July 2005

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July 1 2005 (Friday)

• Iraq's ambassador to the UN, Samir Sumaidaie, accuses U.S. Marines of the "cold-blooded murder" of his 21-year-old cousin during a June 25 raid of his home in Al Anbar province. (Reuters)
• Following a public statement from the denomination president on the eve of the event, the congregationalist United Church of Christ begins their 5-day General Synod 25 in Atlanta, Georgia to debate a number of controversial resolutions, including same-sex marriage. Some are concerned about denominational schism. DailyBulletin.com Chicago Tribune Christian Science MonitorWashington Times UCC web page UCC news blog
• Indonesian police arrest 24 people suspected of involvement in the 2002 Bali bombings and a 2003 attack on the Marriott Hotel in Jakarta. (BBC)
• U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor announces her retirement after 24 years of service on the Court. () (NYTimes.com)
• The UK assumes the rotating presidency of the European Union amidst its funding crisis. (BBC News)
• The members of the Australian Senate elected at the election of 2004 take office, granting the government of John Howard control of both Houses of Parliament, the first time a government has had such power since 1981. (ABC News Online)
• Much of the government of Minnesota shuts down as the state legislature fails to pass a budget by the end of the fiscal year. (Wikinews) (Bloomberg)
• In the UK, cot death expert Sir Roy Meadow testifies before the General Medical Council hearing. He was involved with four court cases where four women were falsely accused of killing their children. Medical journal The Lancet defends him saying that he is just a "scapegoat" (BBC) (Scotsman)
• In the Democratic Republic of Congo, at least 10 people have died during protests over delay to the presidential elections. Opposition claims the numbers are closer to 42. (Wikinews) (BBC)
• In Germany, the Bundestag passes a Motion of no confidence in the government of Chancellor Gerhard Schröder by 296 to 151. The vote, at Schröder's insistence, opens the way for new elections to be held on September 18. (Wikinews) (Deutsche Welle) (IHT) (BBC)
• Italian police in Genoa discover a parallel police force, called the Department of Anti-terrorism Strategic Studies, that was apparently founded to benefit from funding after 2004 Madrid bombings. The group's website is now down. (Google cache) (AKI) (AGI) (BBC)
• A Toronto mosque makes history by hosting the first known Muslim prayer service in history to be led by a woman. (CBC)
• General Motors Corp. announces that it had its best month in 19 years in June 2005, increasing total deliveries by 41% against June 2004, (GM website)
• Romania's legal tender, leu was re-valued, 10,000 old lei becoming 1 new leu. Thus the ISO 4217 code was changed from ROL (Romanian leu) to RON (Romanian New leu).

July 2 2005 (Saturday)

• On the McLaughlin Group programme, MSNBC's socialist political analyst Lawrence O'Donnell claims to have known that the identity of Matthew Cooper's source in the Valerie Plame exposure scandal was Karl Rove. (Huffington Post)
• Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh unveils the Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project amidst protests from fishermen and environmentalists. Nearly 600 are arrested. (Rediff), (Reuters)
• The Live 8 concerts begin their globe-spanning tour in Tokyo. Several famous artists and musical groups are joining in this effort to raise awareness about poverty and AIDS in the leadup to the G8 summit and on the anniversary of the 1985 Live Aid concerts. (Wikinews),(Wired), (Globe and Mail), (LA Times). Related information: (Live 8 home page), (The ONE organization), (AOL Music (live webcast))
• In Australia, the place of the last stand of bushranger Ned Kelly in Glenrowan, Victoria, is made a national heritage site. (ABC) (Australian)
• Dave Zabriskie becomes the third American to ever wear the yellow leader's jersey in the Tour de France, beating fellow American Lance Armstrong by two seconds in the prologue stage. le Tour de France official website

July 3 2005 (Sunday)

