Latest news with #humanrights
Reuters
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Reuters
Rwanda arrests opposition leader, says investigative body
KIGALI, June 20 (Reuters) - Rwanda has arrested prominent opposition leader Victoire Ingabire, who is being held at a detention facility in the capital Kigali on charges of inciting the public and creating a criminal organisation, a state investigative agency said. Ingabire was freed in 2018 after serving six years of a 15-year jail sentence handed to her in 2012 following her conviction on charges related to conspiring to form an armed group and seeking to minimise the 1994 genocide. She is now accused of "playing a role in creating a criminal organisation and engaging in acts that incite public disorder," the Rwanda Investigations Bureau said in a statement late on Thursday. It did not say when she would be charged in court. Ingabire, who heads unregistered opposition party DALFA–Umurinzi, returned from exile in the Netherlands to contest a presidential election in 2010, but was barred from standing after being accused of genocide denial. Last year President Paul Kagame, in power for a quarter of a century, won re-election after securing 99.18% of the vote, according to the electoral body. Kagame is lauded for transforming Rwanda from the ruins of the 1994 genocide to a thriving economy but his reputation has also been tainted by longstanding accusations of rights abuses and supporting rebels in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo. He denies the allegations.
Tahawul Tech
12 hours ago
- Business
- Tahawul Tech
Cloudflare celebrates the 11th anniversary of its iconic free cybersecurity program Galileo
Cloudflare commemorates the 11th anniversary of Project Galileo, its flagship initiative delivering free cybersecurity protection to at‑risk public‑interest organizations across the globe. Since launching in June 2014, the program has defended journalists, human‑rights groups, independent media, environmental activists, and others working on the frontlines of democracy, civil society, and environmental justice. Highlights of Project Galileo's Eleventh Year: An interactive Cloudflare Radar report providing insights into the cyber threats faced by at-risk public interest organizations protected under the project. An expanded commitment to digital rights in the Asia-Pacific region with two new Project Galileo partners. New stories from organizations protected by Project Galileo working on the frontlines of civil society, human rights, and journalism from around the world. Tracking and reporting on cyberattacks with the Project Galileo 11th anniversary Radar report To mark Project Galileo's 11th anniversary, Cloudflare published a new Radar report that shares data on cyberattacks targeting organizations protected by the program. It provides insights into the types of threats these groups face, with the goal of better supporting researchers, civil society, and vulnerable groups by promoting the best cybersecurity practices. Key insights include: A growing trend in DDoS attacks against these organizations, becoming more common than attempts to exploit traditional web application vulnerabilities. Between May 1, 2024, to March 31, 2025, Cloudflare blocked 108.9 billion cyber threats against organizations protected under Project Galileo. This is an average of nearly 325.2 million cyber attacks per day over the 11-month period, and a 241% increase from our 2024 Radar report. Journalists and news organizations experienced the highest volume of attacks, with over 97 billion requests blocked as potential threats across 315 different organizations. The peak attack traffic was recorded on September 28, 2024. Ranked second was the Human Rights/Civil Society Organizations category, which saw 8.9 billion requests blocked, with peak attack activity occurring on October 8, 2024. Cloudflare onboarded the Belarusian Investigative Center, an independent journalism organization, on September 27, 2024, while it was already under attack. A major application-layer DDoS attack followed on September 28, generating over 28 billion requests in a single day. Many of the targets were investigative journalism outlets operating in regions under government pressure (such as Russia and Belarus), as well as NGOs focused on combating racism and extremism, and defending workers' rights. Tech4Peace, a human rights organization focused on digital rights, was targeted by a 12-day attack beginning March 10, 2025, that delivered over 2.7 billion requests. The attack saw prolonged, lower-intensity attacks and short, high-intensity bursts. This deliberate variation in tactics reveals a coordinated approach, showing how attackers adapted their methods throughout the attack. The full Radar report includes additional information on public interest organizations, human and civil rights groups, environmental organizations, and those involved in disaster and humanitarian relief. The dashboard also serves as a valuable resource for policymakers, researchers, and advocates working to protect public interest organizations worldwide. Global partners are the key to Project Galileo's continued growth Partnerships are central to the success of Project Galileo. Cloudflare relies on a network of 56 trusted civil society organizations around the world to identify and support groups that would benefit from its cybersecurity protection. With the help of these partners, the company continues to expand its reach, delivering vital tools and resources to communities most in need of digital defense. Continuing Support for Vulnerable Groups Worldwide In 2025, many of Cloudflare's Project Galileo partners have faced significant funding cuts, impacting their ability to support communities, defend human rights, and uphold democratic values. Amid these financial and logistical challenges, maintaining protection for these essential services has become more critical than ever. Cloudflare expresses gratitude to its civil society partners who continue to play a vital role in identifying at-risk organizations in need of support. Together, they are working toward a more secure, resilient, and open Internet for all. To learn more about Project Galileo and its global impact, visit Project Galileo case studies can be found here.
