Portal:Current events/2005 June 3

June 3, 2005 (Friday)

The German political party Alliance '90/The Greens opens a Wiki that allows all users to contribute to the party's manifesto for the German federal election, 2005 [1](Spiegel online, German)
Israeli-Palestinian Conflict:
- Two Israeli soldiers have claimed that they were ordered to kill Palestinian police officers following the deaths of six Israeli soldiers. (BBC), (the Guardian)
- Israel has announced plans to construct a further 22 homes in an Israeli settlement on the West Bank. (BBC)
In Australia, a suspicious package containing white powder sent to Foreign Minister Alexander Downer led security guards to close the mail-room of Parliament House in Canberra and enact decontamination procedures. Federal Police later deemed the package harmless, but analysis continues.(News.com.au) (BBC)
Cedar Revolution:
- In Lebanon, opposition leaders blame Syria for the death of Samir Qasir and demand resignation of president Émile Lahoud (Daily Star, Lebanon) (Al-Jazeera) (BBC)
In Bolivia, president Carlos Mesa calls for a referendum for regional autonomy on October 16 to quell the demonstrations against him. The elections for the constitutional assembly on the same day would reform the constitution in favor of the native majority (Forbes) (BBC) (Reuters AlertNet)
Guantánamo Bay Qur'an desecration allegations:
- The commander of U.S. Forces at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba reported five known incidents of mishandling the Qur'an by guards at the detention facility, including one incident in which a Qur'an was accidentally splashed with urine. (BBC)
Judge Karon O. Bowdre, presiding over the federal trial of Richard M. Scrushy in Birmingham, Alabama, delivers what is called the Allen charge to the jury in that case, in the hope of breaking its deadlock and producing a verdict. (NY Times)