Two mother-baby HIV cases diagnosed in New Zealand – the first in nearly 20 years
Perinatal HIV cases were effectively eliminated in New Zealand in 2007 after routine screening was added to antenatal check-ups the previous year.
As a result, prevention methods in
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Miami Herald
4 minutes ago
- Miami Herald
Report finds ‘dehumanizing' conditions in Florida immigration detention centers
Conditions in South Florida's immigration detention centers during the Trump administration's ongoing crackdown have been described as degrading and dehumanizing—violating international human-rights standards and the U.S. government's own detention guidelines—in a newly released report by three advocacy organizations. The 92-page report, ''You Feel Like Your Life is Over': Abusive Practices at Three Florida Immigration Detention Centers Since January 2025,' was released this week by Americans for Immigrant Justice, Human Rights Watch and Sanctuary of the South. It alleges widespread mistreatment of migrants detained at the Krome North Service Processing Center, Broward Transitional Center and the Federal Detention Center in Miami. The organizations—an immigrant-rights law firm, a global human-rights watchdog and a worker-led collective—reviewed documents and interviewed 17 current and former detainees, along with family members and attorneys. Detainees described extreme overcrowding, unsanitary conditions and abusive treatment by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and private contractors. 'Some were shackled for prolonged periods on buses without food, water, or functioning toilets; there was extreme overcrowding in freezing holding cells where detainees were forced to sleep on cold concrete floors under constant fluorescent lighting,' the report states. 'Many were denied access to basic hygiene and medical care.' The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Bureau of Prisons did not respond to the Miami Herald's requests for comment. Emergencies were ignored Medical neglect was a central theme of the findings. Detainees with diabetes, HIV, asthma, kidney conditions and chronic pain reported being denied essential medications and doctor visits. Among the cases described in the report: ▪ A man with chronic illness said he collapsed after being transferred from the Federal Detention Center in downtown Miami to the Broward Transitional Center in Pompano Beach without his required daily medication. His family discovered he had been hospitalized under a false name. He was returned to detention in shackles. ▪ One man said he coughed up blood for hours in a crowded cell. When detainees protested, a Disturbance Control Team stormed in, zip-tied them and forced them to lie face down on a wet floor. One detainee reported seeing an officer instruct colleagues to turn off the CCTV camera. Another said an officer slapped him. ▪ A man detained at Krome described collapsing from a strangulated hernia after being denied care. 'The doctor told me if I had come in any later, my intestines would've ruptured,' he said. 'I had to throw myself on the floor just to get help.' He said he also witnessed officers hogtie and beat detainees who refused to board a transfer bus after a peaceful protest. ▪ Two men said they were denied HIV treatment while detained at Krome. One, previously held at the West Miami-Dade facility in 2020 and provided daily medication, was re-arrested in February. Despite the facility having his medical records, he waited 12 days before seeing a doctor. Similarly, another man had to wait over 13 days to receive his HIV medication, causing his previously undetectable viral load to become detectable. ▪ Another woman described witnessing the death of Marie Ange Blaise, a 44-year-old Haitian woman in the Broward Transitional Center. 'We started yelling for help, but the guards ignored us,' she said. 'By the time the rescue team arrived, she wasn't moving.' READ MORE: Florida congresswomen demand answers after Haitian woman dies in ICE custody Detainees said they were made to eat while handcuffed behind their backs, according to the report. They also described retaliation for seeking mental health support. At the Broward Transitional Center, they said, people who asked for help were placed in solitary confinement for weeks. Women held at Krome, a facility meant for men, reported being confined without bedding or privacy. One woman recalled arriving late at night on Jan. 28 and being held for days in a cell that was typically used for intake procedures and had just one toilet covered in feces. 'People in immigration detention are being treated as less than human,' Belkis Wille, the report's author and associate crisis and conflict director at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement. 