The world’s governments approved a new climate deal at the COP30 summit in Belém, Brazil, adopting the so‑called Belém Package, a bundle of decisions that calls for tripling outlays to help vulnerable countries adapt to intensifying climate impacts. The closing plenary on Saturday saw nearly 200 parties endorse a political outcome that elevates adaptation and [...]

The Vatican on Saturday returned 62 Indigenous artifacts to Canada’s Catholic bishops, describing the transfer as “a concrete sign of dialogue, respect and fraternity” amid longstanding efforts by Indigenous nations to reclaim cultural property removed under colonial rule. In the joint statement, the Holy See and the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops confirmed that Pope [...]

Reports published Friday revealed that environmental protesters in the United Kingdom were released from prison under “licence conditions” designed for terrorist or extremist criminal offenders, raising concerns about the sentencing proportionality and expressive freedom. Under UK law, individuals released before completing their sentences remain “under licence,” meaning they must comply with behavioral restrictions determined by [...]

Human Rights Watch warned on Thursday that Kenya’s cybercrime law amendments risk criminalizing legitimate online speech. The amendments, assented to on October 15 and published by Parliament on November 4, increase penalties for certain offences, broaden the government’s investigative and enforcement powers, and expand the authority of the National Computer and Cybercrimes Coordination Committee to [...]

Computer scientist Stephen Thaler on Friday formally petitioned the US Supreme Court to decide whether creative works produced entirely by artificial intelligence can qualify for copyright protection. Thaler’s filing challenges the 2025 DC Circuit Court decision which reaffirmed that only works with human authorship are eligible for copyright under US law. In his petition for [...]

Human Rights Watch on Friday called on Kenyan authorities to end the apparent harassment of Otsieno Namwaya, the organization’s associate Africa director, over his work documenting rights abuses in the country. According to HRW, from August 23 to 25, witnesses observed groups of plainclothes officers suspected to be from the  Operation Support Unit of the [...]

India’s foreign ministry on Thursday reiterated that the Court of Arbitration has “no existence in the eye of law,” stating that it lacks any legal authority to make pronouncements about the 1960 water-sharing pact between India and Pakistan. The ministry described the tribunal as “illegally constituted” and said New Delhi has never recognized its legitimacy. [...]

The humanitarian crisis in Sudan worsened on Tuesday, as UN officials said they were “deeply alarmed” by a large-scale assault on El Fasher, the besieged capital of North Darfur, and the nearby Abu Shouk displacement camp. The attack, carried out by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied militias, killed at least 40 civilians and [...]

The humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate, United Nations officials warned on Monday, describing overflowing hospitals, critically malnourished children, and desperate civilians risking their lives to secure food for their families. In a situation update, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that civilians have repeatedly been killed while attempting [...]

Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Tuesday condemned the conviction and 20-year prison sentence of the leader of Chad’s main opposition party, calling it a politically motivated trial. HRW criticized proceedings against Succès Masra, claiming they lacked fairness and transparency, and warned that the verdict reflects the government’s increasing use of the justice system to silence [...]