- January 2006
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January 2006 : ← - January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December- →{| class="infobox" width="250"
- style="font-size: 133%; background-color: #DDDDDD; padding-top: 5px; padding-bottom: 5px"!Trials
-|Chile:Alberto Fujimori
Chile:Augusto Pinochet
Indonesia:Bali Nine
Iraq:Iraqi Special Tribunal
— Saddam Hussein, among others
Netherlands: ICTY
—Slobodan Milošević
Russia:Nur-Pashi Kulayev
UK: Leo O'Connor & David Keogh
U.S.:Tom DeLay
U.S.:Kenneth Lay andJeffrey Skilling
U.S.:Zacarias Moussaoui
U.S.:Brian Nichols 1 January 2006 (Sunday)*
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad accusesEurope an nations of trying to complete theHolocaust by creating a "Jewish camp"Israel in theMiddle East . "Don't you think that continuation ofgenocide by expellingJew s from Europe was one of their aims in creating a regime of occupiers ofAl-Quds (Jerusalem ) Isn't that an important question?" He went on to say that Europe should cede some of their territory for a Jewish state, and thatanti-Semitism has a long history in Europe, while Jews have lived peacefully amongMuslim s for centuries. [http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/iran;_ylt=Ajbv2RrXS9KDDeVtxqJxhm.s0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA3ODdxdHBhBHNlYwM5NjQ- (Reuters)]
*Russia-Ukraine gas dispute :Russia nnatural gas supplierGazprom cuts gas supplies toUkraine , following Ukraine's rejection of a 460% price increase. PresidentVladimir Putin had offered a three-month price freeze if Ukraine would agree to pay the higher price thereafter, but this was rejected. Ukraine currently pays US$50 per 1000 cubic metres, Russia claims the market rate is $230. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4572712.stm (BBC)]
*Tropical Storm Zeta continues activity in theAtlantic Ocean , becoming only the second North Atlantictropical cyclone to exist across two calendar years and extending the already historic2005 Atlantic hurricane season even further. [http://www.cnn.com/2006/WEATHER/01/01/tropical.weather.ap/index.html (CNN)]
* At least threeQassam rocket s landed in the westernNegev , despiteIsrael Defense Forces 'Operation Blue Skies . At least one Qassam rocket landed inSderot , in which the Red Dawn alert system was activated around 15:30. Two Qassam rockets landed in an open area nearIsrael i communities in the western Negev. In all the cases there were no injuries. [http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3193271,00.html (Ynetnews)]
*Residents brace as a second winter storm hits the region, a day after the first caused floods and mudslides acrossnorthern California . [http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-me-storm1jan01,1,7398730.story?coll=la-news-science (LA Times)] [http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060101/ap_on_re_us/western_storms;_ylt=An3Qgc8icbPJv_QotYovzU5vzwcF;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA-- (AP via Yahoo!)]2 January 2006 (Monday)*
Uganda n presidential candidateKizza Besigye is released from prison. Besigye was arrested on November 14 on treason and rape charges. [http://www.news24.com/News24/Africa/News/0,,2-11-1447_1857533,00.html (News24)]
* Thirteen U.S.coal mine rs are trapped after an underground explosion in Upshur County,West Virginia . [http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=1463285 (ABC)]
*Russia-Ukraine gas dispute : Countries across Europe report reductions in gas supplies afterRussia disconnected supplies toUkraine yesterday. Russia accuses Ukraine of stealing 100 million cubic metres of gas yesterday from pipelines transiting the country; Ukraine denies this but has previously claimed the right to 15% of the gas as a transit toll.Hungary reports supplies are down by 40%,France andItaly by 30%, andPoland by 14%.Germany , Russia's principal customer, also reports reductions. Russian supplierGazprom says that it will increase supplies and return them to normal by Tuesday night. [http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30000-1207577,00.html (Sky News)]
* Police are investigating the New Year's Day murder of Bryan Harvey, who with his wife and two young daughters were found dead with their throats slashed in the basement of their South SideRichmond, Virginia home, which was then set afire. Harvey was former singer and guitarist of 1980’s bandHouse of Freaks and his wife was the half-sister ofSteven Culp , who played Rex Van De Kamp on "Desperate Housewives ". The fire was discovered byJohnny Hott , HOF bandmate and drummer for the band Cracker [http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=1466025 (ABC)] [http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/379756p-322383c.html (New York Daily News)] [http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001772792 (Billboard)]
* Eleven people are killed when the roof of an ice rink collapse inBad Reichenhall , southernGermany , under the weight of recent snowfall, trapping some 50 skaters underneath. [http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/01/02/german.ice.rink/index.html?section=cnn_topstories (CNN)]
* Several exploits of a severe Windows security vulnerability are spreading over the Internet, permitting compromise of any Windows computer merely by viewing a maliciously crafted image on awebsite or ine-mail orinstant messaging . No patch from Microsoft is available, however an unofficial patch exists [http://www.hexblog.com/2005/12/wmf_vuln.html] . The vulnerability affects every version of Windows, potentially affecting more computers than any prior computer security vulnerability in history. [http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/advisory/912840.mspx (Microsoft)] [http://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/181038/ (CERT)] [http://it.slashdot.org/it/06/01/01/1550258.shtml (Slashdot)] [http://isc.sans.org/diary.php?storyid=991 (Sans)] [http://www.f-secure.com/weblog/archives/archive-122005.html#00000757 (F-Secure)]
* The leader of theMao ist guerrillas inNepal issued a statement that his group, the "People's Liberation Army," will resume its war with the monarchy after a four month truce. [http://www.newkerala.com/news.php?action=fullnews&id=77696 (New Kerala)]
* Severe storms affectedEast Java ,Indonesia , leading to flooding andlandslide s. At least 57 people are believed to have been killed in the flooding and up to a further 200 people were assumed to be buried alive in the town of Cijeruk 350 kilometers east ofJakarta . [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4579440.stm (BBC)]3 January 2006 (Tuesday)*U.S. pilots targeting a house outside of Baghdad where they believed insurgents had taken shelter killed a family of 12. [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/03/AR2006010300524.html?sub=AR (Washington Post)]
*Israel i television claims that Police inTel Aviv found evidence that provesPrime Minister of Israel Ariel Sharon 's family took bribes while Sharon was running for the leadership of theLikud Party . An aide dismissed the allegations. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4579156.stm (BBC)]
* Sago Mine disaster: InWest Virginia , USA, family members now say only one trapped miner has been brought out alive from the collapsedcoal mine . All 12 others are dead. Earlier news reports, at approximately 10:30 p.m. EST, indicated that 12 miners were found alive. Rescue crews found one body late Tuesday after 13 miners were trapped following an explosion on Monday. [http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060104/ap_on_re_us/mine_explosion (Yahoo!)] [http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=1468437 (ABC)]
*Russia-Ukraine gas dispute : TheRussia n and Ukrainian natural gas companies agree to end their dispute and resume gas supply to Ukraine under a complex price scheme in which OAO Gazprom will sell gas to the Rosukrenergo trading company (owned byGazprom Bank and Raiffeisen Bank) for US$230 (E195) per 1,000 cubic meters as of Jan. 1, and Ukraine will buy gas from the company for US$95 (E80). [http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/01/04/business/web.0401gas.php (IHT)]
