Portal:Current events/2005 April 20

April 20, 2005 (Wednesday)

Connecticut Governor Jodi Rell signs a bill making same-sex civil unions legal. Connecticut is now the second U.S. state to legalize same-sex civil unions. (ABC)
RTÉ News states that Pope Benedict XVI won "far more than the 77 votes" required to secure his election as pope. (RTÉ)
Zacarias Moussaoui plans to plead guilty to charges in connection with the September 11, 2001, attacks, which could bring him the death penalty. (AP)
Conflict in Iraq:
- Over 50 human corpses have been removed from the River Tigris in past weeks. Some appeared to have their throats cut, some others decapitated. (BBC)
- In Haditha, a town northwest of Baghdad, at least 19 men are shot dead. The Interim Government maintains that they are the bodies of Iraqi soldiers and had been killed by insurgents. (BBC)
The Prime Minister of Italy, Silvio Berlusconi, resigns so as to form a new government. He is expected to maintain the post of Prime Minister in this new government. (BBC)
The Government of Singapore's approval for the building of two casinos as part of integrated resorts in Singapore's new downtown, and on Sentosa island ignites intense speculation on the likely winners from 19 submitted proposals, and caps off more than a year of moral debates in the traditionally conservative city. (The Standard) (BBC) (CNA)
In Israel, Uriel Yitzhaki is arrested on allegations of selling passports for bribes. (BBC)
A 5.8 Richter scale earthquake hits northern Kyūshū, Japan. (Japan Today) (Channel News Asia) (Reuters) Archived 2005-04-20 at the Wayback Machine (Bloomberg)
World-renowned Japanese novelist Fumio Niwa dies in Tokyo.
Vice President Alfredo Palacio is sworn in as new interim President of Ecuador, after Congress removes President Lucio Gutiérrez from office after a week of escalating street protests demanding his ouster. Riot police fire tear gas at protesters who demand the resignation of president Gutiérrez. One man has died of a heart attack during the demonstration. (ABC) (Independent) (BBC)
The United Nations Commission on Human Rights demands that government of Nepal restore civil liberties and democracy. (Bloomberg) (Reuters AlertNet)
Two members of the ruling Mexican National Action Party post bail for Andrés Manuel López Obrador so he would not run a presidential campaign from jail. He cannot return to his post as mayor of Mexico City. (Reuters) Archived 2005-04-24 at the Wayback Machine
Maurice Strong, Canadian United Nations representative, steps down due to allegations of involvement with Tongsun Park and oil for food scandal. (CBC) (Reuters AlertNet)
European Union representatives cancel meeting with a Pakistan delegation because of the inclusion of hardliner Maulana Sami ul-Haq, who allegedly has links to the Taliban. (Pakistan Times) (Daily Times) (BBC)
Spanish officials state that they are "concerned" about an apparent disappearance of Severo Moto, leader of an opposition political movement in Equatorial Guinea, who has lived in Spain in exile. His wife reported him missing. (AllAfrica) (Reuters AlertNet) (BBC)
An explosion in a mining explosives factory near the Chambishi copper mine in Zambia kills 46. (Reuters) Archived 2005-04-24 at the Wayback Machine (BBC)