On 11 November 2010, Hong Kong's new Arbitration Ordinance (Ordinance) was passed by the Legislative Council. The Ordinance represents a major reform of arbitration law in Hong Kong, abolishing the previous distinction between domestic and international arbitration and adopting a unitary regime based on the UNCITRAL Model Law (Model Law).

Taiwan has sent a World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) ruling suspending a Taiwanese athlete from competition to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), hoping that it will hear the case, the government said Friday.

The Lausanne, Switzerland-based CAS could be expected to make a ruling on the case in three months if it establishes it has jurisdiction over the case, said Chow Jui, director of the International Sports Department of the Cabinet-level Sports Affairs Council.

On Dec. 21, the WTF suspended Yang Shu-chun from competition for three months for refusing to leave the mat after she was disqualified from her opening round bout in the women's taekwondo at the under 49 kg division at the Asian Games in Guangzhou in November.

The Convention on the Settlement of Investment Disputes between States and Nationals of Other States (the ICSID Convention) was signed yesterday on behalf of Cape Verde by Her Excellency Maria de Fátima Lima da Veiga, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Cape Verde to the United States.

With its accession to the Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards (also commonly known as the New York Convention), effected on 27 September 2010, Fiji becomes the 145th State party to the Convention. The Convention will enter into force for Fiji on 26 December 2010.

The inaugural edition of YAR, The Young Arbitration Review, was recently published. This new publication is dedicated to international arbitration issues and trends as seen through the eyes of young practitioners and lawyers with expertise and interest in arbitration.

YAR claims to be the first international arbitration review published in Portugal and written in English by lawyers from several jurisdictions and spread worldwide. Aimed at the development of arbitration as an alternative method for dispute resolution, YAR serves as a unique tool for arbitration players to be informed and aware of the developments of arbitration from an international perspective.

A record number of 263 universities from some 66 different countires have registered for this year's Eighteenth Annual Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot (Vienna).

During its recent annual meeting the American Arbitration Association (AAA) elected new chairpersons for its Board of Directors and Executive Committee and 12 new board members.

Joia M. Johnson, executive vice president, general counsel, and corporate secretary of Hanesbrands Inc., is the new AAA Board of Directors chairperson, while John J. Kerr, of counsel to Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, is the new Executive Committee chairperson. They were elected at the Association's annual meeting in New York City on April 29.

The 12 newly elected board members are: Guillermo Aguilar-Alvarez, Henri C. Alvarez, Jacquelin F. Drucker, John Fellas, Toni D. Hennike, Jean E. Kalicki, Mark Kantor, David Kreider, Billy R. Martin, Michael D. Nolan, Jan Paulsson and Edna Sussman.

Launched in April 2009, LCIA India in New Dehli is the first independent subsidiary of the London Court of International Arbitration. Drawing upon the experience and expertise of LCIA, one of the longest-established arbitral institutions in the world, it offers all the services offered by the LCIA in the UK, and with the same care to ensure the expeditious, cost effective and totally neutral administration of arbitration and other forms of ADR conducted under its auspices, whether according to LCIA India's own rules, or the UNCITRAL rules, or any other procedures agreed by the parties.

With the recent publication of the LCIA India Arbitration Rules and the LCIA India Mediation Rules (both adopted to take effect for arbitrations/mediations commencing on or after 17 April 2010) the LCIA India is now ready for operation.