The EU called Thursday for the adoption of targeted sanctions and freezing f assets of Chinese officials for the “severe repression” of the human rights of the Uighur people in Xinjiang. The resolution was adopted by a show of hands. The resolution states that Uighurs and other ethnic Muslim minorities are subject to arbitrary detention, torture [...]

The regional court of Frankfurt am Main in Germany issued a ruling Thursday banning the ride-hailing service Uber throughout the country. The case had been brought by a taxi association alleging that Uber and its drivers violated regulations governing transport orders. To operate as it does, the court held, Uber would need to be licensed [...]

In its last vote of the year, the US House of Representatives voted 385-41 Thursday to pass Trump’s revised North American trade agreement. The new agreement, called the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), will replace the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) if the Senate approves it. The trade agreement has come through the House of Representatives [...]

The European Court of Justice ruled Thursday that airlines may be liable to harm caused by hot coffee. The case relates to an incident that occurred in 2015 when a 6-year-old girl was burned on a flight after her father’s hot coffee spilled onto her. The actual cause of the spill remains unknown. The airline, [...]

The Supreme Court of Canada ruled Thursday that children who were born in Toronto to Russian spies are Canadian citizens. The case arose out of one of the children’s attempts to renew his Canadian passport after his parents were arrested “and were returned to Russia” in 2010. After his parents’ arrest, his “attempts to renew [...]

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled Thursday that under an EU directive governing electronic commerce, Airbnb must be classified as an “information society service,” not a real estate agent. Following a complaint by a hotel and tourism trade group, French authorities had tried to classify Airbnb so that it would be subject to real [...]

Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatović said Tuesday that Albania’s proposed anti-defamation legislation, expected to pass this week, is incompatible with freedom of expression. Article 10 of the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR) states, “Everyone has the right to freedom of expression. This right shall include freedom to hold opinions and [...]

Pope Francis released new papal documents Tuesday that eliminate the application of the “pontifical secrecy” rule in cases of sexual abuse. Catholic clergy in many countries, including the US, have long used “pontifical secrecy” as justification for not cooperating with police or victims in cases of sexual abuse. In February church leaders called for the [...]

The Supreme Court of Poland released a statement Tuesday warning that the country’s drafts of judicial reforms could be in violation of European Union (EU) law. The country’s nationalist government is currently advocating for legislation that punishes Poland judges for questioning judicial nominations. Proponents of the legislation argue that the law is needed for greater [...]

The Nicaraguan National Assembly approved the plans to nationalize the gas station chain Distribuidor Nicaraguense de Petroleo (DNP) on Saturday. President Daniel Ortega sent the initiative as a matter of emergency. The law guarantees the continued supply of fuel and petroleum products. Additionally, all petroleum products owned by DNP are classified as sovereign security and [...]