Portal:Current events/2004 December 19

December 19, 2004 (Sunday)

Conflict in Iraq: Bomb blasts in the Iraqi Shia cities of Karbala and Najaf kill up to 60 people and injure a further 120. (BBC)
Russia auctions off the main production unit of oil giant YUKOS to the small Baikalfinansgroup for 260.75bn rubles (US$9.37bn). Before the sale, YUKOS was said to owe US$27bn in unpaid taxes, specifically an average of 90% of its revenue. Former CEO jailed Mikhail Khodorkovsky and other YUKOS officials maintain it is politically motivated. (BBC)
The people of Turkmenistan go to the polls to elect a new parliament. Voters will choose between candidates, all of whom have pledged support to President Niyazov, the "Turkmenbashi" or "leader of Turkmens". (BBC)
US president George W. Bush is named "Person of the Year" by Time magazine. (CNN)
Rice University computer scientists find a security hole in Google's desktop search program. (New York Times)

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