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Deaths in December 30 Artie Shaw 29 Julius Axelrod 28 Jacques Dupuis 28 Jerry Orbach 28 Susan Sontag 26 Reggie White 26 Sir Angus Ogilvy 23 P. V. Narasimha Rao 23 Doug Ault 19 Renata Tebaldi 16 Bobby Mattick 15 Chiang Fang-liang 14 Fernando Poe, Jr. 10 M.S. Subbulakshmi 8 Leslie Scarman 8 "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott 3 Shiing-Shen Chern 2 Alicia Markova 1 Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands Other deaths Ongoing events Indian Ocean earthquake in India Ukrainian presidential election U.S. presidential election controversy Ongoing armed conflicts Arab-Israeli conflict Conflict in Chechnya Second Congo War Conflict in Iraq (Occupation of Iraq) Darfur conflict in Sudan Civil war in Côte d'Ivoire Second Sudanese Civil War Ongoing wars Election results in December December 26: Ukraine presidential rerun December 12: Romania presidential run-off December 11: Taiwan legislative December 8: Ghanaian presidential December 1–2: Mozambique presidential Ongoing trials Chile: Augusto Pinochet ICTY: Slobodan Milošević Iraq: Iraqi Special Tribunal — Saddam Hussein, among others India: Jayendra Saraswathi United States: Robert Blake United States: Zacarias Moussaoui > Related pages Year in ...

December 1, 2004

• U.S. TV personality Tom Brokaw ends his career as anchor for NBC Nightly News. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " December 2003: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - January 2004: &larr - January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August February 2004 was the second month of 2004 in the Gregorian calendar. March 2004: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September 2004: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September May 2004: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September June 2004: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September July 2004: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September August 2004: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September 2004: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August October 2004: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - November 2004: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September January 2005: ← - January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September November 2004: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September January 2005: ← - January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September PLEASE PROVIDE LINKS TO NEWS STORIES AFTER EACH ENTRY NEWS STORIES WITHOUT LINKS MAY BE REMOVED 2004 in sports: June - July - August - September - October - November - December - → See also This page deals with events in the English-speaking nations of Europe that occurred in December 2004. PLEASE PROVIDE LINKS TO NEWS STORIES AFTER EACH ENTRY NEWS STORIES WITHOUT LINKS MAY BE REMOVED Events 1460 - Wars of the Roses: Battle of Wakefield. 1816 - The Treaty of St Arthur Jacob Arshawsky ( May 23, 1910 &ndash December 30, 2004) better known as Artie Shaw, was an American Jazz Events 1170 - Thomas Becket: Thomas Becket Archbishop of Canterbury is assassinated inside Canterbury Cathedral by followers of King Henry II Julius Axelrod ( May 30, 1912 &ndash December 29 2004) was an American biochemist. Events 1065 - Westminster Abbey is Consecrated. 1308 - The reign of Emperor Hanazono, Emperor of Events 1065 - Westminster Abbey is Consecrated. 1308 - The reign of Emperor Hanazono, Emperor of Jerome Bernard Orbach ( October 20 1935 – December 28 2004) was an American Tony Award -winning Actor, Events 1065 - Westminster Abbey is Consecrated. 1308 - The reign of Emperor Hanazono, Emperor of Susan Sontag ( January 16, 1933 – December 28, 2004) was an American Literary theorist, Philosopher, Events 1481 - Battle of Westbrook - Holland defeats troops of Utrecht. Reginald Howard "Reggie" White ( December 19, 1961 &ndash December 26, 2004) was a professional American football player Events 1481 - Battle of Westbrook - Holland defeats troops of Utrecht. Sir Angus James Bruce Ogilvy, KCVO ( 14 September 1928 &ndash 26 December 2004) was a British businessman best known as the husband Events 962 - Byzantine-Arab Wars: Under the future Emperor Nicephorus Phocas, Byzantine troops stormed the city Pamulaparthi Venkata Narasimha Rao (పాములపర్తి వెంకట నరసింహారావు (28 June 1921 &ndash 23 December 2004 was the 12th Prime Minister Events 1790 - The Turkish fortress of Izmail is stormed and captured by Suvorov and his Russian armies Douglas Reagan Ault ( March 9, 1950 – December 22, 2004) was a Major League Baseball First baseman / Designated hitter Events 324 - Licinius abdicates his position as Roman Emperor. WikipediaWikiProject_Opera#Infoboxes --> Renata Tebaldi ( Pesaro, Italy Events 755 - An Lushan revolts against Chancellor Yang Guozhong at Fanyang, initiating the An Shi Rebellion Robert James "Bobby" Mattick ( December 5, 1915 - December 16, 2004) was a Shortstop, manager and scout Events 533 - Byzantine general Belisarius defeats the Vandals, commanded by King Gelimer, at the Battle of Faina Chiang Fang-liang ( ( 15 May 1916 &ndash 15 December 2004) was the wife of President Chiang Ching-kuo and served Events 1287 - St Lucia's flood: The Zuider Zee sea wall in the Netherlands collapses killing over 50000 people Ronald Allan Kelley Poe ( August 20, 1939 &ndash December 14, 2004) better known as Fernando Poe Jr Events 1041 - Empress Zoe of Byzantium elevates her adoptive son to the throne of the Eastern Roman Empire as Michael V Madurai Shanmukhavadivu Subbulakshmi ( popularly known as MS or M Events 1609 - Biblioteca Ambrosiana opens its reading room the second public library of Europe. Leslie George Scarman Baron Scarman, OBE, PC ( 29 July 1911 &ndash 8 December 2004) was an English Judge Events 1609 - Biblioteca Ambrosiana opens its reading room the second public library of Europe. Events 1800 - War of the Second Coalition: Battle of Hohenlinden, French Shiing-Shen Chern (陳省身 pinyin: Chén Xǐngshēn October 26 1911 &ndash December 3 2004) was a Chinese American Mathematician Events 1409 - The University of Leipzig opens 1755 - The second Eddystone Lighthouse is destroyed by fire Dame Alicia Markova, DBE, DMus (1 December 1910 &ndash 2 December 2004 was the first English dancer to be titled a Prima Ballerina Assoluta Events 800 - Charlemagne judges the accusations against Pope Leo III in the Vatican Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands (29 June 1911 in Jena – 1 December 2004 in Utrecht) Prince of Lippe-Biesterfeld born HSH Count Bernhard Leopold Friedrich The following is a list of notable deaths in 2004. Names are listed under the date of death not the date it was announced The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea Earthquake that occurred at 005853 UTC on December 26 2004 with an Epicentre off the west coast of For related articles see:Category2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. The presidential election held in November and December 2004 in Ukraine was mostly a political battle between Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych After the November 2, 2004 Election in the United States, concerns were raised about various aspects of the voting process including whether voting had The Chechen Republic (ˈʧɛʧɨn rɪˈpʌblɨk Чече́нская Респу́блика Chechenskaya Respublika; Нохчийн Республика Noxçiyn Respublika The Second Congo War, also known as Africa's World War and the Great War of Africa, began in August 1998 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly The Iraq War, also known as the Second Gulf War, the Occupation of Iraq, or the War in Iraq, is an ongoing Military campaign Iraq War|2007 in Iraq|2008 in IraqThe post-invasion period in Iraq The War in Darfur is a military conflict in the Darfur region of western Sudan. Sudan (officially the Republic of Sudan) ( السودان al-Sūdān is a country in northeastern Africa. Context of the conflict The civil war revolves around a number of issues particularly The end of the 30-year presidency of Félix Houphouët-Boigny forced The Second Sudanese Civil War (sometimes referred to as Anyanya II) started in 1983 although it was largely a continuation of the First Sudanese Civil This is a listing of lists of Wars, sorted by country date region and type of conflict Events 1481 - Battle of Westbrook - Holland defeats troops of Utrecht. The presidential election held in November and December 2004 in Ukraine was mostly a political battle between Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych Events 627 - Battle of Nineveh: A Byzantine army under Emperor Heraclius defeats Emperor Khosrau II 's Persian A presidential election was held in Romania on November 28, 2004. Events 359 - Honoratus, the first known Prefect of the City of Constantinople, takes office The Election for the 6th Legislative Yuan (第六屆立法委員選舉 of the Republic of China on Taiwan was held on December 11, Events 1609 - Biblioteca Ambrosiana opens its reading room the second public library of Europe. The Ghanaian presidential election was held on 7 December 2004. Events 800 - Charlemagne judges the accusations against Pope Leo III in the Vatican Events 1409 - The University of Leipzig opens 1755 - The second Eddystone Lighthouse is destroyed by fire Mozambique held a presidential election on 1 &ndash 2 December 2004. Chile, officially the Republic of Chile ( Spanish:) is a country in South America occupying a long and narrow Coastal strip wedged between the Augusto José Ramón Pinochet Ugarte (November The International Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of the Former Yugoslavia since 1991 For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. The Supreme Iraqi Criminal Tribunal (formerly Iraqi Special Tribunal) is a body established under Iraqi national law to try Iraqi nationals or residents accused Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti ( Arabic: ar صدام حسين عبد المجيد التكريتي --> April 28 1937 &ndash December 30 India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Swamigal (born July 18, 1935 as Subramanyam Mahadeva Iyer) is the 69th Shankaracharya ( Guru and head or pontiff The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Robert Blake (born September 18, 1933) is an American Actor most famous for starring in the U The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Zacarias Moussaoui ( Arabic: زكريا موسوي; born May 30 1968 is a French citizen who was convicted of conspiring to kill citizens Culture 2004 in architecture 2004 in film 2004 in games 2004 in literature Events 800 - Charlemagne judges the accusations against Pope Leo III in the Vatican "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Television ( TV) is a widely used Telecommunication medium for sending ( Broadcasting) and receiving moving Images, either monochromatic Thomas John "Tom" Brokaw (born February 6, 1940) is an American Television Journalist and Author, and NBC Nightly News is the flagship evening news program for NBC News and broadcasts from the GE Building, Rockefeller Center in New York City.
• Palestinian presidential election, 2005: Jailed Palestinian Marwan Barghouti joins the race to succeed Yasser Arafat, bringing the total to 10 candidates, drawing criticism from Arafat's Fatah movement. The 2005 Palestinian presidential election &mdash the first to be held since 1996 &mdash took place on January 9, 2005 in the West Bank and Gaza Marwan Bin Khatib Barghouti ( مروان البرغوثي born June 6, 1959) is a Palestinian politician and militant leader who gained political authority Mohammed Abdel Rahman Abdel Raouf Arafat al-Qudwa al-Husseini ( Arabic: محمد عبد الرؤوف عرفات القدوة الحسيني (August 24 1929 – November 11 Fatah (فتح literally opening, is a reverse Acronym from the Arabic name Harakat al-Tahrir al-Watani al-Filastini (حركة التحرير (Reuters)(BBC)
• AIDS pandemic: The head of Brazil's AIDS program says the government will violate patents on anti-AIDS drugs by copying them, citing unsustainable increases in cost. |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld A patent is a set of Exclusive rights granted by a State to an inventor or his assignee for a fixed period of time in exchange for a disclosure of an (BBC)
• Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon ends the Likud-led coalition after he fires ministers from the secular Shinui party, which voted to defeat the annual budget over subsidies to religious parties. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. (אריאל Likud (ליכוד lit Consolidation) is the major centre-right political party in Israel. Shinui (שינוי lit Change) is a Zionist, Secular and anti-clerical Free market liberal party in Israel In Economics, a subsidy (also known as a subvention is a form of financial assistance paid to a business or economic sector (Haaretz) (BBC) (Reuters)
• 2004 Ukrainian presidential election: Ukraine's parliament, Verkhovna Rada, passes a vote of no-confidence to dismiss Viktor Yanukovich as Prime Minister. The presidential election held in November and December 2004 in Ukraine was mostly a political battle between Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych Ukraine (Україна Ukrayina, /ukrɑˈjinɑ/ is a country in Eastern Europe. The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine (Верховна Рада України English: Supreme Council of Ukraine) is Ukraine 's Parliament Viktor Fedorovych Yanukovych ( Ukrainian: Viktor Fedorovyč Janukovyč; Виктор Фёдорович Янукович (born on July 9, 1950 The opposition led by Viktor Yushchenko agrees to continue negotiations and end the blockade of official buildings. Viktor Andriyovych Yushchenko ( Ukrainian: Viktor Andrijovyč Juščenko) (born February 23 1954) is the third and current President of (Reuters) (BBC)
• Serbia's interior minister says the "assassination attempt" on president Boris Tadić was a case of road rage against his motor convoy in Belgrade traffic. Serbia (Србија Srbija) officially the Republic of Serbia (Република Србија Republika Srbija) is a Landlocked Country Boris Tadić (Борис Тадић born January 15, 1958) is a Serbian politician and the current President of Serbia. Belgrade (Београд Beograd is the Capital and largest city of Serbia. (Reuters)
• CBS and NBC refuse to air an advertisement by the United Church of Christ citing the advocacy of accepting homosexuals is "too controversial". CBS Broadcasting Inc ( CBS) is an American radio and Television network. The National Broadcasting Company ( NBC) is an American Television network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's The United Church of Christ ( UCC) is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination principally in the United States, Homosexuality refers to sexual behavior with or attraction to people of the same sex or to a Homosexual orientation. The advertisement was accepted by numerous other networks including Fox, ABC and TBS. The American Broadcasting Company ( ABC) is an American Television network. TBS is an American Cable television network that shows sports and a variety of programming with a focus on comedy (CNN) (UCC)
• A French appeals court reduces former Prime Minister Alain Juppé's disqualification from holding public office from ten years to one, opening up the way for him to contend in the 2007 presidential election. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The Prime Minister of France ( Premier ministre français) in Fifth Republic is the functional Head of the government and Council of Ministers Alain Marie Juppé (born 15 August 1945 is a French right-wing politician who served as Prime Minister of France from 1995 to 1997 under President Jacques Chirac (BBC)
• Côte d'Ivoire conflict: French officials acknowledge troops killed around 20 people during clashes with anti-French protestors, but maintain the French troops acted in self-defense and gave warning shots, contrary to Ivoirian police claims. Context of the conflict The civil war revolves around a number of issues particularly The end of the 30-year presidency of Félix Houphouët-Boigny forced This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Côte d'Ivoire (ˌkoʊt divˈwɑː(r ' in English, kot diˈvwaʀ in French) or Ivory Coast, officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a (BBC)
• Chinese state media confirms all 166 miners missing after a coal mine explosion in central Shaanxi province on November 28 are dead. This article is about media in Mainland China. See also Media of Hong Kong and Media of Macau. ( Postal map spelling: Shensi) is a north-central province of the People's Republic of China, and includes portions of the Loess For the town in Argentina, see 28 de Noviembre. Events (Xinhua) (BBC)
• Rwandan troops are spotted by UN personnel in eastern Congo where Congolese officials say the troops are attacking and burning villages. The Republic of Rwanda (ruːˈændə or /rəˈwɑːndə/ in English ɾwanda or in Kinyarwanda is a small Landlocked country in the The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security The Democratic Republic of the Congo (République démocratique du Congo often referred to as DR Congo, DRC or RDC, and formerly known or referred to The last invasion started the Congo Civil War, which resulted in the deaths of 3-4 million people. (Reuters)
• An Indonesian MD-82 from the charter airline Lion Air crashes in Central Java, killing at least 31 people and injuring at least 62 people. The Republic of Indonesia ( (Republik Indonesia is a Country in Southeast Asia. See also Lion Air Australia Lion Air is Indonesia ’s largest private carrier and Asia’s first hybrid carrier which offers both economy- and business-class Central Java ( Provinsi Jawa Tengah) is a province of Indonesia. (CNN) (Reuters)
• A report commissioned by U.N. Secretary General calls for radical reform of the United Nations, including expansion of the U.N. Security Council. The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security The Secretary-General of the United Nations is the head of the Secretariat, one of the principal organs of the United Nations. The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security (AP)
• Egypt and Israel hold talks in Jerusalem to discuss the planned Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Jerusalem (יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, he-Latn Yerushaláyim; Arabic: ar القُدس, ar-Latn al-Quds) is the The Gaza Strip (قطاع غزة, רצועת עזה Retzu'at 'Azza) is a coastal strip of land along the Mediterranean Sea, bordering Egypt on the south-west (BBC)
• United States President George W. Bush holds talks with Canada's Prime Minister Paul Martin in his first official visit to the country and agrees to work together to combat terrorism. The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Paul Edgar Philippe Martin. PC, MP (also known as Paul Martin Jr Terrorism is the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion (BBC)
• David Blunkett, U.K. Home Secretary, insists that he did no wrong in the controversy surrounding the alleged misuse of his position, and receives the backing of Prime Minister Tony Blair. David Blunkett (born 6 June 1947 is a British Labour Party Politician and has been Member of Parliament for Sheffield Brightside The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The Secretary of State for the Home Department, commonly known as the Home Secretary, is the minister in charge of the United Kingdom Home Office This article is about the government position For other uses see Prime Minister (disambiguation. Anthony Charles Lynton "Tony" Blair (born 6 May 1953 is a British Politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to Sir Alan Budd is appointed to carry out an independent enquiry. (BBC)

December 2, 2004

• 2004 U.S. presidential election controversy: The U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary requests Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell to respond to alleged voting irregularities. Events 1409 - The University of Leipzig opens 1755 - The second Eddystone Lighthouse is destroyed by fire "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " After the November 2, 2004 Election in the United States, concerns were raised about various aspects of the voting process including whether voting had United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary US House Committee on the Judiciary, or (more commonly the House Judiciary Committee, is a Standing committee of Ohio ( is a Midwestern state of the United States. As part of the Great Lakes region, Ohio has long been a cultural and geographical crossroads Secretary of State is a commonly used title for a Government Official. John Kenneth Blackwell (born February 28, 1948) is a former secretary of state of the U After the November 2, 2004 Election in the United States, concerns were raised about various aspects of the voting process including whether voting had (House.gov (PDF))
• The Inter-American Court of Human Rights upholds Peru's conviction and continued imprisonment of U.S. citizen Lori Berenson on terrorism charges. The Inter-American Court of Human Rights is an autonomous judicial institution based in the city of San José, Costa Rica. Peru (Perú Piruw Piruw officially the Republic of Peru ( reˈpuβlika del peˈɾu is a country in western South America. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Lori Helene Berenson (born November 13, 1969) is a US citizen currently serving a 20-year prison term in Peru for unlawful collaboration Terrorism is the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion (BBC) (AP)
• A spokesman for George W. Bush requests that Myanmar release dissident opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, whose house arrest was recently extended. George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar ( pjìdàunzṵ mjàmmà nàinŋàndɔ̀ is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia. Parliamentary opposition is a form of political opposition to a designated government particularly in a Westminster -based Parliamentary system Aung San Suu Kyi ( àunsʰánsṵtʃì born 19 June 1945 in Rangoon, is a pro- Democracy activist and leader of the National League for In Justice and Law, house arrest (also called home confinement, home detention, or electronic monitoring) is a measure by which (BBC)
• Iran's nuclear program: United Nations inspectors wishing to inspect the Parchin military complex southeast of Tehran and Lavizan II in northeastern Tehran lack the legal authority according to United Nations diplomats. The nuclear program of Iran was launched in the 1950s with the help of the United States as part of the Atoms for Peace program The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security (Reuters)
• British Member of Parliament and anti-war activist George Galloway wins his libel case against the Daily Telegraph, which during the invasion of Iraq had published a story suggesting that Galloway had been in the pay of Saddam Hussein. George Galloway (born 16 August 1954 in Dundee) is a Scottish Politician, author and talkshow host noted for his Left-wing views confrontational style For "The Daily Telegraph" in Australia see The Daily Telegraph (Australia. Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti ( Arabic: ar صدام حسين عبد المجيد التكريتي --> April 28 1937 &ndash December 30 (BBC)
• U.S. President George W. Bush nominates Nebraska Governor Mike Johanns to become the next Secretary of Agriculture. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. Nebraska ( is a state located on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States and The following is a list of the Governors of the State of Nebraska. Michael Owen Johanns (born June 18, 1950) is an American Republican politician The United States Secretary of Agriculture is the head of the United States Department of Agriculture. If confirmed by the Senate, Johanns would fill the Cabinet position currently held by resigning Secretary Ann Veneman. The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives The United States Cabinet (usually simplified as "the Cabinet" is composed of the most senior appointed officers of the Executive branch of the Federal government Ann Margaret Veneman (born June 29, 1949) is currently the Executive Director of UNICEF. (Reuters) (Transcript)
• The life sentence of Mijailo Mijailović, killer of Swedish minister Anna Lindh, is confirmed by the Swedish Supreme Court (BBC) (Reuters) (Bloomberg)
• The European Union takes over from NATO in peacekeeping operations in Bosnia and Herzegovina, largely replacing the NATO-led SFOR with a new Eufor. Mijailo Mijailović ( Serbian Cyrillic: Мијаило Мијаиловић born December 6, 1978 in Stockholm, Sweden to "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. Ylva Anna Maria Lindh (19 June 1957 – 11 September 2003 was a Swedish Social Democratic Politician who served as Swedish Minister for The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in The North Atlantic Treaty Peacekeeping, as defined by the United Nations, is "a way to help countries torn by conflict create conditions for sustainable peace Bosnia and Herzegovina ( Latin script: Bosna i Hercegovina, Cyrillic script: Босна и Херцеговина is a country on the Balkan The Stabilisation Force (SFOR was a NATO -led multinational force in Bosnia and Herzegovina which was tasked with upholding the Dayton Agreement. EUFOR or European Union Force is a term used to describe European Union military deployments and has been used four times so far in FYROM from March 2003 to December (BBC)
• India announces a new effort to survey and decontaminate the area affected by the December 3, 1984 Bhopal chemical disaster. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Events 1800 - War of the Second Coalition: Battle of Hohenlinden, French Year 1984 ( MCMLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1984 Gregorian calendar) The Bhopal disaster was an Industrial disaster that occurred in the city of Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India, resulting in the immediate deaths (BBC)
• Conflict in Iraq: The U.S. military, citing security concerns for the Iraqi transitional parliamentary election scheduled for January 30, 2005, announces the deployment of 1,500 additional troops to Iraq and tour extensions bringing the number to an all time high of 150,000. The Iraq War, also known as the Second Gulf War, the Occupation of Iraq, or the War in Iraq, is an ongoing Military campaign The United States Armed Forces are the overall unified military forces of the United States On January 30, 2005, Legislative elections, the Iraqi people chose representatives for the newly-formed 275-member Iraqi National Assembly Events 1648 - Eighty Years' War: The Treaty of Münster is signed ending the conflict between the Netherlands and Spain Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. (Reuters) (CNN)

