The governing model of Azerbaijan does not comply with Western developmental model. Recently the Centre for Geopolitical Studies has posted an article in its website over the external and internal political directions of Azerbaijan.

Asylum seekers in Sweden, who bring their cases to one of the three Migrations Courts in this European country, are seldom heard. Only a third of the cases brought to the courts last year allowed the asylum seekers to be heard. In other cases, the Swedish immigration courts make their decision based on written material and testimonials.

300 million people are now directly affected by climate change, according to the first comprehensive study of its social impacts. Climate change claims 300,000 lives a year, and costs $125 billion, equivalent to the entire aid budget to the developing world.

Silva Harotonian, an Iranian citizen of Armenian descent, recently held a modest role with a humanitarian organization working to improve child and maternal health in Iran. Her work and life were interrupted on June 26, 2008 when she was detained by Iranian authorities and charged with participating in an effort to overthrow the Iranian government through a ''soft revolution.'' On January 19, 2009, she was sentenced to three years in jail.

MSNBC reported yesterday that Minnesota passed single payer universal health care for the state. The voted was split completely down party lines, with all democrats voting for it and all Republicans voting against it.

Unsurprisingly the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is falling apart. Hamas launched an attack firing a rocket into Israel Monday, and Israel has responded in turn with air attacks (Reuters). This is unfortunate but not unexpected. What is also unfortunate is the way the political dialogue is presenting the conflict.

On the sixth-month anniversary of Iran’s detention of Dr. Arash Alaei and Dr. Kamiar Alaei—Iranian brothers who are known worldwide as HIV/AIDS physicians—international NGOs, academic institutions, and medical leaders from across the globe are asking Iran to free them immediately.

U.S. President George Bush travels Thursday to China, where he will attend the opening of the 2008 Olympic Games Friday. Before leaving for Beijing, Mr. Bush is scheduled to give a speech in Thailand criticizing China's human rights record.

The constructive role of Azerbaijan in respecting nations' right for self-determination is vital for the resolution of the conflict of Nagorno Karabakh Republic.

While the 2008 summer Olympics in Beijing has elicited a rallying cry for human rights among high-profile activists and organizations outside China, ordinary Chinese citizens are mobilizing to fight for their rights inside the rapidly changing country, according to sociologist Ching Kwan Lee, writing in the summer issue of the American Sociological Association's Contexts magazine.

Tim Bowles, the Director of International Development of Youth for Human Rights International, recently returned from West Africa where he is working to implement sweeping human rights reforms. Below are excerpts from an interview of Tim by the Scientology Press Office.