The Public Prosecutor’s office in Guatemala conducted an operation at the compound of Lev Tahor, an extremist Jewish sect, on Friday. Following reports of abuse within the group, the authorities performed a search and seizure, taking at least 40 women and 160 minors into protective custody. Authorities also discovered at least one skeleton of a [...]

A trade dispute panel convened under the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) ruled on Friday that Mexico’s import restrictions on US genetically modified corn violate the accord. The conflict stems from a presidential decree published by Mexico in February 2023. The decree established an immediate ban on the use of genetically engineered corn in dough and tortillas, [...]

Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee unveiled a report on Saturday claiming that Justice Clarence Thomas of the US Supreme Court has accepted millions of dollars in lavish gifts over his 30-year tenure without reporting them. The 20-month investigation uncovered, among other findings, a previously unreported flight to Saranac, New York, and a 2021 yacht [...]

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama on Saturday announced that the video-hosting service Tik-Tok will be shut down for one year following concerns that it incites violence and bullying in schools. Prime Minister Edi Rama stated that during the year, his government will monitor the reaction from other countries and the platform itself regarding regulations and [...]

The citizens of Magdeburg, the capital city of the German state Saxony-Anhalt, gathered on Saturday to mourn the victims of the attack on the Christmas market, which killed five and injured 200. The attack happened on Friday when a man drove a vehicle into the crowd at the Magdeburg Christmas Market. The police arrested the [...]

The Independent International Commission of Inquiry (CoI) on Syria called on the new authorities in Damascus to protect mass grave sites and relevant documentation, in a statement issued on Friday. The statement released Friday comes after the CoI visited former prisons and detention centers in the country, including the notorious Sednaya prison and Military Intelligence [...]

Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek William Saab announced Friday the release of 200 individuals detained in the aftermath of the controversial July 28 presidential elections, which declared Nicolás Maduro the winner amidst allegations of electoral fraud. In an official statement, the Attorney General emphasized that these releases are part of a broader judicial review process, which [...]

Pakistan’s Field General Court Martial sentenced 25 people on Saturday for their involvement in violent attacks on state-owned military installations, including the desecration of the monuments to the Shuhada (martyrs), during the May 2023 nationwide unrest. The sentences, which follow an earlier ruling on the case by the Pakistani Supreme Court, include “rigorous imprisonment” ranging [...]

The US Department of Defense (DOD) released its annual report on Beijing’s defense strategies on Wednesday, revealing that corruption within China’s military may be slowing its progress toward achieving its 2027 modernization goals. China’s 2027 modernization goals aim to fast-track the integration of advanced intelligence, mechanization and cutting-edge tools while ramping up progress in military [...]

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) demanded on Thursday that Belarusian authorities immediately release journalist Yauhen Nikalayevich and all other imprisoned journalists. CPJ’s Europe and Central Asia program coordinator Gulnoza Said emphasized that Nikalayevich’s sentencing demonstrates the ongoing persecution of journalists in the country. Said stated: “The sentencing of journalist Yauhen Nikalayevich is yet another [...]