* Chinesejournalist andwhistleblower Jiang Weiping , who was jailed in2000 for violating theState Secrets Law on charges of "subversion," is released after the one year left on his prison sentence is commuted. In1999 Jiang wrote two articles for aHong Kong magazine accusingBo Xilai , who at the time was governor ofLiaoning province, but is now China'seconomic minister , of covering up corruption. [http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060103/ap_on_re_as/china_jailed_journalist (Reuters)]
* Conflict in Iraq: 6 members of the same family of 14 have been confirmed killed following a U.S.airstrike in NorthernIraq . [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4577578.stm (BBC)]
*Israeli-Palestinian Conflict :Israel Police preventsPalestinian s inEast Jerusalem from campaigning in the upcomingElections in the Palestinian National Authority . [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4578210.stm (BBC)]
* Rescue workers are still battling to find survivors after the roof of an ice rink collapsed inBad Reichenhall , southernGermany , leaving at least 10 people dead, some of themchildren . It is thought many are still trapped under the rubble. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4576588.stm (BBC)]
* Bidding continues in an international auction for Canadian steel companyDofasco Inc. , Hamilton, Ont. -- the latest bid, C$4.9 billion, came Tuesday from German steelmakerThyssenKrupp AG. [http://www.cbc.ca/story/business/national/2006/01/03/dofascobid-060103.html (CBC Business News)]
* Four years after defaulting on itsexternal debt ,Argentina pays its USD 9.57 billion debt with theIMF . [http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2006-01-04T003215Z_01_KWA401900_RTRUKOC_0_US-ECONOMY-ARGENTINA-IMF.xml&archived=False (Reuters)]
*Jack Abramoff of theJack Abramoff lobbying and corruption scandal pleads guilty to federal conspiracy, fraud and tax evasion charges. According to NPR, this puts Abramoff on the prosecutor's side and he is expected to cooperate in the continuing investigation that could involve "up to 20 members of Congress" [http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5081540 (NPR)] . The court filing is available as a PDF here: [http://www.npr.org/documents/2006/jan/abramoff_charges.pdf]
*Mirant Corp.,Atlanta, Georgia , a power generation company that filed for bankruptcy court protection inJuly 2003 , emerges from chapter 11 status after converting more than $6 billion of debt and liabilities into equity. [http://investors.mirant.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=122501&p=irol-newsArticleCurrent&ID=799953&highlight= (company website)]4 January 2006 (Wednesday)*
Turkey announces two confirmed human cases of the avian influenza. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4582654.stm (BBC)]
* TheKing of Saudi Arabia , Abdullah al-Saud, offers to pay for repairs to the Jama Masjid inDelhi ,India . The King also offers to fund education in India. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4581056.stm (BBC)]
*Conflict in Iraq : At least 50 die following a series of insurgent attacks acrossIraq , including asuicide bomb at aShia funeral which left 36 mourners dead. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4582272.stm (BBC)]
* Israeli Prime MinisterAriel Sharon , 77, suffers "a significant stroke". He is currently "underanesthesia and receiving breathing assistance". Power is transferred to his deputy, Vice MinisterEhud Olmert . [http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/01/04/sharon/index.html (CNN)]
*Dow Jones & Co. , one of the world's most important financial publishers, announces its new CEO,Richard Zannino , takes over fromPeter Kann . Since Mr. Zannino is not a reporter, this breaks a century-old tradition of keeping newsmen at the helm. [http://www.nysun.com/article/25319 (New York Sun)]
* A leaked intelligence report states thatIran has been "successfully scouringEurope " for the equipment needed to create anuclear bomb , as well as parts for aballistic missile . [http://www.guardian.co.uk/iran/story/0,12858,1677542,00.html (The Guardian)]
* Fourteen people are killed, with many more feared dead, after a landslide destroys a village in Java afterflash flood s in the region. It is the second such incident in the region within a week. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4579440.stm (BBC)]
* Fourteen people are now confirmed dead in theBad Reichenhall ice rink roof collapse , with one person still trapped in the rubble. [http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/international/AP-Germany-Roof-Collapse.html?ex=1137042000&en=bdf8348a564d25b5&ei=5040&partner=MOREOVERNEWS (New York Times)]
*Israeli-Palestinian Conflict :
**Israel shells eight roads inPalestinian areas of theGaza Strip . [http://www.imemc.org/content/view/15884/1/ (IMEMC)]
** SevenQassam rocket s are fired on civilianIsrael i targets byPalestinian insurgents. Two rockets land near a gas station on a road leading to theIsrael i town ofSderot , and another five land near Kibbutz Zikim. There are no reports of injuries or damage. [http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,/index.php?yyyy=2006&mm=01&dd=05&nav_id=184338&nav_category=16 (B92)]5 January 2006 (Thursday)*
Peru recallsCarlos Urrutia , itsambassador toVenezuela , afterVenezuelan President Hugo Chávez praises Peruvian presidential hopefulOllanta Humala for his left-leaning policies. A spokeswoman for the PeruvianForeign Ministry stated, "There are concerns of political meddling in Peru's electoral affairs and comments by President Chávez were out of place." [http://au.news.yahoo.com/060105/15/xh1r.html (Yahoo! News)]
* The leader of Britain's Liberal Democrat Party,Charles Kennedy , admits being treated for alcohol-related problems for the last 18 months but has not drunk for the last two months. The revelation comes following mounting criticism of his leadership from party MPs. He calls a party leadership election, in which he will stand. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4582930.stm (BBC)]
* At least 130 people have died followinginsurgent attacks on theIraq i cities ofKerbala andRamadi . [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4583232.stm (BBC)]
* At least 76 people have died following the collapse of a five story hotel inMecca . The death toll is expected to rise. Most of the dead are foreignMuslim pilgrims who had made their way there for theHajj . [http://www.forbes.com/home/feeds/ap/2006/01/06/ap2433373.html (Forbes)]
*Hewlett-Packard , a computer manufacturing giant, and aprivate equity firm, theBlackstone Group , may bid forComputer Sciences Corporation , according to anonymous sources cited by "The Wall Street Journal ". [http://www.thestreet.com/tech/hardware/10260196.html (thestreet.com)]6 January 2006 (Friday)*
Janjaweed militants cross theSudan ese border intoChad and attack the villages of Boroto, Ade, and Moudaina, killing nine and seriously wounding three others. Chad once again warns Sudan that it will retaliate for attacks by Janjaweed andUFDC rebel attacks. [http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L0644250.htm (Reuters)]
*2005 Kashmir earthquake : SOS Children reportgastroenteritis ,pneumonia andbronchitis rife in emergency camps as landslides block route toMuzaffarabad . The organization now has a total of 106 children with missing parents in its care. [http://www.soschildrensvillages.org.uk/charity-news/pakistan-earthquake-6-jan.htm SOS]
*ThePeople's Republic of China announces that the last surviving member of the Gang of Four,Yao Wenyuan , died onDecember 23 ,2005 . [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4586896.stm (BBC)]
* Zapatistas, led bySubcomandante Marcos , begin a six-month nationwide tour ofMexico to unite social movements for positive change. The tour coincides with presidential election campaigns. Marcos claims that the all the party candidates are liars and criminals who don't care about the Mexican people. [http://news.scotsman.com/international.cfm?id=7102006 (Scotsman)]
* A third child from the same family in easternTurkey dies ofH5N1 avian influenza . Hülya Koçyiğit, 11, was the sister of Mehmet Ali, 14, who died last weekend, and of Fatma, 15, who died on Thursday. She was the third human fatality outsideChina andSouth-East Asia . A six-year-old brother is also being treated for the same disease. [http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200601/s1543129.htm (Reuters)] [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,25149-1972496,00.html (Times)]
