January 2005

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January 2005

January 2005 : â† - January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December - â†’

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Monthly events, 2005

[edit] Events

[edit] January 1, 2005

The world rings in 2005. Some nations observe a moment of silence with candles and white roses for the at least 150,000 dead and 5,000,000 left homeless after the 26 December tsunamis. In many countries flags are flown at half staff. (Reuters) A group of Peruvian army reservists from the Movimiento Etnocacerista seize a police station in Andahuaylas, ApurÃmac Region, demanding the resignation of President Alejandro Toledo. Four police officers die in a shootout, another dozen police are taken as hostages, and a state of emergency is declared in the region. (BBC) The Turkish currency is revalued at a rate of 1,000,000 "old" lira for 1 New Turkish Lira. (BBC) Israeli-Palestinian conflict:

Israeli troops allegedly misfire a tank shell and kill a 9-year-old Palestinian girl; her 11-year-old sister was also injured. (Al Bawaba) Palestinian militants allegedly misfire a Qassam rocket and kill a Palestinian girl in Jabalia. (Haaretz) IDF soldiers kill 11 Palestinians, 9 of whom are alleged to have been militants and 2 said to have been civilians in Khan Yunis. (Haaretz) IDF soldiers kill 3 suspected Palestinian militants who were allegedly planting explosives near the border with Egypt in Rafah. (Haaretz)

Palestinian sources say the 3 men killed by the IDF near the border with Egypt in Rafah were unarmed. (Haaretz)

Palestinian militants fire four Qassam rockets at the Negev and 3 at Sderot, Israel causing damage but no casualties. (Haaretz)

Luxembourg takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

(AP)

[edit] January 2, 2005

AnÃbal Acevedo VilÃ¡ officially becomes governor of Puerto Rico. He is the eighth popularly elected governor of the Commonwealth. (El Vocero, in Spanish) Global tsunami aid donations exceed USD 2 billion (EUR 1.5 billion). (Xinhua) The Washington Post and Reuters report that the US government is preparing to keep suspected terrorists in detention without charge for life. (Reuters)

[edit] January 3, 2005

In Iraq, a spate of suicide bombings (including one near Iraqi National Accord headquarters) kills 27. Interim defence minister Hazim al-Shaalan hints that the assembly elections scheduled for 30 January could be delayed to allow for Sunni Muslim participation. (Oman Times) (Al Jazeera) 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake:

The United Nations accepts Singapore's offer to set up a UN Regional Coordination Centre to coordinate relief efforts to stricken areas. This centre will see an influx of UN staff and it is likely to be a long-term infrastructure to help reconstruction efforts. John Budd, UNICEF head of communications in Indonesia, said, "The Singapore government's military (SAF) response to the emergency in Aceh has been nothing less than outstanding. It has done a phenomenal job; all the aid agencies and the UN are very grateful for the enormous and fast response the military in Singapore brought to bear on this disaster." (CNA) Three U.S. Presidents â€“ George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George H. W. Bush â€“ make a joint appeal urging Americans to aid the tsunamis' victims. (BBC) Bush makes a presidential proclamation to fly the U.S. flag at half staff from 3-7 Jan in honor of the tsunami victims. (whitehouse.gov) The United Kingdom's Metropolitan Police announces that they have arrested a suspect in a hoax case where Britons missing relatives or friends in the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake received e-mail messages informing them that the person had died. The messages came from the improbably fake address ukgovfoffice@aol.com. (Telegraph) (BBC) (London Free Press)

In Peru, 200 men from the ultranationalist Movimiento Etnocacerista who took over the town of Andahuaylas and its police station first say they intend to give up their weapons, then retract, saying the government had reneged on a surrender deal. (BBC) (Bloomberg) (New York Times) In the Croatian election, incumbent President Stipe Mesic receives 49% of the vote. He will face Deputy Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor in a second round commencing on January 16. (Reuters) (BBC) In Uganda, a seven-week ceasefire between the government and the Lord's Resistance Army ends with the rebel ambush of government troops near the town of Gulu. President Yoweri Museveni promises to increase military action against the rebels. (BBC) Ethiopian opposition groups demonstrate against the government's plan to reopen border talks with Eritrea. (IOL) (BBC)

