- April 20, 2005
"See also":
April 19, 2005 -April 2005 -April 21, 2005 ----
*Connecticut GovernorJodi Rell signs a bill making same-sex civil unions legal. Connecticut is now the secondU.S. state to legalize same-sex civil unions. [http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=688796 (ABC)]
*RTÉ News states thatPope Benedict XVI won "far more than the 77 votes" required to secure his election as pope. [http://www.rte.ie/news/2005/0420/pope.html (RTÉ)]
*Zacarias Moussaoui plans to plead guilty to charges in connection with theSeptember 11, 2001, attacks , which could bring him thedeath penalty . [http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=514&e=4&u=/ap/20050421/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/moussaoui (AP)]
*Conflict in Iraq :
** Over 50 human corpses have been removed from theRiver Tigris in past weeks. Some appeared to have theirthroat s cut, some others decapitated. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4465769.stm (BBC)]
** InHaditha , a town northwest ofBaghdad , at least 19 men are shot dead. The Interim Government maintains that they are the bodies of Iraqi soldiers and had been killed byinsurgents . [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4465769.stm (BBC)]
* ThePrime Minister of Italy ,Silvio Berlusconi , resigns so as to form a new government. He is expected to maintain the post of Prime Minister in this new government. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4464865.stm (BBC)]
* TheGovernment of Singapore 's approval for the building of twocasino s as part of integrated resorts inSingapore 's newdowntown , and onSentosa island ignites intense speculation on the likely winners from 19 submitted proposals, and caps off more than a year of moral debates in the traditionally conservative city. [http://www.thestandard.com.hk/stdn/std/World/GD20Wd04.html (The Standard)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4465411.stm (BBC)] [http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/143548/1/.html (CNA)]
* InIsrael ,Uriel Yitzhaki is arrested on allegations of selling passports for bribes. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4464149.stm (BBC)]
* A 5.8Richter scale earthquake hits northernKyūshū ,Japan . [http://www.japantoday.com/e/?content=news&cat=1&id=334772 (Japan Today)] [http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/143504/1/.html (Channel News Asia)] [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=8231215 (Reuters)] [http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000101&sid=a543A.2kPLKU&refer=japan (Bloomberg)]
* World renowned Japanese novelistFumio Niwa dies in Tokyo.
* Vice PresidentAlfredo Palacio is sworn in as new interimPresident of Ecuador , after Congress removes PresidentLucio Gutiérrez from office after a week of escalating street protests demanding his ouster.Riot police firetear gas at protesters who demand the resignation of president Gutiérrez. One man has died of a heart attack during the demonstration. [http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=686262 (ABC)] [http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/story.jsp?story=631171 (Independent)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4463551.stm (BBC)]
* TheUnited Nations Commission on Human Rights demands that government ofNepal restore civil liberties anddemocracy . [http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000080&sid=aZ8fLhzDNDts&refer=asia (Bloomberg)] [http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L20328587.htm (Reuters AlertNet)]
* Two members of the ruling MexicanNational Action Party post bail forAndrés Manuel López Obrador so he would not run a presidential campaign from jail. He cannot return to his post as mayor ofMexico City . [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=8245269 (Reuters)]
*Maurice Strong , CanadianUnited Nations representative, steps down due to allegations of involvement withTongsun Park andoil for food scandal. [http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2005/04/20/strong050420.html (CBC)] [http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N20251561.htm (Reuters AlertNet)]
*European Union representatives cancel meeting with aPakistan delegation because of the inclusion of hardlinerMaulana Sami ul-Haq , who allegedly has links to theTaliban . [http://pakistantimes.net/2005/04/20/top15.htm (Pakistan Times)] [http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_21-4-2005_pg1_2 (Daily Times)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4466019.stm (BBC)]
* Spanish officials state that they are "concerned" about an apparent disappearance ofSevero Moto , leader of an opposition political movement inEquatorial Guinea , who has lived in Spain in exile. His wife reported him missing. [http://allafrica.com/stories/200504200687.html (AllAfrica)] [http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/IRIN/b36f1c62f0b9439e47ec39f8298e7964.htm (Reuters AlertNet)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4464761.stm (BBC)]
* An explosion in a miningexplosives factory near theChambishi copper mine inZambia kills 46. [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=8240690 (Reuters)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4466321.stm (BBC)]
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