Updating a report from earlier today in JURIST's Paper Chase, Federal Communications Chairman Michael Powell has now announced his resignation from the Commission. In a statement released in Washington, he said: Having completed a bold and aggressive agenda, it is time for me to pursue other opportunities and let someone else take the reins of [...]

The European Union announced Friday its unanimous approval of a measure to end penalty sanctions imposed on $4 billion worth of US exports. The European Council recommended the sanctions end on February 1 and approved a program to reimburse all penalty fees collected in January. The penalty sanctions were put in place after the Senate [...]

Leading Friday's international brief, a key member of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement , now the ruling party in Southern Sudan, has expressed concern about the makeup of the proposed UN peacekeeping force to be deployed in March. Deng Alour Deng, a senior official in the SPLA, said that Southern Sudanese officials were unhappy with [...]

Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian has warned that should China's National People's Congress enact an "anti-secession" law aimed at keeping Taiwan from becoming independent, Taiwan will enact its own "anti-annexation" law and might hold a referendum. Chen urged the Beijing to "think hard" about an anti-secession bill that will not benefit either side and will likely [...]

The Chinese Ministry of Education announced Friday that China's current restriction on marriage and childbearing for university students will be lifted. An official with the MOE student affairs department acknowledged that a new draft regulation on college student management will no longer have articles prohibiting university students getting married and having children while in school. [...]

Anthony D'Amato, Northwestern University School of Law: "Although I have been very critical of the President, I write to report how thrilled I was to hear his second-term acceptance speech. He may not have written it, but he ratified it and spoke it and that's good enough for me. "We are led, by events and [...]

Leading Friday's corporations and securities law news, Fidelity Investments announced two more traders have left the firm over the government's investigation into employees who inappropriately solicited and received expensive gifts and entertainment from brokers who wanted the company's business. This is the second set of traders to leave the firm over the SEC and company's [...]

Jack Balkin, Yale Law School: "I liked Bush's second inaugural address, which argued for the cause of freedom around the world, very much. I also liked his first inaugural address, which sounded very moderate, spoke of justice, tolerance, and aid to the poor, and pledged to work together with everyone. However, I also remember that [...]

Judges in Malawi began their first strike late Thursday, refusing to hear cases until they receive a fleet of new cars – a promise made by former President Bakili Muluzi . Malawi Attorney General Ralph Kasambara said that the unfortunate part of the situation is that current President Bingu wa Mutharika is being held accountable [...]

AP is reporting that FCC officials have confirmed that Federal Communications Commission Chairman Michael Powell will announce his resignation from the Commission Friday. A publicly-unconfirmed report of a possible announcement was carried early this morning in the Wall Street Journal. Powell's tenure as Commission chair was marked by controversy over telecommunications deregulation and, more recently, [...]