Current affairs
|
|
- 2004 U.S.
presidential election controversy:
- U.S. House Committee on
the Judiciary Democratic Staff releases a 100 page report on the Ohio election.
[1] (http://www.ilcaonline.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=1431&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0)
(report, pdf) (http://miamedia.com/news/2005-01-05.house.judiciary.democrats.report.pdf)
- A small group of Democrats will
force House and
Senate debates on election problems in Ohio before voting
on the certification of President
Bush for his second term. (ABC) (http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=389290)
- Camp X-Ray: The United States Department of Defense has announced a new investigation into allegations
of prisoner abuse at the Guantanamo Bay detention center, Camp X-Ray, in Cuba. (BBC) (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4150589.stm)
- Conflict in Iraq: An Iraqi civilian has testified that US soldiers, including Sgt Tracy Perkins, forced
him and his cousin to jump into the Tigris River and laughed as his
relative was swept to his death. (BBC) (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4150429.stm)
- 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake:
- World leaders gather in Jakarta, Indonesia for an emergency summit with the United
Nations. Aid pledges since the Asian
Tsunami disaster are near USD 4 billion (€ 3 billion). Nearly 150,000 people have been confirmed dead in the four hardest hit nations
- Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka and
Thailand. (CNA) (http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/125958/1/.html)
- The 12-year-old Swedish boy thought a few days ago to have been kidnapped in the
wake of the tsunami was probably actually not kidnapped, Thai police say. The issue was probably a case of mistaken identity.
(The Times Online) (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,18690-1427086,00.html) (Reuters) (http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=7245502)
- 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake:
- Three Free Aceh Movement (GAM) rebels are killed in a clash
with the Indonesian military in the northern Aceh province. Fighting broke out
apparently when Indonesian troops attempted to escort aid trucks. Both sides claim the other are taking advantage of the
devastation left from the tsunamis. (ABC Australia) (http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200501/s1275409.htm) (News.com.au) (http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,11853722%255E401,00.html)
- Swedish police arrive in Thailand to
investigate reports that a 12 year old survivor of the tsunami has been kidnapped
from a hospital and may have been taken by child sex traffickers. (BBC) (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4144901.stm)
- Conflict in Iraq: Ali al-Haidri, the Governor of Baghdad, is assassinated in a
roadside ambush in the Iraqi capital. (BBC) (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4144511.stm)
- Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: 7
Palestinians are killed when an Israeli tank opens fire on farmland in the northern Gaza Strip.
Palestinian presidential candidate and Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas
responds to the deaths with a strong verbal attack on the "Zionist enemy" Israel. Six of the dead were from the same family,
including an 11-year-old boy. All the dead were younger than 18. (The Guardian) (http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,2763,1383284,00.html) (BBC) (http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/news_web/video/40687000/bb/40687531_bb_16x9.asx) (BBC) (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4144695.stm)
- In Peru, Antauro Humala, the
leader of Movimiento Etnocacerista, turns himself
in, thereby ending the hostage crisis. (Reuters) (http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=648059) (BBC) (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/4144501.stm)
- The Algerian government announces a crackdown on the GIA rebel organization. Its leader Nourredine Boudiafi was arrested and his deputy Chaabane Younes killed in operation
two months ago. (Afrol) (http://www.afrol.com/articles/15128) (Reuters) (http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=7224300) (BBC) (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4144265.stm)
- In Burundi, government forces and members of various armed groups begin to join
to form a national army. (BBC) (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4144727.stm)
- In Malawi, three members of the ruling United Democratic Front party are arrested for carrying guns to a meeting with the president
Bingu wa Mutharika. They are later released on bail. (Reuters Alertnet) (http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L03149128.htm) (Nation Onliune, Malawi) (http://www.nationmalawi.com/articles.asp?articleID=9702) (BBC) (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4144961.stm)
- Comics pioneer Will Eisner dies
of complications from quadruple-bypass heart surgery at the age of 97
(Comic Book Resources) (http://comicbookresources.com/news/newsitem.cgi?id=4627)
- Ashlee Simpson was categorically booed after a botched performance
of the song La La during the half-time show at the Orange Bowl.(ABC News) (http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory?id=386878)
- In Iraq, a spate of suicide bombings (including one near Iraqi National Accord headquarters) kills 27. Hazim al-Shaalan, Iraq's interim defence minister, hints that the Iraq elections scheduled for
30 January could be delayed to allow for Sunni Muslim participation. (Oman Times) (http://www.timesofoman.com/newsdetails.asp?newsid=9074) (Al Jazeera) (http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/BC300C2E-B272-4B6F-A05A-4FD72FE42C88.htm)
- 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake:
- Three U.S. Presidents – George W. Bush,
Bill Clinton, and George H. W. Bush – make a joint appeal urging Americans to aid the tsunamis' victims. (BBC) (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4143459.stm) Bush makes a presidential
proclamation to fly the U.S. flag at half staff from 3-7 Jan in honor of the tsunami victims. (whitehouse.gov) (http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/01/20050101-2.html)
- The United Kingdom's Metropolitan Police announces that they have
arrested a suspect in a hoax case where Britons missing relatives or friends in the
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake received
e-mail messages informing them that the person had died. The messages came from the improbably fake address
ukgovfoffice@aol.com. (Telegraph)
(http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/01/03/ntsun103.xml&sSheet=/news/2005/01/03/ixnewstop.html)
(BBC) (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4140375.stm) (London Free Press) (http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/LondonFreePress/News/2005/01/03/805581-sun.html)
- In Peru, 200 men from the ultranationalist Movimiento Etnocacerista who took over the town of Andahuaylas and its police station first say
they intend to give up their weapons, then retract, saying the government had reneged on a surrender deal. (BBC) (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4142169.stm) (Bloomberg) (http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000086&sid=aBF2VoNwmEgE&refer=latin_america)
(New York Times) (http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/03/international/americas/03peru.html)
- In the Croatian election, incumbent President Stipe Mesic receives 49% of the vote.
