The Republic of Croatia on Friday reintroduced compulsory military service following fears over the escalating Russia-Ukraine war and destabilization in the Balkans. With an 84-to-11 vote, the Croatian parliament, the Sabor, approved changes to the country’s Defense Act and Armed Forces Service Act, reintroducing basic military training. The new system consists of two months of basic [...]

The UN expert on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order, George Katrougalos, stated in a report Thursday that comprehensive reforms are needed to rebuild a fairer global financial system. He stressed that international financial reforms should be grounded in a human rights-based approach and consistent with the principles of the UN Charter, [...]

The UN International Organization for Migration (IOM) renewed its calls for enhanced coordination and safety along migration pathways on Thursday following a shipwreck off the coast of Tunisia that killed 40 migrants. The organization stated: “IOM reiterates its support for countries along key migration routes through protection-sensitive search and rescue operations, and through efforts to [...]

The regional head of the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) for the Occupied Palestinian Territory warned on Tuesday of Israeli settlers’ increasing violence against Palestinian farmers. The statement comes at the start of the critical olive harvest season. According to the OHCHR statement, 757 settler attacks took place in [...]

Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Wednesday criticized the announcement of the new EU-Uzbekistan Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement. The agreement describes respect for democratic principles and the preservation of fundamental freedoms as “essential,” yet HRW said that it fails to properly address Uzbekistan’s deteriorating rights record. Europe and Central Asia advocacy director at HRW, Iskra [...]

The European Union on Thursday approved the 19th package of sanctions against Russia, the latest effort to hinder Russian aggression in Ukraine, adding new restrictions on individuals and sectors supporting Moscow’s war effort. The new sanctions aim to intensify strain on the Russian economy and debilitate important sectors such as energy, finance, the military industrial [...]

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported on Tuesday that more than one million people have returned to Sudan’s war-ravaged capital Khartoum in the past 10 months, while basic services remain severely limited and infrastructure damaged. The organization reported that there are continuing disease outbreaks, damaged homes and shattered infrastructure, all of which create dangerous [...]

Human Rights Watch (HRW) warned on Thursday that the Taliban have severely undermined media freedom in Afghanistan by closing major news outlets and subjecting remaining ones to surveillance and censorship. The group called on authorities to cease mistreatment of journalists and remove discriminatory restrictions imposed on women reporters. HRW decried Taliban censorship, which incorporates monitoring of [...]

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to privacy, Dr. Ana Brian Nougrères, said Wednesday that the development of a model law on neurotechnologies and neurodata is necessary to protect the right to privacy. In a report presented to the 58th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, the foundations and principles for [...]

Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Tuesday that Ecuadorian police and security forces have restricted freedom of assembly and periodically used disproportionate force against protesters since September 2025. Security forces have reportedly used tear gas, batons, and other “less-lethal” weapons indiscriminately and at close range, resulting in injury and, in some cases, death. HRW verified [...]