US Appeals Court Upholds Oklahoma Ban on Gender-Affirming Care for Minors

The US Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit has upheld Oklahoma Senate Bill 613, which prohibits gender-affirming medical care for individuals under 18. The ruling, issued in Poe et al. v. Drummond et al., affirms a lower court’s decision that the law does not violate constitutional protections. Legal Reasoning and Precedent The court found […]

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Human Rights Watch Urges Vietnam to Release Ailing Activists Amid Health Concerns

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on the Vietnamese government to release two imprisoned activists, Can Thi Theu and Le Dinh Luong, citing serious medical concerns and inadequate healthcare in detention. Activists Facing Severe Health Issues According to HRW, both individuals are suffering from deteriorating health and have not received sufficient medical treatment while incarcerated. […]

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Indigenous Peoples Day highlights AI’s risks and opportunities

An estimated 476 million Indigenous Peoples live across 90 countries, representing 5,000 different cultures. Without proper safeguards, AI risks harming Indigenous rights through inequitable distribution of the groundbreaking technology, environmental damage and the reinforcement of damaging colonial legacies. The growing amount of electricity generation needed for AI data centres and other infrastructure is also intensifying […]

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Vietnam: Free Imprisoned Activists at Medical Risk

(New York) – The Vietnamese government should immediately release two wrongfully imprisoned activists who have developed serious health problems in prison, Human Rights Watch said today. Can Thi Theu, 63, a land rights activist, was recently hospitalized for abdominal pain and fever. Le Dinh Luong, 59, a pro-democracy campaigner, suffers from spinal degeneration and chronic stomach pain. […]

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Israeli plan to take military control of Gaza must stop now, says UN rights chief

“A complete military takeover of the occupied Gaza Strip must be immediately halted,” insisted Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, after the Israeli security cabinet approved a plan which portends a full-scale Israeli military takeover in the battered enclave. The development runs contrary to international law, Mr. Türk continued, referring to a ruling […]

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Russia Accused of Creating ‘Catalogue’ to Facilitate Coerced Adoption of Ukrainian Children

📍 Kyiv / Moscow — August 2025 Human rights monitors and Ukrainian officials have condemned Russia for allegedly establishing a digital “catalogue” to facilitate the coerced adoption of Ukrainian children who were forcibly deported during the ongoing conflict. The catalogue reportedly categorizes minors by age, eye color, and hair color, raising alarm over the commodification […]

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Belarusian Journalist Danil Palianski Sentenced to 10 Years for Treason: One of 37 Detained Journalist

📍 Minsk, Belarus — August 2025 A Belarusian court has sentenced journalist Danil Palianski to 10 years in prison on charges of treason, according to local media and press freedom advocates. Palianski has been in detention since September 2024 and is among 37 journalists currently imprisoned in Belarus. 🛑 Crackdown on Independent Media The sentencing […]

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UN Human Rights Chief Condemns M23 and Armed Group Attacks on Civilians in Eastern DRC

📍 Geneva / Kinshasa — August 2025 UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk has strongly condemned the recent escalation of violence by the M23 rebel group and other armed factions in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), citing grave violations of ceasefire agreements and international humanitarian law. 🛑 Surge in Civilian Casualties […]

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Press Freedom Advocates Demand Release of Iraqi TV Director and Reinstatement of Al-Baghdadia Channel

📍 Baghdad, Iraq — August 2025 The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has called on Iraqi authorities to immediately release Ali Al-Dhabhawi, director and presenter of Al-Baghdadia TV, and to reinstate the station’s satellite broadcast license. The appeal follows a series of enforcement actions that press freedom groups have condemned as part of a broader […]

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Macao: Ex-Lawmaker Held on National Security Charge

(New York) – Macao authorities should unconditionally release the former lawmaker and veteran pro-democracy activist Au Kam San (區錦新), who was arrested on national security charges, Human Rights Watch said today. This is the first time the draconian Law on Safeguarding National Security has been invoked in China’s Macao Special Administrative Region. On July 30, 2025, […]

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