Portal:Current events/March 2011

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March 2011 was the third month of that common year. The month, which began on a Tuesday, ended on a Thursday after 31 days.

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Portal:Current events

This is an archived version of Wikipedia's Current events Portal from March 2011.

Current events of March 1, 2011 (2011-03-01) (Tuesday) Armed conflicts and attacks 2011 Iranian protests: Tear gas is fired on anti-government demonstrators during clashes in the capital Tehran. (BBC) (AFP via Google News) 2011 Jordanian protests: Relatives of jailed Islamists in Jordan demand their release in a demonstration in the capital Amman. (Sify India) (Ynet) 2011 Libyan civil war Al-Jazeera reports that forces supporting Muammar Gaddafi have bombed targets in the Libyan city of Misrata. (Al-Jazeera) Forces loyal to Colonel Gaddafi attack the city of Nalut near the Tunisian border. (Reuters via Hindustan Times) The United Nations says the situation on the Libyan/Tunisian border has reached "crisis point". (BBC) 2011 Omani protests: A fourth day of protests take place, with security forces firing into the air in an attempt to disperse protesters. (Al Arabiya) NATO forces kill 9 Afghan children while they collected firewood; this is the third NATO attack on civilians in the last 2 weeks.(Democracy Now!) Arts and culture Road workers in Taizhou, Jiangsu, China discover remains of 700 yr-old mummy. Archaeologists recover six cannons from the ships of Welsh privateer Henry Morgan off the coast of Panama. (Los Angeles Times) Christian Dior S.A. fires fashion designer John Galliano following a series of anti-semitic remarks. (AP via MSNBC), (Minneapolis St-Paul Tribune) American actor Charlie Sheen loses custody of his two sons Bob and Max following claims by their mother Brooke Mueller that he made threats of domestic violence. (TMZ) Business and economy Ally Financial, the company formerly known as General Motors Acceptance Corporation, announced in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that the U.S. Treasury Department will be selling some of Ally's preferred securities. This is part of the unwinding of the Treasury's investment in the auto industry as a result of the 2008 financial crisis. (Bloomberg). Disasters 2011 Canterbury earthquake New Zealand holds a two-minute silence in respect for the victims of the 2011 Canterbury earthquake. (New Zealand Herald) The death toll from the earthquake has reached 154 with the final toll expected to be around 240. (New Zealand Herald) International relations The President of South Korea Lee Myung-bak calls on North Korea to abandon its nuclear and missile programs. (AP via Forbes) Law and crime Eleven people are sentenced to death and twenty to life sentences for their roles in the Godhra train burning in New Delhi, India. (Times of India) Seventeen bodies are found in clandestine graves in Mexico's Guerrero state. (AP via Buffalo News) Politics An internet campaign calls for protests demanding that Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe step down, leading to an increased security presence. (Reuters) Sierra Leone's Supreme Court bans the country's main opposition party from meeting to choose its presidential candidate. (Reuters) Jody Weis resigns as the Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department in the US city of Chicago. (Chicago Tribune) The protests in Yemen continue with tens of thousands of protestors in the streets in a "Day of Rage". (Reuters via ABS CBN) The German Federal Minister for Defence Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg resigns over a plagiarism scandal. (The Economist) The Canadian Federal Court of Appeal rules against the Conservative Party of Canada on ad spending prior to the Canadian federal election, 2006, while the Harper government reaches 43% support and announces cuts to the budget. (Reuters Canada) (National Post) (Montreal Gazette) Current events of March 2, 2011 (2011-03-02) (Wednesday) Armed conflicts and attacks 2011 Libyan civil war The South Korean Navy ship Choi Young arrives off the coast of Tripoli to evacuate South Korean citizens from Libya. (Yonhap) Supporters and opponents of Muammar Gaddafi fight to control the town of Brega with the rebel held town of Ajdabiya being bombed; government troops later retreat. (BBC), (AP viaGold Coast Telegram) Colonel Gaddafi claims that Libya's oil fields are "safe" and "under control" and warns against foreign intervention. (Associated Press) A spokesman for the "interim national government council" in Benghazi calls for the international community to carry out air strikes against mercenaries fighting for Colonel Gaddafi. (New York Times) 2011 Yemeni protests Thousands of anti-government protesters demonstrate across Yemen, amid mounting pressure for President Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down. (Al Jazeera) 2011 Iranian protests Iran's opposition says 200 people were arrested during protests in the capital Tehran yesterday. (BBC) Dozens of people are killed in fighting between rebels and troops in Southern Sudan. (Al Jazeera) Shahbaz Bhatti, Pakistan's Minister for Minorities and himself a Roman Catholic, is assassinated in Islamabad. (Sydney Morning Herald) Arts and culture Sony Music Japan apologises for members of the rock band Kishidan dressing up in Nazi style uniforms in a television broadcast following protests from the Simon Wiesenthal Center. (AP via MSNBC) Pope Benedict XVI exonerates the Jewish people for the responsibility for the death of Jesus in his book Jesus of Nazareth Part II. (AP via Yahoo! News) Four Chinese stamps from the Cultural Revolution are sold at auction for approximately $1.15million.(BBC) Business and economy The Bangladeshi central bank attempts to remove Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus from the Grameen Bank which he founded. (BBC) Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation agrees to sell Sky News in order to be in a position to buy BSkyB without a Competition Commission inquiry. (BBC) MetLife, the largest life insurance company in the United States, claims that shares held by the American International Group (AIG) have been sold for $6.35 billion to help pay back the United States government for the bailout. (Bloomberg via San Francisco Chronicle) Apple Inc unveils the latest model of its tablet computer, the iPad 2. (CNet) Barnes & Noble settles an intellectual property dispute over the design of its ebook reader, the Nook. (Reuters) Disasters Around 40 fishermen in Zambia are feared dead after their boat capsized in a storm on Lake Mweru. (AFP via Google News) A dust storm hits Christchurch, New Zealand, hampering the recovery efforts from the 2011 Canterbury earthquake. (AFP via Yahoo! News) Law and crime Prosecutors in Paris, France, say that British fashion designer John Galliano will face criminal charges over alleged anti-Semitic remarks. (Newscore via New York Post), (The Telegraph) Frankfurt shootings Two United States Air Force personnel are killed and two others injured after a gunman opens fire at Frankfurt Airport in Germany - a suspect is arrested in connection with the incident. (Sky News), (AP via MSNBC), (USA Today) President of the United States Barack Obama says that he is "saddened and outraged" and says that the United States will ensure that the perpetrators will be brought to justice. (Associated Press) The United States military files new charges against Private Bradley Manning in relation to the leak of the WikiLeaks cables. (ABC News Australia) Sirhan Sirhan, the assassin of US politician Robert F. Kennedy in 1968, is denied parole again in California. (KABC Television) Politics Private and independent newspapers in Ivory Coast cease publication to protest violence and harassment by supporters of incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo. Radio broadcasts by the BBC and RFI are taken off air. (Bloomberg) German Chancellor Angela Merkel names Thomas de Maizière as new defence minister and Hans-Peter Friedrich as the new interior minister, following resignations earlier this week. (Deutsche Welle) (Xinhua) The United Kingdom announces plans to axe 11,000 jobs in the British Armed Forces. (AFP via The Australian) Fox News suspends contributors Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum until they decide on a 2012 US presidential election candidacy. (Politico) Thousands of Turkish Cypriots protest against Government of Turkey inspired spending cuts in Nicosia. (Cyprus Mail) The Wisconsin Senate votes to fine missing Democrats $100 a day for their absence during the 2011 Wisconsin protests. (Madison.com) The President of the United States Barack Obama signs a bill preventing a shutdown of the United States government for another two weeks. (Washington Post) The South Dakota Senate passes a bill requiring additional steps to provide informed consent before a woman can have an abortion. (Rapid City Journal) Hawaii Democratic Party Senator Daniel Akaka announces that he will not be standing for reelection in the United States Senate election in Hawaii. (The Washington Post) Elections in the Netherlands: Dutch provincial elections of 2011. The People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) obtain the highest number of votes cast, The Labour Party (PvdA) obtain the second highest number of votes. (NOS) Science The Eastern Cougar is declared extinct in the United States. (AP via Salon) Sport Soccer player Luis Moreno, a defender for Deportivo Pereira in the Colombian League is suspended for two matches and given a $560 fine for kicking an owl causing its death. (ESPN) Current events of March 3, 2011 (2011-03-03) (Thursday) Armed conflicts and attacks 2011 Libyan civil war: The Dutch Ministry of Defense confirm that three Royal Netherlands Navy personnel are captured by armed men loyal to Muammar Gaddafi during an evacuation operation. "Intensive diplomatic negotiations" are going on between Dutch and Libyan authorities and relatives of the crew are being kept informed. (CNN) Reuters reports that Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and the President of the Arab League Amr Moussa have agreed to an offer by the President of Venezuela Hugo Chávez to mediate in the uprising. (Reuters via CNBC) Family members of Libyan dissidents raise concerns about kidnapping by the current regime. (ABC News Australia) The seaport of Brega is again bombed, though with no reported casualties. (BBC) Howard Davies, the director of the London School of Economics, resigns over allegations about the institution's links to the Libyan regime. (The Guardian), (BBC) Xinhua reports that 35,860 Chinese nationals have been evacuated from Libya in one of the largest overseas