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- Extraordinary renditions. The Bundesnachrichtendienst (German intelligence agency) declares that it had known of Khalid El-Masri's seizure 16 months before Germany was officially informed of his mistaken arrest in the name of the War on Terror. Germany had previously claimed that it did not know of el-Masri's abduction by the CIA and his stay in the Salt Pit in Afghanistan until his return to the country in May 2004
- The 16th World Economic Forum on Africa is convened in Cape Town, South Africa.(BBC).
- China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States agree on a package of incentives and sanctions for Iran. (CNN).
- A report issued by the United States Army Corps of Engineers admits their responsibility for 2005 levee failures that flooded the majority of New Orleans, Louisiana in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. (AP) (Full report via NOLA.com)
- The United States Department of Homeland Security reveals that it plans to reallocate anti-terrorism funding to cities across the nation. Funding to New York City and Washington, D.C. is cut, while funding in cities such as Omaha, Nebraska and Los Angeles, California increases. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's office calls the report's statement that there are no "national monuments or icons" in New York City "outrageous."(NYT)
- The Government of Spain overturns the conviction of Imad Yarkas on charges of conspiracy in the September 11, 2001 attacks after the prosecutor admits that evidence of involvement in the conspiracy was "inconsistent, almost nonexistent." The Spanish government says it will provide further explanation in the coming days. (AP)
- Iran refuses to negotiate with the U.S. over its nuclear program.(CNN)
- The new Italian Justice Minister, Clemente Mastella, announces that left-wing militant Adriano Sofri could be pardoned before the end of the year (AGI).
- A number of fake million dollar bill gospel tracts, printed by Living Waters Publications, are seized from The Great News Network by the United States Secret Service as possible counterfeits. (WorldNetDaily)
- The Eureka Tower, the tallest residential tower in the world, exterior is completed at a height of 297.2m and 91 floors in Melbourne, Australia. It takes the title from Q1 on the Gold Coast, Australia
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- The UK Independent newspaper reports that a great-grandson of Apache leader Geronimo has appealed to US President Bush to help recover the remains of his famous relative. The remains were purportedly stolen over 90 years ago by a group of students including the President's grandfather, and employed in ceremonies by Skull and Bones, a secret society at Yale University. (Independent) (Yale Alumni Magazine) (Newwest.net)
- British police shoot a suspect in an anti-terrorism raid, although his injuries are non-life threatening. The 23 year old was shot in front of his family as 250 police raided his home in Forest Gate, London. (BBC) (ABC)
- The BBC shows a video about a new alleged massacre by US troops in Ishaqi, Iraq, on March 15, 2006. (BBC)
- Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., writing in Rolling Stone magazine, accuses George W. Bush and his Republican Party of widespread voting fraud during the 2004 Presidential Election. (Rolling Stone) (Editor and Publisher)
- China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States propose a set of incentives and possible sanctions in an effort to encourage Iran to suspend or abandon its plans of nuclear development. (Washington Post)
- Female genital cutting is found to increase infant mortality and childbirth complications. (BBC) (WHO)
- Expedition 13/Soyuz TMA-8: Pavel Vinogradov and Jeffrey Williams spend more than six hours outside the International Space Station, conducting an extended maintenance spacewalk. (VOA), (CNN)
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- Pakistan bans The Da Vinci Code film because it is said to contain blasphemous material about Jesus. (AP)
- A strong quake measuring 5.2 on the Richter scale hits Southern Iran killing a young girl in the village of Ramkan. (Pakistan Daily Times)
- The United States military finds its soldiers not guilty of any wrongdoing in the Ishaqi incident involving the deaths of 11 Iraqi civilians. (The Age)
- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, while continuing to maintain that his country has the right to continue development on their nuclear technology, says that he "will not pass judgment on the proposals hastily," referring to the incentives package being offered by the US, Russia, United Kingdom, Germany, France and China in order to dissuade Iran from further nuclear development. (Reuters)
- Human Rights Watch releases a video showing South Sudanese Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny Dhurgon bribing cult and rebel leader Joseph Kony and his second-in-command Vincent Otti of the Lord's Resistance Army to not attack southern Sudanese citizens. (Scoop)
- A Russian diplomat is killed and four kidnapped in an attack near the Russian embassy in Baghdad, according to Russian and Iraqi officials. (BBC)
- In a special session of parliament, Montenegro declares its independence from the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro. (AP)
- 2006 Toronto terrorism arrests: The Royal Canadian Mounted Police announce the arrest of 17 suspected Islamic terrorists in connection with a planned terrorist attack around Toronto. The RCMP say that three tons of ammonium nitrate was seized. In comparison, the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing used one ton. (CBC), (CNN), (BBC), (Reuters), (VOA)
- Czech parliament election leaves the Czech Republic with an even split between party blocs.
