The UK House of Lords on Thursday upheld an appeals court ruling that the creation of "designer babies" to treat siblings with genetic disorders was allowed. Five law lords unanimously ruled that the Human and Fertilization and Embryology Authority could allow tissue typing treatment. The decision stemmed from a 2003 case in which the parents [...]

The US Army is planning to issue a revised interrogations manual that will expressly limit techniques used at Abu Ghraib prison that drew outrage when publicly revealed. Army officials on Wednesday said that the new manual, the first revision in 13 years, prohibits stripping prisoners, forcing them to remain in stress positions, imposing dietary restrictions, [...]

Food services corporation Sodexho has agreed to an $80 million settlement with thousands of black employees who had sued the company claiming they were routinely discriminated against. The settlement, reached Wednesday, requires Sodexho to undertake certain steps to improve diversity in its ranks, including promotion incentives and training programs. The two sides reached agreement at [...]

Iraqi lawmakers have approved a partial Cabinet for the country's interim government after months of delay over the final list. Incoming Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari submitted a list that included 27 ministers and 5 acting ministers, which received overwhelming approval Wednesday from the interim National Assembly. The Cabinet includes members of primary Shiite, Sunni and [...]

A day after the BBC published a leaked document appearing to contain part of the UK Attorney General's advice to the Prime Minister on the legality of the Iraq war, 10 Downing Street Thursday released the full text of the advice, dated March 7, 2003. In the document the Attorney General, Lord Goldsmith, indicated that [...]

Mexican President Vicente Fox announced in a nationwide TV broadcast Wednesday night that he had accepted the resignation of Mexican Attorney General Rafael Macedo De La Concha. De La Concha had been at the forefront of efforts to prosecute popular Mexico City mayor Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador for contempt, strip him of political immunity, and [...]

The United States Wednesday formally indicated its opposition to the reappointment of International Atomic Energy Agency head Mohamed ElBaradei to a third term, citing his stances on Iran's nuclear program and nuclear inspections in Iraq prior to the March 2003 war. In the wake of the US announcement the IAEA Board decided to postpone its [...]

The US House of Representatives passed a bill late Wednesday that would make it illegal to take minors across the state lines for abortions. The option is seen as a way of getting around parental consent laws legislated in some states. Although HR 748, the Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act passed 270-157 with 54 Democrats [...]

A document leaked to the BBC has raised new questions about the nature of the legal advice UK Prime Minister Tony Blair received from his Attorney General, Lord Goldsmith, on the eve of the Iraq war. The document , dated March 7, 2003, suggested that the "safest legal course would be to secure the adoption [...]

Members of the US Senate Intelligence Committee told senior Bush administration officials Wednesday that lack of disclosure regarding enforcement of the Patriot Act was hurting efforts to renew 15 key provisions set to expire at the end of this year. Senators noted public concerns about govermment spying prompted by insufficient information about the act, and [...]