* Israeli Prime MinisterAriel Sharon successfully undergoes a third round ofsurgery to correct a rise incranial pressure. [http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060106/ap_on_re_mi_ea/israel_sharon_123 (AP)]
*TheSupreme Court of India denies access to theAlang port to the French warship Clemenceau since it contains tonnes ofasbestos . [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4588922.stm (BBC)]7 January 2006 (Saturday)* Four suspected militants fatally shoot two border-
police men in the back at a crowded weekend market inYala province ,Thailand , where theSouth Thailand insurgency continues since an increase in violence in January 2001. [http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2006/01/08/headlines/index.php?news=headlines_19602030.html (The Nation)]
* The head of the UNpeacekeeping force inHaiti , GeneralUrano Teixeira da Matta Bacellar , is found dead. UN officials believe his death to be suicide. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4590700.stm (BBC News)]
*Charles Kennedy , Leader of the Liberal Democrats, the third-largest political party in theUnited Kingdom , announces his resignation with immediate effect after unprecedented criticism from his party's MPs. This comes despite previous vows to stand in the leadership election he declared two days earlier. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4590688.stm (BBC News)]
* ThirteenSri Lanka n soldiers are killed when a boat manned by Tamil Tiger rebels and filled with explosives rammed into a naval ship in the port city ofTrincomalee . [http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/01/06/srilanka.attack/index.html (CNN)]
* Theprime minister of Israel Ariel Sharon has been transferred to a radiography theater to undergo aCT scan to determine the level of pressure on hisbrain . [http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3196098,00.html (Ynetnews)]
*A US militaryhelicopter UH-60 Blackhawk has crashed in northernIraq nearTalafar . All 12 persons on board have been killed. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4592622.stm (BBC)]
* Thepresident of Poland Lech Kaczyński performed a motion tabled by the prime ministerKazimierz Marcinkiewicz and dismissed the minister of financeTeresa Lubińska , nominating on her placeZyta Gilowska and giving her a position ofdeputy premier .8 January 2006 (Sunday)* An estimated two million
Muslim s officially begin the annual pilgrimage, orhajj , inMecca ,Saudi Arabia [http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/01/08/hajj/index.html (CNN)] .
*Singapore holds its largest civil counter-terrorism exercise, codenamedExercise Northstar V , simulating bombing and chemical attacks at four Mass Rapid Transit stations and a bus interchange. Thirteen MRT stations and part ofToa Payoh Bus Interchange are closed for three hours, causing travel disruptions for over 15,000 commuters and triggering a response from some 2,000 personnel from 22 governmental organizations. [http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/187113/1/.html (CNA)]
*A strongearthquake measuring 6.7 on themoment magnitude scale hitsGreece at 13:34. The earthquake'sepicentre was in the sea region 25 km east of the island ofKythira , about 200 km south ofAthens . Although it was felt as far asSicily , southItaly ,Egypt , andAmman inJordan , it was not disastrous due to its deephypocentre and the sea-bed epicentre. Little damage (mainly in Kythira) and few light injuries are reported. [http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/01/08/greece.quake/index.html (CNN.com)] [http://earthquake.usgs.gov/recenteqsww/Quakes/ushrak.htm (USGS)]9 January 2006 (Monday)*
General Sir Michael Rose, formerUnited Nations commander in Bosnia, has told theBBC that British Prime MinisterTony Blair should be "impeached " over thewar in Iraq . [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/4594216.stm (BBC)]
*Ahmad Kazemi , the top commander ofIran 's Revolutionary Guards ground forces, and ten others have been reportedly killed when their plane crashed in northwestern Iran. [http://www.irna.ir/en/news/view/line-24/0601094219124916.htm (IRNA)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4594104.stm (BBC)]
*ThePrime Minister of Israel Ariel Sharon has started breathing independently after doctors reduced the inflow ofanaesthetic drugs in an attempt to waken the prime minister from deepsedation . [http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3197415,00.html (Ynetnews)]
*U.S.Vice President Dick Cheney was hospitalized when he complained of breathing trouble. He was later released from the hospital. [http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060109/ap_on_go_pr_wh/chaney_hospitalized (AP via Yahoo!)]
*Howard Stern debuted on Sirius Satellite Radio, ending a nearly 30 year run on terrestrial radio.
*The Phantom of the Opera surpassed Cats as the longest runningBroadway musical with its 7,486th performance.10 January 2006 (Tuesday)*The defence lawyer in the
O'Connor - Keogh official secrets trial is shown the secretAl Jazeera bombing memo and declares that it posed no threat to national security. He vows to have it made public by the court. The case will return to court on January 24. [http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1683576,00.html (The Guardian)] [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2006/01/11/MNGKHGLEFB1.DTL (San Francisco Chronicle)]
*Amnesty International claims torture and ill-treatment of terrorist suspects on the fourth anniversary of detainees being held without charge atCamp Delta in Guantanamo Bay,Cuba . [http://www.forbes.com/business/feeds/afx/2006/01/10/afx2442123.html (Forbes)]
*Japan ese whalers and anti-whaling environmental groups continue to clash inAntarctic waters nearAustralia , as calls for the Australian Government to intervene intensify. [http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200601/s1545006.htm (ABC)]
*Ukraine 's parliament dismisses theCabinet over its gas deal withRussia . [http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060110/wl_nm/ukraine_government_dc (Yahoo!)]
*Iran 's standoff from the UN and the west deepens as the UN seals on theNatanz nuclear processing plant are broken. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4599552.stm (BBC)]
*British Prime MinisterTony Blair sets out hisRespect agenda . [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4600156.stm (BBC)]
*A fifteenth case ofH5N1 is reported inTurkey . However, the Turkish government declares that the virus is "under control". [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4599590.stm (BBC)]
*ThePakistan i army announces that seven soldiers and fourteen suspected militants have been killed in fighting in theWaziristan area. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4597630.stm (BBC)]11 January 2006 (Wednesday)*The first ministerial meeting of the
Asia-Pacific Partnership for Clean Development and Climate begins inSydney ,Australia . [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4597760.stm (BBC)]
*Aknife -wielding man enters asynagogue inMoscow and stabs at least eight people. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4603296.stm (BBC)]
*In Georgia,Vladimir Arutinian is convicted of the attemptedassassination of U.S. PresidentGeorge W. Bush and terrorist charges and sentenced withlife imprisonment . [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4603802.stm (BBC)]12 January 2006 (Thursday)*The foreign ministers of Britain,
France , andGermany declare that negotiations withIran over its nuclear program have reached a "dead end." They recommend that Iran be referred to theUnited Nations Security Council , where the nation may facesanctions . [http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=1499313 (ABC)]
*A stampede during the Stoning the Devil ritual on the last day at theHajj in Mina,Saudi Arabia , kills at least 362Muslim pilgrim s. A similar crush claimed 244 pilgrims' lives at the same spot in 2004. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4608368.stm (BBC)]
*Mehmet Ali Ağca , who tried to assassinatePope John Paul II in 1981, is released from jail. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4604362.stm (BBC)]
*The French warship Clemenceau reachesEgypt and is barred access to theSuez Canal . TwoGreenpeace activists board the ship. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4605374.stm (BBC)]13 January 2006 (Friday)*The U.S.
