- August 2004
__NOTOC__
August 2004 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December See also:August 2004 in sports Events
August 31 ,2004 * The
WTO authorizes the imposition of sanctions against theUnited States for persistent violation of global trade laws. [http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/01/business/worldbusiness/01trade.html (NYT)]
* Afemale suicide bomber kills ten and injures 51 others near a subway station inMoscow . [http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/europe/08/31/russia.carblast/index.html (CNN)] [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=6116156 (Reuters)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3615970.stm (BBC)]
* Despite demands fromIraqi resistance Islamist militant elements threatening to kill two French hostages, France upholds its law on secularity and conspicuous religious symbols in schools, specifically its ban onMuslim hijab s. [http://abcnews.go.com/wire/World/ap20040830_532.html (ABC News)] [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=6106700 (Reuters)]
*In Iraq, the radicalIslamist group,Army of Ansar al-Sunna , kill 12Nepal i civilians employed as cooks and cleaners, stating "We have carried out the sentence of God against 12 Nepalis who came from their country to fight theMuslim s and to serve theJew s and theChristian s ... believing in Buddha as theirGod " [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=6113254§ion=news (Reuters)]
* Repeated attacks on pipelines linked to southernoil field s have significantly hampered oil exports fromIraq . [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A46105-2004Aug30.html (Washington Post)] [http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2004/08/31/258.html (Moscow Times)]
* FormerYugoslav PresidentSlobodan Milošević , aUniversity of Belgrade Faculty of Law graduate, opens his defence at the trial which accuses him ofgenocide ,crimes against humanity andwar crimes for his alleged role in the conflicts in which tens of thousands were killed. He maintains the charges are 'unscrupulous lies'. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3613020.stm (BBC News)] [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=6113423§ion=news (Reuters)]
*Palestinian suicide bombers kill at least 16 Israelis and wound more than 91 others aboard two city buses in Beer Sheva,Israel in the first successful Palestinian suicide bombings since ,2004 , withHamas claiming responsibility. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3614614.stm (BBC)] [http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=471713 (Haaretz)]
* Afghanpolice say aUnited States bombing raid killed at least sixcivilian s in the eastern province ofKunar . [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=6113130 (Reuters)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3613702.stm (BBC)]
*2004 Atlantic hurricane season :Hurricane Frances affects theBritish Virgin Islands , theUnited States Virgin Islands and the northern-east part ofPuerto Rico . [http://www.startribune.com/stories/484/4957323.html (AP/The Star Tribune)]
*California Governor and formerHollywood starArnold Schwarzenegger extols theUnited States as a greater source of good in the world than the UN: "If you believe this country, not the United Nations, is the best hope ofdemocracy in the world, then you are a Republican," he shouts, at the Republican National Convention. [http://www.washtimes.com/national/20040901-123956-8757r.htm (Washington Times)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3616458.stm (BBC)]
* Following a dramatic intra-party campaign,Betty Castor andMel Martinez winprimary election s inFlorida for theU.S. Senate election, 2004 . The seat is the most heavily contested in the U.S. Congress, with over $30 million budgeted among twelve candidates' campaigns. [http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/files/elections/2004/by_state/FL_Page_0831.html?SITE=FLBRAELN&SECTION=POLITICS (AP/Bradenton Herald)]
* The two smallestextrasolar planet s ever discovered are announced: one orbiting55 Cancri in the constellation Cancer, and another orbitingGliese 436 in the constellationLeo . They are both around the size of Neptune. [http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20040831.wplanet20831a/BNStory/specialScienceandHealth/ (Globe and Mail)]August 30 ,2004 * Election dispute in
Chechnya : After leading rivalMalik Saidullayev was disqualified on a technicality.Putin -supportedAlu Alkhanov wins in a landslide. US and EU dispute results. [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=6096967 (Reuters)] [http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsPackageArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=574493§ion=news (Reuters)] [http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/30/international/europe/30CND-CHEC.html (NYT)]
* U.S. presidential campaign: The Republican National Convention begins inNew York City . Massive protests are expected. [http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/08/30/gop.main/index.html (CNN)]
* Two amateur FrenchEgyptologist s claim to have discovered, usingradar , a previously unknown corridor inside theGreat Pyramid of Khufu. They believe the corridor would lead directly to Khufu's burial chamber, a room which – if it exists – is unlikely to have been accessed since the burial and may still contain the king's remains. [http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,1293377,00.html (The Guardian)] [http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200408/s1188387.htm (AustBC)]
* TheRussia n Federal Security Service (FSB) confirms that two Russian "airplanes were blown up as a result of aterrorist attack" that killed 90 people onAugust 24 ,2004 . [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=6103561 (Reuters)]
*2004 Atlantic hurricane season :
**Tropical Storm Gaston dousesRichmond, Virginia with up to 14 inches of rain, causing widespread flooding. Governor Mark Warner declares a state of emergency in CentralVirginia . [http://abcnews.go.com/wire/US/ap20040831_147.html (ABCNEWS)]
** Category 3Hurricane Frances looms overPuerto Rico . [http://www.usatoday.com/weather/hurricane/2004-08-30-frances-pm_x.htm (USA Today)]
* PresidentChen Shui-bian cancels the annual Han Kuang live-fire exercises previously schedule for September 9 as a goodwill gesture to the mainland after thePeople's Republic of China reportedly halted its military drills atDongshan island on theTaiwan Strait . [http://www.voanews.com/article.cfm?objectID=BE355AD7-4385-476C-AB8092F5FE1395F0&title=Taiwan%20Cancels%20Military%20Exercise%20as%20%27Goodwill%27%20Gesture%20to%20China&catOID=45C9C78B-88AD-11D4-A57200A0CC5EE46C&categoryname=Asia%20Pacific (VOA)] [http://edition.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/asiapcf/08/30/china.taiwan.reut/index.html (CNN)]August 29 ,2004 *
2004 Atlantic hurricane season : Tropical Storm Gaston makes landfall at Bulls Bay,South Carolina with nearhurricane strength 70 mph winds. [http://www.cnn.com/2004/WEATHER/08/29/weather.tropical.ap/index.html (CNN)]
* An explosion at a school in southernAfghanistan has killed at least 10 people, many of them children, theUS military has said. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/3609638.stm (BBC)]
* Australian Prime MinisterJohn Howard announces that the 2004 Australian federal election will take place onOctober 9 ,2004 . [http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s1187484.htm (ABC Au)]
* The2004 Summer Olympics are closed by IOC PresidentJacques Rogge . [http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsPackageArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=573544§ion=news (Reuters)]
* More than 400,000 demonstrators march inNew York City , protesting U.S. PresidentGeorge W. Bush and the policies of the Republican Party on the eve of the2004 Republican National Convention . Republican delegates and politicians, including Vice PresidentDick Cheney , also begin to arrive in the city. [http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=3428265 (The Scotsman)] [http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/nation/2767162 (Houston Chronicle)] [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=politicsNews&storyID=6096968 (Reuters)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/3605250.stm (BBC)]
* The Lebanese Cabinet, underSyria n pressure and despite widespread opposition, votes to modify the constitution to allow President Émile Lahoud a second term in office. Patriarch Sfeir states "we have completely lost sovereignty of our territory and our independence and freedom in choosing our rulers and deciding our own affairs." [http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/29/international/middleeast/29beirut.html (NYT)]
* The BritishRoyal Society , with 68 other organizations, urges the UN to ban reproductive but not therapeutic use of the technology in response to a US bid to ban human cloning altogether. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3609992.stm (BBC)]August 28 ,2004 * In a video circulating on the Internet, former
Texas lieutenant governorBen F. Barnes apologizes for his role in getting currentUnited States President George W. Bush into the TexasAir National Guard in1968 . [http://www.suntimes.com/output/elect/cst-nws-bside29.html (Chicago Sun-Times)]
* Free andOpen Source Software advocacy :TheOpenCD , theFree Software Foundation and theOpen Source Initiative celebrate the first annualSoftware Freedom Day .
