Portal:Current events/2005 November 13

November 13, 2005 (Sunday)

Stephen Harper, Gilles Duceppe and Jack Layton, leaders of Canada's three parliamentary opposition parties, issue a joint ultimatum calling for the next Canadian federal election to be moved forward to early February from the April date favoured by the government. They threaten to pass a motion of non-confidence and force an election at Christmas if Paul Martin's Liberal government does not accede to the move in writing. Martin rejects their proposal. (CBC)
British doctors are to continue checks on Andrew Stimpson, a Scotsman whose body has reportedly cured itself of HIV infection. (BBC) (Reuters)
Iraq War: Iraqi president Jalal Talabani tells British television that Iraqi troops could replace UK forces by the close of 2006. (BBC)
2005 Ethiopian police massacres: Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi defends his government after Ethiopian police violently put down opposition demonstrations and opposition MPs are jailed on treason charges. (BBC)
7.5 million voters in Burkina Faso participate in the presidential elections of 2005. (BBC)
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh asks Nepalese King Gyanendra to take steps towards restoring democratic rule. (BBC)
Thailand confirms its fourth case of H5N1 bird flu in 2005. The victim is an 18 month-old boy living in Bangkok. (The Nation) (Bangkok Post)
2005 Jilin chemical plant explosions: Explosion in a factory of the state-owned Jilin Petrochemical Company in Jilin City, China. The industrial accident results in 100 tons of toxic benzene and nitrobenzene contaminating a river and posing a major health problem downstream, which is covered-up by the Chinese government. NYT I, NYT II, Guardian
2005 Amman bombings: Following coordinated bombings in Amman on November 9, Jordanian police arrest a woman said to be the wife of a suicide attacker. (BBC)
The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation agrees at its summit to admit Afghanistan as a member, and to accord China and Japan observer status.
WWE superstar Eddie Guerrero died in his hotel room in Minneapolis, Minnesota, due to heart failure at age 38.