The U.S. Centers for Disease Control announce that three organ transplant recipients have died from rabies infection after receiving organs from a donor infected with the rabies virus. This is a medical rarity, as human rabies infections in the developed world are extremely rare. (CNN)
Brazil's strict new gun control legislation, including a nationwide register of all firearms, both privately owned and government issued, comes into force. (BBC)
Entertainer Bill Cosby, in an appearance with Jesse Jackson, criticizes the African American community, saying illiterate blacks are "going nowhere" and advising unemployed black men to "stop beating up your women". (CNN/archive.org)
Alfonso Durazo, spokesman and private secretary to MexicanPresidentVicente Fox, resigns over "political differences" with his boss, including the presidential ambitions of First Lady Marta 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. (BBC)(Reuters)
The World Health Organisation says that six months into its project against AIDS, 440,000 people in developing nations have received antiretroviral 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 (BBC)
The United 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. (Newsday)
The Iranian government rejected requests for Canadian government observers to attend the trial of intelligence agents charged with the death of Canadian photographer, Zahra Kazemi
In commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Entente Cordiale, troops from the United Kingdom are accorded the honour of leading France's parade on the Champs-Élysées in Paris. (BBC)
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. (BBC)
The U.S. bankruptcy court for Manhattan approved the reorganization plan of notorious energy-trading company Enron, which is now likely to formally emerge from chapter 11 later this year. (Washington Post)
American celebrity Martha Stewart is sentenced to five months in a federal prison, five months of house arrest, two years probation, and ordered to pay a $30,000 fine, for attempting to cover up illegal stock trading. The sentence is stayed pending appeal. (Reuters)Archived 2013-09-29 at archive.today
Acceding to the demands of Iraqi militants who kidnapped and threaten to behead truck driver Angelo de la Cruz, the Philippines agrees to withdraw from Iraq. Eleven soldiers leave today, while the remaining 32 are slated to withdraw at a later date. (BBC)
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. (SMH)(Age)
The Asian Cup 2004 kicks off in Beijing, China. Hosts PR China ties Bahrain 2:2 in the opening match.
The trial for the murder of Canadian journalistZahra Kazemi in Iran 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, witnesses to be brought to court, and the murderer to be identified.
Jordanian troops detect and intercept four unidentified individuals attempting to "infiltrate to the western side of the Jordan River" (Israel). Three are killed and the fourth arrested. (JNA)
IsraeliPrime MinisterAriel Sharon calls on French Jews to move to Israel immediately in light of the dramatic rise in French anti-semitism (510 anti-semitic acts or threats in the first six months of 2004, compared to 593 for all of 2003). The French government describes his comments as unacceptable. An Israeli spokesperson later claims that Sharon had been misunderstood. (BBC)(Haaretz)
Hezbollah official Ghalib Awali is killed in an explosion in Beirut, Lebanon. The governments of Syria and Lebanon blame Israel. A statement attributed to underground Sunni Muslim group Jund 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. (INN)(Daily Star)
Despite threats, Japan rebuffs demands that Japanese troops be withdrawn from Iraq. Deputy Cabinet Secretary Masaaki Yamazaki states: "For the rebuilding of Iraq, we must continue our support and not give in to terrorism". (Reuters)Archived 2004-11-13 at the Wayback Machine
Following the decision of the Philippines to accede to hostage-takers' demands that it withdraw all 51 soldiers from Iraq, militants in Iraq abduct three Indians, two Kenyans and an Egyptian, announcing that the hostages would be beheaded unless their countries immediately announce the withdrawal of troops from Iraq.
Major North American brewersCoors and Molson announce they will go ahead with a proposed merger, creating the world's fifth-biggest brewing company. (Toronto Star)
The United Nations raises its threat warning level for the Gaza Strip to "Phase Four" (the maximum is five) and plans to evacuate non-essential foreign staff from the Gaza Strip. (Reuters)Archived 2005-04-15 at the Wayback Machine
Kenya calls on its citizens to leave Iraq, after the recent abductions of three Kenyan citizens (AP)
In Canada, one person is reported to have died and five others hospitalized due to an E. coli contamination (AFP)
In Turkey a passenger train travelling between Istanbul and Ankara derails at about 18:45 local time (16:45 UTC) near Pamukova in Sakarya 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. (BBC)
Ignacio Carrill, the Special Prosecutor for Past Social and Political Movements in Mexico, presents the findings of the investigation into the "dirty war", where it classifies the killings by government forces as genocide, and requests warrants be issued for the arrest of former president Luis Echeverría and 11 other ex-government figures. (BBC)(La Jornada in Spanish)
An 18-year-old Palestinian, Hassan Zaanin, is shot dead in Beit Hanoun in the Gaza Strip when he and his family attempt to stop Palestinian gunmen from planting an anti-tank explosive outside their house. (Haaretz)(BBC)
The bridge in Mostar dividing Croatian and Bosniak communities is opened 11 years after it was destroyed in the Bosnian war. (BBC)
A special prosecutor files genocide charges against former President of MexicoLuis Echeverría for actions taken by the Mexican military during a student protest in 1971.
