From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
|
Please also visit our sister project, Wikinews, to read and write news articles in more detail.
|
Ongoing events
• Abramoff-Reed gambling scandal
• Al Jazeera bombing memo
• Avian influenza (H5N1) outbreak
• Black sites scandal
• Fuel prices
• Iran's nuclear program
• Jilin chemical plant explosions
• Kashmir earthquake
• Malawi food crisis
• Malaysian prisoner abuse scandal
• NSA spying controversy
• New Delhi bombings investigation
• Niger food crisis
• North Indian cyclone season
—Tropical Cyclone 07B
• Pacific typhoon season
• Plame CIA leak investigation
• Southern Hemisphere cyclone season
• Stormontgate affair
Upcoming events
December
19: Vincent Gigante
17: Jack Anderson
16: John Spencer
15: James Freed
15: William Proxmire
13: Stanley Williams
12: Ramanand Sagar
12: Gebran Tueni
10: Eugene McCarthy
10: Richard Pryor
9: Robert Sheckley
7: Devan Nair
7: Rigoberto Alpizar
3: Peter Cook
2: Kenneth Boyd
2: Van Tuong Nguyen
Upcoming elections
December
24: Pitcairn Islands, Council
27: Haiti, Pres. and Legisl.
Recent election results
November
5: California special election
8: Liberian Presidential run-off
8: Northern Mariana Islands
13: Burkina Faso, Presidential
17: Sri Lankan Presidential
17: Falkland Islands, Legislative
21: Kenya, Constitutional Referendum
23: Jersey, States
27: Armenia, Referendum
27: Honduras, General
27: D.R. Congo, Referendum
27: Gabon, President
December
3: Taiwan, Mayor
3: Kazakh presidential
4: Venezuela parliamentary
7: St. Vincent & The Grenadines, Parliament
11: Chilean presidential 1st round, Parliamentary
15: Iraq Parliament
18: Bolivia, General
18: Tanzania, General
Ongoing armed conflicts
• Arab-Israeli conflict (Al-Aqsa Intifada)
• Second Chechen War
• Second Congo War
• Conflict in Iraq
• Darfur conflict in Sudan
• Civil war in Côte d'Ivoire
• Conflict in northern Uganda
• South Thailand insurgency
Upcoming holidays
and observances
December
23: The Emperor's Birthday (Japan)
24: Christmas Eve (Christianity)
25: Christmas Day (Christianity)
25: Hanukkah (Judaism) (begins at sunset)
26: Boxing Day/St. Stephen's Day
(Commonwealth, Europe)
26: Independence Day (Slovenia)
26: Kwanzaa United States, African-American
26: Proclamation Day (South Australia)
30: Rizal Day (Philippines)
31: New Year's Eve (Gregorian calendar)
January
1: New Year's Day (Gregorian calendar)
10: Eid ul-Adha (Islam)
(begins at sunset, depends on Moon)
13: Bhogi (India)
Ongoing trials
Chile: Alberto Fujimori
Chile: Augusto Pinochet
Indonesia: Bali Nine
Iraq: Iraqi Special Tribunal
— Saddam Hussein, among others
Netherlands: ICTY
— Slobodan Milošević, among others
Russia: Nur-Pashi Kulayev
UK: Leo O'Connor & David Keogh
U.S.: Tom DeLay
U.S.: Zacarias Moussaoui
U.S.: Brian Nichols
Related pages
About this page
Year in...
Wikipedia Announcements
|
- To suggest a relevant news story for the main page, refer to the criteria then add your suggestion at the candidates page. You can also check our news sources list.
- A Chalk's Ocean Airways airplane flying from Miami, Florida to Bimini, Bahamas, crashes in Miami Beach, killing 18 passengers and two crew members.(CNN)
- Evo Morales becomes the latest Leftist to win the Presidency of a South American nation after he claimed victory in the Bolivian Presidential Election. (BBC)
- Early returns in the Iraqi legislative election, December 2005 indicate that religious parties have done quite well, winning up 80 percent of the vote. Election officials are investigating more than 1,000 complaints about irregularities, 20 of them considered serious. Final results will not be released until early January.
