Judge issues second order blocking release of UN oil-for-food documents News
Judge issues second order blocking release of UN oil-for-food documents

[JURIST] A federal judge issued a second 10-day restraining order Thursday blocking US congressional efforts to obtain documents that former investigator Robert Parton took with him when he resigned his role [JURIST report] in the probe of the UN Oil-for-Food Program [official website]. A United Nations-appointed committee independently investigating the program agreed to the delay after discussing the matter with the two congressional committees requesting the documents. No agreement had been forthcoming during the lifetime of the initial 10 day-restaining order [JURIST report] issued last week. Former US Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker [Wikipedia profile] is heading the probe and says release of the documents will jeopardize his investigation and the lives of witnesses. AP has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Indian National Congress founded

The Indian National Congress (INC) was founded on December 28, 1885 in Bombay (now Mumbai), India. In subsequent decades, the so-called Congress Party would advocate for Indian independence from the UK, which was eventually achieved in 1947. The first Prime Minister of independent India, Jawaharlal Nehru, was elected as a member of the INC. Learn more about the history and founding of the Indian National Congress.

Congress recognized Pledge of Allegiance

On December 28, 1945, Congress officially recognized the Pledge of Allegiance and encouraged its recitation in schools. The Pledge was supposedly written in 1892 by Francis Bellamy, a Baptist minister, to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Columbus Day. The words “under God” were added by Congress in 1954. The revised version of the Pledge was the subject of litigation before the United States Supreme Court originally brought by Michael Newdow, a parent who unsuccessfully objected to his daughter's school district policy requiring daily recitation of the Pledge. The court ruled that Newdow had no standing.

Nepal ends monarchy, establishes republic

On December 28, 2007, the Kingdom of Nepal's interim parliament ended the country's monarchy and established the Republic of Nepal. Free elections were held on April 10 of the following year to elect a Constituent Assembly.

Learn more about the rise of democracy in Nepal.