Efforts to amend the 1959 Personal Status Law are another attempt to create a parallel authority to that of the state. Controversial efforts in Iraq today to change the country’s personal status law and give more power to the religious sects reflects the growing institutionalization of sectarianism as the basis …

Volodymyr Zelensky’s Western allies have worried that the surprise, cross-border attack will provoke Vladimir Putin to escalate. Less than a month ago, Ukraine launched a surprise incursion into Russia’s Kursk region, overwhelming Russian border defenses and taking hundreds of soldiers captive. The move has boosted Ukrainian spirits during a year …

Noa Argamani, an Israeli woman who was held captive in the Gaza Strip for eight months, has denied reports that she was tortured. Israeli media had reported that she was tortured during her captivity in Gaza, citing her statements. After the news quickly spread, Argamani refuted these claims on her …