In a victory for Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf , the country's Supreme Court Thursday blocked a proposal by the Islamist-controlled North-West Frontier Province to introduce a set of controversial morals laws to be enforced by religious authorities. Musharraf, a strong advocate for a progressive Muslim state, asked the high court to issue an opinion after [...]

The Supreme Court of Canada on Thursday granted a one-year stay of its June ruling that the Quebec government can't block people from obtaining private insurance for health care procedures covered under the public system. In its June 9 decision, the Supreme Court ruled that unreasonably long waiting times for procedures under Canada's Medicare program [...]

European delegates offered Iran's government long-term support for efforts to develop a sustainable nuclear energy program Friday. The offer would include the possibility of Iran acquiring nuclear fuel from Europe but it requires assurances from Iran that it will not withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty . The offer comes only days after Iran announced [...]

British Prime Minister Tony Blair on Friday announced a new set of measures to combat terrorism , saying anyone who "has anything to do with , anywhere, will automatically be refused asylum in our country." Blair went so far as to say that the UK may review the 1998 Human Rights Act, which integrates the [...]

MacWade, et al. v. Kelly, United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, August 4, 2005 . Read the full text of the complaint here . Reported in JURIST's Paper Chase here.

U.S. v. Franklin, et al., United States District Court of the Eastern District of Virginia, August 4, 2005 . Read the full text of the indictment here . Reported in JURIST's Paper Chase here.

The Togo parliament has unanimously passed a law that will increase prison time and fines for individuals convicted of child trafficking. The law comes in response to a reprimand by US State Department officials two months ago telling the Togolese government and 13 other countries that they would face sanctions in 90 days if the [...]

The New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) Thursday filed a lawsuit claiming that random searches of bags and packages in the New York City subway system are illegal. The complaint , filed against New York City Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly and the city of New York, says the searches violate the unreasonable searches and seizures [...]

A US embassy spokesman in Kabul said Thursday that the US will gradually return Afghan prisoners in US custody to Afghan custody once Afghanistan develops the capacity to detain them. The announcement comes after President Bush's meetings in May with Afghan President Hamid Karzai prompted by Karzai's demand for custody of Afghan detainees after US [...]

A US Supreme Court spokesman said late Thursday that Chief Justice William Rehnquist had been taken to hospital for evaluation and tests after developing a fever. AP has more. Rehnquist has been suffering from thyroid cancer and has appeared increasingly frail in recent months; he was briefly admitted to hospital with fever some three weeks [...]