- July 2004
__NOTOC__
July 2004 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December See also:July 2004 in sports Events
July 1 ,2004 * The
Iraqi Special Tribunal holds the first hearing in the trial ofSaddam Hussein . [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3855359.stm (BBC)] [http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1251451,00.html (Guardian)]
* The U.S.Centers for Disease Control announce that threeorgan transplant recipients have died fromrabies infection after receiving organs from a donor infected with the rabies virus. This is a medical rarity, as human rabies infections in thedeveloped world are extremely rare. [http://www.cnn.com/2004/HEALTH/07/01/rabies.organ.transplant/index.html (CNN)]
* AQatar i court sentences twoRussia n intelligence officers to 25 years in prison for assassination ofZelimkhan Yandarbiyev , a suspected terrorist and leader of Chechen separatists, onFebruary 13 ,2004 . [http://english.pravda.ru/accidents/21/93/374/13238_Qatar.html (Pravda)] [http://washingtontimes.com/world/20040630-100006-5018r.htm (Washington Times)]
* TheCassini-Huygens unmanned probe becomes the first spacecraft to orbit Saturn, and prepares to study the planet and its satellites. [http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/cassini_scitues_040622.html (Space.com)]
* TheInternational Ship and Port Facility Security Code , a set of security restrictions designed by the UN'sInternational Maritime Organization in response to theSeptember 11, 2001 attacks , goes into effect. [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=reutersEdge&storyID=5555286 (Reuters)]
* More than 200,000Hong Kong residents march to demand greater democracy on the 7th anniversary of the handover. [http://www.voanews.com/article.cfm?objectID=B28EACDF-B0DF-41E3-A471208FD76366FD&title=Hundreds%20of%20Thousands%20Join%20Democracy%20March%20in%20Hong%20Kong&catOID=45C9C78B-88AD-11D4-A57200A0CC5EE46C&categoryname=Asia%20Pacific (VOA)]
* Famous actorMarlon Brando dies of pulmonary fibrosis.July 2 ,2004 *
Darfur conflict :Sudan ese PresidentOmar Hasan Ahmad al-Bashir , in a meeting withUnited Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan , makes a commitment to "ensure security for the civilian population by deploying civilian police and by disarming militias". [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=5579831 (Reuters)]
*Brazil 's strict new gun control legislation, including a nationwide register of all firearms, both privately owned and government issued, comes into force. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3862173.stm (BBC)] [http://feeds.bignewsnetwork.com/?sid=5f2a70bb80a77fff (BNN)]
*EntertainerBill Cosby , in an appearance withJesse Jackson , criticizes theAfrican American community, saying illiterate blacks are "going nowhere" and advising unemployed black men to "stop beating up your women". [http://web.archive.org/web/20040704073101/http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/07/01/cosby.comments.ap/index.html (CNN/archive.org)]
*Occupation of Iraq : FourU.S. Army soldiers, including 1st. Lt.Jack Saville and Sgt.Tracy Perkins , are charged with offenses ranging up to involuntary manslaughter in theJanuary 3 drowning death of anIraq i detainee whom they reportedly forced to leap into theTigris from atop a bridge inSamarra . [http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=586&ncid=586&e=6&u=/nm/20040702/wl_nm/iraq_usa_prisoners_dc (Reuters)]
*U.S. presidential election: Several Democratic Party members of the U.S. House of Representatives request that theUnited Nations send observers to monitor theNovember 2 presidential election, citing the disputed 2000 presidential outcome. [http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1521&u=/afp/20040702/pl_afp/us_vote_congress_040702062257&printer=1 (AFP)]
*AMedevac of airlineAir TRK crashes during take-off fromTocumen International Airport inPanama City, Panama , after a stopover in a flight fromQuito, Ecuador , toWashington, D.C. , USA, killing six passengers and one airport worker. [http://www.estrelladepanama.com/noticia23.html (Estrella de Panama)]July 3 ,2004 *
Occupation of Iraq : The Islamic extremist groupJaish Ansar al-Sunna has reportedly beheaded U.S. MarineCorporal Wassef Ali Hassoun . The group claims that it will release a videotape recording of the execution in the coming days. [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=RIZ2B1SGNFO5KCRBAEKSFEY?type=domesticNews&storyID=5581344 (Reuters)] [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=5581313 (Reuters)]
*The new metro inBangkok ,Thailand , officially opens. It is overcrowded within 30 minutes. [http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2004/7/3/latest/17844Thailands&sec=latest (The Star)]
*17-year-oldMaria Sharapova defeatsSerena Williams 6-1, 6-4 in theWimbledon Championships women'stennis final to become the firstRussia n Wimbledon champion. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/3860923.stm (BBC Sport)]July 4 ,2004 *Greece wins the Euro 2004 football tournament by defeating host nation Portugal 1-0. [http://soccernet.espn.go.com/euro2004/index?cc=5901 (ESPN)] [http://www.euro2004.com/ (Euro 2004 Official Website)]
*In New York City, groundbreaking takes place at the site of theFreedom Tower , due to be completed in2009 . [http://web.archive.org/web/20040705070540/http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=domesticNews&storyID=5582661 (Reuters/archive.org)]
*Polio spreads acrossNigeria and ten otherAfrica n nations after vaccinations are suspended inKano province, on rumors that the vaccine was adulterated to causeinfertility andAIDS . [http://allafrica.com/stories/200407020367.html (New Era via All Africa)]
*Roger Federer wins the men's Wimbledon championship for the second straight year, defeatingAndy Roddick in 4 sets. [http://in.rediff.com/sports/2004/jul/04wimb.htm (Rediff News)]July 5 ,2004 *
Australia andThailand sign afree trade agreement. [http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-07/06/content_1576712.htm (Xinhua)]
*TheInternational Committee of the Red Cross andUNICEF state that there are more than 100Iraq i children in custody of the US-led coalition, and a US soldier reports of child harassment in Abu Ghraib. [http://www.paknews.com/headingNews.php?id=2924&date1=2004-07-05 (Der Spiegel via Pakistan News Service)]
