In a backlash against recent proposals for sweeping changes to Britain's terror laws , senior judges in the UK have warned lawmakers that they will stand against any move to undermine their independence in an effort to ensure a democratic society. Their uncompromising stance comes after a series of clashes stemming from accusations made by [...]

AP is reporting that President Bush has said that new Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will be given a US visa so that he can attend UN meetings in New York. Earlier this week, the State Department had indicated it was considering denying Ahmadinejad's visa application due to allegations that Ahmadinejad was involved in the 1979 [...]

The US military is scheduled to complete ongoing renovations to some areas of Guantanamo Bay by Monday, creating improved facilities for detainees who are deemed no longer a threat to the United States, Brig. General Jay Hood revealed in an affidavit filed in federal court earlier this week. The military plans to house the nonthreatening [...]

Two political parties went to court in Kenya on Thursday to try and block a vote on a draft constitution, claiming that President Mwai Kibaki manipulated the text to increase his powers. Both the opposition Kenya African National Union and the Liberal Democratic Party , part of the ruling coalition, joined to ask the High [...]

After last week's initial meeting , the Indonesia-East Timor truth commission officially opened Thursday in Bali. The commission to investigate the 1999 violence in East Timor is aimed at reconciliation and continued improving relations between the two countries , but, to the dismay of the UN, will not bring prosecutions. Despite a recommendation by the [...]

Proponents of a ballot initiative backed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger that would change the way political districts are drawn in California have lodged an appeal with the state Supreme Court asking that the issue be reinstated for the upcoming vote. Proposition 77 , if approved by voters, would give a panel of retired judges the [...]

AP is reporting that former WorldCom CFO Scott Sullivan has been sentenced to five years in prison for his role in the company's $11 billion accounting fraud, the largest in US history. Sullivan is the fifth former executive from WorldCom to receive a prison sentence. In July, former WorldCom CEO Bernard Ebbers received a 25-year [...]

Taysir Hayb, a former Israeli soldier, was sentenced Thursday to 8 years in prison following his manslaughter conviction by a military tribunal for the shooting of Tom Hurndall , a British peace activist . The case is the first time an Israeli soldier was found guilty of killing a foreign citizen. Hurndall was killed while [...]

Under new antiterrorism measures announced last week by British Prime Minister Tony Blair, UK police Thursday detained 10 foreigners, from countries including Jordan, Lebanon, and Algeria, who have been deemed to pose a security threat and scheduled them for deportation. The controversial policy of deporting those preaching violence or hatred or posing a threat to [...]

Iraqi leaders continued to work on hammering out the final details of their new Constitution Thursday, with a Monday deadline looming over the talks. Debates over federalism and the role of a centralized government are still a key stumbling block, although it's unclear if this clash will result in a delay in the process. Some [...]