• Roger Federer defeats Andy Roddick in the Men's Wimbledon Final in straight sets to capture his third consecutive Wimbledon crown and fifth Grand Slam title overall.
• Aviators Steve Fossett and Mark Rebholz, flying a replica World War I Vickers Vimy bomber, re-enact the first non-stop transatlantic flight of Alcock and Brown in 1919, landing at Clifden, Connemara, Ireland at 1704 local time (1604 UTC), about 18 hours after they took off from St. John's, Newfoundland. (Bloomberg)
• Ihab al-Sherif, Egypt's most senior envoy to Iraq is kidnapped by gunmen while buying a newspaper. He was to be promoted to ambassador, representing the first Arab nation to recognize the new Iraqi government. (Guardian)
• Albanians vote in parliamentary elections. Final results are expected in Tuesday (Reuters) (BBC)
• In Mexico, Enrique Peña of the Institutional Revolutionary Party wins election for a governor in the state of México. (Reuters) (Bloomberg)
• In Priština, Kosovo, three bombs explode almost at the same time 9:30 PM. They explode near Kosovo's parliament building and EAR building; at the Commercial Bank near the OSCE building; and local United Nations peacekeeping headquarters. No injuries are reported. President Ibrahim Rugova and prime minister Bajram Kosumi state that the explosions were intended to "destabilize" the region prior to assessment of possibilities for future independence. (B92) (Reuters AlertNet)
• In Mauritius, parliamentary elections begin. The main rivals are prime minister Paul Bérenger of the Mauritian Militant Movement and Navin Ramgoolam of the opposition Social Alliance. (IOL) (BBC)
• In Malaysia, medical experts gather in a bird flu conference in Kuala Lumpur. (Channel News Asia) (BBC)
• In Japan, underwater volcano causes a column of steam near the island of Iwo Jima. (Mainichi Daily News) (Japan Today) (Reuters AlertNet)
• Computer microchip manufacturer AMD asks a Delaware court to order that third parties to its antitrust lawsuit against industry giant Intel, preserve certain documents in their possession that may be required as evidence. The court grants that request, ordering the third parties to suspend normal document destruction as to the documents described. (TechWorld)
• The first VODcast (RSS on-demand TV channel) was published

July 4 2005 (Monday)

• The Mexican Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), the country's current opposition party that ruled for over 70 years, has claimed victory in elections for the governor of the country's most populated state, Mexico. (BBC)
• Elections in Burundi for the National Assembly begin under tight security. The voters will elect the first democratic government after the civil war. The vote is expected to favor the Hutu group Forces for the Defence of Democracy. The Hutu Forces for National Liberation are the only group that have not laid down their arms. (News24) (Reuters AlertNet) (BBC)
• The impactor of NASA probe Deep Impact successfully strikes comet Tempel 1. (NASA)
• In Canada, Karla Homolka, who was connected to murders with her husband Paul Bernardo, is released from prison after 12 years. She gives an interview to French service of CBC, stating that she does not want to be "hunted down." (CTV) (CBC interview) (Canada.com) (Reuters)
• Mexican police believe that they have arrested Vicente Carrillo Fuentes, leader of a Juárez drug cartel. (Reuters AlertNet)
• In the Philippines, president Gloria Arroyo states that she would welcome impeachment proceedings as an opportunity to refute allegations about vote-rigging. The military has expressed its support of the president amid rumors of a coup. (Manila Times) (Sun Star) (Channel News Asia)
• In Israel, president Moshe Katsav states that he is worried about a possible assassination plot against Prime Minister of Israel Ariel Sharon. (Jerusalem Post) (Reuters)
• France abolishes the legal differences between legitimate and illegitimate children. The decree will take effect July 2006. (Daily Telegraph)
• Russian astrologer Marina Bai sues NASA for $300 million because she believes the Deep Impact collision has affected her life. Her lawyers claim that it would have affected cell phone communications. (BBC)
• In Malaysia, police arrest 21 members of religious group Sky Kingdom. (Malaysian Star) (BBC)
• In Sri Lanka, five men receive the death sentence for the assassination of judge Sarath Ambepitiya last November. (Colombo Page) (BBC) (TamilNet)
• Shareholders of French liquor distributor Pernod Ricard approve its acquisition of Britain's Allied Domecq, parent company of US coffee and baked goods chain Dunkin' Donuts

