[JURIST] Momcilo Perisic, a former general and chief of staff of the Yugoslav army under Slobodan Milosevic and later a Deputy Prime Minister of Serbia who pressed for co-operation with international war crimes prosecutors [2001 Serbian government press release], has decided to turn himself in to the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY). In a statement released by the Serbian government Wednesday following disclosure of the existence of an outstanding ICTY indictment on as yet unspecified charges, Perisic said he will surrender to the Hague on March 7. Perisic commanded troops in 1992 to surround the shell the Bosnian town of Mostar. In 2000, however, Perisic became an opposition leader and was key in toppling Milosevic from power. AFP has more.

[JURIST] US officials announced Wednesday they will no longer require a new UN declaration on women's issues to take an anti-abortion position. The current meeting of the UN Commission on the Status of Women [meeting website], held to review progress on women's rights and circumstances ten years after the landmark the 1995 Beijing World Conference on Women [official website], was thrown into chaos [JURIST report] when the Bush administration demanded that the final draft document include an anti-abortion statement. The US now says it prefers leaving abortion rights up to individual countries. Reuters has more.

[JURIST] The Russian Foreign Ministry [official website in Russian] responded Wednesday to American criticisms of Russia's human rights record in the recent 2004 US State Department human rights reports [text] by accusing the US of double standards. The State Department reports, released Monday [JURIST report], had cited Russian law enforcement for its use of torture, violence, and other degrading or humiliating treatment, and had also pointed to press restrictions, police corruption, and recent election shortcomings. A Foreign Ministry statement said the US should look to its own human rights violations and cited the Iraqi detainee abuses, racial discrimination, and presidential electoral disputes. AP has more.

[JURIST] The US Supreme Court Wednesday considered two high-profile cases on the constitutionality of public displays of the Ten Commandments. The Court heard oral arguments in Van Orden v. Perry [Duke Law backgrounder] regarding a large and prominently-displayed monument of the Ten Commandments on the grounds of the state Capitol [read the 5th Circuit ruling [PDF] appealed from], and in ACLU v. McCreary County [Duke Law backgrounder], a 6th Circuit appeal [PDF text] involving framed copies of the text in courthouses. The justices debated whether the Commandments had sufficient secular purpose to warrant public presentation. The Supreme Court last ruled on the Commandments displays in 1980, in a case that struck down the mandatory display of the Ten Commandments in Kentucky public schools. A ruling on the present cases is expected by June. Reuters has more. AP has transcribed excerpts from the today's oral arguments.

[JURIST] Dietrich Snell, senior counsel for the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States [official website] and NY deputy attorney general, said Wednesday that he will testify at the German trial of 9/11 suspect Mounir El Motassadeq [BBC profile]. Motassadeq was convicted in 2003 for his alleged role in the 9/11 terror plot, but that conviction was overturned and a new trial ordered [JURIST report] after a judicial determination was made that new evidence made the original conviction unreliable. Snell will appear before a German court next Tuesday to give a detailed description of the 9/11 Commission's findings, but will omit information deemed classified by the US government. Snell's testimony is expected to include details about statements made by two terror suspects in US custody. Last summer, the DOJ told the court that the suspects said that Motassadeq had no prior knowledge of the plot [JURIST report], but warned that those statements may be unreliable. Deutsche Welle has more.

[JURIST] In Wednesday's environmental law news, the South African government has approved a plan to construct the first windfarm in the country. The Director-General for Environmental Affairs and Tourism [official website] has approved the windfarm for the Darling district of Western Cape that will include 4 Danish-designed wind turbines and is expected to produce 5.2 megawatts of electricity. Reuters has the full story.

In other news,

• Rhode Island became the seventh state in the US to ban smoking in most indoor public places. The smoking ban went into effect Tuesday and effects most bars and restaurants, and all indoor workplaces. Bars that have 10 or fewer employees and private social clubs have until October 2006 to comply with the ban, while gambling centers are exempt altogether. AP has the full story.
  
  
• Sonoma County CA supervisors agreed Tuesday to put to referendum a measure that would ban genetically modified (GM) crops and livestock in the county for 10 years. Last month, voters had collected enough signatures [JURIST report] to force the ballot referendum, although the supervisors could have just enacted the measure. If the law is passed, Sonoma would become the fourth California county to ban GM farming. AP has more.
  
