UN migration agency helping migrants in the US return home voluntarily

In a statement on Monday, the UN agency said it is supporting Assisted Voluntary Return (AVR) – not deportation – for those who decide to leave the US. At the request of the US Government, IOM is helping people who register to go back to their countries of origin voluntarily. “AVR is a well-established, rights-based […]

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US Court Orders Release of Turkish Graduate Student Detained After Visa Revocation

A U.S. federal judge has ordered the release of Rümeysa Öztürk, a Turkish national and doctoral student, who had been detained for weeks following the revocation of her F-1 student visa. Öztürk, who was taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in March 2025, has been held in a detention facility in […]

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Vietnam’s Crackdown on Dissent Deepens as Activist Faces Fresh Charges from Prison

By Solomon Alaka | Based on reporting by Jurist and Human Rights Watch Vietnamese authorities have leveled new charges against jailed human rights activist Trinh Ba Phuong, intensifying what rights observers describe as a sweeping and systematic crackdown on peaceful dissent. Currently serving a 10-year sentence under Article 117 of Vietnam’s penal code—commonly used to […]

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Russian Journalist Detained for Filming Protest Aftermath, CPJ Demands Release

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has called for the immediate release of Veronika Orlova, a journalist with the independent Russian media outlet SOTAvision, who was sentenced to 13 days of administrative detention after filming emergency services responding to an anti-government protest in Moscow. Orlova was arrested on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, near Bolshoy Moskvoretsky […]

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Mass Strike in Panama Grows following Widening Repression and Sovereignty Concerns

Panama is witnessing a rapidly expanding national strike as workers, students, and Indigenous groups mobilize against controversial reforms, foreign military agreements, and state repression under the administration of President José Raúl Mulino. The strike, now in its second week, initially led by key labor unions such as SUNTRACS (construction workers), ASOPROF (professors), and SITRAIBANA (banana […]

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Mali Opposition Politicians Feared Forcibly Disappeared

In Mali on Thursday, two political opposition leaders went missing, sparking fears they may have been forcibly disappeared. Abba Alhassane, 68, is the secretary general of the opposition party Convergence for the Development of Mali (Convergence pour le développement du Mali, or CODEM). His colleagues said that on May 8, 2025, masked gunmen claiming to […]

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World News in Brief: South Sudan urged to avoid slide to war, Türk calls on EU not to weaken landmark law, Ukraine and Mali updates

The Quartet is calling on the country’s leaders to end hostilities and return to dialogue to fully implement the 2018 peace agreement known as the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS). South Sudan, the world’s youngest nation, gained independence in 2011 but soon descended into a […]

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Costa Rica’s refugee lifeline at breaking point amid funding crisis

“Without funding, asylum seekers are left in limbo – undocumented, unsupported and increasingly desperate,” said Ruvendrini Menikdiwela, Assistant High Commissioner for Protection. Her comments follow a 41 per cent budget cut to the UN agency’s operations in the country that have had devastating consequences. “This is not about luxuries; the assistance we’re cutting is critical […]

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US Announced New Humanitarian Aid Plan for Gaza to End Ongoing Blockade

The United States has announced a new initiative to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza, with operations expected to commence “very soon,” according to U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee. This plan aims to address the severe humanitarian crisis exacerbated by Israel’s ongoing blockade of the Gaza Strip, which has been in place since March 2025. […]

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Chile: Six-Month Silence Fuels Outrage Over Julia Chuñil’s Disappearance

Six months after the unexplained disappearance of Mapuche land defender Julia Chuñil, Chilean civil society has intensified its demands for justice and accountability. On May 9, 2025, under persistent rain, hundreds of activists rallied in Santiago and across the country, denouncing the state’s inaction and the media’s silence regarding her case. A Life Dedicated to […]

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