operations in Chinese military history. (Xinhua) The United States Air Force starts preparation of evacuation flights to get Egyptian refugees out of Libya following an order from the President of United States Barack Obama. (AP via Washington Post) President Obama calls on Colonel Gaddafi to stand down and advises that the United States is looking at "full range" of military options. (AFP via Yahoo! News) Japanese jets scramble to react to Chinese military aircraft which flew close to the disputed Senkaku Islands. (BBC) A bomb explodes at a People's Democratic Party rally in Suleja Nigeria killing at least three people. (BBC) (Al Jazeera) The suspect in a deadly attack on US airmen at Frankfurt Airport allegedly targeted US servicemen and had portrayed himself as an Islamist on the Internet according to German sources. (Stars and Stripes) Ivory Coast security forces kill at least six women marching in support of Opposition leader Alassane Ouattara in Abidjan. (BBC) A series of attacks in the Sudanese border town of Abyei kills more than 100 people in the past week. (Christian Science Monitor) Business and economy The United Nations says world food prices are at their highest for 20 years. (Al Jazeera) (Sify India) News Corporation, the third largest media company in the world, gets approval to buy out British Sky Broadcasting, the largest pay-TV broadcaster in the United Kingdom, for $12.7 billion. (Business Week)(BBC) WordPress.com, a leading weblog host, is subjected to a huge Distributed Denial of Service attack. (Techcrunch) Airfares in the United States continue to rise due to increasing costs of jet fuel. (NBC Dallas Fort Worth) Mazda recalls approximately 50,000 Mazda6 sedans after finding that a spider web could cause the fuel tank to crack and leak. (New York Times) Disasters New Zealand authorities state that they have given up finding survivors from the 2011 Canterbury earthquake with the final death toll expected to be approximately 240. (AP, Reuters, via MSNBC) 40 people die in northern India after two vehicles plunge into a deep gorge. (Rediff), (AP via Breitbart) International relations The President of Mexico Felipe Calderon travels to Washington DC to meet with the President of the United States Barack Obama, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives and other leading political figures. (CNN) The United States reports that it has proof that Robert Levinson, a retired FBI agent missing in Iran since 2007, is alive. (AP via Fresno Bee) Law and crime 22 new charges are brought against Bradley Manning, including aiding the enemy, a capital offense. (BBC) White supremacist David Lynch, the co-founder of the American Front, is killed in Sacramento County, California with police detaining a person in connection with the incident. (Los Angeles Times) Target Corporation pays $22.5 million to settle claims of toxic waste dumping in the city of Los Angeles and elsewhere in the US state of California. (NBC Los Angeles) A Needham, Massachusetts doctor and a nurse practitioner are indicted in connection with the death of six patients. (Boston Globe) Politics and elections Republicans submit a bill to the U.S. congress that would prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating greenhouse gasses as pollutants.(Reuters) The Congress of New Caledonia elects a new collegial government with Harold Martin as President of New Caledonia. However, the new government collapses minutes after being formed. (RNZI) P. J. Thomas, India's chief of anti-corruption, resigns over charges brought against him of corruption stemming from 1992. (BBC) Ahmed Shafiq resigns as the Prime Minister of Egypt and is replaced by former transport minister Essam Sharaf. (Al-Jazeera) 2011 Wisconsin budget protests The Wisconsin Senate orders the arrest of 14 Democrat members who have been absent as part of the protests. (Wisconsin State Journal) Judge John Albert of the Dane County Circuit orders protestors to leave the Wisconsin Capitol Building. (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel), (AP via Huffington Post) Harvard University welcomes the United States Reserve Officer Training Corps program back on campus following the lifting of the bans on gays in the military. (AP via ABC News America) Former Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Newt Gingrich announces plans to explore a bid for the Republican Party nomination in the 2012 US Presidential election. (Atlanta Journal Constitution) Voters in the English constituency of Barnsley Central go to the polls for a by-election with Dan Jarvis of the Labour Party being elected with a strong swing in his favour. (BBC) Fouad Mebazaa, the acting President of Tunisia, has called an election on July 24 to appoint a council to rewrite the constitution. (Reuters via Washington Post) Science The UK Government releases 35 formerly classified files related to sightings of unidentified flying objects. (Reuters) The Daily Telegraph claims that German anaesthetist Joachim Boldt has conducted "fraudulent research" into drugs called colloids. (Daily Telegraph) Sports Police in the Australian state of New South Wales arrest former rugby league footballer John Elias and National Rugby League player agent Sam Ayoub in relation to a sports betting scandal allegedly involving current player Ryan Tandy of the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs. (Sydney Daily Telegraph), (Sydney Morning Hotel) Manchester City Football Club defender and Ivory Coast international Kolo Touré is suspended after failing a drug test. (BBC) Owners of National Football League franchises and the National Football League Players Association agree to extend talks on a new agreement by 24 hours in the hope that they can reach an agreement. (Washington Post) Current events of March 4, 2011 (2011-03-04) (Friday) Armed conflicts and attacks 2011 Libyan civil war: The United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Office is investigating claims that a man from the English city of Manchester has been killed in the 2011 Libyan civil war. (Sky News) Al Arabiya reports that the city of Brega has been bombed by forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi. (Reuters) The Gaddafi regime blocks foreign journalists in a Tripoli hotel to stop them from reporting on the conflict supposedly for their safety. (AGI) Shots are fired by government forces during an anti-government protest in Tripoli. (Reuters) Interpol issues an international alert for Gaddafi and 15 of his family members and close associates to help enforce the UN sanctions against his regime. (AP via Forbes) Heavy fighting occurs in the town of Zawiya with at least 30 people dead. (AAP via SBS), (Sky News), (Reuters) Law enforcement in Tripoli uses tear gas to disperse protestors after Friday prayers. (BBC News) Anti-Gaddafi forces take control of the port town of Ra's Lanuf. (Reuters) A bomb explodes outside a mosque in Peshawar in the Pakistani province of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa with casualties feared. (DPA via Trends) North Yemen rebels claim that Government of Yemen forces have bombed a protest resulting in two people dead and seven injured. (Sky News), (Reuters) Protesters storm the State Security Intelligence building in Alexandria, Egypt after police officers had previously fired on the crowd. (Al Jazeera) (BBC) Fifty-three African Union peacekeepers were killed in fighting in Somalia. (Yahoo) Arts and culture The Broadway production Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark is cited for three serious occupational safety and health violations by the US OSHA. (The New York Times) Business and economy The marketing chief at Research in Motion, the Canadian company best known for the BlackBerry smart phone, is leaving. This surprise announcement concerning Keith Pardy may have an impact on the launch of a new product, the PlayBook tablet. (Reuters) A report by the Government Accountability Office claims that the US Government could save $5.5 billion over the next 30 years by replacing dollar bills with coins. (MyFox8) Disasters An earthquake occurs offshore near the Philippines city of Surigao causing property damage. (AP via Atlanta Journal Constitution) The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board believes that there may have been a fundamental safety design problems with the device that failed to stop the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and has asked for more time to test it. (AP via MSNBC) International relations North Korea steps up a campaign to block out news of the uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa to its population. (The Straits Times) The Blue House, the executive office and residence of the President of the Republic of Korea, and other Government of South Korea and South Korean financial corporations come under attack from a distributed denial-of-service. (Yonhap) The United Nations is investigating suspected transfer of weapons from Zimbabwe to Ivory Coast's incumbent President of the Ivory Coast Laurent Gbagbo in violation of UN sanctions. (Reuters) Queen Elizabeth II accepts an invitation from President of Ireland Mary McAleese to visit Ireland in May. (The Irish Times) (BBC) (RTÉ) Law and crime Jared Lee Loughner has been indicted on 49 counts in relation to the 2011 Tucson shooting in the US state of Arizona. (Politico) (The Washington Post) Politics China is to boost defence spending by 12.7% this year. (Mainichi Shimbun) Japan's Prime Minister Naoto Kan apologises over a fundraising scandal. (The Straits Times) Following a Yes vote in the referendum held across Wales on 3 March 2011, the Welsh Assembly obtains primary law-making powers, making it possible for it to legislate without having to consult the United Kingdom parliament, nor the Secretary of State for Wales in 20 previously devolved areas of legislation. (BBC) The British Labour Party retains the seat of Barnsley Central following a by-election. The Lib Dems, who had come second at the 2010 general election slump to sixth place behind the British National Party and UKIP. (BBC) Science NASA's attempt to launch the Glory satellite aboard a Taurus XL rocket fails. (CNN) Sport Real Madrid soccer coach José Mourinho evades being stabbed to death after a man wielding a knife attacks a member of the club's security staff at an airport in A Coruña, Galicia. (BBC News) ESPN reports that the US National Football League and the National Football League Players Association have agreed to extend talks on a collective bargaining agreement. (ESPN) Current events of March 5, 2011 (2011-03-05) (Saturday) Armed conflicts 2011 Libyan civil war: Battle of Zawiya: rebels beat back a pro-Gaddafi push into the city. (BBC) (Al Arabiya) An eight member United Kingdom Special Air Service team and a junior diplomat are captured by Libyan rebels as a secret effort to contact the rebels backfires. (Daily Mail) Arts and culture Slumdog Millionaire souvenirs are destroyed after the home of actress Rubina Ali burns down in a fire in Garib Nagar near Bandra Railway Station in Mumbai. 