By Human Rights Watch
Click to expand Image Inmates walk free from La Lima prison in Havana on April 3, 2026. © 2026 YAMIL LAGE / AFP via Getty Images On April 2, the Cuban government announced the release of 2,010 prisoners, framing it as a “humanitarian gesture.” While the announcement raised hopes among many political prisoners’ families, neither Human Rights Watch nor other civil society groups, including Prisoners Defenders and Justicia 11J, have identified any political prisoners among those released.In its announcement, the Cuban government said it would exclude, among others, people sentenced for…
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By Human Rights Watch
Click to expand Image Supporters of Planned Parenthood rally in front of the Supreme Court in Washington DC, as the Justices will be hearing the case of Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, April 2, 2025. © 2025 Sipa via AP Images The Trump administration is using a US federal funding provision to make abortion care less accessible, threatening states with devastating federal funding cuts for protecting the right to abortion. The provision, known as the Weldon Amendment and attached to federal spending bills since 2005, is meant to prevent states from treating…
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By Tao Wang, Professor of Strategy, EM Lyon Business School
A researcher examines the bad press surrounding absinthe which led to its ban in France in 1915, while drawing parallels with more recent, ‘scathing’ examples of scapegoating and social control.
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By Nicholas John Wheeler, Professor of International Relations Department of Political Science and International Studies, University of Birmingham; BASIC
The US and Iran have agreed a two-week ceasefire in a deal brokered by Pakistan, which will see Iran open the Strait of Hormuz to shipping while negotiations continue for a more permanent settlement.
The US president, Donald Trump, announced the agreement on his TruthSocial platform less than two hours before the deadline of 8pm EST on April 7. Hours earlier he had posted: “A whole civilisation will die tonight, never…
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By Amelia M. Kiddle, Professor of History and Associate Dean, Research and Communities, University of Calgary
Collaborating on providing aid to Cuba in its time of need could serve as a strong foundation for improving Canadian-Mexican relations.
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By Bamo Nouri, Honorary Research Fellow, Department of International Politics, City St George's, University of London
Inderjeet Parmar, Professor in International Politics, City St George's, University of London
Ceasefires are often presented as moments of relief – pauses in violence that open the door to diplomacy. But sometimes they reveal something more consequential: who has actually gained from the war. The emerging ceasefire between the US, Israel and Iran may be one of those moments.
On the surface, all sides are claiming success. Donald Trump has declared a “total and complete victory”, presenting the agreement as evidence that US objectives have been met.…
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By Jessica A.J. Rich, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Marquette University
Public health institutions are under threat by populist governments across the globe.
From Budapest to Jakarta, Indonesia, public health agencies are being stripped of funding and independence. Meanwhile, disinformation has sown distrust in…
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By Yuanyuan (Gina) Cui, Assistant Professor of Marketing, Coastal Carolina University
Patrick van Esch, Associate Professor of Marketing, Coastal Carolina University
Americans are skipping restaurant dinners, delaying car purchases and scouring for grocery deals. Amid tariff anxiety and broader stress over affordability, consumer confidence has dropped…
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By Magdalena Stawkowski, Associate Professor of Anthropology, University of South Carolina
When I talk about my anthropological fieldwork, many Americans are shocked to learn that “living on a nuclear test site” is even a logical statement.
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By Daniel T. Blumstein, Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California, Los Angeles
Peter Mikula, Postdoctoral Researcher at the Faculty of Environmental Sciences
Piotr Tryjanowski, Professor of Zoology
The urban monkeys in New Delhi are so bold they’ll steal the lunch right off your plate. If you’ve spent time in New York, you’ve probably seen squirrels try to do the same. Sydney’s white ibises got the nickname “bin chickens” for stealing trash and sandwiches.
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