The Somali transitional government dismissed former parliamentary speaker Sharif Hassan Sheik Aden and 29 other parliamentary members on Tuesday in what is purported to be an attempt to consolidate the government's power over the legislature. Aden had been replaced as speaker in January by someone more closely tied to the new government, in a move [...]
A gay rights bill that would allow same-sex couples in Oregon to enter into contractual relationships affording them the benefits available to married couples passed in the Oregon House of Representatives Tuesday. A second piece of legislation protecting individuals against discrimination based on sexual orientation also passed in the state House. That bill would ban [...]
A delegation of European Parliament members told two subcommittees of the US House of Representatives Tuesday that the use of extraordinary renditions by the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is illegal. At the hearing conducted by the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on International Organizations, Human Rights, and Oversight , EP rendition investigator Carlo Fava said [...]
US Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV) announced Tuesday that the Senate Appropriations Committee he chairs has agreed to adopt new standards governing so-called earmarks inserted by legislators into bills to fund special spending projects. The proposed ethics and earmark reform legislation will define the term "earmark" and will require that all earmarks be clearly identified in [...]
Ugandan police fired on a Kampala press briefing held by political activists and opposition leaders on Tuesday, five days after violent protests caused the deaths of three people . Leaders of the Forum for Democratic Change , the Democratic Party , the Conservative Party and the Justice Forum held the briefing to call for the [...]
The Polish National Remembrance Institute ruled Tuesday that former Polish President Wojciech Jaruzelski and eight former officials can be charged with "Communist crimes" for imposing martial law in Poland in 1981. Jaruzelski, now 83, already faces charges of organizing crimes of a military nature and depriving individuals of freedom in connection with the 1981 decree. [...]
Charges have been dropped against a US Marine in exchange for his testimony in hearings regarding the November 2005 killing of 24 Iraqi civilians in Haditha , the Marine Corps announced Tuesday. Sgt. Sanick Dela Cruz, originally charged with unpremeditated murder and making a false official statement, will receive immunity for testifying against seven other [...]
Egypt police have arrested an Egyptian engineer on charges of spying on an atomic research program for Israel, AP reported Tuesday. According to Egyptian High State Security Prosecutor Hisham Badawi, Muhammad Sayed Saber allegedly gave files from his work at the Egyptian Atomic Energy Agency to the Israel Secret Intelligence Service (Mossad) service for $17,000. [...]
Maryland Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler said Tuesday that Maryland will not challenge a decision by the US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit holding that the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) preempts the Maryland Fair Share Health Care Fund Act . The act was part of a state attempt to force [...]
The US House Judiciary Committee will consider a resolution granting immunity to Monica M. Goodling , former special counsel to the US Attorney General, in exchange for her testimony concerning last year's firing of eight US Attorneys , according to a prepared statement read by committee chairman Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) Tuesday. If two-thirds of [...]
