Afghan Deputy Chief Judge Mohammed Omar Ishaqzai said that Afghan journalism student Sayad Parwaz Kambaksh should be permitted to appeal a death sentence that resulted from a trial where he says he was not represented by a lawyer , the Independent reported Thursday. Kambaksh was sentenced to death in January for distributing papers questioning gender [...]

A 28-mile "virtual fence" along the US-Mexico border , known as Project 28, has been placed on hold due to technical issues, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Government Accountability Office (GAO) said during a joint hearing Wednesday before two subcommittees of the House Committee on Homeland Security . Richard Stana of [...]

Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra returned to Thailand Thursday from self-imposed exile to face corruption charges laid against him after he was ousted in a military coup in September 2006. Thai authorities arrested Thaksin immediately upon his return and later released him on bail . Thai investigators formally asked state prosecutors earlier this month [...]

Chadian President Idriss Deby agreed to an international investigation into allegations of abuse of power during a meeting with French President Nicolas Sarkozy Wednesday. The decision follows accusations leveled by Amnesty International that the government of Chad is using the current state of emergency to clamp down on journalists and members of peaceful opposition parties. [...]

Egyptian police arrested 25 members of the opposition Muslim Brotherhood Wednesday, following the arrest of 17 members on Tuesday. Muslim Brotherhood members believe the arrests targeted potential candidates for the upcoming April 8 provincial council elections . Egypt's provincial councils administer local municipal government services. These municipal elections were originally scheduled for 2006, but the [...]

US Attorney General Michael Mukasey made his first visit to the US military prison at Guantanamo Bay Wednesday, where he met with military and Justice Department officials working on the military prosecution of six Guantanamo Bay detainees suspected of involvement in the Sept. 11 attacks, including alleged Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Sheik Mohammed . The [...]

Germany's Federal Constitutional Court ruled Wednesday that a 2006 North-Rhine Westphalia law authorizing intelligence agents to search personal computers, networks, and Internet communications was unconstitutional. The court ruled that the law violates privacy rights, but said similar methods might be appropriate in limited, compelling circumstances, such as if a life was in danger or to [...]

An Afghan journalist working as a cameraman for Canadian television network CTV has been designated as an enemy combatant , a US military spokesperson said Wednesday. US officials alleged that Jawed Ahmad had Taliban phone numbers and videos in his possession when he was detained by coalition forces on October 26 at a NATO airbase [...]

Sudanese President Omar El Bashir Wednesday addressed a massive rally in Khartoum protesting the reprinting of a cartoon depiction of the Muslim prophet Muhammad by Jyllands-Poste earlier this month, saying that he would ban all Danish citizens from entering the country and calling on Muslims to boycott Danish products. It was unclear if Sudan would [...]

Neil Hicks : "Detaining political opponents is a control mechanism long favored by the Egyptian government. The continuing incarceration of Ayman Nour, apparently for having the temerity to challenge Hosni Mubarak in the 2005 presidential election is a case in point. Rounding up supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt's largest opposition political movement, prior to [...]