March 21, 2005

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[edit] March 21, 2005

• Iceland's parliament, Alþingi, votes to grant fugitive U.S. chess champion Bobby Fischer Icelandic citizenship. (NDTV) (Reuters)
• Israel has announced plans to add 3,500 homes to the Ma'ale Adummim settlement in occupied territories east of Jerusalem. Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said this would "sabotage" peace efforts. (BBC)
• Red Lake High School massacre: In a U.S. school shooting, Jeff Weise opened fire at Red Lake High School in Minnesota, killing nine people and then himself. (Kansas City Star)(BBC)
• UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan proposes to have the Security Council expanded from 15 members to 24 members. (ISN) (CNN) (Reuters) (Wired)
• Tulip Revolution: After taking Jalal-Abad in southern Kyrgyzstan one day earlier, opposition protesters against electoral fraud in the 2005 parliamentary elections take over the northern city of Osh and seize government buildings. Prime minister states the government does not intend to use force. (Reuters Alertnet) (BBC) (BBC)
• Indian politician Narendra Modi addresses a meeting of Indian-Americans via satellite. He claims there is a "disinformation campaign" against India. (Sify) (Outlook India)
• World Wildlife Fund states that Asian river dolphins are in danger due to pollution and damming of rivers. (BBC)
• Tornadoes in northern Bangladesh kills 27. (Express Newsline) (BBC)
• Bangladeshi police charge 10 people accused of murder of opposition politician Shah AMS Kibria, member of Awami League. They include eight members of the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party. Kibria was killed in a grenade attack January 27. (New Nation, Bangladesh (BBC)
• In Haiti, four people, including two UN peacekeepers, are killed in a shootout between peacekeepers and former rebels. (Reuters)
• In Namibia, president Sam Nujoma retires and is succeeded by Hifikepunye Pohamba. (AllAfrica) (Reuters SA) (News24) (Reuters) (Bloomberg) (BBC)
• Russia criticises Polish decision to name a square in Warsaw after dead Chechen separatist leader Djokhar Dudayev (Reuters AlertNet) (Mosnews) (BBC)
• Dutch lumber merchant Guus van Kouwenhoven is charged with war crimes and arms smuggling to then-president Charles Taylor during civil war in Liberia (Reuters SA) (BBC)
• In Estonia, prime minister Juhan Parts announces his resignation after vote of no confidence against justice minister Ken-Marti Vaher. That also means his government is dissolved (Bloomberg) (BBC)