2004 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December
- Thousands of people in Hong Kong take to the streets to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre, and to protest Beijing's recent moves to limit their autonomy. (VOA) (http://www.voanews.com/article.cfm?objectID=63E57B00-8EFA-4040-977A3D3D18CAAF50&title=Hong%20Kong%20Marks%20Tiananmen%20Anniversary&catOID=45C9C78B-88AD-11D4-A57200A0CC5EE46C&categoryname=Asia%20Pacific) (BBC) (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3761867.stm)
- Pakistan test-fires a ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead, but claims it will not increase tensions with India. (PakistanLink) (http://www.pakistanlink.com/headlines/May04/30/03.html)
- Saudi commandos storm the Khobar housing compound where Islamic militants were holding several dozen hostages, ending with 22 dead. (BBC (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3762423.stm))
- Thousands of Pakistani Sunni Muslims riot in Karachi, ransacking property, setting fire to four banks, and stoning vehicles after Mufti Nizamuddin Shamzai, an influential pro-Taliban cleric, is killed in a drive-by shooting. (NYT) (http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/international/AP-Pakistan-Cleric-Killed.html) (BBC) (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3761409.stm)
- Buddy Rice wins the 2004 Indianapolis 500 driving for Rahal Letterman Racing. (VOA) (http://www.voanews.com/article.cfm?objectID=37601F40-66FA-4895-A919F0BFCFC07A8F) (Sports Illustrated) (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/racing/05/30/bc.car.irl.indy500.fini.ap/)
- The World War II Memorial is dedicated in Washington, DC, with around 200,000 people attending the ceremony. (Reuters) (http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=5294161) (CNN) (http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/05/29/war.memorial/index.html)
- Islamist militants attack two oil industry installations and a foreign workers' housing complex in Khobar, Saudi Arabia, killing at least 11 people and taking some 50 hostages. Saudi police attempt to storm the housing complex but withdraw after taking casualties. A previously unknown militant group styling itself "The Jerusalem Squadron" claims responsibility and says they are attacking "zionists and crusaders" who are there to "steal our oil and resources". (CNN) (http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/05/29/saudi.shooting/index.html) (BBC) (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3760287.stm)
- U.S. District Judge Nancy Gertner (in Massachusetts) rules that stating that someone is homosexual does not constitute libel or slander. (AP) (http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/apus_story.asp?category=1110&slug=Gay%20Defamation)
- India flies its first multi-purpose civilian aircraft Saras in Bangalore. (Times of India (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/cms.dll/html/uncomp/articleshow/708600.cms))
- An earthquake measuring 4.4 on the Richter scale occurs in the border area between Haiti and the Dominican Republic. (BBC (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/3761171.stm))
- NASA announces the first Spitzer Space Telescope find: a planet that appears to be less than a million years old. (NYT) (http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/28/science/28planet.html)
- A signed peace accord marks an end to the 21-year civil war in Sudan. The Darfur conflict continues. (AP) (http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/world/8773195.htm?1c)
- Archaeologists discover what they term the 'world's oldest university' in Alexandria, Egypt. It dates from the 5th century AD. (Toronto Star) (http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1085609411132&call_pageid=968332188492&col=968705899037)
- FBI Director Robert Mueller and United States Attorney General John Ashcroft state that Al Qaeda may be planning a terrorist strike over the coming months. Multiple FBI officials contend that there is no recent intelligence to suggest a significant change in the USA's security situation, and critics question the validity and timing of the public warning.(NYT) (http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/27/politics/27terror.html?th) Seven people wanted for questioning are also named.
