US President George W. Bush vetoed the new Farm Bill for the second time on Wednesday, saying that the proposed legislation was fiscally irresponsible. The original version of the text sent to Bush for signature last month inadvertently omitted a section providing for foreign food aid. Bill supporters had said they would submit the bill [...]

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) unanimously ruled Tuesday that Armenia's National Television and Radio Commission had improperly denied a broadcast license to the A1 Plus television station. ECHR found that the denial violated Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights , which protects freedom of expression. A1 Plus, which is frequently [...]

The Swedish parliament Tuesday rejected a proposed warrantless wiretap law that would have given the National Defence Radio Establishment wide leeway to eavesdrop on international telephone and electronic communications passing through the country. The government said that the law was necessary for national security, but the measure was vigorously protested by journalists, civil libertarians, and [...]

Carrie Cecil, Pitt Law '10, files from Kiev: Ukraine is a democracy still in its infancy. Independence from the former Soviet Union was declared in 1991, and the Constitution was adopted in 1996. After declaring independence, Ukraine struggled to decide whether legally the country would adopt policies bringing it closer to the rest of Europe [...]

Russian authorities have formally charged three men in the killing of Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya . Sergey Khadzhikurbanov, and brothers Dzhabrail and Ibragim Makhmudov, all from Chechnya , were among those arrested last August in connection with the investigation into Politkovskaya's murder. Russian investigators have also initiated a search for a third Makhmudov brother, Rustam, [...]

China's State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO) Wednesday announced an anti-monopoly investigation into Microsoft and other international software companies suspected of dominating the Chinese software market, unfairly raising prices and bundling software. Software companies will likely face increased liability for alleged anti-competitive practices beginning August 1, when a new anti-monopoly law takes effect. Officials at Microsoft [...]

A UN observer who arrived in Zimbabwe Sunday to monitor the human rights situation has been ejected from the country after only two days, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour said Wednesday. Zimbabwe government agents told the UN envoy that he had not given them proper notice of his arrival, an assertion disputed [...]

US President George W. Bush Wednesday called for Congress to relax restrictions on oil exploration , saying that it should end a long-standing prohibition against offshore oil drilling and also allow drilling to begin in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. Bush argued that resources currently off-limits to harvesters could offset rising fuel prices; [...]

The California First District Court of Appeal Tuesday rejected a petition by anti-same-sex marriage group Liberty Counsel to block the issuance of new sex-neutral marriages licenses . Liberty Counsel had argued that same-sex marriage licenses should not be issued until after voters decide on a proposed amendment to the state's constitution on the November ballot. [...]

The European Parliament (EP) adopted a new European Union directive to combat illegal immigration on Wednesday. The new rules are intended to normalize immigration procedures across the EU. Under the directive, illegal aliens caught in the EU must leave within 30 days, after which a removal order can be issued to forcibly deport them, and [...]