Portugal's parliament approved constitutional changes,...

Portugal's parliament approved constitutional changes, including making extradition easier, to improve cooperation in the fight against terrorism.
Lawmakers said passage of the constitutional revisions, the fifth since the charter was approved in 1976, was spurred by the September 11 airliner attacks on the United States.
Justice and interior ministers from the 15-nation European Union had previously agreed to harmonise anti-terrorism measures by early December. The proposals include a common definition of terrorism and a European arrest and extradition warrant and must be approved unanimously.
Portugal was the only country to raise constitutional objections. Its basic law bars extradition to countries that have the death penalty or life imprisonment.
The revisions approved by parliament allow extradition under European Union standards for judicial cooperation, but still bar the "surrender" of suspects to countries with the death penalty.
The package of changes also clears the way for Portugal to ratify a treaty creating an International Criminal Court. The tribunal would try those accused of mass murder, war crimes, genocide and other crimes against humanity.