Russia's highest court on Tuesday shut down one of the country's oldest and most prominent human rights organizations, the latest move in a relentless crackdown on rights activists, independent media and opposition supporters.

As French President Emmanuel Macron says he wants to "piss off" the unvaccinated people in his country to push them into getting Covid-19 vaccines, the head of the European Parliament’s Human Rights Committee tells FRANCE 24 that while she is unconvinced by the phrasing, "it's really important to have a higher rate of vaccination in Europe and elsewhere, to guarantee that we don't go back to lockdowns".

A video on Twitter claims to show the mayor of Toritama, in Brazil, attacked by anti-vax protesters in response to his vaccination policies. We take a closer look in this edition of Truth or Fake.

Athletes travelling to next month's Beijing Olympics were warned on Tuesday (January 18) about speaking up on human rights issues while in China for their own safety by speakers at a seminar hosted by Human Rights Watch. Rights groups have long criticized the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for awarding the Games to China, citing the treatment by the Chinese government of the Uyghurs and other Muslim minority groups, which the United States has deemed genocide.

Brazilian soccer great Pele has returned to hospital for new chemotherapy sessions, sports website ESPN reported on Thursday. The former soccer star will undergo new exams to find other possible cancer spots, ESPN said. It said Pele was in stable condition and could leave hospital on Thursday.

All sides in Ethiopia's civil war have been accused of unspeakable atrocities. Will anyone be held responsible for them? Tim Sebastian speaks to the country's minister for democratization, Zadig Abraha.

In this edition of Perspective, we discuss a recent discovery that challenges long-held beliefs about human evolution. Researchers in France have uncovered a child's tooth and stone tools dating back some 54,000 years. The find, in a cave in the Rhône valley, suggests that modern humans arrived in Europe from Africa about 10,000 years earlier than previously thought. It also appears to indicate that they didn't immediately wipe out Neanderthals and that the two species may have co-existed for some time. For more, we speak to Professor Chris Stringer, anthropologist at the Natural History Museum in London and co-director of the Pathways to Ancient Britain project.

Germany has urged Russia to come back to the negotiating table as Russian media reported "no concrete plans" were in place for Putin to meet Biden.

A new report says at least 750 civilians have been killed or executed in Ethiopia's Afar and Amhara regions since July. Both are part of a larger conflict that broke out in northern Tigray region in late 2020.

Human rights were among the first casualties of the ongoing conflict in Ethiopia. While both sides continue to accuse each other of atrocities, independent organizations find it increasingly difficult to monitor abuses.

As the war in Ukraine continues, Europe is facing its fastest-growing refugee crisis since World War II. With the majority being women and children, there are growing concerns that they're a target for sex traffickers. Annette Young talks to Céline Schmitt from the UNHCR. Also how women villagers in Niger are being educated about the role they can play in the fight against jihadists.

A jet full of cocaine in Brazil shows Turkey's increasing role in global drug trafficking. The UN drugs agency says the cocaine is sent via Turkey to EU countries, as well as Eastern European and Middle Eastern nations.