Germany drafts law introducing quota for women on executive boards
Germany’s Federal Cabinet approved Wednesday a draft law that would see a quota introduced for the number of women on the executive boards of Germany’s largest companies. The law would require all stock exchange-listed companies with an executive board of three or more members to have at least one woman on that board. The new [...]
EU and UK officials announced Thursday that a post-Brexit trade deal has been agreed. The deal follows four years of negotiations that ensued after the UK voted to leave the EU in a June 2016 referendum. At the press conference on the outcome of the EU-UK negotiations, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European [...]
UN rights expert urges countries to withdraw sanctions against Qatar
The UN Special Rapporteur on the negative impacts of unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights, Alena Douhan, on Thursday urged Middle East countries to lift sanctions against Qatar. The report followed Douhan’s 12-day visit to Qatar to “assess the impact of unilateral sanctions imposed by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United [...]
The US Department of Justice (DOJ) on Wednesday announced a global resolution of both criminal and civil investigations into opioid manufacturer Purdue Pharma, and civil investigations into the Sackler family. In the press release, the DOJ announced that “Purdue Pharma has agreed to plead guilty in federal court in New Jersey to a three-count felony [...]
Trump issues proclamation seeking to expand, increase solar safeguard tariffs
US President Donald Trump issued a proclamation Saturday indicating plans to move forward with an extension of safeguard taxes to cover double-sided solar panels that were previously exempted, while also raising the future overall tariff rate from 15 percent to 18 percent. The proclamation comes more than two year years after Trump approved new tariffs [...]
Swiss voters upheld an accord with the EU that allows people to travel freely through Switzerland in a referendum on Sunday. While 62 percent voted in favor of keeping the accord, 38 percent voted to end it. The referendum on the accord was proposed by the Swiss People’s Party (SVP). A conservative group, the SVP [...]
Angela Davis and the Fight for Racial Justice from an Indian Perspective
On July 28, the University of Pittsburgh invited Professor Angela Davis, a world-renowned social justice educator and activist, to participate in a conversation on social justice and racial discrimination as part of the University of Pittsburgh’s 2020 Diversity Forum. Provost Ann Cudd and Senior Vice Chancellor Kathy Humphrey facilitated the thought-provoking conversation, and I had [...]
The Conflict Between Ease of Doing Business and Disability Rights in India
At the beginning of July 2020, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment invited suggestions to its planned amendment of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 (“the Act”). The amendment sought to decriminalize offenses under Sections 89, 92(a), and 93 of the Act. Further, a new section (Section 95A) was introduced which modified [...]
Indian Ban on Chinese Apps: Does the Move Contradict WTO Rules?
The Indian Government took the global media by storm when it announced a ban on 59 Chinese apps in India to counter the threat posed by these applications to the country’s “sovereignty and security”. The ban has been imposed under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, and justifying its move the government cited the [...]
Congress needs to act to restore the balance of power and prevent future administrations from undermining legislative intent and wreaking havoc on the lives of so many Americans that depend on a functioning immigration system. This means taking back the power of the purse when it comes to immigration benefits and creating Article I courts [...]
