Lenovo Group, the largest Chinese computer company acquires the personal computer business of IBM for US$ 1.25 billion in cash, and Lenovo assumes $500 million of IBM's debt. (Reuters)
More than thirty Iraqis are killed and more than fifty are wounded as a bomb goes off at a funeral. (CBC)
Iraqi and American militaries hold several suspects for questioning in the Margaret Hassankidnapping case. Hassan, director of CARE's Iraq division, was kidnapped by insurgents in late October 2004 and subsequently believed to be killed. (CBC)(NPR)
Italy intends to publish its own view of the killing of Nicola Calipari. Italian media has released classified details about a report the United States made. (BBC)
Following an Israeli raid on the Palestinian city of Tulkarm, one Israeli soldier and one Islamic Jihad leader are killed. The soldier was killed in a gunfight with 3 members of Palestinian Islamic Jihad. The three were suspected to have been part of the cell which was involved in Tel Aviv "Stage" club bombing in February 2005. Shafiq Abdul Rani, the leader of the Jihad cell in Tulkarm was killed and another militant was arrested. (Haaretz)
Israeli Minister of Jerusalem and Diaspora Affairs Natan Sharansky resigned from the government as a protest against Ariel Sharon's unilateral disengagement plan. (Haaretz), (BBC)
Guardsman Anthony John Wakefield, from Newcastle upon Tyne, has been killed in Iraq after being injured in hostile action in the southern town of Al Amarah, bringing the total of UK servicemen killed in the Iraq conflict to 87. (BBC)
Cairo terrorism: Following Saturday's terrorist incidents in Cairo, some 200 people are brought in for questioning by Egyptian police. Ten people were injured in the attacks, and three militants were killed. (BBC)
A Togolese constitutional court announces Faure Gnassingbé as a winner of presidential election. Refugees continue to flee to neighboring countries. (News24)
In Peru, four members of a government health team are found with their throats slit.
An explosion in a football stadium in Mogadishu, Somalia kills 15 people when new prime minister Ali Mohammed Ghedi begins his speech. Authorities later state that a security guard accidentally set off a grenade. (IOL)(IHT)
Israeli troops shoot dead two teenage boys. The cousins were protesting against the building of the Israeli West Bank barrier among a group of people, many of whom were throwing stones at the soldiers. According to the Stop the Wall group, protestors were chased by Israeli soldiers using live ammunition. (BBC)
The Pakistani government announces that it has captured Abu Faraj al-Libbi. If verified, this is the most important Al-Qaeda suspect to have been arrested thus far. (BBC)
Fatah wins 55 percent of the seats in municipal elections held in 84 cities across the West Bank and Gaza. Hamas wins about a third of the seats. Fatah won a majority of seats in Beit Lahiya, Hawara and Tulkarem, Hamas won the majority in Qalqiliya and El Boureij. Election participation was 70 percent in the West Bank and 80 percent in Gaza. (CNN)
At 04:28 BST, The Labour Party wins a parliamentary majority. Despite a substantially reduced majority, Tony Blair becomes the first Labour Prime Minister to lead his party to three election victories. (Reuters)Archived 2005-05-15 at the Wayback Machine(Scotsman) He ends up with a majority of 66, on the lowest percentage vote for a government in modern history.
The Time Traveler Convention was held at MIT, in the hopes of making contact with time travelers from the future. The convention was organized by Amal Dorai with help from current and former residents of the MIT living group Pi Tau Zeta. The convention was held at 22:45 EDT at the East Campus Courtyard and in Walker Memorial at MIT. That location is 42.360007 degrees north latitude, 71.087870 degrees west longitude. The spacetime coordinates continue to be publicized prominently and indefinitely, so that future time travelers will be aware and have the opportunity to have attended.[1]
Worldwide celebrations commemorate the 60th anniversary of V-E Day, the official end of World War II in Europe with the capitulation of Germany under Karl Dönitz. In several German cities, Germans also mourn today the millions of people massacred under the National Socialist (Nazi) regime in the 1930s and 1940s. (Wikinews)
United States President George W. Bush uses the anniversary of V-E Day to call the Soviet Union's occupation of the Baltic states after World War II "one of the greatest wrongs of history". He also attended Europe's third largest war cemetery in the town of Margraten, the Netherlands. (CNN)
The death toll continues to rise due to flooding in Somalia and the Somalia Region of Ethiopia. In April 2005, heavy rains generated widespread flooding and caused the Shebelle River to burst its banks. As of May 5, the flooding in Somali Region alone has caused over 100 confirmed deaths and widespread property damage affecting over 100,000 persons. The floods have also destroyed shelters housing 25,000 Somali refugees in Kenya. (UN IRIN)(UN News)
Canadian House of Commonsopposition members of parliament pass a motion to instruct a house committee to call for the resignation of the government. The 153 votes of the Conservatives and Bloc Québécois defeat the 150 votes of the Liberals and NDP due to three absences. Although the motion is classified as a procedural instruction to a committee and not a no confidence motion, the Tories and BQ call on the government to resign. (CBC)