21 people are wounded and more than 2,000 others become homeless. (BBC) Disasters A search of ChristChurch Cathedral, Christchurch has found no bodies from the 2011 Canterbury earthquake despite fears that there were 22 bodies buried there - the confirmed death toll is 165. (Stuff and NZPA) A tornado hits the town of Rayne in the US state of Louisiana resulting in one death, at least eleven injuries and 50 homes destroyed. (AP via Indiana Republic), (The Daily Advertiser), (CNN), (Fox News) At least 25 people are killed after a truck and a bus collide in Brazil's Santa Catarina state. (AFP via ABC News), (CNN) Six people are killed when an Antonov An-148 loses a wing in flight and crashes. (Belfast Telegraph) International relations South Korea reports China's formal invitation to probable North Korean heir Kim Jong-un to visit the country, though China has not confirmed this. (BBC) Law and crime Prime Minister of Italy Silvio Berlusconi is put on trial for corruption again, one of the four trials he is involved in at the moment. (BBC) United States aid worker Alan Gross has been found guilty of crimes against the state of Cuba supposedly for setting up illegal Internet connections. (BBC) Politics and elections Two government ministers in Oman are replaced amid ongoing demonstrations in the country. (Reuters) Saudi Arabia imposes a ban on all protests, after demonstrations in the east of the country. (Al Jazeera) (BBC) 2011 National People's Congress: Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao delivers the annual Government Work Report to the National People's Congress in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, outlining the priorities for the Chinese government in the next five years. (BBC) (China Daily) Phil Hogan says Fine Gael and the Labour Party have agreed a draft of a proposed Programme for Government as talks between the political parties resume at Government Buildings in Dublin following the recent general election. (RTÉ) Current events of March 6, 2011 (2011-03-06) (Sunday) Armed conflicts and attacks Following rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip on southern Israel, Israeli air force planes bomb Hamas and Islamic Jihad targets in the Gaza Strip. (Ynet) (Xinhua) (Al Jazeera) Fighting erupts in western Ivory Coast between rebels and forces loyal to incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo, with injured people crossing into Liberia. (Reuters) At least 12 civilians are killed and at least 5 others are injured in eastern Afghanistan's Paktika Province. (BBC) (RIA Novosti) Libyan Civil War: An uprising against the Muammar Gaddafi regime continues in Libya. (Al Jazeera) (The Guardian) Heavy gunfire is heard in the streets of Tripoli early Sunday morning. This is later claimed to be celebratory gunfire by supporters of Muammar Gaddafi following the capture of Ra's Lanuf although rebel forces deny these claims. (MSNBC) (Sky News) (AP via Forbes) (The Guardian) Fierce fighting continues in the First Battle of Zawiya. (The Daily Telegraph) Muammar Gaddafi calls on the United Nations or African Union to investigate the uprising. (Al Jazeera) The Algerian army is deployed to the border with Libya to monitor air traffic and weapons smuggling. (Xinhua) Six United Kingdom Special Air Service and two MI6 agents leave Libya on the HMS Cumberland following their capture by Gaddafi opponents on a mission to make contact. (The Guardian) 2011 Bahraini protests: Thousands of people demonstrate outside the Al-Qudaibiya Palace, where the government meets in Manama, calling for the prime minister to resign and voicing their discontent with the king. (Al Jazeera) 2011 Yemeni protests: Demonstrations against the Saleh regime in Yemen continue. (Al Jazeera) Other protests: Chinese state media warn against protests inspired by Arab Spring. (Radio Television Hong Kong) (Times of India) More than 1,000 people protest in Hong Kong over the government's budget proposals. (Radio Television Hong Kong) (AFP via Google News) India successfully conducts an interceptor missile test over the Bay of Bengal. (Indian Express) (The Straits Times) The Washington Post reports that the military forces imprisoned alleged whistleblower Bradley Manning to strip each night and sleep naked, having confiscated his boxers earlier this week following Manning's protest that restrictions imposed on him were "absurd". A spokesperson for the facility denies "any sort of humiliation or embarrassment" is intended. (The Washington Post) United States Navy commandos from the destroyer USS Bulkeley capture four Somali pirates who boarded the Japanese oil tanker, the MV Guanabara. (AP via the Columbus Republic) Hamid Karzai, the President of Afghanistan, warns General David Petraeus the head of United States and NATO forces in Afghanistan that civilian casualties in the Afghanistan war and rejects an apology for the mistaken killings of nine boys in a NATO air attack. (Fox News) Arts and culture The Brazilian Carnival has its peak main carnival processions in Rio de Janeiro. (Reuters) A rare original King James Bible is found in a church in Wiltshire, England in the United Kingdom. (BBC) English singer and musician Phil Collins announces his retirement due to health concerns. (People) Disasters A 6.2 magnitude earthquake shakes northern Chile and southern Peru. (Andina) Nine people are killed and 12 injured in a fire in a bar in Taichung, Taiwan. (Focus Taiwan) (BBC) Three people are killed and 28 others are hospitalised in a shipping incident on the Greek island of Crete. (Al Jazeera) Seven people are missing after a mobile home park fire near Lake Granbury, Texas. (WFAA) International relations President of Chile Sebastián Piñera, makes his first official visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories. (The Jerusalem Post)(Press TV) Ron Prosor is appointed Israel's ambassador to the United Nations. (Haaretz) (Ynetnews) North Korea reportedly used jamming devices to block South Korean military communications as tensions between the Koreas continues to simmer. (Channel News Asia) (Yonhap) The United States Department of State warns U.S. citizens of a high security threat level in Yemen due to what it describes as "terrorist activities and civil unrest". (U.S. State Department), (Voice of America) Law and crime Kenya arrests six Somali Islamist al-Shabaab fighters in the border town of Mandera. (Reuters) Gunmen attacked patrons at a bar near the United States consulate in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico killing three people. (AP via Huffington Post) Politics and elections Egyptian Army General Mansour el-Essawy is named as the new Minister of Interior responsible for security replacing Mahmoud Wagdy. (Reuters via Yahoo! Canada) (Al Arabiya) The Sultan of Oman Qaboos bin Said dismisses three senior ministers replacing them with Khaled bin Hilal bin Saud al-Busaidi, Sultan bin Mohammed al-Numani and Nasr bin Hamoud bin Ahmed al Kindi following concerns raised in the 2011 Omani protests. (Al-Jazeera) The Fine Gael and Labour political parties agree to form a coalition. (The Irish Times) (The Guardian) (RTÉ) (BBC) Japanese Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara resigns. (BBC) (Al Jazeera) (Japan Times) UK PM David Cameron declares war on "enemies of enterprise" during a speech at a Tory conference in Cardiff, Wales. (The Guardian) Current events of March 7, 2011 (2011-03-07) (Monday) Armed conflicts and attacks Libyan Civil War NATO decides to increase surveillance flights over Libya to a 24/7 basis. (MSNBC) The Arab media reports that Muammar Gaddafi sent envoys to Benghazi to negotiate terms for his withdrawal from power but the terms are rejected. (Asharq Alawsat), (BBC), (Reuters) 2011 Yemeni protests Protesters in the central jail of the Yemeni capital Sana'a take part in anti-Saleh demonstrations, where warning shots are fired. (Al Jazeera) 2010–2011 Ivorian crisis Rebel forces seize a third town in western Ivory Coast from government forces.(Reuters) Twenty-three oil workers are kidnapped in eastern Colombia with FARC rebels the most likely suspects. (Voice of America) Arts and culture Pablo Picasso's Nude, Green Leaves and Bust, the most expensive painting ever sold at auction, goes on public exhibition at the Tate Gallery in London, England. (Reuters via Yahoo News) Warner Bros. Television sacks actor Charlie Sheen from the cast of television show Two and a Half Men. (TMZ), (Sky News) Business and economy The New York Times reports that French luxury group LVMH will take control of Italy's Bulgari in an all-share deal. (New York Times) Oil prices rise to their highest level in 29 months as fighting in Libya intensifies. (Bloomberg via Business Week) Australia's Climate Change Minister, Greg Combet, says that the government's plans to impose a carbon tax, part of a phase-in of an emissions trading program, will impact less than 1,000 companies. (Reuters) Laurent Gbagbo, the President of Ivory Coast, nationalises the coffee and cocoa industries which are the Ivory Coast's two biggest crops. (CNN) AOL completes its purchase of the Huffington Post. (Los Angeles Times) Disasters New Zealand earthquake The state of emergency put in place after the 2011 Canterbury earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand, is extended. (AAP via SBS News) A National Memorial Service to honour earthquake victims will be held on March 18. (New Zealand Herald) A strong 6.6 magnitude earthquake occurs off the coast of the Solomon Islands in the Pacific Ocean. (AFP via Yahoo! News) International relations China closes Tibet to foreign tourists, ahead of the third anniversary since unrest there in 2008. (AFP via Google News) (MSN Malaysia) Yang Jiechi, the Foreign Minister of the People's Republic of China, warns the United States that relations between China and the US will deteriorate if it sells weapons to Taiwan. (Reuters) Robert Gates, the United States Secretary of Defense, arrives in Afghanistan to meet with the President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai. (Reuters) Britain upgrades its relation with Palestine to a mission, the second-highest rank.