December 3, 2004

• Dragomir Milošević, the general who besieged Sarajevo for 3 years during the Bosnian Civil War surrenders to the U.N. International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia. Events 1800 - War of the Second Coalition: Battle of Hohenlinden, French "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Dragomir Milošević (Born February 4, 1942, Ub, present-day Serbia) was the commander of the Sarajevo-Romanija Corps (SRK of the TemplateInfobox City for more fields--> Sarajevo is the Capital city and largest urban center of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with This is a History of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Pre-Slavic period See also History of Bosnia and Herzegovina (until 958 Bosnia has been The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security The International Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of the Former Yugoslavia since 1991 12,000 people died during the siege. (AFP) (Link dead as of 04:01, 15 January 2007 (UTC))
• The People's Republic of China launches a new long-range nuclear submarine and an accompanying class of ballistic missiles, with a range in excess of 7,400 km (4,600 miles), developed by the People's Liberation Army. Events 588 BC - Nebuchadrezzar II of Babylon lays siege to Jerusalem under Zedekiah 's reign Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES A submarine is a Watercraft that can operate independently below water as distinct from a Submersible that has only limited underwater capability The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand A mile is a unit of Length, usually used to measure Distance, in a number of different systems including Imperial units United States The People's Liberation Army ( PLA) ( is the unified Military organization of all land sea and air forces of the People's Republic of China. (AP) (Link dead as of 04:01, 15 January 2007 (UTC))
• 2004 U.S. presidential election controversy: The U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary schedules a public congressional forum on voting irregularities in Ohio on December 8. Events 588 BC - Nebuchadrezzar II of Babylon lays siege to Jerusalem under Zedekiah 's reign Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. After the November 2, 2004 Election in the United States, concerns were raised about various aspects of the voting process including whether voting had United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary US House Committee on the Judiciary, or (more commonly the House Judiciary Committee, is a Standing committee of After the November 2, 2004 Election in the United States, concerns were raised about various aspects of the voting process including whether voting had Ohio ( is a Midwestern state of the United States. As part of the Great Lakes region, Ohio has long been a cultural and geographical crossroads Events 1609 - Biblioteca Ambrosiana opens its reading room the second public library of Europe. (House.gov (PDF))
• Yukos loses an appeal to halt the auctioning off of its main production unit. Yukos Oil Company (ОАО НК ЮКОС was a Petroleum company in Russia which until recently was controlled by Russian President of Russia Vladimir Putin, while on his three day visit to India, says Indian firms are welcomed to bid. The President of Russia (Президент России or the President of the Russian Federation, Президент Российской Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (; born 7 October 1952 in Leningrad, USSR; now Saint Petersburg, Russia was the second President of Russia India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country (BBC)
• Kosovo's parliament elects a former KLA commander, Ramush Haradinaj, who has been questioned twice by UN war crimes investigators. The Kosovo Liberation Army or KLA ( Albanian: Ushtria Çlirimtare e Kosovës or UÇK) was a Kosovar Albanian guerilla group which sought Ramush Haradinaj ( Serbo-Croatian: Рамуш Харадинај Ramuš Haradinaj) born 3 July 1968 in the village of Glođane near The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security War crimes are "violations of the laws or customs of war" including but not limited to "murder the ill-treatment or deportation of civilian residents of an occupied (BBC)
• Conflict in Iraq:
  • A car bomb explodes outside a Shi'a mosque in a Baghdad Sunni district, killing 14 worshippers and wounding 19. The Iraq War, also known as the Second Gulf War, the Occupation of Iraq, or the War in Iraq, is an ongoing Military campaign Baghdad (بغداد) is the Capital of Iraq and of Baghdad Governorate, with which it is also coterminous Sunni Islam is the largest denomination of Islam. Sunni Islam is also referred to as Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-Jamā‘h (Arabic Mortars land on a police station in Baghdad, followed by an assault which kills 12 people and results in the freeing of 50 prisoners. A mortar is a muzzle-loading Indirect fire weapon that fires shells at low velocities short ranges and high-arcing ballistic trajectories A website allegedly tied to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, claims responsibility for the police station attack. Abu Musab al-Zarqawi (أبومصعب الزرقاوي, Abu Musab from Zarqa)) (October 30 1966 – June 7 2006 born Ahmad Fadeel al-Nazal (BBC) (Reuters) (Link dead as of 04:01, 15 January 2007 (UTC))
  • The U.S. Agency for International Development states they aim to boost the availability of electricity throughout Iraq to 18 hours a day by the end of next year from 11 to 15 hours now, estimably higher than before the 2003 U.S. invasion. Events 588 BC - Nebuchadrezzar II of Babylon lays siege to Jerusalem under Zedekiah 's reign Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The United States Agency for International Development (or USAID) is the United States federal government organization responsible for most non- military For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. The 2003 invasion of Iraq, from March 20 to May 1 2003 was spearheaded by the United States, backed by British forces and smaller contingents from Australia (Reuters) (Link dead as of 04:01, 15 January 2007 (UTC))
  • The Ukrainian parliament, embroiled in the presidential election controversy, votes to ask outgoing president Leonid Kuchma to withdraw Ukraine's 1,600 troops in Iraq. Events 588 BC - Nebuchadrezzar II of Babylon lays siege to Jerusalem under Zedekiah 's reign Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Ukraine (Україна Ukrayina, /ukrɑˈjinɑ/ is a country in Eastern Europe. TalkParliament#Screen-size. -->A  parliament is a Legislature, especially in those The presidential election held in November and December 2004 in Ukraine was mostly a political battle between Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych The President of Ukraine (Президент України is the head of the state of Ukraine and acts in its name Leonid Danylovych Kuchma (Леонід Данилович Кýчма born August 9, 1938) was the second President of Ukraine from July For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. (Reuters) (Link dead as of 04:01, 15 January 2007 (UTC))
  • German security forces arrest three alleged members of Ansar al-Islam who are suspected of planning the assassination of Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi while he was on a state visit to Germany. Events 588 BC - Nebuchadrezzar II of Babylon lays siege to Jerusalem under Zedekiah 's reign Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Ansar al-Islam ( Arabic: انصار الاسلام, Supporters or Partisans of Islam is a Kurdish Sunni Islamist AssassiNation is the sixth album by Krisiun, released in 2006 on Century Media. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. Office The Prime Minister of Iraq is Iraq's Head of government. Ayad Allawi ( إياد علاوي) (born 1945 is an Iraqi politician and was the interim Prime Minister of Iraq prior to Iraq's 2005 legislative "Official visit" redirects here For the Yes Minister episode see " The Official Visit " Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. (CNN)(Spiegel (German))
• U.S. President George W. Bush nominates former New York City police commissioner Bernard Kerik to replace outgoing Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge in the Cabinet position. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. The City of New York Bernard Bailey "Bernie" Kerik, CBE, (born September 4, 1955 in Newark, New Jersey) is a former American law-enforcement The United States Secretary of Homeland Security is the head of the United States Department of Homeland Security, the body concerned with protecting the American homeland Thomas Joseph Ridge (born August 26 1945) is an American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives (1983&ndash1995 The United States Cabinet (usually simplified as "the Cabinet" is composed of the most senior appointed officers of the Executive branch of the Federal government Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson also announces his resignation. The United States Secretary of Health and Human Services is the head of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, concerned with health matters Tommy George Thompson (born November 19, 1941) a United States Politician, was the 42nd Governor of Wisconsin and the 7th (Reuters) (Link dead as of 04:01, 15 January 2007 (UTC))
• Following warnings by separatist group ETA, a number of devices explode in Madrid. Events 588 BC - Nebuchadrezzar II of Babylon lays siege to Jerusalem under Zedekiah 's reign Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. eu '''Euskadi Ta Askatasuna''' or ETA ( Basque for "Basque Homeland and Freedom" ˈɛːta is an illegal armed Basque nationalist Separatist Madrid (pronounced in English in Spanish and colloquially in Spain) is the Capital and largest city of Spain. (Reuters) (Link dead as of 04:01, 15 January 2007 (UTC)) (BBC) (Wikinews)
• The Supreme Court of Ukraine rules that the 2004 second round presidential results are invalid and requires a new vote to be completed within three weeks without determining whether the second round will be re-run or an entirely new election will be run. Events 588 BC - Nebuchadrezzar II of Babylon lays siege to Jerusalem under Zedekiah 's reign Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The Supreme Court of Ukraine (Верховний Суд України Verkhovny Sud Ukrayiny) is the highest judicial body in the system of courts of general jurisdiction in The presidential election held in November and December 2004 in Ukraine was mostly a political battle between Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych (BBC) (Yahoo! News) (Link dead as of 04:01, 15 January 2007 (UTC))
• Former Israeli chief Rabbi and Holocaust survivor Meir Lau says that "Jewish history in Europe is nearing its end" and called the Jewish Agency to prepare for the absorption of Europe's Jews in Israel. Events 588 BC - Nebuchadrezzar II of Babylon lays siege to Jerusalem under Zedekiah 's reign Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Rabbi (pronunciation, although in English usually) in Judaism, means a religious ‘teacher’ or more literally ‘my great one’ when addressing any master The Holocaust (from the Greek el ''ὁλόκαυστον'' (el-Latn holókauston holos, "completely" and kaustos, "burnt" also known as The Jewish Agency for Israel (Hebrew הסוכנות היהודית לארץ ישראל HaSochnut HaYehudit L'Eretz Yisra'el) also known as the Sochnut or JAFI PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Lau conveyed concern over rise in antisemitism and fading of the Holocaust remembrance in Europe. Antisemitism (alternatively spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism; also rarely known as judeophobia) is the Prejudice against or hostility (Haaretz) (Link dead as of 04:01, 15 January 2007 (UTC))
• Rwanda denies it has sent any troops to Congo. Events 588 BC - Nebuchadrezzar II of Babylon lays siege to Jerusalem under Zedekiah 's reign Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The Republic of Rwanda (ruːˈændə or /rəˈwɑːndə/ in English ɾwanda or in Kinyarwanda is a small Landlocked country in the The Democratic Republic of the Congo (République démocratique du Congo often referred to as DR Congo, DRC or RDC, and formerly known or referred to Reuters (Link dead as of 04:01, 15 January 2007 (UTC))quotes unnamed diplomatic sources that claim that the troops were there only temporarily. This article is primarily about Reuters prior to its 2008 merger with Thomson Events 588 BC - Nebuchadrezzar II of Babylon lays siege to Jerusalem under Zedekiah 's reign Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. (BBC) (Reuters) (Link dead as of 04:01, 15 January 2007 (UTC))
• Brazilian paleontologists of the University of Rio de Janeiro announce a find of a new dinosaur species, Unaysaurus tolentinoi. Events 588 BC - Nebuchadrezzar II of Babylon lays siege to Jerusalem under Zedekiah 's reign Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld Unaysaurus is a Genus of sauropodomorph Dinosaur, and is one of the oldest dinosaurs known The find also shows links to Europe when both continents were part of Pangaea. Pangaea, Pangæa or Pangea (pænˈdʒiːə from παν pan, meaning entire, and Γαῖα Gaea, meaning Earth in (Reuters) (Link dead as of 04:01, 15 January 2007 (UTC)) (BBC) (News 24)
• Typhoon Nanmadol slams into the island of Luzon in the Philippines, less than a week after tropical depression locally called "Winnie" caused landslides and floods in the region also affected by the earlier typhoons Muifa and Merbok. Events 588 BC - Nebuchadrezzar II of Babylon lays siege to Jerusalem under Zedekiah 's reign Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Luzon is the largest and most economically and politically important Island in the Philippines and one of the three island groups in the country with Visayas The Philippines ( Filipino: Pilipinas, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (fil ''Republika ng Pilipinas'' RP Floods and landslides by Winnie killed at least 495 persons. More people are expected to be declared missing or dead as typhoon Nanmadol leaves the country later today. (CNN) (Inquirer/GMA7)
• Dissident investors in Disney, including former board member Roy Disney, nephew of the company founder Walt Disney, announced that they won't nominate a slate of alternate directors for the 2005 annual meeting. Roy Edward Disney KCSG (born January 10, 1930) was a longtime senior executive for The Walt Disney Company, which his father Roy Oliver Walter Elias Disney (December 5 1901 – December 15 1966 was a multiple Academy Award -winning American Film producer, director, Screenwriter The announcement is a sign of an easing of tensions at that corporation's board. A corporation is a separate legal entity usually used to conduct business thestreet.com

December 4, 2004

• The Mozambique presidential election vote count continues in all of the country, with Frelimo and its candidate Armando Guebuza leading, according to the preliminary results already known, and especially in Maputo, Gaza and Inhambane, traditional regions of influence for the party in power. "December 4th" redirects here For the song by Jay-Z, see December 4th (song. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique (Moçambique or República de Moçambique, ʁɛ'publikɐ d musɐ̃'bik is a country in southeastern Africa Mozambique held a presidential election on 1 &ndash 2 December 2004. The Liberation Front of Mozambique, better known by the acronym FRELIMO, from the Portuguese Frente de Libertação de Moçambique (IPA /fɾeˈlimo/ Armando Emílio Guebuza (born 20 January 1943 is a Mozambican Politician and the President of Mozambique since 2005 Maputo, formerly Lourenço Marques, is the Capital and largest city of Mozambique. (Wikinews)
• Militants blow up a vehicle in Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir, India killing a major, 9 soldiers of the Rashtriya Rifles and 2 civilians using an improvised explosive device. WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Pulwama is a town and a Notified area committee in Pulwama district in the Indian ( Dogri: जम्मू और कश्मीर Urdu: جموں و کشمیر is the northernmost state of India. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Major is a Military rank the use of which varies according to country The Rashtriya Rifles (if fully translated National Rifles) is a counterinsurgency force in India. An improvised explosive device ( IED) is a Bomb constructed and deployed in ways other than in conventional Military action (Reuters)
• Peruvian-born María Julia Mantilla García is crowned Miss World. María Julia “Maju” Mantilla García was born in 1984 in Trujillo, a city in Peru ' s northern coast The Miss World pageant is the oldest surviving major international Beauty pageant created in the United Kingdom by Eric Morley in 1951 (Reuters)

December 5, 2004

• In Taiwan, rallies are held in support of candidates in this week's elections to the Legislative Yuan (parliament). Events 63 BC - Cicero reads the last of his Catiline Orations. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES The Election for the 6th Legislative Yuan (第六屆立法委員選舉 of the Republic of China on Taiwan was held on December 11, The Legislative Yuan ( is the Legislative body of the Republic of China (ROC which administers Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Party sources estimate that separate rallies held in Taipei by the Kuomintang and Taiwan Solidarity Union drew around 100,000 each. Taipei ( Taiwanese Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Tâi-pak-chhī Jhuyin Fuhao: ㄊㄞˊ ㄅㄟˇ ㄕˋ Hakka: Thòi-pet-sṳ has been the capital of The Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU ( Traditional Chinese: 臺灣團結聯盟 Pinyin: Táiwān Tuánjié Liánméng is a Political party in the Republic (VOA) (TaipeiTimes)
• A referendum in Hungary to grant citizenship to ethnic Hungarians living in other countries appears to have failed due to insufficient turnout. Hungary (Magyarország 'mɔɟɔrorsaːg) officially in English the Republic of Hungary ( Magyar Köztársaság, literally Magyar (Hungarian Republic The proposal has angered the governments of countries with significant Hungarian populations, particularly Romania. Romania ( dated: Rumania, Roumania The Prime Minister of Hungary, Ferenc Gyurcsány, opposed the referendum. List of Heads of Government of Hungary (1848-Present Hungarian Revolution of 1848 Prime Ministers Count Lajos Batthyány (ˈfɛrɛnts ˈɟurtʃaːɲ born in Pápa, June 4, 1961) is the Prime Minister of Hungary. (Reuters)
• 2004 U.S. presidential election controversy:
  • Hundreds gather at the Ohio statehouse to demand a recount of votes, citing fraud that took votes from John Kerry and gave them to George W. Bush. After the November 2, 2004 Election in the United States, concerns were raised about various aspects of the voting process including whether voting had } John Forbes Kerry (born December 11 1943 is an American Politician who is currently serving his fourth term as the junior United States Senator George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. (AP)
  • A lawsuit challenging the Volusia County, Florida election is thrown out for being a day late. The suit claims paperwork is missing from 59 of Volusia's 179 precincts and that precinct printouts show different numbers. (AP)
• The Thai government drops millions of origami cranes on its restive, predominantly Muslim provinces of Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala, saying that they are a gesture of goodwill and peace. The politics of Thailand currently take place in a framework of a Constitutional monarchy, whereby the Prime Minister is the Head of government (from oru meaning "folding" and kami meaning "paper" is the ancient Japanese Art of Paper folding. Cranes are large long-legged and long-necked Birds of the order Gruiformes, and family Gruidae. A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion Narathiwat (นราธิวาส is one of the southern provinces ( changwat) of Thailand. Pattani ( Thai ปัตตานี is one of the southern provinces ( changwat) of Thailand. Yala (ยะลา is the southernmost province ( changwat) of Thailand. (Channel News Asia) (BBC)
• Conflict in Iraq:
  • More than 20 are killed and many more injured in a series of attacks on Iraqis working for the United States by Iraqi insurgents today. The Iraq War, also known as the Second Gulf War, the Occupation of Iraq, or the War in Iraq, is an ongoing Military campaign For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the (ABC)(BBC)(Reuters)
• French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin seeks to ban Hizbullah's TV channel al-Manar from broadcasting in France due to purported anti-Semitic content, most recently involving a commentator speaking of "Zionist attempts to transmit AIDS to Arab countries". This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The Prime Minister of France ( Premier ministre français) in Fifth Republic is the functional Head of the government and Council of Ministers Jean-Pierre Raffarin (born 3 August 1948 is a French conservative Politician and senator for Vienne. Hezbollah (حزب الله, literally " party of God " is a Shi'a Islamic political and Paramilitary organisation Al-Manar (المنار The Beacon) is the satellite Television station of Hezbollah, broadcasting from Beirut, Antisemitism (alternatively spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism; also rarely known as judeophobia) is the Prejudice against or hostility History of Zionism|Timeline of Zionism|World Zionist Organization|Zionist political violence Zionism is an international political movement that originally supported the al-Manar claims to be anti-Israeli rather than anti-Semitic. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. (BBC)
• In a Prisoner exchange between Israel and Egypt, Egypt releases Azzam Azzam, an Israeli Druze businessman sentenced to 15 years imprisonment by Egypt in 1997 on charges of spying for Israel, while Israel releases 6 Egyptian students who allegedly infiltrated Israel to kidnap soldiers. A prison, penitentiary, or correctional facility is a place in which individuals are physically confined or interned and usually deprived of a range of For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. Azzam Azzam (עזאם עזאם (born 1963 is a Druze Israeli who was convicted in Egypt of spying for Israel, and jailed for eight years The Druze ( Arabic: درزي derzī or durzī, plural دروز durūz) are a religious community found primarily in Syria, Lebanon (Haaretz) (BBC)
• With more than 1000 people dead or missing, devastation in the northern agricultural regions, and damaged infrastructure after Monday's storm and Thursday's Typhoon Nanmadol, Philippines President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo suspends logging and pledges to prosecute violators. Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture The Philippines ( Filipino: Pilipinas, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (fil ''Republika ng Pilipinas'' RP The President of the Philippines is the head of state and government of the Republic of the Philippines. Maria Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (born Maria Gloria Macaraeg Macapagal on April 5 1947 is a Filipina Politician. (Malaysia Star)(Boston Globe) (New York Times)

December 6, 2004

• Former Houston Rockets star Calvin Murphy acquitted of charges that he molested his five daughters. Events 1060 - Béla I of Hungary is crowned king of Hungary 1240 - Mongol invasion of Rus: Kiev "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " The Houston Rockets are an American professional Basketball team based in Houston Texas. Calvin Murphy (born May 9 1948, in Norwalk Connecticut) is a retired American professional Basketball player who played as a guard for the (Houston Chronicle)
• Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams recommends that Sinn Féin support a British-Irish power-sharing plan for Northern Ireland that involves the public decommissioning of the arms held by the Irish Republican Army. Sinn Féin () is a political party in Ireland. The current party led by Gerry Adams was formed following a split in January 1970 Gerry Adams, MLA, MP (Gearóid Mac Ádhaimh born 6 October 1948 is an Irish Republican politician and abstentionist Westminster The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Ireland ( Irish: Éire, ˈeːrʲə is a country in north-western Europe. Northern Ireland (Tuaisceart Éireann Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann) is a Country within the United Kingdom, lying in the northeast of The Irish Republican Army ( IRA) (Óglaigh na hÉireann was a military organisation descended from the Irish Volunteers, established 25 November 1913 and who Ian Paisley of the loyalist Democratic Unionist Party may become first minister of Northern Ireland, with former IRA member Martin McGuinness as his deputy. Ian Richard Kyle Paisley (born 6 April 1926 styled The Rt Hon Unionism in Ireland, is a belief in the desirability of a full constitutional and institutional relationship between Ireland and Great Britain based on the terms and The Democratic Unionist Party ( DUP) is the larger of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland (Tuaisceart Éireann Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann) is a Country within the United Kingdom, lying in the northeast of James Martin Pacelli McGuinness (Máirtín Mag Aonghusa born in Derry on 23 May 1950 is the Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland. (BBC)
• United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan has come under fire after reports claim that his son received payments from a Swiss company that won a lucrative contract under the UN Oil for Food program. The Secretary-General of the United Nations is the head of the Secretariat, one of the principal organs of the United Nations. Kofi Atta Annan, GCMG (born 8 April 1938 is a Ghanaian Diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security The Oil-for-Food Programme, established by the United Nations in 1995 (under UN Security Council Resolution 986) and terminated in late 2003 was intended (BBC)
• The U.S. consular compound in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia is stormed by gunmen, who kill nine Saudis in a four-hour battle but do not gain entry to the consulate building itself. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Jeddah (also spelled Jiddah, Jidda, or Jedda; جدّة Ǧiddah) is a Saudi Arabian city located on the coast of the The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, KSA ( المملكة العربية السعودية, al-Mamlaka al-ʻArabiyya as-Suʻūdiyya) or Suudi Saudi security forces kill three of the gunmen, arrest two others, and pursue several more. There are no Americans dead, though some are slightly wounded. (BBC) (Reuters/AFP)
• In Spain the Basque separatist group ETA detonate seven bombs in bars, cafes and town squares across the country. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. The Basques (Euskaldunak are a people who inhabit a region spanning over parts of north-central Spain and southwestern France. eu '''Euskadi Ta Askatasuna''' or ETA ( Basque for "Basque Homeland and Freedom" ˈɛːta is an illegal armed Basque nationalist Separatist A bomb is any of a range of devices that typically rely on the Exothermic Chemical reaction of an Explosive material to produce an extremely The cities attacked are León, Ávila, Santillana del Mar, Ciudad Real, Málaga, Valladolid, and Alicante. History León was founded in the 1st century BC by the Roman legion Legio VI ''Victrix''. This article is about the Spanish city For other uses see Avila Ávila de los Caballeros ( Latin: Abila and Óbila Santillana del Mar is a historic town situated in Cantabria, Spain. Ciudad Real ( Spanish for Royal City) is a city in Castilla-La Mancha, Spain. ||-||} is an industrial city and it is a Municipality in north-central Spain, upon the Pisuerga River and within the Ribera del Duero wine-making region ||-||} Alicante ( Spanish language) or Alacant ( Valencian) is a city in Spain, the capital of the province of Alicante and of the All the attacks were preceded by warnings and nobody was seriously hurt. (BBC)
• Ukrainian presidential election controversy: EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana has returned to Ukraine for talks on the country's political crisis. The presidential election held in November and December 2004 in Ukraine was mostly a political battle between Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in Francisco Javier Solana de Madariaga, PhD (born 14 July 1942 in Madrid, Spain is the High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP Ukraine (Україна Ukrayina, /ukrɑˈjinɑ/ is a country in Eastern Europe. (BBC)

