A nationalist march in Jerusalam is likely to provoke tensions and trigger unrest as right-wing Israeli groups plan a parade to mark Jerusalem day. The day celebrates what is referred to as the "reunification" of Jerusalem after it was captured and occupied in 1967 and is marked on 22 May. Days before the march, tensions are still high after a ceasefire reached between Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Israel, following a four-day Israeli bombardment that left 33 Palestinians and one Israeli dead. Thousands of young Orthodox Jewish men are due to parade through the Old City’s Muslim Quarter, a provocation that has led to attacks against Palestinians.
Lawyers for Western Australia's Mineral Resources and billionaire Chris Ellison have accused former employee Steven Pigozzo and Harmer’s Lawyers boss Michael Harmer of causing a public disturbance by handing over a legal claim against Ellison to the press before a court judged the matter. Ellison's lawyer, Steven Penglis claimed in court that the defamation action and defences depend on the 56-minute period between the filing and sealing of the claim, adding that the defendants would be protected by privilege. The case is open to the public under the Federal Court rules, which were recently tightened as a direct response to the incident.
The CEO of car manufacturer Stellantis, formerly known as Fiat Chrysler, has said they are unhappy that rival car manufacturer Volkswagen received $13bn in funding from the Canadian government. Speaking to the Globe and Mail, CEO T.S. Ramsay said: “I don’t blame the company for wanting equal treatment.” Stellantis is currently suspended indefinitely from constructing its EV battery plant in Windsor, Ontario, while the company continues to negotiate with the Canadian and Ontario governments for financial assistance. Despite once being one of the biggest car manufacturers in Canada, Stellantis received no public funding to modernise its operations in the country. The issue is complicated by Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s opposition to any sort of public funding for car companies.
Human Rights Watch and Pakistan's Human Rights Commission have condemned the Pakistani government's plan to bring supporters of Imran Khan to trial under military rules rather than civilian following recent protests & violence. It’s thought civil trials are being avoided to restrict access to basic rights like a lawyer. The wave of violence had resulted from the arrest of Kham and saw angry supporters attack police and military facilities, killing 10 people and resulting in the arrest of 4,000 people. Though Khan was released, the Pakistani government later said it would try ”the arsonists” under military law.
Brazil's former president, Jair Bolsonaro, has testified before federal authorities as part of an investigation into fake COVID-19 vaccination cards. The ex-leader denies any involvement and is among a number of Bolsonaro's inner circle, including several family members, to be probed over issues from election meddling to racial hate speech. The legal storm may result in a ban from public office for Bolsonaro or even his arrest, as Judge Alexandre de Moraes continues several investigations, although his attempt to connect the fake news inquiry and ongoing probe into vaccine cards has drawn criticism for his alleged efforts to concentrate power.
Democrats and the majority of voters believe that President Joe Biden, who will turn 81 in November, should not run for a second term. However, those questioning Biden's age must consider that the vice-president - Kamala Harris - could also attract scrutiny when she runs. Democrats and much of the “mainstream” media are working off an invisible memo that tells them to avoid talking about Biden's age, however this cannot last. Biden must now elevate Harris's role to become a bigger factor next year and focus on key issues that will appeal to voters.
'Vexatious litigant' John 'The Engineer' chugs along after losing world record 106 elections
CBC
23-05-17 11:54
John Turmel, 72, has unsuccessfully contested 106 Canadian political elections over 40 years, earning him a Guinness World Record. Brantford mayoral candidate Turmel lost out in recent polls with 343 votes, but he remains best known for his legal crusade to rid Canada of interest on credit, as well as lockdown and cannabis prohibition. Justice Simon Fothergill last year labelled Turmel a “vexatious litigant” who owed thousands of dollars in unpaid court costs.
Rights Groups Oppose Trial of Pakistani Protestors in Military Courts
Diplomat
23-05-17 11:53
Pakistani authorities are pursuing efforts to prosecute civilians under military courts despite objections from international rights groups Amnesty International and the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. The military trials, which are usually held behind closed doors, would rob defendants of fundamental rights, including the right to choose their own lawyer. Many expect those brought to trial to be supporters of opposition leader Imran Khan, who was dramatically arrested last week, prompting violent protests across the country. Amnesty described the civilian trials as contravening international law.
Republican lawmakers in North Carolina have overruled a veto by Governor Roy Cooper to pass legislation banning most abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy in the state. Members of the party claimed the limits were a middle ground as the state already bans nearly all abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy without rape or incest caveats. The votes were part of a wider shift on the issue across the US, with lawmakers in South Carolina and Nebraska also considering new abortion limits. The North Carolina law will include rape or incest exceptions through 20 weeks of pregnancy and exceptions for "life-limiting" fetal anomalies during the first 24 weeks. The bans are possible as in 2020 the US Supreme Court struck down landmark 1973 ruling Roe v. Wade which had established a nationwide right to abortion.
Denmark's Supreme Court has ruled that a cartoon depicting Copenhagen's Little Mermaid statue as a zombie and a photograph of it wearing a face mask did not violate the copyright laws of the famous bronze that has sat on a rock at the entrance of the Copenhagen harbor since 1913. The newspaper Berlingske published the cartoons and photos in 2019 and 2020, respectively, to illustrate two articles, both of which resulted in Danish courts finding that the publication was an infringement of the Danish Copyright Act.
FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried is reportedly hoping that a recent US Supreme Court decision on the scope of fraud prosecutions will help his legal case after facing charges linked to the collapse of his cryptocurrency exchange. However, many lawyers are predicting that it will not make much difference and Bankman-Fried's chances of having charges dropped remain slim. Bankman-Fried has requested that most of the charges be dismissed, arguing that some were based on a theory of fraud centered around depriving a victim of economically valuable information rather than tangible property.
Pakistan's government has said it will try suspects accused of attacking army installations in military courts following protests in the wake of the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan last week. Military courts were established primarily to try members of the military or enemies of the state, with civilians only being tried there under a federal government order. Pakistan's military courts have faced widespread criticism from within Pakistan and rights organisations globally because of their secretive nature and their existence alongside a functioning civilian legal system.
Canadian MPs are discussing how best to challenge Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's far-right government. The government's plans to curtail judges' power and expand settlements in Palestinian land have raised concern, and a House of Commons committee has agreed to study the issues along with violence perpetrated against Israelis by terrorist groups. While some MPs believe concerns should be aired in private, others argue it is necessary to hold friendly countries to account.
UK energy firm SSE has won a legal battle with the country's tax authority over the treatment of much of its £200m spending on the Glendoe hydroelectric plant in Scotland. It could bolster confidence in the sector, according to Angus Walker, a partner at BDB Pitmans. The dispute centred on whether parts of the plant counted as a tunnel or aqueduct. The Supreme Court ruled that SSE was entitled to claim capital allowances on the full sum, which would have been disallowed under the regime. HM Revenue & Customs is "carefully considering" the judgment.
Committee of MPs, former judges to examine firing of 2 National Microbiology Lab scientists
CBC
23-05-17 16:17
An ad hoc committee has been formed consisting of members of Canada's House of Commons and three former judges to investigate the firing of two scientists from Canada's top virology lab, the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg. Dr. Xiangguo Qiu and Keding Cheng were escorted out of the lab in July 2019, and their dismissal was announced by the Public Health Agency of Canada in January 2021, but no reasons have been given for the firings or investigation by the RCMP. The lab is the only Level 4 facility in Canada. The investigation has caused concern about Chinese espionage.
Tehran has used the threat of capital punishment as a means to suppress and dissuade dissent in the wake of the recent protests sweeping the country. At least 209 people were executed in five months in response to the protestation, according to the UN. Groups such as Human Rights Activists News Agency say that the use of televised confessions before executions typically involves torture and the extraction of confessions under duress. Among those facing execution are Majid Kazemi, Saeed Yaqoubi and Saleh Mirhashemi in connection with the Isfahan House murders in November.
A federal appeals court is considering restricting access to a key abortion medication, which was first approved over two decades ago and has since become part of more than half of US abortions. The three judges on the panel questioned lawyers for the government and the drug manufacturer about why mifepristone could be prescribed by medical professionals other than doctors and why the drug could be sent by mail instead of being dispensed in person. The judges also appeared to accept the suggestion that new restrictions on mifepristone could result in fewer women requiring emergency care following medication-induced abortions. The Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, a Christian conservative group of anti-abortion doctors and others, filed a lawsuit arguing that the FDA improperly cleared the medication for use and later allowed the drug to be mailed, violating federal law. The legal fight around abortion has moved away from laws like Roe v Wade towards questions around medical access to mifepristone, with lawmakers in multiple states limiting and banning the procedure.
A new Netflix documentary about the late model, actor, and television personality Anna Nicole Smith, titled "You Don’t Know Me," challenges the tabloid myth surrounding Smith's marriage to J Howard Marshall, the billionaire who was her then-boyfriend and eventual husband. The documentary highlights her personal ambition, her sense of humor and her commitment to carving out her own identity. The film portrays Smith's life as being very complex and dealing with a number of challenges, including psychological ones related to her family. The documentary shows that Pierce Marshall, who inherited the bulk of his father’s estate before his own death in 2006, may have maneuvered to keep Smith from receiving any of her late husband's money. The filmmaker, Ursula Macfarlane, describes how she found Smith to be "terribly complex," noting that she didn't just want to tell the story of somebody who is a "human being, and not just an icon.”
The house of Pakistani opposition leader Imran Khan has been surrounded by police, after his supporters engaged in violent protests in Lahore. Following Khan's detention, his supporters had attacked public property and military installations; in recent weeks, 10 people have died and over 4,000 have been arrested. Khan was freed from detention on bail and has returned to his home. The surrounding of his house matches concerns about the potential for further clashes.
New legislation approved in Illinois could protect access to abortion for individuals who face penalties in their own state for seeking the procedure. Measures passed by the General Assembly include penalties for pregnancy centres that distribute inaccurate information, requiring colleges to provide emergency contraception in dispensers at a reduced price and demanding Illinois insurers cover abortion-inducing drugs. Another measure approved by the House would insist that interstate agreements to share number plate recognition technology be accompanied by promises that it would not be used to track patients arriving from other states for an abortion.
