The US vetoed Palestine’s application for full membership in the UN on Thursday. The veto came as the UN Security Council considered a resolution put forward by Algeria that would have granted Palestine full UN membership. The resolution received 12 votes in favor, more than the required 9, but the US used its veto to [...]
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Germany arrests two German-Russian citizens suspected of preparing sabotage attacks
German federal prosecutors announced on Thursday the arrest of two German-Russian nationals suspected of spying and planning sabotage attacks on US military targets in an attempt to undermine military support for Ukraine. Reacting to this, German Foreign Minister Annalena Burbock summoned the Russian ambassador to the Foreign Ministry for an explanation. Two citizens, Dieter S. [...]
US Supreme Court hears oral arguments in Jan. 6 Capitol attack obstruction case
The US Supreme Court heard oral arguments Tuesday concerning obstruction of justice charges in cases related to the January 6 riots at the US Capitol building in 2020. Several justices, including the court’s conservative bloc, expressed skepticism with the government’s broad reading of 18 U.S.C. § 1512(c), the statute used to charge the alleged rioters. [...]
Belgium police intervene at far-right event over concerns about public safety
Belgian police intervened at the National Conservatism Conference (NatCon) on Tuesday, following an order prohibiting the event. The order, issued by the mayor of the Brussels municipality of Saint-Joose-ten-Noode Emir Kir, was aimed at preventing public disorder. The conference, set for April 16 and 17, faced disruption on its first day due to the police [...]
Canada imposes additional sanctions on Belarus officials over ongoing human rights violations
Canada announced on Monday that it would impose additional sanctions on 21 Belarus officials under the Special Economic Measures (Belarus) Regulations. These sanctions come in response to the ongoing human rights violations occurring in Belarus since the 2020 presidential election. According to Global Affairs Canada’s statement, the sanctions serve as a response to the systematic [...]
US Supreme Court declines to hear appeal from Black Lives Matter organizer being sued for negligence
The US Supreme Court Monday declined a petition for a writ of certiorari filed by Black Lives Matter organizer DeRay Mckesson, effectively allowing him to be sued by a Louisiana police officer for negligence. The case at bar, DeRay Mckesson v. John Doe, centers around a protest that took place in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on July [...]
SCOTUS dispatch: government lawyer grilled for an hour on meaning of federal corruption statute
Gijs de Bra is a JURIST Assistant Editor and SCOTUS special correspondent, and a 2L at Cornell Law School. When, if ever, does a person “corruptly” solicit or offer a gift with intent to influence government action? That question kept Colleen Sinzdak, counsel for the US government, busy for almost all of her argument before [...]
Explainer: US Supreme Court Prepares for Oral Arguments in Local Corruption Case
The US Supreme Court will hear arguments on Monday in Snyder v. United States, a case involving illegal gratuities paid to a local government official. The issue is whether the federal government can use 18 U.S.C. § 666(a)(1)(B)—known as federal funds bribery—to prosecute those who give and take illegal gratuities or whether the statute only [...]
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) urged the Italian government on Friday to amend their planned reforms to defamation legislation to comply with European and international law. This comes days after amendments to this proposed legislation were revealed to include a potential ban on working as a journalist as well as increased fines. RSF heavily criticized the [...]
US House of Representatives reauthorizes controversial surveillance law
The US House of Representatives passed on Friday a two-year reauthorization of an expiring warrantless surveillance law that had been stalled earlier in the week. The passed bill extends a contentious provision called Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, also known as FISA. Wiretapping for national security investigations involving Americans or individuals within [...]