Rare star explosion expected to be 'once-in-a-lifetime viewing opportunity,' NASA officials say

Ex-National Security Agency worker Jareh Sebastian Dalke was sentenced to 21 years after trying to sell classified info to an undercover FBI agent believed to be a Russian official.

Former Nike executive Sonny Vaccaro weighed in on Caitlin Clark's shoe deal with Nike over the weekend. Clark signed the deal after being drafted by the Indiana Fever.

Israel has been convicted of genocide by protesters at Columbia and UCLA, but its genocide case before the International Court of Justice is still pending. Israel remains officially aghast that it, and only it, is subject to judicial proceedings for the crime of genocide—and that the ICJ’s rulings so far have implied that the judges think Israel might be guilty of the crime of crimes. According to reports this weekend, the International Criminal Court—a separate body that hears cases against individuals—is preparing arrest warrants for Israeli officials and possibly Hamas leaders. In the ICJ, Israel stands alone.In January, the judges stopped short of ordering Israel to stop fighting in Gaza, but they voted 15–2 to remind Israel of its obligations under the Genocide Convention. Among the judges voting with the majority was the German jurist Georg Nolte. His written opinion was curiously apologetic. He called the whole situation, including the atrocities committed by Hamas on October 7, “apocalyptic.” He noted, correctly, that the case before him was not about “possible violations of the Genocide Convention by persons associated with Hamas.” The ICJ hears cases between and against states, and Hamas isn’t one. “While these limitations may be unsatisfactory, the Court is bound to respect them,” he wrote. “I would like to recall, however, that persons associated with Hamas remain responsible for any acts of genocide that they may have committed.”[James Smith: The genocide double standard]Was this a coded suggestion? Without consideration of the October 7 attacks, something is missing from the ICJ proceedings, and Nolte is not the only one to sense an omission. The case is going forward almost as if the Gaza war were not preceded by, and in retaliation for, an attack that itself resembled genocide. Israel’s defenders, including its legal team at the ICJ, have complained that the proceedings tell only half the story, and that a full assessment of the facts would demand consideration of Hamas’s actions, too.There is a simple remedy for this problem: Charge Palestine with genocide, and let the ICJ hear both cases at once.The idea is not mine. I first heard it from David J. Scheffer, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations who served in the Clinton administration as ambassador at large for war-crimes issues. At least three of the judges’ opinions, he told me, suggested that they were “uncomfortable arriving at a determination on the merits of this case, when a large component of the entire situation is not on the table.” Nolte hinted at this view most strongly. The declarations of judges from Uganda and India also noted the absence, as did the judge designated by Israel, Aharon Barak. Scheffer said a parallel case against Palestine “would be to the advantage of the court and, frankly, facilitate their ability to reach a decision” that enjoyed a broad legitimacy.Every international lawyer I spoke with about this idea called it wild and implausible. Foremost among the objections is the fact that the international representative of the state of Palestine is the Palestinian Authority, not Hamas. The PA is not just not Hamas—it is directly opposed to Hamas, which slaughtered PA members when it seized control of Gaza in 2007.Irrelevant, Scheffer says. “Hamas members are nationals of the state of Palestine, which is party to the Genocide Convention.” The Genocide Convention obligates its parties (including Israel and most other countries) to prevent, investigate, and punish genocidal acts. The failure to prevent and punish was enough to convict Serbia of genocide in a case before the ICJ in 2007. If Hamas committed genocide on October 7, then Palestine was obligated to stop it and punish its culpable members. Palestine has manifestly failed to do so, with even token gestures. Palestine “is supposed to prevent you from committing genocide, even if you’re a terrorist,” Sheffer told me. “Its duty is to prevent and punish genocide. And I don’t think there’s a record of any punishment [by the PA] of any Hamas member.”Others doubted that Palestine was even subject to the ICJ’s jurisdiction, because the state of Palestine is not a member of the United Nations General Assembly. It is a “nonmember observer state.” Sheffer points out that this question comes close to being resolved by a statement, helpfully posted on the ICJ’s