December 7, 2004

• The United States Supreme Court heard arguments on the constitutionality of state laws that block merchants from shipping wine across state lines. Events 43 BC - Marcus Tullius Cicero assassinated 1696 - Connecticut Route 108, one of the oldest highways "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest judicial body in the United States and leads the federal judiciary. Wine is an Alcoholic beverage made from the fermentation of Grape juice Affected businesses and consumers claim that such laws are invalid under the commerce clause, long held to ban a state's discrimination against interstate commerce. Article 1 Section 8 Clause 3 of the United States Constitution, known as the Commerce Clause, states that Congress has the power to regulate commerce with foreign
• Frans van Anraat is arrested in the Netherlands for shipping chemical weapons precursors to Saddam Hussein during the Iran-Iraq War (CNN)
• High profile Democratic New York State attorney general Eliot Spitzer announces his campaign for Governor in 2006. Frans Cornelis Adrianus van Anraat (born August 9, 1942 in Den Helder) is a Dutch businessman who sold raw materials for the production of The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands Chemical warfare involves using the toxic properties of Chemical substances to kill injure or incapacitate an enemy. Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti ( Arabic: ar صدام حسين عبد المجيد التكريتي --> April 28 1937 &ndash December 30 The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous In most Common law jurisdictions the Attorney General, or Attorney-General, is the main legal advisor to the government and in some jurisdictions may in addition Eliot Laurence Spitzer (born June 10, 1959) is an American lawyer and former politician of the Democratic Party. The Governor of New York is the head of the Executive branch of New York 's government and the Commander-in-chief of the state's military Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. (Yahoo)
• Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
  • Two Hamas militants, two Islamic Jihad members and an Israeli soldier have died following clashes in the central Gaza Strip. Ḥamas (ar حركة حماس acronym ar حركة المقاومة For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. The Gaza Strip (قطاع غزة, רצועת עזה Retzu'at 'Azza) is a coastal strip of land along the Mediterranean Sea, bordering Egypt on the south-west (BBC)
  • Shahar Dvir-Zeliger, a Jewish settler in Nablus, has been sentenced to eight years imprisonment for membership of an extremist group. PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ Nablus ( sometimes Nābulus; Arabic:; næːblʊs is a Palestinian city in the northern West Bank, approximately north of Jerusalem He was found guilty of being a member of the Bat Ayin cell, which has killed eight Palestinians. Palestinian people or Palestinians ( الشعب الفلسطيني, ash-sha`b al-filasTīni; الفلسطينيون, al-filasTīnīyyūn (BBC)
  • An entire Israeli Army elite unit has been suspended from duty while investigations continue into what B'Tselem alleges was a killing of an unnarmed injured Palestinian man. The Israel Defense Forces ( IDF) (צְבָא הַהֲגָנָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, lit B'Tselem (בצלם "in the image of" as in Genesis) is an Israeli Non-governmental organization (NGO that describes Palestinian people or Palestinians ( الشعب الفلسطيني, ash-sha`b al-filasTīni; الفلسطينيون, al-filasTīnīyyūn (BBC)
• 2004 U.S. presidential election controversy:
  • In a sworn affidavit Monday, a former programmer for a NASA contractor said that he developed a vote-rigging prototype at the request of a then-Florida state representative, Tom Feeney, who is now a member of the U. After the November 2, 2004 Election in the United States, concerns were raised about various aspects of the voting process including whether voting had An affidavit is a formal sworn statement of fact, signed by the declarant (who is called the affiant or deponent) and witnessed (as to the veracity of the The National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA, ˈnæsə is an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nation's public space program Electoral fraud is illegal interference with the process of an Election. Thomas Charles "Tom" Feeney III usually known as Tom Feeney (born May 21 1958) is a Republican politician from the state of S. House of Representatives. (Blue Lemur)(bradblog)
  • Ohio Secretary of State, and Co-Chair of the George Bush Ohio Campaign, Ken Blackwell certifies election results. Ohio ( is a Midwestern state of the United States. As part of the Great Lakes region, Ohio has long been a cultural and geographical crossroads Secretary of State is a commonly used title for a Government Official. George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. Ohio ( is a Midwestern state of the United States. As part of the Great Lakes region, Ohio has long been a cultural and geographical crossroads John Kenneth Blackwell (born February 28, 1948) is a former secretary of state of the U Two parallel vote count efforts are pending, one claims evidence that John Kerry is the legitimate winner of Ohio. } John Forbes Kerry (born December 11 1943 is an American Politician who is currently serving his fourth term as the junior United States Senator (Associated Press) (NYT)
• The U.S. military discusses plans for mandatory visibly worn ID badges, forced labor, DNA testing, and retina scans at "citizen processing centers" for all residents of the rebellious Iraqi city of Fallujah, saying they plan to make it a model city for the whole of Iraq. The United States Armed Forces are the overall unified military forces of the United States An identity document, also called a piece of identification ( ID) is a document used to verify aspects of a person's Identity. Unfree labour is a generic or collective term for those work relations especially in modern or early modern history in which people are employed against their will A retinal scan is a Biometric technique that uses the unique patterns on a person's Retina to identify them For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. For other meanings see Fallujah (disambiguation. Fallujah (الفلوجة sometimes transliterated (Boston Globe)
• Hamid Karzai is inaugurated as President of Afghanistan. Hamid Karzai ( حامد کرزي, حامد کرزي) (born 24 December 1957) is the current President of Afghanistan, since December Afghanistan has only intermittently been a Republic - between 1973-1992 and from 2001 onwards - at other times being governed by a variety of kings Emirs Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت, (CNN) (BBC)

December 8, 2004

• Delegates from twelve South American countries meeting in Cuzco, Peru, sign a deal creating the South American Community of Nations, a bloc modelled on the European Union. Events 1609 - Biblioteca Ambrosiana opens its reading room the second public library of Europe. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a ||} Cusco (also spelled Cuzco, and in the local Quechua language as Qusqu 'qos Peru (Perú Piruw Piruw officially the Republic of Peru ( reˈpuβlika del peˈɾu is a country in western South America. __FORCETOC__The Union of South American Nations (Unión de Naciones Suramericanas - UNASUR, União de Nações Sul-Americanas - UNASUL, Unie van Zuid-Amerikaanse Naties The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in (BBC)
• The Israeli government indicates that it will recognize same-sex partnerships for certain benefits, and will introduce legislation formalizing this status. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. (365gay.com)
• Civil unions in New Zealand: Parliament passes civil union legislation by 65 votes to 55. The Parliament of New Zealand consists of the Queen of New Zealand and the New Zealand House of Representatives and until 1951 the New Zealand Legislative Council A civil union is a legally recognized union similar to Marriage. The new law provides a way for de facto couples, including same-sex couples, to gain legal recognition of their relationships, but stops short of same-sex marriage. Same-sex marriage (also referred to as gay marriage) is a term for a legally or Socially recognized Marriage between two people of the same (Scoop) (TVNZ)
• The White House affirms that, despite reports to the contrary, John Snow will remain Treasury Secretary during President George W. Bush's second term of office. See also Executive Office of the President of the United States The White House, formerly known as the Executive Mansion, is the Official residence John William Snow (born August 2, 1939, in Toledo Ohio) served as the 73rd United States Secretary of the Treasury. The United States Secretary of the Treasury is the head of the United States Department of the Treasury, concerned with finance and monetary matters, and until The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. George W Bush 's second term as President of the United States began at noon on January 20, 2005 and is due to expire with the Meanwhile, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Anthony Principi announces his expected resignation. The United States Secretary of Veterans' Affairs is the head of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, the department concerned with veterans' benefits and Anthony Joseph Principi (born April 16, 1944) was the 4th United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs. (CNN)
• The United States Senate follows the U.S. House of Representatives in approving a complete overhaul of government intelligence services, creating the post of United States Director of National Intelligence. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress; the other is the Senate. The Director of National Intelligence ( DNI) is the United States government official subject to the authority direction and control of the President (BBC)
• The European Union says it is not ready to lift its 15-year-old arms embargo on the People's Republic of China, set after the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES The Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 culminating in the Tiananmen Square Massacre (referred to in Chinese as the June Fourth Incident, to avoid confusion with two (BBC)
• Malaysian Deputy Home Affairs Minister Tan Chai Ho announces that once an extended amnesty sought by Indonesia comes to an end later this year, illegal immigrants will face up to 5 years in prison and a whipping; their employers will also be punished. For the biogeographical region see Malesia Malaysia (məˈleɪʒə or /məˈleɪziə/ is a country that consists of thirteen states and Datuk (拿督 Tan Chai Ho (zh-tw 陳財和 Traditional, zh-cn 陈财和 Simplified, chēn chāi hē Pinyin Mandarin, Chan3 choi3 wo3 Jyutping Illegal immigration refers to Immigration across National Borders in a way that violates the Immigration laws of the destination Country A prison, penitentiary, or correctional facility is a place in which individuals are physically confined or interned and usually deprived of a range of Corporal punishment is the deliberate infliction of pain intended to Punish a person or change his/her behavior More than 18,000 undocumented migrants have already been whipped since the 2002 amendment to the Malaysian Immigration Act. See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. (China View) (Channel News Asia)
• IBM announces that it will sell its PC hardware business to Lenovo, a Chinese computer company. International Business Machines Corporation abbreviated IBM and nicknamed "Big Blue", is a multinational Computer Technology A personal computer ( PC) is any Computer whose original sales price size and capabilities make it useful for individuals and which is intended to be operated Lenovo Group Limited (,) is China's largest and the world's fourth largest Personal computer manufacturer after Hewlett-Packard and Dell of the U Mainland China, Continental China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term synonymous with the area that is under the jurisdiction A computer is a Machine that manipulates data according to a list of instructions. (BBC)
• Seer Jayendra Saraswathi, a senior Hindu cleric, has been denied bail over his murder charge in India's southern Tamil Nadu state. Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Swamigal (born July 18, 1935 as Subramanyam Mahadeva Iyer) is the 69th Shankaracharya ( Guru and head or pontiff A Hindu ( Devanagari: हिन्दू is an adherent of the philosophies and scriptures of Hinduism, a set of religious, Philosophical Murder is the unlawful killing of another human person with Malice aforethought, as defined in Common Law countries India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Tamil Nadu ( Tamil:, Country of the Tamils, t̪ɐmɨɻ n̪aːɽɯ is one of the 28 states of India. (BBC)
• The Times reports that Dr. The Times is a daily national Newspaper published in the United Kingdom since 1785 when it was known as The Daily Universal Register. Nikolai Korpan, who treated Ukrainian presidential candidate Viktor Yushchenko in Vienna, announced Yushchenko had been poisoned, and that the specific poison would be identified within days, but later denied the report, saying he had been cited wrongly and that it would be hard to gain hard evidence for a poisoning. Ukraine (Україна Ukrayina, /ukrɑˈjinɑ/ is a country in Eastern Europe. The presidential election held in November and December 2004 in Ukraine was mostly a political battle between Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych Viktor Andriyovych Yushchenko ( Ukrainian: Viktor Andrijovyč Juščenko) (born February 23 1954) is the third and current President of Vienna ( in Wien; see also other names) is the Capital of Austria, and is also one of the nine States of Austria. In the context of Biology, poisons are substances that can cause damage, Illness, or Death to Organisms usually by In the context of Biology, poisons are substances that can cause damage, Illness, or Death to Organisms usually by (Times Online) (Yahoo News) (Link dead as of 00:47, 15 January 2007 (UTC))
• While performing with post-Pantera band Damageplan at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio, guitarist Dimebag Darrell Abbott was shot and killed onstage by Nathan Gale. Events 588 BC - Nebuchadrezzar II of Babylon lays siege to Jerusalem under Zedekiah 's reign Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Pantera was an American heavy metal band from Arlington, Texas, formed by the Abbott brothers Vinnie Paul ( drums) and Damageplan was an American heavy metal band from Dallas, Texas that formed in 2003 The Alrosa Villa, 5055 Sinclair Road Columbus Ohio, United States is a Nightclub that regularly features Heavy metal and other rock Columbus is the Capital and the largest city of the US state of Ohio. Abbott was shot a total of five times. He was 38 years old. Three others were killed in the shooting: concert attendee Nathan Bray, 23, of Columbus; club employee Erin Halk, 29, of northwest Columbus; and Damageplan security guard Jeff "Mayhem" Thompson, 40, of Texas. Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State. The band's drum technician, John Brooks, and tour manager, Chris Paluska, were injured.

December 9, 2004

• President George W. Events 536 - Byzantine General Belisarius enters Rome while the Ostrogothic garrison peacefully leaves the city "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Bush nominates Jim Nicholson, U. James Nicholson or Jim Nicholson could be James Nicholson (naval officer, an United States navy captain Jim Nicholson S. ambassador to the Vatican, as his nominee for Veterans Affairs Secretary replacing out going secretary Anthony Principi. The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome, commonly known as the Pope, and is the preeminent Episcopal see of the Roman Catholic Anthony Joseph Principi (born April 16, 1944) was the 4th United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
• Police discover four packages of suspected explosives at the Taipei main railway station shortly before the legislative election is to take place. Taipei ( Taiwanese Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Tâi-pak-chhī Jhuyin Fuhao: ㄊㄞˊ ㄅㄟˇ ㄕˋ Hakka: Thòi-pet-sṳ has been the capital of The Election for the 6th Legislative Yuan (第六屆立法委員選舉 of the Republic of China on Taiwan was held on December 11, (Reuters)
• Japan and Germany have jointly declared they want permanent seats on the U.N. Security Council with the veto power of the five current permanent members. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. (VOA)
• The British Law Lords hold treatment of Czech Roma by UK immigration officers at Prague airport to be discriminatory. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Lords of Appeal in Ordinary, or Law Lords, are appointed under the Appellate Jurisdiction Act 1876 to the House of Lords of the The Czech Republic ( ˈt͡ʃɛskaː ˈrɛpuˌblɪka short form in Česko ˈt͡ʃɛskɔ also called Czechia, The Romani people (singular Rom, plural Roma as a Noun; also known as Romanies or Roma people) are an ethnic group with origins Immigration refers to the movement of people among countries While the movement of people has existed throughout human history at various levels modern immigration implies long-term Prague (ˈprɑːg Praha (ˈpraɦa see also other names) is the Capital and Largest city of the Czech Republic. (opinions) Since the enlargement of the European Union earlier this year, free movement of EU citizens includes Czechs. Enlargement of the European Union is the process of expanding the European Union (EU through the accession of new member states. (Guardian) (BBC)
• Lord Dubs presents the Succession to the Crown Bill (bill) in the United Kingdom Parliament. Alfred Dubs Baron Dubs (born December 1932 is a Czech -born British Labour Party politician and former Member of Parliament. The Succession to the Crown Bill was a British Private Member's Bill aimed at reforming the manner of succession to the British Monarchy published in the The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories (Guardian)
• Acting on a reference from Parliament, the Canadian Supreme Court states that a bill to legalize same-sex marriage in Canada would be constitutional. The Parliament of Canada (Parlement du Canada is Canada 's legislative branch, seated at Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The Supreme Court of Canada ( French: Cour suprême du Canada) is the highest court of Canada and is the final court of appeal in the Canadian On July 20, 2005, Canada became the fourth country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage nationwide with the approval of the Civil Marriage Act. They decline to say if the Constitution requires that recognition, saying that by not appealing several provincial courts' decisions to that effect, the government has already adopted that position. The Constitution of Canada is the supreme law in Canada; the country's Constitution is an amalgamation of codified acts and uncodified traditions (CBC) Prime Minister Paul Martin says his government will introduce same-sex marriage legislation in January. Paul Edgar Philippe Martin. PC, MP (also known as Paul Martin Jr January 2005: ← - January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September (CBC)
• In a move denounced as "unconstitutional" by the opposition, Ecuador's Congress dismisses all 31 of the country's supreme court justices. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Ecuador topics. The National Congress (Spanish Congreso Nacional) is the unicameral Legislative branch of the government of Ecuador. (BBC)
• Israeli-Palestinian Conflict:
  • Israeli troops kill at least four Palestinians found crawling into Egypt on the Gaza Border. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Palestinian people or Palestinians ( الشعب الفلسطيني, ash-sha`b al-filasTīni; الفلسطينيون, al-filasTīnīyyūn This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. The Gaza Strip (قطاع غزة, רצועת עזה Retzu'at 'Azza) is a coastal strip of land along the Mediterranean Sea, bordering Egypt on the south-west (China View) (Haaretz)
  • Palestinian presidential candidate Mustafa Barghouti claims to have been "detained and beaten" by Israeli soldiers at a West Bank checkpoint. Palestinian people or Palestinians ( الشعب الفلسطيني, ash-sha`b al-filasTīni; الفلسطينيون, al-filasTīnīyyūn Mustafa Barghouti (مصطفى البرغوثي strict transliteration, also transcribed Mustafa Barghouthi, Mustafa Al Barghuthi, Dr Barghuthi For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. The Israel Defense Forces ( IDF) (צְבָא הַהֲגָנָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, lit The West Bank (الضفة الغربية, הגדה המערבית Hagadah Hamaaravit) also referred to in Israel as " Judea and Samaria (BBC)
• The government of Lesotho announces plans to give women legal equality and property rights within a year. Lesotho (lɪˈsuːtuː) officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a Landlocked country and Enclave — entirely surrounded by the Republic of South Feminism is a discourse that involves various movements theories, and Philosophies which are concerned with the issue of Gender difference, advocate (Reuters)
• The International Rescue Committee says that the Congo Civil War is killing 1000 people a day and calls the international response "abysmal". The International Rescue Committee (IRC is a leading non-sectarian non-governmental international relief and Humanitarian aid organization based in the United (BBC)

December 10, 2004

• Israeli troops kill Rania Siam, an 8-year-old Palestinian girl, as she eats lunch in the kitchen of her home in Khan Yunis, Gaza Strip. Events 1041 - Empress Zoe of Byzantium elevates her adoptive son to the throne of the Eastern Roman Empire as Michael V "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Palestinian people or Palestinians ( الشعب الفلسطيني, ash-sha`b al-filasTīni; الفلسطينيون, al-filasTīnīyyūn Khan Yunis (خان يونس literally Jonah 's Inn) is a city and adjacent Refugee camp in the southern part of the Gaza Strip. The Gaza Strip (قطاع غزة, רצועת עזה Retzu'at 'Azza) is a coastal strip of land along the Mediterranean Sea, bordering Egypt on the south-west Earlier, three mortar shells are fired into the nearby Israeli settlement of Neve Dekalim injuring four people, one of them a child. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Hamas claims responsibility. Israeli troops fire in the general direction the source of mortar fire. A mortar is a muzzle-loading Indirect fire weapon that fires shells at low velocities short ranges and high-arcing ballistic trajectories The Israeli army says it will investigate Rania Siam's death. (NYT)
• A riot forms in Puerto Rico between members of the PIP, the FUPI, the Socialist party and members of the police in front of the federal courthouse, where PIP and PNP backers had gathered two days before the outcome of the 2004 Puerto Rican elections was to be decided by a judge. Riots are a form of Civil disorders characterized by disorganized groups lashing out in a sudden and intense rash of Violence, Vandalism or other Puerto Rico (ˌpwertoˈriko officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ("Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico" {{lang-en|"Associated Free State of Puerto Rico"}} The Puerto Rican Independence Party ( Spanish: Partido Independentista Puertorriqueño, PIP) is a Puerto Rican political party that campaigns The University Pro-Independence Federation of Puerto Rico (commonly know by its Spanish acronym "FUPI" "Federación Universitaria Pro-Independencia" originally "Federación Socialist Party (Puerto RicoThe Puerto Rican Socialist Party ( Spanish: Partido Socialista Puertorriqueño, PSP was a Marxist and pro-independence Police are agents or agencies usually of the executive, empowered to enforce the law and to effect public and social order through the legitimatized use of force The United States district courts are the general Trial courts of the United States federal court system. The New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico ( NPP) ( Spanish: Partido Nuevo Progresista de Puerto Rico, PNP) is a Political party The Puerto Rico General Elections of 2004 took place on Election Day, Tuesday November 2, 2004. Several people, including seven policemen, are severely injured. (El Vocero, in Spanish)
• Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is acquitted of bribery thanks to the statute of limitations. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest This article is about the government position For other uses see Prime Minister (disambiguation. (born 29 September 1936 is an Italian politician, Entrepreneur, Real estate and Insurance Tycoon, Bank and Media proprietor A statute of limitations is a Statute in a Common law Legal system that sets forth the maximum period of time after certain events that legal proceedings The court's ruling implied that Berlusconi probably was guilty of bribing a judge in 1991, but said that too much time had passed for him to be punished. Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. Financial Times Reuters
• The 2004 Nobel Prizes are handed out at twin ceremonies in Oslo and Stockholm. The Nobel Prize (Nobelpriset (Nobelprisen is a Swedish prize established in the 1895 will of Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel; it was first awarded in Peace, Literature (called Christiania from 1624 to 1878 and Kristiania from 1878 to 1924 is the Capital and largest city of Norway. ('stɔkhɔlm is Sweden 's Capital and its largest City. It is the site of the national Swedish government, the parliament, and the (Canadian Press) (BBC)
• "Godfather of Soul" James Brown is diagnosed with prostate cancer and will undergo surgery next week. James Joseph Brown Jr (May 3 1933 – December 25 2006 commonly referred to as "The Godfather of Soul" the "King of Funk" and "The (BBC)
• A bomb explodes at a market in the Pakistani city of Quetta, leaving at least ten people dead. Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and ( Urdu: کوئٹہ) ( Pashto: کوټه) also spelled Kwatah City is a variation of kwatkot a Pashto word meaning “fort (BBC)
• The Inter-American Court of Human Rights orders Guatemala to pay USD $7. The Inter-American Court of Human Rights is an autonomous judicial institution based in the city of San José, Costa Rica. Guatemala (República de Guatemala) is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west the Pacific Ocean to the southwest The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been 9 million in compensation to 317 survivors of the 1982 Plan de Sánchez massacre in which soldiers and paramilitaries killed 268 villagers. Year 1982 ( MCMLXXXII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar) The Plan de Sánchez massacre took place in the Guatemalan village of Plan de Sánchez, Baja Verapaz department, on 18 July 1982

