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, [...]
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UK Parliament approves bill declaring Rwanda a 'safe country,' sidestepping Supreme Court judgment
The UK’s Parliament on Tuesday approved the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill, which would declare Rwanda a “safe country” in order to send certain asylum seekers there while they await their applications to be assessed. The bill would enable the deportation of irregular migrants under the UK-Rwanda international treaty on asylum partnership. The [...]
Ecuador votes to approve tightened security measures amid wave of violence
Ecuadorians voted to approve a number of security proposals from President Daniel Noboa on Sunday as the South American country experiences a surge in violence that has claimed the lives of multiple public officials, including a presidential candidate. Among the proposals was a proposition to amend Ecuador’s constitution to allow the country’s armed forces to [...]
US House passes bill forcing ByteDance to divest from TikTok under threat of ban
The US House of Representatives voted 360–58 Saturday to pass a sanctions bill that includes a provision forcing Chinese company ByteDance to divest from popular social media app TikTok, which would be banned in the US if ByteDance does not comply. The bill, formally entitled the “21st Century Peace through Strength Act,” designates TikTok as [...]
The US vetoed Palestine’s application for full membership in the UN on Thursday. The veto came as the UN Security Council considered a resolution put forward by Algeria that would have granted Palestine full UN membership. The resolution received 12 votes in favor, more than the required 9, but the US used its veto to [...]
Is NOTA Enough? Exploring Options for Amplifying Voter Dissatisfaction in India Elections
With India launching into its 18th general elections on April 19, the imperative that voters turn out to the polls has dominated public discourse. As India is the world’s largest constitutional democracy, each citizen must responsibly and proactively participate in the process that will decide the next five years of the nation’s governance. The incumbent [...]
Voting machine company settles defamation case with far-right news network
Smartmatic, a voting technology company, reached a confidential settlement in a Washington DC court on Tuesday in its defamation lawsuit against the far-right One America News Network (OAN). The lawsuit was related to OAN’s dissemination of false claims about the 2020 US presidential election. Appearing in the US District Court for the District of Columbia, [...]
California sues city of Huntington Beach after passing voter identification laws
California officials filed suit against the city of Huntington Beach Monday after it passed Measure A, a voter identification law. The ballot measure would “authorize, but not require, the City to; verify the eligibility of Electors by voter identification…” and “monitor ballot drop boxes located within the City for compliance with all applicable laws.” California’s [...]
Colorado House of Representatives passes ban on sale of assault weapons
Colorado’s House of Representatives passed HB 1292 Sunday by a vote of 35-27. The bill bans the sale and transfer of semiautomatic firearms within the state and will now head to the state senate. The bill prohibits people from manufacturing, importing, purchasing, selling, offering to sell or transferring ownership of an “assault weapon.” The bill [...]
The Commission on Reproductive Self-Determination and Reproductive Medicine in Germany on Monday submitted a final report recommending the legalization of abortion within the first 12 weeks of pregnancy in the country. The German government appointed the Commission in March last year to answer the government’s questions regarding abortion and reproductive medicine. An interdisciplinary body, the [...]