CIA attempts to killAyman al-Zawahiri by bombing Damadola,Pakistan , a village near theAfghanistan border. The attack kills at least 18 people: eight men, five women and five children. Anonymous U.S. government sources claim he was invited to a feast in the village, but did not attend. [http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/01/14/alqaeda.strike/index.html (CNN)]
*Augustine Volcano inAlaska has erupted five times in the past three days, the first eruptions in nearly two decades. The island is uninhabited. [http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/01/0113_060113_alaska_volcano.html (National Geographic)]
*Tyco International announces that it will split itself into three companies, spinning off Tyco Healthcare and Tyco Electronics. [http://www.tyco.com/livesite/Page/Tyco/Who+We+Are/Press+Center/Press+Releases+Details/??&DCRID=621740718 (Tyco)]15 January 2006 (Sunday)* President
Mwai Kibaki ofKenya has declared the ongoing drought a national disaster and has appealed for US$150 million to feed the hungry. 2.5 million people have been left close to starvation due to the lack of rains over the last three years and corrupt officials who steal food aid. [http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L14235639.htm (Reuters)]
*Russia andUkraine are set to enter more diplomatic troubled waters over the alleged occupation of alighthouse in theBlack Sea . [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4613102.stm (BBC)]
*Kim Jong-il , the leader ofNorth Korea , is alleged to have made a journey to China as part of a fact-finding mission in the region. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4614848.stm (BBC)]
* Doctors perform atracheotomy onAriel Sharon , thePrime Minister of Israel , hoping this will help his recovery from a recentstroke . [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4614940.stm (BBC)]
* The first round of voting in the Presidential election in Finland was held with no conclusive victor.Tarja Halonen andSauli Niinistö will continue to the second round which is held29 January . [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4614100.stm (BBC)]
*Michelle Bachelet is elected the first femalePresident of Chile . [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4613864.stm (BBC)]
* The Stardust spacecraft has successfully landed in theDugway Proving Ground after collecting dust samples from thecomet Wild 2 . It is the first time extraterrestrial samples other than of the moon have been collected and the Stardust spacecraft is the fastest man-made object to re-enter the Earth's atmosphere. [http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060115/ap_on_sc/comet_return (AP)]
* TheUnited Kingdom :Tony Blair to grant new powers to spy on Members of Parliament. [http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/article338691.ece (Independent)]
*The French warship Clemenceau's transit through theSuez Canal is approved byEgypt ian authorities. This decision is heavily criticized byGreenpeace and other environmental groups. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4615662.stm (BBC)]
*Canadiandiplomat Glyn Berry is killed and two Canadian soldiers critically injured by a bomb blast inAfghanistan . He is the first Canadian diplomat to be killed on duty. [http://www.cbc.ca/story/world/national/2006/01/15/afghan-deaths060115.html (CBC)]
* The rulingemir ofKuwait , SheikhJaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah , dies at age 79.Kuwait 's cabinet names crown prince SheikhSaad Al-Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah as the new emir. [http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/C8E8568F-1BA7-499C-9700-0FB1629867BD.htm (Al-Jazeera)]
*The Foreign Ministry ofIran announced it will hold a conference to evaluate the validity of theHolocaust , which PresidentMahmoud Ahmadinejad recently referred to as a "myth". [http://www.cbc.ca/story/world/national/2006/01/15/iran-holocaust-060115.html (CBC)]16 January 2006 (Monday)*Former United States President
Gerald Ford is hospitalized withpneumonia . [http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/01/16/ford.hospitalized/index.html (CNN)]
*Rizgar Mohammed Amin , the chief judge in theSaddam Hussein trial, tenders his resignation, following criticism of his handling of the trial. [http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006%5C01%5C16%5Cstory_16-1-2006_pg4_1 (Daily Times)]
* TheUnited Nations appeals for US$240 million of food aid forWest Africa to feed at least 10 million people affected by the food crisis, with Niger being the worst-affected country. [http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L16774239.htm (Reuters)]
*Adockworker s' strike inEurope has thousands of workers off the job in protest over proposed liberalization ofEuropean Union rules on port services. A demonstration outside theEuropean Parliament inStrasbourg leaves twelve French police officers injured. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4617262.stm (BBC)]
*Former US Vice PresidentAl Gore blasts current PresidentGeorge W. Bush 's policy of spying on American citizen conversations with suspected overseas terrorists, saying President Bush "repeatedly and persistently" broke the law in connection with theNSA warrantless surveillance controversy , says theUnited States Constitution is in danger. [http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nation/3590307.html (Houston Chronicle)] [http://rawstory.com/news/2005/Text_of_Gore_speech_0116.html (Text of Speech)]
*ThePremier of Western Australia ,Geoff Gallop , resigns his office after announcing he is suffering from depression. [http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200601/s1548426.htm (ABC Australia)]
*At least 27 people are killed in two suicide bombings inAfghanistan . [http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/01/16/afghanistan.bomber/index.html (CNN)]
*Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf is sworn in asLiberia 's newpresident . She becomesAfrica 's first female elected head of state. [http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/africa/01/16/liberia/index.html (CNN)]
*Nine people die after jumping from a burning eight-story office building in the Russian city ofVladivostok amid allegations of blocked emergency exits and fire code violations. [http://www.cbc.ca/story/world/national/2006/01/16/russian-fire060116.html (CBC)]
*Iran bansCNN from the country after a translator mistranslated a remark by PresidentMahmoud Ahmadinejad , in which he defended Iran's right tonuclear energy . The comment was translated as the right to constructnuclear weapon s. [http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=1510680 (ABC News)]
*Iraq 's electoral commission rules Monday that more than 99 percent of the ballots from the Dec. 15 parliamentary elections are valid, opening the way for a new government to start coming together. [http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/01/16/ap/world/mainD8F60D083.shtml (CBS News)]17 January 2006 (Tuesday)* The U.S. Supreme Court rules in "
Gonzales v. Oregon " by a 6-3 vote thatOregon 's "Death with Dignity Act" providing forphysician-assisted suicide is consistent with the federalControlled Substances Act . [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4621328.stm (BBC)]
* Kidnappers of journalistJill Carroll demand that the United States release all female Iraqi prisoners within 72 hours. [http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/01/17/iraq.journalist/ (CNN)]
* TwoJordan ian peacekeepers, serving as part of theUnited Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti , have been killed by gunfire inPort-au-Prince . [http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2006-01-17T184514Z_01_N17348250_RTRUKOC_0_UK-HAITI-UN.xml (Reuters)]
