From the studios of Robinson Telephone Company in Arlington, Virginia, I'm Paul Robinson.  Today is Saturday,  , and the time is 03:30 Universal Coordinated Time.  This is Wikinews.  (Sound Effect)
Here are the stories that are being covered:
And now, these stories


Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder of Germany asked parliament to dissolve the government and order new elections to be held next year, one year earlier than otherwise would be required. Schroder decided to take the move to demand a vote of no confidence in view of his inability to solve his country's current economic problems.  It is predicted that if the request is approved by the German Supreme Court and German President Horst Koehler, that Schroeder's government would not return to power, and the most likely person to become Chancellor will be Angela Merkel, who would become the first female chancelor in the country's history.

The Itar-Tass news agency reports that a terrorist blast in the southern Russia town of Makhachkala, Dagestan, killed 10 soldiers and wounded some 20 others on Friday.  Two bombs were set off in a bath house at 2:15 pm local time as the soldiers were passing outside, according to an official of the Russian Interior Ministry.  Dagestan is near Chechnya, which has for some time now been under rebel fighting against the Russian government.

The Queen of Oak Bay, a 7000 ton, 139 meter ferry, destroyed over a dozen boats near West Vancouver, British Columbia, after it lost power around 10 AM local time Friday.  The ferry missed the terminal berth just past Horseshoe Bay and plowed into Sewell's marina.  Witnesses report as many as 15 to 20 boats were destroyed when the ferry went out of control.  The ferry was carrying hundreds of passengers at the time, but no injuries were reported.

Ujjal Dosanjh, Canada's Minister of Health, has set out a plan to stop U.S. cities and states from purchasing drugs in bulk from Canadian suppliers.  The plan is being criticized as potentially destroying a number of mail order and internet-based pharmacies operating in Canada that ship prescription drugs to the United States.  It is said the result may simply cause orders to shift to suppliers in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand, as well as possibly Mexico.

After two days of reviews, NASA managers have scheduled shuttle Discovery for a launch attempt at 1951 UTC or 3:51 p.m. local time in Florida, on July 13.  Additional paperwork must be settled, as well as issues regarding the shuttle's body flap, a device that assists in descent at re-entry. If all goes well and the launch takes place on schedule, this will be the 114th launch of the Space shuttle.

U.S. District Judge Thelton Henderson of San Francisco has ordered the state's health care system for prisoners be put under the control of a reciever to stop deaths of inmates due to medical malfesance.  The system provides medical care to 164,000 inmates at a cost of US$1.1 billion annually.  Reportedly the judge described conditions in the state's medical system as barbaric.  The appointment of a receiver was the last resort available after repeated failures of Governor Schwartenegger's administration to improve medical conditions at state prisons.

Britain's National Gallery revealed on Friday that by X-raying one of Leonardo DaVinci's paintings, "Virgin of the Rocks", they have found a drawing beneath the surface of the painting.  The drawing is of a woman who is raising her arm and looking dowcast.   The drawing had been previously dismissed as a mere copy of a similar drawing that is hanging in Paris' Louvre museum.

The China National Offshore Oil Company, known as CNOOC, has submitted to U.S. Government regulators the details of its proposed US$18.5 billion purchase of California-based Unocal.  The bid comes against a US$16.5 billion offer of cash and stock from Chevron Corporation.  CNOOC, which is 70% owned by the Chinese Government, has placed a request for review with the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, or CFIUS.  Both Chevron and CNOOC have been readying their lobbyists to try and get favorable consideration for their side in Washington.  If there is determined to be no threat to national security as a result of the merger, the review of CNOOC's offer could be completed in as little as 30 days.  While typically such reviews are not undertaken until after a takeover bid is formally accepted by the target companty, there is precedent for such review to be done before that happens.

According to a report in the New York Times, Microsoft will pay IBM Corporation US $775 million to settle antitrust claims which resulted from the U.S. government's antitrust lawsuit against the software manufacturer.  The issues dealt with Microsoft's actions in reducing the value of IBM's OS/2 operating system, which competed with Microsoft's Windows Operating System.  This settlement with IBM follows several other settlements of hundreds of millions of dollars each with Sun Microsystems, America On Line, Gateway and Novell.  Microsoft also has a lawsuit pending against it that was filed by Real Networks, as well as an appeal of a US $600 million fine imposed by European antitrust regulators.
Today is Saturday, July 2, 2005.  Today is the 183rd day of the year.  Today is the middle day of the year.  There were 182 days before today, and there are 182 days remaining in this year.  Here are some of the events that happened today in history:


Thank you for joining us for today's segment. Join us again tomorrow for more headlines, news, facts, and anniversaries.

I'm Paul Robinson.  This report is in the public domain.

If you wish to contact the staff of this broadcast, please send an email to audiowikinews@gmail.com.  If you wish to contribute to Wikinews, please visit www.wikinews.org, or call United States telephone number, area code 206, 339-WIKI, that's 206-339-9454.  Wikinews is a nonprofit independent news site run by the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation.
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Wikinews:Audio Wikinews/Transcripts/July 2, 2005