An Egyptian court in Cairo delivered a verdict on Saturday sentencing renowned government critic Hisham Kassem to a six-month jail sentence and a fine, according to local independent media. The charges stem from an online dispute with former minister Kamal Abu Eita. Kassem has previously been lauded for his fervent support of independent journalism in [...]

On Friday, UN experts issued a formal appeal to Saudi Arabia, urging the revocation of the death sentence imposed on Mohammad Al Ghamdi, who stands accused of engaging in social media dissent. Saudi security services took Ghamdi into custody on June 11, facing a series of criminal allegations related to his social media commentary. These [...]

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Saturday the African Union (AU)’s accession to the G20 as a permanent member during the commencement of the organization’s summit. The African Union now becomes the second regional block to attain permanent status in the G20 after the European Union. The African Union has persistently sought full G20 membership [...]

In June, the European Union (EU) announced its decision to continue funding Uganda despite the nation’s recent adoption of a highly controversial anti-LGBTQ+ law in May, which has garnered significant international attention due to its prescription of the death penalty for specific same-sex acts. This move has ignited a massive outcry and backlash from the global [...]

The Russian Ministry of Justice designated Dmitry Muratov, a Nobel Peace Prize winner and reputed journalist, as a ‘foreign agent‘ on Friday. This classification was justified on the grounds that Muratov “used foreign platforms to disseminate opinions aimed at forming a negative attitude towards the foreign and domestic policy of the Russian Federation.” The “foreign [...]

On Thursday, Japan witnessed its first labor strike in six decades. The catalyst for this strike was the sale of the Seibu department store, a subsidiary of the Japanese retail giant Seven & i, to the US-based Fortress Investment Group. Workers’ concerns primarily revolve around the possibility of job cuts and the need for assurances [...]

Protests in southern Syria entered their fifth day on Thursday, in the Druze city of Sweida. The origin of these protests is attributed to the rise in fuel prices, which has subsequently worsened the already challenging economic conditions prevalent in the area. At the core of the demonstrators’ demands is the call for the removal [...]

On Thursday, 38-year-old Burmese hip-hop artist Byu Har was sentenced to 20 years in prison for purportedly critiquing the present military-administered state.  A family member of Har shared the verdict details with the Associated Press (AP). This judgment stemmed from his arrest on May 24, following a live-stream on Facebook where he referred to the [...]

Indian authorities on Saturday barred access to The Kashmir Walla, one of the last surviving independent news outlets operating within the volatile region of Indian-administered Kashmir. This action, undertaken without prior notice, has been deemed a “deadly blow” by the news portal, highlighting an escalating crackdown on press freedom since the region’s autonomy was revoked [...]

The government-affiliated Myanma Alinn newspaper reported Saturday that Myanmar’s military junta took 13 Myanmar citizens, including a 12-year-old girl, and a Swiss national into custody over their alleged involvement in a film deemed to be offensive to Buddhism. The Swiss citizen, 52-year-old Didier Nusbaumer, was alleged to have produced the film, “Don’t Expect Anything,” where a young [...]