The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced Wednesday that it had designated Afghanistan for temporary protected status (TPS) for 18 months, a move that grants temporary deportation relief and work permits to Afghans currently residing in the US. The designation will help assist more than 70,000 Afghans who entered the US as part of [...]

Environmental law organization ClientEarth Tuesday announced legal action against the Board of Directors of Shell over the company’s failure to adopt and implement a climate strategy plan. ClientEarth, as a shareholder, seeks to hold the company’s 13 directors personally liable for breaching their duties under the UK Companies Act by arguing that the Board has failed [...]

Members of the European Parliament Wednesday voted overwhelmingly in favor of a legislative proposal asking the European Commission to propose a law abolishing “golden passport” schemes by 2025. The European Parliament stressed that golden passports, or “citizen by investment” schemes, allow third-country nationals to acquire citizenship rights in exchange for money and “undermine the essence [...]

The US Department of State announced Wednesday that former Ecuador President Abdala Bucaram has been designated under § 7031(c) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, which effectively bars his entry into the US. Citing Bucaram’s alleged involvement in corruption as the reasoning behind the decision, the State Department noted [...]

UN Human Rights Commissioner Michelle Bachelet announced during the Human Rights Council’s 49th session on Tuesday that her office has reached an agreement to visit China, including the province of Xinjiang in May. This announcement comes as 192 human rights organizations published a joint open letter the same day to Bachelet, calling for her to [...]

The United Nations Human Rights Council announced Wednesday the appointment of the former Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Fatou Bensouda, to lead the investigation into abuses in Ethiopia. The President of the Human Rights Council, Ambassador Federico Villegas, announced the appointment of three international experts to serve as the International Commission of Human Rights [...]

New Zealand police Wednesday stormed parliament grounds in riot gear reclaiming the space where anti-vaccine mandate protesters had camped for 23 days. Hundreds of police began moving across parliament grounds early Wednesday morning, breaking up the protester’s camp, dressed in riot gear and equipped with pepper spray. The police towed vehicles obstructing roads as they pushed [...]

The French National Assembly voted 135-47 Wednesday in favor of extending the legal limit for ending a pregnancy from 12 to 14 weeks. While the bill was first put forward to lawmakers in October 2022 by MP Albane Gaillot, a year of parliamentary rows slowed down the progression of the bill. The bill marks the [...]

Uganda’s Parliamentary Health Committee stated Tuesday that it is considering proposed legislation that will impose fines on those who refuse to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and possibly jail terms for those who fail to pay. A statement released on the parliament’s website states that the “Parliament’s Committee on Health has started the consideration of the [...]

The European Union (EU) Thursday filed a case in the World Trade Organization (WTO) against the People’s Republic of China following trade restrictions that China has been imposing on Lithuania. This move comes in response to trade restrictions that China has imposed on Lithuania since December 2021. The trade restrictions imposed include blocking all Lithuanian [...]