Russia: Digital Iron Curtain Falls on Internet Freedom Protection Day

(Berlin, March 12, 2026) – Russian authorities have escalated their internet censorship efforts over the past month, Human Rights Watch said today, a day marked by free speech defenders as World Day Against Cyber Censorship. The government

UN Urges Ethiopia to Tackle Pollution at Gold Mine

“The company’s chemicals have contaminated our land, water, and people,” 28-year-old “Elizabeth” recently told Kontomaa Darimu Alliance, an Ethiopian nongovernmental organization. Elizabeth’s 2-year-old son died a few years ago and she suff

Iraq: Prominent Women’s Rights Activist Assassinated

(Beirut) – A prominent Iraqi women’s rights activist was gunned down outside her Baghdad home by two men on motorcycles on March 2, 2026, Human Rights Watch said today. Yanar Mohammed, 65, co-founded the Organization of Women’s Freedom in I

Australia’s Cynical and Cruel Bill to Suspend Temporary Visas

This week, the Australian government introduced a new bill, that if passed, will prevent people from conflict and crisis-affected countries from visiting Australia. Under the Migration Amendment (2026 Measures No. 1) Bill 2026, the minister

Financial Times reports alarm over a sea level study; a faulty study

The lede of a Financial Times article published earlier this month states, “Measurements of actual global levels show big impact of climate change, especially in Asia, study shows.” The measurements were being compared to “estimates produce

Israel: Analysis shows 1 in 939 teenagers suffered cardiovascular events post covid vaccination

An analysis of Israeli Clalit Health Services’ adverse event reports reveals that one in 939 covid vaccinated adolescents, 12 to 16-year-olds, suffered a serious cardiovascular event within a few weeks during mid- 2021. The Israeli Head of

New Sudan Atrocity Prevention Coalition Needs to Act Fast

On February 26, the United Kingdom, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Norway announced the formation of a coalition to prevent atrocities and promote justice in Sudan. As atrocities continue unabated the coalition has its work cut out.

California is embedding age verification directly into digital devices

Starting from next year, all Apple and Android devices sold in California will have to classify users by age during initial setup.  Due to the so-called “California effect,” it will cause other jurisdictions – both within the US and globall

Haiti: Drone Strikes Put Residents at Risk

(Washington, DC) – Haitian security forces and private contractors working with them have conducted extensive and apparently unlawful lethal drone strikes, Human Rights Watch said today. The strikes, at least some of which appear to be deli

Mali: Armed Islamist Group Executes Truck Drivers

(Nairobi) – An Al-Qaeda-linked armed group summarily executed ten long-haul truck drivers and two teenage apprentices in late January 2026 in southwestern Mali, Human Rights Watch said today. The killings, in an attack on a fuel convoy, are

Ghana's Parliament Revives Dangerous Anti-LGBT Bill

Lawmakers in Ghana have reintroduced a draconian bill that jeopardizes the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people. On February 17, the Ghanaian parliament formally received the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values

Australia: Gender Equality Essential for National Security

(Sydney) – The Australian government should strengthen gender-focused approaches across all crisis responses, Human Rights Watch said today following International Women’s Day. The authorities should acknowledge that gender equality is esse

Statins do not reduce heart disease – and they have a high rate of side effects

Despite decades of statin use costing approximately $25 billion annually in America alone, heart disease remains the leading cause of death, suggesting the cholesterol hypothesis that drives statin prescriptions is fundamentally flawed. Stu

Exposed: A network of WHO Collaboration Centres operating within nations controls public health

Lucinda van Buuren, a registered nurse and founder of World Council for Health Australia, has uncovered a network of WHO Collaborating Centres operating in Australia, which are institutions designated by the WHO to advance its mandates and

Lebanon: Israel Unlawfully Using White Phosphorus

(Beirut) – The Israeli military unlawfully used artillery-fired white phosphorus munitions over homes on March 3, 2026, in the southern Lebanese town of Yohmor, Human Rights Watch said today. Human Rights Watch verified and geolocated seven