The Ontario government on Thursday introduced new legislation empowering municipalities to remove politicians from office for serious misconduct. Under the proposed Municipal Accountability Act (Bill 241), municipal officials found guilty of such conduct could face dismissal and be disqualified from seeking re-election. The legislation, introduced by Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Paul Calandra, aims [...]
The Hong Kong District Court on Thursday found seven protesters guilty of rioting in relation to a violent incident at the Yuen Long subway station during the city’s anti-extradition movement in 2019. The seven defendants, including former pro-democratic lawmaker Lam Cheuk-ting, were convicted of “rioting” for provoking a “white-clad gang” by throwing objects and spraying [...]
The UN General Assembly on Wednesday adopted two resolutions during its resumed 10th emergency special session, demanding a ceasefire in Gaza and expressing support for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). The first resolution urged an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in Gaza as well as the [...]
The South Korean National Assembly on Thursday approved impeachment motions against the justice minister and police chief for their involvement in the planning and execution of President Yoon Suk Yeol’s short-lived martial law decree. Additionally, the parliament approved new laws to appoint two special prosecutors to thoroughly investigate Yoon’s martial law declaration, as well a [...]
Transparency International, a global coalition focused on combating corruption, issued a statement on Thursday strongly urging the Conference of States Parties to the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) to take action on establishing global standards for overseeing political finance. The organization asserted that greater transparency in political funding is necessary to address ongoing corruption [...]
Austria’s lower house of parliament, the National Council, voted Wednesday to lift the parliamentary immunity of Herbert Kickl, leader of the far-right Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) and chairman of its parliamentary group. This decision clears the way for investigations into allegations of perjury against him. A majority in the National Council voted in favor [...]
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) strongly condemned Israel’s extensive military operations in Syria in a press conference on Wednesday, emphasizing that these actions following Bashar al-Assad’s downfall constitute serious violations of international law. United Nations experts, including the Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights and [...]
Tens of thousands of civilians in northeast Syria are facing a worsening displacement crisis, according to a report that Human Rights Watch released on Wednesday. According to the report, the humanitarian situation has deteriorated as armed conflicts have intensified, leading to significant population movements and severe shortages of essential resources such as food, water, and [...]
An explosion in Afghanistan’s capital Kabul on Wednesday resulted in the death of Khalil Rahman Haqqani, the Taliban’s acting minister for refugees and repatriation, and at least six others, the Taliban government confirmed on X. The explosion occurred within the ministry building as Haqqani was leaving after afternoon prayers, according to Haqqani’s nephew Anas Haqqani. Taliban spokesman [...]
The UK government on Wednesday placed an indefinite ban on puberty blockers for children under 18 years of age following the advice of a requested consultation by medical experts. An emergency prohibition on puberty blockers is currently in place and will expire on December 31. The emergency ban will be replaced with The Medicines (Gonadotrophin-Releasing [...]
