are on the line," he said.

The report acknowledges that&nbsp;China&nbsp;and&nbsp;Russia&nbsp;might very well use their veto power to block any such text, but stressed that this "should not deter other members from placing a resolution before the Council for consideration, debate and a vote."&nbsp;

"The people of&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;deserve to have a strong resolution."

"The Security Council should consider, at the very least, a resolution to ban weapons that are being used by the&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;military to kill innocent people," Andrews said.

Watch |&nbsp;Myanmar junta driving drug trade | Narcotics

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/myanmar-junta-driving-drug-trade-narcotics-441027/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

&nbsp;

UN Security Council members China and Russia, as well as Serbia have continued supplying Myanmar's junta with weapons used to attack civilians since last year's coup, a UN rights expert said Tuesday.

UN Security Council members China and Russia, as well as Serbia have continued supplying Myanmar's junta with weapons used to attack civilians since last year's coup, a UN rights expert said Tuesday. United Nations Special Rapporteur on the rights situation in Myanmar, Tom Andrews, urged the Security Council to convene an emergency session "to debate and vote on a resolution to, at a minimum, ban those arms transfers that the Myanmar military are known to use to attack and kill Myanmar civilians." Also read | Myanmar army defector recounts heavy losses inflicted by Chin rebels He released a long-awaited report Tuesday detailing where the junta is getting its weapons from, highlighting that two permanent members of the Security Council itself, who hold veto power over its decisions, remain among the main suppliers. "Despite the evidence of the military junta's atrocity crimes being committed with impunity since launching a coup last year, UN Security Council members Russia and China continue to provide the Myanmar military junta with numerous fighter jets, armoured vehicles, and in the case of Russia, the promise of further arms," Andrews said in a statement. "During this same period, Serbia has authorised rockets and artillery for export to the Myanmar military," said Andrews, who is an independent expert appointed by the UN Human Rights Council, but who does not speak on behalf of the world body. 'Crimes against humanity' In his report, he maintained that the arms transfers by the three countries had "occurred with the full knowledge that they would be used to attack civilians, in probable violation of international law." Myanmar has been in chaos, its economy paralysed, and more than 1,500 civilians have been killed in a military crackdown since the putsch in February 2021, according to the UN. Also read | New ASEAN Myanmar envoy says wants to meet junta opponents Since the February 1, 2021 coup, at least 12,000 people have been detained, including the de facto head of the civilian government, Aung San Suu Kyi, while more than 440,000 people have been forcibly displaced. Andrews reiterated in his report that "there is strong evidence the junta has committed war crimes and crimes against humanity," including murder, sexual violence and torture. "The situation of human rights in Myanmar is dire and deteriorating," it said. The report provides an overview of countries that have authorised the transfer of weapons to Myanmar since 2018, when the military's attacks on the Rohingya ethnic minority were widely documented and after a UN fact-finding mission had urged an arms embargo. Israel, India, Pakistan, South Korea, Belarus and Ukraine also figure on that list, although only China, Russia and Serbia have continued their transfers since the coup. Also read | Myanmar junta accused of burning hundreds of homes 'Imperative' The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution last June calling for countries to prevent the flow of arms to Myanmar, but Andrews said that it had failed to have "any discernible impact on the crisis and the capacity of the junta to launch attacks on civilians." He pointed out that while none of the Security Council members had voted against that resolution, the council had also not even considered voting to make the text binding for member states. "It is imperative that member states and the Security Council act urgently to stop weapons sales to the military junta. Human lives, and Security Council credibility, are on the line," he said. The report acknowledges that China and Russia might very well use their veto power to block any such text, but stressed that this "should not deter other members from placing a resolution before the Council for consideration, debate and a vote." "The people of Myanmar deserve to have a strong resolution." "The Security Council should consider, at the very least, a resolution to ban weapons that are being used by the Myanmar military to kill innocent people," Andrews said. Watch | Myanmar junta driving drug trade | Narcotics

UN rights expert says China and Russia arming Myanmar junta

From Russia to North Korea to Zimbabwe, the impact of diplomatic&nbsp;sanctions&nbsp;has long been questioned. But Bangladeshi&nbsp;activists&nbsp;have no doubts: extrajudicial&nbsp;killings&nbsp;have suddenly&nbsp;stopped&nbsp;since punitive US measures were imposed two months ago, they say.

Around 2,500 Bangladeshis have allegedly been killed by security forces since Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina came to power in 2009, according to&nbsp;rights&nbsp;group Odhikar, which maintains detailed records, with hundreds more enforced disappearances.

It has tallied nearly 1,200 such deaths in the last four years, or an average of 25 per month.

But since Washington on December 10 imposed sweeping Magnitsky Act&nbsp;sanctions&nbsp;against the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) elite security force including seven of its top officers,&nbsp;killings&nbsp;have totalled zero, it says.

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"I wish this sanction was slapped a lot earlier," said Afroza Islam Akhi, whose brother vanished eight years ago. "A lot of lives would have been saved."

Akhi is now a coordinator for Mayer Daak, which represents hundreds of families of victims of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial&nbsp;killings.

The RAB was set up in 2004 to tackle Marxist insurgents and Islamist extremism as well as curb human trafficking -- goals it pursued mercilessly and officials say effectively.

More recently its targets have largely been alleged criminals and drug dealers, with authorities insisting that deaths have only occurred during exchanges of fire in legitimate law enforcement operations.

But critics say political opponents have also died at the hands of security forces and that gunfights are staged to deny the victims due legal process.

Akhi's brother Sajedul Islam Suman was among at least 18&nbsp;activists&nbsp;with the main opposition&nbsp;Bangladesh&nbsp;Nationalist Party (BNP) allegedly picked up by RAB officers in December 2013 in the run-up to national elections.

"My mother went to the RAB headquarters every day for more than a year as we heard RAB officers detained him," Akhi told AFP. "But he never returned."

&nbsp;'Every bone broken'&nbsp;

Nur Khan Liton, head of&nbsp;Bangladesh's top&nbsp;rights&nbsp;group Ain O Salish Kendra, said the US&nbsp;sanctions&nbsp;have directly improved the country's&nbsp;rights&nbsp;situation.

"People are happy with it and many have started speaking out," he said.&nbsp;

According to&nbsp;activists, almost all victims of extrajudicial&nbsp;killings&nbsp;are detained and then shot dead.

Rita Begum last saw her 14-year-old son Rakib Howlader handcuffed and detained at a police station in old Dhaka in 2018.&nbsp;

The next day her father told her the boy -- accused of peddling drugs -- had been beaten to death and then shot to make it appear he had died in an exchange of fire.

"Every bone in his body was broken and then he was shot," she told AFP. "I didn't get&nbsp;justice."

When she tried to file a complaint, she said, "police came to my house. They held a pistol to my head and made me sign a lot of papers. They even threatened to rape my daughter.&nbsp;

"I want the American&nbsp;sanctions&nbsp;to prevail," she added.

"I don't want to see any more mothers losing their children. I don't want anybody else to suffer my fate. I lost my gem of a boy."

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'Nervous about the future'&nbsp;

In some cases RAB officers have been prosecuted, with at least 26 people including an RAB commander sentenced to death for seven murders in the central city of Narayanganj in April 2014.

Dhaka and Washington normally have warm relations, co-operating on security issues and with&nbsp;Bangladesh&nbsp;often voting alongside the United States at the United Nations.

The&nbsp;sanctions&nbsp;include asset freezes and visa bans and were imposed on the RAB and current or former RAB officials, including its ex-head Benazir Ahmed, now the national chief of police.

The move -- at a time when China is pouring investment into one of Asia's poorest countries -- stunned Dhaka, with the foreign secretary summoning the US ambassador to convey "discontent".

But the&nbsp;sanctions&nbsp;constitute a "tactical strike" on the understanding between the security forces and ruling party and "put the whole security establishment under renewed international scrutiny", said Sydney-based&nbsp;Bangladesh&nbsp;researcher Mubashar Hasan.

They have also raised anxiety among Bangladeshi officials for whom the West is a popular retirement and training destination, he added.

He pointed out that the Biden administration has begun to target businesses connected to governments that it says suppress&nbsp;human rights, such as China.

"Many Bangladeshi businessmen tied with the ruling party are nervous about the future," he said.

Watch |&nbsp;The Rohingya in Bangladesh's Bhasan Char island get access to education

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There was no response to repeated requests by AFP to the RAB and the national police for comment.

Dhaka denies its officers are involved in extrajudicial&nbsp;killings&nbsp;or enforced disappearances.

But Shahab Enam Khan, a professor at Jahangirnagar University, said: "Sanction from the US on the law enforcement agencies or personnel is a lesson and perhaps nobody wants it to be repeated."

From Russia to North Korea to Zimbabwe, the impact of diplomatic sanctions has long been questioned. But Bangladeshi activists have no doubts: extrajudicial killings have suddenly stopped since punitive US measures were imposed two months ago, they say.

From Russia to North Korea to Zimbabwe, the impact of diplomatic sanctions has long been questioned. But Bangladeshi activists have no doubts: extrajudicial killings have suddenly stopped since punitive US measures were imposed two months ago, they say. Around 2,500 Bangladeshis have allegedly been killed by security forces since Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina came to power in 2009, according to rights group Odhikar, which maintains detailed records, with hundreds more enforced disappearances. It has tallied nearly 1,200 such deaths in the last four years, or an average of 25 per month. But since Washington on December 10 imposed sweeping Magnitsky Act sanctions against the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) elite security force including seven of its top officers, killings have totalled zero, it says. Also read | Australia to open mission in Maldives; invest in Bangladesh "I wish this sanction was slapped a lot earlier," said Afroza Islam Akhi, whose brother vanished eight years ago. "A lot of lives would have been saved." Akhi is now a coordinator for Mayer Daak, which represents hundreds of families of victims of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings. The RAB was set up in 2004 to tackle Marxist insurgents and Islamist extremism as well as curb human trafficking -- goals it pursued mercilessly and officials say effectively. More recently its targets have largely been alleged criminals and drug dealers, with authorities insisting that deaths have only occurred during exchanges of fire in legitimate law enforcement operations. But critics say political opponents have also died at the hands of security forces and that gunfights are staged to deny the victims due legal process. Akhi's brother Sajedul Islam Suman was among at least 18 activists with the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) allegedly picked up by RAB officers in December 2013 in the run-up to national elections. "My mother went to the RAB headquarters every day for more than a year as we heard RAB officers detained him," Akhi told AFP. "But he never returned." 'Every bone broken' Nur Khan Liton, head of Bangladesh's top rights group Ain O Salish Kendra, said the US sanctions have directly improved the country's rights situation. "People are happy with it and many have started speaking out," he said. According to activists, almost all victims of extrajudicial killings are detained and then shot dead. Rita Begum last saw her 14-year-old son Rakib Howlader handcuffed and detained at a police station in old Dhaka in 2018. The next day her father told her the boy -- accused of peddling drugs -- had been beaten to death and then shot to make it appear he had died in an exchange of fire. "Every bone in his body was broken and then he was shot," she told AFP. "I didn't get justice." When she tried to file a complaint, she said, "police came to my house. They held a pistol to my head and made me sign a lot of papers. They even threatened to rape my daughter. "I want the American sanctions to prevail," she added. "I don't want to see any more mothers losing their children. I don't want anybody else to suffer my fate. I lost my gem of a boy." Also read | Bangladesh rope in Jamie Siddons as new batting coach 'Nervous about the future' In some cases RAB officers have been prosecuted, with at least 26 people including an RAB commander sentenced to death for seven murders in the central city of Narayanganj in April 2014. Dhaka and Washington normally have warm relations, co-operating on security issues and with Bangladesh often voting alongside the United States at the United Nations. The sanctions include asset freezes and visa bans and were imposed on the RAB and current or former RAB officials, including its ex-head Benazir Ahmed, now the national chief of police. The move -- at a time when China is pouring investment into one of Asia's poorest countries -- stunned Dhaka, with the foreign secretary summoning the US ambassador to convey "discontent". But the sanctions constitute a "tactical strike" on the understanding between the security forces and ruling party and "put the whole security establishment under renewed international scrutiny", said Sydney-based Bangladesh researcher Mubashar Hasan. They have also raised anxiety among Bangladeshi officials for whom the West is a popular retirement and training destination, he added. He pointed out that the Biden administration has begun to target businesses connected to governments that it says suppress human rights, such as China. "Many Bangladeshi businessmen tied with the ruling party are nervous about the future," he said. Watch | The Rohingya in Bangladesh's Bhasan Char island get access to education There was no response to repeated requests by AFP to the RAB and the national police for comment. Dhaka denies its officers are involved in extrajudicial killings or enforced disappearances. But Shahab Enam Khan, a professor at Jahangirnagar University, said: "Sanction from the US on the law enforcement agencies or personnel is a lesson and perhaps nobody wants it to be repeated."

US sanctions have stopped Bangladesh killings: Rights activists

Taliban authorities have warned that they have all the rights to crackdown on dissent and jailed protestors. This comes in as concerns grow over the disappearance of two women activists in Afghanistan.&nbsp;

Earlier this week, two women activists noted that two of their comrades were seized from their homes after they took part in a few demonstrations. According to reports by AFP, Tamana Zaryabi Paryani and Parwana Ibrahimkhel were abducted from their homes in Kabul.&nbsp;

Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid has denied that any women were being held. However, he said that the authorities had the right "to arrest and detain dissidents or those who break the law".

"Nobody should create turmoil, because it disrupts peace and order," he said while speaking to AFP.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/watchdog-had-warned-of-afghan-force-collapse-way-before-us-pullout-446442">Also read |&nbsp;Watchdog had warned of Afghan force collapse way before US pullout</a>

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan called on the Taliban to "provide information" on the whereabouts of both the woman activists.

Ever since the Taliban took over Afghanistan, the situation has not been so good, especially for women.

Demonstrations held by women have become a common phenomenon in the country. The Taliban has previously tried to prevent journalists from covering the march, organised against the "mysterious murders of young people, particularly the country's former soldiers", according to social media invitations.

They also detained a group of reporters and confiscated equipment from some photographers, deleting images from their cameras before returning them.

The Taliban say they have changed and are working on getting more girls back to school after allowing high schools for girls in some provinces to open. But many women and rights advocates remain sceptical.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Taliban authorities have warned that they have all the rights to crackdown on dissent and jailed protestors. This comes in as concerns grow over the disappearance of two women activists in Afghanistan.

Taliban authorities have warned that they have all the rights to crackdown on dissent and jailed protestors. This comes in as concerns grow over the disappearance of two women activists in Afghanistan. Earlier this week, two women activists noted that two of their comrades were seized from their homes after they took part in a few demonstrations. According to reports by AFP, Tamana Zaryabi Paryani and Parwana Ibrahimkhel were abducted from their homes in Kabul. Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid has denied that any women were being held. However, he said that the authorities had the right "to arrest and detain dissidents or those who break the law". "Nobody should create turmoil, because it disrupts peace and order," he said while speaking to AFP. Also read | Watchdog had warned of Afghan force collapse way before US pullout The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan called on the Taliban to "provide information" on the whereabouts of both the woman activists. Ever since the Taliban took over Afghanistan, the situation has not been so good, especially for women. Demonstrations held by women have become a common phenomenon in the country. The Taliban has previously tried to prevent journalists from covering the march, organised against the "mysterious murders of young people, particularly the country's former soldiers", according to social media invitations. They also detained a group of reporters and confiscated equipment from some photographers, deleting images from their cameras before returning them. The Taliban say they have changed and are working on getting more girls back to school after allowing high schools for girls in some provinces to open. But many women and rights advocates remain sceptical. (With inputs from agencies)

Taliban warn against women's rights activism after two activists were seized from their homes

Democrats have less than a month left controlling Virginia before Republicans take over the House of Delegates and the governor’s mansion. With the clock ticking, many in the party want to seize what they see as a fleeting opportunity: protecting abortion rights by codifying them into state law.

But Democratic leaders in the state Senate have dismissed the idea — and not on policy grounds or over concerns about political messaging. Several of the chamber’s members don’t want to change their vacation plans.

One senator is traveling in Africa. Others are in Europe. And the majority leader is headed to Hawaii.

