WORLD NEWS - SEPTEMBER 2010

Tuesday, September 01st 2009
Border traffic between N and S Korea resumed
Recent restoration of access across North and South Korea's heavily fortified borders may be a sign of thawing relations between the two countries. The access came to be because of the traffic going to and from the Kaesong industrial park, where South Korea runs 110 factories employing about 40,000 North Korean workers. The border will now be opened 23 times a day which is an increase from the previous six times a day proposition.

Wednesday, September 02nd 2009
LA in wild flames
A wildfire has been relentlessly raging in Southern California since early this week and has already affected 53 homes. The fires have been moving closer to downtown Los Angeles because of thickets which are at least a century old and tinder dry bushes . The flames are just 15 miles north of downtown LA. Fire crews have sprayed fire retardant at Mount Wilson which is home to 20 television transmission towers, radio and cellphone antennas and the century old Mount Wilson Observatory to prevent damage due to the wild fires. By late Monday the fires had scorched more than 164 sq miles in parts of the Angeles National Forest.

Thursday, September 03rd 2009
Indonesia quake toll to rise
A powerful earthquake measuring 7.0 hit Indonesia on Wednesday afternoon. So far 44 people have been reported to have died and officials expect this number to rise as rescue operations are still on. More than 300 people have been injured and several buildings collapsed. The epicenter of the quake was about 115km (70 miles) off the south coast of Java, near Tasikmalaya.

Monday, September 07th 2009
Sinking ferry tragedy in the Philippines
Around 900 people have been saved from a sinking ferry off the Philippines on Sunday. The “SuperFerry 9” vessel was carrying 960 passengers and crew when it started off from General Santos City for the central city of Iloilo. The ferry began listing to its side off Zamboanga peninsula and the naval authorities were prompt in initiating a rescue operation. Five people have lost their lives and around 60 were said to be still missing late on Sunday. The rescue operations are still on.

Tuesday, September 08th 2009
Blast in China coal mine
A deadly blast which occurred in a coal mine in the Henan province of China has claimed at least 35 lives and around 44 people are still missing. The gas explosion occurred at Xinhua No 4 pit in Pingdingshan city and 93 miners were working underground when the pre-dawn explosion occurred. China's coal mines are known to be the deadliest in the world with thousands of workers losing lives each year. Coal also happens to be the major source of energy for the nation.

Tuesday, September 08th 2009
3rd world climate conference
The Third world climate conference was organized by the world meteorological Organization(WMO) in Geneva. The focus at the meet was on climate services by local meteorological departments. As per WMO India will be a key country to implement the global framework of climate services. India is also said to have more reasons to implement these services as soon as possible since scientists predict intense monsoons in India.

Thursday, September 10th 2009
President Obama to introduce healthcare reforms
In his address to the congress on his plans for health care reform US President Barack Obama said that the failure to introduce reform had led the country to breaking point. As per the plans proposed by the President, health insurance will be improved for one's who are insured and provide an insurance exchange to extend cover to those who are not insured. Mr. Obama has also proposed the idea of having a public insurance option. This would help keep the private health insurance companies honest yet competitive. The Public insurance would not be subsidized in order. The congress has so far agreed to about 80% of the reforms.

Monday, September 14th 2009
Obama's health reform proposal draws protests
US President Barack Obama's health reform bill which still being considered in congress may give some 46 million uninsured Americans better health insurance coverage and would also cost about 4600 billion. Tens of thousands of protesters took to Capitol hill in Washington to agitate against Mr. Obama's health care reform proposal, higher taxes and out of control government spending. The protesters stressed on the fact that spending tax dollars on a government run health insurance option will increase inflation and eventually lead the country to economic ruin.

Thursday, September 17th 2009
Japan has a new PM
Prime minister Yukio Hatoyama took charge of his new office as Japan's PM on Wednesday and named his cabinet lieutenants as well. This would be a fresh start for Asia's top economy after several years of conservative rule in the country. Two and a half weeks after the Democratic Party of Japan witnessed its stunning election victory, its new leader was installed on a parliamentary vote.

