rights group

At least 35 people were killed in Darfur, Sudan, when a drone struck a gathering at a court. A rights group has blamed the army for the attack. The strike adds to mounting civilian casualties in Sudan's ongoing war and is drawing condemnation and calls for accountability.

The Trump administration filed a court brief arguing that press access to the White House is a 'privilege' rather than a right, defending its ban on outlets including CNN, Politico and MS NOW. The filing sets up a legal fight over whether the government can exclude news organizations from presidential events, and press freedom groups are treating it as a major test of First Amendment protections for journalists covering the administration.

Prime Minister Mark Carney's investment summit in Canada welcomed investors from the United Arab Emirates, drawing criticism because the UAE has been accused of supplying weapons, logistics, training and foreign personnel to Sudan's Rapid Support Forces, the paramilitary group implicated in widespread atrocities in Sudan's civil war. Critics question why Canada is courting Emirati money while human rights groups document the country's role in fuelling the conflict.

Amnesty International has published a new report presenting what it calls damning evidence of war crimes committed in Mali by state armed forces and personnel from the Russian Wagner Group. The findings add to mounting documentation of abuses against civilians in the country's conflict, and are drawing attention to the human rights record of Mali's military government and its Russian partners.

The US Department of Education has withdrawn Title IX guidance protecting LGBTQ students from discrimination, rolling back interpretations expanded under the Biden administration. The move removes federal protections that had addressed discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in schools and universities. Advocacy groups are criticizing the decision while conservatives have welcomed it, and legal challenges are expected as schools reassess their anti-discrimination policies.

The U.S. Department of Education has moved to end Title IX protections for LGBTQ+ students, according to an EdSource report. The change affects how federal sex-discrimination rules apply in schools and colleges nationwide. Education advocates and civil rights groups are expected to challenge the decision, while the development is drawing wide attention as part of ongoing national debates over student rights and education policy.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has introduced an omnibus bill aimed at making Canada a destination for global investment, but critics say it attacks workers' rights. The legislation frames the right to strike as an obstacle to the "national interest," prompting accusations from labor supporters that Carney is treating organized labor as a barrier to economic progress. Unions and left-wing commentators are pushing back against the bill's implications for collective bargaining.

Amnesty International USA is calling on US senators to demand answers from the Israeli government over human rights abuses in the occupied West Bank, including the killing of American citizens. The advocacy group argues that US lawmakers have a responsibility to seek accountability when US citizens are killed and to scrutinise Israel's conduct in the territory. The appeal adds to mounting pressure on Washington over its ally's actions in the Palestinian territories.

The advocacy group EveryLibrary warns that politicians and far-right groups in the United States are pushing to defund public libraries in disputes over books and programmes, saying people's freedom to check out books is under threat and local libraries could be next. The organisation is urging readers to pay attention to local library funding decisions.

Amnesty International has accused the Malian armed forces and the Russian Wagner Group of committing war crimes, according to a report by legal news outlet Jurist. The allegation targets the conduct of Malian troops and the Russian paramilitary contractor in Mali, where both have been engaged in counterinsurgency operations. The rights group's accusations add to growing international scrutiny of Wagner's activities in Africa.

A critic of the United Arab Emirates government has now spent a full year in detention without release, according to Human Rights Watch. The organisation is marking the anniversary by renewing calls for the individual's freedom, highlighting ongoing concerns about free expression and political prisoners in the country. The case has drawn attention from rights groups who argue the detention reflects broader restrictions on dissent in the UAE.

The Business and Human Rights Resource Centre is arguing that only a worldwide moratorium on advanced AI development can prevent catastrophic outcomes. The group frames uncontrolled artificial intelligence as a human rights and existential risk, urging governments to halt deployment until robust safeguards exist. The call adds to a growing debate among campaigners, researchers and regulators over whether AI progress should be slowed or paused.

The World Uyghur Congress marked the 77th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China by holding a protest, framing the date as one commemorating what it calls decades of oppression of the Uyghur people. The group urged international attention to human rights conditions in the Xinjiang region, which it refers to as East Turkestan.

The UN human rights chief has condemned a deadly airstrike in Myanmar and called on Malaysia to stop deporting people back to the country. The intervention links two ongoing concerns: civilian casualties from Myanmar's military air campaign and the treatment of Myanmar nationals facing removal from Malaysia. Human rights groups have repeatedly warned that returns to Myanmar could expose deportees to serious harm.

An Iranian woman sentenced to death in connection with anti-government protests is pleading for international intervention, saying 'do something' as she awaits execution. Her case has drawn attention to Iran's harsh treatment of demonstrators following the protest movement. Activists and rights groups are urging Western governments and international bodies to act to prevent her execution.

An Iranian court has upheld a sentence of 74 lashes against 29-year-old singer Parastoo Ahmadi for performing without a hijab, with other musicians also penalised in what rights groups call a crackdown on women flouting hijab law. Human rights organisations have condemned the punishment as a form of torture, drawing international criticism of Iran's enforcement of mandatory veiling on performers.

An Iranian singer has been sentenced to 74 lashes after performing without wearing a hijab. Human rights groups have condemned the punishment, calling it a form of torture. The case has drawn international attention to the treatment of women and performers under Iran's compulsory veiling laws, which have faced growing resistance since widespread protests against the regime.

UN human rights rapporteurs have voiced concern over what they describe as judicial harassment of a civil society organisation in Turkey. They are calling on Turkish authorities to stop what they see as the misuse of courts against the group. Details about the specific organisation and any response from Ankara were not provided.

Human rights groups report that notaries in Russia have begun refusing to certify powers of attorney for men of mobilisation age. The practice could prevent men from granting legal authority to relatives to act on their behalf, including in matters related to leaving the country or managing affairs if they are drafted. Rights advocates say the refusals add to mounting legal obstacles facing draft-age men since the invasion of Ukraine.

Malaysia has started sending back migrants to Myanmar, despite the country's ongoing civil war and objections from rights groups and critics who warn returnees may face serious danger. The move has drawn criticism from humanitarian organisations who argue that conditions in Myanmar are not safe for returns, placing Malaysia's immigration policy under scrutiny.