The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on Tuesday announced a state of emergency following a wave of coups and attempted coups that have destabilized several member countries of the regional bloc. The declaration was made during the 55th session of the ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council in Abuja, Nigeria, by the president of [...]

Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Tuesday urged the Nigerian authorities to take urgent measures to secure the release of victims of a recent mass school abduction. HRW denounced the mass abduction of hundreds of students and teachers in Nigeria’s northwest and central regions, describing them as deliberate attacks on education and fundamental rights. HRW’s Nigerian [...]

The French government on Wednesday launched formal proceedings to suspend access to the online platform of fast-fashion retailer Shein, following public outcry over the discovery of sex dolls with childlike features listed on its website. The move comes amid heightened scrutiny of e-commerce platforms and their content moderation practices. According to a statement from France’s [...]

The UN reproductive health agency UNFPA on Tuesday described women and girls across the Democratic Republic of the Congo as “one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises,” facing widespread insecurity, rising sexual violence, and severely disrupted life-saving services. Speaking to journalists at the Geneva UN Office after her visits to Kinshasa and Goma, UNFPA Director [...]

The Portugese parliament passed a controversial bill on Friday banning face coverings worn for gender or religious reasons in most public places. The legislation, proposed by the far-right Chega party, specifically targets Islamic garments such as the burqah, a full-body garment that covers a woman’s head to foot with a mesh screen for sight, and the [...]

Human Rights Watch on Wednesday condemned the excessive use of force by Moroccan security forces to disperse protesters, raising concerns over human rights violations during mass youth-led demonstrations demanding sweeping reforms to public services. The protests have been met with a heavy-handed response from authorities, leaving several protesters injured or dead, and hundreds detained. The [...]