June 29, 2005

June 29 2005 (Wednesday)

* The United States House of Representatives passes a $1.17 billion funding bill for Amtrak in fiscal year 2006, an amount that is still short of the $2 billion Amtrak was originally seeking. The funding was approved in an amendment to a more general transportation and treasury appropriations bill. The House also removed the requirement in the bill that would mandate Amtrak to end passenger train service on currently unprofitable routes. The funding has yet to be approved by the Senate.
* The United States Capitol in Washington D.C. was briefly evacuated due to an aircraft that entered restricted airspace.
* New York officials release the design for the signature building of the World Trade Center. The building will be called "The Freedom Tower" and shine a ray of light from its spire.
* In Spain, Manuel Fraga, the last politician from the era of Francisco Franco, loses in elections in Galicia.
* A Belgian jury finds two Rwandans, Etienne Nzabonimana and Samuel Ndashyikirwa, guilty of involvement in the Rwandan genocide.
* Hezbollah shells Israeli positions with mortars and rockets in the disputed Shebaa farms, wounding five soldiers and killing one, The Israeli military shelled areas around several villages in southern Lebanon and planes launched missiles. Israel intends to file a complaint against Lebanon and UNIFIL for failing to prevent aggression by Hezbollah.
* UN special envoy Anna Tibaijuka meets Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe, discussing about a recent urban crackdown that has left 300.000 people homeless
* In Serbia, Belgrade court convicts 10 officials from the government of Slobodan Milošević for an assassination attempt against then-opposition leader Vuk Drašković. they include special police commander Milorad Ulemek and chief of state security Radomir Marković [http://www.b92.net/english/news/index.php?&nav_category=&nav_id=32323&order=priority&style=headlines (B92)] [http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L2917587.htm (Reuters AlertNet)]
* In Ethiopia, government promises to rerun some elections in constituencies where there have been allegations of election fraud [http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=87&art_id=qw11200465849B231 (IOL)] [http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L29113303.htm (Reuters AlertNet)] Government also arrests four journalists who had criticized the government crackdown against protesters [http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L2960867.htm (Reuters AlertNet)]
* Venezuela forms Petrocaribe, an energy cooperation pact with 13 Caribbean states to supply them with cheaper oil. Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados opt out [http://www.caribbeannetnews.com/2005/06/30/regional.shtml (Caribbean Net News)] [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=8934470 (Reuters)] [http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000086&sid=aUHur910fpqA&refer=latin_america (Bloomberg)]
* International Federation for Human Rights demands that International Criminal Court investigate human rights abuses of Colombian paramilitary group Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC) [http://www.wpherald.com/storyview.php?StoryID=20050629-033304-3277r (World peace Herald)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4633955.stm (BBC)]
* In Liberia, Gyude Bryant, president of transitional government, states that he is going to use death penalty against those who commit gboyo human sacrifice, especially presidential candidates trying to boost their chances [http://www.liberianobserver.com/about_liberia/bryant_killings.html (Liberian Observer)] [http://allafrica.com/stories/200506290701.html (AllAfrica)] [http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/IRIN/e2296bcff107410f31d481a9f9ac9945.htm (Reuters AlertNet)]
* Giant sudoku puzzle appears near Bristol, England [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/bristol/somerset/4634471.stm (BBC)]