The European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled Thursday that under an EU directive governing electronic commerce, Airbnb must be classified as an “information society service,” not a real estate agent. Following a complaint by a hotel and tourism trade group, French authorities had tried to classify Airbnb so that it would be subject to real [...]

The US Ambassador to the World Trade Organization (WTO), Dennis Shea, announced in a speech to that body on Monday that the US would not back a proposal to appoint new judges to the panel. The move has effectively rendered the appellate body unable to function, meaning second-tier trade disputes can no longer be resolved [...]

Bolivia’s interim President, Jeanine Anez, on Monday provided formal assent to legislation that would create a path to fresh elections. The bill was approved by both chambers of Bolivia’s legislature on Saturday, and Anez announced that she would sign the deal. The law effectively annuls the results of the hotly contested October election and creates [...]

A former staff member of the British Consulate-General in Hong Kong issued a statement via Facebook on Wednesday describing an “illegal process” of “torture, threats, and coercion” by Chinese authorities. Simon Cheng, the consulate employee and a Hong Kong citizen, was detained for 15 days while returning from a business trip to mainland China in [...]