(Haaretz) Law and crime A court in Zimbabwe frees 38 people detained for weeks on charges of attempting to overthrow President Robert Mugabe, after they watched videos of the Arab Spring. (Reuters) Tunisia dissolves the country's secret police, accused of human rights abuses. (BBC) Former President of France Jacques Chirac faces charges that related to alleged use of Paris city government resources to benefit his Rally for the Republic party while serving as Mayor of Paris. (AP via Yahoo News) Politics A new cabinet of Egypt is sworn in by the Chairman of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces Mohamed Hussein Tantawi. (Al Arabiya) Seiji Maehara resigns as Foreign Minister of Japan after becoming involved in an illegal political donation scandal. (Wall Street Journal) United States Senator John Ensign announces that he will not stand in the 2012 Senate elections in Nevada. (Las Vegas Sun), (Fox Las Vegas), (Washington Post) President of the United States Barack Obama lifts a two year freeze on the Combatant Status Review Tribunal at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp. (BBC), (CNN) ABC News reports that President Barack Obama will nominate the United States Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke as the next United States ambassador to the People's Republic of China. (ABC News) Science A possible discovery of extraterrestrial life forms in samples of CI1 meteorites is reported in the Journal of Cosmology by Richard B. Hoover. (Daily Times) (The Star) However, NASA formally distanced itself from Hoover's claim and his lack of expert peer-reviews. (ABC News) Current events of March 8, 2011 (2011-03-08) (Tuesday) Armed conflicts and attacks 2011 Libyan civil war: Al Jazeera claims to have video that shows a Libyan Army officer being executed for refusing to fire on opposition positions west of the capital Tripoli. (Al Jazeera) Pro-Gaddafi forces launch an offensive on the rebel held town of Zawiya. (BBC) The President of the United States Barack Obama and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom David Cameron agree that the "common objective in Libya" is the end of violence and the departure of Colonel Gaddafi. (Reuters) 2010–2011 Ivorian crisis: Four people are shot dead in Abidjan after a march to protest the killing of seven female demonstrators last week. (BBC), (AP via The Guardian) (Times of India) National Army of Colombia troops free 22 of 23 local oil contractors working for Canada's Talisman Energy captured a day earlier by FARC rebels. (Reuters via Vancouver Sun) (Colombia Reports) One person is killed in clashes between Coptic Christians and Muslims in the Egyptian capital Cairo. (BBC) Police in Pakistan arrest a suspect over a car bombing in the eastern city of Faisalabad. (Al Jazeera) Israeli troops and settlers open fire upon Palestinians in the West Bank while they repaired orchards previously attacked by settlers, injuring 8 Palestinians. (Boston Globe) Business and economy Oil companies and banks have stopped trading with Libya after the introduction of sanctions leading to a shutdown of exports and further pressure on oil prices. (Wall Street Journal) Disasters Authorities in Redondo Beach, California, in the US city of Los Angeles investigate what caused the death of millions of fish at the King Harbor Marina. (Los Angeles Times) 7 children die in a farmhouse fire near Harrisburg, PA. (CNN) International relations China reiterates its claim over the disputed Spratly Islands after Vietnam and the Philippines protest over Chinese naval activity in their waters. (Bangkok Post) Lt. General Hideyuki Yoshioka, responsible for air systems development at Japan's Ministry of Defense, estimates that it is on track to develop a stealth fighter within three years. (AP via Washington Post) Law and crime Mata Tuatagaloa Keli is sworn in as Samoa's first female judge. (RNZI) Italian police seek to arrest 41 alleged members of the 'ndrangheta crime syndicate based in Calabria with suspects also sought in Germany, Canada and Australia. (AP via Forbes), (SBS) A St Louis police officer and two U.S. Marshals are shot, one fatally, while serving an arrest warrant in south St. Louis, Missouri. The gunman is killed.(KSDK), (St Louis Today) International Criminal Court judges order two Darfur rebels to stand trial for a deadly 2007 attack on peacekeepers. (Canadian Press via Google News) Syrian human rights activist and government critic Haitham al-Maleh is released from prison as part of an amnesty for those convicted of minor crimes and those aged over 70. (BBC) Mexico's youngest police chief, Marisol Valles García of the town of Práxedis G. Guerrero, Chihuahua, seeks asylum to the United States after receiving death threats. (BBC) Twenty-one Catholic priests in the US city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, are suspended after being named in an investigation in claims of widespread child molestation. (BBC) Politics Darfur is to be divided into smaller states by Sudan, causing rebels in the region to protest. (Reuters) China's choice for the Panchen Lama, Gyaincain Norbu, says Tibetans have "never been freer", in an interview days before the third anniversary of deadly unrest. (AFP via Google News) (Xinhua) Former President of Iran Hashemi Rafsanjani loses his position as head of the Assembly of Experts, the body responsible for choosing the Supreme Leader of Iran, being replaced by Mohammad-Reza Mahdavi Kani. (AP via Yahoo! News) Opposition websites report that Iranian security forces have fired teargas at crowds in Tehran to disperse protestors. (Reuters) Voters in the U.S. city of Memphis, Tennessee, agree to hand over controls of Memphis City Schools to Shelby County. (WMC-TV) Sport The Ohio State University suspends head coach Jim Tressel and fines him $250,000 for failing to advise the NCAA of breaches of its rules and conduct by some star Ohio State players. (Sports Illustrated) Current events of March 9, 2011 (2011-03-09) (Wednesday) Armed conflicts and attacks Libyan Civil War: The Gaddafi regime offers US$400,000 bounty for rebel leader Mustafa Abdul Jalil. (RIA Novosti) (Haaretz) Activists in London calling themselves Topple the Tyrants occupy the mansion of Gaddafi's son, saying they would stay "until this property can be returned to the Libyan people." (BBC) (Huffington Post) The city of Ra's Lanuf comes under heavy shelling by government forces. (Al Jazeera) Egypt has been secretly aiding Libyan rebels, apparently has sent around 100 Special Forces troops, while Cairo has made no official comment on the report.(UPI) (Daily Mirror) A BBC team is subjected to a mock execution by Libyan soldiers. (AP via Google) (The Daily Telegraph) 2011 Yemeni protests: Two people die in continuing demonstrations across the country. (Al Jazeera) Doctors suspect nerve gas was used on protesters. (The Sydney Morning Herald) 2010–2011 Ivorian crisis: Unrest continues in Côte d'Ivoire as the internationally-recognised President Alassane Ouattara heads to a mediation summit. (AFP via Google News) Police in Uganda fire tear gas at demonstrators protesting the win of incumbent President Yoweri Museveni in elections. (Reuters) Clashes between Christian Copt and Muslims in the Egyptian capital Cairo kill 13 people and injure 140. (Times of India) According to the United Nations, Afghan civilian deaths increased by 15% in 2010, to 2777. (Bloomberg) Arts and culture Vivian Schiller resigns as the head of National Public Radio in the United States following a fundraising scandal. (Washington Times) Buckingham Palace confirms that the wedding of Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall will be held on 30 July 2011 at the Canongate Kirk in Edinburgh, Scotland. (BBC) Business and economy A government-sponsored study in Canada concludes that heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic compounds found in the Athabasca River downstream of oil sands plants, are not a natural occurrence but pollution resulting from those plants. (Reuters) Disasters A tsunami alert is issued after a strong earthquake of preliminary 7.2 magnitude occurs off the coast of Honshu, Japan. (CNN) The Governor of the US state of New Jersey, Chris Christie declares a state of emergency along the Passaic and Delaware Rivers and Bound Brook in Somerset County in order to prepare for anticipated floods later in the week. (AP via The Columbus Republic) Ice loss from Antarctica and Greenland has accelerated over the past 20 years, according to new research, and will soon become the biggest driver of sea level rise. (MercoPress) International relations North Korea posts a rare interview with the families of defectors urging them to return home. (AFP via Google News) (Yonhap) Taiwan says it will end restrictions on Philippine workers imposed after a row over the deportation of 14 Taiwanese to mainland China. (Straits Times) Denmark upgrades its relation with Palestine to a mission, the second highest rank, following many other western nations recent upgrades.(Haaretz) Law and crime Malaysia bans Shi'ites from promoting their faith to other Muslims, but remain able to practice it themselves. (Bernama) (Bangkok Post) Judy Moran, the matriarch of the Australian Moran crime family, is convicted of the murder of her brother-in-law Des Moran in Melbourne, Victoria. (Nine MSN) A Federal grand jury in the US city of Lubbock, Texas indicts Khalid Aldawsari on one charge of Attempted Use of a Weapon of Mass Destruction. (AP via KCBD) United States Government investigates are looking at possible breaches of air cargo screening regulations by US Air at Philadelphia Airport. (NBC Philadelphia) Politics Arab Spring: Intellectuals in the United Arab Emirates petition the country's government for free and fair elections. (New York Times) Thousands of people in Bahrain protest over the country's naturalisation policy, which they say favours foreigners at their expense. (Al Jazeera) (The National) King Mohammed VI of Morocco pledges democratic reforms to the country's constitution, after demonstrations last month. (Al Jazeera) The Saudi Foreign Minister, Saud al-Faisal, says dialogue is the best way to bring about reform, rather than protest. (Al Arabiya) A court in Tunisia dissolves the political party of the former President, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. (IOL) Police in India break up a demonstration of pro-Tibet protestors outside the Chinese embassy in New Delhi. (MSN Philippines) (Sify India) Nearly 300 migrant workers in Greece end a hunger strike after the government offered a deal over residence permits. (BBC) Takeaki Matsumoto is sworn in as the Foreign Minister of Japan, replacing Seiji Maehara who resigned following a political donations scandal. (Xinhua) Enda Kenny is elected as the 13th Taoiseach of Ireland by a margin of 117-27 in the 31st Dáil Éireann, replacing Brian Cowen. (Irish Times) The minority government led by Prime Minister Stephen Harper is reprimanded by the Canadian House of Commons for failing to produce documents but avoids a no confidence motion. (Reuters) 2011 Wisconsin budget protests Republicans in the Wisconsin Senate vote to remove collective bargaining rights from state employees separate from the budget to end the impasse over the state budget with no Democrat Senators present. (MSNBC) (WIFR) (New York Times) Protesters pour into the Wisconsin State Capitol following the vote. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) The Senate in the US state of Michigan approves a proposal to allow state-appointed emergency managers authority to break labor deals to turn around failing schools and cities most notably in Detroit. (Reuters via Yahoo News) King Mohammed VI of Morocco promises ""comprehensive constitutional reform" to expand individual and collective liberties in a televised address to the nation. (BBC) The Governor of the US state of Illinois, Pat Quinn, signs a law banning the death penalty and commutes the sentence of 15 death row prisoners to life without parole. (Chicago Tribune via Chicago Breaking News) Science The Space Shuttle Discovery makes its final landing at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, after 27 years of service. (BBC) The United States Food and Drug Administration approves the use of the drug Belimumab (Benlysta) to treat lupus, the first drug to be approved for this purpose in 56 years. (FDA) Current events of March 10, 2011 (2011-03-10) (Thursday) Armed conflicts and attacks 2011 Libyan civil war: France recognizes the National Transitional Council as the sole legitimate representative of the Libyan people. (France 24) A British and a Brazilian journalist are reported missing. (Buenos Aires Herald) (The Guardian) Pro-Gaddafi forces claim that they have taken control of Ra's Lanuf with dozens of people killed. (Al-Jazeera), (BBC), (The Guardian) The United States suspends relations with the Libyan embassy in Washington D.C.. (AP via Las Vegas Review-Journal) Philippine Army forces attack Abu Sayyaf fighters in a mangrove in Sacol Island in Zamboanga City. (AP via Monterey County Herald) At least three army recruits are killed in a riot at a military training camp in Kissidougou, southern Guinea. (BBC) (People's Daily) A clash between rebels and Sudanese troops in Darfur kills 17 people. (Reuters) NATO forces in Afghanistan kill the cousin of President Hamid Karzai in an overnight raid. (BBC) An oil pipeline in the Ninawa Governorate in northern Iraq is bombed preventing the flow of thousands of barrels of oil. (CNN) Saudi police open fire on protesters in Qatif. (AP via The Washington Post) The disputed government of Côte d'Ivoire imposes a ban on United Nations flights from flying over or landing in the country. (BBC) Business and economy China posts a trade deficit for the first time since March 2010, amid slowing exports. (BBC) (Shanghai Daily) The Bank of Korea increases the main interest rate in South Korea by a quarter percentage point to 3% due to concerns over inflation. (Yonhap) (Market Watch via Fox Business News) Moody's downgrades Spain's credit rating to Aa2 due to the cost of restructuring the Spanish banking system. (Financial Times) Disasters Flood waters cut off access to towns in North Queensland. (AP via Yahoo! News) At least 25 people are killed and 250 injured following a 5.4 magnitude earthquake in Yingjiang County, Yunnan province, China, near the Burma border. (Xinhua) (China Daily) (AFP via Yahoo! News) International relations A senior diplomat in charge of relations with Japan at the United States State Department is replaced for allegedly making disparaging remarks about the people of Okinawa. (AP via Washington Post) Hillary Clinton, the United States Secretary of State, announces plans to visit Egypt and Tunisia this week. (Reuters) Law and crime More than 30 people in and around the US city of Baltimore, Maryland, are arrested on drugs charges, including actress Felicia Pearson from television series The Wire. (The Washington Post) A Federal grand jury indicts eleven members of a firearms trafficking ring based in Columbus, New Mexico including the mayor and police chief. (Las Cruces Sun News) In the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, a Liberal Democrat member disclosed, with the protection of parliamentary privilege, the fact that the former chief executive of Royal Bank of Scotland has obtained an injunction banning the publication of information about him, even the simple identification of this individual, Fred Goodwin, as a banker. (Telegraph) Politics The Zimbabwean Energy Minister and member of the Movement for Democratic Change, Elton Mangoma, is arrested for unknown reasons. (BBC) (Zim Online) Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh announces plans to move towards a parliamentary democracy, following weeks of demonstrations. (BBC) (Yemen News Agency) The 14th Dalai Lama announces plans to retire as the head of the Tibetan exile movement within days. (CNN) (The Guardian) (Times of India) 2011 Wisconsin protests in US The Wisconsin State Capitol is placed on lockdown to prevent protesters gaining access. (CNN) The Wisconsin State Assembly votes to remove almost all collective bargaining from state employees. (AP via Courier Post Online) Peter W. Barca, the leader of the Democrats in the Wisconsin State Assembly, takes legal action to have the decision overturned. (The Capital Times) U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords announces plans to attend the launch of the Space Shuttle Endeavour, piloted by her husband Mark Kelly, three months after she was shot in the 2011 Tucson shootings. (New York Post) The United States House of Representatives votes to end the Federal Housing Administration Refinance Program by 256 to 171. (Washington Post) The Prime Minister of Madagascar Albert Camille Vital resigns together with his Government as a part of a peace process proposed by the Southern African Development Community to end a two year political crisis. (Reuters) The Cuban Roman Catholic Church claims that the Government of Cuba plans to release 10 dissidents including Óscar Elías Biscet. (AP viaSan Francisco Chronicle) Current events of March 11, 2011 (2011-03-11) (Friday) Armed conflicts and attacks 2011 Libyan civil war: European Union leaders gather in Brussels for an urgent summit. (BBC) Clashes continue to take place between rebels and Gaddafi loyalists at Ra's Lanuf. (Al Jazeera) 2011 Saudi Arabian protests: Protesters take to the streets of Hofuf and al-Ahsa in the east of the country. (Reuters) (Wall Street Journal) 2011 Kuwaiti protests: Riot police fire tear gas at a demonstration of stateless Arabs demanding more rights. (Reuters) 2011 Bahraini protests: Security is increased as a large march takes place towards the royal court. (Reuters) India and Pakistan successfully conduct missile tests. (Sify India) Arts and culture American actor Mel Gibson is charged with misdemeanor battery for an alleged assault on his ex-girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva in January 2010. (Access Hollywood) Disasters 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami A 9.0 magnitude earthquake hits offshore of Japan's Miyagi prefecture, producing tsunamis as high as 10 meters near the epicenter and reaching land throughout the Pacific ocean. (Japan Times) (Canadian Press via Google News), (AP via ABC News America) At least 1000 people have died in the earthquake and tsunami.(LA Times) The United States Geological Survey estimates that it is the fifth strongest earthquake since 1900. (USGS) Japanese television shows footage of flooding along Japan's northeastern coast. (AP via New York Times) A tsunami warning is also issued for Russia, Taiwan, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and the United States. (Market Watch), (Oregon Live) The Government of Japan evacuates thousands of residents living near the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant following a radiation leak. (New York Times) The cooling system at the Onagawa Nuclear Power Plant also experiences problems. (RT) The Governor of California Jerry Brown declares a state of emergency in Del Norte, Humboldt, San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties. (LA Times) The Governor of Oklahoma, Mary Fallin, declares a state of emergency in all 77 counties due to wildfires burning out of control in that state and Colorado. (CNN) A bus plunges into a ravine in the Xinjiang region in western China killing at least 16 people and with 24 people injured. (AP via MSNBC) Mount Karangetang erupts in Sulawesi, Indonesia, forcing local evacuations. (The Hindu) Law and crime A U.S. federal magistrate rules that prosecutors can demand Twitter account information in relation to Wikileaks. (AP) Two ex-Blackwater consultants are found guilty in the United States of the involuntary manslaughter of a civilian in the Afghan capital Kabul. (AP via NPR) Politics The UNASUR Constitutive Treaty enters into force, making the Union of South American Nations an international legal personality. (Telesur)(Télam) Taiwan's opposition leader Tsai Ing-wen launches her presidential bid. (Focus Taiwan) (Straits Times) Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai calls for an end to the country's unity government after one of his party members is arrested. (AllAfrica.com) Current events of March 12, 2011 (2011-03-12) (Saturday) Armed conflicts and attacks 2011 Libyan civil war: The three Royal Netherlands Navy personnel captured 12 days ago by armed men loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi are released after negotiations after Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Dimitris Dollis secured their release and oversaw their evacuation to Athens, Greece. The crew was trying to rescue a Dutch citizen from Libya when armed men captured them. (NPR) Forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi take control of the oil port of Ra's Lanuf. (BBC) The Arab League calls for a UN imposed no-fly zone on Libya, and also recognizes the National Transitional Council as the government of Libya. (Al Jazeera) Ali Hassan al-Jaber, an Al-Jazeera cameraman, is killed in Libya. (Al Jazeera) A Palestinian militant armed with a knife infiltrates the West Bank settlement of Itamar and stabs to death two Israeli parents and three of their children. (New York Times) Yemeni police storm a protest site in the capital Sana'a resulting in at least one death and dozens of injuries. (Al Jazeera) At least 23 people die in an attack on the South Sudan town of Malakal. (Alert Net) Disasters 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami Analysts believe that a nuclear meltdown may be occurring at the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant disabled by the Japanese earthquake with a state of emergency declared at five plants. (Reuters), (AP via MSNBC), (Stratfor via Sydney Morning