Rights

Gouverneur und Generalstaatsanwalt des Bundesstaates leiten Schritte zur Verschiebung der Vorwahlen für die Midterms 2026 ein, nur einen Tag nachdem ein Urteil des Supreme Court das Voting Rights Act entkernt hat. Louisiana verschiebt Vorwahlen, während Bundesstaaten nach dem Urteil des Supreme Court eilen, Wahlbezirke neu zu zeichnen. Hier ist ein weiterer Auszug aus der Erklärung der Generalstaatsanwältin von Louisiana, Liz Murrill, und des republikanischen Gouverneurs Jeff Landry: Der gestrige historische Sieg vor dem Supreme Court für Louisiana hat eine unmittelbare Konsequenz für den Bundesstaat. Der Supreme Court hatte zuvor die Vollstreckung einer einstweiligen Verfügung gegen die Anwendung der aktuellen Kongresswahlkarte durch den Bundesstaat ausgesetzt. Durch den Beschluss des Gerichts endete diese Aussetzung jedoch automatisch mit der gestrigen Entscheidung. Dementsprechend ist es dem Bundesstaat derzeit untersagt, Kongresswahlen unter der aktuellen Karte durchzuführen. Wir arbeiten gemeinsam mit der Legislative und dem Büro des Secretary of State daran, einen Weg nach vorne zu entwickeln. Weiterlesen...

Das Urteil hat eine Bestimmung entkernt, die darauf abzielt, Rassendiskriminierung bei Wahlen zu verhindern. Zudem steigt der Ölpreis auf über 126 $ pro Barrel und erreicht damit den höchsten Stand seit 2022. Guten Morgen. Der US Supreme Court hat durch eine wegweisende Entscheidung über die Wahlkreiskarte von Louisiana einen wesentlichen Teil des Voting Rights Act entkernt – ein massiver Umbruch im US-Bürgerrechtsrecht, der droht, die Stimmenmacht von Minderheiten zu schwächen. Wie haben die Gesetzgeber reagiert? Terri Sewell und Shomari Figures, die nun Gefahr laufen, ihre Sitze in Alabamas afroamerikanisch geprägten Kongresswahlbezirken zu verlieren, haben die Entscheidung verurteilt und erklärt, sie werfe die Nation „zurück“. Wie kam es zu dem Urteil? Es ist der Höhepunkt der gemeinsamen Kampagne der Richter John Roberts und Samuel Alito, Bürgerrechtsgesetze zurückzudrehen. Wie könnten Midterm-Karten durch Redistricting verändert werden? Während die Entscheidung des Supreme Court wenig Zeit lässt, die Karten vor den Midterms neu zu zeichnen, erfahren Sie hier, wie Midterm-Karten aussehen könnten, wenn beide Parteien all ihre derzeitigen Redistricting-Ambitionen verwirklichen. Weiterlesen...

Ein Veranstaltungsprogramm wurde zum Jahrestag des Bristol-Busboykotts angekündigt, mit dem Ziel, ein gesellschaftliches Manifest für die Stadt zu inspirieren.

• Egypt has convened an emergency regional summit with Ethiopia, Sudan, and other Nile Basin nations to address water allocation disputes intensified by Sudan's ongoing civil war and dam infrastructure threats. • The summit, held in Cairo on Friday, focused on protecting the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam and Blue Nile water flows during heightened regional conflict; negotiations remain deadlocked. • US officials are monitoring the summit closely, concerned that water scarcity could fuel refugee crises across the Horn of Africa and destabilize a critical US partner region.

• Filipino coast guard vessels and Chinese maritime militia engaged in a tense standoff Friday near Scarborough Shoal, with both nations claiming territorial waters; no shots were fired, but vessels came within 500 meters of each other, Filipino officials reported. • The incident involved disputed fishing rights and resource access; the Philippines detained three Chinese fishing boats accused of illegal harvesting in Manila-claimed waters, while China demanded their immediate release. • The US State Department reiterated commitment to the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty with the Philippines and called for peaceful resolution, warning that any military escalation in the strategic waterway threatens global trade and stability.

• Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is urging the state House to approve a revived AI Bill of Rights before a special session, following Senate passage of sweeping AI restrictions. • The legislation would remove from office local officials violating the rules and prohibit companion chatbots from interacting with minors without parental consent. • This move addresses rising concerns over AI safety, governance, and potential misuse in public and private sectors amid generative AI's rapid adoption.