Thursday, September 17th 2009
China makes a major oil deal with Venezuela
Its been a short while since Venezuela signed a deal with Russia for oil exploration for $20 bn. The Latin American nation has announced a $16bn investment for oil exploration in the river Orinoco. According to President Chavez the deal should boost oil production by 900,000 barrels a day.

Friday, September 18th 2009
Protesters waste 3 litres of milk
Dairy farmers in Belgium are protesting against the government for the poor global milk prices which are forcing them to bankruptcy. They stressed their desperation by dumping three million liters of milk in the fields south of the country. The milk strike has found support not just in Belgium but also outside the country. Many EU farmers have refused milk supply to Industries making skimmed milk, chocolate and processed cheese.

Monday, September 21st 2009
AQ Khan reveals about the nuclear proliferation connection
The disgraced Pakistani nuclear scientist A Q Khan's disclosures in a letter to his wife has been made public by his long time contact in the media Simon Henderson. The contents in the letter implicitly defend Mr. Khan from Charges leveled by deposed military ruler Pervez Musharraf that Mr. Khan profited from proliferation activities. The proliferation activities that A Q Khan indulged in included exchanging and passing on blue prints and equipment to China, Iran, North Korea and Libya. These activities were done at the behest of the Pakistani government and military as is claimed in his letter to his wife written in December 2003.

Tuesday, September 22nd 2009
Curfew extended in Honduras
With the return of the ousted Honduran president Mr. Manuel Zelaya to the country the de facto government in Honduras has extended its curfew. The round the clock curfew has resulted in the shutting down of all the airports. Mr. Zelaya has taken refuge in the Brazilian embassy in Tegucigalpa. The interim leader Robert Micheletti has asked the Brazilian government to hand over the ousted president to stand for trial. Mr. Zelaya is keen to have a dialogue with the de facto government. Tension inside Honduras has increased with the return of the ousted leader. Manuel Zelaya was ousted at gun point on June 28.

Wednesday, September 23rd 2009
UN Climate summit
In what has been considered a run up to the crucial Copenhagen summit to be held in December, world leaders met at a one day climate change summit in New York hosted by the UN general assembly. The UN general secretary Ban Ki Moon who was present at the summit said that the one day summit has given a fresh impetus to efforts to tackle the issue of global warming. China pledged that it will increase efforts to improve energy efficiency and cut its CO2 emissions. About 100 leaders attended the summit ahead of the Copenhagen climate meet in December.

Thursday, September 24th 2009
President Obama addresses nuclear proliferation issues at UN meet
US president Barack Obama told world leaders present at the UN general assembly in New York on Wednesday of US's urgency to address the nuclear proliferation issue. Mr. Obama stated that he would seek to wrap up a universal treaty to ban all nuclear testing and also open talks on halting production of bomb making fissile material in the next 12 months. This would mean that India would need to make some strict choices in the coming year regarding the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTP).

Tuesday, September 29th 2009
Death toll rises due to floods in Philippines
The tropical storm Ketsana has caused major havoc in the Philippines. Around 240 people are said to have died due to severe flooding that resulted due to the storm. More that 450,000 people have been displaced and the country has now appealed for aid from the international community to deal with this natural disaster. The UN's World Food Programme(WFP) is sending vital supplies meant for 180,000 people to the Philippines.

Wednesday, September 30th 2009
US puts stringent conditions on Pak aid
The US lawmakers have decided to impose strict conditions on Pakistan while providing a five year, $ 7.5 billion worth financial aid till 2014. This has been made clear under the Kerry-Lugar bill. The conditions imposed on Pakistan include evaluations carried out by the US at intervals of six months of efforts by Pakistan to disrupt, dismantle and defeat Al-Qaida, the Taliban and other extremist and terrorist groups in the FATA and settled areas; close terrorist camps those of Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed; stop all support to extremist and terrorist groups and finally prevent all attacks to neighboring countries