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Human rights

Human rights
Latest news, features and analysis on human rights, with a focus on civil liberties in Hong Kong, mainland China and Asia.
Iranian rights campaigner and Nobel prize winner Narges Mohammadi. Photo: Narges Mohammadi Foundation / AFP
Iran

Iran sentences Nobel laureate Narges Mohammadi to over 7 more years in prison

The human rights activist’s lawyer said Mohammadi’s convictions include collusion and propaganda. She is currently on hunger strike.

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Russia

Russia says suspect in shooting of top general detained in Dubai

US immigration

‘Deported but not defeated’: the Southeast Asians cast out of Trump’s US

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Americas and the Caribbean

Haiti’s future uncertain amid US threats, bloody gang conflict

Three US warships arrived in the ‌Bay of Port-au-Prince on Tuesday, reflecting the US ‘commitment to Haiti’s security, stability and brighter future’.

A man tramples on a US flag during a protest in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on Friday. Photo: EPA-EFE
Cambodia

Scripts, bank details and military rules: Cambodian scam compound secrets

Mostly run by Chinese criminal gangs and staffed partly by trafficking victims, these complexes have proliferated across Indochina.

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Hong Kong courts

Opinion | Those betting on Hong Kong’s bright future have backed a winner

The ‘one country, two systems’ framework, enshrined in the Basic Law and staunchly supported by the central government, has allowed the city to flourish.

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Middle East

Road to equality? Iran formally allows women to ride motorcycles

In a country where women’s public presence is heavily regulated, the right to operate a vehicle is a powerful indicator of shifting social boundaries.

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Maryam Talaie helps actress Katayun Riyahi during Iran’s first official women’s motorcycle training near Tehran in 2018. As of Wednesday, women in the country can officially get motorcycle licenses. Photo: EPA-EFE
Israel-Gaza war

‘Where is the ceasefire?’: Israeli strikes kill 21 Palestinians in Gaza

More than 530 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since an October ceasefire, as Gaza health officials decry the ‘continued genocidal war’.

Myanmar

Video | 4 more telecoms fraud gang members executed in China

Members of the Bai family syndicate were convicted of telecoms fraud, murder and drug trafficking.

United States

Palantir defends surveillance tech as US government contracts boost sales

CEO says Palantir is supporting some ‘unusual operations’, but has safeguards to prevent government overreach.

Demonstrators taking part in an ‘ICE Out’ protest in Minneapolis on January 30. Photo: Reuters
Donald Trump

Iran plans nuclear talks with US as Trump warns of ‘bad things’

Facing threats of potential US military action, Tehran agrees to a Friday meeting in Istanbul on its nuclear programme.

Protesters at an anti-US and anti-Israeli rally in support of the Iranian government, outside the US consulate in Istanbul on Sunday. Photo: AP
Israel-Gaza war

Gaza’s Rafah crossing sees ‘limited’ reopening amid truce, but challenges remain

Restoring the Rafah-Egypt crossing is a vital milestone for the peace process, concluding the long closure enforced by the Israeli military.

Americas and the Caribbean

Costa Rica elects tough-talking right-winger for president

Laura Fernandez, a protege and former chief of staff of the outgoing president, has pledged to continue his tough security policies.

US-Iran tensions

Trump hopeful of deal after Iran’s top leader warns of regional war

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issues ‘regional war’ warning as the United States ramps up its naval presence in the Middle East.

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An F/A-18E Super Hornet launching from the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea on January 28. Photo: US Navy via AFP
Iran

Screenwriter of Oscar-nominated Iranian film arrested in Tehran

Mehdi Mahmoudian and others detained after signing a statement calling Iran’s crackdown an ‘organised state crime against humanity’.

A scene from the Oscar-nominated film ‘It Was Just an Accident’. Photo: Neon via AP
ICE (US Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

Child detained by ICE in raid returns to Minnesota after judge’s order

Liam Conejo Ramos and his father released after a federal judge blasts the Trump administration’s ‘ill-conceived’ pursuit of deportation quotas.

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Africa

Nigerian army kills top Boko Haram commander, 10 militants in night raid

Abu Khalid, a commander of Boko Haram in the Sambisa Forest in Borno state, was a key figure within ‘the terrorist hierarchy’ according to the army.

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France

France’s Capgemini to sell US subsidiary under pressure for ICE contract

French lawmakers and Finance Minister Roland Lescure asked Capgemini to explain a contract signed with US immigration enforcement agency ICE.

The Capgemini logo at the company’s office in Issy-les-Moulineaux near Paris in 2024. Photo: Reuters
Myanmar

Myanmar junta pledges to remove former civil servants from blacklists

After the military snatched power in a 2021 coup, tens of thousands of public workers left their posts in a surge of civil disobedience.

United States

US must release 5-year-old ‘bunny hat boy’ detained by ICE, judge orders

Liam Conejo Ramos was allegedly used as bait to lure out his family, further strengthening the backlash against Trump’s migrant crackdown.

Americas and the Caribbean

Venezuela proposes to free hundreds of prisoners, close ‘torture’ prison

Interim president Delcy Rodriguez says the proposed law will hopefully ‘heal the wounds’ and restore peace among Venezuelans.

Relatives of detainees react outside the Helicoide detention centre in Caracas after interim president Delcy Rodriguez announces a proposed “amnesty law” for hundreds of prisoners on Friday. Photo: Reuters
Spain

Chinese hair salon owner arrested in Barcelona for funding Hamas via crypto

The 38-year-old Chinese national faces terror financing charges after allegedly laundering US$715,000 via cryptocurrency to the militant group.

Spanish police arrest a salon owner for allegedly funding Hamas with cryptocurrency, seizing assets and freezing accounts. Photo: Shutterstock
Israel-Gaza war

Israel offers ‘limited’ Rafah reopening after nearly 2-year Gaza border shutdown

The reopening is part of phase two of the US ceasefire. Previously, it was Gaza’s main crossing for people and trade with Egypt.

Middle East

US envoys to Israel blocked ‘apocalyptic’ Gaza warning in 2024: report

Leaked reports reveal US diplomats killed internal memos detailing dead bodies and famine in Gaza to avoid a ‘lack of balance’ in policy.

Middle East

‘They are trying to inject fear’: Iran rounding up thousands after crackdown

Security forces reportedly use unofficial warehouses and secret lock-ups as activists say arrests stand at more than 42,000.

An woman sits on a bus in Tehran, Iran, on Thursday. Photo: EPA
Music

How the folksy ‘Genuine American Hero’ became an anti-ICE anthem

Shootings in Minneapolis have led to scathing criticism from the likes of Jesse Welles and Bruce Springsteen.

Jesse Welles performs at the Metropol in Berlin, Germany, on December 15, 2025. The American guitarist and singer has emerged as a modern-day protest troubadour. Photo: Redferns
United States

As ICE cracks down, some of America’s biggest names are speaking out

The US president is facing a growing cultural revolt that threatens to undermine his signature domestic priority.

US-China relations

Chinese national Guan Heng, who filmed Xinjiang facilities, granted US asylum

The Department of Homeland Security initially sought to deport Guan to Uganda, but dropped the plan after his plight raised public concerns.

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