By Human Rights Watch
Click to expand Image US President Donald Trump shows a signed executive order classifying fentanyl as 'weapon of mass destruction' during a Mexican Border Defense Medal presentation in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC, December 15, 2025. © 2025 Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters A new executive order seeking to designate “illicit fentanyl” a “weapon of mass destruction” could open the door to a dangerous expansion of militarized law enforcement and abusive military action.The December 15 order directs the defense secretary and attorney general to “determine whether…
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By Kelly Yu
Ten migrant domestic workers died protecting their employers in Hong Kong's deadliest blaze in decades, but survivors face job loss and deportation as they are still in grief.
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By Amnesty International
“When I arrived in Vindoulou, I quickly realized the danger we were in. The air was unbreathable! Black dust and fumes were spreading and invading our homes. Sometimes, when we went out, we couldn’t even see our nearest neighbour. The plant staff discharged oil and wastewater in front of our houses. Metal debris from the […] The post “The most important thing is people’s health. I fight to save lives” appeared first on Amnesty International. ]]>
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By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra
Australia will see the biggest gun buyback since the 1990s, after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced a national scheme on Friday.
Under the plan, similar to the 1996 one introduced by John Howard after the Port Arthur massacre, the states and territories will be responsible for collecting, processing and paying individuals for the firearms surrendered. The Australian Federal Police will be responsible for their destruction.
The cost of the scheme will be shared on a 50-50 basis.
Speaking after cabinet’s national security committee had met for the sixth…
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By Jonathan Este, Senior International Affairs Editor, Associate Editor, The Conversation
This newsletter was first published in The Conversation UK’s World Affairs Briefing email. Sign up to receive weekly analysis of the latest developments in international relations, direct to your inbox.
Volodymyr Zelensky says there will almost certainly be no ceasefire in Ukraine before Christmas. This means the war is more than likely to stretch on into a fifth year to the dismay of everyone – barring, perhaps Vladimir Putin, for whom the war seems to be a means to a number…
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By Paul Onanuga, Lecturer, Federal University, Oye Ekiti
Nigerian pop stars are often accused of singing about love and money and ignoring social issues. Falz isn’t one of them.
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By Guest Contributor
Non-compliance with Technical Minimum Power, causing a greater injection of fossil-fuel-generated energy into the grid, violates Dominican legislation and hinders climate commitments, especially when renewable energy companies’ production remains restricted.
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By Amnesty International
Content warning: The following text contains descriptions and images depicting violence, death, police brutality, and police killings. Reader discretion is advised. Tanzanian security forces used unnecessary or disproportionate force, including lethal force, to suppress election protests between 29 October and 3 November 2025, showing a shocking disregard for the right to life and for freedom […] The post Tanzania: Security forces used unlawful lethal force in election protest crackdown and ‘took away’ dead bodies appeared first on Amnesty International. ]]>
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Thursday, December 18, 2025
Statement delivered by Elyse Mosquini, Permanent Observer to the United Nations, at the High-level Meeting of the UN General Assembly on the overall review of the implementation of the outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS+20)
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By Amnesty International
How does systemic racism influence migration policies, asylum systems and border enforcement? Borders are not simply lines on a map or physical barriers separating one place from another. They are a complex infrastructure of control, social ordering and exclusion shaped by racial hierarchies rooted in histories of colonialism, slavery and other forms of oppression such as patriarchy. Experts talk about “racial borders”, referring to the ways migration policies, asylum systems, and […] The post Why systemic racism has a lot to do with migration and asylum systems appeared first on Amnesty…
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