LONDON, July 2, 2008 (AFP) - Amnesty International hailed the rescue of Colombian-French hostage Ingrid Betancourt Wednesday, and called on FARC rebels to release all of their other captives immediately.

KUALA LUMPUR, June 27, 2008 (AFP) - International rights watchdog Amnesty said Friday that Malaysia's plans to deport tens of thousands of illegal migrants from Borneo island could lead to serious human rights violations.

GENEVA, June 4, 2008 (AFP) - Twenty Swiss parliamentarians have written to Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao urging him to accept an Amnesty International petition over human rights violations, the rights watchdog said Tuesday.

Amnesty had brought cartons containing 25,176 signatures to the Chinese embassy in Bern on April 29, but the doors were closed.

LAGOS, June 1, 2008 (AFP) - International human rights group Amnesty International on Sunday accused the Nigerian police and security agents of carrying out extra-judicial killings of hundreds of civilians last year.

Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa has pardoned more than 100 prisoners and ordered their immediate release from jail in an effort to ease overcrowding, the government announced on Thursday.

'The president has with immediate effect extended amnesty to 103 prisoners across the republic,' Home Affairs Minister Ronnie Shikapwashya announced in a statement.

Human rights watchdog Amnesty International (AI) on Wednesday rebuked EU newcomer Lithuania for failing to respect the rights of homosexuals and over a racist incident.

'Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) peoples? human rights were not respected,' Amnesty International said in its 2008 report on the state of human rights worldwide.

Amnesty International on Wednesday urged Russia's new President Dmitry Medvedev to initiate a 'sea change' in freedom of expression and put an end to grave human rights abuses, especially in the troubled North Caucasus.

Amnesty International on Wednesday voiced 'great concern' about a recent increase in the number of executions in Japan as well as the secretive nature of police investigations.

Japan executed nine men in 2007, with at least 107 prisoners still left on death row, Amnesty said as it released its annual report.

Amnesty International on Wednesday decried what it called a 'wave of racism' against immigrants in Italy, which the human rights group alleged has been encouraged by politicians.

'We are facing a wave of racism affecting all immigrants in Italy, including those who are documented and those who are not,' said Daniela Carboni, an official of Amnesty's Italian section.

The world needs to maintain pressure on China for human rights reform after the Beijing Olympics, the head of Amnesty International told AFP, as the group published its annual report Wednesday.