Portal:Current events/2006 June 1

June 1, 2006 (Thursday)

Extraordinary renditions. The Bundesnachrichtendienst (German intelligence agency) declares that it had known of Khalid El-Masri's seizure 16 months before Germany was officially informed of his mistaken arrest in the name of the War on Terror. Germany had previously claimed that it did not know of el-Masri's abduction by the CIA and his stay in the Salt Pit in Afghanistan until his return to the country in May 2004
The 16th World Economic Forum on Africa is convened in Cape Town, South Africa.(BBC).
China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States agree on a package of incentives and sanctions for Iran. (CNN).
A report issued by the United States Army Corps of Engineers admits their responsibility for 2005 levee failures that flooded the majority of New Orleans, Louisiana in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. (AP) (Full report via NOLA.com)
The United States Department of Homeland Security reveals that it plans to reallocate anti-terrorism funding to cities across the nation. Funding to New York City and Washington, D.C. is cut, while funding in cities such as Omaha, Nebraska and Los Angeles, California increases. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's office calls the report's statement that there are no "national monuments or icons" in New York City "outrageous."(NYT)
The Government of Spain overturns the conviction of Imad Yarkas on charges of conspiracy in the September 11, 2001 attacks after the prosecutor admits that evidence of involvement in the conspiracy was "inconsistent, almost nonexistent." The Spanish government says it will provide further explanation in the coming days. (AP)
Iran refuses to negotiate with the U.S. over its nuclear program.(CNN)
The new Italian Justice Minister, Clemente Mastella, announces that left-wing militant Adriano Sofri could be pardoned before the end of the year (AGI).
A number of fake million dollar bill gospel tracts, printed by Living Waters Publications, are seized from The Great News Network by the United States Secret Service as possible counterfeits. (WorldNetDaily)
The Eureka Tower, the tallest residential tower in the world, exterior is completed at a height of 297.2m and 91 floors in Melbourne, Australia. It takes the title from Q1 on the Gold Coast, Australia
Madaraka Day is celebrated in Kenya for the 44th time since the nation acquired internal self-government.