Portal:Current events/2005 October 15

October 15, 2005 (Saturday)

Conflict in Iraq:
- Jean Ziegler, a Human rights investigator and senior United Nations official, accuses the United States and occupying forces of "using hunger and deprivation of water as a weapon of war against the civilian population" in Iraq. (BBC)
- The Iraqi people go to the polls to vote on whether to approve the proposed constitution, amidst heavy security. (AP)
Crown Princess Mary of Denmark gives birth to her first child, a 3.5 kg boy, at 0157 local time (2357 UTC Friday). The prince, likely to be named Christian, is second in line of succession to Europe's oldest crown. (Reuters)^{[permanent dead link]}
The Brazilian government extends a state of emergency to cover the whole of Amazonas, the country's largest state, following a severe drought which has seen many rivers and lakes dry up. (BBC)
Election officials in Somaliland's first multiparty parliamentary elections in the breakaway republic announce that the ruling party, the For Unity, Democracy, and Independence won the most seats. (seattlepi)
2005 Malawi food crisis: President Bingu wa Mutharika declared a national disaster due to the worsening food shortages in the country. (Reuters)
Seven train cars and a tank car containing flammable gas derailed at a railroad switch yard in Texarkana, Arkansas. The derailment caused a liquefied gas leak and explosion that killed one person and forced the evacuation of hundreds of homes.
Ricky Rubio became the youngest player to ever play in a Spanish ACB League game, at age 14. The record still stands today.