July 5 2005 (Tuesday)

• Kansas City Southern Railway names Francisco Javier Rión as the new CEO, succeeding interim CEO Vicente Corta Fernandez, for its subsidiary Grupo Transportación Ferroviaria Mexicana. Before joining TFM, Rión was president of Bombardier's Rail Control Solutions Division in London, England, from 2001 to 2005, president and managing director of Bombardier's Mexican division from 1995 to 2001, and general director of Dina Autobuses/Consorción-Grupo Dina from 1991 to 1995. (Business Journal of Kansas City) (KCS)
• The Al Jazeera Network states it will be expanding by broadcasting English language content into the United States by March of 2006. (CNN)
• The United Church of Christ becomes the first mainline U.S. Christian denomination to officially support same-sex marriages by passing a resolution calling for member churches to consider wedding policies "that do not discriminate against couples based on gender." It also asks churches to consider supporting legislation granting equal marriage rights to gay and lesbian couples and to work against laws banning gay marriage. (San Jose Mercury News) (BBC) (Turkish Weekly) (United Church of Christ) (AP)
• Scientists uncover evidence that humans lived in the Americas 45,000 years ago, 30,000 years earlier than previously thought. (BBC)
• Elections in Albania: Vote tallying in the 2005 Albanian general election continues. Voter turnout was over 50% and results are expected later in the day. International observers, including OSCE, have expressed reservations about the voting process. Three people have been killed during the election. (Euro-Reporters) (Reuters) (Guardian Unlimited)
• In Indonesia, an earthquake ranking from 6.0-6.7 on the Richter scale hits Sumatra. No reports on any damage have yet been released. (Channel News Asia) (Malaysian Star) (Reuters AlertNet)
• In India, militants attack and try to storm a makeshift temple of Ram in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh; most of them die in a firefight with the security forces. There are differing reports about the number of attackers and how many were killed. The temple site is a source of dispute between Muslims and Hindus. (Newindpress) (Rediff) (Reuters AlertNet)
• In Germany, Sven Jaschan, suspected creator of Sasser worm, goes on trial. (BBC)
• In Brazil, secretary general Silvio Pereira of the ruling Worker's Party resigns for the duration of the parliamentary inquiry into vote-buying. (BBC)
• In Iraq, gunmen attack envoys from Pakistan and Bahrain. The attacks come three days after Egypt's top envoy was ambushed in the street and injured. The attempted kidnappings are meant to discourage other nations from having ties with Iraq. (LA Times)
• The government of Indonesia announced the extension of its immunization campaign against polio. The second round in this campaign was originally scheduled to end yesterday. (Bloomberg)
• In Germany, workmen remove the unofficial Berlin Wall memorial in Berlin, after the original builders refuse to obey a court order to do so. (Deutsche Welle) (IHT)
• In Peru, former president Alberto Fujimori receives new identity papers and may return to the country. Peru still wants him for charges of murder and corruption. (Reuters AlertNet)
• In Austria, state procecutors investigate allegations that Iran's president-elect Mahmood Ahmadinejad would have been involved with the 1989 assassination of Kurdish leader Abdul Rahman Ghassemlou in Vienna. (IranMania) (Reuters AlertNet) (BBC)
• In France, large forest fires rage in the French Riviera. Authorities evacuate thousands. (BBC)
• Sudanese government and two rebels groups, including Sudan Liberation Movement and Justice and Equality Movement, sign a declaration of principles towards the peace talks. This ends three weeks of negotiations in the Nigerian capital Abuja. Talks are adjourned until August 24. (Reuters AlertNet) (Reuters) (BBC)

July 6 2005 (Wednesday)

