The government of The Netherlands is considering a ban on the burka , the Muslim article of clothing for women that leaves only the eyes visible. Dutch Integration Minister Rita Verdonk , known domestically as the "Iron Lady" for her tough anti-immigration initiatives, says she will explore where and when the burka should be banned, [...]

British authorities in Iraq have said that the UK will pay compensation for damages and injuries caused when British troops stormed a Basra jail to free two detained British soldiers last month. The soldiers, apparently undercover members of the SAS, had been accused of killing an Iraqi policeman, wounding another, and carrying false identification. The [...]

Turkish prosecutors have rejected a demand by Ankara's deputy governor to shut down a new homosexual association. The governor's office urged that the title and purpose of the Kaos Gay and Lesbian Cultural Research and Solidarity Association violated the Turkish Civil Code, which prohibits associations against law and morality, but prosecutors disagreed. Homosexuality has never [...]

The Uzbekistan interior ministry on Thursday denied allegations that they used illegal torture methods to extract confessions from the 15 men on trial for the political uprising in Andijan , which led to government troops killing 500 . The 15 men currently on trial for attempting to build an Islamic state have all given long, [...]

Iran's judiciary has finalized a list of charges against ousted Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein , which include charges of genocide, crimes against humanity, violations of international law, and using prohibited chemical weapons. These charges stem from the 1980-1988 war fought between Iraq and Iran, during which Iraq attempted to grab land in Iran's oil-rich southwest [...]

Britain's House of Lords on Thursday upheld legislation which makes hunting wild mammals with dogs throughout England and Wales a criminal offense. The 1949 Parliament Act was used late last year to push the Hunting Act 2004 through a recalcitrant House of Lords and the Countryside Alliance challenged the ban, calling it unconstitutional. The case [...]

The Philippine government has agreed "in principle" to give southern Muslims the authority to develop their own tax system, build their own institutions, and write their own charter, according to a report in Thursday's Philippine Daily Inquirer confirmed by an anonymous government official. The official said the government's peace panel is optimistic that a final [...]

The US Securities and Exchange Commission has subpoenaed personal records of Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist in its investigation into possible insider trading by Frist, the Washington Post reported Thursday . The subpoena was reportedly issued at some time in the past two weeks, sources said. The SEC's investigation had previously been announced , but [...]

China has expressed "resolute opposition" to a US report critical of the country for its handling of human and religious rights, with a spokesman from the Foreign Ministry of China arguing that the US was meddling in China's internal affairs. The report was released earlier this week by the US Congressional-Executive Commission on China , [...]

US District Judge Thomas F. Hogan has lifted a contempt order against New York Times reporter Judith Miller following her testimony Wednesday before a federal grand jury investigating the 2003 leak of the identity of CIA operative Valerie Plame . Judge Hogan lifted the order hours after Miller testified for a second time before the [...]