Uruguay takes step toward legalizing abortion
Uruguay took a step toward legalizing abortion on Tuesday as lawmakers in the lower chamber of parliament narrowly passed a bill allowing the procedure under certain conditions.
26 September 2012
Swiss voters say no to tightening of smoking ban
Two-thirds of Swiss voters rejected a referendum Sunday to tighten a smoking ban, to the relief of hotels and restaurants, while two cantons split in a vote over keeping tax breaks for rich foreigners.
Activists seek ban on 'cruel' bullfights in France
France's top constitutional body will decide Friday on a request by animal-rights activists to ban bullfighting, defended in the south as an important tradition and key source of tourist revenue.
20 September 2012
Germany wrestles with ban on anti-Islam film screening
German politicians and Muslim groups are agonising over whether to ban a small far-right group from screening in public an anti-Islam film that has sparked violent protests from Pakistan to Sudan.
20 September 2012
Arizona police start enforcing new immigration law
Police in Arizona can now start asking crime suspects about their immigration status, as a contested law that raised fears of profiling of Hispanics took effect in a state bordering Mexico.
US powerless to act against anti-Islam inciters
As anti-American protests erupt in the Muslim world, the United States is powerless to act against those who incited the violence due to the freedoms enshrined in its cherished constitution.
New York imposes partial ban on huge soda drinks
New York on Thursday became the first city in the United States to impose a limited ban on super-sized soda drinks blamed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg for fueling a national obesity crisis.
14 September 2012
US judge nixes terror detention law
A New York federal judge shot down part of a controversial anti-terror law Wednesday that journalists and scholars worry could see them locked up indefinitely for speaking their minds.
Latinos denounce new Arizona immigration ruling
Immigrant rights activists voiced anger Wednesday after a judge upheld Arizona's right to enforce a so-called "show me your papers" law which critics say will lead to racial profiling of Hispanics.
06 September 2012
Brazil abortion stirs controversy
A Sao Paulo court allowed a woman to abort a four-month-old malformed fetus despite Brazil law only granting abortions in cases of rape or when the mother's life is in danger.
03 September 2012
US court rejects graphic cigarette warnings
A US court on Friday shot down orders to slap graphic anti-tobacco messages on cigarette packs, saying the government overstepped its authority by trying to "browbeat" smokers into quitting.
26 August 2012
Arizona governor limits immigrant benefits
On the day undocumented migrants lined up across the US to apply for deportation deferrals, Arizona's governor ordered state agencies to deny them driver's licenses and other benefits.
New Yorkers against super-size soda ban
An overwhelming majority of New Yorkers oppose Mayor Michael Bloomberg's unprecedented proposal for banning super-sized sweet drinks and his support for breastfeeding.