The US Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that a black prisoner on death row in Mississippi was unreasonably denied his right to challenge a prosecutor’s race-neutral justifications for removing black jurors.  Terry Pitchford was 18 years old in 2004 when he robbed a grocery store in Mississippi with an accomplice, a crime that ended with [...]

Human Rights Watch on Thursday urged acting Rio de Janeiro governor Ricardo Couto to pass a bill that would establish fully independent forensic services and mandate additional measures to strengthen forensic analysis, citing repeated failures by the civil police, whose current control over forensic work has undermined justice and fueled impunity. Brazil researcher at Human [...]

In Iranian family gatherings, geopolitics rarely arrives through academic language. It emerges through instinct, irritation, memory, and the peculiar intimacy with which ordinary people discuss the fate of nations while passing tea across a crowded room. That evening had begun like many others: fruit on the table, the television murmuring in the background, someone complaining [...]

The Canadian government is to be commended for its military, economic, and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, including the most recent announcements of $270 million in military assistance and $2.5 billion in economic support. Canada has also assumed an important role in international accountability efforts. Foreign Minister Anita Anand is co-chairing the International Coalition for the [...]

“A man with an unpleasant voice was reciting the Qur’an loudly. A wise-hearted passerby said to him, “What salary do you receive?” He replied, “None.” The man said, “Then why do you give yourself so much trouble?” He answered, “I recite for God’s sake.” The wise man said, “Then for God’s sake, do not recite.” [...]

The European Council on Thursday adopted measures against extremist Israeli settlers, in an effort to curb human rights abuses against Palestinians in the Occupied West Bank. The restrictive measures were issued under the EU Global Human Rights Sanction Regime, which allows the EU to “impose sanctions on individuals and entities in response to human rights [...]

The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Wednesday scheduled the trial of former Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte to begin on November 30, marking the first time a former head of state will face the court for alleged crimes against humanity. Presiding Judge Joanna Korner announced the date following a request from the prosecution, which plans to [...]

The French National Assembly on Thursday unanimously voted to repeal texts codifying slavery. MP Max Mathiasin sponsored the bill to repeal the Code Noir, which was first tabled on September 16, 2025. The Code Noir is “a set of texts promulgated between 1685 and 1724 that regulated and codified slavery in the French colonies.” The [...]

The Supreme Court of Canada refused on Thursday to hear an appeal by the six Wolastoqey communities in New Brunswick seeking to assert Aboriginal title over private lands. The issue before the court is whether First Nations can assert Aboriginal title when private parties hold a fee simple interest in land. The top court’s refusal [...]