- The Free Aceh Movement surrenders the last of its weapons following a peace agreement with the Government of Indonesia. (BBC)
- Conflict in Iraq: An insurgent group broadcasts a video over the Internet of what they claim is the death of American Ronald Allen Schulz. (BBC)
- Nazi Officer Ladislav Niznansky is acquitted of charges relating to three massacres of Slovaks during World War II. (IOL)
- Governor Antonio Fazio of Bank of Italy resigns, after having been officially put under investigation for insider trading, and following heavy pressure from both government and opposition. (BBC)
- The Likud primary elections for the party's leadership between the candidates Benjamin Netanyahu, Silvan Shalom, Yisrael Katz and Moshe Feyglin opened at 10:00 a.m. (Ynetnews)
- Air Nauru's only passenger jet is seized by creditors in Melbourne, leaving the island nations of Nauru and Kiribati without air transport to the rest of the world. (ABC)
- Extinct mammoth mitochondrial DNA decoded. (BBC)
- The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) holds its first national democratic poll in 40 years. (BBC) (Reuters)
- The Bolivian presidential election, 2005 takes place in Bolivia, with Evo Morales and Jorge Quiroga as front-runners. Morales is expected to win a plurality of votes but not an absolute majority. If no candidate wins a majority, the election of the President will be by vote in the National Congress, also elected today. (BBC)
- 42 people die following a stampede in the Indian city of Chennai. (BBC)
- Bono, Melinda Gates and Bill Gates are named Time's Persons of the Year. (CNN)
- U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney is on a trip to various countries including Oman, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. He made a surprise stop to Iraq today. (Yahoo! News) (Reuters)
- Philippines finish in 5th place in the medal tally for the 2005 ASEAN Para Games in the Philippines. Thailand finishes with 84 golds, followed by Malaysia. (The Nation, Bangkok)
- The prime minister of Israel Ariel Sharon is transferred to the Hadassah Ein Kerem hospital in Jerusalem after suffering a minor stroke. Meanwhile, some Palestinians have taken to the streets in Gaza to celebrate Sharon's health condition and the Kahane organisation has urged Jews to pray for his death. (Ynetnews) (Wikinews)
- São Paulo win the FIFA Club World Championship in Yokohama, Japan, defeating Liverpool F.C. 1-0. (BBC)
- President George W. Bush defends the Iraq War in a rare primetime Oval Office address. He said, "Not only can we win the war in Iraq — we are winning the war in Iraq." (USAToday) (The Guardian)
- The European Parliament has adopted the directive on Telecommunications data retention. (BBC)
- U.S. Budget Approval — More than 100 religious activists were arrested on Wednesday after they staged a peaceful sit-in at the Cannon House Office Building, near the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C.. They were protesting the proposed cuts to health care and other social welfare programs in the Federal Budget. The protest was organized by Jim Wallis, editor of the liberal Christian journal Sojourners Washington Post SJMN
- U.S. President George W. Bush says that the decision to invade Iraq in 2003 was the result of faulty intelligence, and accepts responsibility for that decision. He maintains that his decision was still justified. (BBC)
- Doctors in Pakistan marvel at the survival of Naqsha Bibi, rescued last Saturday, 63 days after she was buried in the 8 October 2005 Kashmir earthquake. (BBC)
- The President of Brazil, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva announces that Brazil will clear its IMF debt of $15.5bn two years early. (BBC)
- In India, 11 Hindus are sentenced to life imprisonment for their roles in the murder of Muslims in the 2002 Gujarat violence. (BBC)
- Israeli-Palestinian Conflict:
- The President of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, describes the holocaust as a myth. He also said that Europe should house the Jews of the world, rather than the Palestinians. (BBC) (The Guardian)
- A reservoir bursts near Lesterville, Missouri at the Taum Sauk hydroelectric power plant on the Black River, causing significant damage. (DisasterNews)
- Conflict in Iraq:
- Four American Soldiers are killed following an IED attack in the Iraqi capital Baghdad. (AP)
- The U.S. ambassador issues a statement saying that the total number of abused prisoners found so far in jails run by the Shiite-led Interior Ministry is about 121. (AP)
- The Sixth Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization opened in Hong Kong. European Union Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson said that he expected little progress on resolving disagreements between ministers. Meanwhile, some protesters from South Korea unsuccessfully attempted to bypass the cordon to reach the location of the conference by swimming across Victoria Harbour. (BBC) (AP via Yahoo) (Reuters via Yahoo)
- The collapse of a residential building in New Jersey kills three people and sends plumes of smoke into the air. (BBC) (Wikinews)
