The Justice Department and tobacco industry representatives have begun settlement negotiations in the government's racketeering case against the industry, an anonymous source involved with the case said Tuesday. The two sides have met at least once with a court-appointed mediator, but both are under court orders not to discuss the negotiations. The talks were prompted [...]

In issuing new mercury emissions regulations last week, the Environmental Protection Agency failed to include conflicting data from a study sponsored by the agency, the Washington Post reported Tuesday. EPA officials emphasized that the mercury regulations could not be more stringent because the costs to businesses already substantially outweighed health benefits. However, a Harvard University [...]

AP is reporting that UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has said that Syria will completely withdraw its military forces from Lebanon. Last week, Annan had demanded a withdraw in accordance with Security Council Resolution 1559 . AP has more.

A UK court on Tuesday granted Home Secretary Charles Clarke more time to decide on a US request to extradite three British bankers indicted on fraud charges stemming from the Enron scandal. A court ruled last fall that the three, Gary Mulgrew, David Bermingham and Gile Darby, could be extradited , but the final decision [...]

The parents of Terri Schiavo have filed a full appeal with the US 11th Circuit Court of Appeals , urging the court to act because Schiavo is "fading quickly." The parents, Bob and Mary Schindler, filed an emergency appeal Tuesday morning after a US district judge refused to order Terri Schiavo's feeding tube to be [...]

Embattled Russian oil company Yukos reported Tuesday that it will drop its appeals for bankruptcy protection in US courts, and instead pursue other options in an attempt to keep the company from breaking up. A US district judge had refused last week to maintain a stay that protected the company's assets while it appealed its [...]

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott filed suit Tuesday against internet phone provider Vonage , alleging that the service does not adequately warn customers about problems they have in trying to call 911. Vonage does not route 911 calls in the usual manner. Most calls wind up at the administrative offices of emergency call centers rather [...]

The US government filed a motion Tuesday asking the judge in the Zacarias Moussaoui case to set a trial date in October. District Judge Leonie Brinkema had stayed legal proceedings pending the Supreme Court's consideration of a petition for certiorari regarding whether US prosecutors could seek the death penalty. Monday the Supreme Court denied certiorari [...]

The US Supreme Court ruled in three cases Tuesday, all on appeal from the Ninth Circuit. In Muehler v. Mena the Court ruled unanimously that police did not violate the Fourth Amendment rights of a suspect when they detained her in handcuffs while searching a house for a wanted gang member. Overturning the appeals court, [...]

Democratic Republic of Congo leaders on Tuesday announced that several senior militia leaders had been arrested, with other reports indicating that top leader Thomas Lubanga was among them. The leaders were arrested on Saturday, although no report was made until today. Efforts to halt militia violence has been stepped up in the past month after [...]