December 11, 2004

• Jean-Christophe Lafaille, a French climber, climbs Shishapangma, the first solo ascension of a eight-thousander in winter from a new route in the South face. Events 359 - Honoratus, the first known Prefect of the City of Constantinople, takes office "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Jean-Christophe Lafaille ( 31 March 1965 – 27 January 2006) was a French Mountaineer noted for a number of difficult Shishapangma (officially Xixiabangma) is the fourteenth highest Mountain in the world and the lowest of the Eight-thousanders It was the last 8000 metre The eight-thousanders are the fourteen independent Mountains on Earth that are more than above Sea level.
• Vanuatu Prime Minister Serge Vohor is ousted in a vote of no-confidence and replaced by Ham Lini. Vanuatu, officially the Republic of Vanuatu ( French: République de Vanuatu, Bislama: Ripablik blong Vanuatu) is an Island The prime minister of Vanuatu is the effective head of the government of Vanuatu. Rialuth Serge Vohor (born 1955) is a politician from Vanuatu. Ham Lini Vanuaroroa (born December 8, 1951) was the Prime Minister of Vanuatu from December 11, 2004 until 22 September Vohor had fallen out of favor with his cabinet after he unilaterally travelled to Taipei and established diplomatic relations with the Taiwan. Taipei ( Taiwanese Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Tâi-pak-chhī Jhuyin Fuhao: ㄊㄞˊ ㄅㄟˇ ㄕˋ Hakka: Thòi-pet-sṳ has been the capital of Diplomacy is the art and practice of conducting Negotiations between representatives of groups or states REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES The Vanuatu Council of Ministers voted to void the decision and continue relations with the People's Republic of China. Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES ^[1][2]
• The opposition pan-blue alliance achieves a majority in the Taiwanese legislative election, garnering at least 114 of the 225 seats. The Pan-Blue Coalition ( or Pan-Blue Force ( is a Political alliance in the Republic of China (Taiwan consisting of the Kuomintang The Election for the 6th Legislative Yuan (第六屆立法委員選舉 of the Republic of China on Taiwan was held on December 11, The governing Democratic Progressive Party and its pan-green allies win 101 seats. The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP ( Taiwanese: Bîn-chú-chìn-pō͘-tóng Traditional Chinese: zh-Hant 民主進步黨 Simplified Chinese: zh-Hans The Pan-Green Coalition ( or Pan-Green Camp, is currently an informal Political alliance in the Republic of China (Taiwan consisting of the ^{[3][4] [5]}
• Doctors in Austria confirm that Ukrainian presidential candidate Viktor Yushchenko's illness was caused by dioxin poisoning. Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich Ukraine (Україна Ukrayina, /ukrɑˈjinɑ/ is a country in Eastern Europe. The presidential election held in November and December 2004 in Ukraine was mostly a political battle between Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych Viktor Andriyovych Yushchenko ( Ukrainian: Viktor Andrijovyč Juščenko) (born February 23 1954) is the third and current President of Not to be confused with Dioxane or Digoxin. Dioxin is a heterocyclic, organic, antiaromatic compound In the context of Biology, poisons are substances that can cause damage, Illness, or Death to Organisms usually by It is alleged that he first became ill after dining with the chairman of the Ukrainian Security Service in early September. History The SBU is a successor of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic 's Branch of the Soviet KGB, keeping the majority of its 1990s personnel September 2004: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August ^[6][7] (Link dead as of 21:43, 14 January 2007 (UTC))
• Bernard Kerik withdraws his nomination for the post of Secretary of Homeland Security, fearing a scandal over the immigration status of his nanny. Events 1129 - Formal approval of the Order of the Templar at the Council of Troyes. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Bernard Bailey "Bernie" Kerik, CBE, (born September 4, 1955 in Newark, New Jersey) is a former American law-enforcement The United States Secretary of Homeland Security is the head of the United States Department of Homeland Security, the body concerned with protecting the American homeland A scandal is a widely Publicized incident that involves Allegations of wrongdoing, disgrace or moral outrage A nanny is a person who looks after the child or children of one family in the child's home ^[8][9]

December 12, 2004

• According to the Washington Post the Bush administration used wire taps to intercept a number of phone conversations of Mohamed ElBaradei, Director General of the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency in hope of finding information that would help remove ElBaradei from his post. Events 627 - Battle of Nineveh: A Byzantine army under Emperor Heraclius defeats Emperor Khosrau II 's Persian "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " The Washington Post is the largest and most circulated Newspaper in Washington D Wiretap redirects here For the radio program see WireTap (radio program Telephone tapping (or wire tapping / wiretapping in DrMohamed Mostafa El-Baradei ( Arabic: محمد البرادعي transliteration) (born June 17, 1942, in Cairo, Egypt The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security The International Atomic Energy Agency ( IAEA) is an international organization that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy and to inhibit its (CNN) (The Washington Post)
• Israeli-Palestinian conflict
  • At least 5 Israeli soldiers are killed and 10 are injured as a tunnel rigged with 1500 kg of explosives exploded near the Rafah crossing between Rafah and Egypt. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. An explosive material is a material that either is chemically or otherwise Energetically unstable or produces a sudden expansion of the material usually accompanied Rafah (رفح is a Palestinian town in the Gaza Strip, on the Egyptian border and a nearby town on the Egyptian side of the border on the Sinai This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. Hamas and an al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades' offshoot called "Fatah Hawk" claimed joint responsibility. Ḥamas (ar حركة حماس acronym ar حركة المقاومة The al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades (كتائب شهداء الأقصى is a coalition of Palestinian militias in The Fatah Hawks is the name of two Palestinian militant groups one a popular movement of Palestinian youth in the West Bank and Gaza in the 1980s the (Haaretz) (CNN)
  • 5 Palestinian schoolchildren were wounded, receiving shrapnel wounds from Israeli Tank Fire. Palestinian people or Palestinians ( الشعب الفلسطيني, ash-sha`b al-filasTīni; الفلسطينيون, al-filasTīnīyyūn Shrapnel is the term originally applied to an anti-personnel artillery shell which carried a large number of individual bullets to the target and then ejected them forwards relying For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. (Ha'Aretz)
• Jailed Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti withdraws his nomination in the Palestinian presidential election just ten days after announcing his candidacy, and instead endorses Fatah candidate Mahmoud Abbas. Marwan Bin Khatib Barghouti ( مروان البرغوثي born June 6, 1959) is a Palestinian politician and militant leader who gained political authority The 2005 Palestinian presidential election &mdash the first to be held since 1996 &mdash took place on January 9, 2005 in the West Bank and Gaza Fatah (فتح literally opening, is a reverse Acronym from the Arabic name Harakat al-Tahrir al-Watani al-Filastini (حركة التحرير Mahmoud Abbas (محمود عباس (born March 26, 1935) also known by the kunya Abu Mazen (ابو مازن was elected President (BBC)
• Romania presidential run-off: Exit polls show that the difference between the two candidates (Traian Băsescu and Adrian Năstase) is very small, estimated at less than 0. A presidential election was held in Romania on November 28, 2004. Traian Băsescu (born November 4 1951) is a Romanian politician and former Merchant Navy officer Adrian Năstase (born June 22 1950 is a Romanian politician who was the Prime Minister of Romania from December 2000 to December 2004 01%. (BBC)
• 2004 U.S. presidential election controversy:
  • The U. After the November 2, 2004 Election in the United States, concerns were raised about various aspects of the voting process including whether voting had S. House Committee on the Judiciary will be holding a congressional forum in Columbus concerning new evidence of election irregularities and fraud in Ohio, the issue of Ohio electors meeting while recounts and litigation are pending, and to discuss legislative and other responses to the problems, on Dec. Electoral fraud is illegal interference with the process of an Election. 13. (pdf)
  • The Civil Rights Coalition schedules a protest for Dec. 18, demanding a re-vote in "areas where substantive disenfranchisement took place" and the prosecution of officials involved in "election fraud. " (Civil Rights Coalition)
• A bomb blast in a General Santos City, Philippines, supermarket leaves at least 58 people injured and 15 dead. A bomb is any of a range of devices that typically rely on the Exothermic Chemical reaction of an Explosive material to produce an extremely The City of General Santos (abbreviated GSC or Gensan Filipino: Lungsod ng Heneral Santos, Cebuano The Philippines ( Filipino: Pilipinas, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (fil ''Republika ng Pilipinas'' RP This is a list of Supermarkets, past and present whether under the parent corporation's name or another name (AOL news)

December 13, 2004

• Self-confessed cannibal Yoo Young-Chul, convicted of killing 20 people, mostly prostitutes, is sentenced to death in Seoul, South Korea. Events 1294 - Saint Celestine V abdicates the papacy after only five months Celestine hoped to return to his previous life "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Cannibalism (from Spanish es ''caníbal'' in connection with cannibalism among the Antillean Caribs, also called anthropophagy (from Greek ἄνθρωπος Yoo Young-Chul (born in 1970 is a South Korean Serial killer and self-confessed Cannibal. Capital punishment, the death penalty or execution, is the Killing of a person by judicial process as Punishment. Seoul ( soʊl is the Capital and largest City of South Korea. South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea and often referred to as Korea ( Korean: 대한민국 tɛː (Xinhua)
• France's highest administrative court, the Conseil d'État, bans Hizbullah's al-Manar TV station on the grounds that it incites racial hatred and antisemitism. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. This article is about the present-day French institution For institutions with the same name during the Ancien Régime in France see Conseil du Roi. Hezbollah (حزب الله, literally " party of God " is a Shi'a Islamic political and Paramilitary organisation Al-Manar (المنار The Beacon) is the satellite Television station of Hezbollah, broadcasting from Beirut, The term race or racial group usually refers to the concept of categorizing Humans into Populations or groups on the basis of various sets Antisemitism (alternatively spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism; also rarely known as judeophobia) is the Prejudice against or hostility (BBC)
• The jury in the Scott Peterson trial recommends that he be sentenced to death for the murder of his wife and unborn son. A jury a sworn body of persons convened to render a rational, impartial Verdict (a finding of fact on a question officially submitted to them Scott Lee Peterson (born October 24, 1972) is a Californian who was convicted of the murder of his wife Laci Peterson, who was eight months Capital punishment of a Felon in the United States, in modern times is employed and in practice only in cases involving murder (CNN)
• Augusto Pinochet is charged by Chilean prosecutors for alleged involvement in murder and "disappearances" in Chile in the 1970s, and is placed under house arrest. Augusto José Ramón Pinochet Ugarte (November Chile, officially the Republic of Chile ( Spanish:) is a country in South America occupying a long and narrow Coastal strip wedged between the A forced disappearance occurs when an organization forces a person to vanish from Public view either by Murder or by simple Sequestration. This article is about the Decade 1970-1979 For the Year 1970 see 1970. In Justice and Law, house arrest (also called home confinement, home detention, or electronic monitoring) is a measure by which (BBC)
• 2004 U.S. presidential election controversy:
  • As required by the United States Constitution, Members of the United States Electoral College meet in all 50 state capitols and the District of Columbia to cast their electoral votes, including an unexpected single vote for John Edwards by an elector in Minnesota. After the November 2, 2004 Election in the United States, concerns were raised about various aspects of the voting process including whether voting had The Constitution of the United States of America is the supreme Law of the United States. The Electoral College consists of 538 popularly elected representatives who formally select the President and Vice President of the United States. Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D Johnny Reid "John" Edwards (born June 10 1953 Minnesota ( Native Americans demonstrated the name to early settlers (Minneapolis Star Tribune)
  • All members of the Ohio delegation of the Electoral College cast their ballots for George W. Bush while a legal recount is still ongoing, after a written request by 11 Democratic congressmen (pdf) to suspend voting. Ohio ( is a Midwestern state of the United States. As part of the Great Lakes region, Ohio has long been a cultural and geographical crossroads An electoral college is a set of many electors who are empowered to elect a candidate to a particular Office. George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. (ABC) (ABC)
  • The U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary hears testimony at a forum in Colombus, Ohio regarding problems with the 2004 presidential election. United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary US House Committee on the Judiciary, or (more commonly the House Judiciary Committee, is a Standing committee of (freepress.org) (statements) (audio, mp3) (video, wmv)
• United States Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael O. Leavitt is nominated by President George W. Bush to succeed outgoing Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson in the Cabinet-level post. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency is the head of the United States federal government's Environmental Protection Agency, and is thus responsible Michael Okerlund Leavitt (born February 11, 1951 in Cedar City Utah) is an American Politician, and is currently the Secretary The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. The United States Secretary of Health and Human Services is the head of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, concerned with health matters Tommy George Thompson (born November 19, 1941) a United States Politician, was the 42nd Governor of Wisconsin and the 7th The United States Cabinet (usually simplified as "the Cabinet" is composed of the most senior appointed officers of the Executive branch of the Federal government (Bloomberg)
• Conflict in Iraq:
  • At least 13 people die following a car bomb attack on a U.S. checkpoint near the Green Zone in Baghdad, Iraq. The Iraq War, also known as the Second Gulf War, the Occupation of Iraq, or the War in Iraq, is an ongoing Military campaign A car bomb is an explosive device placed in a car or other Vehicle and then detonated. The United States Armed Forces are the overall unified military forces of the United States The Green Zone (the common name for the International Zone of Iraq is a 10 km² (4 mile² area in central Baghdad that was the center of the Coalition Provisional Baghdad (بغداد) is the Capital of Iraq and of Baghdad Governorate, with which it is also coterminous For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. (The Guardian)
  • The U.S. launches another air raid on the Iraqi city of Fallujah after eight US Marines were killed by insurgents over the weekend. The United States Army is a military organization whose primary mission is to "provide necessary forces and capabilities. Strategic bombing is a Military strategy used in a Total war with the goal of defeating an enemy nation-state by destroying its economic ability to wage war rather For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. For other meanings see Fallujah (disambiguation. Fallujah (الفلوجة sometimes transliterated An insurgency is a violent internal uprising against a sovereign government that lacks the organization of a revolution (ABC {aus})
• Foreign policy of the George W. Bush administration: Human Rights Watch, a New York based NGO claims that another three prisoners have died while in U.S. detention in Afghanistan. See also Foreign policy of the United States During his campaign for election as President of the United States '''George W Human Rights Watch is a United States -based international Non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on Human rights. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت, (BBC)
• Hundreds of protesters have gathered in Cairo outside Egypt's Supreme Judiciary buildings, defying a ban on public protests, to call for an end to Hosni Mubarak's 23-year presidency of Egypt. Cairo () which means "the Vanquisher" or "the Triumphant" is the capital and largest city of Egypt. This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. Pharaonic Dynasties (3100 BC – 30 BC See also List of pharaohs Roman Province (30 BC – 323 AD See also List of This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. (BBC)
• Romanian presidential election, 2004: Prime Minister Adrian Năstase concedes defeat to opposition candidate Traian Băsescu after a close contest. A presidential election was held in Romania on November 28, 2004. Adrian Năstase (born June 22 1950 is a Romanian politician who was the Prime Minister of Romania from December 2000 to December 2004 Traian Băsescu (born November 4 1951) is a Romanian politician and former Merchant Navy officer With 99% of the vote counted, Băsescu took 51. 23% of the vote to Năstase's 48. 77%. (BBC)
• Oracle Corporation announces a merger deal to acquire PeopleSoft for approximately US$10. Oracle Corporation ( specializes in developing and marketing Enterprise software products — particularly Database management systems In 2007 Oracle ranked PeopleSoft Inc was a company that provided Human resource management systems (HRMS Customer relationship management, Manufacturing Financials Enterprise 3 billion. (Oracle Press Release)

December 14, 2004

• Same-sex marriage in Canada: Federal justice minister Irwin Cotler announces that the bill to legalize same-sex marriage will contain a provision allowing civic officials to refuse to perform such ceremonies. Events 1287 - St Lucia's flood: The Zuider Zee sea wall in the Netherlands collapses killing over 50000 people "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " On July 20, 2005, Canada became the fourth country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage nationwide with the approval of the Civil Marriage Act. Irwin Cotler, PC, OC, MP (born May 8, 1940) was Canada 's Minister of Justice and Attorney General (365Gay)
• Nick Griffin and John Tyndall, the current and previous leaders of the far-right British National Party, are arrested and bailed in relation to investigations by British police into suspicion of incitement to racial hatred. Nicholas John "Nick" Griffin (born 1959 is a British politician John Tyndall FRS ( August 2, 1820 &ndash December 4, 1893) was a prominent 19th century Irish Physicist. The British National Party (BNP is a Far-right and whites only political party in the United Kingdom. Traditionally bail is some form of Property deposited or pledged to a Court in order to persuade it to release a suspect from jail, on the understanding Incitement to racial or Ethnic hatred is a crime under the laws of a number of countries (BBC)
• Bahrain, the smallest Persian Gulf nation, unfurls the world's largest national flag at a sports stadium car park. The Kingdom of Bahrain (in مملكة البحرين,, literally Kingdom of the Two Seas) is an Island country in the Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf, in the Southwest Asian region is an extension of the A national flag is a Flag that symbolises a country The flag is flown by the government but usually can be flown by Citizens of that country as well (BBC)
• Arab-Israeli Conflict:
  • A Thai worker is killed and two more are injured in Gush Katif by Palestinian mortar shells. The Thai (or Tai) are the main ethnic group of Thailand and are part of the larger Tai ethnolinguistic peoples found in Thailand and adjacent countries Gush Katif (גוש קטיף "Harvest Bloc" was a bloc of 17 Israeli settlements in the southern Gaza strip. Palestinian people or Palestinians ( الشعب الفلسطيني, ash-sha`b al-filasTīni; الفلسطينيون, al-filasTīnīyyūn A mortar is a muzzle-loading Indirect fire weapon that fires shells at low velocities short ranges and high-arcing ballistic trajectories (Haaretz)
  • The Syrian government blames Israel for a failed attempt to kill an alleged senior Hamas member in Damascus yesterday. Syria ( سوريّة or) officially the Syrian Arab Republic (Arabic ar الجمهورية العربية السورية For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Ḥamas (ar حركة حماس acronym ar حركة المقاومة Damascus ( دمشق,, also commonly known as الشام ash-Shām) is the capital and largest city of Syria. (BBC)
  • The leader of Hamas, Khaled Meshal, tells the BBC's Newsnight programme that his group has had secret contacts with the United States and the European Union. Ḥamas (ar حركة حماس acronym ar حركة المقاومة Khaled Mashal, also known as Khaled Mashaal or Khalid Mish'al (خالد مشعل (b For the CNN programme see NewsNight with Aaron Brown Newsnight is a British daily News analysis (BBC)
  • Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas calls for an end to violence in the 4-year old intifada and a return to non-violent resistance. Mahmoud Abbas (محمود عباس (born March 26, 1935) also known by the kunya Abu Mazen (ابو مازن was elected President Nonviolence is a philosophy and strategy for social change that rejects the use of physical Violence. The announcement comes two days after a faction of Abbas's Fatah party, Fatah Hawks, claims responsibility for an attack killing at least 5 Israeli soldiers. Fatah (فتح literally opening, is a reverse Acronym from the Arabic name Harakat al-Tahrir al-Watani al-Filastini (حركة التحرير The Fatah Hawks is the name of two Palestinian militant groups one a popular movement of Palestinian youth in the West Bank and Gaza in the 1980s the For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. (Reuters)
• Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian resigns as Chairman of the Democratic Progressive Party to take responsibility for the pan-green alliance's failure to win a majority in the legislative election. REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES The President of the Republic of China ( is the Head of state of the Republic of China (ROC (commonly known as Taiwan since the 1970s Chen Shui-bian ( born October 12, 1950) is a Taiwanese politician and former President of the Republic of China. The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP ( Taiwanese: Bîn-chú-chìn-pō͘-tóng Traditional Chinese: zh-Hant 民主進步黨 Simplified Chinese: zh-Hans The Pan-Green Coalition ( or Pan-Green Camp, is currently an informal Political alliance in the Republic of China (Taiwan consisting of the The Election for the 6th Legislative Yuan (第六屆立法委員選舉 of the Republic of China on Taiwan was held on December 11, (BBC)
• Two trains collide in the northern Indian state of Punjab, killing at least 37 people. A train is a connected series of vehicles that move along a track ( Permanent way) to transport freight or passengers from one place to another India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Punjab (ਪੰਜਾਬ पंजाब pəɲdʒaːb is a state in northwest India. One of the trains was carrying Hindu pilgrims returning from Vaishno Devi. A Hindu ( Devanagari: हिन्दू is an adherent of the philosophies and scriptures of Hinduism, a set of religious, Philosophical Vaishno Devi Mandir (वैष्णोदेबी मन्दिर is one of the holiest Hindu temples dedicated to Shakti, located in the hill of (BBC)(The Times-UK)
• The US admits that more prisoners have died in American custody in Afghanistan than it has previously acknowledged. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت, (BBC)
• Another car bomb detonates inside the Green Zone of Baghdad. The Green Zone (the common name for the International Zone of Iraq is a 10 km² (4 mile² area in central Baghdad that was the center of the Coalition Provisional Baghdad (بغداد) is the Capital of Iraq and of Baghdad Governorate, with which it is also coterminous Iraqi doctors claim at least 7 deaths and 12 injuries. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. (BBC) (News24)
• President Chirac inaugurates the world's highest road bridge in southern France. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The Millau Viaduct over the River Tarn is higher than the Eiffel Tower. The Millau Viaduct (le Viaduc de Millau) is a large cable-stayed road-bridge that spans the valley of the River Tarn near Millau The Tarn River ( tarnis in Latin; hypothetical meaning rapid or walled in) is a long River in southern France ( The Eiffel Tower (Tour Eiffel /tuʀ ɛfɛl/ is an Iron Tower built It is expected to open to traffic on Thursday. (BBC)
• A new species of monkey, the Arunachal Macaque, is discovered in India. A monkey is any member of either the New World monkeys or Old World monkeys two of the three groupings of Simian Primates the third group being The Arunachal Macaque ( Macaca munzala) a relatively large brown primate with a comparatively short tail is a Macaque native to Arunachal Pradesh India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country It is the first new macaque discovered since 1903 and the first new primate in 49 years. The macaques (məˈkæk constitute a genus ( Macaca, /məˈkækə/ of Old World monkeys of the subfamily Cercopithecinae. Year 1903 ( MCMIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar or a Common year starting A primate is a member of the biological order Primates ( Latin: "prime first rank" the group that contains Lemurs the Aye-aye (NCF India)

