Refugee Crises: EU leaders finalize migration proposal

European leaders have agreed on a deal to curb the flow of migrants into the EU. The plan will be presented to Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Friday. Here's what you need to know about the summit so far:

-Earlier Thursday, many EU leaders expressed skepticism about various elements of the deal, including the visa liberalization plans for Turkey, which would allow visa-free travel for Turkey's more than 75 million citizens within the EU

-On the table: Turkey has offered to take back all migrants who have arrived illegally in Greece by crossing the Aegean Sea. In exchange, Turkey has requested a total of 6 billion euros ($6.7 billion) in aid from the EU, on top of rapid visa liberalization and the acceleration of EU accession talks

-Human rights organizations have criticized the deal for undermining the right to asylum, breaching international and EU law

-Speaking to reporters at the airport before leaving for Brussels, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said he saw "some difficulties within the EU ... in fulfilling these terms [in Turkey's proposal]." He warned that Turkey would not accept any deal which turned his country into an "open prison" for migrants

-Davutoglu will join EU leaders for breakfast on Friday to continue the talks - and possibly for lunch and dinner as well

Read more: EU leaders finalize migration proposal | News | DW.COM | 17.03.2016

Shed light on cruelty in Cuba - by Frank Calzon

Another Cuban, Wilmar Villar, just died in a hunger strike protesting the abuses of the Castro's regime. His wife was not permitted to see his body.

Yoani Sanchez, the internationally recognized Cuban blogger who is not allowed to travel abroad, reported his death on the Internet.

Cuban exiles had called on governments and human rights organizations for help. We do not know if Cuban Cardinal Jaime Ortega, who has access to Raul Castro, interceded on behalf of Villar, who is the father of two girls, or if the Cardinal, who participated on the arrangement to release Cuban political prisoners and banish most of them and their families abroad, alerted the Holy See about Villar's impending death.

Havana can no longer murder in secrecy. It fears the Internet and the Cubans who are willing to die for human rights. But the regime enjoys international impunity for its crimes.

For more: Shed light on cruelty in Cuba - South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com

Clinton heading to Europe to promote human rights

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will travel to Europe next week to support international efforts to advance human rights and democracy.

Clinton will start by visiting Hungary Wednesday to inaugurate a human rights center named after the late California Rep. Tom Lantos. The Hungarian-born Lantos founded Congress' Human Rights Caucus. The institute honoring him in Budapest will aim to support minorities in Europe and the wider world. Clinton's predecessor as America's top diplomat, Condoleezza Rice, will also attend.

Clinton will then travel on to Lithuania for a meeting of the "Community of Democracies," where participants from dozens of countries will discuss ways to advance women in politics and business. They'll also speak about combating human trafficking and violence against women.

For more: Clinton heading to Europe to promote human rights - York Dispatch

Human rights court deals blow to EU asylum system

EU's asylum system known as the "Dublin regulation" was dealt a blow on Friday (21 January), as the European Court of Human Rights ruled that an Afghan translator should not have been sent back from Belgium to Greece, where he faced degrading and inhuman treatment.

The Strasbourg-based judges found that both the Greek and the Belgian governments violated the European Convention on Human Rights when applying the EU law on asylum seekers and were given fines to the tune of some €6,000 and €30,000, respectively.

The case was brought forward by an Afghan translator who first arrived in Greece in 2008 and later applied for asylum in Belgium. Under the "Dublin regulation", member states are allowed to send back refugees to the first EU country where they arrived.

For more: EUobserver / Human rights court deals blow to EU asylum system