The trial of former Bosnian Serb military commander Ratko Mladic began May 16 before the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in The Hague. He faces 11 charges of war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity stemming from the Bosnian war in the 1990s.
See "Truth Commissions," CQ Global Researcher, Jan. 2010.
A 16-year-old Connecticut driver was arrested May 15 after police found evidence that she was using the keypad of a hand-held cellphone when she fatally hit a jogger in March. She faces negligent homicide and two other charges. Connecticut is among 10 states, along with the District of Columbia, that bans hand-held cellphone use while driving.
See "Distracted Driving," CQ Researcher, May 4, 2012.
Democratic California Gov. Jerry Brown proposed $8.3 billion in spending cuts for the state on May 14, including pay cuts for state employees and reduced spending on social programs and prisons. He warned that California was facing an estimated $15.7 billion budget shortfall, up from $9.2 billion in January.
See "State Budget Crisis," CQ Researcher, Sept. 11, 2009.
Researchers at England’s Newcastle University reported May 10 that 25,000 international adoptions were carried out in 2011, the lowest number in 15 years. The decline was attributed to crackdowns against baby-selling, a sputtering world economy and efforts by countries to keep adoptions within their borders.
See "International Adoption," CQ Global Researcher, Dec. 6, 2011.
The Justice Department sued Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Arizona’s Maricopa County (Phoenix) May 10 for allegedly targeting Latinos during patrols by his department. The lawsuit also alleges a pattern of harassing and arresting critics of his policies. Arpaio denied the allegations and said the truth would come out in court.
See "Immigration Conflict," CQ Researcher, March 9, 2012.
President Obama told ABC News May 9 that he supports same-sex marriage, putting him at odds with presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney. The announcement comes a day after North Carolina voters approved an amendment to the state constitution that bars recognition of same-sex marriages.
See "Gay Marriage Showdowns," CQ Researcher, Sept. 26, 2008.
The Senate voted on May 8 to block consideration of a Democratic bill that would prevent the doubling of some student loan interest rates. Senate Republicans opposed the measure because it called for raising taxes on wealthy taxpayers to compensate for the loss of revenue.
See "Student Debt," CQ Researcher, Oct. 21, 2011.
Francois Hollande defeated French incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy to become the nation’s first socialist president since Francois Mitterrand left office in 1995. Experts say his victory will pose a challenge to the German-dominated vision of economic austerity as a way to remedy the euro crisis.
See "Future of the EU," CQ Global Researcher, April 17, 2012.
Hours after blind Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng left the U.S. embassy in Beijing on May 2, 2012, he said he wanted to leave China because authorities had threatened his wife’s life. Chen – who was arrested for speaking out against forced abortions and sterilizations in China – had sought refuge in the fortified American compound after escaping house arrest April 22. See
U.S.-China Relations, CQ Researcher, May 7, 2010, updated May 24, 2011; and
Gendercide Crisis, CQ Global Researcher, Oct. 4, 2011.
Criminal charges were expected to be filed May 2, 2012, against Florida A&M University marching band members allegedly involved in the hazing death last November of drum major Robert Champion, police said. Champion, 26, died after being severely beaten following a football game. See
“Crime on Campus,” CQ Researcher, Feb. 4, 2011;
“Bullying,” CQ Researcher, Feb. 4, 2005; and
“Hazing,” CQ Researcher, Jan. 9, 2004.
In a scathing report May 1, 2012, a parliamentary committee in London concluded that global media tycoon Rupert Murdoch, whose British newspaper operation has been embroiled in a massive hacking scandal, is “not a fit person to exercise the stewardship of a major international company.” See
“Computer Hacking,” CQ Researcher, Sept. 16, 2011.
Chinese President Hu Jintao agreed on April 24 to provide bank loans and humanitarian aid to South Sudan as it recovers from war with its former parent country to the north, Sudan. Hu, however, did not promise to construct an oil pipeline as South Sudan had hoped. Experts say Hu refused because China is in a delicate position by being the largest energy investor in both Sudan and South Sudan.