  
• US District Judge Richard Cebull has issued a temporary injunction [JURIST report] halting the lifting of the ban on the import of Canada cattle under 30 months of age. The ban was set to be lifted on March 7. USDA [official website] Secretary Johanns has issued a statement [text] expressing his disappointment with the ruling.
  
  
• The Consumer Product Safety Commission [official website] is accepting comments until March 29 on a proposed rule [text] that would adopt nationally a California regulation that sets an open-flame resistant standard for mattresses, box springs and futons. The regulation, in effect in CA since Jan 1, requires all new mattresses to be able to pass a 30-minute open flame ignition test and carry a label citing that fact. The law faces criticism as it does not require manufacturers to disclose what chemicals or fire retardant materials were used to meet the standard, prompting concerns that illegal or toxic materials could be used. The San Francisco Chronicle has the full story.
  

[JURIST] The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit [official website] Wednesday partially reversed a lower court decision that exposed Microsoft [corporate website] to $565 million in damages for patent infringement. The lower court had found that Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser infringed on technology developed by Eolas Technologies and the University of California, but in its opinion [PDF text] Wednesday, the appeals court said that the court ignored Microsoft's arguments on the invalidity and unenforceability of Eolas' patent in browser technology. The appeals court vacated the district court decision and ordered a new trial. In a press release [text], Microsoft called Wednesday's decision "a clear victory not only for Microsoft, but for Internet users as well." CNET News has more.

[JURIST] Lawyers for former investment banker Frank Quattrone said Wednesday that Quattrone is appealing his permanent ban from the securities industry [JURIST report]. Last November, the National Association of Securities Dealers [official website] permanently barred Quattrone from working in the securities industry in any capacity for refusing to testify about his possible involvement in document destruction and obstruction of justice while at Credit Suisse First Boston. Quattrone filed an appeal with the Securities and Exchange Commission [official website] claiming the NASD ban is unconstitutional and contrary to federal securities laws. Quattrone's lawyer said Wednesday that "The law requires that the NASD act in accordance with due process rules and the Fifth Amendment [privilege against self-incrimination] is a fundamental right of due process." MarketWatch has more.

[JURIST] British Prime Minister Tony Blair Wednesday refused to amend the proposed Prevention of Terrorism Bill [PDF text; JURIST report] to include a sunset clause that would require ministers to revisit the legislation in November. The Conservative Party [party website] have said that they will vote against the anti-terror bill unless the sunset clause is included, but Blair said Wednesday that the bill already contains sufficient time limiting safeguards. Detailed deliberation on the bill, which will subject terror suspects to various "control orders" including house arrest, will begin in the House of Lords [official website] Thursday. BBC News has more.

[JURIST] The US House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure [official website] Wednesday approved the Transportation Equity Act [Thomas bill summary; bill text, PDF; committee executive summary, PDF]. The six-year, $284 billion highway and mass transit bill stalled last year over funding disputes between the White House and Congress, but chances for passage are now improved, as the White House supports the current version. The infrastructure initiative will significantly expand the current highway spending program, which has been running on temporary extensions since the last six-year plan expired in 2003, and is meant to help solve problems of increased congestion and deteriorating conditions on US highways. A full House vote on the bill is expected next week. AP has more.

[JURIST] US District Judge Richard Cebull ordered a temporary halt Wednesday to Bush administration plans to allow the resumption of imports of Canadian cattle next week. Judge Cebull granted a preliminary injunction preventing a USDA regulation allowing Canadian cattle imports to resume [PDF text] from taking effect as scheduled Monday. R-CALF USA [advocacy website], an organization representing US cattle producers, has filed a lawsuit seeking to stop the regulation from taking effect. R-CALF USA has case materials. Reuters has more.

5:05 PM ET - Canada's Minister of International Trade Jim Peterson [official profile] said Wednesday that Canada is considering a legal challenge to the US ban on Canadian export of young cattle. In an interview with Canadian television, Peterson said "We're looking at every alternative right now, including the legal route, and I can assure you we're going to be standing by our cattle producers." Also responding to the temporary injunction Wednesday is the Canadian Cattlemen's Association [trade association website], which said it remains convinced of the merits of the USDA rule [CCA press release] to re-open the border. Reuters has more.

