Portal:Current events/2005 October 25

Current events of October 25, 2005 (2005-10-25) (Tuesday)

Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: Israeli warplanes and artillery units hit areas in the northern Gaza Strip. (BBC) AIDS pandemic: The United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef), UNAIDS and other partners launch a global campaign, known as "Unite for Children, Unite Against AIDS", to spur action for the millions of children affected by HIV/AIDS. Fewer than 5 percent of HIV-positive children are receiving treatment. (Unicef) An Irish government-commissioned report, carried out by a retired Supreme Court judge, condemns two Irish bishops, the Roman Catholic Church, the Garda Siochána (police) and health authorities for their failure to deal with clerical sex abuse over 40 years in the Diocese of Ferns (Wexford). The report suggested that 10% of priests in the diocese sexually abused children. (RTÉ) (BBC) BBC World Service announces that it will launch an Arabic language TV news channel in 2007. Radio services in ten languages, mainly Central European but including Kazakh and Thai, will be abandoned in 2006 to release funding for the new service. (BBC) The Swedish telecoms manufacturer Ericsson has bought most of the troubled British telecoms manufacturer Marconi. (Guardian) (BBC) Iraq's Independent Electoral Commission announces that the country's draft constitution was approved in the vote held October 15. (AP) Paul Hackett, who in August narrowly lost an April 2005 by-election for an Ohio U.S. House of Representatives seat to Jean Schmidt, announced that he will seek the Democratic Senate nomination to run against incumbent Ohio Senator Mike DeWine, a Republican. (The Cincinnati Enquirer)