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REUTERS/Ann WangTAIPEI, June 3 (Reuters) - A Taiwan theatre is showcasing a Hong Kong play about Tiananmen Square to mark the 34th anniversary of the crackdown in Beijing, saying almost as much about shrinking freedoms in the former British colony as it does about the 1989 bloodshed. The play is about parents grieving for their son killed in Tiananmen Square. The theatre group that staged it, Stage 64, disbanded in 2021, citing pressure under the national security law. An alliance of Hong Kong activists that used to organise the annual Tiananmen vigil was disbanded after the arrest of several of its leaders in 2021. Some actors will use stage names and two Hong Kong actors will wear masks.

Persons: Hong, Ann Wang, It's, it's, Chung, Candace Chong, Chiu, Ming, Angie Teo, Jessie Pang, Fabian Hamacher, Robert Birsel Organizations: REUTERS, Amnesty, Hong, Amnesty International, Thomson Locations: Taipei, Taiwan, Ann Wang TAIPEI, Hong Kong, Beijing, Tiananmen, London , New York, Berlin, China, Amnesty International Taiwan, Britain

☆ Opinion: A button, a love story, and an Iranian couple who will not be silenced
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Opinion Jeff Kaufman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

We were also moved by the continued defiance represented by the “I Oppose the Mandatory Hijab” button that Nasrin wore on her jacket. Iranian couple Nasrin Sotoudeh and Reza Khandan, with their friend and fellow activist Farhad Meysami (center) after being released from prison earlier this year following a lengthy hunger strike. Nasrin: When Reza and I first met, we were working at a magazine that presented a dialogue on social issues. Kaufman: Nasrin, you have one of the last “I Oppose the Mandatory Hijab” buttons in Iran (the government destroyed the rest). Reza KhandanFor example, when I was arrested, Reza and Farhad made the ‘I Oppose the Mandatory Hijab’ buttons in the hope that people would wear them.

☆ Iran executes three men over recent protests, draws protests
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

May 19 (Reuters) - Iran on Friday executed three men it said were implicated in the deaths of three members of its security forces during last year’s anti-government demonstrations, drawing protests at home and abroad. Families and supporters held nightly vigils outside the Dastgerd prison in Isfahan in support of the three men who were being held inside. U.N. rights experts said in a statement they were "deeply alarmed" at continuing executions of Iran protesters. State media broadcast videos of what were presented as the defendants' confessions, which Amnesty International said were extracted by torture. The men were sentenced to death on the charge of "enmity against God" for the alleged possession of a firearm.

☆ Philippine court acquits top critic of ex-president Duterte's 'war on drugs'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( Adrian Portugal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

De Lima has spent the past six years in detention, five of which as senator, and has one more case pending. "Glorious day, glorious day, beginning of my vindication," she added. Duterte has accepted the court judgement, Salvador Panelo, his legal counsel during his administration, said in a statement on Saturday. "Freeing her now is critical so she can return to her family, leaving the injustice of years behind bars in pre-trial detention caused by Duterte's vengeful cruelty," he said. "The charges against Leila de Lima are bogus and the result of the peaceful exercise of her right to freedom of expression.

☆ Syrian refugees deported from Lebanon face arrest, conscription, say relatives
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Maya Gebeily | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/5] Youssef, a Syrian refugee and single father of two girls, attends an interview with Reuters, in Beirut, Lebanon April 26, 2023. One refugee told Reuters he and his three brothers were detained in a raid on a camp in Lebanon in late April. Another refugee said he was briefly held by the Fourth Division after being deported but paid smugglers to return to Lebanon. The Access Center for Human Rights (ACHR), a rights organisation, said it had documented the detention of at least two deported Syrians by the Fourth Division. Youssef, a Syrian refugee and single father-of-two, said he was so afraid of being deported and conscripted that he had stopped leaving his home in Lebanon.

☆ Facial Recognition Powers ‘Automated Apartheid’ in Israel, Report Says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Adam Satariano | Paul Mozur | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Israel is increasingly relying on facial recognition in the occupied West Bank to track Palestinians and restrict their passage through key checkpoints, according to a new report, a sign of how artificial-intelligence-powered surveillance can be used against an ethnic group. At high-fenced checkpoints in Hebron, Palestinians stand in front of facial recognition cameras before being allowed to cross. When the technology fails to identify someone, soldiers train the system by adding their personal information to the database. Israel has long restricted the freedom of movement of Palestinians, but technological advances are giving the authorities powerful new tools. Amnesty called the process “automated apartheid.” Israel has strongly denied that it operates an apartheid regime.

