• Former Liberian President Back At The Hague
• Supreme Court Declines Cases
• Pakistanis Flee Violence - Into Afghanistan
• No Child Left Behind Challenge Survives
• Oil Prices Rise After United States / Iran Ship Standoff

Former Liberian President Back At The Hague
The war crimes trial of former Liberian president Charles Taylor began
again today at the International Court of Justice at The Hague. Taylor
is accused of controlling rebel forces in neighboring Sierra Leone who
went on a blood diamond-funded rampage of killing, mutilation and rape
during the 1991-2001 civil war. Around 120,000 people were killed in
the conflict, with rebels mutilating thousands more, cutting off arms,
legs, ears or noses. Taylor denies the charges against him. Although
the trial officially opened in June last year it suffered a number of
delays after Taylor sacked his first lawyer and refused to show up in
court.

Supreme Court Declines Cases
The Supreme Court has a full docket this week, including a case heard
today regarding the death penalty – we’ll bring you more on that later
in the broadcast. But the High Court has also declined to hear some
cases . . . letting stand lower court rulings that impact pollution and
abortion laws. FSRN Correspondent Matt Laslo reports from Washington.

Pakistanis Flee Violence - Into Afghanistan
Pakistanis in the tribal regions of the Northwest Frontier Provinces
have been fleeing into Afghanistan seeking refuge from fighting in the
region between government forces and militants. Devin Theriot-Orr
reports.

No Child Left Behind Challenge Survives
A federal appeals court decision released today revived a lawsuit
challenging the funding of the No Child Left Behind law. School
districts in three states and the nation's largest teachers' union
filed the lawsuit, arguing that schools should not have to comply with
requirements that aren't funded by the federal government. The suit
also charges that the government is imposing unfunded mandates even
though the act itself prohibits unfunded mandates. The lawsuit was
dismissed in 2005 but was reversed by the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of
Appeals in Cincinnati.

Oil Prices Rise After United States / Iran Ship Standoff
Iran’s foreign ministry said this morning that a confrontation between
Iranian boats and United States navy ships in the Persian Gulf was
"something normal," and was quickly resolved. It suggested that
initially, the Iranian boats and U.S. vessels didn't recognize
eachother. Rose Ketabchi reports.