A Bahraini court on Sunday sentenced eight activists to life in prison for killing a policeman and participating in anti-regime protests in August. The eight pro-democracy protesters said that they confessed while being tortured. Harsh sentences for activists have become a trend in Bahrain. Since 2011 thousands of pro-democracy demonstrations have been held in the [...]

The Florida Senate approved a bill Friday that will prevent most abortions after the fetus reaches viability. The legislation would require the doctor to conduct an exam before performing an abortion to determine if the fetus is viable. The bill could reportedly prevent abortions as early as the twentieth week of pregnancy. If the bill [...]

UN Special Rapporteur on Belarus Miklos Haraszti called Friday for Belarus, currently the only European nation that has retained the death penalty, to end the practice. The statement was issued following the reported execution of Pavel Sialiun who was put to death at an unknown date without notification of his family while his complaint with [...]

The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit on Friday renewd claims by Apple against Google subsidiary Google’s Motorola Mobility for infringing smartphone patents. Judge Richard Posner, sitting in the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois , dismissed both company’s patent claims against each other in 2012 before trial, ruling that [...]

The Periodic Review Secretariat , a national security panel under the authority of the US Department of Defense (DoD) , on Thursday recommended the release of a Yemeni prisoner currently held at Guantanamo Bay. The prisoner, Ali Ahmad Mohamed al-Razihi , was suspected of acting as a bodyguard for Osama bin Laden and has been [...]

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Tom Wheeler on Thursday announced plans to adopt new rules to protect open Internet access and ensure Internet service providers (ISPs) promote transparency with their consumers. Experts say the new rules will create a “fast lane” for certain websites and services, which may enable companies to enter into pay-for-play agreements [...]

The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Friday announced that it has begun a preliminary investigation into allegations of crimes against humanity in Ukraine. Though Ukraine is not a member of the ICC, it has granted the court jurisdiction over crimes in its territory from November 21, 2013, to February 22, 2014, under Article 12(3) of [...]

A judge for the Pulaski County Circuit Court for the 6th Division on Thursday struck down an Arkansas voter ID law, finding that it violates the state constitution. In the order granting summary judgment to the Pulaski County Election Commission , Judge Tim Fox found Act 595 violates Article 3 §1 and Article 3 U§2 [...]

Lawmakers in Kosovo on Wednesday voted 89-22 to create an EU-backed court that will investigate crimes committed by ethnic Albanian rebels during the 1998 war with Serbia . The move follows international pressure for Kosovo to open a state investigation into civilian killings committed by the rebel side. The court will be based in Kosovo, [...]

Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant on Wednesday signed a bill into law that bans abortions after 20 weeks after a woman’s last menstrual period, or as early as 18 weeks of pregnancy. The bill , passed earlier this month, allows for an exception to the ban if the woman faces death or permanent injury because of [...]