*The first direct Indonesian presidential election is held, withSusilo Bambang Yudhoyono expected to win with one-third of the vote. If no candidate wins at least 50 percent of the vote, the two top finishers will compete in a September runoff. The race for second place, between PresidentMegawati Sukarnoputri and former army chief GeneralWiranto , is still too close to call. [http://www.voanews.com/article.cfm?objectID=33AC6058-2EBB-4487-93CB7623F9805983&title=Indonesians%20to%20Vote%20in%20First%20Direct%20Presidential%20Election&catOID=45C9C78B-88AD-11D4-A57200A0CC5EE46C&categoryname=Asia%20Pacific (VOA)] [http://www.politinfo.com/articles/article_2004_07_5_4546.html (PolitInfo)]
*Alfonso Durazo , spokesman and private secretary to Mexican PresidentVicente Fox , resigns over "political differences" with his boss, including the presidential ambitions of First LadyMarta Sahagún . The announcement came shortly after, but was not related to, a bad day for Fox's PAN party in state elections in its northern heartland. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3868771.stm (BBC)] [http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=586&e=9&u=/nm/20040705/wl_nm/mexico_vote_dc (Reuters)]July 6 ,2004 * Major Harry Schmidt of the
United States Air Force is found guilty ofdereliction of duty in a "friendly fire " bombing that killed four and seriously wounded eight Canadian soldiers inAfghanistan in2002 , given an official reprimand and fined US$5,672, which will be made in two monthly payments of US$2,836. [http://www.cnn.com/2004/LAW/07/06/pilot.friendly.fire/index.html (CNN)] [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A32164-2004Jul6.html (Washington Post)]
*President ofAustria Thomas Klestil dies of a heart attack, just two days before he was due to leave office. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3869783.stm (BBC)]
*Islamic Response claims thatUnited States Marine Corps CorporalWassef Ali Hassoun has been taken to a place of safety after he promised to desert from the Marine Corps. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3870393.stm (BBC)]
*Acar bomb in the Khalis section ofBaghdad kills 13 people attending the wake of individuals killed two days ago in a previous attack. [http://www.boston.com/dailynews/188/world/Insurgents_detonate_car_bomb_k:.shtml (Boston Globe)]
*United Nations Secretary-GeneralKofi Annan calls uponAfrican Union leaders to take action to resolve the crisis inDarfur where an estimated 30,000 blackSudan ese have been killed by SudaneseArab s in cultural and racial strife. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3868793.stm (BBC)]
*U.S. Democratic Party presumptive presidential candidateJohn Kerry picks former rivalJohn Edwards to be his running mate. [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5365307 (MSNBC)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3869925.stm (BBC)] [http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/07/08/1443245 (Democracy Now!)]
**In a huge front-page headline, the "New York Post " mistakenly reports that Kerry had picked Richard A. "Dick" Gephardt.
*The U.S.Senate Select Committee on Intelligence uncovers that, before the War on Iraq, theCentral Intelligence Agency (CIA) was told by relatives of Iraqi scientists that Iraq's programs to develop unconventional weapons had been abandoned. [http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1255650,00.html (Guardian)]July 7 ,2004 *
Kenneth Lay , the former Chairman ofEnron , is indicted by agrand jury inHouston, Texas . Enron filed forbankruptcy inDecember 2 ,2001 , after investigators discovered that it had hidden more than $1 billion in debt and inflated profits. [http://money.cnn.com/2004/07/07/news/newsmakers/lay/index.htm?cnn=yes (CNN)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/3875297.stm (BBC)] [http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/07/08/1443252 (Democracy Now!)]
* Thearchdiocese ofPortland, Oregon , U.S., files forbankruptcy , claiming payouts forRoman Catholic sex abuse cases have exhausted all of its funds. [http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,1255966,00.html (The Guardian)]
*Japan tells theUnited Nations it should get a permanent seat on theSecurity Council because of its participation in the multinational force in Iraq. [http://www.voanews.com/article.cfm?objectID=AF764B04-72B7-46F0-8F236B37B4589796&title=Japan%20Wants%20Permanent%20UN%20Security%20Council%20Seat&catOID=45C9C78B-88AD-11D4-A57200A0CC5EE46C&categoryname=Asia%20Pacific (VOA)] [http://www.japantoday.com/e/?content=news&cat=9&id=304636 (JapanToday)]
* At a meeting with 20 pro-democracy lawmakers, Chief ExecutiveTung Chee Hwa says he is powerless to askBeijing to reconsider its decision to denyuniversal suffrage toHong Kong 's people. [http://www.voanews.com/article.cfm?objectID=77E73E95-1D6D-4025-9FFB07F84DE41BB1&title=Hong%20Kong%20Leader%20Rejects%20Call%20to%20Ask%20Beijing%20to%20Reconsider%20Direct%20Elections&catOID=45C9C78B-88AD-11D4-A57200A0CC5EE46C&categoryname=Asia%20Pacific (VOA)] [http://www.abc.net.au/ra/newstories/RANewsStories_1148873.htm (Radio Australia)]July 8 ,2004 * US Marine Corporal
Wassef Ali Hassoun appears unharmed at the US Embassy inBeirut . Hassoun disappeared from his unit inIraq onJune 21 , and was incorrectly reported as having been beheaded by the group that captured him. TheUnited States Navy has launched an investigation into the incident. [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=5624161 (Reuters)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3878249.stm (BBC)]
*Mexico andVenezuela become associate members ofMercosur (the Southern Common Market). [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/3878817.stm (BBC)]
* TheRepublic of China Defense Ministry reveals that the Chiang family has asked thatChiang Kai-shek andChiang Ching-kuo both be buried in theWu Chih-shan Military Cemetery inTaipei County . The state burial is scheduled for Spring 2005. [http://www.etaiwannews.com/Taiwan/2004/07/09/1089337475.htm (Taiwan News)] [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=5616813 (Reuters)]
*India presents its nationalbudget , raising its defence expenditure. [http://in.rediff.com/r/r/tn25 (Rediff India)]July 9 ,2004 * In its advisory opinion asked for by the
United Nations General Assembly theInternational Court of Justice states that theIsraeli West Bank barrier is illegal and calls for the General Assembly and the Security Council to remedy the situation. [http://www.emedia.com.my/Current_News/NST/AfpNews/040709170042.2lm5hf5l.txt/indexb_html (New Straits Times)] [http://nzz.ch/2004/07/09/english/page-synd5077101.html (NZZ)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3881799.stm (BBC)]
