Annan awaits new Oil-for-Food report News
Annan awaits new Oil-for-Food report

[JURIST] A new interim report on the UN Oil-for-Food Program [JURIST c news archive] for Iraq is set to be released Tuesday, and officials within the Bush administration believe that the conflict-of-interest findings might place US Secretary-General Kofi Annan's job in jeopardy. Tuesday's report is expected to address whether the secretary-general unduly influenced the contract application process for his son Kojo's personal gain; Kojo received close to $400,000 from Cotecna Inspection [corporate website], a company he represented which sought and received a contract related to the program. Cotecna issued a December press release regarding its involvement in the oil-for-food program. NBC News 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.