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 [...]

Libyan human rights group Human Rights Solidarity (HRS) said Tuesday that 131 political dissidents affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood opposition group have begun a hunger strike in a Tripoli prison to draw attention to a previous government promise to release them. The prisoners were assured of their eventual release by an influential and reform-minded son [...]

Cambodian police Wednesday arrested the vice-director of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR) after arresting the president of the group and a CCHR lawyer last weekend. No charges have been filed in the latest arrest, though the police charged the president with defamation in connection with a banner he held at a rally last [...]

President Bush addressed a group of federal prosecutors on Tuesday, outlining his argument in favor of passing a long-term reauthorization of the USA Patriot Act . Bush reluctantly signed a one-month authorization of the legislation last Friday and hopes to sign legislation soon that will permanently extend provisions of the Act that were set to [...]

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) on Tuesday filed notice with federal judges overseeing the habeas corpus petitions of Guantanamo Bay detainees informing them that a provision in Title X of the defense spending bill signed into law last week strips federal courts of jurisdiction to hear the detainees' challenges. The DOJ plans to file [...]