See "China in Africa," CQ Global Researcher, Jan. 2008.
Russian Prime Minister and President-elect Vladimir Putin said on April 24 that he will step down as chairman of United Russia, the political party he has led since 2008, and hand over the reins to current President Dmitri Medvedev. The move is aimed at strengthening United Russia’s popularity, which has been dropping since allegations of vote-rigging during December’s parliamentary elections.
See "Russia in Turmoil," CQ Global Researcher, Feb. 21, 2012.
Sanford, Fla., Police Chief Bill Lee Jr. resigned April 23 following his department’s controversial handling of the shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. Lee and his department have come under fire for not arresting neighborhood-watch volunteer George Zimmerman, who shot Martin and is charged with second-degree murder. Zimmerman claims the shooting was in self-defense. He was recently released from jail on $150,000 bond.
See "Police Misconduct," CQ Researcher, April 6, 2012.
A Seattle-area fertility clinic began advertising in a Canadian newspaper April 18 that sex-selective in vitro fertilization is now available. The ads were targeting Indo-Canadians, who have a cultural preference for boys. In a procedure critics say could encourage female infanticide, the Washington Center for Reproductive Medicine offers readers a chance to “create the family you want - boy or girl.”
See "Gendercide Crisis," CQ Global Researcher, Oct. 4, 2011.
European Union officials said on April 19 the bloc will suspend for a year most sanctions against Myanmar – also known as Burma – while it assesses the country’s progress toward democracy. The sanctions restrict trade and access to development aid for about 800 Burmese companies.
See "Democracy in Southeast Asia," CQ Global Researcher, June 2010.
Egypt’s election commission rejected the appeals of three presidential contenders on April 17, ending their chances to become the country’s first elected leader since Hosni Mubarak. The Islamist candidates were disqualified for not meeting candidacy requirements.
See "Turmoil in the Arab World," CQ Global Researcher, May 3, 2011.
Space Shuttle Discovery arrived in the Washington, D.C.-area April 17, set to be displayed at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. The shuttle made its last trip into space in February 2011, the third-to-last mission of NASA’s 30-year Space Shuttle program.
See "Space Program," CQ Researcher, Feb. 24, 2012.
Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner proposed a bill April 16 to nationalize the YPF oil company, which is currently controlled by Spain’s Repsol. She said the move is aimed at recovering the nation’s sovereignty over its hydrocarbon resources.
See "Energy Nationalism," CQ Global Researcher, July 2007.
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda said April 13 that Japan plans to restart two nuclear power plants in the western part of the country after testing their tolerance for earthquakes and tsunamis. The Fukushima Daiichi plant in central Japan was disabled in 2011 by a 9.0 earthquake and ensuing tsunami.
See "Nuclear Power," CQ Researcher, June 10, 2011.
Nine Peruvian miners were rescued April 11 after being trapped six days in an abandoned copper mine in the southern part of the country. Rescuers built a reinforced tunnel allowing the miners to return to the surface. The miners became trapped after setting off an explosion last week.
See "Mine Safety," CQ Researcher, June 24, 2011.
Two earthquakes, measuring 8.6 and 8.2 on the Richter scale, struck off the coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra on April 11. There were no reports of casualties or significant damage. The region was struck in 2004 by a quake measuring 9.3 that killed at least 230,000 in 14 countries, largely due to ensuing tsunamis.
See "Earthquake Threat," CQ Researcher, April 9, 2010.
Former Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., suspended his presidential campaign on April 10. He did not specify his reasons, but did refer to his daughter’s battle with pneumonia. Santorum told presumed GOP nominee Mitt Romney that he is committed to helping him defeat President Obama in the general election.
See "Presidential Election," CQ Researcher, Feb. 3, 2012.
Social networking site Facebook agreed to buy mobile-centric photo-sharing service Instagram on April 9 for $1 billion in cash and stock. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said he hopes the acquisition will help Facebook users share photos with people who have common interests.
