November 18, 2004
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- In North Korea, portraits of Kim Jong-il vanish and the official media stops referring to him as the "Dear Leader" leading to speculation his cult of personality is undergoing revision or weakening. (VOA) (Asia Times)
- Former Canadian cabinet minister Alfonso Gagliano vehemently denies he has any links with New York's Bonanno crime family, as was reported on November 17 in the New York Daily News. The issue is raised by Opposition Leader Stephen Harper in the House of Commons, where Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin also denies knowing of any links between the Sicilian-born Gagliano and organized crime. (CP)
- Halo 2, a game for the Xbox system, exceeds more than US$ 125 million in sales on its first day of release. This makes it the biggest opening day in the history of entertainment, surpassing any other games or movies. Microsoft, the publisher of the game, estimates more than 2.4 million units sold. (Tom's Hardware)
- The UK House of Commons invokes the Parliament Act (1911) for only the seventh time. The Act was used to push through a bill which bans Hunting with dogs. (BBC)
- Former U.S. President Bill Clinton opens his presidential library, the William J. Clinton Presidential Center and Park, in Little Rock, Arkansas. Speakers include former presidents Jimmy Carter and George H. W. Bush, and current president George W. Bush. (BBC)
- Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin expels Mississauga—Erindale Member of Parliament Carolyn Parrish from the Liberal Party caucus, after the controversial MP tells the Canadian Press she feels no loyalty to the party, or to the prime minister. (CBC)
- The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) approves an application by the American news channel FOX News for a digital licence. Fox's previous exclusion from the Canadian airwaves had been criticized by some Canadians as being motivated by the network's perceived conservative bias. (CBC)
- The European Parliament approves the new make-up of the European Commission, headed by José Manuel Durão Barroso. (Xinhua) (Bloomberg)
- In Israel, the Israeli Defence Force (IDF), investigating alleged crimes by an Israeli officer, is seeking to exhume the body of 13-year-old Iman al-Hams. The schoolgirl was shot at least 15 times by the IDF. (BBC)
- The U.S. Department of Agriculture announces that a cow has tested positive for mad cow disease. Officials caution that the test is inconclusive until confirmed at a lab in Ames, Iowa, but if confirmed, it will be the second case in the U.S. The agency says the disease has not entered the food chain. Tech News World, (NY Times)
- Three Palestinians are buried while digging a smuggling tunnel in Rafah. The tunnel collapsed due to heavy rain. The Israeli Defence Force permitted Palestinian rescue forces to try to rescue them, and later sent its own bulldozers to help. The rescue efforts succeeded and three Palestinian were recovered from the ruins alive. They were treated by IDF medical staff and later taken to investigation. (Washington Times), (Maariv), (Haaretz)
- Three Egyptian paramilitary security officers stationed at the Sinai-Gaza border are killed by Israeli tank fire, after IDF troops allegedly mistook them for Palestinian terrorists or militants . The Egyptian government accepts an apology from Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and demands an investigation on the incident. (Haaretz) (Reuters) (BBC)
- The New Zealand Parliament finally passes a controversial bill on the foreshore and seabed ownership dispute, which has caused considerable tension between Māori and non-Māori. (TVNZ)
- The Great American Smokeout, sponsored by the American Cancer Society is held for the 28th time. (Newsday)
