Havana, Cuba | AFP | Cuba will leave out of its new constitution changes that would have paved the way for legal same-sex marriage, despite majority support in local assemblies, a government official said Tuesday. It was a surprising twist given public popular support shown nationwide — and earlier remarks …
Read More »Egypt court orders release of anti-sex abuse activist
Cairo, Egypt | AFP | An Egyptian court on Tuesday ordered the release of a rights activist jailed since May after she criticised sexual harassment in the country in a video posted online, her lawyer said. The decision to free Amal Fathi came as her husband Mohamed Lotfy, also a …
Read More »Kadaga roots for women rights in Ghana
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, has yet again taken to the international scene the fight for equal representation of women in leadership. Kadaga told legislators and key leaders in Ghana that states can increase participation of women in leadership and power through legislation and …
Read More »Nigeria’s presidency ‘concerned’ by Amnesty International
Abuja, Nigeria | AFP | Nigeria is “concerned” about Amnesty International’s activities, a spokesman for President Muhammadu Buhari said Monday, just days after the government briefly banned UNICEF over claims it was training “spies” sympathetic to Boko Haram. “The federal government is increasingly concerned about the role that Amnesty International …
Read More »Amnesty says over 3,600 killed in Nigeria’s farmer-herder violence
Lagos, Nigeria | AFP | More than 3,600 people have been killed in clashes between farmers and herders in Nigeria since 2016, Amnesty International said on Monday, blaming the government’s failure to punish the perpetrators for fuelling the violence. The international human rights organisation said more than 2,000 were killed …
Read More »UN condemns violence against opposition ahead of DRC vote
Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | The UN rights chief on Friday denounced violence targeting the opposition by DR Congo’s security forces, just days before a vote marred by an increasingly tense campaign. “I am deeply worried about the reports of excessive use of force, including live ammunition, by security forces …
Read More »Amnesty: UN must probe peacekeeper failings in C.Africa’s Alindao
Libreville, Gabon | AFP | The UN must conduct a “thorough investigation” into its peacekeepers’ actions in Central African Republic during a militia attack in which “up to 100 civilians were shot and burnt alive”, Amnesty International said Friday. In a new report, the London-based watchdog said troops in the …
Read More »Sexual harassment in the sky: Hong Kong flight attendants fight back
Hong Kong, China | AFP | Immaculate-looking flight attendants who appear unruffled by the demands of a life spent in the air are part of the slick image sold by carriers — but Hong Kong-based workers are increasingly hitting back against sexual harassment. Female cabin crew told AFP of how …
Read More »Universal Declaration of Human Rights: main points
Paris, France | AFP | Here is a rundown of the main points in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the United Nations in Paris 70 years ago. – The charter addresses four key areas: personal rights, such as freedom and equality; relationship rights, such as nationality and …
Read More »Burundi to shut UN rights office: sources
Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | The Burundi government has ordered the United Nations Human Rights Council to shut its office in the country within two months, foreign ministry and UN sources told AFP. The government on Wednesday sent a verbal note to resident UN coordinator Garry Conille to transmit the …
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The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price