* The final report of the US Senate Intelligence Committee states that theCentral Intelligence Agency described the danger presented byweapons of mass destruction inIraq in an unreasonable way, largely unsupported by the available intelligence. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/3878969.stm (BBC)]
*Ahmed Nazif is appointed the newPrime Minister ofEgypt after the resignation of previous Prime MinisterAtef Obeid , and the entire cabinet of OT. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3881805.stm (BBC)]July 10 ,2004 *The
World Health Organisation says that six months into its project againstAIDS , 440,000 people in developing nations have receivedantiretroviral drugs . Despite being 60,000 short of its target, the organisation says it is still hopeful of achieving its aim of distributing to 3,000,000 people by the end of 2005 [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3884083.stm (BBC)]July 11 ,2004 *
Ashraf Jehangir Qazi is nominated byKofi Annan to be the UN new envoy toIraq . [http://in.rediff.com/news/2004/jul/12iraq.htm (Rediff News)]
*Boris Tadić is inaugurated as thePresident of Serbia after winning theSerbian presidential election, 2004 . [http://www.bgnewsnet.com/story.php?sid=6012 (Bulgarian News Network)]
*Flash flood s caused by severehail andrain strike Edmonton,Alberta (Canada ), causing widespread damage including structural damage to theWest Edmonton Mall . [http://www.cbc.ca/stories/2004/07/11/canada/edmontonmall_040711 (CBC News)]
*Monsoon rains force millions of people to flee their homes inIndia ,Nepal andBangladesh . At least 80 people are reported killed. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3885513.stm (BBC)]July 12 ,2004 *
Montenegro adopts new state symbols including a new red flag bearing King Nikola's .
*Pedro Santana Lopes becomes the prime minister ofPortugal . [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3888131.stm (BBC)]
*ThePhilippines announces the withdrawal of its forces fromIraq . [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=5648509 (Reuters)]
*TheUnited States Department of Homeland Security asks the Justice Department's office of legal counsel to research on the legal requirements for postponing the November elections, stating that they are concerned that terrorists might disrupt the elections. [http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/nation/ny-uselec0712,0,2110069.story?coll=ny-nationalnews-headlines (Newsday)]
*Alberta n PremierRalph Klein announces that theprovince has completed repayment of itspublic debt , which once stood at CAD $23 billion. [http://www.cbc.ca/stories/2004/07/12/business/albertadebt_040712 (CBC)]July 13 ,2004 *
Khaled al-Harbi , a disabled militantSaudi sheikh linked toal-Qaeda andOsama bin Laden , turns himself in to the Saudi authorities inTehran under anamnesty program of the Saudi King. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3891175.stm (BBC)]
*Al Jazeera television reports that aBulgaria n hostage held in Iraq by suspectedal-Qaeda allyAbu Musab al-Zarqawi has been executed. A video tape of the murder was provided to Al Jazeera. The group vows to execute another hostage within 24 hours. [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=5659862 (Reuters)]
*TheUnited States Department of State adds theContinuity Irish Republican Army (CIRA) to its list of foreign terrorist organisations, which means that CIRA assets in the US will be frozen and visas denied to members of CIRA. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/3891791.stm (BBC)]
*A rough cut ofU2 's new album is stolen inNice ,France . The album is scheduled for release in November. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/music/3899947.stm (BBC)]July 14 ,2004 *
Stephen Hawking changes his position onblack hole s andHawking radiation , stating that it is possible for information to escape, thereby reinforcing a central tenet ofquantum physics . [http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99996151 (New Scientist)]
* TheIran ian government rejected requests for Canadian government observers to attend the trial of intelligence agents charged with the death of Canadianphotographer ,Zahra Kazemi
*TheFederal Marriage Amendment , a bid by members of theUnited States Republican Party to amend theUnited States Constitution to bansame-sex marriage in the United States , fails in the Senate by a larger-than-expected margin. [http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/07/14/samesex.marriage/index.html (CNN)]
*The governor of theIraq i city ofMosul is killed in an attack on his vehicle. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3894653.stm (BBC)]
*France celebratesBastille Day , and:
**In commemoration of the 100th anniversary of theEntente Cordiale , troops from theUnited Kingdom are accorded the honour of leadingFrance 's parade on theChamps-Élysées inParis . [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3892819.stm (BBC)]
**PresidentJacques Chirac announces that France will hold a referendum over the proposed constitution for theEuropean Union in 2005. [http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsPackageArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=547179§ion=news (Reuters)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3893735.stm (BBC)]
*TheButler Review intoUnited Kingdom intelligence onWeapons of Mass Destruction inIraq is published. It criticises the government for using unreliable intelligence, which it says was 'open to doubt' and 'seriously flawed', but blames no single individual. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3890961.stm (BBC)] [http://www.guardian.co.uk/butler/story/0,14750,1261259,00.html (Guardian)] [http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/story.jsp?story=540900 (Independent)]
* The death toll frommonsoon flooding inSouth Asia reaches 300. [http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200407/s1154246.htm (ABC Australia)]
*Same-sex marriage in Canada : A court inYukon rules that the territory's government must licence marriages between same-sex partners. Yukon becomes the fourth jurisdiction in Canada to perform same-sex marriages, afterOntario ,British Columbia , andQuebec . [http://north.cbc.ca/regional/servlet/View?filename=0714gay_unionsJuly142004 (CBC)]
* By a 3-to-2 vote, theU.S. Securities and Exchange Commission proposes requiring the registration ofhedge fund s (investment pools restricted to high net worth individuals and institutions). Although many hedge funds are already registered, that has thus far been voluntary. [http://www.thestreet.com/pf/markets/matthewgoldstein/10171065.html (thestreet.com)]
