The Barbados High Court Monday issued an oral judgement striking down two laws which effectively criminalized gay sex in the island nation. Sections 9 and 12 of the Barbados Sexual Offences Act of 1992 criminalized “buggery” and acts of “serious indency” with penalties of up to life imprisonment and ten years in prison, respectively. According [...]

G7 leaders and EU foreign ministers Monday held several meetings to discuss the implementation of new sanctions against Iran and economic support for Ukraine in the country’s ongoing war against Russia. EU foreign ministers adopted a new round of sanctions against Iran and discussed, but did not yet adopt, further sanctions against Russia. G7 leaders [...]

Japan’s House of Councillors Saturday passed a law to tighten restrictions on the solicitation of donations by religious and secular groups. The legislation is intended to prevent Japan’s controversial Unification Church, or the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, from using emotional manipulation to garner donations. Under the law, organizations also cannot ask potential benefactors [...]

Scotland’s Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service told the BBC on Sunday that Libyan national Abu Agila Mohammad Mas’ud Kheir Al-Marimi is in US custody. Mas’ud was allegedly involved in making the bomb that destroyed Pan Am flight 103 over the town of Lockerbie, Scotland, in December 1988. A spokesperson said the Crown Office has [...]

A Hong Kong district court Saturday sentenced pro-democracy activist and media entrepreneur Jimmy Lai to almost six years of imprisonment on fraud charges. Lai is already serving a 20-month prison sentence in Hong Kong for his participation in a vigil commemorating the victims of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre. Lai also has a separate trial still [...]

The Canadian province of Alberta’s legislature Thursday passed Premier Danielle Smith’s Sovereignty Act, empowering the provincial government to dismiss federal law, programs, and policies. The Alberta Sovereignty within a United Canada Act allows for the provincial government of Alberta to, ​if the cabinet considers a federal law “unconstitutional or harmful to Albertans,” be empowered by [...]

Iran authorities Thursday executed 23-year-old Mohsen Shekari for protesting the death of Mahsa Amini, according to state-affiliated source Tasnim News Agency. Shekari is the first protester to be executed since Iranians nationwide began protesting Amini’s death in police custody. Amini was arrested on September 14 for wearing her hijab improperly, taken to the hospital in [...]

The National Health Commission (NHC) of China Wednesday announced eased COVID-19 regulations. The NHC’s new, more relaxed regulations are the first nationwide change regarding the virus, and a step away from their previous zero-COVID policy. A ten-point directive been released by the NHC, setting out the new rules. Those with COVID-19 who are asymptomatic or [...]

US President Joe Biden announced early Thursday morning that detained WNBA player Brittney Griner was released from Russian detention as part of a prisoner exchange. Griner was imprisoned for 10 months following her arrest in Russia on drug trafficking charges. Despite multiple attempts by White House officials to negotiate Griner’s release, she was transferred to [...]

The German Office of the Federal Prosecutor (Generalbundesanwalt) Wednesday arrested 25 suspected members and supporters of an unnamed terrorist organisation who allegedly planned to “overcome the existing state order in Germany” through violence and replace it with their own form of government. The Federal Court of Justice issued arrest warrants for 24 German nationals and [...]