- Journalist Peter Hounam, who had revealed Israel's secret nuclear program, is arrested in Jerusalem and denied access to a lawyer. He is released and expelled from the country the following day. (BBC) (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3752043.stm) (BBC) (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3759119.stm)
- A man armed with a knife enters the mansion of Puerto Rican governor Sila María Calderón and takes a secretary hostage. Calderón negotiates with him for the hostage's release, and he is arrested soon after. (CNN) (http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/americas/05/27/puertorico.hostage.ap/index.html)
- Football: FC Porto defeat AS Monaco FC 3-0 in the final of the UEFA Champions League (BBC) (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/champions_league/3718645.stm)
- As many as 1,000 people are killed in floods in the Dominican Republic and Haiti. (CNN) (http://www.cnn.com/2004/WEATHER/05/25/caribbean.storms/index.html) (BBC) (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3756621.stm)
- France bans the use of Bayer CropScience Gaucho (insecticide) on maize seeds. Gaucho is claimed to be harmful to bees. (Rtrs) (http://www.agriculture.com/worldwide/IDS/2004-05-25T172003Z_01_L25197546_RTRIDST_0_FOOD-FRANCE-GAUCHO-UPDATE-1.html)
- Viacom's MTV Networks unit announces plans for the LOGO channel, the first LGBT-themed major cable television service in the United States, set for a February 17, 2005 debut. (Bloomberg) (http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000087&sid=aff59Spo3R3A&refer=top_world_news) (Reuters) (http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=domesticNews&storyID=5253784) (CNN) (http://money.cnn.com/2004/05/25/news/fortune500/mtv_gay_network/)
- The Abel Prize is awarded in a ceremony in Oslo for the Atiyah-Singer index theorem. (AP) (http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=624&ncid=753&e=10&u=/ap/20040525/ap_on_sc/norway_abel_prize)
- Tennis: At the French Open, a new world record for the longest match in the sport's recorded history is set when Frenchman Fabrice Santoro beats Arnaud Clement 6-4, 6-3, 6-7 (5), 3-6, 16-14 after playing for 6 hours and 33 minutes, split over two days. (ESPN) (http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/tennis/french04/news/story?id=1809151)
- Villagers in Abga Rajil, western Sudan, claim 56 people are killed in a raid by janjaweed militia. The UN says conflict in the Darfur area has displaced around a million people. (Reuters) (http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=5228658§ion=news)
- Iraq Occupation and resistance:
- Explosions occur at three banks in Jiutepec, Morelos state, Mexico. In a communiqué left at the blast stite, a previously unheard-of rebel group called the Comando Jaramillista Morelense 23 de Mayo claims responsibility. (Reuters) (http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=5228376§ion=news)
- Prime Minister of Canada Paul Martin asks Governor General Adrienne Clarkson to dissolve Parliament; an election will be held on June 28. (CBC) (http://www.cbc.ca/stories/2004/05/23/canada/elxncall040523)
- China announces that tests of a SARS vaccine have started on humans. (ABC AU) (http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s1114114.htm)
- At least 28 people are killed in Indian-controlled Kashmir when a bus carrying Indian soldiers and family hits a landmine. Hizbul Mujahideen claim responsibility. (ABC AU) (http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s1114155.htm)
- A bomb explodes in a discotheque in Bogotá, Colombia, on Saturday night (local time): five people are killed. The authorities blame the FARC paramilitary rebel group. (Reuters) (http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=5227976§ion=news)
- 2 Palestinians die and another suffers seriously injuries due to an explosion in Nablus on the West Bank. It is believed the explosion resulted from improper handling of explosives. (Reuters) (http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=5227548§ion=news)
- A ship carrying 4,000 Hyundai cars sinks south of Singapore after colliding with an oil tanker. All crew are safe, there is no oil spill, and the cars were insured. (ABC AU) (http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s1114133.htm)
- Horst Köhler is elected as the President of Germany by a special federal assembly in the Reichstag. (Reuters) (http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=5227391§ion=news)
- Part of a new terminal roof collapses at Roissy-Charles de Gaulle International Airport near Paris just before 07:00 hrs local time, killing at least 6, and injuring several others. (CNN) (http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/europe/05/23/paris.roofcollapse.ap/index.html) (Reuters) (http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=5227484§ion=news)
- Two Bangladeshi river ferries capsize at 03:30 hrs local time during a sudden storm; 240 passengers are reported missing. (Reuters) (http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=5227971§ion=news)
- Libyan leader Moammar Al Qadhafi walks out of the Arab League Summit in Tunis, Tunisia stating: "There is one agenda laid out by the Arab people and another by the Arab governments." (NYT) (http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/23/international/23arab.html)
- Israeli Justice Minister Tommy Lapid causes consternation when he says that an image of an old Arab woman rummaging through rubble in Rafah reminded him of his grandmother, a Holocaust victim. (BBC) (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3742365.stm)
