Sobering but insightful comments from Lloyd Axworthy at the CCIL annual conference in Ottawa, on the erosion of the Int’l rule of law. www.ccil-ccdi.ca

Like UNEP, the Climate Action Tracker update estimates thar with this year’s national emission reduction pledges, we’re on track for a catastrophic 2.6 degree Celsius increase by 2100. climateactiontracker.org/documents/13...

Deja-vu - this mirrors the actions of US allies to avoid complicity in the unlawful American detention and torture programs during the so-called GWOT under George W. Bush.

At the opening of COP 30 in Brazil, Barbados PM Mia Mottley doubled down on her proposal for a binding treaty to govern and constrain methane emissions, once again taking a leadership role on climate. It’s a good idea. Well done. www.straitstimes.com/world/world-...

Pleased to hear from Canada's new Minister of the Environment @juliedabrusin.bsky.social that the new government is standing by Canada's climate change targets - let us hope that policy and action will reflect it. www.cbc.ca/news/politic...

“COP30 in Belém may well be remembered as the moment that the world accepted the leading role of China in addressing humanity’s most important challenge.” e360.yale.edu/features/chi...

Two more unlawful extrajudicial killing strikes, 6 more people killed. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Some thoughts on why it’s important to keep explaining how and why the US killings of drug smugglers are not only unlawful but corrosive to the rule of law. open.substack.com/pub/craigxma...

Good analysis of the SNAP issue - but I’m left wondering how there can possibly be such widespread and deep food insecurity in the richest country on Earth. 42 million people. Brutal. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/04/p...

This is a staggering number…

The evidence mounts that the US is preparing for a military intervention in Venezuela: www.nytimes.com/2025/11/06/w...

A typically thorough and precise analysis by @mikeschmitt.bsky.social on @justsecurity.org, of the lawfulness of US threats to use force in Venezuela - concluding that the US is in a deepening hole of illegality. www.justsecurity.org/123896/us-ve...

The @unep.org Emissions Gap Report for 2025 just dropped, and it forecasts a temperature increase of 2.8 degrees Celsius by 2100 if current policies continue - well above the 1.5 degree target, and likely to have disastrous consequences for humanity:

I just re-listened to this 12-episode podcast, by Lillian Cunningham at the Washington Post, which explores the early history of the US and Soviet space programs, and it is brilliant - fascinating, illuminating, engaging, thought-provoking. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/m...

For those who were off the grid over the weekend ;-) New episode of JIB/JAB on extrajudicial killing on the high seas...

JIB/JAB is back for a new season - in Episode 41, I speak with @bcfinucane.bsky.social of @crisisgroup.org about the U.S. killings of alleged drug smugglers, and its implications for the international rule of law: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/j...

Petition now signed by over 50,000 AI experts and public figures calling for constraints on the development of AGI: superintelligence-statement.org

4 more strikes today, killing 14 more people, with one survivor left to the Mexicans to deal with - this ongoing campaign of extra-judicial killing flagrantly violates international law and reflects a notorious disregard for the rule of law. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/28/u...

Kudos to @charliesavage.bsky.social and @nytimes.com for this analysis of the illegality, and implications for the rule of law, of the killings of alleged drug smugglers. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/24/u...

The implications of our need for such an article should be clear to all… www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

Exactly - current US anti-climate policy is a threat to humanity.

Seriously, so much of the media is failing in the role of the 4th estate.

This policy of deliberate and flagrant violation of international law is not merely outrageous as unlawful extrajudicial killing, but it is doing profound violence to the international rule of law - which may be one of the objectives.

@jameeljaffer.bsky.social writing about the OLC Murder Memo that serves as the permission slip for the Trump administration's lawless maritime strikes.

This is how the United States is responding to yesterday's International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion on Israel's obligations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories towards the UN, international organisations and third States. A shameful attack on the world's highest judicial authority.

This is such a metaphor....

The unlawful military strikes and extra-judicial killings now being conducted in the Pacific, against boats from Colombia - so much for the "armed conflict with Tren de Aragua" justification: www.nytimes.com/2025/10/22/u...

The media keep stressing that the ICJ Advisory Opinion issued today on the Obligations of Israel in relation to the UN in the Occupied Territories is "non-binding." But the obligations the opinion identified are very much binding - and Israel continues to violate many of them.