*A preciousicon is returned tothe Kremlin 's Cathedral of the Assumption by a Roman Catholic Cardinal as a goodwill gesture from the Pope to theRussian Orthodox Church . The image is an 18th century copy of the "Virgin of Kazan ", one of Russia's most sacred images. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3605996.stm (BBC)]August 27 ,2004 * Between 5,000 and 6,000 participants take part in the
Critical Mass bicyclist ride as part of the2004 Republican National Convention protest activity . The monthly NYC Critical Mass ride usually attracts about 1500 riders. Police eventually arrested 264 people for deliberately blockading roads during the event. This is the first time the NYPD made any significant arrests of Critical Mass participants. [http://nyc.indymedia.org/feature/display/104892/index.php (NYC-IMC)]
*Interbrew completes its merger withAmbev . Both were among the top five largest breweries in the world, and together they will become the largest, when measured by volume. The merged company will be calledInBev [http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000086&sid=a_CexO2sxkiw&refer=latin_america (Bloomberg)]
* TheFBI has launched a full espionage investigation intoLarry Franklin after obtaining evidence pointing to a high-rankingspy inthe Pentagon . According to [http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/08/27/eveningnews/main639143.shtml CBS News] , the spy has been giving classified secrets toIsrael which could compromise U.S.national security . Israel denies the charges.
* Following the intervention of GrandAyatollah Ali al-Sistani, an agreement is found to end the standoff inNajaf . Although the terms are not clear, the deal requires both the al-Sadr militia and U.S. troops to leave the city, to be replaced by the police interim government. Responsibility for theImam Ali Mosque goes to Sistani. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3603730.stm (BBC)] This resolution occurs two days before the one year anniversary of the assassination ofSayed Mohammed Baqir al-Hakim , a prominent Shi'ite cleric from Najaf.
* TheRussia nFederal Security Service announces that traces of theexplosive hexogen have been found in the wreckage of the two Russiaairliner s which crashed onAugust 24 ,2004 . TheIslamic group "the Islambouli Brigades" claims responsibility. [http://ap.washingtontimes.com/dynamic/stories/R/RUSSIA_PLANE_CRASH?SITE=DCTMS&SECTION=HOME (AP)]
*Enzo Baldoni , an Italian journalistkidnap ped byIslamic militants inIraq , is killed by his kidnappers. [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=6090284&pageNumber=2 (Reuters)]
* The Interior Minister ofFrance announces that the number ofanti-Semitic attacks in France this year is more than double that of the same period last year. [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=6090896§ion=news (Reuters)]August 26 ,2004 *
Chile 's Supreme Court strips former military rulerAugusto Pinochet of his immunity from prosecution, allowing him to be prosecuted for alleged crimes including involvement inmurder andtorture . [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/3602630.stm (BBC)]
* Najaf standoff
** Twenty-five people are killed and 100 wounded during a mortar attack on the mainmosque in theIraq i city ofKufa . 20Shiite marchers in Kufa are killed and 70 wounded by gunfire. The identity of the attackers is unknown, reportedly though a source of gunfire was near anIraqi National Guard base. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3600384.stm (BBC)] [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=6078307 (Reuters)] [http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/08/26/iraq.main/index.html (CNN)] [http://www.albawaba.com/news/index.php3?sid=283760&lang=e&dir=news (Albawaba)]
** Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani begins negotiations withShiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr in a bid to end the fighting inNajaf for three weeks. Sistani tells thousands of Iraqis heading to theholy city to wait on the outskirts of Najaf. [http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle.asp?xfile=data/focusoniraq/2004/August/focusoniraq_August292.xml§ion=focusoniraq (khaleejtimes)] Ayatollah Sistani calls a pause in fighting, telling protesters to stay home, and urging all forces to withdraw. US and Iraqi troops suspend attacks for 24 hours. [http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/0827/p01s01-woiq.html (CSMonitor)] [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=6082585 (Reuters)]
*Abu Hamza al-Masri , a well knownMuslim cleric currently residing in theUnited Kingdom , is arrested under theTerrorism Act 2000 which covers the "commission, preparation or instigation of acts ofterrorism ". [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=6081021 (Reuters)]August 25 ,2004 *Astronomers announce the discovery of a third
extrasolar planet orbitingMu Arae . The planet may be the first rocky world detected orbiting astar other than theSun .