[JURIST] Drug trafficking in Afghanistan threatens to undermine the rule of law and democracy in the country, according to a report released Wednesday by the International Narcotics Control Board [official website], the independent body charged with monitoring implementation of UN drug conventions. The INCB 2004 Annual Report [text] also expresses concern about drug trafficking in Iraq, saying "The complex interlinkage of terrorism, organized crime, corruption and drug trafficking poses an unprecedented threat, raising concerns that the overall situation may worsen." AP has more. Responding to the INCB report Wednesday, Afghan President Hamid Karzai said that his country will step up the fight against drugs. Karzai said Afghan authorities are "working to close drug markets, seize narcotics which are being smuggled all over Afghanistan and to arrest those involved in drug smuggling and are reforming the judicial systems in order to be able to bring drug smugglers to justice." AFP has more.

[JURIST] New Japanese compulsory insurance rules [Japanese Transport Ministry backgrounder] requiring all foreign ships over 100 tons entering Japanese ports to be insured against oil spills, losses and other damages went into effect Tuesday, effectively barring most North Korean ships. The requirements are seen as a disguised move against direct trade with North Korea; Japan has been considering sanctions [JURIST report] against Pyongyang over a long-running dispute about North Korea's abductions of Japanese citizens in the 1970s and '80s. Japanese officials have acknowledged that the rules were drawn up with its neighbor in mind. The Japan Times has local coverage.

[JURIST] Leading Wednesday's corporations and securities law news, Titan Corp. [corporate website] announced it reached administrative settlement agreement with the US Navy [official website] allowing the company to bid, receive and perform on government contracts. Read the Titan press release. The agreement comes a day after Titan agreed to pay a $28.5 million to settle criminal charges brought by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) [official website] and civil charges brought by the SEC [official website] that it made illegal payments to a presidential election campaign in Benin. Read the Titan press release. Read the SEC press release, litigation release, report on the matter, and complaint [PDF]. Reuters has more.

In other news...

• The defense for former WorldCom [now MCI, Inc.] chief Bernard Ebbers rested its case after five days of testimony including Ebbers taking the witness stand and denying any role in the $11 billion accounting fraud. The prosecution began closing arguments by saying greed, power and worry drove Ebbers to mastermind the massive fraud at WorldCom. Read Ebbers' indictment [text, PDF] and the superseding indictment [text, PDF]. Reuters has more.
  
  
• Halliburton Co. [corporate website], in its annual 10-K filing with the SEC [text], said the Justice Department is probing the company for potential antitrust violations related to former employees who may have worked with competitors to rig bids on foreign construction projects. Reuters has more.
  
  
• Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc. [corporate website], in a SEC filing, said federal prosecutors have requested documents related to their investigation of collapsed insurer Reciprocal of America which did business with Berkshire's General Re Corp. unit. Prosecutors are focusing on whether General Re helped Reciprocal hide its deteriorating financial situation and also help executives disguise loans as reinsurance. Reuters has more.
  
  
• Verizon Communications [corporate website] will give MCI two weeks of talks to allow the company to discuss Qwest Communications' [corporate website] renewed efforts to purchase it. Verizon, which has a noncompete clause in its merger agreement with MCI, said the discussion would end on March 17. MCI Inc. was under considerable pressure to revisit Qwest's $8 billion bid by Qwest executives and MCI shareholders. Read the Verizon press release. Bloomberg has more.
  
  
• Russia's natural gas company Gazprom [corporate website] announced its merger with state-owned oil company Rosneft has been finalized. Under the terms, which was already approved by Russia's President Vladimir Putin, the state will own a controlling 51% stake in Gazprom by folding Rosneft [corporate website] into the gas monopoly. AP has more.
  
  
• Citigroup Inc. [corporate website] announced an agreement in a class action securities lawsuit related to Global Crossing Ltd. [corporate website], an international telecommunications network provider which sought bankruptcy protection. Under the settlement, Citigroup will pay $75 million to all investors in securities of Global Crossing (Research) or Asia Global Crossing from Feb. 1, 1999, through Dec. 8, 2003. Reuters has more.
  
