World News in Brief: UN scales up Ebola response, refugees ‘exiled’ in Africa, Political tensions escalate in Somalia

In eastern DRC, UN agencies are supporting national health authorities through Ebola treatment centres, case management, surveillance efforts and the delivery of essential medicines and medical supplies.  According to Congolese authorities, more than 90 per cent of reported cases are concentrated in Ituri province, though infections have also been detected in North and South Kivu.  […]

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Human Rights Watch Mourns the Passing of Carola Frediani

Human Rights Watch is deeply saddened by the death on June 3, 2026, of Carola Frediani at the age of 51 following a long illness. Carola was an information and security technologist at Human Rights Watch and a longtime journalist. She was regarded as an authoritative voice on the relationship between technology, security, and digital […]

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Killed for speaking up: UN sounds alarm over attacks on environmental defenders

His appeal came in remarks to the first-ever European Forum on Environmental Human Rights Defenders held in Strasbourg, France, where he warned that the continent is warming twice as fast as the global average, with increasing floods, shrinking glaciers and heatwaves.  “Extreme weather kills thousands of Europeans every summer,” he said.  “Across the continent, 95 per cent of urban residents breathe unsafe […]

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New Jersey Hunger Strikers Allege Abysmal Detention Conditions

Citing medical neglect, lack of sanitation, spoiled food, denial of bond, and coercion to sign legal documents that result in deportation, over 300 women and men detained at Delaney Hall, a New Jersey immigration detention facility run by the private, for-profit company GEO Group have reportedly been on a labor and hunger strike since May […]

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Security Cooperation with Niger Overlooks Rights Violations

The United States delivered US$2.3 million worth of military equipment to Niger’s armed forces, including uniforms, protective gear, and medical supplies on May 26. The US said the assistance will strengthen cooperation against terrorism and disrupt criminal networks while helping Niger secure its borders. Washington has been pursuing closer security ties with Sahel governments, including Niger, which in 2024 […]

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World News in Brief: Violence hampers Ebola efforts, aid delivery in Darfur and Gaza, Nicaraguan activist’s death in custody

At least seven civilians were killed in villages in Mambasa Territory, Ituri province, on Sunday, humanitarian partners reported.  The attack followed weeks of mounting violence in the province, bringing the death toll to more than 170 in May alone.  Violence also continued in North and South Kivu provinces, where armed clashes prevented people from accessing their fields and hampered humanitarian […]

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UN urges world not to forget Rohingya refugees as aid cuts threaten vital support

Speaking in Geneva on Tuesday, UNHCR spokesperson Babar Baloch warned that sharp reductions in humanitarian and development funding are putting essential services at risk for one of the world’s largest refugee populations. “The generous support from Bangladesh and the international community has been critical in meeting their basic needs and providing protection,” he told journalists.  […]

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Venezuela: Universal Jurisdiction a Route to Justice

(Madrid) – Argentina’s efforts to extradite and question a former Venezuelan official residing in Spain accused of crimes against humanity could offer a pathway toward accountability, Human Rights Watch said today, following Spanish authorities’ reported decision to continue proceedings on the extradition request. Argentina seeks the extradition of Ephraín Enrique Verdú Torrelles, a former officer of […]

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Philippines: ‘False Information’ Bill Open to Abuse

(Manila) – A proposed Philippine law to combat “false information” and so-called troll farms has vague and overly broad language that government officials could readily abuse, Human Rights Watch said today. Philippine lawmakers considering the Digital Media Anti-False Information Act, which passed a second reading in the House of Representatives on May 26, 2026, should […]

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EU deploys largest ever wildfire response for 2026 summer

With wildfire risks rising across Europe, the European Commission is helping finance and coordinate the deployment of a record number of firefighters, aircraft and emergency experts under the Civil Protection Mechanism 777 firefighters from 14 European countries will be strategically pre-positioned in high-risk areas across Cyprus, Greece, Italy, France, Spain, and Portugal. This is the […]

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