US District Judge Cecilia Altonaga upheld torture charges Thursday against the son of former Liberian President Charles Taylor, Charles McArthur Emmanuel , rejecting Emmanuel's argument that a federal anti-torture statute exceeds Congressional authority because it criminalizes behavior of foreign government officials outside the territorial jurisdiction of the United States. Altonaga also rejected Emmanuel's assertion that [...]

The US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit has rejected a lawsuit challenging the government's domestic surveillance program , ruling Friday that the lawsuit should be dismissed because the plaintiffs lacked standing to bring the suit. The ACLU filed the lawsuit on behalf of journalists, scholars, attorneys and national nonprofit organizations having "a well-founded [...]

Lawyer Kenneth R. Feinberg was appointed Thursday to head the distribution effort of the Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund established to aid victims and families of the April 16 massacre at Virginia Tech that left 33 people dead and 25 wounded in the largest shooting spree in US history . Virginia Tech President Charles Steger said [...]

A US Naval Criminal Investigation Service (NCIS) spokesperson has confirmed that up to 10 US Marines are currently under investigation for the alleged killing of at least eight Iraqi detainees during the Multinational National Force-Iraq's November 2004 offensive in Fallujah . The latest allegations surfaced when former Marine Corporal Ryan Weemer admitted the incident during [...]

Thailand's Constitution Drafting Assembly approved a final draft of a new constitution Friday, paving the way for an August 19 constitutional referendum and possible general elections in December. The 100-member body, appointed by the military, unanimously approved the 309-article draft presented by the 35-member Constitutional Drafting Committee in April. The new constitution is part of [...]

The Constitutional Court of Turkey ruled Thursday in favor of the constitutionality of proposed changes to the electoral system that would allow for the president to be elected by popular vote. The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) backed the reforms as a way to end a deadlock over the election of the next president; [...]

Former US Army germ-warfare researcher Dr. Steven J. Hatfill , named a "person of interest" by the FBI in its investigations of anthrax mailings shortly after the 2001 Sept. 11 attacks , has filed a motion to force journalists to reveal their sources after newspapers printed details about the investigation. Hatfill is seeking the information [...]

A Court in London sentenced Younis Tsouli and two accomplices to prison Thursday for collaborating on websites that advocated terrorism. Tsouli, along with Tariq al-Daourm and Waseem Mughal, used the sites to promote terrorist actions and distribute information on how to construct bombs and poisons. Tsouli, who labeled himself "the jihadist James Bond," received a [...]

Former Australian High Court chief justice Sir Gerard Brennan Wednesday denounced anti-terrorism laws being used to detain an Indian doctor believed to be connected to last week's attempted terror attacks in London and Glasgow. Dr. Mohammed Haneef has been held in Australian police custody since Sunday, when he was stopped as he was about to [...]

Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra told Japan's Kyodo News Thursday that he will not return to Thailand to face charges of corruption unless he can be sure that his trial would be fair. Thai officials have ordered Thaksin and his wife to return to the country by July 23, and have said if they [...]