The World Food Programme (WFP) warned on Tuesday that the escalating hostilities in the Middle East could lead to record levels of food insecurity and the largest disruption in humanitarian intervention since the COVID-19 pandemic. WFP Deputy Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer Carl Skau said, “If this conflict continues, it will send shockwaves across [...]

Vietnam’s Law on Artificial Intelligence (AI) came into effect on Sunday, marking the first framework of its kind in Southeast Asia. The new law’s content largely mirrors the European Union’s AI Act, which seeks to ensure accountability, transparency, and safety in light of challenges that follow AI use, including copyright infringement, misinformation, and deepfakes. It [...]

Amnesty International on Monday protested the Hong Kong Court of Appeal decision to reject the appeals of the group of imprisoned activists known as the Hong Kong 47, calling it a “missed opportunity to start restoring justice.” The Hong Kong 47 are a group of prominent activists who were arrested during the 2020 pro-democracy protests and collectively [...]

Human Rights Watch (HRW) sent an open letter to Libya’s prosecutor general requesting transparency over the recent arrest of Osama Elmasry Njeem and compliance with a pending International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant. Elmasry was initially arrested in Italy but extradited back to Libya upon request from Libyan authorities, contrary to Italy’s obligations under articles [...]

Amnesty International on Tuesday condemned an Algerian court for a decision in the second instance that upheld the imprisonment of trade unionist and president of the National Union of Civil Servants in the Field of Culture and Arts (SNFC), Ali Mammeri. The decision also reduced the sentence from 15 years to 10 years. Mammeri was [...]

The European Commission opened an investigation on Monday into X (formerly Twitter) and the use of its AI chatbot Grok to generate sexually explicit images of women and underage girls without their consent. The investigation will determine if the AI tool violates the Digital Services Act (DSA) and whether X failed its obligation to properly [...]

Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo declared a 30-day nationwide “state of siege” on Monday following a spree of gang violence that left nine police officers dead in the nation’s capital. The declaration was made unilaterally and currently awaits congressional approval. However, it will remain in place until a decision is reached. The recent killings are believed [...]

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) began proceedings Monday on charges of genocide concerning Myanmar’s persecution of its Rohingya population. The Gambia, bringing the case, will present its arguments until January 15, after which Myanmar will present its defense until January 20. The Gambia alleges that Myanmar’s armed forces, the Tatmadaw, have conducted widespread and [...]

South Korean prosecutors, led by Special Prosecutor Cho Eun-seok, are seeking a 10-year sentence for multiple charges laid against the ousted president, Yoon Suk Yeol. The charges include obstruction of arrest, primarily stemming from his 15 days spent barricaded in the official presidential residence after his declaration of martial law was overturned by the National [...]

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on Thursday expressed concern over the recent escalation in hostilities between Thailand and Cambodia, and the danger posed to civilians. “I am alarmed by reports that areas around villages and cultural sites are being struck by fighter jets, drones, and artillery,” Commissioner Volker Türk said. Earlier in [...]