The US Supreme Court heard oral arguments Monday in a free speech challenge to the Biden administration’s encouragement of platforms to remove posts that officials deemed misinformation, including posts relating to elections and COVID-19. The lawsuit, filed by the attorneys general of Missouri and Louisiana along with five individuals, raises critical questions about the intersection [...]
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Under President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s leadership, the Sri Lankan civil war reached a brutal conclusion on May 18, 2009, ending a 25-year-long conflict between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a separatist rebel group. Rooted in longstanding grievances, including discriminatory policies against Sri Lanka’s Tamil minority, the conflict saw the [...]
The UN Human Rights Council released a report on Friday on the human rights situation in Belarus during and after the country’s presidential election in 2020. It concludes that the crime against humanity of persecution may have been committed in Belarus. The report, which is the advance unedited version, presents evidence on a wide range [...]
ECCHR assessment claims Russia attack on Mariupol Theater was a war crime
The European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR) published Saturday a new legal assessment of the Russian attack on the Mariupol Theater in Ukraine, claiming that the attack was a “war crime” and deliberately done by the Russian Air Force to target Ukrainian civilians who sought refuge in the theater. The Center for Spatial [...]
US Supreme Court rules public officials can be sued for blocking users on social media in some cases
The US Supreme Court ruled Friday that public officials can be sued for blocking users on social media if the official posts about state matters and is authorized to speak for the state. The court decided that blocking users only qualifies as “state action” under 42 U.S.C § 1983, which authorizes lawsuits against public officials [...]
Niger breaks off military cooperation agreement allowing US military personnel on its territory
Niger junta spokesman Colonel Amadou Abdramane declared in a televised announcement on Saturday that Niger’s military junta revoked with immediate effect a military accord with the US that allows military troops and civilian staff of the US Department of Defence on its territory. The junta spokesman said the government decided to end military cooperation between [...]
The US Department of State imposed arms restrictions Thursday on the import or export of US-origin weapons and services from or to Nicaragua. In a statement to the press, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller cited “brutal repression” and “recent sham elections” as ongoing concerns for the Biden administration, vowing to continue to use “diplomatic and [...]
India government blocks streaming platforms over alleged obscenity
The Indian government banned Thursday 18 Over the Top (OTT) streaming platforms for alleged obscene and vulgar content. Additionally, 19 websites, 10 apps, and 57 social media handles of such OTT platforms were also banned nationwide. The Indian Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) stated in a press release that it collaborated with various intermediaries [...]
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 [...]
Update: City of Flint, Michigan found in contempt by federal judge in water contamination case
A federal district judge found the city of Flint, Michigan in contempt for its failure to finish the replacement of lead-contaminated pipes in the city’s water supply system according to a timeline laid out in a 2023 court order. The order, released Tuesday, granted a motion from the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) which sought to [...]