Human Rights Watch (HRW) called upon the countries that endorsed the inaugural UN General Assembly (UNGA) resolution concerning “killer robots” on Wednesday to actively support talks for a fresh international treaty aimed at prohibiting and overseeing these autonomous weapons. These weapons, known as autonomous weapons systems, can identify and engage targets autonomously through sensor processing, [...]
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Honduran Police announced Sunday that Nicaragua pardoned and returned 21 prisoners, including the leader of the Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) criminal organization David Elias Campbell Licona, also known as “El Viejo Dan.” Nicaragua also stated on Saturday that they intend to return prisoners to Costa Rica. Upon their return, Honduran officials received prisoners at the Border [...]
Organization of American States urges Nicaragua to 'cease all human rights violations'
The Organization of American States (OAS) on Friday announced that it approved a resolution urging Nicaragua to “cease all human rights violations, release political prisoners, and respect religious freedom and freedom of expression, as well as the rule of law.” The resolution was led by the US, Canada, Chile and Costa Rica. The OAS’s Inter-American [...]
Chile President Gabriel Boric signs landmark UN environmental treaty
The Chilean Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that President Gabriel Boric has signed the UN Escazú Agreement on Friday, reversing the stance of former President Sebastián Piñera’s government. The Escazú Treaty is an environmental treaty signed by 24 Latin American and Caribbean nations and is the first such treaty emerging from the region. It aims [...]
Costa Rica’s legislative assembly on Tuesday passed the Cannabis and Hemp Production for Medical Purposes Law. The marijuana law is now pending Costa Rican President Carlos Alvarado’s approval. According to Costa Rica’s research, marijuana and hemp production is currently legal in over 21 countries, where more than 1000 million people report using the drug. Of [...]
US Tax Court rules Coca-Cola improperly moved profits internationally and must pay $3B tax bill
The United States Tax Court has upheld two different Internal Revenue Service (IRS) adjustments against Coca-Cola, increasing the company’s taxable income for the 2007-2009 years by a combined total of more than $9 billion and subjecting it to a tax bill of over $3 billion. The case decided Wednesday concerns methodology for reallocating profits between [...]
Dozens of UN states jointly rebuke Saudi Arabia for human rights violations
In a statement read before the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), 29 member states condemned the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia over serious human rights violations and called for accountability for the 2018 murder of a Washington Post journalist. Carsten Staur, Denmark’s UN Ambassador, delivered the address on Tuesday. While the statement commended the kingdom’s steps [...]
A Resolution for International Disputes in Greco-Turkish Seas
The recent controversy ignited by the exploratory drills conducted off the coast of Cyprus is just the latest addition to the chain of conflicts between Greece and Turkey. The apparent reason for the spark seems to be the new-found energy resources in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, which has attracted competition in the region. However, there [...]
Costa Rica becomes first Central American country to legalize same-sex marriage
Costa Rica became the first Central American country to legalize same-sex marriage on Tuesday. According to the Costa Rican Supreme Court’s 2018 ruling, lawmakers had 18 months to adjust the current law or same-sex marriage would automatically become legal. The legislative assembly did not alter any laws, so the ruling came into force at midnight, [...]
Pharmaceutical Patents in the Era of COVID-19: The Aftermath on Developing Countries
COVID-19 patients are frequently constrained to solitary confinement in order to curb the continuing spread of the contamination. The race for medicine or a vaccine to treat COVID-19 is on. The pharmaceutical industries are being asked to donate the intellectual property (IP) of the relevant medicinal equipment or medicines by officials advocating for public health [...]