French civil court bans Hezbollah TV broadcasts News
French civil court bans Hezbollah TV broadcasts

[JURIST] The French Council of State, France's highest civil court, has banned the broadcast of Lebanese satellite channel Al-Manar due to the Hezbollah-linked station's airing of militant and anti-Semitic statements. French broadcast regulator CSA granted Al-Manar a license in November on the condition that the station respect French laws against inciting racial or religious violence. Al-Manar has since broadcast a commentary blaming Jews for the spread of HIV/AIDS. The Council indicated that it would reconsider the ban if Al-Manar complies with French anti-hate laws. Read the Council's decision and press release, both in French. VOA News has more. From France, Le Figaro has local coverage.

THIS DAY @ LAW

No lynchings reported in US for first time

On December 30, 1952, the Tuskegee Institute reported that 1952 was the first year of no lynchings of African Americans in the United States in the 71 years it had kept records. Learn more about lynching and listen to Billie Holiday's jazz recording of the 1938 protest song Strange Fruit.

USSR established

On December 30, 1922, representatives of Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and the Transcaucus approved the Treaty on the Creation of the USSR and the Declaration of the Creation of the USSR, creating the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). During World War II, the USSR would also annex Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Moldova. Learn more about the history of the USSR from the BBC.