“They’re not going to be able to get back; flights are booked this time of year,” the majority leader, Richard L. Saslaw, said from California, where he was en route to the Aloha State. The state’s General Assembly does not allow proxy or remote voting, and Democrats’ paper-thin majority in the state Senate requires all members to be present to pass contentious legislation.

“We discussed it,” Saslaw said. “There are too many people out of town.”

As abortion rights stand on a national precipice, with the Supreme Court likely to roll back or overturn Roe v. Wade next year, Democrats have issued dire warnings about the potential consequences, which could include at least 22 states moving swiftly to ban or severely restrict abortion access. The party’s options are limited at the federal and state levels, but many of its lawmakers have vowed to do whatever they can to protect the right to an abortion.

Yet as the intraparty dispute in Virginia shows, the party’s leaders are often wary about confronting the issue head-on. Congressional Democrats have been unable to pass legislative proposals to protect abortion federally, and President Joe Biden has yet to utter the word “abortion” publicly.

Many lawmakers in the party, as they continue to grapple with the pandemic and economic uncertainty, seem unwilling to prioritize abortion rights to the degree that some Democrats believe is necessary given the threats from the Supreme Court and conservative state legislatures.

In Virginia, where Gov. Ralph Northam has long been a champion of abortion rights, Democrats’ 21-19 majority in the state Senate includes moderates and one member who opposes abortion rights.

But beyond abortion politics, there is a split in Richmond between younger and more activist Democrats in the state House, and Senate Democrats who adhere more to the old “Virginia way” of doing state business. They are less willing to embrace extraordinary measures that go beyond the state’s regular legislative sessions, which are held only at the beginning of each year and are finished for 2021.

Sally Hudson, a Democratic delegate from Charlottesville, said she worried that the administration of Gov.-elect Glenn Youngkin, a Republican, would roll back expansions of reproductive health care access, like the abortion pills that became available by mail in the state in October.

“We’ve got two years to do our job each term, and I don’t know why we wouldn’t use all the time to do our jobs during that term,” Hudson said. “If not for Roe, for what?”

Abortion rights activists say the situations in Virginia and Washington underscore a lack of true commitment from Democrats, who have spent years campaigning on preserving the constitutional right to an abortion.

“The Democratic Party is clueless right now about the abortion access crisis, and it’s really dispiriting to see them trumpeting the same old rallying cries,” said Erin Matson, a founder of Reproaction, an abortion rights advocacy group.

Democrats in the Virginia Senate argue that it would be impossible to call the chamber back to Richmond in the next month, and that even if they did, there was no guarantee that the party would have enough votes.

“You’re in the holiday season — some people are making plans of being away,” said Creigh Deeds, a Democratic state senator from Bath County. “What’s your reality of getting people to Richmond, and what’s realistic to pass that we haven’t already passed?”

It is an echo of Democrats’ rationale in Congress, where their proposals stand little chance of becoming law under the Senate’s current legislative rules, which require 60 votes to proceed. A liberal group of senators trying to change those procedures to enact voting rights legislation has been thwarted by a few centrist Democrats.

In Virginia, Democrats considered taking action in November as they reeled from their electoral losses but decided against it. Then a series of Supreme Court rulings and hearings on abortion rights heightened the urgency for Democrats, with Republicans set to take the House majority Jan. 12. Youngkin will be inaugurated as governor three days later.

Tarina Keene, the executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia, an abortion rights group, said she had first proposed a postelection legislative session to address abortion rights in the two days immediately after the November election, when Democrats were stunned by Republicans’ victories in the state.

Keene said part of her argument to Virginia Democrats was that Republicans in other states, facing the imminent loss of statehouse control, had used lame-duck sessions to cement an advantage for themselves before Democrats took office.

“We definitely mentioned to folks that they would do that to us,” Keene said. “We’ve seen in it North Carolina and in Wisconsin,” she said. “Those are two very recent examples of what they’re willing to do to undermine the other side.”

Katherine White, who runs Network NoVA, a collective of dozens of liberal organizations in the Washington suburbs, has begun a campaign to pressure Virginia’s Democratic senators to return to Richmond.

She said Democrats’ overconfidence that their candidate for governor, Terry McAuliffe, would win had left them unprepared for the question of protecting abortion rights.

“There was no plan to go big and go bold, because they didn’t plan on losing,” she said.

Since Virginia Democrats took control of Richmond in early 2020, they have fulfilled their promises to roll back Republican-enacted abortion restrictions. But they have left the door open for Youngkin to place administrative roadblocks in the way of abortion access.

Youngkin downplayed his opposition to abortion rights in his general-election campaign. But in June, he was caught on an undercover video taken by a Democratic activist, saying he would go “on offense” if he won and Republicans took control of the House of Delegates.

A Youngkin spokesperson said the governor-elect’s previous remarks on abortion spoke for themselves. Youngkin has said that changing abortion law is not on his “Day 1” agenda, but he also reiterated last month that he would support a ban on most abortions after 20 weeks.

Still, despite the potential for changes to the state’s abortion laws, Saslaw dismissed the prospect of convening his chamber before the incoming governor’s inauguration. He said the possibility had been discarded in November by Democratic state senators — many of whom, including him, have campaigned on pledges to protect abortion rights.

“They didn’t want to do it,” he said Wednesday.

Even before the current Supreme Court cases from Mississippi and Texas that could weaken or overturn Roe v. Wade, many abortion rights supporters believed their movement faced an existential crisis.

This year, states have enacted 106 abortion restrictions, the most passed since Roe was decided in 1973, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a liberal research group.

Of the 15 states where Democrats control both state legislative chambers and the governor’s office, Virginia, Colorado, New Mexico and New Jersey are the only ones that have not enshrined a woman’s right to an abortion into law. Other states, like California and New York, have gone even further, positioning themselves as refuges for women barred from seeking abortions elsewhere.

In Virginia, Saslaw’s position has angered Democratic state delegates, who during a Sunday night conference call pressed Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn to push to bring both chambers back into session.

Filler-Corn told them that she would happily bring them back to Richmond but that Saslaw was strident in his opposition, according to several delegates who participated in the call. Filler-Corn, in a statement issued by her spokesperson, said there was “no consensus” among House Democrats about convening before Youngkin’s inauguration.

Kathleen Murphy, a Democratic delegate from McLean, predicted that women would become outraged next year if Youngkin moved to restrict abortion access.

“This can be taken away from all of us, from all women, just because the Senate has made it clear that they will not come back to deal with the issue in a timely way,” she said.

Democrats have less than a month left controlling Virginia before Republicans take over the House of Delegates and the governor’s mansion. With the clock ticking, many in the party want to seize what they see as a fleeting opportunity: protecting abortion rights by codifying them into state law.

Democrats have less than a month left controlling Virginia before Republicans take over the House of Delegates and the governor’s mansion. With the clock ticking, many in the party want to seize what they see as a fleeting opportunity: protecting abortion rights by codifying them into state law. But Democratic leaders in the state Senate have dismissed the idea — and not on policy grounds or over concerns about political messaging. Several of the chamber’s members don’t want to change their vacation plans. One senator is traveling in Africa. Others are in Europe. And the majority leader is headed to Hawaii. “They’re not going to be able to get back; flights are booked this time of year,” the majority leader, Richard L. Saslaw, said from California, where he was en route to the Aloha State. The state’s General Assembly does not allow proxy or remote voting, and Democrats’ paper-thin majority in the state Senate requires all members to be present to pass contentious legislation. “We discussed it,” Saslaw said. “There are too many people out of town.” As abortion rights stand on a national precipice, with the Supreme Court likely to roll back or overturn Roe v. Wade next year, Democrats have issued dire warnings about the potential consequences, which could include at least 22 states moving swiftly to ban or severely restrict abortion access. The party’s options are limited at the federal and state levels, but many of its lawmakers have vowed to do whatever they can to protect the right to an abortion. Yet as the intraparty dispute in Virginia shows, the party’s leaders are often wary about confronting the issue head-on. Congressional Democrats have been unable to pass legislative proposals to protect abortion federally, and President Joe Biden has yet to utter the word “abortion” publicly. Many lawmakers in the party, as they continue to grapple with the pandemic and economic uncertainty, seem unwilling to prioritize abortion rights to the degree that some Democrats believe is necessary given the threats from the Supreme Court and conservative state legislatures. In Virginia, where Gov. Ralph Northam has long been a champion of abortion rights, Democrats’ 21-19 majority in the state Senate includes moderates and one member who opposes abortion rights. But beyond abortion politics, there is a split in Richmond between younger and more activist Democrats in the state House, and Senate Democrats who adhere more to the old “Virginia way” of doing state business. They are less willing to embrace extraordinary measures that go beyond the state’s regular legislative sessions, which are held only at the beginning of each year and are finished for 2021. Sally Hudson, a Democratic delegate from Charlottesville, said she worried that the administration of Gov.-elect Glenn Youngkin, a Republican, would roll back expansions of reproductive health care access, like the abortion pills that became available by mail in the state in October. “We’ve got two years to do our job each term, and I don’t know why we wouldn’t use all the time to do our jobs during that term,” Hudson said. “If not for Roe, for what?” Abortion rights activists say the situations in Virginia and Washington underscore a lack of true commitment from Democrats, who have spent years campaigning on preserving the constitutional right to an abortion. “The Democratic Party is clueless right now about the abortion access crisis, and it’s really dispiriting to see them trumpeting the same old rallying cries,” said Erin Matson, a founder of Reproaction, an abortion rights advocacy group. Democrats in the Virginia Senate argue that it would be impossible to call the chamber back to Richmond in the next month, and that even if they did, there was no guarantee that the party would have enough votes. “You’re in the holiday season — some people are making plans of being away,” said Creigh Deeds, a Democratic state senator from Bath County. “What’s your reality of getting people to Richmond, and what’s realistic to pass that we haven’t already passed?” It is an echo of Democrats’ rationale in Congress, where their proposals stand little chance of becoming law under the Senate’s current legislative rules, which require 60 votes to proceed. A liberal group of senators trying to change those procedures to enact voting rights legislation has been thwarted by a few centrist Democrats. In Virginia, Democrats considered taking action in November as they reeled from their electoral losses but decided against it. Then a series of Supreme Court rulings and hearings on abortion rights heightened the urgency for Democrats, with Republicans set to take the House majority Jan. 12. Youngkin will be inaugurated as governor three days later. Tarina Keene, the executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia, an abortion rights group, said she had first proposed a postelection legislative session to address abortion rights in the two days immediately after the November election, when Democrats were stunned by Republicans’ victories in the state. Keene said part of her argument to Virginia Democrats was that Republicans in other states, facing the imminent loss of statehouse control, had used lame-duck sessions to cement an advantage for themselves before Democrats took office. “We definitely mentioned to folks that they would do that to us,” Keene said. “We’ve seen in it North Carolina and in Wisconsin,” she said. “Those are two very recent examples of what they’re willing to do to undermine the other side.” Katherine White, who runs Network NoVA, a collective of dozens of liberal organizations in the Washington suburbs, has begun a campaign to pressure Virginia’s Democratic senators to return to Richmond. She said Democrats’ overconfidence that their candidate for governor, Terry McAuliffe, would win had left them unprepared for the question of protecting abortion rights. “There was no plan to go big and go bold, because they didn’t plan on losing,” she said. Since Virginia Democrats took control of Richmond in early 2020, they have fulfilled their promises to roll back Republican-enacted abortion restrictions. But they have left the door open for Youngkin to place administrative roadblocks in the way of abortion access. Youngkin downplayed his opposition to abortion rights in his general-election campaign. But in June, he was caught on an undercover video taken by a Democratic activist, saying he would go “on offense” if he won and Republicans took control of the House of Delegates. A Youngkin spokesperson said the governor-elect’s previous remarks on abortion spoke for themselves. Youngkin has said that changing abortion law is not on his “Day 1” agenda, but he also reiterated last month that he would support a ban on most abortions after 20 weeks. Still, despite the potential for changes to the state’s abortion laws, Saslaw dismissed the prospect of convening his chamber before the incoming governor’s inauguration. He said the possibility had been discarded in November by Democratic state senators — many of whom, including him, have campaigned on pledges to protect abortion rights. “They didn’t want to do it,” he said Wednesday. Even before the current Supreme Court cases from Mississippi and Texas that could weaken or overturn Roe v. Wade, many abortion rights supporters believed their movement faced an existential crisis. This year, states have enacted 106 abortion restrictions, the most passed since Roe was decided in 1973, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a liberal research group. Of the 15 states where Democrats control both state legislative chambers and the governor’s office, Virginia, Colorado, New Mexico and New Jersey are the only ones that have not enshrined a woman’s right to an abortion into law. Other states, like California and New York, have gone even further, positioning themselves as refuges for women barred from seeking abortions elsewhere. In Virginia, Saslaw’s position has angered Democratic state delegates, who during a Sunday night conference call pressed Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn to push to bring both chambers back into session. Filler-Corn told them that she would happily bring them back to Richmond but that Saslaw was strident in his opposition, according to several delegates who participated in the call. Filler-Corn, in a statement issued by her spokesperson, said there was “no consensus” among House Democrats about convening before Youngkin’s inauguration. Kathleen Murphy, a Democratic delegate from McLean, predicted that women would become outraged next year if Youngkin moved to restrict abortion access. “This can be taken away from all of us, from all women, just because the Senate has made it clear that they will not come back to deal with the issue in a timely way,” she said.

Protect abortion rights? Virginia Democrats’ vacation plans get in the way.

Now in a move that can further worsen the already strained tasks between the United States and China the United States has now interestingly decided to impose human rights-related sanctions on China for its alleged atrocities in the Xinjiang province.

The U.S imposes human rights sanctions

Hundreds of women in Pakistan's Gwadar district took to the streets as part of the Gwadar Ko Huqooq Do Tehreek (Movement for Gwadar's rights). The women demanded to end&nbsp;illegal fishing by trawlers and lifting trade restrictions&nbsp;with Iran.

The rally started at Al Johar Public School and concluded at Marine Drive. In what is being deemed as a "historic rally," Maulana Hidayatur Rehman Baloch, the leader of the movement said that every citizen of Gwadar had mobilised for their basic rights. He was quoted by The Dawn as saying, "The people of Gwadar have been deceived in the name of CPEC and Gwadar port while they have not benefited from it."

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Massive turnout of Baloch Women on the call of Maulana Hidayat ur Rehman Baloch to lodge protest against the cruelty of state and military in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gwadar?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Gwadar</a>. <a href="https://t.co/t1YUO4NGrZ">https://t.co/t1YUO4NGrZ</a>
— Muhammad Ibrahim Qazi (@miqazi) <a href="https://twitter.com/miqazi/status/1465288482885144580?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 29, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Thousands of women record historical protest in Port city of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gwadar?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Gwadar</a> for the basic amenities of life. The masses in Gwadar are on a sit-in for the last 15 days. <a href="https://t.co/3kQitWvnIC">pic.twitter.com/3kQitWvnIC</a>
— The Baloch News (@thebalochnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/thebalochnews/status/1465366774355005446?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 29, 2021</a></blockquote>
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He further highlighted that the drug mafia was running drugs and liquor business. This was being done with the involvement of the local administration. “If CPEC and Gwadar port are not for the prosperity of the local people, then they do not need to be here,” he added.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/kartarpur-gurudwara-photoshoot-row-pakistani-model-says-sorry-432902">Also read |&nbsp;Kartarpur Gurudwara photoshoot row: Pakistani model says 'sorry'</a>

In images and videos that have gone viral on social media, women could be seen holding posters and chanting slogans - "Gwadar ko haq do".&nbsp;

Activist Jibran Nasir tweeted a video where women in large numbers can be seen marching and shouting slogans. On his Twitter handle, he wrote, "All have the same demand: to provide the entire Makran area with basic amenities like potable and clean water."

The demonstrators, included female students, political workers and working women who came from areas including Turbat, Ormara, Jewani, Pasni. 
&nbsp;

Hundreds of women in Pakistan's Gwadar district took to the streets as part of the Gwadar Ko Huqooq Do Tehreek (Movement for Gwadar's rights). The women demanded to end illegal fishing by trawlers and lifting trade restrictions with Iran.

