Portal:Current events/April 2006 and Ota Benga: Difference between pages

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[[Image:Ota Benga 1904.jpg|thumb|230px|right|Ota Benga in 1904.]]
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'''Ota Benga''' (c. [[1884]] &ndash; [[March 20]], [[1916]]) was a [[Democratic Republic of the Congo|Congolese]] [[pygmy]] who was featured in a 1906 [[Racism#Scientific racism|human zoo]] exhibit at the [[Bronx Zoo]] alongside an [[orangutan]].
DO NOT LIST THE ORDINARY DEATHS OF PROMINENT PERSONS HERE. That's what [[Recent deaths]] is for. Generally the deaths listed here have been of persons of extreme prominence, such as Ronald Reagan, John Paul II or the Queen Mother.
 
==Biography==
Only list items with news sources (book or interview):
-->__NOTOC__
{{portalpar|Current events}}
'''[[April]] [[2006]]''' : [[December 2005|←]] - [[January 2006|January]] - [[February 2006|February]] - [[March 2006|March]] - [[April 2006|April]] - [[May 2006|May]] - [[June 2006|June]] - [[July 2006|July]] - [[August 2006|August]] - [[September 2006|September]] - [[October 2006|October]] - [[November 2006|November]] - [[December 2006|December]]- [[January 2007|→]]
 
Ota Benga
{{April 2006 events|}}
a member of the [[Batwa]] people,<ref>
{| class="infobox" width="250"
[http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5787947 "From the Belgian Congo to the Bronx Zoo"], ''[[All Things Considered]]'', [[National Public Radio]]. [[September 8]], [[2006]].</ref>
|- style="font-size: 133%; background-color: #DDDDDD; padding-top: 5px; padding-bottom: 5px"
and lived in equatorial forests near the [[Kasai River]] in what was then the [[Belgian Congo]]. Benga had survived the slaughter of much of his village by the [[Force Publique]],<ref name="nyt2006">
![[Deaths in 2006#April 2006|Deaths]]
{{cite news
|-
|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/06/nyregion/thecity/06zoo.html
|
|title=The Scandal at the Zoo
*[[April 2|2]]: [[Nina von Stauffenberg]]
|date=August 6, 2006
*2: [[Michael J. Novosel]]
|publisher=[[New York Times]]
*[[April 4|4]]: [[Denis Donaldson]]
|last = Keller | first=Mitch
*[[April 5|5]]: [[Gene Pitney]]
}}
*[[April 8|8]]: [[Gerard Reve]]
</ref> an army of King [[Leopold II of Belgium]].
*[[April 11|11]]: [[Proof (rapper)|DeShaun "Proof" Holton]]
*11: [[June Pointer]]
*[[April 12|12]]: [[William Sloane Coffin]]
*12: [[Rajkumar]]
*[[April 13|13]]: [[Muriel Spark]]
*[[April 19|19]]: [[Albert Scott Crossfield|Scott Crossfield]]
*[[April 22|22]]: [[Alida Valli]]
*[[April 23|23]]: [[Ghafar Baba]]
*[[April 24|24]]: [[Steve Stavro]]
*[[April 25|25]]: [[Jane Jacobs]]
*25: [[Peter Law]]
*[[April 27|27]]: [[Julia Thorne]]
*[[April 29|29]]: [[John Kenneth Galbraith]]
*[[April 30|30]]: [[K. Suryanarayana]]
*30: [[Paul Spiegel]]
|}
{| class="infobox" width="250"
|- style="font-size: 133%; background-color: #DDDDDD; padding-top: 5px; padding-bottom: 5px"
!Events
|-
|
*[[Jack Abramoff lobbying and corruption scandal|Abramoff scandal]]
*[[Illnesses of Ariel Sharon|Ariel Sharon illness]]
*[[Global spread of H5N1|Avian influenza (H5N1) outbreak]]
*[[Black site|Black sites scandal]]
*[[CIA leak grand jury investigation]]
*[[Cole Inquiry]]
*[[April 2006 Nepalese general strike|Demonstrations in Nepal]]
*[[Government of Iraq, 2006-2010|Formation of a new Iraqi government]]
*[[2006 Horn of Africa food crisis|Horn of Africa food crisis]]
*[[Iran and weapons of mass destruction|Iran's nuclear program]]
*[[Liberal Party of Canada leadership convention, 2006|Liberal leadership race in Canada]]
*[[2005 Malawi food crisis|Malawi food crisis]]
*[[Montenegrin independence referendum, 2006|Montenegrin independence campaign]]
*[[Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy|Muhammad cartoons controversy]]
*[[2006 North Indian cyclone season|North Indian cyclone season]]
*[[NSA warrantless surveillance controversy]]
*[[2006 Pacific typhoon season|Pacific typhoon season]]
*[[2005-06 Southern Hemisphere tropical cyclone season|Southern Hemisphere cyclone season]]
|}
{| class="infobox" width="250"
|- style="font-size: 133%; background-color: #DDDDDD; padding-top: 5px; padding-bottom: 5px"
!Ongoing armed conflicts
|-
|
*[[Lord's Resistance Army|Acholiland insurgency]]
*[[Arab-Israeli conflict]] ([[Al-Aqsa Intifada]])
*[[Darfur conflict]] in [[Sudan]]
*[[Iraq War]]
*[[Ituri conflict]] in the [[Transitional Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo|DR Congo]]
*[[Ivorian Civil War]]
*[[Nepal Civil War]]
*[[Second Chechen War]]
*[[South Thailand insurgency]]
|}
{| class="infobox" width="250"
|- style="font-size: 133%; background-color: #DDDDDD; padding-top: 5px; padding-bottom: 5px"
![[Electoral calendar 2006|Elections]]
|-
|
*[[April 2|2]]: [[Elections in Thailand|Thailand]], [[Thailand legislative election, 2006|Legislative (Lower house)]]
*[[April 9|9]]: [[Elections in Peru|Peru]], [[Peruvian national election, 2006|President (1st Round) and legislature]]
*9 and [[April 10|10]]: [[Elections in Italy|Italy]], [[Italian general election, 2006|Parliament]]
*9: [[Elections in Hungary|Hungary]], [[Hungarian parliamentary election, 2006|Parliament]] (1st Round)
*[[April 17|17]]: [[Elections in India|India]], [[West Bengal legislative election, 2006|State legislature]]
*[[April 19|19]]: [[Elections in Thailand|Thailand]], [[Thailand legislative election, 2006|Legislature (Upper house)]]
*[[April 21|21]]: [[Elections in Haiti|Haiti]], [[Haitian elections, 2006|Parliament]] (2nd Round)
*[[April 23|23]]: [[Elections in Hungary|Hungary]], [[Hungarian parliamentary election, 2006|Parliament]] (2nd Round)
*[[April 27|27]]: [[Elections in Scotland|Scotland]], [[Moray by-election, 2006|Moray by-election]]
*[[April 30|30]]: [[Elections in Laos|Laos]], Parliamentary
|}
{| class="infobox" width="250"
|- style="font-size: 133%; background-color: #DDDDDD; padding-top: 5px; padding-bottom: 5px"
!Trials
|-
|
*Chile: [[Alberto Fujimori]] (extradition)
*Chile: [[Augusto Pinochet]]
*Ethiopia: 111 defendants, including leaders of the [[Coalition for Unity and Democracy|CUD]] and journalists, for charges related to the [[Ethiopian general elections, 2005|2005 elections]]
*Iraq: [[Iraqi Special Tribunal]]
**[[Trials of Saddam Hussein|Saddam Hussein]], among others
*Netherlands: [[International Criminal Court|ICC]]
**[[Thomas Lubanga]]
*Netherlands: [[International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia|ICTY]]
*Russia: [[Nur-Pashi Kulayev]]
*Sierra Leone: [[Special Court for Sierra Leone|SCfSL]]
**[[Charles Taylor]]
*South Africa: [[Jacob Zuma]]
*UK: [[O'Connor - Keogh official secrets trial|Leo O'Connor & David Keogh]]
*U.S.: [[Brian Nichols]]
*U.S.: [[Kenneth Lay]] and [[Jeffrey Skilling]]
*U.S.: [[Tom DeLay]]
*U.S.: [[Zacarias Moussaoui]]
|}
{| class="infobox" width="250"
|- style="font-size: 133%; background-color: #DDDDDD; padding-top: 5px; padding-bottom: 5px"
|}
 
American missionary Samuel Phillips Verner was sent to [[Africa]] in 1904 under contract from the [[St. Louis World's Fair]] to bring back pygmies for exhibition. Verner met Ota Benga in the Belgian Congo that year and negotiated with a tribal slave trader for the pygmies, returning to the United States with Ota Benga and eight others.
==Events==
 
