Portal:Current events/2007 August 21

August 21, 2007 (Tuesday)

Laura Richardson of the U.S. Democratic Party is elected in the special election for California's 37th congressional district, replacing Juanita Millender-McDonald who died last spring. (San Jose Mercury News)
The Bank of Japan and Reserve Bank of Australia inject more funds into money markets to ensure stock market liquidity. (AP via Taipei Times)
Ziad Fariz resigns as the Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of Jordan following a government decision not to increase fuel taxes. The Cabinet also sets an election date on November 20. (AP via the IHT)
The National Assembly of Venezuela gives initial unanimous approval to constitutional amendments that would remove term limits on the position of President of Venezuela currently held by Hugo Chávez. (CBS)
Jailed Iranian-American academic Haleh Esfandiari is released on bail after more than 100 days in detention. (NYT)
The Central Intelligence Agency releases a report critical of the Agency's performance prior to the September 11, 2001 attacks. (NYT)
2007 Lebanon conflict: Fatah al-Islam fighters battling the Lebanese army in a refugee camp have asked for a ceasefire to allow their families and remaining civilians to be evacuated. (Aljazeera)
Space Shuttle Endeavour lands safely at Kennedy Space Center at 12:32:29 EDT (16:32:29 UTC). (IHT)
Five thousand Dhaka University students in Bangladesh riot, resulting in major disruption to the university with 150 students being injured. (USA Today)
Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, a son of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, has called for independent institutions in Libya including a central bank, a high court and media. (Reuters)^{[permanent dead link‍]}
Hurricane Dean:
- Hurricane Dean makes landfall on the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico, just north of Chetumal, near the Belize border, at Category 5 strength.(BBC)
- There are no reports of deaths but 11 people have died elsewhere as a result of the hurricane. (Reuters)
- Hurricane Dean has wiped out Dominica's banana crop and causes major damage to the Jamaican crop. (AP via International Herald Tribune)
The governments of Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo are negotiating over a line demarcating each nation's respective rights to petroleum in the Atlantic Ocean. The DRC is expected to gain exploration rights to billions of untapped barrels worth of oil. (People's Daily)
Dr Mohamed Haneef wins his bid in the Federal Court to have his Australian work visa reinstated after Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews canceled it after Dr Haneef was charged with "providing material support to a terrorist organization." (ABC News Australia) Andrews later says the Australian government would appeal against the court ruling.
An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.9 hits the Indonesian province of Papua 101 kilometers from Tanahmerah. (The Philippine Star)
Fifteen former associates of Saddam Hussein, including his cousin Ali Hassan al-Majid, face a trial in the Supreme Iraqi Criminal Tribunal for their alleged role in suppressing a Shiite uprising in 1991. (BBC)
Winds equivalent to a Category 2 cyclone buffet the Byron Bay area of New South Wales before moving north to the Gold Coast area of Queensland. (ABC News Australia)