German Justice Minister Brigitte Zypries Thursday deflected the European Commission's criticism of proposed legislation that would preserve the power of the German state of Lower Saxony to block major business decisions...

The US Department of Defense (DOD) on Thursday dismissed the military judge presiding over the military commission trial of Canadian Guantanamo detainee Omar Khadr . No explanation was given for the dismissal of...

The court-martial of a US Marine intelligence officer charged in connection with the November 2005 killings of 24 Iraqi civilians in Haditha began Thursday at Camp Pendleton, California . US Marine Corps 1st...

An Afghan detainee at Guantanamo Bay Wednesday moved to have all charges against him dismissed, alleging that he has been tortured in US custody. In a motion filed by his military defense lawyer, Mohammed Jawad [DOD...

New York Governor David Paterson has ordered all state agencies to recognize same-sex marriages from other states as legal marriages for purposes of New York law. The instructions highlighted in Thursday media reports came...

California Deputy State Registrar and Chief of the Office of Vital Records Janet McKee issued a memorandum Wednesday setting June 17 as the start date for issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. The California Supreme...

A group of 35 members of anti-war activism organization Witness Against Torture appeared in a DC Superior Court Tuesday. The 35 were arrested at a protest in front of the US Supreme Court in January,...

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon Tuesday promised to step up efforts to combat child exploitation and sexual abuse allegedly perpetrated by UN peacekeeping forces. In a short statement released by his spokesperson, Ban expressed his concern over...

The 601-member Nepalese Constituent Assembly voted Wednesday to abolish the country's monarchy and establish a republic. The decision gives King Gyanendera fifteen days to abandon the royal palace in the capital Kathmandu, and declares him to...

Amnesty International (AI) released its annual report on the state of human rights around the world on Tuesday. The major themes of this year's report include violence against women, US detention of terrorism suspects, persecution of...