See "Social Networking," CQ Researcher, Sept. 17, 2010.
The chancellor of the California community college system, amid recent protests that resulted in police pepper spraying students, asked Santa Monica College on April 5 to delay its plan to charge higher tuition for popular courses. He questions the legality of the program, and critics say it will make college unaffordable for some students.
See "The Value of a College Education," CQ Researcher, Nov. 20, 2009.
The Connecticut state Senate has approved a bill that would abolish the death penalty and make life imprisonment the maximum possible sentence for all future cases. The bill is expected to be approved by the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives and Democratic Gov. Dan Malloy.
See "Death Penalty Debates," CQ Researcher, Nov. 19, 2010.
The European Commission opened two antitrust cases April 3 against communications giant Motorola Mobility, which is accused of abusing its patents by imposing unfair licensing conditions. The investigations could affect Google, which is seeking final regulatory approval for its purchase of the company.
See "Google's Dominance," CQ Researcher, Nov. 11, 2011.
At least two large tornados tore through the Dallas area on April 3, tearing roofs off homes, tossing trucks in the air and flattening tractor trailers along highways. The National Weather Service said smaller twisters also ripped through the area.
See "Extreme Weather," CQ Researcher, Sept. 9, 2011.
A Johns Hopkins study published April 2 concludes that sequencing a person’s DNA will provide little information about what illnesses he or she may develop. Scientists say behavior, environment and random events also play important roles in determining one’s medical future.
See "Genes and Health," CQ Researcher, Jan. 21, 2011.
The Republican-controlled House of Representatives approved a budget plan March 29 that would restructure Medicare, rewrite the tax code and slash federal spending. The plan, which differs sharply from President Obama’s budget proposal, is not expected to pass the Democratic-controlled Senate.
See "National Debt," CQ Researcher, March 18, 2011.
Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi announced March 28 that international talks on his country’s disputed nuclear program are planned for April 13 in Istanbul. Representatives from the United States, China, France, Germany, Great Britain and Russia are expected to attend.
See "Rising Tension Over Iran," CQ Global Researcher, Feb. 7, 2012; and
"U.S. Policy on Iran," CQ Researcher, Nov. 16, 2007.
Tunisia’s ruling Islamic party announced March 26 that Sharia law will not be enshrined in the country’s new constitution. Ennahda party leader Ziad Doulatli said the move is aimed at “strengthening the national consensus.”
See "Sharia Controversy," CQ Global Researcher, Jan. 3, 2012.
The University of Alabama approved March 26 a new compensation package for head football coach Nick Saban. He will be the highest paid coach in 2012 with a salary of $5.3 million. Saban led the school to its second national championship under his tenure in January.
See "College Football," CQ Researcher, Nov. 18, 2011.
The Chinese government said March 23 that it plans to stop transplanting organs from executed prisoners within three to five years. Chinese officials said infection rates are high among organs taken from executed inmates. The transplants have been under constant criticism from human rights groups.
See "Organ Trafficking," CQ Global Researcher, July 19, 2011; and
"Organ Donations," CQ Researcher, April 15, 2011.
The Senate passed legislation March 22 that would give prosecutors more legal options to pursue insider trading cases against members of Congress. President Obama has promised to sign the measure into law.
See "Financial Misconduct," CQ Researcher, Jan. 20, 2012.
The Supreme Court on March 21 extended the constitutional right to legal assistance in cases of plea-bargain deals that have been rejected or have lapsed due to bad lawyer advice. The ruling could allow a pair of convicted criminals in Michigan and Missouri to have their cases reopened.
See "Plea Bargaining," CQ Researcher, Feb. 12, 1999.
The NFL suspended New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton for one year on March 21 for covering up a bounty program that paid players to knock opponents out of games. Former defensive coordinator Gregg Williams was suspended indefinitely for running the program. The team was also fined $500,000.
See "Professional Football," CQ Researcher, Jan. 29, 2010, updated Oct. 11, 2011.
