Members of Iraq's parliament reached a compromise Sunday establishing a committee to consider amendments to Iraq's constitution and allowing debate to proceed on a bill to create federal regions in the country. Constitutional amendment is a top priority for the country's Sunni Arabs, while Shiite politicians favor the federalism bill. Debate on the controversial draft [...]

The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) , Taiwan's ruling political party, has opened debate on the drafting of a new constitution, a move promised by President Chen Shui-bian earlier this year. The current constitution , drafted by the Kuomintang party of China in 1947, has been amended seven times and was written 2 years before Taiwan [...]

Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda insisted Sunday that the recent executions of three Roman Catholic militants convicted in 2001 of leading a Christian militia which killed at least 70 Muslims in 2000 were legally justified. In an attempt to defuse tension manifested in rioting by Christian protestors last week, Wirajuda defended the legal process leading [...]

The US military plans to turn a new medium-security building at Guantanamo Bay into a maximum-security facility and enhance security in its existing structures at the military detention center, according to deputy commander Brig. Gen. Edward A. Leacock . Leacock told reporters earlier this week that security upgrades include constant guard escorts around the facility, [...]

A US Special Forces team in Afghanistan allegedly abused and killed two detainees in their custody and then coordinated their stories so that superior officers in the chain of command never discovered the incidents, the Los Angeles Times reported Saturday. One detainee was allegedly shot to death after he was interrogated by Special Forces team [...]

Human rights groups have called on the UN Human Rights Council to support an "independent international human rights monitoring mechanism" to guard against human rights violations and alleged disregard for civilian casualties in fighting between Sri Lanka government forces and the rebel Tamil Tigers that has claimed an estimated 1,500 lives since last November. The [...]

Already braced for a Congressional hearing Monday on its admitted use of 'pretexting' , technology giant Hewlett Packard Co. announced Friday that Board Chairman Patricia Dunn will resign immediately , rather than in January as previously scheduled , and that CEO Mark Hurd will take her place . HP also announced that former US prosecutor [...]

A range of rights groups, military lawyers and legal scholars Friday ripped into the deal on military commissions legislation reached Thursday between top Senate Republicans and the White House. American Civil Liberties Union spokeperson Caroline Fredrickson called on legislators to reject the so-called compromise , arguing that it whittles away at fundamental guarantees of due [...]

A federal jury in North Dakota sentenced a man convicted of kidnapping and murdering a college student to the death penalty Friday after almost two days of deliberation. Convicted sex offender Alfonso Rodriguez Jr. was originally charged under federal law in the US District Court for the District of North Dakota for taking Dru Sjodin [...]

The Parliament of Nepal passed a law Friday that formally divests King Gyanendra and the royal family of power over the Nepalese Army. Friday's legislation affirmed parliament's proclamation of May 18 in which the newly-reinstated legislature stripped the king of all of his privileges and powers, including the title of supreme army commander. Opposition political [...]