After several months of travel in the U.S., Verner took Ota Benga to the [[Bronx Zoo]] in [[New York City]] in 1906 to find him a place to live, at the suggestion of Hermon Bumpus. Bumpus was the director of the [[American Museum of Natural History]], and had provided a home for Verner's cargo including, briefly, Benga himself. At the zoo, Benga was allowed to roam the zoo grounds and help feed the animals. The events leading to his "exhibition" were gradual:<ref name="nyt2006"/> Benga spent some of his time in the "Monkey House" exhibit, and the zoo encouraged him to hang his [[hammock]] there, and to shoot his bow and arrow at a target. The first day of the "exhibit", [[September 8]], [[1906]], visitors found Benga in the Monkey House.<ref name="nyt2006"/> A sign on the exhibit soon read:
<div id="1_April_2006"/>
===[[1 April]] [[2006]] (Saturday)===
* [[Marcos Pontes]], [[Brazil]]'s first [[astronaut]], reaches the [[International Space Station]]. [http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/space/04/01/space.brazil.ap/index.html (CNN)]
*A small aircraft goes missing whilst in flight towards [[Rio de Janeiro]], [[Brazil]] with 19 people onboard. It is found to have crashed near [[Saquarema]], about 100 km from Rio. There are no survivors. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4867130.tm (BBC)]
*The [[Serious Organised Crime Agency]], dubbed the 'British FBI', is launched in the [[United Kingdom]]. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4867108.stm (BBC)]
 
<blockquote><tt>
<div id="2_April_2006"/>
The African Pigmy, "Ota Benga."<br/>
===[[2 April]] [[2006]] (Sunday)===
Age, 23 years. Height, 4 feet 11 inches.<br/>
* In [[Thailand]], the [[Thailand legislative election, 2006|2006 legislative election]] is held. All three major opposition parties have announced they are boycotting the election. [http://news.independent.co.uk/world/asia/article355333.ece (Indep. UK)]
Weight, 103 pounds. Brought from the<br/>
*[[Lucent Technologies]] announced its merger agreement with [[Alcatel]]. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4870488.stm (BBC)]
Kasai River, Congo Free State, South Cen-<br/>
*The [[Human Rights Protection Party]] wins [[Samoa]]'s [[Elections in Samoa#Latest election|general election]]. The HRPP was already the ruling party, and its leader [[Tuila'epa Sailele Malielegaoi]] the [[Prime Minister of Samoa|Prime Minister]], but the party did better in the election than polls had indicated. [http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/latest/200604020859/42ee7c1 (Radio NZ)]
tral Africa, by Dr. Samuel P. Verner. Ex-<br/>
*After about 3 months captivity as a [[Foreign hostages in Iraq|hostage in Iraq]], American journalist [[Jill Carroll]] returns to [[United States|American]] soil in [[Boston, Massachusetts]]. [http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/04/02/carroll.hostage/index.html (CNN)]
hibited each afternoon during September.
*[[WWE]] [[WrestleMania 22]] took place in Chicago.
</tt><ref name="nyt1906">"Man and Monkey Show Disapproved by Clergy." ''[[New York Times]]'', [[September 10]], [[1906]], pg. 1.</ref>
</blockquote>
 
[[Image:Ota Benga at Bronx Zoo.jpg|thumb|230px|Ota Benga in 1906, purportedly at the Bronx Zoo.]]
<div id="3_April_2006"/>
Bronx Zoo director William Hornaday saw the exhibit as a valuable spectacle for his visitors, and was encouraged by [[Madison Grant]], a prominent [[scientific racism|scientific racist]] and [[eugenics|eugenicist]].
 
In response to immediate protests from [[African-American]] [[Baptist]] clergymen, Hornaday had Ota Benga removed from the exhibit. Public arguments were that the exhibit was [[racism|racist]]&mdash;"Our race, we think, is depressed enough, without exhibiting one of us with the apes," said clergyman James H. Gordon. Its apparent promotion of evolution was also a concern; Gordon stated, "The Darwinian theory is absolutely opposed to Christianity, and a public demonstration in its favor should not be permitted."<ref name="nyt2006"/> Benga was then allowed to roam the grounds of the zoo as a sort of interactive exhibit. In response to his general situation and to verbal and physical prods from the crowds, his behavior became at first mischievous and then somewhat violent.
===[[3 April]] [[2006]] (Monday)===
*The jury in the first phase of the trial of [[Zacarias Moussaoui]] has decided that he is eligible for the [[capital punishment|death penalty]]. [http://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/04/03/moussaoui.verdict/index.html (CNN)]
*A large [[USAF|air force]] [[C-5 Galaxy]] military cargo jet crashed when landing at [[Dover Air Force Base]] in the [[U.S. state]] of [[Delaware]]. [http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/04/03/c5.crash/index.html (CNN)]
*Judge [[Anand Satyanand]] has been appointed to succeed Dame [[Silvia Cartwright]] as [[Governor-General of New Zealand]]. He will take up office on [[August 4]] [[2006]]. [http://www.beehive.govt.nz/ViewDocument.aspx?DocumentID=25354 (Beehive)]
 
Toward the end of September 1906, Ota Benga again came under the guardianship of Gordon, who placed him in the Howard Colored Orphan Asylum (of which Gordon was the superintendent), a church-sponsored [[orphanage]]. In January 1910, Gordon arranged for Benga's relocation to [[Lynchburg, Virginia|Lynchburg]], [[Virginia]].
<div id="4_April_2006"/>
===[[4 April]] [[2006]] (Tuesday)===
*[[2006 labor protests in France]]: Three million people march against the [[First Employment Contract]] (CPE) law, 700 000 in [[Paris]]. Student organizations call for a [[general strike]]. [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/04/AR2006040401632.html (Washington Post)]
*In the [[Republic of Ireland]], [[Denis Donaldson]] a former senior [[Sinn Féin]] member, is found shot dead near the village of [[Glenties]], [[County Donegal]], close to where it is believed he had been living since he admitted, in [[December 2005]], to being a paid [[United Kingdom|British]] agent for over twenty years. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/4877516.stm (BBC)]
* [[Thailand legislative election, 2006]]: [[Thaksin Shinawatra]] resigns as [[Prime Minister of Thailand|Prime Minister]] of [[Thailand]] despite his ruling [[Thai Rak Thai]] [[List of political parties in Thailand|party]] winning an overwhelming majority in the [[House of Representatives of Thailand|House of Representatives]]. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4876326.stm (BBC)]
*A security expert testifies to an inquest that [[film director]] [[James Miller (filmmaker)|James Miller]] was shot intentionally by an [[Israel]]i soldier while making a film in a [[Palestine|Palestinian]] refugee camp in the [[Gaza Strip]]. [http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/legal/article355599.ece (The Independent)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/devon/4876176.stm (BBC)]
*Former [[Majority Leader of the United States House of Representatives|Majority Leader]] [[Tom DeLay]] announces his resignation from the [[United States House of Representatives]]. [http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1179853,00.html (TIME)]
*The [[39th Canadian Parliament]] opens in [[Ottawa]], with the [[Speech from the Throne]] delivered by the [[Governor General of Canada|Governor General]] on behalf of the newly-elected government of [[Stephen Harper]]. [http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1144144328619&call_pageid=968332188492&col=968793972154 (Toronto Star)]
 
While in Virginia, Ota Benga's teeth, which he had filed to points in the Congo,<ref name="nyt2006"/> were capped, and he was dressed in American-style clothes. He was tutored by Lynchburg poet [[Anne Spencer]] and briefly attended classes at the Virginia Theological Seminary and College. He was much more at home discarding his clothes and roaming the nearby woods with his bow and arrow.
<div id="5_April_2006"/>
===[[5 April]] [[2006]] (Wednesday)===
* US scientists have successfully [[Organ transplant|implanted]] [[artificial bladder]]s ([[Artificial organ|artificial]] [[urinary bladder]]s) grown in the laboratory from patients' own cells into patients. [http://www.voanews.com/english/2006-04-05-voa35.cfm (VoA)]
 
He discontinued his formal education and began working at a Lynchburg [[tobacco]] factory. Despite his small size, he proved a valuable employee because he could climb up the poles to get the [[tobacco]] leaves without having to use a ladder. His fellow workers called him "Bingo" and he would tell his life story in exchange for sandwiches and root beer.
<div id="6_April_2006"/>
===[[6 April]] [[2006]] (Thursday)===
*An [[2006 Gujarat India Earthquake|earthquake]] of 5.5 magnitude is reported in Western [[Gujarat]] in [[India]].
* The [[World Meteorological Organization]] has announced the retirement of a record five storm names from the [[2005 Atlantic hurricane season]]. Retired names include [[Hurricane Dennis|Dennis]], [[Hurricane Katrina|Katrina]], [[Hurricane Rita|Rita]], [[Hurricane Stan|Stan]] and [[Hurricane Wilma|Wilma]]. [http://www.cnn.com/2006/WEATHER/04/06/hurricane.names/index.html?section=cnn_latest (CNN)]
*The [[National Geographic Society]] unveils the restored [[Gospel of Judas]] in [[Washington D.C.]] Written in [[Coptic]], the document is thought to have come from the [[2nd Century]]. It had been deteriorating rapidly when found. [http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5327692 (NPR)]
*A 1,500 year old [[pyramid]] called the [[Hill of the Star]] has been found in [[Mexico City]]. [http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,,1748658,00.html?gusrc=rss (Guardian Unlimited)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4881792.stm (BBC)]
*[[Orthodox Jews]] in [[Boro Park]] in [[New York City]] continue to protest after a 75-year-old Hasidic man was beaten and arrested by police for talking on a cell phone while driving. [[New York City Police Department|NYPD]] Chief [[Joseph Esposito]] allegedly cursed out the protestors in anti-Semitic terms, resulting in condemnations and calls for him to step down. [http://www.fox12news.com/Global/story.asp?S=4734568 (FOX news)] [http://www.nysun.com/article/30527 (New York Sun)]
*[[Paleontology|Palaeontologists]] announce the discovery of the ''[[Tiktaalik]]'' genus, an important [[fossil]] link between fish and land animals. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4879672.stm (BBC)][http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/story/0,,1747926,00.html (Guardian)][http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/05/science/05cnd-fossil.html?hp&ex=1144296000&en=fe3427d67e965e46&ei=5094&partner=homepage (New York Times)]
*[[Israel|Israeli]] police arrest and release [[Khaled Abu Arafa]], minister of [[Jerusalem]] affairs in the new [[Hamas]]-led government of the [[Palestinian Authority]]. [http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060406/ap_on_re_mi_ea/israel_hamas_arrest (Associated Press)]
*The [[New Zealand Parliament]] passes a bill that on receiving [[Royal Assent]] will make [[New Zealand Sign Language]] the third official language of New Zealand, alongside [[English language|English]] and [[Māori language|Māori]]. [http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/488120/696482 (TVNZ)]
*Health experts announce that a dead [[swan]] found in [[Scotland]] has tested positive for [[bird flu]]. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4882946.stm (BBC)]. It has been further confirmed that the bird had the deadly [[H5N1]] strain of the virus [http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000085&sid=aEgX0Zq0jJBM (Bloomberg)]. Scotland and the UK confirm H5N1 virus, but say a GB-wide poultry housing requirement would be "disproportionate." [http://www.fwi.co.uk/home/default.aspx (Farmers Weekly)].
 