*TheBank of Canada rolls out a new $20 bill, the latest piece of papermoney to be given new anti-counterfeiting technology and a facelift. [http://www.cbc.ca/stories/2004/08/25/newtwentybill_040825 (CBC)]
*SirMark Thatcher , son of former British Prime MinisterMargaret Thatcher , is arrested at his home inCape Town ,South Africa , on charges related to his alleged involvement in an attempted coup inEquatorial Guinea . He is later released on bail, and is to return to court onNovember 25 . [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/3599510.stm (BBC)] Meanwhile, his "distressed" mother returns from holiday in the US. [http://politics.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,9174,1292342,00.html (Guardian/Reuters)] [http://www.wavy.com/Global/story.asp?S=2227847 (AP)]
*Welsh nationalist MPAdam Price announces his intention toimpeach Prime MinisterTony Blair , with the support of other Welsh and Scottish nationalist MPs. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3600438.stm (BBC)] [http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/newspolitics/tm_objectid=14572398&method=full&siteid=50082&headline=-blair-to-be-impeached-over-iraq-war-by-plaid-cymru-mp-name_page.html (icWales)]
*Police inToronto shoot and kill a man holding a woman hostage outside Union Station. [http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2004/08/25/hostage_union040825.html (CBC)] [http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1093428111014&call_pageid=968332188492&col=968793972154 Timeline (Toronto Star)]
*Machine guns andexplosives are found in avan inMontreal . Police look for links toorganized crime . [http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1093428247186&call_pageid=968332188854&col=968705899037 (Toronto Star)]August 24 ,2004 * The
Trans-Atlantic Exoplanet Survey (TrES) announces its first discovery of anextrasolar planet using an array of small amateur-astronomy-sized telescopes. [http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0408421 (ArXiv paper)] [http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/press/pr0427.html (Press release)]
* TwoRussia n jets,Volga-AviaExpress Flight 1303 andSiberia Airlines Flight 1047 , crash south ofMoscow within minutes of each other. Eyewitnesses report the flight 1303 exploded in mid-air. Both airliners took off fromDomodedovo International Airport . The planes were carrying 78 passengers and 16 crew in total. [http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/europe/08/24/russia.planecrash/index.html (CNN)] [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=6060212 (Reuters)] [http://aolsvc.news.aol.com/news/article.adp?id=20040824182309990001 (AOL NEWS)]
*Japan issues adeportation order against former worldchess champion Bobby Fischer . [http://au.news.yahoo.com/040824/21/qgwb.html (Reuters)]
*Iran has reiterated that it will retaliate ifIsrael carries out a preemptive strike against its nuclear program. [http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2004/8/3715C237-1615-4798-80AE-F489B0B6267C.html (Radio Free Europe)]
*The U.S.Food and Drug Administration issues a warning to physicians regarding dangerous adverse reactions to the drugRemicade , which is used to treatrheumatoid arthritis andCrohn's Disease . Doctors are warned to screen patients for blood irregularities and to closely monitor blood cell counts. [http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-4448660,00.html (The Guardian)]
*High-level American military leaders are said to be at least partly responsible for abuses ofIraq i prisoners atAbu Ghraib prison in a report written by an investigative panel headed byJames Schlesinger . [http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1093344465028&call_pageid=968256289824&col=968705899037 (Toronto Star)]
*French police launch a manhunt asCesare Battisti , a wanted left-wing extremist who was facing extradition from France to Italy, goes missing. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3593578.stm (BBC)]
*TwoIraq i interim government ministers escapesuicide attack s inBaghdad . At least four bodyguards are killed. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3593066.stm (BBC)]
*Two new justices of theSupreme Court of Canada are named by Justice MinisterIrwin Cotler :Louise Charron andRosalie Abella . They will undergo a new parliamentary screening process, though their appointment cannot be blocked. [http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2004/08/24/cotlersupreme040824.html (CBC)]August 23 ,2004 *
Politics of Taiwan : TheLegislative Yuan proposes a package of amendments by 217-1 that includes halving the number of legislators and abolishing the National Assembly. [http://www.etaiwannews.com/Taiwan/2004/08/24/1093312475.htm (Taiwan News)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3589714.stm (BBC)]
* Mexican officials announce the arrest inMexicali ofGilberto Higuera Guerrero , a suspected drug kingpin with ties to the Arellano Félix gang. Higuera is accused of smuggling narcotics into the U.S. from Mexico, and theU.S. State Department has offered a $2m reward for Higuera's capture. [http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/americas/08/23/drug.arrest.ap/index.html (CNN)]
* U.S. marines and Shi'itemilitia men fight several fierce battles around theImam Ali Mosque , a shrine inNajaf ,Iraq in some of the heaviest fighting since the 20-day-old rebellion erupted. [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=F4JU1ZDM4US2WCRBAEKSFEY?type=topNews&storyID=6046370 (Reuters)]
* A Ukrainian-Canadian soldier'sVictoria Cross , which vanished from theCanadian War Museum about 30 years ago, will be back on public display Monday. Cpl.Filip Konowal received the Commonwealth's highest decoration for valour for his bravery in the battle for Hill 70 inFrance in1917 . [http://winnipeg.cbc.ca/regional/servlet/View?filename=mb_konowal20040823 (CBC)] [http://www.canada.com/components/printstory/printstory4.aspx?id=58911cbc-32b3-40fa-ad34-23b787a60285 (National Post)] [http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_PrintFriendly&c=Article&cid=1093299011601&call_pageid=968332188492 (Toronto Star)]
*El Vocero reports that 50 out of 129 illegal immigrants travelling by boat from theDominican Republic toPuerto Rico have been massacred by the ship's captains. [http://vocero.com/noticia.asp?n=46104&d=8/23/2004 (El Vocero, in Spanish)]August 22 ,2004 *
US journalist Micah Garen , who waskidnap ped inIraq more than a week ago, is released in the southern city ofNasiriyah . [http://www.comcast.net/News/INTERNATIONAL//XML/1107_AP_Online_Regional___Middle_East/841acf47-d4cb-4249-b479-c2839f6688ed.html (Comcast)]
*Singapore 's new Prime MinisterLee Hsien Loong , hoping to quell Beijing's fury over his July 10-12 visit toTaiwan , says that he will not support the island if thePeople's Republic of China attacks it in retaliation for any push forTaiwan independence . [http://in.news.yahoo.com/040822/137/2fmou.html (Yahoo! India)]
