WHAT HAPPENED ON 7th May 2006?

6th May 2006

Vatican throws out China bishops

The Vatican is excommunicating two bishops who were illegally ordained by China's breakaway Catholic Church. Pope Benedict XVI expressed his "deep displeasure" over the appointments. The rift comes as Beijing & the Vatican are engaged in talks with the aim of re-establishing relations which were severed more than 50 years ago. Excommunication is automatic under Church law for bishops who are illegally ordained says the BBC's David Willey in Rome.

7th May 2006

UK Army fire 'did not hit' Iraqis

Iraqi civilians killed during unrest in Basra could not have been hit by the shots fired by UK soldiers British Army sources have told BBC News. Calm has been restored in the southern Iraqi city following unrest after a British Lynx helicopter crashed there. Five local people - including two children - are believed to have died in the fighting that followed. British investigators are examining the helicopter's wreckage to find out if it was shot down as some reports claim.

7th May 2006

Labour apology for all-woman list

The Labour Party has apologised to the people of Blaenau Gwent for imposing an all-woman shortlist on the constituency in the 2005 general election. Welsh Secretary Peter Hain said that while he thought having an all-woman shortlist was an honourable objective Labour "got it wrong". Mr Hain told BBC Wales' Politics Show he was issuing the apology on behalf of Labour at the highest levels. Independent Peter Law defeated Labour's Maggie Jones at the election.

6th May 2006

Medics slam 'short-sighted' cuts

The sweeping job cuts being seen across the NHS have been condemned as "short- sighted" by leading medics. The British Medical Association's junior doctors conference in London on Saturday will discuss the thousands of job losses seen in England. The head of the junior doctors' committee Jo Hilborne will say the cuts are due to cost-cutting rather than efficiency savings. The conference will also highlight concerns over changes to training.

7th May 2006

UK Army fire 'did not hit' Iraqis

Iraqi civilians killed during unrest in Basra could not have been hit by the shots fired by UK soldiers British Army sources have told BBC News. Calm has been restored in the southern Iraqi city following unrest after a British Lynx helicopter crashed there. Five local people - including two children - are believed to have died in the fighting that followed. British investigators are examining the helicopter's wreckage to find out if it was shot down as some reports claim.

7th May 2006

Stars arrive for TV Bafta awards

Famous faces from British TV have started to arrive on the red carpet for this year's British Academy Television Awards ceremony. Noel Edmonds who is hoping to cement his Deal Or No Deal comeback with a win was among the first to arrive. Other early arrivals included Ashley Jensen from Extras and former EastEnders Shane Richie. The ceremony hosted by Davina McCall will take place at London's Grosvenor House from 2000 BST.

6th May 2006

Murdered Emma's 999 calls played

A recording of 999 calls made by murdered Glasgow prostitute Emma Caldwell has been released by police in a bid to track down her killer. It is the latest step in a major inquiry that began with the discovery of the 27-year-old's body near Biggar South Lanarkshire a year ago. Ms Caldwell made the calls weeks before disappearing to express concerns about children playing on a railway line. The officer leading the inquiry hopes the voice will jog people's memory.

7th May 2006

UK Army fire 'did not hit' Iraqis

Iraqi civilians killed during unrest in Basra could not have been hit by the shots fired by UK soldiers British Army sources have told BBC News. Calm has been restored in the southern Iraqi city following unrest after a British Lynx helicopter crashed there. Five local people - including two children - are believed to have died in the fighting that followed. British investigators are examining the helicopter's wreckage to find out if it was shot down as some reports claim.

7th May 2006

Murdered Emma's 999 calls played

A recording of 999 calls made by murdered Glasgow prostitute Emma Caldwell has been released by police in a bid to track down her killer. It is the latest step in a major inquiry that began with the discovery of the 27-year-old's body near Biggar South Lanarkshire a year ago. Ms Caldwell made the calls weeks before disappearing to express concerns about children playing on a railway line. The officer leading the inquiry said the calls showed her kind nature.

6th May 2006

Soviet graves wrecked in Germany

The gravestones of 187 Soviet soldiers have been vandalised in the east German city of Leipzig officials say. They were "either knocked over or pulled completely out of the ground" the German foreign ministry said. The ministry condemned the "appalling act" adding that it remained committed to caring for the graves of Soviet soldiers who died in Germany in WWII. The graves at the city's Soviet military memorial would be restored as soon as possible the ministry added.

7th May 2006

UK Army fire 'did not hit' Iraqis

Iraqi civilians killed during unrest in Basra could not have been hit by the shots fired by UK soldiers British Army sources have told BBC News. Calm has been restored in the southern Iraqi city following unrest after a British Lynx helicopter crashed there. Five local people - including two children - are believed to have died in the fighting that followed. British investigators are examining the helicopter's wreckage to find out if it was shot down as some reports claim.

7th May 2006

Fresh violence hits Iraq cities

A number of car bomb attacks have killed at least 14 people in Baghdad and Iraq's holy city of Karbala. In Baghdad two bombs killed at least nine people mostly soldiers. A bomb near the provincial government in Karbala killed at least five people. Baghdad police also said they had found the bullet-riddled bodies of 43 men killed in apparent sectarian attacks. It comes as Prime Minister-designate Nouri Maliki continues efforts to form a cabinet months after elections.