* A Turkish court orders a retrial of four Kurdish former members of parliament who were jailed in 1994. They have been accused of supporting separatism and for making speeches in Kurdish. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3892473.stm (BBC)]
* U.S. PresidentGeorge W. Bush announced theVision for Space Exploration atNASA headquarters. It calls for humans to return to theMoon by2020 , and then ontoMars at an unannounced date.July 15 ,2004 *
Canada recalls its ambassador toIran to protest Iran's refusal to allow Canadians to attend the trial of an Iranianintelligence agent charged in the death ofMontreal -basedphotographer andjournalist ,Zahra Kazemi . [http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20040716/KAZEMIGTA16/TPNational/Canada (Globe & Mail)] [http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_world/view/96292/1/.html (Chanel News Asia)]
*Voting takes place in the Birmingham Hodge Hill and Leicester South parliamentary by-elections in theUnited Kingdom . The Labour Party retains Hodge Hill, narrowly, but loses Leicester South to the Liberal Democrats. The Conservative Party is pushed into third place in both seats. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3898823.stm (BBC)]
*TheCambodia n parliament votes to reappointHun Sen as Prime Minister, following an 11-month deadlock. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/3895553.stm (BBC)] [http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-07/15/content_1602796.htm (Xinhua)]
*TheUnited States House of Representatives passes a resolution condemning theInternational Court of Justice ruling on theIsraeli West Bank barrier . [http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1089861306316&p=1006688055060 (Jerusalem Post)]
*New Zealand imposes diplomatic sanctions onIsrael after an incident involving two allegedMossad agents committingpassport fraud. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/3896009.stm (BBC)] [http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?storyID=3578655&thesection=news&thesubsection=general (New Zealand Herald)] [http://news.independent.co.uk/world/australasia/story.jsp?story=541474 (Independent)] [http://tvnz.co.nz/view/news_world_story_skin/436406?format=html (TVNZ)] [http://www.voanews.com/article.cfm?objectID=A5407DEB-A962-4913-9F62DEE6D3256F20 (VOA)]
*AUnited Nations report says that life expectancy in some parts ofAfrica has dropped to below 33 years, due to theAIDS epidemic. [http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=10783 (Medical News Today)]
* The U.S.bankruptcy court forManhattan approved the reorganization plan of notorious energy-trading companyEnron , which is now likely to formally emerge fromchapter 11 later this year. [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A53231-2004Jul15.html (Washington Post)]July 16 ,2004 *At least 88 children are killed and several others injured when a kitchen fire engulfs a thatched-roof school in the Kumbakonam district of
Tamil Nadu , India. Five are arrested so far. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/3899231.stm (BBC)] [http://in.rediff.com/news/2004/jul/16tn.htm (Rediff News)] [http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/780834.cms (Times of India)] [http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/asiapcf/07/16/india.fire/index.html (CNN)]
*American celebrityMartha Stewart is sentenced to five months in a federalprison , five months ofhouse arrest , two yearsprobation , and ordered to pay a $30,000 fine, for attempting to cover up illegal stock trading. The sentence is stayed pending appeal. [http://www.reuters.com/financeNewsArticle.jhtml?type=businessNews&storyID=5693645 (Reuters)]
*Acceding to the demands ofIraq i militants who kidnapped and threaten to behead truck driverAngelo de la Cruz , thePhilippines agrees to withdraw from Iraq. Eleven soldiers leave today, while the remaining 32 are slated to withdraw at a later date. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3898875.stm (BBC)]
*Palestinian militant skidnap Ghazi al-Jabali , thePalestinian Authority Chief of Police of theGaza Strip , at gunpoint following anambush of his convoy and thewound ing of two bodyguards. TheJenin Martyrs' Brigade claims responsibility. Hours later the police chief is released and another official of the Palestinian Authority kidnapped. [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=5691768 (Reuters)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3900649.stm (BBC)]
*AUnited Nations tribunal trying the alleged masterminds ofRwanda 's 1994genocide convicts former finance ministerEmmanuel Ndindabahizi on three counts of genocide andcrimes against humanity , sentencing him to life in prison.
* The British government is reported to be considering thedecriminalization of activities relating toprostitution , including the possibility of legalbrothel s. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3898009.stm (BBC)] [http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/legal/story.jsp?story=541530 (Independent)]
*It is reported that formerChess World ChampionBobby Fischer was detained inJapan onJuly 13 ,2004 , and may facedeportation due to competing inYugoslavia in1992 . [http://abcnews.go.com/wire/World/ap20040716_283.html (ABC NEWS)] [http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/asiapcf/07/16/fischer.japan/index.html (CNN)]July 17 ,2004 *Allegations surface that
Iyad Allawi himself summarily executed six prisoners at a Baghdad police station one week before becoming Iraqi prime minister, to "send a clear message to the police on how to deal with insurgents". His office completely denies the event. [http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/0716-01.htm (SMH)] [http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/07/16/1089694560142.html (Age)]
*ThePrime Minister of thePalestinian Authority ,Ahmed Qurei , submits his resignation during chaos in theGaza Strip as gunmen kidnapped several people, including thechief of police of the Gaza Strip, demanding reform of the Palestiniansecurity force .Yasser Arafat refuses to accept the resignation. [http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20040717/ts_nm/mideast_dc_27 (Reuters)]
*The Asian Cup 2004 kicks off inBeijing ,China . Hosts PR China ties Bahrain 2:2 in the opening match.July 18 ,2004 * The trial for the murder of Canadian
journalist Zahra Kazemi inIran ended abruptly on the second day of the proceedings. The lawyers of the Kazemi family insisted that the time has not been enough for proofs to be given,witness es to be brought to court, and themurderer to be identified.
