Latest news with #civilLiberties
Al Jazeera
3 days ago
- General
- Al Jazeera
‘Restricted': Nearly 7 billion people worldwide lack full civil rights
Just 40 countries representing 3.5 percent of the world's population respect all civil liberties, a new study has found, warning that 'democracy and human rights are under attack worldwide in a way we have not seen for decades.' The Atlas of Civil Society report published by the German relief organisation Brot fur die Welt (Bread for the World) on Monday said only 284 million people living in 'open' countries – including Austria, Estonia, the Scandinavian countries, New Zealand and Jamaica – enjoy protection of unrestricted civil rights and liberties. The nongovernmental organisation defines a country as 'open' if it allows people to form associations 'without legal or practical barriers, demonstrate in public spaces, receive information and are allowed to disseminate it'. Forty-two countries making up 11.1 percent of the world's population are listed in a second category in which civil rights are classified as 'impaired'. These include Germany, Slovakia, Argentina and the United States. In these countries, the rights to freedom of assembly and expression are largely respected, but there are recorded violations. 'In contrast, 85 percent of the world's population lives in countries where civil society is restricted, suppressed, or closed. This affects almost seven billion people,' the report found. 'Their governments severely restrict civil liberties and harass, arrest, or kill critical voices. This applies to 115 of 197 countries,' it added. Several European countries appear in the 'restricted' category, including Greece, the United Kingdom, Hungary and Ukraine. Civil society is considered 'oppressed' in 51 countries, including Algeria, Mexico and Turkey. In these countries, governments monitor, imprison or kill critics, and exercise censorship, according to the data. Finally, Russia and 28 other countries are classified as 'closed' and characterised by an 'atmosphere of fear'. Criticism of the government or regime in these countries is severely punished. Brot fur die Welt drew on data collected by the Civicus network of civil society organisations worldwide for its annual report covering 197 countries and territories. Nine countries improved their freedom of expression ratings last year, including Jamaica, Japan, Slovenia, Trinidad and Tobago, Botswana, Fiji, Liberia, Poland and Bangladesh. However, nine countries were downgraded from the previous year, including Georgia, Burkina Faso, Kenya, Peru, Ethiopia, Eswatini, the Netherlands, Mongolia and the Palestinian territory. Dagmar Pruin, president of Brot fur die Welt, warned that 'the rule of law, the separation of powers and protection against state arbitrariness are under threat or no longer exist in more and more countries.'
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
History from News Journal archives, June 1-7: Delaware Bible law, plans for nuclear plant
"Pages of history" features excerpts from The News Journal archives including The Morning News and The Evening Journal. See the archives at June 1, 1925, The Evening Journal A legal test of the Delaware law providing compulsory reading of the Bible 'without comment' in public schools and colleges is being sought by the American Civil Liberties Union, according to Prof. Clarence R. Skinner of Tuft's College, chairman of the Union's Committee on Academic Freedom. Prof. Skinner states that 'the Delaware law, like the Tennessee anti-evolution law, which the Civil Liberties Union is fighting, strikes so serious a blow at academic freedom that we cannot let the issue rest until it has been passed upon by the courts.' The Delaware Bible law, which was first passed by the Legislature in March 1923, has recently been amended to impose a fine upon any teacher who shall fail to obey this act, and providing that such teacher shall forfeit his or her certificates. ... The law provides that 'no religious service or exercise except the reading of the Bible and the repeating of the Lord's prayer shall be held in any school receiving any portion of the moneys appropriated for the support of public schools.' It is believed that the Bible law and its amendments violate the constitutional guarantee of religious freedom and the Delaware Bill of Rights, according to the Civil Liberties Union…. Recent school news: DE state rep working with expired teaching license removed from House Education Committee June 5, 1975, The Morning News Delmarva Power & Light Co. already has awarded the construction contract for its proposed nuclear power plant near Summit, the General Assembly learned yesterday. DP&L confirmed last night that parts of the contract – worth an estimated $1.1 billion – were awarded in 1972 and last year to United Engineers and Contractors Inc. of Philadelphia. A spokesman said no announcements were made because 'we didn't think it was news.' Gov. Sherman W. Tribbitt told a meeting of legislative leaders he had learned that the general contract had been awarded and was unhappy because none of the subcontractors were from Delaware. ... Rep. Joseph P. (Jody) Ambrosino Jr., R - Edgemoor Terrace, took to the House floor to criticize DP&L for advancing to this stage without all the required government permits. In response, DP&L said the contract was awarded because it takes awhile to do all the preliminary work necessary before construction can begin. Ambrosino said he would introduce a bill today that would impose a two-year moratorium on construction. He said questions about the plant's safety, efficiency, cost and disposal of radioactive waste haven't been answered adequately. The federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved the construction of this power plant in February, although it said more information would be necessary before construction permits were issued. The two 766-megawatt nuclear generators will be built on the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal, just north of Summit, and are scheduled for completion in 1984…. There have been several public hearings and there is strong opposition to the project on the grounds that safety standards are inadequate both for construction and operation. DP&L says the plant is needed to meet the rising demand for electricity. It also says the project would boost Delaware's economy by providing hundreds of construction jobs…. Recent Delmarva Power news: How lawmakers are trying to reduce energy bills, protect ratepayers in Delaware June 7, 2000, The News Journal By Adam Taylor, staff reporter