* InCôte d'Ivoire , supporters of PresidentLaurent Gbagbo attack United Nations peacekeepers after theIvorian Popular Front withdraws from theIvorian Civil War peace process. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4620838.stm (BBC)]
*South Korea n scientistHwang Woo-suk has been offered a job atClonaid studying human embryonic stem cell lines. Clonaid is a subsidiary of thecult known as the Raelians, who believe that cloning is the first step towardimmortality . [http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060117/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_science_korea_offer;_ylt=Ash9yxQk9Kv5KQiChwsSxeys0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA3NW1oMDRpBHNlYwM3NTc- (Reuters)]
* A draft of the new version (3) of theGNU General Public License is released. The "new" version has provisions blocking GPL code from being used in, or "secured" by,digital rights management schemes. The "Freeness" provisions also restricts thepatent rights coder s can claim in their GPL-licensed programs. [http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,70028-0.html?tw=rss.index (wired)] [http://gplv3.fsf.org/draft (text of draft)]
* An original manuscript of theChán Buddhist "Wu Men Guan " ("Mumonkan") dated to1246 is exhibited online by thei4uuu museum . [http://www.emediawire.com/releases/2006/1/emw333951.htm (eMediaWire)]
* Taiwanese PremierFrank Hsieh announces his resignation following the defeat of theDemocratic Progressive Party in recent elections. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4619216.stm (BBC)]
*Japan ese companyHuser 's presidentSusumu Ojima receives asummons of awitness by the Diet because of suspicions etc that he instructed one-class authorized architectHidetsugu Aneha to reduce quantity ofreinforced concrete . [http://www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5?nn20060118a1.htm (The Japan Times Online)]18 January 2006 (Wednesday)*
Human Rights Watch in its annual report strongly condemns theUnited States , saying "it became disturbingly clear that the abuse of detainees had become a deliberate, central part of the Bush administration's strategy of interrogating terrorist suspects". [http://www.cbc.ca/cp/world/060118/w011840.html (CBC)] ( [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4624578.stm BBC News] ) ( [http://www.hrw.org/english/docs/2006/01/13/global12428.htm Human Rights Watch press info] )
* TheTokyo Stock Exchange closes 20 minutes early due to a flood of sell orders overwhelming the capacity of its trading system. [http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060118/ap_on_bi_ge/japan_markets (AP/Yahoo!News)]
*Bangladesh i UN peacekeepers are attacked byLaurent Gbagbo 's "Young Patriots" inCôte d'Ivoire . At least three people have been killed, and the UN has warned that the country is sliding towardswar . [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4626100.stm (BBC)]
*China has recorded its sixth death from the avian flu virus, according to a report on the Chinese Health Ministry's Web site. [http://edition.cnn.com/2006/HEALTH/01/18/birdflu.wrap/index.html (CNN)]
*North Korean leaderKim Jong-il says he is committed to a peaceful resolution of the standoff over his country's nuclear ambitions. [http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/01/18/ap/world/mainD8F74N601.shtml (CBS)]
*A building collapses on the outskirts ofNew Delhi on Wednesday, trapping at least 15 people in the rubble. [http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/01/18/india.collapse.ap/index.html (CNN)]
*SuspectedTamil Tiger rebels have ambushed a navy bus inSri Lanka 's northeast, injuring six sailors and a civilian. [http://www.cbc.ca/story/world/national/2006/01/17/srilanka060117.html (CBC)]
*Two people who conspired to extort money fromWendy's by planting a severed finger in a bowl of chili and then suing the restaurant are sentenced to about ten years each in prison. [http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060118/wendys_chili_jail_060118/20060118?hub=World (CTV)]19 January 2006 (Thursday)*
Al Jazeera airs an audiotape fromOsama bin Laden sayingal-Qaeda is making preparations for attacks in theUnited States but offering a "long-term truce" to rebuildIraq andAfghanistan . [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10924015/ (MSNBC)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4629858.stm (BBC)]
*Iran warns of a world oil crisis if sanctions are imposed over its nuclear program even as theUnited States andEurope struggle to get support forUN Security Council action. [http://www.afp.com/english/news/stories/060119183834.0opke6q1.html (AFP)]
*PresidentJacques Chirac warns thatFrance could respond withnuclear weapons against anyState-sponsored terrorism attack. [http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=1521988 (ABC News)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4627862.stm (BBC)]
* Twosuicide bomb ings in theIraq icapital ,Baghdad , leave at least 22 people dead and 26 wounded. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4627968.stm (BBC)]
*Italy will conclude its mission inIraq by the end of the year, in the first clear timetable forRome to withdraw its troops, says Defense MinisterAntonio Martino . [http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=1521195 (ABC)]
* TheUnited States ' largestindependent film festival, theSundance Film Festival , begins in Salt Lake City and Park City,Utah . This year's entries include documentaries about prominent politiciansAl Gore andRalph Nader . [http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticleSearch.aspx?storyID=275373+18-Jan-2006+RTRS&srch=Sundance+Festival+sets+stage+for+indie+filmmakers (Reuters)]
*Israeli-Palestinian Conflict : At least 32 people are injured, including one seriously, when aPalestinian suicide bomber detonates himself at a food stand nearTel Aviv 's central bus station.Palestinian Islamic Jihad 's al-Quds brigades claims responsibility for the attack. It's the first terrorist attack of the year inIsrael . [http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3202980,00.html (YNETnews)]
*Isabelle Dinoire , the world's firstface transplant recipient, is using her new lips to take up smoking again, which doctors fear could interfere with her healing and raise the risk of tissue rejection. [http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060118/tissue_rejection_060118/20060118?hub=World (CTV)]
* A SlovakAntonov An-24 military aircraft carrying troops back fromKosovo crashes into a mountainside in northeasternHungary , killing 42 people. Only one person survived. [http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/01/20/hungary.crash/index.html (CNN)]
* At least thirty-one people have died during a four-day cold snap inRussia wheretemperatures have plunged to as low as -42° C (-44° F). [http://www.cbc.ca/story/world/national/2006/01/19/20060119-coldrussia.html (CBC)]
* A leaked memo from theUnited Kingdom 's Foreign Office reveals that that the British government had a strategy aimed at suppressing a debate about the US practice of transporting detainees to secret centres where they are at risk of being tortured. [http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,,1689853,00.html (Guardian Unlimited)] .
*NASA Pluto probe "New Horizons "successfully launches at 14:00 EST. [http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/newhorizons/main/index.html (NASA)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4629486.stm (BBC)]
*InAzerbaijan , two students (Turan Aliev fromBaku State University and Namik Feiziev ofAzerbaijan State Pedagogical University ) are readmitted and end their 22-dayhunger strike , started in protest at their expulsion which they claim resulted from their political activities. [http://www.iwpr.net/?p=crs&s=f&o=259173&apc_state=henh (IWPR)]20 January 2006 (Friday)*At 4 o'clock
UTC NASA 'sPluto probe "New Horizons " crossed the orbit of theMoon , eight hours and thirty five minutes after launch. This is a new Earth-to-Moon-distance flight record.