Ota Benga was caught between two worlds, unable to return to Africa, and viewed mainly as a curiosity in the U.S. On [[March 20]], [[1916]], at the age of 32, he built a ceremonial fire, chipped off the caps on his teeth, performed a final tribal dance, and shot himself in the heart with a stolen pistol. The death certificate listed his name as "Otto Bingo."
<div id="7_April_2006"/>
===[[7 April]] [[2006]] (Friday)===
*For the [[April 6-8, 2006 Tornado Outbreak|second time]] in less than a week, a number of [[tornado]]s strike the [[U.S. state]]s of [[Tennessee]], [[Kentucky]], and [[Indiana]]. [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,191016,00.html (FOX News)]
*''[[The Da Vinci Code]]'' author [[Dan Brown]] and his publisher, [[Random House]], win the lawsuit that claimed that Brown committed [[copyright infringement]] by using ideas similar to those in ''[[The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail]]''. [http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/04/07/uk.davinci.court/index.html (CNN)]
*At 10 o'clock [[UTC]] [[NASA]]'s [[Pluto]] probe ''[[New Horizons]]'' crossed the orbit of [[Mars]], after 78 days journey. This is a new Earth-to-Mars-distance flight record.
 
He was buried in an unmarked grave, records show, in the black section of the Old City Cemetery, near his benefactor, Gregory Hayes. At some point, however, both went missing. Local oral history indicates that Hayes and Ota Benga were eventually moved from the Old Cemetery to White Rock Cemetery, a burial ground that fell into disrepair.
<div id="8_April_2006"/>
===[[8 April]] [[2006]] (Saturday)===
* [[Shedden massacre]]: The bodies of eight members of the infamous [[Bandidos]] biker group are found by a resident in a cornfield in southwest [[Ontario]], [[Canada]]. The incident is considered a cleansing of the gang's inner circle. The [[Ontario Provincial Police]] launch a full-scale [[murder|murder investigation]]. [http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2006/04/08/bodies-field060408.html (CBC)] [http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/News/Local/2006/04/09/1526462-sun.html (London Free Press (Ontario))] [http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=95022 (National Nine News)]
* The [[United Front for Democratic Change]] has attacked and gained control of the cities of [[Haraze Mangueigne]], [[Am Timan]], and [[Abou-Deia]], in [[Chad]]. Their initial attack came from northern [[Central African Republic]] with the help of the [[Military of Sudan]]. This is the largest and most successful attack since the start of the [[Chadian-Sudanese conflict]] despite taking only an hour, with only four men injured and none killed because the [[Chadian military]] has either fled or refused to fight the rebels. [http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L09233053.htm (AlertNet)]
* The [[death toll]] in the [[2006 Djibouti ferry disaster|Djibouti ferry disaster]] reaches 109. [http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2006-04-08T181925Z_01_L08396815_RTRUKOC_0_US-DJIBOUTI-SHIP.xml&archived=False (Reuters)]
* The [[2006 Aligarh Riots|Aligarh Riots]] between [[Hindu]]s and [[Muslim]]s enter its fourth day. At least 5 people have been killed in the [[rioting]] in the [[North India]]n town of [[Aligarh]] so far. [http://in.today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2006-04-07T174145Z_01_NOOTR_RTRJONC_0_India-243967-1.xml (Reuters)]
*Three protesters are wounded and six buildings are burned down in the fourth day of the pro-[[Democracy]] [[April 2006 Nepalese general strike|general strike]] in [[Nepal]] against [[King Gyanendra]]. [http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060408/wl_sthasia_afp/usnepalindiaenvoy_060408101230 (AFP)]
* The [[World Health Organization]] announces that the average [[life expectancy]] of [[Zimbabwe]]ans has declined to 37 years for men and 34 years for women. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4890508.stm (BBC)]
* [[Newcastle Falcons]] sevens team win the annual [[Melrose Sevens]] rugby tournament in [[Scotland]]. They beat [[Edinburgh]] team [[Heriots]] in the final. <div id="9_April_2006"/>
 
==Legacy==
===[[9 April]] [[2006]] (Sunday)===
* [[Scooter Libby]] says [[President of the United States|U.S. President]] [[George W. Bush]] okayed leaks of secret [[CIA]] intelligence material. [http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20060407/1053134.asp (Buffalo News)]
* [[Hungarian parliamentary election, 2006]]: The ruling [[Hungarian Socialist Party]] wins the first round. [[Voter turnout]] was 67.7 percent.[http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-04/10/content_4405517.htm (XinHua)]
* [[Peru]] hold presidential election: [[Peruvian national election, 2006]]
 
Phillips Verner Bradford is the grandson of Samuel Phillips Verner, and authored a 1992 book on Ota Benga entitled ''Ota Benga: The Pygmy in the Zoo''.<ref>{{cite book
<div id="10_April_2006"/>
| last = Phillips Verner
===[[10 April]] [[2006]] (Monday)===
| first = Bradford
*Preliminary results from the [[Peruvian national election, 2006|general election in Peru]] shows [[Ollanta Humala]] leading, but certain to face a runoff election in late [[May]] or early [[June]]. [[Alan García]] is narrowly leading [[Lourdes Flores]] for second place and a spot in the runoff. [http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000086&sid=aJQ2YVcz681I&refer=latin_america (Bloomberg)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4897186.stm (BBC)]
| coauthors = Blume, Harvey
*[[2006 U.S. immigrant rights protests|Non-violent demonstrations for immigrant rights]] are held in dozens of [[United States|U.S.]] cities today in opposition to [[H.R. 4437]], which would classify [[illegal aliens]] as [[felony|felons]]. [http://today.reuters.com/investing/financeArticle.aspx?type=bondsNews&storyID=2006-04-10T175733Z_01_N10367945_RTRIDST_0_USA-IMMIGRATION-PICTURE.XML (Reuters)] [http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/10/us/10cnd-rallies.html?_r=1&oref=slogin (New York Times)] [http://wireservice.wired.com/wired/story.asp?section=Breaking&storyId=1509365 (AP via Wired)]
| year = 1992
*[[Shedden massacre]]: [[Ontario Provincial Police]] announce that five people have been arrested and charged with first-degree murder in connection with the slaying of eight people found dead in southwestern [[Ontario]], [[Canada]]. The OPP also confirms that the deaths were connected to an "internal cleansing" of the [[Bandidos]] [[biker]] gang. [http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2006/04/10/bodies-field060410.html (CBC)]
| title = Ota Benga: The Pygmy in the Zoo
*[[Matthias Platzeck]] resigns from the Chair of [[Germany]]'s [[SPD|Social Democratic Party]] (SPD) after suffering a major [[hearing loss]] in March 2006 because of occupational stress. The next SPD chairman will be [[Kurt Beck]] (Minister President of [[Rhineland-Palatinate]]). [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4895958.stm (BBC)]
| publisher = St. Martins Press
*[[Italian general election, 2006]]: [[Romano Prodi]] declares victory in a tight election as preliminary results show [[The Union]] ahead of [[Silvio Berlusconi]]'s [[House of Freedoms]] by 0.1 percent in the [[Italian Chamber of Deputies|Chamber of Deputies]], but Berlusconi refuses to concede. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4897994.stm (BBC)] [http://www.lastampa.it/speciali/elezioni2006/ (La Stampa)]
| ___location = New York
*The government of [[France]] announces the withdrawal of its [[First Employment Contract|youth employment law]]. The proposed law had catalyzed more than a month of sometimes-violent protests on the streets of [[Paris]] and other cities. [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/10/AR2006041000157.html (Washington Post)]
}}
* [[Ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka]]: a [[claymore mine]] explodes in northern [[Jaffna]], killing 5 soldiers on patrol and 2 civilians working for the [[Caritas (charity)|Caritas Internationalis]] aid agency. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4895570.stm (BBC)]
</ref> During his research for the book, he visited the American Museum of Natural History in New York, which holds a life mask and body cast of Ota Benga. To this day, the display is still labeled "Pygmy", rather than indicating Benga's name, despite objections that began almost a century ago from Verner himself.<ref>{{cite news
* [[Pakistan]]'s foreign office declares that the [[United States]] did not keep it fully informed about the Indo-US nuclear deal as the information shared initially with it did not match the final agreement. [http://www.pakistanlink.com/Headlines/Apr06/11/06.htm (Pakistan Link)] [http://www.dawn.com/2006/04/11/top5.htm (The Dawn, Pakistan)]
| first = Darrel
| last = Laurent
| url = http://www.newsadvance.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=LNA%2FMGArticle%2FLNA_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1031782991730&path=!news!archive
| title = Demeaned in Life, Forgotten in Death
| work =
| publisher = The Lynchburg News & Advance
| date = [[2005-05-29]]
| accessdate = 2006-04-03
}}
</ref>
 
