The UN-affiliated Special Court for Sierra Leone wrapped up a pledging conference by receiving $10 million from UN member states, but fell more than halfway short of the tribunal's $25 million goal. The $25 million is the amount needed to continue trying those accused of committing serious crimes during Sierra Leone's civil war in the [...]

Louisiana Attorney General Charles Foti announced Monday that six hospitals, including the state's major public hospital, Charity Hospital, and thirteen nursing homes are under investigation to determine whether they mishandled evacuations, abandoned, or euthanized patients when help did not arrive quickly following Hurricane Katrina . At least 140 elderly patients are believed to have died [...]

The European Union imposed sanctions on Uzbekistan Monday for refusing to investigate the deadly suppression of a May uprising . The sanctions, which include suspending a cooperation accord, imposing an arms embargo, cutting aid to the country, and banning responsible Uzbek officials from traveling to Western Europe, stem from the violent suppression of a protest [...]

The US has circulated a draft UN resolution calling for the UN's peacekeeping force in Liberia to arrest former Liberian president Charles Taylor if he tries to return from his exile in Nigeria. The resolution would extend the mandate of the 15,000 member peacekeeping force to apprehend Taylor without additional approval and transfer him to [...]

The first federal fraud charges stemming from the online collection of Hurricane Katrina donations have been filed against Gary S. Kraser, a federal prosecutor in Miami announced Monday. Kraser is accused of collecting nearly $40,000 in donations over the Internet by falsely claiming he was a pilot flying supplies to victims and needed donations to [...]

The United Nations Tuesday called on Iraq's National Assembly to review recently revised rules for the upcoming October 15 referendum on the proposed Iraqi constitution . The National Assembly convened Sunday and adopted an interpretation of the Transitional Administrative Law that creates two different thresholds for the referendum. Under the new interpretation, only a majority [...]

Egypt reassured the US Monday that Sami Al Laithi, an Egyptian man who was released from Guantanamo Bay last week and tranferred to Egypt, would be "treated humanely, in accordance with Egyptian and international legal obligations." A Pentagon spokesman issued a statement that the US would not extradite an individual to a country where he [...]

MCI agreed Monday to pay $331 million to 16 states and the District of Columbia to settle allegations that the company illegally classified transfers between subsidiaries to avoid paying state taxes as part of the WorldCom accounting fraud . Two separate settlements were negotiated, one giving $315 million to 15 states and DC, the other [...]

The European Union officially opened accession negotiations Tuesday with Turkey after member states were able to overcome a deadlock on whether to offer Turkey full membership . Late Monday, Austria withdrew its opposition to full membership and Ankara agreed to conditions included in the EU's negotiating framework . The forthcoming negotiations are expected to take [...]

State of Texas v. John Dominick Colyandro, James Walter Ellis, and Thomas Dale DeLay, District Court of Travis County, Texas, filed October 3, 2005 . Read the full text of the indictment . Reported in JURIST's Paper Chase here.