International

Israel Prez’s Plea Deal Not a Done Deal

A controversial agreement by the president of Israel to plead guilty to sexual harassment and other charges and resign from office to avoid a potential rape prosecution apparently isn’t a done deal. Amidst widespread criticism of the plea agreement and three petitions against it, the Israel Supreme Court is requiring…

Jul 2, 2007 8:33 PM CDT

Money Launderers Trade Commodities

Terrorist sympathizers are moving money to banned destinations through commodities trades. Terrorist supporters buy commodities such as sugar and transfer them to countries where they can be sold for cash, the Wall Street Journal (sub. req.) reports. Food products are easier to transfer to countries that have been sanctioned by…

Jul 2, 2007 6:26 PM CDT

Pakistan’s Top Court to be Swept for Bugs

In a setback to efforts by Pakistan’s president to remove permanently from office the country’s top judge, the Pakistan Supreme Court has barred intelligence officers from ongoing hearings and ordered courtrooms and the homes of senior judges swept for secret listening devices. Giving credence to claims by Aitzaz Ahsan, lead…

Jul 2, 2007 5:47 PM CDT

More Arrests in Bomb Attempts

A night of “intensive police operations” has led to the arrests of two more men in the attempted car bombings in London and Glasgow, a police spokesman says. The arrests took place near Glasgow, where two men rammed a Jeep Cherokee into the entrance of the airport on Saturday, the…

Jul 2, 2007 3:32 PM CDT

Selling Law on an Open Market

The world’s first publicly traded law firm ignites debate

Jul 1, 2007 11:52 PM CDT

July 1, 1997

Sun Sets on British Empire

Jul 1, 2007 9:00 PM CDT

Israel Prez Admits Sex Offenses, Resigns

In a controversial plea bargain denounced by women’s rights activists, the president of Israel has agreed to step down from office immediately and plead guilty to sexual harassment and abuse of authority charges. Accused of twice raping a female employee, among other offenses, during an earlier stint as tourism minister,…

Jun 29, 2007 12:13 AM CDT

Saudi Moral Police to be Tried in Deaths

Deaths of two suspects in the custody of Saudi Arabia’s Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice during the past two months have resulted in public announcements that four officers alleged to be responsible would be charged and tried. “This is the first time that any member…

Jun 28, 2007 11:13 PM CDT

Is Libyan Innocent in Lockerbie Case?

A “miscarriage of justice” may have resulted in the conviction of a Libyan intelligence agent in the 1988 Lockerbie airliner bombing, requiring that he be granted a new appeal by Scotland’s High Court, an independent review board reported today. Abdel Basset al-Megrahi was found guilty in 2001 of the bombing,…

Jun 28, 2007 7:14 PM CDT

Canadian Policy Offers a Lesson for US

With twice as many immigrants coming into the country annually as in the U.S., Canada’s system–which otherwise is similar to proposed legislation in Congress–offers cautionary lessons about what doesn’t work. One drawback is a points system that provides credits for desired traits, like education and English fluency, but is difficult…

Jun 28, 2007 1:37 AM CDT

Pope Reverts to Traditional Election Rule: Two Thirds to Put Next Pope in Office

Bowing to traditional canon law, Pope Benedict XV has reinstated the traditional rule for papal elections. From now on a two-thirds majority must vote to elect a new pope, the next time the College of Cardinals is called upon to do so, reports AP. Benedict himself was elected under a…

Jun 27, 2007 1:04 AM CDT

London Lawyers, Like Americans, Struggle for Work-Life Balance

London used to be considered by many a kinder, gentler place for lawyers to work than comparable American cities. But seemingly successful attorneys there are leaving the profession, too, and efforts are underway to find out why and improve work-life balance. Some of the reasons may include endless workdays, lunch…

Jun 27, 2007 12:24 AM CDT

Wales Lawyer Pens Life-Based Thrillers

The law may not be Peter Luther’s profession much longer, if his first novel continues to sell well. In addition to Dark Continent, described as a supernatural thriller about a magazine geared to readers interested in a bizarre crossword, Luther, 45, also has two more novels in progress, reports the…

Jun 26, 2007 5:25 PM CDT

$7 Billion Drug-Test Suit Allowed

A Nigerian court has refused to dismiss a $7 billion lawsuit against Pfizer Inc. for allegedly testing antibiotic drugs on children in the mid-1990s, resulting in injuries and as many as 11 deaths. The judge ruled the Nigerian government had improperly amended its lawsuit, but said the overall case could…

Jun 26, 2007 4:48 PM CDT

Cheney Pushed ‘Robust Interrogation’

Fare more so than has been realized until now, Vice President Dick Cheney was a key architect of the Bush administration’s plan to evade the Geneva conventions and at least come close to torturing prisoners in Iraq and elsewhere. That essentially is what the Washington Post reports in a page-one…

Jun 26, 2007 1:57 AM CDT