WORLD NEWS - MARCH 2009

Sunday, March 01st 2009
Chinese Lunar probe reaches the moon
China’s lunar mission seemed to have taken a successful step as its first satellite landed on the surface of the moon on March 1st 2009. Chang’e-1 is China’s first lunar probe which impacted the moon. China aims to land robotic explorers on the moon before 2020. Chang’e-1 was launched into space on October 24, 2007 and sent the first full map of the moon’s surface back to China a month after its launch.

Monday, March 02nd 2009
Hutu rebels retake positions in DR Congo
After the withdrawal of the Rwandan troops from the Democratic Republic of Congo, UN peacekeepers state that they have reports of FDLR rebels capturing several villages and a former military school that they had lost in the eastern DR Congo. The Rwandan troops started withdrawing last week. They had crossed the border to attack the FDLR in connection to the 1994 Rwanda genocide. The Congolese officials however state that the Hutu rebels are not re-grouping but are just carrying out raids.

Monday, March 02nd 2009
EU Leaders reject bailout for Eastern Europe
The European Union which had an emergency summit in Brussels to discuss the economic crisis rejected a new multi-billion Euro bailout for eastern European countries. They suggested that additional financial aid be given to struggling nations only on a case by case basis. Germany and the Netherlands also rejected suggestions that Eastern European countries, which have seen their currencies fall drastically, be afforded entry to the Euro.

Monday, March 02nd 2009
Bangladesh PM seeks help from US, UK for probe
The mutiny in the Bangladesh Rifles has left around 140 people dead which include several senior army officers. Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has now sought support from the US and the UK for investigations into the mutiny. The US has already expressed its support to the Bangladeshi government.

Tuesday, March 03rd 2009
G-Bissau army kills President Vieira
Guinea-Bissau President Joao Bernardo Vieira was assassinated by the West African nation’s army at his private home close to the presidential palace in Bissau. The assassination happened hours after the death of the army Chief of Staff Gen Tagme Na Waie, who died in a blast that destroyed part of the military headquarters. The President was killed by the soldiers in retaliation after he had admitted to ordering the killing of general Tagme. The G-Bissau army has however stated that it would respect the country’s democratic systems following the assassination of the president.

Thursday, March 05th 2009
China to face most difficult year ahead
The Chinese premier Wen Jiabao has stated that the nation will face its most difficult year ahead owing to the economic crisis. In his address to the Chinese parliament Mr. Jiabao said that there would be a $585 bn investment programme to stimulate the Chinese economy. The prime minister also hopes to create nine million new jobs in the cities and also increase local government spending budgets by almost 25%.

Friday, March 06th 2009
S Korea re routes flights amid safety threats
Two of South Korea’s airlines have plans to re-route its flights after North Korea stated that it could no longer guarantee their safety. About 30 flights a day pass through North Korea’s airspace to and from South. Tensions between both the Koreas are now high. The threat about the safety has followed after warnings in connection to a joint US-South Korean military exercise which is due next week.

Saturday, March 07th 2009
Pak bomb blast kills eight
Eight people, including five policemen, were killed today when a suspected car bomb hit a police van on the outskirts of the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar, a senior police officer said. Last Tuesday, gunmen attacked the Sri Lankan cricket team in the northeastern city of Lahore, killing seven Pakistanis and wounding six Sri Lankan players and two team officials. Islamist militants linked to the Taliban or Al Qaeda who are opposed to the government’s support for the United States carry out most bombings.

Sunday, March 08th 2009
Car crash injures Zimbabwe PM, wife killed
Morgan Tsvangirai Zimbabwe’s recently sworn in Prime minister was injured in a car crash which killed his wife Susan Tsvangirai. Mr. Tsvangirai had assumed the PM’s office in the national unity government just three weeks back. The couple was heading for a rally in their hometown in Bulhera district when their vehicle collided with a truck 300 Km outside the capital Harare. Mr. Tsvangirai’s party has asked for an investigation into the accident as rumours of foul play do the rounds.

Monday, March 09th 2009
China to design N-reactors for Pakistan
China has begun designing two more Nuclear reactors for Pakistan. The reactors are expected to come up at the Chashma Nuclear Power Complex. The new development has come after Pakistani president Asif Ali Zardari’s visit to China. China’s Shanghai Nuclear Engineering Research & Design Institute had designed the first two reactors at the Power Complex earlier. The two new reactors will have a capacity of 325 mw each.

Tuesday, March 10th 2009
Restrictions on ‘Stem cell research’ lifted
US President Barrack Obama has lifted the restrictions on stem cell research through an executive order reversing US policy which now pledges vigorous support for new research in this field. The decision will allow more research aimed at better treatments and cures for many ailments including diabetes and paralysis.

Wednesday, March 11th 2009
Suicide attack in Sri Lanka kills 15
A LTTE suicide bomber killed at least 15 people and injured 20 others which included a senior minister outside a mosque in Southern Sri Lanka on Tuesday. The bomb attack struck during celebrations at a mosque on the occasion of Milad-ud-Nabi. The attack has come at a time when the Sri Lankan forces are on the verge of completely removing the LTTE from the Wanni region.

