Global watchdog on rights abuses and abuses of power
The United States has announced sweeping sanctions that block transactions with the International Criminal Court and freeze any ICC assets in US jurisdictions. The measures follow previous targeted sanctions on ICC judges and officials and come hours after former ICC judge Navi Pillay won the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize. Several US allies have expressed regret and the ICC has called the move an assault on the rule of law.
ICE is extending the no-bid contract for Camp East Montana in El Paso through Sept. 30, 2027, at a potential cost of $778 million. Reports allege detainee mistreatment, inadequate medical care, and poor conditions. DHS defends the extension citing operational needs and bed space constraints. Critics warn the move prolongs harm and lacks accountability.
Refugee-hosting states have tightened controls and pushed a limited repatriation plan while Rohingya camps in Bangladesh are reporting worsening conditions. Malaysia has begun screening Myanmar nationals for a 5,000-person return scheme and has detained and processed groups of Rohingya; rights groups warn returns could put people at risk. Cox's Bazar refugees are protesting and aid cuts are worsening hunger.
Ceuta remains in crisis as thousands more migrants have arrived and EU partners call for swift action. Spain is coordinating a response with Morocco while deploying security forces to the enclave. Unaccompanied minors and humanitarian concerns are mounting as shelters fill and authorities assess reception options.
Clashes have intensified between Ethiopian federal forces and the TPLF in western Tigray near the Sudan border. Civilians are fleeing, and both sides accuse the other of violating the Pretoria peace deal. The fighting follows months of deteriorating relations since the Pretoria agreement and raises fears of a wider conflict in the region.
Civil defence teams in Gaza City have recovered the remains of 112 people, including about 40 children, from a residential block hit on 22 November 2023. Hundreds attended mass funerals after days of hand-digging; officials say 157 people remain under the same rubble and thousands more are still reported missing across Gaza.
Thousands gather in Gaza City as 112 bodies are buried after rescue teams recovered them from Sabra and surrounding sites. Families mourn 308 relatives from a November 2023 attack, with 157 still missing. The funerals unfold under a continuing ceasefire while confrontations and calls for investigations persist.
Four US-based rights organisations have filed a federal lawsuit in New York challenging last year’s executive order that authorised US sanctions on International Criminal Court judges, prosecutors and groups that cooperate with the court. The complaint has argued the measures have forced them to curtail work, violated constitutional rights and unlawfully interfered with international justice.
Electronic Arts has been taken private in a $55 billion deal led by Saudi Arabia's PIF, with Silver Lake and Affinity Partners. The move delists EA from Nasdaq and adds $20 billion in debt. Analysts expect a focus on core franchises and potential cost-cutting. Regulators approved the deal, and governance implications are under scrutiny.
Since January, Ugandan authorities have detained opposition figures and charged them on sweeping accusations, with new cases alleging incitement and unlawful society. The UN and rights groups say the crackdown intensifies after elections, drawing international concern.
Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and Lebanons Legal Agenda have released investigations finding that Israeli strikes on 22 April in al-Tiri have targeted journalists Amal Khalil and Zeinab Faraj, described the attacks as war crimes and said Israeli forces impeded rescue efforts. Israel has denied deliberately targeting journalists and said it struck Hezbollah-linked targets.
Independent Ethiopian outlets face escalating government pressure. Journalists detained or harassed, offices raided, and licenses revoked as authorities push for tighter control over reporting on unrest and elections. CPJ urges due process and the protection of press freedom.
Israeli airstrikes have hit southern Lebanon early on Saturday, killing at least seven people in Ansar and four in Deir al-Zahrani, Lebanese authorities and state media have reported. Israel has said it struck Hezbollah infrastructure in response to an attack that wounded Israeli soldiers; Lebanese leaders have condemned the civilian deaths. Talks under a US-backed framework are continuing.
A Damascus criminal court has sentenced ousted president Bashar al‑Assad, his brother Maher and several senior former officials — including Atef Najib, who is in custody — to death for murders, torture and crimes against humanity committed during Syria’s 14‑year conflict. The rulings have been issued in absentia for Assad and Maher, who are in Russia.
Lebanon has passed legislation abolishing the death penalty and replacing it with life imprisonment with aggravated hard labour. Parliament has also approved a separate general amnesty law that will reduce some long sentences and free inmates detained more than 12 prison years while awaiting trial; the measures respond to severe prison overcrowding and political pressures.
UN agencies report detainee cases in Herat and Kabul as the Taliban hold six staff from the Women and Children Legal Research Foundation and two UNAMA employees. The UN calls for access and adherence to immunities as the humanitarian situation worsens and cross-border clashes continue.
