The US Court of International Trade ruled Friday that the US must abide by a North American Free Trade Agreement panel ruling that improper duties were levied on Canadian softwood lumber used in US housing construction jobs. The president of the British Columbia Lumber Trade Council , John Allan , said $1.2 billion in duties [...]

Has Israel used disproportionate force in attacking Lebanon? Should Hezbollah leaders be liable for war crimes for rocket attacks on Israeli civilians? Are Israeli operations against Gaza illegal instances of collective punishment? How far does Israel's right to self defense go? This is an open thread, so offer your comments here on these and other [...]

The last individual believed to have been still in detention after a US immigration and security sweep picked up some 1200 mostly Arab and Muslim men following the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks has been released, according to his lawyer Friday. Benamar Benatta, an Algerian, was detained when Canadian officials turned him over to the [...]

Israel found itself on the defensive with the United States as its most vocal ally in a Friday UN Security Council open meeting in which ambassadors from the Arab world and beyond condemned it for breaching international law in its attacks on Lebanon and, to a lesser extent, in its operations in Gaza in immediate [...]

Six high-level UN human rights officials Friday urged all parties in the Middle East conflict to respect and protect the rights of civilians eight days after the conflict spread to Lebanon. UN rights rapporteurs and representatives on internally displaced persons, housing, food, freedom of expression, health and education issued a rare joint statement expressing "grave [...]

Christine Chanet , the chair of the UN Human Rights Committee , criticized the United States in comments to reporters Friday, accusing the US of avoiding its duty to submit to hearings regarding US conformity to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights . On Monday, the US told the committee that the Covenant [...]

Bahrain's King Hamad bin Issa al-Khalifa has ratified a controversial protest law that some rights groups suggest could be inconsistent with common international rights standards. The Amendments to Law 18/1973 criminalizes unauthorized protests, prohibits foreign nationals from demonstrating, and bans demonstrators from certain public places such as hospitals, airports, and near diplomatic offices and other [...]

A federal judge presiding over the case of former US Army soldier Steven Green has granted a three-month delay in Green's arraignment on rape and murder charges of an Iraqi civilian and the murder of her family in Mahmudiya . US District Judge Thomas Russell of the Western District of Kentucky agreed Thursday to delay [...]

A federal judge in Texas has ruled that the US Internal Revenue Service improperly applied 2003 Treasury Department regulations retroactively when it determined that the BLIPS tax shelter, which stands for "bond linked issue premium structure," is invalid. US District Judge John T. Ward's ruling comes in a civil lawsuit where plaintiffs are seeking refunds [...]

African and black American leaders this week considered a proposal to grant dual citizenship to American descendants of African slaves in a bid to increase investment and interest in Africa . Presidents from 12 African countries and American private sector leaders discussed the idea at a four-day summit that concluded Friday in Abuja, Nigeria hosted [...]