June 2005 - June 5 2005 (Sunday)

June 5 2005 (Sunday)

• In separate referendums, the voters of Switzerland decide to ratify the Schengen treaty, abolishing all its normal land border controls by 2007, and also approve the legalizing of civil unions for gay couples, for tax and inheritance purposes, but not for child adoption. The Swiss Government had urged approval of both measures and the Swiss Parliament had previously passed legislation approving them. (BBC News)
• Wal-Mart holds its annual shareholders' meeting on the campus of the University of Arkansas. Pending proposals include initiatives that would affect how Wal-Mart's board is selected and that would require a break-down of stock options by sex and race, and those addressing other issues. (WLNS News)
• In Lebanon, Hezbollah and Amal parties claim victory in the parliamentary election in the south of the country. Both groups are supporters of Syria (Daily Star) (Reuters)
• In Kuwait, two women become the first females to be appointed to municipal council. They are Sheikha Fatima al-Sabah of the ruling Sabah family and engineer Fawziya al-Bahar (Al-Jazeera) (Gulf Daily News) (BBC)
• Scientists in Canada, France and USA report that they have developed a vaccine that works in monkeys against Marburg virus and Ebola (Medical News Today) (Science Daily) (BBC)
• In Spain, 250,000 people demonstrate in Madrid against a government plan to negotiate with the Basque ETA (EITB) (BBC) (Reuters AlertNet)