Three Afghan Women Killed As Warning to Stop Working for Aid Groups
Three Afghan women were found raped and strangled to death in the northern province of Baghlan with a warning for women to stop working for aid groups. One of the three was a 25-year-old woman who was working for a Bangladeshi non-governmental organization (NGO). The bodies were found with a note stating "this is retribution for those women who are working in NGO's and those who are involved in whoredom," reports Reuters.
Aid workers, particularly women, have been the targets of Taliban-led attacks and some organizations have withdrawn staff due to Taliban threats. A group named "Afghan Youths Convention" has claimed responsibility for the murders of the three women. It is currently unclear if the group has connections with the Taliban.
Meanwhile, Afghan authorities have arrested six men for killing a woman named Amina in the northwestern province of Badakhshan for committing adultery, reports the Associated Press. The six men including the mullah who reportedly authorized the woman's father to kill his daughter, the woman's father, her alleged lover, and three other men will go on trial as soon as the charges are prepared by the attorney-general.
6/19/2013 House Passes 20 Week Abortion Ban - Yesterday, the House of Representatives approved a nationwide abortion ban after 20 weeks gestation in a vote of 228 to 196. . . .
6/18/2013 Supreme Court Strikes Down Proof of Citizenship Voter Requirements - On Monday, the United States Supreme Court struck down an Arizona law requiring voters to provide proof of citizenship before being allowed register to vote.
In an opinion written [PDF] by Justice Antonin Scalia, the Court ruled that the Arizona statute violated the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA, also known as the "Motor Voter Law") of 1993, which created a federal form that individuals can mail in to register to vote in federal elections. . . .
