“Cheaper than water.” This is how Iraqis commented on the value of their lives after they learned that US President Donald Trump had pardoned the four Blackwater security contractors who had previously been sentenced over the death of 17 Iraqi civilians in the 2007 Nisur Square massacre. Sentences included life imprisonment for a first-degree murder. A child [...]
President Trump announced 26 new pardons on Wednesday, including full pardons for his longtime ally Roger Stone, former campaign chairperson Paul Manafort, and Charles Kushner, the father of White House senior advisor Jared Kushner. The US Department of Justice in November 2019 found Roger Stone guilty of obstruction of a congressional investigation, five counts of [...]
The State Duma, Russia’s lower house of parliament, approved a law Wednesday that imposes severe penalties for slanderous speech on the internet. The legislation provides for punishment of up to two years in prison for those found guilty of spreading slander through the internet. It defines slander as “the dissemination of knowingly false information discrediting [...]
Over 500 bereaved relatives of COVID-19 victims in Italy announced Wednesday that they were pursuing civil action against Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, Health Minister Roberto Speranza and Governor Attilio Fontana of Lombardy, one of Italy’s worst-affected regions. The plaintiffs are members of a committee named “Noi Denunceremo” (we will go to court), which has committed [...]
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) Tuesday rejected an undertaking by Google in connection with its proposed takeover of sports wearables manufacturer Fitbit that it would behave in certain ways towards rival wearable manufacturers, not use health data for advertising and, in some circumstances, allow competing businesses access to health and fitness data Google [...]
Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai was granted bail Wednesday on charges related to fraud and national security. Hong Kong authorities arrested Lai in August. He was charged with fraud for violating the lease terms of his company Next Digital’s office. Additionally, he was charged with colluding with foreign forces and endangering national security. He [...]
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law Tuesday that will grant presidents expanded immunity from prosecution after leaving office. Currently, Article 91 of the Russian Constitution provides immunity to a president only while they are in office. The new law will provide broad immunity after they step down, immunizing them not just from criminal charges but also [...]
Former college entrance exam administrator Niki Williams was sentenced Monday to one year of probation for her role in the fraudulent admissions scandal involving wealthy parents like Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin. Rick Singer has been identified as the scandal’s architect. Wealthy parents hired him to get their children into schools they were not qualified [...]
Pakistani human rights activist Karima Baloch, 37, was found dead in Toronto, Canada on Monday. Baloch went missing on Sunday. The Toronto Police stated that “the circumstances have been investigated and officers have determined this to be a non-criminal death and no foul play is suspected.” Baloch was from Balochistan, Pakistan. As a campaigner, she [...]
The United Nations Human Rights Office Wednesday criticized President Trump for pardoning former Blackwater contractors who were jailed in the US for killing 14 Iraqi civilians. On Tuesday, Trump granted full pardons to the former Blackwater contractors. The contractors had been previously sentenced to life imprisonment in August 2019 for the murders that took place [...]