*Thousands ofPalestinians take to the streets to protest appointments byYasser Arafat . Palestiniangunmen attack and burn down a security force post in theGaza Strip town ofKhan Younis manned by forces loyal toMoussa Arafat , the cousin of Yasser Arafat. The security forces flee. [http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/452782.html (Haaretz)] [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=GZAMCABFQYZNSCRBAEZSFFA?type=topNews&storyID=5697599 (Reuters)]
*U.S. PresidentGeorge W. Bush states that the establishment of aPalestinian state by the end of2005 is unlikely due to instability and violence in thePalestinian Authority . [http://www.maarivintl.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=article&articleID=9873 (Maariv)] [http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1089695506813&p=1006688055060 (Jerusalem Post)]
*Argentina holds a national day of mourning to mark the tenth anniversary of the AMIA Jewish community centre bombing. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/3905587.stm (BBC)] [http://www.falkland-malvinas.com/Detalle.asp?NUM=3958 (MercoPress)]
*Bolivia holds a referendum on gas exports. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/3903803.stm (BBC)]July 19 ,2004 *
Jordan ian troops detect and intercept 4 unidentified individuals attempting to "infiltrate to the western side of theJordan River " (Israel ). Three are killed and the fourth arrested. [http://www.petra.gov.jo/nepras/2004/Jul/19/20453600.htm (JNA)]
*Israel i Prime MinisterAriel Sharon calls on FrenchJew s to move to Israel immediately in light of the dramatic rise in Frenchanti-semitism (510 anti-semitic acts or threats in the first six months of2004 , compared to 593 for all of2003 ). The French government describes his comments as unacceptable. An Israeli spokesperson later claims that Sharon had been misunderstood. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3904943.stm (BBC)] [http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/453367.html (Haaretz)]
*Amnesty International releases its report citing systematic killing, torturing and gang raping of females from ages 8 to 80 byMuslim Arab Janjaweed militia in theDarfur region ofSudan . [http://web.amnesty.org/library/index/engafr540842004 (Amnesty)] [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=5705469§ion=news (Reuters)]
*ASudan ese court sentences 10Janjaweed militiamen to amputation and imprisonment forlooting and killing in Darfur. [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=5709160 (Reuters)]
* A tanker truck bomb inBaghdad kills nineIraq is and wounds another 60.
*Yasser Arafat , President of thePalestinian Authority , seeking to quiet unrest in theGaza Strip reinstates Abdel-Razek al-Majaideh, demoting his cousin Moussa Arafat who was appointed just 3 days ago. [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=5708780&pageNumber=1 (Reuters)]
*Hezbollah official Ghalib Awali is killed in an explosion inBeirut, Lebanon . The governments ofSyria andLebanon blameIsrael . A statement attributed to undergroundSunni Muslim groupJund as-Sham claims responsibility for the attack against "Shiite infidels"; later, the group denies involvement in the bombing and proclaims its solidarity with Shiites and Hezbollah. [http://www.israelnn.com/news.php3?id=65911 (INN)] [http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=2&article_id=6431 (Daily Star)]July 20 ,2004 *
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals releases a video of gross cruelty to chickens taken atPilgrim's Pride , one ofKFC 's suppliers inWest Virginia . The supplier will investigate the claims. [http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/story.jsp?story=543026 (The Independent)] [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,126359,00.html (FOX News)]
*Sandy Berger resigns as a foreign affairs advisor toJohn Kerry 's presidential campaign after it is reported that Berger was under investigation for allegedly illegally taking classified documents belonging to the U.S. National Archives, intended for review by the 9/11 Commission, related to the Clinton administration's handling of millennium terror threats. [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=politicsNews&storyID=5723828 (Reuters)]
*Canadian Prime ministerPaul Martin announces his new cabinet, which includes new faces such asice hockey greatKen Dryden and former BC premierUjjal Dosanjh . [http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2004/07/20/cabinet_new040720.html (CBC)]
*Gloria Arroyo , President of thePhilippines , confirms that hostageAngelo de la Cruz has been freed by his captors after their demands for a one-month-early withdrawal of all 51 Filipino troops fromIraq were met. [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=5714443 (Reuters)]
*Ahmed Qurei , Prime Minister of thePalestinian Authority , agrees to withdraw his resignation, three days after tendering it. Qurei is maintaining a threat to quit "because he has no powers". [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=SOX5QFE02GZRECRBAEZSFFA?type=worldNews&storyID=5716917 (Reuters)]
*Human Rights Watch releases a [http://hrw.org/english/docs/2004/07/19/darfur9096.htm report] stating thatSudan ese government documents confirm support for theArab Janjaweed militia in their campaign ofethnic cleansing againstAfrican Muslim s inDarfur .
*TheUnited States House of Representatives votes to override a proposal by theFinancial Accounting Standards Board that would require publicly traded companies to record all forms of share-based payments to employees, includingstock option s, as expenses. Similar legislation remains stalled in theUnited States Senate .
*TheEuropean Union approves a 50-50 merger betweenBMG andSony . [http://edition.cnn.com/2004/BUSINESS/07/20/sony.bmg.merger.ap/index.html (CNN)]July 21 ,2004 *
Palestinian Legislative Council member Nabil Amr, a leading voice for anti-corruption reform of thePalestinian Authority , is shot twice in his right leg after returning from a television interview in which he criticizedYasser Arafat . [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=F4H0PFAVFUI1MCRBAEZSFFA?type=worldNews&storyID=5729689 (Reuters)]
*TheUnited Nations General Assembly passes a [http://ods-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/LTD/N03/638/96/PDF/N0363896.pdf?OpenElement resolution] demanding that Israel obey theInternational Court of Justice ruling that the West Bank barrier should be dismantled.Israel condemns the resolution and announces that it will not stop building the barrier.
*Saudi security officials find the head of American hostage Paul Johnson in a refrigerator in a villa inRiyadh ,Saudi Arabia . [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=5730301 (Reuters)]
*Despite threats,Japan rebuffs demands that Japanese troops be withdrawn fromIraq . Deputy Cabinet Secretary Masaaki Yamazaki states: "For the rebuilding of Iraq, we must continue our support and not give in toterrorism ". [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=5725053§ion=news (Reuters)]
*Following the decision of thePhilippines to accede to hostage-takers' demands that it withdraw all 51 soldiers fromIraq , militants in Iraq abduct threeIndia ns, twoKenya ns and anEgypt ian, announcing that the hostages would be beheaded unless their countries immediately announce the withdrawal of troops from Iraq.