Lawyers for oligarch claim freezing of £5.3bn of assets ‘unfair and abusive’ amid row over use of funds for Ukraine Roman Abramovich has gone to the European court of human rights (ECHR), claiming that a criminal investigation into his financial affairs by the Jersey authorities has breached his human rights, according to reports.The former owner of Chelsea FC, who is sanctioned in the UK over his links to Vladimir Putin, is under investigation in Jersey over allegations of corruption and money laundering. Continue reading...

Not using capital punishment ‘really a requirement’ for Council of Europe’s parliamentary assembly, says presidentIsrael’s observer status at the Council of Europe’s parliamentary assembly could be suspended over the country’s new law mandating the death penalty for Palestinians convicted of some offences, the president of the body has said.Petra Bayr, an Austrian Social Democrat and president of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (Pace), said not using the death penalty was “really a requirement” of having observer status at the pan-European human rights body, which has no connection to the EU. Continue reading...

Schools say Colorado violated their rights by excluding them from state-funded program over admission policiesSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxThe supreme court will hear from Catholic preschools that say Colorado violated their religious rights by excluding them from a state-funded program over their admission policies.The court agreed on Monday to take up the appeal from St Mary Catholic Parish, which is supported by the Republican Trump administration. Continue reading...

• Philippine coast guard vessels confronted Chinese fishing fleets in the Scarborough Shoal area Saturday, with Manila accusing Beijing of illegal harvesting in disputed waters and demanding immediate withdrawal. • The incident involved three Chinese ships ramming a Philippine patrol boat, injuring two officers, prompting Manila to lodge a formal diplomatic protest through the US State Department. • Analysts view the confrontation as part of China's broader strategy to consolidate control over contested maritime zones, with the US signaling support for Philippine sovereignty claims.

• Apple TV+ acquired exclusive streaming rights to a four-part documentary series chronicling Serena Williams' legendary tennis career and post-retirement business ventures. • The series will premiere in June 2026 and features intimate interviews with Williams, her family, fellow athletes, and business partners, spanning her 30-year career and current role as a venture capitalist. • Williams executive produces alongside acclaimed director Marina Zenovich, known for her Oscar-nominated documentary "Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired."

• The Trump administration announced its withdrawal from the United Nations Human Rights Council and ended all support for the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which the administration characterized as funding Hamas. • The decision represents a significant shift in US policy toward international human rights organizations and Palestinian humanitarian assistance programs. • The move reflects the Trump administration's hardline stance on Middle East policy and international organizations it views as hostile to US and Israeli interests.

Regan Prater admits to setting blaze at Highlander center and bid to aid Hezbollah. His sentencing is set for SeptemberSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxA man linked to white supremacist movements pleaded guilty on Monday to setting a fire that destroyed an office at a historic social justice center in Tennessee with ties to champions of the US civil rights movements, a court document shows.Regan Prater also pleaded guilty to attempting to aid a foreign terrorist organization for efforts to provide the militant group Hezbollah “a list of personally identifiable information for individuals purportedly affiliated with the government of Israel”, according to a criminal information filed in February. Continue reading...

• The Trump administration is dismantling civil rights protections in housing that have been used to challenge discriminatory practices, marking a significant shift in federal enforcement of fair housing laws. • The policy reversal affects regulatory mechanisms historically used to combat housing discrimination and bias, with implications for fair lending and rental practices across the United States. • Civil rights advocates and housing advocates are expected to challenge the rollback, with potential legal battles anticipated over the constitutionality and necessity of the protections.

Concerns raised over use of travel data in determining whether people are ‘continuously’ in UK, after HMRC fiasco Ministers are to start removing post-Brexit residency rights from EU citizens who are no longer “continuously” living in the UK.The initiative is legal under the 2020 Brexit withdrawal agreement but the decision to use travel data to partially determine absences has raised concerns following the HMRC fiasco that saw almost 20,000 parents stripped of child benefits because of inaccurate Home Office border data. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Dozens of organizations write to Congress after general announced plan to ‘deal with’ those fleeing any humanitarian crisis on the islandDozens of US and international human rights organizations are decrying the Trump administration’s plans to establish a migrant “camp” for fleeing Cubans at the Guantánamo Bay military base if the island nation’s crisis worsens under pressure from the US, according to a letter to members of Congress on Friday.The 85 groups plan to submit the joint letter, exclusively shared with the Guardian, to US senators and House representatives, expressing their “profound concern” with comments made last month by a top Department of Defense commander, and describing any prospect of further migrant detention at the base as “deeply troubling and unacceptable”. Continue reading...

