The UK House of Commons voted Tuesday to advance the “Tobacco and Vapes Bill” that would make it illegal for anyone born in 2009 or later to buy tobacco and add restrictions to vaping. Legislators voted in favour of the bill in a 383 to 67 vote. Rather than banning smoking outright, the restrictions apply to [...]
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Belgium police intervene at far-right event over concerns about public safety
Belgian police intervened at the National Conservatism Conference (NatCon) on Tuesday, following an order prohibiting the event. The order, issued by the mayor of the Brussels municipality of Saint-Joose-ten-Noode Emir Kir, was aimed at preventing public disorder. The conference, set for April 16 and 17, faced disruption on its first day due to the police [...]
The EU Parliament approved legislation on Wednesday regarding the rights and treatment of migrants and asylum seekers within the bloc. The legislation furthers the Migration and Asylum Pact, which seeks to expand the current rights that these groups have while solidifying the procedure around their treatment across the EU. The legislation includes a broad range [...]
UK government faces growing calls to suspend arms sales to Israel following aid workers attack
Leader of the UK’s Liberal Democrat Party Sir Ed Davey called upon the UK government on Wednesday to suspend arms sales to Israel. This follows the deaths of British aid workers John Chapman, James Kirby and Jim Henderson, who were among the seven World Central Kitchen (WCK) workers killed in an “unintended strike” by the [...]
New Zealand alleges Chinese state-sponsored group conducted cyberattacks on parliament in 2021
New Zealand’s government expressed concerns Tuesday about China’s alleged involvement in a cyberattack that targeted New Zealand’s parliament. According to New Zealand’s intelligence agency, the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB), the cyberattack dates back to August 2021 when the National Cyber Security Center (NCSC) discovered that the networks of both the Parliamentary Council Office and [...]
Ireland High Court rules UK not safe for asylum applicants due to Rwanda plan
The Irish High Court ruled Friday that a decision made by the country’s Minister for Justice in 2020 to declare the UK a “safe country” to send asylum seekers back to during processing was “unlawful as a matter of EU law.” The decision came after two individuals’ applications for international protection in Ireland were rejected [...]
Explainer: Baroness Helena Kennedy Spearheads UK Genocide Monitoring and Response Bill
In a significant move towards bolstering the United Kingdom’s commitment to preventing and responding to genocide and other atrocity crimes, Baroness Kennedy of The Shaws has introduced the Genocide (Prevention and Response) Bill into the House of Lords. With its second reading on March 22, the bill promises to formalise and strengthen mechanisms for monitoring atrocity [...]
Scotland government launches public inquiry into police failings in Emma Caldwell murder case
The Scottish government launched a public inquiry into Emma Caldwell’s murder in 2005, a case that brought significant attention to the failures of police investigations. Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs Angela Constance announced in a statement to the parliament that an “independent, judge-led, statutory Public Inquiry” will take place into the investigation [...]
UK government appeals decision finding Northern Ireland amnesty law violates of human rights
The UK government lodged an appeal against a decision which found that the Northern Ireland (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act breaches several articles of the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR), according to a UK government spokesperson that spoke to IrishCentral on Thursday. The controversial act sought to end prosecution for crimes committed during the 30-year period [...]
Russia announces willingness to repatriate remains of Ukraine victims of January plane crash
Russia’s Human Rights Commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova told Russian state news outlet RIA Friday that Russia is prepared to repatriate the remains of the Ukrainian victims of the II76 plane crash in January. Moskalkova told RIA that everything administratively necessary for the repatriation is in place and that she is in contact with Ukrainian authorities about [...]