- Jarno Trulli wins Monaco F1 Grand Prix driving a Renault. (BBC Sport) (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/3738831.stm)
- Citing "insufficient evidence", US Federal Judge Adalberto Jordan acquits environmental group Greenpeace on charges under the "sailormongering" statute. A record total of more than 100,000 people worldwide sent protest messages to George W. Bush and US Attorney General John Ashcroft demanding that the case be dropped. (Greenpeace) (http://www.greenpeaceusa.org/index.fpl/10386/article/1131.html) (OneWorld.net) (http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/0520-12.htm) (BBC) (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/3731003.stm)
- US Army kills 40 and wounds 117 others during an attack in Iraq near the border with Syria. Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt, deputy director of operations for the US military in Iraq, tells Reuters the attack was within the military's rules of engagement, denying reports that the victims were members of a wedding party. He says a large amount of money, Syrian passports and satellite communications equipment was found at the site after the attack. (Guardian) (http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/0521-01.htm) (Reuters) (http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=5197140) (NYT) (http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/20/international/middleeast/20IRAQ.html?hp)
- At least ten Palestinians are killed in Rafah, Gaza Strip, by an explosion following warning shots fired by the IDF. The road used by the Palestinians was strewn with explosives. (BBC) (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3728681.stm) (CNN) (http://edition.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/05/19/mideast/index.html) (FOX) (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,120331,00.html)
- Iraqi abuse scandal at Abu Ghraib prison:
- The Denver Post has uncovered Pentagon documents that show more than twice as many allegations of detainee abuse (75) are being investigated by the military than previously known. Twenty-seven of the abuse cases involve deaths; at least eight are believed to be homicides. (Denver Post) (http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36%7E11676%7E2157003,00.html)
- The first U.S. soldier is sentenced after pleading guilty: Spc. Jeremy Sivits receives one year in prison, demotion and a dishonorable discharge. (CNN) (http://www.cnn.com/2004/LAW/05/19/court.martial.sivits/index.html)
- At least one British soldier is arrested for creating the faked British abuse photos. (CNN) (http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/05/19/iraq.abuse.uk/index.html)
- The British House of Commons is temporarily suspended after purple flour thrown by a Fathers 4 Justice protester hits Tony Blair during Prime Minister's Questions. (BBC) (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3728617.stm)
- The Nationalist Party of China (KMT) and the People First Party announce plans to merge after a unanimous vote by the KMT Central Standing Committee. (BBC) (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3727439.stm)
- A third outspoken Hong Kong radio talk show host, Allen Lee, quits his program, questioning the status of media freedom in the special administrative region; he also resigns from his seat in the Chinese National People's Congress. (VOA) (http://www.voanews.com/article.cfm?objectID=06C1C7DD-EA55-470B-85C8D5096899B578&title=Another%20Hong%20Kong%20Radio%20Host%20Leaves%20Airwaves&catOID=45C9C78B-88AD-11D4-A57200A0CC5EE46C&categoryname=Asia%20Pacific) (BBC) (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/3727539.stm)
- Rudy Giuliani testifies before the 9/11 panel. He defends the work of his commissioners before the September 11th Commission. (AP) (http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/S/SEPT_11_COMMISSION?SITE=NYNYP&SECTION=HOME)
- Manmohan Singh is asked by India's Congress party to become Prime Minister and form new government. (Reuters) (http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=5194611)
- In football, Valencia wins the UEFA Cup, defeating Olympique Marseille 2-0. (UEFA.com) (http://www.uefa.com/competitions/UEFACup/fixturesresults/round=1724/match=75432/Report=RP.html)
- Sonia Gandhi declines the post of Prime Minister of India. (BBC) (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3721863.stm)
- Preliminary field tests suggest that the shell found near Baghdad on May 15 contained about four liters of the chemical agent sarin, which attacks the nervous system. (New York Times/AP) (http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/international/AP-US-Iraq-Sarin.html) (Fox News) (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,120137,00.html) (Seattle Post-Intelligencer) (http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/173793_sarin18.html)
- Israeli-Palestinian conflict: Israel launches a large offensive against the city of Rafah dubbed Operation Rainbow, cutting it off from the rest of Gaza. Amnesty International has called on Israel to stop and accused it of committing war crimes by its destruction of more than 3,000 Palestinian homes in Israel and the occupied territories since the intifada began three and a half years ago. (Independent) (http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/0519-01.htm) (Democracy Now!) (http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/05/18/1350208) (AFP) (http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/0519-03.htm)
- The International Olympic Committee selects London, Madrid, Moscow, New York City, and Paris as finalists to host the 2012 Summer Olympics. The winner will be announced on June 6, 2005. (AP) (http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2004/05/18/sports0737EDT0213.DTL) (BBC) (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/olympics_2012/3720515.stm)