'These are not isolated incidents, but the result of a fundamentally broken detention system that is rife with serious abuses.' Enforcement and Detention Immigration detention has surged nationwide since the beginning of Trump's second term, leading to overcrowding. In Florida, federal and state crackdowns have driven the detained population at Krome to nearly triple in three months. The Federal Detention Center, previously unused for immigration detention, began housing hundreds of immigrants earlier this year. The report emphasizes that the current administration has shown that 'any non-citizen, not just those with criminal convictions, are prone to apprehension and detention.' It highlights that the Department of Homeland Security exercises broad authority to detain and initiate removal proceedings against anyone out of lawful status. This includes people who entered the country without authorization, overstayed tourist or work visas, had student visas revoked or lost temporary protections such as humanitarian parole or Temporary Protected Status after they expired or were terminated. The report contrasts this approach with that of Trump's previous administration, which placed less emphasis on detaining and deporting non-citizens in these categories , instead focusing more narrowly on individuals with criminal records or those deemed national security threats. The expanded scope of enforcement — and the proliferation of 287(g) agreements linking local police and corrections and federal immigration enforcement — is contributing to a 'dramatic increase in arrests and detentions,' the report states. Within a month of Trump's second term, the number of people detained by ICE began to rise. Throughout 2024, an average of approximately 37,500 people were held in immigration detention each day. By June 20, that number had climbed to over 56,000 detainees on any given day—a 40 percent increase compared to June 2024, according to Human Rights Watch analysis of ICE data. Advocates have raised serious concerns about detainee safety and access to basic services amid extreme overcrowding in Florida's immigration detention facilities. At Krome, the number of detainees surged by 249 percent by March compared to pre-inauguration levels, with the facility at times holding more than three times its operational capacity, according to Human Rights Watch report. By June 20, the total number of immigration detainees across the three facilities in Florida remained 111 percent above levels seen before President Trump's return to office, underscoring the ongoing strain on the state's detention infrastructure under the administration's intensified immigration enforcement policies. Human Rights Watch says it sent letters on May 20 and June 11 to ICE, the Federal Bureau of Prisons, and the private companies managing Krome and Broward Transitional Center, detailing their findings and requesting responses. It says only the company operating Krome replied, saying it could not comment publicly. Echoes of previous reporting The findings in the report echo conditions independently documented by the Miami Herald in recent months. The Herald interviewed three former Krome detainees, along with attorneys and family members of three others held at the west Miami-Dade complex. They described a facility pushed to the brink, with detainees living in distress. READ MORE: 'Inhumane:' Overcrowding strains Krome detention center amid Trump's immigrant crackdown Although Krome and other ICE-run detention centers are bound by strict standards covering medical, mental health, hygiene, legal access, abuse prevention and language services, immigration attorneys told the Herald that conditions at Krome are 'the worst seen in 20 years' and have 'risen to the level of an international human rights disaster.' Another Herald investigation revealed last month that migrant detainees held at the Federal Detention Center in Miami are facing harsh and potentially rights-violating conditions. The facility, primarily designed for criminal defendants, is now also housing immigrants. According to legal documents and interviews with detainees, Bureau of Prisons staff and attorneys, the center is plagued by crumbling infrastructure, frequent use of force and severely limited access to legal counsel. While some detainees say the basic living conditions are slightly better than those in nearby ICE-run detention centers, access to legal support is significantly worse. Detainees report difficulty in communicating with attorneys, making legal phone calls or preparing for court. These findings raise concerns about due process, since immigration detention is civil in nature and not meant to be punitive. The government has expanded detention capacity to federal prisons. Under a February contract, ICE began placing detainees in five Federal Bureau of Prisons facilities. Legal documents and interviews reviewed by the Herald show these immigrants face harsh conditions, deteriorating infrastructure, and limited legal access—though in some cases, facilities are better maintained than traditional ICE centers. A Feb. 7 letter from Bureau of Prisons administrators classified immigrant detainees as 'pretrial inmates,' despite their civil—not criminal—status. Recommendations According to the advocacy organizations report, the abuses described violate ICE's own Performance-Based National Detention Standards and National Detention Standards, as well as international obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Convention Against Torture and the UN's Mandela Rules. The report urges the federal government to scale back detention and adopt community-based alternatives that provide legal, housing, and healthcare support—especially for asylum seekers, people with disabilities and others in compliance with immigration proceedings. It recommends that Congress repeal mandatory detention laws, reduce ICE funding and expand legal aid and oversight. DHS and ICE are called on to end the use of prisons, jails and private facilities for civil detention, improve medical care and increase transparency. For Florida officials, the report recommends ending 287(g) agreements with local law enforcement and rejecting new detention contracts. It also calls on United Nations bodies to investigate conditions in U.S. immigration detention and hold the government accountable for rights violations.