• 24 confirmed dead after more than 300 heavily-armed UN troops, assisted by Haitian National Police carry out a major pre-dawn military raid in Cite Soleil, one of the poorest communities in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, in what eyewitnesses claim was not a firefight, but a slaughter, using machine guns, tanks, 83-CC grenades and tear gas. Eyewitnesses reported that when people fled to escape the tear gas, UN troops shot them from behind. U.N. military commander, Lieutenant General Augusto Heleno claimed that the operation was a success. Heleno claims that the victims were "outlaws", UN Colonel Morano suggests that ballistics tests be done on the dead. Medicine Without Borders (the single hospital that serves Cite Soleil) records show an influx of civilian casualties, starting at 11:00 a.m July 6: twenty-six live victims -- 20 of them women or children -- from Cite Soleil suffering mostly from gunshot wounds.[1]; [2]; [3]; [4] (video link, requires RealPlayer)
• New York Times reporter Judith Miller is jailed for refusing to divulge her source in an investigation around the leak of a CIA operative's name. (CNN) (New York Times)
• The European Parliament rejects the proposed Directive on the patentability of computer-implemented inventions by a 648-14 vote with 18 abstentions, ending four years of intense debate and lobbying. (BBC) (Forbes) (Bloomberg) (Businessweek)
• The International Olympic Committee names London, United Kingdom as the site of the 2012 Summer Olympics. (BBC) (ABC) (CNN) (Wikinews)
• In India, the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party calls for a nationwide strike in protest of the Tuesday attack on the Ayodhya site. The police are on high alert in case of religious violence. (Newindpress) (Reuters AlertNet) (BBC) (Bloomberg)
• In Bolivia, the senate decides to call for early elections. There will also be a referendum on regional autonomy next July. (Bloomberg) (BBC)
• In Burundi, the former Hutu rebel group Forces for the Defence of Democracy wins 58% of the vote in parliamentary elections. (News24) (Reuters AlertNet)
• Prince Albert II of Monaco admits publicly that he is a father of an illegitimate son by Nicole Coste (BBC)
• In Egypt, Cairo court postpones the trial of presidential candidate Ayman Nour until September 25, allowing him to contest the election (Egypt election) (BBC)
• In Chile, court strips Augusto Pinochet of presidential immunity from prosecution in the investigation of disappearance of political opponents in so-called Operation Colombo (IHT) (BBC) (Bloomberg)
• In China, explosion in a Zhengde shopping mall in Liaoyang County of Liaoning Province injures 47. According to local police, it was a case of attempted revenge (Xinhua) (China Daily) (Reuters AlertNet)
• Burma/Myanmar releases 249 dissidents from jail. Aung San Suu Kyi remains in house arrest (Democratic Voice of Burma) (Channel News Asia)
• In Nigeria, treason charges against 53 football players are dropped and chaged to charges of membership of illegal organization. They are member of pro-Biafra group MASSOB (BBC) (Reuters SA)
• In Niger, thousands of people flee to Nigeria to escape crop failure and famine. Government says it cannot afford any food aid (AllAfrica) (Reuters AlertNet) (BBC)
• In Somalia, interim president Abdullah Yusuf states that he going to march towards Mogadishu from Jowhar, collecting support and militia as he goes (BBC)
• In India 1000 demonstrators protesting attack in Ayodhya clash with riot police in New Delhi. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. There are small protests in other cities as well but police state that disturbances are minor compared to clashes in previous years. Congress president Sonia Gandhi warns that opposition should not "politicize" the incident (Newindpress) (WebIndia123) (Reuters India) (BBC)
• George W. Bush collides with a police officer while riding a bike. Bush suffers minor scrapes and the officer's ankle is injured. (Yahoo! News)

July 7 2005 (Thursday)