* Three former workers at theDavis-Besse nuclear power plant in Ohio are indicted for repeatedly falsifying inspection reports and other information to the USNuclear Regulatory Commission . The plant's owner,FirstEnergy Corporation, accepts a plea bargain and $28 million in fines in lieu of criminal prosecution. [http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060121/NEWS02/60121001 (Toledo Blade)]
*Archeologist s digging under theRoman Forum , Rome, Italy, discover a tomb estimated at 3000 years old, predating the creation of the Forum by several centuries. [http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/discoveries/2006-01-19-roman-forum-tomb_x.htm (USA Today)]
*Canadian soldiers inAfghanistan have defused a huge car bomb found not far from their base nearKandahar . The discovery comes just days after a suicide bomber killedCanadian diplomat Glyn Berry and seriously wounded three soldiers travelling with him. [http://www.cbc.ca/story/world/national/2006/01/19/afghanistan060119.html (CBC)]
* Embroiled in a nuclear standoff with the West,Iran says it is moving funds out ofEurope to shield them from possibleU.N. sanctions. [http://today.reuters.com/news/NewsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2006-01-20T164910Z_01_L18188832_RTRUKOC_0_US-NUCLEAR-IRAN.xml (Reuters)]
*Iraq 's election commission says that an alliance ofShiite religious parties, theUnited Iraqi Alliance , has won the most seats in Iraq's new National Assembly after the December 2005 legislative elections . [http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/world/main202.shtml (CBS)]
* At least 52 people including five children are killed after an overcrowded bus plunges down a deep gorge in Indian Kashmir. [http://www.cbc.ca/story/world/national/2006/01/20/20060120-indiacrash.html (CBC)]
*Israel says it has proof thatIran financed the bombing of a fast-food restaurant inTel Aviv , and thatSyria carried it out. [http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=1525856 (ABC)]
* Rescue teams search for twoWest Virginia miners missing after a coal mine fire. [http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=1525697 (ABC)]
*Japan has halted the import of U.S. beef after an animal spine was found in a beef shipment atTokyo International Airport . A ban has now been reinstated. [http://edition.cnn.com/2006/BUSINESS/01/20/japan.us.beef/index.html (CNN)]
* Turkish police are reported to have taken into custody,Mehmet Ali Ağca , the man who shotPope John Paul II in1981 after an appeals court ordered his return to prison to serve more time for killing a journalist. [http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/01/20/pope.gunman/index.html (CNN)]
* Awhale , identified as a 5 metre (17') long NorthernBottlenose whale , is observed in theRiver Thames in CentralLondon passing upstream of the Houses of Parliament. The "River Thames whale " is believed to have passed through theThames Barrier about 1515 UTC on Thursday afternoon. Attempts are being made to guide it back to the Thames estuary, where a second whale has been sighted offSouthend on Sea . [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4631396.stm (BBC)] , [http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30000-1209846,00.html (Sky News)]
* Protests by the pro-government Young Patriots inCôte d'Ivoire end after their leader,Charles Blé Goudé , tells them to "go home and clean up the streets". [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4630796.stm (BBC)]21 January 2006 (Saturday)*Kosovo President
Ibrahim Rugova dies at 61, after alung cancer . He was the first President of Kosovo, and the leader of theDemocratic League of Kosove
*The Russianchoreographer Igor Moiseyev , who founded the genre of balleticfolk dance back in the1930s , celebrates hiscentenary with a flamboyant show in theMoscow Kremlin Palace of Congresses. [http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/21/arts/dance/21igor.html?oref=login (New York Times)]
*Two miners, trapped after a coal mine fire on Thursday inMelville, West Virginia , are found dead. [http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/01/21/mine.fire/index.html (CNN)]
*The "River Thames whale " dies during a rescue attempt. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/4635874.stm (BBC)]
*The British government confirms and defends the practice of holding DNA samples of minors on theUK National DNA Database . [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4633918.stm (BBC)]22 January 2006 (Sunday)*British
diplomat s are accused of spying onRussia using a fake rock. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4638136.stm (BBC)]
*Evo Morales is inaugurated as President ofBolivia , becoming the country's first indigenous American president. [http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=1531155 (ABC News)]
*Fears of sabotage ensue after explosions of two gas pipelines in Russia'sNorth Ossetia n Republic suspend gas supply to Georgia andArmenia . [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4636458.stm (BBC)]
*Kobe Bryant scores 81 points against the Toronto Raptors, the second highest inNBA history, next toWilt Chamberlain 's 100.23 January 2006 (Monday)*In the ongoing dispute between the United States and Venezuela, the US has tried to veto a sale of
Embraer airplanes toVenezuela .Brazil ian foreign ministerCelso Amorim branded the US attempted veto as "indefensible nonsense". The US recently failed to block a large sale of Spanish military equipment to Venezuela. [http://english.eluniversal.com/2006/01/23/en_eco_art_23A659543.shtml (El Universal)] , [http://www.spainherald.com/2006-01-18news.html (Spain Herald)] .
*In the Canadian federal election, the Conservatives win aplurality of seats in the House of Commons to form aminority government .Stephen Harper is to become the next Prime Minister. [http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060123.welmain0123_3/BNStory/specialDecision2006/ (Globe and Mail)]
*An archeological expedition fromJohns Hopkins University uncovers a statue of QueenTiye , wife ofPharaoh Amenhotep III and mother ofAkhenaten , at the temple complex atKarnak . [http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/5112E3EC-3706-42C0-9BAE-D0AFFDCC49E8.htm (Al-Jazeera)]
*Kuwait emir Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah has agreed to abdicate his position. [http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/72AB1A8C-58F6-4C4C-BAEA-1001A3B3B299.htm (Al-Jazeera)]
* After its brakes fail, a train crashes nearBioče , a village nine miles northeast ofPodgorica inMontenegro , killing at least 39 and injuring more than 130 people, in the country's worst train disaster. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4641278.stm (BBC News)]
* Another case of mad cow disease has been confirmed inCanada but officials don't expect international borders to close to Canadian beef as a result. [http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2006/01/23/mad-cow060123.html (CBC)]
*United Nations says eightGuatemala n special forces soldiers deployed asU.N. peacekeepers in eastern DR Congo were killed and five wounded in a battle withUganda n LRA rebels. [http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2006-01-23T181104Z_01_L23782549_RTRUKOC_0_US-CONGO-DEMOCRATIC-UN.xml&archived=False (Reuters)]
*Ford Motor Company announces plans to close 14 plants and cut up to 30,000 jobs (25% of its workforce) by 2012. [http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060123/AUTO01/601230407 (Detroit News)]
* A five-story building inNairobi ,Kenya , collapses and kills at least eight people, burying dozens more. Rescuers use their bare hands to dig through the rubble. [http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30000-1210041,00.html (Sky News)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4639532.stm (BBC)] [http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060123/nairobi_building_060123/20060123?hub=TopStories (CTV)]
*Azerbaijan has started supplyingRussia nnatural gas to Georgia, the Georgian gas company says, helping compensate for a fuel cutoff caused by explosions in southern Russian pipelines that brought a new energy crisis to the region this weekend. [http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/01/23/news/georgia.php (International Herald Tribune)] [http://www.cbc.ca/story/canadavotes2006/national/2006/01/23/poll-times-060123.html (CBC)]
* The U.S. Supreme Court rejects an appeal from Research In Motion Ltd. which had asked it to reverse a lower-court ruling that found itsBlackBerry wireless email device in violation of patents held byNTP, Inc. , a Virginia patent-holding firm. The case now moves to a federal district court in Virginia, which will decide whether to reinstate an injunction against the U.S. sale of the popular BlackBerries. [http://www.marketwatch.com/news/newsfinder/pulseone.asp?siteid=mktw&guid=%7B68972106-82C3-4B44-BCB3-71F3DEC33BD1%7D& (MarketWatch)]24 January 2006 (Tuesday)*A US
federal judge issues asummary judgement againstChristopher William Smith and awardsAOL US$5.3 million in damages and US$287,000 in legal fees, after Smith refused to participate in the lawsuit filed against him by AOL under theCAN-SPAM Act of 2003 . Smith is accused of sending millions of spame-mail s to AOL customers. ( [http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/1700AP_Online_Pharmacy_Spam.html "The Seattle Post-Intelligencer"] )
*Venezuela buys a further US$312 million ofArgentina 's national debt, adding to the US$1 billion already purchased. The government ofHugo Chávez says that the scheme will furtherSouth America n integration. [http://today.reuters.com/investing/financeArticle.aspx?type=bondsNews&storyID=2006-01-24T134946Z_01_N243967_RTRIDST_0_ECONOMY-ARGENTINA-VENEZUELA-UPDATE-1.XML (Reuters)] [http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000086&sid=agIVNhaxzzaw&refer=latin_america (Bloomberg)]
*Miyeegombyn Enkhbold is chosen as the new Prime Minister ofMongolia by theState Great Khural . [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/low/world/asia-pacific/4645678.stm (BBC)]
*Two mergers are announced in the American entertainment industry: Disney andPixar Animation Studios will merge in a US$7.4 billion deal. [http://news.yahoo.com/s/eo/20060124/en_movies_eo/18222 (Story from E! Online via Yahoo.com)] AndCBS Corporation andWarner Bros. announce they will mergeUPN and The WB television networks into a new network called "'The CW" in fall 2006. [http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060124/ap_on_en_tv/tv_network (AP/Yahoo!)]