The Irish government gives the go-ahead for the building of the controversial M3 motorway through the archaeologically sensitive Tara-Skyrne Valley, amid an international outcry by academics and environmentalists. (RTÉ)
CanadianPrime MinisterPaul Martin has set May 19 for a vote in the House of Commons on the federal budget. He said if his government loses the vote of confidence, he will seek the dissolution of Parliament. This means an election could come as early as June 27. (CBC)
A United States Senate probe releases evidence showing two prominent British and French politicians received vouchers for millions of barrels of Iraqi oil in exchange for their support of Saddam Hussein's regime. George Galloway is accused of using the Mariam Appeal, the children's leukemia charity he founded, to conceal the transfer of 3 million barrels of oil, although he denies any wrongdoing. (BBC), (ABC News)
Heavy exchanges of fire in the Israeli-Lebanese border. Hezbollah fired at least 9 mortar shells or Katyusha rockets on outposts in the disputed Shebaa Farms. The IDF retaliated by artillery fire and IAF aircraft bombed 3 Hezbollah positions. Israel maintains that Lebanon bears full responsibility for the border attacks, committed by Hezbollah and local Palestinian groups, while Hezbollah maintain that they are acting in retaliation for Israeli attacks on Lebanese territory including a hit on civilian houses in the village of Kfar Shouba. (Haaretz), (BBC)
Star Trek Enterprise airs its last episode, These are the Voyages..., after a run of 98 episodes. Enterprise was canceled by UPN on February 8th due to lack of ratings, marking the first Star Trek series to be canceled since the original series in 1969
Thousands of Uzbeks take over a high security jail in Andijan, freeing thousands of prisoners in protest against the jail sentence of 23 businessmen who were accused of being Islamicextremists. (CBC)
Violence breaks out in Andijan and in the capital Tashkent. There are reports of firefights in the streets and snipers firing into the crowd. A political rally in Andijan demands the resignation of the government, which claims that the situation is under control. (BBC)(Interfax)(CNN)
At least twenty protesters – some reports say as many as 500 – are shot dead in Uzbekistan. Thirty soldiers have been taken hostage as a result. (Yahoo!)(BBC)(The Guardian)
A man is fatally shot outside Israel's embassy in Tashkent. The man, who has a history of mental illness, was carrying wooden objects, and guards suspected him of being a suicide bomber. He walked through to the building, despite warning shots in the air and a bullet to the leg, and was eventually shot dead. The American embassy reported he was a suicide bomber and one Uzbek police officer said the man was carrying only a harmless package. However, it was later reported that the man was carrying a mock explosive belt. (Haaretz), (Ynet)
Michael Ross becomes the first person executed in the U.S. state of Connecticut since 1960. He was convicted in 1987 of the murder of four girls and young women. He confessed to having committed four more killings. (CNN)
Anime Central 8 kicks off today with over 10000 attendees.
Las Vegas, Nevada celebrates its centennial on this date. Celebration is citywide and the mayor cuts the world's largest birthday cake.
Elections for mayor and city council in Zagreb. Milan Bandić wins and enters his third term.
National Elections were held in Ethiopia. The elections, which over 90% of the electorate voted in, were later marred by protests and violence. The ruling party EPRDF won its third term.
Unrest in Uzbekistan: Uzbek soldiers seal off the town of Qorasuv after locals take over government buildings. The government denies giving an order to fire at protesters but they do not let journalists or the Red Cross visit the affected areas to evaluate the situation. Phone and internet access has been cut. There are varying reports of at least 700 people dead and continuing firefights in Andijan and other towns like Teshiktosh. Saidjahon Zaynabitdinov, head of the local human rights advocacy group Appeal, says that government troops had killed 200 in Pakhtabad and expects mass arrests. Opposition supporters and human rights campaigners rally in the capital Tashkent. Hundreds of refugees have fled over the border of Kyrgyzstan; they believe that the death toll may be in thousands. (IHT)(CBC)(Reuters AlertNet)(Reuters)[permanent dead link](CNN)(BBC)(Moscow Times)(Wikinews)
According to a spokesman for the Georgian Interior Ministry, a hand grenade found among spectators during a speech by U.S. PresidentGeorge W. Bush last week in Tbilisi failed to function, although it was live and could have exploded. It was originally thought to have been a dummy grenade. (CNN)
Unrest in Uzbekistan: 36 foreign diplomats visit Andijan in a government-sponsored trip and under heavy guard. The Uzbek government continues to deny that civilians were killed. The official death toll has risen to 169 but some human rights groups state that it can be as high as 750. A group of Islamic rebels led by a man called Baxtiyor Rahimov claim that they now control the border town of Qorasuv. (Mosnews)(BBC)(IHT)(Forbes)
Scientists discover that the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was the longest ever recorded — lasting nearly ten minutes when most powerful earthquakes last no more than a few seconds — and shook the entire planet. (CNN)
Reggie Miller plays his last game as an Indiana Pacer, losing to the Detroit Pistons in Game 6 of the second round of the NBA Playoffs. He tallied 27 points in his final game.
