In association with the International Commission of Jurists

Author: Jessica Dorsey

10 May

US President Barack Obama has backed same-sex marriage. Foreign Policy gives a global look into which countries have already legalized same-sex marriage. Stricter international rules of the Hague Adoption Convention are seen as contributing to a drastic drop in international adoptions worldwide. As another sign of heightening tensions between China and the Philippines over disputed islands in the South China Sea, Chinese...

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09 May

The Arab League has joined the ICRC in warning of a civil war within Syria; a UN envoy bolsters this claim with reports that arms are flowing in both directions between neighboring Lebanon and Syria. Citizens of North Carolina have voted to ban same-sex marriage and civil unions, dealing a setback to LGBT-rights activists and those in favor of equal treatment...

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08 May

The National Security Council has confirmed to Al Jazeera that the US has thwarted an airline bombing attempt by Yemen-based al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. There has been a mass defection of Sudanese troops to South Sudan in the clash between the two nations. In other al-Qaeda news, an American aid worker, based in Lahore, has made a video pleading with President...

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07 May

The UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples concluded his report in the United States Friday, warning that historical wrongs-particularly the loss of lands-continue to have an impact on Native American communities and calling on the US to step up efforts to address injustices. Reports have surfaced of child soldiers in rebel ranks in Mali; Human Rights Watch has a report...

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04 May

Prosecutors are seeking an 80-year sentence for Charles Taylor. The sentencing will take place on May 30th. The US solar industry is pushing the government to bring a WTO complaint against India's local content requirements in the production of solar panels. Despite recent nationalizations in Bolivia and Argentina, the IMF has declined to call it a trend. Speaking in Beijing, American Secretary of State Hillary Clinton...

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03 May

Chen Guangcheng says he felt pressure to take the deal to leave the US Embassy and now wants to leave China on Hillary Clinton's plane. The US has promised to do what it can once his wishes are clear. The FAO Food Index has indicated that global food prices were down in April, though fears about inflation remain. Security is tight in Barcelona as...

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02 May

US President Obama makes a surprise visit to Kabul in order to sign a strategic pact setting out the US' strategic long-term role. Shortly after his visit, large blasts were heard and at least six were killed in the country's capital. Myanmar's Suu Kyi makes her historic debut in parliament. The UN peacekeeping chief has said that the Syrian army is still...

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01 May

China and Russia are resisting calls for sanctions against Sudan and South Sudan being pushed by the United States and other Western nations within the UN Security Council. South Sudan has claimed that Sudan bombed oil fields yesterday in the latest clash between the two nations. The decision on Dominique Strauss-Kahn's immunity in the civil law suit brought against him by the Sofitel housekeeper is...

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30 Apr

In Sudan/South Sudan news, the Sudanese army has arrested four Westerners on a de-mining mission in South Sudan. China is lending $8 billion to South Sudan to finance infrastructure projects. Sudan has declared an emergency in the border area with the South and the recent split between the two countries has brought about questions of nationality. The ICJ has issued a press release on the election of its newest judge, Dalveer...

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29 Apr

This is the fourth installment of our new feature; last week’s announcements can be found here. If you are organizing a conference or other event and would like to see the call for papers or the program announced on Opinio Juris, please contact us. Calls for Papers: Transnational Dispute Management has issued a call for papers on "Aligning Human Rights and Investment Protection." Topics of...

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28 Apr

Kevin Jon Heller kicked us off this week with posts about the ICC’s report regarding Gaddafi’s situation in Libya and the infighting at the ICC between the Prosecutor and Libyan authorities. He also added a post about the OPCD report outlining Saif Gaddafi’s attitude about the ICC. Peter Spiro previewed the Arizona SB-1070 immigration case before the Supreme Court, discussing why...

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27 Apr

ECOWAS will dispatch troops to both Mali and Guinea-Bissau in order to swiftly reinstate civilian rule after recent coups. In a Reuters exclusive, the US Senate, after a three-year investigation, is expected to find that the "enhanced interrogation techniques" used failed to yield counterterrorism breakthroughs. As a result of ongoing clashes between Sudan and South Sudan, the United States has circulated a...

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