February 2005
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February 28, 2005
- Country Reports on Human Rights Practices released by the U.S. State Department (U.S. State Department).
- 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)
- At the Old Bailey, Briton Saajid Badat pleads guilty to planning a suicide attack on a US bound aircraft. Badat subsequently withdrew from the conspiracy, leaving fellow "shoe bomber" Richard Reid to act alone. (AFP) (BBC)
- Following week-long public protests (in the wake of Rafik Hariri's assassination) and a no confidence vote, the entire government of Lebanon resigns. MSNBC (CNN)
- Israeli-Palestinian conflict:
- Israeli security forces intercept a car bomb in the Araba village near Jenin. The 200 kg explosive device, believed to have been the work of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, is later defused by IDF sappers. 1, (Haaretz), 2, (Haaretz)
- The death toll from Tel Aviv suicide bombing rises to 5 as a woman dies of her injuries. Israel declares that no Islamic Jihad members will be included in the list of 400 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)
- A suicide car bomb explodes in the Iraqi town of Hilla, 60 kilometres south of Baghdad. 125 people are killed and many injured.(The Guardian)(BBC)
- UK aid agency Oxfam states that atrocities still continue in Darfur (Reuters AlertNet (BBC)
- People of Burundi vote on a new constitution (News24) (BBC)
- In Spain, police arrest Raffaele Amato, head of a mafia gang that has waged turf wars against other gangs in Naples, Italy. (CNN) (BBC)
- Cannes police, investigating the November 2004 disappearance of Earl of Shaftesbury Anthony Ashley-Cooper, arrest his estranged wife Djamilia M'Barek. Her brother, Mohammed, is arrested in Munich. (New Criminologist) (BBC)
- In Haiti, police shoots at demonstrators who march in support of the former president Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Two deaths and several injuries are reported. Aristide left the country February 29 2004 (Reuters) (CBC) (LATimes) (BBC)
- In Ukraine, Razom nas bahato, a song that was written in support of the Orange Revolution that led Viktor Yushchenko to presidency, is selected as the country's entry in the Eurovision Song Contest. Band Greenjolly will present it. (Forum, Ukraine) (Doteurovision) (BBC)
- Ukraine's government also trims the retirement benefits of the ex-president Leonid Kuchma (Forum) (BBC)
- Police in Ukraine states that they have identified people who kidnapped and killed journalist Georgiy Gongadze in September 2000 (Forum) (BBC)
- In Botswana, high court allows Australian professor Kenneth Good to remain in the country when he appeals against deportation. President Festus Mogae declared him an illegal immigrant when he criticized the government in a lecture (Reuters) (SABC) (BBC)
- In the Ivory Coast there are new clashes between rebels and government forces. United Nations peacekeepers try to intervene. Rebels state the that peace effort is now finished (Reuters SA) (Reuters) (SABC) (BBC)
- Bosnian muslim general Rasim Delic gives himself up for the International War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague, as he had promised earlier (FENA) (Reuters)
- Two leaders of separatist group the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), spokesman Ruby Bhuyan and demolitions specialist Khagen Kachari, surrender to Indian police (Rediff) (NDTV)
- 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)
February 27, 2005
- Syria is reported to have handed over Saddam Husseins' half-brother, Sabawi Ibrahim al-Hasan al-Tikriti, to the interim Iraqi government. (BBC)
- The World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control becomes legally binding upon ratifying countries. (VOA) (DNC)
- A small bomb explodes at a hotel in Villajoyosa, Spain, after a warning by the Basque separatist group ETA. No one is injured. (CNN) (eitb24)
- Russia agrees to sell fuel to Iran for development of a nuclear reactor, stating that tough safeguards will be enacted to prevent any diversion to a nuclear weapons programme. (Reuters) (BBC)
- Sedgwick County 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
- Indian divers have found more evidence of possible underwater ruins of a port city near the Tamil Nadu coast. The ruins were revealed after the 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake. Archeological Survey of India connects them to the legendary city of Mahabalipuram (KeralaNext) (News Today) (BBC)
- In Somalia, some cabinet ministers and warlords denounce government proposals to deploy foreign peacekeepers (News24) (Sudan Tribune) (BBC)