Ota Benga became the subject of a short film directed by the Brazilian Alfeu França. França recovered and used original movies recorded by Verner himself in the early 20th century to create the 2002 documentary ''Ota Benga: A Pygmy in America''.<ref>{{cite video
<div id="11_April_2006"/>
| title = Ota Benga:A Pygmy in America
===[[11 April]] [[2006]] (Tuesday)===
| people = Alfeu França
* The city of [[Essen]], [[Germany]] is selected to be the [[European Capital of Culture]] of 2010 by the [[EU]] jury. [http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,1966773,00.html (Deutsche Welle)]
| date = 2002
* A suspected [[suicide attack|suicide bomber]] detonates a bomb at a religious gathering in [[Karachi]], [[Pakistan]], killing at least 47 and injuring more than 80 celebrating [[Mawlid|Mawlid al-Nabi]]. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4900402.stm (BBC)]
| medium = film
* [[Bernardo Provenzano]], boss of the [[Sicily|Sicilian]] [[Mafia]] (''capo di tutti i capi''), is caught near the town of [[Corleone]]. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4898930.stm (BBC)]
}}
* The ''[[Venus Express]]'' spacecraft of the [[European Space Agency]] approaches [[Venus]] approximately 5 months after it was launched and starts its main engine burn to slow itself down and allow the capture into [[orbit]] around Venus. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4895792.stm (BBC)] [http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Venus_Express/SEM7CPNFGLE_0.html (ESA)]
</ref> In Brazil the film was shown at the festival É Tudo Verdade ("It's All True").
* [[Ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka]]: a bus carrying soldiers from [[Trincomalee]] hits a [[claymore mine]], killing 10 [[Sri Lankan Navy|navy]] sailors, their driver and leaving another 8 wounded. A pair of British tourists are also injured in the blast. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4898466.stm (BBC)]
* [[President of Iran|Iranian President]] [[Mahmoud Ahmadinejad]] announces that [[Iran]] has successfully [[enriched uranium]]. In a televised address from the northeastern city of [[Mashhad]], Ahmadinejad said "I am officially announcing that Iran has joined the group of those countries which have nuclear technology". [http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000087&sid=amtza2zxdhAo&refer=top_world_news (Bloomberg)]
 
==References==
<div id="12_April_2006"/>
<references />
===[[12 April]] [[2006]] (Wednesday)===
*[[United Front for Democratic Change]] rebels approach [[N'Djamena]], the [[capital city|capital]] of [[Chad]]. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4902342.stm (BBC)]
*Coronary specialist Sir [[Magdi Yacoub]] operates on Welsh schoolgirl [[cardiomyopathy]] patient Hannah Clark, whose original [[heart]] is reconnected, after a donor heart was rejected by her body. This is a UK-first [[organ-replacement reversal]]. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4904914.stm (BBC)]
*The [[United Kingdom|UK]]'s [[Terrorism Act 2006]] comes into force, making illegal the act of glorifying terrorism. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4905304.stm (BBC)]
*[[Ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka]]: coordinated bombings and rioting in the north-eastern part of the country leaves 16 dead. A [[claymore mine|claymore]] anti-personnel mine explodes in [[Trincomalee]], killing 2 policemen in their vehicle. Another blast set off in a crowded vegetable market kills 1 soldier and civilians. Ensuing rioting leaves more than a dozen dead. Authorities have blamed [[LTTE]] rebels for the recent attacks since Monday. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4901952.stm (BBC)] [http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=worldNews&storyid=2006-04-12T145905Z_01_COL63331_RTRUKOC_0_US-SRILANKA.xml (Reuters)]
* [[Fossil]]s of ''[[Australopithecus anamensis]]'' help bridge a long gap during a crucial phase of [[human evolution]]. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4900946.stm (BBC)]
* A teenager, [[Joe Van Holsbeeck]], is stabbed to death at rush hour in [[Brussels Central Railway station]]'s main hall in [[Belgium]]. [http://www.vrtnieuws.be/nieuwsnet_master/versie2/english/details/060414_stabbing/index.shtml (VRTNieuws)]
DeShaun Dupree Holton (October 2, 1973 – April 11, 2006), better known as Proof, was an American rapper and member of the rap group D12. Proof also doubled as Eminem's publicity assistant and was a long time friend of his. He also went by the nicknames Big Proof, P, Derty Harry, and Oil Can Harry. Proof began his career in Detroit's Hip Hop Shop, where he organized freestyle tournaments. It was there that he met Eminem and proposed forming a clique with several other members, in what would later become the group D12. Proof was shot in the head and died on arrival to the hospital. The shooting happend at a nightclub on 8mile road in Detroit Michigan the same place where he was born Detroit.
<div id="13_April_2006"/>
 
* {{cite book
===[[13 April]] [[2006]] (Thursday)===
| last = Smith
* [[Battle of N'Djamena]]: The [[United Front for Democratic Change]]'s attack on the [[Chad]]ian [[capital]] of [[N'Djamena]] is repelled by the [[Military of Chad|Chadian army]]. [http://news.yahoo.com/s/cpress/20060413/ca_pr_on_wo/chad_rebels (Canadian Press)] The [[UN Security Council]] condemns the rebel attack. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4908836.stm (BBC)]
| first = Ken
*[[John Howard]], [[Prime Minister of Australia]] denies being aware of an Australian company giving "kick-backs" to [[Saddam Hussein]] during the [[United Nation]]'s [[Oil for food]] programme. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4901938.stm (BBC)]
| year = 1998
| title = Raw deal : horrible and ironic stories of forgotten Americans
| publisher = Blast Books, Inc.
| ___location = New York
|
}} ISBN 0-922233-20-9.
 
== See also ==
<div id="14_April_2006"/>
*''[[Human zoo]]'': zoo exhibitions of human beings alongside apes and other animals at the end of the 19th century until the mid-20th century.
 
==External links==
===[[14 April]] [[2006]] (Friday) ===
*[http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5787947 September 8, 2006 NPR story]
*[[Iran]]ian president [[Mahmoud Ahmadinejad]] criticizes [[Israel]] in a three-day conference attended by [[Palestinian]] [[Hamas]] officials. He calls the Israeli regime "a rotten, dried tree that will be eliminated by one storm." [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/14/AR2006041400818.html (Washington Post)]
*[http://www.otabenga.org Ota Benga Alliance]
* [[Chad]] severs diplomatic ties with [[Sudan]] following an [[Battle of N'Djamena|attempted coup]] by Chadian rebels in which around 350 died. Chad accuses Sudan of sponsoring the rebels. [http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=1843594 (AP)]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Benga, Ota}}
* [[Burundi]] lifts a midnight-to-dawn [[curfew]] that has been in place for 34 years. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4910214.stm (BBC)]
* [[2006 European floods]]: The [[Danube]], swollen by heavy rain and melting snow, rises to record levels, and [[floods]] hundreds of homes in [[Serbia]], [[Bulgaria]] and [[Romania]]. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4910126.stm (BBC)]
* In [[Delhi]], [[India]], [[2006 Jama Masjid Blasts|two explosions]] inside the [[16th century]] [[mosque]] [[Jama Masjid, Delhi|Jama Masjid]] injure at least nine people. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4910028.stm (BBC)] [http://www.voanews.com/english/2006-04-14-voa18.cfm (VOA)]
*An editorial in ''[[The Lancet]]'', an influential [[medical journal]], says that researchers should study the effects of [[ drug]]s by [[self-experimentation|using them themselves]], and thereby weakening the force of the social demonization of such substances. [http://www.guardian.co.uk/drugs/Story/0,,1754089,00.html (Guardian)]
*An accident occurs on the [[Yurikamome]] rail line in [[Tokyo]], [[Japan]] when a damaged axle causes a rubber traction tire on a train to fall off, forcing the cancellation of all weekend train services. [http://asia.news.yahoo.com/060415/kyodo/d8h0fp2o0.html (Kyodo News)]
* [[Terrorism in Kashmir|Suspected militants]] kill at least four civilians in a series of [[grenade]] attacks in [[Jammu and Kashmir|Indian-administered Kashmir]]. A fifth civilian dies after police opens fire on the suspected militants. At least 17 others are injured. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4909126.stm (BBC)]
* A man disfigured in a bear attack becomes the first in China to have a [[face transplant]]. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4910372.stm (BBC)]
 
