The European Parliament on Tuesday approved legislation that gives governments increased power in deciding whether to “restrict or ban the cultivation of” genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The new legislation has come “in response to Europeans’ growing concerns about GMOs,” and is aimed at “further reducing the risk of cross-contamination.” With the passing of this new [...]
The US Supreme Court ruled Tuesday in Jesinoski v. Countrywide Home Loans, Inc. , determining the requirements of the Truth in Lending Act . The court determined that a borrower may exercise his right to rescind by providing the lender with written notice of his intent within a three-year period. The court ruled unanimously on [...]
In his address to the Indian Council of World Affairs Monday, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on India to be a world leader in peace, human rights and sustainable development. He urged India to “renew its leadership in nuclear disarmament” and to facilitate cooperation in South Asia as the world’s largest democracy. Similarly, India fully [...]
After days of discussions, the Ugandan military decided on Tuesday to send Dominic Ongwen , a rebel leader with the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) , to trial in the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes and crimes against humanity. The ICC has sought to try Ongwen, who is thought to be the second-in-command to [...]
A court in Tajikistan on Tuesday sentenced Sukhrat Kudratov, an award-winning human rights lawyer, to nine years in prison for bribery and fraud. Kudratov, who was named human rights defender of the year in 2011 by the Bureau for Human Rights and Rule of Law , represented political official Zaid Saidov in 2013 when he [...]
The US Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit on Monday denied a request to stay the executions of four death row inmates in Oklahoma until the court reaches a decision in their case. The appeals court affirmed the district court’s decision to deny the request because the inmates “failed to establish a likelihood of [...]
A judge for the US District Court for the District of South Dakota ruled Monday that South Dakota’s same-sex marriage ban is unconstitutional. Judge Karen Schreier ruled in favor of six same-sex couples who challenged the ban, finding that the ban violates the right to due process and equal protection afforded by the US Constitution. [...]
The US Supreme Court heard oral arguments in two cases Monday. In Reed v. Town of Gilbert, Arizona the court heard arguments on whether the town of Gilbert’s content-based ordinance regarding city signs is content-neutral and not discriminatory. The case was brought by the Good News Community Church , which claims that by requiring the [...]
The US Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear another challenge to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) . The court rejected an appeal by the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons and the Alliance for Natural Health USA arguing that parts of the ACA were unconstitutional. They challenged the parts of the [...]
Tunisia has failed to bring to justice those responsible for the use of excessive force by police during the uprising four years ago, Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported Monday. The 52-page report, “Flawed Accountability: Shortcomings of Tunisia’s Trials for Killings during the Uprising,” states that legal and investigative problems disrupted Tunisian efforts to ensure accountability [...]