Hundreds of women in Pakistan's Gwadar district took to the streets as part of the Gwadar Ko Huqooq Do Tehreek (Movement for Gwadar's rights). The women demanded to end illegal fishing by trawlers and lifting trade restrictions with Iran. The rally started at Al Johar Public School and concluded at Marine Drive. In what is being deemed as a "historic rally," Maulana Hidayatur Rehman Baloch, the leader of the movement said that every citizen of Gwadar had mobilised for their basic rights. He was quoted by The Dawn as saying, "The people of Gwadar have been deceived in the name of CPEC and Gwadar port while they have not benefited from it." Massive turnout of Baloch Women on the call of Maulana Hidayat ur Rehman Baloch to lodge protest against the cruelty of state and military in #Gwadar. https://t.co/t1YUO4NGrZ — Muhammad Ibrahim Qazi (@miqazi) November 29, 2021 × Thousands of women record historical protest in Port city of #Gwadar for the basic amenities of life. The masses in Gwadar are on a sit-in for the last 15 days. pic.twitter.com/3kQitWvnIC — The Baloch News (@thebalochnews) November 29, 2021 × He further highlighted that the drug mafia was running drugs and liquor business. This was being done with the involvement of the local administration. “If CPEC and Gwadar port are not for the prosperity of the local people, then they do not need to be here,” he added. Also read | Kartarpur Gurudwara photoshoot row: Pakistani model says 'sorry' In images and videos that have gone viral on social media, women could be seen holding posters and chanting slogans - "Gwadar ko haq do". Activist Jibran Nasir tweeted a video where women in large numbers can be seen marching and shouting slogans. On his Twitter handle, he wrote, "All have the same demand: to provide the entire Makran area with basic amenities like potable and clean water." The demonstrators, included female students, political workers and working women who came from areas including Turbat, Ormara, Jewani, Pasni.

'Historic rally': Women in Pakistan's Gwadar demand basic rights

The International Criminal Court will investigate whether crimes against humanity were committed during&nbsp;Venezuela's clampdown on anti-government protests in 2017, President Nicolas Maduro and ICC prosecutor Karim Khan said Wednesday.

More than 100 people died as the security forces cracked down on the demonstrations sparked by the arrests of several opposition leaders and the supreme court's decision to dissolve the opposition-dominated National Assembly.

After a preliminary evaluation, Khan "has decided to move on to the next phase to seek the truth," said Maduro. "As a state, we respect his decision, although we do not share it."&nbsp;

"I ask everyone, as we enter this new phase, to give my office space to do its work," added Khan.

The move was hailed by opposition leader Juan Guaido, who has claimed since 2019 to be&nbsp;Venezuela's interim president, backed by around 60 countries.

Guaido said on Twitter that this move would enable the victims and their families to "claim the right to obtain justice that has been denied in&nbsp;Venezuela."

When the ICC opened the preliminary investigation in 2018, Khan's predecessor Fatou Bensouda said there was a "reasonable basis" to believe the government had committed crimes against humanity.

Maduro complained that the Venezuelan state was not given access to the documents and information evaluated during that phase.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/europe-once-again-at-epicentre-of-coronavirus-pandemic-who-426681">Also read |&nbsp;Europe once again at epicentre of coronavirus pandemic: WHO</a>

"We were blind in that stage," said the president.

During Khan's three-day visit, which began on Sunday, small groups of family members of the victims of the alleged rights abuses held street protests demanding an audience with Khan.

On Wednesday there was also a small protest outside the intelligence services headquarters in Caracas, where opposition figures are being held.

"I'm fully aware of the flaws that exist in&nbsp;Venezuela, the political division. We (the ICC) are not political, we are guided by the principles of legality and the rule of law," said Khan.

Khan and Maduro signed an agreement to collaborate on the next step of the investigation.

The ICC prosecutor praised the "constructive dialogue" he had following meetings with Maduro, Vice-President Delcy Rodriguez, Attorney General Tarek William Saab and representatives of the Supreme Court.

Since 2017, some 150 members of the police and military have been charged or sentenced for human rights violations, according to the public ministry.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/australia-36-year-old-man-charged-for-abduction-of-cleo-smith-426634">Also read |&nbsp;Australia: 36-year-old man charged for abduction of Cleo Smith</a>

The opposition claims those actions were taken merely to try to avoid an ICC investigation.

Rafael Uzcategui, a leader of the Provea human rights NGO, said the opening of an investigation showed that "there were crimes against humanity and ... they have so far not been properly investigated."

The ICC is also at the preliminary stage of another case involving&nbsp;Venezuela, brought by the government accusing the United States of crimes against humanity over its sanctions against the South American country's leaders.

The International Criminal Court will investigate whether crimes against humanity were committed during Venezuela's clampdown on anti-government protests in 2017, President Nicolas Maduro and ICC prosecutor Karim Khan said Wednesday.

The International Criminal Court will investigate whether crimes against humanity were committed during Venezuela's clampdown on anti-government protests in 2017, President Nicolas Maduro and ICC prosecutor Karim Khan said Wednesday. More than 100 people died as the security forces cracked down on the demonstrations sparked by the arrests of several opposition leaders and the supreme court's decision to dissolve the opposition-dominated National Assembly. After a preliminary evaluation, Khan "has decided to move on to the next phase to seek the truth," said Maduro. "As a state, we respect his decision, although we do not share it." "I ask everyone, as we enter this new phase, to give my office space to do its work," added Khan. The move was hailed by opposition leader Juan Guaido, who has claimed since 2019 to be Venezuela's interim president, backed by around 60 countries. Guaido said on Twitter that this move would enable the victims and their families to "claim the right to obtain justice that has been denied in Venezuela." When the ICC opened the preliminary investigation in 2018, Khan's predecessor Fatou Bensouda said there was a "reasonable basis" to believe the government had committed crimes against humanity. Maduro complained that the Venezuelan state was not given access to the documents and information evaluated during that phase. Also read | Europe once again at epicentre of coronavirus pandemic: WHO "We were blind in that stage," said the president. During Khan's three-day visit, which began on Sunday, small groups of family members of the victims of the alleged rights abuses held street protests demanding an audience with Khan. On Wednesday there was also a small protest outside the intelligence services headquarters in Caracas, where opposition figures are being held. "I'm fully aware of the flaws that exist in Venezuela, the political division. We (the ICC) are not political, we are guided by the principles of legality and the rule of law," said Khan. Khan and Maduro signed an agreement to collaborate on the next step of the investigation. The ICC prosecutor praised the "constructive dialogue" he had following meetings with Maduro, Vice-President Delcy Rodriguez, Attorney General Tarek William Saab and representatives of the Supreme Court. Since 2017, some 150 members of the police and military have been charged or sentenced for human rights violations, according to the public ministry. Also read | Australia: 36-year-old man charged for abduction of Cleo Smith The opposition claims those actions were taken merely to try to avoid an ICC investigation. Rafael Uzcategui, a leader of the Provea human rights NGO, said the opening of an investigation showed that "there were crimes against humanity and ... they have so far not been properly investigated." The ICC is also at the preliminary stage of another case involving Venezuela, brought by the government accusing the United States of crimes against humanity over its sanctions against the South American country's leaders.

ICC to probe possible Venezuela rights violations

In a pathbreaking move, one of the oldest sex worker organisation based in Toronto has become the first of its kind to get unionised in the country under the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE). &nbsp;

The group’s name is Maggie’s. Jassie Justice, an outreach worker at Maggie’s, who led union efforts, said “Unionising allows staff to tangibly address racism, transphobia, low wages, and too few working hours for staff.”

Watch:

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Although the union only represents Maggie’s staff, sex workers across Canada hope the move sparks a nationwide trend. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Sex workers say, unions make it possible for workers to force employers to give them paternity leave, paid time off and meaningful ways to address violations and abuses incurred on the job. Pay-docking can also be tackled through it.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/guinness-certifies-107-year-old-siblings-from-japan-as-worlds-oldest-twins-414652" hreflang="en">Guinness certifies 107-year-old siblings from Japan as world's oldest twins</a> &nbsp;

Across Canada, many strippers have to go through third-party agencies to get work at clubs, so they are subject to the ways they are treated by club management and by the agents coordinating their work. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/over-41-million-dementia-cases-globally-undiagnosed-claims-study-414671" hreflang="en">Over 41 million dementia cases globally undiagnosed, claims study</a>

When it comes to pay, agencies take a cut, and clubs use pay docking as a way to penalise strippers for being late or failing to hit targets. “It’s straight-up extortion,” one stripper said. &nbsp;

To make matters worse, there aren’t enough government guidelines protecting sex workers, including strippers.&nbsp;

In a pathbreaking move, one of the oldest sex worker organisation based in Toronto has become the first of its kind to get unionised in the country under the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE).

In a pathbreaking move, one of the oldest sex worker organisation based in Toronto has become the first of its kind to get unionised in the country under the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE). The group’s name is Maggie’s. Jassie Justice, an outreach worker at Maggie’s, who led union efforts, said “Unionising allows staff to tangibly address racism, transphobia, low wages, and too few working hours for staff.” Watch: × Although the union only represents Maggie’s staff, sex workers across Canada hope the move sparks a nationwide trend. Sex workers say, unions make it possible for workers to force employers to give them paternity leave, paid time off and meaningful ways to address violations and abuses incurred on the job. Pay-docking can also be tackled through it. Also Read: Guinness certifies 107-year-old siblings from Japan as world's oldest twins Across Canada, many strippers have to go through third-party agencies to get work at clubs, so they are subject to the ways they are treated by club management and by the agents coordinating their work. Also Read: Over 41 million dementia cases globally undiagnosed, claims study When it comes to pay, agencies take a cut, and clubs use pay docking as a way to penalise strippers for being late or failing to hit targets. “It’s straight-up extortion,” one stripper said. To make matters worse, there aren’t enough government guidelines protecting sex workers, including strippers.

In a first, sex worker group gets unionised in Canada

In defiance to Taliban’s repressive measures, Afghan women take to streets in Kabul to voice their concern. &nbsp;

Holding up messages calling for the participation of women in public life, over a dozen women staged a protest in Kabul on Sunday. They marched from what was once the ministry of women affairs to the city center. &nbsp;

The protest came after several restrictions were imposed on girls and women in the country. &nbsp;

Detailing the latest measures taken by the new rulers, the interim mayor of Afghanistan's capital on Sunday said, “Female employees in the Kabul city government have been told to stay home, with work only allowed for those who cannot be replaced by men.” &nbsp;&nbsp;

Watch:&nbsp;

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Earlier, some Afghan women activists under the banner of Movement of Change Party held a press conference. These activists deemed the current ongoing situation in the country as critical and historical. &nbsp;

They said that the nation wants a continuation of previous efforts with the hope to witness peace, justice, security and others. They also said that the change of government and that of a political structure should not undermine the need for people to enjoy their basic rights or face the denial of their rights of social service. &nbsp;

At the press conference, the women demanded the doors of schools and universities should immediately be opened to all girls and female students. They also sought a non-discriminative education system where all are eligible.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/unesco-calls-on-afghanistans-new-rulers-to-ensure-girls-schools-reopen-414201" hreflang="en">UNESCO calls on Afghanistan’s new rulers to ensure girls’ schools reopen</a> &nbsp;

They also expected the international community to stand with the Afghan women and that the international community' silence on the matter is worrisome. &nbsp;

Later speaking to WION, Ghazala Koofi, the lead organiser of press conference, stated that they would take to the streets if their due rights are not given. &nbsp;

These women also said that by denying their right to work and participate meaningfully in the social, political and economic sphere the incumbent government is going against Islamic principles. Freedom of religion, individual rights and liberties must be respected, said the women.&nbsp;

In defiance to Taliban’s repressive measures, Afghan women take to streets in Kabul to voice their concern. Holding up messages calling for the participation of women in public life, over a dozen women staged a protest in Kabul on Sunday.

In defiance to Taliban’s repressive measures, Afghan women take to streets in Kabul to voice their concern. Holding up messages calling for the participation of women in public life, over a dozen women staged a protest in Kabul on Sunday. They marched from what was once the ministry of women affairs to the city center. The protest came after several restrictions were imposed on girls and women in the country. Detailing the latest measures taken by the new rulers, the interim mayor of Afghanistan's capital on Sunday said, “Female employees in the Kabul city government have been told to stay home, with work only allowed for those who cannot be replaced by men.” Watch: × Earlier, some Afghan women activists under the banner of Movement of Change Party held a press conference. These activists deemed the current ongoing situation in the country as critical and historical. They said that the nation wants a continuation of previous efforts with the hope to witness peace, justice, security and others. They also said that the change of government and that of a political structure should not undermine the need for people to enjoy their basic rights or face the denial of their rights of social service. At the press conference, the women demanded the doors of schools and universities should immediately be opened to all girls and female students. They also sought a non-discriminative education system where all are eligible. Also Read: UNESCO calls on Afghanistan’s new rulers to ensure girls’ schools reopen They also expected the international community to stand with the Afghan women and that the international community' silence on the matter is worrisome. Later speaking to WION, Ghazala Koofi, the lead organiser of press conference, stated that they would take to the streets if their due rights are not given. These women also said that by denying their right to work and participate meaningfully in the social, political and economic sphere the incumbent government is going against Islamic principles. Freedom of religion, individual rights and liberties must be respected, said the women.

Afghan women take to streets in Kabul, vow to fight for rights

An ongoing protest led by a group of women activists against the Taliban demanding political and working rights turned violent on Saturday after the militia group reportedly lobbed tear gas on them when they were on their way to the Presidential Palace in Kabul.

Footage showing a brief confrontation between a Taliban guard and some of the women, went viral on social media where he could be purportedly saying to the protesting women to "Go away!" before chanting resumed.

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Look to the footage: 
 
What is happening with <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/women?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#women</a> marches in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Kabul?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Kabul</a>. 
 
It seems civilian and political protest are not allow any more. 
 
Taliban trying to stop women march which happening second day in row. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Afghanistan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Afghanistan</a> <a href="https://t.co/vqa8QONLOj">pic.twitter.com/vqa8QONLOj</a>
— Zaki Daryabi (@ZDaryabi) <a href="https://twitter.com/ZDaryabi/status/1434052243909644288?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 4, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Taliban violently dispersed protest held by Afghan women today in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Kabul?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Kabul</a> 
 
Women demanding their rights to work and education 
 
This woman was one of those who suffered injuries 
 
Taliban has banned many women from working outside their homes, girls from attending school/university. <a href="https://t.co/KU37Cguhi1">pic.twitter.com/KU37Cguhi1</a>
— Frud Bezhan فرود بيژن (@FrudBezhan) <a href="https://twitter.com/FrudBezhan/status/1434094084902248449?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 4, 2021</a></blockquote>
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A women was also injured during the agitation. In a video shared by a news reporter based in Afghanistan, the woman, identified as Rabia Sadat, was seen with a bleeding forehead.

According to the eyewitnesses, the Taliban opened gunshots to disperse the women and asked the journalists to leave the scene, reported The Khaama Press News Agency .

Saturday's protest was the fourth all-women protest held in Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover. Earlier protests were held in western Herat province and in the Afghan capital respectively. There have been widespread concerns among women about Taliban suppressing their political, working and education rights.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/women-protest-in-afghanistans-herat-over-right-to-education-work-410216">Women protest in Afghanistan's Herat over right to education, work</a>

Last month, Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid said women should not go to work for their own safety.

Mujahid said the guidance to stay at home would be temporary, and would allow the group to find ways to ensure that women are not "treated in a disrespectful way" or "God forbid, hurt." He admitted the measure was necessary because the Taliban's soldiers "keep changing and are not trained."

In early July, Taliban militants walked into the offices of Azizi Bank in the southern city of Kandahar and ordered nine women working there to leave, Reuters reported. The female bank tellers were told that male relatives would take their place.

(With inputs from agencies)

&nbsp;

An ongoing protest led by a group of women activists against the Taliban demanding political and working rights turned violent on Saturday after the militia group reportedly lobbed tear gas on them when they were on their way to the Presidential Palace in Kabul.

