law

Stories 1 - 20 |  Next >>

State May Be First to Mainly Use Firing Squads in Executions

Idaho is aiming for this method, using remote-control system

(Newser) - Idaho is preparing to make firing squads its main execution method, a first for any US state, as it works to build a new death chamber south of Boise, to be ready by next summer. Under a new state law, firing squad executions will take priority starting in July...

South Korea Outlaws Phone Use During Class

New ban will kick in this coming March

(Newser) - South Korea is taking a firm stance on smartphone use in schools—or non-use, more specifically. The country on Wednesday passed a nationwide ban on mobile devices during class that will be effective in March 2026. The bill, which cleared the country's National Assembly with a strong majority,...

Hundreds Arrested Defying Ban on Pro-Palestinian Group

London has multiple demonstrations this weekend

(Newser) - London police arrested 365 people on Saturday after supporters of the recently banned group Palestine Action gathered in Parliament Square to protest the new law prohibiting public support for the organization. The demonstration drew more than 500 people, some displaying signs backing Palestine Action, which Parliament outlawed last month...

St. Louis Barbers Released From 'Irrational' '40s Law

Ordinance nixed that barred barbers from operating past 6:30pm, or on Sundays, certain holidays

(Newser) - Friday was a big day for the barbers of St. Louis—they're now officially allowed to cut hair after the late-afternoon rush hour. KMOV reports that the Missouri city's Board of Alderman passed a bill that repealed an "outdated and irrational" law dating back eight decades that...

Bad News for Dissidents in Hong Kong
Bad News for
Dissidents in
Hong Kong
Mar 19, 2024 11:00 AM CDT

Bad News for Dissidents in Hong Kong

New law gives government sweeping powers to stifle dissent

(Newser) - Hong Kong lawmakers unanimously approved a new national security law Tuesday that grants the government more power to quash dissent, reports the AP , widely seen as the latest step in a sweeping political crackdown triggered by pro-democracy protests in 2019. The Safeguarding National Security Bill will expand the authorities' ability...

France to City Folk: Deal With Sounds of the Countryside

Senate passes law to protect rural areas' 'sensory heritage'

(Newser) - In an attempt to stop rural French neighbors from being at each other's throats, France has just passed a law to protect the nation's "sensory heritage." What that means, in essence, per CNN : Weekenders visiting from more urban areas won't be able to stifle most...

HK Enforces New Security Decree: 'Stop Breaking the Law'

At least 180 arrested after riot-inspired law put into place to stop secessionist, subversive activity

(Newser) - Hong Kong police made their first arrests under a new national security law imposed by China's central government, detaining at least two protesters Wednesday for carrying flags and signs calling for Hong Kong's independence. A man who had a Hong Kong independence flag was arrested at a protest...

Trump: I Can Legally Enforce My China Ban

The president threatens to wield the International Emergency Economic Powers Act

(Newser) - President Trump is threatening to use the emergency authority granted by a powerful, but obscure federal law to make good on his tweeted "order" to US businesses to cut ties in China amid a spiraling trade war between the two nations, the AP reports. China's announcement Friday that...

As of Today, You Can't Do This Anymore on Honolulu Streets

No more looking at phones, electronic devices while crossing; fine will go up to $99

(Newser) - Visiting Honolulu? Better get out of the habit of texting while walking, or at least while walking across a street. In a new law that took effect Wednesday, the Hawaiian city has banned looking at your phone (or any mobile electronic device) while crossing a street or highway. Anyone who...

Trump's Attacks on Sessions Threaten Our Rule of Law
Ken Starr:
Trump Needs
a Lesson
From Nixon
OPINION
Jul 27, 2017 10:15 AM CDT

Ken Starr: Trump Needs a Lesson From Nixon

'Profoundly misguided' attacks on Jeff Sessions threaten our rule of law, Starr writes

(Newser) - Kenneth Starr headed the investigation that ultimately led to President Bill Clinton's impeachment. That's an important fact to remember given that Starr says President Trump's recent attacks on Attorney General Jeff Sessions are "one of the most outrageous—and profoundly misguided—courses of presidential conduct I...