Herald) An explosion is heard at the site of the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant with four workers injured and residents warned of radiation leaks. (BBC), (AP via MSNBC), (Kyodo), (Sky News) Residents within a six mile radius of the plant are evacuated and residents within 20 miles are warned to stay indoors. (Washington Post), (Irish Examiner) Quake survivors flee south from northern Japan describing the situation in their hometowns as "unimaginable." (CNN) There are 9,500 people unaccounted for in the town of Minamisanriku in Miyagi prefecture. (CNN) Fifty thousand Japan Self-Defense Forces personnel are involved in search and rescue efforts. (CNN) Between 300 and 400 bodies are discovered in Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture. (Daily Mail) (The Jakarta Globe) (Taipei Times) One Canadian citizen is confirmed killed in the disaster. (CTV News) Fifteen people die in a bus accident in The Bronx, New York, USA. (NBC New York), (MSNBC), (NBC New York) 83 people are rescued from a floating restaurant after it drifted away carrying 150 passengers on the flooded Ohio River in Covington, Kentucky, USA, and became lodged under the Clay Wade Bailey Bridge. (Dayton Daily News) (CTV Edmonton) An estimated 800 motorists are stranded on Interstate 94 and U.S. Route 83 in North Dakota by a blizzard. (Bismarck Tribune) International relations South Sudan accuses Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir of attempting to overthrow the southern government. (BBC) (Reuters) Law and crime Up to 80 asylum seekers break out of the Australian detention centre on Christmas Island. (SBS) United States aid worker Alan Gross is sentenced to 15 years in a Cuban jail, ostensibly for working to undermine the Government of Cuba. (Reuters via Yahoo! News) Politics Tens of thousands of Portuguese young people march in protest at budget cuts. (Washington Examiner) Sport National Football League owners in the United States lock out their players in the first labour dispute since 1987. (Reuters via Canada.com) Zuffa, LLC, the parent company of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, buys its main rival Strikeforce. (MMA Fighting) Current events of March 13, 2011 (2011-03-13) (Sunday) Armed conflict and attacks Arab Spring 2011 Libyan civil war: Rebels are forced from the town of Brega by troops loyal to Muammar Gaddafi but later claim to have recaptured it. (BBC) (Al-Jazeera) Pro-Gaddafi forces are besieging the towns of Misrata and Zawiya. (Al-Jazeera) A Yemeni protestor dies of gunshot wounds as demonstrators gather in the capital Sana'a for a new round of protests. (Reuters) Tear gas is fired on anti-government protesters blocking a highway near the Bahrain Financial Harbour. (Reuters) (Al Jazeera) Business and economy Donald Elmer, the Chief Executive of a small U.S.–based pharmaceutical company, Koronis, said that he is looking to raise money through London's Alternative Investment Market, thus enabling the next stage of clinical tests for his company's anti-HIV product, KP-1461. (Reuters) Disasters 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami Onagawa Nuclear Power Plant: A state of emergency is declared by the Tohoku Electric Power Company. The alert was declared as radioactivity readings exceeding allowed levels in the area surrounding the plant although this later returns to normal. (IAEA Alert Log) (BBC) Cooling systems fail at three reactors in the Fukushima II Nuclear Power Plant following Friday's earthquake A cooling system fails at two other reactors in the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant following Friday's earthquake with Yukio Edano claiming that meltdowns may have occurred in two reactors. (Reuters) (AP via Star Advertiser) (Washington Post) (AFP via Yahoo! News) The death toll is expected to exceed 10,000. (Kyodo) (Malaysia Star) The Government of Japan evacuates over 200,000 people as fear of nuclear contamination from the power plants grow. (Sky News) (New York Times) The United States Navy ships USS Ronald Reagan, USS Chancellorsville and the destroyer USS Preble arrive to assist with relief efforts. (CNN) The Japan Meteorological Agency upgrades the magnitude of the earthquake to 9.0. (AP via WKBT) The Government of Japan estimates that 46,000 structures have been damaged by the quake. (NHK) 2011 Canterbury earthquake Bob Parker, the mayor of the New Zealand city of Christchurch, estimates that the city centre is still "very, very dangerous" with up to a third of the buildings needing to be demolished. (TV New Zealand) John Carter, the New Zealand Minister for Civil Defence, extends the State of National Emergency for another week. (TV New Zealand) The Shinmoedake volcano in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan explodes again. (Times of South Africa) A wind and rainstorm in the Pacific Northwest of the United States results in the loss of power to 114,000 in Portland, Oregon. (KATU) International relations West Bank UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemns the Palestinian Itamar attack that stabbed and murdered an Israeli family of five. (Ynetnews) Israel approves the construction of hundreds of homes for Israeli settlers in the West Bank in response to a Palestinian attack. (AFP via Google News) (BBC)(JTA) Law and crime Two Chinese dissidents Xu Wei, a former reporter, and Jin Haike, a writer, are released from prison after serving a ten–year sentence. (Washington Post) 3,001 people are arrested by Chinese authorities on charges of product piracy. (Straits Times) Four police officers are shot in Buchanan County in the US state of Virginia with two killed. (WYCB) Politics and elections A presidential election takes place in Benin, after previously being delayed. (IOL) (Voice of Russia) Congolese President Joseph Kabila fires two ministers over corruption and absence. (Reuters) Chadian President Idriss Deby postpones the 3 April presidential election after opposition candidates threatened a boycott over irregularities. (Reuters) The President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari asks the second largest Opposition party, the Pakistan Muslim League-Q, to join the Government. (One Pakistan) Current events of March 14, 2011 (2011-03-14) (Monday) Armed conflict and attacks Arab Spring Rebels in Libya say they have recaptured the town of Brega from government forces. (BBC) Forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi capture the town of Zuwara one of the last remaining rebel towns in western Libya. (West Australian via Yahoo News) Air strikes take place in the Libyan town of Ajdabiya. (Reuters) Forces from the Gulf Cooperation Council–including 1,000 Saudi troops–arrive in Bahrain amid continuing protests. (ABC News Australia) (CNN) (Daily India) The United States warns Gulf states to respect the rights of the Bahraini people. (NineMSN) Police break up a pro-reform protest in Morocco, resulting in several injuries. (Reuters) The Indian Navy captures 61 pirates on a Mozambiquan fishing vessel in the Arabian Sea. (AP via Fox News) A U.S. missile strike kills three Pakistani militants operating close to the Afghanistan border. (AP) A suicide bomber kills at least eight members of the Iraqi Army in Diyala Province. (Reuters via The Guardian) The Obama administration holds the first of five meetings that eventually lead to Operation Neptune Spear, which caused the Death of Osama bin Laden. (Washington Post) Arts and culture US comedian Gilbert Gottfried is fired from doing voiceover work as the AFLAC duck for making a number of tasteless posts on the Japanese earthquake on the Twitter social network. (AP via Yahoo News) Rock and roll musicians including Dr. John, Darlene Love, Neil Diamond, Alice Cooper and Tom Waits are inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. (AP via Yahoo! News) Business and economy The hacker group Anonymous releases e-mails obtained from the Bank of America. (Reuters) The Tokyo Stock Exchange falls more than five per cent in opening trade in the first day of trading since the 2011 Sendai earthquake. (The Australian) China adopts a new 5-year plan which aims to boost spending on public services, decrease economic inequality, and increase employment and wages. (Xinhua) The French carmaker Renault apologises to three executives accused of industrial espionage after no credible evidence was found to substantiate the claims. (Al Jazeera) Disasters 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami The Tokyo Electric Power Company announces rolling blackouts caused by the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami in northern Japan. (Japan Today) A new tsunami warning is issued and then cancelled. (WA Today) (AAP via News Limited) The Prime Minister of Japan Naoto Kan says that the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant remains in a state of alarm. (BBC) Another explosion occurs in the Number 3 unit of Fukushima I resulting in three workers being injured and 7 workers missing. (BBC) (CNN) (Washington Post) (Associated Press) Two thousand bodies are found on the shores of two beaches in Miyagi Prefecture. (Kyodo News) Yukiya Amano, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, states that the Fukushima crisis is unlikely to turn into another Chernobyl disaster. (Reuters) Law and crime Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao says the country needs to carry out political reforms in order to support achievements made in its economic restructuring, contradicting statements by other Politburo members. (BBC) (India Economic Times) (Al Jazeera) Tear gas is used to control a riot by asylum seekers at the Christmas Island Immigration Detention Centre on Christmas Island off the coast of Australia. (ABC News Australia) Five Somali pirates are sentenced to life in a United States prison plus 80 years for an attack on the United States Navy frigate USS Nicholas. (Hampton Roads Pilot) Politics The 14th Dalai Lama formally submits his resignation as Tibet's political leader to the Tibetan Parliament-in-exile in Dharamsala, India. (UPI) Current events of March 15, 2011 (2011-03-15) (Tuesday) Armed conflicts and attacks Arab Spring: The King of Bahrain Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifa declares a three month state of emergency following the 2011 Bahraini protests. (Al Jazeera) G8 leaders fail to agree on military intervention in Libya following the 2011 Libyan civil war, and pass the issue onto the United Nations Security Council. (Al Arabiya) The Libyan opposition arrests four men as suspects in the murder of an Al Jazeera journalist and claim that Muammar Gaddafi's regime is sending undercover squads to assassinate people. (The Independent) Hundreds of people stage a rare protest in the Syrian capital