*A bomb in the southernIran ian city ofAhvaz kills six and injures up to 40.Iran ian PresidentMahmoud Ahmadinejad was due to have visited the city today, however the trip was called off at the last minute.Lebanon 'sal-Manar television said the president had called off his trip after a security tip-off. Local MPNezam Molla-Hoveyzeh accused Britain of being behind the attack. [http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2006-01-24T093148Z_01_OLI427801_RTRUKOC_0_UK-IRAN-BLAST.xml&archived=False (Reuters)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4642170.stm (BBC)]
**Later, US President George Bush warnsIran over threat of "retaliation" againstIsrael .Moqtada Sadr has vowed to defend Iran. [http://www.turkishweekly.net/news.php?id=24926 (Turkish Weekly)] , [http://www.antara.co.id/en/seenws/?id=8411 (LKBN ANTARA)]
*Defeated Canadian prime ministerPaul Martin announces he will resign as leader of the Liberal Party. [http://www.cbc.ca/story/canadavotes2006/national/2006/01/23/mainelecstory060123.html (CBC)]
* Opera web browser releases free "mini"mobile phone browser. [http://www.redherring.com/Article.aspx?a=15453&hed=Opera+Adds+Free+Phone+Browser§or=Industries&subsector=Computing (Red Herring)] , [http://www.informationweek.com/windows/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=177103186 (InformationWeek)]
*Web site s encouraged to supportIE rivals, asFirefox 1.5 passes the 20 million downloads mark. Firefox browser has 11percent of the UKmarket . [http://www.vnunet.com/itweek/news/2149068/web-sites-support-ie-rivals (VNUNet)] , [http://www.itnews.com.au/newsstory.aspx?CIaNID=27888 (iT News)]25 January 2006 (Wednesday)*
Lucia Pinochet , daughter of formerChile andictator Augusto Pinochet , asks forpolitical asylum in theUnited States following her arrest atWashington Dulles International Airport on a Chileanarrest warrant fortax evasion . [http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/13713633.htm ("Miami Herald")]
* A study in theNew England Journal of Medicine reveals that Trasylol, a drug marketed byBayer , designed to prevent excessive blood loss during heart surgery, doubles the risk ofkidney failure andstroke . [http://today.reuters.com/business/newsArticle.aspx?type=health&storyID=nL26477467 (Reuters)]
* An international team ofastronomers discovers the most earth-likeexoplanet found thus far. The planet,OGLE-2005-BLG-390Lb , is about 25,000light year s away, close to the centre of theMilky Way . [http://www.nature.com/news/2006/060123/full/060123-5.html (Nature)] .
*Microsoft , in an effort to resolve a controversy with theantitrust authorities of theEuropean Community , announced that it will license some of its source code to rivals. [http://news.com.com/Microsoft+offers+up+source+code+in+EC+dispute/2100-1014_3-6030879.html (c|net news)] .
*Google 's launch of a new, self-censored search engine in China is a "black day" for freedom of expression, says leading international media watchdogReporters without Borders . [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4647398.stm (BBC)]
*Ryanair ,Europe 's largestlow-cost carrier , and the world's most profitableairline , announces that it intends to charge up to €7 per bag checked in by customers. In return, the airline fares will drop by 9%. [http://www.ryanair.com/site/EN/news.php?yr=06&month=jan&story=gen-en-250106 (Ryanair press release)]
*Uzbekistan joins theEurasian Economic Community . [http://www.interfax.ru/e/B/politics/28.html?id_issue=11454149 (Interfax)]
*"Deus Caritas Est " ( _la. God is love), the firstencyclical ofPope Benedict XVI , is published [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4645428.stm (BBC)]
*2006 Palestinian elections: Palestinians prepare for the first elections to the PLC in ten years. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4645560.stm (BBC)]26 January 2006 (Thursday)*
Islamist partyHamas ' landslide victory inPalestinian elections ends four decades of rule by theFatah party.Hamas secures 76 seats in the 132-member legislature through parliamentary elections. Prime MinisterAhmed Qurei announces he will resign and Fatah declares it will not join a Hamas-led coalition, although Palestinian PresidentMahmoud Abbas plans to continue negotiations withIsrael through thePalestine Liberation Organization . [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4650788.stm (BBC)] [http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/675422.html (Haaretz)]
*India n foreign secretary Shyam Saran reacts sharply to US AmbassadorDavid Mulford 's warning over the future of the Indo-US nuclear deal, saying on Thursday that it was "inappropriate" and not conducive to good relations between the two countries. [http://www.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=62053 (Express India)]
*One day after USambassador toMexico Tony Garza claimed that Mexican soldiers had helpeddrug smuggler s to escape pursuit by Texas state police on US soil nearEl Paso, Texas , Mexican Secretary of Foreign AffairsLuis Ernesto Derbez suggested that the people involved may have been US soldiers wearing theuniform s of Mexican military. [http://www.forbes.com/business/healthcare/feeds/ap/2006/01/26/ap2480068.html ("Forbes")]
*Pakistani PresidentPervez Musharraf rejects US objections to a proposedIran -Pakistan -India pipeline fornatural gas saying "It is in our economic interest. If somebody wants to stop us they should compensate us ... But at the moment we are going ahead". Musharraf also repeats his condemnation of the recent U.S. air strike in northern Pakistan which killed 18 people, including women and children. [http://www.voanews.com/english/2006-01-26-voa22.cfm (VOA News)]
*Liberal Democrat MEP forLondon ,Sarah Ludford , who is leading aEuropean Parliament investigation into the U.S. policy of "extraordinary rendition ", says she may inviteVice President of the United States Dick Cheney ,United States Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld orUnited States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to testify. [http://www.unison.ie/breakingnews/index.php3?ca=27&si=86003&breakingnews=1 (Irish Independent Newspaper)]
*In the long running dispute overIran's nuclear program , the ambassador of theUnited States toIndia ,David Mulford , has warned India to back the US plan to refer Iran to theUnited Nations Security Council or face cancellation of a US-India nuclear deal. [http://news.ft.com/cms/s/0f98f4ca-8e10-11da-8fda-0000779e2340.html (Financial Times)] India's foreign ministry calls the comments inapproapiate and summons the ambassador toDelhi for an explanation [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4649742.stm (BBC news)] . The Foreign Ministry of China says "We oppose impulsively using sanctions or threats of sanctions to solve problems" and also indicates that they would supportRussia n efforts to resolve the dispute. [http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2006-01-26T095925Z_01_L25291163_RTRUKOC_0_US-NUCLEAR-IRAN.xml (Reuters)]
*Republic Day celebrations inIndia . Saudi King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud is in India as chief guest for the Republic Day celebration. [http://www.ndtv.com/morenews/showmorestory.asp?slug=India+inks+accords+with+Saudi+Arabia&id=84135&category=National (NDTV)]
*Interpol issuesred notice s againstPakistan ex-Prime MinisterBenazir Bhutto and her husband, Asif Ali Zardari. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4650234.stm (BBC)]
*Saudi Arabia recalled their envoy fromDenmark afterMuhammad Drawings controversy, and has initiated a boycott of Danish products. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4651714.stm (BBC)]27 January 2006 (Friday)*French President
Jacques Chirac is successfullyhoax ed by a CanadianDJ pretending to beStephen Harper . [http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/01/27/france.canada.prank.reut/index.html (CNN)]
*Europe an leaders remember theHolocaust , with the 61st anniversary of the liberation of theAuschwitz death camp. [http://news.yahoo.com/fc/World/Holocaust/ (Yahoo!)]