* The United States'Drug Enforcement Administration conductedOperation Web Tryp , arresting 10 people and closing down 5 suppliers ofresearch chemicals .July 22 ,2004 * Police seal off the
Washington, DC , office building housingJohn Kerry 's presidential campaign headquarters after an envelope containing a suspicious white powder is opened by a Kerry staff member. [http://abcnews.go.com/wire/Politics/ap20040722_1880.html (ABC News)]
* Major North American brewers Coors andMolson announce they will go ahead with a proposedmerger , creating the world's fifth-biggest brewing company. [http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1090491305747&call_pageid=968332188492&col=968793972154 (Toronto Star)]
* In theUnited States , the 9/11 Commission releases [http://www.9-11commission.gov/report/911Report.pdf its unanimous final report] . The report harshly criticizes American intelligence agencies. [http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/07/23/1336253 (Democracy Now!)]
* The 9/11 Commission releases a transcript of the hijackers' conversation in the final moments ofUnited Airlines Flight 93 , which details how the hijackers forced the plane into the ground inPennsylvania . [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=5750011 (Reuters)]
*United States and Afghan forces kill 10 suspected Islamic militants and arrest five others. [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=5745077 (Reuters)]
*TheUnited Nations raises its threat warning level for theGaza Strip to "Phase Four" (the maximum is five) and plans to evacuate non-essential foreign staff from the Gaza Strip. [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=5743863 (Reuters)]
*Kenya calls on its citizens to leaveIraq , after the recent abductions of three Kenyan citizens [http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=540&ncid=721&e=7&u=/ap/20040722/ap_on_re_mi_ea/kenya_iraq_hostages (AP)]
* InCanada , one person is reported to have died and five others hospitalized due to anE. coli contamination [http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1527&e=6&u=/afp/canada_health (AFP)]
* InTurkey a passenger train travelling betweenIstanbul andAnkara derails at about 18:45 local time (16:45 UTC) nearPamukova inSakarya Province . Initial fatality reports from the government suggested that 139 people were killed; this was reduced to approximately 30, without explanation, a few hours later, and the actual number is unclear. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3918473.stm (BBC)]
*Following Canadian Prime MinisterPaul Martin 'scabinet shuffle two days earlier, Leader of the OppositionStephen Harper announces a reshuffled Conservative Shadow Cabinet. [http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2004/07/22/tory_shadow040722.html (CBC)]
*Ignacio CarrillFUK Uo, the SpecialProsecutor for Past Social and Political Movements inMexico , presents the findings of the investigation into the "dirty war ", where it classifies the killings by government forces asgenocide , and requests warrants be issued for the arrest of former presidentLuis Echeverría and 11 other ex-government figures. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3922119.stm (BBC)] [http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2004/jul04/040723/003n2pol.php?origen=index.html&fly=1 (La Jornada in Spanish)]
*Same-sex marriage in the United States : the House of Representatives today passes legislation preventing federal courts from ordering courts in other states recognize same-sex marriage granted elsewhere. [http://newstandardnews.net/content/?action=show_item&itemid=729 (The NewStandard)]July 23 ,2004 * The
United States Senate and House of Representatives pass a joint resolution declaring the armed conflict in the Sudanese region ofDarfur to begenocide . [http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/africa/07/23/un.sudan.ap/ (CNN)]
* An 18-year-oldPalestinian , Hassan Zaanin, is shot dead in Beit Hanoun in theGaza Strip when he and his family attempt to stop Palestinian gunmen from planting an anti-tank explosive outside their house. [http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/455715.html (Haaretz)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3920181.stm (BBC)]
* An arrest is made inToronto in theCecilia Zhang murder case, nine months after she was abducted. [http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1090534213252&call_pageid=968332188492&col=968793972154 (Toronto Star)]
* The bridge inMostar dividing Croatian and Bosniak communities is opened 11 years after it was destroyed in the Bosnian war. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3919047.stm (BBC)]
*A special prosecutor filesgenocide charges against former President ofMexico Luis Echeverría for actions taken by the Mexican military during a student protest in1971 .Vikram Kesoju an Indian birth dayJuly 24 ,2004 *An
Iran ian court clears Mohammad Reza Aghdam-Ahmadi, the intelligence agent accused of killing the Iranian-Canadian journalistZahra Kazemi , of charges of "semi-intentional murder", stating that the blood money should be paid from the state'streasury . [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3923511.stm (BBC)]
*A militant group kidnaps anEgypt ian diplomat,Mohamed Mamdouh Qutb , inBaghdad ,Iraq . [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3921803.stm (BBC)]
*A roadside bomb explodes inKarachi ,Pakistan , killing an electrician and wounding six others. The victims were all students and staff at an Islamic seminary, and appear to be the targets of the attack. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3922379.stm (BBC)]
*InMexico Judge César Flores refuses to authorize an arrest warrant for former presidentLuis Echeverría and other officials under the accusations ofgenocide for the killing of students during the "dirty war ". Prosecutors are expected to appeal the decision. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3923567.stm (BBC)]July 25 ,2004 *
Israeli-Palestinian conflict :
**TheAl-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades seizes the governor's office in theGaza Strip town ofKhan Yunis , demanding thatYasser Arafat 's cousinMoussa Arafat be dismissed from his post as Gaza's security chief. In a separate attack, unidentified people storm a police station and burn the structure. [http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=540&e=3&u=/ap/20040725/ap_on_re_mi_ea/israel_palestinians (AP)]
**The "Human Chain" rally of 130,000Israel is protesting against Israel's plan to unilaterally disengage from theGaza Strip ends peacefully. About 130,000 people formed a 90 kmhuman chain from theGaza Strip toJerusalem . [http://www.maarivintl.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=article&articleID=10128 (Maariv)]
*Violence in Iraq:
**Fifteen insurgents are killed in a five-hour battle near the guerilla stronghold ofBuhriz nearBaquba in which small-arms, artillery, and mortars are used.
**A U.S soldier is killed in a roadside bomb attack near Baiji, 90 miles south ofMosul .
**A former government official is killed in Baghdad.
**Guerillas murder two police officers in Mahumudiya, 25 miles south of Baghdad.
**A police officer, a Kurdish Patriotic Union of Kurdistan fighter, and a Kurdish woman and her two sons are killed in Kirkuk. [http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040725/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_040725191245 (AP)]July 26 ,2004 *The
2004 Democratic National Convention opens inBoston, Massachusetts . [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/3925421.stm (BBC)] [http://www.guardian.co.uk/uselections2004/story/0,13918,1269340,00.html (Guardian)]
*Violence in Iraq:
** A suicide bomber attacks near a U.S base in the northern city ofMosul , killing two civilians and an Iraqi security guard. Three U.S soldiers and an Iraqi security guard were wounded.