☆ Tangaraju Suppiah: Singapore executes man for trafficking two pounds of cannabis
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Heather Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Tangaraju Suppiah, a 46-year-old Singaporean, was hanged early on Wednesday in Changi Prison and the family have received a death certificate, his sister Leelavathy Suppiah told CNN. Tangaraju was first sentenced to death in 2018 for “abetting the trafficking of more than one kilogram of cannabis (1,017.9 grams),” according to a statement from the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB). The court found he was in phone communication with two other men caught trying to smuggle cannabis into Singapore. “As is the case for many people currently on death row in Singapore, Tangaraju was forced to represent himself to seek a review of the Court of Appeal’s decision to uphold his conviction. Singapore has a strong reputation as a rule of law country so this concerning omission is not normal,” Perrett added.

☆ 'I screamed so loud, I blacked out': Afghans tell of the Taliban's return to their old torture playbook
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Zahid Mahmood | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

"There were about 12 Taliban members surrounding me, they tied me to a chair and started beating me from all sides," Zafri told CNN. He added: "I screamed so loud, I blacked out because of the trauma." Fereshta Abbasi, a researcher at Human Rights Watch, told CNN that, since the Taliban's comeback, a local journalist told her how bleak the media landscape is, threatening free speech. "Freedom of speech and media in Afghanistan was one of the country's biggest achievements, which has now unfortunately gone." Meanwhile, Zafri remains stuck in Afghanistan despite repeated attempts to leave following his detention and torture by the Taliban.

☆ Chile enacts laws, allots $1.5 bln to fight crime amid police killings
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SANTIAGO, April 6 (Reuters) - Chile on Thursday signed new laws and allocated $1.5 billion to fight crime amid skyrocketing perceptions of insecurity and a day after the third police officer in less than a month was killed on duty. Boric announced $1.5 billion in added security spending and signed off on four new laws that the government says will help fight organized crime, drug trafficking and crime. Chile's police force has faced human rights abuse accusations following a heavy-handed crackdown of the violent 2019 protests against inequality. Polls show voters largely disapprove of the government's handling of crime and Boric has since hardened his stance. Palma is the third police officer to be killed on duty in less than a month, sparking public backlash.

[1/4] Andrea Brown, daughter of Royal Ulster Constabulary officer Eric Brown who was killed in 1983, holds a portrait of her father in Moira, Northern Ireland, March 29, 2023. In a short section, the deal said it was essential to address the suffering of victims as a necessary element of reconciliation. The bill is opposed by all Northern Ireland political parties, the United Nations, the Council of Europe, the Irish government and victims' groups. "It toys with what is a very delicate peace settlement here," said Amnesty International Northern Ireland deputy director Grainne Teggart. In 2019 a Northern Ireland court ordered an independent investigation into alleged collusion between security services and the gang suspected of the killing.

In a short section, the deal said it was essential to address the suffering of victims as a necessary element of reconciliation. The bill is opposed by all Northern Ireland political parties, the United Nations, the Council of Europe, the Irish government and victims' groups. "It toys with what is a very delicate peace settlement here," said Amnesty International Northern Ireland deputy director Grainne Teggart. KEEP GOING[1/4] Andrea Brown, daughter of Royal Ulster Constabulary officer Eric Brown who was killed in 1983, holds a portrait of her father in Moira, Northern Ireland, March 29, 2023. In 2019 a Northern Ireland court ordered an independent investigation into alleged collusion between security services and the gang suspected of the killing.

☆ France looks to AI-powered surveillance to secure Olympics
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Layli Foroudi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

PARIS, March 23 (Reuters) - France's National Assembly on Thursday approved the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) video surveillance during the 2024 Paris Olympics, overlooking warnings from civil rights groups that the technology posed a threat to civil liberties. If formally adopted, France would become the first country in the European Union to legalise AI-powered surveillance. That would be setting a worrying surveillance precedent, a group of several dozen European lawmakers said last week. The plan to deploy AI surveillance has met strong resistance from rights groups such as Amnesty International and digital rights groups. Access Now's Leufer questioned the utility of AI in spotting would-be attackers because of the complexities in training algorithms on rare incidents.

☆ Saudi Aramco, the world's largest oil company, announces record profit of over $161 billion for 2022
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-12 | by ( Aaron Mcdade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Oil and gas giant Saudi Aramco announced a record $161 billion profit for 2022 on Sunday. The record profit comes amid all-time high oil and gas prices after Russia invaded Ukraine. Commonly referred to as Saudi Aramco, the oil and gas giant saw its profits increase nearly 50% from $110 billion in 2021 to a record $161.1 billion for 2022, the company announced Sunday. Other oil companies including ExxonMobil, BP, and Shell also recorded all-time high profits in 2022 as global oil and gas prices reached record highs last year. However, all of those earnings at $55.7 billion, $28 billion, and about $40 billion, respectively, were dwarfed by Aramco's $161 billion.

