Close vote expected in Luxembourg EU constitution referendum Sunday News
Close vote expected in Luxembourg EU constitution referendum Sunday

[JURIST] Despite earlier indications that it would be approved [Deutsche Welle report], observers now aren't sure which way Luxembourg will vote on the EU Constitution [JURIST news archive] in this Sunday's national referendum [official website, in French]. Other countries have postponed similar votes [JURIST report] and the ratification deadline was extended to at least 2007 [JURIST report] after the pact failed in France and the Netherlands, but Luxembourg announced it would hold its referendum as scheduled [JURIST report]. Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker [official website] held the rotating 6-month EU presidency that just ended June 30 [Luxembourg EU Presidency website] and has promised to resign [EU Business report] if his country votes No. As France's rejection of the treaty was seen as a vote against President Jacques Chirac rather than the treaty itself, Juncker is hoping his personal popularity will carry the treaty to approval. EUobserver has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

No lynchings reported in US for first time

On December 30, 1952, the Tuskegee Institute reported that 1952 was the first year of no lynchings of African Americans in the United States in the 71 years it had kept records. Learn more about lynching and listen to Billie Holiday's jazz recording of the 1938 protest song Strange Fruit.

USSR established

On December 30, 1922, representatives of Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and the Transcaucus approved the Treaty on the Creation of the USSR and the Declaration of the Creation of the USSR, creating the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). During World War II, the USSR would also annex Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Moldova. Learn more about the history of the USSR from the BBC.