Bulgarian Prime Minister Sergey Stanishev said Saturday that he had accepted the resignation of Justice Minister Georgi Petkanov ahead of an expected European Commission report on the country's ongoing judiciary reforms . Petkanov said Wednesday that he was tired of the difficult job of judiciary reform, and wanted to resign for personal reasons. Stanishev also [...]

US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales Friday announced draft legislation to combat violent crime that would increase penalties, extend the statute of limitations for prosecution, and create separate statutory prohibitions against violent crime by illegal immigrants . The proposed Violent Crime and Anti-Terrorism Act of 2007, brought forward just days after FBI Assistant Director of Public [...]

US District Judge Marcia Cooke declined to exclude FBI wiretap evidence from the trial of accused terrorist supporter Jose Padilla Friday, rejecting arguments by defense attorneys that phone conversations that mentioned Osama bin Laden were irrelevant and threatened to prejudice the jury. Padilla and co-defendants Adham Amin Hassoun and Kifah Wael Jayyousi are charged with [...]

US President George W. Bush continued to push for passage of the latest comprehensive immigration reform bill Friday, denying conservative claims that the bill is "amnesty" by insisting it brings consequences for those who entered the US illegally. Bush recognized bipartisan complaints that the bill has problems, but responded that it "is a good piece [...]

Ukraine's parliament Friday approved a series of bills paving the way for early parliamentary elections on September 30. The bills, reflecting an earlier political compromise between rivals President Viktor Yushchenko and Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych that adverted a violent confrontation between their fractions, had previously twice failed to gain parliamentary approval . Also on Friday, [...]

Thousands of Pakistanis rallied in support of suspended Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry Saturday, defying a government ban on unauthorized rallies of more than five people declared Friday. The rally began in the capital city of Islamabad, and proceeded south for 30 miles to Abbotabad where an estimated 50,000 people, including many Pakistani lawyers, greeted [...]

Gen. Sonthi Boonyaratglin , the leader of Thailand's 2006 bloodless coup , said Friday on state television that he backs amnesty for ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his party leaders. The remarks follow Wednesday's Constitutional Court ruling that banned Shinawatra from politics and dissolved his Thai Rak Thai (TRT) party. Boonyaratglin said that an [...]

The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Friday ruled against Internet telephone (VoIP – Voice over Internet Protocol) provider Vonage in its challenge to 2006 FCC rules requiring VoIP providers to contribute to the Universal Service Fund (USF) . Vonage raised rates in response to the new rules, but challenged the FCC [...]

Dennis Edney, a Canadian civilian lawyer for Canadian Guantanamo Bay detainee Omar Khadr , said Friday that his client would not work out a plea deal with the US military because it would require Khadr to serve 30 years in prison on terror charges. Instead, Edney indicated he will push for an independent psychological evaluation [...]

Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Friday announced plans to hold a national referendum to decide whether the country's president will be elected by popular vote instead of by parliament. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the referendum could be held on July 22, the same day as parliamentary elections, despite objections from the [...]