Michael Jackson’s doctor charged with manslaughter

LOS ANGELES - Michael Jackson’s personal physician Conrad Murray has been charged with “unlawfully, and without malice”, killing the pop star last summer.

In glare of media, Jackson’s doctor faces the music

LOS ANGELES - Eight months after Michael Jackson died from a drug overdose, his personal doctor Conrad Murray was charged with his death.

Fonseka’s arrest aimed to suppress war crimes: Tamil Canadians

TORONTO - Calling the arrest of former Sri Lankan army chief Sarath Fonseka “the murder of dissent” by Colombo, Sri Lankan Tamils in Canada have sought immediate international trial of President Mahinda Rajapaksa for war crimes.

Outrage as Amnesty sacks Indian rights campaigner

LONDON - Human rights activists across the world have leapt to the defence of Indian gender campaigner Gita Sahgal after Amnesty International sacked her for criticising it publicly over its involvement with a former Guantanamo Bay inmate.

Iranian opposition leader sentenced six-year jail

TEHRAN - Former Iranian deputy foreign minister Mohsen Aminzadeh has been given a six-year jail term for his involvement in the post-election protests against President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, opposition websites reported Monday.

Lawyer: Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie suing UK tabloid over claim they were to split

Lawyer: Pitt and Jolie sue over split claim

Lawyer for federal drug agent acquitted in Ohio framing trial says he hopes to return to work

Cleared drug agent in Ohio hopes return to duty

Human Rights Watch report accuses Bahrain government of torturing detainees to suppress unrest

Rights watchdog says Bahrain police using torture

Court gives more time to Blueline bus operators

NEW DELHI - The Delhi High Court Monday gave a 10-day breather to Blueline bus operators who were issued a notice by the state government to phase out the bus service.

Apex court asks Chhattisgarh to locate 12 missing people

NEW DELHI - The Supreme Court Monday ordered the Chhattisgarh government to find and bring before it 12 people who have gone missing after moving the court for a probe into the alleged killings of over a dozen villagers by security forces in state’s Dantewada during anti-Maoist operations.

Court notice to Medha Patkar on medical certificate

NEW DELHI - A city court Monday issued notice to Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) leader Medha Patkar asking her why she should not be proceeded against for perjury for allegedly filing a fake medical certificate to seek exemption from personal appearance in two criminal defamation cases.

West Bengal to accord job quotas for poor Muslims

KOLKATA - West Bengal’s Left Front government Monday said it would reserve 10 percent of government jobs to economically, socially and educationally backward Muslims by including them in the OBC (Other Backward Class) category.

Israeli court releases Australian and Spanish pro-Palestinian activists nabbed in raid

Israeli court releases pro-Palestinian activists

Quraishi’s appointment to St Stephen’s governing body upheld

NEW DELHI - The Delhi High Court Monday upheld Election Commissioner S.Y. Quraishi’s appointment to the governing body of St Stephens’ College as valid and allowed him to participate in its meetings.

Wrap up anti- Sikh riot cases in six months: High court

NEW DELHI - The Delhi High Court Monday appointed special prosecutors for the 1984 anti-Sikh riot cases and asked the trial court to wrap them up in six months.

Orissa tribe to Avatar director: now you watch our film

LONDON - Members of a tribe in Orissa who have been battling against a multinational mining company now want the director of the Hollywood blockbuster ‘Avatar’ to join their high-profile campaign.

NHRC awaits report on Chatwal from Kerala government

NEW DELHI - The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has sought a report from the Kerala government following a complaint by a businessman that he and his associates were illegally detained at the behest of NRI hotelier Sant Singh Chatwal, being awarded the Padma Bhushan this year.

Glasnost in judges’ appointments: High courts’ stand sought

NEW DELHI - Should documents relating to judicial appointments be made public? The Supreme Court Monday asked high courts across the country for their stand on the issue of transparency in judicial appointments.

We have a right to wear the Kirpan, says British Sikh judge

LONDON - Britain’s first Asian judge, who is due to be knighted by the Queen, Monday defended his right to wear the Kirpan and warned schools they could be guilty of discrimination if they ban Sikh pupils from wearing the ceremonial dagger.

Charlie Sheen facing arraignment on domestic violence charge

Charlie and Brooke Sheen due in court Monday

Delhi High Court asks to speed up 1984′ riots case

NEW DELHI - The Delhi High Court on Monday asked the trial court to conduct the hearing of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case within six months, and informed that a special team has been formed to look after the case.

Bengal to adopt Ranganath Mishra Commission recommendations

KOLKATA - West Bengal’s Left Front government Monday decided to adopt the Ranganath Mishra Commission’s recommendations for the betterment of economically, socially and educationally backward minority Muslims in the state.

Ruchika case proceedings to be heard in-camera

CHANDIGARH - The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday agreed to hold in-camera proceedings in the Ruchika Girhotra molestation case that involves former Haryana Director General of Police (DGP) SPS Rathore.

Bihar villagers burn job cards

PATNA - Angry unemployed residents of a village in Bihar’s Vaishali district burnt their job cards provided under the central government’s flagship employment programme to protest the failure of authorities to give them work.

Malaysian opposition leader Anwar tries to get judge disqualified

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim’s sodomy trial was sidetracked after his lawyers demanded that High Court judge Justice Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah recuse himself from the case.

Ruchika case: Rathore’s bail plea hearing today

CHANDIGARH - The Punjab and Haryana High Court will on Monday hear the bail plea of former Haryana Director General of Police (DGP) SPS Rathore against the six-months sentence and conviction in the Ruchika Girhotra molestation case.

Khooni Darwaza rape case: High Court upholds conviction of prime accused

NEW DELHI - The Delhi High Court on Monday upheld the conviction and life sentence of prime accused Rahul in the 2005 ‘Khooni Darwaza’ rape case.

Muslim quota unsustainable: Andhra High Court

HYDERABAD - The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Monday striked down the four percent quota for Muslims calling it unsustainable.

Judges should declare assets: Bangladesh chief justice

DHAKA - Bangladesh’s new chief justice, Mohammad Fazlul Karim, has said all judges should declare their assets in the interests of transparency.