Niall

Loads of ash piles out of an Icelandic volcano, northern Europe’s airports grind to a halt, thousands of Brits are left stranded as the Daily Mail among others has reported. There’s only one option. Step forward the Cobra Committee...

So at last here it is the countdown to the election has finally begun. And the big question is which of the two main parties can really make a difference. Enough of the small talk, who’s going to win? Will it be the ruling United...

What is it with Sri Lanka? All I’d like is a country that could be transparent and allow fair trials. However, that all seems a little bit beyond Mahinda Rajapaksa, the country’s president. What am I talking about this time? Nothing...

At last could it really be upon us: democracy in Burma. Well that was the promise. Indeed, we were all led to believe that today would be the day when the ruling military junta would finally name a date for elections. And what happened...

When it comes to Burma, the world and his dog tends to think about one thing: Aung San Suu Kyi . Now, I’m not one to say she isn’t important – far from it – but the plight of the iconic Burmese leader is just the tip of the iceberg...

So here they are at last: The Sri Lankan Presidential Elections. They are all set for tomorrow and previews were plastered all over today’s papers. After decades of conflict that “ended” last year with the comprehensive defeat of the...

Sometimes the world of the media throws you a bit of a curve ball. And so it was today. What am I talking about? None other than the Daily Mail putting its weight behind a human rights pressure group campaigning against forced...

There was an excellent expose in The Times newspaper today. An investigation by the paper rubbished claims by the Sri Lankan government that a video of a Tamil Tiger fighter being executed during the recent conflict was fabricated. The...

So it all starts here. Welcome one and all to the 2009 Greetings Card Campaign . From 1 November each year through to 31 January Amnesty International encourages people in the UK to send a message of solidarity to those whose rights...

Well that wasn’t very unexpected, was it. After a lovely piece of political theatre, the Burmese authorities this morning sentenced Aung San Suu Kyi to 18 months of house arrest – all because an American swam over a mile across a lake...

As the verdict of Aung San Suu Kyi’s trial edges nearer, Amnesty International will later today name the Burmese leader as its “Ambassador of Conscience”. Aung San Suu Kyi is a long-standing Amnesty International prisoner of conscience...

OK so I am a bit of a suspicious soul. When it comes to today’s trial of Aung San Suu Kyi, I can’t quite help thinking that the military junta in Burma have had more luck than is feasible. Just place yourself in the shoes of the...

A natural disaster hits. The good citizen’s instant response is to help. And as a reward you’d expect a nice pat on the back, perhaps even a bit of positive publicity. Well not, it appears, if you happen to reside in Burma or China...

It’s Monday morning, I’m just back from holiday – and sadly some things just seem to show no sign of getting any better. What am I talking about? Sri Lanka of course. The humanitarian disaster there has once more brought London’s Tamil...

At last some of the leaders of the notorious Khmer Rouge are on trial for the numerous atrocities they committed during their reign in 1970s Cambodia. It’s only taken 30 years… An estimated two million people were killed by the regime...

Great news coming out from the Government this morning. For years we’ve been calling for a new integrated strategy to tackle violence against women – and now it appears it could well happen. Jacqui Smith, the Home Secretary, has...

Yule E’s blog yesterday flagged up the shocking story of the Afghani equivalent of Angelina Jolie being forced into hiding because of the Taleban’s increasing dominance in the region, and the shocking story of girls in Mauritania being...

With Kate Winslet , Prince Harry and admittedly Israel dominating the news pages, it’s been really difficult for other stories to get a look in. That’s very much the case with Thailand – and even when stories from the Asian state have...

What complete chaos Thailand has become. The whole situation seems to increasingly resemble a south-east Asian version of a heavyweight boxing match. In the yellow corner, we have the yellow-shirted People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD...

So there you have it, Student Conference over for another year. And well, what can I say? It was a blast. It was one of those times when you remember why you belong to Amnesty International. Firstly there was the unrepentant enthusiasm...