*AVenezuelan military plane crashes as it approaches its base in the central industrial state ofAragua , killing all 25 on board. [http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000086&sid=aXysZLp5Comc&refer=latin_america (Bloomberg)]
*Arson ists raze aJewish community centre inParis , leaving behind menacinggraffiti includingswastika s and the words "Jew s get out." [http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1093202162831_29/?hub=TopStories (CTV)]
*ABangladeshi mob torches a passengertrain , a day after agrenade attack on a political rally killed 19 people and injured hundreds. [http://www.cbc.ca/story/world/national/2004/08/22/bangladesh_040822.html (CBC News)]
*Armed robbers steal theEdvard Munch paintings "The Scream " and "Madonna" from theMunch Museum inOslo . [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3588282.stm (BBC)] [http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article853863.ece (Aftenposten)]August 21 ,2004 * The
West Nile virus is now responsible for six deaths inCalifornia , with the number of people infected with the virus at 249. [http://www.healthtalk.ca/west_nile_california_08212004_3743.php (HealthTalk.ca)]
*Mexico ,Honduras andPanama , among many other countries, are put on high alert about a possibleAl-Qaida attack inLatin America . [http://www.columbiatribune.com/2004/Aug/20040823News016.asp (Columbia Daily Tribune)] [http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/index.php?page=national&story_id=082304a1_terror_latino (Tucson Citizen)]
*Grenade attack on Bangladesh Awamee League, the biggest political party in this country. Party precedent Sheikh Hasina was injured. Total 22 were Died, more than were 1000 injured. This is the 2nd Black day for Bangladesh after 15 August 1975.August 20 ,2004 *
US Airways , struggling to avoid a secondbankruptcy , asks pilots to accept a 16.5% pay cut. [http://money.cnn.com/2004/08/20/news/fortune500/us_air.reut/index.htm (CNN)]
* Three individuals in theUnited States are arrested and charged with supporting thePalestinian militant groupHamas over a 15-year period. [http://washingtontimes.com/national/20040820-113158-5933r.htm (Washington Times)]
*Homeland Security officialAsa Hutchinson apologizes for adatabase mixup that causes USsenator Ted Kennedy to be held up atairline gates three times, on suspicion that he is aterrorist . [http://informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=29116585 (Information Week)]
*Maoist rebels shoot apolice officer and detonate twobomb s inKathmandu , the capital ofNepal . [http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1092998242293&call_pageid=968332188492&col=968705899037 (Toronto Star)]
* Refugee camps inDarfur are hit byhepatitis E , a deadlyvirus . [http://allafrica.com/stories/200408200071.html (AllAfrica.com)]August 19 ,2004 * An on-going battle, apparently between a combination of U.S. and Iraqi forces, and the al-Mahdi Army of
Muqtada al-Sadr , damages two ofminaret s of theImam Ali Mosque inNajaf ,Iraq , which al-Sadr's forces occupied. [http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/08/19/iraq.main/index.html (CNN)]
*Artillery and mortar fire again rock Georgia's breakawayrepublic ofSouth Ossetia , scuppering efforts to enforce aceasefire . [http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3579012.stm (BBC)]
* At theNon-Aligned Movement summit inDurban ,South Africa n PresidentThabo Mbeki calls for reform of theUN and other international institutions, saying that developing countries should not allow powerful nations to dictate the world on their own terms. [http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/3580338.stm (BBC)]
* Ajury including U.S.talk show hostOprah Winfrey convictsDion Coleman ofmurder after two hours ofdeliberation . [http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/3578906.stm (BBC)]
*Israel 's prime minister,Ariel Sharon , vows to press on with his disengagement plan, despite it receiving another rejection from his Likud party. [http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3578860.stm (BBC)]
*"Nature" magazine reveals that five new satellites and a further candidate moon have been discovered orbiting Neptune, bringing its tally to 13. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3578210.stm (BBC)]
* Shares of stock inGoogle , Inc. begin trading on theNASDAQ stock exchange at around $100 per share in one of the most highly anticipatedinitial public offerings of the year. It is estimated that the IPO raised a total of $1.66 billion, the third highest ever for an IPO. [http://www.reuters.com/aitoolkit/aitArticle.jhtml?type=hotStocksNews&storyID=6020986 (Reuters)] [http://cbs.marketwatch.com/news/story.asp?guid=%7B892B3D22%2DB024%2D4119%2DA5EB%2DA56E2DD46100%7D&siteid=mktw (CBS MarketWatch)]
*Hungarian prime ministerPéter Medgyessy resigns following a row with his Socialist party's liberal coalition partner, the Free Democrats. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3581064.stm (BBC)]August 18 ,2004 * In a statement issued from his
Baghdad office,Shiite Muslim clericMuqtada al-Sadr agrees to order his militia to leave theImam Ali Mosque inNajaf ,Iraq , after threats by Prime MinisterIyad Allawi 's government to "liberate" it. Al-Sadr further agrees to disband his Jaish-i-Mahdi militia, and enter the "mainstream political process". It remains unclear when the withdrawal will actually take place. [http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/08/18/iraq.main/index.html (CNN)] [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=6009166 (Reuters)]
* The government ofColombia announces that it offered, in July, to trade 50 imprisoned guerrillas in return for hostages being held by theRevolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia . [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3578532.stm (BBC)]
* InDublin , Ireland theDublin Port Tunnel excavation works were completed and the finaltunnel boring machine breakthrough ceremony took place.August 17 ,2004 * The
National Assembly of Serbia unanimously adopts new state symbols forSerbia :Boze Pravde becomes the new anthem and the coat of arms is adopted for the whole country. ( [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3573958.stm BBC] )August 16 ,2004 * After 60 mm (2.4 in) of rain in two hours, severe
flash flooding atBoscastle inCornwall , UK, results in buildings, roads, and over 50 cars swept away. Flood waters race through town at speeds up to 65 km/h (40 mph). Many have to leave their homes; helicopters airlift 150 people to safety. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/cornwall/3571844.stm (BBC)] [http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsPackageArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=566587§ion=news (Reuters)]
*NASA /ESA Spacecraft Cassini-Huygens discovers two newnatural satellite s of Saturn. They are provisionally named "S/2004 S 1" (later named "Methone") and "S/2004 S 2" (later named "Pallene"). [http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/news/press-releases-04/20040816-pr-a.cfm (NASA)]