[edit] January 4, 2005

2004 Indian Ocean earthquake: Three Free Aceh Movement (GAM) rebels are killed in a clash with the Indonesian military in the northern Aceh province. Fighting broke out apparently when Indonesian troops attempted to escort aid trucks. Both sides claim the other are taking advantage of the devastation left from the tsunamis. (ABC Australia) (News.com.au) Conflict in Iraq: Governor of Baghdad Ali al-Haidri is assassinated in a roadside ambush in the Iraqi capital. (BBC) Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: Seven Palestinians are killed when an Israeli tank opens fire on farmland in the northern Gaza Strip. Palestinian presidential candidate and Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas responds to the deaths with a strong verbal attack on the "Zionist enemy" Israel. Six of the dead were from the same family, including an 11-year-old boy. All the dead were civilians younger than 18. (The Guardian) (BBC) (BBC) In Peru, Antauro Humala, the leader of the Movimiento Etnocacerista, turns himself in, thereby ending the hostage crisis. (Reuters) (BBC) The Algerian government announces a crackdown on the GIA rebel organization. Its leader Nourredine Boudiafi was arrested and his deputy Chaabane Younes killed in operation two months ago. (Afrol) (Reuters) (BBC) In Burundi, government forces and members of various armed groups begin to join to form a national army. (BBC) In Malawi, three members of the ruling United Democratic Front party are arrested for carrying guns to a meeting with the president Bingu wa Mutharika. They are later released on bail. (Reuters Alertnet) (Nation Onliune, Malawi) (BBC)

[edit] January 5, 2005

According to The 2005 Index of Economic Freedom, the USA has for the first time dropped from the top 10 free nations of the world, Hong Kong continues its number one ranking for the 11th consecutive year, released by the Heritage Foundation and the Wall Street Journal. (The Heritage Foundation | 2005 Index) (Financial Times) Venezuela promises to investigate claims that Rodrigo Granda, a prominent member of the Colombian rebel group FARC, was captured from Caracas instead of from inside Colombia. Granda was arrested December 13, 2004. (BBC) Serbian Justice Minister Zoran Stojkovic rejects the U.N. ICTY war crimes tribunal's demands that Serbia arrest four generals accused of committing atrocities in Kosovo. (B92) (BBC) The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission accuses Mexican broadcaster TV Azteca of involvement in a massive debt fraud; TV Azteca stock on the New York and Mexico City exchanges drops 9% on the news. (BBC)

[edit] January 6, 2005

Former South African President Nelson Mandela breaks a strong taboo when he announces that the death at age 54 of his sole surviving son, Makgatho Mandela, was caused by AIDS, which kills about 600 people daily in South Africa. His action is viewed as being critical of his successor, Thabo Mbeki, who has denied a link between HIV and AIDS. (ABC), (BBC). 2004 U.S. presidential election controversy:

U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary Democratic Staff releases a 100 page report on the Ohio election. [1] For the first time since 1877 the Electoral vote certification in Congress was interrupted by a formal challenge to an entire state's Electoral votes. The challenge of Ohio's Electoral votes, brought by U.S. Representative Stephanie Tubbs Jones and U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer, lead to a 2-hour debate. The challenge was rejected by a vote of 1-74 (Yea-Nay) by the Senate and by a vote of 31-267 in the House; the electoral vote for the United States Presidency is officially certified as 286 for Republican George W. Bush, 251 for Democrat John Kerry, and 1 for Democrat John Edwards, leading to Bush's reelection. (CNN)

Camp X-Ray: The United States Department of Defense announces a new investigation into allegations of prisoner abuse at the Camp X-Ray detention center in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. (BBC) Conflict in Iraq: An Iraqi civilian testifies that U.S soldiers, including Sergeant Tracy Perkins, forced him and his cousin to jump into the Tigris River and laughed as his relative was swept to his death. (BBC) 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake: World leaders gather in Jakarta, Indonesia, for an emergency summit with the United Nations. Aid pledges since the Asian Tsunami disaster are near USD 4 billion (â‚¬ 3 billion). Nearly 150,000 people have been confirmed dead in the four hardest hit nations - Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka and Thailand. (CNA)

[edit] January 7, 2005

2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake:

Japan sends its largest military deployment since World War II to tsunami-hit countries, with around 1,000 troops on standby. (CNA) The Group of Seven Industrialised Nations (G7) agrees to a moratorium on the debt repayments of countries worst affected by the tsunamis in Asia, sources at the HM Treasury said. (CNA) FBI warn of fake disaster appeal scams (CNN)

Ten gang members are sentenced to prison terms of 25 to 40 years for the murders of 12 women in JuÃ¡rez, Mexico; however, many hundreds of the deaths in Ciudad JuÃ¡rez remain unsolved. (BBC) Northern Ireland police Chief Constable Hugh Orde publicly accuses the Provisional IRA of the largest bank robbery in U.K. history, now assessed at Â£26.5 million. The money was taken from the Northern Bank in Belfast on December 20. (BBC) (RTÃ‰) Conflict in Iraq:

Seven U.S. soldiers are killed in a bomb attack in Baghdad. (BBC) The French newspaper LibÃ©ration reports that its journalist Florence Aubenas is missing in Iraq. (LibÃ©ration) (Reuters) (BBC)