• 7 July 2005 London bombings: Four explosions are reported on the London Underground and bus system, leading to the entire transport network being shut down. A previously unheard-of splinter group of al-Qaeda has claimed responsibility, though their involvement has not yet been verified. The attacks have left at least 50 people dead and roughly 700 others injured. (BBC (1)) (BBC (2)) (Wikinews)
• Malta becomes the 12th European Union member to ratify the EU constitution and the first to do so unanimously. (di-ve)
• In the Philippines, president Gloria Arroyo asks all the members of her cabinet to resign. (Channel News Asia)
• The United States raises the terror level from code yellow to code orange for mass transit systems in response to the London bombings. (Guardian) (EmergencyEmail) (CNN) (Wikinews)
• Egypt confirms its most senior envoy to Iraq, Ihab al-Sherif, has been killed after being kidnapped last week. A group related to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi has claimed responsibility. (CNN) (Guardian)
• Researchers halt a study in Africa after results indicate that circumcised men are 70% less likely to contract AIDS. The study will be presented at the Third International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Pathogenesis and Treatment later this month. Meanwhile, others argue that ritual circumcision increases the risk of infection because of poor sanitary conditions. (Advocate) (AllAfrica)
• The Brazilian congress announces a referendum on banning firearms sales. (Reuters AlertNet)
• In Turkey, a land mine placed on the tracks derails a freight train. There are no reports of casualties. (NTV-MSNBC) (Reuters AlertNet)
• In Hungary, a hoaxed bomb threat forces evacuation of three shopping malls. (Pestiside.Hu) (Reuters)
• In Mexico, the city of Nuevo Laredo chooses Omar Pimentel as the new chief of police. When gangsters assassinated the previous chief a month ago, Mexican federal police occupied the city and arrested the whole police force for investigation. (El Universal) (BBC)

July 8 2005 (Friday)

• Following general elections in May, Ethiopia releases the first round of official results for 307 of 527 parliamentary seats. The ruling EPRDF has won 139 seats, while opposition parties CUD and UEDF won 93 and 42, respectively. Smaller parties and independent candidates won the remaining 33 seats. CUD and UEDF announced plans to form a coalition government. (BBC News)
• Hurricane Dennis, the first hurricane of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season, approaches Cuba. It is heading towards the Gulf Coast of the United States, with landfall expected on Sunday or Monday. (NOAA) (Wikinews)
• In the Bulacan province of the Philippines, medical authorities report the country's first case of avian influenza. (Channel News Asia) (Reuters AlertNet) (Science Daily)
• Also in the Philippines, resigned ministers, other politicians and businessmen call president Gloria Arroyo to resign as well and hand the reins of the country over to vice president Noli de Castro. (Channel News Asia) (ABS-CBN) (Reuters)
• Florida Governor Jeb Bush closes the inquiry into the case of Terri Schiavo, having been informed by prosecutors that there is no evidence of any crime leading to her 1990 collapse. (Reuters)
• File-swapping service iMesh confirms that it has entered into a licensing agreement with music giant Sony/BMG. The deal is widely considered a reaction to a recent decision by the U.S. Supreme Court threatening liability for file swapping software providers.

July 9 2005 (Saturday)

• Authorities in the United Kingdom evacuate over 20,000 people from the centre of the city of Birmingham, Britain's second largest city. (BBC) (Chicago Tribune) (CBC) (Wikinews).
• A "lights on" bill to resume normal government operation is approved in Minnesota. The Minnesota Legislature now has until July 14 to approve a budget. (Star Tribune)
• President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan says at a press conference that he does not believe that Osama bin Laden is in Afghanistan. CIA chief Porter Goss has said in a recent interview that he has an "excellent idea" of bin Laden's whereabouts. (Boston Globe), (CNN)
• In Serbia a documentary film "The Truth" (Istina) made of footage filmed during the Yugoslav wars, and showing numerous war crimes committed against Serbs is introduced in the Sava Center in Belgrade, sparking public outrage. (SN)
• World leaders at the 31st G8 summit in Gleneagles, Scotland pledge 50 billion USD in aid to fight poverty in Africa (Reuters), and US$3 billions to Palestinians for infrastructures. (ReutersAlert)

July 10 2005 (Sunday)