- In Togo, police clash with protesters who denounce selection of Abass Bonhof to replace Faure Gnassingbé as a interim president. Opposition protesters support former parliamentary speaker Fambare Ouattara Natchaba (Reuters AlertNet) (BBC)
- In Japan, engineers finish blasting a 26.5 km (16.5 miles) long railway tunnel through a mountain in the Aomori prefecture. The tunnel is the longest in the world so far (Japan Today) (Pacific Business News) (Channel News Asia) (BBC)
February 26, 2005
- For the first time in his 26-year papacy, Pope John Paul II, who is ill, will not bless the faithful at the weekly Angelus prayer service and will instead follow the service from his hospital room. (Reuters), (Calcutta Telegraph), (The Guardian)
- Israeli-Palestinian conflict:
- Israel's Defence Minister blames Syria for complicity in yesterday's suicide bombing in Tel Aviv which killed 4 people. Syria denies links to the bombing. Islamic Jihad, from its headquarters in Damascus claims responsibility for the attack, stating it was designed to damage the Palestinian Authority for acting "according to American interests". (AP), (Reuters) (San Francisco Chronicle)
- Israel demands the PA arrest the plotters of the attack and disarm Islamic Jihad and other militant groups by force. (AP), (Reuters)
- Wichita, Kansas police announce the arrest of the BTK killer. (CNN) (Wichita Eagle) (The BBC)
- In a conference organized by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, officials urge changes to be made in how poultry are raised in Southeast Asia to prevent a bird flu pandemic. (Seattle Times) (Washington Post)
- Nepali soldiers kill at least a dozen Maoist rebels in Kailali district. (Channel News Asia) (Reuters)
- Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin announces that the US must get permission first before launching missiles over Canadian airspace, after recently announcing Canada's non-involvement in the controversial US National Missile Defence plan. (Edmonton Sun)(Globe and Mail)
- Militia members ambush and kill 9 UN Bangladeshi peacekeepers in the Democratic Republic of Congo. (WebIndia123) (Xinhua) (LA Times)
- Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak calls for parliament to amend the constitution to allow for direct, secret elections for the next president. (Bloomberg) (Khaleej Times) (Japan Today)
- President Faure Gnassingbé of Togo announces that he will be stepping down from his position, after sanctions imposed by ECOWAS. (Xinhua) (Reuters)
- French Finance Minister Hervé Gaymard resigns after an report surfaces about his expensive state-paid apartment. (Boston Globe) (Guardian) (ABC)
February 25 2005
- A 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 Amsterdam's 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).
- 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).
- Human Rights Watch states that tough methods of Thai leader Thaksin Shinawatra in the south of the country may serve to invite more trouble (Reuters Alertnet) (Bangkok Post) (BBC)
- Vice President of Indonesia, Jusuf Kalla, states that he was pleased with the progress of talks with Free Aceh Movement in Finland. Government still opposes independence (Jakarta Post) (BBC)
- In Ecuador, José Gallardo, a former defence minister, is arrested accused of misusing public funds to secretly purchase outdated weapons (Reuters AlertNet) (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 Switzerland, the court of appeals rules that Yeslam Binladin, a half-brother of Osama bin Laden, can market products under the brand name Bin Ladin (SwissInfo)
February 24 2005
- In Somalia, thousands greet Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed and Mohammed Ali Ghedi, leaders of the exiled Somalian government, when they begin a week-long tour in the country. They lead a delegation that studies a possibility to finally relocate the government from Kenya to Somalia (Reuters AlertNet) (BBC)
- The Anglican Churches of North America – the Episcopal Church in the United States and the Anglican Church of Canada – are asked to voluntarily withdraw their members from the Anglican Consultative Council until after the next Lambeth Conference in 2008. This is viewed as an ultimatum to the churches to bring their policies into line with the worldwide Anglican Communion, following the ordination of the first gay bishop in New Hampshire and the blessing of same-sex unions by the Canadian church, and presages a schism if they do not comply. (BBC)
- In Taiwan, Chen Shui-bian and People First Party Chairman James Soong meet for the first time in four years. They issue a joint 10-point declaration emphasizing their agreement on preserving the "status quo" in cross strait relations. (Reuters) (United Evening News)
