May 5, 2005

May 5 2005 (Thursday)

* Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem Irineos is dismissed following a controversy over the leasing of church-owned lands to groups eager to increase the Jewish presence in the Old City of Jerusalem. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4517223.stm (BBC)]
* Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: An Israeli commander is suspended, pending a full inquiry, from his position following the deaths of two teenage cousins in Beit Lakia, near Ramallah, on May 4. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4516229.stm (BBC)]
* British polls open in the 2005 general election. Voters will elect 645 of the 646 members of the House of Commons. Most expect Tony Blair and his Labour Party to win, but both Michael Howard and the Conservative Party along with Charles Kennedy and the Liberal Democrats are expected to make major gains in Parliament. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/vote_2005/frontpage/4514981.stm (BBC)] [http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/europe/05/04/british.election/index.html (CNN)]
* An explosion outside the United Kingdom consulate in New York City occurs at 07:35 GMT. There were no reported injuries. Police say they have found fragments of an explosive device. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4516119.stm (BBC)] [http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2005-05-05T091211Z_01_CAS532507_RTRUKOC_0_USA-BRITAIN-BLAST.xml (Reuters)]
* The Indian Space Research Organization launches a mapping satellite, CARTOSAT-1 and an Amateur Radio satellite HAMSAT, into Earth orbit [http://www.tribuneindia.com/2005/20050506/main2.htm (Tribune)] [http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/cartosat1_launch_050505.html (Space.Com)] [http://www.hindustantimes.com/2005/May/05/181_1348803,0000.htm (Hindustan Times)] [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=scienceNews&storyID=8394337 (Reuters)]
* A Hong Kong court overturns convictions of 8 members of Falun Gong. [http://www.thestandard.com.hk/stdn/std/Front_Page.html (Standard)] [http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/05/05/news/hong.php (IHT)] [http://www.news.gov.hk/en/category/lawandorder/050505/html/050505en08003.htm (Law & Order, HK)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4515503.stm (BBC)]
* The government of Kazakhstan closes the pro-opposition paper "Respublica". [http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2005-05-05T133350Z_01_MCC548781_RTRUKOC_0_KAZAKHSTAN-NEWSPAPER.xml (Reuters)] [http://www.politinfo.com/articles/article_2005_05_5_4735.html (PolitInfo)]
* The Ugandan parliament votes in favour of holding a referendum on the return of multi-party democracy. Political opposition intends to boycott the referendum because they think that president Yoweri Museveni would use it stay in power. [http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L05671716.htm (Reuters AlertNet)] [http://allafrica.com/stories/200505050647.html (AllAfrica)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4515853.stm (BBC)]
* In Niger, anti-slavery activist Ilguilas Weila is charged with attempted fraud. [http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/IRIN/a14c1fe5c9c62c39703b54c17895e8fc.htm (Reuters AlertNet)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4515857.stm (BBC)]
* The Kansas evolution hearings, a six-day courtroom-style debate over how the origin of life should be taught in the state's public schools, open in Topeka. [http://premium.cnn.com/2005/EDUCATION/05/05/evolution.hearings.reut/ (CNN)]