- Randy Johnson pitches the 17th perfect game in Major League Baseball history in a 2-0 win by the Arizona Diamondbacks over the Atlanta Braves. (ESPN) (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=240518115)
- Civilian Space Xploration Team (CSXT) 21-foot GoFast amateur rocket is launched, carrying a ham radio, and reaches the edge of space at 100 km altitude. (AARL) (http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2004/05/17/100/?nc=1)
- Hamas leader Khaled Meshal rejects talk of cease-fire with Israel. Hamas has sent scores of suicide bombers into Israeli towns since the Palestinian uprising began in September 2000, killing hundreds of Israelis. "Our choice is between death and death," he said. "Our people will defend themselves until the last breath. The world left us no other choice." (Haaretz) (http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/428620.html)
- Ceremonies in Topeka, Kansas commemorate the 50th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education. Both President George W. Bush and presidential candidate John Kerry attend separate ceremonies. (AP) (http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=694&e=3&u=/ap/20040517/ap_on_el_pr/brown_at50)
- Iraqi WMD: Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt says that an artillery shell with sarin agent was found after it exploded. Two members of an explosives team are exposed to it, and have been treated. Hans Blix doubts that this was part of a current Iraq WMD, and doubts have been cast as to the accuracy of the field tests.(Reuters) (http://www.reuters.com/printerFriendlyPopup.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=5166415) (Melbourne HS) (http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,9593577%255E1702,00.html)
- Police in London foil an armed robbery at the Heathrow Cargo Centre, which attempted to steal £40 million (some USD 70 million) in gold and £30-£40 million in cash. Six men are arrested and another is being sought by police. (BBC) (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3721333.stm)
- Massachusetts issues the first fully legal same-sex marriage licences in the United States. This follows a November 18, 2003 ruling of the Massachusetts Supreme Court requiring the state to issue same-sex marriage licences. The first licence is issued at Cambridge to Marcia Hams and Susan Shepherd at the stroke of midnight. See Same-sex marriage in the United States.(365Gay) (http://www.365gay.com/newscon04/05/051704licenseBegins.htm)
- Ezzedine Salim, head of the Iraqi Governing Council, is killed by a car bomb in Baghdad. (BBC) (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3720161.stm)
- Stock markets in India fall sharply following frenetic panic selling minutes after opening business. Owing to uncertainties over the proposed economic policies of the impending Sonia Gandhi government, Bombay Stock Exchange loses 800 points in the first 23 minutes, or almost 15%, in the biggest ever intra-day slippage in its history. Regulators freeze the trading twice, in an attempt to shelve the damage. Markets recover some ground after public assurances by the Indian National Congress party that the fears are unfounded. (BBC) (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/3721203.stm)
- Over 100 inmates – mostly Mara Salvatrucha gang members – perish in a pre-dawn prison fire in San Pedro Sula, Honduras. (BBC) (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3721635.stm)
- Voters in the Dominican Republic go to the polls to elect a new president; with 79% of the vote counted, former president Leonel Fernández is declared the winner. (BBC) (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3718541.stm)
- The Israeli army announces its intention to demolish hundreds of additional houses in the Rafah refugee camp in the Gaza Strip along the border with Egypt after the Supreme Court rejects a petition against the demolitions. In the past, the IDF has found dozens of tunnels hidden underneath homes allegedly used to smuggle guns, ammunition, explosives, fugitives, drugs and other illegal materials into Gaza. The court had previously issued a temporary injunction after 88 homes had been destroyed leaving more than 1000 people homeless (UNRWA figures disputed by the Israeli army). (BBC) (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3719111.stm) (Haaretz) (http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/427997.html) (Maariv) (http://www.maarivintl.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=article&articleID=7387)
- French European Union parliamentarian Paul Marie Couteax declares: "I have no hesitation in saying that we must consider giving the Arab side a large enough force, including a large enough nuclear force, to persuade Israel that it cannot simply do whatever it wants. That is the policy my country (France) pursued in the 1970s when it gave Iraq a nuclear force."(JPost) (http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1085721253715&p=1006953079897)
- Vatican foreign minister Archbishop Giovanni Lajolo says torture of prisoners is a "more serious" blow for U.S. than September 11 (Al Jazeerah) (http://www.aljazeerah.info/News%20archives/2004%20News%20archives/May/13n/Abuse,%20beheading%20dogs%20US.htm). American reaction is negative. (Catholic News) (http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/20040514c.htm)
