2005/July 20

July 20 2005 (Wednesday)

• Police in Pakistan have detained about 200 suspected Islamist extremists in a series of raids on religious schools, mosques and other properties. (BBC)
• In mainland China, authorities evacuate more than a million people from Fujian and Zhejiang provinces due to Typhoon Haitang. In Taiwan, death toll rises to 7 with one missing and 31 injured. The typhoon also causes significant agricultural damage (People's Daily) (Xinhua) (Taipei Times) (Channel News Asia)]
• Government of Thailand changes the new emergency laws, weakening two articles that would have, among other things, enforced curfews and censorship of personal communication.
• Saudi Arabian long-time ambassador to USA, prince Bandar bin Sultan, resigns for "personal reasons" (New York Times) (Al-JAzeera) (Bloomberg)
• In Yemen, 8-13 people die during demonstrations against oil price increases (Al-Jazeera) (MENAFN)
• Indonesian government confims first deaths connected to bird flu (Reuters)
• In China, coal mine explosion in Shaanxi province kills 24-26 (Xinhua) (China Daily) (Reuters)
• In Brazil, Delubio Soares, former treasurer for the ruling Worker's Party, admits in a parliamentary hearing that the party did not declare contributions worth $17 million (Bloomberg) (BBC)
• Indian Army announces that it has unveiled a scam where contractors responsible for transportation of fuel to depots of its Northern Command had sold off the fuel and filled the tanks with water (Times of India) (NDTV)
• James Doohan, the actor best known for playing Scotty on Star Trek: The Original Series and the first seven Star Trek films, dies at his home in Redmond, Washington.