The Brennan Center for Justice at the New York University School of Law released a report on Friday stating that in 2021, 14 states have enacted 22 laws that restrict voting access, making it more difficult for Americans to vote. According to the report, “the United States is on track to far exceed its most [...]

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet voiced “deep concern” Sunday over recent events in the Colombian city of Cali that include reports of deaths and violence following demonstrations to commemorate a month of national strikes. The High Commissioner’s statement follows reports of the death of 14 people and 98 injuries after protests against [...]

The Philippines’ Department of Foreign Affairs said Saturday that it has lodged a diplomatic protest against the “continuing illegal presence” of Chinese vessels in the Pag-asa Islands of the South China Sea. The statement complained of the “incessant deployment, prolonged presence, and illegal activities of Chinese maritime assets and fishing vessels” in and around the [...]

On 15 May 2021, SpaceX launched 52 satellites as part of its Starlink mega-constellation, less than a week after it had launched the previous batch with 60 satellites. When fully deployed in the Low Earth Orbit (“LEO”), this constellation would form a network of thousands of satellites providing affordable access to high-speed internet. Starlink faces [...]

The Constitutional Court of Mali on Friday declared Assimi Goïta, the colonel who led a military coup against interim President Bah Ndaw, as the new interim president of Mali. The court made the move following what it described as a “vacancy in the presidency,” which emerged after the alleged forced resignation of Ndaw. Soldiers backing [...]

The Louisiana House of Representatives Thursday passed the controversial Senate Bill 156 requiring schools to designate athletic teams and sporting events based on the biological sex of the team members. The bill, which was sponsored by Republican Senator Beth Mizell and which had passed the Louisiana Senate earlier this month with a vote of 29-6, passed [...]

The US Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) Friday issued a withhold release order against Chinese fishing company Dalian Ocean Fishing. Withhold Release Orders are targeted bans on the import of products from a company or region based on the use of forced labor. Recently, CBP also banned the import of cotton and tomatoes from Xinjiang over [...]

On Friday, US President Joe Biden signed an executive order establishing the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (AA and NHPI) and the President’s Advisory Commission on AA and NHPI. In recent months, hate crimes against Asian-Americans have increased due to the xenophobic rhetoric that blames Asians for the spread [...]

A Nevada resident was arraigned Friday on charges that she knowingly exported electronics and other goods to Iran in violation of US sanctions. The indictment alleges that Tina Chen purchased goods from US companies through her business, Top Zone Inc., and shipped them to Iran. The products were ultimately meant for Zanjan University, one of [...]

The US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit held Thursday that Michigan’s redistricting commission can bar people with political connections from serving on the commission. In 2018 61 percent of Michigan voters approved a constitutional amendment that creates a 13-person commission to draw the state legislative districts following the 2020 election. The amendment prohibits [...]