Tag: groups
Civil rights groups alarmed over Quebec’s move to ban prayer in public
Announcement follows statements from Quebec premier, who expressed frustration over public prayers in Montreal Quebec says it will ban prayer in public, a move that civil rights groups described as an “alarming measure” that targets religious minority groups and would infringe on “basic democratic freedoms”. The province’s secularism minister, Jean-François Roberge, said the move had…
Rightwing ‘parents’ rights’ groups gain ground in Canada as Alberta book bans target LGBTQ+ titles
Two such groups claim they persuaded Alberta to institute sweeping public school book ban Socially conservative “parents’ rights” groups that have emerged as powerfully political lobbying groups in the US are quickly gaining ground in Canada, academics and free speech advocates say, after two such groups claimed they had persuaded Alberta to institute a sweeping…
Medical groups are concerned that RFK Jr. may dismiss a panel of primary care experts
Pien Huang Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. may soon dismiss the members of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, an advisory panel of primary care experts, raising “deep concern” from the American Medical Association and other top medical groups. The plan was first reported in The Wall Street Journal. “It’s very…
Gazans ‘wasting away’ as mass starvation spreads, humanitarian groups warn
More than 100 international aid organisations and human rights groups are warning of mass starvation in Gaza and pressing for governments to take action. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), Save the Children and Oxfam are among the signatories of a joint statement that says their colleagues and the people they serve are “wasting away”. Israel, which…
High-risk HIV groups facing record levels of criminalisation as countries bring in draconian laws
Curbs on LGBTQ+ rights and a halt to US funding may reverse decades of progress in fight to end Aids epidemic, warns UNAids People at higher risk of HIV, such as gay men and people who inject drugs, are facing record levels of criminalisation worldwide, according to UNAids. For the first time since the joint…
The U.S. has a plan for getting food into Gaza. Top aid groups object to the idea
Daniel Estrin TEL AVIV, Israel — On the eve of President Trump’s visit to Arab allies in the Gulf, the U.S. and Israel have announced a plan to allow food and essential supplies back into Gaza after a ten-week Israeli ban that aid workers say is driving rampant hunger in the territory. It is the…
Rights groups condemn arrest of Hong Kong activist Anna Kwok’s father and brother
Arrests are the first case of the city’s national security law being used to target the relatives of pro-democracy campaigners Human rights groups have condemned the arrest of relatives of Anna Kwok, an exiled pro-democracy activist who is wanted by the Hong Kong police, in the first example of the city’s national security law being…
US designates two powerful Haitian gangs as terrorist groups
Rubio calls Viv Ansanm and Gran Grif ‘threat to US national security’ and says support for groups could lead to charges The United States has designated a powerful Haitian gang alliance, whose members have taken control of almost all the capital city as a “transnational terrorist group”. The criminal coalition known as Viv Ansanm (Live…
Green groups decry plan to list world’s biggest meatpacking company on NYSE
Critics fear decision to list Brazil-based firm JBS, long linked to Amazon’s deforestation, will add to the climate crisis Environmental groups are outraged that the world’s biggest meatpacking company, JBS, which has long been linked to Amazon’s deforestation, has received approval from US authorities to list on the New York Stock Exchange. The decision, announced…
Human rights groups rebuke Kristi Noem’s visit to El Salvador prison: ‘political theater’
Homeland security chief went to infamous prison holding deported Venezuelans as White House targets immigrants Human rights organizations on Thursday denounced the visit by the US homeland security secretary, Kristi Noem, to the notorious prison in El Salvador that is holding hundreds of Venezuelans deported from the US earlier this month without a hearing, calling…
US evangelical groups urge Trump to spare HIV/Aids program from aid cuts
Christian evangelical organizations instrumental in creating the US program that has saved millions of lives from HIV/Aids are pressing the Trump administration to rescue the scheme from crushing cuts to foreign assistance. The state department has said that the two-decade-old President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (Pepfar), which is estimated to have prevented 25m early…
Colombian city faces worst violence in decades as armed groups wreak havoc
Cúcuta imposes curfew as National Liberation Army (ELN) clashes with army in province bordering Venezuela Residents of a violence-torn province in northern Colombia are bracing for further bloodshed as a conflict between rival armed groups spread to a regional capital in scenes residents said they had not witnessed since the cartel unrest of the 1990s.…
Colombia scrambles to cope as refugees flee deadly battles between rebel groups
Officials describe ‘tsunami of people’ in city of Cúcuta escaping one of worst outbreaks of violence in recent years Authorities in the Colombian border city of Cúcuta are scrambling to cope with an influx of internal refugees, as thousands of civilians flee an outbreak of fighting between rival rebel factions. Buses, trailers and dump trucks…
Wildlife groups urge UK government to ban lead ammunition
Environment secretary Steve Reed urged to bring in ‘full and swift ban’ to protect health of people, wildlife and pets Wildlife charities have called on the government to ban the sale and use of lead in ammunition used for outdoor shooting. The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT), RSPB, Wildlife and Countryside Link, Chem Trust and…
Indian press groups call for investigation after journalist’s body found in septic tank
Mukesh Chandrakar had reported on alleged corruption in the construction industry and had a popular YouTube channel Indian media rights groups have called for an investigation after the body of a missing journalist was found hidden in a septic tank. Mukesh Chandrakar, 32, was a well-known freelance journalist in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh who…
‘We’ve been at this rodeo before’: gun-safety groups prepare for second Trump term
With ‘the best friend gun owners have ever had in the White House’ to return, gun-safety groups eye state level actions Donald Trump’s imminent return to Washington has put gun-safety groups on high alert, as the president-elect once described himself as “the best friend gun owners have ever had in the White House”. Emma Brown,…