Damascus calling for greater freedoms and the release of political prisoners. (BBC) (AFP via Google News) Yemeni tribesmen hold an anti-government protest after an attack on a oil pipeline in the east of the country. (Sify India) Jobless protestors riot in the headquarters of Morocco's Office Chérifien des Phosphates in the city of Khouribga. (Reuters via Alertnet) 2010–2011 Ivorian crisis: Gunmen shoot four people dead at a roadblock run by supporters of disputed Côte d'Ivoire President Laurent Gbagbo. (Reuters) A small bomb explodes in the offices of a moderate Islamic group in the Indonesian capital Jakarta, injuring four people. (Straits Times) (Jakarta Globe) The Israeli Navy intercepts the cargo ship Victoria which was carrying a long list of advanced weapons that were smuggled from Iran and were allegedly bound for the militant organizations operating in the Gaza Strip. (Ynetnews) Business and economy Nasdaq OMX Group is preparing a bid for NYSE Euronext. Such a bid would, at the least, complicate the planned merger between NYSE and Deutsche Boerse. Reuters reported the planned counter-bid citing "a source familiar with the situation." (Reuters) Disasters 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami: Dozens of workers at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power complex (also called Fukushima I) have stayed behind to end the radiation leaks, known as the Fukushima 50, risking fatal radiation exposure. (Guardian) There is a third explosion in four days at the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant following the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami causing damage to its steel containment structure, the withdrawal of emergency workers and expected increases in radiation. (AP) (New York Times) (New York Times) (Daily Telegraph) Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano reports that as of 10.22 a.m. local time, radiation levels of 30 millisieverts per hour were measured between the No. 2 and No. 3 reactors, while at the No. 3 reactor 400 millisieverts per hour were detected, a harmful level to humans. (Bloomberg) A senior adviser to the Prime Minister of Japan Naoto Kan says that a fire has broken out in a fourth reactor at the Fukushima I power plant but it is later extinguished, with the radiation reading at 0831 local time (2331 GMT) climbing to 8,217 microsieverts an hour. (CNN) (AP)(news.com.au)(BBC) Prime Minister Kan warns people living within a 30 kilometre radius of the plant to stay indoors and a 30-km no-fly zone is established around the plant. (AP via The Guardian) (IAEA) A rise in radiation levels in Tokyo leads to panic buying and some residents leaving the capital. (Reuters) The United States Geological Survey revises the strength of the earthquake to 9.0. (USGS) The National Police Agency advises that the official death toll from the quake is 2,414 dead with 3,118 injured. (AFP via News Limited) Share prices on the Tokyo Stock Exchange decline by 12 per cent with the TOPIX index recording its largest fall since 1987. (Market Watch) (Reuters) A magnitude 6.2 aftershock hits Fujinomiya, Shizuoka Prefecture southwest of Tokyo. (USGS) (Kyodo) (Sky News Australia) (Adelaide Now) History The passing of the United States generation that fought in World War I is marked by the funeral of Frank Buckles, who died on 27 February 2011, aged 110, and was buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery. (The Sydney Morning Herald), (The Los Angeles Times), (The Washington Post}, (The Daily Mail) International relations The European Union holds talks with Aung San Suu Kyi and other Burmese opposition figures over the lifting of international sanctions. (Bangkok Post) Law and crime Egypt dissolves State Security Investigations Service, its former internal security and spying agency. (Reuters) The Metropolitan Police in London, England launch an investigation into the death of reggae musician Smiley Culture in a police raid in Surrey. (The Guardian) Former US mafia leader Joey Merlino of the Scarfo crime family is released from prison in Indiana and is sent to a halfway house in Florida. (NBC Philaedelphia) German national Christian Gerhartsreiter is charged with the murder of a San Marino, California man in the 1980s. (Los Angeles Times) The United States Drug Enforcement Administration seizes the state of Georgia's supply of a lethal injection drug due to questions over how it was imported to the US. (Associated Press) United States nurse William Francis Melchert-Dinkel is convicted of aiding the suicides of an English man and Canadian woman. (BBC) Politics At a British Medical Association conference, delegates call for the coalition government to halt its plans to overhaul the National Health Service in England. However, they stop short of complete opposition to the proposals. (BBC) Angela Merkel, the Chancellor of Germany, announces that Germany will shut down all of its pre-1980 nuclear reactors following the problems in Japan. (Reuters via Yahoo) The Mayor of Miami-Dade County in the U.S. state of Florida, Carlos Alvarez, and County commissioner Natacha Seijas are defeated in recall elections. (Miami Herald) Sport Tickets go on sale for the 2012 Summer Olympics to be held in London. (BBC News) Current events of March 16, 2011 (2011-03-16) (Wednesday) Armed conflicts and attacks Arab Spring: Bahrain security forces drive out protestors from the Pearl Roundabout, resulting in several deaths. (Al Jazeera)(Ynet) Forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi shell Misrata as the civil war continues and start an assault on Ajdabiya the last town before the rebel stronghold of Benghazi. (Al Jazeera) (Reuters) (BBC) Demonstrators defy a government ban in the Syrian capital Damascus and protest for a second day, demanding the release of political prisoners. (BBC) (Ahram Online) The Israeli Air Force attacks a training site of the Palestinian militant group Al Qassam brigades in the southern part of Gaza City in response to a rocket launched from the Gaza Strip at the Israeli southern communities in the Sdot Negev Regional Council in the southern district of Israel. Palestinians reported that three people were killed in the attack and three were wounded. (Palestine News Network)(idfspokesperson.com) Business and economy Japan's Nikkei 225 improves by six per cent as concerns over the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami on the economy are reduced. (BBC) The Japanese yen reaches a postwar high against the United States dollar on the basis that Japanese insurers will redeem overseas assets to pay for the cost of the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. (Business Week) Disasters Fukushima I nuclear accidents: Another fire breaks out at the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant in northern Honshu, Japan. (Reuters via Edmonton Examiner) Radiation levels rise inside and outside the plant leading to the temporary evacuation of emergency workers. (New York Times) (BBC) (Reuters) Gregory Jaczko, the head of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission tells a United States Congressional panel that his Commission is recommending a higher exclusion zone. (Voice of America) Japanese earthquake and tsunami: The death toll from the Japanese earthquake and tsunami rises to 4,277 with at least 8,194 missing. (CNN) (NineMSN) The Emperor of Japan Akihito expresses his condolences to the victims of the earthquake and tsunami. (AP via The Houston Chronicle) Law and crime Police in Cambodia ask prosecutors to charge recruitment firm T&P with illegally detaining its staff. (BBC) Raymond Davis, an official with the United States embassy in Pakistan, is acquitted of charges of two counts of murder and released from jail after compensation is paid to the victims' families, the result of intense diplomatic talks between the United States and Pakistan.(CNN) (Times of Pakistan) Politics Hillary Clinton, the United States Secretary of State, states that she will not serve a second term in President Obama's Cabinet if he is reelected in 2012 and will retire from public life. (Huffington Post) Michigan protests: The Governor of Michigan Rick Snyder signs legislation giving enhanced powers to emergency managers appointed to manage cities and schools including the power to terminate union contracts. (AP via the The Columbus Republic) Michigan State Police remove eleven protesters in the State Capitol following a rally attended by thousands of people. (Detroit Free Press) Sport The organisers of the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand decide to reschedule games originally due to be held in Christchurch due to damage caused to Lancaster Park by the 2011 Canterbury earthquake. (Rugby World Cup) (Sydney Morning Herald) Transport  Indian Railways driver Surekha Yadav loco pilot mail, drives the Deccan Queen from Pune to Mumbai CST, for Central Railways division, and becomes the first woman from this country to do so. Current events of March 17, 2011 (2011-03-17) (Thursday) Armed conflict and attacks United States bombing of civilians in Pakistan: At least 40 people, most believed to be civilians, are killed near Miranshah after United States drones bomb Pakistan in the deadliest such attack by the United States since 2006. Tribesmen describe a "massacre" as tribal people, elders, local traders and members of the tribal police are killed. (BBC) (The Nation) The Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani condemns the U.S. drone attack on civilians in Pakistan, criticising events which saw elders "carelessly and callously targeted with complete disregard to human life [...] in complete violation of human rights". (The News International) (DAWN) (AP via Google News) (BBC) Thousands of opposition supporters rally in Yerevan, Armenia, demanding the resignation of the government. (Channel News Asia) (Armenia News) Hundreds of people protest in western China after the self-immolation of a Tibetan monk in Aba, Sichuan. (BBC) Arab Spring Libyan Civil War: The International Committee of the Red Cross withdraws from the rebel held city of Benghazi, Libya, fearing an attack from forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi. (BBC) The Libyan military says it will cease fighting on Sunday in order for the rebels to give themselves in. (Al Arabiya) Saif al-Islam Gaddafi claims that Nicolas Sarkozy received funding from Libya ahead of the 2007 French presidential election. (BBC) The United Nations Security Council after the failure of Libyan authorities to comply with its "1970 resolution" of 26 February 2011, adopts "Resolution 1973" (UN Security Council resolutions 1970 & 1973) that imposes a No-fly zone over Libya (The Guardian), (CNN), enforcing the arms embargo, freezing Libya's assets, and banning travel of Libyan officials involved in recruiting mercenaries, by "All means necessary" an addition that bypasses the UNSCR 1970's military intervention prevention and imposes a "no-fly zone", initially rejected on UNSCR 1970. 