Britain likely to tighten US-UK extradition law

LONDON — Britain is likely to overhaul its extradition laws amid concerns the United States is able to fly suspects out of the U.K. with little proof they have committed a crime, a senior government minister said Wednesday.

A review of current laws would propose changes and consider whether the present rules are "unbalanced" in favor of the U.S. and against British citizens, Home Secretary Theresa May said in a statement to Parliament.

It follows worries over high profile extradition cases including hacker Gary McKinnon, who is wanted in the U.S. for allegedly breaking into American military computers, and retiree Christopher Tappin, accused of plotting to sell missile components to Iran.

"I’m fully aware there are a number of areas of the U.K.'s extradition arrangements which have attracted controversy in recent years," May said. "This government is committed to reviewing those arrangements to ensure they work both efficiently and in the interests of justice."

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Online dating, bedbugs addressed in new laws in New York

ALBANY, N.Y. — New York's newest laws are meant to make Internet dating safer, further protect victims and witnesses in domestic abuse cases, and require landlords in New York City to come clean about bedbugs when leasing apartments.

Among 26 vetoes, Gov. David Paterson again sank a proposal to create a commission that would promote commemorations of the often forgotten, but critical, War of 1812 vs. Great Britain on its 200th anniversary.

In a legislative session in which the state budget was adopted 4 months late during a historic fiscal crisis and politics often trumped policy, the Internet dating safety act would require that companies warn customers of the dangers of meeting strangers.

The tips include always letting someone else know if you’re going to meet someone new, always providing your own transportation and making sure to meet in a public place.

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