Congressional watchdog US Government Accountability Office (GAO) concluded on Monday that no concrete evidence supports the effectiveness of the 2012 Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) conflict minerals disclosure rule in reducing violence within the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The investigation revealed that the SEC rule did not demonstrate a decrease in the frequency or [...]

Pakistan authorities enforced a lockdown in Islamabad on Friday, as well as implementing a block on cellphone services, to counter an anti-government demonstration organized by supporters of imprisoned former prime minister Imran Khan. According to the Islamabad police, Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure is in force in the city. The section empowers [...]

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed laws on Wednesday that provide exemptions from criminal liability for individuals in the Russian Federation who have contracted for military service or have been mobilized. The State Duma, Russia’s lower house of parliament, approved the bills in September. With the implementation of two new amendments, defendants who enter into military [...]

The president of the European Council, Charles Michel, urged a reform of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to enhance its inclusivity, legitimacy, and effectiveness, in an address before the UNSC on Wednesday. In his speech, Michel highlighted ongoing conflicts in regions such as Ukraine, the Middle East, and Sudan, emphasizing the need for collective responsibility [...]

The governor of Russia’s Belgorod Oblast, Vyacheslav Gladkov, revealed on Tuesday in a Telegram video message that 120 civilians have been killed and 651 individuals injured in the area since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. The Belgorod region is located on the border between Russia and Ukraine. In the video message, Gladkov lamented [...]

The Australian Human Rights Commission released a report on Monday outlining concerns regarding the conditions at the Yongah Hill Immigration Detention Centre in Northam, Western Australia. The report highlights issues related to drug trafficking, insufficient healthcare services and the overall well-being of detainees and staff members. According to the report, the Australian Human Rights Commission [...]

Canada announced on Monday that it would impose additional sanctions on 21 Belarus officials under the Special Economic Measures (Belarus) Regulations. These sanctions come in response to the ongoing human rights violations occurring in Belarus since the 2020 presidential election. According to Global Affairs Canada’s statement, the sanctions serve as a response to the systematic [...]

The General Court of the EU revoked on Wednesday the restrictive measures imposed on Mikhail Fridman and Petr Aven, two Russian billionaires, between February 2022 and March 2023. The two were originally sanctioned in connection with Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine. Mikhail Fridman and Petr Aven are significant shareholders of Alfa Group, a cooperation that [...]

Spain’s Supreme Court summoned exiled Catalan separatists Carles Puigdemont and Rubén Wagensberg on Monday to provide voluntary statements in a terrorism investigation of protests related to the failed 2017 independence referendum. The court ordered the former president of the Catalan Generalitat and MEP, Carles Puigdemont, and the former deputy of the Catalan Parliament, Rubén Wagensberg, [...]

The US State Department expressed concern regarding the recent convictions of ethnic minority and religious freedom advocates in Vietnam on Monday. The statement highlighted the convictions of five individuals since January 2024 and called on the Vietnamese government to uphold freedoms of expression, association, and religion or belief. One of the cases mentioned in the statement [...]