Kosovo's parliament voted 100-1 Thursday in support of a UN plan to establish an independent Kosovar state under UN supervision. The plan was drafted by UN envoy Martti Ahtisaari , who believes independence from Serbia with international supervision "the only viable option" for Kosovo. The plan needs the approval of the UN Security Council before [...]

Human Rights Watch (HRW) said Thursday that Mexico's now-closed Special Prosecutor's Office failed in its effort to address past human rights abuses stemming from the "Dirty War" of the late 1960s to 1970s . The office was created by former Mexican President Vicente Fox to investigate potential human rights violations that included more than 600 [...]

Three men arrested last month in connection with the July 7, 2005 London transit bombings were charged Thursday with unlawfully and maliciously conspiring with the suicide bombers to cause explosions on London's transportation system and tourist attractions in London. The men, Mohammed Shakil, 30, Waheed Ali (formerly known as Shipon Ullah), 23, and Sadeer Saleem, [...]

A Turkish parliamentary committee okayed legislation Thursday that would censor websites seen as insulting to the founder of modern Turkey, Kemal Atatürk . Legislators debated whether Turkey should also have the right to censor sites that questioned the unity of the Turkish state, or the legitimacy of Turkey's secular government. It is unknown when the [...]

The England and Wales Court of Appeals (Civil Division) on Wednesday ruled that three Africans formerly living in the Darfur region of Sudan could be granted asylum in the UK, overruling a decision by the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal (AIT) to send the appellants back to Khartoum, the capital of Sudan. The UK Secretary of [...]

Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko said Thursday that officials who refuse to comply with his decree ordering new elections could face criminal prosecution . Yushchenko issued the decree Monday, ordering parliament dissolved and new elections in May over what Yushchenko has called "systemic violations of the constitution by the parliamentary majority." Ukrainian Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych [...]

Ecuador's Constitutional Tribunal on Wednesday upheld last month's decision by the country's Supreme Electoral Tribunal to dismiss 57 members of the legislature. The lawmakers, who oppose a planned April 15 referendum to amend the constitution , had been reinstated by a judge last Thursday. The Supreme Electoral Tribunal responded immediately by firing the judge , [...]

The Florida Board of Executive Clemency on Thursday voted 3-1 to change the Rules of Executive Clemency so that non-violent felons will automatically have their civil rights restored upon release from prison, and released violent offenders can have theirs restored after a board hearing or other type of review. The changes take effect immediately. Board [...]

New Hampshire's House of Representatives passed a bill Wednesday to allow civil unions for gay and lesbian couples, placing the state in line to become fourth in the country to allow such relationships. The large Democratic majority in the House propelled the 243-129 vote , but Democrats hold only a narrow majority in the state [...]

Ali Khan : "House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is moving on the right path in exploring the possibilities of negotiated solutions to the problems that threaten the peace of the Middle East. Her bold initiative to meet with two Muslim rulers, the Syrian President and the Saudi King, is in line with the UN Charter and [...]