  
• As previously reported on JURIST's Paper Chase, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) [official website] released transcripts of audio tapes made by Enron Corp. [corporate website; JURIST Hot Topic archive] traders which indicate the energy giant engaged in or discussed violations of federal regulations. The transcripts represent a victory for the Snohomish County Public Utility District [official website] in Washington which collected some of the tapes and has been pressing FERC to act in transcribing the thousands of hours of tape. The Snohomish County utility hopes to use the tapes to show that the contract it agreed to with Enron in January 2001 should be deemed fraudulent because of Enron's violations. The utility hopes to avoid paying the $122 million that Enron claims it owes. Read the Snohomish press release which includes links to selected audio and transcripts. The full transcripts and audio files [click on "Files" for MP3s] are available online in the FERC library. AP has more.
  
  
• Britain's Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) [official website] announced that it has lifted a suspension on flu vaccine maker Chiron Corp [corporate website]. The announcement allows Chiron to begin producing its product again. Read the MHRA press release. Read the Chiron press release. AP has more.

[JURIST] Spanish newspaper El Mundo reported Wednesday that a disk seized from the home of one the suspected Madrid train bombers contained detailed plans of New York's Grand Central Station [El Mundo report in Spanish], including "highly specialized technical information." The disk was confiscated within two weeks of the March attack, but the FBI was not warned about the information until December. Reuters has more. In New York, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Wednesday that the NYPD has "known about the data on the computer for a long time" and has "taken the appropriate steps... to beef up security at all of the major transportation hubs." A US Embassy official confirmed that Spanish authorities turned over the information on the New York threat in December, but declined to go into further detail. AP has more.

[JURIST] US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales [official profile; JURIST Newsmaker archive] presented the FY 2006 Justice Department budget [White House budget overview] Tuesday to the US House Committee on Appropriations [official website]. Gonzales testified that the FBI's counterterrorism workload has tripled [US Info press release with Gonzales' remarks] since the 2001 terrorist attacks. The requested FY 2006 DOJ budget includes funding for the National Counterterrorism Center [executive order establishing NCTC; White House fact sheet], which is meant to provide a comprehensive intelligence analysis of terrorist threats, and the Terrorist Screening Center [DOJ fact sheet], which will consolidate terrorist watch lists. Responding to the requested budget, several lawmakers expressed concern over the proposed budget cuts for drug control programs [JURIST report]. Critics say the cuts will seriously hurt state and local law enforcement efforts to battle drug sales and create drug prevention program. AP has more.

[JURIST] Unanimously reversing a Ninth Circuit ruling [PDF], the US Supreme Court ruled Wednesday in Tenet v. Doe [case backgrounder from Duke Law School] that two former spies for the CIA could not sue the agency for support after it had backed out of an alleged agreement to provide them with permanent stipends. The two, designated John and Jane Doe, had originally sought to defect from a foreign country but had agreed to become spies for the United States instead; after 1987 they relocated to Seattle with new identities provided by the government and became US citizens. The agency initially paid them an annual stipend of $27,000, which was terminated when one of them obtained a job pushing their income over that level, but despite promises that the agency would "always be there" the stipend was not renewed in 1997 when the employed former spy lost his job. Chief Justice Rehnquist wrote for the court:

We reverse because this holding contravenes the longstanding rule, announced more than a century ago in Totten, prohibiting suits against the Government based on covert espionage agreements....

The state secrets privilege and the more frequent use of in camera judicial proceedings simply cannot provide the absolute protection we found necessary in enunciating the Totten rule. The possibility that a suit may proceed and an espionage relationship may be revealed, if the state secrets privilege is found not to apply, is unacceptable: "Even a small chance that some court will order disclosure of a source?s identity could well impair intelligence gathering and cause sources to 'close up like a clam.' CIA v. Sims, 471 U. S. 159, 175 (1985). Forcing the Government to litigate these claims would also make it vulnerable to "graymail," i.e., individual lawsuits brought to induce the CIA to settle a case (or prevent its filing) out of fear that any effort to litigate the action would reveal classified information that may undermine ongoing covert operations. And requiring the Government to invoke the privilege on a case-by-case basis risks the perception that it is either confirming or denying relationships with individual plaintiffs.