- The PRC objects to former US President Bill Clinton's plan to visit Taiwan and meet with the ROC President Chen Shui-bian. (VOA)
- 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]
- Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin tells the US ambassador to Canada that he will say "no" to the US' proposed missile defense plan. (Xinhua) (CNN) (CTV) (Reuters)
- Slovakia Summit between U.S. President George W. Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin begins in Bratislava. (Slovak Spectator)
- In Colombia, there is a ceremony to mark the three-year anniversary of the capture of Ingrid Betancourt, former Colombian presidential candidate who is still a FARC hostage. She was captured February 2002. Her relatives are pressing government to make a prisoner swap for her and other hostages. (Newsday) (BBC)
- Colombian supreme court authorizes the extradition of drug dealer Miguel Rodriguez Orejuela to the USA (Reuters Alertnet) (VOA) (BBC)
- In Sudan, an ammunition depot explodes near the town of Juba - at least 18 are dead and the toll continues to rise (BBC) (ABC)
- In Mexico, the supreme court rules that former President Luis Echeverría cannot be tried for genocide because of 30-year statute of limitations. Echeverría was accused of genocide because he ordered an attack on protesting students in 1971, resulting in 40 deaths. (Reuters) (BBC)
- Foreign Minister of Burma/Myanmar Nyan Win visits Bangladesh to discuss with Shamsher M Chowdhury about a direct road link between the countries and repatriation of Burmese refugees 05-29.htm (Mizzima) (Financial Express, Bangladesh) (BBC)
- Ebert Anibal Rivera, alleged head of a Mara Salvatrucha gang that killed 28 bus passengers in Honduras last December 23, is arrested in Texas. Honduras intends to request extradition if Texas authorities do not file charges. (Reuters) (Houston Chronicle) (BBC)
- Italian court orders Diego Maradona to pay 30 million euros of back taxes (equal to US$39.6 million) (Sporting Life) (BBC)
- New EU laws declare lottery scams illegal (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)
February 23 2005
- President Bush arrives in Slovakia for the Slovakia Summit, becoming the first sitting U.S. President to visit Slovakia. (Reuters)
- Three British soldiers are found guilty of abusing Iraqi prisoners; more British soldiers face the possibility of conviction. (Reuters) (Guardian) (CBC)
- Bhutan bans smoking in public places (Kerala Next) (BBC)
- In Sri Lanka, Tamil Tigers warn that the truce with the government is under threat after the killing of one of their leaders, E Kaushalyan. The ceasefire has lasted for four years. (Reuters Alertnet) (Bloomberg) (BBC)
- Pakistan's supreme court refuses a government request to withdraw a corruption case against minister Faisal Saleh Hayat. (KeralaNext) (BBC)
- Rasim Delić, former commander of the Bosnian army in Bosnia during the Yugoslav Wars, announces he will hand himself over to the UN Tribunal. He stands accused of war crimes against ethnic Serbs (Reuters) (BBC)
- In Italy, Andrea Volpe, leader of the Beasts of Satan rock group, is sentenced to 30 years in prison for three murders. Another member Pietro Guerrieri receives 16 years, while a third member is acquitted (Reuters) (AGI) (BBC)
- Exiled Cuban writer Guillermo Cabrera Infante dies in London (Reuters) (BBC)
- South African archbishop Desmond Tutu launches a campaign to require governments to register all children at birth (Reuters) (BBC)
- Interpol announces a stern warning that the threat of a bioterror attack still exists. (BBC) (Interpol)
- WHO warns that there is a potential threat of a bird flu pandemic (Reuters) (BBC) (CNN) (VOA)
February 22 2005
- Images relayed by the European space probe, Mars Express, reveal the existence of a sea of ice close to the equator of Mars. The discovery is considered to increase the likelihood of life currently existing on the planet. BBC (Globe and Mail)
- Israel names former Israeli Air Force commander Major General Dan Halutz as the new Chief of Staff of the Israeli Defence Forces. He will replace General Moshe Ya'alon at the beginning of July. (Haaretz)
- An earthquake, registering 6.4 on the Richter Scale, strikes the city of Zarand and several villages in Iran at 02:25 UTC, leaving at least 546 dead. (see 2005 Zarand earthquake).(CBC)
- Swiss medical company Novartis buys US company Eon Labs and German Hexal AG, increasing its share in the generic medical drugs market (Business Report) (Independent) (SwissInfo)
- The World Food Program states that it has only 70 000 tons of food left for Eritrea food aid until June. Reason given is the concentration of aid to areas that suffered from 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake (BBC)