*A 7.7 magnitudeearthquake strikes theBanda Sea of easternIndonesia . [http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/eqinthenews/2006/usika7/ (USGS)]
*Theworld honoursMozart on his 250thbirthday anniversary . [http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060127/Mozart_birth_060127/20060127?hub=TopStories (CTV)]
* PresidentMikhail Saakashvili of Georgia pledges to end his country's energy crisis by importingIran iannatural gas . Starting Monday, Georgia will import 2 million m³ of gas a day at $120/m³, $10 more than forRussia n gas. Georgia's supply of Russian gas has been interrupted since Sunday due to pipeline explosions. Saakashvili has accusedMoscow of sabotage for political gain. [http://en.rian.ru/world/20060127/43217834.html (RIA Novosti)]28 January 2006 (Saturday)*
Venezuela n PresidentHugo Chávez threatens to jail anyUnited States spies caught gathering information about Venezuela. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4656906.stm (BBC)]
*The roof of a trade-exhibition hall in southernPoland collapses with several hundred people inside, trapping many beneath the wreckage, 62 people are killed and over 160 injured. Poland declares a day of national mourning. [http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/01/28/roof.collapse/index.html (CNN)]29 January 2006 (Sunday)*
Libya closes its embassy inDenmark over the Muhammad Drawings controversy. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4660796.stm (BBC)]
*Al-Jazeera releases two separate videos, one ofAyman al-Zawahiri condemning thebombing of Damadola and the other ofJill Carroll again pleading for the release of female prisoners so her life will be spared. [http://news.yahoo.com/fc/world/osama_bin_laden_and_al_qaida (Yahoo!)] , [http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060130/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_kidnapped_journalist (Reuters)]
*ABC World News Tonight co-anchorBob Woodruff andcameraman Doug Vogt are seriously injured by animprovised explosive device nearTaji ,Iraq . [http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/story?id=1553996&page=1 (ABC News)]
*Tarja Halonen is re-elected in the second round of the Finnish presidential election with 51.8% of the votes, defeating the other candidateSauli Niinistö . [http://www.hs.fi/english/article/BSUNDAY+2145+UPDATEb+bPRESIDENTIAL+ELECTION+TARJA+HALONEN+WINS+SECOND+TERMb+/1135218550392 (Helsingin Sanomat)]
* An explosion in afirecracker warehouse kills 16 people in Henan onChinese New Year . [http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2006-01-29T154347Z_01_PEK251428_RTRUKOC_0_UK-CHINA-NEWYEAR.xml&archived=False (Reuters)]
*Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah is confirmed as the newemir of Kuwait , ending a two-week leadership crisis. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4659294.stm (BBC)]30 January 2006 (Monday)*
China andRussia agree to referIran to theUnited Nations Security Council for its nuclear program in March 2006. [http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060131/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iran_nuclear (Reuters)]
*In theUnited Kingdom , the High Court has ordered 10Internet service providers to hand over the details of 150 UK customers accused of illegally sharing software. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4663388.stm (BBC)]31 January 2006 (Tuesday)*U.S. President
George W. Bush delivers the State of the Union Address to ajoint session of the U.S. Congress (the House of Representatives and the Senate).
**Moments before the address began, anti-war protesterCindy Sheehan is arrested in the U.S. Capitol Building for refusing to cover up a t-shirt she was wearing to protest the war and occupation of Iraq. [http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/01/31/sheehan.arrest/index.html?section=cnn_topstories (CNN)]
**Also directed out of the U.S. Capitol Building was Beverly Young, wife of GOP congressmanBill Young , for wearing a t-shirt that read "Support the Troops: Defending Our Freedom" [http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/story?id=1567217&WNTad=true (ABC)] .
*Iran's nuclear program
**Iran reacts with anger to its referral to theU.N. Security Council , saying diplomatic avenues have been closed. [http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/01/31/iran.nuclear/index.html (CNN)]
**TheInternational Atomic Energy Agency has announced it has evidence within its report for the Thursday meeting that Iran obtained documents showing how to mold highly enriched grade uranium into the core of warheads. [http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060131/ap_on_re_mi_ea/nuclear_agency_iran_6;_ylt=Ag8leiMaX9DEKhViJa.Jx.lSw60A;_ylu=X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl (Reuters)]
*InIraq , theBritish Armed Forces records its 100th military death. [http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=1561856 (ABC)]
*In theUnited States , a female ex-postal worker opens fire in a mail-processing plant, killing six people and critically wounding another before committing suicide in what's believed to be the deadliest workplace shooting ever carried out by a woman in U.S. history. [http://edition.cnn.com/2006/US/01/31/postal.shooting.ap/index.html (CNN)]
*United States Supreme Court nomineeSamuel Alito is confirmed by theUnited States Senate and sworn in.
*Russia n PresidentVladimir Putin has voiced renewed opposition to the U.S. decision to abandon the 30 year oldAnti-Ballistic Missile Treaty in favour ofmissile defence saying it would damage world security. He also claimed that Russia has developed a new category ofhypersonic intercontinental missile which can zig-zag in flight and is immune to any missile defense system. [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/31/AR2006013100234.html (Washington Post)]
*Nominations for the78th Academy Awards were announced inBeverly Hills, California , by Academy PresidentSid Ganis and actressMira Sorvino . ( [http://www.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/Movies/01/31/oscar.nominations/index.html CNN] )
*Coretta Scott King , widow of assassinated civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr, dies at age 78. [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11110291/ (MSNBC)]
*A former US Marine, Jim Massey, has claimed on the Irish radio stationLive 95FM that the US military has been illegally shippingdepleted uranium throughShannon Airport for use inIraq . [http://www.utvlive.com/newsroom/indepth.asp?id=69854&pt=n (UTV)] [http://thelimerick.blogspot.com/2006/01/us-shipping-depleted-uranium-through.html (The Limerick Blogger)] [http://www.live95fm.ie/95fm.asx (Live 95FM)] If true, this would be a major breach of Irish neutrality and Irish-US agreements on the use of Shannon. The airport's use by the US military is already highly controversial, in part due to the connection with CIA captives. [http://breakingnews.iol.ie/news/story.asp?j=139965600&p=y39966y8x (IOL.ie)]
*U.S. oil companyExxonMobil announced profits for 2005 of $36.1 billion, a record amount in US corporate history. In anticipation of a public backlash, the company simultaneously posted newspaper advertisements in the US to explain its success. [http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2002772953_exxon31.html (Seattle Times)]
*A tourist coach crash inEgypt on the highway betweenHurghada andLuxor kills 14 and injures another 30 people. All casualties are fromHong Kong and were joining Jetour Holidays tours.
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