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July 15, 2009 (2009-07-15 ) (Wednesday)
The
Episcopal Church of the United States votes to overturn a three-year ban on the appointment of gay bishops.
(BBC)
The
Catholic Church praises
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince after previously accusing the books of promoting witchcraft and the occult.
(Irish Independent )
Caspian Airlines
Flight 7908 , flying from
Tehran to
Yerevan ,
Armenia with 153 passengers and 15 crew members on board, crashes in
Iran shortly after takeoff.
(BBC)
(Press TV)
A 7.6-
magnitude
earthquake strikes off
South Island ,
New Zealand , generating brief fears of a small
tsunami .
(Associated Press)
(New Zealand Herald )
(RTÉ)
(USGS)
China 's
foreign exchange reserves have reached a record of
US$ 2.13 trillion, which is more than twice the size of
Japan 's—the second-biggest holder.
(BBC)
(Xinhua)
China urges its citizens in
Algeria to "take extra care" after reports circulate of a militant group's plans to avenge recent deaths of Muslim
Uyghurs .
(BBC)
Maria del Carmen Bousada de Lara , the world's oldest new mother, is announced to have died of
cancer aged 69, three years after giving birth.
(BBC)
Six people, including two traffic police, are killed and sixteen people are injured in a
suicide attack in
Anbar ,
Iraq .
(RTÉ)
A group of soldiers who took part in
Israel's assault in Gaza say widespread abuses were committed against civilians under "permissive"
rules of engagement .
(BBC)
Two people are killed and five are injured in the explosion at a
Total
petrochemicals plant in
Carling ,
France .
(France 24)
(RTÉ)
Chansa Kabwela , editor of
Zambia 's biggest-selling newspaper
The Post , is charged with distributing obscene materials relating to a health sector crisis.
(BBC)
(IOL) [
permanent dead link ]
(Sowetan ) [
permanent dead link ]
The British government opts not to end the
Common Travel Area between the
United Kingdom and
Ireland .
(BBC)
(RTÉ)
Space Shuttle
Endeavour launches on mission
STS-127 to the
International Space Station .
(BBC)