A Council of Europe report to be officially released on Wednesday contains a scathing 200-page criticism of France's record on human rights. The report, based on inspections of prisons and police precincts in September 2005, cites a disparity in law and practice in France, referencing police brutality, overcrowded prisons, weak investigation into racially-motivated crimes, and [...]

The criminal investigation into government leaks which led to the New York Times' disclosure of the National Security Agency's domestic surveillance program is expanding, as federal agents have increased the number of interviews of law enforcement and national security officials. Those close to the investigation have suggested that the investigation may lead to a grand [...]

Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra announced Saturday that Thailand will hold a national referendum on whether to amend the nine-year-old Thai Constitution April 19 in conjunction with the country's next Senate election. Thaksin, who has faced recent calls for his resignation, made the announcement prior to an anti-government demonstration expected to draw tens of thousands [...]

Military leaders in Myanmar on Saturday announced that Win Aung, Myanmar's former head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs , has been put before a special tribunal at the Insein jail to face charges of abusing his powers while he was in office. Aung held his position as foreign affairs minister until October 2004, when [...]

John Bolton , the US ambassador to the United Nations (UN) , said Friday that the US remains concerned about Syrian government interference with the UN probe into the February 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri . Bolton met Friday with Belgian prosecutor Serge Brammertz , the former deputy prosecutor of the [...]

Speaker of the US House of Representatives Dennis Hastert (R-IL) on Friday announced his support for a deal reached earlier this week by Senate Republicans and the White House on long-term renewal of the USA Patriot Act . Key Democrats and Republicans in the Senate had expressed strong reservations about earlier versions of a renewal [...]

The French Council of the Muslim Faith (CFCM) , an umbrella organisation of French Muslim groups, said Friday it will sue several French newspapers that republished controversial caricatures of Muhammad which were originally printed in a Danish newspaper in September. Although the Council has taken lawyers' advice, the legal basis for its suit is not [...]

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Saturday that Iran may reconsider its participation in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) but would not immediately withdraw from the pact. Speaking on the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic revolution, Ahmadinejad said Iran would reevaluate its position if other nations use its membership as a means to pressure its nuclear [...]

Former Connecticut governor John G. Rowland was released from federal prison Friday after serving ten months of a one year sentence he received after pleading guilty to corruption charges in December 2004. In his plea agreement, Rowland admitted to accepting more than $100,000 in illegal gifts from state contractors. In response to the corruption scandal [...]

American Bar Association president Michael S. Greco said Friday that American civil liberties were under stress in a time of conflict, but that policymakers should resist the temptation to "take shortcuts with the Constitution." He made his comments as the ABA released a poll showing that 52 percent of Americans believe the President could not [...]