The US Supreme Court heard oral arguments Tuesday in District of Columbia v. Heller , 07-290, a case where the Court considered whether the Second Amendment to the US constitution prohibits the District of Columbia from banning private handgun possession. The US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit ruled against the handgun ban last [...]

The National Assembly of Armenia voted during an emergency session Monday to place restrictions on rallies and demonstrations. By a vote of 90-6, the parliament empowered the government to ban rallies if a "trustworthy" report indicates that a demonstration would pose a risk to "national security, public order, or violate citizens' constitutional rights." Opposition members [...]

The US Attorney's Office for the Northern District of California filed charges on Monday against San Francisco Bay maritime pilot John Joseph Cota for allegedly causing the negligent discharge of approximately 58,000 gallons of heavy fuel oil in San Francisco Bay. Cota, who was piloting the M/V Cosco Busan on November 7, 2007 when it [...]

The US Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that Washington's system for primary elections does not violate the First Amendment right of freedom of association. The decision came in the consolidated cases of Washington State Grange v. Washington State Republican Party and Washington v. Washington State Republican Party , challenges to Initiative 872 , which instituted a [...]

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has submitted incomplete and inaccurate information to be added to the US government's consolidated terrorist watchlist over the last three years, according to a report released Monday by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) . The audit, conducted between June and October 2007, [...]

The Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs has ruled that the Palestinian Authority (PA) does not enjoy sovereign immunity and can be sued in Israeli courts for its alleged involvements in terrorism. The ministry, in a statement released Sunday, said that Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Tzipi Livni made the findings and that [...]

UN special police forces on Monday retook the UN courthouse recently occupied by Serbian protesters demonstrating against Kosovo's declaration of independence last month. The Serbian group took control of the courthouse in the northern city of Mitrovica on Friday, demanding a deal with UN authorities. Thousands of protesters gathered outside the courthouse Monday to continue [...]

Moazzam Begg : "In January this year, a training document produced by the Canadian foreign ministry, which referred to Guantanamo Bay, listed the United States as a country known to practice torture. Despite this assertion, the only Westerner remaining in the world's most infamous prison at Guantanamo Bay is the Canadian, Omar Khadr. Omar is [...]

Bob Edgar : "The creation of the independent Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) has sweeping implications for the House of Representatives and its members. Though the process of rooting out corruption among members of the House has changed over the years, this is the first time that private citizens will have the opportunity to investigate [...]

The US Supreme Court heard oral arguments Monday in Philippines v. Pimentel , 06-1204 , where the Court considered whether some 9,000 plaintiffs seeking to recover assets held by former Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos can be awarded assets claimed by the government of the Philippines. The Republic of the Philippines and the Philippine Presidential Commission [...]