The Trump administration is accelerating a global backsliding in human rights by gutting international protections and endangering billions across the planet, Amnesty International said in its latest annual assessment, released on Tuesday.
The London-based group’s annual report, The State of the World’s Human Rights, documents widespread curbs on dissent, escalations of armed conflict, inadequate efforts to address climate change, and a growing backlash against the rights of vulnerable groups in locations from the USA to Gaza and Myanmar.
"In 2024 we saw a globalised intensification of authoritarian practices and a very important clampdown on dissent," said Amnesty International's Turkey director Ruhat Sena Aksener at a press conference to launch the report in Istanbul.
“Trump's government has swiftly and deliberately targeted vital US and international institutions and initiatives that were designed to make ours a safer and fairer world.”
Agnes Callamard,
Amnesty International Secretary General
The report, which assesses 150 countries, said what it described as the “Trump effect” had compounded damage to freedoms advanced by other world leaders in 2024, and has further eaten away at decades of work attempting to improve universal human rights.
“One hundred days into his second term, President Trump has shown only utter contempt for universal human rights,” said Agnes Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General, in a statement before the report's release. “His government has swiftly and deliberately targeted vital US and international institutions and initiatives that were designed to make ours a safer and fairer world.”
The organisation now categorises the US as a state that is "getting more and more authoritarian, applying authoritarian legislation and using systems that demolish human rights principles," Ms Aksener said. "In 2025, we evaluate that the authoritarian practices of the US will increase, and this will encourage authoritarianism in other countries around the world too."
US aid cuts have exacerbated civilian suffering in countries including Syria and Yemen, while President Trump has accelerated a trend of technology firms enabling “discriminatory and authoritarian practices”, Amnesty International said.
“The alignment between the Trump administration and tech billionaires also risks opening the door to an era of rampant corruption, disinformation, impunity and corporate capture of state power,” the organisation warned.
The report attributes the regress in human rights to a proliferation of authoritarian laws and policies and practices targeting freedom of expression and association, including by banning media outlets and disbanding or suspending NGOs and political parties.
Authoritarian leaders are creating a web of intensifying repression using tactics such as prosecution of critics and opponents, deployment of spyware, and suppression of the media, Ms Aksener added.
Israel's war in Gaza is a major area of concern for Amnesty International, which in December 2024 was among the first major rights organisations to describe Israel’s war in Gaza as a genocide – something Israel denies.
“Year after year, we have warned of the dangers of human rights backsliding. But the events of the past 12 months – not least Israel’s live-streamed but unheeded genocide of Palestinians in Gaza – have laid bare just how hellish the world can be for so many when the most powerful states jettison international law and disregard multilateral institutions,” Ms Callamard said.
The report also raises serious concerns about the continuation or escalation of armed conflict in Ukraine, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the failure of the international community to universally seek accountability for violations.
“Having paved the way for this mess by failing to universally uphold the rule of law, the international community must now shoulder the responsibility,” said Ms Callamard.
In Turkey, Amnesty International's researchers warned of a more oppressive environment, accusing the government of "interference" in the judiciary, and unlawfully restricting rights to freedom of peaceful assembly.
The Turkish government claims it upholds the rule of law and often accuses detained people of violating terrorism laws. Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu – a strong probable competitor to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in future presidential elections – is currently being held on corruption charges.
Best Foreign Language Film nominees
Capernaum (Lebanon)
Cold War (Poland)
Never Look Away (Germany)
Roma (Mexico)
Shoplifters (Japan)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
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Best Academy: Ajax and Benfica
Best Agent: Jorge Mendes
Best Club : Liverpool
Best Coach: Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool)
Best Goalkeeper: Alisson Becker
Best Men’s Player: Cristiano Ronaldo
Best Partnership of the Year Award by SportBusiness: Manchester City and SAP
Best Referee: Stephanie Frappart
Best Revelation Player: Joao Felix (Atletico Madrid and Portugal)
Best Sporting Director: Andrea Berta (Atletico Madrid)
Best Women's Player: Lucy Bronze
Best Young Arab Player: Achraf Hakimi
Kooora – Best Arab Club: Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia)
Kooora – Best Arab Player: Abderrazak Hamdallah (Al-Nassr FC, Saudi Arabia)
Player Career Award: Miralem Pjanic and Ryan Giggs
Our legal advisor
Ahmad El Sayed is Senior Associate at Charles Russell Speechlys, a law firm headquartered in London with offices in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong.
Experience: Commercial litigator who has assisted clients with overseas judgments before UAE courts. His specialties are cases related to banking, real estate, shareholder disputes, company liquidations and criminal matters as well as employment related litigation.
Education: Sagesse University, Beirut, Lebanon, in 2005.
'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
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'Ghostbusters: From Beyond'
Director: Jason Reitman
Starring: Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace
Rating: 2/5
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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'Morbius'
Director: Daniel Espinosa
Stars: Jared Leto, Matt Smith, Adria Arjona
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Other simple ideas for sushi rice dishes
Cheat’s nigiri
This is easier to make than sushi rolls. With damp hands, form the cooled rice into small tablet shapes. Place slices of fresh, raw salmon, mackerel or trout (or smoked salmon) lightly touched with wasabi, then press, wasabi side-down, onto the rice. Serve with soy sauce and pickled ginger.
Easy omurice
This fusion dish combines Asian fried rice with a western omelette. To make, fry cooked and cooled sushi rice with chopped vegetables such as carrot and onion and lashings of sweet-tangy ketchup, then wrap in a soft egg omelette.
Deconstructed sushi salad platter
This makes a great, fuss-free sharing meal. Arrange sushi rice on a platter or board, then fill the space with all your favourite sushi ingredients (edamame beans, cooked prawns or tuna, tempura veggies, pickled ginger and chilli tofu), with a dressing or dipping sauce on the side.
Basquiat in Abu Dhabi
One of Basquiat’s paintings, the vibrant Cabra (1981–82), now hangs in Louvre Abu Dhabi temporarily, on loan from the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.
The latter museum is not open physically, but has assembled a collection and puts together a series of events called Talking Art, such as this discussion, moderated by writer Chaedria LaBouvier.
It's something of a Basquiat season in Abu Dhabi at the moment. Last week, The Radiant Child, a documentary on Basquiat was shown at Manarat Al Saadiyat, and tonight (April 18) the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is throwing the re-creation of a party tonight, of the legendary Canal Zone party thrown in 1979, which epitomised the collaborative scene of the time. It was at Canal Zone that Basquiat met prominent members of the art world and moved from unknown graffiti artist into someone in the spotlight.
“We’ve invited local resident arists, we’ll have spray cans at the ready,” says curator Maisa Al Qassemi of the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.
Guggenheim Abu Dhabi's Canal Zone Remix is at Manarat Al Saadiyat, Thursday April 18, from 8pm. Free entry to all. Basquiat's Cabra is on view at Louvre Abu Dhabi until October
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2.0
Director: S Shankar
Producer: Lyca Productions; presented by Dharma Films
Cast: Rajnikanth, Akshay Kumar, Amy Jackson, Sudhanshu Pandey
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Race card
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,600m
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6.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,400m
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7.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 (T) 2,400m
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
