May 22, 2005

May 22, 2005 (Sunday)

* In Shenzhen, China, what is believed to be the largest urban demolition blast in China uses 1,500 lb (680 kg) of explosives to simultaneously topple 16 tower blocks. Because of misplaced charges, one tower does not topple, but is reduced from 14 stories to 12, and will have to be demolished manually. [http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-05/23/content_2990155.htm (Xinhua (Pictures))] [http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2005/5/22/latest/20050522174732&sec=latest (The Star (Malaysia))] [http://www.boston.com/news/world/asia/articles/2005/05/23/16_chinese_buildings_topple_in_demolition/ (Boston Globe)] .
* Ariel Sharon, the Prime Minister of Israel, was heckled and booed at a meeting to promote the planned Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip by several U.S. Jews. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4571821.stm (BBC)]
* Laura Bush, the First Lady of the United States, was heckled by both Israeli and Palestinian protesters as she visited the Wailing Wall and the outside of the Dome on the Rock. [http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/579363.html (Haaretz)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4570993.stm (BBC)]
* The British government declines a request from the families of soldiers killed in Iraq for an investigation into the legality of the war. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4567655.stm (BBC)] [http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0505220051may22,1,2838689.story?coll=chi-newsnationworld-hed (Chicago Tribune)]
* Israel arrests a 15-year-old Palestinian at a Hawara checkpoint, near Nablus, wearing a suicide bomb belt. [http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/578988.html (Haaretz)]
* German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder has declared that he will seek the next German federal election to be held this autumn, a year earlier than set out by the constitution, after the CDU and FDP defeated the Social Democrats (SPD), who were in coalition with the Greens, at the regional election in North Rhine-Westphalia. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4572903.stm (BBC)] .
* Elections in Mongolia: Former Prime Minister of Mongolia Nambariin Enkhbayar wins presidential election. [http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2005-05-23T051525Z_01_MOR318894_RTRUKOC_0_MONGOLIA.xml (Reuters)] [http://edition.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/asiapcf/05/22/mongolia.vote.ap/ (CNN)] [http://www.forbes.com/work/feeds/afx/2005/05/22/afx2046174.html (Forbes)] [http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-05/23/content_2990177.htm (Xinhua)]
* In Nepal, thousands of opposition supporters demonstrate against the rule of King Gyanendra and demand restoration of parliament. Royalist government is dismayed by EU and Indian demands to return to democracy [http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/DEL142214.htm (Reuters AlertNet)] [http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/B153352.htm (Reuters Alertnet)] [http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200505/s1374299.htm (ABC)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4570987.stm (BBC)]
* Egyptian police arrests Mahmud Ezzat, leader of banned Muslim Brotherhood. Various reports tell of different amounts (from 11 to 24) of other arrested members [http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/C6C7EBAE-D886-40D3-B747-6B08C0994124.htm (Al-Jazeera)] [http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=779533 (ABC)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4570421.stm (BBC)]
* Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez says he may consider breaking diplomatic ties with the USA if it will not extradite Luis Posada Carriles. [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=8567509 (Reuters] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4571957.stm (BBC)] [http://www.wpherald.com/storyview.php?StoryID=20050522-071209-4844r (World Peace Herald)]