[[Category:African Pygmies]]
<div id="15_April_2006"/>
[[Category:1884 births]]
===[[15 April]] [[2006]] (Saturday)===
[[Category:1916 deaths]]
* [[2006 European floods]]: The [[Danube]] rises to its highest level in more than a century. [http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WEATHER/04/15/danube.floods.reut/index.html (CNN)]
[[Category:Suicides by firearm]]
*In a gunfight with the [[Afghani Police Force]], the [[Taliban]] lose 41 fighters and the police lose 6. [http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=64924 (National Nine News)]
[[Category:Slaves]]
* Two trains collide in [[Java (island)|Java]], [[Indonesia]], killing at least 13 people and injuring 26 others. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4911392.stm (BBC)]
* The [[Jammu and Kashmir]] police arrest nine suspected [[Jaish-e-Mohammad]] members in connection with the [[grenade]] attacks that shook [[Srinagar]] killing five and injuring 40 others. [http://www.tribuneindia.com/2006/20060416/main4.htm (The Tribune)] [http://www.hindu.com/2006/04/16/stories/2006041612580100.htm (The Hindu)]
* [[April 2006 Nepalese general strike]]: Thousands of people have taken part in pro-democracy marches in towns and cities across [[Nepal]]. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4911780.stm (BBC)]
 
[[tr:Ota Benga]]
<div id="16_April_2006"/>
===[[16 April]] [[2006]] (Sunday)===
* In [[Dublin]], Irish military forces parade for the first time since 1970 in commemoration of the 1916 [[Easter Rising]]. [[Taoiseach]] [[Bertie Ahern]] lays a wreath at [[Kilmainham Jail]], where most of the rebel leaders were subsequently shot, in memory of the civilian and military dead of both sides. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4913914.stm (BBC)]
* [[Hu Jintao]], [[General Secretary of the Communist Party of China]], holds an official meeting and banquet with the Honorary Chairman of the [[Nationalist Party of China]] (Kuomintang), [[Lien Chan]]. The two reached on the new "15 Favourable Policies" on relations between the Chinese mainland and [[Taiwan]]. [http://english.people.com.cn/200604/16/eng20060416_258791.html (People's Daily)]
 
<div id="17_April_2006"/>
===[[17 April]] [[2006]] (Monday)===
* A [[April 2006 Nepalese general strike|general strike]] in [[Nepal]] called by political parties opposed to [[Gyanendra of Nepal|King Gyanendra]] enters its 12th day, with food shortages and price rises triggering [[panic buying]] in some areas. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4915108.stm (BBC)] Security forces fatally shot a protester and wounded five in [[Nijgadh]], 75 miles south of [[Katmandu]]. [http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/04/17/nepal.ap/index.html (CNN)]
* 21-year-old [[Palestinian people|Palestinian]] [[Sami Hammad]], a [[Suicide attack|suicide bomber]], blew himself up at the old central bus station in southern [[Tel Aviv]], in the Neveh Sha'anan neighborhood. Eleven people were killed and 70 more were wounded in the blast. [[Palestinian Islamic Jihad Movement|The Palestinian Islamic Jihad]] has taken responsibility for the bombing. A [[Hamas]] spokesman calls the attack an "act of self-defense." [http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/706785.html (Haaretz)] [http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3240687,00.html (Ynetnews)] [http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/04/17/telaviv.blast/index.html (CNN)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4915868.stm (BBC)]
*India: The state of West Bengal went into the First Phase of the Assembly Elections.
<div id="18_April_2006"/>
 
===[[18 April]] [[2006]] (Tuesday)===
* [[Hu Jintao]] arrives in [[Seattle]], Washington on his first visit to the [[United States]] since becoming [[President of the People's Republic of China]] in 2003. [http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/04/18/china.hu.visit/index.html (CNN)].
* The [[H5N1]] strain of [[avian flu]] is reported in [[Sudan]] following reports in neighbouring [[Egypt]]. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4919852.stm (BBC)]
* The [[New York Stock Exchange]] is in merger talks with [[London Stock Exchange]]. If the merger went ahead, it would create a stock exchange giant. [http://go.reuters.co.uk/newsArticle.jhtml?type=businessNews&storyID=1185759&section=finance&src=rss/uk/businessNews (Reuters)]
* The [[Tenth National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam|Tenth National Congress]] of the [[Communist Party of Vietnam]] opens in [[Hanoi]] amid the [[PMU 18 scandal|PMU-18 corruption scandal]]. [http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=worldNews&storyid=2006-04-18T025808Z_01_HO810247_RTRUKOC_0_US-VIETNAM.xml (Reuters)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4917466.stm (BBC)]
* [[2006 European floods]]: Thousands of emergency workers in [[Romania]], [[Bulgaria]] and [[Serbia]] try to bolster [[dike]]s to prevent [[flooding]] along the swollen [[Danube]] River, which has surged to its highest level in more than a century. [http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WEATHER/04/17/balkans.floods/index.html (CNN)] Several thousand people have been evacuated from their homes. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4915342.stm (BBC)]
*An [[El Al]] airplane in which a malfunction had been detected made a successful [[emergency landing]] at the [[Ben Gurion Airport]]. The flight, which had departed for [[Moscow]] made its way back to [[Tel Aviv]] after a malfunction was discovered in one of its wheels upon liftoff. The plane emptied its fuel tank above the sea and then landed at the Ben Gurion airport. [http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3241045,00.html (Ynetnews)]
*Today marks the 100th Anniversary of the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake]]. Events marking the centennial will be held today and will continue through the end of the year. [http://cbs5.com/topstories/local_story_108040535.html (CBS)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4917600.stm (BBC)]
*The head of [[Gazprom]], Russia's natural-gas monopoly, told officials of the [[European Union]] not to "politicize" the gas market -- the speech was part of an escalating war of words between Russia as supplier and the EU as customer. [http://www.moscowtimes.ru/stories/2006/04/20/047.html (Moscow Times)]
 
<div id="19_April_2006"/>
===[[19 April]] [[2006]] (Wednesday)===
* The [[Corte di Cassazione|Italian Supreme Court]] has confirmed the victory of centre-left opposition candidate [[Romano Prodi]] in last week's contested [[Italian general election, 2006]], dismissing complaints by Prime Minister [[Silvio Berlusconi]] that the vote was marred by irregularities. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4922092.stm (BBC)] [http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=worldNews&storyid=2006-04-19T163218Z_01_L19724709_RTRUKOC_0_US-ITALY.xml (Reuters)]
* [[White House Press Secretary]] [[Scott McClellan]] announces his resignation. [[Karl Rove]] is expected to lose his position as Deputy Chief of Staff for political development. President [[George W. Bush]] tries to shake up his cabinet because of the mid-term elections in November. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4923384.stm (BBC)]
*The [[Bolivia]]n army frees three ministers taken hostage by local village people in [[El Mutún]], the world's largest [[iron ore]] deposit [http://www.lemonde.fr/web/article/0,1-0@2-3222,36-763116@51-763324,0.html (''Le Monde'')].
* [[Elections in the Solomon Islands]]: The announcement of the new [[Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands]], [[Snyder Rini]], causes riots in [[Honiara]]. Australia and New Zealand promise to send more troops to keep order. [http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=23509 (Radio NZ)] [http://voanews.com/english/2006-04-19-voa2.cfm (VOA)]
 
<div id="20_April_2006"/>
===[[20 April]] [[2006]] (Thursday)===
* The [[President of Singapore]], [[Sellapan Ramanathan]], "on the advice of the [[Prime Minister of Singapore|prime minister]] ([[Lee Hsien Loong]]), has dissolved [[Parliament of Singapore|parliament]]" to prepare for the [[Singapore general election, 2006|2006 general election]], to be held on [[May 6]]. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4925476.stm (BBC)]
* Following reports of the [[UK]] government's hostility to a takeover of [[Centrica]], [[Russia|Russian]] gas giant [[Gazprom]] warns of Europe-wide supply disruption [http://www.channel4.com/news/special-reports/special-reports-storypage.jsp?id=2215 (Channel4 News)]
* [[April 2006 Nepalese general strike]]: [[Nepal]]i police open fire on pro-democracy protesters to prevent them from marching into [[Kathmandu]], the capital, killing at least three people and injuring dozens. [http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2006-04-20T103657Z_01_L1969978_RTRUKOC_0_UK-NEPAL.xml (Reuters)] The [[United Nations]] condemns the "the excessive and deadly use of force by members of the security forces against protesters and innocent bystanders". [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4927556.stm (BBC)]
*[[Ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka]]: The [[Tamil Tigers]] have ended peace talks, stating they are not viable indefinitely. [http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/CL240006.htm (Reuters)]
* Famous U.S. [[test pilot]] [[Albert Scott Crossfield|Scott Crossfield]] dies in an air crash of a [[Cessna 210]].[http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=1869070 (AP)]
* A vast [[river]] system connecting various [[subglacial lake]]s is discovered under the [[Antarctica|Antarctic]] ice shield. [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12389073/from/RSS (MSNBC)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4908292.stm (BBC)] [http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/04/0419_060419_antarctica.html (nationalgeographic.com)]
* [[U.S. President]] [[George W. Bush]] welcomes the [[President of the People's Republic of China|Chinese President]] [[Hu Jintao]] at the [[White House]]. A [[Falun Gong]] protester — an accredited journalist from [[The Epoch Times]] — interrupts Hu's speech at the arrival ceremony before being removed by the [[Secret Service]]. The announcer violates protocol by accidentally calling the [[March of the Volunteers]] the "[[National Anthem of the Republic of China]]". [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4925704.stm (BBC)]
* German automaker Volkswagen is in talks for a restructuring program to cut costs and make the core unit [[Volkswagen]] more profitable. [http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060419/ap_on_bi_ge/germany_volkswagen_2 (AP via Yahoo)]
* [[Snyder Rini]] was sworn in as the new [[Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands]] and took office in secret, amid continued post-[[Elections in the Solomon Islands|election]] rioting targeting [[Overseas Chinese|ethnic Chinese]]. [http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,,1757931,00.html (Guardian)]
 
