Jacob Zuma was inaugurated as president of South Africa in an exuberant ceremony Saturday filled with heads of state and former presidents.
Tag Archives: parliament
UK’s Brown suffers first defeat — on Gurkhas
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown suffered a stinging defeat in Parliament Wednesday, losing a vote over the right of Ghurkha veterans to settle in the United Kingdom. It was the first time Brown has lost a vote in parliament since he became prime minister in 2007
Afghanistan ‘rape’ law puts women’s rights front and center
"In Afghanistan, the sacrifice in the political game is women and children," female Afghan parliamentarian Fawzia Koofi said.
Karzai: Afghanistan to review criticized sharia law
Amid mounting pressure from the West, Afghan President Hamid Karzai says his government will review a recently approved version of a law that critics say legalizes marital rape and the U.S. president has called "abhorrent." “We understand the concerns of our allies in the international community,” Karzai told reporters Saturday.
Sweden passes same-sex marriage law
Sweden’s parliament on Wednesday approved same-sex marriage legislation, according to the parliament’s Web site.
Hungarian PM offers to step down
Hungarian Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany said Saturday he was open to resigning, saying a new government may be needed to address the country’s economic woes.
Italian Senate to weigh comatose woman’s fate
An emergency decree that could prevent doctors from finishing removing the feeding tube of a woman who has been comatose for 17 years was sent to the Italian Senate on Friday night for a vote. Parliament must act quickly because doctors began removing the feeding tube Friday morning, and Italian media quoted them as saying the procedure can be reversed only within the first 48 hours, in this case by Sunday morning.