In February, McNulty testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee that thirteen or more federal prosecutors who have been removed over the past two years were not victims of political retaliation, as some Democrats have alleged. McNulty specifically denied that the removal of former US Attorney Carol Lam, who prosecuted former Republican congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham, was motivated by political considerations. McNulty did admit, however, that one of the firings was conducted to allow Tom Griffin, former aide to Karl Rove, to assume the position. Gonzales has denied such allegations, maintaining the firings were necessary to replace US attorneys performing poorly on the job.

In a conference call concerning the new legislation on Monday, senior DOJ officials also said that obtaining international cooperation on the area of copyright law is of great importance to the department. The US has listed 12 countries as failing to provide adequate protection, including Russia, China, and Israel.

Kaplan, along with 10 other executives from the online gambling industry were indicted by U.S. District Court in St. Louis on charges that the company took billions in illegal bets from U.S. residents. The company BetOnSports stopped taking bets from US citizens as a result of a civil settlement last November, and agreed to return the money back to the American bettors, something that has not happened as of yet. The criminal charges, however, are still pending.

The 48-year-old Gary Kaplan was arrested in March in the Dominican Republic, after fleeing the country to avoid prosecution.

Currently only Massachusetts recognizes full same-sex marriage. Last month, New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer (D) introduced a bill that would legalize gay marriage in that state.

The transitional government of Somalia has agreed to cooperate with a UN probe into alleged human rights violations that occurred during recent fighting in the country's capital, according to UN emergency relief co-ordinator John Holmes Monday. Despite that, the Somali government maintains that no abuses took place. Recent fighting between warlords and government-backed troops, most of whom come from Ethiopia, have left about 1,600 people dead in Mogadishu. Former deputy Prime Minister Hussein Aideed says that Ethiopian soldiers have been carrying out a campaign of genocide against Somalis since their arrival, but the government has defended their use as necessary to reinstate law and order after 16 years of chaos.

In January, the transitional government began imposing martial law over areas under the government's control, two weeks after martial law was approved by parliament. Somalia has endured a lengthy civil war and several rounds of failed peace talks since the collapse of its last civil government in 1991. In late March Human Rights Watch claimed that the US, Kenya, and Ethiopia were cooperating with the transitional government of Somalia to secretly detain people who fled the conflict there.

A former Joliet Catholic Academy student pleaded guilty Monday to selling crack cocaine to undercover police officers in an investigation that netted 14 teens, including 8 pupils at the school.

David M. Caiafa, 18, of the 500 block of Northfield Drive faces up to 60 years in prison or as few as six years, if Will County Judge Daniel Rozak accepts the prosecution's sentencing recommendation. Rozak is scheduled to sentence Caiafa on July 25.

The charges stemmed from Operation After-School Special, a Joliet police probe focusing on the sale of cocaine and Ecstasy that initially targeted students at the Catholic school.

Caiafa told Rozak he continued to pursue his high school diploma after he was expelled from Joliet Catholic.

Caiafa said he takes anti-depressants and some medications, but Rozak determined the prescription drugs would not affect Caiafa's ability to understand the charges against him.

Caiafa pleaded guilty to selling, or helping to sell, one to four grams of cocaine on four dates in early 2006. Two of the charges cited the sales' proximity to a school. But Assistant State's Atty. Chris Regis amended them to eliminate reference to the location.

Outside the courtroom, defense attorney Frank Andreano said the change in charges, which eased the sentencing guidelines, made the plea bargain possible.

Regis said Caiafa's chances of entering the county's drug court treatment program are "less than zero."

Caiafa is the third teen to plead guilty to drug charges in connection with the investigation.

Last month, Benjamin J. Dilday, 18, of Joliet pleaded guilty to unlawful delivery of a controlled substance. He is awaiting sentencing. In March, Alexander Bulanda, 19, of Shorewood pleaded guilty to two counts of delivery of a controlled substance and was sentenced to 4 years.

Elections held in the Philippines to elect members of the Philippines Senate and House of Representatives proceeded Monday despite reports of violence and allegations of fraud. Government authorities attributed the death of 116 people, including 11 candidates since the election campaigning season began on January 14 to election violence directed towards candidates and voters alike. The Philippine National Police has established special Task Forces to "facilitate the augmentation of police and military personnel" in 32 of 81 provinces that were threatened by "serious armed threats," which the government attributed to communist militants from the Communist Party of Philippines (CPP), New People's Army (NPA), and "other lawless elements." Despite the violence, Avelino Ignacio Razon Jr., deputy director of the Philippine national police characterized the election process as "proceeding smoothly."

Elections in the Philippines are routinely plagued by violence, allegations of vote buying and balloting fraud. Members of the opposition have made allegations that ballot boxes containing completed ballots were discovered before polling began, and that candidate names had been removed from ballots in select voting precincts. The National Police has reported instances of confirmed electoral fraud and vote buying, as well as organized attacks against members of the Board of Election Inspectors and their police escorts. In 2006, Philippines President Gloria Macapagal was accused of vote rigging, bribery, graft, corruption, human rights abuses and violations of Philippines Constitution.