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The Independent
14 hours ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Fox News rages that Whoopi Goldberg's Iran take is ‘as racist as anything' they've ever heard
Fox News is completely aghast over Whoopi Goldberg's recent assertion that living in the United States as a Black person is comparable to the oppression that citizens of the Iranian regime face, claiming The View host's hot take is 'as racist as anything' they've ever heard. During a contentious opening segment on Wednesday's broadcast of the ABC daytime talk show, Goldberg furiously clashed with co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin over the specter of the United States going to war with Iran. At one point in the discussion, which initially focused on the growing rift within the MAGA coalition as President Donald Trump weighs joining Israel in its bombing campaign, Griffin took aim at the repressive and totalitarian government led by the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. 'Let's just remember, too, the Iranians literally throw gay people off of buildings. They don't adhere to basic human rights,' she noted, prompting Goldberg to object and bring up hate crimes in America. 'Let's not do that, because if we start with that, we have been known in this country to tie gay folks to the car,' the Oscar-winner exclaimed before adding: 'Listen, I'm sorry. They used to just keep hanging Black people.' After Goldberg suggested 'it is the same' between the United States and Iran and that 'there's no way I can make you understand it,' Griffin pushed back: 'The Iranian regime today is nothing compared to the United States.' 'Every day we are worried,' Goldberg declared during the fiery exchange. 'Do we have to be worried about our kids? Are our kids gonna get shot because they're running through somebody's neighborhood?' While Griffin said she understood where Goldberg was coming from, she added that it was 'important we remember there are places much darker than this country and people who deserve rights.' When Goldberg brought up that African-Americans were not granted full voting rights until the 1960s, Griffin retorted that 'they don't have free and fair elections in Iran' and that it's 'not the same universe.' Needless to say, Goldberg's remarks drew widespread backlash, with Iranian dissidents calling her 'offensive' comments 'deeply misguided and dismisses the brutal realities faced by millions of Iranians.' Of course, the segment was also pure unadulterated ragebait for right-wing media, and especially for the hosts and pundits at Fox News, who tore into the Sister Act star across multiple segments on Wednesday and Thursday. 'It's like a Saturday Night Live bit to me,' primetime host and Trump confidant Sean Hannity sneered. 'I get a headache. I take an Excedrin Extra Strength and hopefully the memory is erased as quickly as possible.' While other Fox News stars called on Goldberg to experience the oppression in Iran 'firsthand' while claiming she is out of touch due to her wealth, network anchor Harris Faulkner tore into the actress for peddling bigotry and racism. 'It's asinine what I just heard from Whoopi Goldberg,' she fumed on Thursday's broadcast of The Faulkner Focus while interviewing Fox News contributor Gianno Caldwell. 'You know, we're two Black individuals and we've done well, we're successful, and there's a lot of other folks like us around. This is not Jim Crow, this is not slavery, and to be making those kinds of comparisons is despicable.' She continued: 'Just to make that comparison and not give the world credit on where we've come from. It's Juneteenth! It's June 19th. We know where we have been. That is not 2025.' Co-anchoring the midday panel show Outnumbered the following hour, Faulkner – whose solo news show runs head-to-head with The View – upped the ante on her criticism of Goldberg. 'She is ignorant of the facts. I want to try to be kind because my expectation for Whoopi Goldberg is lower,' she declared. 'I liked her better when she was playing on, you know, an actress on Star Trek: The Next Generation, where her character was based off this planet in space with aliens. Now she has become one.' Complaining that Goldberg – who was suspended by ABC in 2022 for claiming the Holocaust was not about race – 'says a lot of offensive things,' Faulkner said this was why 'no one can watch' The View anymore before taking one final parting shot. 'This goes beyond the pale,' she concluded. 'If you can't see where we are coming from, then you have no hope for where we can go. That's as racist as anything else I've heard.'
