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international law

Two groups sue Trump over sanctions on ICC, Palestinian rights advocates

Illustration accompanying article: Two groups sue Trump over sanctions on ICC, Palestinian rights advocates
  • Two US advocacy groups sued the Trump administration on July 15, alleging that sanctions on Palestinian rights organizations, International Criminal Court officials, and a UN expert violate the First Amendment.
  • The lawsuit, filed in Manhattan, argues that the sanctions have had a "profound" chilling effect, compelling Americans to sever professional relationships and abandon protected speech.
  • The complaint claims the sanctions exceed presidential authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which exempts noncommercial personal communications.
  • The suit names President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, and Office of Foreign Assets Control Director Brad Smith as defendants.
 2026-07-15 · 4 MIN READ

China test-launches long-range ballistic missile from submarine, drawing condemnation from allies

Illustration accompanying article: China test-launches long-range ballistic missile from submarine, drawing condemnation…
  • China's navy fired a long-range ballistic missile from a nuclear-powered submarine into the South Pacific on Monday, a test that an analyst described as a "show of strength" and a contrast with China's usual practice of launching missiles within its borders.
  • Senior Captain Wang Xuemeng, a navy spokesman, said the missile carried a simulated warhead and was launched at 12:01 p.m. as part of routine annual training conducted in accordance with international law.
  • Australia's foreign minister, Penny Wong, called the launch "destabilizing to the region" and cited China's "rapid military buildup" as lacking the transparency the region expects.
  • Tianran Xu, an analyst at the Open Nuclear Network, said the missile was likely launched from Bohai Bay to the South Pacific and assessed it was a JL-2 or JL-3 missile with a range of more than 7,000 kilometers.
 2026-07-06 · 3 MIN READ
Illustration accompanying article: Rights group urges U.N. to spotlight North Korea executions in reporting