December 15, 2004

• CNN's business news network CNNfn ends transmissions. Events 533 - Byzantine general Belisarius defeats the Vandals, commanded by King Gelimer, at the Battle of "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Cable News Network, usually referred to by its Initialism CNN, is a major English language Television network founded in 1980 by Ted Turner CNNfn was a US Cable television News network operated by Time Warner from December 29, 1995 to December 15 (CNN)
• U.K. Home Secretary David Blunkett resigns from his post in the wake of numerous controversies. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The Secretary of State for the Home Department, commonly known as the Home Secretary, is the minister in charge of the United Kingdom Home Office David Blunkett (born 6 June 1947 is a British Labour Party Politician and has been Member of Parliament for Sheffield Brightside He is replaced by Charles Clarke, the Secretary of State for Education and Skills. Charles Rodway Clarke (born 21 September 1950 is a British Labour Party Politician. The Secretary of State for Education and Skills was the chief minister of the Department for Education and Skills in the United Kingdom government Ruth Kelly takes over from Clarke as Education Secretary and becomes the sixth woman in prime minister Tony Blair's Cabinet. Ruth Maria Kelly (born 9 May 1968 is a British politician, currently Member of Parliament for the Bolton West Constituency representing Anthony Charles Lynton "Tony" Blair (born 6 May 1953 is a British Politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to Kelly is replaced as Cabinet Office minister by David Miliband. David Wright Miliband (Sky) (BBC)
• In Athens, Greece, two gunmen, possibly Albanian, seize a bus at 7:00 local time and take 25 hostages on board. Athens (ˈæθənz Αθήνα Athina,) the Capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery as one of the world's Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία This article is about the country in southern Europe For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Albania topics. The hijackers threaten to blow up the bus at 08:00 Greek time (06:00 GMT, Thursday) if their demands for €1 million and a flight to Russia are not met. Please update other articles as well to avoid contradiction within Wikipedia e Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending The hostage crisis ends peacefully after 18 hours when the two gunmen surrender. All the hostages are released unharmed. (Sky)(News24) (OfficialWire)(Reuters)
• An armed group of young ethnic Albanians, allegedly former NLA guerrilla members, seal off the village of Kondovo, Macedonia, a suburb of the capital Skopje, citing poor conditions and repression by state authorities. } Albanians (Shqiptarët are an Ethnic group and a Nation, in the sense of sharing a common Albanian culture speaking the Albanian language Guerrilla warfare is the unconventional warfare and combat with which a small group of combatants use mobile tactics (ambushes raids etc The Republic of Macedonia (Република South San Jose (cropjpg||thumb|A suburban development in San Jose California. Skopje (Скопје; Shkup or Shkupi is the Capital and largest city in the Republic of Macedonia, with more than a quarter of the population The fledgling multi-ethnic governing coalition plays down the incident stating it is a local problem stemming from the slow implementation of the peace agreement after the 2001 civil war, while some opposition parties call for "strong action". (RealityMK) (TOL)
• Democratic Party members of the U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary request an FBI investigation into alleged Ohio voting problems, (NYT) (pdf) prompted by affidavits and sworn testimony taken at a congressional forum held on December 13. The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary US House Committee on the Judiciary, or (more commonly the House Judiciary Committee, is a Standing committee of Events 1294 - Saint Celestine V abdicates the papacy after only five months Celestine hoped to return to his previous life [1]
• A US$85 million test of the U.S. National Missile Defense system by the Missile Defense Agency is aborted when an unknown anomaly is detected before the launch of an interceptor missile in the Marshall Islands, 16 minutes after the launch of the target from Kodiak Island, Alaska. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been The United States of America —commonly referred to as the National missile defense (NMD as a generic term is a type of Missile defense: a military strategy and associated systems to shield an entire country against incoming The Missile Defense Agency ( MDA) is the section of the United States government's Department of Defense responsible for developing a layered defense A missile (see also pronunciation differences) is a self-propelled explosive Projectile used as a weapon towards a target The Marshall Islands, officially the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI is a Micronesian nation of islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean Kodiak Island is a large island on the south coast of the US state of Alaska, separated from the Alaska mainland by the Shelikof Strait. Alaska ( Аляска Alyaska) is a state in the United States of America, in the northwest of the North American continent It is the first test since a previous failed test in 2002. See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. As in 2002, the Bush administration abandons plans to activate the system by the end of the year, and projects its activation in early 2005. See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. (Reuters) (Associated Press)
• Sprint Corporation announces a US$35 billion deal to acquire Nextel Communications. Sprint Nextel Corporation ( is a Telecommunications company based in Overland Park, Kansas. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been Nextel Communications, styled NEXTEL, (Former NASDAQ: NXTL) now known as the Sprint Nextel Corporation, was a telecommunications firm based With about $40 billion in combined yearly revenue the resulting company (called Sprint Nextel) will be the third largest wireless telephone service provider in the U.S.. Sprint Nextel Corporation ( is a Telecommunications company based in Overland Park, Kansas. Wireless communication is the transfer of information over a distance without the use of electrical conductors or " Wires quot The United States of America —commonly referred to as the (MSNBC)
• Human rights in Iraq: The U.S. is forced to release evidence which shows prisoners in Iraq were subject to mock executions, electric shocks, and burns by US Marines. Human rights in post-invasion Iraq have been the subject of concerns and controversies since the 2003 invasion. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. A mock execution is a method of psychological Torture, whereby the subject is made to believe that he is being led to his execution "Electrocute" redirects here For the band see Electrocute (band. (BBC)
• Iraqi transitional parliamentary election: Iraq's defense minister accuses Iran and Syria of supporting terrorists and charges that a senior Iraqi Shiite was leading a "pro-Iranian" coalition into next month's national elections. On January 30, 2005, Legislative elections, the Iraqi people chose representatives for the newly-formed 275-member Iraqi National Assembly For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. Syria ( سوريّة or) officially the Syrian Arab Republic (Arabic ar الجمهورية العربية السورية Terrorism is the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion (AP via Yahoo)
• North Korea announces that if Japan is to impose any sanctions over the ashes of kidnap victim Yokota Megumi, it will be regarded as a declaration of war. North Korea is the commonly used short form name for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (or DPRK) a State located in East Asia, For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Megumi Yokota ( Japanese: 横田めぐみ Yokota Megumi; October 15[[ 964]]— March 13[[ 994]]? is one of at least thirteen Japanese A declaration of war is a formal performative Speech act or signing of a document by an authorised party of a government in order to initate a state of War (Japan Today) The Japanese government downplays the criticism. (News24)(Bloomberg) (Japan Today)
• At least four people die in a second Indian train accident, blamed by railway officials on the driver of a van stopped on train tracks near Villupuram district of Tamil Nadu. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country A train is a connected series of vehicles that move along a track ( Permanent way) to transport freight or passengers from one place to another The new accident comes after the previous day's train crash with a death toll of at least 37. (The Tribune, Chandigarh, India)
• United Nations envoy Jan Pronk says that 10,000 peacekeepers are needed in Sudan to monitor the forthcoming peace deal. The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security Johannes "Jan" Pieter Pronk (born March 16, 1940) is a Dutch Politician and Diplomat. Peacekeeping, as defined by the United Nations, is "a way to help countries torn by conflict create conditions for sustainable peace Sudan (officially the Republic of Sudan) ( السودان al-Sūdān is a country in northeastern Africa. (Reuters Alertnet)
• Pitcairn Islands election, 2004: Jay Warren becomes Mayor of Pitcairn Island. An election was held in the Pitcairn Islands, the last remaining British dependency in Oceania, to elect a Mayor, a Council Chairman Jay Calvin Warren (born July 29, 1956) is a political figure from the Pacific territory of the Pitcairn Islands The Pitcairn Islands, a small group of islands in the eastern Pacific, are currently the last remaining British colony in Oceania.

December 16, 2004

• Belgian child killer Marc Dutroux loses an appeal against his life sentence . Events 755 - An Lushan revolts against Chancellor Yang Guozhong at Fanyang, initiating the An Shi Rebellion "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those Marc Dutroux (born November 6 1956 in Brussels) is a Belgian serial killer and criminal convicted of having kidnapped, Tortured Life imprisonment or life incarceration is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime often for most (Expatica)(News.Com)
• Leaders of the European Union, meeting in Brussels, agree to invite Turkey to begin negotiations to join the EU from 3 October 2005, about 36 years after they first applied to join. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in Brussels (Bruxelles pronounced; Brussel pronounced) officially the Brussels Capital-Region, is Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches Turkey's application to acceede to the European Union (previously the European Communities) was made on 14 April 1987 Events 42 BC - First Battle of Philippi: Triumvirs Mark Antony and Octavian fight an indecisive battle with Caesar's Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. (BBC)
• In the Western Districts of Nepal, nearly 50 people are killed in clashes between Nepalese troops and Maoist rebels. Sandwiched between two Asian giants-- China and India -- Nepal traditionally has been characterized as "a yam caught between two rocks Nepal (नेपाल) is a Landlocked country in South Asia. Maoism, variably and officially known as Mao Zedong Thought ( is a variant of Marxism derived from the teachings of the late Chinese leader (BBC)
• A commuter in Zimbabwe who allegedly insulted President Robert Mugabe could face up to five years in prison for undermining the president's authority. Commuting is the process of Travelling between one's place of residence and regular place of work See also Great Zimbabwe National Monument. For information about the March and June 2008 presidential elections see Zimbabwean presidential election This page contains a list of presidents of Zimbabwe. Canaan Banana was a "figurehead" president but Mugabe has been an executive A prison, penitentiary, or correctional facility is a place in which individuals are physically confined or interned and usually deprived of a range of (BBC)
• South Korean high-speed rail system, Korea Train Express open between Seoul and Busan. The Korea Train eXpress ( KTX) is South Korea 's High-speed rail system Seoul ( soʊl is the Capital and largest City of South Korea.
• Inuit leaders want to sue the U.S. government at the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights for causing global warming. Inuit (plural the singular Inuk, means "man" or "person" is a general term for a group of culturally similar Indigenous peoples inhabiting In law a lawsuit is a civil action brought before a Court in which the party commencing the action the Plaintiff, seeks a legal or equitable remedy The federal government of the United States is the central United States Governmental body established by the United States Constitution. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (the IACHR or in the three other official languages Spanish, French, and Portuguese CIDH Global warming is the increase in the average measured temperature of the They view the melting of the polar icecap in the Arctic as a threat to their existence as a people, an assault on their basic human rights. Melting is a process that results in the phase change of a substance from a Solid to a Liquid. An ice cap is an Ice mass that covers less than 50 000 km² of land area (usually covering a highland area The Arctic is the Region around the Earth 's North Pole, opposite the Antarctic region around the South Pole. Human rights refers to the "basic Rights and freedoms to which all humans are entitled The announcement is expected today in Buenos Aires at the 10th round of international talks on climate change. Buenos Aires is the Capital and largest city of Argentina. It is geographically located on the southern shore of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern Climate change is any long-term significant change in the “average weather” that a given region experiences (NYT) (Democracy Now!)
• The British final court of appeal, the Law Lords, rule that the suspension of habeas corpus for foreign nationals detained under the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 is illegal, being incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The House of Lords, in addition to having a legislative function has a judicial function as a Court of last resort within the United Kingdom. Habeas corpus (ˈheɪbiəs ˈkɔɹpəs ( Latin: command that you have the body is the name of a legal action or Writ, through which a person can seek relief The Anti-Terrorism Crime and Security Act 2001 was formally introduced into the Parliament of the United Kingdom on 19 November, 2001 two months after The Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (also called the "European Convention on Human Rights" and "ECHR" was adopted under the (BBC) (judgment)
• Cambodian soldiers discover a cache of Angkor Wat-era carvings that were to be smuggled out of the country. The Kingdom of Cambodia ( formerly known as Kampuchea (, transliterated: Preăh Réachéanachâkr Kâmpŭchea) is a country in South East Angkor Wat (or Angkor Vat) (អង្គរវត្ត is a Temple complex at Angkor, Cambodia, built for King Suryavarman II Smuggling, also known as trafficking, is the clandestine transportation of goods or persons past a point where prohibited such as out of a building into a Prison (Reuters)
• Thai security forces pursue 100 people connected to the unrest in the south of the country. The Kingdom of Thailand (ˈtaɪlænd ราชอาณาจักรไทย, râːtɕʰa-ʔaːnaːtɕɑ̀k-tʰɑj Four Islamic teachers have been arrested on suspicion of inciting terrorism. For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. (Channel News Asia) (Reuters)
• Former chess champion Bobby Fischer has been offered residency in Iceland. Chess is a recreational and competitive Game played between two players. Robert James "Bobby" Fischer ( March 9 1943 – January 17 2008) was an American -born Chess Grandmaster Iceland, officially the Republic of Iceland ( ( Ísland or Lýðveldið Ísland ( He is currently detained in Japan, and is wanted by the United States. Detention generally refers to a State or Government holding a person in a particular area (generally called a Detention centre) either for Interrogation For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the (BBC)(Reuters)
• Researchers at the University of Tübingen report the discovery of a 30,000 to 37,000-year-old flute, the earliest musical instrument ever found. Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen ( German: Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, sometimes called the "Eberhardina Carolina" is a public university The flute is a Musical instrument of the Woodwind family Unlike other woodwind instruments a flute is a Reedless wind instrument that produces its [2]

December 17, 2004

• United States Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld faces criticism from both Democrats and Republicans following a dismissive reply to a soldier in Iraq when questioned about vehicle armor. Events 546 - Gothic War (535–554: The Ostrogoths of King Totila "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The United States Secretary of Defense ( SECDEF) is the head of the U Donald Henry Rumsfeld (born July 9 1932 is a United States Businessman, Politician, the 13th Secretary of Defense under President The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. A soldier is a general English term that refers to a member of a land component of National Armed forces. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. Armour (or armor) is protective covering most commonly manufactured from metals to prevent damage from being inflicted to an individual or a vehicle through use of direct contact (CNN)
• Cuban authorities put up photos of abused Iraqi prisoners in front of the US interests section in Havana after the U.S. displayed Christmas decorations in a protest against Cuba's human rights record. The Republic of Cuba (ˈkjuːbə or) consists of the island of Cuba (the largest and second-most populous island of the Greater Antilles) Isla de la Beginning in 2004 accounts of Abuse, Torture, Sodomy and Homicide of Prisoners held in the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq Havana ( IPA: aˈβana officially Ciudad de La Habana, is the Capital city, major port and leading The United States of America —commonly referred to as the See also Guantanamo Bay detention camp Human rights in Cuba are a subject of much debate (BBC)
• The United States declares Hizbullah's al-Manar TV channel to be a terrorist organization. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Hezbollah (حزب الله, literally " party of God " is a Shi'a Islamic political and Paramilitary organisation Al-Manar (المنار The Beacon) is the satellite Television station of Hezbollah, broadcasting from Beirut, Many organizations that are accused of being a terrorist organization deny using Terrorism as a Military tactic to achieve their goals and there is no international (White House Official Statement) (Al-Jazeera)
• A public inquiry into the deaths of 85 Muslim protesters in southern Thailand claims the killings were "not deliberate". A public inquiry is an official Review of events or actions ordered by a country's state's or province's government For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. The Kingdom of Thailand (ˈtaɪlænd ราชอาณาจักรไทย, râːtɕʰa-ʔaːnaːtɕɑ̀k-tʰɑj 78 people suffocated to death after being piled into army trucks by Thai security forces; 7 were shot at the separatist protests on October 25. Separatism refers to the advocacy of a state of cultural ethnic tribal religious racial or gender separation from the larger group often with demands for greater political autonomy October 2004: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - (BBC)
• U.S. President George W. Bush signs the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act, creating the office of the Director of National Intelligence to oversee the country's fifteen spy agencies. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 (IRTPA is an Act of Congress introduced by U The Director of National Intelligence ( DNI) is the United States government official subject to the authority direction and control of the President (ABC News)
• Israeli-Palestinian Conflict:
  • The Labour Party and Ariel Sharon's Likud Party reach an agreement, forming a unity government in order to implement Israel's unilateral disengagement plan of 2004. (אריאל Likud (ליכוד lit Consolidation) is the major centre-right political party in Israel. Israel's unilateral disengagement plan ( Hebrew: תוכנית ההתנתקות Tokhnit HaHitnatkut or תוכנית ההינתקות Tokhnit HaHinatkut in In return, the Labor will receive eight cabinet portfolios, including "peace/disengagement minister" specially suited for Shimon Peres and Internal Affairs. (שמעון פרס born Szymon Perski on August 2 1923, is the ninth President of the State of Israel. (Yahoo/Reuters) (BBC)
  • Israeli forces, accompanied by armored bulldozers and helicopter gunships, raid the Gaza Strip town of Khan Yunis, killing 8 Palestinians, including 2 civilians, and wounding 24, after 50 mortar shells were fired on the Gush Katif settlements and caused injuries to some Israeli Soldiers and killed a Thai worker. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. The armored Bulldozer is a basic tool of Combat engineering. These Combat engineering vehicles combine the earth moving capabilities of the bulldozer An attack helicopter, also known as a Helicopter Gunship, is a Military helicopter armed for attacking targets on the ground The Gaza Strip (قطاع غزة, רצועת עזה Retzu'at 'Azza) is a coastal strip of land along the Mediterranean Sea, bordering Egypt on the south-west Khan Yunis (خان يونس literally Jonah 's Inn) is a city and adjacent Refugee camp in the southern part of the Gaza Strip. Palestinian people or Palestinians ( الشعب الفلسطيني, ash-sha`b al-filasTīni; الفلسطينيون, al-filasTīnīyyūn A civilian under International humanitarian law is a person who is not a member of his or her Country 's Armed forces. A mortar is a muzzle-loading Indirect fire weapon that fires shells at low velocities short ranges and high-arcing ballistic trajectories Gush Katif (גוש קטיף "Harvest Bloc" was a bloc of 17 Israeli settlements in the southern Gaza strip. Israeli settlements are communities inhabited by Israelis in territory that was captured as a result of Jordanian attacks during the 1967 Six-Day War. The Thai (or Tai) are the main ethnic group of Thailand and are part of the larger Tai ethnolinguistic peoples found in Thailand and adjacent countries (BBC) (Maariv) (Haaretz)
  • In retaliation for the Israeli raid, Palestinians from Hamas and the Abu-Reish faction shoot at least five anti-tank missiles, wounding two Israeli soldiers. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Palestinian people or Palestinians ( الشعب الفلسطيني, ash-sha`b al-filasTīni; الفلسطينيون, al-filasTīnīyyūn Ḥamas (ar حركة حماس acronym ar حركة المقاومة An anti-tank guided missile ( ATGM) or anti-tank guided weapon ( ATGW) is a guided Missile primarily designed to hit and destroy (BBC) (Haaretz) (Maariv) (CTV Canada)
  • Hundreds of Palestinians flee homes in the area, fearful that Israeli troops will destroy their homes. Palestinian people or Palestinians ( الشعب الفلسطيني, ash-sha`b al-filasTīni; الفلسطينيون, al-filasTīnīyyūn They take refuge in nearby hospital and a stadium, while others have moved to relatives who live further to the centre of the Gaza Strip. According to the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, a refugee is a person who owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race The Gaza Strip (قطاع غزة, רצועת עזה Retzu'at 'Azza) is a coastal strip of land along the Mediterranean Sea, bordering Egypt on the south-west (BBC) (Haaretz)
  • In Rafah, five Palestinians are trapped when the tunnel they were digging collapsed. Rafah (رفح is a Palestinian town in the Gaza Strip, on the Egyptian border and a nearby town on the Egyptian side of the border on the Sinai Palestinian people or Palestinians ( الشعب الفلسطيني, ash-sha`b al-filasTīni; الفلسطينيون, al-filasTīnīyyūn Smuggling tunnels are secret tunnels, usually hidden underground used for Smuggling of Goods and people. Rescue efforts, with the assist of Israeli bulldozers, are in progress though estimations are that the five are dead. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. ----A bulldozer is a crawler ( Caterpillar tracked Tractor) equipped with a substantial metal plate (known as a blade) used to push large quantities (Haaretz) (Yahoo\Reuters)
• U.S. President George W. Bush, speaking to business executives and economists at the White House, vows to push through big reforms to the Social Security program, including partial privatization of the state pension fund, during his second term. The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. See also Executive Office of the President of the United States The White House, formerly known as the Executive Mansion, is the Official residence Social Security, in the United States currently refers to the federal Old-Age Survivors and Disability Insurance ( OASDI) program Privatization is the incidence or process of transferring ownership of business from the Public sector (government to the Private sector (business (BBC)
• The E.U. states that Turkey must recognize the ethnic-Greek government of E. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches The Greeks ( Greek: Έλληνες) are a Nation and Ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighbouring regions U. member state Cyprus before it can begin negotiations for E.U. membership. Cyprus (Κύπρος transliterated: Kýpros,; Kıbrıs officially the Republic of Cyprus (Κυπριακή Δημοκρατία Kypriakī́ Dīmokratía Turkey's application to acceede to the European Union (previously the European Communities) was made on 14 April 1987 Currently Turkey is the only country that recognizes the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus ( TRNC) (Kuzey Kıbrıs Türk Cumhuriyeti KKTC) commonly called Northern Cyprus (Kuzey Kıbrıs though its (ITV) (Turkish Press)
• Police in West Java, Indonesia, say that they have found nine home-made bombs on a bus during a security operation. West Java (Jawa Barat with population around 3572 million is the most populous province of Indonesia, located on Java Island. The Republic of Indonesia ( (Republik Indonesia is a Country in Southeast Asia. (Channel News Asia)(Jakarta Post)
• Three suspected IRA members who were accused of training rebels in Colombia flee while on bail. The Colombia Three are three individuals &ndash Niall Connolly James Monaghan and Martin McCauley &ndash who are currently residing in the Republic of Ireland, having fled The Irish Republican Army ( IRA) (Óglaigh na hÉireann was a military organisation descended from the Irish Volunteers, established 25 November 1913 and who Colombia (kəˈlʌmbɪə officially the Republic of Colombia () is a country in northwestern South America. Traditionally bail is some form of Property deposited or pledged to a Court in order to persuade it to release a suspect from jail, on the understanding An appellate court overturned their earlier acquittals yesterday. Court of Appeal, Court of Appeals, and Appellate Division redirect here for a list of specific courts using those titles see Court of Appeal They had been sentenced to prison for 17 years. (BBC) (Ireland Online)
• Bhutan's ban on the sale of all tobacco products comes into effect. The Kingdom of Bhutan (buːˈtɑːn is a Landlocked nation in South Asia. Tobacco is an Agricultural product recognized as an addictive drug processed from the fresh Leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. (Hindustan Times) (BBC)
• Russia intends to allow Polish officials to see files related to the Katyn massacre. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland (BBC)
• The United Nations finds a surveillance bug in its European headquarters in Geneva in a room used by ministers from major powers last year during private talks on Iraq. The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security A covert listening device, more commonly known as a bug, is usually a combination of a Miniature Radio transmitter with a Microphone. Geneva (Genève is the second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and is the most populous city of Romandy (the French -speaking For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. (BBC) (NZZ)

