Indonesia’s re-elected president will need bold new team to tackle country’s corruption woes

JAKARTA, Indonesia — The next challenge for Indonesia’s president, after winning re-election in a likely landslide, will be assembling a government that is bold enough to take on persistent corruption, poverty and human rights violations seen to be holding back the young democracy.

Islamic court in Somalia postpones amputations for 4 men, citing sweltering weather

NAIROBI, Kenya — An Islamic court in Somalia that sentenced four men to have a hand and a leg cut off postponed the punishment Tuesday, saying the sweltering weather could cause them to bleed to death.

International human rights organizations say Iranian protesters, reformists detained

CAIRO — International human rights organizations said Wednesday that many prominent activists and politicians have been arrested in Iran in response to protests over the country’s disputed presidential election.

Conn. lawmakers say they won’t ban wild animals as pets, want to protect farm

HARTFORD, Conn. — The Connecticut General Assembly won’t take up a bill this session banning a long list of wild and potentially dangerous animals as pets.

UN condemns ‘bloodbath’ in northern Sri Lanka; doctor estimates up to 1,000 civilians killed

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — The United Nations condemned a “bloodbath” in Sri Lanka’s northern war zone Monday after two days of shelling that a government doctor said killed as many as 1,000 ethnic Tamil civilians — including 106 children.

Gruesome history for sale: torture devices from the past, in attempt to stop it in the present

NEW YORK — For sale soon: a variety of torture devices from the 16th century, including “shame masks” to enforce silence, a 14-foot table-like rack to stretch the victim’s body, and a “tongue tearer” to punish blasphemers and heretics. Even an executioner’s sword.

Press freedom group urges IMF to link Sri Lanka loan to improved rights

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — The International Monetary Fund must insist that Sri Lanka’s government respect media rights and the rule of law before granting any new lending, a press freedom group said Tuesday.

Pakistani government fiddling as NWFP burns: Amnesty International

PESHAWAR - Concerned at the plight of thousands of people who are at the mercy of the ‘abusive and repressive’ Taliban in the NWFP’s Buner district following the insurgent’s invasion of the region, the international human rights organization Amnesty International (AI) has severely criticized the Pakistan Government for its callous attitude towards the issue.

‘KNP concerned over missing people in Muzaffarabad’

LONDON - Kashmir National Party Spokesman Dr Shabir Choudhry has expressed serious concern over disappearance of Kashmiri youths from Muzaffarabad. Over the months dozens of young men have disappeared from Muzaffarabad, and people are really concerned about this, said Dr Shabir Choudhry.

Algeria’s president wins election

ALGIERS - Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika was elected to an unprecedented third five-year term with 90.24 percent of the vote, Interior Minister Nouredine Yazid Zerhouni announced Friday.

China accounts for three in five global executions: Amnesty

NEW YORK - China accounts for nearly three-quarters of the world’s total executions, according to Amnesty, the human rights watchdog.

Bangladesh border guards’ mutiny over: Government

DHAKA - The 33-hour mutiny by Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) troopers ended Thursday evening as the rebels laid down their arms in the face of an imminent attack by the army, which had moved tanks into position for an assault on the BDR headquarters here.

Tanks close in on BDR headquarters, army ready to strike

DHAKA - Tanks rumbled on the roads leading to the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) headquarters in the capital city Thursday as the army prepared to suppress the mutiny by the border guards.

Myanmar starts releasing over 6,000 prisoners under amnesty

YANGON - Myanmar authorities Saturday began to free prisoners from Yangon’s notorious Insein jail, including some political prisoners, under a government amnesty for 6,313 inmates nationwide.

Amnesty denounces Sri Lanka suicide bombing

COLOMBO - Amnesty International has condemned the suicide bombing in Sri Lanka that killed 30 people, calling it a violation of international law.

Sri Lanka’s ‘no’ to talks with Tigers

COLOMBO - Sri Lanka has rejected a suggestion that it should discuss ‘modalities to end hostilities’ with the Tamil Tigers, saying that ‘nothing short of unconditional surrender’ would be permitted.

Activists in capital protest Mangalore pub incident

NEW DELHI - Demanding immediate re-arrest of the 28 accused in the Mangalore pub incident, who are out on bail, and a stop to all moral policing that mainly targets women, activists and students protested in front of the Karnataka Bhavan in the capital Tuesday.