Bush noncommittal on Guantanamo shutdown News
Bush noncommittal on Guantanamo shutdown

[JURIST] When asked about the fate of the US prison camp in Guantanamo Bay during a Fox News interview [transcript] Wednesday, President Bush insisted that all prisoners there are being treated in accordance with international standards, but did say that the government was "exploring all alternatives" regarding its future. The administration has come under increasing pressure from human rights groups, including Amnesty International, to shut down the facility, which a recent Amnesty report [JURIST report] called a "gulag" in reference to the notorious forced labor camps of the Soviet era. Earlier this week, former President Jimmy Carter and Senator Joseph Biden [JURIST report] called on President Bush to close Guantanamo, and US House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi has since joined the chorus. Reuters 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.