- In response to his million dollar bill gospel tracts being seized from The Great News Network by the United States Secret Service, Ray Comfort, founder of Living Waters Publications, states that he will refuse to turn over his supply of tracts without a warrant. (WorldNetDaily)
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- 2006 Toronto terrorism case: Toronto police uncover an alleged subplot where Steven Vikash Chand, alias Abdul Shakur, intended to lead an invasion of the Parliament of Canada building and assassinate Prime Minister Stephen Harper. (CBC)
- Iraqi insurgency
- Iraqi Health Ministry figures show 6,025 civilian bodies were delivered to Baghdad's central mortuary in the first five months of this year. (BBC)
- The Iraqi administration has asked the United Nations to join the investigations into alleged massacres by American soldiers. (zaman)
- Chad-Sudan conflict
- Australia's Howard government commissions Ziggy Switkowski to lead a commission on the introduction of nuclear energy in Australia. (Bloomberg)
- The opening date of the ironically Doomsday-related film, The Omen, done so to collaborate to the date's religious significance (June 6th, 2006 - 06/06/06, or 666 which is known as the number of the beast in Chrisitian biblical literature). It is a remake of another film by the same name from the late 70s.
- BAA plc, the owners of London's Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted Airports, accept a £10 billion takeover bid from a consortium led by Spain's' Grupo Ferrovial and including the Quebec public employees' pension fund. (BBC)
- The trial of Tim Selwyn for sedition begins in Auckland, New Zealand. Selwyn is the first New Zealander in over 80 years to be charged with sedition. (Newswire)
- Iceland's Prime Minister Halldór Ásgrímsson resigns after poor showings in local elections. Foreign Minister Geir Haarde takes over. (BBC)
- The house of Jason Grimsley, was searched as part of the ongoing BALCO steroids probe. Grimsley, a relief pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks, asked for and received an unconditional release from the team the next day. (USA Today)
- The only day in 1000 years that has the number of the beast 666. Thought to be the end of the world by some.
- A Satanic high mass in Los Angeles occurred, where satanists gathered from nine different countries to celebrate the day
- The MMORPG RuneScape glitched and players who had died inside the Player Owned House portal were able to kill anyone outside the portal, anywhere.
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- Seven Palestinian civilians, including women and three children, are killed in an explosion on a beach in the Gaza Strip crowded by holiday makers, sparking an intense international debate as for its cause. (Ynet),(Guardian),(The Australian),(Reuters),(Haaretz),(Süddeutsche Zeitung),(New York Times), (BBC)
- Disney/Pixar's new film Cars opens worldwide (except in UK)
- The 2006 FIFA World Cup begins at the FIFA World Cup Stadium Munich. (BBC)
- The suspected WWII 'bomb' under Broadmead in Bristol, United Kingdom turns out to be a piece of reinforced concrete. (BBC)
- Celebrations for Thailand's King Rama IX's Diamond Jubilee begins.
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- Three prisoners commit suicide at Guantanamo Bay detainment camp in protest against the internationally criticized conditions at the camp. Human rights organizations express concern.(Houston Chronicle), (New Zealand Herald), (CNN), (Reuters)
- The first tropical depression of the 2006 Atlantic hurricane season forms in the northwestern Caribbean Sea. (CNN)
- The militant Hamas group calls off its truce with Israel after seven civilians are killed in the Gaza Strip. More than seventy Qassam rockets were launched at Israeli towns by Hamas militants since Friday morning, wounding Palestenian and Israeli civilians alike. (Globe and Mail), (Haaretz)
- A Yemeni man, linked to the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States, has been deported from New Zealand. It is only the second time that section 72 of the Immigration Act, which deals with threats to national security, has been used to deport someone. Its use requires the consent of the Governor-General, and there is no right of appeal. (newswire)
- Pam Beesly and Roy Anderson from the American version of "The Office" were supposed to get married today in season two, but Pam left at the altar.