- The President of the United States, George W. Bush, acknowledges the deaths of approximately 30,000 Iraqi civilians since the commencement of the Iraq War. (The Australian)
- Swiss Councillor Dick Marty, commissioned by the Council of Europe to investigate CIA black sites and prisoner abuse in Europe says that the CIA has "disregarded all standards of legality". (CNN) (Houston Chronicle)
- Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: A Palestinian stone thrower is shot in the head and killed by Israeli troops raiding the West Bank city of Nablus. At least ten other Palestinians were injured by the IDF troops while two Israeli soldiers were injured by a bomb during the raid. (BBC)
- An earthquake of Richter scale magnitude 6.7 rocks South Asia. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the quake was centred in the Hindukush region of northeastern Afghanistan. (Times of India) (BBC) (CNN)
- Stanley Williams is executed at San Quentin State Prison by the U.S. state of California. (BBC)
- In response to Canadian Prime Minister criticizing the United States on its resistance to climate change initiatives, the U.S. Ambassador to Canada, David Wilkins, openly responds to the statements that he complains were used for political advantage during an election.(Toronto Star)
- North America: The Canadian provinces, Ontario and Quebec and the US states Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin sign an international agreement to preclude significant water diversion from the Great Lakes. (Toronto Star)
- The $100 laptop project announces that it has chosen Quanta Computers to make its laptops, which it hopes to distribute to low-income people around the world. (IDG News Service)
- US Federal Reserve rises the target for the interest rate to 4.25%. The rate lead to the highest in more than four years.
- At an inquest into the death of UN worker Iain Hook, Paul Wolstenholme, a United Nations worker in Jenin claims that moments after Iain Hook was shot by a mysterious sniper rifle-shot to the pelvis, an Israeli sniper rifle laser was pointed at his head. He also supplied documentary evidence which stated that the Israeli army had delayed an ambulance which was sent to take the wounded Mr Hook to hospital. (BBC)
- The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe grossed $65.6 million in the United States and Canada ($107 million worldwide) on its opening weekend, making it the #2 December opening weekend film of all time (behind The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King and in front of the first two Lord of the Rings films). With this news, Disney has officially given the greenlight to cinema production of the second book in the series, Prince Caspian, by 2007.
- Stanley Williams is denied clemency by the Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger. The US Supreme Court also refuses to stay his execution. Williams is scheduled to be executed by lethal injection at 0:01 PST on December 13. There are some concerns of potential rioting and violence tonight across the state. (SF Chronicle) (Governor's statement (PDF))
- Gebran Tueni, a prominent Lebanese anti-Syrian member of parliament and managing editor of the leading liberal An-Nahar newspaper, has been killed in a car bomb attack in Beirut. He had spent months in Paris because of security concerns, reportedly only returning to Lebanon on Sunday. Another An-Nahar journalist, the anti-Syrian writer Samir Kassir, was killed in a car bomb in June. (BBC)
- ASEAN Summit begins in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (Channel News Asia)
- According to some reports, Ariel Sharon, the Prime Minister of Israel, put the Israeli Defense Force on high alert for possible airstrikes against Iranian nuclear facilities. Sharon's office, however, denied this or that they had any plans to do so. (Times Online) (Y-Net) (Y-Net)
- Chief minister of the Indian state of Karnataka, Dharam Singh announced that the state government had accepted Jnanpith awardee U R Ananthamurthy's suggestion to rename Bangalore to its colloquial name, Bengaluru. The new name will be effective from November 1, 2006. (The Times of India)
- Brian Chase of Nashville, Tennessee admits putting false information about John Seigenthaler Sr. into a Wikipedia article, leading to widespread debate. (NYT via Seattle Times) (CNN) (BBC)
- A suicide bombing in Kandahar, Afghanistan, injures 3 people while killing the bomber. (Reuters) (Guardian)
- 2005 Hertfordshire Oil Storage Terminal fire: Explosions are reported at the Buncefield oil depot north of London ten miles from the Luton airport. (BBC) (Sky News)
- Racially motivated violence erupts in the suburbs of Sydney, leading authorities to condemn the incidents as "shameful". (ABC)
- Korean Air, both national and international has been shut down due to the strike going on in Korea. The national airplane circulation has been stopped already and the Korean Airline planes that were in a foreign country are returning to Korea.