An ongoing protest led by a group of women activists against the Taliban demanding political and working rights turned violent on Saturday after the militia group reportedly lobbed tear gas on them when they were on their way to the Presidential Palace in Kabul. Footage showing a brief confrontation between a Taliban guard and some of the women, went viral on social media where he could be purportedly saying to the protesting women to "Go away!" before chanting resumed. Look to the footage: What is happening with #women marches in #Kabul. It seems civilian and political protest are not allow any more. Taliban trying to stop women march which happening second day in row. #Afghanistan pic.twitter.com/vqa8QONLOj — Zaki Daryabi (@ZDaryabi) September 4, 2021 × Taliban violently dispersed protest held by Afghan women today in #Kabul Women demanding their rights to work and education This woman was one of those who suffered injuries Taliban has banned many women from working outside their homes, girls from attending school/university. pic.twitter.com/KU37Cguhi1 — Frud Bezhan فرود بيژن (@FrudBezhan) September 4, 2021 × A women was also injured during the agitation. In a video shared by a news reporter based in Afghanistan, the woman, identified as Rabia Sadat, was seen with a bleeding forehead. According to the eyewitnesses, the Taliban opened gunshots to disperse the women and asked the journalists to leave the scene, reported The Khaama Press News Agency . Saturday's protest was the fourth all-women protest held in Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover. Earlier protests were held in western Herat province and in the Afghan capital respectively. There have been widespread concerns among women about Taliban suppressing their political, working and education rights. Also read | Women protest in Afghanistan's Herat over right to education, work Last month, Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid said women should not go to work for their own safety. Mujahid said the guidance to stay at home would be temporary, and would allow the group to find ways to ensure that women are not "treated in a disrespectful way" or "God forbid, hurt." He admitted the measure was necessary because the Taliban's soldiers "keep changing and are not trained." In early July, Taliban militants walked into the offices of Azizi Bank in the southern city of Kandahar and ordered nine women working there to leave, Reuters reported. The female bank tellers were told that male relatives would take their place. (With inputs from agencies)

Kabul women's protest demanding equal rights turn violent, Taliban resort to tear gas

Thousands of people are demonstrating in the United States capital and in several cities across the country to demand voting rights protection.

This comes amid a barrage of state-level legislation that might impose ballot restrictions.

Held on the anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr’s historic 1963 March on Washington, organisers of the “March On For Voting Rights” rally said that the efforts to curb voting access disproportionately affect people of colour.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/afghanistan-loud-explosion-heard-in-kabul-few-hours-after-bidens-warning-409224">Also read |&nbsp;Afghanistan: Loud explosion heard in Kabul few hours after Biden's warning</a>

In Washington, DC, protesters were seen holding “Black Lives Matter” flags and signs calling for federal legislation marched from McPherson Square towards the final meeting point at the National Mall, where King gave his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech 58 years ago.

Other marches were planned in Phoenix, Miami, Atlanta, and dozens of other US cities.

Thousands of people are demonstrating in the United States capital and in several cities across the country to demand voting rights protection. This comes amid a barrage of state-level legislation that might impose ballot restrictions.

Thousands of people are demonstrating in the United States capital and in several cities across the country to demand voting rights protection. This comes amid a barrage of state-level legislation that might impose ballot restrictions. Held on the anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr’s historic 1963 March on Washington, organisers of the “March On For Voting Rights” rally said that the efforts to curb voting access disproportionately affect people of colour. Also read | Afghanistan: Loud explosion heard in Kabul few hours after Biden's warning In Washington, DC, protesters were seen holding “Black Lives Matter” flags and signs calling for federal legislation marched from McPherson Square towards the final meeting point at the National Mall, where King gave his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech 58 years ago. Other marches were planned in Phoenix, Miami, Atlanta, and dozens of other US cities.

People march across US to demand voting rights protection

Restrictions on civic space in Venezuela remain a cause for concern, UN&nbsp;High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said on Monday. 
 
Bachelet's office said it documented 97 incidents of "stigmatisation, criminalisation and threats against dissenting voices, particularly towards civil society, media and members of the opposition" from June 2020 to May 2021. 
 
The vast majority of those incidents involved individuals criminally charged for "legitimate forms of civic engagement," Bachelet said. 
 
The arrest of three members of NGO FundaRedes was a 'worrying example'&nbsp;of this kind of criminalisation, she said. 
 
Javier Tarazona, the director of NGO FundaRedes, which has been the most active entity denouncing abuses and illicit activities by irregular Colombian armed groups in Venezuela, and two others were charged with instigation of hatred, treason and terrorism on Saturday. 
 
The report also raised concerns about conditions in detention centers, due process, and access to basic services, and called for vaccines to be available to all. 
 
"I call for all detained persons to be guaranteed access to adequate food, water, sanitation and sanitary care," said Bachelet. 
 
In response, Venezuela's foreign ministry released a statement on Twitter, saying "from a handful of alleged complaints of human rights violations, they made unverified accusations." 
 
It said the report is part of a "lie constructed to artificially feed a case before the International Criminal Court, with the political objective of destabilising the country's democratic institutions." 
 
The high commissioner did welcome some actions she saw as progress, including police and justice reforms, a downward trend in alleged deaths in protests and security operations, and some improvement in impunity, noting the conviction of a police officer who killed a protestor in 2017. 
 
She noted that Venezuela's top prosecutor had agreed to give her office access to case files of human rights violations. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

Restrictions on civic space in Venezuela remain a cause for concern, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said on Monday. Bachelet's office said it documented 97 incidents of "stigmatisation, criminalisation and threats against dissenting voices, particularly towards civil society, media and members of the opposition" from June 2020 to May 2021.

Restrictions on civic space in Venezuela remain a cause for concern, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said on Monday. Bachelet's office said it documented 97 incidents of "stigmatisation, criminalisation and threats against dissenting voices, particularly towards civil society, media and members of the opposition" from June 2020 to May 2021. The vast majority of those incidents involved individuals criminally charged for "legitimate forms of civic engagement," Bachelet said. The arrest of three members of NGO FundaRedes was a 'worrying example' of this kind of criminalisation, she said. Javier Tarazona, the director of NGO FundaRedes, which has been the most active entity denouncing abuses and illicit activities by irregular Colombian armed groups in Venezuela, and two others were charged with instigation of hatred, treason and terrorism on Saturday. The report also raised concerns about conditions in detention centers, due process, and access to basic services, and called for vaccines to be available to all. "I call for all detained persons to be guaranteed access to adequate food, water, sanitation and sanitary care," said Bachelet. In response, Venezuela's foreign ministry released a statement on Twitter, saying "from a handful of alleged complaints of human rights violations, they made unverified accusations." It said the report is part of a "lie constructed to artificially feed a case before the International Criminal Court, with the political objective of destabilising the country's democratic institutions." The high commissioner did welcome some actions she saw as progress, including police and justice reforms, a downward trend in alleged deaths in protests and security operations, and some improvement in impunity, noting the conviction of a police officer who killed a protestor in 2017. She noted that Venezuela's top prosecutor had agreed to give her office access to case files of human rights violations. (With inputs from agencies)

Restriction of civic space in Venezuela is worrying, says UN human rights chief

Three activists with Venezuelan rights group Fundaredes, which has lifted the lid on fighting near the border with Colombia, are facing criminal charges including "terrorism," their lawyer said Saturday.

Director Javier Tarazona and his colleagues Rafael Tarazona and Omar Garcia are accused of "treason, terrorism and incitement to hatred," lawyer Stefania Migliorini said in a video posted on social networks.

According to Fundaredes, the three were arrested Friday when they went to the public prosecutor's office in the northwestern city of Coro to file a complaint against "harassment and persecution" at the hands of police and intelligence agents.

They are now in preventive detention in Caracas, the group said.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/joe-biden-orders-investigation-into-ransomware-attack-that-targetted-1000-businesses-395642">Also Read |&nbsp;Joe Biden orders investigation into ransomware attack that targetted 1,000 businesses</a>

Fundaredes had alerted to the presence of Colombian dissident guerrillas on Venezuelan territory and criticized the response of the government, which it accused of harboring the fighters.

It reported on the fighting that broke out on March 21 before the government did. Clashes have since displaced thousands of civilians.

Venezuela does not name the armed groups it blames for the unrest, apart from calling them "terrorists" or linking them to drug trafficking or to Colombian President Ivan Duque.

However, security sources in Colombia say they are likely dissidents of the now-disbanded Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebel group, an analysis Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro has conceded was possible.

Bogota has long accused Venezuela of shielding members of the FARC and armed rebel group ELN on its soil -- a charge Maduro denies.

Some FARC fighters who refused to join Colombia's peace process have continued their struggle, while also mixing with and battling drug traffickers.

Venezuela and Colombia, which share a 2,200-kilometer (1,370 miles) border, severed diplomatic ties in January 2019, after Bogota recognized opposition leader Juan Guaido as the leader of Venezuela over Maduro following a disputed election.

Three activists with Venezuelan rights group Fundaredes, which has lifted the lid on fighting near the border with Colombia, are facing criminal charges including "terrorism," their lawyer said Saturday.

Three activists with Venezuelan rights group Fundaredes, which has lifted the lid on fighting near the border with Colombia, are facing criminal charges including "terrorism," their lawyer said Saturday. Director Javier Tarazona and his colleagues Rafael Tarazona and Omar Garcia are accused of "treason, terrorism and incitement to hatred," lawyer Stefania Migliorini said in a video posted on social networks. According to Fundaredes, the three were arrested Friday when they went to the public prosecutor's office in the northwestern city of Coro to file a complaint against "harassment and persecution" at the hands of police and intelligence agents. They are now in preventive detention in Caracas, the group said. Also Read | Joe Biden orders investigation into ransomware attack that targetted 1,000 businesses Fundaredes had alerted to the presence of Colombian dissident guerrillas on Venezuelan territory and criticized the response of the government, which it accused of harboring the fighters. It reported on the fighting that broke out on March 21 before the government did. Clashes have since displaced thousands of civilians. Venezuela does not name the armed groups it blames for the unrest, apart from calling them "terrorists" or linking them to drug trafficking or to Colombian President Ivan Duque. However, security sources in Colombia say they are likely dissidents of the now-disbanded Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebel group, an analysis Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro has conceded was possible. Bogota has long accused Venezuela of shielding members of the FARC and armed rebel group ELN on its soil -- a charge Maduro denies. Some FARC fighters who refused to join Colombia's peace process have continued their struggle, while also mixing with and battling drug traffickers. Venezuela and Colombia, which share a 2,200-kilometer (1,370 miles) border, severed diplomatic ties in January 2019, after Bogota recognized opposition leader Juan Guaido as the leader of Venezuela over Maduro following a disputed election.

Venezuela activists charged with terrorism: Rights group

Racism against people of African descent remains systemic in many parts of the world, the UN&nbsp;human rights chief said on Monday, calling for states to dismantle discrimination and prosecute law enforcement officials for unlawful killings. 
 
Michelle Bachelet, in a global report sparked by the murder of George Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis in May 2020, said that police use of racial profiling and excessive force is entrenched in much of North America, Europe and Latin America. 
 
Structural racism creates barriers to minorities' access to jobs, healthcare, housing, education and justice, she said. 
 
“I am calling on all states to stop denying, and start dismantling, racism; to end impunity and build trust; to listen to the voices of people of African descent; and to confront past legacies and deliver redress," she said in the report to the Human Rights Council. 
 
Bachelet welcomed a 'promising initiative' by US&nbsp;President Joe Biden in signing an executive order in January to address racial inequity across the United States. 
 
Her report cited 190 deaths of Africans and people of African descent worldwide at the hands of law enforcement officials who are 'rarely held accountable'. 
 
It selected seven 'emblematic cases', including that of Floyd. A judge sentenced former police officer Derek Chauvin on Friday to 22-1/2 years for his murder, video of which galvanised the national Black Lives Matter protest movement. 
 
Other victims include an Afro-Brazilian boy, 14, shot dead in an anti-drug police operation in Sao Paulo in May 2020 and a Frenchman of Malian origin, 24, who died in police custody in July 2016. 
 
"Racism and racial discrimination against Africans and people of African descent are often rooted in policies and practices grounded in the debasement of the status of individuals in society," the report said. 
 
The scourge is most prevalent in countries with a legacy of slavery, the transatlantic trade in enslaved Africans, or colonialism resulting in large communities of people of African descent, it added. 
 
"Systemic racism needs a systemic response," Bachelet said. "There is today a momentous opportunity to achieve a turning point for racial equality and justice."

Racism against people of African descent remains systemic in many parts of the world, the UN human rights chief said on Monday, calling for states to dismantle discrimination and prosecute law enforcement officials for unlawful killings.

Racism against people of African descent remains systemic in many parts of the world, the UN human rights chief said on Monday, calling for states to dismantle discrimination and prosecute law enforcement officials for unlawful killings. Michelle Bachelet, in a global report sparked by the murder of George Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis in May 2020, said that police use of racial profiling and excessive force is entrenched in much of North America, Europe and Latin America. Structural racism creates barriers to minorities' access to jobs, healthcare, housing, education and justice, she said. “I am calling on all states to stop denying, and start dismantling, racism; to end impunity and build trust; to listen to the voices of people of African descent; and to confront past legacies and deliver redress," she said in the report to the Human Rights Council. Bachelet welcomed a 'promising initiative' by US President Joe Biden in signing an executive order in January to address racial inequity across the United States. Her report cited 190 deaths of Africans and people of African descent worldwide at the hands of law enforcement officials who are 'rarely held accountable'. It selected seven 'emblematic cases', including that of Floyd. A judge sentenced former police officer Derek Chauvin on Friday to 22-1/2 years for his murder, video of which galvanised the national Black Lives Matter protest movement. Other victims include an Afro-Brazilian boy, 14, shot dead in an anti-drug police operation in Sao Paulo in May 2020 and a Frenchman of Malian origin, 24, who died in police custody in July 2016. "Racism and racial discrimination against Africans and people of African descent are often rooted in policies and practices grounded in the debasement of the status of individuals in society," the report said. The scourge is most prevalent in countries with a legacy of slavery, the transatlantic trade in enslaved Africans, or colonialism resulting in large communities of people of African descent, it added. "Systemic racism needs a systemic response," Bachelet said. "There is today a momentous opportunity to achieve a turning point for racial equality and justice."

UN rights chief calls for 'systemic racism' to be dismantled

The trial of Myanmar's ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi was set to start on Monday, as the junta that overthrew her elected government rejected criticism by the UN&nbsp;High Commissioner for Human Rights over its use of deadly force against protesters. 
 
Myanmar has been in turmoil since the junta seized power on February&nbsp;1 and detained Suu Kyi and other senior members of her party, unleashing daily protests and fighting between the armed forces and ethnic minority guerrilla forces and militias. 
 
Suu Kyi, 75, is due to face trial on Monday on charges of breaching coronavirus regulations while campaigning for the election she won last November and also for possession of unlicensed walkie-talkies. 
 
The first trial is expected to run until the end of July, her lawyer said. 
 
Nobel laureate Suu Kyi also faces other more serious charges including intent to incite, breaching the official secrets act and charges for accepting $600,000 and 11.4 kg worth of gold from Yangon's former chief minister. 
 
Her legal team have denied any wrong doing by Suu Kyi and her chief lawyer Khin Maung Zaw called the most recent corruption charges 'absurd'. 
 
Phil Robertson, Deputy Asia Director, Human Rights Watch, said in a statement the charges Suu Kyi faced 'are bogus, and politically motivated' and 'should be dropped, resulting in her immediate and unconditional release'.

Pro-democracy supporters took to the streets of the main city of Yangon on Monday, some chanting 'revolutionary war, we participate', according to social media posts. 
 
Some activists said they planned to stage a series of strikes and protests on Monday to coincide with the birthday of Che Guevara, a Latin American revolutionary, who became an international icon after his death.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said on Friday that violence was intensifying and condemned the army's 'outrageous' use of heavy weapons. 
 
Bachelet said the junta had shown no willingness to implement a five-point consensus it agreed with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in April to halt violence and start dialogue with its opponents. 
 
In a press release, Myanmar's junta-led ministry of foreign affairs rejected Bachelet's statement, questioning the accuracy and impartiality of the report. 
 
