Blocking

US imposed sanctions on nine judges and a prosecutor after ICC issued arrest warrants for members of Israeli cabinetA former prosecutor at the international criminal court has called for an EU-wide statute blocking what she describes as “thuggish” and “bullying” US sanctions imposed on members of the court that are designed to send the court into oblivion.In February 2025, the US imposed sanctions on 11 ICC officials, including nine judges and the chief prosecutor as well three Palestinian organisations, in response to the ICC decision in 2024 to issue arrest warrants for members of the Israeli cabinet, including the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. Continue reading...

US social media firms acting on orders from Middle East kingdom accused of being ‘instruments of repression’Major US social media companies including Meta’s Facebook and Instagram platforms have blocked the accounts of Saudi Arabian dissidents so they are no longer visible inside the kingdom, following orders by Saudi authorities.Those affected include Abdullah Alaoudh, a US-based activist and vocal critic of Saudi human rights violations, and Omar Abdulaziz, a Canada and UK-based activist who worked closely with Jamal Khashoggi before the journalist’s murder by Saudi agents in 2018. Continue reading...

Report finds culture of ‘resistance and delay’ in the Australian parliament with more than 60% of requests having longer response times than mandated 30-day deadlineFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA scathing audit report has found nearly 80% of freedom of information requests to Anthony Albanese’s department, Treasury and the infrastructure department were rejected, creating a culture of “resistance and delay” in the Australian parliament.The review of FoI administration found there was no consistent, transparent or accountable decision-making around requests and the pro-disclosure objectives of the law were being flouted. Continue reading...

• The Trump administration filed an appeal Wednesday evening against a Massachusetts federal judge's March 16 ruling that blocked Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s overhaul of the nation's childhood vaccine schedule. • Judge Brian Murphy had ruled that Kennedy replaced the CDC's vaccine advisory committee "unlawfully" and placed any decisions made by the committee on hold. • The appeal signals the administration's intention to proceed with restructuring the vaccine advisory process despite legal challenges to its authority.