Analysis by @stevevladeck.bsky.social Vladeck on The Massive Stakes of Trump v. Illinois open.substack.com/pub/stevevla...

US Caribbean boat bombing campaign keeps getting worse. Colombia says US killed Colombian fishermen in Colombian waters. Add international incident to illegal, unethical, and bad strategy. This isn’t national security, it’s murder. Who’s selecting these targets? Is this why Adm. Holsey resigned?

Interesting observations on the views on war responsibility of the outgoing and incoming PMs. Japan’s wartime history causes contemporary problems economist.com/asia/2025/10...

In case you missed this earlier (as I did), this @ezrakleinbot.bsky.social ot.bsky.social discussion with Corey Robin about the parallels between some what is happening today and the two "red scares" in U.S. history, is well worth listening to: www.nytimes.com/2025/09/24/o...

This suggests a recognition that holding these men would raise awkward issues - to prosecute criminally would admit they are extra-judicially killing mere criminals; to detain militarily risks losing a habeas motion on grounds that there is no armed conflict. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/18/u...

The US used threats of tariffs and other forms of retribution to pressure states into switching their vote, overturning an agreement to impose a tax greenhouse gas emissions from maritime shipping. Sabotaging humanity's efforts to mitigate a crisis. www.eenews.net/articles/tru...

The killing of alleged drug-runners at sea, proposed ground strikes against alleged drug cartels in Venezuela, covert action by the CIA to engineer regime change in Venezuela - all of these are flagrant violations of international law. Don't let them be normalized. www.nytimes.com/video/world/...

For those who may have missed it ;-)

In this piece on @opiniojuris.bsky.social, @michaeljkelly.bsky.social and I explore how the Trump AI Action Plan increases the risk of uncontrolled emergence of AGI, and why the risks posed by AGI requires the development of global governance framework tailored to address it.

The New York Bar Association (@nycbarassociation.bsky.social) today issued a statement condemning the unlawful extra-judicial killing of alleged Venezuelan drug smugglers on the high seas:

The Guardian (@theguardian.com) should know better than this - the US gov’t characterizing as an armed conflict its extra-judicial killing of drug smugglers on the high seas, does not make it so. Media should not legitimize the false claim. www.theguardian.com/...

The US is not in an armed conflict with drug cartels. That must be determined by reference to specific legal principles, not created by a Presidential "declaration". Otherwise, the US could simply declare an armed conflict with the Mafia, a union, or political party.1/2

A domestic law purporting to provide the President with legal authority to summarily kill drug traffickers on the high seas will not make it lawful under international law. It will still constitute the unlawful extrajudicial killing of civilians.

This post by @profmarkovic.bsky.social on @ejiltalk.bsky.social provides an excellent analysis of the legal standards applicable to the crime of genocide, and an important perspective on when it does and doesn’t apply - all media should read it!

At long last....

Careful and detailed analysis by @mikeschmitt.bsky.social in @justsecurity.org, rejecting claims that US strike on drug-running vessel could be justified as 1) self-defense under jus ad bellum; or 2) IHL within context of an armed conflict.

The Israeli strike on Doha is almost certainly a violation of the prohibition against the use of force in Art. 2(4) of the U.N. Charter, and cannot be justified as self-defense. It should be condemned.

To clarify any lingering confusion, the law of armed conflict (LOAC)/international humanitarian law (IHL) could not operate to legitimize this strike on a drug-running vessel. There is no armed conflict, and so LOAC/IHL simply does not apply. Period. It is extra-judicial killing.

The IPC Famine Review Committee Report on famine in Gaza, published yesterday: www.ipcinfo.org/file...

US sanctions against ICC judges and prosecutors is an attack on the rule of law, period. If the international rule of law collapses the whole world will suffer, and Americans will come to rue their role in destroying it.

Must-read paper on the developments to date in the effort to establish a treaty on the prohibition, prevention, and punishment of crimes against humanity, by @leilasadat1.bsky.social, who has been central to that effort: papers.ssrn.com/sol3...

The media are not addressing the legal issues - but the use of military force against cartels within the territory of another state, without its consent, would be a violation of the fundamental prohibition on the use of force in Art. 2(4) of the UN Charter. www.nytimes.com/2025...