The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) on Wednesday postponed the trial of Serbian war crimes suspect and former nationalist politician Vojislav Seselj previously scheduled to begin on November 2, citing concerns that Seselj might not have time to adequately prepare a defense. An appeals panel of the court granted permission for Seselj [...]

The New Jersey Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled that same-sex couples in the state must be afforded the same rights as heterosexual couples, and said that the state legislature must decide whether New Jersey will recognize same-sex marriage or another form of civil unions. In a case brought by seven same-sex couples who argued that [...]

Russian officials investigating the October 7 death of reporter Anna Politkovskaya are focusing their probe on former police officers who Politkovskaya linked to the killing and torture of Chechen civilians, Russian newspaper Kommersant reported Wednesday. According to the article, investigators followed up on sightings of two former police officers linked to the abuses, including Sergei [...]

Chilean Foreign Minister Alejandro Foxley announced Wednesday that government officials have requested a probe into allegations that former Chile dictator Augusto Pinochet stashed approximately nine tons of gold in a Hong Kong bank, as reported by El Mercurio . Pinochet's lawyer vehemently denied the rumors, which Foxley called "grave." The State Defense Council , the [...]

An internal memo circulated in the Israeli State Prosecutor's Office has called for an immediate investigation into possible criminal actions taken by Prime Minister Ehmud Olmert involving bids on a controlling interest in a bank stretching back to 2005. Olmert is suspected of accepting bribery since a friend seeking approval of his bid overpaid for [...]

The Supreme Court of Ohio on Wednesday held that state charter or community schools are valid and the statute authorizing them is constitutional "on its face and as applied." Chapter 3314 of the Ohio Revised Code allows the state legislature to fund charter schools, which have grown from 15 to 250 statewide since the law's [...]

Bosnia's ambassador to the United Nations wants the Swedish government to free Biljana Plavsic from the Hinseberg prison for women, where she has been serving an 11-year sentence as the only woman convicted of war crimes by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) . Ambassador Milos Prica petitioned for Plavsic's release in [...]

A Chinese court has sentenced a pro-democracy leader to three years in prison for criticizing the communist government in Internet posts, according to the Information Center for Human Rights and Democracy Wednesday. Li Jianping participated in the 1989 movement for democracy in China and wrote online essays criticizing the Chinese government's efforts to implement an [...]

Human Rights Watch (HRW) Wednesday accused agents of the Burundi National Intelligence Service of widespread abuses since the new government came into power, including killings and torture . HRW contended in a new report that President Pierre Nkurunziza has given agents at all levels authority to carry out the government's agenda by any means necessary, [...]

Atheist Michael Newdow , the man who sued to have the words "under God" removed from the Pledge of Allegiance , will be able to proceed with a libel lawsuit against a chaplain, according to a ruling Tuesday by the California First District Court of Appeal . Newdow sued Reverend Austin Miles after Miles used [...]