China bans discrimination against HIV/AIDS victims News
China bans discrimination against HIV/AIDS victims

[JURIST] China [JURIST news archive] Sunday issued it first guidelines on HIV/AIDS [JURIST news archive], banning discrimination against those infected by the virus and providing for free treatment. The new guidelines were promulgated in response to the already-large number of people with HIV/AIDS in the country [Avert.org backgrounder] – currently estimated by the government at 650,000 – and warnings by international experts that the numbers of infected individuals could rise due to the lack of government support and lack of information about the disease.

The Regulation of AIDS Prevention and Control [Xinhua report] was approved by the State Council, China's cabinet, and signed by Premier Wen Jiabao [BBC profile] and is due to take effect March 1. While the UNAIDS China office [official website] sees the guidelines as good progress, other international experts warn the rules do not go far enough and fear that social stigma could still prevent many from seeking treatment. Reuters has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

UN Security Council called for Israeli withdrawal from territories occupied in Six Days' War

On November 22, 1967, the UN Security Council called for Israeli withdrawal from territories occupied during the Six Days' War, and for respect of the right of all States in the area to "live in peace within secure and recognized boundaries." Read Resolution 242, which remains a cornerstone of efforts to achieve peace in the Middle East.

President Kennedy assassinated, VP Lyndon Johnson sworn inin

On November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. Later that day, Vice-President Lyndon Johnson was sworn in as the 36th President of the United States. Earl Warren, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, was later tasked with leading a commission to investigate the assassination. President Johnson received the final report of the Warren Commission on September 24, 1964. Read the Warren Commission Report.