The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 Monday that regulators may have misinterpreted the federal Clean Water Act when they refused to allow two Michigan property owners to build a shopping mall and condos on wetlands they own. At the same time, justices could not reach a consensus on whether government can extend protections for wetlands miles away from waterways. The decision is the first significant environmental ruling for the high court headed by new Chief Justice John Roberts, and justices were so fractured that the main opinion by Justice Antonin Scalia only had the votes of four justices. Roberts, one of those four, said that the result was so confusing that ``lower courts and regulated entities will now have to feel their way on a case-by-case basis.'' ... http://www.guardian.co.uk censor News |
Editor - 12:42:00 06-19-06 |
U.S. Army charges 3 soldiers in Iraq deaths Three detainees died in military custody |
The U.S. Army has charged three soldiers in connection with the deaths of three Iraqis who were in military custody in southern Iraq last month, the military said Monday.The Multinational Corps-Iraq said three members of 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division have been charged in connection with the deaths of three male detainees during an operation near Thar Thar Canal in southern Salahuddin province on May 9.“A noncommissioned officer and two soldiers each have been charged with violating several articles of the Uniform Code of Military Justice including murder, attempted murder, conspiracy, communicating a threat, and obstructing justice,” an announcement said. It added that “on the day the alleged murders occurred, the unit commander ordered an inquiry to determine the circumstances surrounding the deaths of the three detainees.”It said that a criminal investigation began May 17 and was ongoing.... http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13423764/
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Editor - 12:39:00 06-19-06 |
Americans, Iraqis push into area of Ramadi |
Hundreds of American and Iraqi troops backed by a U.S. gunship pushed into an insurgent-infested section of eastern Ramadi, expanding their campaign to bolster their presence in one of Iraq's most violent cities.No U.S. casualties were reported, but six insurgents were thought to have been killed by fire from the AC-130 Spectre gunship in the initial hours of the operation, U.S. commanders on the ground said. Sporadic gunfire between U.S. troops and insurgent snipers echoed throughout the neighborhood.The troops were trying to establish a new outpost in Ramadi's eastern Mulaab neighborhood that would allow U.S. and Iraqi troops to better patrol a troublesome area where insurgents have frequently attacked.The outpost would be less than a mile deeper into the city from their current base.... http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2006-06-18-ramadi-outposts_x.htm?csp=34
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Editor - 12:31:00 06-19-06 |
Somali peace force moves closer |
The African Union and western diplomats have agreed to send a team to Somalia to assess the possibility of deploying peacekeepers there. The assessment team will decide how many troops would be needed. The Islamists, who control the capital Mogadishu, fiercely oppose the idea and last week held large protests. Tension is high in Somalia, after the Islamists said Ethiopian troops had crossed the border - a claim the Ethiopians have denied. Somalia has had no effective national government for 15 years. Ethiopia is seen as being close to President Abdullahi Yusuf and there are some unconfirmed reports that Ethiopian troops have been spotted in Baidoa, the town 200km north of Mogadishu, where his government is based. ... http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/5093494.stm
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Editor - 12:28:00 06-19-06 |
Indian air force 'lacks planes' |
Nearly 20% of Indian Air Force (IAF) pilots are doing desk jobs because of a shortage of planes, the BBC has learnt. Classified documents seen by the BBC show that in all about a third of the IAF's 2,500 pilots have been assigned ground and administrative duties. Of these, 450 fit and trained pilots simply lack planes, the documents say. Growing numbers of IAF pilots have been refused permission to quit in recent months. The Indian Air Force had "no comment" on the BBC's findings. The IAF has about 790 aircraft in total, including 340 fighter planes. Only half the fleet is available at any given time while the rest are being serviced, the documents show. ... http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/5094234.stm
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Editor - 11:40:00 06-19-06 |
Suu Kyi spends birthday under house arrest |
A lone man who staged a protest in downtown Yangon was detained by police Monday as pro-democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi marked her 61st birthday, alone and under house arrest by Myanmar's military government.Security had been increased outside the barricaded home of Suu Kyi, leader of the National League for Democracy and the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize laureate. She has spent 10 of the last 17 years in confinement, making her one of the world's most prominent political prisoners.Her birthday was marked around the world by various supporters, who oppose the ruling junta for its human rights abuse and failure to hand over power to a democratically elected government in the country formerly known as Burma.In neighboring Thailand, Myanmar exiles held a small Buddhist religious ceremony in Bangkok to mark the occasion, and in Manila, Philippine activists wearing chains carried a giant replica cake to the Myanmar Embassy to demand Suu Kyi's release.... http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2006-06-19-suu-kyi_x.htm?csp=34
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Editor - 10:19:00 06-19-06 |
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