December 18, 2004

• Hundreds of Sikh demonstrators protest outside a Birmingham, England theatre against a play (Behzti) depicting sex abuse and murder in a Sikh temple. Events 218 BC - Second Punic War: Battle of the Trebia - Hannibal 's Carthaginian forces defeat those of the "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Sikh (English or; ਸਿੱਖ sikkh, IPA) is the title and name given to an adherent of Sikhism. Birmingham ( ˈbɜːmɪŋəm Ber -ming-um England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Behzti (in Punjabi, Dishonour) is a play written by the British Sikh playwright Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti. A temple (from the Latin word Templum) is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities such as prayer and sacrifice or analogous rites Theatre stormed by a few demonstrators. (BBC)
• 2004 U.S. presidential election controversy:
  • Voting machine manufacturer Diebold Election Systems will pay a $2. After the November 2, 2004 Election in the United States, concerns were raised about various aspects of the voting process including whether voting had Premier Election Solutions, formerly Diebold Election Systems Inc 6 million settlement to the State of California over the lawsuit filed by the state in September alleging that Diebold was not truthful about the security and reliability of its electronic voting machines. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. After the November 2, 2004 Election in the United States, concerns were raised about various aspects of the voting process including whether voting had (internetnews.com)
  • In a sharp change from their traditional role, several members of the U.S. Electoral College have filed a protest of the official election results, one even casting his electoral vote "provisionally" upon a revote. The Electoral College consists of 538 popularly elected representatives who formally select the President and Vice President of the United States. A provisional ballot is used to record a vote when there is some question in regards to a given voter's eligibility. These electors have called for a member of the U.S. Senate to protest the election results on January 6th. The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives (AP) (Sacramento Bee) (Burlington Union)
• In Topeka, Kansas, USA, infant Victoria Jo Stinnett is returned to her father three days after her mother was allegedly strangled to death and she was cut from her mother's uterus and abducted. Topeka ( Kansa: Tó Ppí Kˀé ˌto ˈpːi ˌkˀeɪ Ioway: Dó Pí Kˀé ˌto ˈpʰi ˌkˀeɪ The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Bobbie Jo Stinnett ( December 4, 1981 &ndash December 16, 2004) was a 23-year-old pregnant woman found brutally slain in her home in Skidmore The AMBER Alert system is credited with helping to safely recover the child. An AMBER Alert is a Child abduction alert system, issued to the general public by various media outlets in Canada and in the United States, when police (CNN)
• Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
  • Palestinians fire several Qassam rockets at the civilian town Sderot and the northern Negev, causing damage but no casualties. The Qassam rocket ( صاروخ القسام; also Kassam) is a simple steel Rocket filled with explosives produced by Hamas. Sderot (שְׂדֵרוֹת a western Negev City, in the Southern District of Israel. The Negev (נֶגֶב Tiberian vocalization: Néḡeḇ) is the Desert region of southern Israel. (Haaretz)
  • Another three Palestinians were killed by Israeli soldiers on Saturday during an Israeli incursion into the Khan Younis refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, raising the death toll to 11. Palestinian people or Palestinians ( الشعب الفلسطيني, ash-sha`b al-filasTīni; الفلسطينيون, al-filasTīnīyyūn For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Khan Yunis (خان يونس literally Jonah 's Inn) is a city and adjacent Refugee camp in the southern part of the Gaza Strip. The Gaza Strip (قطاع غزة, רצועת עזה Retzu'at 'Azza) is a coastal strip of land along the Mediterranean Sea, bordering Egypt on the south-west According to Palestinian sources, three of those killed were civilians, the rest were militants from Hamas and Fatah's Abu Reish Brigades. Ḥamas (ar حركة حماس acronym ar حركة المقاومة Fatah (فتح literally opening, is a reverse Acronym from the Arabic name Harakat al-Tahrir al-Watani al-Filastini (حركة التحرير The IDF has officially ended Khan Yunis raid, dubbed "Operation Orange Iron", and threatened to return if mortar shelling will be renewed by militants. (BBC), (Haaretz)
  • Palestinians have been unable to bury the dead because Israeli forces were in control at the local cemetery, medics told the Reuters news agency. Palestinian people or Palestinians ( الشعب الفلسطيني, ash-sha`b al-filasTīni; الفلسطينيون, al-filasTīnīyyūn For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. This article is primarily about Reuters prior to its 2008 merger with Thomson (BBC)
  • Six Palestinians were rescued from a collapsed tunnel under an Israel-controlled corridor in the Egypt-Gaza border area. Palestinian people or Palestinians ( الشعب الفلسطيني, ash-sha`b al-filasTīni; الفلسطينيون, al-filasTīnīyyūn For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. Gaza (غزة, עַזָּה ʕazzā is the largest city in the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian territories. (BBC)
• Former Chilean President Augusto Pinochet has been taken to hospital after suffering a stroke. Chile, officially the Republic of Chile ( Spanish:) is a country in South America occupying a long and narrow Coastal strip wedged between the Augusto José Ramón Pinochet Ugarte (November A stroke is the rapidly developing loss of brain functions due to a disturbance in the blood vessels supplying blood to the brain (BBC)
• Darfur conflict: The African Union has given both sides involved in the Darfur conflict a deadline of 1700 GMT to halt the fighting in the region which currently violates the ceasefire agreement. The War in Darfur is a military conflict in the Darfur region of western Sudan. The African Union (abbreviated AU in English, and UA in its other working languages is a Confederation consisting of 53  African If this condition is not met, talks in Nigeria to find a solution to the conflict would end. Nigeria, officially named the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal Constitutional republic comprising thirty-six states and one Federal (BBC)
• Conflict in Iraq:
  • Former senior Iraqi official Ali Hassan al-Majid (aka "Chemical Ali") is questioned by Iraqi judges in a pre-trial hearing. The Iraq War, also known as the Second Gulf War, the Occupation of Iraq, or the War in Iraq, is an ongoing Military campaign For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. Ali Hassan Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti (علي حسن عبد المجيد التكريتي, born 1941 is a former Ba'athist Iraqi Defense Minister, He is accused of crimes committed by the regime, such as the gassing of Iraqi Kurds in 1988. Year 1988 ( MCMLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar) (BBC) (Reuters)
  • Iraqi insurgents attack election offices in northern Iraq, killing two people and wounding nine, six weeks before the country is due to go to the polls. An insurgency is a violent internal uprising against a sovereign government that lacks the organization of a revolution (Reuters)

December 19, 2004

• Conflict in Iraq: Bomb blasts in the Iraqi Shia cities of Karbala and Najaf kill up to 60 people and injure a further 120. Events 324 - Licinius abdicates his position as Roman Emperor. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " The Iraq War, also known as the Second Gulf War, the Occupation of Iraq, or the War in Iraq, is an ongoing Military campaign For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. Karbala ( BGN: Al-Karbalā’; also spelled Karbala al-Muqaddasah) is a city in Iraq, located about southwest of Baghdad at Najaf ( BGN: An Najaf) is a city in Iraq about 160 km south of Baghdad. (BBC)
• Russia auctions off the main production unit of oil giant YUKOS to the small Baikalfinansgroup for 260. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Yukos Oil Company (ОАО НК ЮКОС was a Petroleum company in Russia which until recently was controlled by Russian Baikalfinansgrup (Байкалфинансгруп is a Russian limited liability company owned by Rosneft Oil Company. 75bn rubles (US$9. The ruble or rouble (рубль rublʹ, plural ru рубли́ rubli; see note on English spelling and Russian plurals with numbers The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been 37bn). Before the sale, YUKOS was said to owe US$27bn in unpaid taxes, specifically an average of 90% of its revenue. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been Former CEO jailed Mikhail Khodorkovsky and other YUKOS officials maintain it is politically motivated. Mikhail Borisovich Khodorkovsky (Михаи́л Бори́сович Ходорко́вский born June 26, 1963) is a Russian businessman a former (BBC)
• The people of Turkmenistan go to the polls to elect a new parliament. Turkmenistan ( Türkmenistan; also known as Turkmenia) is a Turkic country in Central Asia. TalkParliament#Screen-size. -->A  parliament is a Legislature, especially in those Voters will choose between candidates, all of whom have pledged support to President Niyazov, the "Turkmenbashi" or "leader of Turkmens". Saparmyrat Ataýewiç Nyýazow (θɑːpɑːrmɯːrɑːt niːjɑːðɒv ( 19 February, 1940, Gypjak, Turkmen SSR, Soviet Union (BBC)
• US president George W Bush is named "Person of the Year" by TIME magazine. The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. Person of the Year (formerly Man of the Year) is an annual issue of the United States Newsmagazine Time that features and profiles Time (trademarked in capitals as TIME) is a weekly American Newsmagazine, similar to Newsweek and (CNN)

December 20, 2004

• Analysts attribute a sharp drop in the price of crude oil to the unexpected outcome of the auction of Yukos' Siberian production unit yesterday. Events 69 - Vespasian, formerly a general under Nero, enters Rome to claim the title of Emperor. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Price in Economics and Business is the result of an exchange and from that trade we assign a numerical Monetary value to a good, Petroleum ( L petroleum, from Greek πετρέλαιον, lit Yukos Oil Company (ОАО НК ЮКОС was a Petroleum company in Russia which until recently was controlled by Russian Siberia (Сиби́рь Sibir) is the name given to the vast region constituting almost all of Northern Asia and for the most part currently serving The value of the January futures contract fell 64 cents to $45. In Finance, a futures contract is a standardized Contract, traded on a Futures exchange, to buy or sell a certain Underlying instrument 64 on the Nymex. The New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX is the World 's largest physical Commodity Futures exchange, located in New York City.
• China announces reforms to its legal system effective in 2005, including the introduction of jury trials and a 10% increase in the number of judges. Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES Jurors will be elected to a five-year term, and must have at least two years' university education. (BBC) (Xinhua)
• The Head of the Egyptian Coptic Christian Church, Pope Shenouda III, has gone into seclusion in a desert monastery to draw attention to grievances among Egyptian Christians. This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. History of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria Apostolic foundation Egypt is identified in the Bible as the place of refuge that the A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth HH Pope Shenouda III of Alexandria ( Coptic:, Arabic: البابا شنوده الثالث (born 3 August 1923) born Nazeer Gayed Solitude is a state of Seclusion or Isolation, ie lack of contact with people or love This article concerns the buildings occupied by monastics. For the life inside monasteries and its historical roots see Monasticism. (BBC)
• U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has admitted that he had used a machine to sign letters of condolence to relatives of more than 1,000 troops killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, but pledged to sign the letters personally in future. The United States Secretary of Defense ( SECDEF) is the head of the U Donald Henry Rumsfeld (born July 9 1932 is a United States Businessman, Politician, the 13th Secretary of Defense under President For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت, (BBC)
• In Sudan, fighting has not stopped after a ceasefire between government troops and rebels. Sudan (officially the Republic of Sudan) ( السودان al-Sūdān is a country in northeastern Africa. A ceasefire (or truce) is a temporary stoppage of a War or any Armed conflict, where each side of the conflict agrees Although the government of Sudan has said that they have stopped the Darfur offensive, there are still reports of battles. Darfur (دار فور daar foor, lit "realm of the Fur " is a region in Sudan. Foreign Minister Mustafa Osman Ismail rules out any withdrawal from the positions government troops have taken. Mustafa Osman Ismail (born 1955 in Dongola, Sudan) was the Foreign minister of Sudan from An observing African Union helicopter was shot at. The African Union (abbreviated AU in English, and UA in its other working languages is a Confederation consisting of 53  African History Since 400 AD Chinese children have played with bamboo flying toys. (BBC)(Iafrica)
• Prachanda, leader of the Maoist guerillas in Nepal, announces his intention to disrupt elections if the government refuses to abolish the monarchy. Prachanda (प्रचण्ड pɾəʦəɳɖə born Pushpa Kumal Dahal on 11 December 1954 is the Post Officer of Nepal. The Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist (नेपाल कम्युनिष्ट पार्टी (माओवादी is a Maoist Political party Nepal (नेपाल) is a Landlocked country in South Asia. A monarchy is a Form of government in which supreme power is actually or nominally lodged in an individual who is the Head of state, often for life or Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has given them until January 13, 2005 to begin peace talks. Sher Bahadur Deuba' (शेरबहादुर देउबा born June 13, 1946) is a Nepalese politician and former Prime Minister. Events 532 - Nika riots in Constantinople. 888 - Odo Count of Paris becomes King of the Franks Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. (Reuters)
• An explosion in a Chinese coal mine kills 14. (Reuters)(BBC)
• Rice University computer scientists find a security hole in Google's desktop search program. William Marsh Rice University (commonly called Rice University and opened in 1912 as The William Marsh Rice Institute for the Advancement of Letters Science and Art Google Inc is an American public corporation, earning revenue from advertising related to its Internet search, e-mail, online (New York Times)
• African National Congress of South Africa accuses U. The African National Congress (ANC has been South Africa 's governing party supported by its Tripartite alliance with the Congress of South African Trade Unions The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa S. officials covering up adverse side effects of AIDS medications. (Iafrica) (Reuters)
• Police arrest former Miss World Yukta Mookhey's uncle, aunt and two cousins in a case of harassment for dowry. The Miss World pageant is the oldest surviving major international Beauty pageant created in the United Kingdom by Eric Morley in 1951 Yukta Mookhey (born 7 October 1978 is an Indian model and actress A dowry (also known as trousseau or tocher) is the money goods or estate that a woman brings to her soon to be husband in marriage (Hindustan Times) (Indian Express) (Times of India)

December 21, 2004

• European Union ministers postpone a controversial vote on the proposed Directive on the patentability of computer-implemented inventions in the EU after Poland asks for more time to think about it. Events 69 - The end of the Year of the four emperors: Following Galba, Otho and Vitellius, Vespasian "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in The European Union (EU Directive on the patentability of computer-implemented inventions ( 2002/0047/COD) was a proposal for an EU law which aimed to harmonise Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland (Reuters)(BBC)
• The Boeing Delta 4 Heavy rocket launches successfully for the first time. The Delta IV is a family of Delta Rockets designed by Boeing 's Integrated Defense Systems division and built in United Launch Alliance's (MSNBC)
• Conflict in Iraq:
  • US forces say twenty-two people have been killed and at least 67 injured in an attack at a US military base in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul. The Iraq War, also known as the Second Gulf War, the Occupation of Iraq, or the War in Iraq, is an ongoing Military campaign For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. For the village in Azerbaijan see Mosul Azerbaijan. Mosul (الموصل Al Mūṣul, Kurdish: Mosul/Ninawa, Musul The dead include 13 US Soldiers, making the attack one of the deadliest attacks on US forces since the start of the war. (BBC) (CNN)
  • Christian Chesnot and Georges Malbrunot, the two French hostages held in Iraq since August, are freed. Christian Chesnot is a French journalist working for Radio France who along with Georges Malbrunot and Muhammed al-Jundi (their driver was George Malbrunot is a French journalist working for Le Figaro who along with Christian Chesnot and Muhammed al-Jundi (their driver This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Their captors claim they were freed because of France's anti-war stance. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The term anti-war usually refers to the opposition to a particular nation's decision to start or carry on an armed conflict unconditional of a maybe-existing just cause. (BBC)
• Former British Home Secretary David Blunkett's office is found to have assisted in the fast-tracking of his lover's nanny's visa-application, thereby confirming the allegation that led to his dismissal. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The Secretary of State for the Home Department, commonly known as the Home Secretary, is the minister in charge of the United Kingdom Home Office David Blunkett (born 6 June 1947 is a British Labour Party Politician and has been Member of Parliament for Sheffield Brightside (BBC)
• The White House announces that allegations of abuse of prisoners in Iraq and Guantanamo Bay by US military personnel will be "fully investigated". See also Executive Office of the President of the United States The White House, formerly known as the Executive Mansion, is the Official residence For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. The Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp is a controversial United States Detention center operated by Joint Task Force Guantanamo since 2002 in Guantanamo The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The United States Armed Forces are the overall unified military forces of the United States The allegations were prompted by a memo, obtained by ACLU FOIA requests, dated two months after the Abu Ghraib scandal broke which reference an executive order that authorized questionable interrogation techniques. The American Civil Liberties Union ( ACLU) consists of two separate Non-profit organizations the ACLU Foundation a 501(c(3 organization which focuses Beginning in 2004 accounts of Abuse, Torture, Sodomy and Homicide of Prisoners held in the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq The White House spokesman flat out denied this in saying "there is no executive order on interrogation techniques". (BBC) (White House) (ACLU)
• Japan issues a tourist visa to former Taiwanese leader Lee Teng-hui despite protests from the People's Republic of China that such a move would harm bilateral relations. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Lee Teng-hui ( POJ: Lí Teng-hui born 15 January 1923 is a Politician of Taiwan. Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES The PRC considers Lee a Taiwan independence agitator. Taiwan independence ( Pe̍h-oē-jī: Tâi-oân To̍k-li̍p ūn-tōng abbreviated to 台獨 Táidú Tâi-to̍k is a (BBC)
• Same-sex marriage in Canada: The Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador finds the banning of same-sex marriage unconstitutional, making that province the eighth of Canada's provinces and territories to legalize same-sex marriage. On July 20, 2005, Canada became the fourth country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage nationwide with the approval of the Civil Marriage Act. Newfoundland and Labrador (ˈnuːfɨn(dlənd ən(d ˈlæbrəˌdɔr (Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador is a province of Canada, the tenth and latest to join the Confederation Same-sex marriage in Newfoundland and Labrador: Newfoundland and Labrador has issued marriage licences to same-sex couples since December 21, 2004 (CBC)
• Arab-Israeli Conflict: The leaders of the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) urge US President George W. Bush to make the creation of an independent Palestinian state an absolute priority at their annual meeting, which is being held in Bahrain. The Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf ( CCASG; مجلس التعاون لدول الخليج العربية also known as the Gulf Cooperation Council The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. Palestinian people or Palestinians ( الشعب الفلسطيني, ash-sha`b al-filasTīni; الفلسطينيون, al-filasTīnīyyūn The Kingdom of Bahrain (in مملكة البحرين,, literally Kingdom of the Two Seas) is an Island country in the Persian Gulf (BBC)
• UK Prime Minister Tony Blair makes a surprise visit to Baghdad. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the political leader of the United Kingdom Anthony Charles Lynton "Tony" Blair (born 6 May 1953 is a British Politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to Baghdad (بغداد) is the Capital of Iraq and of Baghdad Governorate, with which it is also coterminous (BBC) (Guardian) (Number 10)
• Author J.K. Rowling announces that the sixth book in her Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, will be published on 16 July 2005. Joanne "Jo" Rowling OBE (born 31 July 1965 who writes under the Harry Potter is a series of seven Fantasy novels written by British author J Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, released on 16 July 2005 is the sixth of seven novels in J Events 622 - The beginning of the Islamic calendar. 1054 - Three Roman legates fractured relations between the Western and Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The share price of her British publisher, Bloomsbury, rises 7. Bloomsbury Publishing Plc is an independent London -based publishing house known for literary Novels It was named Publisher of the Year in 1999 and 5% on the news. (Reuters)
• Up to £30 million are reported stolen from the headquarters of the Northern Bank in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The Pound Sterling ( symbol £; ISO code: GBP) subdivided into 100 pence (singular penny) is the Currency Northern Bank, is a Commercial bank in Northern Ireland It is one of the oldest banks in Ireland having been formed in 1824. Belfast ( is the capital city of Northern Ireland and the seat of government in Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland (Tuaisceart Éireann Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann) is a Country within the United Kingdom, lying in the northeast of Two members of the bank's senior staff and their families are reported to have been held hostage before the robbery. This is likely to be the second biggest bank robbery in British history, and the fourth largest in the world. (BBC) (Reuters) (Glasgow Evening Times)
• Pakistan's Anti Terrorism Court cancels the bail of Asif Ali Zardari, leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party and husband of Benazir Bhutto. Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and Traditionally bail is some form of Property deposited or pledged to a Court in order to persuade it to release a suspect from jail, on the understanding Asif Ali Zardari ( Urdu, Sindhi: آصف علی زرداری) (born 26 July 1955 is the 12th and current President of Pakistan and the Co-Chairman The Pakistan Peoples Party ( PPP) (پاکستان پیپلز پارٹی is Centre-left Political party in Pakistan affiliated with Socialist Benazir Bhutto ( Sindhi: بينظير ڀٽو Urdu: بینظیر بھٹو beːnəziːɾ bɦʊʈːoː (21 June 1953 &ndash 27 December 2007 was a Zardari was released last month after eight years in prison. He was charged with corruption and conspiracy to murder. Political corruption is the use of governmental powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain In the Criminal law, a conspiracy is an agreement between Natural persons to break the law at some time in the future and in some cases with at least one overt act Murder is the unlawful killing of another human person with Malice aforethought, as defined in Common Law countries (GEO) (BBC)
• A court in Chile upholds the indictment and house arrest of Augusto Pinochet. Chile, officially the Republic of Chile ( Spanish:) is a country in South America occupying a long and narrow Coastal strip wedged between the Augusto José Ramón Pinochet Ugarte (November Prosecution lawyers claim that his hospitalization for a heart condition was a political ploy. Pinochet's lawyers intend to appeal. (BBC) (Bloomberg)
• A court in Nigeria upholds the election of Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo. Nigeria, officially named the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal Constitutional republic comprising thirty-six states and one Federal General (rtd Olusegun Aremu Okikiola Matthew Obasanjo, GCFR (Oluṣẹgun Mathew Okikiọla Arẹmu Ọbasanjọ olúʃɛ̙́ɡũ ɒ̙básandʒɒ̙́ (born circa March Opposition parties, led by Muhammadu Buhari, have challenged the result, and the EU and U.S. question the election's validity. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in The United States of America —commonly referred to as the (AllAfrica) (BBC) (Vanguard, Nigeria)
• A bus accident in Peru claims 49 lives and injures 15. Peru (Perú Piruw Piruw officially the Republic of Peru ( reˈpuβlika del peˈɾu is a country in western South America. (Reuters)
• Archaeologists in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, find the remains of a 7,500-year-old man on the island of Marawah. Marawah may refer to Marawah Libya Marawah United Arab Emirates (Khaleej Times) (Reuters)
• French President Jacques Chirac demands improved hospital security after two nurses are killed. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. A suspected mental patient was released. (Reuters Alertnet)
• The US government decides to settle a suit in which Hungarian Jews have demanded compensation for a train full of valuables the US Army took at the end of World War II. The United States Army is a military organization whose primary mission is to "provide necessary forces and capabilities. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including (Wired News) (New York Post)
• The USA pressures Iceland not to grant Bobby Fischer sanctuary. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Iceland, officially the Republic of Iceland ( ( Ísland or Lýðveldið Ísland ( Robert James "Bobby" Fischer ( March 9 1943 – January 17 2008) was an American -born Chess Grandmaster (Reuters)
• Zaheera Sheikh, a key witness in the Best Bakery case, is declared hostile by the prosecution after she goes back on her police statement during retrial of the case. Zaheera Sheikh (જ઼્આહીરા શેખ aka Zahira Sheikh is the key Witness in India's Best Bakery case. The Best Bakery case (also called Tulsi Bakery case) was a Legal case involving the burning down of the Best Bakery on March 1, 2002, in A hostile witness is a Witness in a trial who testifies for the opposing party or a witness who offers adverse testimony to the calling party during The prosecutor is the chief legal representative of the prosecution in countries with either the Common law Adversarial system, or the civil law (Times of India) (Indian Express)

