UK Home Secretary Jacqui Smith announced Monday that the British government will not be establishing a central government database to keep records of phone calls, emails, and Internet activity, instead leaving that job to private communications providers. The British government abandoned the central database approach due to potential privacy implications and instead has proposed that [...]

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Afghan President Hamid Karzai told reporters Monday that the controversial Shi'ite personal status law , which limits women's rights, is being amended by the country's Justice Ministry. Monday's statement at a press conference with UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown came one day after Karzai told female members of parliament and human rights advocates that he [...]

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The US Supreme Court on Monday granted certiorari in three cases. In NRG Marketing, LLC v. Maine Public Utilities Commission the Court will consider whether the Sierra-Mobile doctrine applies when an entity not party to an interstate electricity contract contests the contract as not being "just and reasonable" as required by Section 206 of the [...]

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Chairman of the US Senate Judiciary Committee Patrick Leahy (D-VT) reiterated his calls for a non-partisan truth commission to investigate Bush administration officials responsible for authorizing certain interrogation techniques during an interview with CBS Sunday. Leahy said the focus of the commission should not be vengeance, but rather to investigate the individuals in the Bush [...]

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Wireless communications company Qualcomm Inc. reached a settlement in a lengthy legal battle with rival firm Broadcom , under which it will pay Broadcom $891 million. Under the terms of the settlement, the companies agree not to assert patents against each other for their respective integrated circuit products and certain other products and services, which [...]

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Taiwan and China on Sunday signed a landmark judicial cooperation agreement , under which each side will help to repatriate suspected criminals. The transfers of almost 40,000 criminals and suspects between the nations have been facilitated by non-governmental organizations since 1990, but the new agreement allows for direct judicial cooperation . Taiwan hopes the agreement [...]

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