The Rev. Jesse Jackson vowed Tuesday to push MBNA Corp. to put minorities on its all-white board of directors. Jackson said he would organize protests against the credit card company and would research its record on hiring and promoting minorities. ... MBNA – the state's second-largest private employer with 10,000 workers – has faced criticism about the lack of diversity on its board before. Bank shareholders in April voted down a proposal from a religious group for MBNA to consider adding women and minorities to the board. Jackson was in Wilmington on Tuesday to attend General Motors' annual stockholders meeting at the Hotel du Pont. He said he wants the automaker to increase its diversity efforts. Jackson's Rainbow/PUSH Coalition owns GM stock. He was meeting with about 30 city political and religious leaders at the Wyndham Garden Hotel when someone handed him a newspaper article about the MBNA shareholders vote. Reach reporter Ben Mace at rmace@ This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: History from News Journal, June 1-7: Bible law, nuclear plant plans
Al Jazeera
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
‘Refuge to all African Americans' – What Ramaphosa should have told Trump
On May 21, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa stunned the world by announcing that his government had officially granted refugee status to 48 million African Americans. The decision, made through an executive order titled 'Addressing the Egregious Actions and Extensive Failures of the US Government', was unveiled at a news conference held in the tranquil gardens of the Union Buildings in Pretoria. Poised and deliberate, Ramaphosa framed the announcement as a necessary and humane response to what he called 'the absolute mayhem' engulfing the United States. Flanked by Maya Johnson, president of the African American Civil Liberties Association, and her deputy Patrick Miller, Ramaphosa declared that South Africa could no longer ignore the plight of a people 'systematically impoverished, criminalised, and decimated by successive US governments'. Citing a dramatic deterioration in civil liberties under President Donald Trump's second term, Ramaphosa specifically pointed to the administration's barrage of executive orders dismantling affirmative action, gutting DEI (diversity, equity, inclusion) initiatives, and permitting federal contractors to discriminate freely. These measures, he said, are calculated to 'strip African Americans of dignity, rights, and livelihood – and to make America white again'. 'This is not policy,' Ramaphosa said, 'this is persecution.' President Trump's 2024 campaign was unabashed in its calls to 'defend the homeland' from what it framed as internal threats – a barely veiled dog whistle for the reassertion of white political dominance. True to his word, Trump has unleashed what critics are calling a rollback not just of civil rights, but of civilisation itself. Ramaphosa noted that under the guise of restoring law and order, the federal government has instituted what amounts to an authoritarian crackdown on Black political dissent. Since Trump's inauguration in January, he said, hundreds of African American activists have been detained by security forces – often on dubious charges – and interrogated under inhumane conditions. While Ramaphosa focused on systemic oppression, Johnson sounded the alarm on what she bluntly described as 'genocide'. 'Black Americans are being hunted,' she told reporters. 'Night after night, day after day, African Americans across the country are being attacked by white Americans. These criminals claim they are 'reclaiming' America. Police departments, far from intervening, are actively supporting these mobs – providing logistical aid, shielding them from prosecution, and joining in the carnage.' The African American Civil Liberties Association estimates that in the past six weeks alone, thousands of African Americans have been threatened, assaulted, disappeared, or killed, she said. The crisis has not gone unnoticed by the remainder of the continent. Last week, the African Union convened an emergency summit to address the deteriorating situation in the US. In a rare unified statement, AU leaders condemned the US government's actions and tasked President Ramaphosa with raising the issue before the United Nations. Their mandate? Repatriate African Americans and offer refuge. Ramaphosa confirmed that the first charter flights carrying refugees will arrive on African soil on May 25 – Africa Day. 'As the sun sets on this dark chapter of American history,' Ramaphosa said, 'a new dawn is rising over Africa. We will not remain passive while a genocide unfolds in the United States.' *** Of course, none of this has happened. There was no statement on 'Egregious Actions and Extensive Failures of the US Government' from South Africa. There was no news conference where an African leader highlighted the plight of his African brothers and sisters in the United States and offered them options. There will be no refuge flights from Detroit to Pretoria. Instead, after the US cut off aid to South Africa, repeated false accusations that a 'white genocide' is taking place there and began welcoming Afrikaners as refugees, a pragmatic Ramaphosa paid a respectful visit to the White House on May 21. During his visit, watched closely by the world media, he did not even mention the millions of African Americans facing discrimination, police violence and abuse under a president who is clearly determined to 'Make America White Again' – let alone offer them refuge in Africa. Even when Trump insisted, without any basis in reality, that a genocide is being perpetrated against white people in his country, Ramaphosa did not bring up Washington's long list of – very real, systemic, and seemingly accelerating – crimes against Black Americans. He tried to remain polite and diplomatic, focusing not on the racist hostility of the American administration but on the important ties between the two nations. Perhaps, in the real world, it is too much to ask an African leader to risk diplomatic fallout by defending Black lives abroad. Perhaps it is easier to shake hands with a man who calls imaginary white suffering a 'genocide' rather than to call out a real one unfolding on his watch. In another world, Ramaphosa stood tall in Pretoria and told Trump`: 'We will not accept your lies about our country – and we will not stay silent as you brutalise our kin in yours.' In this one, he stood quietly in Washington – and did. The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera's editorial stance.
