US removes Cuba from list of countries not fully cooperating against terrorism
The US removed Cuba the list of countries not fully cooperating against terrorism, also known as the Not Fully Cooperating Countries (NFCC) list, State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel confirmed on Wednesday. Patel said that the circumstances leading to Cuba’s designation as an NFCC have changed since 2022. The NFCC list is part of [...]
The US Department of State released its annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices on Monday, amidst the seventy-fifth anniversary of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, or UDHR. The report emphasized “several new commitments, including to renew investments around the world in democracy and human rights, to help protect human rights defenders online, [...]
Biden administration deports Haitians amid surging gang violence
The Biden administration reportedly sent over 70 Haitians back to their homeland on Thursday amid the nation’s ongoing struggle with gang violence. The move was met with condemnation from human rights organizations, like the Haitian Bridge Alliance (HBA), which condemned the move as “intentional violence.” The HBA and nearly 500 other human rights organizations previously [...]
The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961 stands as a cornerstone treaty in the realm of international law, delineating the structure for diplomatic interactions between sovereign states. This pivotal agreement secures the rights and protections of diplomatic missions, granting diplomats the freedom to execute their duties without hindrance or intimidation from the host nation. [...]
Spain’s National High Court Judge Santiago Pedraz ordered on Monday a temporary suspension of his own previous order to ban the social media app Telegram in Spain. Pedraz said that he issued the suspension pending a report from the General Information Commissioner’s Office on the instant messaging platform requesting information about Telegram’s characteristics and the [...]
Spain’s Audiencia Nacional high court ordered Telegram on Saturday to temporarily suspend its activities in the country, after a complaint by major media companies that users were sharing content without their permission, according to consumer advocacy group FACUA. FACUA condemned the decision, calling it “disproportionate.” The decision came after company officials in the Virgin Islands [...]
Georgia House advances bill barring Chinese 'agents' from owning farm and military-adjacent land
A Republican-sponsored bill that banned any Chinese “agent” from purchasing farmland or land near military installations passed the Georgia House of Representatives on Thursday. The vote was 97-67 along party lines. Republican representatives have argued the bill will help further national security. They claimed that land owned by people affiliated with China could pose a [...]
Bob Rae, Canada’s Ambassador to the United Nations, does not shy away from tough questions. Though many in a position such as his might shy away from argument, Rae seems to relish the opportunity to engage in some intellectual sparring. It was in this context that I requested an interview as Canada grapples with multiple [...]
Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) on Monday accused the US of orchestrating a covert campaign to interfere with the upcoming Russian presidential election, set to take place on Mar. 15-17. The spy agency claims the administration of US President Joe Biden has ordered a group of American NGOs to stifle voter turnout in a bid [...]
A US federal judge upheld on Friday the Biden administration’s program to grant temporary legal immigration status to up to 30,000 asylum-seekers from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela. This initiative, also known as humanitarian parole, provides an avenue for people from these nations to avoid illegal entry into the US. It has been a key [...]