Telegraph
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Eurocrats shut down Labour's hopes of ECHR reform
The head of the organisation overseeing the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) has slapped down Labour's calls for reform. Just a day after Shabana Mahmood, the Justice Secretary, called for the ECHR to 'evolve' or lose public trust, Alain Berset, the secretary general of the Council of Europe, declared that he was 'not calling for reform' of the convention. Mr Berset appeared to distance himself from previous comments that he made no more than two weeks ago when he suggested that the ECHR must adapt in face of a growing backlash over migration, with 'no taboo' on rewriting its rules. The future of the ECHR – and the UK's application and disapplication of it – is one of the key dividing lines between the UK political parties. Nigel Farage's Reform wants out; Kemi Badenoch has suggested it is likely the UK will quit without reform of the ECHR; and Labour is seeking reform per se while drawing up new rules to curb judges' use of it in immigration cases. It has been brought to the fore by The Telegraph's exposure of dozens of cases where foreign criminals and illegal migrants have avoided deportation by claiming their ECHR rights would be breached if they were removed. In an interview with Politico, the political website, Mr Berset appeared to put himself at odds with all three main parties. He said: 'I am not calling for reform of the European Convention on Human Rights, nor do I support any effort that would weaken it. 'It should never be used as a scapegoat in domestic political debates. When states face complex challenges, the answer is not to dismantle the legal guardrails they themselves helped build. 'The proper place for dialogue is through our institutions, not through pressure on the European Court of Human Rights or attempts to bypass the system.' 'Meaningful reform is impossible' Robert Jenrick, the shadow justice secretary, said Mr Beset's comments 'proved... meaningful reform is impossible'. He added: 'This proves what has long been clear: meaningful reform of the ECHR is impossible. Labour's fake plans to reform it is a ruse to trap us in the convention for decades more while our border crisis worsens. Starmer doesn't care enough about protecting the British public to leave.' Meanwhile, Ms Mahmood has warned the ECHR was 'fraying' public confidence in the rule of law because it is out of step with common sense. In a speech at the Council of Europe on Wednesday, she said public trust in the court was 'eroding' because it 'too often protects those who break the rules, rather than those who follow them'. UK ministers are proposing to raise the threshold to make it harder for judges to grant the right to remain based on article 8 of the ECHR, which protects the right to a family life, and article 3, which protects against torture and inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. There is not just pressure from the UK. Last month, nine EU leaders wrote to the Council of Europe warning that the ECHR was preventing them from deporting foreign criminals. They said European judges were interpreting the ECHR so widely that the 'wrong people' were being protected. This was placing 'too many limitations' on their governments' abilities to deport 'serious violent' offenders and drug dealers. They warned that the ECHR was threatening the safety of citizens because the way it was being interpreted prevented governments from tracking foreign criminals they could not deport. The nine – including Donald Tusk, the former president of the European Council and now the Polish prime minister, and the Italian premier Giorgia Meloni – said the ECHR was also undermining efforts to counter Russia's weaponising of migrants against the EU bloc.
