Portal:Current events/2006 June 28
June 28, 2006 (Wednesday)
- Up to 200,000 people in the Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania area of the northeast United States are ordered to evacuate their homes due to the rising level of the Susquehanna River. 46 of 67 of Pennsylvania's counties are under a state of emergency. Extensive flooding is also occurring in surrounding states, including New York, where Governor George Pataki states "This is the worst flooding by far I’ve seen in my 12 years as governor." Governor Jon Corzine declares his entire state under a state of emergency. (CBS News Alert) (FOX News)
- An angry mob in Dili, East Timor, attacks a refugee camp as the 2006 East Timor crisis continues. (Melbourne Age)
- Israel launches an offensive into the southern Gaza Strip, following aerial strikes on bridges and electric power installations. Meanwhile, four Israeli war planes fly over the palace of Syria's president Bashar Assad in Latakia, reportedly while he was at the palace. (Haaretz), (CNN), (BBC), (Reuters)
- Members of the militant wing of Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah party, Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, claim they have launched a chemical-tipped missile at the Israeli town of Sderot. The same group has recently claimed to possess about 20 biological warheads for Qassam rockets fired daily at Israeli towns. The Israeli Army says they have not detected a launch of any such rocket, nor received reports of such a weapon hitting Israel. At least four Qassam rockets are launched against Israeli towns on Wednesday. (Reuters), (Haaretz)
- After numerous attempts to revive the film franchise over the past nineteen years, Superman is the central character in a new film from director Bryan Singer entitled Superman Returns.