Britain Bans Exports of Execution Drug Sought by U.S.

After first resisting the efforts of human rights and legal advocates, the British government has now backed down and placed an immediate ban on the export of lethal injection drugs to be used in U.S. executions.

MEXICO: Oaxaca Voters Hope for Change

"A dark chapter has come to a close in the history of Oaxaca. A chapter that must never again be repeated," said lawmaker Flavio Sosa, the head of the social movement that brought this southern Mexican state to its knees for several months in 2006 and was brutally repressed.

U.S.: Military’s Anti-Gay Policy May Be in Final Days

The ongoing effort to repeal the policy banning gays and lesbians from openly serving in the U.S. military got more ammunition Tuesday when the U.S. Department of Defence released a report finding that its repeal would cause only minimal short-term disruption to the military.

U.N. a Playground for Spies of all Political Stripes

The United Nations has long been a veritable playground for spooks of all political stripes to spy on each other - going back to the days of the U.S.-Soviet Cold War in the 1960s and '70s.

Security Council Hopefuls Stymied by Myriad Squabbles

Who is responsible for stalling reform of the U.N. Security Council? The exclusive club of five nuclear-armed industrialised countries, or those from the developing world who have little say in decision-making on issues of international peace and security?

Russians Refuted U.S. Claim of Iranian Missile Threat to Europe

A diplomatic cable from last February released by Wikileaks provides a detailed account of how Russian specialists on the Iranian ballistic missile programme refuted the U.S. suggestion that Iran has missiles that could target European capitals or intends to develop such a capability.

From DREAM to Nightmare, Deportations Soar in U.S.

While the U.S. Congress idles on the passage of the DREAM Act, immigrants here face ever harsher treatment. The rate of deportations has increased by 1,200 percent since 1990, from 30,000 per year then to a staggering 360,000 under the Barack Obama administration.

MIDEAST: Egypt’s Duplicity Stands Exposed

More than 250,000 classified U.S. diplomatic cables released by online whistle- blower WikiLeaks include statements made behind closed doors that could prove embarrassing for Egypt’s government, say analysts.

RIGHTS-JAPAN: Lay Judges Open Up Judicial System

It recently handed down two death sentences just a few days apart, leaving many of those against capital punishment upset. But legal experts say Japan’s lay-judge system is changing this country’s criminal justice process for the better, largely because it is making this process closer to the public.

U.S.: No Top Secrets, but Damaging Nonetheless

While the massive dump of some 250,000 internal U.S. diplomatic communications by Wikileaks includes none marked "top secret", their dissemination is already causing considerable embarrassment and may well inflict longer-term damage on Washington's foreign relations.

U.S.: Wikileaks Reveals Treacherous Terrain for Iran Policy

The leaked reports sent by U.S. officials abroad to Washington reveal a treacherous playing field for the United States in the Middle East.

CHILE: Doubt Cast on Government’s Commitment to Human Rights

The Chilean government's commitment to the protection and promotion of human rights has been called into question by a new report by a university human rights centre.

Leaked Cables Cast Light on Bungled CIA Kidnapping

Wikileaks' spectacular paper dump of U.S. diplomatic cables may not yet have produced any blockbusters, but many of the restricted or secret documents released to the world on Sunday have served to peel back the scabs of serious injuries inflicted by the administration of George W. Bush.

U.S.: Clock Ticks on Immigration Reform Bill

Democratic lawmakers will attempt to summon up their waning power by using the so-called "lame duck" session of Congress to pass what will likely be the closest they will get to comprehensive immigration reform.

CLIMATE CHANGE: Will Year of Extremes End with a Whimper?

This year will likely be the warmest ever recorded, with soaring ocean temperatures resulting in a near record die-off of tropical corals, extreme heat and drought in Russia and massive flooding in Pakistan - all signs that climate change has taken hold.

MIGRATION: Swiss Vote In an ‘Illegal Law’

Just a year after banning the construction of minarets, Swiss voters have approved a right-wing initiative demanding the automatic expulsion of criminal foreigners. The initiative violates international law.

India Bleeding Through Illegal Transfers

A new report suggesting that illegal transfers of funds into accounts abroad by India’s corrupt politicians, officials and businessmen average 19.3 billion dollars a year could turn out to be a "gross underestimate", watchdogs warn.

PAKISTAN: Death Sentence Revives Calls to Scrap Blasphemy Laws

What began as altercation among farm workers has become a full-blown nightmare for Pakistani mother Asia Bibi, one that points to her being led to the gallows.

CLIMATE CHANGE-INDIA: Scientists Warn, Gov’t Must Act

India’s first-ever major scientific assessment of its climate change scenario by the 2030s, released in November, has the report’s scientists rooting for the government to take concrete action.

Migrant Population on Track to Hit 400 Million

The population of migrants worldwide could rise above 400 million by 2050 if present rates of growth continue, says a report by the International Organisation for Migration released Monday.

NORTH-EAST ASIA: Calls Rise for Sober Response to Pyongyang

The days after North Korea’s shelling of a South Korean island have seen anger rise from Seoul and its allies, but some analysts say this plays into Pyongyang’s agenda and call for a more sober approach to one of Asia’s most serious security flashpoints.