The US Department of State imposed arms restrictions Thursday on the import or export of US-origin weapons and services from or to Nicaragua. In a statement to the press, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller cited “brutal repression” and “recent sham elections” as ongoing concerns for the Biden administration, vowing to continue to use “diplomatic and [...]

The Indian Supreme Court announced Friday it will take up a batch of petitions on Tuesday, which seek to challenge the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA) and the recently introduced Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024. The CAA is an Indian law that fast-tracks citizenship for persecuted minorities from neighboring countries. Also, the Indian government introduced [...]

The Canadian government revealed on Thursday that it ordered a national security review of TikTok, a popular social media app, back in September. The move was not made public until Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was asked about the national security review at a press conference in Windsor on Thursday. During the press conference, Trudeau stated [...]

The UK government released a new definition of extremism on Thursday in response to a rise in extremist threats across the country. Groups that meet the new definition will be automatically barred from receiving government funding. The statement outlining this definition noted that the change is due to the increasing pervasiveness of extremist ideologies in recent [...]

The lower house of the Spanish Parliament approved on Thursday a controversial legislative proposal granting amnesty for Catalan separatists involved in the 2017 independence bid. The proposed law seeks to “put an end to judicial processes and sentences” against anyone who took part in the Catalan independence campaign that took place between November 1, 2011 [...]

Civil society is facing unprecedented challenges globally due to escalating conflicts and crises. In 2023, groups that were pivotal in advocating for human rights, offering humanitarian aid and giving a voice to the marginalized encountered increasing difficulties. Their work has become more challenging due to growing repression and conflict, yet they remain beacons of hope [...]

The Indian government banned Thursday 18 Over the Top (OTT) streaming platforms for alleged obscene and vulgar content. Additionally, 19 websites, 10 apps, and 57 social media handles of such OTT platforms were also banned nationwide. The Indian Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) stated in a press release that it collaborated with various intermediaries [...]

Japan’s Sapporo High Court affirmed on Thursday that the country’s current ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional. This ruling from the High Court upholds the Sapporo Lower Court 2021 decision that found the ban unconstitutional. However, Thursday’s rulings are the first time a High Court in the country has gone as far as to declare [...]

The Parliament of Kyrgyzstan passed a bill modeled after Russia’s “foreign agents” law on Thursday, increasing the government’s oversight of non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The law will require anyone receiving foreign donations to label themselves a “foreign representative” and follow tighter guidelines when documenting their activities. The bill specifically targets NGOs receiving foreign funding, and it requires [...]

A US federal judge in New York denied a motion to dismiss on Thursday from Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) in his pending conspiracy case. In the order, Judge Sidney Stein found that the constitutional challenges Menendez raised in his motion did not cover the charges. Menendez pleaded not guilty to the four charges—which alleged that [...]