Traffic Law Cracks Down on Holding Phones, Coffee in WA

New distracted driving law went into effect Sunday

(Newser) - Washington state is cracking down on texting and eating at the wheel with a new law that went into effect Sunday. The new “Driving Under the Influence of Electronics” law puts stricter restrictions on the use of handheld devices in cars, reports the Seattle Times . Even when stopped at...

A Get-Out-of-Jail-Free Card for Rapists May Be Eliminated

Jordan's Article 308 allows rapists to marry victims to avoid jail time

(Newser) - Jordan's Cabinet took the first steps to undo a loophole protecting rapists on Sunday by revoking Article 308, a law that allows the criminals to escape punishment by marrying their victims and staying in that marriage for at least three years. Activists are celebrating this victory, with one calling...

More Bad News for Uber, This Time in Europe

Company is ditching Denmark after stricter new law governing taxis

(Newser) - Uber is ceasing operations in Denmark in April thanks to a new law that requires taxi services to follow stricter guidelines. New regulations include mandatory seat sensors and costly fare meters, reports Reuters . Additionally, a cap on the number of licenses doled out each year would make it impossible for...

Dutch Who Feel 'Life Is Complete' May Get Right to Die

Not terminally ill? No problem, say ministers

(Newser) - Already, the Netherlands allows assisted suicide for those who are terminally ill or living with "unbearable suffering." Soon, people who feel they have nothing more to do in life might get the same freedom. In a letter to Parliament on Wednesday, the country's health and justice ministers...

IMDb May Not Be Able to Tell You Every Actor's Age Anymore

Thanks to a new California law

(Newser) - It's one thing if the world knows that Brad Pitt is 52; people know just about everything else that's going on in his life. But for the thousands of lesser-known working actors constantly on the prowl for gigs, age discrimination is a real (if illegal) problem. So on...

Denmark OKs Law to Seize Migrant Assets

Anything worth over $1.5K will help pay for asylum seekers' housing, expenses

(Newser) - Those seeking asylum in Denmark with more than $1,500 in assets can now expect to part with anything above that amount thanks to a new law. Advancing what the country's PM has deemed "the most misunderstood bill in Denmark's history," Danish lawmakers voted 81-27 Tuesday...

Health Program for Sept. 11 Responders Expires

72K beneficiaries may stop receiving federal health care by next September

(Newser) - A law that provides medical monitoring and treatment for Sept. 11 first responders expired at midnight Wednesday due to the failure of Congress to act. For now, first responders who rushed to the World Trade Center after the 2001 terrorist attacks, worked for weeks, and now suffer from illnesses like...

Report: Robots Could Make Most Lawyers Obsolete

Experts point to possible 'structural collapse' at law firms

(Newser) - A new report looks at the state of the legal profession in 2030, and it doesn't look too pretty as far as employment is concerned, io9 reports. "It is no longer unrealistic to consider that workplace robots and their AI processing systems could reach the point of general...

In This Country, Not Breastfeeding Now Illegal

United Arab Emirates passes law despite strong opposition

(Newser) - Sure, the pope supports it , but a new clause added to a children's rights law in the United Arab Emirates doesn't just encourage mothers to breastfeed—it requires it until children are at least two years old, the Guardian reports. While those who passed the law late last...

Texas Court: Dirty Talk With Minors Is Legal

Ruling rejects 2005 law that outlawed sexual explicit language online with minors

(Newser) - A Texas court has ruled that it's legal for adults to talk dirty to minors—as long as they don't solicit sex, reports the Austin American-Statesman . The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals struck down part of a 2005 law that made it illegal to engage in sexually explicit...

Stories 1 - 20 |  Next >>
Most Read on Newser