rights group

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.

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.

Amnesty International has documented cases of murder and torture committed by the Malian army and the Wagner paramilitary group in Mali, according to a report by RFI. The findings add to growing scrutiny of Wagner's operations in Africa's Sahel region, where the Russian-linked force has been deployed alongside government troops against armed insurgents.

United Nations experts have warned that the Trump administration's practice of deporting migrants to third countries violates international human rights law. The warning, reported by the Guardian, adds to mounting international criticism of US immigration policy, with rights groups arguing that removals to countries with which deportees have no connection expose people to serious harm.

The US Department of Education has withdrawn Title IX guidance protecting LGBTQ students from discrimination, rolling back interpretations expanded under the Biden administration.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.

Human Rights Watch reports a sharp rise in US immigration arrests that is leaving children in anguish, with families separated or fearing separation during enforcement operations. The group highlights the psychological toll on children affected by detentions and deportations, drawing attention to the human cost of intensified immigration enforcement across the United States.

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 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.

Malaysia has started sending Myanmar refugees back home, a move that has drawn criticism from rights groups who say conditions in Myanmar remain unsafe for returnees. The decision affects refugees who had been sheltering in Malaysia after fleeing conflict and persecution. Advocates argue the deportations breach international protection obligations and could put returnees at serious risk.

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.

The human rights group Monitor has accused Israel of deliberately targeting civilians in its military campaign in Gaza, according to a report carried by Shafaq News. The allegation adds to ongoing international scrutiny of civilian casualties in the territory and is likely to fuel debate over compliance with international humanitarian law.

Migrant children are appearing before US immigration judges without legal representation, raising concerns among advocates who say unrepresented minors cannot navigate complex deportation proceedings on their own. Reports from immigration courts highlight the scale of the problem, and rights groups are calling for guaranteed access to counsel for children in removal cases.

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.

Immigration arrests are rising sharply, and the impact on children is at the centre of the concern. Human Rights Watch reports children experiencing anguish as families are detained or separated during the enforcement sweep. Rights groups warn the crackdown is inflicting serious psychological harm on minors caught up in arrests, and the surge is drawing scrutiny over the treatment of children in immigration enforcement.

The Council of Europe is hosting a roundtable in Strasbourg focused on Russia's State Duma elections, which the organisation has described as fake. The discussion forms part of the Council's continued scrutiny of Russia's political system and electoral integrity, amid broader tensions between Moscow and European institutions over democracy and human rights standards.

A new report documents war crimes committed by the Malian army and foreign allied forces along Mali's border with Mauritania, in an area affected by the decade-long conflict with armed groups. Witnesses describe killings of civilians regardless of age or status, summed up in the finding that 'no one is spared'. The allegations renew scrutiny of Mali's military and its foreign partners.

A human rights organisation has warned against careless redevelopment in Syria, pointing to billions of dollars' worth of reconstruction deals being struck without adequate legal safeguards. The group says the agreements risk rights violations for residents, including displaced Syrians unable to claim property, and is urging stronger legal protections before large-scale rebuilding proceeds.

Civil society groups warn that the Houthi movement is forcing children to fight on Yemen's battlefields, a long-standing concern documented by human rights monitors during the country's decade-long war. Yemeni civil society organisations are renewing calls for accountability and international attention to child recruitment as fighting continues across the country.

Israel is using artificial intelligence systems to select and accelerate demolitions of Palestinian homes in the West Bank, according to a report by Al Jazeera. The story alleges that AI tools help identify structures for demolition and streamline the process, raising concerns among rights groups about automated targeting, displacement and the lack of human oversight in decisions affecting Palestinian residents.

A new report has found the Philippines to be the deadliest country in Asia for environmental defenders, with activists, Indigenous leaders and land defenders facing killings while protecting forests, land and natural resources. The findings put the Philippines among the most dangerous places worldwide for those defending the environment, prompting calls from rights groups for stronger protection and accountability for violence against defenders.

At least 186 students and teachers have allegedly been killed in Iran, prompting human rights organizations to call for an independent investigation into the deaths. The reported toll has drawn international attention and condemnation, with advocacy groups urging accountability and transparency from Iranian authorities. Details about the circumstances of the killings remain limited as calls for a formal probe grow.

Trade unions and civil rights groups across the European Union are calling on national governments to stop using the software of US data analytics firm Palantir. The campaign, highlighted by Common Dreams, describes Palantir as 'not just another tech company', arguing its surveillance and data-processing work poses risks to privacy and civil liberties that governments should not rely on.

Amnesty International says Türkiye is intensifying its crackdown on LGBTI organisations and activists, framing the repression as part of a broader deterioration of human rights in the country. Rights groups warn that bans on Pride events, detentions and pressure on civil society signal a widening assault on fundamental freedoms under the current government.

Yemen's Human Rights Commission has condemned Saudi-led airstrikes, denouncing them as aggression and calling attention to civilian harm in the conflict. The statement adds to ongoing international debate over the Saudi-led coalition's air campaign in Yemen, with rights groups repeatedly urging accountability and protection of civilians as the war continues.

Anti-trafficking organisation Freedom United is warning that human traffickers are using social media platforms to groom and sell children, while major technology companies avoid legal accountability. The group says Section 230 of the US Communications Decency Act allows platforms to evade liability for hosting content that enables trafficking, and is calling attention to gaps in US law that leave children unprotected online.