- The British tabloid newspaper The Daily Mirror, which published photos allegedly depicting British Army soldiers abusing Iraqi prisoners, concedes that it was hoaxed, apologises, and sacks its editor Piers Morgan. (BBC) (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3716151.stm) (Al Bawaba) (http://www.albawaba.com/news/index.php3?sid=276819&lang=e&dir=news) (Reuters) (http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=5151422)
- Danish Crown Prince Frederik marries Australian Mary Donaldson in Copenhagen. The service is attended by royalty and dignitaries from around the world, amidst very high security in the face of terrorism fears. (BBC) (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3711837.stm)
- Roh Moo-hyun is reinstated as President of South Korea after that country's Constitutional Court overturns the National Assembly's March 12 impeachment vote against him. (KBS News) (http://english.kbs.co.kr/news/newsview_sub.php?menu=2&key=2004051411)
- Polish Prime Minister Marek Belka looses a parliamentary vote of confidence, less than two weeks after he was appointed to the post. He will continue in a caretaker capacity until a new candidate is appointed. (BBC) (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3716461.stm) (PolitInfo) (http://www.politinfo.com/articles/article_2004_05_15_5312.html)
- The impact crater of the "Great Dying" — the end-Permian event, the largest extinction event in the history of life on Earth — appears to be a 125 mile (200 km)-wide crater called "Bedout" off the northwestern coast of Australia. (UCSB Press release) (http://beckeraustralia.crustal.ucsb.edu/)
- Iraqi Occupation and resistance:
- Mohammad's Army, in an interview with IWPR, states "We want to inform America that its attempt to stir up sectarian discord is a failure." (IWPR) (http://www.iwpr.net/index.pl?archive/irq/irq_63_1_eng.txt)
- FMDC Coinarama World Championships held. Robert "Hog" Little defeats Alex "Fat" Malcom
- Scaled Composites sets a new civilian altitude record of 60 kilometres in a craft called SpaceShipOne during a test flight above California's Mojave Desert in preparation for the X-Prize. (CNN) (http://edition.cnn.com/2004/TECH/space/05/13/private.space.ship/index.html) (SPACE) (http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/technology/rutan_flight_040513.html)
- Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse: Some members of the British government begin to distance themselves from the Bush administration and Prime Minister Tony Blair. Peter Hain, Leader of the House of Commons, tells Parliament that the pictures are "appalling and possibly in breach of the Geneva Convention". (The Independent) (http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/story.jsp?story=520734) (Guardian) (http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1215446,00.html)
- Iraq Occupation and resistance:
- A poll commissioned by the US-led Coalition Provisional Authority has found that 80% of Iraqis distrust the occupying government and 82% want the U.S. and its allies to leave Iraq. (Seattle Times) (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2001927572_iraqpoll13.html)
- Yang Jianli, a Chinese dissident with U.S. residency, is sentenced to five years in prison by the People's Republic of China for illegally entering the country and "spying for Taiwan". (BBC) (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3709733.stm)
- Indian general elections: Sonia Gandhi's opposition Congress Party scores an upset victory as the vote is tallied for the formation of the 14th Lok Sabha. The ruling BJP-led coalition concedes defeat, and Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee resigns. (Indian Express) (http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=46793) (CNN) (http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/asiapcf/05/13/india.poll.counting/index.html)
- The television sitcom Frasier airs its final episode, bringing to an end Kelsey Grammer's 23 years playing the character Frasier Crane. (Newsday) (http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/tv/nyc-frasier0514,0,4075992.story?coll=ny-television-bigpix)
- A joint Polish-Egyptian archaeological team claims to have discovered the Library of Alexandria. (BBC) (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3707641.stm)
- Ontario New Democratic Party candidate Andrea Horwath wins the provincial riding of Hamilton East, returning the NDP to official party status in the Ontario Legislature. The by-election was held to replace Liberal MPP Dominic Agostino, who had died in office.
- Turkey begins construction of a tunnel under the Bosporus. (Moscow Times) (http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2004/05/11/050.html)
- A judicial recount in the 2004 Taiwanese presidential election begins. (VOA) (http://www.voanews.com/article.cfm?objectID=B02E172B-B50A-431E-B1F02862D4A9A19C) (CNA) (http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/eastasia/view/84175/1/.html)
- The Arab League agrees to hold a summit in Tunis. The summit originally scheduled for March of this year was scrapped over differences between the participants. (NYT) (http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/international/AP-Egypt-Arab-League.html)
- At the Commonwealth military cemetery in Gaza City where 3000 WWI casualties are buried, Palestinian vandals desecrate 32 graves, breaking headstones and affixing photographs of Iraqi POW abuse to others. (NYT) (http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/international/AP-Israel-Palestinians.html)
- The Palestinian Cabinet announces plans to hold municipal elections, starting with Jericho and followed by some Gaza Strip municipalities. The elections, starting in August, will replace mayors appointed by the
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