Torture, flogging and summary killings are rife in secret prisons run by the Islamic State in Iraq and al-Sham, an armed group controlling swathes of northern Syria.

The investigation into the gunning down of three Kurdish women activists in Paris must be prompt and thorough, Amnesty International says.

Protestant churches in the Democratic Republic of Congo have issued a "cry of distress" following increased killing and displacement of civilians.

The killing of a well-loved priest in southern Philippines has inspired the revival of a campaign to end political killings, church workers say.