November 21, 2004

• Conflict in Iraq: The nineteen member Paris Club agrees to forgive 80% of nearly $40 billion in Iraqi debt, in three stages: 20% now, 30% in 2005 and 20% in 2008 in tandem with Iraq's implementation of an International Monetary Fund economic programme. $80 billon in debt to Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, among others, will remain. (BBC)
• Hifikepunye Pohamba, the candidate of the ruling South-West Africa People's Organisation party, is declared the winner of the Namibian presidential election with 76% of the vote. He succeeds Sam Nujoma, who is retiring after serving as president for 15 years. (BBC)
• Israeli-Palestinian conflict:
  • U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell arrives in Israel for talks with leaders of both sides of the conflict with an aim to restarting the stalled peace process. (BBC)
  • Three Fatah militants are killed in a gunfight with YAMAM, an Israeli Police counterterrorist unit. Among those killed is Mohammed Rassan Sheikh, who hid in Arafat's compund. One Israeli police officer sustained light injuries.(Haaretz)
  • In the Gaza Strip, the IDF foils an attack on Kissufim road to Gush Katif, killing two militants. (Haaretz)
• Ukraine holds the second vote in a run-off presidential election today. Voters will decide between Moscow-oriented Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych and western-leaning reformer Viktor Yushchenko. Observers have expressed concern over possible Russian interference, election abuses, and bias in reporting by the state media. With 74% of vote counted, Yanukovych leads Yushchenko 49%-48%. Yushchenko has alleged that massive election fraud has taken place. (BBC) (BBC)
• The Electoral Commission of the Iraq interim government schedules parliamentary elections for January 30, 2005. Reuters
• The Grand Canyon is artificially flooded to bring natural sediment to the ecosystem. (CNN)