Portal:Current events/2009 July 15

July 15, 2009 (Wednesday)

The Episcopal Church of the United States votes to overturn a three-year ban on the appointment of gay bishops. (BBC)
The Catholic Church praises Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince after previously accusing the books of promoting witchcraft and the occult. (Irish Independent)
Caspian Airlines Flight 7908, flying from Tehran to Yerevan, Armenia with 153 passengers and 15 crew members on board, crashes in Iran shortly after takeoff. (BBC) (Press TV)
A 7.6-magnitude earthquake strikes off South Island, New Zealand, generating brief fears of a small tsunami. (Associated Press) (New Zealand Herald) (RTÉ) (USGS)
China's foreign exchange reserves have reached a record of US$ 2.13 trillion, which is more than twice the size of Japan's—the second-biggest holder. (BBC) (Xinhua)
China urges its citizens in Algeria to "take extra care" after reports circulate of a militant group's plans to avenge recent deaths of Muslim Uyghurs. (BBC)
Maria del Carmen Bousada de Lara, the world's oldest new mother, is announced to have died of cancer aged 69, three years after giving birth. (BBC)
Six people, including two traffic police, are killed and sixteen people are injured in a suicide attack in Anbar, Iraq. (RTÉ)
A group of soldiers who took part in Israel's assault in Gaza say widespread abuses were committed against civilians under "permissive" rules of engagement. (BBC)
Two people are killed and five are injured in the explosion at a Total petrochemicals plant in Carling, France. (France 24) (RTÉ)
Chansa Kabwela, editor of Zambia's biggest-selling newspaper The Post, is charged with distributing obscene materials relating to a health sector crisis. (BBC) (IOL)^{[permanent dead link‍]} (Sowetan)^{[permanent dead link‍]}
The British government opts not to end the Common Travel Area between the United Kingdom and Ireland. (BBC) (RTÉ)
Space Shuttle Endeavour launches on mission STS-127 to the International Space Station. (BBC)