The International Panel on Fissile Materials (IPFM) is developing a global treaty banning the further production of nuclear materials such as weapons-grade uranium and plutonium. The IPFM, which is comprised of independent arms control experts from 15 countries, is working on a treaty and an analysis of the verification issues associated with the treaty that [...]
At least two Iraqi lawmakers were killed Thursday after a bomb exploded in the cafeteria of the Iraq parliament building. Saleh al-Mutlaq, head of the Sunni National Dialogue Front , said that party member Mohammed Awad died in the attack. Security officials have said that a second lawmaker was also killed and that at least [...]
George Christian, one of the librarians who in 2005 challenged a National Security Letter (NSL) ordering the release of computer records, told the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution in testimony Wednesday that government power to probe private library records should be subject to some kind of review process before or after the fact. The [...]
An Australian court on Thursday ordered that former Serb commander Dragan Vasiljkovic be surrendered to Croatian authorities, and if Vasiljkovic's appeal of the decision is unsuccessful, Australia will extradite him to Croatia as requested last January. Vasiljkovic, arrested in Australia last year, is accused of torturing and killing Croat soldiers, civilians and prisoners of war [...]
A US bankruptcy judge on Wednesday ordered an independent audit of the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego , which filed for Chapter 11 protection in light of some some 140 sexual abuse lawsuits currently pending against the diocese. The judge accused the diocese's lawyers of conspiring with the diocese to move funds into the [...]
Amnesty International Wednesday criticized Egypt for systematic human rights abuses of detainees in its police stations, military camps, and centers run by State Security Investigations (SSI). In a new report the international human rights organization said: Around 18,000 administrative detainees – people held without charge or trial under orders issued by the Interior Ministry – [...]
Ukraine President Viktor Yushchenko announced Wednesday that he would freeze his controversial April 2 decree ordering the dissoluton of parliament and new elections on May 27 in an attempt to end a constitutional confrontation with Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych . The freeze would allow parliament to continue operating, but early elections would be called on [...]
The US Senate Wednesday approved the Stem Cell Enhancement Act of 2007 by a margin of 63-34 , despite a Tuesday warning from President Bush that he would veto the bill . The House of Representatives is expected to adopt the Senate bill, which would subsidize stem cell research , in place of its own [...]
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Wednesday expressed disappointment over the long list of Palestinian prisoners that Palestinian militants have demanded be freed in exchange for the release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit . Olmert and senior officials met Tuesday to discuss the list, which purportedly includes high-profile Marwan Barghouti and Ahmed [...]
Bangladesh authorities announced Wednesday that opposition leader and former prime minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed has been charged with four counts of murder arising from the deaths of four protesters during political turmoil in October. In all, 46 people were charged following a murder investigation that was prompted by a complaint filed by the Jamaat Islami [...]