• Ten Afghan soldiers are decapitated by Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan. (Guardian)
• Hurricane Dennis makes landfall in the United States, slamming into the Florida Panhandle with 120 mph winds.(CNN)
• Italy announces that it will begin its withdrawal of troops from Iraq in September by pulling 300 of Italy's 3,000 soldiers out of the country. (Guardian)
• Luxembourg says "yes" to the EU Constitution in a referendum. (wikinews)
• Former rebel leader John Garang is sworn in as vice president of Sudan as part of the agreement ending the Second Sudanese Civil War. (Sudan Tribune), (Boston Globe)
• In Azerbaijan, about 30,000 (other sources varying from 10,000 up to 50,000) opposition members demonstrated in the country's capital, calling for fair parliamentary elections. (Photos)
• Karl Rove's lawyer, Robert Luskin, acknowledges that Rove was connected to the leak that led to the revelation of Valerie Plame's position as a CIA agent. Luskin confirmed that Rove had been interviewed by Cooper for the article. It is unclear, however, what passed between Cooper and Rove. "Rove did not mention her name to Cooper," Luskin said. "This was not an effort to encourage Time [magazine] to disclose her identity. What he was doing was discouraging Time from perpetuating some statements that had been made publicly and weren't true." Luskin had previously said that Rove "absolutely did not identify Valerie Plame." (Newsweek), (Washington Post), (Newsmax)
• In Turkey, bomb in Cesme injures 22. Group called the Kurdish Liberation Hawks takes responsibility (Zaman Online) (Al-Jazeera) (Reuters)
• The Maccabiah games has started.

July 11 2005 (Monday)

• The Indonesian government asks TV stations to close down between 1 am and 5 am daily for six months in order to save energy after recent increases in the price of crude oil. Broadcasts of immensely-popular live European football matches which happen in the middle of the Indonesian night, are excluded from the shutdown. (BBC)
• The General Synod of the Church of England adopts a resolution "that the process for removing the legal obstacles to the ordination of women to the episcopate should now be set in train"; and schedules debate on the best form of legislation to achieve this for its February 2006 session. (BBC)
• The 17th Maccabi Games are officially begun with a ceremony in Israel. More than 7000 Jewish athletes will compete on various sporting events. (Ynet)
• The body of a U.S. Navy SEAL has been found and recovered in Afghanistan, a senior defense official said Sunday. (CNN)
• In Kyrgyzstan, acting president Kurmanbek Bakiev wins presidential elections with 89% support so far (IHT) (Reuters)
• In China a mine explosion has killed 22 miners in Xinjiang province. 35 men were rescued while over 30 are still missing. (Xinhua) (China Daily) (Reuters)
• The Roman Catholic Church defrocks six New York priests accused of sexual abuse, returning them to lay status. (IHT)
• In the Netherlands, Mohammed Bouyeri, suspected killer of filmmaker Theo van Gogh, goes on trial (Expatica, Netherlands) (Reuters AlertNet) (Bloomberg)
• In Bosnia and Herzegovina, tens of thousands of people gather in Potocari to commemorate the Srebrenica massacre and rebury 610 victims (Reuters) (BBC) (Al-Jazeera)
• In the USA, doctor in Mayo Clinic says some drugs used to treat Parkinson's disease may cause addiction to gambling and sex (News-Medical.Net) (Forbes) (Scientific American)
• Mexican police releases Joaquín Romero Aparicio, who was falsely suspected of being a drug lord Vicente Carrillo (El Universal) (Reuters)
• According to United States Department of Labor, Enron agrees to $356.25 million settlement with employees whose retirement plans were ruined. They are likely to receive only 15-20% of that (Forbes) (Reuters)
• In Russia, state prosecutors begin investigation for alleged fraud and abuse of official position against former prime minister Mikhail Kasyanov. He is potential future presidential candidate (Moscow Times) (RIA Novosti) (Bloomberg)
• Sanjay Shah, man who has spent 13 months in Nairobi airport, goes through British citizenship ceremony (BBC)
• In Trinidad and Tobago, bomb explosion injures 13-15 people (sources disagree) in the capital Port of Spain (Reuters AlertNet) (BBC)
• Brazilian police detains opposition congressman and bishop João Batista Ramos da Silva of the Liberal Front Party and six others who had been transporting $2.6 million in cash in seven suitcases (MercoPress) (Bloomberg)
• In Somalia, gunmen kill prominent peace activist Abdulkadir Yahya Ali (ReliefWeb) (Reuters AlertNet)

July 12 2005 (Tuesday)

