Lebanese President Emile Lahoud accused Israel Monday of using incendiary phosphorous bombs against Lebanese civilians in violation of international standards, and urged the United Nations to call for an immediate ceasefire. Lahoud, considered to be pro-Syrian, said Israel's use of the bombs is in violation of the Geneva Conventions , but a military spokesperson in [...]

"Your confessions are ready for you to sign": Detention and torture of political suspects in Jordan, Amnesty International, July 24, 2006 . Read the full text of the report. Reported in JURIST's Paper Chase here.

The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) filed a lawsuit Monday against the Bush administration, alleging that the US government failed to fulfill its obligations to protect US citizens in Lebanon when the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah began earlier this month. The suit was filed on behalf of over 30 Lebanese-Americans who have either escaped Lebanon [...]

A report released Monday by UK Attorney General Lord Goldsmith recommends longer sentences and increased use of plea bargaining in fraud cases. Estimates have placed the cost of fraud to the British economy at over £14 billion a year. The report, the result of a Fraud Review begun last year, also suggests consolidating civil, criminal [...]

The first prisoner at Guantanamo Bay to be turned over to a foreign government for prosecution was released Monday by the Spanish Supreme Court , which found that the evidence against him was insufficient to support a conviction. Hamed Abderrahaman Ahmad, known as the "Spanish Taliban," was captured by Pakistani soldiers while leaving Afghanistan after [...]

Italy refused a CIA request to participate in the alleged extraordinary rendition of an Egyptian cleric suspected of terrorism, a lawyer for an Italian spy agency official told Reuters in an interview published Monday. Luigi Panella, the lawyer representing Marco Mancini – then a division director of Italy's Military Intelligence and Security Service (SISMI) – [...]

The UK Court of Appeal heard arguments Monday in a case where the families of three Guantanamo Bay detainees who were UK residents prior to their detention are seeking an order requiring the British government to lobby the US for the release of their relatives. The High Court ruled in May that the three detainees [...]

The EU Council of Ministers agreed Monday to continue funding for embryonic stem cell research , but that aid may not be used to procure stem cell embryos. The competitiveness council ministers approved an EU research budget that includes funding for the research but forbids the money from being used for procurement, which results in [...]

The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) must tighten its anti-terrorism laws to conform with those of other states and territories, Australian Prime Minister John Howard said Monday. If the ACT – the federal district that includes Canberra – does not revise the laws, the federal government may invalidate them, Howard said. Nevertheless, ACT Chief Minister Jon [...]

Thailand Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has sued anti-government activist Sondhi Limthongkul and 11 others for defamation and $26 million in damages, according to Thaksin's lawyer Monday. Thaksin sued Sondhi and the state-run Communications Authority of Thailand for allegedly saying on television that Thaksin and his Thai Rak Thai party tried to undermine Thailand's monarchy. Sondhi [...]