Portal:Current events/2006 March 21

March 21, 2006 (Tuesday)

The French National Assembly votes on "DADVSI" ("Right of the Author and related rights in the information society") with 296 votes for against 193. The DADVSI act implements the 2001 EU Copyright Directive with some modifications. The UMP (right-wing), which has the absolute majority at the National Assembly, voted for, while the left voted against it. MPs of the center-right UDF voted either against the text or abstained themselves. Le Monde^{[permanent dead link]}
Over 150 Chadian soldiers are killed in eastern Chad by members of the rebel UFDC. The growing rebel movement seeks to overthrow Chadian president Idriss Deby. (AP via Forbes)
In the United Kingdom, Metropolitan Police confirm they are to investigate claims the ruling Labour Party broke the Honours (Prevention of Abuses) Act 1925 in the ongoing controversy over "cash for Peerages" row. (BBC)
Irish Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has said in the Dáil that he believes the British security forces colluded with loyalist paramilitaries in the planning of Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane's murder in 1989. (Irish examiner)
In a major Sino-Russian energy deal, it is announced that Gazprom intends to build two large natural gas pipelines directly to China within the next five years. (Forbes) Russia will also help with the construction of two nuclear power plants in China. (Makfax)