• London police identify four suspects in the 7 July 2005 London bombings; all are British citizens apparently from Leeds, West Yorkshire, and at least one is believed to have died in the blasts. Raids find explosive materials and other forensic evidence. (Reuters) (BBC)
• Palestinian Islamic Jihad claims responsibility for two suicide bombings against Israelis. A car bomb detonates in the Shavey Shomron Israeli settlement on the West Bank causing no Israeli casualties. In Netanya, a suicide bomber kills three women at the HaSharon Mall. (Ynet) , (Haaretz), (Ynet), (BBC)
• In Monaco, Prince Albert is inaugurated as ruling prince, in succession to his father Prince Rainier who died in April. The unmarried Prince Albert acknowledged last week that he has a 22-month old illegitimate son, Alexandre, and that there may be other paternity suits. (BBC), (CNN), (Mail&Guardian)
• According to the Cuban government, Hurricane Dennis killed 16 and caused $1.4 billion in damages. (Reuters)
• In Singapore, president Sellapan Ramanathan announces that he will seek re-election. Seventeen others have filed papers for candidacy (Channel News Asia)
• In China, the death toll of the Xinjiang mine explosion rises to 65. Eighteen are still missing. (Xinhua) (China Daily) (People's Daily) (Reuters)
• In Spain, a bomb explosion in Barcelona injures a policeman. (BBC)
• The European Court supports tighter controls over vitamin and mineral supplements. (ThisIsLondon) (BBC)
• In Lebanon, a bomb explosion injures pro-Syrian defence minister Elias Murr. (Al-Jazeera)
• In France, bus company Transports Schiocchet Excursions sues a group of cleaning women for operating a carpool using their own cars, on the ground of "unfair competition". (Guardian)
• In Washington, D.C., Presidential Press Secretary Scott McClellan refused for the second day in a row to respond to reporters' questions about Newsweek's revelation that Karl Rove disclosed the identity of CIA agent Valerie Plame. McClellan had asserted Rove's innocence on many occasions in the past. The President, at a photo-op today, ignored reporters who asked if his pledge to fire any staffer involved was still operative. (Bloomberg)
• Stockholders of both Procter & Gamble and Gillette overwhelmingly approve a combination of the two huge consumer-product companies, although the deal faces regulatory scrutiny both in Europe and in the United States. (Forbes)
• US federal judge Barbara Jones denies former WorldCom CEO Bernie Ebbers, who faces up to 85 years in prison, a retrial in federal court (New York Times) (Reuters)
• In Costa Rica, fire in Rafael Angel Calderon Guardia Hospital in San José kills at least 18 (Reuters AlertNet)
• In Myanmar (Burma), the government begins a trial against Khin Nyunt, former prime minister, accused of bribery and corruption. The trial is held inside Insein prison in Rangoon. (Channel News Asia) (Irrawaddy)
• In Spain's Basque region, four bombs explode near a power station at Amorebieta near Bilbao. Separatist group ETA claims responsibility (EITB) (EuroNews) (Reuters)
• In Somalia, United Nations World Food Programme threatens to stop food shipments to the country for ten years if the hijacked food ship and its crew are not released (BBC) (Reuters AlertNet) (AllAfrica)
• The European Court of Justice fines France €20 million ($24 million) for flouting European Union fishing quotas (Reuters) (BBC)
• In Fiji, head of the military, Frank Bainimarama threatens to declare martial law and oust the government if it gives amnesty to those involved with 2000 coup attempt (Fiji Times) (Reuters AlertNet)
• Lord King of Wartnaby, mastermind of the privatisation of British Airways under former prime minister Margaret Thatcher and chairman of B.A. for 12 years, dies in his sleep.
• Thunder Horse, the largest semi-submersible oil platform in the world, was found listing badly after hurricane Dennis.