"The report neither mentioned nor condemned the acts of sabotage and terrorism committed by the unlawful associations and terrorist groups as well as the sufferings and deaths of the security forces," it said. 
 
The junta has branded a rival National Unity Government set up by supporters of Suu Kyi as a terrorist group and blamed it for bombings, arson and killings.

(With inputs from agencies)

The trial of Myanmar's ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi was set to start on Monday, as the junta that overthrew her elected government rejected criticism by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights over its use of deadly force against protesters.

The trial of Myanmar's ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi was set to start on Monday, as the junta that overthrew her elected government rejected criticism by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights over its use of deadly force against protesters. Myanmar has been in turmoil since the junta seized power on February 1 and detained Suu Kyi and other senior members of her party, unleashing daily protests and fighting between the armed forces and ethnic minority guerrilla forces and militias. Suu Kyi, 75, is due to face trial on Monday on charges of breaching coronavirus regulations while campaigning for the election she won last November and also for possession of unlicensed walkie-talkies. The first trial is expected to run until the end of July, her lawyer said. Nobel laureate Suu Kyi also faces other more serious charges including intent to incite, breaching the official secrets act and charges for accepting $600,000 and 11.4 kg worth of gold from Yangon's former chief minister. Her legal team have denied any wrong doing by Suu Kyi and her chief lawyer Khin Maung Zaw called the most recent corruption charges 'absurd'. Phil Robertson, Deputy Asia Director, Human Rights Watch, said in a statement the charges Suu Kyi faced 'are bogus, and politically motivated' and 'should be dropped, resulting in her immediate and unconditional release'. Pro-democracy supporters took to the streets of the main city of Yangon on Monday, some chanting 'revolutionary war, we participate', according to social media posts. Some activists said they planned to stage a series of strikes and protests on Monday to coincide with the birthday of Che Guevara, a Latin American revolutionary, who became an international icon after his death. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said on Friday that violence was intensifying and condemned the army's 'outrageous' use of heavy weapons. Bachelet said the junta had shown no willingness to implement a five-point consensus it agreed with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in April to halt violence and start dialogue with its opponents. In a press release, Myanmar's junta-led ministry of foreign affairs rejected Bachelet's statement, questioning the accuracy and impartiality of the report. "The report neither mentioned nor condemned the acts of sabotage and terrorism committed by the unlawful associations and terrorist groups as well as the sufferings and deaths of the security forces," it said. The junta has branded a rival National Unity Government set up by supporters of Suu Kyi as a terrorist group and blamed it for bombings, arson and killings. (With inputs from agencies)

Suu Kyi's trial set to start in Myanmar, junta rejects UN rights chief's statement

The United Nations human rights office said on Tuesday it fears that the military clampdown on protests in Myanmar since the February 1 coup risks escalating into a civil conflict like that seen in Syria and appealed for a halt to the 'slaughter'.&nbsp;

UN High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet said in a statement 3,080 had been detained and there are reports that 23 people have been sentenced to death following secret trials.&nbsp;

"I fear the situation in Myanmar is heading towards a full-blown conflict. States must not allow the deadly mistakes of the past in Syria and elsewhere to be repeated," Bachelet said.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, opponents of military rule in Myanmar cancelled traditional new year festivities on Tuesday and instead showed their anger with the generals who seized power through low-key displays of defiance and small protests across the country.&nbsp;

A Myanmar activist group, the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, says the security forces have killed 710 protesters since the ouster of an elected government led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.&nbsp;

Protesters were out again on the first day of the five-day New Year holiday, known as Thingyan, which is usually celebrated with prayers, ritual cleaning of Buddha images in temples and high-spirited water-dousing on the streets.&nbsp;

"We do not celebrate Myanmar Thingyan this year since over 700 of our innocent brave souls have been killed," said one Twitter user named Shwe Ei.&nbsp;

Women wearing fine clothes for the most important holiday of the year protested in several towns holding traditional pots containing seven flowers and sprigs that are displayed at this time, media pictures showed.&nbsp;

Many people painted the protesters' three-finger salute on their Thingyan pots.&nbsp;

"People's power, our power," women marching on a street in the main city of Yangon chanted as passersby clapped, video posted by the Myanmar Now media group showed.&nbsp;

In some places, people set out dozens of Thingyan pots daubed with messages such as 'Save Myanmar' in silent shows of opposition to the military.&nbsp;

There were no immediate reports of violence at any of the protests but information has become scarce because of the junta's curbs on broadband internet and mobile data services.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

The United Nations human rights office said on Tuesday it fears that the military clampdown on protests in Myanmar since the February 1 coup risks escalating into a civil conflict like that seen in Syria and appealed for a halt to the 'slaughter'.

The United Nations human rights office said on Tuesday it fears that the military clampdown on protests in Myanmar since the February 1 coup risks escalating into a civil conflict like that seen in Syria and appealed for a halt to the 'slaughter'. UN High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet said in a statement 3,080 had been detained and there are reports that 23 people have been sentenced to death following secret trials. "I fear the situation in Myanmar is heading towards a full-blown conflict. States must not allow the deadly mistakes of the past in Syria and elsewhere to be repeated," Bachelet said. Meanwhile, opponents of military rule in Myanmar cancelled traditional new year festivities on Tuesday and instead showed their anger with the generals who seized power through low-key displays of defiance and small protests across the country. A Myanmar activist group, the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, says the security forces have killed 710 protesters since the ouster of an elected government led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. Protesters were out again on the first day of the five-day New Year holiday, known as Thingyan, which is usually celebrated with prayers, ritual cleaning of Buddha images in temples and high-spirited water-dousing on the streets. "We do not celebrate Myanmar Thingyan this year since over 700 of our innocent brave souls have been killed," said one Twitter user named Shwe Ei. Women wearing fine clothes for the most important holiday of the year protested in several towns holding traditional pots containing seven flowers and sprigs that are displayed at this time, media pictures showed. Many people painted the protesters' three-finger salute on their Thingyan pots. "People's power, our power," women marching on a street in the main city of Yangon chanted as passersby clapped, video posted by the Myanmar Now media group showed. In some places, people set out dozens of Thingyan pots daubed with messages such as 'Save Myanmar' in silent shows of opposition to the military. There were no immediate reports of violence at any of the protests but information has become scarce because of the junta's curbs on broadband internet and mobile data services. (With inputs from agencies)

UN rights chief sees Syria repeating in Myanmar, calls for halt to 'slaughter' 

The far-reaching voting rights measure that Democrats are pressing to enact, known as the For the People Act, was more a political statement than serious legislation when lawmakers first proposed it in 2019.

The bill, clocking in at 818 pages, includes a laundry list of Democratic priorities like expanded ballot access, tighter controls on political money and support for District of Columbia statehood. It had no chance of becoming law when Republicans controlled the Senate and the White House.

But with Democrats in power, the wish list has become a potentially historic law and the most pervasive overhaul of federal election rules in recent memory. Republicans have assailed it as a Democratic effort to rig the political system in their favor, even as some privately acknowledge that the bill’s broad aims are overwhelmingly popular, even among conservatives.

President Joe Biden and Democrats portray the bill as the civil rights imperative of modern times and call it essential to shoring up a shaky democracy. But many of them privately concede that some of its provisions, like restrictions on political money, have opponents in their own ranks.

Here is a summary of some of the central elements of the measure:

The bill would set a national floor for ballot access.

Should it become law, the legislation would effectively set a national floor on ballot access, requiring all federal elections to start with an identical set of rules. States and other federal jurisdictions could tweak them to provide more access, but not less. Some states like Colorado and Minnesota have rules that are more generous than what the bill mandates; others, like Texas and Tennessee, make it much harder to register and vote than the bill envisions.

Jurisdictions could ignore the rules for state and local elections, but as a practical matter, the new requirements would most likely apply to all voting.

Some Republicans charge that the bill would rig the voting rules in favor of Democrats. But Republican officials have been working for the past decade to restrict ballot access in ways that make it harder to vote for minority groups that traditionally favor Democrats.

Beyond the civic benefits of greater participation in elections, it is clear that expanding voting to more people would benefit both parties. Indeed, as Republicans have increasingly appealed to lower-income and less-educated voters, some experts say the restrictions that they have imposed may actually be cutting into turnout by the party’s loyalists.

Many Republican states have had one or more of the voting provisions for years with no indication that they disproportionately favor one party.

The measure would make it much easier to register to vote.

All voters would be able to register, designate party affiliations, change addresses and deregister online; 40 states and the District of Columbia offer some or all of those options. Voters would also be automatically registered when visiting state or federal agencies unless they explicitly decline, similar to what has been required of most states — but not always carried out — by the federal “motor-voter law” that passed in 1993. Voters could also register when they cast a ballot, either on Election Day or during early voting, as is already the case in 21 states.

Early voting would be expanded nationwide, with all jurisdictions offering it for 15 days, for 10 hours daily, at easily accessible polling places. All but a handful of states allow early voting; the average early-ballot period is 19 days, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. The bill would also require jurisdictions to provide at least one secure ballot drop box for every 20,000 voters.

Mail voting would be extended nationwide, and states would have to prepay postage and electronically track ballots so voters would know when their ballots arrived and whether they had mistakes that needed to be fixed.

It would defang many voting restrictions imposed by Republicans.

Republicans have won enactment of voter-ID laws in most states by arguing that they are needed to combat fraud, even though the sort of in-person fraud that such rules discourage is all but nonexistent. The bill would effectively nullify such laws, allowing voters to sign affidavits swearing to their identities rather than showing ID.

The measure would also require that voters be notified at least a week before an election if their polling places have changed and order steps to reduce long lines. Voting rights activists and specialists argue that turnout falls when polling locations are closed or changed.

The legislation also would try to beat back rules adopted by some states, including Texas and New Hampshire, that make it more difficult for college students to vote. It would designate universities as voter-registration agencies and offer nonpartisan assistance to students who cast absentee ballots.

Under the bill, states would be barred from taking voters off the rolls because they had not participated in recent elections, a practice that the Supreme Court upheld in 2018. Critics argue that the practice is aimed at reducing turnout.

It would also restore voting rights to felons who have completed their sentences, cementing into law a practice that states have increasingly adopted but some, such as Florida, have resisted.

Partisan gerrymandering would end.

Among other redistricting changes, the bill would mandate that political maps be drawn by nonpartisan commissions, not by state legislatures. If a legislature refused to approve a map, a three-judge federal panel would take over drafting.

A number of states have established such commissions in recent years, including Ohio and Colorado, but removing politics from political maps has proved difficult. Critics say Arizona’s Republican governor has stacked the selection process for that state’s commission, and the composition of Colorado’s new commission also has come under fire. The legislation lays out detailed instructions for choosing panel members.

Political contributions would be reined in.

The legislation would try to stop the flow of money to campaigns from abroad by requiring political committees to report foreign contacts, outlawing the use of shell companies to launder foreign contributions and barring foreigners from advising PACs on contributions and other political efforts. These moves and other requirements are direct responses to Russian efforts to support Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential campaign.

The most contentious provisions would pull back the veil over so-called dark political money, whose donors are secret, and regulate independent political expenditures — mostly spending that is not expressly coordinated with a candidate — by corporations.

Those provisions would counter the Supreme Court’s 2010 decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission that independent expenditures are a form of free speech protected by the Constitution. The ruling effectively allowed nonprofit groups to spend unlimited amounts of money — $750 million in 2020, according to the advocacy group OpenSecrets — to support or oppose candidates or causes while keeping donors anonymous.

Public corporations would require approval by boards of directors and shareholders for independent expenditures and some other political spending over $50,000.

The bill would also require nonprofit groups spending money on elections or judicial nominations to disclose the donor of any contribution over $10,000 and ban shifting money between groups to disguise a donor’s identity.

It would also address the growing use of political advertising on the internet, requiring for the first time that ads disclose their sponsors and that online companies keep a public list of political advertising buyers.

Finally, the measure would set up new funds to match small donations to Senate and presidential candidates. The money, raised through fines on corporate lawbreakers and tax cheats, would be available only to candidates who reject political donations of more than $1,000.

The far-reaching voting rights measure that Democrats are pressing to enact, known as the For the People Act, was more a political statement than serious legislation when lawmakers first proposed it in 2019.

The far-reaching voting rights measure that Democrats are pressing to enact, known as the For the People Act, was more a political statement than serious legislation when lawmakers first proposed it in 2019. The bill, clocking in at 818 pages, includes a laundry list of Democratic priorities like expanded ballot access, tighter controls on political money and support for District of Columbia statehood. It had no chance of becoming law when Republicans controlled the Senate and the White House. But with Democrats in power, the wish list has become a potentially historic law and the most pervasive overhaul of federal election rules in recent memory. Republicans have assailed it as a Democratic effort to rig the political system in their favor, even as some privately acknowledge that the bill’s broad aims are overwhelmingly popular, even among conservatives. President Joe Biden and Democrats portray the bill as the civil rights imperative of modern times and call it essential to shoring up a shaky democracy. But many of them privately concede that some of its provisions, like restrictions on political money, have opponents in their own ranks. Here is a summary of some of the central elements of the measure: The bill would set a national floor for ballot access. Should it become law, the legislation would effectively set a national floor on ballot access, requiring all federal elections to start with an identical set of rules. States and other federal jurisdictions could tweak them to provide more access, but not less. Some states like Colorado and Minnesota have rules that are more generous than what the bill mandates; others, like Texas and Tennessee, make it much harder to register and vote than the bill envisions. Jurisdictions could ignore the rules for state and local elections, but as a practical matter, the new requirements would most likely apply to all voting. Some Republicans charge that the bill would rig the voting rules in favor of Democrats. But Republican officials have been working for the past decade to restrict ballot access in ways that make it harder to vote for minority groups that traditionally favor Democrats. Beyond the civic benefits of greater participation in elections, it is clear that expanding voting to more people would benefit both parties. Indeed, as Republicans have increasingly appealed to lower-income and less-educated voters, some experts say the restrictions that they have imposed may actually be cutting into turnout by the party’s loyalists. Many Republican states have had one or more of the voting provisions for years with no indication that they disproportionately favor one party. The measure would make it much easier to register to vote. All voters would be able to register, designate party affiliations, change addresses and deregister online; 40 states and the District of Columbia offer some or all of those options. Voters would also be automatically registered when visiting state or federal agencies unless they explicitly decline, similar to what has been required of most states — but not always carried out — by the federal “motor-voter law” that passed in 1993. Voters could also register when they cast a ballot, either on Election Day or during early voting, as is already the case in 21 states. Early voting would be expanded nationwide, with all jurisdictions offering it for 15 days, for 10 hours daily, at easily accessible polling places. All but a handful of states allow early voting; the average early-ballot period is 19 days, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. The bill would also require jurisdictions to provide at least one secure ballot drop box for every 20,000 voters. Mail voting would be extended nationwide, and states would have to prepay postage and electronically track ballots so voters would know when their ballots arrived and whether they had mistakes that needed to be fixed. It would defang many voting restrictions imposed by Republicans. Republicans have won enactment of voter-ID laws in most states by arguing that they are needed to combat fraud, even though the sort of in-person fraud that such rules discourage is all but nonexistent. The bill would effectively nullify such laws, allowing voters to sign affidavits swearing to their identities rather than showing ID. The measure would also require that voters be notified at least a week before an election if their polling places have changed and order steps to reduce long lines. Voting rights activists and specialists argue that turnout falls when polling locations are closed or changed. The legislation also would try to beat back rules adopted by some states, including Texas and New Hampshire, that make it more difficult for college students to vote. It would designate universities as voter-registration agencies and offer nonpartisan assistance to students who cast absentee ballots. Under the bill, states would be barred from taking voters off the rolls because they had not participated in recent elections, a practice that the Supreme Court upheld in 2018. Critics argue that the practice is aimed at reducing turnout. It would also restore voting rights to felons who have completed their sentences, cementing into law a practice that states have increasingly adopted but some, such as Florida, have resisted. Partisan gerrymandering would end. Among other redistricting changes, the bill would mandate that political maps be drawn by nonpartisan commissions, not by state legislatures. If a legislature refused to approve a map, a three-judge federal panel would take over drafting. A number of states have established such commissions in recent years, including Ohio and Colorado, but removing politics from political maps has proved difficult. Critics say Arizona’s Republican governor has stacked the selection process for that state’s commission, and the composition of Colorado’s new commission also has come under fire. The legislation lays out detailed instructions for choosing panel members. Political contributions would be reined in. The legislation would try to stop the flow of money to campaigns from abroad by requiring political committees to report foreign contacts, outlawing the use of shell companies to launder foreign contributions and barring foreigners from advising PACs on contributions and other political efforts. These moves and other requirements are direct responses to Russian efforts to support Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential campaign. The most contentious provisions would pull back the veil over so-called dark political money, whose donors are secret, and regulate independent political expenditures — mostly spending that is not expressly coordinated with a candidate — by corporations. Those provisions would counter the Supreme Court’s 2010 decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission that independent expenditures are a form of free speech protected by the Constitution. The ruling effectively allowed nonprofit groups to spend unlimited amounts of money — $750 million in 2020, according to the advocacy group OpenSecrets — to support or oppose candidates or causes while keeping donors anonymous. Public corporations would require approval by boards of directors and shareholders for independent expenditures and some other political spending over $50,000. The bill would also require nonprofit groups spending money on elections or judicial nominations to disclose the donor of any contribution over $10,000 and ban shifting money between groups to disguise a donor’s identity. It would also address the growing use of political advertising on the internet, requiring for the first time that ads disclose their sponsors and that online companies keep a public list of political advertising buyers. Finally, the measure would set up new funds to match small donations to Senate and presidential candidates. The money, raised through fines on corporate lawbreakers and tax cheats, would be available only to candidates who reject political donations of more than $1,000.

