US judge blocks New York ban on giant fizzy drinks
A New York judge blocked mayor Michael Bloomberg's planned ban on giant sodas Monday, dealing a setback to his public health agenda just hours before curbs on selling such drinks were due to begin.
12 March 2013
Queen to sign rights charter: palace
Britain's Queen Elizabeth II was on Monday to sign a charter calling for an end to discrimination across the 54 Commonwealth nations.
11 March 2013
Gun legislation getting holstered on Capitol Hill
Three months after Newtown, the prospects for President Barack Obama's ambitious gun control measures have dimmed, as hopes for expanded background checks clash with stubborn political realities.
10 March 2013
Swiss overwhelmingly vote for golden parachute ban
A large majority of Swiss voted Sunday to rein in executive pay and force business leaders to give up golden parachutes, according to final results of the popular vote.
Amsterdam raises legal age for prostitution to 21
The city of Amsterdam said Tuesday it will raise the legal age of prostitutes from 18 to 21 and announced plans to close brothels during the early morning hours in a bid to protect sex workers.
28 February 2013
Putin signs law banning smoking in public places
President Vladimir Putin has signed a law banning smoking in public places in Russia from June, a cornerstone of the government's bid to improve public health in the nicotine-addicted country.
25 February 2013
Obama asks Supreme Court to overturn gay marriage ban
The Barack Obama administration on Friday formally asked the US Supreme Court to strike down a 1996 law defining marriage exclusively as a union between a man and a woman.
Philippines hopes law will avert launder blacklisting
The Philippines hopes to avoid being put on a blacklist of money-laundering havens after President Benigno Aquino signed a new law boosting safeguards against such crimes.
16 February 2013
Senators propose first US carbon tax
US senators proposed a tax on carbon emissions Thursday amid growing calls for action on climate change, but the bill is expected to face staunch opposition from many conservatives.
15 February 2013
New Zealand lawmaker calls for Muslim flight ban
A New Zealand politician has labelled young Muslim men a terrorist threat who should be banned from Western airlines, sparking condemnation from Prime Minister John Key on Tuesday.
12 February 2013
Gay rights mostly out of reach in central, eastern Europe
Ania and Yga have been inseparable for the last 17 years, living together as a couple in the Polish capital Warsaw but their love is seen as second class in this deeply Roman Catholic country.
11 February 2013
Gay and lesbian adoptions the new norm in Quebec
"I would like to have a mother, but I wouldn't want to lose my two dads," says Frida, a radiant six-year-old Canadian girl unaware of the international controversy raging over gay parenting rights.
Irish lawmakers vote to liquidate Anglo Irish Bank
Irish lawmakers voted through emergency legislation to liquidate the former Anglo Irish bank early Thursday, as part of a deal to ease the eurozone country's massive debt burden.
07 February 2013
US lawmakers introduce gun trafficking bill
Lawmakers from both parties unveiled a bill Tuesday cracking down on "straw purchasers" who traffic firearms to criminals, the first in a series of new gun control measures expected in Congress.