** The Iraqi interim Interior Ministry's Deputy Chief of Tribal Affairs, Col. Musab al-Awadi, is assassinated inBaghdad , along with two of his bodyguards.
** Insurgents kill two Iraqi women working as cleaners for British forces inBasra in southern Iraq.
** Militants threaten to kill two Jordanian truck drivers they captured within 72 hours if their Jordanian employer does not stop doing business with the U.S. military. [http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040726/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq&cid=540&ncid=1480 (AP)]
*TheInternational Maritime Bureau says that deaths due topiracy doubled in the first month of 2004 compared with the same period in 2003, to 30 people. Half of the killings were inNigeria n waters. Despite the increased violence, the total number of piracy attacks fell. In the economically criticalStraits of Malacca however, attacks rose by a third. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/3925277.stm (BBC)]July 27 ,2004 *
Barack Obama gives the Keynote speech at theDemocratic National Convention , launching his career on the national stage.
*South Africa n authorities announce thatAl-Qaeda militants have illegally obtained a large number of South African passports, enabling operatives to travel to many African countries and Britain without visas. It is believed that the passports came fromcrime syndicate s operating within the passport office. [http://ap.washingtontimes.com/dynamic/stories/T/TERROR_SOUTH_AFRICA_LINK?SITE=DCTMS&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT (AP)]
* TheMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court orders the unsealing of investigative files related to the unsolved1972 murder of 13-year-oldaltar boy Danny Croteau .Richard Lavigne , adefrocked priest convicted of child molestation, is the only suspect in the case. [http://abcnews.go.com/wire/US/ap20040727_863.html (ABC)]
* A lower French court annuls the same-sex union of Stephane Chapin and Bertrand Charpentier, stating that theCivil Code does not allow same-sex unions and that allowing them is for thelegislature . The couple say they willappeal against the court's ruling, even to theEuropean Court of Human Rights . Themayor who officated at the ceremony, Noel Mamere of the left-wing Greens Party, had been suspended from duties for one month by the national executive. [http://ap.washingtontimes.com/dynamic/stories/F/FRANCE_GAY_MARRIAGE?SITE=DCTMS&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT (AP)]
*Iran is alleged to have broken seals placed uponuranium centrifuge s by theInternational Atomic Energy Agency and resumed their construction. [http://ap.washingtontimes.com/dynamic/stories/N/NUCLEAR_AGENCY_IRAN?SITE=DCTMS&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT (AP)]
* Violence in Iraq:
** Guerilla mortar fire, directed at theGreen Zone inBaghdad , strikes the nearby neighborhood of Salhiya, killing an Iraqi garbage collector, wounding another, and injuring 15 U.S. soldiers.
** Dr. Qassem el-Obaidi, assistant director ofMahmudiya hospital, is assassinated in Mahmudiya, 25 miles south of Baghdad.
** A suicide bomber launches a failed attack inBaquba , north of Baghdad, killing himself but inflicting no other casualties.
** TheJordan ian company Daoud and Partners decides to withdraw from Iraq, so as to secure the release of two Jordanian hostages. [http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040727/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq&cid=540&ncid=2100(AP)]
* TheUnited Nations warns thatBangladesh is on the verge of a humanitarian crisis, as severeflood ing causes more than 350 deaths. Forty-one of the country's sixty-four districts are affected by the floods, and officials say 14 million people are either marooned or homeless; other estimates reach as high as 30 million. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3928463.stm (BBC)]
* TheEuropean Union 's 25 foreign ministers jointly call on theUnited Nations to pass a resolution threatening sanctions if theSudan ese government does not rein in theArab militias blamed for atrocities inDarfur . [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3926873.stm (BBC)]July 28 ,2004 * The
Catholic Church says a "weeping statue" at aVietnam ese Catholic centre nearBrisbane is not a miracle. [http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200407/s1164463.htm (ABC)]
* Violence in Iraq:
** A massive suicide car-bomb kills 70 Iraqi civilians in an attack near a police station in the city ofBaquba , north ofBaghdad .
** Insurgents launch simultaneous attacks on U.S bases aroundRamadi , killing two U.S soldiers and wounding eight. One guerilla and an Iraqi civilian are killed in the Ramadi fighting. Clashes between Marines and guerillas are reported elsewhere inAl Anbar province, west of Baghdad.
** A U.S soldier is killed and three wounded in a roadside bomb attack on a convoy in the town of Balad Ruz, north of Baghdad.
** A U.S soldier is killed and another three wounded in a roadside bomb attack in Baghdad. An Iraqi civilian was also injured in the blast.