South Asian Muslim and caste-oppressed Hindu community representatives accuse multiculturalism minister and department of discriminationGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Australian Human Rights Commission is investigating a complaint against the New South Wales multiculturalism minister and his department over allegations of racial discrimination against organisations representing south Asian Muslims and caste-oppressed Hindu communities.According to an email seen by Guardian Australia, the Human Rights Commission last month accepted the complaint, against Steve Kamper and his department, for investigation. Continue reading...

PM also criticises business figures and opponents of changes, many of which come into force on MondayWorkers, pensioners and children: all better off. Ignore the critics – we really are standing up for working peopleKeir Starmer has used a series of new workers rights that come into force on Monday to attack the Green party, saying a vote for Labour’s rivals puts such progress on sick pay, parental leave and zero-hours contracts at risk.The prime minister also took a swipe at business figures and opponents of what he described as the biggest strengthening of workers’ rights in a generation, dismissing “vested interests” who had warned against them. Continue reading...

Activists accuse Iran’s regime of crackdown on civil society as whereabouts of Nasrin Sotoudeh are unknownIs Iran using the war to hide a surge in executions?The prize-winning Iranian human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh has been arrested in Tehran, according to her family, as activists accused the regime of cracking down on civil society under cover of the war with Israel and the US.Sotoudeh’s daughter Mehraveh Khandan said her mother was taken from her home in Tehran late on Wednesday and that her whereabouts were unknown. Khandan suspected the arrest may be related to recent interviews about the war, in which Sotoudeh criticised the government. Continue reading...

• Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International released coordinated reports on Thursday documenting alleged extrajudicial killings, forced disappearances, and torture by Bangladeshi security forces during recent political unrest, affecting approximately 340 individuals since January 2026. • The organizations called for immediate international investigations and threatened to recommend sanctions if Bangladesh fails to establish independent accountability mechanisms within 60 days. • The US State Department issued a statement expressing "deep concern" and indicated potential implications for bilateral aid flows and military cooperation, affecting approximately $89 million in annual assistance.

The coalition of organizations says Trump’s executive order restricting who can receive mail ballots is unconstitutional Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxA coalition of civil rights groups sued the Trump administration on Thursday, saying that a new executive order to limit mail-in voting is unconstitutional.The order, which Trump signed on Tuesday, instructs the federal government to come up with a list of eligible citizens who can vote in each state. It also instructs the US Postal Service to only transmit mail-in ballots to people on that list. Continue reading...

New York-based Gao Zhen was detained in 2024 during a family visit to China and then tried for ‘defaming national heroes’ The Chinese dissident artist Gao Zhen, known for making satirical sculptures of China’s former leader Mao Zedong, has been tried over accusations of “defaming national heroes and martyrs”, his wife and a rights group have said.Gao, 69, who was detained in 2024 during a visit to China from the US, faces a maximum three-year prison sentence, his wife, Zhao Yaliang, and Shane Yi, a researcher at the Chinese human rights defenders group, said. Continue reading...

European parliament votes in favour of sending refused asylum seekers to offshore hubs, in ‘historic setback for refugee rights’People with no right to stay in the EU could be detained for up to two years or sent to offshore centres described by experts as possible “human rights black holes” under plans voted for by the European parliament on Thursday.An alliance of mostly centre-right and far-right lawmakers voted for a proposal to increase returns of undocumented migrants to their home countries, in a further sign of strain on the grand coalition of centrist political forces that has traditionally driven EU lawmaking. Continue reading...

Ireland’s former taoiseach warns of conservative Russian influence and says US is now ‘off the pitch’ under TrumpLGBTQ+ rights in Europe are caught in a “chill wind” from east and west as Vladimir Putin’s Russia exports its conservative agenda and the “Americans are off the pitch” under Donald Trump, Ireland’s former taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said.Varadkar, who in 2017 became Ireland’s first out gay prime minister, said Europe needed to “step up” to avoid the continent becoming further squeezed by global forces seeking to chip away at recent progress. Continue reading...

• Pophouse Entertainment, co-founded by ABBA's Björn Ulvaeus, acquired Tina Turner's name, image, likeness rights and majority music catalog from BMG, announced March 19, 2026. • CEO Jessica Koravos highlighted Turner's visual presence and stage energy for projects recreating her legacy, comparing her to Elvis and Marilyn Monroe. • Plans include announcements within six months, potentially featuring digital avatars like ABBA Voyage created with Industrial Light & Magic.