[JURIST] Chief Executive of Hong Kong Tung Chee Hwa [official profile] is reportedly going to step down from office as the leader of the Chinese special administrative region of Hong Kong [government website] for health reasons. Tung took the leadership position in 1997 after China [government website] assumed control of the former British colony. He has, however, grown increasingly unpopular in the last few years, with pro-democracy protests against him breaking out last year. Tung refused Wednesday to comment on stories of his pending resignation as he was questioned by reporters while preparing to travel to China to attend the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference [official website in Chinese]. The announcement has created significant concern over the proper method for replacing Tung, as it is legally unclear what should happen in light of a voluntary resignation. Reports have suggested that Tung will likely resign at the end of the ten day conference, as he is widely expected to be appointed to a vice-chairman's position, an office of some prestige. Hong Kong's The Standard has local coverage.

[JURIST] Thousands of hours of audio tapes and transcripts of conversations of Enron traders talking about, or engaging in, violations of federal regulations were released Tuesday by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [agency website]. FERC has indicated that it will likely use some of the materials pulled from the transcripts of the tapes in its criminal cases against former Enron executives. Private companies are also assisting in the transcription effort. The full transcripts and audio files [click on "Files" for MP3s] are available online in the FERC library; hear a sample recording [MP3]. AP has more.

[JURIST] Attending an international one-day summit in London Tuesday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas committed the Palestinian Authority to a range of legal and judicial reforms deemed necessary for the eventual creation of an independent Palestinian state. The reforms, set out in the final summit report [UK FCO text, PDF], include:

• passing a new electoral law to ensure the fair and democratic elections of Palestinian leaders, tentatively scheduled for July 15, 2005
• abolishing State Security Courts
• amending and implementing the Judicial Authority Law; and
• setting up a system of local civil and criminal courts to handle the everyday needs of an independent nation.

[JURIST] Taiwanese Premier Frank Hsieh [official profile] has warned that China's planned approval of an anti-secession law [JURIST report] will strain relations between the two countries, destroying the goodwill recently developed by the opening of commercial flights between the two nations over the Chinese Lunar New Year holiday. The legislation would make it illegal for Taiwan [government website] to declare independence under Chinese law. China [government website] considers Taiwan to be nothing more than a renegade province. Hsieh appealed to the international community to prevent China from passing the legislation, saying that Taiwan was a sovereign nation and that its 23 million inhabitants should be able to determine their fate. Taiwan has previously threatened to pass an anti-annexation law in response to China, and hold a referendum [JURIST report] on formal independence from the mainland. Legal analysts have argued the the proposed anti-secession law would give China the legal right to re-integrate Taiwan by any means, including force. China is expected to review the legislation next week. The Taipei Times has local coverage.

[JURIST] US Ambassador to the UN in Geneva Jackie Sanders [official profile] told the annual meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency [official website] Board of Governors Wednesday that the IAEA could no longer ignore its 'statutory obligations' and must refer the question of Iran's compliance with IAEA regulations over to the UN Security Council [official website]. Sanders said that the Tuesday report [official transcript] of IAEA deputy director general Pierre Goldschmidt [official profile], acknowledging the lack of cooperation on the part of Iran in allowing inspectors to review Iran's nuclear program for compliance with IAEA regulations, was just another reason why the international nuclear watchdog agency should turn the issue over to the Council, which Sanders said was the only body with the "international legal and political authority that will bring this issue to a successful and peaceful resolution". Reuters has more.

[JURIST] The Chinese government paper China Daily [media website] Wednesday reported that the number of Chinese couples seeking a divorce in 2004 rose to 1.6 million, a dramatic increase over previous years attributed to a 2003 law reform that dropped the requirement that would-be divorcees obtain the permission of their employer. The paper quoted a Chinese official who said many of the couples had probably wanted a divorce for some time but were too embarrased or unable to obtain one under the old rules. Employers were known to 'strongly encourage' couples to stay together. Irreconcilable differences were cited as the leading reason listed for divorce, though domestic violence due to "mounting social and work pressure" was up sharply. China Daily has local coverage.

[JURIST] The UK Court of Appeal [official website] ruled Wednesday that a British high school decision to exclude from school a student wearing a jilbab, a traditional Muslim gown, was unlawful because the school denied 16-year-old Shabina Begum the right to manifest her religion. In its judgment [text], the court said that the school had a right to establish a school uniform policy, but said the school has an obligation to justify any interferences with students' rights under the UK Human Rights Act [text]. BBC News has more. In France, a nationwide ban on religious symbols [JURIST report], including Muslim headscarves and turbans, has already gone into effect. The French ban has prompted a fair amount of criticism, but so far French courts have been unwilling to overturn it [JURIST report].