December 22, 2004

• Gambian journalists march in protest of the murder of Deyda Hydara, newspaper editor who had criticised new strict press legislation. Events 1790 - The Turkish fortress of Izmail is stormed and captured by Suvorov and his Russian armies "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " UNESCO also condemns the killing. United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization ( UNESCO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established on November 16 (BBC) (UNESCO portal)
• Switzerland increases its financial support for the forthcoming re-run of election in Ukraine. Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation Ukraine (Україна Ukrayina, /ukrɑˈjinɑ/ is a country in Eastern Europe. (NZZ)
• The Police Service of Northern Ireland confirm that the haul in last Monday's Northern Bank Belfast bank heist was £22 million, comprising £1. The Police Service of Northern Ireland is the Police service that covers Northern Ireland. Northern Bank, is a Commercial bank in Northern Ireland It is one of the oldest banks in Ireland having been formed in 1824. Belfast ( is the capital city of Northern Ireland and the seat of government in Northern Ireland. The Pound Sterling ( symbol £; ISO code: GBP) subdivided into 100 pence (singular penny) is the Currency 15 million in new Northern Bank £100 and £50 notes, £12 million in new Northern Bank £20 and £10 notes, £5 million in used Northern Ireland notes issued by various banks, and the remainder in other sterling banknotes. Sterling banknotes are the Banknotes of the United Kingdom and British Islands, denominated in pounds sterling (symbol £ Since Northern Irish notes are rarely seen outside Northern Ireland, the gang may have difficulty in laundering most of their haul. (Scotsman)
• Israeli-Palestinian conflict:
  • The Israeli Army denies a claim by Physicians for Human Rights that they were firing at a Khan Yunis hospital. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Physicians for Human Rights ( PHR) is an international Non-governmental organization, headquartered in Cambridge Massachusetts, that promotes health by Khan Yunis (خان يونس literally Jonah 's Inn) is a city and adjacent Refugee camp in the southern part of the Gaza Strip. (Ha'Aretz)
  • British prime minister Tony Blair visits Israel for discussions with Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon about reviving the peace process. This article is about the government position For other uses see Prime Minister (disambiguation. Anthony Charles Lynton "Tony" Blair (born 6 May 1953 is a British Politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. (אריאל The two discuss the Road Map for Peace and Israel's disengagement plan. The "road map" for peace is a Plan to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict proposed by a " quartet " of international entities the Israel's unilateral disengagement plan ( Hebrew: תוכנית ההתנתקות Tokhnit HaHitnatkut or תוכנית ההינתקות Tokhnit HaHinatkut in Blair said that Palestinians must stop terror as a condition to return for the Road Map. (Yahoo/Reuters), (BBC)
  • An Israeli civil security guard who guarded bulldozers used for building the Israeli West Bank barrier is killed in a shooting attack by two Palestinians. ----A bulldozer is a crawler ( Caterpillar tracked Tractor) equipped with a substantial metal plate (known as a blade) used to push large quantities West bank walljpg|thumb|Aerial view looking east from the Israeli side (Haaretz)
  • IDF forces re-enter Khan Yunis after at least 15 rockets and mortar shells hit Israeli settlements. Khan Yunis (خان يونس literally Jonah 's Inn) is a city and adjacent Refugee camp in the southern part of the Gaza Strip. A mortar is a muzzle-loading Indirect fire weapon that fires shells at low velocities short ranges and high-arcing ballistic trajectories Israeli forces kill either one or three armed Palestinians in Khan Yunis, and according to Palestinians, demolish seven houses. Khan Yunis (خان يونس literally Jonah 's Inn) is a city and adjacent Refugee camp in the southern part of the Gaza Strip. (Haaretz) (Reuters)
  • Israeli politician Shimon Peres warns against trusting Hamas to honor a future ceasefire. (שמעון פרס born Szymon Perski on August 2 1923, is the ninth President of the State of Israel. Ḥamas (ar حركة حماس acronym ar حركة المقاومة (Yahoo\AFP)
  • Gush Katif residents hold protests against the disengagement plan and the lack of action against mortar shellings on the settlement in the last week. Gush Katif (גוש קטיף "Harvest Bloc" was a bloc of 17 Israeli settlements in the southern Gaza strip. A mortar is a muzzle-loading Indirect fire weapon that fires shells at low velocities short ranges and high-arcing ballistic trajectories Some of them wear an orange Star of David, similar to the yellow badge which Jews were forced to wear during the Holocaust. The Star of David or Shield of David ( Magen David in Hebrew with nikkud or מגן דוד without academically transcribed Māḡēn Dāwīḏ by The Holocaust (from the Greek el ''ὁλόκαυστον'' (el-Latn holókauston holos, "completely" and kaustos, "burnt" also known as Many politicians and heads of Jewish organizations, including the Simon Wiesenthal Centre, ask them to stop wearing the star as they believe it trivializes the Nazi genocide. PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ Simon Wiesenthal ( Buczacz, December 31, 1908 &ndash Vienna, September 20, 2005) was an Austrian Jewish (BBC)
• The British charity organization Save the Children withdraws from Darfur after rebels kill their aid workers. The definition of charitable organization, and of charity varies according to the country and in some instances the region of the country in which the charitable organization operates Save the Children is a leading international organisation helping children in need around the world Darfur (دار فور daar foor, lit "realm of the Fur " is a region in Sudan. (BBC) (IAfrica) (AllAfrica)
• The Indian election commission investigates railways minister Laloo Prasad for allegations of electoral bribery. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country The Election Commission of India is an autonomous quasi-judiciary constitutional body of India. He has given money to dalit women in public. Dalit is a self designation for group of people of South Asian descent who were traditionally regarded as untouchables or low Caste. (ExpressIndia) (BBC)
• A Pakistani court restores bail for Asif Ali Zardari. Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and Traditionally bail is some form of Property deposited or pledged to a Court in order to persuade it to release a suspect from jail, on the understanding Asif Ali Zardari ( Urdu, Sindhi: آصف علی زرداری) (born 26 July 1955 is the 12th and current President of Pakistan and the Co-Chairman (BBC) (GEO)
• In Mozambique, the national election commission declares Armando Guebuza, presidential candidate of ruling party Frelimo, the winner of the election. Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique (Moçambique or República de Moçambique, ʁɛ'publikɐ d musɐ̃'bik is a country in southeastern Africa Armando Emílio Guebuza (born 20 January 1943 is a Mozambican Politician and the President of Mozambique since 2005 The Liberation Front of Mozambique, better known by the acronym FRELIMO, from the Portuguese Frente de Libertação de Moçambique (IPA /fɾeˈlimo/ He received 64% of the vote despite alleged irregularities. (AllAfrica) (Afrol) (BBC)
• In the Philippines, the funeral of Fernando Poe, Jr, movie star and presidential candidate, attracts large numbers of supporters. The Philippines ( Filipino: Pilipinas, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (fil ''Republika ng Pilipinas'' RP Ronald Allan Kelley Poe ( August 20, 1939 &ndash December 14, 2004) better known as Fernando Poe Jr Security is high due to rumors of potential anti-government revolt. The detained ex-president Joseph Estrada condemns incumbent president Gloria Arroyo in his eulogy. Jose Marcelo Ejercito (born on April 19, 1937) better known as Joseph Ejercito Estrada, or Erap, is a Film actor in the Philippines Maria Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (born Maria Gloria Macaraeg Macapagal on April 5 1947 is a Filipina Politician. A eulogy is a speech or writing in Praise of a person or thing (Reuters) (Philippine Daily Inquirer)

December 23, 2004

• An earthquake of moment magnitude 8. Events 962 - Byzantine-Arab Wars: Under the future Emperor Nicephorus Phocas, Byzantine troops stormed the city "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth 's crust that creates Seismic waves Earthquakes are recorded with a Seismometer TalkMoment magnitude scale#Real world examples please.--> The moment magnitude scale 1 occurs at 14:59 UTC, 305 miles north of Macquarie Island. Macquarie Island lies in the southwest corner of the Pacific Ocean, about half-way between Australia and Antarctica. (USGS)
• An intercity bus is intercepted and sprayed with automatic gunfire in Chamelecón, Cortés department, Honduras, killing some 28 passengers. Chamelecón is a Suburb of San Pedro Sula in Honduras. It came to world attention on 23 December 2004 when 28 people were Honduras in Spanish, República de Honduras) is a democratic republic in Central America. A note left at the crime scene claims the attack for a defunct guerrilla group, but suspicion immediately falls on the Mara Salvatrucha gang, and have since been convicted for the crime. Mara Salvatrucha are large gangs in Northern Central America and the United States. Gangsters redirects here For the computer game see Gangsters (video game. (BBC)
• A French United Nations worker in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is arrested for creating pornographic videos of young girls. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security The Democratic Republic of the Congo (République démocratique du Congo often referred to as DR Congo, DRC or RDC, and formerly known or referred to Pornography or porn is the explicit depiction of Sexual subject matter with the sole intention of sexually exciting the viewer (Washington Times) (The Times)
• United Nations troops from South Africa deploy in Democratic Republic of Congo to create a buffer zone between fighting factions. The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa The Democratic Republic of the Congo (République démocratique du Congo often referred to as DR Congo, DRC or RDC, and formerly known or referred to In geography a buffer zone is any zonal area that serves the purpose of keeping two or more other areas (often but not necessarily countries) distant from one another (Reuters)
• A powerful and unexpected series of snowstorms plow into the Ohio Valley dumping total snowfalls as high as 40-45". The Ohio River is the largest Tributary by volume of the Mississippi River. Many Interstates in the region become frozen parking lots as motorist are unable to move and get buried in snowfall. The snowstorms were so powerful that it snowed in Galveston, Texas. "Galveston" redirects here For the town in the US state of Indiana see Galveston Indiana.

December 24, 2004

• 400 m asteroid 2004 MN₄(later named 99942 Apophis in July 2005) is estimated to have a roughly one-in-forty chance of colliding with Earth in 2029. Events 563 - The Byzantine church Hagia Sophia in Constantinople is dedicated for the second time after being destroyed by Earthquakes "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International Asteroids, sometimes called Minor planets or planetoids', are bodies—primarily of the inner Solar System —that are smaller than planets but TemplateInfobox Planet. --> 99942 Apophis (əˈpɒfɪs previously known by its provisional designation 2029 ( MMXXIX) will be a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. Its Torino Scale rating is 4. The Torino Scale is a method for categorizing the impact hazard associated with Near-Earth objects (NEOs such as Asteroids and Comets It is intended as a (Space.com) (SpaceRef.com)
• The government of Indonesia announces a criminal investigation of five executives from Newmont Mining Corp., the world's largest gold mining company, based in Denver, Colorado, USA, on charges related to heavy-metal pollution. The Republic of Indonesia ( (Republik Indonesia is a Country in Southeast Asia. Newmont Mining Corporation ( based in Denver Colorado, USA, is one of the world's largest producers of Gold, with active mines in Nevada Gold (ˈɡoʊld is a Chemical element with the symbol Au (from its Latin name aurum) and Atomic number 79 The City and County of Denver (pronounced /ˈdɛnvɚ/ is the Capital and the most populous city of Colorado, in the United States The State of Colorado ( or chiefly by nonresidents) is a state located in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States of America. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

December 25, 2004

• Colombia's FARC guerrillas kidnap a group of between seven and ten holidaymakers from a spa resort near San Rafael, Antioquia. Events 274 - Roman Emperor Aurelian "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Colombia (kəˈlʌmbɪə officially the Republic of Colombia () is a country in northwestern South America. The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia – People’s Army (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia – Ejército del Pueblo also known by the Acronym of Guerrilla warfare is the unconventional warfare and combat with which a small group of combatants use mobile tactics (ambushes raids etc San Rafael is a town and municipality in Antioquia Department, Colombia. (BBC)
• The ESA's Huygens probe separates from NASA's Cassini spacecraft at approximately 02:00 UTC, with deployment confirmed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The European Space Agency ( ESA) established in 1975 is an intergovernmental organisation dedicated to the exploration of space, currently with 17 member Cassini–Huygens is a joint NASA / ESA / ASI Robotic spacecraft mission currently studying the planet Saturn and its The National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA, ˈnæsə is an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nation's public space program Cassini–Huygens is a joint NASA / ESA / ASI Robotic spacecraft mission currently studying the planet Saturn and its The probe will reach Saturn's moon Titan in 22 days, where it will make an atmospheric descent to the surface and relay scientific information. TemplateInfobox Planet.--> Titan (ˈtaɪtən, or as (Spaceflightnow)
• Queen Elizabeth II sends her annual Christmas Message to the UK and the Commonwealth. For the ship see RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Context States headed by Elizabeth II The Royal Christmas Message (currently coined The Queen's Speech) is broadcast by Queen Elizabeth II to the Commonwealth at Christmas. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Her theme is religious and cultural diversity and the benefits of a tolerant society. The term multiculturalism generally refers to a state of racial, cultural and ethnic diversity within the Demographics of a specified In a break from tradition, the Queen also sends a special radio Christmas Message to the UK armed forces – the first time she has made a separate radio broadcast. The Armed forces of the United Kingdom, commonly known as the British Armed Forces or Her Majesty's Armed Forces, and sometimes legally the Armed Forces (BBC) (BBC)
• Portions of South Texas have their first White Christmas ever as snow amounts measured from 1. South Texas is a region of the US state of Texas that lies roughly south of or beginning at San Antonio. 5" in Brownsville to over one foot in Victoria.

December 26, 2004

• The first survey of language use in the People's Republic of China reveals that 53% of its population can communicate in Standard Mandarin, the official spoken language of the country. Events 1481 - Battle of Westbrook - Holland defeats troops of Utrecht. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " A language is a dynamic set of visual auditory or tactile Symbols of Communication and the elements used to manipulate them Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES Standard Mandarin, also known as Standard Spoken Chinese, is the official modern Chinese spoken language used in mainland China and Taiwan (China Daily)

• An earthquake of magnitude 9.3, the strongest earthquake in 40 years, strikes in the Indian Ocean off the western coast of Sumatra. The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea Earthquake that occurred at 005853 UTC on December 26 2004 with an Epicentre off the west coast of An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth 's crust that creates Seismic waves Earthquakes are recorded with a Seismometer The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's Oceanic divisions covering about 20% of the water on the Earth 's surface Sumatra (also spelled Sumatera) is the sixth largest island in the world (approximately 470000 km² and is the largest island entirely in Indonesia (two While initial reports state that the resulting tsunamis killed approximately 100 people, by the end of the day this estimate has increased to over 14,000 people in coastal areas of Thailand, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, India, Bangladesh, Burma, Indonesia and Malaysia. A tsunami ((tsuːˈnɑːmi is a series of waves created when The Kingdom of Thailand (ˈtaɪlænd ราชอาณาจักรไทย, râːtɕʰa-ʔaːnaːtɕɑ̀k-tʰɑj Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka ( Sinhalese:, இலங்கை known as Ceylon before 1972 is an Island The Maldives ( or, or Maldive Islands) officially the Republic of Maldives, is an Island nation consisting of a group of atolls stretching India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country ( Bengali: বাংলাদেশ inc-Latn Bangladesh) officially Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar ( pjìdàunzṵ mjàmmà nàinŋàndɔ̀ is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia. The Republic of Indonesia ( (Republik Indonesia is a Country in Southeast Asia. For the biogeographical region see Malesia Malaysia (məˈleɪʒə or /məˈleɪziə/ is a country that consists of thirteen states and Tremors are also felt as far as Singapore, eastern countries of Africa, and north-western Australia. Singapore For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. A state of emergency is declared in Sri Lanka, where over 31,000 people are feared dead. (USGS) (CNN) (BBC) (The Star) (Wikinews) (Channel News Asia) (The Times of India)
• Ukrainians go to the polls in a rerun of the presidential runoff vote, supervised by about 12,000 international observers. Ukrainians (Українці Ukrayintsi,) are an East Slavic Ethnic group primarily living in Ukraine, or more broadly— Citizens The presidential election held in November and December 2004 in Ukraine was mostly a political battle between Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych Turnout is reported to be comparable to the two previous votes, just short of 55 percent at 1300 GMT. Early exit polls suggest opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko has won by a wide margin (Reuters) (Guardian) (BBC)