** Seven Iraqi policemen and 35 guerillas are killed in a battle in the town of Suwariyah, southeast of Baghdad, that was started by a raid by Iraqi security forces backed by U.S and Ukrainian troops. [http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040728/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq&cid=540&ncid=2100(AP)]
* About 220North Korea ns fly toSouth Korea from an unnamed third country, following 247 who arrived the day before. They arrive atIncheon International Airport on a plane chartered by the South Korean government. The North Korean government describes their apparent defection as "kidnapping". [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3931873.stm (BBC)]
* AUnited Airlines flight carrying 246 passengers toLos Angeles , USA is forced to return toSydney ,Australia , after a bomb threat. Police later describe ahoax warning, found written on an air sickness bag. [http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/asiapcf/07/27/australia.plane/index.html (CNN)]
* TheOrganization of the Islamic Conference and theMuslims World League , twoSaudi -based international Islamic organizations, warn ofMuslim anger in the event of an attack on theAl-Aqsa Mosque inJerusalem and say Israel would be held responsible for any aggression against the mosque. [http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1§ion=0&article=48997&d=28&m=7&y=2004&pix=kingdom.jpg&category=Kingdom (ArabNews)]
*Roman Catholic Bishop Misael Vacca Ramírez , abducted by the left-wing rebel group National Liberation Army (ELN) inColombia , tells local television he has been set free. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3931769.stm (BBC)]
*Traces ofricin are found in jars ofbaby food in asupermarket inIrvine, California . ( [http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000103&sid=ambnYuz6DXzM&refer=us Bloomberg] )July 29 ,2004 * United States Senator
John Kerry formally accepts the 2004 Democratic Presidential candidate nomination. In his acceptance speech he undertakes to "restore trust and credibility to the White House". [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5344731/ (MSNBC)]
*Pakistan announces the capture ofAhmed Khalfan Ghailani , only the second person on theFBI Most Wanted Terrorists list to be detained. He is wanted in connection with the1998 U.S. embassy bombings . The US Government had offered a reward of up to $25m for information leading to the arrest of Ghailani. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/3938133.stm (BBC)] [http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/asiapcf/07/29/pakistan.alqaeda.capture/index.html CNN]
* TheBank of England says thatconsumer debt in theUnited Kingdom has passed one trillion pounds for the first time. Coupled with increasinginterest rate s, this increased amount of debt has caused a sharp rise in the number of people seeking help with money problems – up 44% on five years ago. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/3935671.stm (BBC)]
* TwoAustralia n anti-war protestors who daubed "No War" in red paint on the top sail of theSydney Opera House onMarch 18 ,2003 take their case to the New South Wales Court of Appeal. David Burgess, 33, and Will Saunders, 42, claim their defence of self-defence was not heard by their original trial judge. [http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/07/29/1091080369482.html?oneclick=true (Sydney Morning Herald)]
* TheInternational Criminal Court says it will launch an investigation into ongoing atrocities at theBarlonyo refugee camp in northernUganda . Reports say that more than 200 people have killed by rebels from theLord's Resistance Army since the beginning of the year. [http://www.mg.co.za/Content/l3.asp?ao=119498 (Mail & Guardian)]
* InVietnam , dissident pro-democracy activist DrNguyen Dan Que is sentenced by the Ho Chi Minh People's Court for "abusing democratic rights to jeopardise the interests of the state, and the legitimate rights and interests of social organisations and citizens". Que is the third dissident this month to be jailed after using theInternet to criticise the ruling Communist government. [http://www.vnagency.com.vn/newsA.asp?LANGUAGE_ID=2&CATEGORY_ID=29&NEWS_ID=111191 (Vietnam News Agency)] (note the Agency is state-controlled), [http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/world/9271340.htm?1c (Miami Herald)] .
* Doughnut makerKrispy Kreme announces that its accounting practices are the subject of an informal inquiry by theU.S. Securities and Exchange Commission . The inquiry is concerned with the company's repurchase of franchises as well as a recent earnings warning. [http://news.findlaw.com/ap/f/1310/7-29-2004/20040729073007-13.html (AP)]
* Scientists at theMonterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute announce the discovery of a new genus of deep sea worms, "Osedax " (meaning "bone devourer"). The worms feed onlipid s found in the bones ofwhale carcasses. [http://www.mbari.org/news/news_releases/2004/whalefall.html (MBARI)]July 30 ,2004 * The
United Nations Security Council passes a US-drafted resolution [http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2004/sc8160.doc.htm 1556] demanding theSudan ese government end atrocities in theDarfur conflict ; however, aid groups criticize the weakening of the resolution at the insistence ofChina ,Pakistan , andRussia . [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3940547.stm (BBC)]
* Three people are killed and eight wounded in threesuicide bomber attacks outside the U.S. andIsrael iembassies and the Uzbek chief prosecutor's office inTashkent ,Uzbekistan . TheIslamist groupHizb ut-Tahrir is blamed by Uzbek President Islam Karimov. Other unnamed sources point toal-Qaeda . [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,127544,00.html (FOXNews)] [http://ap.washingtontimes.com/dynamic/stories/U/UZBEKISTAN_ATTACKS?SITE=DCTMS&SECTION=HOME (AP)]
* Anatural gas pipeline explodes inGhislenghien , nearAth (thirty kilometres southeast ofBrussels ), killing 18 people and leaving over 120 wounded, some critically. [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=HXJX3BKM0LDU0CRBAE0CFFA?type=worldNews&storyID=5832363 (Reuters)] [http://edition.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/europe/07/30/belgium.gas.blast/index.html (CNN)]
* Also known to fans of theNew York Mets baseball team as "Black Friday" because of the infamous trade that sent popular left-handed pitching prospectScott Kazmir to theTampa Bay Devil Rays forVictor Zambrano andBartolome Fortunato July 31 ,2004 * A
plea bargain in a US court reveals details of an alleged Libyan plot to assassinateSaudi Arabia n Crown Prince Abdullah. Leading US Muslim activistAbdurahman Alamoudi , founder of theAmerican Muslim Council , admits taking part in the plot, as he pleads guilty to three charges of illegal dealings withLibya . US Attorney GeneralJohn Ashcroft says the case has provided "critical intelligence" in thewar on terror . [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3941475.stm (BBC)]
*The Olympic Stadium inBerlin is given a new lease of life after a four-year renovation. The stadium is to stage theFootball World Cup 2006 final, Germany's biggest sporting spectacle since reunification, exactly 70 years after the infamous Nazi Olympics. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3942661.stm (BBC)]
*Valve & Sierra's joint WON system was permanently shut down, and replaced by vALVE's new Steam Client. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steam_(content_delivery)]
* The Vatican denouncesfeminism , claiming that it would blur differences between men and women and threatens the institution of the traditionalfamily of one man and one woman, stating that the drive for equality makes "homosexuality andheterosexuality virtually equivalent, in a new model of polymorphous sexuality". [http://ap.washingtontimes.com/dynamic/stories/V/VATICAN_WOMEN?SITE=DCTMS&SECTION=HOME (AP)]
*Iran states that it has resumed building nuclearcentrifuge s to enrichuranium , reversing anOctober 2003 pledge to Britain,France andGermany to suspend all uranium enrichment-related activities. TheUnited States contends that the purpose is to produce weapons austin grade uranium. [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=5835448 (Reuters)]News collections and sources
See: .
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