By the seventh day of deliberations in Lindsay Clancy’s murder trial, the courtroom dispute had shifted away from her mental state and toward the conduct of a single juror. The jury foreperson had sent Judge William Sullivan notes indicating that one juror had acknowledged doubt but, in the foreperson’s account, was refusing to apply the [...]

The UN urged Iranian officials Thursday to withdraw draft legislation that would impose up to 30 years imprisonment for communicating with “foreign entities,” warning that the broadly worded measure could have long-term implications on fundamental civil liberties in the country. Commenting on the potential human rights violations that may arise if the bill is passed, [...]

Kenya marked the 16th anniversary of its 2010 Constitution on August 27 with a familiar ritual, now laced with unease. Sixteen years after Kenyans voted overwhelmingly to adopt a new constitutional order, the country split, once again, into two symbolic rooms. At the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi, President William Ruto led the [...]

The UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Sudan on Thursday released a new report detailing how external support networks fuel the conflict and escalate civilian harm in the country. The Mission concluded that foreign-sourced weapons, drone systems, components and personnel have significantly expanded the military capabilities of both the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the [...]

UNICEF on Thursday reported that nearly one in five internet-using children aged 12 to 17 across 21 countries experienced technology-facilitated sexual exploitation or abuse within a single year, with an estimated 20 million children subjected to at least one form of abuse. The findings expose a substantial enforcement gap fewer than one percent of the [...]

The Trump administration on Thursday asked the US Supreme Court to remove a federal judge’s order barring the US Postal Service (USPS) from enforcing new requirements on how states send ballots to voters. The rule in question, enacted by USPS last month under Executive Order 14399, requires state and local election officials to submit mail [...]

A Hong Kong appellate court on Thursday upheld the conviction of five pro-democracy activists for their failure to register the 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund, created to support pro-democracy protesters during the 2019 Hong Kong protests, under the Societies Ordinance (Cap 151). The decision exemplifies concerns about the rule of law and civil society restrictions in [...]

The United Nations stated Tuesday that Nepal’s catastrophic flash floods had killed more than 1,000 people, while thousands remain missing. The statement especially noted that women and girls face shortages of food, safe water, healthcare and protection in the wake of the disaster. The UN provided an estimate of 4,247 people who remained unaccounted for [...]

Ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, filed separate motions Wednesday in Manhattan federal court seeking dismissal of the charges against them. Maduro argued that he remains Venezuela’s head of state for immunity purposes, notwithstanding the United States’ refusal to recognize him as the country’s legitimate president. Flores contended that she is [...]