The United Nations Human Rights Office (OHCHR) on Thursday condemned a new Taliban directive barring Afghan women and girls from attending private medical institutions, warning that it will have devastating consequences for the country’s healthcare system. OHCHR Spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani stated: “The measure is profoundly discriminatory, short-sighted and puts the lives of women and girls [...]
The Hong Kong Court of First Instance upheld prison authorities’ refusal to grant remission to a prisoner convicted of offenses “endangering national security” on Friday. The case marks the first judicial review against the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance (SNSO) enacted by the region’s legislature in March of this year. The petitioner, Ma Chun Man, had challenged [...]
The Illinois Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that the odor of raw cannabis is sufficient to justify a warrantless vehicle search. The appellant, Vincent Molina, was a passenger in a car stopped by a police officer for speeding on the highway. The officer searched the car solely based on smelling raw cannabis and found several rolled [...]
The UK Ministry of Justice predicted that more than 100,000 people may be held in custody by 2029, in a report released Thursday. The report alarmed prison overcrowds which may undermine prisoners’ rights in the country. In the report, the ministry provided a low, central and high estimate of the size of the prison population [...]
The European Commission announced on Thursday that it would step up monitoring of the TikTok platform’s compliance with the Digital Services Act (DSA). The move comes in the context of the ongoing Romanian elections and aggressive online campaign of front-runner candidate Calin Georgescu. The European Commission issued an order, obliging TikTok to freeze all information [...]
The US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit on Friday upheld the constitutionality of a law requiring social media giant TikTok to separate from its Chinese parent company ByteDance or face a ban in the United States. In its opinion, the court rejected challenges from TikTok and its users who argued the law violated [...]
The Chagos Archipelago in the middle of the Indian Ocean comprises Diego Garcia and more than sixty other islands. The Archipelago has been under continuous UK sovereignty since 1814 and was for most of that time administered as part of “British Mauritius.” In 1965, three years before the UK granted independence to Mauritius, it detached [...]
The US House of Representatives on Thursday rejected Democratic efforts to release a long-awaited ethics report investigating sexual misconduct allegations against former Florida Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz. The House rejected two privileged resolutions, voting against the Democrats’ arguments for the report to be released to ensure transparency and accountability. The House voted 206-198 against H.Res.1608, [...]
Human Rights Watch (HRW) published a report on Thursday highlighting the unjust prosecution of Ukrainian civilians under Ukraine’s “anti-collaboration” laws. The report highlights how civilians performing legitimate and essential tasks in areas under Russian occupation have been prosecuted under these laws, and examines the broader impact these prosecutions have had on both the individuals involved [...]
South Korean lawmakers on Thursday introduced a motion to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol just days after his failed attempt to enforce martial law. The motion is set for a full parliamentary vote on Saturday. Yoon is facing impeachment charges under Article 66 of the South Korean Constitution for “violating the Constitution or other laws [...]