* In the standoff between the Jaish-i-Mahdi militia andIraqi and US forces, fears of a major assault onNajaf mount. The city is closed tojournalist s and some Iraqi government soldiers are reported to desert. Some delegates at the national conference call on Iraqi interim Prime Minister Allawi to end military operations againstMuqtada al-Sadr . [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3568570.stm (BBC)] [http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/9409919.htm (Knight Ridder)]
* At the 100th anniversary ceremony of the Herero uprising,Germany apologises for the genocide inNamibia , but rules outreparations . [http://www.guardian.co.uk/germany/article/0,2763,1283864,00.html (Guardian)]
*Same-sex marriage in Canada : Federal justice ministerIrwin Cotler announces that the federal government will no longer resist court proceedings aiming to require provincial governments to issue same-sex marriage licences. [http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1092694223358&call_pageid=968332188492&col=968793972154 (Toronto Star)]August 15 ,2004 * Chávez recall:
Venezuela n PresidentHugo Chávez defeats a recall vote with 58% support. Some opposition members claim election fraud, but monitors from the OAS and theCarter Center endorse the official result. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/3569012.stm (BBC)] [http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=535&e=2&u=/ap/20040816/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/venezuela_recall_carter (AP)]
* 1,300Iraq i delegates begin a three-day conference inBaghdad to select an interimnational assembly . The area of the conference is attacked by mortars, which kill one person and wound 17. [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=5977984 (Reuters)]
* 1,600Palestinians inIsraeli jails begin a liquids-only diet, which they are describing as ahunger strike to protest against their prison conditions. Israeli Internal Security MinisterTzahi Hanegbi comments: "As far as I'm concerned, they can strike for a day, a month, until death." [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3567130.stm (BBC)]
*India 's Independence Day celebrations are marred by a bomb blast that kills some 18 people at a parade inDhemaji ,Assam . Immediate suspicion falls onULFA separatists. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3566460.stm (BBC)]
*Same-sex marriage in Canada : ThreeNova Scotia couples have filed suit requesting that the provincial government be ordered to issue them marriage licences. Such a ruling would make Nova Scotia the fifth province or territory to recognize same-sex marriages. [http://www.365gay.com/newscon04/08/081504nsMarr.htm (365Gay.com)]August 14 ,2004 * Gunmen kill at least 156 people – mainly women and children – in an overnight
raid on theGatumba camp for CongoleseTutsi refugee s inBurundi , the UN says. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3564358.stm (BBC)]
* An ailingPope John Paul II visits the grotto ofLourdes on a two-day pilgrimage to one of theRoman Catholic world's most revered shrines. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3563434.stm (BBC)]
* US planes bomb the city ofSamarra , north-west ofBaghdad . InNajaf , a fragileceasefire holds, withMuqtada al-Sadr making defiant statements but continuing negotiations. The Allawi government decides to withdraw from the negotiations in the afternoon. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3564320.stm (BBC)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3564122.stm (BBC)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3565200.stm (BBC)]
*Hurricane Charley becomesFlorida 's most destructivehurricane in 12 years, passing directly over the town of Punta Gorda.Tropical Storm Bonnie spawnstornado es inNorth Carolina and moves north to causeflood ing inNew Brunswick . [http://www.cbc.ca/story/world/national/2004/08/14/hurricane040814.html (CBC)]
*India hangs convicted rapist andmurder erDhananjoy Chatterjee at dawn in Aliporejail ,Kolkata – the country's first execution in nine years. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3562278.stm (BBC)]August 13 ,2004 * Aides to rebel
Iraq iShia clericMoqtada al Sadr report that he has been wounded in fighting in the holy city ofNajaf ; the government denies the reports. The Najaf offensive triggers pro-Sadr protests in cities all over Iraq. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3560662.stm (BBC)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/3562532.stm (protest pictures - BBC)]
* InBasra ,Iraq , masked militantskidnap and threaten to killJames Brandon , 23, afreelance Britishjournalist , working for the "Sunday Telegraph ", unless US troops withdraw fromNajaf within 24 hours. He is released after intervention byal-Sadr . [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3560892.stm (BBC)]
*Hurricane Charley makes landfall just north ofFort Myers, Florida , USA, around 16:00 EDT (2000 UTC). At landfall, Charley has a windspeed of 145 mi/h (230 km/h), Category 4 storm on theSaffir-Simpson hurricane scale . There are multiple fatalites. [http://www.cnn.com/2004/WEATHER/08/13/storms/index.html (CNN)]
* A spectacular opening ceremony marks the start of the2004 Summer Olympics inAthens ,Greece . [http://www.athens2004.com/en/FeatureOpeningCeremony (Athens 2004)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/olympics_2004/3557922.stm (BBC)]
* A group of women kill an alleged rapist during his trial inNagpur ,India . [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/3562236.stm (BBC)]August 12 ,2004 *
Lee Hsien Loong is sworn in as the 3rdPrime Minister of Singapore . [http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2004/08/13/2003198509 (Taipei Times)] [http://www.voanews.com/article.cfm?objectID=7324CD06-CCDA-4139-9C54AAF76097AC3C (VOA)]
*New Jersey GovernorJim McGreevey resigns his post effectiveNovember 15 , saying that his extramaritalhomosexual affair would leave the governor's office "vulnerable to rumors, false allegations and threats of disclosure.". [http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/08/12/mcgreevey.nj/index.html (CNN)]
* Unanimously determining that San Francisco's same-sex marriages are illegal, theCalifornia Supreme Court votes 5-2 to annul all 4,000 such marriages performed in San Francisco this year. [http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2004/08/12/state1258EDT0539.DTL (San Francisco Chronicle)] [http://www.cnn.com/2004/LAW/08/12/samesex.marriage.ap/index.html (CNN)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/3560050.stm (BBC)]
* EU Commission President-designate José M. Durão Barroso announces the portfolios assigned to the members of his newEuropean Commission . [http://europa.eu.int/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/04/1029&format=HTML&aged=0&language=en&guiLanguage=en (EU Press Release)]
* A Roman Catholicseminary at St Poelten inAustria is shut down following allegations of sexual impropriety. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3558796.stm (BBC)]
