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UN rights council elections favor 4 states criticized by rights groups
The 47-member UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) held elections for 15 open seats Wednesday, with four seats going to countries that have been harshly criticized by human rights groups. In a report to the UNHRC, Freedom House [advocacy website; pres (More) |
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UK rights record on terrorism, prisoners challenged as UN review process continues
Representatives from the 47 members of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) Thursday criticized the human rights record of the United Kingdom [UNHRC materials; recorded video], including the government's treatment of terror suspects (More) |
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UN council begins universal human rights reviews
The UN Human Rights Council held its first Universal Periodic Review (UPR) [official website; OHCHR backgrounder] Monday, reviewing the human rights record of Bahrain. Under the UPR, the 47-member Council will systematically investigate the human r (More) |
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DOD transfers 8 more detainees from Guantanamo Bay
Eight more detainees have been transferred from Guantanamo Bay , the US Defense Department said Sunday. According to the DOD announcement, six detainees were transferred to Afghanistan, one was transferred to Libya and one to Yemen. The names of the (More) |
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Myanmar, Somalia ranked most corrupt countries in annual survey
Somalia and Myanmar rank as the world's most corrupt nations in 2007 according to the latest annual Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index [corruption index; press release] released Wednesday. The index ranked 180 countries base (More) |
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Afghan al-Qaeda detainee transferred to Guantanamo
An Afghan terror suspect has been transferred to Guantanamo Bay , the US Department of Defense (DOD) announced Wednesday. Known only as Inayatullah, DOD said the detainee has admitted to being the head of al-Qaeda operations in Zahedan, Iran, and t (More) |
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Six more detainees transferred from Guantanamo Bay
Six more detainees have been transferred from Guantanamo Bay , the US Defense Department said Thursday. According to the DOD announcement , five detainees were transferred to Afghanistan and one was transferred to Bahrain [Reuters report; BNA report (More) |
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US human trafficking report cites Islamic states for inaction
The US State Department Tuesday cited the governments of 16 countries, including 11 predominantly Islamic states, for not making a "significant effort to combat human trafficking" in its annual report on modern-day slavery around the wor (More) |
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Guantanamo detainee dead in suspected suicide
A Saudi Arabian detainee held at the US military prison at Guantanamo Bay died Wednesday afternoon in what military officials characterized as an apparent suicide . The officials did not identify the detainee or disclose the manner of death. Approx (More) |
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Guantanamo detainee threatens suicide in new letter
Jumah Muhammad al-Dossari , a Bahraini detainee that has been held at Guantanamo Bay without charges since January 2002, threatened in a letter released Sunday by his lawyer that if he had "the opportunity would end life" due to the des (More) |
Congress recognized Pledge of Allegiance
On December 28, 1945, Congress officially recognized the Pledge of Allegiance and encouraged its recitation in schools.
The Pledge was supposedly written in 1892 by Francis Bellamy, a Baptist minister, to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Columbus Day. The words “under God” were added by Congress in 1954. The revised version of the Pledge was more recently the subject of litigation before the United States Supreme Court originally brought by Michael Newdow, a parent who unsuccessfully objected to his daughter's school district policy requiring daily recitation of the Pledge. The court ruled that Newdow had no standing. The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life offers more Pledge of Allegiance resources.
