World Legal News

UN experts expressed alarm Monday over the repression of the Belarusian Association of Human Rights Lawyers (BAHRL) by the Minsk government, denouncing its designation as an extremist group. On August 18, the State Security Committee of the Republic of Belarus designated BAHRL as an “extremist formation” and categorized its members as individuals “involved in extremist [...]

READ MORE
The White House from Washington, DC, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

President Donald Trump praised Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as “incredible in terms of human rights” during an Oval Office meeting Tuesday, preemptively deflecting questions about the kingdom’s extensive record of abuses as the crown prince pledged $1 trillion in US investments. The comments came despite weeks of pressure from human rights advocates urging [...]

READ MORE
© WikiMedia (Markus Bernet)

A Dutch court on Monday upheld the decision by the Netherlands government to deny asylum to US transgender woman Veronica Clifford-Carlos. The court acknowledged the worsening conditions for transgender persons in the United States, but held that she was not facing systematic denial of protection or essential services. Clifford-Carlos, 28, is said to be the first [...]

READ MORE
Ashraf Amra, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO, via Wikimedia Commons

The UN Security Council passed a US-backed resolution on Monday, endorsing the 20-point Gaza peace plan by US President Donald Trump’s administration. The Security Council urged all parties to implement the peace plan “in good faith and without delay.” The resolution, passed by a vote of 13 members in favor, with China and Russia abstaining, [...]

READ MORE

New Zealand’s Supreme Court on Monday dismissed Uber’s appeal in Rasier Operations v E Tū Incorporated, holding that rideshare drivers are employees, not independent contractors. The decision grants drivers access to minimum wage protections, paid leave, and collective bargaining rights. The Supreme Court found that rideshare drivers must be considered employees under the Employment Relations [...]

READ MORE
Martín Vasco, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

In a decisive referendum held on Sunday, Ecuadorian citizens overwhelmingly rejected a constitutional amendment that would have allowed foreign military bases on the country’s soil. Early counts show nearly two-thirds of ballots cast opposed the measure. President Daniel Noboa introduced the referendum, arguing that foreign cooperation, such as hosting bases for allied nations, was essential [...]

READ MORE

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 [...]

READ MORE
Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Friday declared that the proposed Public System of Care, a new care and support system bill submitted by the Mexico City government, does not guarantee the rights and autonomy of people with disabilities and elderly people. Although the draft bill aims to address inequalities in caregiving, it overlooks elements critical [...]

READ MORE
By Tiia Monto, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link

Human Rights Watch (HRW) said Friday that governments negotiating a new global treaty on gig work should strengthen the draft text to ensure fair wages and social security for these workers and protect them from exploitative management. The call to action was issued alongside a formal briefing submitted to the International Labour Organization (ILO), which [...]

READ MORE

The European Commission announced on Thursday that it has opened an investigation into Google for a potential breach of the Digital Markets Act (DMA), focusing on whether the tech giant’s spam policy unfairly demotes media publishers in search results. The formal proceedings will assess if Google is applying “fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory” conditions to publishers, [...]

READ MORE