Judge William R. Wilson Jr. of the US District Court of Eastern Arkansas ruled Friday that the Little Rock School District was "substantially complying" with its Revised Desegregation and Education Plan ("Revised Plan") and released the school district from court supervision. The Little Rock School District voluntarily entered into the Revised Plan in 1998 "as a way of settling...over forty years of more or less continuous desegregation litigation." The Revised Plan required the school district to "substantially comply with hundreds of desegregation obligations in order to achieve unitary status."

In September 13, 2003, Wilson issued a memorandum opinion finding that Little Rock had substantially complied with all of its obligations in the Revised Plan with the exception of one that requires the school district to annually assess and improve the effectiveness of academic programs in improving African-American achievement. The school district unsuccessfully applied for unitary status in March 12, 2004. The Little Rock School District was the location of infamous 1957 confrontation between Arkansas governor Orval Faubus and the federal government following the Supreme Court ruling in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, which outlawed racial segregation in public education.

The United States, stretched by engagements in Iraq and Afghanistan, had hoped to transfer command as early as 2009, but ultimately agreed to South Korea's insistence that responsibilities be shifted at a slower pace.

Survivors and relatives of victims of the Srebrinica massacre are on their way to The Hague for a ruling on a demand to hold Serbia accountable for mass killings during the Bosnian War. The case, brought by Bosnia, has been described as one of the most significant in the International Court's history. "We've been waiting a long time, and now we want to go there and witness justice for ourselves," said one woman boarding a bus in Sarajevo for The Hague. "We have been deceived many times before and now we want justice, finally," another said.

The UN Court in The Hague opened the case last year, 13 years after Bosnia first sued what remained of the Yugoslav state from which it broke away in 1992. At least 100,000 died in the ensuing conflict. Bosnia says modern-day Serbia should pay billions of euros in compensation for the genocide and other war crimes committed against Bosnian Muslims during the fighting.

The most notorious episode came at Srebrinica when around 8,000 Bosnian men were massacred. Serbia's lawyers have argued the case between two multi-ethnic states does not reflect a war fought along ethnic lines. The ruling is expected on Monday.

"This action represents important public policy concerns and is essentially local in nature," Levy wrote. "The state's interest in adjudicating this case in its own forum outweighs the federal interest in retaining jurisdiction."

The plaintiffs' lawyers now have two weeks to file objections to keep the case in federal court. The case was brought by 13 property owners facing eviction.

"We're disappointed found a basis to recommend dismissal," said Candace Carponter, a member of the opposition group Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn. The project calls for an arena for the NBA's Nets and 16 towers with residential and commercial space. Construction began Tuesday.

While opponents fear the project will create a traffic nightmare and ruin the neighborhood's character, supporters say the project will be a boon for Brooklyn and the city.

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“As was the case with our recent relocation of our New York office in Midtown Manhattan, we’re looking forward to moving to a dynamic new space that can accommodate our future growth,” said Brad Malt, chairman of Ropes & Gray. “Like Midtown, Back Bay offers an appealing mix of central location, cultural and recreational amenities, and convenience for our clients, attorneys and staff alike. International Place is a great building and has been a wonderful location for us since 1989, but we are excited by this development.”

The Prudential Center is a 3.2 million square foot urban center, comprised of 2.6 million square feet of office space and 620,000 square feet of retail space. The complex provides direct access to the Massachusetts Turnpike and on-site access to the MBTA Green Line, as well as the largest parking garage in New England, with space for 3,660 cars. The 52-story Prudential Tower features spectacular views of Boston, Cambridge and the surrounding areas. In 2006, Prudential Center was the recipient of the Urban Land Institute Award for Excellence as best mixed-use project on an international basis. Additionally, the Prudential Tower was the recipient of the 2006 BOMA Best Building of the Year Award.

“This is, of course, unacceptable. But we can make certain this doesn't happen if we act now,” Schwarzenegger said at a news conference after meeting earlier with legislative leaders. He said he is confident that a Superior Court decision Tuesday blocking an emergency move to transfer inmates to prisons in other states will be overturned on appeal.

The out-of-state transfers have been the administration's only plan to quickly ease overcrowding. About 360 prisoners have been transferred, far short of the goal of 5,000.

AdvertisementIn response to a question, Schwarzenegger said the new urgency comes from an order last week by U.S. District Judge Thelton Henderson in San Francisco giving the state 90 days to spell out how the inmate population will be reduced in each of the next two years.

“I think by having this order it helps us to speed up the process and really start negotiating,” Schwarzenegger said.

California has more than 170,000 prisoners jammed into prisons designed for 100,000. Inmates are packed into gyms, classrooms and hallways – sometimes in beds stacked three high. Officials are concerned about potential riots.