<div id="21_April_2006"/>
 
===[[21 April]] [[2006]] (Friday)===
* [[April 2006 Nepalese general strike]]: [[Gyanendra of Nepal|King Gyanendra]] of [[Nepal]] asks for [[Prime Minister of Nepal|Prime Minister]] nominations to be made to assist in ending unrest in the country. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4931000.stm (BBC)]
*[[Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom|Queen Elizabeth II]] of the [[United Kingdom]] and the [[Commonwealth Realm]]s celebrates her 80th birthday. On the same day, the [[BBC]] marks eighty years since the granting of its first [[Royal Charter]]. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4928116.stm (BBC)]
* The [[California]] court of appeal heard oral arguments over [[blog]]gers' challenges to an effort by [[Apple Computer]] to force the [[Internet service provider|ISP]] of an Apple news site to hand over the email records of bloggers it claims revealed trade secrets. [http://www.itwire.com.au/content/view/3991/53/ (ITWire)]
* [[Haitian elections, 2006]]: [[Voter turnout]] in the second round of the legislative elections is deemed low. [http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N22321732.htm (Reuters)]
* The 2005-2006 [[National Hockey League]] playoffs started.
 
<div id="22_April_2006"/>
 
===[[22 April]] [[2006]] (Saturday)===
* [[Colombian Armed Conflict]]: Seventeen [[Colombia]]n soldiers and a secret policeman were killed by rebels in an ambush in the mountains near the Venezuelan border. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4933196.stm (BBC)]
* [[Conflict in Afghanistan]]: Four [[Canada|Canadian]] soldiers were killed 75 kilometers north of [[Kandahar]] by a roadside bomb planted by [[Taliban]] militants. [http://www.canada.com/topics/news/national/story.html?id=18996ea9-6dae-4d23-8659-2a5eb7b9982c&k=80274 (Canada.com)]
* [[Loktantra Andolan|April 2006 Nepalese general strike]]: Opposition leaders in [[Nepal]] reject [[Gyanendra of Nepal|King Gyanendra]]'s proposals for restoring democracy. Thousands of protesters approaching the [[royal palace]] in [[Kathmandu]] are fired upon by security forces with [[tear gas]]. [http://www.voanews.com/english/2006-04-22-voa17.cfm (VOA)], [http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2006-04-22T125431Z_01_L1969978_RTRUKOC_0_UK-NEPAL.xml (Reuters)], [http://www.cbc.ca/story/world/national/2006/04/22/nepal2206.html (CBC)]
*The first [[New Orleans mayoral election, 2006|city-wide election]] in [[New Orleans]] after [[Hurricane Katrina]] takes place. [http://today.reuters.com/investing/financeArticle.aspx?type=bondsNews&storyID=2006-04-22T145302Z_01_N21195446_RTRIDST_0_HURRICANES-ELECTION-PICTURE.XML (Reuters)]
*The [[Iraq|Iraqi]] Parliament meet to vote on choosing a [[Prime Minister of Iraq|Prime Minister]], only the second time since the December elections. The nominee [[Jawad al-Maliki]] has been put forward by the dominant [[Shia]] block. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4933026.stm (BBC)] [http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/04/22/iraq.main/ (CNN International)]
* [[Kharkiv supermarket bombings]]: Two homemade bombs exploded at supermarkets in the [[Ukraine|Ukrainian]] city of [[Kharkiv]], injuring 14. [http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1103AP_Ukraine_Supermarket_Blasts.html (Seattle Post Intelligencer)] [http://www.interfax.ru/e/B/politics/28.html?id_issue=11502894 (Interfax Russia)] [http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=1877154 (ABC)]
*In India, [[Bharatiya Janata Party|BJP]] leader [[Pramod Mahajan]] is shot at his home, and reported to be in critical condition. [http://www.hindustantimes.com/2006/Apr/22/181_1680735,0008.htm (Hindustan Times)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4935704.stm (BBC)]
 
<div id="23_April_2006"/>
===[[23 April]] [[2006]] (Sunday)===
*[[Osama Bin Laden]] calls for [[Jihad]] against "[[Tenth Crusade|Crusaders]]" in [[Darfur]] in audiotape released to Al Jazeera. [http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2006-04-23T171329Z_01_L23690061_RTRUKOC_0_UK-SECURITY-BINLADEN.xml (Reuters)]
*[[Hungarian parliamentary election, 2006|Parliamentary elections]] in [[Hungary]]: The [[Hungarian Socialist Party]] wins with a [[plurality]] of the votes and will therefore continue to govern in coalition with the [[Alliance of Free Democrats]]; it also becomes the first re-elected government of [[Hungary]] since the end of the [[Cold War]]. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4935474.stm (BBC)] [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/23/AR2006042300581.html (Washington Post)] [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/23/AR2006042300158.html (Washington Post/Reuters)]
* [[Elections in the Solomon Islands]]: [[Beijing]] begins to evacuate [[Overseas Chinese|ethnic Chinese]] from [[Solomon Islands]] following [[Sinophobia|Anti-Chinese]] riots during the election protests that destroyed the [[Chinatown#Solomon Islands|Chinatown]]. [http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-04/23/content_4462418.htm (Xinhua)] [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/23/AR2006042300065.html (Washington Post)]
* [[Cyclone Monica]], a Category 5 cyclone on the Australian and Saffir-Simpson scales, threatens [[Australia]]'s northern coast including the city of [[Darwin, Northern Territory|Darwin]]. The Australian [[Bureau of Meteorology]] has warned of "dangerously high tides" that may cause "extensive flooding" along part of the coast and ordered the sounding of emergency [[Siren (noisemaker)|siren]]s in the [[Gove Peninsula]]. [[Alcan]], the world's second-biggest [[aluminum]] producer, has warned customers of potential interruptions to supplies on contracts from its Gove refinery. [http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000081&sid=a.BR4z3if15Y&refer=australia (Bloomberg)]
* A silent march through [[Brussels]], [[Belgium]], takes place with 80,000 participants, following the [[Joe Van Holsbeeck|murder on April 12 of a teenager]], stabbed at rush hour in [[Brussels Central Railway station]] when he refused to hand over his MP3 player. [http://www.vrtnieuws.net/nieuwsnet_master/versie2/english/details/060423_prepmarch/index.shtml (VRT)] [http://www.lesoir.be/rubriques/belgique/page_5718_427968.shtml (Le Soir)]
* [[Ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka]]: six [[Sinhalese]] rice farmers are executed in their paddy fields by suspected [[LTTE|Tamil Tigers]] terrorists in the northeastern [[Trincomalee]] district. [http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/COL157189.htm (AlertNet)]
* [[Peru]] declares a [[state of emergency]] in towns near the volcano [[Ubinas]]. [http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2006-04-23T012342Z_01_N22233465_RTRUKOC_0_UK-PERU-VOLCANO.xml&archived=False (Reuters)]
* India: The state of West Bengal went into its Second Phase of the Assembly Elections.
 
