The National People's Assembly in Algeria on Monday began debating the country's first draft law to try and combat widespread corruption that has thus far hindered foreign investment in the oil-rich nation. According to a 2003 report from Transparency International , Algeria ranked 88 out of 133 countries with regard to the infiltration of corruption [...]

Despite reforms giving women the right to vote, drive, and run for many government offices, hundreds of Iranian women staged a protest on Sunday demanding a right still denied them – the right to run for president . Activists are campaigning for a constitutional amendment which would give them this right. Currently, the president must [...]

A man identified from a graphic video shot during the Srebrenica massacre of Bosnian Muslims in 1995 was arrested on Monday in Croatia. Slobodan Davidovic had recently admitted to the New York Times that he was part of a paramilitary group called the Scorpions that was allegedly responsible for thousands of killings in Srebrenica. If [...]

The Iraqi Special Tribunal (IST) said Monday that an Iraqi investigatory judge has questioned former dictator Saddam Hussein regarding the killing of nearly 160 men in the predominantly-Shiite village of Dujail, a case identified last week as the first on which Hussein might be tried. The village was the site of an assassination attempt on [...]

In a significant denial of certiorari Monday, the US Supreme Court refused to hear a challenge by accused "dirty bomber" Jose Padilla to his status as an enemy combatant after Padilla asked the justices to bypass the federal appeals court level in his case . The US government claims it has new evidence tying Padilla [...]

The US Supreme Court on Monday let stand without comment a lower court ruling that overturned new FCC regulations that would have allowed greater media consolidation. Several major media conglomerates, including News Corp. , Clear Channel , and Viacom , originally sought the rules in order to allow a single company to own more media [...]

Wilkinson, et al. v. Austin et al., Supreme Court of the United States, June 13, 2005 . Excerpt from the Opinion by Justice Kennedy: We now hold that the New Policy as described in this opinion strikes a constitutionally permissible balance between the factors of the Mathews framework. If an inmate were to demonstrate that [...]

Merck KGaA v. Integra Lifesciences I, Ltd, et al., Supreme Court of the United States, June 13, 2005 . Excerpt from the Opinion by Justice Scalia: he evidence presented at trial has yet to be reviewed under the standards set forth in the jury instruction, which we believe to be consistent with, if less detailed [...]

Miller-El v. Dretke, Supreme Court of the United States, June 13, 2005 . Excerpt from the Opinion by Justice Souter: We granted certiorari to consider whether Miller-El was entitled to review on the Batson claim, Miller-El v. Cockrell, 534 U. S. 1122 (2002), and reversed the Court of Appeals. After examining the record of Miller-El's [...]

Johnson v. California, Supreme Court of the United States, June 13, 2005 . Excerpt from the Opinion by Justice Stevens: The facts of this case well illustrate that California's "more likely than not" standard is at odds with the prima facie inquiry mandated by Batson. The judgment of the California Supreme Court is therefore reversed, [...]