UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment, David Boyd, said Monday that air pollution contributes to six million deaths a year. Boyd put out a call for input that was received by over 30 civil society representatives and international organizations who participated in a public consultation in Geneva last October. In order to [...]

A three-judge panel of the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit unanimously ruled Thursday that a federal district court improperly limited the scope of a lawsuit alleging that the FBI had illegally targeted mosques and Islamic individuals for surveillance on a basis of religion. The suit, brought by the American Civil Liberties Union [...]

Thailand unanimously passed the Cybersecurity Act on Thursday that gives the government control over the internet. This act permits the National Cybersecurity Committee, led by Thailand’s military, “to summon individuals for questioning and enter private property without court orders in case of actual or anticipated ‘serious cyber threats.'” Another branch of the government can now search and seize [...]

A judge for the US District Court for the Central District of California ruled Thursday that the federal government cannot seize the trademark rights of the logo used by the Mongols motorcycle club. The ruling overturned a federal jury’s decision to strip the club of its logo after finding “a direct connection between the gang’s crimes and [...]

Spain’s Council of Ministers on Friday approved national regulatory measures to guarantee expat Britons their right to residency and healthcare access in the absence of a Brexit deal. The temporary measures are intended to “Preserve the interests of citizens, Spanish and British, who exercised their right to free movement before the date of withdrawal and [...]

The High Court struck down the UK’s “right to rent” policy on Friday as incompatible with human rights law. The “right to rent” policy required private landlords to verify the immigration status of prospective renters. Under this policy, landlords who rented to undocumented tenants could face unlimited fines or prison time. This policy was a key [...]

The US House of Representatives on Thursday approved further legislation to broaden federal gun control measures. The new bill, titled Enhanced Background Checks Act of 2019, attempts to address the “Charleston loophole” in the Brady Bill. Currently, this loophole permits automatic clearance for the sale of guns when the FBI fails to complete requisite background [...]

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated on Thursday that it will extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for individuals from Sudan, Nicaragua, Haiti and El Salvador as long as a temporary injunction issued in October remains in effect. The DHS is also extending the validity of TPS-related documents, such as Employment Authorization Documents, through [...]

A West Virginia judge ruled Wednesday that parts of West Virginia’s “Workplace Freedom Act” (WFA), preventing employees from being required to pay union dues, is unconstitutional.  Under the WFA, West Virginia workers could choose to pay no fees to the union required to represent them. The case began in 2016 when several labor unions sued [...]

Israel Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit on Thursday announced his intention to file criminal charges against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for one count of bribery and three counts of breach of trust.  The press release emphasized that before a final decision to file charges was reached, Netanyahu’s lawyer would be given a hearing before the Attorney General [...]