"A federal appeals court reviewing evidence at Guantanamo Bay compared a Bush administration legal argument to one made by a hapless, dimwitted character in a 19th century nonsense poem by Lewis Carroll.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit cited the 1876 poem, "The Hunting of the Snark," in ruling that the military improperly labeled a Chinese Muslim as an enemy combatant. The ruling was issued last week but an unclassified version of the opinion was released only Monday.

It was the first time a court has reviewed the military's decision-making and considered whether a detainee should be held. The ruling provides guidance to federal district judges, who are about to begin reviewing dozens of such cases now that the Supreme Court says detainees can challenge their detention in federal court."

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jQWbEoO3FnWNVOraJHQJo38l7TYgD91KITN00

"Soaring fuel prices have forced one police force in the US to increase fines for offending motorists.

From 1 July, motorists caught in Holly Springs, Georgia, will have to pay an extra $12 (£6) to cover the costs of police chasing them down."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7482934.stm

The Bush administration has launched a "significant escalation" of covert operations in Iran, sending U.S. commandos to spy on the country's nuclear facilities and undermine the Islamic republic's government, Seymour Hersh said Sunday.

Hersh told CNN's "Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer" that Congress has authorized up to $400 million to fund the secret campaign, which involves U.S. special operations troops and Iranian dissidents.

President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney rejected findings from U.S. intelligence agencies that Iran has halted a clandestine effort to build a nuclear bomb and "do not want to leave Iran in place with a nuclear program," Hersh said.

"They believe that their mission is to make sure that before they get out of office next year, either Iran is attacked or it stops its weapons program," Hersh said.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/06/29/us.iran/index.html?eref=rss_world

"A French court has ordered eBay to pay 40m euros (£31.6m; $63m) to luxury goods group LVMH for allowing online auctions of fake copies of its goods.

LVMH said eBay's French site had not done enough to stop the sale of counterfeit bags and perfumes.

The brands affected include Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior and Givenchy.

An eBay statement said LVMH was trying to "protect uncompetitive commercial practices at the expense of consumer choice" and added that it would appeal."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7481241.stm

"A wealthy New York woman has been sentenced to 11 years in jail for keeping two Indonesian women as slaves."

"The wealthy couple, who run a perfume business and have four children, had brought the women to their large house to work as housekeepers, and forced them to work up to 18 hours a day.

The couple were arrested after one of the women was found wandering the streets dressed in only trousers and a towel."

"The women said they had been beaten with brooms and umbrellas, slashed with knives, made to take freezing showers and climb stairs repeatedly. One said she had been forced to eat several hot chillies and then her own vomit."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7476927.stm

"AUSTELL, Ga. (AP) — A teenager was decapitated by a roller coaster after he hopped a pair of fences and entered a restricted area Saturday at Six Flags Over Georgia, authorities said.

Six Flags officials are uncertain why the unidentified 17-year-old from Columbia, S.C. scaled two six-foot fences and passed signs that said the restricted area was both off-limits and dangerous to visitors, spokeswoman Hela Sheth said"

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5icJKWwVpBMEbT5HEKFrs_UBNUgWQD91JFJS00

"Angry crowds have attacked government buildings in south-west China in protest at the death of a teenage girl.

Reports said several thousand people took part in the riots, setting fire to police stations and cars in Wengan county in the province of Guizhou.

Local residents were angered after a police inquiry concluded that the girl, found dead in a river earlier in June, had committed suicide.

Her family accused the son of a local official of raping and killing her."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7479810.stm

http://ilaarijs.blogspot.com/

"SANTIAGO (AFP) — Japan defended its practice of 'scientific' whale hunting at the annual International Whaling Commission meeting here on Wednesday, insisting it had yielded important scientific results."

"Researchers at Japan's Institute of Cetacean Research say they have discovered interesting information on the sexual maturation of whale species which they said could not have been obtained in any other way."

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5gtBgnRMWmcXdW6rlm6XD52a8f4pg

"Ryanair has announced a deal that will let its passengers make calls on mobile phones and use handheld devices such as Blackberries whilst in flight."

"If it gets regulatory approval, the scheme will be introduced by the middle of next year."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/5298332.stm