He will face Deputy Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor in a second round
commencing on January 16. (Reuters) (http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=7217707) (BBC) (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4140727.stm)
- In Uganda, a seven-week ceasefire
between the government and the Lord's Resistance Army
ends with the rebel ambush of government troops near the town of Gulu. President Yoweri Museveni promises to increase military action against the rebels. (BBC) (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4139513.stm)
- Ethiopian opposition groups demonstrate against the government's plan to reopen
border talks with Eritrea. (IOL) (http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=87&art_id=qw1104657121562E316)
(BBC) (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4141515.stm)
- Aníbal Acevedo Vilá officially becomes governor of
Puerto Rico. He is the eighth popularly elected Puerto Rican
governor.(El Vocero, in Spanish) (http://vocero.com/noticia.asp?n=50847&d=1/3/2005)
- Global tsunami aid donations exceed
USD 2 billion (EUR
1.5 billion). (Xinhua) (http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-01/02/content_2407323.htm)
- The Washington Post and Reuters report that the US government is preparing to keep suspected terrorists in detention without charge for
life. (Reuters)
(http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=XXJC4W15OEDDUCRBAEZSFFA?type=topNews&storyID=7217367)
- The world rings in 2005. Some nations observe a moment of silence with candles and
white roses for the at least 150,000 dead and 5,000,000 left homeless after the 26 December tsunamis. In
many countries flags are flown at half staff. (Reuters) (http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=646937)
- A group of Peruvian army reservists seize a police station in Andahuaylas, Apurímac, demanding the resignation of President Alejandro Toledo. Four police
officers die in a shootout, another dozen police are taken as hostages, and a state of emergency is declared in the region.
(BBC) (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4140663.stm)
- The Turkish currency is revalued at a
rate of 1,000,000 "old" lira for 1 New Turkish Lira. (BBC) (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4137469.stm)
- Israeli-Palestinian conflict:
- Israeli troops allegedly misfire a tank shell and kill a 9-year-old Palestinian girl; her 11-year-old sister was also injured. (Al
Bawaba) (http://www.albawaba.com/en/news/178713)
- Palestinian militants alledgedly misfire a Qassam rocket
and kill a Palestinian girl in Jabalia. (Haaretz) (http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/521453.html)
- IDF soldiers kill 11 Palestinians, 9 of whom are alleged to have been militants and 2
said to have been civilians in Khan Yunis. (Haaretz) (http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/521453.html)
- IDF soldiers kill 3 suspected Palestinian mlliants who were allegedly planting explosives near the border with Egypt in Rafah. (Haaretz) (http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/521453.html)
- Palestinian sources say the 3 men killed by the IDF near the border with Egypt in
Rafah were unarmed. (Haaretz) (http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/521453.html)
- Palestinian militants fire four Qassam rockets at the Negev and 3 at Sderot, Israel causing damage but no casualties.
(Haaretz) (http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/521453.html)
- Luxembourg takes over the Presidency of the
Council of the European Union. (AP) (http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/apeurope_story.asp?category=1103&slug=EU%20Presidency%20Tsunami)
Past events by month
2004: January February March April May June July August September October November December
2003: January February March April May June July August September October November December
2002: January February March April May June July August September October November December
Logarithmic timeline of
current events - most important events of the last ten years on one page.
News collections and sources
-This article has been brought to you by BambooWeb and Wikipedia-
