Canada’s senate passed a bill on Wednesday that expands access to medically assisted dying for more Canadians with medical issues. The bill received royal assent a day later, thereby becoming law. The new legislation eliminates the requirement that a person’s death be “reasonably foreseeable” to obtain access. Now, those with serious medical issues may request [...]
The Mito District Court ruled Thursday that Japan Atomic Power Company (JAPC) cannot reactivate its idled Tokai No. 2 nuclear power plant in Ibaraki Prefecture. The No. 2 unit has been idled since the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, which also heavily damaged the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Complex. The Tokai station originally contained two reactors, [...]
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet on Wednesday agreed to joint investigations with Ethiopia into possible war crimes committed in Ethiopia’s northern region of Tigray. “The High Commissioner responded positively to the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission’s (EHRC) request for joint investigations on Monday,” Jonathan Fowler, spokesperson for the UN Human Rights Office [...]
The US Department of Commerce announced Wednesday that its Bureau of Industry and Security will be expanding the export restrictions imposed on Russia earlier this month as part of the sanctions over the poisoning of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, former Russian military officer Sergei Skripal, and his daughter Yulia Skripal. In March 2018, Russia allegedly [...]
The Indian Supreme Court on Thursday directed lower courts to avoid expressing any stereotypical or patriarchal opinions on women and their place in society such as “women are physically weak, should be submissive and obedient, good women are sexually chaste” in court orders relating to crimes against women, especially for verdicts on bail. The directions [...]
UN human rights experts demanded Thursday that Iranian authorities put an end to the torture of Iranian-Swedish scientist and academic Ahmadreza Djalali and called for his immediate release from custody due to the critical condition of his health. Djalali, who was charged with espionage while visiting Iran to attend workshops on disaster medicine, was detained [...]
An Egyptian court sentenced political activist Sanaa Seif to 18 months in prison Wednesday for “spreading false news,” concluding a case that raises significant questions about the status of free expression and human rights in Egypt. The sentencing stems from Seif’s detainment and arrest in June. Seif’s family claims Egyptian authorities forcibly abducted Seif while [...]
The US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit ruled Wednesday that Uber Technologies, Inc. (Uber) cannot force plaintiffs to arbitrate their disability discrimination claims. The plaintiffs include motorized-wheelchair users from the Pittsburgh area and the Pittsburghers for Public Trust, which is a non-profit organization that aims to make “transportation … available and accessible to [...]
Robert Aaron Long, the suspect in Tuesday’s massage parlor shootings in Atlanta, Georgia, was arrested and charged by the Atlanta Police Department on Wednesday. He is facing eight counts of murder and one count of aggravated assault with four counts and the count of aggravated assault for the first shooting in Cherokee County and the [...]
The US House of Representatives passed two separate bills Thursday aimed at immigration reform, marking the first time Congress has voted to provide a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. The first bill, HR 6, the American Dream and Promise Act (Dream Act), seeks to establish a permanent legal path for over two million undocumented [...]
