The Supreme Court of Canada ruled on Friday that the province of British Columbia (BC) may bring a class action on behalf of multiple governments in Canada for harm caused by opioids. Faced with a public health crisis caused by the opioid epidemic, BC enacted the Opioid Damages and Health Care Costs Recovery Act in [...]

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on Friday reported that more aid workers, healthcare staffers, delivery personnel and other humanitarians have been killed in 2024 than in any other year, with a recorded death toll of 281 aid workers globally. Many of the workers were killed while providing humanitarian assistance on [...]

UN Special Rapporteur on Torture Alice Edwards on Thursday called on Ecuador to investigate and prosecute the alleged torture of its former vice president Jorge Glas. The Special Rapporteur raised alarm over the conditions of Glas, who has shown signs of physical and psychological torture. According to medical reports provided, Glas has suffered “dislocated thumbs, [...]

Three tobacco companies proposed on Thursday to pay $32.5 billion to settle legal claims in Canada, stemming from decades of disputes. The proposal remains subject to further negotiation and court approval. A mediator, appointed by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice to coordinate the tobacco-related claims and facilitate the negotiations, filed the proposed settlement arrangement. [...]

The UN Human Rights Council on Monday renewed the mandate of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for the Sudan, stressing its condemnation of the ongoing conflict between the parties and its concern about the humanitarian crisis in the country. The resolution was adopted by a recorded vote of 23 to 12, an uptick from last year’s [...]

The European Commission on Thursday referred Hungary to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) over the country’s Sovereignty Protection Act, alleging the law violates fundamental EU principles. The Sovereignty Protection Act has been in force since December 2023.  The legislation established an independent Sovereignty Protection Office (SPO), with the power to investigate and penalize organizations [...]

Amnesty International on Monday called on the US to provide urgent humanitarian aid to more than 8,000 displaced Syrians in the Rukban camp, a remote area in southeast Syria that borders Jordan and Iraq. Rukban became one of the crossing points for Syrian refugees fleeing the Syrian civil war in 2011. However, due to security [...]

British Columbia (BC) Premier David Eby on Sunday announced those who are severely addicted and mentally ill will be admitted into involuntary care. This announcement came in the lead-up to the provincial election campaign. The premier stated that if reelected, the New Democratic Party would open highly secure facilities to provide involuntary care for people [...]