Current events of 5 July 2006 (2006-07-05) (Wednesday) edit history watch

Three members of the Tongan royal family are killed in a car accident in Menlo Park, California. (Palo Alto Online) China and Russia resist efforts by the United States and Japan to move a motion in the United Nations Security Council to impose sanctions on North Korea over its missile tests. (ABC News America) Light Sweet Crude futures close at an all-time high at $75.19/barrel, with an intraday all-time high of $75.40/barrel in New York. Analysts have downplayed the effect of North Korea's missile launch. (AFP) Former Enron executive Kenneth Lay has died of a heart attack at the age of 64. (Reuters) (KTRK) A North Korean state-run broadcaster states that his country is ready to cope with any provocation by the United States. (Drudge Report)(Associated Press) Casinos in the U.S. state of New Jersey have shut down for the first time in their history. The closure started at 8 AM Local Time, 1200 GMT, since the state's budget has not been decided, necessitating the shutdown of nonessential state offices, including casino regulators.(Philadelphia Inquirer)(Associated Press) North Korea launches a 7th missile, despite earlier condemnation of its earlier tests. One of the missiles landed "near Russian territory." The U.N. Security Council has scheduled an emergency meeting for Wednesday, and Japan warns of economic sanctions against the country. (Washington Post), (CNN)(Associated Press)(The Washington Times) Israeli-Palestinian conflict (Operation Summer Rains): Israel's Prime Minister has allowed the IDF to expand its offensive in the Gaza Strip against the Hamas-controlled Palestinian government, in order to free the abducted soldier Gilad Shalit. (Reuters) A Palestinian suicide bomber is arrested in the West Bank on his way to the center of Israel. (Ynet) Corporal Gilad Shalit and seven militants are reported to be "living off food hoarded in advance to spare the captors the risk of emerging". (Reuters)