Sinar Daily
an hour ago
- Sinar Daily
Man posed as woman, secretly filmed sexual encounters, linked to HIV scare
Nanjing hospitals offer free HIV tests after 'Sister Hong' impersonator's arrest. Jiao, disguised as a lonely housewife, lured men to his apartment where hidden cameras secretly recorded their encounters. Photo source - Instagram SHAH ALAM – A shocking scandal involving deep deception, sexual exploitation and public health risks is exploding online in China, proving to be far more serious than just viral drama. The real-life 'Sister Hong' case is trending across Chinese social media, causing widespread anxiety about privacy and digital consent. Jiao's elaborate disguise included wigs, makeup, dresses, voice changers and beauty filters. (Photo source: Instagram) It turns out, Sister Hong isn't a "sister" at all. He is Jiao, a 38-year-old man from Nanjing who allegedly disguised himself as a married woman to deceive men into sexual encounters, secretly recording them without their knowledge. This was no simple catfish situation. Jiao reportedly used wigs, makeup, dresses, voice changers and beauty filters. He posed as a lonely housewife seeking flings, inviting men to his apartment where hidden cameras were already rolling. This wasn't just catfishing; it was an alleged digital crime ring. Instead of charging for sex, Jiao would ask for small gifts like milk, fruit and cooking oil. Behind the scenes, he was building a massive collection of hidden-camera videos, uploading them to a paid, private group chat. Access cost 150 yuan (approximately RM88), providing users with hundreds of non-consensual clips. The scandal erupted in early July 2025 when one of the men in the leaked videos was identified by internet users. After his fiancée found out, she immediately cancelled their engagement. Jiao was arrested on July 5 and charged with the illegal distribution of obscene materials and invasion of privacy. Meanwhile, media outlets reported that popular TV host Lu Zihao publicly claimed that at least three men who had encounters with 'Sister Hong' later tested positive for HIV. One woman even allegedly discovered her husband was exposed after seeing his test result, leading her to realise he might have been one of Jiao's victims. As a result, hospitals in Nanjing are now offering free HIV tests to anyone who may have been involved or exposed. More Like This
Winnipeg Free Press
2 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Health advocates urge Carney not to delay pledge for UN Global Fund fighting AIDS, TB
OTTAWA – AIDS activists are urging the federal government to quickly renew Canada's support for fighting infectious diseases abroad, warning delays will further hinder global efforts to combat key illnesses. 'While some of the other nations around the world are retreating right now from investing in global health, Canada can and should be stepping forward swiftly, to save lives,' said Justin McAuley, a director with the Canadian branch of the ONE Campaign. His group is among 24 Canadian civil society organizations that asked the government to allocate $1.37 billion over three years for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. The fund is affiliated with the United Nations, and it supports developing countries in limiting and treating the three preventable illnesses, which in many regions are among the leading causes of death. Canada is one of the world's top supporters of the fund, which makes up the largest chunk of Ottawa's global health spending. Canada has contributed nearly $5 billion to the Global Fund since 2002, and the fund estimates it has saved 65 million lives in that time. Countries replenish the fund every three years, with their contributions usually rising over time as health-care systems build more capacity to treat and prevent these diseases. In each cycle, civil society groups issue what they call a fair-share metric to reflect how much each wealthy country can reasonably pledge to help the fund reach its goals. The office of Randeep Sarai, secretary of state for international development, referred questions about the $1.37 billion request to Global Affairs Canada. 'Canada looks forward to working together as part of the Global Fund partnership to secure a successful eighth replenishment of the fund this year,' the department wrote in a statement. 'Discussions regarding Canada's pledge are ongoing.' McAuley said he hopes Ottawa announces its pledge soon, to build momentum for other countries to follow suit. 'Canada has a unique role and legacy to play in the global health space,' he said. 'Our momentum will mean something on the world stage — if we come out early, and don't wait for the last minute.' Results Canada, another group asking Ottawa to meet the civil society target, noted the G7 summit that Canada hosted in Alberta 'focused on trade, conflict and climate — but overlooked two of the most powerful tools for global stability: health and education.' That has put the legacy of the Global Fund 'under threat,' the group argued in an email campaign. 'As countries cut international assistance, decades of hard-won gains hang in the balance.' UNAIDS reported on July 10 that HIV infections and deaths continue to drop, but sudden cuts by the United States and others 'threaten to reverse years of progress in the response to HIV.' U.S. Republicans recently reversed plans to cut PEPFAR, the world's largest HIV program, but Washington is still on track to slash its contribution to the Global Fund. Countries normally make pledges at an organized conference, such as the last cycle when prime minister Justin Trudeau visited the United Nations in New York in 2022. This year, there is no pledging conference, though McAuley expects leaders of large economies to make pledges before visiting South Africa for the G20 summit in November. Wednesdays Columnist Jen Zoratti looks at what's next in arts, life and pop culture. He said global health is already under pressure from armed conflicts, climate-related events and the ongoing recovery of health systems from cutbacks during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rich countries are cutting back on foreign aid as they increase military spending. Prime Minister Mark Carney promised in last spring's election to not cut foreign aid spending or development financing, though this was before he launched a review of government spending and committed to large amounts of military-related spending. McAuley said Carney ought to meet the metric outlined by civil society, or he'll be offside with his two last predecessors. 'Both Harper and Trudeau repeatedly stepped up and did Canada's fair share,' he said. 'Is Carney going to break that pattern now and step back?' This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 21, 2025.