[JURIST] Judge Barwez Mohammed Mahmoud al-Merwani and his son, lawyer Aryan Barwez al-Merwani, both of whom were working with the Iraqi Special Tribunal [governing statute] were assassinated late Tuesday [CBC News report] as they were exiting their Baghdad home. In the wake of contradictory wire reports that had initially misidentified the murdered judge as Raid Juhi al-Saadi, who had presided over Hussein's first appearance before the tribunal in July, Interior Ministry officials confirmed the killing of al-Merwani Wednesday, saying that the judge was involved in Saddam Hussein's case. The Iraqi Special Tribunal was established in 2003 to try Saddam Hussein [JURIST Newsmakers archive] and other former high-level officials for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Police are investigating whether the killings were connected to the pair's work at the tribunal. Reuters has more.

[JURIST] Here's a run-down of law-related events, expected developments and live webcasts on JURIST's docket for Wednesday, March 2.

The US Supreme Court [official website] will hear oral arguments in two cases beginning at 10 AM ET today. In the first case, Van Orden v. Perry, 03-1500, the Court will consider whether the display of the Ten Commandments at state government buildings is a violation of the First Amendment. The ABA has merit briefs in the case. In the second case, McCreary County v. ACLU of Kentucky, 03-1693, the Court will decide whether the inclusion of the Ten Commandments within a larger work on the history of American law displayed on government property violates the Establishment Clause. The ABA has merit briefs filed in the case.

The US Senate [official website] convenes at 9:15 AM ET today, and will resume consideration of S. 256 [bill summary], the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005, at 10:15 AM ET. Watch a live webcast of proceedings.

The US House [official website] convenes at 10 AM ET today. Watch a live webcast of proceedings. The House Energy and Commerce Committee [official website] is holding a hearing on mergers in the telecommunications industry at 10 AM ET. Watch a live webcast of the hearing. The Energy and Air Quality Subcommittee is holding a hearing on H.R. 3 [bill summary] and the Clean Air Act at 2 PM ET. Watch a live webcast of the hearing. The House International Relations Committee [official website] is holding a hearing on UN operations and accountability at 10:30 AM ET. Watch a live webcast of the hearing. The Middle East and Central Asia Subcommittee is holding a hearing to consider H. Con. Res. 18 [text], which condemns human rights violations in Syria and Lebanon by the Syrian government. Watch a live webcast of the hearing. The Asia and the Pacific Subcommittee will hold a hearing on the crisis in Nepal at 1:30 PM ET. View a witness list, and watch a live webcast of the hearing.

The Heritage Foundation is holding a forum titled "The Supremacists: The Tyranny of Judges and How to Stop It," beginning at 12 Noon ET. Watch a live webcast of the presentation.

At the UN, the Commission on the Status of Women [official website] is holding a high-level plenary meeting at 10 AM ET. Watch a live webcast of the meeting. Following that, Meryl Streep, actress; Maha Abu-Dayyeh Shama, Director of the Women's Centre for Legal Aid and Counseling,Jerusalem; Taina Bien-Aime, Executive Director of Equality Now; Susana Chiarotti, Regional Director of CLADEM, Argentina; Jessica Neuwirth, President of Equality Now; and Sapana Pradhan-Malla, President of the Forum for Women, Law and Development, Nepal, will brief on the Equality Now Beijing +10 campaign against sex discriminatory laws. Watch a live webcast beginning at 11 AM ET. At 12:30 PM ET, monthly Security Council [official website] President Ronaldo Mota Sardenberg of Brazil will brief on the Council's work program. Watch a live webcast.

At the EU, a press conference will be held following a meeting between Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas and European Commission President José Manuel Barroso. Watch a live webcast beginning at 2:30 PM local time [8:30 AM ET].

At the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, the trial of Slobodan Milosevic [ICTY case backgrounder] continues, with a webcast beginning at 9:30 AM local time [3:30 AM ET]. Also today, the trial of Fatmir Limaj and others [ICTY case backgrounder] continues, with a webcast beginning at 2:45 PM local time [8:45 AM ET].