Signed into law by President Bush December 23, 2004 . Read the full text of the Act here . Reported in JURIST's Paper Chase here.

Tariq Aziz, Saddam Hussein's former deputy prime minister and foreign minister, has denied that Iraq used the UN oil-for-food program to extort billions of dollars according to lawyer Badih Aref, speaking Friday for Aziz after having been allowed to meet him for the first time Thursday in Baghdad. Aref quoted Aziz as saying: We used [...]

A Beijing court spokesman announced Friday that the court had ruled against the Chongqing Lifan Industry Group, which must stop selling lookalike Honda brand motorbikes and must pay the Japanese Honda Motor Company 1.47 million yuan ($177,600 USD) in compensation. Analysts say that China is taking a tougher stand on intellectual property rights and, in [...]

President Bush has signed into law a bill that permits the imposition of US sanctions on Sudan in response to the violence in Darfur, which the US has on several occasions characterized as genocide. The legislation, passed by Congress in early December, also freezes Sudanese assets and applies a US travel ban against Sudanese leaders. [...]

Russian state oil company Rosneft announced Thursday that it had bought 100% of Baikal Finance Group, the mysterious entity that last weekend purchased the production arm of Russian oil giant Yukos for over $9B despite temporary restraining order from a US bankruptcy court. The Rosneft purchase effectively expropriates the core of Yukos, from which the [...]

After hearing two days of oral argument on the constitutionality of California same-sex marriages, Superior Court Judge Richard Kramer asked Thursday for written arguments to be submitted to him by January 14. After submission, he will have up to 90 days to make a ruling in the case, which could take it into April and [...]

Ellen Podgor, Georgia State University College of Law: "AP wires report that Former Governor Rowland of Connecticut pled guilty to one count of conspiracy with the specific offense being a deprivation of honest services. The AP story notes that "he plea deal ends the two-year-long investigation into corruption in the administration of Rowland, who resigned [...]

AP is reporting that Democrat Christine Gregoire has won the Washington governor's race by 130 votes over Republican Dino Rossi, with all votes from King County counted per Wednesday's Washington state Supreme Court ruling. 7:45 PM ET – View the final recount results on the Washington Secretary of State's election website.

President Bush indicated Thursday he would re-nominate some 20 individuals for federal judgeships whose confirmations were directly or indirectly blocked by Democrats in the last Congress who considered them too right-wing on a range of legal and social issues. Read a full statement by White House press secretary Scott McClellan listing the Court of Appeals [...]

AP is reporting that former CT Gov. John G. Rowland has pleaded guilty to a federal charge of corruption. The Hartford Courant has more on the expected plea announcement (registration required). Previously on JURIST's Paper Chase…. Aide to former Connecticut governor John Rowland charged Grand jury reconvenes in former CT governor case; indictments expected Adviser [...]