 
<div id="24_April_2006"/>
 
===[[24 April]] [[2006]] (Monday)===
* Famous [[Bangladesh|Bangladeshi]] social worker and human rights activist [[Nasreen Huq|Nasreen Pervin Huq]] died at his own house in [[Dhaka]], [[Bangladesh]] by a tragic accident. She had been the country director of the [[ActionAid Bangladesh]] ([[ActionAid]]) since [[2003]] up until her death.
* Former [[Trinidad and Tobago]] [[Prime Minister]], and current Leader of the Opposition, [[Basdeo Panday]], is convicted on three counts of failing to declare a [[London]] bank account in 1997, 1998, and 1999. He is sentenced to two years imprisonment with hard labour, fined TT$20,000 on each count, and ordered to forfeit approximately TT$1,600,000 (the accumulated year-end balances of the account in question). He intends to appeal the sentence, but resigned as Leader of the Opposition. [http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article_news?id=153641644 (T&T Express)], [http://www.radiojamaica.com/news/story.php?category=2&story=24317 (Radio Jamaica)]
* [[President of Iran|Iranian President]] [[Mahmoud Ahmadinejad]] unexpectedly lifts a 27-year ban on [[female]] attendance of public [[sports in Iran|sporting events in Iran]]. They still need permission of the male head of the household to attend and they will sit in a special female-only section. [http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/othersports/2050AP_SOC_Iran_Women.html (AP)] [http://www.guardian.co.uk/iran/story/0,,1760745,00.html (Guardian)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4938912.stm (BBC)]
* [[2006 Democracy movement in Nepal]]: Hundreds of [[Maoism|Maoist]] rebels stormed the town of Chautara, attacking government offices and a prison. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4937496.stm (BBC)]. [[Gyanendra of Nepal|King Gyanendra]] orders the recall next Friday of the [[parliament of Nepal|parliament]] which he suspended in 2005 &ndash; a key demand of the protestors. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4940278.stm (BBC)]
*[[2006 Dahab bombings]]: Witnesses reporting hearing three explosions in the [[Egypt]]ian [[Sinai Peninsula|Sinai]] resort town of [[Dahab]] at about 1715 UTC. Dr. Said Essa, who runs the Sinai Peninsula rescue squad, estimates there were at least 100 dead or wounded. [http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060424/egypt_blasts_060424/20060424?hub=TopStories (CTV)]
* [[Pope Benedict XVI]] is reported to have agreed to a relaxation of rules for the use of [[condom]]s. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4938076.stm (BBC)]
*[[Dubai International Finance Centre]], owner of the [[Dubai]] stock exchange, announces that it has increased its [[Ownership equity|equity stake]] in [[Euronext|Euronext NV]], which runs stock exchanges in four European capitals. There are rumors of an impending take-over bid. [http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/provider/providerarticle.asp?feed=AP&Date=20060424&ID=5661570 (MSN)]
* [[Ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka]]: Two suspected [[LTTE|Tamil Tiger]] rebels are shot dead in [[Batticaloa]] while being caught planting mines, after rebels reportedly hacked a young mother to death. In the eastern part of the island, two [[Sinhalese]] guards are killed as they returned from a funeral and one [[Tamil people|Tamil]] is shot dead by unidentified gunmen. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4937624.stm (BBC)]
* [[Ken Lay]], former chairman of the board of defunct [[Enron Corporation]], took the stand in his own defense in his [[criminal trial]] in [[Houston]], [[Texas]]. [http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/special/enron/3814875 (Houston Chronicle)]
* A collision between a passenger bus and a truck kills 10 people, members of two different families, in [[Marcos Paz]], [[Argentina]]. [http://telefe.planetatv.com/Player/Video/?guid={98389346-83F1-4431-B250-12990C9B6EE9}&feed=Telefe&type=ptPniVideo&cat=&feedOAS=Telefe (Telefe video, in Spanish)]
 
<div id="25_April_2006"/>
 
===[[25 April]] [[2006]] (Tuesday)===
* [[Ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka]]: A suspected [[LTTE|Tamil Tiger]] [[suicide attack|suicide bomber]] attacks the [[Sri Lankan Army]] headquarters in the capital, [[Colombo]], killing 8. Twenty-seven have been injured, including the army commander Lieutenant General [[Sarath Fonseka]], as the [[female suicide bomber]], pretending to be [[pregnant]] to conceal [[explosive]]s, detonates her bomb near the military's hospital. The [[military of Sri Lanka|Sri Lankan military]] has begun aerial assaults on rebel positions in the north-eastern part of the island nation. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4941744.stm (BBC)], [http://www.mumbaimirror.com/nmirror/mmpaper.asp?sectid=5&articleid=4252006212344844252006212247890 (MumbaiMirror)], [http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=worldNews&storyid=2006-04-26T030647Z_01_PEK180392_RTRUKOC_0_US-SRILANKA.xml (Reuters)]
* [[Abu Musab al-Zarqawi]] appears unmasked in a newly released video taunting the "crusade" by the [[United States|American]]-led [[military alliance|coalition]] and Iraqi authorities. At one point, he addresses [[United States|U.S.]] President [[George W. Bush]]. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4944250.stm (BBC)], [http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/04/25/zarqawi/index.html (CNN)]
* The [[UN Security Council]] votes to impose sanctions on four [[Sudan]]ese citizens involved in the [[Darfur conflict]]: Maj.-Gen. [[Gaffar Mohamed Elhassan]] of the [[Sudanese Air Force]]; [[Sheikh]] [[Musa Hilal]], paramount chief of the [[Jalul]] [[Janjaweed]] tribe in [[North Darfur]]; Commander [[Adam Yacub Shant]] of the [[Sudan Liberation Movement|Sudanese Liberation Army]]; and Commander [[Gabril Abdul Kareem Badri]] of the [[National Movement for Reform and Development]]. The vote marks the first time UN sanctions have been adopted against individuals involved in this conflict. [http://www.cbc.ca/story/world/national/2006/04/25/darfur060425.html (CBC)], [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4942026.stm (BBC)]
* In the [[Philippines]], 49 people are charged with [[rebellion]] over [[2006 state of emergency in the Philippines|an alleged plot]] to overthrow [[President of the Philippines|President]] [[Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo]] in [[February 2006]]. [http://www.cbc.ca/story/world/national/2006/04/25/arroyo060425.html (CBC)], [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4939820.stm (BBC)]
* The [[Communist Party of Vietnam]] announces at the closing of the [[Tenth National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam|Tenth National Congress]] that [[Nông Ðức Mạnh]] will be re-appointed as its [[general secretary]] for another five year term. Other key positions, such as those of prime minister and president, are yet to be appointed. New faces are expected. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4941144.stm (BBC)]
* [[Darwin, Northern Territory|Darwin]], [[Australia]] is spared a projected direct hit by [[Cyclone Monica]]. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4941168.stm (BBC)]
 
<div id="26_April_2006"/>
 
===[[26 April]] [[2006]] (Wednesday)===
* The [[Governor of Puerto Rico]], [[Aníbal Acevedo Vilá]], signs an [[executive order]] in which the government's budget will be exclusively used for health and security services. 43 agencies of the government will be shut down, while 15 will provide services partially. Another 60 will continue operating normally. The order is a result of the budget running dry before the end of the fiscal year. [http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=1894226&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312 (AP via ABC News)]
*[[University of California at San Diego]] [[psychology]] researcher [[Tim Gentner]] reportedly discovers that [[songbirds]] are capable of learning simple [[grammar]], which may disprove [[Noam Chomsky]]'s long believed hypothesis that humans are the only organism able to comprehend [[recursive grammar]]. [http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1501AP_Bird_Grammar.html (AP)]
* [[Tony Snow]] is named [[White House Press Secretary]].[http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-5782313,00.html (AP via Guardian)], [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4945156.stm (BBC)], [http://voanews.com/english/2006-04-26-voa24.cfm (VoA)]
* [[Ukraine]] marks the 20th anniversary of the [[Chernobyl disaster|Chernobyl nuclear power station explosion]]. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4944898.stm (BBC)], [http://voanews.com/english/2006-04-26-voa20.cfm (VoA)]
* [[Snyder Rini]] resigns as [[Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands]] immediately before facing a [[motion of no confidence]] in Parliament, prompting celebrations in the streets of [[Honiara]]. [http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=2&ObjectID=10379008 (NZ Herald)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4945090.stm (BBC)], [http://voanews.com/english/2006-04-26-voa8.cfm (VoA)]
* [[Egypt]]ian police arrest 10 people in relation to the [[2006 Dahab bombings]], which has killed 24 people and injured more than 80 on [[24 April]]. [http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/article360209.ece (Independent)]
* [[Peacekeeping]] Forces in [[Egypt]] were attacked outside the [[Nile]] Delta by two suicide bombers. No casualties. [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,193163,00.html (Fox News)]
 
<div id="27_April_2006"/>
===[[27 April]] [[2006]] (Thursday)===
* The [[Scottish National Party]] wins the [[Moray by-election, 2006]] for the [[Moray (Scottish Parliament constituency)|Moray constituency]] to the [[Scottish Parliament]]. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4949432.stm (BBC)]
* The [[Government of Chad]] and the [[World Bank]] end a four-month long dispute over allocation of Chadian [[petroleum]] funds. The World Bank will allow Chad to spend more of its oil revenue on [[Military of Chad|its military]] in exchange for a resumption of oil output through the [[Chad-Cameroon pipeline]]. [http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/27/world/africa/27chad.html?_r=1&oref=slogin (New York Times)]
* Construction begins on the [[Freedom Tower]] in [[New York City]] breaking a deadlock between the [[Port Authority of New York and New Jersey]], which owns the site, and private developer [[Larry Silverstein]]. The 1,776-foot tower is the centerpiece of the rebuilding effort for the [[World Trade Center]], which was destroyed in the [[September 11, 2001 attacks]]. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4949186.stm (BBC)]
* [[Nepal Civil War]]: [[Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist)|Maoist insurgents]] in [[Nepal]], responding to a demand by the newly appointed [[List of Prime Ministers of Nepal|prime minister]] [[Girija Prasad Koirala]], announce a unilateral three-month [[truce]]. [[Kathmandu]] gradually resumes normality<!--normality if BrEng is preferred--> after [[2006 democracy movement in Nepal|weeks of pro-democracy protests]]. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4949066.stm (BBC)], [http://voanews.com/english/nepal-ceasfire.cfm (VoA)]
* The head of the [[London Stock Exchange]] publicly warned the president of [[Russia]], [[Vladimir Putin]], that his recent decision to bar the head of a large equity fund from that country could send "a very negative signal" to the world's equity markets. [http://business.guardian.co.uk/story/0,,1762764,00.html?gusrc=ticker-103704 (Guardian)]
* In [[Israel]], the centrist [[Kadima]] party forms a [[coalition government]] with the left-leaning [[Labor (Israel)|Labor]] party. [http://www.cbc.ca/storyview/MSN/world/national/2006/04/27/israel-coalition060427.html (CBC)], [http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=worldNews&storyid=2006-04-27T100748Z_01_L24771147_RTRUKOC_0_US-ISRAEL-COALITION.xml (Reuters)]
*The Metro Rail project for [[Bangalore]] City ([[India]]) has been cleared and work on the project will begin soon. The implementation of this project aims at decongesting the traffic and streamlining the public transport system in the city. Bangalore, also known as the [[Silicon Valley]] of India, is one of the most congested cities in India.
*India: The state of West Bengal went into its Third and Final Phase of the Assembly Elections.
 