website, from the state of Palestine itself, consenting to the ICJ’s jurisdiction. In 2018, Palestine went to the court to object to the Trump administration’s decision to move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. In doing so, it declared that it “accepts all the obligations of a Member of the United Nations” with respect to the ICJ. Moreover, Article IX of the Genocide Convention—which Palestine joined in 2014, and Israel joined in 1950—specifies that the ICJ will hear any cases concerning genocide.Eliav Lieblich, an international-law professor at Tel Aviv University and a critic of Israel’s conduct of the Gaza war, pronounced the idea of instituting a genocide case against Palestine “theoretically interesting” but “a political nonstarter.” Cases have to be brought to the court by a state, as South Africa did against Israel. Lieblich noted that any state bringing a case against Palestine would, in effect, be recognizing the Palestinian state. You can’t prosecute a state whose existence you deny. That catch-22 favors Palestine: Countries that recognize Palestine tend to be on Palestine’s side, and therefore disinclined to prosecute it at the ICJ.[Graeme Wood: Israel’s bitter bind]But plenty of countries could still bring the case. Of the 193 members of the UN General Assembly, 151 have joined the Genocide Convention. Of those, more than 100 recognize the state of Palestine. Remove from that list the countries that are so pro-Palestine that they would never bring such a case, and at least 30 countries remain, including Cambodia, Paraguay, and Poland.Any of these countries could start proceedings. But who would want to? (“We have enough problems,” one official from a country on the list replied when I asked if his country would be game.) Longtime critics of Israel have treated South Africa as heroic for stepping up to prosecute Israel. Any country that prosecuted Palestine would probably risk the opposite effect on its reputation.But Scheffer urges countries to think strategically about the effect of bringing a case against Palestine. Doing so would greatly influence the proceedings against Israel, he says, and that influence “is not necessarily to the detriment of South Africa’s position.” Israel’s complaint that it is lonely in the dock vanishes instantly if it has company. Judges would be more inclined to rule against Israel, Scheffer suggests, if they did not feel that they were singling out the Jewish state. “If they could also look at the evidence regarding Hamas and say there is also a violation by the state of Palestine, that would be a much more comfortable position for judges to take.”And it is far from certain that the court would convict Palestine. Palestine could defend itself by saying that it failed to prevent genocide because it was itself prevented from doing so by Israel, through its occupation of the West Bank and hamstringing of the Palestinian Authority’s capacity to act. Eliav Lieblich noted that in other international courts, a state’s duties are lightened or relieved when its territory is controlled by another, stronger state. Israel would not relish having to observe this defense.And, finally, the ICJ imposes very high burdens on the prosecution in genocide cases. The prosecution must demonstrate the intent to destroy a protected group, and the absence of plausible nongenocidal intents that might explain the behavior of the accused. Could a prosecutor show that the only possible rationale for Hamas’s actions on October 7 was to commit genocide against Jews? Could Palestine convince the judges that Hamas was instead attempting to resist Israel’s occupation, and that if Hamas intended genocide, it would have planned its operation differently? If so, Palestine, and by extension Hamas, would likely be acquitted.Israel has at its disposal a similar defense. Might the death and suffering of Gazans be attributable not to an intent to wipe them from the Earth, but to a desire to free hostages and defend itself against a terror group that commits flagrant war crimes, vows to keep doing so, and uses civilians as shields? If so, Israel, too, stands a good chance of acquittal.One frequently noted shortcoming of the International Court of Justice, and of international law more broadly, is that its justice is applied unevenly (and often by the strong against the weak). Israel is frustrated that, at the ICJ, it seems to be allowed only to lose, while its wartime adversary remains beyond judgment of any type. The verdicts would not depend on each other—one party could be guilty and the other innocent—but the ICJ’s legitimacy does seem to be tied to the willingness of the court, and the states before it, to punish potential violators of all types, and not just those vilified, rightly or wrongly, in the current wave of fashionable opinion.