Israeli-Palestinian Conflict:

Palestinian presidential candidate Mustafa Barghouti is arrested by Israeli police on the last day of the campaign as he tried to enter the Al-Aqsa mosque. (BBC) One Israeli is killed and four are wounded in a Palestinian shooting attack in the north West Bank. The al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades claim responsibility. (Haaretz)

The People's Republic of China jails five people for eight years for selling fake infant formula, which has caused the deaths of at least 13 infants and illness in 189. (Reuters Alertnet) The Ukrainian Supreme Court rejects Viktor Yanukovych's appeal against the electoral commission's decision that he lost the presidential election. (BBC) (Reuters) Chilean officials search the offices of Augusto Pinochet and investigate his U.S. bank accounts. (BBC) 80-year-old Edgar Ray Killen is arrested for the 1964 killings of three civil rights workers that inspired the American Civil Rights Movement and the film Mississippi Burning. (CNN)

[edit] January 8, 2005

A U.S. Navy nuclear submarine, USS San Francisco, runs aground south of the Pacific island of Guam. (USA Today|AP) (BBC) 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake:

The United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reveals a detailed minute-to-minute Indian Ocean tsunami timeline. (CNN) (NOAA Press Release) An Islamist group with alleged al Qaeda links has set up a relief camp on Indonesia's Sumatra island, raising concerns in the U.S. and Australia that it could stir up sentiment against their troops who are also assisting the aid effort. The Laskar Mujahidin group has posted a sign at its camp that reads (in English) "Islamic Law Enforcement". (CNN)

Conflict in Iraq:

U.S. Army sergeant Tracy Perkins is acquitted of manslaughter but found guilty of aggravated assault for forcing two Iraqi civilians to leap from a bridge into the River Tigris on 3 January 2004. (BBC) The U.S. Army promises an investigation into an incident in Mosul in which an F-16 jet dropped a 500 pound "precision-guided" bomb on the wrong target. The army claims five civilians were killed; 14 died, say locals. (BBC)

September 11, 2001, attacks: About 8,000 photographs recovered from the ruins of the World Trade Center after the terrorist attacks have been restored and will be posted on a restricted-access website for people to identify and claim by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey on January 18. (CNN)

[edit] January 9, 2005

Conflict in Iraq:

Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr joins Sunnis in calling for a delay in the assembly election, saying that it cannot happen if Sunnis cannot fairly participate. President of Iran Mohammad Khatami says his country opposes a postponement because the elections will facilitate "the exit of occupation forces". (Boston Globe) (BBC) The Iraqi interior ministry reports that U.S. soldiers mistakenly shot and killed two Iraqi policemen and two civilians after an attack on their convoy. Gunmen kill the deputy police chief of the city of Samarra, Major Muhammad Muzaffar. (BBC) The U.S. military frees about 230 prisoners it was holding at Abu Ghraib. Around 7,400 remain in custody. (BBC)

Arab-Israeli Conflict: A French officer, working for the United Nations, is killed by shelling in the disputed Shebaa Farms area of Southern Lebanon. Israeli planes and artillery had been firing on suspected Hezbollah positions in the area in retaliation for Hezbollah's attack which killed an Israeli officer. (BBC) After a 66% turnout and extended hours, an exit poll shows Mahmoud Abbas winning the Palestinian presidential election with two-thirds of the vote and challenger Mustafa Barghouti getting 19.7%. (AP) (BBC) Storm winds sweep across northern Europe, leaving at least 13 people dead and millions without electricity. (CNN) (BBC) In Nairobi, Kenya, a peace treaty is signed between warring factions in the Sudanese civil war, which has claimed over 1.5 million lives in more than 20 years. (BBC) After convincing the authorities that he was shooting a documentary, Borat managed to infuriate a crowd at a rodeo in Salem, Virginia, USA: first by saying that "I hope you kill every man, woman and child in Iraq, down to the lizards...and may George W. Bush drink the blood of every man, woman and child in Iraq" (which received a fair amount of applause); and then, by rendering a mangled version of "The Star-Spangled Banner" that was misreported as ending with the words "your home in the grave" by the Roanoke Times (Borat had actually sung "home of the gays"). He was then escorted off of the premises.

The very first episode of Zoey 101 is aired.

