Vietnam has significantly expanded its outposts in the contested Spratly Islands during the past six months according to a report released Friday by the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI). AMTI, a Washington-based think tank at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, found that Vietnam has created “almost as much new land” in the islands [...]

Amnesty International released a statement on Friday calling on the Madagascan authorities to release member of parliament Marie Jeanne d’Arc Masy Goulamaly, who the organization claims was arbitrarily arrested last month.  The human rights organization demanded the immediate and unconditional release of Goulamaly, who was arrested on May 31 after protesting alleged voting irregularities in [...]

The European Commission announced on Friday that Ukraine and Moldova have met all the requirements needed to start negotiating the countries’ EU membership. European Commission Spokesperson Ana Pisonero confirmed at a press conference that all the necessary criteria had been met by the two countries and that the decision to adopt the negotiation framework and [...]

New York state lawmakers passed legislation on Friday that would force major social media platforms to modify their policies and prohibit the use of “addictive” recommendation algorithms when deciding what children under 18 see in their social media feeds. Under the new legislation, social media companies would display content to younger users in chronological order. [...]

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) on Friday issued a call for the immediate release of Vietnamese independent journalist and political commentator Truong Huy San, commonly known as Huy Duc. RSF Asia-Pacific Bureau Director Cédric Alviani emphasized the importance of Huy Duc’s work in providing the Vietnamese public with access to censored information and stated that Huy [...]

The World Food Programme (WFP) reported Thursday that Sudan is experiencing unprecedented levels of hunger and violence, with the nation’s conflict on the verge of becoming the world’s largest hunger crisis due to increased violent attacks by paramilitary groups.  According to WFP, 18 million people are currently facing acute food insecurity in Sudan. The Principals [...]

The civilian death toll in Ukraine last month rose sharply to 174, the highest in nearly a year amid a Russian ground offensive near the city of Kharkiv, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) said Friday. May’s civilian casualty numbers mark the highest monthly toll in the conflict since June 2023. The [...]

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday filed its final charge sheet against former Indian Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav concerning a land-for-jobs scam. The scam, which revolves around the alleged exchange of railway jobs for land parcels, implicates 78 individuals, including Yadav’s wife, Rabri Devi, and son, Tej Pratap Yadav. The charge sheet [...]

The National Investigation Agency of India (NIA) arrested Thongminthang Haokip on Thursday in relation to a transnational conspiracy to exacerbate violence in Manipur. The arrests were made on various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. According to the NIA, the conspiracy can be traced to Kuki insurgents, including the [...]

US Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas formally disclosed Friday two luxury vacations gifted from conservative billionaire and Republican mega-donor Harlan Crow in 2019. The disclosure came as part of a wider report concerning financial disclosures for justices on the high court. The vacations were added as an amendment to Justice Thomas’ 2019 financial disclosure form [...]