A growing number of public health experts say if you choose to drink alcohol, you should drink as little as possible. Guidelines vary from country to country.

The monarch, 75, visited a cancer treatment center in London where he met with medical specialists and other patients.

As he waits to testify in Donald Trump's hush money trial, Michael Cohen is discussing the proceedings on TikTok - which some experts say could hurt him in the courtroom.

The head of a pro-Russian group operating in Ukraine said Kyiv had fired ATACMS at Crimea overnight on Monday.

In today’s edition … Mike Johnson struggles to live up to McCarthy’s fundraising legacy … Florida Dems prepare for six-week abortion restriction to take effect.

Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox.

A sword-wielding attacker has left five people, including two police officers, hospitalized in east London Tuesday morning after crashing his van into a house and stabbing people seemingly at random. Police responded to reports of a man crashing his vehicle into a house in Thurlow Gardens just before 7 a.m. and stabbing multiple people, including...

McCain said "I don't want him to be an American, I don't want their drama here," during an episode of her podcast.

Clarence Yoder was charged with being under the influence of alcohol, disorderly conduct, and approaching and disturbing wildlife.

In the idyllic and densely populated island of Barbados, a conservation project is working to restore local sea turtle populations.

The president's support from young people has declined in the last few years.

North Korea forces have been reinforcing the DMZ since the beginning of the year, the South's military says.

At its best, medicine will be a process of shared decision making, and doctors need to be prepared.

While Gov. Gavin Newsom has closed corrections facilities, the state's shrinking incarcerated population could enable several more.

The new rules were supposed to make for a quicker game, but as one veteran baseball person observed, “All we are doing now is playing boring faster.”

The Inflation Reduction Act will make drugs significantly less expensive for people on Medicare. Here’s how.

Dozens of protesters have breached and barricaded themselves inside one of Columbia's main buildings, Hamilton Hall.

Minnesota Democrat faces felony burglary charge after allegedly breaking into her stepmother's home.

Kansas City Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes helped WWE United States Champion Logan Paul on "Monday Night Raw" by giving him his Super Bowl rings.

The 2024 NFL Draft delivered six quarterbacks with the first 12 picks taken. What does the position have in store for next year's draft class?

U.S. lawmakers have long worried that the Chinese government could use the app to spread propaganda.

Lauren Boebert responded to Joe Biden after he poked fun at her Beetlejuice theater incident during his White House Correspondents' Dinner speech.

WNBA star Brittney Griner reflected on learning she was going to be released from Russian prison and voiced her support for bringing other Americans home.

Byrne, a senior communications advisor and detective first grade, "has served the NYPD and the people of New York City with distinction for more than two decades," Commissioner Edward A. Caban said in a statement. 

Plus, a deadly day for law enforcement.

The U.S. Soccer Federation and its Mexican counterpart said they will focus on trying to host the 2031 tournament instead.

"Wordle" players have to guess a mystery five-letter word, but it can sometimes be tricky to solve, so Newsweek has some tips if you're struggling.

In a phone call last week, Mike Johnson told top donors that the hard-liners in the House calling for his head would not succeed — a message that many donors have been wanting to hear.

Interior designers share their best hacks for getting the look of custom curtains and shades with off-the-rack styles.

It's been 35 years since "When Harry Met Sally" made the case that men and women can't be friends because "the sex part always gets in the way." Is that still true?

It's a mistake to regard youth demonstrations such as those over Israel's war in Gaza through a lens of '60s nostalgia. Crowds can be a force for ill as well as good.

Why do universities charge future teachers the same rate as future engineers?

GOP rhetoric is all about 'backing the blue,' but what does the powerful House Republican Study Committee budget call for?

AI is bending reality into a video game world of deepfakes to sow confusion and chaos during the 2024 election. Disinformation is a danger, especially in swing states.

Opposition to storing nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain has united Nevadans across political lines — until now. A Senate candidate has spoken favorably about the idea.

Readers debate the pro-Palestinian protests on multiple campuses and the crackdown against them by college administrators.

Philippine boats shown under fire from water cannon in area contested by Beijing.

Adam Gray/ReutersThe third week of Donald Trump’s hush money trial will get underway in Manhattan on Tuesday morning with more testimony from a private banker who took the stand last week to talk about his work for Michael Cohen, Trump’s erstwhile attorney and fixer.Gary Farro, Cohen’s contact at First Republic Bank in 2015, has spoken about opening two accounts for Cohen—including the one which Cohen used to make a $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels to stop her speaking out about an alleged 2006 one-night stand with Trump. Trump has denied having sex with the porn star.That payment is at the heart of the case. Prosecutors claim that Trump engaged in an illegal scheme to influence the 2016 election in which damaging stories about him were bought and buried in a “catch and kill” scheme, and that he sought to cover up the true purpose of the payments. Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records.Read more at The Daily Beast.

A colorful Republican lawmaker in 1995 created a far-reaching and ahead-of-its-time California law that is likely to keep Harvey Weinstein's conviction intact.

Mental health problems skyrocketed when social media became widely available. Parents don't need brain scans to tell them something's wrong.

A monthly payment of $750 to $1,000 would allow thousands of the city's homeless people to find informal housing, according to a policy brief by four L.A. academics.

'A vote for the Democrats is the only safety net we have for hanging onto the freedoms we hold so dear,' says a reader.

Chicago's progressive Mayor Brandon Johnson was met with backlash from his progressive political partners after a $5 billion proposal for a new NFL stadium.

Try something new on Mother's Day. Skip brunch and treat Mom to a museum, hike, craft fair or comedy show instead.

The Lakers may not like doing whatever LeBron James demands, but the alternative — becoming irrelevant and rebuilding without him — is much worse.