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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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, [...]

Human Rights Watch (HRW) urged Tunisia on Friday to overturn convictions in the so-called “Conspiracy Case” appeal to be heard next week, demanding the release of all detainees. The 37 defendants—including opponents of President Kais Saied, activists, lawyers, and researchers—were charged under numerous articles of Tunisia’s Penal Code and the 2015 Counterterrorism Law. The case [...]

Indigenous groups held protests on Friday in Belém, blocking the main entrance to the restricted area at the UN Climate Summit (COP30) to demand that the Brazilian government halt extractive projects that jeopardize their cultures and livelihoods. The protesters mostly belonged to the Munduruku Indigenous people who live in the Amazon rainforest, mainly in the [...]

Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Thursday condemned the increased immigration cooperation between Thai and Vietnamese authorities, warning that it puts Vietnamese refugees at imminent risk of forced removal in violation of international refugee law. HRW said that authorities have detained “scores of Vietnamese nationals” this year, including many individuals who have refugee and asylum status. [...]

Amnesty International warned on Friday that Colombia’s continued use of military courts to handle killings, torture, enforced disappearances, and other grave abuses by soldiers and police is a structural engine of impunity. In a new report, the rights group concluded that the military criminal justice system, known as the Justicia Penal Militar (JPM), remains deeply [...]