UN: Afghanistan lags in enforcing law

UN: Afghanistan lags in enforcing law

KABUL

The United Nations complained Sunday that Afghan authorities have been slow in enforcing a law protecting women against forced marriages, domestic violence and rape.

A report issued by the U.N. mission in Afghanistan found that although Afghan authorities registered more reports of violence against women under the 4-year-old law, prosecutions and convictions remained low.

In a statement, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay described the law as a “landmark” and said it “was a huge achievement for all Afghans.”

Afghanistan enacted its Elimination of Violence Against Women law in August 2009.

Syrian Christians pray for nuns’ return

DAMASCUS

Syrian Christians offered prayers Sunday for a group of more than a dozen nuns and orphanage workers held by rebels for nearly a week, fueling fears in the minority community that they are being targeted by extremists among the fighters seeking to oust President Bashar Assad.

The seizure of the 12 Greek Orthodox nuns and at least three other women is the latest attack to spark panic among Syria’s Christians over the strength of al-Qaida-linked militants and other Islamic radicals in the nearly 3-year-old revolt against Assad’s government. A priest and two bishops previously kidnapped by rebels remain missing.

Invasive cockroach can take the cold

NEW YORK

The High Line, a park that turned a dilapidated stretch of elevated railway on Manhattan’s West Side into one of New York’s newest tourist attractions, may have brought a different kind of visitor: a cockroach that can withstand harsh winter cold and never seen before in the U.S.

Rutgers University insect biologists Jessica Ware and Dominic Evangelista said the species Periplaneta japonica is well documented in Asia but was never confirmed in the U.S. until now. The scientists, whose findings were published in the Journal of Economic Entomology, say that it is too soon to predict the impact but that there is probably little cause for concern.

Satanists seek spot on statehouse steps

OKLAHOMA CITY

Republican lawmakers in Oklahoma may have unwittingly opened the door to a satanic statue when they approved a Ten Commandments monument for the Statehouse steps.

A spokesman for the New York-based Satanic Temple notified the state’s Capitol Preservation Commission that it wants to donate a statue to go next to the Ten Commandments monument. It’s planning to submit one of several possible designs this month. Spokesman Lucien Greaves says one potential design involves a pentagram.

Walker memorial draws thousands

santa clarita, calif.

The sounds of high-performance car engines filled the air Sunday as thousands of fans, friends and car enthusiasts headed to the Los Angeles suburb of Santa Clarita to pay tribute to Paul Walker at the site where the “Fast & Furious” actor died in a car crash.

The memorial, planned through social media, was scheduled to begin at noon, but mourners began arriving hours beforehand.

Walker, 40, was killed Nov. 30 when the Porsche Carrera GT he was riding in smashed into a light pole and tree and then burst into flames. The actor’s friend and financial adviser, Roger Rodas, who was driving, also died.

Associated Press