“Armies are equipped and trained to vanquish enemies. If turned inward, they can easily become an instrument of tyranny.” —Elizabeth Goitein, Senior Director for Liberty & National Security, Brennan Center for Justice The United States has long drawn a bright line between military power and civilian law enforcement. The Posse Comitatus Act (PCA) embodies that [...]

December 2025 saw a whirlwind of events in the health corridors of Kenya. On December 4, Kenya signed a landmark five-year aid deal with the United States: a $2.5 billion Health Cooperation Framework. Under the Framework, the United States plans to support priority health programs in Kenya—including HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, maternal and child health, polio [...]

The metaverse—an immersive, persistent and networked virtual environment first conceptualized in Neal Stephenson’s Snow Crash (1992)—integrates Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Extended Reality (XR) to enable users to “live” within a digital universe through avatars. Unlike traditional Web 2.0, the metaverse creates a powerful sense of “being there” through immersion, embodiment, and decentralization. [...]

The UN Committee against Torture found Wednesday that Australia violated the Convention against Torture by exposing an Iranian asylum seeker to torture and cruel treatment through offshore transfer and prolonged immigration detention. The decision concerns an asylum seeker known as Mr A, who fled Iran in 2013, fearing persecution, and arrived in Australia by boat [...]

Former Ukrainian prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko was charged on Wednesday for allegedly offering bribes to members of the Ukrainian parliament. On Tuesday, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) accused an unnamed political leader of bribery. Later that day, NABU and SAPO conducted searches at the offices of [...]

The FBI searched the home and electronic devices of a Washington Post reporter on Wednesday, seizing her phone, Garmin watch, and two laptops, one of which belongs to the newspaper. According to the Post, the warrant said the search of reporter Hannah Natanson’s home was connected to the investigation of Aurelio Perez-Lugones, a systems engineer [...]

A UN expert warned on Thursday that growing use of excessive and unlawful use of lethal force by US military and security forces both internationally and domestically is “gravely concerning.” The report came from Morris Tidball-Binz, Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions. He condemned US official statements indicating a “shoot-to-kill” policy and explained [...]

The US Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that a Republican congressman may bring suit to challenge an Illinois mail-in ballot law. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the 7-2 majority decision, which confirmed that Congressman Michael Bost had standing to continue his lawsuit in federal court, writing: Candidates have a concrete and particularized interest in the rules [...]

Human Rights Watch (HRW) stated on Thursday that the internet shutdown imposed during Uganda’s elections violates fundamental rights and undermines election integrity, urging authorities to immediately restore full internet access. HRW researcher Tomiwa Ilori noted that by suspending internet services, Uganda has failed to comply with its obligations under the constitution and international law, which [...]

Human Rights Watch (HRW) called on Syrian authorities to seek accountability for abuses committed during clashes between Syrian government forces and local Bedouin and Druze groups in the Sweida region in July 2025. HRW called on Syrian authorities to hold trials that meet international fair trial standards. If authorities are “unwilling or unable” to do [...]