Once again the turbulence in Zimbabwe is making agenda-topping news. What a weekend it’s been. The violence that broke out between Zanu-PF and MDC supporters at yesterday’s rally was enough for Morgan Tsvangirai to declare that he...

For weeks now Amnesty has been saying that the state-sponsored violence in Zimbabwe is reaching crisis point. Last night’s news that 12 people had been found tortured to death has taken this situation to a whole new level. As we’ve...

It’s early afternoon and I’m still suffering from the “I’m really sleepy after going out on a school night” effect. Thankfully, I’m not the only one in the office feeling that way as we were all at Amnesty’s Annual Media Awards...

The news headlines seem pretty gloomy at the moment: cost of food is on the increase, the price of petrol set to double, more and more homeowners likely to go into negative equity, and the vote for 42-day detention without charge is...

Pressure is definitely mounting within Zimbabwe as the countdown begins towards the second round of elections scheduled for 27 June. Sadly this pressure is manifesting itself in a terrible catalogue of human rights abuses: intimidation...

Today is quite a momentous day for Amnesty. As well as the launch of the Amnesty International Report 2008 , it’s also our 47th birthday. 47 years ago to the day, the Observer printed the original article that led to the founding of...

Discussions begin in Dublin today to develop the treaty for a ban of cluster bombs. The UK Government is one of more than 100 attending the negotiations. But as Martin Bell points out in today’s Independent, it seem it cannot decide on...

Bare-heads and Betty Jackson designer gowns are the new look for judges across England and Wales now – at least when they sit to hear civil cases. I suppose this modern image would be quite timely for some judges in this hot weather...

The cyclone in Burma is certainly dominating the news agenda today, and considering more than 22,000 people are feared dead as a result, it’s little wonder. In parts of Somalia the situation for thousands of people is pretty horrific...

The Observer reported a shocking story yesterday about an Iraqi teenage girl who was murdered by her father for falling in love with a British soldier. 17-year-old Rand Abdel-Qader was subjected to an ‘honour’ killing after her family...

That’s what we were asking each other in our team meeting this morning as we discussed the news which seems to centre rather a lot around women today. Most of us struggled to get past two. (If you can reach the right answer within 10...

Two weeks later and the people of Zimbabwe still have no idea who the country’s official president is because elections results have still not been declared. The BBC is reporting that a high court judge will decide on whether the...

One of the things that I enjoy about working in the media is being in the thick of key moments as they happen. Until yesterday my two top faves were helping to cover events at Canary Wharf on September 11, 2001 for BBC London, and...

I admit my blogs seem to be following a bit of a ‘Bob’ theme. Dylan yesterday, Marley today… I promise it won’t be Monkhouse tomorrow. But in his song, ‘The Real Situation’ Bob Marley describes how many Jamaicans living in poorer inner...

Bob Dylan summed up the current events surrounding Zimbabwe’s elections succinctly when he wrote this : “Come writers and critics Who prophesize with your pen And keep your eyes wide The chance won't come again And don't speak too soon...

Elections in Zimbabwe are never uneventful. Just three days to go now and the country’s opposition party supporters and members are definitely feeling the heat. Amnesty’s Zimbabwe researcher has just returned from mission where he has...

Most people are counting the pennies after the Government has increased taxes on a bottle of wine by 14 pence, and set higher taxes for car drivers in yesterday’s Budget. But is the Government counting the cost on the amount needed to...

I was gripped last night by Panoramas exposition of the alleged abuse of Iraqi prisoners by some members of the British Army in Iraq. For a pre-watershed documentary, some of the footage and the reconstructions were pretty chilling...

This Mondays been so busy in the press office that the blog arrives a little late today. In fact, as we write, polling stations have just closed in Pakistan , as the countrys people have taken part in the much-awaited election. So far...

I normally find January long and never-ending. But this year, global events have kept us so busy here in the Amnesty press office that I cant believe it will be 1st February tomorrow. First Pakistan, then Kenya. Today Iran is on our...