The UN Committee against Torture found Wednesday that Australia violated the Convention against Torture by exposing an Iranian asylum seeker to torture and cruel treatment through offshore transfer and prolonged immigration detention. The decision concerns an asylum seeker known as Mr A, who fled Iran in 2013, fearing persecution, and arrived in Australia by boat [...]

Former Ukrainian prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko was charged on Wednesday for allegedly offering bribes to members of the Ukrainian parliament. On Tuesday, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) accused an unnamed political leader of bribery. Later that day, NABU and SAPO conducted searches at the offices of [...]

The FBI searched the home and electronic devices of a Washington Post reporter on Wednesday, seizing her phone, Garmin watch, and two laptops, one of which belongs to the newspaper. According to the Post, the warrant said the search of reporter Hannah Natanson’s home was connected to the investigation of Aurelio Perez-Lugones, a systems engineer [...]

A UN expert warned on Thursday that growing use of excessive and unlawful use of lethal force by US military and security forces both internationally and domestically is “gravely concerning.” The report came from Morris Tidball-Binz, Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions. He condemned US official statements indicating a “shoot-to-kill” policy and explained [...]

The US Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that a Republican congressman may bring suit to challenge an Illinois mail-in ballot law. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the 7-2 majority decision, which confirmed that Congressman Michael Bost had standing to continue his lawsuit in federal court, writing: Candidates have a concrete and particularized interest in the rules [...]

Human Rights Watch (HRW) stated on Thursday that the internet shutdown imposed during Uganda’s elections violates fundamental rights and undermines election integrity, urging authorities to immediately restore full internet access. HRW researcher Tomiwa Ilori noted that by suspending internet services, Uganda has failed to comply with its obligations under the constitution and international law, which [...]

Human Rights Watch (HRW) called on Syrian authorities to seek accountability for abuses committed during clashes between Syrian government forces and local Bedouin and Druze groups in the Sweida region in July 2025. HRW called on Syrian authorities to hold trials that meet international fair trial standards. If authorities are “unwilling or unable” to do [...]

The US State Department announced on Wednesday that it will suspend the ability for citizens of 75 countries to obtain immigrant visas beginning on January 21. The affected countries include Latin American countries like Brazil and Colombia, South Asian countries like Pakistan and Bangladesh, and multiple countries in the Middle East, Africa, and the Caribbean. [...]

Marine Le Pen, the former leader of France’s far-right party, the National Rally, appeared in court on Tuesday to appeal the penalty for her March 2025 embezzlement conviction. The central issue in the appeal centers on whether Le Pen’s penalty is legal and reasonable. Following the conviction, Le Pen was “barred from running for office [...]

President Donald Trump on Thursday warned that he may invoke the Insurrection Act to deploy troops in Minnesota to quell protests over the massive deployment of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to the Twin Cities. The protests escalated following the January 7 fatal shooting of Minneapolis resident Renee Good, 37, by an ICE agent [...]