A spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry Sunday called a report released last week by the UN Committee Against Torture prejudiced and false. The Committee's report had expressed "deep concern" over continued allegations that China authorities carried on the routine and widespread practice of torture and ill-treatment of suspects to extract confessions. In his statement, [...]
The parliament of Burundi voted Saturday in favor of laws abolishing the death penalty and criminalizing homosexuality in the country. The elimination of the death penalty in Burundi was a requirement for establishing a UN-led truth and reconciliation committee and tribunal in the country. Gay rights groups in the country condemned the criminalization of homosexuality [...]
The German government announced Friday that it has ended its investigation into the practices of the Church of Scientology . The German Interior Ministry began a probe into Scientology in 2007, calling it an "organization that is not compatible with the constitution," seeking to ban the organization. The German announcement came during a meeting of [...]
Aubrey Sarvis : "The opposition by more than 100 retired flag officers to the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT) law is another indication of growing nationwide support to replace DADT with a nondiscrimination law that would allow all qualified service members to serve openly, regardless of sexual orientation. These retired generals and admirals know that [...]
North Korea has strongly protested a proposed UN General Assembly resolution calling on North Korea to "respect fully all human rights and fundamental freedoms" and put an end to its violations of human rights. The resolution, which was co-sponsored by South Korea , Japan, and members of the European Union, was approved Friday by the [...]
The British government of Prime Minister Gordon Brown has decided to drop from its immediate legislative agenda a controversial security database bill that would have required telecoms to keep records of all domestic phone calls, e-mails and Internet activity, according to British press reports Friday. The Communications Database Bill will not be part of the [...]
The UN Committee Against Torture on Friday expressed deep concern over continued allegations that China authorities continued the routine and widespread practice of torture and ill-treatment of suspects to extract confessions. In its Observations at the conclusion of its 41st Session , the Committee identified three "over-arching problems," including the 1988 Law on the Preservation [...]
The Nebraska state senate voted Friday to amend its controversial 'safe haven' law , which allows parents to abandon their children at certain locations without fear of prosecution. Friday's amendments reduce the age at which children can be abandoned from 18 years and under to 30 days and under. The bill advanced to final stage [...]
Mexican authorities on Thursday detained former Assistant Attorney General Noe Ramirez, one-time head of Mexico's anti-drug operation in the Assistant Attorney General’s Office Specializing in Organized Crime (SIEDO) , accusing him of receiving monthly payments of $450,000 from the Pacifico drug cartel in exchange for confidential information regarding government anti-drug enforcement efforts. Attorney General Eduardo [...]
The Uruguayan Parliament on Thursday failed to override the presidential veto of a bill that would have decriminalized abortion. In the special meeting of the General Assembly, Uruguayan representatives and senators failed to achieve the requisite three-fifths majority in each house to override a veto by President Tabare Vazquez . The bill had passed the [...]
