China and US sign law enforcement cooperation agreement News
China and US sign law enforcement cooperation agreement

[JURIST] The Chinese Foreign Ministry [official website in English] announced Friday that the Sino-US Joint Liaison Group (JLG) has signed a joint agreement [Foreign Ministry press release in Chinese] at the conclusion of a two-day meeting of US and Chinese delegates in Beijing. During the meeting, the two sides agreed to cooperate and offer mutual legal assistance in the areas of illegal immigration, the extradition of fugitives, intellectual property infringement, anti-narcotics operations, and trans-national crime. The signing of the agreement also resulted in the institutionalization of the JLG and the establishment of regular yearly meetings. The JLG was originally conceived by the Clinton administration in 1998 and is headed by Liu Zhenmin of the Chinese Foreign Ministry and Elizabeth Verville of the US State Department. Xinhua has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Montgomery started racially-integrated bus service after boycott

On December 21, 1956, buses in Montgomery, Alabama, started racially integrated service following federal court rulings ending on-board segregation. Bus boycott leaders Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King and Rev. Ralph Abernathy were among the first riders under the new scheme. Learn about the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

Stalin born

On December 21, 1879, Joseph Stalin was born in Gori, Georgia. In 1922, he became leader of the USSR until his death in 1953. During his time as Soviet dictator, Stalin industrialized his country, which he then led to become one of the world's two superpowers after WWII. Through his infamous purges, show trials and nationwide famines, Stalin also became responsible for millions of deaths.