Venezuela has released more than 130 political prisoners under the Programme for Peace and Democratic Coexistence, with dozens of detainees reunited with families outside El Rodeo I. The move follows US-brokered talks and a pledge to reform the judiciary, while protesters urge full freedom for all political prisoners.
Human Rights Watch reports that federal civil-rights offices have been trimmed under President Trump’s term, with staff losses across DOJ, Education, HUD, and EEOC, weakening enforcement of anti-discrimination laws. The report cites interviews, court filings, and directives showing a shift away from civil-rights protection.
The Taliban’s return to power has reached five years as Kabul marks the anniversary with ceremonies and crackdowns. While security has improved and some infrastructure projects advance, women face sweeping restrictions, humanitarian needs rise, and international recognition remains limited. Attacks against officials persist, while aid workers face detentions amid a fragile economy.
Palestinian healthcare workers report a surge in attacks by Israeli settlers in the West Bank, with a nurse paralyzed in Sa’ir and ambulances stormed. Health officials say the violence has displaced communities and escalated this year.
Joshua Wong has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to collude with foreign forces in Hong Kong's High Court and faces additional years behind bars while already serving a four-year, eight-month sentence for a separate national security conviction. Rights groups and supporters say the new charge is designed to extend his detention and chill dissent across the city.
Palestinian and Israeli sources report a sharp rise in West Bank violence. Dozens of settler attacks have targeted towns including Masafer Yatta, Jenin, Qusra and Hebron, with Palestinians injured, property damaged and several homes besieged. The violence coincides with increased Israeli military operations and ongoing clashes.
Three years into displacement in Gaza’s Deir-al‑Balah camps, women face severe menstrual health challenges as sanitation and water access collapse amid the siege. Pads have vanished, prices have soared, and private, dignified care has become a luxury.
A migrant boat carrying 15 people sank off Zarzis, Tunisia, killing and injuring several. One survivor has been rescued, with bodies recovered over two days as protests erupt in Ben Guerdane. The incident follows years of cracked migration policies and EU-Tunisia cooperation.
A Damascus court has found Ahmad Hassoun, Syria’s former grand mufti, guilty of inciting violence and supporting the regime, delivering a life sentence and additional terms. The ruling comes amid a wave of trials against Assad-era officials as the new authorities push for accountability.
Montreal's City Council has passed a watered-down motion expressing solidarity with the Palestinian people and civilian victims, while removing calls to sever ties with Israel and denounce apartheid. The amended motion backs international law and calls on federal and provincial governments to lead diplomacy, amid ongoing debates and protests.
The UN warns of rising conflict-related sexual violence across several crises. Bodies recount abuses, underreporting remains high, and survivors face persistent barriers while authorities struggle to protect rights and investigate abuses.
Former head of Rwanda’s presidential guard Tom Byabagamba has died in prison, raising concerns about jail conditions and political repression. Rights groups describe a pattern of silencing critics; the cases of Byabagamba and Rusagara are cited amid ongoing debates about President Kagame’s government.
Colombia’s new hardline president has escalated operations against dissident groups, with recent raids and drone-assisted attacks reported across several departments. The government says operations will continue to target ELN and other factions, amid ongoing clashes and civilian harm.
A set of recent reports shows farmers adapting to increasingly unpredictable weather through drought-tolerant crops, smarter irrigation, and climate-smart farming. From Wales and Scotland to Africa and East Africa, communities are expanding local cultivation, improving soil health, and building resilience against droughts, floods, and rising temperatures.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has completed a three‑country tour of Colombia, Ecuador and Peru to expand military and counter‑drug cooperation with right‑wing governments. Washington has pledged funding, vessels and designations of gangs as foreign terrorist organisations while US forces have intercepted and sunk vessels linked to Ecuadorian criminal groups.
Rights groups report a sustained crackdown on civil society in Tunisia, with arrests, financially targeting NGOs, and suspensions widening under President Saied. The move is described as a strategic clampdown on dissent amid protests and deteriorating living conditions.
Myanmar’s president Min Aung Hlaing has visited Malaysia for two days while Kuala Lumpur is proceeding with a programme to repatriate up to 5,000 Myanmar nationals. Malaysia says roughly 10,000 people have returned this year and that repatriations are voluntary; the UN and rights groups have warned they cannot verify voluntariness and say returnees, including possible Rohingya, face grave risks in a country at war.
Prolonged detentions and indictments are drawing global scrutiny as Russia, Israel and Azerbaijan face court cases and political pressure over perceived rights abuses and censorship. The stories link a broader crackdown on dissent with heightened state security measures.
