January 2005 - January 13 2005

January 13 2005

• Conflict in Iraq: Sheikh Al-Madaini, a senior aide to the Ayatollah Sistani, 4 bodyguards and his son have been killed in an attack in the Baghdad's suburb Salman Pak. (BBC)
• Israeli-Palestinian Conflict:
  • Palestinian militants explode a truck laden with explosives in the Karni crossing in the eastern Gaza Strip. At least 6 Israelis were killed, as well as three of the attackers, and about 10-20 were wounded in the attack. The al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, the Popular Resistance Committees and Hamas claimed joint responsibility. (Haaretz) (Reuters)(BBC)
  • Israeli troops kill two Palestinians in the Gaza strip, one of whom was driving a pregnant neighbour to hospital. (BBC)
• Record temperatures across Europe make many animals awake early from hibernation. Avalanche alerts are raised to the highest level in Romania and Austria. (CBC)
• Paleontologists of the American Museum of Natural History have unveiled a fossil of a mammal that has apparently eaten a baby dinosaur. (Reuters)
• Paris Club has offered a debt freeze to nations affected by 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake (Reuters) (BBC)
• In Indonesia, rebels of the Free Aceh Movement called for ceasefire (Jakarta Post) (BBC)
• A Colombian minister states that the government hired bounty hunters to capture rebel Rodrigo Fanda from Venezuela. (New York Times) (BBC) Colombia has also invited more bounty hunters to capture FARC rebels. (Reuters Alertnet)
• Prince Harry of the United Kingdom apologizes for wearing a uniform-like costume with a Nazi swastika at a friend's costume party. (BBC)