Milestones

• Share

UPHELD. The conviction of ANWAR IBRAHIM, 57, former Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia; on charges of corruption; in Putrajaya. Malaysia's Federal Court last week ruled there was no new evidence to warrant reconsideration of the case, which alleged Anwar had used his political power to block a 1998 police investigation into sodomy charges against him. Anwar was released from prison three weeks ago after a dramatic reversal of his sodomy conviction, and since then has vowed to push for democratic reforms. His failure to get the corruption conviction overturned means he is barred from holding political office until 2008.

SENTENCED. BAMBANG HARYMURTI, 47, editor-in-chief of the Indonesian daily Tempo; to one year in prison for libel; in Jakarta. The court ruled that the Harvard-educated editor was guilty of "spreading wrongful information" about real estate tycoon Tomy Winata in a March 2003 story. Activists have decried the sentence as a blow to press freedom, criticizing the use of Indonesia's criminal code to prosecute a libel case. "The judges had a golden opportunity to write a new chapter in Indonesian history, but they did not take it," said Harymurti, who remains free pending appeal.

CONVICTED. Former Green Beret JONATHAN IDEMA, along with BRENT BENNETT and cameraman EDWARD CARABALO; of making illegal arrests, establishing a private jail and torturing their captives; in Kabul. Idema claimed he had support from the Pentagon for his efforts to hunt down terrorists, but the U.S. says the men were operating without its knowledge. The judge refused to admit evidence in support of the claim. Idema and Bennett were sentenced to ten years in prison; Carabalo to eight.

EXECUTED. MAMORU TAKUMA, 40; convicted last year of fatally stabbing eight schoolchildren in 2001; in Osaka. Takuma, who had a history of mental illness, went on a rampage at Ikeda Elementary School, attacking students and teachers in several classrooms. Unrepentant, he told the court he could have killed more children if he had targeted a nursery school instead.

DIED. JOHNNY RAMONE, 55, guitarist and co-founder of seminal punk band The Ramones, known for their angsty punk anthems like I Wanna Be Sedated and Blitzkrieg Bop; after a five-year battle with prostate cancer; in Los Angeles. Ramone, born John Cummings, helped craft The Ramones' thrashing, guitar-driven songs and unadorned pop melodies that became a model for future groups from the Sex Pistols to Nirvana. Despite his rebellious image, Ramone was a teetotaler and staunch Republican who belonged to the National Rifle Association.

DIED. PATRIARCH PETROS VII OF ALEXANDRIA, 55, leader of the Greek Orthodox Church in Africa; along with 16 others when their helicopter crashed on the way to a community of monasteries in northeastern Greece; in the Aegean Sea. Since becoming Patriarch in 1997, Petros had helped revive flagging interest in Europe's oldest established church, greatly expanding its missions and influence and acting as a peace broker between Muslims and Christians in the Middle East and North Africa.

DIED. FRED EBB, 76, witty Broadway lyricist who co-authored songs for sassy stage productions like Cabaret and Chicago; in New York City. Ebb worked with composer John Kander for more than four decades on 11 Broadway musicals, including 3 Tony Award-winners. Known for his wry humor and unholy characters, like the lascivious master of ceremonies of Cabaret and the murderous chorus girls of Chicago, Ebb is perhaps best known for penning the lyrics to New York, New York, the big-city anthem Frank Sinatra later made famous.

Numbers 700 Career home runs hit by San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds, only the third professional baseball player to reach that mark

5 to 1 Odds of former Czech President Vaclav Havel winning the Nobel Peace Prize this year, according to betting website Centrebet

1,001 to 1 Odds of U.S. President George W. Bush winning, tied for last place with Slobodan Milosevic

20 Number of journalists killed in Iraq this year

6 Number killed this year in the Philippines, making it the most dangerous country for journalists outside Iraq

16 Number of the 20 cities with the world's worst air quality that are in China, according to the World Bank

$2.94 billion Price a Sony-led group will pay to acquire Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, the last major independent U.S. film studio

7,600 Number of films the group will own after the merger—40% of all Hollywood movies ever produced