Palestinian man who had been shooting in the air, on suspicion that he had killed a Palestinian girl the day before. The original shooting sparked Palestinian accusations that the girl had been shot by Israeli soldiers, and Hamas fired mortars at Israeli settlements in response. (Jerusalem Post)[dead link](Reuters)
The
Arab-owned land, and Mr Mazuz described it as illegal. (BBC)(Al Jazeera)
Five people are suspected to have died following clashes between Egyptian security forces and
Taba, which was aimed at Israeli holiday makers. (BBC)
A man who had been detained since December 2001 in the UK without a trial, or a charge, on suspicion of being involved in terrorism has been released without conditions, his lawyer states. (BBC)
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war crimes to be put on trial. The report stops short of calling the events a genocide. (BBC)
At least three people are known to have died following a bomb blast in Gori, northern Georgia. (BBC)
supported by U.S. investors announces plans to "play a big role in rebuilding the jobs and small businesses of Asia" in the areas devastated by the recent tsunami and earthquake.
ACLU for video and photographs depicting detainee treatment have been denied. (Newsday AP)
The German Federal Labour Agency reports that the Germanunemployment rate hit 12.1% in January. More than 5 million people are unemployed today in Germany. Ignoring the margin of error inherent in the usage of different statistical methods over different areas, this rate is the highest since the Great Depression and the Weimar Republic. (BBC World).
Conflict in Iraq: At least 29 people, including 3 US Marines, are killed by opponents to the interim government and the occupying forces. In one operation, 50 policemen are ambushed in Baghdad, leaving at least 2 dead, 14 wounded and 16 missing. (The Scotsman)
Pope John Paul II's medical condition is "evolving positively", but the Vatican says the 84-year-old pontiff will remain in hospital for another week. However, there is still concern over the pontiff's continuing fever, which some medical experts fear could be a sign of pneumonia. (CBC)
Arecibo radio telescope confirm that asteroid 2004 MN4 (later named 99942 Apophis in July 2005), once briefly considered an impact risk, will pass Earth on April 13, 2029 at a distance of 36,350 km (22,600 mi) and will reach magnitude 3.3, easily visible to the naked eye from Europe, Africa and western Asia. (Space.com)
New York State Supreme Court rules that the state's ban on same-sex marriage violates the state constitution. The decision is stayed for 30 days. (CBC)(CNN)
The military of Togo is criticized by global leaders for suspending the constitution after the death of president Gnassingbé Eyadéma and naming his son successor. (BBC)
Englishwoman Ellen MacArthur sets a record for the quickest round-the-world solo sail. She completed the 27,354 mile journey in 71 days, 14 hours, 18 minutes and 33 seconds, breaking the old record of 72 days, 22 hours, 54 minutes and 22 seconds, set by Francis Joyon in 2004, which itself took 20 days off the previous record. (Associated Press) (Sky News)
In Nepal, the state media reports that the new government of King Gyanendra of Nepal offers talks to Maoist rebels. At the same time, Nepalese government forces begin a new offensive against the rebels.
Baquba detonate a car bomb outside an Iraqi police headquarters, killing 15 and wounding 17. A suicide bomber in Mosul kills 12 policemen and injures 4 others. In another area of the city, guerrillas fire a dozen mortar rounds at a police station, killing 3 civilians. (Scotsman/AP)
Palestinian organization Hamas says it is not bound by the ceasefire. (BBC)
Swiss police are searching for three apparent burglars who yesterday briefly held hostages in the Spanish embassy in Bern. When the police stormed the building, they discovered that the criminals had already left the scene. An embassy security guard is in the hospital. (SwissInfo)(Reuters)[permanent dead link]
January, continue to affect over 290,000 people, or roughly 39% of the population. The torrential rains were the worst for the region in roughly a century. (Jouvay)(Guyana Outpost)
U.S. House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, announces she is planning to introduce a bill to ban torture by U.S. interrogators and bar transfers of detainees to countries that engage in torture. (LA Times)
British survey ship HMS Scott produces the first sonar survey of the seabed site of the
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. Some images appear to show a landslide 100 metres high and 2 kilometres long. (BBC)
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dictator Sani Abacha took from Nigeria may be returned to the country. Abacha took hundreds of millions of dollars from Nigeria during his rule as dictator. (Swissinfo)
The
Economic Community of West African States intends to hold an emergency summit in Niger to discuss the political developments about the appointment of Faure Gnassingbé as the president of Togo. (GhanaWeb)(AllAfrica)(BBC)
smallest baby in history to survive complications related to being of a relatively small size during birth, goes home six months after she was born in a hospital in Chicago. She was born weighing 8.6 ounces (244 grams). (Calcutta Telegraph)(Khalsa News)(Reuters)[permanent dead link
Eason Jordan resigns from his posts at CNN, where he has been both chief news executive and executive vice president. The controversy that led to his resignation began at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland last month where, witnesses claim, he said that the U.S. military had targeted and killed journalists. (Miami Herald)
At least eight people are killed during a jail riot in Córdoba, Argentina. All hostages taken by the prisoners were later freed by police.
