Sharon Basch is an Israeli American who lived in Israel before starting her JD at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, where she is currently a 3L.   Familiar blue and white flags flutter from balconies across Tel Aviv today, marking Israel’s 77th Independence Day. The smell of barbecues, a Yom Ha’atzmaut staple, drifts on [...]

Egypt’s First Circuit of the Criminal Court in Damanhour sentenced a 78-year-old school administrator to life imprisonment, equivalent to 25 years under Egyptian law, for the sexual abuse of six-year-old Yassin, a student enrolled at a private school in the Beheira Governorate. In today’s initial hearing, the court approved a request by the child’s legal [...]

UN Human Rights High Commissioner Volker Türk on Tuesday appealed to global leaders to take proactive measures in preventing the destruction of critical life-saving support in Gaza. The deadly wave of Israeli attacks that continues to take the lives of innocent civilians, many residing in temporary shelters, and health facilities have posed an obstacle for [...]

Amnesty International called for Turkish authorities to lift the ban on May Day (also called Labor Day) gatherings in Istanbul’s Taksim Square on Wednesday. Amnesty International’s deputy regional director for Europe, Dinushika Dissanayake, said the ban was “based on entirely spurious security and public order grounds and fly in the face of the 2023 Constitutional [...]

The Wisconsin Supreme Court temporarily suspended Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan on Tuesday after she was arrested and charged last week for obstructing immigration authorities. The Court said Dugan is “temporarily prohibited from exercising the powers of a circuit court judge in the State of Wisconsin,” effective immediately and until a further court [...]

The US Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled in favor of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in a dispute over Medicare reimbursements paid to hospitals. The 7-2 decision effectively limits the number of patients for whom hospitals can receive federal reimbursement.  Medicare is a federal program that provides health insurance to elderly and [...]

Finance Minister Rachel Reeves on Tuesday announced the UK’s plans to pass legislation to properly regulate crypto-assets. As of August 2024, research released by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) estimated that 12 percent of the UK population, which comes up to approximately 7 million adults, own crypto-assets, signifying growing interest in the field. In place [...]

The United Kingdom’s approach to artificial intelligence (AI) regulation embodies a balance between fostering innovation and adhering to the fundamental principles of the rule of law. The UK has recognized the importance of creating an environment conducive to technological advancement while ensuring that AI systems are governed in a way that is ethical, transparent, and [...]

Several UN aid agencies warned that Afghanistan’s escalating humanitarian crisis is being compounded by the mass return of its nationals from neighbouring countries, including Pakistan and Iran. The agencies also warned that the situation is further complicated by the struggling economy as well as restrictions on women’s rights. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) [...]

Amnesty International warned on Wednesday that military authorities in West Africa have been increasingly using enforced disappearances as a means of repression against civil and political activists who criticize the government. The organization noted that the military and security forces in Mali, Niger, Guinea and Burkina Faso resorted to unlawful detentions and enforced disappearances to [...]