USA
A federal judge is to consider a challenge today to the detention of Al Qaeda and Taliban suspects at the US Navy base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The petition for a writ of habeas corpus filed in US district court in Los Angeles demands that the government bring the suspects before a court and lay out specific charges against them. There are currently 144 fighters in US custody at the makeshift prison (below). Defense Secretary Rumsfeld told NBC's "Meet the Press" Sunday that the Bush administration is still working out rules for military tribunals to judge the detainees. He said a chorus of complaints - from staunch US ally Britain, among others - that the men had been mistreated came from "people who are not well-informed."
An American who fought for the Taliban likely will be flown to an undisclosed location today, military officials said. John Walker Lindh of California was being held for questioning aboard the USS Bataan in the Arabian Sea. Attorney General Ashcroft said last week that Walker will be charged with conspiracy to kill US citizens.
The timing of a massive document shredding by Arthur Andersen LLP of files related to bankrupt Enron Corp. is scheduled to be the focus of Thursday's hearing before a House Energy and Commerce panel. A spokesman for the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations said it was prepared to issue subpoenas, if necessary, to compel senior Andersen officials to testify. None have been offered immunity. One topic: an e-mail sent four days before Enron announced it was $600 million in the red. An Andersen attorney sent a reminder of the firm's document-destruction policy to the Houston office, where auditors assigned to the Enron account were based. The inquiry is one of many linked to Enron's collapse. The Justice Department is conducting a criminal investigation.
An Egyptian falsely accused of links to the Sept. 11 attacks wants an apology from the FBI and may sue the agency, his lawyer told The New York Times. Last week, federal prosecutors dropped charges against Abdallah Higazy, who had been accused of lying about having an aviation radio in his New York hotel room, which overlooked the World Trade Center, after another guest stepped forward to claim the device.
A car accident touched off a shooting spree in Charleston, S.C., that left two people dead. One of the drivers allegedly killed a paramedic who came to his aid, then fled and fatally shot an off-duty policeman. The incident marked the fourth killing of an officer in the state in three weeks.
"A Beautiful Mind" led the Golden Globe Awards Sunday night with four top prizes, including best drama film, best screenplay, best actor (Russell Crowe), and supporting actress (Jennifer Connelly). "Moulin Rouge" was named best musical or comedy film. In TV categories, cable channel HBO won best drama series for "Six Feet Under," as well as best comedy series for "Sex and the City."
