Iran Beirut Marines barracks bombing compensation ruling [US DC] News
Iran Beirut Marines barracks bombing compensation ruling [US DC]

Deborah D. Peterson et al. v. Islamic Republic of Iran, US District Court for the District of Columbia, Judge Royce Lamberth, September 7, 2007 [ruling that Iran must pay $2.65 billion to compensate the families of 241 US military personnel killed in the 1983 bombing of the US Marine barracks in Beirut]. Read the full text of the memorandum opinion [PDF]. Reported in JURIST's Paper Chase here.

THIS DAY @ LAW

US House voted to impeach President Clinton

On December 19, 1998, a divided US House of Representatives voted to impeach President Bill Clinton on charges of lying under oath to a federal grand jury and obstructing justice in the Monica Lewinsky affair.

Read the Articles of Impeachment.

UK signs Hong Kong over to China

On December 19, 1984, the United Kingdom and China signed the Sino-British Joint Declaration, which ceded control of Hong Kong to the government of mainland China in 1997. The treaty also ensured that Hong Kong would retain its capitalist and democratic systems for at least 50 years after the transfer of power.