The United States Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that the military tribunals in Guatanamo are unconstitutional -- a severe blow to President Bush. But for the prisoners, some of whom have been detained for four years, the ruling changes little. The hearing only lasted an hour and a half. Chief Justice John Roberts was excused from hearing the case. He had already ruled against the claimant, an inmate of Guantanamo Bay, at the appeals court stage, before he was appointed to the Supreme Court. The absence of Roberts was a good omen for the prisoner: on Thursday the Supreme Court ruled in his favor -- and thus gave the White House a slap in the face that resounded around the world.... http://service.spiegel.de censor News |
Editor - 12:36:00 06-30-06 |
Reward offered for Iraq killers |
Russia is offering a $10m (£5.4m) reward for information leading to the capture of the militants who killed four Russian diplomats in Iraq. A group linked to al-Qaeda released a video on Monday showing two of the captives being killed. Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered special services to "find and destroy" the killers of the hostages, who were abducted in early June. The reward offer has been widely publicised on Arab television channels. "In return for information leading to a result, Russia's National Anti-terrorist Committee will pay a reward of $10m," said Nikolai Patrushe, head of Russia's security service, in televised comments. ... http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5133644.stm
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Editor - 12:29:00 06-30-06 |
Bush backs F-16 sale to Pakistan |
Bush has asked Congress to approve selling 18 new F-16 jets to Pakistan as a US nuclear deal with India progresses. The administration submitted a package also including an option to purchase a further 18 jets and an offer to upgrade Pakistan's existing F-16 fleet. Congress has 30 days to consider the deal with its traditional ally. The state department said the deal was not related to the passage of a bill on nuclear co-operation with India. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee took an hour to endorse the Indian agreement by 16-2 on Thursday after it was cleared by a House of Representatives panel on Tuesday. State department spokeswoman Julie Reside said the F-16 deal with Pakistan was not related to the agreement with its historic rival. ... http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/5131566.stm
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Editor - 12:09:00 06-30-06 |
House Lifts Offshore Drilling Ban |
Congress has taken a major step toward allowing oil and gas drilling in coastal waters that have been off limits for a quarter-century. Still, a battle looms in the Senate over the issue. And the Bush administration's support for the legislation, which was approved Thursday by a 232-187 vote in the House, is lukewarm. The House bill would end an Outer Continental Shelf drilling moratorium that Congress has renewed every year since 1981. It covers 85 percent of the country's coastal waters - everywhere except the central and western Gulf of Mexico and some areas off Alaska. Rep. Richard Pombo, R-Calif., a leading proponent for lifting the ban, said he believes a majority of the Senate wants to open the protected waters to energy companies. ... http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-5922507,00.html
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Editor - 12:06:00 06-30-06 |
Criminal Cases Against U.S. Soldiers |
A look at criminal cases against U.S. soldiers stemming from the deaths of Iraqis since the war began in 2003: PENDING CASES: ... http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-5922498,00.html
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Editor - 12:05:00 06-30-06 |
US media leaks condemned by House |
US media reports on covert government programmes have been condemned in a non-binding resolution approved by the House of Representatives. It follows the Bush administration's attack on the New York Times for revealing a secret programme tracking international financial transactions. Many opposition Democrats voted against the resolution, calling it a political manoeuvre ahead of mid-term elections. The New York Times has defended its report as in the public interest. The newspaper revealed last week that the US government had covertly tracked thousands of financial transactions for nearly five years as part of its so-called war on terror. ... http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/5132730.stm
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Editor - 12:00:00 06-30-06 |
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