China Approves First Import Batch of Nvidia H200 AI Chips Amid Strategic Shift 
Panama Supreme Court Voids CK Hutchison Port Concessions, Raising Geopolitical and Trade Concerns 
Faith Leaders Arrested on Capitol Hill During Protest Against Trump Immigration Policies and ICE Funding 
Zelenskiy Awaits U.S. Details as Ukraine Prepares for Possible Peace Talks Next Week 
FCC Chairman Raises Competition Concerns Over Netflix–Warner Bros. Discovery Deal 
Panama Supreme Court Voids Hong Kong Firm’s Panama Canal Port Contracts Over Constitutional Violations 
Trump Orders DHS to Avoid Protests in Democratic Cities Unless Federal Assets Are Threatened 
Trump Administration Expands Global Gag Rule, Restricting U.S. Foreign Aid to Diversity and Gender Programs 
Trump’s Iraq Envoy Mark Savaya Ousted Amid U.S.-Iraq Tensions Over Iran Influence 
U.S. Accuses Cuba of Harassing Top Diplomat Amid Rising Tensions 
Syria-Kurdish Ceasefire Marks Historic Step Toward National Unity 
Japan Urges Fishermen to Avoid Senkaku Islands as China Tensions Rise 
Federal Judge Rules Trump Administration Unlawfully Halted EV Charger Funding 
Trump Administration Gun Comments Spark Rift With NRA Ahead of Midterms 
Peter Mandelson Resigns from Labour Party Amid Renewed Jeffrey Epstein Links 
U.S. Government Faces Brief Shutdown as Congress Delays Funding Deal 
Democrats Score Surprise Texas State Senate Win, Fueling Momentum Ahead of 2026 Midterms 
The United States has imposed sanctions on Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, citing her strong criticism of Israel’s military actions in Gaza. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the move, accusing Albanese of urging International Criminal Court (ICC) action against U.S. and Israeli officials and companies.
Albanese, an Italian lawyer and academic, has labeled Israel’s military campaign in Gaza a "genocidal campaign" and called for arms embargoes and economic disengagement. Her latest UN report named over 60 companies allegedly complicit in supporting Israeli military operations and settlements, demanding they halt business with Israel and face legal consequences.
Israel denies all accusations, asserting its actions are in self-defense following Hamas’s October 2023 attacks. The ICC and the International Court of Justice (ICJ) are currently reviewing cases related to alleged war crimes and genocide.
The sanctions drew sharp backlash from human rights organizations. Amnesty International condemned the move, warning it undermines the independence of UN experts. Agnes Callamard, Amnesty’s Secretary General and a former UN rapporteur, urged governments to counter the sanctions and protect international legal mechanisms. Dylan Williams of the Center for International Policy called the sanctions “rogue state behavior.”
Albanese’s role, like other UN special rapporteurs, is independent and does not represent the views of the UN itself. Her spokesperson has not commented on the sanctions.
Since returning to office in January, President Donald Trump has taken a hardline stance against multiple UN bodies, cutting ties with the UN Human Rights Council and UNRWA, and announcing U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement and WHO. In June, his administration also sanctioned four ICC judges after the court issued a warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and investigated U.S. actions in Afghanistan.