July 13 2005 (Wednesday)

• The National Hockey League labor dispute, the longest work stoppage in North American professional sports, ends after 301 days. (CBC)
• Former Worldcom CEO Bernard Ebbers is sentenced to 25 years imprisonment for conspiracy, securities fraud and seven counts of making false SEC filings. (Bloomberg)
• U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist is hospitalized with a fever. There have been no indications when Rehnquist, who is fighting thyroid cancer, will be released. (CNN) (Reuters)
• NASA's planned launch of STS-114, Space Shuttle Discovery from pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center at 3:51pm EDT (1951 UTC) is delayed due to a problem with the fuel level sensors. This would have been the first manned space launch by NASA since the loss of Columbia over 2 years ago. (CNN) (NASA)
• The Australian Government announces it will send back 150 élite Special Air Service troops to Afghanistan, to take part in covert operations and to help thwart a resurgent Taliban. A further 200 troops may also be dispatched to aid reconstruction efforts. (ABC News)
• The American Family Association, a Christian conservative activist group, announces an international boycott of Nike. In adding Nike to its ongoing boycotts of Kmart and the book One of the Guys by Robert Clark Young, the AFA argues that Nike promotes "a back door move to legalise homosexual marriage." (GayNZ.com)
• In Malaysia, ex-minister Osu Sukam, member of a ruling United Malays National Organization party, resigns due to gambling debts totalling at least US$1.8 million. (Borneo Bulletin) (Channel News Asia)
• In China, the death toll in the Xinjiang mine explosion rises to 81, with two missing. (Xinhua)
• In Indonesia, geologists increase the alert status of Mount Merapi volcano in Java. The volcano has shown increased activity since last Friday. (Jakarta Post) (Channel News Asia)
• In the Philippines, thousands of protestors gather in Manila to demand the resignation of president Gloria Arroyo, who has reshuffled her cabinet. The military is on alert in case of violence. (Sun Star) (Reuters)
• In Pakistan, a collision of three express trains near Ghotki leaves at least 120 dead after 13 carriages derail, according to Pakistan Railways and local police. (Reuters) (Al-Jazeera)(BBC)
• In Peru, thousands of demonstrators protest in Lima against an US trade pact that could lead to increase in the cost of medicines. (Reuters AlertNet)
• In Chile, the Senate reforms the country's constitution, decreasing power of the military in the upper house and reducing the presidential term for four years. The previous constitution is from the era of Augusto Pinochet. (Reuters)
• Spanish government approves pensions for people who fled Spain for the Soviet Union and South America as children during the Spanish Civil War and never returned. (Reuters)
• In Taiwan, a SWAT team apprehends wanted gang leader Chang Hsi-ming after a 30-minute gun battle in Shalu Township. (Taipei Times) (Channel News Asia)
• In Brazil, police raid the luxury good store Dasliu and arrest the managers, including the owner Eliana Tranchesi, accused of tax evasion. (Bloomberg) (BBC)
• In Italy, police arrest 174 people in a crackdown on suspected Islamist militants. (AGI) (Reuters)
• In Japan, a group of 21 French speakers sue Shintaro Ishihara, governor of Tokyo, for calling French "a language which cannot count numbers". (Asahi Shimbun) (Reuters)
• USA State Department says it may withhold aid to Uzbekistan unless the Uzbek government agrees to an international inquiry about the unrest in Andijan. The official death toll has risen to 187. (BBC) (Baku Today) /Reuters AlertNet) (Eurasianet)
• Bones of a mammoth are found in Silicon Valley: Paleontologist Mark Goodwin said that bones discovered Saturday by Roger Castillo, an environmental activist, may be the femur, tusks and pelvic bones of a Columbian mammoth, a species of ancient elephant that roamed the area tens of thousands of years ago. (San Francisco Chronicle)

July 14 2005 (Thursday)

• U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist announces he will not retire from the court as long as his health permits him to remain. In October of 2004 Rehnquist, 80, was diagnosed with thyroid cancer and underwent a tracheotomy. Yahoo News
• 2005 Atlantic hurricane season: Rain from Hurricane Emily causes flooding and mudslides in Grenada, as the hurricane continues to grow to near Category 3 strength. (NOAA), (CNN)
• Dana Galkowicz, an Israeli woman , 22, dies in the moshav of Netiv Ha'asara after Palestinian militants fire more than a dozen