Canada's highest-ranking judges took the unusual step Thursday of responding publicly and negatively to a suggestion by Canadian Justice Minister Vic Toews that law enforcement representatives be added to the regional panels that screen candidates for federal judgeships, saying that no changes should take place without "meaningful consultation." The Canadian Judicial Council , comprising the [...]

Affirmative action coalition By Any Means Necessary (BAMN) has filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Proposal 2 , the amendment approved by Michigan voters on Nov. 7 to restrict affirmative action in state public employment, public education and state contracting. Wednesday's lawsuit claims that the amendment violates federal constitutional rights, arguing that equal protection [...]

A Leeds Crown Court jury entered a unanimous not guilty verdict Friday for British National Party (BNP) leader Nick Griffin and senior aide Mark Collett in their retrial on charges of inciting racial hatred . Outside the courthouse, Griffin characterized the outcome as a victory for freedom against Tony Blair and accused BBC News of [...]

A UK man was convicted Thursday of inciting racial hatred during a February protest in London against publication of cartoons of the prophet Muhammad . Mizanur Rahman, 23, was arrested after a rally at the Danish embassy in Chelsea and also charged with inciting murder, but the jury could not reach a verdict on that [...]

The Bush administration and Democrats on Capitol Hill appear likely to clash over legislation authorizing domestic surveillance of suspected terrorists when the lame-duck Congress returns to Washington next week. During a Rose Garden appearance following a Cabinet meeting Thursday, President Bush urged lawmakers to pass the Terrorist Surveillance Act, which he called an "important priority [...]

A Massachusetts legislature vote on a proposed constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage has been postponed until January. Although opponents of same-sex marriage had obtained 170,000 signatures in favor of putting the measure before the legislature, they lacked the requisite support of one-quarter of the lawmakers to approve a vote. It now appears unlikely that [...]

A US judge hearing a motion to move Malcolm Watson's parole sentence from Canada to New York has denied that the sex offender had been "exiled" or "banished" to Canada. Watson was convicted by a New York court last month for endangering the welfare of a child and third-degree sexual abuse. The parties reached a [...]

Indonesian prosecutors requested a three-year prison term Friday for American Richard Ness , the regional chief executive of Denver-based Newmont Mining Corporation , an American gold-mining company with a subsidiary in Indonesia. Ness and Newmont face criminal charges for allegedly dumping arsenic and mercury into the waters of Indonesia's Buyat Bay, a charge which could [...]

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak spoke out against the pending execution of Saddam Hussein Thursday, saying it could push Iraq into even greater violence. Mubarak, believed to share the views of many Arab leaders, told Egyptian newspapers that hanging Hussein "will transform (Iraq) into blood pools and lead to a deepening of the sectarian and ethnic [...]

A Vietnamese court convicted three Vietnamese-born United States citizens for plotting "terrorist activities" and ordered them deported from the country. Prosecutors said the three Americans, along with four other defendants, had plotted to drop leaflets, jam radio stations and plant bombs to protest the Communist-run government. In addition to deportation, the judge ordered 15-month prison [...]