Thursday, March 12th 2009
Pakistan hurtling towards national crisis
Pakistan seems to be heading towards another major national crisis. The Pakistani army issued a warning to the Prime Minster Yousuf Raza Gilani in a meeting on Wednesday that unless the law and order situation in the nation is brought to normalcy within four days it would take steps to impose an emergency. The army would suspend all assemblies (national and provincial) and would also bring about the dismissal of President Asif Ali Zardari

Friday, March 20th 2009
EU plans to double its financial stimulus dose
The European Union has said that it plans to double its stimulus plan to help member states who need the emergency funds. The amount of the funds will be increased to 50 bn euros. European commission president Manuel Barosso stated that the deal for the increase in the emergency funding would be reached during the two day summit in Brussels. The emergency fund is meant only for member states outside the 16-nation euro zone.

Friday, March 20th 2009
Madagascar’s new leader rejected by Sadc
The Southern African countries have refused to accept Andry Rajoelina as Madagascar’s new leader. Andry Rajoelina ousted the democratically elected president on the 17th of this month to take up his place. The regional body Sadc to which Madagascar belongs has asked for a constitutional rule at the earliest. It has also asked the African Union (AU) and the international community to reject this new leadership and not to acknowledge Mr Rajoelina

Monday, March 23rd 2009
H-IB Visa restriction to end in two years
The restriction placed on companies over the hiring of foreign skilled workers holding an H-1B visa will not be permanent. This clause was stated in a circular issued by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in its invitation for fresh applications for H-1B for the next fiscal. President Barack Obama had signed a new law named Employ American Workers Act (EAWA), which made it difficult for companies having received government bailout funds to hire H-1B foreign workers. The EAWA which took effect on February 17th, 2009 applies to any ‘hire’ taking place before February 17th, 2011. The USCIS said that it would begin accepting H-1B visa applications from April 1 for the next fiscal.

Monday, March 23rd 2009
BDR to be scrapped by Bangladesh
After the mutiny witnessed in Bangladesh’s paramilitary unit, the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR), a decision to disband the unit is imminent. Bangladesh hopes to raise a new force to guard its borders. The mutiny which had begun on February 25 at the headquarters of the paramilitary force in Dhaka killed around 80 people, who were mostly army officers.

Tuesday, March 24th 2009
UN calls for release of Aung San Suu Kyi
The United Nations in an official statement has described the detention of the Burmese leader Aung San Suu Kyi as a violation of both the international legislation and the laws of Burma. The UN working group on arbitrary detentions has called for Ms Suu Kyi’s immediate release. Ms Suu Kyi has spent 13 of the last 19 years under house arrest and many of her democratic allies have been jailed.

Thursday, March 26th 2009
Swiss-Italian borders to be redrawn
Italy and Switzerland have decided to have their borders reworked since the Alpine glaciers have dissolved due to global warming. The European neighbors had fixed the international border in 1861 when Italy became a unified state. The past century has however witnessed a change in the surface area of the glaciers. The glaciers have been shrinking steadily and it has accelerated over the past five years. The national frontier passes over this area. Experts from both the countries will now consider where the national frontier ought to run.

Thursday, March 26th 2009
Lapis lazuli mines in Swat valley under the Taliban
The Pakistani Taliban have taken over mines producing precious lapis lazuli stones in the insurgency-ridden Swat valley in Pakistan. The Taliban have already started operating these mines on their own and have confirmed to have taken control of the mines two months back.

Friday, March 27th 2009
Dam bursts in Indonesia killing dozens
A dam located in the South-west of the Indonesian capital of Jakarta burst and has killed around 50 people according to latest media reports. A flash flood of water which was 4m (13ft) deep engulfed several homes in Cirendeu in the Tangerang district. Officials state that the death toll could rise.

Monday, March 30th 2009
Police training center attacked in Lahore
A police training center in Lahore came under attack and around 20 are feared to have died . The attackers who were wearing police uniforms opened fire at the trainee policemen who were doing a parade. As per media reports around 1500 cadets have been held hostage by the attackers who are still inside the training centres. The police training center is located on the outskirts of Lahore at a place called Munavaan.

Tuesday, March 31st 2009
Terrorist encounter in Lahore declared over
The grueling battle between the police and the attackers who had earlier opened fire at a parade of police trainees at a police training institute in Lahore and and were holding them hostage has now been brought under control of the police. After hours of gun battle, police have killed four and six have been held alive. 26 people are believed to have died in the crossfire and 90 have been injured. The heavily armed militants had entered the elite police training academy in Manavan which is just 12 Km from the Wagah border.

Tuesday, March 31st 2009
Reconstructing Afghanistan
Days after the US announced major policy changes in connection to Afghanistan, world leaders from across 70 nations will discuss the reconstruction of Afghanistan. The leaders are slated to meet in Hague. The meet has been initiated by the UN amid concerns that not enough had been done since the invasion of Afghanistan by the US in 2001.