Here’s how Democrats’ sweeping voting rights law would work

A student from&nbsp;Indonesia&nbsp;was identified as Britain's most prolific rapist on Monday after being convicted of more than 150 offences, including 136 rapes.

In four separate trials, Reynhard Sinaga, 36, was found guilty of assaulting 48 men whom he drugged after taking them back to his apartment from outside bars and clubs in the city of Manchester.

Many of the victims were lured by the offer of a place to sleep or more drink, and Sinaga filmed the assaults on his mobile phone, the Crown Prosecution Service said.

<img alt="Reynhard Sinaga" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="9b1d63d7-f1ac-444f-aacc-5faa6cf48e4c" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%281%29_41.jpg" />&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; 
Image:&nbsp;Reynhard Sinaga, 36, is seen in this undated handout photo released on January 6, 2020 | Reuters

At a court in Manchester, a judge ruled that Sinaga must serve at least 30 years in prison for 159 offences committed between&nbsp;January 2015 and May 2017, and lifted reporting restrictions.

Ian Rushton, a government prosecutor, described Sinaga as the "most prolific rapist in British legal history".

Sinaga, who has lived in the United Kingdom since 2007, targeted young men who looked drunk or vulnerable and rendered them unconscious with a sedative, probably the party drug gamma-hydroxybutyric acid that is known as GHB, the court was told.

The victims were mainly heterosexual and had little or no memory of the attacks. But Sinaga was arrested after one of his victims woke up during an attack, fought him off and went to the police with one of his phones.

<img alt="A combination of still images used in evidence in convicting Reynhard Sinaga, (L to R) CCTV image, alcohol bottles in Sinaga's flat, sleeping area in Sinaga's flat, are seen in this undated handout photo released on January 6, 2020" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d55bc08e-8e77-4ae2-a21b-ede5f0a440b9" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design_37.jpg" /> 
Image:&nbsp;A combination of still images used in evidence in convicting Reynhard Sinaga, (L to R) CCTV image, alcohol bottles in Sinaga's flat, sleeping area in Sinaga's flat, are seen in this undated handout photo released on January 6, 2020 | Reuters

Police discovered graphic material – equivalent to 250 DVDs or 300,000 photos – depicting sexual assaults on Sinaga's digital devices. Sinaga had said his victims were acting out sexual fantasies.

The court was told Sinaga kept men’s belongings as trophies and looked them up on Facebook.

The rape investigation is the largest in British legal history. It is the first time prosecutors have split charges across four separate trials.

Police said there could be many more victims and are appealing for others who may have been targeted to come forward.

A student from Indonesia was identified as Britain's most prolific rapist on Monday after being convicted of more than 150 offences, including 136 rapes. In four separate trials, Reynhard Sinaga, 36, was found guilty of assaulting 48 men whom he drugged after taking them back to his apartment from outside bars and clubs in the city of Manchester.

A student from Indonesia was identified as Britain's most prolific rapist on Monday after being convicted of more than 150 offences, including 136 rapes. In four separate trials, Reynhard Sinaga, 36, was found guilty of assaulting 48 men whom he drugged after taking them back to his apartment from outside bars and clubs in the city of Manchester. Many of the victims were lured by the offer of a place to sleep or more drink, and Sinaga filmed the assaults on his mobile phone, the Crown Prosecution Service said. Image: Reynhard Sinaga, 36, is seen in this undated handout photo released on January 6, 2020 | Reuters At a court in Manchester, a judge ruled that Sinaga must serve at least 30 years in prison for 159 offences committed between January 2015 and May 2017, and lifted reporting restrictions. Ian Rushton, a government prosecutor, described Sinaga as the "most prolific rapist in British legal history". Sinaga, who has lived in the United Kingdom since 2007, targeted young men who looked drunk or vulnerable and rendered them unconscious with a sedative, probably the party drug gamma-hydroxybutyric acid that is known as GHB, the court was told. The victims were mainly heterosexual and had little or no memory of the attacks. But Sinaga was arrested after one of his victims woke up during an attack, fought him off and went to the police with one of his phones. Image: A combination of still images used in evidence in convicting Reynhard Sinaga, (L to R) CCTV image, alcohol bottles in Sinaga's flat, sleeping area in Sinaga's flat, are seen in this undated handout photo released on January 6, 2020 | Reuters Police discovered graphic material – equivalent to 250 DVDs or 300,000 photos – depicting sexual assaults on Sinaga's digital devices. Sinaga had said his victims were acting out sexual fantasies. The court was told Sinaga kept men’s belongings as trophies and looked them up on Facebook. The rape investigation is the largest in British legal history. It is the first time prosecutors have split charges across four separate trials. Police said there could be many more victims and are appealing for others who may have been targeted to come forward.

United Kingdom's 'most prolific rapist' convicted of 150 offences

A&nbsp;former&nbsp;employee of Britain's&nbsp;consulate&nbsp;in Hong Kong said Wednesday that&nbsp;Chinese&nbsp;secret&nbsp;police&nbsp;tortured&nbsp;and interrogated&nbsp;him&nbsp;about London's role in protests in the semi-autonomous city.

Simon Cheng, a Hong Kong citizen, claimed he was shackled to a steel "tiger chair", hung spread-eagled on a "steep X-Cross" and beaten while he was detained for 15 days in August.

British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said Cheng's allegations are credible and that the treatment "amounts to&nbsp;torture".

Raab told BBC radio that he summoned the&nbsp;Chinese&nbsp;ambassador to denounce the "disgraceful" and "outrageous behaviour from the authorities in China" which violate international law.

Cheng was placed in administrative detention after visiting the neighbouring southern&nbsp;Chinese&nbsp;city of Shenzhen in August.

He said in a statement on Facebook that he had taken a high-speed train to Hong Kong's West Kowloon station, where he was stopped by mainland&nbsp;police&nbsp;and sent back to Shenzhen.

Cheng said&nbsp;police&nbsp;tied&nbsp;him&nbsp;to a steel "tiger chair," accused&nbsp;him&nbsp;of being a British spy and forced to do "extreme strength exercise" for hours, beating&nbsp;him&nbsp;whenever he failed to complete it.

He was also shackled to an X-shaped frame that kept his hands aloft for "hours after hours," Cheng wrote.

"It felt extremely painful."

Cheng said he was asked if he knew anyone who worked for British intelligence agencies, what part he had played in protests and what he knew about mainland citizens who had joined the demonstrations.

China has repeatedly accused Washington and London of condoning violence in Hong Kong.

The&nbsp;former&nbsp;British colony was handed back to Beijing in 1997 under a 50-year agreement that gave Hong Kong special rights unseen on the mainland, including freedom of speech and an independent judiciary.

The protests started as&nbsp;a response to a now-scrapped extradition bill but has since expanded to include broader demands for democracy and investigations into&nbsp;police&nbsp;violence.

Chinese&nbsp;foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang on Wednesday said that Shenzhen&nbsp;police&nbsp;had "guaranteed" Cheng's "legitimate rights and interests in accordance with the law."

Geng said that he was unaware of any statements from London on Cheng's situation, but that China expressed "strong indignation at the recent series mistakes and deeds of the British side on the Hong Kong issue."

Police&nbsp;in Shenzhen declined to comment on Cheng's statement when contacted by AFP.

Cheng said he had monitored&nbsp;the protests&nbsp;as part of his work at the British&nbsp;consulate&nbsp;in Hong Kong, "in order to evaluate travel alerts" and whether British citizens were involved.

Outside of work, he supported the movement and had joined the protests.

The longest round of interrogations by a team of&nbsp;police&nbsp;officers lasted 48 hours with no break, Cheng said.

Police&nbsp;expected Cheng to confess that the "UK&nbsp;instigates the riots in Hong Kong by donating money, materials and equipment," and that he was&nbsp;paying the bail for mainlanders arrested by Hong Kong&nbsp;police&nbsp;using money from the&nbsp;UK&nbsp;government, Cheng said.

Shenzhen&nbsp;police&nbsp;had said in August that Cheng was detained for "violating the law of the People's Republic of China on public safety management."

The Global Times, a state-run tabloid, said cited&nbsp;police&nbsp;as saying that Cheng had been held for "soliciting prostitutes".

Cheng said he felt he had no choice but to make a filmed confession to "soliciting prostitution," a charge that he said was offered by&nbsp;police&nbsp;as an alternative to "indefinite criminal detention."

Cheng said he was asked during his detention by&nbsp;police&nbsp;to provide information on members of protest-related Telegram chat groups.&nbsp;

Police&nbsp;also wanted to know why protesters were becoming increasingly violent by late summer, and challenged Cheng's belief in democracy, calling&nbsp;him&nbsp;a traitor to China.

He said he had complied with some of their demands and drawn up an "organisational chart" of one Telegram group.

Cheng was asked if he had safeguarded the "Lennon Wall" in Hong Kong's Jordan neighbourhood, where protesters had put up messages and posters, and shown a photograph of the wall.

"That photo is not from my mobile phone, I suspect they have eyes and ears for gathering information in Hong Kong," Cheng wrote.

Cheng said has resigned from the British&nbsp;consulate&nbsp;and fled to an unnamed third place and intends to seek asylum.

"I won't give up the fight for human rights, peace, freedom and democracy for the rest of my life, no matter the danger, discrimination and retaliation I will face, and no matter how my reputation will be stained," he wrote.

A former employee of Britain's consulate in Hong Kong said Wednesday that Chinese secret police tortured and interrogated him about London's role in protests in the semi-autonomous city.

A former employee of Britain's consulate in Hong Kong said Wednesday that Chinese secret police tortured and interrogated him about London's role in protests in the semi-autonomous city. Simon Cheng, a Hong Kong citizen, claimed he was shackled to a steel "tiger chair", hung spread-eagled on a "steep X-Cross" and beaten while he was detained for 15 days in August. British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said Cheng's allegations are credible and that the treatment "amounts to torture". Raab told BBC radio that he summoned the Chinese ambassador to denounce the "disgraceful" and "outrageous behaviour from the authorities in China" which violate international law. Cheng was placed in administrative detention after visiting the neighbouring southern Chinese city of Shenzhen in August. He said in a statement on Facebook that he had taken a high-speed train to Hong Kong's West Kowloon station, where he was stopped by mainland police and sent back to Shenzhen. Cheng said police tied him to a steel "tiger chair," accused him of being a British spy and forced to do "extreme strength exercise" for hours, beating him whenever he failed to complete it. He was also shackled to an X-shaped frame that kept his hands aloft for "hours after hours," Cheng wrote. "It felt extremely painful." Cheng said he was asked if he knew anyone who worked for British intelligence agencies, what part he had played in protests and what he knew about mainland citizens who had joined the demonstrations. China has repeatedly accused Washington and London of condoning violence in Hong Kong. The former British colony was handed back to Beijing in 1997 under a 50-year agreement that gave Hong Kong special rights unseen on the mainland, including freedom of speech and an independent judiciary. The protests started as a response to a now-scrapped extradition bill but has since expanded to include broader demands for democracy and investigations into police violence. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang on Wednesday said that Shenzhen police had "guaranteed" Cheng's "legitimate rights and interests in accordance with the law." Geng said that he was unaware of any statements from London on Cheng's situation, but that China expressed "strong indignation at the recent series mistakes and deeds of the British side on the Hong Kong issue." Police in Shenzhen declined to comment on Cheng's statement when contacted by AFP. Cheng said he had monitored the protests as part of his work at the British consulate in Hong Kong, "in order to evaluate travel alerts" and whether British citizens were involved. Outside of work, he supported the movement and had joined the protests. The longest round of interrogations by a team of police officers lasted 48 hours with no break, Cheng said. Police expected Cheng to confess that the "UK instigates the riots in Hong Kong by donating money, materials and equipment," and that he was paying the bail for mainlanders arrested by Hong Kong police using money from the UK government, Cheng said. Shenzhen police had said in August that Cheng was detained for "violating the law of the People's Republic of China on public safety management." The Global Times, a state-run tabloid, said cited police as saying that Cheng had been held for "soliciting prostitutes". Cheng said he felt he had no choice but to make a filmed confession to "soliciting prostitution," a charge that he said was offered by police as an alternative to "indefinite criminal detention." Cheng said he was asked during his detention by police to provide information on members of protest-related Telegram chat groups. Police also wanted to know why protesters were becoming increasingly violent by late summer, and challenged Cheng's belief in democracy, calling him a traitor to China. He said he had complied with some of their demands and drawn up an "organisational chart" of one Telegram group. Cheng was asked if he had safeguarded the "Lennon Wall" in Hong Kong's Jordan neighbourhood, where protesters had put up messages and posters, and shown a photograph of the wall. "That photo is not from my mobile phone, I suspect they have eyes and ears for gathering information in Hong Kong," Cheng wrote. Cheng said has resigned from the British consulate and fled to an unnamed third place and intends to seek asylum. "I won't give up the fight for human rights, peace, freedom and democracy for the rest of my life, no matter the danger, discrimination and retaliation I will face, and no matter how my reputation will be stained," he wrote.

Former United Kingdom consulate worker says Chinese police tortured him

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-will-not-sit-back-if-hong-kong-demonstrations-get-uncontrollable-envoy-263010">China insisted Tuesday</a> it held the sole authority to rule on constitutional matters in Hong Kong, as it condemned a decision by the city's high court to overturn a ban on face masks worn by pro-democracy protesters.

The statement could further fan the flames in Hong Kong after months of violent protests over concerns that Beijing is chipping away at the autonomy of the financial hub.

The ban on face-covering came into force in October, when the city's unelected pro-Beijing leader invoked colonial-era legislation for the first time in more than 50 years.

The move was seen as a watershed legal moment for the city since its 1997 return by Britain to China, but has been largely symbolic.

The city's high court ruled on Monday that the government ban on face masks was unconstitutional. But Beijing said the judicial branch of the special administrative region had overreached.

Parliamentary spokesman Jian Tiewei said only the legislature had the right to rule on whether a law is in accordance with the Basic Law,&nbsp;the city's mini-constitution.

Watch: Hong Kong continues to be on the boil

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/hong-kong-continues-to-be-on-the-boil-universities-turned-into-the-fortress-262819/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"No other institution has the right to make judgements or decisions," Jian said, according to a state media report posted on the NPC's website.

He said <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-envoy-warns-us-uk-against-external-interference-in-hong-kong-262963">the ruling</a> had "severely weakened the governance" of Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam and the city government.

Jian also indicated that the legislature might take some form of action.

"We are considering the relevant opinions and suggestions put forward by some NPC deputies," he said, without elaborating.

Protests started in June as a peaceful condemnation of a now-shelved China extradition bill, but have morphed into a confrontational action to defend the city's unique freedoms from perceived encroachment by Beijing.