- European Union countries renew sanctions against the government of Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe (Reuters) (Zim Observer) (BBC)
- In Nigeria, President Olusegun Obasanjo opens a national political conference about constitutional reform (Reuters Alertnet) (AllAfrica) (IRIN) (Nigeria World) (BBC)
- In Togo, the National Assembly reverses constitutional changes that allowed Faure Gnassingbé to become president (Reuters Alertnet) (IOL) (BBC)
- North Korea hints that it may be willing to return to nuclear negotiations under unspecified conditions (Bloomberg) (Chosun Ilbo) (BBC)
- In Bolivia, former president Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada and his cabinet are formally charged with genocide. The charge is related to deaths of 60 people who protested against government plans to export natural gas (BBC)
- Japanese cabinet is considering whether to announce Princess Aiko as the next in line to the Japanese throne (Japan Today) (Channel News Asia) (Reuters)
February 21 2005
- A landslide in Indonesia kills at least seven people and hundreds are reported missing (Channel News Asia) (BBC)
- Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez says that he suspects that the USA intends to kill him, and that he would stop oil exports to the USA in the event of an assassination attempt. (ABC) (Seattle Post-Intelligencer) (BBC)
- Former US Presidents Bill Clinton and George H. W. Bush visit Sri Lanka to see marks of the 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake (Reuters) (Channel News Asia) (Wired)
- Airport authorities evacuate the Virgin Blue terminal in Melbourne airport in Australia after 45 people become ill. A chemical leak is suspected. (Bloomberg) (ABC) (BBC)
- Syrian President Bashar al-Assad appoints his brother-in-law Asef Shawkat as head of the country's military intelligence service, replacing Hassan Khalil.(Reuters Alertnet) (BBC)
- Curfew is imposed on the Indian city of Lucknow after sectarian violence between Sunni and Shia Muslims. 3 people are dead and 20 injured (New Kerala) (Indian Express) (Reuters) (BBC)
- A new avalanche claims at least 42 lives in Kashmir. A previous avalanche was on February 6 (Times of India) (Reuters) (BBC)
- The United Kingdom's Royal Navy announces that it will allow same-sex couples live in family quarters if they are in registered partnership (Scotsman) (BBC)
- Israeli-Palestinian conflict:
- Israel releases 500 Palestinian prisoners, as a gesture of goodwill to the Palestinian Authority and to its chairman, Mahmoud Abbas. Israel plans to release another 400 Palestinian prisoners within the next 3 months. (Haaretz)
- Cuban novelist, essayist, translator and critic Guillermo Cabrera Infante dies in London. [Newslink missing]
February 20 2005
- American author and journalist Hunter S. Thompson is found dead in his Aspen, Colorado home, the result of an apparent suicide. (BBC) (Bloomberg) (CNN)
- The United States and Japan release a joint statement which says that easing tensions in the Taiwan Strait is among their "common strategic objectives". The statement is welcomed by the government of Taiwan, but is condemned by China. (Xinhua) (Reuters) (NY Times)
- U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Ruud Lubbers resigns over allegations of sexual harassment, while continuing to deny them. (VOA)
- In Europe's first national 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)
- Irish Minister for Justice Michael McDowell directly accuses Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams as well as Martin McGuinness (both elected MPs) and Martin Ferris TD of being on the Provisional IRA Army Council, the first such direct accusation from the Irish Government. Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern meanwhile has said he does not know the make-up of the Council. (Ireland Online)(RTÉ)
- According to official results, the opposition Socialist party secures an absolute majority at the Portuguese Parliament election, 2005. (CNN International) (ABC)
- The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus votes in its early general election. The election was called by President Rauf Denktash after the coalition led by Mehmet Ali Talat finally lost its parliamentary majority. (BBC), (DW)
- USA and EU join the protests against Faure Gnassingbé of Togo. ECOWAS imposes sanctions and suspends Togo's membership in the organization and USA does not accept his rule as legitimate and ends all military assistance (Reuters AlertNet) (News24) (GhanaWeb) (BBC)
February 19 2005
- 350 inmates escape from a prison in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. (CNN)
- A massive demonstration in Rome asks for the release of an Italian journalist abducted in Iraq. (AP via Yahoo!)