December 27, 2004

• In Mulhouse, France, a suspected gas explosion kills 17 people (BBC) (Scotsman)
• Newly discovered observations from March 2004 rule out the possibility that asteroid 2004 MN₄ (later named 99942 Apophis in July 2005) will hit Earth in 2029. Events 537 - The Hagia Sophia is completed 1512 - The Spanish Crown issues the Laws of Burgos, governing the "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Mulhouse (Mulhouse myluz Alsatian: Milhüsa or Milhüse, pronounced; Mülhausen i This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. This page is about the physical properties of gas as a state of matter An explosion is a sudden increase in Volume and release of Energy in an extreme manner usually with the generation of high Temperatures and the release March 2004: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September Asteroids, sometimes called Minor planets or planetoids', are bodies—primarily of the inner Solar System —that are smaller than planets but TemplateInfobox Planet. --> 99942 Apophis (əˈpɒfɪs previously known by its provisional designation 2005: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October 2029 ( MMXXIX) will be a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. (Space.com)
• The U.S. dollar hits a new low against the euro: USD 1. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been Please update other articles as well to avoid contradiction within Wikipedia e 3640 to EUR 1. 00. (AP)
• Ukrainian Transport Minister Heorhiy Kyrpa, a staunch supporter of Viktor Yanukovych, is found shot dead at his home just outside of Kiev. Ukraine (Україна Ukrayina, /ukrɑˈjinɑ/ is a country in Eastern Europe. Heorhiy Kirpa (Георгій Кірпа ( July 20, 1946 in Klubivka Khmelnytskyi Oblast - December 27, 2004 in Bortnychi near Viktor Fedorovych Yanukovych ( Ukrainian: Viktor Fedorovyč Janukovyč; Виктор Фёдорович Янукович (born on July 9, 1950 Kiev, also known as Kyiv ( Ukrainian:, Kyiv, ˈkɪjiw Russian:, Kiyev; see also Cities' alternative names) is the It is unclear whether he was murdered or committed suicide. (BBC) (Reuters)
• Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: Israeli police arrest Palestinian presidential candidate Mustafa Barghouti. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Palestinian people or Palestinians ( الشعب الفلسطيني, ash-sha`b al-filasTīni; الفلسطينيون, al-filasTīnīyyūn Mustafa Barghouti (مصطفى البرغوثي strict transliteration, also transcribed Mustafa Barghouthi, Mustafa Al Barghuthi, Dr Barghuthi A Jerusalem police spokesman says Mr Barghouti was "detained for questioning because he has the right to transit through Jerusalem but not be in Jerusalem itself". Jerusalem (יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, he-Latn Yerushaláyim; Arabic: ar القُدس, ar-Latn al-Quds) is the (BBC)
• The death toll from tsunamis resulting from the Indian Ocean earthquake is known to be at least 20,000 and possibly as high as 45,000. A tsunami ((tsuːˈnɑːmi is a series of waves created when The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea Earthquake that occurred at 005853 UTC on December 26 2004 with an Epicentre off the west coast of (BBC) London Free Press Independent Online
• Ukrainian opposition presidential candidate Viktor Yushchenko claims victory. Ukraine (Україна Ukrayina, /ukrɑˈjinɑ/ is a country in Eastern Europe. Viktor Andriyovych Yushchenko ( Ukrainian: Viktor Andrijovyč Juščenko) (born February 23 1954) is the third and current President of Official results may not come out for days. (Reuters) (BBC)
• Conflict in Iraq:
  • Iraq's main Sunni political movement, the Iraqi Islamic Party, withdraws from next month's general elections, citing the refusal to delay elections until all parts of Iraq could participate. The Iraq War, also known as the Second Gulf War, the Occupation of Iraq, or the War in Iraq, is an ongoing Military campaign For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. Sunni Islam is the largest denomination of Islam. Sunni Islam is also referred to as Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-Jamā‘h (Arabic Iraqi Islamic Party ( Hizb al-Islami al-Airaqi) is a Sunni Islamist Political party in Iraq originating from the Arab region (BBC)
  • 15 people are killed and dozens injured as a suicide bomber detonates his car in front of the home of Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, head of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, the country's most powerful Shia political group. This article is about suicide attacks for political and/or military reasons Sayyed Abdul Aziz al-Hakim (سید عبدالعزيز الحكيم (born 1950 is an Iraqi theologian and politician and the leader of SIIC, the largest political The Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council (SIIC ( Arabic: المجلس الأعلى الإسلامي العراقي (previously known as Supreme Council for the Islamic (BBC)

December 28, 2004

• The Shiveluch volcano on Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula erupts, causing a large earthquake and producing a 6,500 foot plume of hot ash. Events 1065 - Westminster Abbey is Consecrated. 1308 - The reign of Emperor Hanazono, Emperor of "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Shiveluch (Шивелуч is the northernmost active Volcano in Kamchatka Krai, Russia. Plate tectonics and hotspots Divergent plate boundaries At the Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth 's crust that creates Seismic waves Earthquakes are recorded with a Seismometer (Russian Information Agency) (Washington Times) (KVERT) (webcam)
• Israeli-Palestinian conflict
  • An Israeli unmanned drone attempts to kill two suspected Hamas militants in Khan Yunis allegedly on their way to launch an attack on Israelis in Gush Katif with mortar weapons. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV is an unpiloted Aircraft. UAVs can be remote controlled or fly autonomously based on pre-programmed flight plans or more complex dynamic Ḥamas (ar حركة حماس acronym ar حركة المقاومة Khan Yunis (خان يونس literally Jonah 's Inn) is a city and adjacent Refugee camp in the southern part of the Gaza Strip. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Gush Katif (גוש קטיף "Harvest Bloc" was a bloc of 17 Israeli settlements in the southern Gaza strip. A mortar is a muzzle-loading Indirect fire weapon that fires shells at low velocities short ranges and high-arcing ballistic trajectories
  • An Israeli tank fires a shell in Khan Yunis wounding at least nine Palestinians, including a 13-year-old boy. Palestinian people or Palestinians ( الشعب الفلسطيني, ash-sha`b al-filasTīni; الفلسطينيون, al-filasTīnīyyūn IDF officials say they were opening fire at the source of Qassam rockets fired by Palestinians that landed in Neve Dekalim. The Israel Defense Forces ( IDF) (צְבָא הַהֲגָנָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, lit Neve Dekalim (נוה דקלים was an illegal Israeli settlement in the Gush Katif settlement bloc in the Gaza Strip. No injuries are reported from the Qassam rocket attacks. (BBC) (Haaretz)
• Conflict in Iraq: In an apparent coordinated attack, insurgents raid a police station in Dijla and execute 12 police officers. The Iraq War, also known as the Second Gulf War, the Occupation of Iraq, or the War in Iraq, is an ongoing Military campaign An insurgency is a violent internal uprising against a sovereign government that lacks the organization of a revolution Three Iraqi policemen are shot at a checkpoint outside of Tikrit. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. Tikrit (تكريت Tikrīt also transliterated as Takrit or Tekrit) is a town in Iraq, located Four policemen and one national guardsman are gunned down at a police station in Ishaki. A local police commander is assassinated in Baquba. Baqubah ( BGN: Ba‘qūbah; also spelled Baquba and Baqouba) is the capital of Iraq 's Diyala Governorate. A car bomb detonated near a US-Iraqi military convoy in Samarra kills three national guardsmen and three civilians. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Sāmarrā ( Arabic, سامَرّاء) is a city in Iraq. It stands on the east bank of the Tigris All these attacks occurred in the Sunni Triangle. The Sunni Triangle is a densely-populated region of Iraq to the northwest of Baghdad that is inhabited mostly by Sunni Muslim Arabs (BBC)
• Jerry Orbach died of prostate cancer, at age 69. Jerome Bernard Orbach ( October 20 1935 – December 28 2004) was an American Tony Award -winning Actor,
• The death toll from tsunamis resulting from the Indian Ocean Earthquake is known to be at least 59,000 and still rising. A tsunami ((tsuːˈnɑːmi is a series of waves created when The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea Earthquake that occurred at 005853 UTC on December 26 2004 with an Epicentre off the west coast of (BBC)
• In Colombia, government soldiers search for at least seven people taken hostage by FARC rebels last Friday. Colombia (kəˈlʌmbɪə officially the Republic of Colombia () is a country in northwestern South America. The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia – People’s Army (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia – Ejército del Pueblo also known by the Acronym of Kidnappers have not made any demands as of yet. (BBC)
• Ukrainian presidential election: Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych challenges the result of the re-run of the presidential election and threatens to take the case to the Supreme Court. The presidential election held in November and December 2004 in Ukraine was mostly a political battle between Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych The Prime Minister of Ukraine (Прем'єр-міністр України Prem'ier-ministr Ukrayiny) presides over the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, which Viktor Fedorovych Yanukovych ( Ukrainian: Viktor Fedorovyč Janukovyč; Виктор Фёдорович Янукович (born on July 9, 1950 The Supreme Court of Ukraine (Верховний Суд України Verkhovny Sud Ukrayiny) is the highest judicial body in the system of courts of general jurisdiction in (Guardian) (BBC)
• An explosion at a scrap metal plant in Muskogee, Oklahoma, USA, explodes killing two workers. Muskogee is a City in Muskogee County, Oklahoma, United States. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The blast is felt about 50 miles away. The company is later fined for workplace violations[3][4].

December 29, 2004

• The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) announces its support for Mustafa Al-Barghouti in the 2005 Palestinian presidential election. Events 1170 - Thomas Becket: Thomas Becket Archbishop of Canterbury is assassinated inside Canterbury Cathedral by followers of King Henry II "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine ( PFLP) ( Arabic: الجبهة الشعبية لتحرير فلسطين al-Jabhah al-Sha`biyyah li-Tahrīr Mustafa Barghouti (مصطفى البرغوثي strict transliteration, also transcribed Mustafa Barghouthi, Mustafa Al Barghuthi, Dr Barghuthi The 2005 Palestinian presidential election &mdash the first to be held since 1996 &mdash took place on January 9, 2005 in the West Bank and Gaza (Al Jazeera) (BBC)
• For the fifth straight business day, the U.S. dollar hits a new low against the euro: 1. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been Please update other articles as well to avoid contradiction within Wikipedia e 3646 USD to 1 EUR. (AP)
• 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
  • The death toll from the Indian Ocean Earthquake and subsequent tsunamis on December 26 reaches more than 80,000. The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea Earthquake that occurred at 005853 UTC on December 26 2004 with an Epicentre off the west coast of This is a list of wars and human-made disasters by death toll. The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea Earthquake that occurred at 005853 UTC on December 26 2004 with an Epicentre off the west coast of A tsunami ((tsuːˈnɑːmi is a series of waves created when Events 1481 - Battle of Westbrook - Holland defeats troops of Utrecht. (washingtonpost.com)
  • The Red Cross issues a statement saying that the number of dead is likely to rise above 100,000. The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is an International humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million volunteers worldwide who stated (BBC)
  • The United States, Australia, Japan and India have formed an international coalition to lead aid efforts after the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea Earthquake that occurred at 005853 UTC on December 26 2004 with an Epicentre off the west coast of (BBC)
• Arab-Israeli Conflict: The Knesset passes a law against terrorism and against support of terrorism. For Beit Knesset a Jewish Place of worship, see Synagogue. The Knesset (כנסת lit Law is a system of rules enforced through a set of Institutions used as an instrument to underpin civil obedience politics economics and society Terrorism is the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion The controversial law prohibits funding terrorists. It also prohibits aiding the families of perceived terrorists and institutes inciting for terrorism. The law will give Israel the right to confiscate property and funds of any perceived terrorist organization, even though if they do not target Israel or Israelis. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. The law is part of the state's legal war against terrorism and was approved 62-6. The War on Terrorism (also known as the War on Terror) is the common term for the military political and legal, and ideological conflict and specifically for U (Haaretz)
• The Russian parliament passes a law abolishing several state holidays, including November 7, the anniversary of the 1917 October Revolution. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending The Federal Assembly of Russia (Russian Федеральное Собрание transliteration Federalnoye Sobraniye or Federalnoje Sobranije is the Legislature of the Events 1492 - The Ensisheim Meteorite the oldest Meteorite with a known date of impact strikes the Earth around noon in a Wheat Year 1917 ( MCMXVII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year The October Revolution (Октябрьская революция Oktyabrskaya revolyutsiya) also known as the Soviet Revolution (CNN)
• In Uganda, tribal leaders are trying to set up a meeting between the government and the Lord's Resistance Army. The Republic of Uganda is a Landlocked country in East Africa. (BBC)
• Colombian police announce that they have apprehended Dagoberto Flores Rios, a member of the Norte del Valle drug cartel. Colombia (kəˈlʌmbɪə officially the Republic of Colombia () is a country in northwestern South America. The Norte del Valle Cartel, or North Valley Cartel, is a Drug cartel which operates principally in the north of the Valle del Cauca department Drug cartels are Criminal organizations developed with the primary purpose of promoting and controlling drug trafficking operations The United States government had offered a $5 million reward for his capture of Niece B. The federal government of the United States is the central United States Governmental body established by the United States Constitution. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been (Jamaica Observer) (BBC)
• The Russian Aviation and Space Agency says that as of 2006, it will charge the U. The Russian Federal Space Agency ( Russian: Федеральное космическое агентство России Federal'noe kosmicheskoe agentstvo Rossii Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. S. for transporting astronauts to the International Space Station. (BBC)

December 30, 2004

• Israeli-Palestinian Conflict:
  • Nine Palestinians, including civilians, are killed in an Israeli army incursion into the Khan Younis refugee camp in the Gaza Strip. Events 1460 - Wars of the Roses: Battle of Wakefield. 1816 - The Treaty of St "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Palestinian people or Palestinians ( الشعب الفلسطيني, ash-sha`b al-filasTīni; الفلسطينيون, al-filasTīnīyyūn For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Khan Yunis (خان يونس literally Jonah 's Inn) is a city and adjacent Refugee camp in the southern part of the Gaza Strip. The Gaza Strip (قطاع غزة, רצועת עזה Retzu'at 'Azza) is a coastal strip of land along the Mediterranean Sea, bordering Egypt on the south-west During the raid the local Hamas commander is killed and two Israeli soldiers are slightly wounded. (BBC) (Haaretz)
  • Israel declares that a deal has been struck between Ariel Sharon and Shimon Peres to form a coalition government. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. (אריאל (שמעון פרס born Szymon Perski on August 2 1923, is the ninth President of the State of Israel. (BBC)
• In Sudan, the government and the rebel group SPLA have agreed to sign a ceasefire in Naiwasha on the road to a peace deal. Sudan (officially the Republic of Sudan) ( السودان al-Sūdān is a country in northeastern Africa. A ceasefire (or truce) is a temporary stoppage of a War or any Armed conflict, where each side of the conflict agrees The treaty would end the civil war that began in 1983. A civil war is a War between a State and domestic political actors that are in control of some part of the territory claimed by the state Year 1983 ( MCMLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar) (IAfrica) (News24) (BBC)
• The Ukrainian Central Election Commission rejects complaints of prime minister Viktor Yanukovych, who lost the presidential election. Ukraine (Україна Ukrayina, /ukrɑˈjinɑ/ is a country in Eastern Europe. Viktor Fedorovych Yanukovych ( Ukrainian: Viktor Fedorovyč Janukovyč; Виктор Фёдорович Янукович (born on July 9, 1950 (Reuters) (BBC)
• In Spain, parliament of the Basque regions favors increasing autonomy and eventual negotiated independence (Independent Online) (BBC)
• A Dutch court hands down the country's first fines to spammers. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. The Basque Country ( Basque Euskadi, Spanish País Vasco) is an autonomous community in northern Spain. Independence is the Self-government of a Nation, Country, or State by its residents and population or some portion thereof generally exercising The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands FINE was created in 1998 and is an informal association of the four main Fair Trade networks F Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International E-mail spam, also known as "bulk e-mail" or "junk e-mail" is a subset of spam that involves nearly identical messages sent to numerous recipients by (PCWorld) (DV Hardware)
• In Senegal, President Abdoulaye Wade signs a peace deal with separatist rebels in the Casamance region. Senegal (le Sénégal officially the Republic of Senegal, is a country south of the Sénégal River in western Africa. Abdoulaye Wade (born May 29 1926 is the third and current President of Senegal, in office since 2000 Separatism refers to the advocacy of a state of cultural ethnic tribal religious racial or gender separation from the larger group often with demands for greater political autonomy Casamance ( Casamança) is the area of Senegal south of The Gambia including the Casamance River. The war has lasted 22 years. (BBC) (News24)
• In Zimbabwe, four people are charged for selling secrets to unspecified foreign agents. See also Great Zimbabwe National Monument. For information about the March and June 2008 presidential elections see Zimbabwean presidential election They include former political allies to President Robert Mugabe. This page contains a list of presidents of Zimbabwe. Canaan Banana was a "figurehead" president but Mugabe has been an executive (Iafrica) (Reuters)
• The death toll from the Indian Ocean Earthquake and subsequent tsunamis on December 26 reaches more than 120,000 in 12 countries from Malaysia to Somalia; the Norwegian newspaper Verdens Gang reports a current total of 115,982 deaths. The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea Earthquake that occurred at 005853 UTC on December 26 2004 with an Epicentre off the west coast of Events 1481 - Battle of Westbrook - Holland defeats troops of Utrecht. Verdens Gang (directly translated The way of the world or the course of the world) commonly known as VG, is Norway The Malaysian News Agency reports the death toll in Sumatra may exceed 400,000. For the biogeographical region see Malesia Malaysia (məˈleɪʒə or /məˈleɪziə/ is a country that consists of thirteen states and Sumatra (also spelled Sumatera) is the sixth largest island in the world (approximately 470000 km² and is the largest island entirely in Indonesia (two According to the WHO, as many as five million people are at risk, with little water, food or shelter.
• The Canadian Food Inspection Agency reported what may be a second case of mad cow disease in a ten-year old dairy cow at the same time as the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced an end to their ban on imports of live Canadian cattle. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy ( BSE) commonly known as Mad-Cow Disease ( MCD) is a fatal Neurodegenerative disease in Cattle The United States of America —commonly referred to as the (International Herald Tribune) (Bloomberg)
• A fire in República Cromagnon, a nightclub in Buenos Aires, Argentina, kills 194 and injures 714. República Cromagnon ( Spanish for " Cro-Magnon Republic " was a Nightclub in Buenos Aires, Argentina. A nightclub (or "night club" or "club" is a drinking, dancing, and entertainment venue which does its primary business after dark Buenos Aires is the Capital and largest city of Argentina. It is geographically located on the southern shore of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. (Reuters) (CNN) (BBC)

December 31, 2004

• Colombia extradites FARC leader Simón Trinidad to the USA to face conspiracy, kidnapping, and drug trafficking charges. Events 406 – Vandals, Alans and Suebians cross the Rhine, beginning an invasion of Gallia. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Colombia (kəˈlʌmbɪə officially the Republic of Colombia () is a country in northwestern South America. The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia – People’s Army (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia – Ejército del Pueblo also known by the Acronym of Simón Trinidad (born July 30, 1950) is the Nom de guerre of Juvenal Ovidio Ricardo Palmera Pineda, a Colombian high-ranking The United States of America —commonly referred to as the (BBC)
• Ukraine's Viktor Yanukovych resigns from his post as Prime Minister. Ukraine (Україна Ukrayina, /ukrɑˈjinɑ/ is a country in Eastern Europe. Viktor Fedorovych Yanukovych ( Ukrainian: Viktor Fedorovyč Janukovyč; Виктор Фёдорович Янукович (born on July 9, 1950 (Reuters)
• Taipei 101, the world's tallest skyscraper, is officially opened by Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian. Taipei 101 ( POJ: Tai-pak yat-leng-yat is a 101-floor Landmark Skyscraper located in Xinyi District, Taipei, Taiwan REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES The President of the Republic of China ( is the Head of state of the Republic of China (ROC (commonly known as Taiwan since the 1970s Chen Shui-bian ( born October 12, 1950) is a Taiwanese politician and former President of the Republic of China. (CNN) (Washington Times)
• 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
  • Indonesia's ambassador to Malaysia, Rusdihardjo, claims that the death toll from the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake may eventually exceed 400,000 in Indonesia alone. The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea Earthquake that occurred at 005853 UTC on December 26 2004 with an Epicentre off the west coast of The Republic of Indonesia ( (Republik Indonesia is a Country in Southeast Asia. For the biogeographical region see Malesia Malaysia (məˈleɪʒə or /məˈleɪziə/ is a country that consists of thirteen states and The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea Earthquake that occurred at 005853 UTC on December 26 2004 with an Epicentre off the west coast of (Malaysia Star) (Washington Times)
  • The Canadian government pledges to match dollar-for-dollar the donations of private Canadian citizens, in addition to the $40,000,000 in federal funds already committed; so far, Canadians have donated CAD 20,000,000, mostly on-line. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The government also announces plans to forgive the debt of the tsunami ravaged nations. (GM) (CTV) (Ottawa Citizen)
  • The US government pledges $350,000,000 for relief. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been (BBC)
  • In 48 hours British charities have raised £45,000,000 from public donations; the UK government increases its donation from £15,000,000 to £50,000,000. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The Pound Sterling ( symbol £; ISO code: GBP) subdivided into 100 pence (singular penny) is the Currency (BBC)
• Israeli-Palestinian Conflict:
  • At least two Palestinians are killed when an Israeli aircraft fires a missile at the Khan Younis refugee camp in the Gaza Strip. Palestinian people or Palestinians ( الشعب الفلسطيني, ash-sha`b al-filasTīni; الفلسطينيون, al-filasTīnīyyūn For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Khan Yunis (خان يونس literally Jonah 's Inn) is a city and adjacent Refugee camp in the southern part of the Gaza Strip. The Gaza Strip (قطاع غزة, רצועת עזה Retzu'at 'Azza) is a coastal strip of land along the Mediterranean Sea, bordering Egypt on the south-west (BBC)
  • A 16-year-old Palestinian boy dies after being shot in Rafah, near the border with Egypt. Palestinian people or Palestinians ( الشعب الفلسطيني, ash-sha`b al-filasTīni; الفلسطينيون, al-filasTīnīyyūn Rafah (رفح is a Palestinian town in the Gaza Strip, on the Egyptian border and a nearby town on the Egyptian side of the border on the Sinai This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. (BBC)
• In Pakistan, president Pervez Musharraf announces that he will keep his additional role as an army chief. Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and General (ret Pervez Musharraf ( (born 11 August 1943 NI(M, HI(M, TBt, is the former Military dictator and President of He had previously stated that he would give it up. (Reuters) (Pakistan Dawn) (Times of India)
• North Korea announces that it may break off talks about the fate of the eight Japanese citizens it kidnapped in the 1980s. North Korea is the commonly used short form name for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (or DPRK) a State located in East Asia, For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Year 1980 ( MCMLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar) (Channel News Asia) (Mainichi Shimbun) (Reuters)
• The cabinet of Spain approves the Zapatero administration's bill to legalize same-sex marriage. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero (born 4 August 1960 better known by his maternal surname Zapatero (literally "shoemaker" in Spanish is the current Same-sex marriage in Spain was legalized in 2005 In 2004 the nation's newly elected Socialist government led by President José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero It will now go to the Cortes. The Cortes Generales ( Spanish for General Courts or Cortes Españolas, Spanish Courts) is the Legislature of Spain. [5]

News collections and sources

• Wikipedia:News collections and sources.
• Wikipedia:News sources - This has much of the same material organised in a hierarchical manner to help encourage NPOV in our news reporting.

References

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