Plus: Kavanaugh hearings in the US; Duterte admits to extrajudicial killings; Erdogan visits Germany; New UN body for Myanmar; Sweden stops Uighur deportations to China; Australia must guarantee military exports are not used in unlawful attacks in Yemen; and landmark resoultion on Venezuela.

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Today is International Safe Abortion Day. Today, and every day, women and girls in countries where access to abortion is heavily restricted, or banned, risk their lives trying to end unwanted pregnancies. But the fight around the world for access to safe and legal abortion is escalating...

Yesterday's historic US testimony of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, who accuses Supreme Curt nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her, has energized the #MeToo movement in the US. The vote on Kavanaugh's Supreme Court nomination is still set to take place today as planned.

President Rodrigo Duterte has admitted to authorizing extrajudicial killings in his own war on drugs in Philippines. This admission should erase any doubt about the culpability of the president and should encourage the International Criminal Court to review the complaints against Duterte. 

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visits Germany today. When Germany's President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Chancellor Angela Merkel meet him, they should keep in mind that at least 174 journalists are jailed in Turkey... 

The Human Rights Council takes an important step for justice by creating a body to pinpoint criminal responsibility for the countless atrocities in Myanmar. This new body will collect evidence of the most serious international crimes in Myanmar since 2011 and moves victims closer to seeing Myanmar’s generals held to account. 

Some good news from Sweden, where authorities have interrupted deportations of Uighur Muslims to China.

The Australian government must ensure that its military exports are not contributing to violations of international law by the warring parties in Yemen. A joint letter by Save the Children, Amnesty International, and Human Rights Watch urges the Australian ministers of foreign affairs and defence to take a stand.

The United Nations Human Rights Council’s adoption of a resolution on Venezuela on September 27, 2018 signals the growing concern by governments worldwide about the country’s human rights and humanitarian crisis. The landmark resolution, passed by a vote of 23 to 7, condemns abuses and calls for aid and continued reporting on the Venezuelan crisis.

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