February 13, 2005

February 13, 2005

• A shooting incident occurs at Hudson Valley Mall in upstate New York, north of New York City. Two people are injured. Local police believe that this is the work of a lone gunman and have a suspect in custody. (Reuters)
• Results from the Iraqi election show that a Shi'a group approved by Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani has won by a landslide with 48% of all votes cast. The nearest rival party, a Kurdish alliance of two parties, won 26% of the vote. The results will stand if not challenged within three days. (BBC)
• An early morning explosion extensively damages a Paris theater, and slightly injures seven people. (AP via CNN)
• In Moscow, Russia, thousands protest against the new benefits plan, which replaces such benefits as free transportation and subsidized drugs with small cash payments. (The Washington Post)
• Two strong aftershocks strike tsunami-devastated Aceh, Indonesia, leading to some panic. (ABC News Online Australia)
• Windsor Tower in central Madrid, Spain, one of the most prominent buildings in the city, is destroyed in a dramatic fire starting around 23:30 of February 12, Madrid time. Part of the building has been empty for renovations since 2003, but it still held offices for Deloitte & Touche. The Mayor of Madrid says that it is a critical situation and the building may collapse. The cause of the fire is not yet known, but a short-circuit on the 21st floor is suspected. (El Mundo) (BBC)
• Sister Lucia de Jesus dos Santos dies. She was the last survivor of three children to whom the Virgin Mary is said to have appeared at Fatima in central Portugal in 1917. (Scotsman) (Daily Telegraph) (CNN)
• Germans mark the 60th anniversary of the Dresden fire bombing. (AFP-Yahoo!) (CBC)