| Bush Invites Democrats to Discuss Iraq
President Bush invited lawmakers to the White House next week to try to break the stalemate on Iraq war funding, but he made it clear yesterday that he is not budging on his key demand -- a "clean" bill without "artificial deadlines" for withdrawal or restrictions on his commanders on the ground. At the same time, Bush used a morning visit to American Legion Post 177 in Fairfax to renew pressure on Congress to send him the spending bill, warning that the Pentagon will soon be forced to transfer an additional $1.6 billion in funds from other military accounts to make up for a looming shortfall in funding for the Iraq operations. The appearance was another in a series of steps calculated at stiffening the spines of his conservative base for a coming confrontation with Democratic lawmakers.
Dealing with disputes
Many years ago, Parliament included in a portfolio piece of legislation some clauses dealing with construction contracts. This was the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996 and, among other things, it made adjudication a statutory right. Adjudication is the method by which disputes arising under construction contracts can be determined. Adjudication was supposed to be quick and temporary - a way of getting most of the right cash into the right pocket pending a full-blown dispute later on, be that in the courts or in front of an arbitrator. .
7000 rural courts to be set up: Bhardwaj
Chandigarh, April 21: The Centre has decided to set up around 7,000 "rural courts" across the country and appoint a new cadre of judges to resolve legal issues on a fast track at the block level itself.
The Cabinet had cleared the proposal and a bill for constitution of rural courts would be introduced in the ensuing Budget session of Parliament, Law and Justice Minister H.R. Bhardwaj told reporters on the sidelines of a seminar here today.
He said 7,000 rural courts having both criminal and civil jurisdiction would be appointed under the respective high courts and a new cadre of judges created for the service of the poor.
"Such courts will help resolve civil, criminal and domestic matters at the block level within three months," Bhardwaj said.
He said the Law Ministry would soon introduce the Arbitration law after consultation with judges of the Supreme Court.
Robert Kirby: Mad as a hornet, I go to war
This is a major bug alert. On Saturday, under the swing set in our backyard, was an insect megalopolis. I found it while trying to get out of cleaning the garage.
Under the swing set is the only part of our backyard where a guy can take a nap without being seen from the kitchen window. Settling down among the bark chips, I suddenly noticed why the swing set leaned heavily to one side.
Above my head was an enormous structure covered with yellow and black bugs. I was close enough to hear two of them talking about stinging my eyeball. I had blundered into a wasp Pentagon.
The situation called for a cool head. I finally located mine several blocks away, wrapped in a T-shirt and out of breath from hollering and self-defensive slapping.
Qualcomm seeks arbitration as Nokia deadline looms
New York: Qualcomm on Thursday asked arbitrators to intervene in its legal fight with No 1 mobile phone maker Nokia, saying it was unlikely the two companies could reach an agreement on a key licensing pact due to expire this week. The agreement over technology patents between wireless chip maker Qualcomm and Nokia expires on Monday, but an increasingly bitter battle over fees for the technology has reinforced investor fears that they will fail to reach a new deal. Both companies fired new shots in the legal dispute on Thursday, which centres on Nokia's use of Qualcomm patents for WCDMA, a technology popular in the United States for mobile phones with high-speed web links. Qualcomm asked the American Arbitration Association to rule that Nokia's use of its patents after April 9 would amount to a choice by the Finnish company to extend their existing pact and pay the same royalty rate.
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