US lawmakers Wednesday called on the White House to encourage expansion of human rights and religious freedoms in Vietnam as Vietnamese Prime Minister Phan Van Khai continued his landmark visit to the US, the first by a Vietnamese head of government since the end of the Vietnam War 30 years ago. The meetings were largely [...]

The New York Senate on Wednesday approved a bill which would provide for over-the-counter sales of emergency contraceptives. The current law requires a physician's visit, which State Sen. Nicholas Spano (R-Westchester) , the bill's sponsor, said involves "frequent difficulties". Similar measures had passed New York's Assembly three years in a row, but this was the [...]

A report released Wednesday by the Democratic National Committee found problems during the voting process in Ohio during the November 2004 election, but also found no evidence of fraud. A large number of complaints were made about long lines, intimidation, and misfunctioning machines; these prompted various legal actions but those ultimately went nowhere. DNC chairman [...]

Iran's official news agency reported on Thursday that at least 26 people, including a military figure, have been arrested for suspected election violations commited during last week's first round of presidential voting. The close voting required a partial recount and raised immediate allegations of fraud , an issue which is still a concern in Friday's [...]

Manfred Nowak , the UN special investigator on torture, complained Thursday that the US was stalling on his request to visit detainees at Guantanamo . A US spokeswoman denied any delay, however, and put the lack of response to the mid-April request down to the request review process, which involves the White House, Congress, and [...]

Strengthening Transparency, Governance, Accountability; Panel on the Nonprofit Sector, June 22, 2005 . Excerpt: This report is a vital part of the charitable community's commitment to keeping the public trust. Developed with the input of nonprofit leaders, experts, and volunteers, it offers a comprehensive approach to strengthening accountability. Its recommendations are a carefully integrated package [...]

H.J. Res. 10, Proposing an amendment to prohibit the physical desecration of the flag of the US, approved by the US House of Representatives on June 22, 2005 . Read the full text of the amendment here. Reported in JURIST's Paper Chase here.

The independent Panel on the Nonprofit Sector released a report Wednesday recommending that Congress require charities to develop stricter policies on the disclosure of financial information by retaining external independent accountants, reveal more details on executive compensation, and complete government information returns. The panel also suggested that Congress request audits of charities reporting annual revenues [...]

Four countries seeking permanent representation on the UN Security Council – Japan, Brazil, India, and Germany – said Wednesday at a foreign ministry meeting in Brussels that they would request a July vote on their Security Council reform resolution . The countries, known collectively as the G-4, originally planned to call for a vote later [...]

The Colombian Congress passed a bill Wednesday which gives lesser punishments to paramilitary leaders who disarm, admit their crimes, compensate victims, and return stolen goods. The bill, announced last week , was approved after Colombian President Alvaro Uribe made it more stringent after a warning by US lawmakers that its impact would not be strict [...]