Portal:Current events/2005 March 29
March 29, 2005 (Tuesday)
- Beck's new album Guero is released.
- At the New York-Presbyterian-Weill Cornell Medical Center, Neil Young has successful surgery for a brain aneurysm using a minimally invasive neuroradiological procedure. Neil (CNN)
- The E-mail spammer Scott Richter of "OptInRealBig.com" has filed for bankruptcy protection in Denver. The reason claimed is a costly legal battle with Microsoft. (Denver Post)
- MGM Studios v. Grokster, an important lawsuit regarding the future of peer-to-peer file sharing, is heard before the United States Supreme Court. (CNN)
- Lord Paddy Ashdown, High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina has sacked Dragan Čović, Croat member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, after he has been charged (but not tried yet) for financial corruption. (BBC)
- Three Romanian journalists are kidnapped in Iraq, the latest in a long series of kidnappings for money or political reasons in the country. (Guardian), (BBC)
- Death toll of Marburg virus in Angola rises to 122. UNICEF support a campaign to stop the spread of the disease (Medical News Today) (News24), (BBC)
- New Supreme Council of Kyrgyzstan installs Kurmanbek Bakiyev as the official interim President of Kyrgyzstan, (Reuters), (BBC), replacing Askar Akayev who states he is ready to resign. (ABC)
- An independent investigation led by Paul Volcker cleared the United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan of involvement in the awarding of a contract in the Oil-for-Food Programme to a company that employed his son, but found fault with Annan for his failure to oversee the program vigorously. (Reuters) Archived 2005-04-05 at the Wayback Machine (BBC)
- In the United States, Douglas S. Smith Jr, a former top official of Boy Scouts of America, is charged with possession of child pornography. (CNN)
- In Uganda, thousands of Muslims demonstrate in the capital Kampala against the Domestic Relations Bill that would, among other things, limit polygamy. (New Vision, Uganda), (AllAfrica), (BBC),
- France intends to change law that allows girls to marry at the age of 15 (Reuters) (Guardian)
- Dam bursts in South-eastern Afghanistan near the city of Ghazni. At least 6 people dead. (Reuters AlertNet), (International Water Power and Dam Construction), (BBC)
- British bullfighter Frank Evans, known as El Inglés, is about to retire after 40 years. (Guardian), (BBC)
- The leaders of Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia and Spain meet in Ciudad Guayana, Venezuela. They agree to resist drug trafficking, terrorism and poverty. (Reuters) Archived 2005-04-05 at the Wayback Machine
- Spanish prime minister Zapatero signs an agreement with president Hugo Chávez of Venezuela on the sale of warships and military transport planes. Conservative opposition leader Mariano Rajoy denounces the sale. (BBC)
- Political activists in Mongolia demonstrate in Ulan Bator for new elections. (Taipei Times), (BBC)
- Kenya recalls 70 diplomats from its embassies due to cash shortage; none of them are ambassadors. (AllAfrica), (BBC)