The European Union Wednesday condemned a court decision in Belarus imposing harsh penalties on a leading human rights group. The Belarussian Helsinki Committee (BHC) had been fined for alleged unpaid taxes on money received from the EU TACIS Program and its chairwoman and chief accountant have been threatened with criminal prosecution The EU fears the [...]

As anticipated , former Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff on Wednesday pleaded guilty in federal court in Florida to two conspiracy and fraud charges stemming from the 2000 purchase of the SunCruz Casino by Abramoff and partners. Abramoff initially pleaded guilty to the charges in August, but after the DOJ investigation revealed more connections between Abramoff [...]

A statement made by President Bush when he signed the 2006 defense spending bill last week allows Bush to bypass the law's ban on torture under his commander in chief powers, the Boston Globe reported Wednesday. A senior administration official told the Globe that Bush's comments could be used to justify the torture of a [...]

Victims of sexual abuse by Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston priests have rejected an archdiocese settlement offer , lawyers said Tuesday. The proposal, which came late last month, offered average payments of $75,000 per person, and lawyers involved in the case called the payments "cruel" and "demeaning" compared to a 2003 settlement which offered average [...]

A group of Ethiopian opposition members charged with treason, inciting violence and genocide appeared in court Wednesday, challenging the court's authority to hear their case, but Federal Court Judge Adil Ahmed ordered the case to proceed after denying the defendants bail. 131 opposition politicians, reporters, and aid workers were arrested after street protests in July [...]

An Alabama state judge on Tuesday granted summary judgment in a shareholder's lawsuit against Richard Scrushy , former CEO of HealthSouth , and ordered Scrushy to return to the company more than $47.8 million in bonuses he received from 1997 to 2002. The lawsuit, filed before HealthSouth fraud charges were made public, alleged that Scrushy [...]

French President Jacques Chirac announced Wednesday that he will seek to overturn a controversial law regarding the teaching of France's colonial history. The law , approved in February 2005, requires French history teachers to stress "the positive role of the French colonialism, especially in North Africa". Chirac claims the law is dividing French people and [...]

The American Bar Association (ABA) on Wednesday announced that Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito has received a "well-qualified" rating, the highest recommendation given by the ABA to judicial nominees. Alito previously received the "well-qualified" rating in 1990 as a candidate for the Third Circuit Court of Appeals seat he currently holds. Alito's confirmation hearings before [...]

Ugandan opposition leader and presidential challenger Dr. Kizza Besigye appeared in court on Wednesday to face rape charges. His lawyers cross-examined Joanita Kyakuwa who claims that she was raped twice by Besigye, in 1997 and 1998. Besigye has denied the charges . Besigye, who also faces charges of treason and terrorism, was released on bail [...]

The Rhode Island House of Representatives voted 59-13 on Tuesday in favor of overriding the veto of Gov. Don Carcieri of a bill legalizing the prescription of marijuana to seriously ill patients. The law, effective immediately, allows critically ill people to grow as many as 12 plants, or to purchase as much as 2.5 ounces [...]