Honduras reversed course Monday, saying it will allow a delegation from the Organization of American States to visit the country -- on the condition that the organization´s head attends only as an observer.
A federal judge refused Monday to sign off on Bank of America´s $33 million settlement of a Securities and Exchange Commission lawsuit, saying neither side convinced him that the settlement was fair to the public.
The Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of the Interior [official websites, in Portuguese] announced Friday that the country will accept two Syrian [press release, in Portuguese] Guantanamo Bay [JURIST news archive] detainees in order to aid US efforts to close the facility. According to the statement, US special envoy Daniel Fried met with Portuguese officials in Lisbon and presented a specific request that Portugal accept the two detainees. Portuguese officials determined that accepting the detainees would not violate Porguese law and said:
Voters in Niger overwhelmingly approved a referendum Friday establishing a new constitution that would allow President Mamadou Tandja [BBC profile] to remain in office. Among the new constitution´s changes is the abolition of a presidential two-term limit, allowing Tandja to remain in office for three more years [AFP report] and to run in any subsequent elections. Tandja argued that continuation of his presidency is necessary to the completion of economic development projects in the Saharan country, including a uranium mine and a dam on the Niger River.
China has leveled new allegations in the arrest of employees of one of the world´s largest mining companies, saying Rio Tinto overcharged Chinese steel mills by $100 billion over six years.
BERNARD MADOFF’s right-hand man will plead guilty this week to criminal charges linked to his role in the $65 billion (£40 billion) Ponzi scheme orchestrated by the convicted fraudster.
Frank DiPascali, the former finance chief at Madoff Securities, worked at the firm for more than 33 years. Legal experts said the guilty plea was an indication that he was cooperating with prosecutors and could lead to charges against other Madoff associates. DiPascali is expected to enter the plea at an arraignment in Manhattan on Tuesday.
Sonia Sotomayor [WH Profile; JURIST news archive] was sworn in as the 111th justice in the history the US Supreme Court [official website] Saturday. Chief Justice John Roberts administered the oath, in which Sotomayor swore to "administer justice without respect to persons and do equal right to the poor and to the rich" and to "faithfully and impartially discharge and perform all the duties incumbent upon [her] as associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States."
The Obama administration on Friday a petitioned [cert. petition, PDF] the US Supreme Court [official website] to overturn a district court order mandating disclosure of detainee abuse photos [JURIST news archive], alleging that this could lead to further violence in Iraq and Afghanistan that would endanger US civil and military personnel. According to the government, Exemption 7(F) of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), [5 USC § 552(b)(7)(F)] is applicable under the current circumstances of the case reasoning that:
US Attorney General Eric Holder [official profile; JURIST news archive] is expected to name a special prosecutor [Los Angeles Times report] who will be tasked with investigating the alleged abuse of detainees and other terrorism suspects by CIA interrogators, according to a Sunday Los Angeles Times [media website] report.
The US Senate [official website] confirmed Sonia Sotomayor [WH profile; JURIST news archive] for the Supreme Court by a vote of 68-31 Thursday. The vote split mainly along party lines, with only nine Republicans voting to confirm. Senate Judiciary Committee ranking Republican Jeff Sessions [official website] (R-AL) delivered closing remarks before the vote, repeating his previous concerns [press release] that Sotomayor would be guided by personal bias. President Barack Obama [official website] said that he was pleased with the 68 votes [press release], stating:
The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit [official website] on Wednesday ruled [opinion, PDF] that the US Navy did not have to disclose the locations and potential blast ranges of explosive artillery stored at a Puget Sound military base. On appeal from a district court´s denial of a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) [text] request, the court reasoned that the government´s need to preserve sensitive information prevailed over the public´s right to access government files. The Naval Magazine Indian Island base is used to store various munitions, weapons and explosives for the Navy, the Department of Homeland Security [official websites] and other federal agencies.
A bill [S 1584 materials] aimed at banning workplace discrimination motivated by an employee’s sexual orientation or gender identification was introduced in the US Senate [official website] on Wednesday by Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) [official website]. The Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), if passed, would protect employees from discriminatory hiring and firing practices, and from segregation or classification on the basis of sexual preference or gender identity.
Chinese police are investigating a bootcamp for Internet addicts after a teenage boy died, apparently following a severe beating, just hours after checking in, the official Xinhua news agency said late on Wednesday.
General Motors Co (MTLQQ.PK) expects its vehicle sales in China, its biggest market next to the United States, to rise to 1.4 million units in 2009 from 1.1 million in 2008, a senior executive said.
A federal judge refused to approve a settlement between a top U.S. regulator and Bank of America Corp (BAC.N) over executive bonuses, the latest twist in the bank´s star-crossed takeover of Merrill Lynch & Co.
Two U.S. journalists pardoned and freed by North Korea did cross illegally into that country, the sister of one of the women said. "She did say that they touched North Korean territory very, very briefly," Lisa Ling, sister of Laura Ling, told CNN on Thursday.
Reporting from Washington -- The burning question in the hallways of the Pentagon on Tuesday was: Will Adm. Michael G. Mullen have to take down his Facebook page and stop tweeting?
The Obama administration intends to announce an ambitious plan on Thursday to overhaul the much-criticized way the nation detains immigration violators, trying to transform it from a patchwork of jail and prison cells to what its new chief called a “truly civil detention system.”
Former U.S. Congressman William Jefferson, who was caught with $90,000 in cash in his freezer, was convicted on Wednesday on multiple charges of bribery and money laundering.
Former Taiwanese president Chen Shui-bian [BBC profile; JURIST news archive] filed suit Wednesday against the three judges hearing his corruption case, accusing them of illegally prolonging his detention. Chen, who was indicted [JURIST report] in December, faces possible life in prison on charges of embezzlement, receiving bribes, forgery, and money laundering. He has staged three hunger strikes in protest of the charges against him, and in January he unsuccessfully appealed [JURIST reports] his pretrial detention. Last month, Judges Tsai Shou-hsun, Wu Ding-ya, and Hsu Chien-hui denied a third bail request. Chen has accused the judges of abusing their power [Taiwan News report], keeping him in custody for revenge. Also this week, prosecutors rejected plea bargain requests [Taiwan News reports] from six of Chen´s associates, including his son and daughter-in-law, who are also accused of corruption.
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