Council of Europe Human Rights Commissioner Dunja Mijatovic has asked Italy to clarify how it will protect the rights of people affected by controversial new asylum rules.

A car bomb killed at least eight people including four civilians near a pro-Turkey rebel post in the northern Syrian city of Afrin on Sunday, a British-based war monitor said.

The Chairman of the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) HE Dr Ali bin Smaikh al-Marri has met with officials of the Austrian Ombudsman Council, a national human rights institution in Austria.

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) and FIFA hailed the reforms adopted by Qatar to protect human rights and expatriate workers.

The UN Human Rights Committee said on Tuesday that France's ban on the niqab, the full-body Islamic veil, was a violation of human rights and called on it to review the legislation.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday said he would maintain pressure on Saudi Arabia over human rights despite a diplomatic row between the two nations, and brushed off suggestions he had botched ties with Riyadh.

Amnesty International condemned the recent arrests of thousands of people in Ethiopia's capital, saying the detentions "threaten a new era of human rights gains" under Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.

Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said that the kingdom was still "considering additional measures" against Canada, but did not elaborate.

Official Saudi propaganda account mocks up a picture of a passenger plane being flown into the CN Tower in Toronto.

Qatar's legislations guarantee the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms which are enshrined in the permanent constitution of the country which also prohibits racism or discriminatory practices, senior official has said.

The State of Qatar on Thursday reviewed the latest in its continuous efforts of developing the expatriate labour sector, including that of Africa.

The statement issued by the UAE foreign ministry confirmed that the UAE authorities continue to procrastinate and mislead the international community.