The UAE has granted a presidential pardon to Abdul Rahman Yusuf al-Qaradawi, who faced a 10-year prison sentence and a 200,000 dirham fine in Abu Dhabi. The pardon follows extensive international scrutiny and his extradition from Lebanon in 2024-2025.
Three veteran Hong Kong activists — Lee Cheuk-yan, Chow Hang-tung and Albert Ho — have been sentenced to between five and seven years after convictions for inciting subversion under Beijings 2020 national security law. The sentences follow convictions in August and will include time already served, rights groups and foreign governments have condemned the verdicts.
Gaza flotilla activists have joined Wael Naouar’s hunger strike in Tunisian custody amid a probe into alleged financial flows. The detainees’ health is deteriorating as a Tunisian court weighs extending pre-trial detention for six months.
The Venice Special Jury Prize for NAZA has triggered a political firestorm in Israel. Culture Minister Miki Zohar calls to strip the filmmakers’ citizenship, while Prime Minister Netanyahu and other officials condemn the film as treasonous. The documentary cites 24 anonymous Israeli insiders and alleges AI-assisted targeting and anticipated civilian casualties in Gaza; the filmmakers say the film seeks accountability.
A consortium-led investigation shows the US has struck third-country deportation deals with states and UN agencies to move undocumented migrants out of the US. By early 2026, thousands have been deported to countries like Cameroon, Eswatini, and Ghana, with hundreds of millions allocated to signatories and to UN agencies. Critics warn of coercion and opaque negotiations.
Houthi forces have seized large stretches of Yemen's Red Sea coast and islands, tightened control over the Bab al‑Mandeb shipping lane and have launched missiles, drones and ballistic rounds at Saudi cities including Riyadh and Yanbu. Saudi air defences have said they have intercepted strikes; residents have reported explosions and smoke. The advance has disrupted shipping and pushed global energy markets higher.
Pakistan’s medical regulator has ordered Afghan students in Pakistani medical and dental colleges to return home, barring new admissions for the current year. Courts are hearing petitions from students and rights groups. The move follows deteriorating Pakistan–Afghanistan relations since the Taliban seized Kabul in 2021, with Amnesty International calling the policy discriminatory.
Turkish authorities have carried out coordinated raids across at least five provinces in a campaign called "My Family is Safe," detaining more than 100 people, searching LGBTQ+ and HIV‑advocacy offices, raiding bars and homes, and blocking social media accounts; ministers say the operation protects children and family values.
Four Global Sumud Flotilla activists remain in pre-trial detention in Tunisia. All four have been on hunger strikes to protest charges of misusing funds raised for Gaza relief. Health of Wael Naouar and Ghassen Henchiri is deteriorating;Naouar in hospital, others experiencing weight loss and fainting. Protests and international attention continue as authorities defend legal processes.
Judges in The Hague have convicted Mahamat Said Abdel Kani for running a detention facility in Bangui where Bozizé supporters were tortured during the 2013 conflict. The verdict finds torture and persecution proven; some charges are dismissed as the conflict was deemed over at the time. Sentencing will be set later.
The United States has intensified its push against the International Criminal Court, with sanctions being considered and public threats amplified. The ICC faces mounting stress as Washington argues it lacks jurisdiction over non-member states, even as European allies discuss protective measures to shield European businesses.
Palestinian communities face encroachment as Israeli settlers, backed by a hard‑line government, move to seize springs and designate heritage sites. Water diversions near Fasayil contribute to a new “Herod’s Pool,” while funding for archaeology signals a broader push to consolidate control over land and memory in the West Bank.
The United States reports a new deportation of a Nicaraguan dissident who was released after protests in 2018. He has been deported to Managua and detained again in the same prison where fellow critics were tortured. Human rights groups say the crackdown has driven hundreds of thousands to flee, while Washington presses for accountability amid ongoing expulsions.
UN agencies warn that hunger and displacement are intensifying in Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen as conflicts, climate shocks, and funding shortfalls undermine relief efforts. In Baidoa and Mogadishu, thousands face famine-like conditions while aid delivery shrinks, pushing millions toward crisis levels ahead of the El Niño season.
Amnesty International reports 34 civilian deaths in seven sites across Mali between June 2023 and December 2025, in operations by the Malian army and Wagner and Africa Corps. Victims were not taking part in hostilities; many were pastoralists. Drone strikes and torture are also documented. Mali denies wrongdoing and calls for accountability.
The London Bullion Market Association is being sued by families of two Tanzanian miners who died at the North Mara mine in 2019. Lawyers argue LBMA’s certification of gold as “responsible” helped sustain abuses, challenging London’s Good Delivery system.