An Indian couple on Wednesday challenged a UK immigration law that contains an English language speaking requirement. The provision , which was announced in June 2010 by UK Home Secretary Theresa May , requires an immigrant to be able to speak English before joining his or her spouse in the UK. The couple’s lawyer argued [...]

US President Barack Obama issued an executive order Monday imposing economic sanctions to combat international organized crime operations, freezing their US assets, preventing the transfer of property to the organizations and criminalizing providing aid the organizations. The order targets four specific Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs), though more could be named in the future: Los Zetas [...]

Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Wednesday urged the government of Bangladesh to ensure that those accused of being involved in a February 2009 mutiny are given fair trials. Members of the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) , a Bangladeshi paramilitary force, have been tried en masse for the mutiny, which left 74 dead. HRW’s call comes in [...]

The Constitutional Court of Colombia ruled unanimously on Tuesday that same-sex couples are “families” under the law and their relationships cannot be invalidated nor can same-sex marriage be made illegal, but gave the Colombian Congress two years to legislate same-sex marriage rather than declaring it outright constitutional. Without congressional action, same-sex couples will be able [...]

New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman filed an amicus curiae brief challenging the constitutionality of the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) barring recognition of same-sex marriages . The brief was filed in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York in the case of Windsor v. United States, arguing that DOMA [...]

Ukrainian Judge Rodion Kireyev on Wednesday rejected a motion to arrest former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko for disruptive courtroom behavior. Kireyev made his decision based on his ability to control his courtroom, although he stated that Tymoshenko had disrespected him by not standing when addressing the court and that her supporters were causing distracting disturbances [...]

The North Carolina House of Representatives voted Tuesday to override a veto by Governor Beverly Perdue on legislation that would require a 24-hour waiting period before an abortion . With a 72-47 vote , the measure, known as the “Women’s Right to Know Act,” will now go to the Senate, which on Monday overrode three [...]

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday announced his intentions to propose a constitutional amendment that would provide a single, extended tenure for the president of Nigeria and its 36 governors. The president and governors are currently limited to serving two four-year terms and are permitted to run for re-election between terms. Jonathan cited the high [...]

Two French rights groups have filed a complaint with the Prosecutors Office of Paris against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in order to determine whether he or members of his entourage have assets in France. Transparency International France and SHERPA said they filed the complaint in order to freeze all of the assets in France that [...]

The UN Security Council’s Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict expressed concern Monday about children’s rights violations in the Central African Republic (CAR). Citing abuses like rape and other sexual violence as well as recruitment in armed conflict, the council condemned armed rebel groups in the country: the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) ; the [...]