The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced on Friday that it retrieved the bodies of three Israeli hostages who were killed during the October 7 Hamas-led terror attacks. The IDF identified the three individuals as Itzhak Gelerenter, Amit Buskila and Shani Louk, whose bodies were kidnapped by Hamas after being confirmed dead on October 30. The [...]
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It’s not every day that one gets a front-row seat to witness the justice system’s workings in a high-profile case. I was fortunate enough to be at the US District Court for the Northern District of California in San Francisco earlier today for the sentencing of the man who on October 28, 2023, broke into [...]
US House passes bill forcing Biden to send weapons to Israel
The US House of Representatives passed a bill on Thursday that would restrict President Joe Biden’s ability to withhold weapons transfers to Israel, aiming to force the president to deliver certain weapons after he previously placed shipments on hold. The bill, known as the Israel Security Assistance Support Act, was crafted “o provide for the [...]
Texas governor pardons former US Army sergeant convicted of murdering armed BLM protester
Texas Governor Greg Abbott pardoned former US Army Sergeant Daniel Perry on Thursday after the Texas Parole Board unanimously recommended a pardon for the ex-soldier who was convicted of killing armed protester Garrett Foster at an Austin Black Lives Matter demonstration in 2020. The case received national attention, as Perry claimed he shot Foster in [...]
The Last Laugh: The Moral Quandary of Comedy in Capital Punishment Discourse
Recently, the Alabama Supreme Court approved a request by the state to execute Allan Eugene Miller with nitrogen gas. This will be the second time Alabama will attempt to execute Miller and the second use of nitrogen gas for the purpose of execution. Alabama wants to kill with nitrogen gas despite widespread reporting of a [...]
South Africa’s main opposition party announced it would go all the way to the Constitutional Court to fight the National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill, aimed at providing universal health coverage, on Tuesday. Just two weeks out from the general election on May, 29 2024, the Bill would see free healthcare provided at the point for care [...]
Pitasanna Shanmugathas is a law student at Vermont Law & Graduate School and a graduate of the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs. On Saturday May 11 Pitasanna participated in Day 10 of the student-led encampment calling for the University of Toronto to divest from funding Israeli institutions allegedly involved in sustaining the [...]
Hazaras and Shias: Violence, Discrimination, and Exclusion Under the Taliban
The resurgence of the Taliban poses renewed threats to the Hazaras, characterized by escalated violence, discrimination, and isolation. The Taliban’s early governance involved the abolition of the Shia Personal Status Law, the removal of Ja’fari jurisprudence from the education system, and the dismissal of Shia judges. Notably, the Taliban’s cabinet and supreme court lack Hazara [...]
US government moves to end long-standing agreement on migrant child custody oversight
The US government filed a motion on Friday to partially end a 27-year-old agreement that requires the federal government to comply with court supervision about the treatment of migrant children in its custody. This action follows the recent publication by the Health and Human Services Department of its own regulation on protective measures, slated to [...]
UN General Assembly advocates for Palestine's full membership and enhanced participation rights
The UN General Assembly passed a draft resolution in an emergency special session on Friday affirming Palestine’s eligibility for full UN membership and recommending the Security Council to consider it favorably. The resolution, which garnered substantial support, also urged the Security Council to revisit its previous decisions regarding Palestine’s membership status. The General Assembly vote [...]