Portal:Current events/2005 December 21

December 21, 2005 (Wednesday)

The former President of Iraq, Saddam Hussein, claims in court that American officials tortured him. Part of his testimony is censored and the US strongly denies the accusations. (BBC)
In a 7–2 ruling, the Supreme Court of Canada rules that swingers clubs do not harm society and are legal as long as there is no exchange of money and the activities are conducted in private. (CTV) Archived 2006-04-09 at the Wayback Machine (CBC)
A mugger who attempted to escape pursuit on Sunday by entering Bloemfontein Zoo in South Africa is killed after jumping into the Bengal tigers area. He was found with bite marks all over his body, and all his clothes removed, but the tigers had not attempted to eat him, having been fed the previous afternoon. (BBC) (Mail & Guardian (SA))
A bomb explodes near a nightclub in Spain, but no one is hurt. The Basque separatist movement ETA claims responsibility. (Reuters)
The U.S. Senate blocks oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. (CNN) (Link dead as of 00:49, 15 January 2007 (UTC))
Israeli–Palestinian conflict: Israel bans Palestinians from East Jerusalem from voting in the next Palestinian legislative election throwing the entire election in doubt. Israel claims that it made the ban out of fears that Hamas would do well. (BBC)
Musician Elton John and Canadian filmmaker David Furnish are joined in a civil partnership ceremony at Windsor Town Hall. The couple are among hundreds of same-sex couples entering civil partnerships in England and Wales on the first day that such ceremonies become possible. Ceremonies were held earlier this week in Northern Ireland and Scotland. (BBC) (BBC)
2005 Kashmir earthquake. SOS Children's Villages field workers report a rapid deterioration in weather conditions and increase in weather-related death. 64 more children believed orphaned have been taken into emergency care this week. (SOS)
December solstice:
- The December solstice, occurring at 18:35 UTC, is observed around the world in both astronomical and spiritual terms; this day has the least hours of sunlight and the longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere (winter solstice), and vice versa in the Southern Hemisphere (summer solstice). (North County Times)
- 20,000 people apply for lottery tickets for the 20 places available to view the winter solstice sunrise from inside the Newgrange stone age burial mound in County Meath, Ireland, although cloud cover prevented the sun from shining into the passage grave this morning. (Fairfield County Weekly) (Ireland Online)^{[permanent dead link]}
The U.S. Senate passes a six-month extension of the USA PATRIOT Act late Wednesday night by a voice vote. This clears the way for a final vote in the House. (AP via Yahoo! News) (Link dead as of 00:49, 15 January 2007 (UTC))
Connecticut. A former hedge fund manager, Scott Sacane, pleaded guilty to one count of violating the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 in connection with the manipulation of the prices of two biotechnology stocks between November 2002 and July 2003. (Stamford (CT) Advocate) (Link dead as of 00:49, 15 January 2007 (UTC))