militant groups to join the ceasefire announced with Israel three days ago. (BBC)
An estimated two million Iranians demonstrate against a possible U.S.
pre-emptive strike aimed at preventing Iran from deploying nuclear weapons – a strike which top US military leaders deny considering. (Jakarta Post)
The 485-foot-long
Baluchistan, southwest Pakistan, bursts under the pressure of a weeks' worth of rain, sending the Pakistani military into emergency search and rescue operations. Some 400 to 500 people are still unaccounted for. (CBC)
AIDS began within a few months of his diagnosis, a process which ordinarily takes over ten years. The patient is known to have frequently taken methamphetamine, a mutagen. (CNN)
Kurdish alliance of two parties, won 26% of the vote. The results will stand if not challenged within three days. (BBC)
An early morning explosion extensively damages a Paris theater, and slightly injures seven people. (AP via CNN)
In Moscow, Russia, thousands protest against the new benefits plan, which replaces such benefits as free transportation and subsidized drugs with small cash payments. (The Washington Post)
Mayor of Madrid says that it is a critical situation and the building may collapse. The cause of the fire is not yet known, but a short-circuit on the 21st floor is suspected. (El Mundo)(BBC)
A fire in a mosque in the Iranian capital of Tehran leaves 59 people dead. The cause of the fire is currently unknown, but it is believed that a kerosene heater was left near a thick flammable curtain. (BBC)
Palestinian Authority for burial in Gaza as a goodwill gesture. (BBC)
Israel is considering new security measures which might result in right-wing Israeli opposed to the planned pullout from the Gaza Strip being detained. (BBC)
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Rafiq Hariri and at least 22 others. Approximately 100 further people are injured in the attack. A little known group calling itself "Victory and Jihad in Greater Syria" claim responsibility. (CNN)(Reuters)(BBC)
Abdullahi Yusuf, has requested an AU peacekeeping force to allow his cabinet to move back. The trip was delayed on Friday. There is some opposition to deployment of AU peacekeepers and thousands of Somalis have demonstrated in the capital, Mogadishu, against the plans. (BBC)(ReliefWeb)(East African Standard)(Reuters SA)(BBC)
In French Polynesia, people vote for a new local assembly for the two main islands. The poll is contested between the pro-independence party of Oscar Temaru and the party of pro-Paris conservative leader Gaston Flosse. The results of the last year's general election were cancelled and a new poll ordered to settle the dispute. (ABC)(BBC)
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman announces the cancellation of the 2004–05 season because of the ongoing lockout. It is the first time a North American professional sports league has cancelled an entire season due to a labor dispute. (TSN)
International Petroleum Exchange trading floor to show that in their view the Kyoto Protocol is only a small step towards stopping climate change and big steps are required. (Times)
Atomic Energy Authority states that the discrepancy in the record keeping is merely an auditing issue, and that there was no "real loss" of plutonium. (ITV)(BBC)(The Times)
Police in Northern Ireland recover an undisclosed sum of money at a sports and social club in Belfast. It is thought to perhaps be a diversion, but it is being investigated. (Sky News)
USD. It has a 100-foot (30.5 m) extension for special operations and can reportedly tap undersea cables. (AP via Yahoo!)
