Of Human Interest: News lite

NETANYAHU CLAN PACIFIST JAILED

The nephew of Israel's Foreign Minister Binyamin Netanyahu Thursday marked his 197th day in confinement after refusing to enlist for mandatory service in the Israeli army.

A military judge told Jonathan Ben-Artzi the 20-year-old would be detained on an army base for the duration of his trial.

Ben-Artzi is the first person in some 20 years to face trial before a military court for refusing to serve and faces three years in prison if convicted in military court.

Ben-Artzi's mother, Ofra, told United Press International: "He is a pacifist. He believes that every dispute can be resolved in negotiations, talk, deliberations and not through the use of arms."

The army had suggested Ben-Artzi enlist and be assigned to a hospital where he would serve in mufti and without arms, but he refused.

'BIRD BRAIN' COMMENT DRAWS IRE

The Canadian Broadcasting Corp. says Quebec Premier Bernard Landry is in hot water for comments about "bird brains."

Landry told a private gathering of social action groups it is difficult to understand how birds with little brains can feed their young in the morning but some people still send their kids to school hungry.

The CBC says the remarks have been denounced as an insult to the poor but Landry said he meant no disrespect.

Liberal Leader Jean Charest told the paper: "Families deserve better from someone who is premier of Quebec, and I fully expect Mr. Landry to apologize."

COURT UPHOLDS 'POOH' SANCTIONS

The California Supreme Court has rejected Walt Disney Co.'s appeal of sanctions for destroying documents in a decade-long legal battle over Winnie-the-Pooh royalties.

Bert Fields, a lawyer for the Slesinger family, which granted Pooh rights to Disney in 1961 for future royalties, says the ruling means when the case goes to trial later this year the jury will be instructed to accept versions of events put forth by the Slesingers.

Fields says Disney shredded more than 1 million documents related to Winnie the Pooh, some as late as 1998, long after the family had requested them.

Pooh bear is the most profitable of all the characters Disney markets -- estimated to be worth billions in annual revenue.

WEB SITE FEATURES SLAVE SUITS

Missouri has launched a new Web site featuring nearly 300 lawsuits filed between 1814 and 1860 by slaves seeking freedom.

The lawsuits were filed in circuit courts around the state. The Web site, stlcourtrecords.wustl.edu, was a joint project by the Washington University, the St. Louis Circuit Court and the Missouri State Archives. The collection is believed the largest of its type.

"Suing for freedom was not easy. Freedom suits followed a general, proscribed pattern. The statute outlined the requirements a slave had to take in order to obtain freedom through the judicial system," the site explains. "Suits included a petition to sue for freedom, a charge of trespass of false imprisonment, court approval of the suit, summoning of witnesses, depositions, and final disposition of the case."

Some 4 million pages of circuit court documents were recovered from storage to build the Web site and include cases involving slaves Dred and Harriet Scott.