☆ 'My call sign is 'Grandad.'' The retirees who are frontline fighters for Ukraine against the Russian invaders
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-11 | by ( Isobel Van Hagen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Some volunteer fighters in Ukraine are considerably older than the average age of a typical soldier. 63-year-old Leonid Onyschenko, for example, is fighting for Ukraine near the city of Bakhmut. While the classic image of a soldier in battle evokes a fit young person with a chiseled jawline, the diverse volunteer fighters in Ukraine defy this expectation. The Territorial Defense Forces (TDF) — a volunteer military reserve — said that Onyshchenko had been serving the country for nine years since Russia's invasion and illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014. Many of the older volunteers the news outlet spoke to appeared eager to stay in eastern Ukraine at the time.

☆ Civil rights audit at Google proposes better tackling of hate speech, misinformation
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-04 | by ( Kanishka Singh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, March 3 (Reuters) - Google (GOOGL.O) on Friday released an audit that examined how its policies and services impacted civil rights, and recommended the tech giant take steps to tackle misinformation and hate speech, following pressure by advocates to hold such a review. The disclosure by the company came after the Washington Post reported earlier on Friday that Google tapped an outside law firm to conduct a civil rights review. "We are committed to constantly improving, and that includes efforts to strengthen our approaches to civil and human rights. To help guide us, we conducted and released a voluntary civil rights audit of our policies, practices, and products," Chanelle Hardy, head of civil rights at Google, said in an emailed statement on Friday. In recent years, human rights groups like Amnesty International have accused big tech firms such as Google of not prioritizing rights issues.

☆ Factbox: Who is Belarusian Nobel laureate Ales Bialiatski?
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

He denied the charges, which he and other human rights activists called politically motivated. NOBEL PRIZEBialiatski, 60, won the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize together with Russian human rights organisation Memorial and Ukrainian human rights organisation Center for Civil Liberties. Fellow human rights campaigners portray him as a symbol of resistance to oppression in Belarus and globally. During mass opposition protests in 1996, he co-founded the Viasna human rights organisation with the aim of providing financial and legal assistance to political prisoners and their families. After initially working as a schoolteacher, he went on to become a scholar of Belarusian literature and museum director.

☆ Overnight protests rock Tehran, other Iranian cities, videos show
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Videos on Friday showed demonstrations in several neighbourhoods in Tehran as well as in the cities of Karaj, Isfahan, Qazvin, Rasht, Arak, Mashhad, Sanandaj, Qorveh, and Izeh in Khuzestan province. Reuters was able to confirm three of the videos on the protests in Zahedan and one of those in Tehran. Other videos showed large protests on Friday in Zahedan, capital of southeastern Sistan-Baluchistan province, home to Iran's Baluchi minority. [1/5] People take part in a protest in Zahedan, Iran in this screen grab taken from a social media video released February 17, 2023 and obtained by Reuters. In recent weeks Iranian media have reported closures of several businesses, restaurants and cafes for failure to observe the hijab rules.

☆ U.S. Congress members seek halt to $1 billion Nigeria weapons deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Daphne Psaledakis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"We write to express our concern with current U.S. policy on and military support to Nigeria," the lawmakers said. The United States has paired security assistance to Nigeria with training focused on compliance with international law. Nigerian military leaders denied the program has ever existed and said Reuters reporting was part of a foreign effort to undermine the country's fight against the insurgents. Nigerian military leaders told Reuters the army has never targeted children for killing. Amid international outcry, Nigeria’s defense ministry agreed to cooperate with an investigation by Nigeria’s Commission on Human Rights, which is underway.

☆ Voice of Democracy, one of Cambodia’s last independent media outlets, has been shut down
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Heather Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —One of Cambodia’s last remaining independent media outlets has been shut down by Prime Minister Hun Sen ahead of national elections in July, in a move condemned by rights groups as a blow to press freedom. Based in the capital Phnom Penh, Voice of Democracy (VOD), a local outlet run by the Cambodian Center for Independent Media, published radio and online reports about labor and rights issues, environmental crime and political corruption. Media mainstayHun Sen has served as the country’s prime minister since 1985, making him one of the world’s longest serving leaders. Suy Se/AFP/Getty Images“The Prime Minister should immediately withdraw this heavy handed and disproportionate order,” it said. “The freedom of press in Cambodia has lost one of its last remaining independent media outlets.”