The Commerce Department said March 20 that it would impose tariffs on solar panels imported from China because the Chinese government provided illegal export subsidies to manufacturers. Additional tariffs could be imposed if officials decide China is flooding the U.S. market with panels priced below their actual cost.
See "U.S.-China Relations," CQ Researcher, May 7, 2010, updated May 24, 2011.
A gunman opened fire outside a Jewish school March 19 in the southwestern French city of Toulouse, killing four. It was the third shooting against unarmed citizens in the region in about a week. Government officials have called the latest incident an act of anti-Semitism.
See "Anti-Semitism in Europe," CQ Global Researcher, June 2008.
A jury convicted former Rutgers University student Dharun Ravi on March 16 of hate crimes for using a webcam to spy on his roommate kissing another man. Ravi was not, however, charged in the death of Tyler Clementi, who jumped off a bridge three days after the incident.
See "Cyberbullying," CQ Researcher, May 2, 2008.
New York lawmakers on March 15 approved a measure to reduce retirement benefits for future public employees in the state. Unions had sought to block the measure, but supporters said traditional benefits had become unaffordable.
See "Public-Employee Unions," CQ Researcher, April 8, 2011.
The Federal Reserve issued the results of financial stress tests on the balance sheets of 19 large financial institutions March 13, saying 15 could weather a sharp economic downturn but that four could need more capital.
See "Financial Industry Overhaul," CQ Researcher, July 30, 2010.
A U.S. Army sergeant reportedly went door to door in three villages in southern Afghanistan and killed 16 civilians, nine of them children. American military officials are working to find a motive.
See "Afghanistan Dilemma," CQ Researcher, Aug. 7, 2009, updated May 25, 2011.
The Labor Department reported March 9 that employers added 227,000 jobs to the economy in February. The strongest hiring came from professional and business services. The unemployment rate remained steady at 8.3 percent.
See "Jobs Outlook," CQ Researcher, June 4, 2010.
Republican Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell signed into law March 7 a bill requiring women to have abdominal ultrasound exams before undergoing abortions. He said the process makes women fully informed of their decision, but critics said it makes abortions more costly and infringes on privacy rights.
See "Abortion Debates," CQ Researcher, Sept. 10, 2010.
Minnesota’s largest school district agreed to sweeping changes March 6 aimed at preventing student harassment based on sexual orientation. The Anoka-Hennepin district will strengthen anti-bullying measures, hire a prevention official and bolster mental health counseling.
See "Preventing Bullying," CQ Researcher, Dec. 10, 2010; and
"Cyberbullying," CQ Researcher, May 2, 2008.
Oil prices climbed to their highest level in four years amid tensions in the Mideast that have led to fears of supply disruptions.
See “Oil Jitters,” CQ Researcher, Jan. 4, 2008, updated April 22, 2011.
In the wake of a potent storm system that raked parts of the Midwest and South on Wednesday, shocked residents of the small town of Harrisburg, Ill., among the worst hit communities, began digging through debris of destroyed homes and stores.
See “Extreme Weather,” CQ Researcher, Sept. 9, 2011.
North Korea has agreed to suspend nuclear activities and adopt a moratorium on nuclear and long-range missile tests, indicating it has met key U.S. preconditions for restarting multination disarmament-for-aid talks.
For background, see "North Korean Menace," CQ Global Researcher, July 5, 2011.
British authorities evicted dozens of "Occupy London" protesters from the courtyard of St. Paul's Cathedral, the site of one of the longest-running “Occupy” demonstrations.
See “ ‘Occupy Movement,’ ” CQ Researcher, Jan. 13, 2012.
More than 100,000 Darfuris living in one of Sudan’s sprawling camps for displaced persons have begun returning to their devastated villages, burned over the last decade by marauding militia horsemen known as the janjaweed.
For background, see “Crisis in Darfur,” CQ Global Researcher, Sept. 1, 2008.
Serbia and its breakaway province Kosovo reached an agreement Feb. 24 that will enhance Serbia’s chances of becoming a European Union candidate. Serbia will allow Kosovo, which declared independence in 2008, to represent itself at international conferences. The two also spelled out how they will manage their joint borders.