In a 13-hour operation, doctors in Egypt successfully remove the second head of a baby suffering from the rare disease craniopagus parasiticus. This is the second such operation to take place in a year. The previous operation, in the Dominican Republic, was not successful and resulted in death. (Reuters)Archived 2005-03-09 at the Wayback Machine
Northern Banknotes found at Newforge Country Club, a facility for off-duty and retired police officers, was part of the £26 million stolen in the bank robbery. Police still consider it a diversion. (BBC)
Gardaí in Cork receive £175,000 from a local businessman, who said he had been asked to keep it. (Independent)
The popular Nintendo forum on Zetaboards known as The Nintendo Zone Forums was created by DSFAN121 at 11:21 a.m. (TNZ)
referendum on the proposed European Constitution, the people of Spain vote to endorse the Treaty by a landslide 76.73% to 17.24%. However, turnout is an extremely low 42.32%, even after both the government and the main opposition party campaigned for a "yes" vote. (BBC)(Reuters)(Bloomberg)(EUobserver)(EurActiv)(BBC)
general election. The election was called by President Rauf Denktaş after the coalition led by Mehmet Ali Talat finally lost its parliamentary majority. (BBC), (DW)
The US and
Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) imposes sanctions and suspends Togo's membership in the organization and US does not accept his rule as legitimate and ends all military assistance (Reuters AlertNet)(News24)(GhanaWeb)(BBC)
Palestinian Authority and to its chairman, Mahmoud Abbas. Israel plans to release another 400 Palestinian prisoners within the next 3 months. (Haaretz)
exiled Somalian government, when they begin a week-long tour in the country. They led a delegation that studies a possibility to finally relocate the government from Kenya to Somalia (Reuters AlertNet)(BBC)
Pope John Paul II returns to hospital in Rome for more specialist treatments and tests. (ANSA). Doctors decided to carry out a tracheotomy, which was performed successfully.[1]
Ingrid Bétancourt, former Colombian presidential candidate who is still a FARChostage. She was captured February 2002. Her relatives are pressing government to make a prisoner swap for her and other hostages. (Newsday)(BBC)
The parliament of Turkey grants amnesty to 677,000 people who have been expelled from university in recent years (BBC)
In Kyrgyzstan, thousands of people protest in support of opposition politicians who were barred from elections (BBC)
French Finance Minister Hervé Gaymard faces increasing pressure to resign. He has been criticized due to the luxury apartment where he lives at the state's expense, although he has promised to move elsewhere. (Reuters)(Financial Times)
suicide bomber explodes himself at the entrance of the "Stage" club in Tel Aviv, killing at least 4 Israelis and wounding 38 more. Responsibility is reportedly claimed by Islamic Jihad. (Haaretz)(CNN)
At
Schiphol airport an armoured car is hijacked on the cargo ramp. Unconfirmed reports say that it contained diamonds and other gems worth at least 75 million euros (US$99 million). The vehicle was later recovered in the nearby town of Hoofddorp. (BBC), (Scotsman)
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Three British soldiers convicted earlier this week of abusing Iraqi prisoners are jailed for periods between five months and two years, and dismissed from the army. (BBC).
King Gyanendra of Nepal asks for foreign help to crush Maoist insurgents. He says that he dismissed the elected government to fight terrorism and will return to democracy in three years. Many foreign countries have stopped all aid after his takeover (Channel News Asia)(Bloomberg)(New Kerala)
In
Yeslam Binladin, a half-brother of Osama bin Laden, can market products under the brand name Bin Ladin(SwissInfo)
District Attorney Nola Foulston denies reports that Dennis Rader has confessed to the BTK killings, calling whatever anonymous source the Associated Press has cited "unreliable." Wichita Eagle
Steve Fossett prepares to set off on his attempt to be the first person to circumnavigate the globe, without refuelling, in a jet-powered plane – the Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer. (BBC)
Palestinian prisoners that Israel plans to release in the coming months, and that Islamic Jihad's representative will be banned from traveling to Cairo on Tuesday for Cease-Fire Talks. (Haaretz)
In Israel the Israel Defense Forces reports that those who tell recruiters that they play role-playing games are automatically given low security clearance and are sent directly to a professional for an evaluation, usually a psychologist. (Ynetnews)