China expressed on Friday its strong objections to two new Philippine laws that define the country’s maritime boundaries over disputed areas in the South China Sea, summoning the Philippines’ ambassador. The Philippine Maritime Zones Act (RA 12064) and the Philippine Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act (RA 12065) were signed into law by President Ferdinand R. Marcos [...]

Amnesty International on Thursday emphasized the importance of prioritizing climate justice and human rights at the upcoming UN COP29 climate change conference, which will take place in Baku, Azerbaijan, from November 11 to 22. The human rights organization’s pre-summit statement underscores the necessity for COP29 leaders to integrate human rights considerations into all decision-making processes [...]

The Tokyo High Court declared Japan’s current policy against same-sex marriage as discriminatory and unconstitutional, in a ruling on Wednesday. The case involved a Tokyo couple registered as same-sex partners who sought compensation from the government, arguing that laws failing to recognize same-sex marriage violated the Japanese constitution. Presiding Judge Taniguchi Sonoe emphasized that establishing [...]

An Israeli strike in south Lebanon resulted in the deaths of three journalists, Lebanon’s health ministry said on Friday. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) also raised concerns over Israeli airstrikes impacting a border crossing with Syria. In a statement on Facebook, the Public Health Emergency Operations Center of the Lebanon Ministry of [...]

Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Thursday launched a new campaign, named #WithHumanity, calling on Frontex, the European Union’s border and coast guard agency, to utilize its aerial surveillance capabilities to ensure prompt rescues of endangered vessels in the Mediterranean. Frontex collaborates with EU member states’ border and coast guards to manage the Schengen Area’s borders. [...]

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled on Thursday that Spanish authorities failed in their duty to adequately investigate allegations of human trafficking made by a Nigerian woman. The case, T.V. v. Spain, centered on the victim’s claims of human trafficking and sexual exploitation between 2003 and 2007. The ECHR unanimously found a violation [...]

Congressional watchdog US Government Accountability Office (GAO) concluded on Monday that no concrete evidence supports the effectiveness of the 2012 Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) conflict minerals disclosure rule in reducing violence within the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The investigation revealed that the SEC rule did not demonstrate a decrease in the frequency or [...]

Pakistan authorities enforced a lockdown in Islamabad on Friday, as well as implementing a block on cellphone services, to counter an anti-government demonstration organized by supporters of imprisoned former prime minister Imran Khan. According to the Islamabad police, Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure is in force in the city. The section empowers [...]

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed laws on Wednesday that provide exemptions from criminal liability for individuals in the Russian Federation who have contracted for military service or have been mobilized. The State Duma, Russia’s lower house of parliament, approved the bills in September. With the implementation of two new amendments, defendants who enter into military [...]

The president of the European Council, Charles Michel, urged a reform of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to enhance its inclusivity, legitimacy, and effectiveness, in an address before the UNSC on Wednesday. In his speech, Michel highlighted ongoing conflicts in regions such as Ukraine, the Middle East, and Sudan, emphasizing the need for collective responsibility [...]