Pakistan president says US air strike violated sovereignty News
Pakistan president says US air strike violated sovereignty

[JURIST] Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf [official website, BBC profile] has complained to Washington that the United States violated its sovereignty in a recent air strike on a village near the Afghanistan border. The failed January 13 attack [Gulf Times report] by a CIA Predator drone was intended for key Al Qaeda operatives but killed 18 Pakistani villagers. In Islamabad, some legislators are calling for the expulsion of the US ambassador, while protesters have burned US flags in the streets. Speaking to reporters at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Thursday, Musharraf said that the attack violated an agreement that Pakistan would deal with operations within its borders. CNN has more. From Pakistan, the Daily Times has local coverage.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Laws of Burgos put into effect

The Spanish Crown put the Laws of Burgos into effect on December 27, 1512. These laws governed the relationship of Spanish settlers with the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean. The laws established the encomienda system of labor, promoted conversion to Catholicism, and safeguarded the indigenous peoples from physical abuse.  However, historians argue that the laws were ineffective at protecting the rights of the indigenous population. Learn more from the Library of Congress.

Prohibitionist Carrie Nation carried out her first public bar smashing

On December 27, 1900, militant Prohibitionist Carrie Nation carried out her first public smashing of a bar, at the Carey Hotel in Wichita, Kansas. Nation argued that destroying bars was an acceptable means of battling the liquor trade since the Kansas Constitution prohibited alcohol. Learn more about Carrie Nation.

World Bank created

On December 27, 1944, the World Bank was created during the United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, USA. Learn more about the history of the World Bank.