31 January: Sudan gov't says UN report doesn't confirm "genocide" has occurred in Darfur... Russian pensioners angered by Putin's cuts to benefits, protest...
29 January: Serb general wanted for alleged war crimes in Kosovo surrenders, will face tribunal at Hague... Lethal injection for serial killer halted, after US Supreme Court denied last appeal...
28 January: Russian parliament inquiry finds top military officials aided Beslan gunmen in school siege that killed at least 330...
27 January: Oxfam praises global response to tsunami, but says cash pledges haven't been fulfilled, aid is slow, not as effective as it should be... Israeli officials say gov't will end practice of "targetted killing" of suspected Palestinian militants; comments on future military strategy were vague, saying only "quiet will be met with quiet"... HRW reports torture, unlawful detention now routine among Iraqi security forces under Allawi gov't...
26 January: New Bush request for Iraq funding brings cost to $230 billion, $5 billion per month, estimated 1/3 of entire Vietnam war costs, translated to 2005 $, same for WWI... Israel gov't reportedly considering expropriation of more than 1,000 acres of Palestinian land in East Jerusalem, on grounds owners kept from land by separation barrier are absentee landowners with no right to maintain control of holdings... US hostage taken by Iraqi insurgents is seen in video at gunpoint, asking Arab authorities for help... Polish editor fined for insulting Pope, under Polish law banning all insults of foreign heads of state... US, UK at odds over Iran, China policies: UK, with EU, oppose Bush talk of attack on Iran; US disagrees with EU plans to impose arms embargo on China... White House now predicts budget deficit will rise to at least $427 billion this year, contrary to July prediction of reduction to $331 billion; CBO forcasts extend 10 years, however, show two tax proposals alone would add $2.3 trillion to the budget over 10 years, without counting cost to privatize Social Security (another est. $600 billion)...
25 January: Indonesia has increased its estimate of tsunami dead to 220,000, bringing the regional total to 280,000 killed by the disaster... On 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz by Soviet forces, German Chancellor Schroeder expressed his "shame for those murders", warned Germans, the world that no one must ever forget the crimes that took place there; French Pres. Chirac declared that "antisemitism is not an opinion, it's a perversion that kills", saying it is a "hatred, born in the depths of evil" and has no place in France... 4 British nationals held at Guantánamo Bay are being sent home to the UK, to have their cases reviewed (3 previous such returned detainees were freed for lack of evidence); 5 UK residents still held, calls growing in UK to push US to close entire prison camp... At least 300 killed in massive stampede during Hindu religious ceremony, in Maharashtra, India, when electrical transformer explodes... Ukraine Pres. Yuschenko says he will ensure pro-democracy reforms are irreversible, foresees joining EU...
24 January: Massive explosion said to have hit central Baghdad, near coalition Green Zone and HQ of PM Allawi... La Vanguardia newspaper sees political motives behind recent questioning of Spain's government for allegedly "using" ETA victims for PR in public anti-terror demonstration, as it moves toward ceasefire talks... Not in Our Name, US NGO opposed to Iraq war, had its full-page paid ad, scheduled to run on day of Bush inaugural, killed by NY Times editorial staff; ad dept. says nothing of the sort has ever happened before; Times ran editorial calling for opposition to reconcile itself to Bush legitimacy...
23 January: Abbas predicts ceasefire with Palestinian militant groups... Kiev city center sees massive celebration as Viktor Yuschenko is sworn in; set for talks with Putin, Yuschenko says Ukraine's future is within EU... Al Zarqawi has declared all-out war on Iraqi election, warning the entire apparatus will be targetted...
22 January: Palestinian Pres. Abbas reported to have secured ceasefire from Al Aqsa Brigades... Madrid demonstration demanding completion of full sentences for ETA convicts descends into political vitriol as centralists decry government, Basque movement, call for "one Spain", laud right-wing PP for its hardline policies, force Defense Min. to depart mêlée after attempted assault; some observers see political manipulation by opposition as spur to uproar...
20 January: Indonesia reports 166,000 killed in December tsunami; total killed across south Asia to date now estimated 226,000... Indonesian security forces report killing 120 Free Aceh separatists in last 2 weeks... Pakistan has officially banned "honor killings"... Spain's congress will consider Basque parliament's passage of referendum for independence from Spain, Feb. 1... Bush inaugural greeted by protests in Washington, around US, including a universal consumer spending boycott, designed to punish corporations who funded the record pricetag for the inauguration; Bush speech dubbed "burning Bush speech" as Pres. uses Old Testament rhetoric of fire, light, shadow to promote plan "to end tyranny in our world"... Condoleezza Rice failed to impress leading Democrats by failing to acknowledge mistakes; she was criticized for failing to give tough advice to Pres. Bush, but has approval of key Senate leaders, is expected to be confirmed by full Senate... Israeli PM Sharon has ended ban on contact with Palestinian Pres. Abbas, but cabinet approves plan for full-scale invasion of Gaza if Abbas efforts to curb terrorism fail... Iran warns Bush admin. that an attack on its territory would be "madness", says Iran will defend its interests...
19 January: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas visits Gaza just as Hamas suicide bomber strikes Israelis; Abbas meets with Hamas leaders, talks late into the night; BBC reports talks said to be favorable, Hamas leaders hear appeal for calm, talk of ceasefire negotiations, if IDF pulls back... Indonesia gov't says it plans to hold formal peace talks with Aceh rebels, to ease violence in area most devastated by tsunami... In the midst of war in Iraq, crisis in south Asia, Pres. Bush spends record $44 million to celebrate his inaugural, over three days, plus additional $17 million for security; Bush tells supporters he has "a mission from beyond the stars" to promote, defend freedom...
18 January: Car bomb linked to ETA explodes outside Bilbao, Spain, injuring one police officer... Catholic Archbishop of Mosul, Iraq, has been released 24 hours after being taken hostage by militants... Condoleezza Rice in hearing before Senate was forced to respond to charges she misled president Bush, the US, the world by supporting flawed intelligence prior to Iraq war; she says she is committed to diplomacy, to healing US relations abroad...
17 January: After death of reformist Communist Party leader Zhao Ziyang, under house arrest since 1989 for opposing military strike on pro-democracy demonstrators, China faces increasing calls to reassess Tiananmen massacre, democratize political system... New Yorker article by Seymour Hirsch reports US is on the ground in Iran, searching for Iran's nuclear weapons program, possible targets; Hirsch tells BBC radio Bush administration may be hoping to take action by summer, if talks fail; Pentagon refute's story's accuracy, claiming programs, meetings cited don't exist...
16 January: Abbas calls for all Palestinian militants to halt attacks on Israelis in signal PA wants peace process reopened... APP reports movement to halt consumer spending for day of protest as Bush is sworn in...
15 January: US Rep. Weldon (R-PA) says N. Korea wants peaceful relations with Washington, to restart interrupted nuclear weapons talks... HRW accuses world community of callous inaction in Darfur crisis...
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