In Monday's environmental law news, China's State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA) has approved the resumption of 26 of the 30 large construction projects that were halted last month for failing to complete environmental impact statements before beginning. The initial halting was seen as a show of power by SEPA and its authority to enforce environmental [...]

European Union foreign ministers announced Monday that the EU will renew its sanctions against the Zimbabwean government for another year. However, the ministers indicated the sanctions could be reexamined after the March 31 parliamentary elections. The sanctions were put in place after President Robert Mugabe's ruling party allegedly rigged parliamentary elections in 2000 and the [...]

Syrian officials have indicated that the country will soon begin to withdraw its troops from Lebanon in compliance with the Taif agreement , signed at the end of Lebanon's 1975-90 civil war. Syria's move coincides with President Bush's speech in Belgium today, which pressed for Syria to "end its occupation" of its neighbor. The international [...]

Togo's parliament has re-amended the country's constitution so that presidential elections can be held within 60 days, overturning a change made to allow Faure Gnassingbe to fulfill his father's term as president. However, Gnassingbe will remain in power until the vote is conducted and is expected to run for president. The US, France, and other [...]

The British government announced Monday that same-sex partners will be able to enter into civil unions starting in December. Under the Civil Partnerships Bill , passed last year by Parliament, same-sex couples will have the right to form legally binding partnerships and will be entitled to the same tax and pension benefits that married couples [...]

The World Council of Churches (WCC) , a global organization for non-Catholic Christians, accused the United States on Monday of violating international law in its treatment of Guantanamo Bay detainees. The detainees "are held without due process and in total violation of the norms and standards of international humanitarian and human rights law," according to [...]

Leading Monday's corporations and securities law news, the SEC has started an informal investigation into aluminum producer Alcoa Inc. over the classification of trade accounts payable transactions starting in 2003. Alcoa has said it will cooperate with the probe. The Pittsburgh Business Times has more. In other news… A MCI shareholder has filed a lawsuit [...]

ChoicePoint announced Monday that residents in all 50 states and D.C. may have been affected by a security breach which resulted in criminals gaining access to its massive database of consumer information. California authorities say as many as 500,000 people may have been affected, but ChoicePoint believes that number to be closer to 145,000. Last [...]

Retired Bosnian Serb general Milan Gvero agreed on Monday to voluntarily surrender to the UN war crimes tribunal at The Hague. The Serbian government said that Belgrade had received an indictment against the general from the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia , although the charges against Gvero have not yet been made public. [...]

In an unprecedented move, Irish Justice Minister Michael McDowell has publicly claimed that three of the most prominent figures in the Sinn Fein political party, including party leader Gerry Adams , are members of the IRA Army Council, the internal group in charge of the terrorist organization. Martin McGuinness, Sinn Fein's deputy leader and one [...]