The presidency of South Sudan, led by President Salva Kiir Mayardit, announced a two-year extension to the country’s transitional period on Friday. The national elections, which were originally scheduled for December 2024, have now been postponed to December 22, 2026. Presidential Adviser on National Security Tut Gatluak explained that the decision was made to allow more [...]
Eight international human rights organizations on Friday condemned Kyrgyzstan authorities’ decision to liquidate investigative outlet Kloop Media, one week after the Kyrgyzstan Supreme Court upheld the decision. The organizations, which included Human Rights Watch (HRW), Amnesty International and Civil Rights Defenders, denounced the decision in a joint statement, warning that the suppression of independent media [...]
Amnesty International on Tuesday condemned a law recently passed by the Indian state of West Bengal, the Aprajita Woman and Child (West Bengal Criminal Laws Amendment) Bill, 2024, which introduces the death penalty for rape cases that result in the victim’s death or leave them in a vegetative state. The bill, passed unanimously by the [...]
Major Tanzanian Internet Service Providers (ISPs) have restricted access to the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter) amidst escalating political tensions according to internet monitoring group NetBlocks on Friday. This shutdown takes place as authorities issue warnings about potential opposition party actions aimed at freeing political prisoners from police custody. The affected ISPs include [...]
The Supreme Court of India held on Wednesday that the principle “bail is the rule and jail is the exception” applies to cases under the country’s Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). This was stated by a bench comprising Justices B.R. Gavai and K.V. Viswanathan, who granted bail to an accused in a money laundering [...]
The Norwegian government announced on Friday its proposal to extend the legal period for self-determined abortions from 12 to 18 weeks. The proposal, intended to modernize the Abortion Act of 1978, is aimed at aligning the law with contemporary values and medical practices. One of the most significant aspects of the proposed law is the [...]
The Supreme Court of India declined to entertain a petition seeking to declare the country’s traditional caste system unconstitutional on Tuesday. The petition, filed under Article 32 of the Constitution by Wazir Singh Poonia, contended that the caste system is unconstitutional and violates the fundamental rights enshrined in the Indian Constitution. The bench, led by [...]
UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Friday urgently called for a humanitarian pause in the Gaza conflict to facilitate a crucial polio vaccination campaign. Guterres said that while the “ultimate vaccine for polio is peace and an immediate humanitarian ceasefire,” a pause to safely vaccinate children was a “must” for the people of Gaza. He added, [...]
Former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, through a statement posted by her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday, called for an investigation into the killings that occurred during weeks of protests in Bangladesh. In her first public statement since leaving the country, Hasina expressed deep sorrow for the lives [...]
The Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) and public activist Wanjiru Gikonyo filed a petition in the High Court of Kenya on Thursday to challenge the recent appointments of cabinet secretaries in the country. The petition seeks to nullify the appointments of all 19 cabinet secretaries sworn in by President William Ruto just a day earlier. [...]
