A group of UN human rights experts on Thursday voiced grave concern "at the escalating wave of violence surrounding the pro-democracy demonstrations throughout Nepal in recent days," noting in particular several incidents where Nepalese police have fired on protesters during ongoing demonstrations against the rule of King Gyanendra . The experts, including the special rapporteurs [...]

During the final day of defense arguments in the sentencing trial of Zacarias Moussaoui , Moussaoui's defense lawyers submitted to the jury a government-approved statement that the government had no evidence that "shoe-bomber" Richard Reid worked with Moussaoui as a potential 9/11 hijacker. Moussaoui testified in March that he and Reid were selected by al [...]

Leading Thursday's environmental law news, Louisville, Kentucky Mayor Jerry Abramson directed an advisory group to review and recommend changes to the area's air pollution program. The Strategic Toxic Air Reduction program was enacted in 2005 after a US Environmental Protection Agency study concluded that local residents face the highest risks from toxic air pollution in [...]

US Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts on Thursday selected James Duff , a former aide to Chief Justice Rehnquist, as the next director of the Administrative Office of the US Courts , where he will represent the federal courts before Congress during budget and salary negotiations. Duff will face the task of ironing out [...]

Spanish lawmakers have drafted legislation that will provide financial compensation to the victims of terrorist attacks on Spanish soil, as well as funding for programs to assist victims with finding new jobs and homes. The bill is expected to be submitted to the parliament this summer, when the Spanish government may engage in peace talks [...]

A lawsuit filed by the Russian Justice Ministry's Federal Registration Service against the Union of Soldiers' Mothers Committees , a local NGO representing the rights of soldiers, was dropped Wednesday after the group publicized the fact that they had received a summons to appear in court. The lawsuit was initially filed based on allegations that [...]

Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, and Ohio have joined California and New Jersey in suing tobacco companies for money they say is owed under the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) . The Illinois attorney general says the state is owed almost $40 million and is suing to recover that money and to ensure that the state doesn't [...]

China responded Thursday to criticism from the British Transplantation Society , which accused the country of harvesting and selling the organs of executed Chinese prisoners, by saying that similar practices had been used on patients in Great Britain a few years ago. The British group said Wednesday that an increasing amount of evidence has been [...]

The National Security Archive , a research institute at George Washington University, won partial summary judgment on Wednesday in its lawsuit against the US Air Force, as the US District Court for the District of Columbia ruled that the Air Force had engaged in a pattern or practice of violating the Freedom of Information Act [...]

Afghanistan's peace and reconciliation commission Thursday praised the release of a list of detainees held at the US prison camp in Guantanamo Bay , which was made available as the result of a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit filed in March by the Associated Press . A senior official for the Afghan commission which has [...]