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.
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.
British lawmakers approve gay marriage in historic vote
British lawmakers voted in favour of controversial legislation allowing gay marriage on Tuesday despite fierce opposition from members of Prime Minister David Cameron's own party.
06 February 2013
Cuba says Obama 'misinformed' on island affairs
A senior Cuban official lashed out at President Barack Obama on Friday for linking improved human rights in the country to better diplomatic ties, and suggesting the communist island had outdated policies.
Japan PM says to change post-war constitution
Japan's hawkish Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told parliament Thursday that he intends to change the country's post-World War II constitution, lowering the bar for further amendments.
Obama: 'the time is now' for immigration reform
President Barack Obama said Tuesday that long-sought reforms to a "broken" immigration system were within America's grasp, seeking to lock in rare momentum towards a major cross-party compromise.
31 January 2013
Spurred by Japan, California mulls quake alert system
California has long been braced for the Big One, but now a proposed new early warning system seeks to give the US state's residents vital extra seconds before a major earthquake hits.
31 January 2013
Obama to harness immigration reform momentum
President Barack Obama heads to Las Vegas Tuesday to begin to mobilize the US public behind a comprehensive immigration reform drive that could provide a glittering second-term legacy achievement.