China has repeatedly warned that it would not allow the city to spiral into total chaos, fuelling concerns that Beijing might deploy troops or other security forces to quell the unrest.

"The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/chinese-defence-ministry-defends-deploying-soldiers-in-hong-kong-calls-it-most-pressing-task-262844">Hong Kong government</a> is trying very hard to put the situation under control," China's ambassador to Britain, Liu Xiaoming, said on Monday.

"But if the situation becomes uncontrollable, the central government would certainly not sit on our hands and watch. We have enough resolution and power to end the unrest."

But Beijing has so far backed Lam and the city's police force, which has faced off with protesters in increasingly violent clashes.

This week police laid siege at a university campus where protesters,&nbsp;some armed with bows and homemade catapults to fire bricks, were holed up.

Dozens of protesters dramatically escaped the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) late Monday by shimmying down ropes from a bridge to waiting motorbikes.

China insisted Tuesday it held the sole authority to rule on constitutional matters in Hong Kong, as it condemned a decision by the city's high court to overturn a ban on face masks worn by pro-democracy protesters.

China insisted Tuesday it held the sole authority to rule on constitutional matters in Hong Kong, as it condemned a decision by the city's high court to overturn a ban on face masks worn by pro-democracy protesters. The statement could further fan the flames in Hong Kong after months of violent protests over concerns that Beijing is chipping away at the autonomy of the financial hub. The ban on face-covering came into force in October, when the city's unelected pro-Beijing leader invoked colonial-era legislation for the first time in more than 50 years. The move was seen as a watershed legal moment for the city since its 1997 return by Britain to China, but has been largely symbolic. The city's high court ruled on Monday that the government ban on face masks was unconstitutional. But Beijing said the judicial branch of the special administrative region had overreached. Parliamentary spokesman Jian Tiewei said only the legislature had the right to rule on whether a law is in accordance with the Basic Law, the city's mini-constitution. Watch: Hong Kong continues to be on the boil "No other institution has the right to make judgements or decisions," Jian said, according to a state media report posted on the NPC's website. He said the ruling had "severely weakened the governance" of Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam and the city government. Jian also indicated that the legislature might take some form of action. "We are considering the relevant opinions and suggestions put forward by some NPC deputies," he said, without elaborating. Protests started in June as a peaceful condemnation of a now-shelved China extradition bill, but have morphed into a confrontational action to defend the city's unique freedoms from perceived encroachment by Beijing. China has repeatedly warned that it would not allow the city to spiral into total chaos, fuelling concerns that Beijing might deploy troops or other security forces to quell the unrest. "The Hong Kong government is trying very hard to put the situation under control," China's ambassador to Britain, Liu Xiaoming, said on Monday. "But if the situation becomes uncontrollable, the central government would certainly not sit on our hands and watch. We have enough resolution and power to end the unrest." But Beijing has so far backed Lam and the city's police force, which has faced off with protesters in increasingly violent clashes. This week police laid siege at a university campus where protesters, some armed with bows and homemade catapults to fire bricks, were holed up. Dozens of protesters dramatically escaped the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) late Monday by shimmying down ropes from a bridge to waiting motorbikes.

Hong Kong court overreached, only we can rule on constitution: China

Turkey is forcibly sending Syrian refugees to an area of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/military-police-have-arrived-in-syria-to-help-kurdish-forces-withdraw-russia-258163">Syria</a> near the border where it aims to set up a "safe zone" even though the conflict there has not ended, Amnesty International said in a report published on Friday.

Human Rights Watch said in a separate report Friday that authorities had arbitrarily detained and deported dozens of Syrians to northern Syria between January and September.

Turkey currently hosts some 3.6 million refugees who fled Syria's eight-year-long civil war. But, with Turkish public sentiment towards them souring, Ankara hopes to resettle up to two million in the planned safe zone in northeast Syria.

Ankara says more than 350,000 Syrian refugees have already voluntarily returned to their country.

In its report, Amnesty said refugees it had spoken to complained of being threatened or physically forced by Turkish police to sign documents stating that they were voluntarily returning to Syria.

"In reality, Turkey put the lives of Syrian refugees under serious danger by forcing them to return to a war zone," the British-based human rights group said.

Amnesty said it believed the number of forced returns in recent months to be in the hundreds, based on interviews it conducted between July and October but said it was able to confirm 20 cases.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/syrian-kurds-accuse-turkey-of-violations-russia-says-peace-plan-on-track-258059">Syrians who are deported</a> are generally told they are not registered or live outside the Turkish province in which they are registered, the report said, adding that people were also deported from provinces in which they had been registered.

Anna Shea, Amnesty's Researcher on Refugee and Migrant Rights, said Turkey deserved recognition for hosting so many Syrians over many years, "but it cannot use this generosity as an excuse to flout international and domestic law by deporting people to an active conflict zone." 
&nbsp;

Watch: Turkey-Kurds conflict: Kurdish commander supports German plan

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/turkey-kurds-conflict-kurdish-commander-supports-german-plan-258038/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

'False and imaginary'

&nbsp;

The Turkish foreign ministry said later on Friday that Turkey was fulfilling all of its responsibilities towards the refugees in accordance with international laws.

"The claims in the report about Syrians being forcibly sent back, threatened and mistreated are false and imaginary," said Hami Aksoy, the foreign ministry's spokesman.

"Our country is reiterating at every opportunity that the return of migrants needs to be done voluntarily and safely, and that this process must be carried out in line with international laws," Aksoy said in a statement.

A plan agreed between Turkey and Russia this week envisages Syrian Kurdish YPG fighters being removed from a 30 km&nbsp;strip of territory along the Turkish border and refugees being allowed to return there "in a safe and voluntary manner".

Addressing world leaders at the United Nations in September, President Tayyip Erdogan set out ambitious proposals to build dozens of new villages and towns in the planned safe zone.

Pro-government newspaper Yeni Safak said on Friday that life would "normalise" in the Syrian border towns of Tel Abyad and Ras Al Ain now that Turkey has taken control of the area.

It said Turkey would reconstruct the two towns ravaged by <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/sleeper-cells-abandoned-us-bases-russian-military-police-in-syrias-manbij-258076">years of war</a>, establish security forces and a judiciary there and work to bring economic stability to the region.

Aksoy said the international community needed to be more active in facilitating the safe return of refugees to the zone.

Turkey is forcibly sending Syrian refugees to an area of Syria near the border where it aims to set up a "safe zone" even though the conflict there has not ended, Amnesty International said in a report published on Friday.

Turkey is forcibly sending Syrian refugees to an area of Syria near the border where it aims to set up a "safe zone" even though the conflict there has not ended, Amnesty International said in a report published on Friday. Human Rights Watch said in a separate report Friday that authorities had arbitrarily detained and deported dozens of Syrians to northern Syria between January and September. Turkey currently hosts some 3.6 million refugees who fled Syria's eight-year-long civil war. But, with Turkish public sentiment towards them souring, Ankara hopes to resettle up to two million in the planned safe zone in northeast Syria. Ankara says more than 350,000 Syrian refugees have already voluntarily returned to their country. In its report, Amnesty said refugees it had spoken to complained of being threatened or physically forced by Turkish police to sign documents stating that they were voluntarily returning to Syria. "In reality, Turkey put the lives of Syrian refugees under serious danger by forcing them to return to a war zone," the British-based human rights group said. Amnesty said it believed the number of forced returns in recent months to be in the hundreds, based on interviews it conducted between July and October but said it was able to confirm 20 cases. Syrians who are deported are generally told they are not registered or live outside the Turkish province in which they are registered, the report said, adding that people were also deported from provinces in which they had been registered. Anna Shea, Amnesty's Researcher on Refugee and Migrant Rights, said Turkey deserved recognition for hosting so many Syrians over many years, "but it cannot use this generosity as an excuse to flout international and domestic law by deporting people to an active conflict zone." Watch: Turkey-Kurds conflict: Kurdish commander supports German plan 'False and imaginary' The Turkish foreign ministry said later on Friday that Turkey was fulfilling all of its responsibilities towards the refugees in accordance with international laws. "The claims in the report about Syrians being forcibly sent back, threatened and mistreated are false and imaginary," said Hami Aksoy, the foreign ministry's spokesman. "Our country is reiterating at every opportunity that the return of migrants needs to be done voluntarily and safely, and that this process must be carried out in line with international laws," Aksoy said in a statement. A plan agreed between Turkey and Russia this week envisages Syrian Kurdish YPG fighters being removed from a 30 km strip of territory along the Turkish border and refugees being allowed to return there "in a safe and voluntary manner". Addressing world leaders at the United Nations in September, President Tayyip Erdogan set out ambitious proposals to build dozens of new villages and towns in the planned safe zone. Pro-government newspaper Yeni Safak said on Friday that life would "normalise" in the Syrian border towns of Tel Abyad and Ras Al Ain now that Turkey has taken control of the area. It said Turkey would reconstruct the two towns ravaged by years of war, establish security forces and a judiciary there and work to bring economic stability to the region. Aksoy said the international community needed to be more active in facilitating the safe return of refugees to the zone.

Amnesty International says Turkey deporting Syrians to planned 'safe zone' region

The UN said Friday that it would send a team of investigators to Ecuador, following an invitation from the government, to investigate alleged violations committed during recent deadly protests.

The United Nations rights office said that three of its staff members would visit from October 20 through November 8 to look into allegations of abuses, including by state security forces.

The announcement came after President Lenin Moreno and indigenous leaders reached an agreement Sunday to end nearly two weeks of violent protests against austerity measures adopted to obtain a multi-billion-dollar loan from the IMF.

The demonstrations, which left eight people dead and some 1,300 injured, were sparked when Moreno scrapped fuel subsidies to obtain a $4.2 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund, causing prices to double.

"Our Office has received allegations of human rights violations committed by state security forces, as well as reports of crimes committed by third parties," UN rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani told reporters in Geneva.

She also voiced concern about reports of arrests, including of political actors and elected officials, in connection with the protests that erupted on October 3.

Shamdasani said the UN welcomed Ecuador’s willingness to engage with the rights office.&nbsp;

She said UN investigators would seek to meet with government officials, indigenous leaders, representatives of civil society, journalists and others to gather first-hand information on the violence.

The UN, she said, was calling "on the authorities to conduct a prompt, effective, transparent, independent, and impartial investigations into all human rights violations and abuses committed in the context of the protests."

The UN said Friday that it would send a team of investigators to Ecuador, following an invitation from the government, to investigate alleged violations committed during recent deadly protests.

The UN said Friday that it would send a team of investigators to Ecuador, following an invitation from the government, to investigate alleged violations committed during recent deadly protests. The United Nations rights office said that three of its staff members would visit from October 20 through November 8 to look into allegations of abuses, including by state security forces. The announcement came after President Lenin Moreno and indigenous leaders reached an agreement Sunday to end nearly two weeks of violent protests against austerity measures adopted to obtain a multi-billion-dollar loan from the IMF. The demonstrations, which left eight people dead and some 1,300 injured, were sparked when Moreno scrapped fuel subsidies to obtain a $4.2 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund, causing prices to double. "Our Office has received allegations of human rights violations committed by state security forces, as well as reports of crimes committed by third parties," UN rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani told reporters in Geneva. She also voiced concern about reports of arrests, including of political actors and elected officials, in connection with the protests that erupted on October 3. Shamdasani said the UN welcomed Ecuador’s willingness to engage with the rights office. She said UN investigators would seek to meet with government officials, indigenous leaders, representatives of civil society, journalists and others to gather first-hand information on the violence. The UN, she said, was calling "on the authorities to conduct a prompt, effective, transparent, independent, and impartial investigations into all human rights violations and abuses committed in the context of the protests."

UN to probe rights abuses in Ecuador after deadly protests

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/amnesty-urges-united-nation-probe-of-systematic-philippine-drug-war-killings-234069">Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte</a> is "seriously considering" cutting his nation's diplomatic ties with Iceland after it spearheaded a UN resolution to probe his <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/philippines-top-senator-chides-iceland-for-abortion-united-nation-drugs-war-probe-236074">deadly drug war</a>, the leader's spokesman said.

Duterte bristles at any Western condemnation of his signature campaign, which has killed thousands and critics say could amount to crimes against humanity.

The comments late Monday from presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo came in response to the UN Human Rights Council last week backing the Iceland-proposed resolution to review the killings.&nbsp;

"(Duterte) is seriously considering cutting diplomatic relations with Iceland," Panelo said in a statement.

"The adopted Iceland resolution is grotesquely one-sided, outrageously narrow, and maliciously partisan," he added.

Duterte launched the anti-drug crackdown in 2016, and since then police say they have killed over 5,300 drug suspects.&nbsp;

However, human rights groups say the true toll is four times that number.

The UN review comes in addition to a preliminary examination already launched by war crimes prosecutors from the International Criminal Court, which the Philippines left earlier this year.

Panelo attacked the UN resolution saying it "likewise demonstrates how the Western powers are scornful of our sovereign exercise of protecting our people".&nbsp;

Duterte's government frequently paints international criticism as a violation of sovereignty, but watchdogs counter by saying an impartial local review is nearly impossible while Duterte is in power.

Last week Amnesty International released a report alleging the killing is "systematic" and police face very little, if any, scrutiny over the nightly slayings.

Duterte has already publicly mocked Iceland over the UN vote.

"Iceland, what is Iceland's problem? Just ice. That's your problem. You have too much ice," Duterte said Friday.&nbsp;

"These idiots, they don't understand the social, economic, political problems of the Philippines."

While the Philippines and Iceland have diplomatic ties, they do not have embassies in each other's country, said the Filipino foreign minister.

Economic ties include Icelandic investment in geothermal energy in the Philippines and Filipinos working as office and factory workers and nurses in Iceland.

Philippine Foreign Minister Teodoro Locsin had said his nation could withdraw from the UN rights council over the vote but later said it would not do so.&nbsp;

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is "seriously considering" cutting his nation's diplomatic ties with Iceland after it spearheaded a UN resolution to probe his deadly drug war, the leader's spokesman said.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is "seriously considering" cutting his nation's diplomatic ties with Iceland after it spearheaded a UN resolution to probe his deadly drug war, the leader's spokesman said. Duterte bristles at any Western condemnation of his signature campaign, which has killed thousands and critics say could amount to crimes against humanity. The comments late Monday from presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo came in response to the UN Human Rights Council last week backing the Iceland-proposed resolution to review the killings. "(Duterte) is seriously considering cutting diplomatic relations with Iceland," Panelo said in a statement. "The adopted Iceland resolution is grotesquely one-sided, outrageously narrow, and maliciously partisan," he added. Duterte launched the anti-drug crackdown in 2016, and since then police say they have killed over 5,300 drug suspects. However, human rights groups say the true toll is four times that number. The UN review comes in addition to a preliminary examination already launched by war crimes prosecutors from the International Criminal Court, which the Philippines left earlier this year. Panelo attacked the UN resolution saying it "likewise demonstrates how the Western powers are scornful of our sovereign exercise of protecting our people". Duterte's government frequently paints international criticism as a violation of sovereignty, but watchdogs counter by saying an impartial local review is nearly impossible while Duterte is in power. Last week Amnesty International released a report alleging the killing is "systematic" and police face very little, if any, scrutiny over the nightly slayings. Duterte has already publicly mocked Iceland over the UN vote. "Iceland, what is Iceland's problem? Just ice. That's your problem. You have too much ice," Duterte said Friday. "These idiots, they don't understand the social, economic, political problems of the Philippines." While the Philippines and Iceland have diplomatic ties, they do not have embassies in each other's country, said the Filipino foreign minister. Economic ties include Icelandic investment in geothermal energy in the Philippines and Filipinos working as office and factory workers and nurses in Iceland. Philippine Foreign Minister Teodoro Locsin had said his nation could withdraw from the UN rights council over the vote but later said it would not do so.

