Ten US senators on Monday filed an amicus brief urging the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit to uphold section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) , which denies federal recognition...

The UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs on Wednesday said that Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip must be lifted to prevent further human rights violations. Israel maintains a fence along its border with...

The Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) on Wednesday held the first hearing on its jurisdiction and the legality of its creation. The defense lawyer for Mustafa Badreddine , one of the four men...

Egypt's Ministry of Justice on Wednesday issued a decree restoring broad arrest powers to the Egyptian military to arrest civilians for non-military offenses. The decree restores some of the power previously granted to the military through the emergency law,...

The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Wednesday initiated contempt of court proceedings against Malik Riaz Hussain. The court's action was a response to the accusation brought forth by Hussain who alleged a day earlier that...

UN Independent Expert on the human rights situation in the Ivory Coast Doudou Diene on Wednesday called on all Ivorians and the international community to maintain their support in the wake of the recent killing of seven...

Three officials from the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the Australian ambassador to Libya were able to visit and assess the condition of the four detained ICC staff members on Tuesday, the Australian Minister of...

The Egyptian parliament on Tuesday elected another panel of 100 delegates to write a new constitution for the country. Parliamentary speaker Saad al-Katatni stated that unlike the first panel, the newly elected 100-member panel represents all Egyptian groups [Reuters...

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) on Wednesday filed a lawsuit challenging North Carolina's law against second-parent adoptions, which effectively bans individuals in same-sex couples from adopting their partner's child. The ban is...

The government of the Falkland Islands announced on Tuesday that it will hold a referendum on its political status close to its 30-year anniversary of independence from Argentina's occupation in 1982. Gavin...