The UN General Assembly voted Monday to re-enter negotiations over an international treaty for the global sale of arms, a 70 billion dollar industry. The General Assembly adopted an arms treaty with 133 votes in favor of the updated text, no votes against it, and 17 abstentions. This vote was opposed by the National Rifle [...]
The Human Rights Ombudsman in Russia, Vladimir Lukin , filed an appeal in a Moscow court on Tuesday following the ruling against Mikhail Khodorkovsky , the former CEO of Yukos, and his business partner Platon Lebedev . Lukin filed the appeal because the two men were ordered to pay restitution for the same losses twice, [...]
Judge Stephen Friot of the US District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma on Monday denied a request from Planned Parenthood of the Heartland to prevent Oklahoma from terminating its contract with them. Planned Parenthood filed a preliminary injunction after the Oklahoma State Department of Health notified the organization that it would be ending [...]
Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Monday accused Palestinian military units located in Gaza of violating laws of war by firing rockets into populated areas of Israel. These laws of war prohibit focused attacks on civilians and civilian structures or attacks that distinguish between civilians and military targets. “There is simply no legal justification for launching [...]
India prime minister Manmohan Singh in a televised public address on Sunday called for peace and promised to prevent further attacks on women after protest over sex crimes turned violent. Singh reiterated the government’s commitment to providing security to women, but stated that violent clashes with police amid protests was not the answer. Some additional [...]
Venezuelan official stated on Saturday that the country will not be holding a new election, even if President Hugo Chavez is unable to take office on January 10 because of his cancer. Although there is a constitutional mandate that the President be sworn in on January 10, Chavez is currently recovering in Cuba from an [...]
The National Rifle Association (NRA) CEO Wayne LaPierre dismissed calls for a renewed ban on assault weapons on Sunday. LaPierre said that an assault weapons ban was a “phony piece of legislation” . After LaPierre’s interview on Sunday, it is very unlikely that the NRA will support any new regulations on guns. LaPierre reiterated the [...]
The Egyptian opposition on Sunday said it will appeal the referendum that appears to have voted in a new constitution backed by ruling Islamic parties. The opposition has alleged the vote was marred by fraud and irregularities, while the Muslim Brotherhood , the main supporters of the new constitution, claim the referendum has passed with [...]
Philippine President Benigno Aquino on Friday signed legislation that criminalizes enforced disappearances. According to the Presidential Communications Operations Office , the Anti-Enforced or Involuntary Disappearance Act of 2012 criminalizes the “arrest, detention, abduction or any other form of deprivation of liberty by agents of the State.” The law was passed by Congress in October. In [...]
An Italian appeals court on Friday overturned the conviction of three Google executives for violating Italian privacy laws by posting a video on Google of a handicapped child being bullied. Google was “delighted” to see the convictions overturned and uncertainty over the effects of Italian privacy laws removed. The lower court’s conviction raised concern over [...]
