The truth is that the U.N. and its admirers are so keen on U.S. accession to the Law of the Sea Treaty precisely because it will transform that so-called "constitution of the seas" into an actual charter for a new supranational order.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Happy birthday, UN

The children have a moving beauty, and when they and their parents have to submit to the humiliations of a lottery system in order to get into a charter the effect is enraging.

NEWYORKER: Waiting for "Superman"

For instance, after coming under heavy pressure from then opposition leader Binyamin Netanyahu, in early 1996, then prime minister Shimon Peres was forced to ask Arafat to convene the PLO's governing council in order to cancel the PLO Charter.

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The existing Women's Charter allows the court to issue a protection order restraining someone from using violence against a spouse or child.

CNN: SINGAPORE

That was the year the government was formulating a draft mining charter, proposing that companies be at least 26% black-owned in order to get a government mining license. (The draft became law in 2005.) Since then Motsepe has diversified, swallowing up or forming partnerships with several other old mining companies and adding a swath of minerals: precious metals (platinum and its cousins), nickel, chrome, iron, manganese and coal.

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