Murder
Bahrain's state media announced yesterday that a military court sentenced four protesters to death and three others to life in prison for their roles in the killing of two policemen during anti-government demonstrations last month. The sentenced protesters were convicted of premeditated murder, with the military prosecutor presenting
Government resistance
As protests and crackdowns in Libya intensify, international diplomats are calling for restraint, while simultaneously looking for a way forward in Egypt, which has weathered its own popular uprising. The bloodiest of the anti-government protests sweeping the Arab world, Libya's situation has drawn condemnation from human rights groups
Government resistance
The Kurdistan regional government in Iraq has faced mounting criticism from human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, over the use of force against anti-government protesters. The situation escalated after a 17-year-old boy, Serkho Mohammed, was killed during clashes between protesters and armed militia affiliated with the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP)
Murder
The United Nations has condemned the brutal murder of David Kato, a prominent gay activist and human rights defender in Uganda. Kato was a leading voice against the country's Anti-Homosexuality Bill, which prohibits homosexual relations and contains provisions for punishing people for their sexual orientation. The UN has
Murder
David Kato, a Ugandan gay rights activist, was found bludgeoned to death in his home in Mukono, Uganda, according to his lawyer, John Onyango. Kato's name and photographs were published on a list of "top 100 homosexuals" by a Ugandan tabloid, sparking anti-gay sentiments in the
Murder
Human rights activist Natalia Estemirova's abduction and murder in Chechnya has sparked widespread condemnation and raised concerns about the brutal suppression of dissent in the region. Estemirova, 50, had fled Chechnya in 2008 after receiving death threats from President Ramzan Kadyrov, but returned in the summer to continue
Murder
Natalia Estemirova, a tireless human rights activist, dedicated the past decade to documenting abuses in Chechnya, where she was kidnapped and murdered on July 15, 2009. Born in 1958, Estemirova's background as a half-Russian, half-Chechen allowed her to navigate the complex web of ethnic tensions in the Caucasus
Prime ministers
Thousands of anti-government protesters, calling for Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's resignation, disrupted an Asian summit in Pattaya, Thailand, where leaders from 16 nations were gathering to tackle the global financial crisis and boost trade within the region. Despite an all-day standoff with soldiers in riot gear, the
Prime ministers
Anti-government protesters have attacked a car carrying Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, shattering the windows but leaving the leader unhurt. The incident occurred on a day before an opposition rally, sparking concerns of "civil war" in Thailand. The protesters, supporters of ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, have called
City councils
A vocal neurosurgeon in St. Petersburg, Dr. David McKalip, is leading a tax revolt movement, targeting city council members who he believes have raised taxes too much. McKalip has created the political action group Cut Taxes Now, aimed at educating Pinellas County residents on the voting histories of its elected
City councils
A lawsuit was filed against the federal government and the Indiana state highway commissioner over Interstate 69, a $2 billion project that would extend 142 miles and pass through Martinsville and Bloomington. The lawsuit claims that the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) is biased against the idea of upgrading U.
World Trade Organization
Environmental organizations and rich and poor countries are joining together to call for rules to be used to ban government subsidies to fishing operations that contribute to overfishing at the World Trade Organization's ministerial conference. Trade and agriculture ministers from the United States, the European Union, Brazil, Senegal,