- Former US Presidents George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton toured parts of Thailand that were ravaged by the Asian Tsunami. [Newslink missing]
- An earthquake, registering 6.9 on the Richter scale, strikes South East Sulawesi, Indonesia at 00:04 UTC. (Reuters)
- Former US President Jimmy Carter is on hand to christen the USS Jimmy Carter, the last of the Seawolf class submarines ordered during the Cold War. The submarine cost 3.2 billion 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)
- The UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, is sending a team of experts to Lebanon to investigate the killing of the former prime minister, Rafik Hariri. (BBC)
- Northern Bank robbery investigation:
- Police in Northern Ireland confirm that £50,000 in unused 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)
February 18 2005
- It is discovered that the tsunami resulting from the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake uncovered an ancient city near the coastal town of Mahabalipuram in India. (AP via Yahoo!)
- A number of blasts hit Shi'a mosques in Baghdad, Iraq, leaving at least 27 dead and 60 wounded on day before the Shi'a holy festival of Ashura. (BBC News) (CNN)
- An Iraqi rebel group calling itself the Army of Warriors claims responsibility for the kidnapping of two Indonesian journalists. The journalists had been last seen near Ramadi in central Iraq three days ago. (BBC) (Al Jazeera)
- Northern Bank robbery investigation:
- 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)
- A top Irish businessman and associate of the Taoiseach, Phil Flynn, steps down from a number of positions pending the outcome of a Garda investigation into Chesterton Finance, of which he is a non-executive director. £2.3 in mixed sterling notes are found at the house of the company's director Ted Cunningham. Phil Flynn steps down as chairman of a government body overseeing decentralisation, as well as a member of the board of Voluntary Health Insurance and as chairman of the Bank of Scotland (Ireland). (Ireland Online) (Guardian)
- A man was arrested by Gardaí in the town of Passage West in Cork, Ireland, after he was discovered attempting to burn sterling bank notes. (Ireland Online)
- Gardaí release two men who were being questioned in Dublin, as well as a Sinn Féin member in Cork. A suspected Real IRA member arrested at Heuston Station is remanded in custody, as are four people arrested in Farran in Cork. (RTÉ)
- Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams again denies any involvement on the part of his party with money laundering in the country. The Irish Government Minister for Justice Michael McDowell describes the IRA as a colossal crime machine laundering huge sums of money. (RTÉ)
- The UK Food Standards Agency orders the withdrawal of over 350 food products from sale following the discovery that a batch of chilli powder used to produce a batch of Worcestershire sauce subsequently used to produce processed foods was contaminated with the possibly carcinogenic dye Sudan I. The problem was first identified with food products tested in Italy. (BBC) (FSA: List of Withdrawn Products).
- Telephone connections in Nepal are severed again, on Nepal's National Democratic Day. Authorities continue to arrest opposition figures who had planned demonstrations against the new government of King Gyanendra. (Times of India) (Reuters) (Scotsman) (BBC)
- In the United Kingdom, the Hunting Act, the ban on hunting with dogs, comes into force. Its opponents intend to challenge the law and hunt. (Politics.co.uk) (BBC) (Reuters)
- U.S. invasion of Afghanistan: The American Civil Liberties Union releases documents obtained from the United States Army alleging the destruction of photographs documenting the army's abuse of prisoners in Afghanistan, following the exposure of the Abu Ghraib scandal. (AP).
- Sir Mark Thatcher returns to court in Cape Town, South Africa, to answer charges about his involvement in a coup attempt in Equatorial Guinea. (BBC) (IAfrica)
- The 42nd known Mersenne prime is discovered by Martin Nowak of Germany, a participant of the GIMPS distributed computing project. The prime number is the largest known Mersenne prime at the time of its discovery, and is near