South Korean lawmakers passed the Special Act on Investment in the United States on Thursday, pledging an investment of USD 350 billion (roughly 517 trillion won). Previously, President Donald Trump urged the Korean Legislature to enact the “Historic Trade Agreement” in a Truth Social post, in which he also threatened to reinstate South Korean “reciprocal” [...]

The Taliban government in Afghanistan has quietly enacted a new penal code that allows husbands to physically punish their wives and children as long as it doesn’t cause broken bones or open wounds. The UK-based Afghan-run human rights organization Rawadari exposed the document, known as the “Criminal Procedure Code for Courts” (Mahakumu Jazaai Osulnama), last [...]

Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Friday condemned the Indonesian police for the reported unlawful dispersal, physical assault, and detention of Papuan protesters in the town of Merauke, South Papua province, on January 25. Meenakshi Ganguly, the deputy Asia director at HRW, reiterated Indigenous Papuan communities’ right to protest without fear of reppresion. Ganguly stated, “Police [...]

The UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria welcomed the ceasefire agreement between the Government of Syria and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Friday, while urging the return of displaced populations and access to aid in Northeastern Syria. Paulo Pinheiro, the chair of the Commission of Inquiry, stated: “We welcome efforts to bring stability to [...]

As of the time of writing, Iranian citizens have remained without internet or telecommunications access for 96 hours, according to online monitoring group NetBlocks. Amid the collapse of Iran’s currency, protests erupted in Tehran late last month and quickly spread across the country. Dozens of protesters and bystanders have been killed, according to human rights [...]

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk on Friday urged the Israeli government to abandon proposed legislation that would mandate death sentences exclusively for Palestinians in specific cases, for crimes committed either in Israel or the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Türk stated that the proposed legislation is “inconsistent with Israel’s obligations under the International Covenant [...]

Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te vowed on Thursday to defend the island’s sovereignty, just days after Beijing concluded the “Justice Mission 2025” military drills near Taiwan. President Lai pledged in his New Year’s address to firmly safeguard national sovereignty, strengthen national defense and the resilience of the whole society, and comprehensively construct an effective deterrence and democratic [...]

Thailand and Cambodia on Saturday signed a new ceasefire agreement, ending weeks of military conflict over disputed territories. Thai Defense Minister General Natthaphon Narkphanit and Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Tea Seiha signed the joint agreement at the third special meeting of the General Boundary Committee (GBC), reaffirming a previous ceasefire in July and outlining 16 [...]

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled on Thursday that the Danish “ghetto law” may constitute both direct and indirect discrimination under Council Directive 2000/43/EC. Senior legal advisor at Amnesty International Denmark Dina Hashem commended the decision as an important step in protecting basic human rights. The ECJ noted that the law creates a disparity [...]

The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) warned on Friday that the Myanmar military junta’s planned elections could only worsen repression and instability rather than restore democracy. OHCHR spokesperson Jeremy Laurence described the elections, scheduled for December 28, as a military-controlled process conducted in an environment “rife with threats and violence.” [...]