Human Rights in the News: October 2025
Welcome to the October 2025 edition of Human Rights in the News, Woven Teaching’s ongoing collection of important human rights stories from around the world.
Blurry black and white image of one of the boats targeted by a US strike
UN human rights chief says US strikes on alleged drug boats are ‘unacceptable’
Associated Press | 31 October 2025
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has called for an investigation into US strikes against boats in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean. The Trump administration has claimed that the attacks are “necessary” to slow the flow of illegal drugs into the United States.
Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares
Spain admits 'suffering' caused by conquest of Mexico
John Silk | DeutscheWelle | 31 October 2025
Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares has publicly acknowledged the “suffering and injustice” caused in Mexico by Spanish conquistadors. This marks the first time that a Spanish official has expressed regret over the historic injustice.
Neelam Tailor of The Guardian
How gen Z used Discord to overthrow governments – video explainer
Annabel Hennessy | The Guardian | 31 October 2025
This year, Gen Z has led major protests in Nepal, Madagascar, and Morocco, among other places. This short video explains how protesters used Discord, a gaming chat app, to organize and mobilize.
Satellite image (Credit: Humanitarian Research Lab at the Yale School of Public Health)
Blood visible from space in Sudan shows evidence of Darfur genocide: Analysts
Camilla Alcini | ABC News | 31 October 2025
Researchers at the Humanitarian Research Lab (HRL) at the Yale School of Public Health have found evidence of genocide in Darfur. An analysis of satellite images shows clusters consistent with the shape of human bodies, surrounded by ‘discoloration’ believed to be blood. Paramilitary forces known as Rapid Security Forces are believed to be responsible for the massacres.
A man in a hat uses a voting booth in Pennsylvania (Credit: Reuters/Shannon Stapleton)
US judge permanently blocks Trump order requiring voters to prove citizenship
Dietrich Knauth | Reuters | 31 October 2025
A federal judge in the United States has blocked part of an executive order by US President Donald Trump that would require people to show a passport or other proof of citizenship before voting.
Have a topic you’d like to see us include? Leave us a comment and let us know!