- Vengeance of Rain is crowned Hong Kong's first World Racing Championship winner after winning the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Cup at Sha Tin Racecourse [1]
- A six-year-old boy is killed after Southwest Airlines Flight 1248 skids off a runway at Chicago's Midway Airport. (CNN)
- Israeli-Palestinian Conflict:
- President of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad remarks that Israel should be moved to Europe and the "issue will be resolved." His remarks were widely condemned as Holocaust denial by Israeli, European and American politicians, The Secretary General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, issued a statement indicating that he "was shocked", while Saudi, Turkish and Iranian officials criticized his speech because it undermined a Mecca summit dedicated to showing Islam's moderate face.(DailyStar)(UN) (AP) (KUNA)(BBC) (Reuters)
- Conflict in Iraq: At least 32 people have died following an attack on a bus in Baghdad. (BBC) (Fox News)
- Croatian general Ante Gotovina, rated the third-most-wanted war criminal from the Yugoslav wars by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, is arrested by Spanish police in Tenerife and extradited to face the tribunal in The Hague. (BBC)
- Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Margaret Thatcher has left hospital after being given a clean bill of health by doctors after feeling faint yesterday. (BBC)
- The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement adopt a Red Crystal design, allowing Israel to join as a fully-participating member. (BBC)
- UK Law Lords rule in A v. Secretary of State for the Home Department that evidence which may have been obtained by torture cannot be used against suspects in terrorism cases. (BBC)
- Lawyers for convicted murderer and Crips co-founder Stanley "Tookie" Williams meet with Governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger in a final plea for clemency. (MTV)
- In Australia, the voluntary student unionism (VSU) legislation has passed the Senate. (ABC)
- Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin addresses the Montreal conference on climate change, and is critical of the United States's stance on the issue. Martin's allegedly "undiplomatic" comments—"there is such a thing as a global conscience, and now is the time to listen to it"—reportedly anger Vice President Dick Cheney. (CBC)
- The third President of Singapore, Chengara Veetil Devan Nair, passes away in Canada at the age of 82. (CNA)
- Two people are wounded in Malawi, which is facing serious food shortages, following clashes between police and people trying to buy cornmeal. (BBC)
- Microsoft loses a South Korean antitrust case, and is fined ₩n32 billion (USD 32m). (Reuters) (BBC)
- A U.S. Federal Air Marshal fatally shoots Rigoberto Alpizar on American Airlines Flight 924 in a jetway at Miami International Airport in Florida. Alpizar, a U.S. citizen who had disembarked from an American Airlines flight from Medellín, Colombia, claimed to have a bomb. No explosive was found. (BBC) (CNN)
- Nobel Prize in Literature winner Harold Pinter accuses Britain and the United States of engaging in state terrorism in Iraq and demands the prosecution of George W. Bush and Tony Blair. (Reuters) (BBC)
- An Italian court rules that calling someone a "dirty negro" while commiting a crime is not necessarily a hate crime. (Reuters)
- Talks on the new EU budget may not be completed under the United Kingdom's presidency, the UK's minister for Europe warns. (BBC)
- ROC local elections, 2005: Republic of China (Taiwan) opposition party Kuomintang (Chinese Nationalist Party) makes major gains in municipal elections, taking 14 of 23 mayor or county magistrate seats. Ruling Democratic Progressive Party takes six seats. People First Party and New Party each takes one seat, and an independent wins one seat. DPP chairman Su Tseng-chang resigns to take responsibility for his party's defeat. (AP via San Francisco Chronicle)
- Pakistan's information minister claims Pakistani forces have killed al-Qaeda operational commander Abu Hamza Rabia in fighting along the Afghanistan border. (BBC)
- An attack about 60 miles from Baghdad, involving a roadside bomb, kills 19 Iraqi soldiers. (Yahoo)
- Some 40,000 protest inaction on global warming in Montreal. The demonstration, held as part of the United Nations Climate Change Conference, is one of the largest environmental protests ever and is accompanied by marches worldwide, including one in hurricane-devastated New Orleans. (CTV) (Independent)
Past events by month
2005: January February March April May June July August September October November December
2004: January February March April May June July August September October November December
2003: January February March April May June July August September October November December
2002: January February March April May June July August September October November December
2001: January February March April May June July August September October November December
2000: January February March April May June July August September October November December
edit |
Current events |
|
Region: |
Africa, Australia and New Zealand, Britain and Ireland, Canada, China, European Union, Hong Kong and Macao, Malaysia and Singapore, Poland, Thailand, United States |
Topic: |
Science and technology, Sports, Wikipedia |