Court nixes gender-based law RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - A federal law that gives civil rights protections to victims of gender-motivated violence is unconstitutional, a divided federal appeals court ruled Friday. The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals voted 7-4 to uphold a lower court's ruling against the Violence Against Women Act, which allows women to sue their sex attackers for damages in federal court for violating their civil rights. It has been the target of several legal challenges since it became law in 1994. The act also included federal funding to help states curtail violence against women. See full story <http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2558688320-50e> Danish lawmakers OK prostitution COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) - Denmark's parliament has voted to legalize prostitution - a decision that came after more than two decades of quietly tolerating the sale of sexual services. The new law, which goes into force on July 1, passed 81-27 in a vote Thursday. It also makes it illegal to purchase sex from anyone under the age of 18, with a maximum sentence of two years in prison. At the same time, Danes stepped up measures to prevent prostitution by minors, help women get out of the sex trade, and stop those who bring women in from Eastern Europe and Asia and then force them into prostitution. See full story <http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2558687131-93a>