See "Separatist Movements," CQ Global Researcher, April 2008.
The Supreme Court agreed Feb. 21 to hear a major case on affirmative action in higher education. The case,
Fisher v. Texas, was brought by a white student who says she was denied admission to the University of Texas at Austin because of her race.
See "Affirmative Action," CQ Researcher, Oct, 17, 2008, updated Aug. 5, 2010.
A Nigerian man was sentenced Feb. 16 to life in prison for attempting to blow up a Detroit-bound plane with a bomb in his underwear on Christmas Day 2009. Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, who had been on an al Qaeda suicide mission, pleaded guilty to all charges in October.
See "Prosecuting Terrorists," CQ Researcher, March 12, 2010, updated May 26, 2011.
President Obama met with Chinese vice president Xi Jinping on Feb. 14 to discuss human rights and other relations between the two powers. Xi is expected to succeed Hu Jintao as the next president of China in March.
See "U.S.-China Relations," CQ Researcher, May 7, 2010, updated May 24, 2011.
President Obama on Feb. 9 exempted 10 states from crucial provisions of the No Child Left Behind law. In return, the states have agreed to embrace the administration’s educational agenda that focuses on accountability and teacher effectiveness.
See "Revising No Child Left Behind," CQ Researcher, April 16, 2010.
The trial of a University of Virginia lacrosse player accused of murdering his former girlfriend began on Feb. 8. George Huguely V is charged with beating Yeardley Love, also a lacrosse player, to death in May 2010. Prosecutors say he had threatened to kill her after a previous fight.
See "Crime on Campus," CQ Researcher, Feb. 4, 2011.
A Pakistani-born Chicago taxi driver pleaded guilty on Feb. 6 to attempting to provide material support to al Qaeda, a charge that carries a maximum prison sentence of 15 years. Raja Lahrasib Khan tried to send cash to a Pakistani-based terrorist leader.
See "Homegrown Jihadists," CQ Researcher, Sept. 3, 2010.
A federal judge on Jan. 31 said the U.S. government must notify Occupy DC protesters if it intends to evict them from a public park. The decision gives protesters the opportunity to challenge any eviction.
See "'Occupy' Movement," CQ Researcher, Jan. 13, 2012.
The African Union’s election for its next chairman ended inconclusively on Jan. 30, after neither incumbent Jean Ping of Gabon nor South African Home Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma secured enough votes. A new election will be held in June, in which neither will be permitted to run again.
See "Sub-Saharan Democracy," CQ Global Researcher, Feb. 15, 2011.
The Supreme Court on Jan. 20 instructed a Texas lower court to re-examine redistricting maps it drew to replace maps the state legislature had drafted. The Texas court had said the legislature’s maps unfairly favored Republicans. The justices said the lower court did not defer enough to the legislature’s choices.
See "Redistricting Debates," CQ Researcher, Feb. 25, 2011.
The Obama administration released a draft of the nation’s first National Alzheimer’s Plan, which sets 2025 as a target year for finding proven ways to delay or prevent the disease.
See "Treating Alzheimer's," CQ Researcher, March 4, 2011.
Pakistani Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani fired Defense Secretary Naeem Khalid Lodhi, accusing the former general of “gross misconduct and illegal action.” Lodhi was replaced by a civilian aide, Nargis Sethi.
See "U.S.-Pakistan Relations," CQ Researcher, Aug. 5, 2011.
The Labor Department is expected to report a rise in manufacturing jobs in 2011, marking two years of gains. Until 2010, manufacturing employment hadn’t risen since 1997.
See "Reviving Manufacturing," CQ Researcher, July 22, 2011.
The Supreme Court refused to put new limits on the use of questionable eyewitness testimony at trials. The justices ruled 8-1 that such limitations would be too big a change in criminal law.
See "Eyewitness Testimony," CQ Researcher, Oct. 14, 2011.