Reports say that five corpses are found and 200 men are safe in a high mountain encampment in the Andes after a Chilean Army instruction raid got hit by a severe storm. 47 recruits are missing and temperatures drop to -15ºC (5ºF) in the area. (Reuters) (Link dead as of 02:43, 15 January2007 (UTC))
In Togo, talks to resolve a crisis after last month's disputed presidential election end without agreement. Refugees continue to arrive in Benin. (BBC)(Reuters AlertNet) (Link dead as of 02:43, 15 January2007 (UTC))
In visiting Calvin College to give a commencement speech, U.S. PresidentGeorge W. Bush is met with a petition by a third of the college faculty, stating "We believe your administration has launched an unjust and unjustified war in Iraq.", and strongly criticizing his policies. (Fox News)
In Shenzhen, China, what is believed to be the largest urban demolition blast in China uses 1,500 lb (680 kg) of explosives to simultaneously topple 16 tower blocks. Because of misplaced charges, one tower does not topple, but is reduced from 14 stories to 12, and will have to be demolished manually. (Xinhua (Pictures))(The Star (Malaysia))(Boston Globe).
Health officials in Norway fear a Legionnaires' Diseaseepidemic after the death of four people during the last five days and the hospitalisation of many others in southeastern county of Østfold, particularly in the Fredrikstad-Sarpsborg urban area. At least 24 people are known to be infected, with many of them in critical condition. Legionnaires' Disease killed seven people in the southwestern city of Stavanger in 2001, in an outbreak that was later traced to a hotel air conditioning system. (Aftenposten)
11,000 journalists and other employees of the BBC go on a 24-hour strike to protest over approximately 4,000 planned job cuts. TV and Radio news output has been the worst affected, with few new stories materialising and only a skeleton service being offered. (BBC)(Reuters UK)(Bloomberg)(BBC strike Q&A)
The Chilean army buries 24 of 46 conscripts that died in a snow storm in the Andes. Presidential candidates have called for an end to compulsory military service. 13 bodies still unfound.(SantiagoTimes)(BBC)
Canadian Liberal candidate Todd Russell wins a crucial by-election in the federal riding of Labrador. This result consolidates the shaky Liberal balance of power in the federal government. (CBC)
Jurors in the criminal trial of Richard M. Scrushy, founder and former CEO of HealthSouth Corporation, send notes to the presiding judge that indicate they are having difficulty reaching unanimity. The case is part of the wave of U.S. corporate scandals of recent years. Prosecutors allege that Mr. Scrushy and others conspired to overstate profits at HealthSouth by circa $2.7 billion, in the period 1996 - 2002. (Reuters)
Vivian Liberto, first wife of Johnny Cash, dies due to complications from surgery to remove lung cancer.
In Russia, a 10.00 AM explosion in a power substation causes a power outage that cuts electricity from Moscow and four surrounding regions. Government blames RAO UES and the Prosecutor General's Office opens an investigation for "criminal negligence". UES CEO Anatoly Chubais accepts responsibility. Energy minister Viktor Khristenko states that the power cuts have nothing to do with terrorism. (Moscow Times)(RIA Novosti)(IHT)
The King Fahd of Saudi Arabia, has been taken to hospital, overtly for tests; however, the BBC quotes an unofficial source who claims the King has water in his lungs. (BBC)
Ethiopian general elections: European Union observers report that the National Elections Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) may be losing control of the vote counting for the recent May 15 election, potentially marring the most open election in Ethiopian history. Meanwhile the NEBE has postponed announcement of the election's provisional results until June 8, due to the volume of complaints of election irregularities. (CBC)
Popular singer Morrissey's official Website released the following statement: "Morrissey will regrettably not be appearing at the Isle Of Wight Festival on the 11th of June as scheduled. The pressure of preparing the new album and losing his drummer earlier this month has made it impossible to do the gig without massively compromising both the gig and the album. Apologies to all the fans, the organisers and the people of the Isle Of Wight."[3][permanent dead link]
In the AFL, Richmond forward Nathan G. Brown broke his leg in a horrific incident involving Melbourne defender Matthew Whelan. It was one of the most shocking injuries suffered by an AFL player ever.
CaliforniaState SenatorJoseph Dunn, local school officials, and environmental professionals meet with parents of Kennedy Elementary School students in a town-hall style meeting in Santa Ana Thursday evening. The parents air their concerns over health issues at schools and workplaces, including a rash of leukemia cases in the student population, and begin a dialogue they have been working toward for years. (Wikinews)
A London newspaper reports that Merrill Lynch, New York, is trying to persuade at least seventeen members of the corporate derivatives team of rival investment bank JP Morgan to defect. An anonymous source/headhunter quoted in the newspaper predicted that the seventeen will be working at Merrill Lynch by the end of the summer. (Reuters)
Pope Benedict XVI says he wants to heal the rift with the Orthodox Church during his papacy. He spoke to hundreds-of-thousands of people attending a mass in the southern Italian city of Bari during his first pilgrimage away from the Vatican since he was elected less than two months ago. (VOA News)
China and Japan have opened two days of closed-door negotiations in Beijing aimed at resolving a long-running dispute over natural gas drilling rights in a disputed area of the East China Sea(VOA News)
