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April 20, 2005
Connecticut Governor Jodi Rell signs a bill making same-sex civil
unions legal. Connecticut is now the second U.S. state to legalize
same-sex civil unions. (ABC)
RTÉ News states that Pope Benedict XVI won "far more
than the 77 votes" required to secure his election as pope.
(RTÉ)
Zacarias Moussaoui plans to plead guilty
to charges in connection with the September 11, 2001, attacks,
which could bring him the death penalty. (AP)
Conflict in Iraq:
Over 50 human corpses have been removed from the River Tigris
in past weeks. Some appeared to have their throats cut, some
others decapitated. (BBC)
In Haditha, a town northwest of Baghdad,
at least 19 men are shot dead. The Interim Government maintains
that they are the bodies of Iraqi soldiers and had been killed
by insurgents. (BBC)
The Prime Minister of Italy, Silvio Berlusconi,
resigns so as to form a new government. He is expected to maintain
the post of Prime Minister in this new government. (BBC)
The Government of Singapore's approval
for the building of two casinos as part of integrated resorts
in Singapore's new downtown, and on Sentosa island ignites intense
speculation on the likely winners from 19 submitted proposals,
and caps off more than a year of moral debates in the traditionally
conservative city. (The Standard) (BBC) (CNA)
In Israel, Uriel Yitzhaki is arrested on
allegations of selling passports for bribes. (BBC)
A 5.8 Richter scale earthquake hits northern Kyushu, Japan. (Japan
Today) (Channel News Asia) (Reuters) (Bloomberg)
Vice President Alfredo Palacio is sworn
in as new interim President of Ecuador, after Congress removes
President Lucio Gutiérrez from office after a week of
escalating street protests demanding his ouster. Riot police
fire tear gas at protesters who demand the resignation of president
Gutiérrez. One man has died of a heart attack during the
demonstration. (ABC) (Independent) (BBC)
The United Nations Commission on Human
Rights demands that government of Nepal restore civil liberties
and democracy. (Bloomberg) (Reuters AlertNet)
Two members of the ruling Mexican National
Action Party post bail for Andrés Manuel López
Obrador so he would not run a presidential campaign from jail.
He cannot return to his post as mayor of Mexico City. (Reuters)
Maurice Strong, Canadian United Nations
representative, steps down due to allegations of involvement
with Tongsun Park and oil for food scandal. (CBC) (Reuters AlertNet)
European Union representatives cancel meeting
with a Pakistan delegation because of the inclusion of hardliner
Maulana Sami ul-Haq, who allegedly has links to the Taliban.
(Pakistan Times) (Daily Times) (BBC)
Spanish officials state that they are "concerned" about
an apparent disappearance of Severo Moto, leader of an opposition
political movement in Equatorial Guinea, who has lived in Spain
in exile. His wife reported him missing. (AllAfrica) (Reuters
AlertNet) (BBC)
An explosion in a mining explosives factory near the Chambishi
copper mine in Zambia kills 46. (Reuters) (BBC)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_2005
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