Al Jazeera
16 hours ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Israel massacres in Gaza, locks down West Bank as attention shifts to Iran
On Thursday, Israeli troops killed at least 16 Palestinians trying desperately to get food in Gaza. On Wednesday, it was at least 29 Palestinians. The day before, at least 70 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces as they gathered at a Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) aid distribution site in Khan Younis. They were gunned down by drones, machine gun fire and tanks, according to survivors. On Monday, at least 38 were killed in a similar manner while trying to get food, mostly in Rafah. And on Sunday, at least 17 were killed in southern and central Gaza. The GHF is an Israeli and United States-backed body staffed by private security contractors. Israel set it up in May to replace United Nations-led relief operations, yet dozens of Palestinians have been gunned down on at least eight occasions at GHF sites. 'This happens to some extent every day. It's becoming a routine,' said Yasser al-Banna, a journalist in Gaza. 'Now that Israel has started a war with Iran, everyone here in Gaza is scared that the world is going to forget about them,' he told Al Jazeera. Since Israel began attacking Iran on June 13, global attention on the plight of Palestinians in the occupied territory has faded from the headlines. But Israel has continued to attack Palestinians in Gaza, while conducting deadly raids in the West Bank. After the latest attack on Palestinians desperate for food, analysts and human rights monitors told Al Jazeera that they believe Israel is likely to commit more 'massacres', while prioritising the welfare of Israelis as the war with Iran drags on. 'Israel is using the diverted attention away from Gaza to continue to carry out atrocious crimes against starving civilians,' said Omar Rahman, an expert on Israel and Palestine for the Middle East Council on Global Affairs think tank. 'We have also seen a lot of military and settler activity in the West Bank in recent days,' he told Al Jazeera. Israel's violence against helpless Palestinians at the GHF site on Tuesday resulted in the highest single death toll at any GHF site since the controversial organisation began operations last month. It has been lambasted for what opponents have called the militarisation of humanitarian aid relief. Yet Israel's chokehold siege on the enclave has pushed Palestinians to make an impossible choice: Whither away from hunger or risk their lives to obtain a food parcel. 'Israel's whole GHF scheme is just a way to increase the humiliation of Palestinians,' said Ibrahim Nabeel, a Palestinian medic who has treated victims of the GHF attacks. Along with sustaining its genocidal war in Gaza, Israel has also tightened its occupation over the West Bank since it began attacking Iran. Several Palestinians told Al Jazeera that it is 'impossible to move' from one village or town to another. The entrances to Palestinian villages and cities have been blocked off by Israeli forces, and the number of military checkpoints has increased. The lockdown has spread fear that Palestinians may be suspended from their livelihoods or unable to stock up on basic necessities in case the Israel-Iran war drags on. Many Palestinians have also reported that there is a major fuel crisis throughout the West Bank. 'Most of our basic imports come from Israel … and Israel is prioritising its society, not us,' said Murad Jadallah, a human rights researcher with Al-Haq, a local organisation that advocates for Palestinian rights. Meanwhile, Israel continues to carry out deadly raids across the West Bank. According to the Wafa Palestinian news agency, Israeli troops stormed a village east of Ramallah on June 18. After storming several homes, Israeli troops warned former detainees that they would be arrested again, while others were assaulted, according to Wafa. Over the past week, Israel has also expelled dozens of Palestinians from their homes when they stormed a refugee camp on the outskirts of Nablus city, Jadallah from al-Haq told Al Jazeera. In addition, Israel arrested at least 60 Palestinians across the West Bank between Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning, Wafa reported. 'The Israelis are still continuing their raids. Just last night, in fact, they came to our village and arrested a young man and then destroyed his home,' said Layth Barakat, a farmer who lives east of Ramallah. Like much of the world, Palestinians were shocked when Israel attacked Iran. They now worry that Israel will step up its aggression against Palestinians across the occupied territory once it finishes its war with Iran. 'We will pay a high price if Israel wins this war with Iran,' Jadallah said. 'If they can get what they want from Iran or carry out regime change, then who will stop them from achieving their dreams in Gaza and the West Bank?' he added. Prominent far-right ministers in Israel's government have long pushed for Israeli colonisation of Gaza and formally annexing the entire West Bank, an area they call 'Judea and Samaria'. Both of these ambitions are predicated on crushing all hopes for a Palestinian state and overseeing campaigns of ethnic cleansing. For now, Palestinians are just trying to survive, even as their plight garners less attention. Al-Banaa from Gaza said that most people are growing hungrier each day due to Israel's total siege. He said many people stopped buying bags of sesame, which they usually crush to make bread. A large bag of sesame used to cost two shekels ($0.33) before the war in Gaza, yet it now costs about 80 shekels ($23). Al-Banna noted that he can barely afford a meal for himself, his four young children and his wife. However, he still refuses to trek miles to a GHF distribution point. 'I would rather die from hunger than from getting shot,' he said. Rahman, from the Middle East Council, added that Israel's war of aggression against Iran and its war on Gaza should be deeply concerning for everyone, not just Palestinians. 'It is extremely worrying that Israel can get away with everything and anything … and keep its western support base,' he said. 'It is a signal to the Israelis that there are no limits,' he added. 'Israel is wreaking havoc in Palestine, the region, and on the global system.'
