Representatives from the EU and Canada signed the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) on Sunday. CETA is designed to eliminate tariffs and foster investments and it is hoped that it will go a long way to job generation. However, although it has been signed and portions are expected to go into effect in 2017 [...]
Former president of El Salvador, Elias Antonio Saca , was arrested Sunday on allegations of embezzlement and money laundering. Six other officials were arrested as well. The Salvadoran Attorney General opened a corruption investigation into Saca in April due to an unjustified income of over USD $4 million dollars. According to prosecutors, Saca’s private secretary [...]
Officials in Turkey on Monday detained and searched the homes of 13 reporters alleging that, during the failed coup attempt in Turkey, they published stories seeking to “legitimize” those participating in the coup. Among those detained was Murat Sabuncu the Editor-in-Chief of Cumhuriyet, an opposition magazine known to be critical of the Turkish government. Cumhuriyet, [...]
Dutch nationalist politician Geert Wilders went on trial in absentia Monday after being charged with discrimination and inciting hatred due to statements he made on the campaign trial in 2014. Wilders is the leader and founder of the Party for Freedom , and the trial is predicted to have social consequences as Wilders is expected [...]
Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Monday blocked the execution of a murder convict who had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia in 2012. The order is pending reconsideration of an earlier ruling that held that Imdad Ali’s condition was not a permanent mental disorder and therefore not legally relevant. Ali was convicted in 2012 for the murder [...]
On Sunday, Australia announced plans to further strengthen its already strict refugee and asylum seeker policies. In particular, legislation will be brought before Parliament next week which would disallow asylum seekers who have returned to their homelands from ever coming back to Australia – even for business, as tourists, or to follow a spouse. Australian [...]
According to a news report on Sunday, Turkey’s government has dismissed 10,000 additional civil servants and closed 15 more media outlets for their supposed connection with US-based religious leader Fethullah Gulen, who Turkey has accused of orchestrating the attempted coup in July. These most recent sacks mean that over 100,000 people have been fired or [...]
Thousand of protesters called for the resignation of President Park Geun-hye after it was revealed she allowed individuals to influence state affairs. The demonstration of thousands came after the President apologized for allowing Choi Soon-sil, who is a daughter of a religious leader, to edit confidential speeches and receive funds even though she is not [...]
Airstrikes led by the Saudi Arabian coalition killed at least 90 prisoners and injured dozens more in the Zaydiyah district of the Red Sea port city of Hudaydah, Yemen on Saturday. The prison housed up to 84 prisoners and was bombed for hours resulting in the collapse of the building. The bombing occurred hours after [...]
The UN General Assembly on Friday elected 14 member-states by secret ballot to serve three-year terms on the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) beginning January 1. The newly elected countries include Brazil, Croatia, Egypt, Hungary, Iraq, Japan, Rwanda, Tunisia and the US. Countries re-elected for an additional term were China, Cuba, Saudi Arabia, South Africa [...]
