April 19, 2005

Top court to rule on legality of swing clubs National Post, Canada - Lawyers representing swing clubs have started arguing before the Supreme Court of Canada. They want to clear up whether swing clubs are illegal or not. The case stems from two contradictory rulings made last July by the Quebec Court of Appeal - one swing club owner was convicted of running a bawdy house while another had his conviction overturned. Crown lawyer Normand Labelle told the court Monday the clubs are "trivializing sexuality," where the members are treated as "consumer items." But Christian Desrosiers, one of the lawyers for the sex clubs, suggests there would be a negative effect to criminalizing the activities of the swingers. He says the court does not have the power to decree the moral comportment of citizens. The justices will rule in a few months. There are 20 swingers clubs in Canada, five of which are in Montreal. 2:20:02 PM

Moussaoui said ready to admit 9/11 role International Herald Tribune, France - Zacarias Moussaoui, the only person facing charges in the United States for the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, intends to admit he played a role in the plane-hijacking attacks and is willing to accept the death penalty for it, reports said Tuesday.  12:57:08 PM

CJAD Germany's Cardinal Ratzinger Elected Pope ABC News - Newly elected Pope Joseph Ratzinger of Germany waves to the crowd from the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica. 12:54:14 PM