Times
16-05-2025
- Times
Senior police officer would bring in facial recognition tech ‘tomorrow'
One of Scotland's most senior police officers said he would introduce facial recognition technology 'tomorrow', despite warnings it could 'fundamentally change the relationship between citizens and the police'. Live facial recognition (LFR) is a game-changing tool to search for missing people, scan crowds for public protection, and identify criminals. Cameras capture images of people in public spaces in real time, while the technology compares their faces to a pre-determined watchlist, such as those who have breached bail conditions for example. It is already being used by major high street chains, such as Tesco and Waitrose, as a means of cracking down on the recent rise in shoplifting. But it also presents political and ethical dilemmas, with civil liberties campaigners concerned about the threat of a
Al Jazeera
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
US judge dismisses case against migrants caught in new military zone
A United States judge in the southwestern state of New Mexico has dismissed trespassing charges against dozens of migrants apprehended in a military zone recently created under President Donald Trump. The military zone is one of two so far that the Trump administration has created along the US-Mexico border, in order to deter undocumented migration into the country. Entering a military zone can result in heightened criminal penalties. As many as 400 cases have since been filed in Las Cruces, New Mexico, alleging security violations and crimes like trespassing on restricted military property. But starting late on Wednesday and continuing into Thursday, Chief US Magistrate Judge Gregory Wormuth began issuing dismissals at the request of the federal public defender's office in Las Cruces. Wormuth ruled that the government had failed to demonstrate that the migrants knew they were entering a military zone. 'The criminal complaint fails to establish probable cause to believe the defendant knew he/she was entering' the military zone, Wormuth wrote in his orders dismissing charges. The ruling is the latest legal setback for the Trump administration, as it seeks to impose stricter restrictions and penalties for undocumented immigration. But the president's broad use of executive power has drawn the ire of civil liberties groups, who argue that Trump is trampling constitutional safeguards. Establishing new military zones has been part of Trump's strategy to reduce the flow of migration into the US. Normally, the crime of 'improper entry by an alien' carries fines or a prison sentence of up to six months. But trespassing on a military zone comes with steeper penalties than a typical border crossing, and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has warned of a possible combined sentence of up to 10 years. 'You can be detained. You will be detained,' Hegseth warned migrants. 'You will be interdicted by US troops and border patrol working together.' On April 18, the first military zone was unveiled, called the 'New Mexico National Defence Area'. It covered a stretch of about 274 kilometres — or 180 miles — along the border with Mexico, extending into land formerly held by the Department of the Interior. Hegseth has said he would like to see more military zones set up along the border, and in early May, a second one was announced near El Paso, Texas. That strip was approximately 101km or 63 miles. 'Let me be clear: if you cross into the National Defense Area, you will be charged to the FULLEST extent of the law,' Hegseth wrote in a social media post. Hegseth has previously stated that the military will continue to expand such zones until they have achieved '100 percent operational control' of the border. Trump and his allies have frequently compared undocumented immigration to an 'invasion', and they have used that justification to invoke wartime laws like the Alien Enemies Act of 1798. In a court brief on behalf of the Trump administration, US Attorney Ryan Ellison argued that the new military zones were a vital bulwark for national security. He also rejected the idea that innocent people might be caught in those areas. 'The New Mexico National Defense Area is a crucial installation necessary to strengthen the authority of servicemembers to help secure our borders and safeguard the country,' Ellison said. He noted that the government had put up 'restricted area' signs along the border. But the public defender's office in New Mexico argued that the government had not done enough to make it sufficiently clear to migrants in the area that they were entering a military zone. In the US, the public defenders noted that trespassing requires that the migrants were aware of the restriction and acted 'in defiance of that regulation for some nefarious or bad purpose'. Despite this week's dismissals, the migrants involved still face less severe charges of crossing the border illegally.
