Portal:Current events/2005 July 6

July 6, 2005 (Wednesday)

The European Parliament says there will be "No directive on software patents" by rejecting the proposed Directive on the patentability of computer-implemented inventions by a 648-14 vote with 18 abstentions, ending four years of intense debate and lobbying. (BBC) (Forbes) (Bloomberg) (BusinessWeek) (Link dead as of 04:20, 16 January 2007 (UTC))
Twenty-four people confirmed dead after more than 300 heavily-armed UN troops, assisted by the Haitian National Police, carry out a major pre-dawn military raid in Cité Soleil, one of the poorest communities in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, in what eyewitnesses claim was not a firefight, but a slaughter, using machine guns, tanks, 83-CC grenades, and tear gas. Eyewitnesses reported that when people fled to escape the tear gas, UN troops shot them from behind. The UN military commander, Lieutenant General Augusto Heleno, claimed the operation a success, and that the victims were "outlaws". UN Colonel Morano suggests that ballistics tests be done on the dead. Records from Medicine Without Borders (the single hospital that serves Cité Soleil) show an influx of civilian casualties, starting at 11:00 a.m. on July 6: twenty-six live victims -- 20 of them women or children -- from Cité Soleil suffering mostly from gunshot wounds. (DemocracyNow.org); (HaitiAction); (BBC) (RBN)^{[permanent dead link]} (video link, requires RealPlayer)
New York Times reporter Judith Miller is jailed for refusing to divulge her source in an investigation around the leak of a CIA operative's name. (CNN) (New York Times)
The International Olympic Committee names London, United Kingdom as the site of the 2012 Summer Olympics. (BBC) (ABC) (Link dead as of 04:20, 16 January 2007 (UTC)), (CNN) (Wikinews)
In India, the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party calls for a nationwide strike in protest of the Tuesday attack on the Ayodhya site. The police are on high alert in case of religious violence. (Newindpress) (registration required), (Reuters AlertNet) (Link dead as of 04:20, 16 January 2007 (UTC)), (BBC) (Bloomberg)
In Bolivia, the senate decides to call for early elections. There will also be a referendum on regional autonomy next July. (Bloomberg) (BBC)
In Burundi, the former Hutu rebel group Forces for the Defence of Democracy wins 58% of the vote in parliamentary elections. (News24) (Reuters AlertNet) (Link dead as of 04:20, 16 January 2007 (UTC))
Prince Albert II of Monaco admits publicly that he is a father of an illegitimate son by Nicole Coste (BBC)
In Egypt, Cairo court postpones the trial of presidential candidate Ayman Nour until September 25, allowing him to contest the election (Egypt election) (Link dead as of 04:20, 16 January 2007 (UTC)), (BBC)
In Chile, court strips Augusto Pinochet of presidential immunity from prosecution in the investigation of disappearance of political opponents in so-called Operation Colombo (IHT) (BBC) (Bloomberg)
In China, explosion in a Zhengde shopping mall in Liaoyang County of Liaoning Province injures 47. According to local police, it was a case of attempted revenge (Xinhua) (China Daily) (Reuters AlertNet) (Link dead as of 04:20, 16 January 2007 (UTC))
Burma/Myanmar releases 249 dissidents from jail. Aung San Suu Kyi remains in house arrest (Democratic Voice of Burma) (Channel News Asia)
In Nigeria, treason charges against 53 football players are dropped and changed to charges of membership of illegal organization. They are member of pro-Biafra group MASSOB (BBC) (Reuters SA) (Link dead as of 04:20, 16 January 2007 (UTC))
In Niger, thousands of people flee to Nigeria to escape crop failure and famine. Government says it cannot afford any food aid (AllAfrica) (subscription required), (Reuters AlertNet) (Link dead as of 04:20, 16 January 2007 (UTC)), (BBC)
In Somalia, interim president Abdullah Yusuf states that he's going to march towards Mogadishu from Jowhar, collecting support and militia as he goes (BBC)
In India 1000 demonstrators protesting attack in Ayodhya clash with riot police in New Delhi. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. There are small protests in other cities as well but police state that disturbances are minor compared to clashes in previous years. Congress president Sonia Gandhi warns that opposition should not "politicize" the incident (Newindpress) (registration required), (Reuters India) (Link dead as of 04:20, 16 January 2007 (UTC)), (BBC)
George W. Bush collides with a police officer while riding a bike. Bush suffers minor scrapes and the officer's ankle is injured. (Yahoo! News) (Link dead as of 04:20, 16 January 2007 (UTC))
In Rome, Italy, the soundtrack to The Passion of the Christ is performed as a world premiere after being as the #1 bestseller for soundtracks.