United States: Federal Agents Use Excessive Force in Illinois

Federal law enforcement agents have since mid-September used excessive force against peaceful protesters, legal observers, volunteer street medics, and journalists during demonstrations outside a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility in suburban Chicago. This is not crowd control but a campaign of intimidation and a clear message that dissent will be punished. It […]

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Brazil Resumes Key Dialogue over Equality

This week Brazil is hosting the 4th National Conference on the Rights of LGBTQIA+ People, an ambitious effort to chart new directions for public policy on equality and inclusion. Beyond its national scope, the conference underscores Brazil’s reemergence as a key voice in global equality debates. And as many countries, including in the Global North, roll back support of LGBTQIA+ rights, the conference shows […]

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CPJ Urges Madagascar to Investigate Attacks on Journalists Covering Political Turmoil

ANTANANARIVO, Oct. 22, 2025 — The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has urged Madagascar’s interim leadership to investigate two shootings and two assaults targeting journalists covering the country’s escalating political crisis. The incidents occurred during nationwide protests over water and electricity shortages, which culminated in a military coup and the ousting of President Andry Rajoelina. […]

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Three Women Die in Iran’s Qarchak Prison Due to Alleged Medical Neglect

TEHRAN, Oct. 21, 2025 — Human Rights Watch (HRW) has condemned the Iranian government following the deaths of three women in Qarchak prison, citing a pattern of medical negligence and rights violations. The organization claims that the women—Soudabeh Asadi, Jamile Azizi, and Somayeh Rashidi—died between September 16 and 25 after being denied timely and adequate […]

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UN rights office sounds alarm over ‘skyrocketing’ Israeli settler violence during olive harvest

Ajith Sunghay said on Tuesday that “settler violence has skyrocketed in scale and frequency, with the acquiescence, support, and in many cases participation, of Israeli security forces – and always with impunity.” In the first half of 2025 alone, there were 757 settler attacks causing casualties or property damage — a 13 per cent increase […]

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Sudan: Over one million return to Khartoum amid fragile recovery

According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the returns took place between November 2024 and September 2025, as families made their way back to Khartoum from across Sudan, seeking to rebuild their lives after months of displacement. “The scale of return to Khartoum is both a sign of resilience and a warning,” said Ugochi […]

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Ecuador: Abusive Response to Protests

(Washington, DC) – Ecuadorian police and security forces have restricted freedom of assembly and at times used excessive force in their response to anti-government protests since mid-September, 2025, Human Rights Watch said today.  Since September 18, the country’s largest Indigenous organization has led protests following President Daniel Noboa’s decision to scrap diesel fuel subsidies. While some […]

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Iran: Three Prisoners Dead after Denied Medical Care

(Beirut) – Three women died in Qarchak prison, a Tehran women’s prison notorious for abysmal conditions, between September 16 and 25, 2025, following a lack of medical care, Human Rights Watch said today.  The deaths in custody of Soudabeh Asadi, Jamile Azizi, and 42-year-old political prisoner Somayeh Rashidi highlight Iranian authorities’ violation of prisoners’ right to […]

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Feminist Foreign Policy During a Global Backlash

When governments convene this week in Paris for a conference on feminist foreign policy, there will be a lot to talk about. The French government’s description of the event laments that progress toward gender equality “is not being made fast enough.” That is an epic understatement. We are deep in a global backlash against women […]

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What happens when Afghan women and girls go offline?

At a time when women were already banned from attending schools and universities, Radio Femme has played a crucial role in providing alternative methods of education.   It offers a rare platform for women and girls to learn and continue their studies, with eight teachers delivering lessons in subjects ranging from math to science.   […]

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