The Hong Kong government Friday appealed a high court ruling last month that said a criminal law preventing consenting males under the age of 21 from having sex was a violation of human rights . The criminal law allowed lesbians and heterosexuals to engage in sex from the age of 16, but prohibited sex between [...]

Jack Kevorkian has said that he would not assist people in committing suicide if released on parole, but said that he would campaign to legalize assisted suicide. The former doctor is serving 10-25 years in prison on a second-degree murder conviction for giving a patient with Lou Gehrig's disease an injection of drugs that killed [...]

Leading Friday's states brief, as Connecticut becomes the second state to offer same-sex couples civil unions October 1, town clerks are saying they are ready, but some employers may not be prepared. While only a few town clerks offices plan to be open tomorrow and there is no way of knowing how many of the [...]

The Osaka High Court ruled on Friday that visits by Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to a Shinto shrine for war dead violate Japan's constitutional provisions for separation of church and state. The visits are also controversial because China and South Korea consider the shrine a monument to Japanese militarism during the early 20th century. [...]

Leading Friday's international brief, the South Sudan legislature has been inaugurated, marking a key step in the development of a functioning government for the now autonomous southern region of Sudan. In accordance with the January 9 Comprehensive Peace Agreements , South Sudan will create an independent government that will work together with the main Sudanese [...]

Algeria's proposed Charter for Peace and National Reconciliation was approved by over 97 percent of the vote in Thursday's referendum as part of an effort to end a 13-year civil war in the country . Nationwide voter turnout topped 80 percent, but was skewed by some regions having near total participation and others hardly any [...]

Milan Prosecutor Armando Spataro announced Friday the approval of three new arrest warrants in connection for purported CIA operatives with the kidnapping of a radical Muslim in 2003 in Milan. A total of 22 purported CIA operatives are now sought by Italian police. Italy may request extradition for those accused, but US cooperation in such [...]

Sen. John Warner (R-VA) , chairman of the US Senate Armed Forces Committee, said Thursday that Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld has promised to give "immediate consideration" to concerns about the increased detentions and accidental shootings of journalists covering the conflict in Iraq. Representatives from Reuters and the Committee to Protect Journalists have complained to [...]

US Rep. Tom DeLay (R-TX) was ordered on Thursday to appear in a Texas court on October 21 for his initial appearance in connection with charges that he violated Texas election law . DeLay is accused of conspiring to use corporate donations to support candidates for the Texas legislature; state law allows corporate donations to [...]

US military officials said Thursday in testimony before the US Senate Armed Services Committee that they are confident that Iraq will vote to approve the draft constitution in the upcoming October 15 referendum, but warned that approval is "critically important" to avoid a descent into anarchy. Under Iraq's Transitional Administrative Law , a majority must [...]