Philippines' Rodrigo Duterte mulls cutting Iceland ties over United Nations probe

<a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.wionews.com/world/european-union-says-doubts-remain-over-dr-congo-election-result-191647&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=0ahUKEwiJw5rh6_7fAhXEsI8KHXjUBbgQFggFMAA&amp;client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;usg=AOvVaw1fkcT7sfCia_Q3VyY2QMf9">The EU</a> on Monday warned <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.wionews.com/world/nicaragua-expels-international-human-rights-missions-185454&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=0ahUKEwjd6-_z6_7fAhVKL48KHZDlC7cQFggFMAA&amp;client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;usg=AOvVaw2Lq_EJw85fVdRDGFom2STX">Nicaragua</a> it was ready to impose sanctions over the crisis-hit country's crackdown on media and civil society groups, saying fundamental rights were being abused.

The government of President Daniel Ortega has revoked human rights groups' permits, raided the offices of independent media and thrown out international inspection missions.

EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels condemned the moves, which follow a tough clampdown launched in response to street protests.

"Recent measures targeting civil society organisations and independent media constitute another blow to democracy, human rights and civic freedoms aggravating the political and social crisis," the 28 ministers said.

The recent actions by the Ortega government were creating an environment where basic rights such as freedom of expression and fair trials were under threat, they said.

"The EU will continue to monitor the situation closely and underlines its readiness to use all its policy instruments to contribute to a peaceful negotiated way out of the current crisis and react to further deterioration of human rights and rule of law," the statement said — paving the way for possible future sanctions.

Rights groups say that since anti-government protests began in Managua in April, more than 320 people have been killed in the crackdown, and 600 arrested, while thousands more have fled the country.

Last week a group of young protesters defied a government ban on demonstrations to take to the streets but were rapidly dispersed by police.

And on Friday, leading newspaper La Prensa ran a blank front page in protest at the government blocking deliveries of paper and ink. 
&nbsp;

The EU on Monday warned Nicaragua it was ready to impose sanctions over the crisis-hit country's crackdown on media and civil society groups, saying fundamental rights were being abused.

The EU on Monday warned Nicaragua it was ready to impose sanctions over the crisis-hit country's crackdown on media and civil society groups, saying fundamental rights were being abused. The government of President Daniel Ortega has revoked human rights groups' permits, raided the offices of independent media and thrown out international inspection missions. EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels condemned the moves, which follow a tough clampdown launched in response to street protests. "Recent measures targeting civil society organisations and independent media constitute another blow to democracy, human rights and civic freedoms aggravating the political and social crisis," the 28 ministers said. The recent actions by the Ortega government were creating an environment where basic rights such as freedom of expression and fair trials were under threat, they said. "The EU will continue to monitor the situation closely and underlines its readiness to use all its policy instruments to contribute to a peaceful negotiated way out of the current crisis and react to further deterioration of human rights and rule of law," the statement said — paving the way for possible future sanctions. Rights groups say that since anti-government protests began in Managua in April, more than 320 people have been killed in the crackdown, and 600 arrested, while thousands more have fled the country. Last week a group of young protesters defied a government ban on demonstrations to take to the streets but were rapidly dispersed by police. And on Friday, leading newspaper La Prensa ran a blank front page in protest at the government blocking deliveries of paper and ink.

European Union warns Nicaragua of sanctions over rights abuses

Pakistan Supreme Court Thursday ordered the federal government to promulgate a new law within a fortnight to grant more rights, including fundamental human rights, to the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/activists-urge-pakistan-to-end-illegal-occupation-of-pok-gilgit-baltistan-177997">people of Gilgit-Baltistan in PoK.</a>

A seven-judge bench headed by Justice Saqib Nisar issued a detailed order in response to several petitions filed against constitutional issues and previous reforms in the region.

The bench in the order wrote that the jurisdiction and power of the Supreme Court extend to Gilgit-Baltistan.

It further said that the region's courts did not have the constitutional power to deal with issues within Pakistan but the people from the region will be able to challenge their top court's decisions in the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

It also ordered that the people of the region should be given fundamental human rights as provided in the proposed constitutional order, which was made part of the detailed order.

Noting the international status of Kashmir, of which Gilgit-Baltistan is a part, the order said that "as and when the promised plebiscite is organized by the parties to the dispute, it will be up to the people of all of Jammu and Kashmir, and of Gilgit-Baltistan, to make their choice.

It also said until the plebiscite, "It is surely incumbent upon both India as well as Pakistan to ensure that the people of this region enjoy maximum rights for areas within each country's control".

However, it noted that until the plebiscite is held, a proper arrangement must be provided for by Pakistan for the people of Gilgit-Baltistan for purposes of governance within a framework of a constitutional nature, including most importantly the enjoyment of fundamental rights.

Pakistan Supreme Court Thursday ordered the federal government to promulgate a new law within a fortnight to grant more rights, including fundamental human rights, to the people of Gilgit-Baltistan in PoK.

Pakistan Supreme Court Thursday ordered the federal government to promulgate a new law within a fortnight to grant more rights, including fundamental human rights, to the people of Gilgit-Baltistan in PoK. A seven-judge bench headed by Justice Saqib Nisar issued a detailed order in response to several petitions filed against constitutional issues and previous reforms in the region. The bench in the order wrote that the jurisdiction and power of the Supreme Court extend to Gilgit-Baltistan. It further said that the region's courts did not have the constitutional power to deal with issues within Pakistan but the people from the region will be able to challenge their top court's decisions in the Supreme Court of Pakistan. It also ordered that the people of the region should be given fundamental human rights as provided in the proposed constitutional order, which was made part of the detailed order. Noting the international status of Kashmir, of which Gilgit-Baltistan is a part, the order said that "as and when the promised plebiscite is organized by the parties to the dispute, it will be up to the people of all of Jammu and Kashmir, and of Gilgit-Baltistan, to make their choice. It also said until the plebiscite, "It is surely incumbent upon both India as well as Pakistan to ensure that the people of this region enjoy maximum rights for areas within each country's control". However, it noted that until the plebiscite is held, a proper arrangement must be provided for by Pakistan for the people of Gilgit-Baltistan for purposes of governance within a framework of a constitutional nature, including most importantly the enjoyment of fundamental rights.

Pakistan Supreme Court orders govt to give more rights to people of Gilgit-Baltistan

The UN Human Rights Committee on Tuesday criticised France's so-called burqa ban, saying the law "violated" the rights of two women who were fined for wearing full-face veils in public.

The committee called for the women to be compensated and for a review of the 2010 law that forbids people from publicly wearing clothing that conceals their face.

"The French law disproportionately harmed the petitioners' right to manifest their religious beliefs," the committee said in a statement.

It added that it was not convinced by France's claim that the ban was necessary for security and social reasons.

The two French women were convicted in 2012 for wearing the niqab, a veil with an opening for the eyes.

"The ban, rather than protecting fully veiled women, could have the opposite effect of confining them to their homes, impeding their access to public services and marginalising them," the committee said.

The UN Human Rights Committee, made up of independent experts, ensures countries stick to their human rights commitments but it does not have enforcement powers.

It said the French ban was "too sweeping" but that governments could still make people show their faces in specific circumstances.

'Violated' human rights&nbsp;

The committee's decision reignites a debate that has raged in France for years over Muslim headwear and other religious clothing.

The debate has regularly pitted supporters of the country's secular constitution against those who argue for religious freedoms.

The 2010 law had strong public support when brought in under former president Nicolas Sarkozy. But many said it targeted the tiny minority of Muslim women in France who wear Islamic veils.

Condemned by critics for pandering to far-right voters but backed by many women rights activists, the law made France the first European country to ban garments that cover the face.

An estimated five million Muslims live in France and women who ignore the ban can be fined up to 150 euros ($170).

"The vast majority of cases where people have been stopped for checks and have been condemned to fines... have been women wearing the niqab," committee member Ilze Brands-Kehris told AFP.

"In the context of fewer than 2,000 women wearing the full-face veil in France... (the law has) a vast disproportionate effect on those women."

Other EU countries, including Denmark, Austria and Belgium, have also implemented similar full-face veil bans.

"France violated the human rights of two women by fining them for wearing the niqab," the committee said, adding that measures should be taken to prevent similar violations in future, including a review of the law.

France, which has ratified UN rights treaties, is "under obligation" to comply with the committee's recommendations and act in good faith, Brands-Kehris said.

'Oppression of women'&nbsp;

The committee's stance contrasts with a 2014 European Court of Human Rights ruling which upheld the French ban, rejecting claims that it breached religious freedom.

The court found that France was justified in introducing the ban in the interests of social cohesion as it was "not expressly based on the religious connotation of the clothing".

Explaining the committee's decision, Committee Chair Yuval Shany said a general criminal ban did not allow a "reasonable" balance between public interests and individual rights.

"The decisions are not directed against the notion of secularity, nor are they an endorsement of a custom which many on the committee, including myself, regard as a form of oppression of women," Shany said.

In August, the committee also criticised France over the 2008 sacking of a nursery worker who refused to remove her veil at work, arguing it interfered with her right to manifest her religion.

The so-called Baby Loup case, named after the nursery, had already faced multiple legal battles in the French courts.

Debate about the effectiveness of the "burqa ban" also made headlines earlier this month after it was revealed that French gangster Redoine Faid, who broke out of jail in July using a helicopter and was recaptured three months later, had at times worn a burqa as a disguise.

Police say Faid was caught after officers saw someone wearing a burqa but walking like a man.

The UN Human Rights Committee on Tuesday criticised France's so-called burqa ban, saying the law "violated" the rights of two women who were fined for wearing full-face veils in public.

The UN Human Rights Committee on Tuesday criticised France's so-called burqa ban, saying the law "violated" the rights of two women who were fined for wearing full-face veils in public. The committee called for the women to be compensated and for a review of the 2010 law that forbids people from publicly wearing clothing that conceals their face. "The French law disproportionately harmed the petitioners' right to manifest their religious beliefs," the committee said in a statement. It added that it was not convinced by France's claim that the ban was necessary for security and social reasons. The two French women were convicted in 2012 for wearing the niqab, a veil with an opening for the eyes. "The ban, rather than protecting fully veiled women, could have the opposite effect of confining them to their homes, impeding their access to public services and marginalising them," the committee said. The UN Human Rights Committee, made up of independent experts, ensures countries stick to their human rights commitments but it does not have enforcement powers. It said the French ban was "too sweeping" but that governments could still make people show their faces in specific circumstances. 'Violated' human rights The committee's decision reignites a debate that has raged in France for years over Muslim headwear and other religious clothing. The debate has regularly pitted supporters of the country's secular constitution against those who argue for religious freedoms. The 2010 law had strong public support when brought in under former president Nicolas Sarkozy. But many said it targeted the tiny minority of Muslim women in France who wear Islamic veils. Condemned by critics for pandering to far-right voters but backed by many women rights activists, the law made France the first European country to ban garments that cover the face. An estimated five million Muslims live in France and women who ignore the ban can be fined up to 150 euros ($170). "The vast majority of cases where people have been stopped for checks and have been condemned to fines... have been women wearing the niqab," committee member Ilze Brands-Kehris told AFP. "In the context of fewer than 2,000 women wearing the full-face veil in France... (the law has) a vast disproportionate effect on those women." Other EU countries, including Denmark, Austria and Belgium, have also implemented similar full-face veil bans. "France violated the human rights of two women by fining them for wearing the niqab," the committee said, adding that measures should be taken to prevent similar violations in future, including a review of the law. France, which has ratified UN rights treaties, is "under obligation" to comply with the committee's recommendations and act in good faith, Brands-Kehris said. 'Oppression of women' The committee's stance contrasts with a 2014 European Court of Human Rights ruling which upheld the French ban, rejecting claims that it breached religious freedom. The court found that France was justified in introducing the ban in the interests of social cohesion as it was "not expressly based on the religious connotation of the clothing". Explaining the committee's decision, Committee Chair Yuval Shany said a general criminal ban did not allow a "reasonable" balance between public interests and individual rights. "The decisions are not directed against the notion of secularity, nor are they an endorsement of a custom which many on the committee, including myself, regard as a form of oppression of women," Shany said. In August, the committee also criticised France over the 2008 sacking of a nursery worker who refused to remove her veil at work, arguing it interfered with her right to manifest her religion. The so-called Baby Loup case, named after the nursery, had already faced multiple legal battles in the French courts. Debate about the effectiveness of the "burqa ban" also made headlines earlier this month after it was revealed that French gangster Redoine Faid, who broke out of jail in July using a helicopter and was recaptured three months later, had at times worn a burqa as a disguise. Police say Faid was caught after officers saw someone wearing a burqa but walking like a man.

UN Human Rights Committee slams French 'burqa ban' for 'violating' rights

Around 1,000 people marched through Hong Kong Sunday, led by some of the city&#39;s high-profile democracy campaigners including Joshua Wong, in what they billed an &quot;anti-authoritarian&quot; protest.

Activists say Hong Kong is at risk of losing its rights and liberties in the face of growing Chinese pressure on the semi-autonomous city.&nbsp;

The jailing of campaigners following court hearings, and fears that Hong Kong will introduce an anti-subversion law, are among the key concerns in the pro-democracy camp.

Wong, 21, was jailed in August over his role in the Umbrella Movement mass pro-democracy protests of 2014 and is on bail pending an appeal.

He will be sentenced on another protest-related charge Thursday, which could mean more jail time.&nbsp;

&quot;No one likes to serve a prison sentence, (but) if it can mobilise more people to care about justice and democracy in Hong Kong, I think it&#39;s valuable and I will pay this price,&quot; Wong told AFP.&nbsp;

Protesters carried placards reading: &quot;The Hong Kong spirit can never be imprisoned&quot; and &quot;Walk with the resisters, fight authoritarian rule&quot;.

Some held up caricatures of city leaders.

Others played a recording of China&#39;s national anthem and paraded a doll bearing the sign: &quot;When you hear the national anthem, don&#39;t eat. Stand up immediately.&quot; A new law introduced by Beijing against disrespecting the anthem will also be applied to Hong Kong.&nbsp;

The city was handed back to China by Britain in 1997 and is governed by a &quot;one country, two systems&quot; deal which grants it freedoms unseen on the mainland.

But with the emergence of a fledgling pro-independence movement, Beijing is pushing a tougher line on Hong Kong.&nbsp;

There are also concerns about a new express railway to the mainland, which will mean that parts of the train terminus come under Chinese jurisdiction.&nbsp;

Student Kelvin Muk, 20, said he had joined the march because he feared he may eventually lose the right to do so.&nbsp;

&quot;We are increasingly coming out to protest because we want to at least hold on to the last remaining freedoms we have,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

Activists say Hong Kong is at a risk of losing its rights and liberties in the face of growing Chinese pressure on the semi-autonomous city

Around 1,000 people marched through Hong Kong Sunday, led by some of the city's high-profile democracy campaigners including Joshua Wong, in what they billed an "anti-authoritarian" protest. Activists say Hong Kong is at risk of losing its rights and liberties in the face of growing Chinese pressure on the semi-autonomous city. The jailing of campaigners following court hearings, and fears that Hong Kong will introduce an anti-subversion law, are among the key concerns in the pro-democracy camp. Wong, 21, was jailed in August over his role in the Umbrella Movement mass pro-democracy protests of 2014 and is on bail pending an appeal. He will be sentenced on another protest-related charge Thursday, which could mean more jail time. "No one likes to serve a prison sentence, (but) if it can mobilise more people to care about justice and democracy in Hong Kong, I think it's valuable and I will pay this price," Wong told AFP. Protesters carried placards reading: "The Hong Kong spirit can never be imprisoned" and "Walk with the resisters, fight authoritarian rule". Some held up caricatures of city leaders. Others played a recording of China's national anthem and paraded a doll bearing the sign: "When you hear the national anthem, don't eat. Stand up immediately." A new law introduced by Beijing against disrespecting the anthem will also be applied to Hong Kong. The city was handed back to China by Britain in 1997 and is governed by a "one country, two systems" deal which grants it freedoms unseen on the mainland. But with the emergence of a fledgling pro-independence movement, Beijing is pushing a tougher line on Hong Kong. There are also concerns about a new express railway to the mainland, which will mean that parts of the train terminus come under Chinese jurisdiction. Student Kelvin Muk, 20, said he had joined the march because he feared he may eventually lose the right to do so. "We are increasingly coming out to protest because we want to at least hold on to the last remaining freedoms we have," he said.

'Anti-authoritarian' march in Hong Kong

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