March 4, 2005 (Friday)
- Abducted Italian journalist Giuliana Sgrena, a reporter for Il Manifesto, is released in Iraq. An Italian secret service agent, Nicola Calipari, was killed and Sgrena wounded when a U.S. armored vehicle opened fire on her car after it allegedly failed to slow as it approached a checkpoint. (ABCNews - AP) (Reuters)[permanent dead link] (BBC)
- United Nations warns that about 90 million Africans could be infected by HIV in the future without further action against the spread of the disease. See AIDS in Africa. (Health24) (WHO) [1]
- President of India, APJ Kalam meets Syed Sibte Razi, governor of the northern state Jharkhand after opposition protests. Despite the hung elections in the assembly, the governor has appointed Jharkhand Mukti Morcha party member Shibu Soren as a chief minister. JMM is part of a political alliance backed by the Congress Party (NDTV) (BBC)
- Former interior minister of Ukraine, Yuri Kravchenko, is found dead in his country house, in an apparent suicide. He had been linked to the murder of journalist Georgiy Gongadze and was due to give evidence. (Reuters)[permanent dead link] (Scotsman) (BBC)
- The BSE Sensex breaches the 6,800-mark for the first time in its history, ending at 6,849, up 65 points over its previous close. The market rally has added about 160 billion Indian rupees (approx. 3.6 billion US$) to investor wealth with the BSE's market capitalisation at a record high of 17.65 trillion Indian rupees (approx. 400 billion US$). (Financial Express, India)
- President's rule is imposed in Goa and the Goa assembly is placed under suspended animation. (Deccan Herald) (Sify, India)