Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad warned Thursday that Iran may stop allowing UN International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspections of its nuclear facilities and pull out of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) if international pressure to stop its nuclear program continues. Ahmadinejad's threat came shortly after key members of the UN Security Council announced that Iran's [...]

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Belarus prosecutors have requested a six-to-10-year sentence for opposition politician Alexander Kozulin , who in March led what prosecutors say were unauthorized protests over the controversial re-election of Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko . Prosecutors in the case said Wednesday that Kozulin's "guilt as a person dangerous to society is now fully established," while Kozulin was [...]

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A Connecticut Superior Court judge ruled Wednesday that civil unions do not harm same-sex couples, saying that they "share the same benefits, protections and responsibilities" as married couples. Judge Patty Jenkins Pittman further wrote that because civil unions enjoy the same benefits and protections as traditional marriages, same-sex couples receive equal protection and due process [...]

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The European Court of First Instance , the European Union's second-highest court, on Thursday rejected a proposed merger between Sony and Bertelsmann AG (BMG) that earned unconditional approval in July 2004 from European Commission (EC) regulators. The decision marks the first time that EU judges have turned back a Commission merger approval. Independent music trade [...]

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The Thailand Constitutional Court agreed Thursday to hear arguments in a case against five political parties, including the ruling Thai Rak Thai party, the main opposition Democrats , and three smaller parties, for allegedly "acting against democratic rule" during April's annulled parliamentary elections . Last month Thailand's Election Commission unanimously recommended that the five parties [...]

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