Eighteen people convicted in the 2002 bombings in Bali that killed 202 people, have had their sentences cut by several months to celebrate Indonesia's Independence Day, prison wardens announced Wednesday. It is an Indonesian custom to reduce the sentences of inmates who exhibit good behavior on national holidays, with the exception of those serving life [...]

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Following gang riots that left at least 33 prison inmates dead Monday, Guatemalan Interior Minister Carlos Vielmann asked the Guatemalan Congress Tuesday for permission to build new maximum security prisons as part of a new security law. Hundreds of inmates belonging to rival gangs Mara Salvatrucha and Mara 18, living in at least 6 different [...]

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A Michigan court heard arguments from attorneys representing 21 gay couples and Governor Jennifer Granholm Tuesday, who argued that the state's constitution does not prevent local governments and universities from extending benefits to the domestic partners of gay employees. A constitutional amendment approved by voters in 2004 made the union between a man and a [...]

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The Israeli army began evicting residents of Gaza Wednesday, and despite heavy resistance in some areas, officials believe the evacuation could be complete within 48 hours. Of the 21 Jewish settlements in the Gaza strip and four isolated West Bank settlements to be evacuated, two of them are already empty and it is estimated that [...]

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Royal Dutch/Shell Group has said that it will appeal a decision which allows a class action lawsuit for stock fraud to continue against the company. A federal judge ruled Tuesday that the suit, questioning whether Shell's statements on its reserves purposely misrepresented important facts, adequately showed reason for further investigation into the shareholder plaintiffs' allegations. [...]

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