* InNajaf , US forces besiege theImam Ali Mosque , where followers of the radicalShia clericMoqtada al Sadr are barricaded. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3557446.stm (BBC)]August 11 ,2004 * The
Olympic flame arrives inGreece after a relay through 26 countries. [http://www.news24.com/News24/Olympics2004/OutsideTrack/0,,2-1652-1655_1571477,00.html (News24)]
* Britishscientist s (atUniversity of Newcastle upon Tyne ) become the first inEurope to be granted permission to clone humanembryo s. [http://education.guardian.co.uk/higher/research/story/0,,1280916,00.html (The Guardian)]
*Pakistan announces that it will soon release 449India n prisoners, a majority of them fishermen who were detained for allegedly entering the country's territorial waters. [http://www.navhindtimes.com/stories.php?part=news&Story_ID=081219 (Navhind Times)]August 10 ,2004 * The
South Korea n government announces that the country'scapital is to be moved fromSeoul to a new site atGongju inSouth Chungcheong province. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/3554296.stm (BBC)]
*Bomb s explode at two small hotels and a gas plant in the Turkish city ofIstanbul , killing two people and injuring at least nine. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3550498.stm (BBC)]
* The U.S. deals a major blow to German prosecutors at the re-trial ofMoroccan Mounir al-Motassadek , one of the only 9/11 suspects to face justice to date, by refusing to allow an allegedal-Qaeda member to testify via videolink, citing security concerns and the need to protect secret information. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3550560.stm (BBC)]
*Libya agrees to pay USD 35 million to some victims of the1986 Berlin discotheque bombing . [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3552532.stm (BBC)]
* U.S. PresidentGeorge W. Bush announces his intention to havePorter J. Goss confirmed as the new director of theCIA . [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A53253-2004Aug10.html (WashPost)]
* A trove of 250 pages of previously unknownpoetry by British poetPhilip Larkin is found inHull University library. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3550924.stm (BBC)] [http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=3322235 (Scotsman)]August 9 ,2004 *
Microsoft issues Service Pack 2 for itsWindows XP operating system . [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3547978.stm (BBC)]
*Pakistan protests to the U.S. over anFBI sting operation involving a fake plot to kill Pakistan'sUN envoy. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3549200.stm (BBC)]
* At least 15,000 people are left homeless after several days of storms and heavy rains around theSouth African city ofCape Town . [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3549014.stm (BBC)]
* A non-radioactive steam leak at thenuclear power plant inMihama ,Fukui Prefecture ,Japan , kills 4 and scalds 8 others. [http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&e=4&u=/ap/20040809/ap_on_re_as/japan_nuclear_accident (AP)]
* Richard Butler, the controversial governor of theAustralia n state ofTasmania , resigns. [http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200408/s1172530.htm (ABCnews)]
* Fierce fighting continues between U.S. forces and backers of Shiite clericMoqtada al-Sadr . Sadr threatens that he "will defendNajaf until my last drop of blood." According to the U.S. military, U.S forces have killed 300 supporters of Sadr in some of the most violent clashes since the fall ofBaghdad . [http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/08/09/1339206 (democracy now!)]
* Scientists speaking at a news conference onnatural disaster s raise the alarm that theCumbre Vieja volcano onLa Palma ,Canary Islands , could erupt at any time, sending a 250 sq.km. rock crashing into theAtlantic Ocean and producing atsunami that could devastate the Atlantic's coastline, within hours. Very little seismological monitoring of the volcano is being carried out. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3553368.stm (BBC)]August 8 ,2004 * U.S. intelligence officials and non-government experts conclude that diplomatic efforts to prevent the proliferation of
nuclear weapon s toIran andNorth Korea have failed to slow their weapons development programs.
*Sudan seeks support from states attending theArab League summit inCairo ,Egypt to forestall possibleUnited Nations sanctions against their country regarding its support for theArab Janjaweed accused ofethnic cleansing inDarfur . Arab League Secretary GeneralAmr Moussa states that the Arab League states are inclined to help Sudan avoid sanctions. [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=5904310 (Reuters)]
* Militants inIraq kidnap theIran ian Consul assigned toKarbala , stating that the consul has been acting in ways incompatible with hisdiplomat ic status. [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=5904233 (Reuters)]
*Palestinian Authority JusticeNahed Arreyes resigns, stating that he has been stripped of much of his authority over the legal system. [http://washingtontimes.com/world/20040807-112344-3852r.htm (AP)]
*AnIraq i judge issues anarrest warrant forAhmed Chalabi on the charge ofcounterfeiting . Chalabi denies the charge. [http://www.voanews.com/article.cfm?objectID=DB163A96-EC24-4294-B48DD10046F6CB36 (Voice of America)]August 7 ,2004 * In the
Asian Cup 2004 soccer final, Japan defeats China 3–1, prompting clashes between Chinese fans and police inBeijing . A Japanese diplomat's car is attacked and the Japanese players and fans are bussed out from Workers' Stadium, under guard. [http://www.asiancup2004.com/en/news/index.asp?aid=36622&cid=1129&sqid=833&amth=8&ayr=2004 (Asian Cup Official Website)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/3541380.stm (BBC)]
* TheIraqi Interim Government bansAl Jazeera from operating inIraq for 30 days; police order staff from their Baghdad newsroom.
*U.S.-led occupation of Iraq : It is reported that, onJuly 29 , members of theOregon National Guard witnessed detainees being beaten and tortured in the grounds of theIraq iMinistry of the Interior inBaghdad , and immediately intervened -- only to subsequently receive orders from their superior officers to "stand down" and leave the grounds. [http://www.oregonlive.com/special/oregonian/iraq/index.ssf?/base/front_page/109196614530740.xml (Portland Oregonian)]August 6 ,2004 *
Pacific Islands Forum leaders call for assistance forNauru to prevent the emergence of another "failed state ". [http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/08/07/1091732142765.html (The Age)]
*U.S. Senate election, 2004 :Alan Keyes , a resident of Maryland, indicates he will seek the Republican nomination for the Illinois seat, to run againstBarack Obama . [http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/08/06/il.keyes.gop.ap/index.html (CNN)]
*Mohammed M. Hossain andYassin M. Aref , leaders of the Masjid as-Salammosque inAlbany, New York , are arrested for their part in an alleged plot (actually anFBI sting operation ) to use anRPG-7 toassassinate aPakistan idiplomat in New York City.
