Portal:Current events/2006 September 17
September 17, 2006 (Sunday)
- Five basketball players at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, are shot on campus after they tried to calm a disturbed man at a dance in the Student Union. Three of the five are hospitalized, with one in critical condition. (ESPN)
- Recent expeditions by Conservation International and the government of Indonesia revealed a "Lost World" of nearly 60 new species near Bird's Head Seascape of the Coral Triangle. The species include a "walking shark", 20 new corals, 8 shrimp species, and 24 new fish species including one that can "flash" colors. (ABC)
- The Associated Press claims that Bilal Hussein, an AP photographer and Iraqi citizen, has been held for five months in a United States military prison without charges against him. AP claims they tried to have Hussein released quietly, but when that failed, they went public. (MSNBC)
- Pope Benedict XVI states that he is "deeply sorry" about the angry reaction from his comments and says that his remarks came from a text that didn't reflect his personal opinion. (AP via CBS News) (BBC - full text of apology)
- A Roman Catholic nun, who worked as a nurse for SOS Children's Villages, and her bodyguard are shot dead by gunmen in Mogadishu. (SOS) (Reuters)
- Pacific Hurricane Lane is downgraded to a tropical storm. (ABC News)
- At least 21 people have been killed after a truck bomb went off in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk, according to local police. Reports indicate that the bomb exploded near the offices of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan of Jalal Talabani, the President of Iraq. (BBC) (ABC News)
- Four people are dead and 62 are wounded when five bomb blasts go off in the southern Thailand city of Hat Yai. (AFP via Yahoo! News)
- A global day of action, dubbed the 'International Day for Darfur' by Amnesty International, takes place with prayer vigils and demonstrations in 30 of the world's cities to highlight the plight of refugees and victims of genocide in the region. (BBC)
- The 2006 Swedish general election is held to elect 349 members to the Riksdag. Elections to county and municipal councils are on the same day. Voting is between 08:00 and 20:00 CEST (UTC+2).
- Sweden's center-right opposition alliance Alliance for Sweden declares victory after nearly complete official election results showed it narrowly defeating the governing Swedish Social Democratic Party. The Prime Minister of Sweden, Göran Persson, conceded defeat. (ABC News)
- Hosts Germany fought back from 3–1 down to beat Olympic champions Australia 4–3 and retain their title in the 11th edition of the Hockey World Cup. (BBC)
- Eva Avila wins the 4th season of Canadian Idol.
- After 11 years of broadcasting, the WB and UPN networks close down permanently. The WB had a Night of Farewells while UPN went quietly.