The government of the Philippines reached a peace agreement Monday with rebels from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front , granting expanded boundaries to the country's southern Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) . In addition to the recognized size of the region, the two sides say they have also reached tentative agreements on the distribution [...]
New poll results released Sunday by think tank Open Europe indicate that Irish voters do not support a second referendum on the EU reform treaty , formally known as the Treaty of Lisbon , and that they would reject the treaty again if the country held another referendum. The Treaty will not take effect until [...]
The Basmany Court in Moscow resumed proceedings Monday in a lawsuit filed by the Russian Federal Customs Service against the Bank of New York Mellon (BNYMellon) under the US Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) statute. In a novel use of US law in a foreign court, Russian government lawyers are seeking $22.5 billion in damages [...]
Chicago's voluntary gun buy-back program brought in more than 6,800 weapons on Saturday as the city sought to address gun violence following the US Supreme Court decision in District of Columbia v. Heller . Chicago's gun control laws are similar to the Washington, DC statutes struck down by the Supreme Court, and the city is [...]
Thousands of protesters gathered in cities throughout Bosnia and Serbia on Sunday to demonstrate their continued opposition to the arrest of former Bosnian Serb leader and fugitive Radovan Karadzic . Serbian nationalists showed their support for Karadzic by wearing T-shirts displaying his image and the phrase "Serbian Hero". Protesters also carried flags and congregated in [...]
The US Senate in a special Saturday session passed by 72-13 the Foreclosure Prevention Act of 2008 , designed to address problems from the country's so-called "sub-prime mortgage collapse." The Act provides for government grants allowing municipalities to buy and redevelop foreclosed properties, and would allow the federal government to provide additional financial backing to [...]
Witnesses before the US House Judiciary Committee on Friday presented sharply divided opinions on whether the White House has overstepped its constitutional authority during George Bush's presidency, and whether or not such alleged abuses would justify his impeachment. Committee chairman John Conyers (D-MI) opened the hearings outlining the allegedly excessive actions by the administration: It [...]
The US Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit ruled Friday that criminal courts have no authority to direct restitution payments to anyone other than a victim. The issue came before the court in a case where the defendant was ordered to make scheduled restitution payments to a victim and had a lien placed against [...]
A report released Friday by Human Rights Watch states that the Rwandan government has made substantial progress in reforming its justice system over the past four years, but has fallen short in several key areas. The report commended Rwandan authorities for better ensuring the delivery of justice, strengthening defendants’ rights and abolishing the death penalty, [...]
Nepalese officials said Friday that they had arrested more than 100 Tibetans for allegedly trying to take over the Chinese embassy in Kathmandu. Chinese media said the protesters were trying to use Nepal's vulnerability as a newly-formed republic in order to push their "separatist" agenda , but Human Rights Watch (HRW) issued a report Thursday [...]