[edit] January 10, 2005

Four CBS News staffers are fired following the release of an independent investigation of a 60 Minutes story about U.S. President George W. Bush's military service that relied on forged documents. (CNN) Mahmoud Abbas is officially declared winner of the Palestinian presidential election, with 62.3% of the votes cast. (BBC) Darfur conflict: United Nations secretary general Kofi Annan warns that the security situation in Darfur is deteriorating. (BBC) Venezuelan President Hugo ChÃ¡vez says he is convinced that Colombian police captured FARC leader Rodrigo Granda in Venezuela, contrary to their claims that he was arrested in the Colombian border town of CÃºcuta. (Reuters Alertnet) (BBC) A smoking ban comes into effect in Italy, prohibiting tobacco smoking in public places. It has been reported that some businesses and smokers intend to defy the ban. (Boston Globe) (BBC) In India, more than 55 people are killed when a bus falls into the Almatti canal in Bijapur district, Karnataka. (BBC) In the Philippines, the truce between the army and Islamist rebels collapses. Government forces exchange fire with the MILF rebels in Mindanao. The peace talks are still ongoing. (Reuters Alertnet) Tides of over 2 meters inundate Port Blair, Andaman Islands, India, raising fears that the 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake has changed tidal patterns. BBC

[edit] January 11, 2005

Purged Chinese Communist leader Zhao Ziyang is hospitalized, but in stable condition, according to the People's Republic of China government. The announcement came after rumors spread that he had died. (BBC) Italian motorcyclist Fabrizio Meoni is the second competitor to die in as many days in the 2005 Paris Dakar Rally. (TSN) In Nigeria, Audu Ogbeh, chairman of the ruling People's Democratic Party, resigns over disagreements with President Olusegun Obasanjo. (Vanguard) (NigeriaWorld) (Reuters Alertnet) (BBC) Venezuelan President Hugo ChÃ¡vez signs a land reform decree aimed at reducing unused and absentee-owned agricultural properties. (Bloomberg) (BBC) In Australia, 9 people are dead and 15 others are unaccounted for, in a bushfire in Eyre Peninsula, South Australia. (News.com.au) (The Australian) (Reuters) 4 die, 11 are injured, and 13 are missing after a mudslide in La Conchita, California, in the U.S. (Reuters) (San Francisco Chronicle) Intense flooding hits the Caribbean coasts of southern Central America; Costa Rican President Abel Pacheco declares a state of emergency. (BBC) Dr. Albert Hofmann celebrated his 99th birthday. Dr. Hofmann first synthesized LSD in 1938 while working at Sandoz Laboratories in Basle, Switzerland. He became the first person to discover its psychedelic effects on April 16, 1943. (MAPS)

[edit] January 12, 2005

Conflict in Iraq: Iyad Allawi, the interim Prime Minister of Iraq has admitted parts of the country will not be voting in this month's election. (BBC) British Airways flight 175 from London to New York is turned back by the U.S. TSA, who claim a passenger's name matches a suspected Moroccan terrorist. The passenger is questioned for two hours by British police and then released. The other 239 passengers resume their journeys nine hours late. (Sky News) Reports are emerging, from Channel 4 news and other sources, that Sir Mark Thatcher is to plead guilty over his part in an alleged coup plot in Equatorial Guinea. (BBC) United States intelligence officials confirm that its search for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq ended last month. The claim that Iraq had an active WMD program was the White House's key justification for the 2003 invasion of Iraq. (CNN) (BBC) (Reuters) (Link dead as of 03:06, 15 January 2007 (UTC)) Camp X-Ray: Archbishop Desmond Tutu has called for the release of the remaining inmates at Guantanamo Bay and terror suspects detained without trial in the UK referring to the detentions without trial as "unacceptable" and "distressing". (BBC) Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: Israel has carried out a series of raids into the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Two armed men were shot and killed in Ramallah, while four men were arrested in Gaza City. An Israeli civilian was also killed, and three Israeli soldiers were wounded following an Islamic Jihad attack on Morag, in the southern Gaza Strip. (BBC) In China, fire in a fireworks factory in Shanxi province leads to 25 deaths (Reuters) (Link dead as of 03:06, 15 January 2007 (UTC)) In CÃ´te d'Ivoire, former rebels warn that controversy over a disputed nationality law could restart the civil war (BBC). South African president Thabo Mbeki is in the country to mediate but ex-rebels refuse to meet him (SABC) (Reuters Alertnet) In Senegal, there is a growing opposition to a recent bill that grants amnesty to political crimes since 1983 (BBC) Indonesian army tightens its control over foreigners in the Aceh province (BBC)Yahoo! News (Link dead as of 03:06, 15 January 2007 (UTC)) In Abkhazia, breakway province of Georgia, government re-runs disputed presidential election of last October. Sergei Bagapsh and Raul Khadzhimba run as a team. Most countries do not recognize Abkhazian independence. (ITAR-TASS) (Interfax) (BBC) In the USA, Lithuanian-born Vladas Zajanckauskas is charged with killing Jews in the Warsaw Ghetto during World War Two. If sentenced, he may lose his US citizenship (Boston Herald) (Link dead as of 03:06, 15 January 2007 (UTC)) Spies that worked for