May 16, 2005

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[edit] May 16 2005 (Monday)

• The National Assembly of Kuwait votes 35-23 in favor of women's suffrage, effective for the 2007 Parliamentary Election. Though the law mentions it should be subject to Islamic law, it is speculated this will only mean gender-segregated polling places. (Yahoo!)
• Many French workers stay at home to protest over government's cancellation of Whit Monday holiday. Seven unions ask their workers to strike and many businesses stay closed. (BBC) (Bloomberg) (Reuters), (Wikinews)
• Ethiopian prime minister Meles Zenawi bans demonstrations in the capital Addis Ababa for one month after Sunday's parliamentary elections. Opposition parties, especially Coalition for Unity and Democracy accuse government of electoral fraud and harassment of their election observers. No results have been published yet. (News24) (BBC) (Forbes) (Wikinews)
• Unrest in Uzbekistan: Uzbek soldiers seal off the town of Qorasuv after locals take over government buildings. The government denies giving an order to fire at protesters but they do not let journalists or the Red Cross visit the affected areas to evaluate the situation. Phone and internet access has been cut. There are varying reports of at least 700 people dead and continuing firefights in Andijan and other towns like Teshiktosh. Saidjahon Zaynabitdinov, head of the local human rights advocacy group Appeal, says that government troops had killed 200 in Pakhtabad and expects mass arrests. Opposition supporters and human rights campaigners rally in the capital Tashkent. Hundreds of refugees have fled over the border of Kyrgyzstan; they believe that the death toll may be in thousands. (IHT) (CBC) (Reuters AlertNet) (Reuters) (CNN) (BBC) (Moscow Times) (Wikinews)
• A jury in West Palm Beach, Florida, finds for Ronald Perelman in his lawsuit against the brokerage firm Morgan Stanley, on the grounds that Morgan Stanley helped appliance maker Sunbeam falsify its financial condition at the expense of investors like Perelman. He was awarded $ 604 million. (CNN)
• An Indonesian court upholds the two-and-half year sentence of Abu Bakar Bashir. (Laksamana) (Reuters AlertNet)
• The National Prosecuting Authority of South Africa intends to charge 64 men, including the 61 men released from Zimbabwe, under its anti-mercenary laws. (Reuters SA) (IOL)
• Thousands of protesters rally in La Paz, Bolivia in support of legislation that would impose larger taxes on foreign energy companies. Some demand nationalization. (MercoPress) (Reuters AlertNet) (BBC)
• The United Nations World Food Program states that North Korea is in dire need of food aid. (Chosun Ilbo) (BBC)
• Ethiopia's ruling party EPRDF states it has won general elections when the opposition claims a victory. Voter turnout was over 90%. (Reuters SA) (News24) (News24) (BBC)
• In Nigeria, former education minister Fabian Osuji, former Senate leader Adolphus Wabara and 5 others go on trial for corruption. Osuji claims he is just a "scapegoat". (BBC)
• Belgravia Gallery in London removes works with the signature of Nelson Mandela. Mandela has filed a lawsuit forbidding sale of any items using his name. (All Headline News) (BBC)
• Six African countries begin a two-day summit in Tripoli, Libya, to assess situation in Darfur. None of the local rebel groups have sent representatives. (LJBC, Libya) (Reuters AlertNet) (BBC)
• Indian police arrest a man connected to the attack on social worker Shakuntala Verma in Uttar Pradesh. (Times of India) (NDTV)
• Indian troops rescue more than 300 tourists who were stranded at the Himalayan pass of Natu La for two days after an avalanche (BBC)
• In Sri Lanka, Buddhist monk Bellana Pannaloka Thero tries to commit suicide after he was jailed for child sexual abuse (BBC)