* AKuwaiti transport company says it is willing to pay millions ofdollar sransom to securehostages ' release. [http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/804860.cms (Times of India)]
* InDerry ,Northern Ireland , police are attacked by people carrying petrol bombs. [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=5893783 (Reuters)]
* Saudi police arrest terror suspectFaris Ahmed Jamaan al-Showeel al-Zahrani . [http://abcnews.go.com/wire/World/ap20040806_486.html (ABC)]
*Israel reopens theGaza -Egypt border crossing after a three-weeks shutdown, allowing 1,500Palestinians on the Egyptian side to return home. [http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/I/ISRAEL_PALESTINIANS?SITE=ENCCOM&SECTION=HOME (AP)]
* Two Afghan men deny being enemy fighters, in appearances before U.S.military tribunal s reviewing the status ofGuantanamo Bay detainees. For the first time, the US allowsjournalists to attend the hearings. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3539896.stm (BBC)]
* RadicalIraq iShia clericMoqtada Sadr calls for a truce to be restored after a day of heavy fighting between his militia and U.S. troops inNajaf . [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3540660.stm (BBC)]
** The U.S. claims that over 300 of Sadr's fighters have been killed in two days of clashes. [http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=574&e=1&u=/nm/20040806/wl_nm/iraq_dc_79 (Reuters)]
*Chess masterBobby Fischer , apparently seeking to avoid deportation to, and trial in the U.S., says he is renouncing his U.S. citizenship. [http://news.lycos.co.uk/people/040806144456.5gpfdwr8.xml.html (AFP)]August 7 ,2004 * At least seven
Iraq is and a U.S. soldier die in clashes; and a U.S.helicopter is shot down, injuring two. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3540660.stm (BBC)]
* The U.S. FCC issues a preliminary ruling that providers ofbroadband communications (includingcable modem ,DSL ,broadband over power line , and wireless) andVoIP communications are subject to the 1994 CALEA statutes which require providers to assist law enforcement authorities inwiretap ping. [http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/08/05/fcc_approves_taps/ (The Register)]
*Assembly demo party was held inHelsinki for the 13th time.August 4 ,2004 *The
National Institutes of Health decides not to override drug patents to allow generic production of anti-AIDS drugNorvir in theUnited States , despite claims ofprice gouging by patients' groups and some members of Congress. [http://abcnews.go.com/wire/Living/ap20040804_1910.html (ABC)]
* U.S.aviation regulators threaten to cap commercial flights atChicago 'sO'Hare airport to reduce delays that are affecting the nation'saviation system. [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=CTC3NHOQHC5DOCRBAEKSFFA?type=topNews&storyID=5873771 (Reuters)]
*Saddam Hussein wants to be transferred to a Swedishjail to await his trial. [http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle.asp?xfile=data/focusoniraq/2004/August/focusoniraq_August34.xml§ion=focusoniraq (Khaleej Times)]
* The death toll frommonsoon flooding inIndia exceeds 1,000. [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5461377/ (MSNBC)]
*NASA dedicates its newsupercomputer 'KC' to the memory ofIndia -bornastronaut Kalpana Chawla , one of the seven crew members who died when thespace Shuttle Columbia disintegrated in mid-air in2003 . [http://www.ndtv.com/template/template.asp?template=Columbiacrash&slug=NASA+dedicates+super+computer+to+Kalpana&id=58219&callid=1&category=National&headline=NASA~dedicates~super~computer~to~Kalpana (NDTV)]
* Abomb explodes near an electrical substation outsideAthens , 9 days prior to the beginning of the Olympic Games. [http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,10349157%255E1702,00.html (Melbourne Herald Sun)]
* TheFBI warns thatMumbai ,Delhi , orBangalore could be the target ofterrorist attacks. [http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/802428.cms (Times Of India)]
* A ceremony is held atLondon 'sCenotaph to commemorate the 90th anniversary of theUnited Kingdom 's entry into the First World War. Four of the 23 surviving British veterans of the war, aged between 103 and 108, are well enough to attend. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3532584.stm (BBC)]
*Mary Kay Letourneau is released from aWashington prison after serving a sentence of over seven years forstatutory rape . The former elementary school teacher became notorious for her sexual involvement with one of her male students, who was 12 years old when the illicit relationship began. She bore two children by the boy, who is now 21 years old. [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,127974,00.html (FOX News)]August 3 ,2004 *
Saddam Hussein 's daughter Raghad reveals her willingness to hire an Americanlawyer as long as her father gets a fair trial. [http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/801925.cms (Times Of India)]
* Two 'high-value'al-Qaida targets are arrested inPakistan . [http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGBGFFNCGXD.html (Tampa Bay Online)]
* A U.S.court martial hears allegations by the lead criminal investigator thatIraqi prisoners were abused 'for fun' atAbu Ghraib . [http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsPackageArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=558688§ion=news (Reuters)]
* The truce betweenMuqtada al-Sadr 's militia and occupation troops ends as US troops surround his house inNajaf to arrest him. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3528992.stm (BBC)]
* Reports state that information that led theUS to raise the terror alert for five financial centers inNew York city, northernNew Jersey andWashington D.C. was mainly three or four years old but had been updated as recently as January. Administration officials note, too, thatal Qaeda is known for its advance planning, and that this information became available following the [http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,10341570%255E1702,00.html apprehension] of a Pakistani member of the organization. [http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/08/03/terror.threat/index.html (CNN)] [http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-08/03/content_1705634.htm (Xinhuanet)]
*NASA launches itsMESSENGER spacecraft. It is due to reach the planet Mercury in2011 . [http://www.jhuapl.edu/newscenter/pressreleases/2004/040803.htm (JHUAPL)]
* TheStatue of Liberty opens to the public for the first time since theSeptember 11, 2001 attacks . [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3529926.stm (BBC)]
*Missouri votes to bansame-sex marriage through a stateconstitutional amendment . The amendment passes with 72% of the vote.Louisiana will vote on the same issueSeptember 18 , followed byArkansas , Georgia,Kentucky ,Mississippi ,Montana ,Oklahoma ,Oregon , andUtah onNovember 2 . [http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/08/04/politics/main633885.shtml (CBS)] Meanwhile, inWashington , a state judge rules that its recently-enacted ban on same-sex marriage violates the state constitution. [http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/184881_rulinged.html (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)]
* Tropical Storm Alex strengthens into the first hurricane of the2004 Atlantic hurricane season , and skirtsNorth Carolina 'sOuter Banks without making landfall. [http://www.cnn.com/2004/WEATHER/08/03/alex/ (CNN)]