<div id="28_April_2006" />
 
===[[28 April]] [[2006]] (Friday)===
*[[U.S. Army]] [[Lieutenant Colonel|Lt. Col.]] [[Steven L. Jordan]] becomes the highest ranking officer to have charges brought against him in connection with the [[Abu Ghraib torture and prisoner abuse|Abu Ghraib abuse]]. [http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2002960310_ghraib29.html (Seattle Times)]
*The [[George W. Bush administration|Bush administration]] takes initial steps to use the [[State Secrets Privilege|States Secrets Privilege]] to block a lawsuit against [[AT&T]] and the [[NSA]] brought by the [[Electronic Frontier Foundation]]. The EFF has alleged that the government has secret computer rooms conducting broad, illegal surveillance of U.S. citizens. [http://news.com.com/2061-10789_3-6066688.html?part=rss&tag=6066688&subj=news (News.com)]
*[[Guilliame Mbairessem]], the secretary-general of the [[Episcopal Conference of Bishops of Chad]], joins U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs [[Donald Yamamoto]] in calling for a delay of the [[Chadian presidential election, 2006|upcoming presidential elections]] in [[Chad]]. [http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=1902278&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312 (ABC News)]
* The [[Congress of Mexico]] passes a bill which, if signed by the [[President of Mexico|President]], will decriminalize possession of small amounts of [[marijuana]], [[cocaine]], [[heroin]], [[opium]], [[LSD]], [[hallucinogenic mushrooms]], [[amphetamines]], and [[peyote]]. [http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=topNews&storyid=2006-04-28T200009Z_01_N281836_RTRUKOC_0_US-MEXICO-DRUGS.xml (Reuters)]
* Five members of the [[United States]] [[Congress of the United States|Congress]] are arrested outside the [[Sudan]]ese embassy in [[Washington, D.C.]], for protesting the [[Darfur conflict|Darfur genocide]]. [http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/04/28/darfur.protest/ (CNN)]
* Around 50,000 people participate in the [[Puerto Rico Shouts march]] in [[San Juan, Puerto Rico|San Juan]], [[Puerto Rico]], demanding a budget agreement to avert a partial shutdown of government offices and [[public school]]s. [http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N28291933.htm (Reuters)]
* [[Chung Mong Koo]], head of [[Hyundai Motor Company]], is arrested in [[South Korea]] on charges of [[embezzlement]] of 100 billion [[won]] ($106 million USD), among other [[Corporate crime|corruption]] charges. [http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/04/28/hyundai.probe.ap/ (CNN)] [http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/28/world/asia/28cnd-hyundai.html?hp&ex=1146283200&en=addb42d7d874746e&ei=5094&partner=homepage (NY Times)]
* In [[Port Arthur, Tasmania]], [[Australia]], memorial services are held to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the [[Port Arthur massacre]], in which a lone gunman murdered 35 people at the popular tourist town in the country's worst killing spree. Prime Minister [[John Howard]] led prayers at the service. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4953154.stm (BBC)]
* US and Danish scientists conclusively date the massive [[Thera eruption]], which destroyed the [[Minoan civilization]] on Crete, to the period around c.1627–1600 BC based on sophisticated radio-carbon analysis.[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/04/28/wolive28.xml (The Telegraph)] [http://msnbc.msn.com/id/12502996/ (MSNBC)]
 
<div id="29_April_2006"/>
===[[29 April]] [[2006]] (Saturday)===
* In [[Italy]], after three weeks of wrangling over [[Italian general election, 2006|a narrow election defeat]], [[Prime Minister of Italy|Prime Minister]] [[Silvio Berlusconi]] finally says he will resign within a week, clearing the way for [[Romano Prodi]] and his [[L'Unione]] coalition to form a new government. [http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/04/30/italy.election.ap/ (CNN)], [http://www.cbc.ca/storyview/MSN/world/national/2006/04/29/italy_060429.html (CBC)]
*Protesters demonstrate against the [[Iraq war]] and possible military actions against [[Iran]] in [[New York City]]. [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/29/AR2006042900497.html (Washington Post)] [http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/003200604301012.htm (The Hindu)] [http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/71182C17-5E78-4019-BAE2-ACDA0A102356.htm (Al Jazeera)]
*[[United States-Iran relations]] continue to deteriorate after US officials called Iran one of the world's most active sponsors of [[terrorism]], as [[IAEA]] reveals that [[Tehran]] has successfully enriched [[uranium]] and is racing ahead with its [[Nuclear program of Iran|nuclear programme]]. [[Iran]] says it does not "give a damn" about the verdict from the IAEA director [[Mohamed ElBaradei]] and what it might lead to. [http://www.guardian.co.uk/iran/story/0,,1764159,00.html (The Guardian)] [http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=1902729 (AP/ABC News)]
*[[United States|U.S.]] employers, workers, and police brace for a day-long [[Great American Boycott|boycott]] and [[Strike action|strike]] to demonstrate the economic impact of [[Illegal immigration|illegal immigrants]] on the [[Economy of the United States|U.S. economy]].[http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-mayday28apr28,1,6551283.story?coll=la-headlines-business (Los Angeles Times)] [http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/04/28/boycott/ (CNN)]
*The [[video clip]] "[[Uncle Bus]]" was published in [[YouTube]], which has become a popular talk in [[Hong Kong]].
 
<div id="30_April_2006"/>
===[[30 April]] [[2006]] (Sunday)===
* [[Darfur conflict]]:
**The [[Sudan]]ese government accepts a peace plan brokered by mediators of the [[African Union]]. [http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=topNews&storyid=2006-04-30T144645Z_01_L29362184_RTRUKOC_0_US-SUDAN-DARFUR.xml (Reuters)], [http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/africa/04/30/sudan.darfur.reut/ (CNN)]
**Various rebel [[Janjaweed]] militias, required to be disarmed according to the deal, struggle to extract last-minute concessions and have yet to give a clear signal on whether they would sign. [http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=worldNews&storyid=2006-04-30T180341Z_01_L29362184_RTRUKOC_0_US-SUDAN-DARFUR.xml (Reuters)]
*The rebel group the [[Justice and Equality Movement]] refuses to sign on to the proposed peace agreement in its current form. [http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=worldNews&storyid=2006-04-30T202340Z_01_L30628083_RTRUKOC_0_US-SUDAN-DARFUR-JEM.xml (Reuters)]
*The Government of the [[Central African Republic]] joins the [[United States]] Government and the [[Government of Chad]] in formally accusing the Government of [[Sudan]] of supporting the [[United Front for Democratic Change]] rebels and further alleges that UFDC rebels are entering southern Chad through the CAR-Chad-Sudan border area. [http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060430/wl_afp/centrafricasudanunrest_060430131822 (AFP via Yahoo!)]
* The [[Parliament of Nepal]], [[2006 democracy movement in Nepal|reinstated last week after a 4-year hiatus]], unanimously approves a proposal by new [[Prime Minister of Nepal|prime minister]] [[Girija Prasad Koirala]] to hold [[elections in Nepal|elections]] for a special assembly to draw up a [[Constitution of Nepal|new constitution]]. [http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2006-04-30T154930Z_01_SP18250_RTRUKOC_0_UK-NEPAL.xml (Reuters)], [http://www.cbc.ca/cp/world/060430/w043032.html (CBC)]
*24 [[miners]] have been killed in a mine explosion in the [[China|Chinese]] province of [[Shaanxi]]. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4959254.stm (BBC)]
*[[Corinne Rey-Bellet]] World Cup skiing champion, murdered in Les Crosets, Switzerland [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4961784.stm]
 
{{Events by month links}}
 
[[Category:April|2006]]
[[Category:2006|*2006-04]]
 
[[zh-min-nan:2006 nî 4 goe̍h]]
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[[fr:Avril 2006]]
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[[nl:April 2006]]
[[ja:最近の出来事 2006年4月]]
[[pl:Kwiecień 2006]]
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[[sk:Apríl 2006]]
[[sv:April 2006]]
[[tl:Abril 2006]]
[[th:เมษายน พ.ศ. 2549]]
[[vi:Tháng 4 năm 2006]]
[[zh:2006年4月]]