An Iranian court clears Mohammad Reza Aghdam-Ahmadi, the intelligence agent accused of killing the Iranian-Canadian journalist Zahra Kazemi, of charges of "semi-intentional murder", stating that the blood money should be paid from the state's treasury. (BBC)
A roadside bomb explodes in Karachi, 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. (BBC)
In Mexico Judge César Flores refuses to authorize an arrest warrant for former president Luis Echeverría and other officials under the accusations of genocide for the killing of students during the "dirty war". Prosecutors are expected to appeal the decision. (BBC)
Fifteen insurgents are killed in a five-hour battle near the guerrilla stronghold of Buhriz near Baquba 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 of Mosul.
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. (AP)
A suicide bomber attacks near a U.S base in the northern city of Mosul, 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 in Baghdad, along with two of his bodyguards.
Insurgents kill two Iraqi women working as cleaners for British forces in Basra 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. (AP)
The International Maritime Bureau says that deaths due to piracy doubled in the first month of 2004 compared with the same period in 2003, to 30 people. Half of the killings were in Nigerian waters. Despite the increased violence, the total number of piracy attacks fell. In the economically critical Straits of Malacca however, attacks rose by a third. (BBC)
South African authorities announce that Al-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 from crime syndicates operating within the passport office. (AP)[permanent dead link]
A lower French court annuls the same-sex union of Stephane Chapin and Bertrand Charpentier, stating that the Civil Code does not allow same-sex unions and that allowing them is for the legislature. The couple say they will appeal against the court's ruling, even to the European Court of Human Rights. The mayor who officiated at the ceremony, Noel Mamere of the left-wing Greens Party, had been suspended from duties for one month by the national executive. (AP)[permanent dead link]
Guerilla mortar fire, directed at the Green Zone in Baghdad, 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 of Mahmudiya hospital, is assassinated in Mahmudiya, 25 miles south of Baghdad.
A suicide bomber launches a failed attack in Baquba, north of Baghdad, killing himself but inflicting no other casualties.
The Jordanian company Daoud and Partners decides to withdraw from Iraq, so as to secure the release of two Jordanian hostages.[1]
The United Nations warns that Bangladesh is on the verge of a humanitarian crisis, as severe flooding 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. (BBC)
The European Union's 25 foreign ministers jointly call on the United Nations to pass a resolution threatening sanctions if the Sudanese government does not rein in the Arab militias blamed for atrocities in Darfur. (BBC)
The Catholic Church says a "weeping statue" at a Vietnamese Catholic centre near Brisbane is not a miracle. (ABC)
A massive suicide car-bomb kills 70 Iraqi civilians in an attack near a police station in the city of Baquba, north of Baghdad.
Insurgents launch simultaneous attacks on U.S bases around Ramadi, killing two U.S soldiers and wounding eight. One guerrilla and an Iraqi civilian are killed in the Ramadi fighting. Clashes between Marines and guerillas are reported elsewhere in Al 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.[2]
About 220 North Koreans fly to South Korea from an unnamed third country, following 247 who arrived the day before. They arrive at Incheon International Airport on a plane chartered by the South Korean government. The North Korean government describes their apparent defection as "kidnapping". (BBC)
A United Airlines flight carrying 246 passengers to Los Angeles, US, is forced to return to Sydney, Australia, after a bomb threat. Police later describe a hoax warning, found written on an air sickness bag. (CNN)
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". (MSNBC)
The Bank of England says that consumerdebt in the United Kingdom has passed one trillionpounds for the first time. Coupled with increasing interest rates, 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. (BBC)
Two Australian anti-war protestors who daubed "No War" in red paint on the top sail of the Sydney Opera House on March 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. (Sydney Morning Herald)
In Vietnam, dissident pro-democracy activist Dr Nguyen 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 the Internet to criticise the ruling Communist government. (Vietnam News Agency) (note the Agency is state-controlled), (Miami Herald).
Doughnut maker Krispy Kreme announces that its accounting practices are the subject of an informal inquiry by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The inquiry is concerned with the company's repurchase of franchises as well as a recent earnings warning. (AP)
Scientists at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute announce the discovery of a new genus of deep sea worms, Osedax (meaning bone devourer). The worms feed on lipids found in the bones of whale carcasses. (MBARI)
The Olympic Stadium in Berlin is given a new lease of life after a four-year renovation. The stadium is to stage the Football World Cup 2006 final, Germany's biggest sporting spectacle since reunification, exactly 70 years after the infamous Nazi Olympics. (BBC)
Valve & Sierra's joint WON system was permanently shut down, and replaced by Valve's new Steam client.
The Vatican denounces feminism, claiming that it would blur differences between men and women and threatens the institution of the traditional family of one man and one woman, stating that the drive for equality makes "homosexuality and heterosexuality virtually equivalent, in a new model of polymorphous sexuality". (AP)[permanent dead link]
Iran states that it has resumed building nuclearcentrifuges to enrich uranium, reversing an October 2003 pledge to Britain, France and Germany to suspend all uranium enrichment-related activities. The United States contends that the purpose is to produce weapons grade uranium. (Reuters)Archived 2005-04-08 at the Wayback Machine