* ThePeople's Republic of China says it may delay talks on afree trade agreement with Singapore following a recent visit to Taiwan bySingapore 's deputy prime ministerLee Hsien Loong . [http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/FH04Ae02.html (AtOL)] [http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/topstories/story/0,4386,264986,00.html (StraitsTimes)]
*The death toll in the market fire inAsunción ,Paraguay rises to 464. Six people, including the co-owner, are arrested formanslaughter on charges that they locked the doors after the fire started, in order to prevent looting. [http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=3294468 (The Scotsman)] [http://abcnews.go.com/wire/World/ap20040803_759.html (ABC News)]August 2 ,2004 * U.S. President
George W. Bush urges Congress to create a national intelligence director and a nationalcounterterrorism center. [http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centredaily/news/politics/9304590.htm (Centre Daily)]
*Jorge Hank Rhon , candidate of the left-conservative PRI party—which had held power in Mexico for more than 70 years—wins theTijuana mayoral election by just 1.09%, on a platform of solvingorganized crime by omnipresent publicsurveillance . [http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/pls/impreso/noticia.html?id_nota=5689&tabla=miami (El Universal Online)]
* A poll shows that U.S. presidential candidateJohn Kerry gained limited support after the Democratic Convention. [http://abcnews.go.com/sections/politics/Vote2004/kerry_bounce_poll_040802.html (ABC News)]
* The U.S. plans to shift 3,600soldier s toIraq fromSouth Korea . [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=QDNXAKVLWYIGECRBAE0CFEY?type=topNews&storyID=5844506 (Reuters)]
*Turkey 's truckers' association says it will stop delivering goods to U.S. forces inIraq , in what appears to be a direct response toinsurgents ' videotaped killing of a Turkish hostage. [http://www.heraldsun.com/nationworld/14-507080.html (Herald Sun)]
*Doom 3 , the long-awaited second follow-up to the 1993 first-person shooting classic, is leaked online. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/3527332.stm (BBC)]
*APhilippine lawyer who helped recover millions of dollars stashed by late dictatorFerdinand Marcos and a doctor who exposedChina 'sSARS outbreak are among this year's winners of theRamon Magsaysay Award , a prestigious prize inAsia . [http://asia.news.yahoo.com/040802/ap/d8475d880.html (AP)]
* Five Moroccans detained at the U.S. military camp inGuantanamo Bay are turned over to authorities in their home country. [http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,10326760%255E1702,00.html (The Australian)]
* TheIndian Army claims to be confronting teenagedmilitants , some as young as 13 or 14, wielding sophisticated arms, along theLine of Control inJammu and Kashmir . [http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/799405.cms (Times Of India)]
* TheIraq igovernment blamesAl Qaeda allyAbu Musab al-Zarqawi for a series of churchbombings that killed at least 11 people, saying the aim was to sparkreligious strife and driveChristian s out of the country. [http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle.asp?xfile=data/focusoniraq/2004/August/focusoniraq_August10.xml§ion=focusoniraq (Khaleej Times)]
*Sudan 's army says theUN resolution on theconflict inDarfur is "adeclaration of war " and threatens to fight any foreign intervention. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3527310.stm (BBC)]
*India 's juniorForeign Minister ,Edappakath Ahamed , declares that the Indian government has no confirmation of the release of 3 truck drivers who were takenhostage inIraq in late July. [http://in.news.yahoo.com/040802/137/2faa8.html (Reuters)]
* The government ofParaguay confirms that at least 275 people died in asupermarket fire inAsunción . The death toll is still expected to rise as a more thorough search is completed. [http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/aplatin_story.asp?category=1102&slug=Paraguay%20Supermarket%20Fire (Seattle Post)] [http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/americas/08/01/supermarket.blast.int/index.html (CNN)]
*Police make arrests following theassassination attempt onPakistan 's prime minister-designate. [http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,10319140%255E1702,00.html (Herald Sun)]
* U.S. GeneralTommy Franks discloses that, through a double agent codenamed "April Fool", he trickedSaddam Hussein into bungling the defense of his country. [http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,10313657%255E601,00.html (The Australian)]August 1 ,2004 *
Lawyers reveal thatAfrican American workers are to sueEastman Kodak Co. , charging that the firm paid them less and promoted them less often than white colleagues. [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=domesticNews&storyID=5838470 (Reuters)]
* The U.S. raises thesecurity alert level to high for theWorld Bank and theInternational Monetary Fund inWashington, DC , theNew York Stock Exchange and companies in theNew York City area on Sunday after intelligence signals a possibleal Qaeda attack. [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=5837340 (Reuters)]
*Kuwait bansMichael Moore 's "Fahrenheit 9/11 " because it deems the movie insulting to theSaudi Arabia n royal family and critical of America's invasion of Iraq. [http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/798918.cms (AP)]
* Fourcar bomb s explode just minutes apart outside four nearby churches in centralBaghdad and one car bomb explodes at a church in Mosul during Sunday evening services, killing 5 and injuring at least 46 people, witnesses say. The attacks appeared to be the first targeting churches during the 15-months of violentinsurgency . [http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/I/IRAQ_BAGHDAD_BLAST?SITE=PAYOK&SECTION=HOME (AP)] [http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/08/02/iraq.main/index.html CNN]
* Chinese authorities say they have shut down nearly 700websites and arrested 224 people in a new campaign againstinternet pornography . [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3943445.stm (BBC)]
* The French Ambassador toChad ,Jean Pierre Bercot , says thatFrance will deploy 200 soldiers to help secure Chad's eastern border withSudan 's conflict-tornDarfur region. The troops will also bring humanitarian aid to tens of thousands of Darfur refugees in Chad. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3943137.stm (BBC)]
*World Trade Organization members agree on a revised draft deal that aims to revive stalled talks on freeing uptrade between rich and poor nations. Key WTO members accept proposals to cut the subsidies wealthy countries give their farmers for exports. International non-governmental organizations (NGOs) denounced the results as a sell-out of poor countries and the environment. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/3937745.stm (BBC)] [http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/0802-01.htm (OneWorld.net)]
* Over 311 people are killed and 276 injured in a fire which swept a market inAsunción ,Paraguay . [http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&e=3&u=/ap/20040802/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/paraguay_supermarket_fire (AP)] [http://edition.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/americas/08/01/supermarket.blast.int/ (CNN)]News collections and sources
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