☆ Iran releases emaciated dissident after long hunger strike - judiciary
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DUBAI, Feb 10 (Reuters) - Iran on Friday released hunger-striking jailed dissident Farhad Meysami, the Iranian judiciary said, a week after supporters had warned that he risked dying for protesting against the compulsory wearing of the hijab. "Following the approval by the leader of the revolution (Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei) of the recent ...amnesty, Farhad_Meysami was included in this amnesty and was released from prison hours ago," the judiciary said on Twitter. Morality police arrested Amini for flouting the hijab policy, which requires women to dress modestly and wear headscarfs. "Shocking images of Dr. Farhad Meysami, a brave advocate for women's rights who has been on hunger strike in prison,” tweeted Robert Malley, Washington's special envoy for Iran. Amnesty International said: "These images (of Meysami) are a shocking reminder of the Iranian authorities’ contempt for human rights."

☆ Big Oil rakes in record profit haul of nearly $200 billion, fueling calls for higher taxes
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Exxon Mobil's 2022 haul of $56 billion marked a historic high for the Western oil industry. Chicago Tribune | Tribune News Service | Getty ImagesThe West's five largest oil companies raked in combined profits of nearly $200 billion in 2022, intensifying calls for governments to impose tougher windfall taxes. Altogether, the five Big Oil companies reported combined profits of $196.3 billion last year, more than the economic output of most countries. His comments came shortly after Shell reported its highest-ever annual profit of nearly $40 billion, comfortably surpassing its previous record of $28.4 billion in 2008. watch nowThe CEO of Saudi Aramco, the world's largest energy company, has previously warned about the dangers of pressuring oil companies through higher taxes.

☆ Nigerian rights panel, underfunded and overmatched, begins probe of powerful military
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +11 min

REUTERS/Temilade Adelaja/File PhotoFeb 7 (Reuters) - A special panel named by Nigeria's National Human Rights Commission launched an investigation Tuesday into recent Reuters reports on rights abuses by the country’s army. Nigerian military leaders said the abortion program did not exist and that children were never targeted for killing. The U.S. defense and state departments, the United Nations Secretary-General, the German foreign minister, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch all called for Nigeria to investigate the Reuters findings. In a 2002 paper, two Nigerian scholars called the body "a red herring” to distract from human rights violations. In 2013, the military allegedly killed as many as 200 civilians in the town of Baga, in northeastern Borno state.

☆ 7 shot dead at Jerusalem synagogue as violence spirals in region
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Aina J. Khan | Paul Goldman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Israeli security forces deploy at the site of a reported attack in a settler neighborhood of Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem, on January 27, 2023. At least seven people were shot dead in a synagogue in east Jerusalem on Friday, Israeli police said, as violence escalated following an a raid in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin. The attack, among the deadliest for Israelis in years, occurred in east Jerusalem, which was annexed by Israel in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, and came after the deadly Israeli raid in the West Bank. The violence comes amid tensions over the Palestinians' long campaign for an independent state in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem, which were captured by Israel in 1967. Responding to the Israeli raid Thursday, the State Department said the U.S. was "deeply concerned by the escalating cycle of violence in the West Bank."

☆ In Peru, protesters were tear-gassed after president called for truce
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

LIMA, Peru — Thousands of protesters took to the streets of Peru’s capital and were met with volleys of tear gas and pellets amid clashes with security forces just hours after President Dina Boluarte called for a “truce” in almost two months of protests. “We can’t have a truce when she doesn’t tell the truth,” Blanca España Mesa, 48, said of Peru’s president. Even though her eyes were watering from the tear gas, España Mesa said she was “happy because a lot of people came today. On Tuesday, police fired round after round of tear gas as they blocked the passage of protesters, who seemed more organized than before. “Peru has managed to fly under the radar,” said Marina Navarro, executive director of Amnesty International Peru.

Bitar told Reuters on Wednesday that Oweidat "had no right" to file the charge or release detainees because Oueidat himself was charged over the explosion. Oweidat told Reuters he had summoned Bitar for questioning but did not say whether he had charged him. Oweidat had earlier recused himself from any involvement in the blast probe as Bitar had issued an arrest warrant for his brother-in-law, former public works minister Ghazi Zeaiter. "Instead of me appearing before him, he'll be appearing before me," Oweidat told Reuters by text message. He met with French investigators visiting Beirut last week as part of a French probe into the explosion, whose victims included two French nationals.

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