[JURIST] Leading Tuesday's international brief, the UN Security Council [official website] has expressed its approval of the African Union [official website] decision to extend the AU peacekeeping force mandate [Mail & Guardian report] for Darfur [JURIST news archive] by six months. The AU Peace and Security Council [AU backgrounder] announced it will keep AU peacekeepers in Darfur until September 30, when it plans to hand control of the peacekeeping force over to the UN. The UN Security Council praised the decision as practical, allowing the UN time to ready a force capable of assuming peacekeeping operations in Darfur without threatening the already fragile peace in the area. The Security Council also called on Sudan [government website] to take steps to prepare for the introduction of a UN force, a move Sudan has repeatedly opposed [JURIST report]. JURIST's Paper Chase has continuing coverage of Sudan [JURIST news archive]. The UN News Centre has local coverage.

In other international legal news ...

• Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni [BBC profile] Monday filed his response [Monitor text of court documents] to legal challenges [JURIST report] brought by opposition candidate Dr. Kizza Besigye [BBC profile] in which Besigye accused Museveni of 'stealing' last month's presidential election through voter fraud and intimidation. The Ugandan Electoral Commission [official website] also responded to the charges, denying that any vote rigging or election fraud occurred in sufficient seriousness to affect the outcome of the election. Besigye is still facing criminal charges [JURIST report] in what he claims is another government attempt to keep opposition parties from removing Museveni from office through legal means. JURIST's Paper Chase has continuing coverage of Uganda [JURIST news archive]. The Daily Monitor has local coverage.
  
  
• The South Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare [government website] announced a plan on Tuesday to implement national legislation prohibiting discrimination against HIV and AIDS patients in the workplace. The legislation would make any form of discrimination against individuals diagnosed with HIV or AIDS illegal, and would require equality in treatment relating to pay scale, promotion, and time off, among other elements. The draft proposal currently includes penalties of up to one year incarceration and heavy fines. JURIST's Paper Chase has continuing coverage of South Korea [JURIST news archive]. The Chosun Ilbo has local coverage.
  
  
• Human rights groups and NGOs have criticized the Jordanian government for proceeding with the execution of two individuals convicted of murdering a US diplomat [Islamonline.net report] in 2002. The convictions were obtained in a military court and according to rights groups were based solely on confessions obtained through the use of torture. Rights groups also alleged that Jordan agreed to rehear the cases as part of a deal to end prison riots sparked by the removal of the two men from general population in preparation for their execution by hanging. Jordan defended the execution as valid, citing a court ruling in 2004 that quashed the last legal appeal afforded to the individuals. IRIN News has more.