US to release 6 more Guantanamo Bay prisoners News
US to release 6 more Guantanamo Bay prisoners

[JURIST] The US military has ordered the release of six more Guantanamo Bay [JURIST Hot Topic] and ordered a further 30 to remain in custody at the prison camp. The releases were ordered Friday after Combatant Status Review Tribunals [DOD press release] determined the detainees were not "enemy combatants". The Pentagon says eighteen detainees have been ordered released so far, though only one has avtually been freed. The rest remain at the US naval base pending discussions about their transfer between the State Department and their home governments. To date, the review panels have ordered 440 prisoners to remain in custody. AP has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Laws of Burgos put into effect

The Spanish Crown put the Laws of Burgos into effect on December 27, 1512. These laws governed the relationship of Spanish settlers with the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean. The laws established the encomienda system of labor, promoted conversion to Catholicism, and safeguarded the indigenous peoples from physical abuse.  However, historians argue that the laws were ineffective at protecting the rights of the indigenous population. Learn more from the Library of Congress.

Prohibitionist Carrie Nation carried out her first public bar smashing

On December 27, 1900, militant Prohibitionist Carrie Nation carried out her first public smashing of a bar, at the Carey Hotel in Wichita, Kansas. Nation argued that destroying bars was an acceptable means of battling the liquor trade since the Kansas Constitution prohibited alcohol. Learn more about Carrie Nation.

World Bank created

On December 27, 1944, the World Bank was created during the United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, USA. Learn more about the history of the World Bank.