China to intensify anti-corruption campaign News
China to intensify anti-corruption campaign

[JURIST] The Communist Party of China (CPC) [official backgrounder] promised Wednesday to confront gambling, corruption, embezzlement, and fraud within the government, following a speech [People's Daily report] Tuesday by Chinese President Hu Jintao [People's Daily backgrounder] where the president hailed reforms accomplished in 2006 and vowed to build a cleaner Communist party in China. Hu's speech focused on four measures: improving ethics education, reform of both the official system and procedures, arresting high-profile offenders, and focusing on the offenses that most affect the public interest.

In October, China's chief justice called for judicial reform [JURIST report] in the face of court corruption and systemic failures to implement court orders, several days after three Chinese judges were arrested for bribery [JURIST report]. A Chinese official was arrested in September in connection with a pension plan scandal [JURIST report], and in June, the Communist Party announced increases in jail time and fines for those responsible for industrial accidents and white collar crimes. AP has more. The People's Daily has local coverage.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Indian National Congress founded

The Indian National Congress (INC) was founded on December 28, 1885 in Bombay (now Mumbai), India. In subsequent decades, the so-called Congress Party would advocate for Indian independence from the UK, which was eventually achieved in 1947. The first Prime Minister of independent India, Jawaharlal Nehru, was elected as a member of the INC. Learn more about the history and founding of the Indian National Congress.

Congress recognized Pledge of Allegiance

On December 28, 1945, Congress officially recognized the Pledge of Allegiance and encouraged its recitation in schools. The Pledge was supposedly written in 1892 by Francis Bellamy, a Baptist minister, to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Columbus Day. The words “under God” were added by Congress in 1954. The revised version of the Pledge was the subject of litigation before the United States Supreme Court originally brought by Michael Newdow, a parent who unsuccessfully objected to his daughter's school district policy requiring daily recitation of the Pledge. The court ruled that Newdow had no standing.

Nepal ends monarchy, establishes republic

On December 28, 2007, the Kingdom of Nepal's interim parliament ended the country's monarchy and established the Republic of Nepal. Free elections were held on April 10 of the following year to elect a Constituent Assembly.

Learn more about the rise of democracy in Nepal.