Tag: Court

YouTube hit with discrimination suit by black video artists

  SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — A lawsuit filed this week in federal court accuses YouTube of discriminating against African American video makers and viewers by factoring in race when it comes to filtering or monetizing content. The suit filed in a courthouse in the Silicon Valley city of San Jose on Tuesday seeks class action status and names as defendants the leading video sharing platform and its parent companies Google and Alphabet. “Under […]

US to resume federal executions after 17 years

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The United States will resume federal executions on July 13, after a 17-year stay, the Justice Department said Monday. There have been just three federal execution since the death penalty was reinstated by the US government in 1988. Attorney General Bill Barr announced a year ago he intended to resume the use of the death penalty for federal crimes. Five convicted murderers were scheduled to undergo lethal injections in December […]

Canadian court rules against Huawei exec fighting extradition

by David P. Ball VANCOUVER, Canada (AFP) — An executive for Chinese tech giant Huawei suffered a legal setback Wednesday when a Canadian judge ruled that proceedings to extradite her to the United States will go ahead. The decision on so-called double criminality, a key test for extradition, found that bank fraud accusations against Meng Wanzhou would stand up in Canada. The interim ruling denying Meng’s attempt to gain her freedom means she will continue […]

Volkswagen dealt EU court setback over diesel pollution

BRUSSELS, Belgium (AFP) — Volkswagen’s use of a device that can distort the results of pollution emission tests is prohibited by European law, an EU legal adviser warned Thursday, dealing a legal setback to the German auto giant. The technology “does not appear to be necessary to protect the engine against damage or accident and to ensure safe operation of the vehicle,” said Advocate General Eleanor Sharpston of the EU’s Court of Justice. The court is […]

Singapore misinformation law challenged in court for first time

SINGAPORE (AFP) — Singapore’s controversial law against online misinformation was challenged in court for the first time on Thursday as concerns mount it is being used to stifle criticism ahead of elections. The legislation gives authorities the power to order corrections placed next to posts they deem false. Since the law came into force in October, several opposition figures and activists have been ordered to place a banner next to online posts stating that they […]

Flood-hit Jakarta residents sue over deadly disaster

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AFP) — Jakarta’s governor has been hit with a lawsuit filed by residents of the sprawling city after torrential rain sparked floods and landslides that killed dozens and left thousands homeless, a lawyer said Tuesday. More than 200 flood victims are seeking a total of 43 billion rupiahs ($3 million) in compensation in the class action, which was filed Monday in Jakarta district court. The suit claims Governor Anies Baswedan was responsible for […]

US wins ownership of seized North Korean vessel

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The United States was awarded ownership of a North Korean cargo ship that was seized for violating international sanctions, the US Justice Department said. The Wise Honest — the first North Korean vessel to be seized by the US for sanctions violation — was caught carrying a $3 million shipment of coal in Indonesian waters last year and later handed over to the US. The latest ruling by the Southern […]

Singapore hands down first conviction for terror financing

  SINGAPORE (AFP)– A Singaporean man became the first of the country’s citizens to be jailed for financing terrorism after he was convicted of sending money to a radical Islamist preacher. There have been a steady stream of arrests in Singapore related to support for Islamist extremism, and the affluent city-state’s leaders have warned it is a prime target for an attack. Ahmed Hussein Abdul Kadir Sheik Uduman was jailed for two and a half […]

Japan court acquits ex-TEPCO bosses over Fukushima disaster

  by Kyoko HASEGAWA Agence France Presse TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — A Japanese court on Thursday acquitted three former power company executives of professional negligence in the only criminal prosecution stemming from the 2011 Fukushima nuclear meltdown. The three men were senior officials at the TEPCO firm operating the Fukushima Daiichi plant and faced up to five years in prison if convicted. “All defendants are not guilty,” the presiding judge announced to the Tokyo courtroom, […]

Thai court upholds death sentence for Myanmar men over Brit killings

  by Anusak KONGLANG and Dene-Hern CHEN Agence France Presse NONTHABURI, Thailand (AFP) — Two Myanmar migrant workers sentenced to death for the brutal murder of a pair of British backpackers in Thailand lost their final appeal Thursday in a case tainted by claims of irregularities. Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Tun were found guilty of the rape and murder of Hannah Witheridge, 23, and of killing David Miller, 24, after their battered bodies were […]

Facebook sues South Korea data analytics firm

  SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Facebook is suing South Korean data analytics firm Rankwave to make sure it isn’t breaking the leading social network’s rules, the US company said Friday. A lawsuit was filed against Rankwave in a California State court in Silicon Valley to enforce terms the company agreed to in order to operate apps on the social network, according to director of platform and litigation, Jessica Romero. Facebook was investigating Rankwave […]

Judge orders psychiatric test for Christchurch shooting suspect

  by Chris Foley Agence France Presse CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand (AFP) — The man accused of shooting dead 50 Muslim worshippers in a Christchurch mosque sat impassively Friday as a New Zealand judge ordered him to undergo tests to determine if he is mentally fit to stand trial for murder. Survivors and relatives of those killed in the March 15 attacks packed into a Christchurch courtroom as alleged gunman Brenton Tarrant appeared via audio-visual link […]