The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on Monday ruled that Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) contractors who designed enhanced interrogation techniques do not fall under the jurisdiction of US federal courts in civil claims. The three-judge panel unanimously affirmed the dismissal of Abu Zubaydah’s claims against two psychologists who designed enhanced interrogation techniques [...]
President Donald Trump on Monday signed an executive order that terminates the majority of US sanctions imposed on Syria and associated designated persons, effective July 1. Lifting sanctions will represent a significant opportunity for the ravaged Syrian economy. Sanctions against people and entities tied to the ousted Bashar Assad regime, terrorist organizations, and human rights [...]
The Constitutional Court of Thailand suspended the nation’s prime minster (PM) Tuesday, ordering her to stop performing her duties following allegations of misconduct and serious ethical violations tied to a leaked phone conversation with a senior Cambodian leader. Thirty-six senators filed a petition with the court alleging that PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra failed to fulfill her [...]
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is deepening at an alarming rate, a senior United Nations official warned on Monday, calling the suffering “unbearable” and condemning the “collective punishment of the Palestinian people.” Speaking to the UN Security Council, Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East Khaled Khiari reported that more than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed [...]
More than 50,000 people took to the streets of Budapest on Saturday to celebrate the annual Pride March, openly defying the government’s recently imposed anti-LGBTQ+ laws. While government officials, led by conservative Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, threatened legal consequences and strongly opposed the event, no arrests, fines, or violent dispersals by authorities have been reported. [...]
Amnesty International research released on Monday concluded that more than 80 percent of those convicted under the Hong Kong national security law have been “wrongly criminalized” in the five years since the law was introduced. Since 2020, Hong Kong government data cited by Amnesty International indicated that 332 people were arrested, with 189 convicted under [...]
A UN Special Rapporteur on climate change and human rights urged countries on Monday to phase out fossil fuels to combat the climate crisis following the 10 hottest years in history, which saw average global temperatures reach 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels in 2024, exceeding the Paris Agreement threshold. Presenting her latest report to [...]
The chair of Hong Kong’s League of Social Democrats (LSD) announced Sunday that the pro-democracy party will disband, marking the dissolution of the last remaining active pro-democracy group in Hong Kong. Chairperson Chan Po-ying cited “immense political pressure” as a key factor behind the decision and voiced concerns about the potential consequences for group members. [...]
Several media platforms on Sunday reported that one-third of the population on Tuvalu is seeking climate visas in Australia due to rising oceans submerging much of the island nation. According to the reports, more than 3,000 Tuvaluans, out of around 10,000 of the country’s total population, have registered for the initial round of visas under [...]
Two judges for the King’s Bench Division of the High Court in London ruled on Monday that the UK’s incidental export of fighter jet parts to Israel is lawful. In a 72-page judgment, Justices Males and Steyn contemplated the Secretary of State for Business and Trade‘s carve-out for the export of F-35 fighter jets components. [...]