6th May 2006

Fatal Basra crash sparks unrest

British soldiers have clashed with Iraqis after a number of UK servicemen died in a helicopter crash in the southern city of Basra. Iraqi police claimed five local people were shot dead in the unrest although they did not know who fired the shots. The city has been placed under a night- time curfew to defuse tensions. Earlier Basra police said the aircraft crashed into a house after being hit by a rocket but British ministers said the cause of the crash was unclear.

7th May 2006

UK Army fire 'did not hit' Iraqis

Iraqi civilians killed during unrest in Basra could not have been hit by the shots fired by UK soldiers British Army sources have told BBC News. Calm has been restored in the southern Iraqi city following unrest after a British Lynx helicopter crashed there. Five local people - including two children - are believed to have died in the fighting that followed. British investigators are examining the helicopter's wreckage to find out if it was shot down as some reports claim.

7th May 2006

Fatal Basra crash sparks unrest

British soldiers have clashed with Iraqis after a number of UK servicemen died in a helicopter crash in the southern city of Basra. Iraqi police claimed five local people were shot dead in the unrest although they did not know who fired the shots. The city has been placed under a night- time curfew to defuse tensions. Earlier Basra police said the aircraft crashed into a house after being hit by a rocket but British ministers said the cause of the crash was unclear.

6th May 2006

Armenian airline loses second jet

A plane belonging to the Armenian airline Armavia has been destroyed by fire - only two days after another of its jets crashed killing 113 people. The Airbus A320 was in a hangar in Belgium that burned down on Thursday night. Three other planes in the hangar were also destroyed. Four workers were injured in the accident in Brussels. Meanwhile Armenia & Russia have begun periods of mourning for those killed in Wednesday's crash in the Black Sea.

7th May 2006

UK Army fire 'did not hit' Iraqis

Iraqi civilians killed during unrest in Basra could not have been hit by the shots fired by UK soldiers British Army sources have told BBC News. Calm has been restored in the southern Iraqi city following unrest after a British Lynx helicopter crashed there. Five local people - including two children - are believed to have died in the fighting that followed. British investigators are examining the helicopter's wreckage to find out if it was shot down as some reports claim.

7th May 2006

Fresh violence hits Iraq cities

A number of car bomb attacks have killed at least 14 people in Baghdad and Iraq's holy city of Karbala. In Baghdad two bombs killed at least nine people mostly soldiers. A bomb near the provincial government in Karbala killed at least five people. Baghdad police also said they had found the bullet-riddled bodies of 43 men killed in apparent sectarian attacks. It comes as Prime Minister-designate Nouri Maliki continues efforts to form a cabinet months after elections.

6th May 2006

Outrage over Prescott deputy role

It is "outrageous" John Prescott will keep his salary & grace-and-favour homes despite losing much of his workload a Labour MP has said. Geraldine Smith made the attack as Mr Prescott hung on as deputy prime minister but was stripped of his department in a Cabinet reshuffle. Fellow Labour backbencher Kate Hoey said people would wonder "what on earth he is going to get paid for". But No 10 says Mr Prescott has a heavy workload chairing Cabinet committees.

7th May 2006

UK Army fire 'did not hit' Iraqis

Iraqi civilians killed during unrest in Basra could not have been hit by the shots fired by UK soldiers British Army sources have told BBC News. Calm has been restored in the southern Iraqi city following unrest after a British Lynx helicopter crashed there. Five local people - including two children - are believed to have died in the fighting that followed. British investigators are examining the helicopter's wreckage to find out if it was shot down as some reports claim.

7th May 2006

Fresh violence hits Iraq cities

A number of car bomb attacks have killed at least 14 people in Baghdad and Iraq's holy city of Karbala. In Baghdad two bombs killed at least nine people mostly soldiers. A bomb near the provincial government in Karbala killed at least five people. Baghdad police also said they had found the bullet-riddled bodies of 43 men killed in apparent sectarian attacks. It comes as Prime Minister-designate Nouri Maliki continues efforts to form a cabinet months after elections.

6th May 2006

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7th May 2006

UK Army fire 'did not hit' Iraqis

Iraqi civilians killed during unrest in Basra could not have been hit by the shots fired by UK soldiers British Army sources have told BBC News. Calm has been restored in the southern Iraqi city following unrest after a British Lynx helicopter crashed there. Five local people - including two children - are believed to have died in the fighting that followed. British investigators are examining the helicopter's wreckage to find out if it was shot down as some reports claim.

7th May 2006

Alcoholism hope over 'drug pill'

A medicine which is used in the UK to treat drug addiction can also help combat alcoholism a study suggests. The US National Institutes of Health looked at a range of therapies available in a study of 1 383 people. Naltrexone which blocks craving and intensive counselling had the best results the Journal of the American Medical Association reported. Both were used alongside regular medical check-ups. Only 10% of people dependent on alcohol seek treatment.