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- Fatah activists reportedly attack the Palestinian parliament building, setting fire to the fourth floor and riddling the building with gunfire. (AP), (VoA)
- Tropical Storm Alberto threatens to hit the Northwest coast of Florida, United States. Hurricane warnings are issued and Gov. Jeb Bush declares a state of emergency. Mandatory evacuations are ordered for low-lying areas. (AP via NBC Weather Plus)
- Albania signs a Stabilisation and Association Agreement, a first step toward joining the European Union. (VOA)
- U.S. officials say that North Korea is planning to test the Taepodong-2 intercontinental ballistic missile that may be able to reach the United States. (Reuters)
- Five people are killed, and about 80 injured, when an Israeli train travelling between Tel Aviv and Haifa collides with a truck on a level crossing near Netanya. The first anniversary of a similar accident on Israel Railways near Revadim on the Beersheba line is in nine days' time. (Reuters), (CNN), (Ynetnews), (Wikinews)
- A Palestinian sniper opens fire on highway 443 near Jerusalem, killing one person and wounding four. All victims are Palestinians living in Jerusalem. (Haaretz)
- A blackout hits Auckland, New Zealand, lasting for several hours after a severe storm lashed the country. Many media outlets compared it to the 1998 Auckland power crisis. (New Zealand Herald)
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- U.S. Supreme Court, in its decision of Hill v. McDonough, allows challenge of constitutionality of lethal injection. (Chicago Tribune)
- In House v. Bell, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that new DNA forensic evidence is permissible during post-conviction appeals for death row inmates. (Washington Post)
- The cancellation of end-of-the-year exams and a nationwide strike by teachers protesting low pay sparks a large scale riot in the Guinean capital of Conakry. 16 people are killed. (CNN)
- U.S. President George W. Bush makes a surprise 5-hour visit to Iraq to meet with newly named Prime Minister of Iraq Nouri al-Maliki, President of Iraq Jalal Talibani, national political leaders and U.S. troops. The visit was kept a secret from al-Maliki until five minutes before they met. (MSNBC)
- Israeli investigation brings evidence that a buried explosive device caused the Gaza beach blast in which seven Palestenian civilians were killed, rather than an artillery shelling as stated by the Hamas-led Palestenian government. A former Pentagon official paid by the Human Rights Watch organization asserts than an Israeli shelling caused the tragedy. United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan retracts earlier skeptic remarks he made on Israel's position on the incident. Süddeutsche Zeitung reports numerous flaws in the Palestenian footage from the beach, including a dead man later walking around. (Ynet),(Guardian),(The Australian),(Reuters),(Haaretz),(Süddeutsche Zeitung)
- Subsequent examination of the evidence by The Guardian supports the Human Rights Watch assessment.
