Portugal is the latest country to open an investigation into alleged stopovers of secret CIA rendition flights transporting terror suspects, according to a report from state-owned news agency Lusa Monday. Last month, a report adopted by a European Parliament (EP) special committee alleged that some EU nations knew about CIA activity in Europe, including the [...]

Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko announced Monday that he has appealed to the country's Constitutional Court a recently-passed bill he fears will illegally expand the cabinet's power at the expense of the presidency. The law, effective February 2, was supported by 366 of 370 members of the Ukrainian parliament, the Verkhovna Rada . Yushchenko alleges that [...]

Former Westar Energy CEO David Wittig was resentenced Monday to 24 months in prison, his third sentencing for charges stemming from a 2002 indictment on bank fraud, money laundering and conspiracy. In July 2003, Wittig was given 51 months in prison; that sentence was vacated by the US Tenth Circuit in February 2006 for errors [...]

The court-martial of 1st Lt. Ehren Watada began Monday on charges of missing movement and conduct unbecoming an officer for Watada's refusal to be deployed to Iraq with his military unit. The court-martial is being held at Fort Lewis outside of Seattle and Watada faces up to four years' imprisonment if convicted on the charges. [...]

The White House's proposed 2008 budget of $2.9 trillion released Monday allocates $21.8 billion for the Department of Justice, including a $227 million increase in anti-terrorism funding, a $214 million increase for Preventing Violent Crime, and an $89 million increase for Drugs and Border Security. "For those of us at the Department of Justice, every [...]

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) is planning to follow up on a 2006 amendment to the 1994 Violence Against Women Act with measures that would allow DNA samples to be taken from the majority of people arrested by federal agents, including illegal immigrants, the New York Times reported Monday. Supporters of the new rules, [...]

US District Judge Reggie B. Walton Monday authorized public release of audio recordings of the secret grand jury testimony of former vice-presidential aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby after they are played at his trial. While Walton expressed concerns about releasing the tapes during the trial, but federal court rules encourage disclosure. One of Libby's defense [...]

The German Federal Court of Justice ruled Monday that police in Germany are not permitted to secretly access computer and Internet data stored on suspects' computers without proper authorization. The German high court held that police hacking is illegal because no legal framework currently exists to legitimize the activity. Officials may now press for changes [...]

Journalists increasingly face the potential of government prosecution and imprisonment when they choose to report on the activities of ruling governments in the Middle East, according to a new worldwide survey released Monday by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) . CPJ, an international press freedom group, claims there has been a decrease in press [...]

Apple Inc. and Apple Corps Ltd. , the record label owned by the Beatles and their families, announced Monday they have reached a new compromise that replaces their 1991 trademark agreement and resolves the prolonged trademark dispute over Apple Inc.'s use of the name "Apple" and its corresponding logos. The new agreement reportedly ends the [...]