The US Department of Defense (DOD) released its annual report on Beijing’s defense strategies on Wednesday, revealing that corruption within China’s military may be slowing its progress toward achieving its 2027 modernization goals. China’s 2027 modernization goals aim to fast-track the integration of advanced intelligence, mechanization and cutting-edge tools while ramping up progress in military [...]

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) demanded on Thursday that Belarusian authorities immediately release journalist Yauhen Nikalayevich and all other imprisoned journalists. CPJ’s Europe and Central Asia program coordinator Gulnoza Said emphasized that Nikalayevich’s sentencing demonstrates the ongoing persecution of journalists in the country. Said stated: “The sentencing of journalist Yauhen Nikalayevich is yet another [...]

The Provincial Court of Madrid on Friday sentenced Spanish politician and former director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Rodrigo Rato to four years, nine months and one day in prison for corruption and money laundering crimes. The verdict concludes a criminal investigation that began in 2015, prompted by an alert from the Anti-Fraud Office [...]

A US appeals court on Thursday reversed a lower court’s ruling that police in Phoenix, Arizona, used excessive force against protesters outside a Donald Trump rally. The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit found that qualified immunity applied to the police interactions because the protestors did not cite a case that “could have ‘clearly [...]

The United Nations on Friday raised alarms over the worsening humanitarian situation in El Fasher, capital of Sudan’s North Darfur state, where a months-long siege by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has devastated lives and infrastructure. According to the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) report, more than 782 civilians have been killed and 1,143 injured [...]

The Inter-American Court of Human Rights announced on Friday its judgment finding that El Salvador violated human rights law by denying a woman seeking a pregnancy termination timely access to medical care in 2013. The decision in Beatriz y otros v. El Salvador was adopted on November 22. The court focused its ruling on the [...]

Amnesty International on Friday condemned Hezbollah’s repeated attacks on civilian areas of Israel using unguided rockets, following a thorough investigation. Hezbollah’s rocket attacks resulted in the deaths of eight civilians and injuries to at least 16 others in October. The rocket attacks intensified following the escalation of Hezbollah’s conflict with Israel in late September. On [...]

The Taliban has shut down at least 12 media outlets across Afghanistan in 2024 alone, according to a Friday report by Reporters Without Borders. The closures include both public and private channels, with the latest being the Kabul-based Arezo TV, whose closure on December 4 has intensified concerns over mounting restrictions on media operations in [...]

An independent UN expert commended Malaysia on Friday for prioritizing aging in its policy framework, noting the necessity for comprehensive measures to safeguard the human rights of older individuals. The commendation from Claudia Mahler, the UN independent expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons, was issued following a recent visit to [...]

The US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced on Friday that it has filed a lawsuit against JPMorgan Chase Bank, Bank of America, and Wells Fargo Bank for allowing fraud to occur on the Zelle platform. The lawsuit contains ten counts of offenses against the banks for failing to address frauds under sections 1031 and [...]