- 70,000 coalition forces begin a crackdown on insurgents in Baghdad, the Iraqi PM's office says. (CNN)
- Two Israeli missiles fired from an aircraft hit a van carrying a Palestinian rocket-launching squad in Gaza with Grad 122 mm rockets. Two Islamic Jihad militants and seven civilians are killed, including two schoolchildren and three medical personnel. Israeli Defense minister expresses sorrow, but no apology. (Reuters), (Haaretz)
- At least 10 people are killed and 20 others are wounded in car bombing attacks in a popular market in Kirkuk, Iraq. (Sydney Daily Telegraph)
- The South Central Farm in Los Angeles, California, reportedly the largest urban farm in the United States, is raided by the LAPD, with assistance from the Los Angeles Fire Department. [1] [2] [3]
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- U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito breaks a tie in a 5-4 decision in Hudson v. Michigan, allowing evidence admitted in cases where police did not knock and announce themselves when executing a search warrant. (CNN)
- Hundreds are wounded in fighting between rival factions of the Movement of the Democratic Forces of Casamance led by Salif Sadio, who supports the continuation of the Casamance Conflict, and Magne Dieme, who supports reconciliation with the Government of Senegal. The fighting has spread to The Gambia and Guinea-Bissau may intervene. (allAfrica.com)
- Burundi rebel group Fighters of the National Liberation Forces, the last active rebel group in the country, shell the capital Bujumbura with 15 60mm mortars injuring at least eight civilians despite ongoing peace talks between the group and the Government of Burundi in Tanzania. (News24.com)
- Coalition forces in Afghanistan launch and execute Operation Mountain Thrust to drive Taliban forces out of the southern provinces of Afghanistan. The operation is the largest operation since the start of the Afghanistan war. (National Post), (Ottawa Citizen)
- The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops approves a new English translation for mass. Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune
- Bill Gates, Chairman of the Microsoft Corporation announces he will step down from his daily duties in 2008. He wants to shift his daily life to his charity, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. His successors will be Microsoft Technical Officer Ray Ozzie (software architecturing) and Craig Mundie for researching and strategic affairs. MSNBC
- U.S. President George W. Bush announces the establishment of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands National Monument, the largest Marine Protected Area in the world.(BBC)
- The U.S. military suffers its 2500th fatal casualty in the Iraq war. 18,490 have been wounded. (Toronto Star)(truthout)
- The United Kingdom agrees to jail former Liberian president Charles Taylor if he is convicted, removing a key obstacle to a proposed trial to be held at The Hague under the auspices of the Special Court for Sierra Leone. (BBC)
- A video of a U.S. Marine singing a song, entitled "Hadji Girl", about the killing of Iraqi civilians, sparks outrage after being widely distributed on the Internet. Amidst huge condemnation, Cpl Joshua Belile issues an apology. A Marine spokesman, Lt. Col. Scott Fazekas, said that they were investigating. (BBC) (NYT)
- Clean up crews try to stop coal tar in the Dasha River entering the Wangkuai Reservoir supplying the city of Baoding in northern China. (New Kerala)
- A bomb explodes in Kandahar killing 10 and wounding 15 people. (AP)
- Two Israeli teenage girls escape kidnapping attempt in the West Bank. Three Palestinian suspects armed with a pistol are arrested soon afterwards.(Ynet)
- A claymore mine suspected of being laid by the Tamil Tigers kills 58 people in Sri Lanka. (Reuters)
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- The United States House of Representatives passes a resolution supporting President Bush's policy on Iraq 256-153. (L.A. Times)
- Surveillance and intelligence reports have confirmed that North Korea is preparing to test its Taepodong-2 missiles on Sunday. (Toronto Star) (BBC)
- The Italian pretender, Vittorio Emanuele, Prince of Naples, is arrested as part of an investigation into corruption and prostitution. (BBC)
- An H5 strain of avian influenza has been detected in the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island. The bird flu currently has a "low risk" to humans.(Globe and Mail)
- Chinese journalist Yang Xiaoqing, a reporter for the state-run China Industrial Economy News, is sentenced to one year in prison at the Longhui No. 1 People's Court in Hunan province for extortion. Xiaoqing wrote an article exposing local Communist Party official Yang Jianxin's embezzlement of state assets. Jianxin has been reassigned to an advisory post in Shaoyang city. Hundreds of protesters block police cars to prevent them from taking Xiaoqing to jail. (CPJ)
- The Winnipeg police have made numerous arrests in the relation to the Shedden massacre, including five members from the Bandidos motorcycle club. (CBC)
- Prachanda, reclusive leader of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), meets with Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, in what is thought to be his first visit to the capital Kathmandu in decades. (BBC)
- After ten hours of talks, they agree to form a new Government with representatives of the Maoists included and a new election to be held in 2007. The rebels agree to suspend their people's government. [4]
- Israeli air strike near Gaza kills one Islamic Jihad militant and wounds two others, reportedly on their way to launch Qassam rockets. No civilians were hurt in the strike. More than a hundred Qassam rockets were launched against Israeli towns in the past week, six of them on Friday. (CNN),(Israeli MFA)
- Evangelist Gilbert Deya is arrested by police at Edinburgh Sheriff Court in relation to allegations by Kenyan police of involvement in child trafficking. (BBC)
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