UN member states should do more to protect the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in an oral statement on Thursday at the 61st Session of the UN Human Rights Council. These calls for urgent action come amidst a recent decree enacted by Taliban Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada. The [...]

The UN Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, Siobhan Mullally, called on Thursday for increased global efforts to combat trafficking of children and refugees in Chad, urging local authorities to prioritize law enforcement and address the root causes of this issue during a press conference concluding her ten-day visit to the country. Mullally celebrated the [...]

The Hong Kong Court of Appeal quashed the fraud convictions against Apple Daily newspaper founder Jimmy Lai Chee-ying and its administrative director, Wong Wai Keung, on Thursday. The appellate court rejected the reasoning of District Judge Stanley Chan, who convicted Lai and Wong of fraud in 2022. Judge Chan found that Lai operated a consultancy firm, in [...]

A coalition of civil liberties associations warned that Vancouver’s latest draft action plan fails to adequately address the risk of displacement facing the unsheltered population during the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026. In the joint statement, the groups urged the city government to engage in meaningful consultation with rights advocates and to develop stronger mitigation [...]

Amnesty International and other human rights organizations released an open letter Wednesday to Lebanon’s justice minister and deputy prime minister, urging the Lebanese government to provide clarity and reparations for the civilian victims of the Israeli armed conflict. Organizations wrote: Since a ceasefire went into effect between Hezbollah and Israel in November 2024, the Israeli [...]

A US federal court ruled on Wednesday that the Trump administration’s third-country deportation policy is unlawful because it fails to provide migrants a chance to object or raise safety concerns.  The case, before the US District Court for the District of Massachusetts, came out of a class action lawsuit brought by eight migrants who were [...]

US Vice President JD Vance on Wednesday announced that the Trump administration will temporarily halt some Medicaid funding to Minnesota due to alleged misuse of public funds. During a conference with Medicare and Medicaid Services administrator Mehmet Oz, Vance said that “there are way too many Americans who are being defrauded by very bad actors [...]

Canada and South Korea signed a new defense agreement Wednesday, setting the legal framework for a deepened alliance. Defense ministers Ahn Gyu-back  of the Republic of Korea (ROK) and David McGuinty of Canada met alongside foreign affairs officials for both countries. In a joint statement, the countries described political and legal motivations behind the partnership, stating: [...]

A Japanese citizen has been arrested and detained in Tehran, leading to formal demands from Japan for their immediate release, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Masanao Ozaki said  on Wednesday. While the Japanese government has not identified the individual, reports indicate that the detainee is Shinnosuke Kawashima, Tehran bureau chief of NHK, Japan’s public broadcaster. Ozaki [...]