NYMHM: War crimes trial, California marijuana law, Date: Wed, 30 Jan 2008 14:53:34 -0800 ======================================================================== ===== NEWS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED * January 30, 2008 * Vol. 7, No. 5 Important but overlooked news from around the world. NYMHM is a free service of Newsdesk.org. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ----- - RSS: http://newsdesk.org/news/atom.xml - DONATIONS: http://artsandmedia.net/contribute/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ----- QUOTED: "Well, it really is signaling to me the tremendous duplicity with which the government has acted on this file. If you remember they first denied that there was any risk of torture." -- Canadian law professor Amir Attaran on his government's Afghan prisoner policy (see "Top Stories," below). CONTENTS: *Top Stories* War crimes trial spurs threat claim California marijuana law takes a hit Canada acknowledges Afghan torture *World* Uzbek strongman has powerful friends again *Environment* Erosion takes a toxic toll in Alaska ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ----- TOP STORIES ........................................................................ ..... > War Crimes Trial Spurs Threat Claim A witness in the war crimes trial of Charles Taylor, the former president of Liberia, said a group of men stormed his family compound and said they would "all be killed," reports the BBC. The witness -- Vamba Sherif, a former aide to Taylor -- claims that the ex-president provided shelter in Liberia to rebels ... GET THE WHOLE STORY: http://www.newsdesk.org/archives/004537.html > California Marijuana Law Takes a Hit The California State Supreme Court found that employers can fire workers for using doctor-approved marijuana, despite a voter-approved state law permitting such use of the drug. Plaintiff Gary Ross, an Air Force veteran with painful back injuries from his military career, was advised to use marijuana by his doctor. He was drug tested at a telecommunications job despite ... GET THE WHOLE STORY: http://www.newsdesk.org/archives/004538.html > Canada Acknowledges Afghan Torture Canada's defense minister acknowledged that the military knew prisoners they transferred to Afghan jails were being tortured. Although the military stopped such transfers last year, the decision was kept secret, and publicly Canada's government denied any knowledge of torture of ... GET THE WHOLE STORY: http://www.newsdesk.org/archives/004539.html ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ----- WORLD ........................................................................ ..... > Uzbek Strongman Has Powerful Friends Again Western nations are once again making diplomatic overtures to Uzbekistan, despite the former Soviet republic's dismal human rights record. Admiral William Fallon, of the U.S. Central Command, visited the Central Asian nation's capital last week, and European officials have also made the trip in recent weeks. The Organization for Cooperation and Security in Europe congratulated President Islam Kamirov on his victory in last month's elections, despite the fact that it said the vote was unfair. Uzbekistan's location bordering Afghanistan makes it an important ... GET THE WHOLE STORY: http://www.newsdesk.org/archives/004540.html ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ----- ENVIRONMENT ........................................................................ ..... > Erosion Takes a Toxic Toll in Alaska It has been widely reported that global warming threatens to sweep scores of coastal Alaskan towns into the sea. Now, the Anchorage Daily News reports that severe erosion is also threatening the ocean by dumping toxins from landfills and garbage dumps into the water. "A (dump) is kind of like a Pandora's box of surprises," said Tamar Stephens of the state's Department of Environmental Conservation, the Daily News reported. Among the materials of concern are heavy metals and biological ... 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