The New South Wales Parliament convened on October 23, 2025, to debate the rollout of renewable energy projects in regional areas, acknowledging significant community concerns. The session also saw the passage of the Crimes Amendment (Animal Sexual Abuse) Bill and the introduction of new legislation targeting organised crime reforms and criminal proceedings.
Greece's conservative government has proposed legislation to ban protests at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Athens, a move that has ignited a parliamentary debate and strong opposition backlash. The government cites the monument's sacred status, while critics argue it curtails free expression, particularly following recent demonstrations related to the 2023 Tempi train crash.
Malta's Speaker Anġlu Farrugia was re-elected President of the IPU Committee to Promote Respect for International Humanitarian Law during the 151st Assembly in Geneva. He emphasized the critical need for IHL in conflicts, acknowledging the Red Cross's role in crises like Gaza, amidst alarming global humanitarian statistics.
Ola Electric CEO Bhavish Aggarwal and other officials have been booked in Bengaluru following the suicide of employee K. Aravind. A 28-page suicide note allegedly cited harassment, work pressure, and unpaid dues by management. The case involves a suspicious post-mortem bank transfer and Ola's challenge in the Karnataka High Court.
Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy is set to commence a five-year prison sentence on October 21, 2025, at La Santé prison in Paris. The conviction stems from 'criminal conspiracy' related to illegal Libyan funding for his 2007 presidential campaign, marking a historic moment as he becomes the first former EU head of state to serve jail time.
Prime Minister Mark Carney announced new legislation to toughen bail and sentencing standards for violent and organized crime in Canada. The bill, expected next week, will expand reverse onus bail provisions for serious offenses and introduce consecutive sentencing, aiming to keep repeat offenders off the streets.
Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy is set to learn the date of his imprisonment on Monday, October 13, 2025. This follows his September 2025 conviction for criminal conspiracy related to the illegal financing of his 2007 presidential campaign with funds from Libya, a case that resulted in a five-year prison sentence.
The Haryana government has transferred Rohtak SP Narendra Bijarniya following the alleged suicide of IPS officer Y. Puran Kumar. Kumar's 'final note' reportedly named Bijarniya and other senior officials, accusing them of harassment and caste-based discrimination. An FIR has been registered, and a Special Investigation Team is probing the matter, while the deceased officer's family demands arrests before consenting to a post-mortem.
The Czech Republic's Supreme Administrative Court has established a legal precedent, ruling that income derived from voluntary sex work is subject to income tax. This decision clarifies the tax obligations for individuals in the sex industry, overturning a lower court's previous exemption.
Italy's ruling Brothers of Italy party has introduced legislation to ban burqa and niqab in public spaces, citing 'cultural separatism.' The bill also mandates financial transparency for religious organizations without state agreements and strengthens penalties for forced marriages and virginity testing.
Former Justice Minister Robert Badinter, a pivotal figure in the abolition of the death penalty in France, is being honored with entry into the Panthéon in Paris on October 9, 2025. The ceremony, presided over by President Emmanuel Macron, marks the anniversary of the 1981 law he championed.
Three female prisoners, Somayeh Rashidi, Jamileh Azizi, and Soudabeh Asadi, died in Iran's Qarchak Women's Prison in September 2025 due to alleged denial and delay of medical care. The deaths highlight severe human rights concerns and systemic medical neglect within the notorious facility, prompting international condemnation.
The Madras High Court has ordered a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the Karur stampede on September 27, 2025, which claimed 41 lives during a political rally by actor-politician Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). The court criticized TVK leaders for abandoning the scene and prohibited highway rallies until new SOPs are established.
Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov has ordered the drafting of legislation to reinstate the death penalty for pedophiles, rapists, and murderers of women and children. This directive, issued on October 1, 2025, follows national outrage over the brutal murder of a 17-year-old girl. Kyrgyzstan had abolished capital punishment in 2007 and ratified an international protocol against it in 2010.
South Africa's Ambassador to France, Nkosinathi Emmanuel 'Nathi' Mthethwa, 58, was found dead on Tuesday, September 30, 2025, at the Hyatt Regency Paris Étoile. French authorities are investigating, with initial findings suggesting a deliberate act after a window in his 22nd-floor room was forced open.
A Bolivian court in Santa Cruz has granted a 'freedom action,' compelling the government to immediately ensure continuous dialysis treatments for kidney patients. This ruling follows a crisis caused by delayed payments to dialysis centers, which put thousands of lives at risk.
Two individuals have been arrested on suspicion of murder in Billingsfors, Bengtsfors municipality, Sweden. The arrests follow the discovery of a deceased man who had previously been reported missing. Police have initiated a preliminary investigation into murder, with further inquiries underway to establish the circumstances of the death.
Sweden has finalized a five-year agreement to rent up to 600 prison places in Tartu, Estonia, to alleviate severe overcrowding in its own correctional facilities. The deal, supported by Sweden's Social Democratic Party, will see low-risk male inmates transferred to Tartu Prison, with the agreement set to commence in July 2026.
The UN Human Rights Chief, Volker Türk, has warned that Kyrgyzstan's new law, which abolishes the independent National Centre for the Prevention of Torture (NCPT) and transfers its mandate to the Ombudsperson's Institute, seriously undermines torture prevention efforts and violates international obligations. The NCPT was a recognized regional model.
A 67-year-old stable worker tragically died after being hit by a runaway horse at the Agios Dometios racecourse in Nicosia, Cyprus. The incident occurred on Wednesday afternoon when the man reportedly attempted to stop the uncontrolled animal. He succumbed to his injuries in hospital early Thursday morning.