2011 Bahraini protests: The United Nations human rights chief Navi Pillay condemns the "shocking" use of force against protesters. (BBC). While UN Secretary General Mr. Ban Ki-moon spoke by telephone with Bahrain’s King Hamad ibn Isa al Khalifa, expressing his deepest concern over reports of excessive and indiscriminate use of force by the country’s police and security forces against unarmed civilians, including medical personnel. (UN News Centre) Leaders of the opposition are arrested. (Al Jazeera) (ABC Radio Australia) Bangladeshi expatriates report being forced to take part in pro-government demonstrations. (BBC) Yemen arrests human rights activist Tawakel Karman. (The Guardian) Dozens of people are killed in nationwide violence in Côte d'Ivoire, as fears of a civil war grow. (AFP via Google News), (BBC) Arts and culture Saint Patrick's Day parades and events take place internationally. (USA Today) (The Irish Times) (euronews) (CBS News) The U.S. government involves itself in a row over the 3200-year-old death mask of nineteenth dynasty noblewoman Ka-Nefer-Nefer, thought to have been stolen. (BBC) Gennady Yanin, the director of the Russian Bolshoi ballet troupe, resigns and is replaced by Yan Godovsky. Russian media wonders if erotic photos which appeared on the internet, allegedly of him, were part of a smear campaign. (BBC) It is announced that Doctor Dee, a stage show based on the life of John Dee written by and starring Damon Albarn, is to have its premiere at the Manchester International Festival in July. (BBC) Business and economics Rupert Murdoch's News Corp is sued for nepotism over the $675 million purchase of his daughter, Elisabeth Murdoch's, Shine Limited and providing a seat for her on the board. (BBC) The New York Times newspaper announces it is to start charging people who access content on its website. (BBC) Disasters Prince William of Wales visits Christchurch, New Zealand, to inspect relief efforts for the 2011 Christchurch earthquake. (Sydney Morning Herald) Fukushima I nuclear accidents: Helicopters drop water on the stricken Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant to cool overheated fuel rods inside the core. (AP via Google News) Radiation detectors trigger alarms at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport as radiation enters the United States. (CBS News) Power is restored to the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant. (BBC) (Voice of America) A cable is laid to reactor 2 by engineers. (BBC) International response to Japan's nuclear crisis: The United States authorises the first evacuation of Americans from Japan. (MSNBC) President Hugo Chávez backtracks on plans to develop nuclear power in Venezuela saying he has noted the ongoing crisis in Japan and that the use of nuclear energy is "something extremely risky and dangerous for the whole world". (BBC) Chancellor Angela Merkel announces a "measured exit" from nuclear power for Germany as it can no longer be "business as usual" following events in Japan. (BBC) China suspends new nuclear plans due to events in Japan. (BBC) International relations UK Foreign Secretary William Hague is challenged by MP Ann Clwyd over the treatment of Bradley Manning, a former Welsh schoolboy reported to be imprisoned in solitary confinement and stripped naked by the United States. (Wales Online) Officials suggest Haiti's first democratically elected president Jean-Bertrand Aristide is to return there tomorrow after seven years exile in South Africa. The U.S. expresses concern at this development, fearing Aristide could "destabalise" Haiti. (BBC) Taoiseach Enda Kenny visits President of the United States Barack Obama at the White House for the annual Saint Patrick's Day festivities. Obama announces he is to visit Ireland in May and is excited at the prospect of visiting the home of his great, great, great, great, great, grandfather in Moneygall. (RTÉ) (The Irish Times) (Sky News) (AP via Chicago Tribune) (BBC) Malaysia seizes "suspected nuclear parts" in a Chinese ship bound for Iran. (Kyodo) Law and crime A court in Burma denies bail to the chief of the Myanmar Times newspaper, charged with violating immigration law. (Straits Times) (Journal of Turkish Weekly) Asylum seekers stage another riot at the Christmas Island Immigration Detention Centre burning parts of the Australian government facility. (ABC News Australia) Politics and elections The ninth congress of the ruling Lao People's Revolutionary Party opens in Vientiane, Laos, where policy is set for the next five years. (The Straits Times) (Lao News Agency) Science At a two-day council meeting of the European Space Agency (ESA) in Paris, Europe comes to an agreement to extend its operations at the International Space Station (ISS) until 2020. (BBC) NASA's MESSENGER space probe becomes the first space craft ever to enter into orbit around Mercury. (Space via MSNBC), (BBC) Current events of March 18, 2011 (2011-03-18) (Friday) Armed conflicts and attacks Response to Datta Khel airstrike: Tribal leaders in Pakistan issue a statement vowing action against the United States after yesterday's botched U.S. drone attack which killed more than 40 civilians, mainly elders and police at an open-air meeting, the deadliest such attack by the United States on Pakistan since 2006. (BBC) Arab Spring At least 41 people are killed in Yemen as security forces open fire on anti-government demonstrators. (Ahram Online) (RTÉ) Hundreds of people in Jordan take to the streets for the eleventh consecutive week, calling for reforms. (CP) 2011 Bahraini protests: The Pearl Monument, located in the Pearl Roundabout, which had become a focal point of the Bahraini protests, is torn down by the government of Bahrain. (Wall Street Journal) The headquarters of the National Democratic Action Society (Waad), a secular Bahraini opposition political party, is attacked and burned down. The party's leader, Ibrahim Sharif, is arrested. (Wall Street Journal) Thousands of protesters defy martial law in Bahrain and continue pro-democracy demonstrations. (Hurriyet) 2011 Syrian protests: Plain-clothes police break up a demonstration of at least 200 people in the Syrian capital Damascus after Friday prayers (Trend News Agency) Police use guns to kill between at least two and four people for protesting against the corruption of the Bashar al-Assad regime and lack of freedom in the southern city of Daraa. (BBC) 2011 Libyan civil war: The Libyan government announces a ceasefire, amid foreign military preparations after a no-fly zone was imposed yesterday. (CNN) (Al Jazeera) Libya then immediately violates its own ceasefire, shelling Misrata and killing 25 civilians. (Reuters) 2010–2011 Ivorian crisis: Disputed Côte d'Ivoire President Laurent Gbagbo calls on civilians to join in the fighting to "neutralise" supporters of Alassane Ouattara. (Reuters) The United Nations says the shelling of a market by security forces that killed 25 people may constitute a crime against humanity. (BBC) Clashes between the Sudan People's Liberation Army/Movement and rebel forces led by George Athor kill 70 people in South Sudan. (BBC) Business and economy The Sankei Shimbun newspaper reports that the Government of Japan plans to issue more than 10 trillion yen in emergency government bonds to help pay for the recovery effort from the 2011 Sendai earthquake and tsunami. (Reuters) The G7 sells the Japanese yen in order to reduce its value in the first joint operation on currency markets since 2000. (Kyodo News) (Bloomberg) (BBC) Disasters A memorial service is held in Christchurch, New Zealand, for the victims of the 2011 Canterbury earthquake. (SBS) Fukushima I nuclear accidents Japan attempts to restore electric power to two crippled reactors at the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant to combat ongoing problems. (Reuters) Smoke billows from another of the reactors at the Fukushima Plant. (AP via Yahoo! News) The total number of deaths and missing persons from the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami passes 16,600 with 6,405 confirmed dead. (Sydney Morning Herald) (Jakarta Globe) A Hydro One electrical transformer undergoing repairs in the Richview neighbourhood of Toronto catches on fire and is sustained by burning mineral oil near Pearson International Airport, causing a local power outage and forcing the evacuation of an apartment complex and the temporary closure of part of Highway 401. (CBC) (CTV Toronto) Law and crime China releases seven Tibetan monks detained after one monk set himself on fire in protest at Chinese rule. (New York Times) The Government of Australia sends additional Australian Federal Police officers to Christmas Island following a series of riots at the Christmas Island Immigration Detention Centre. (AAP and The Australian) Former British Airways software engineer Rajib Karim, of Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom is jailed for 30 years for plotting to blow up a plane. (BBC) Politics and elections Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai says the country is descending into a "police state" and urges regional intervention, at a rally banned by police. (Reuters) Former Haitian President Jean Bertrand-Aristide returns to Haiti, two days before a general election. (CNN) North Korea announces that its Supreme People's Assembly will meet on April 7 in a possible change of leadership. (AP via Yahoo! News) King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia addresses the nation in the context of regional unrest. (BBC) Former United States Secretary of State Warren Christopher died. (CNN) The Canadian Opposition accuses the Conservative Party of Canada and Harper Government of Contempt of Parliament after a ruling by the Speaker of the House of Commons, signalling a possible spring federal election. (The Globe and Mail) (Macleans.ca) (Vancouver Sun) Current events of March 19, 2011 (2011-03-19) (Saturday) Armed conflict and attacks 2011 Libyan civil war: The Libyan opposition stronghold of Benghazi is bombed by pro-Gaddafi forces despite the declaration of a no-fly zone by the United Nations. (AFP via Channel News Asia) The President of the United States Barack Obama warns Muammar Gaddafi of "consequences" if attacks on civilians continue. (AFP via News Limited) Forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi enter Benghazi. (Reuters) (Al Jazeera) (Tunis Afrique Press News Agency) The French Air Force starts flying missions over Libya as top officials from Europe, the United States and the Arab world vow to take action. (BBC), (MSNBC) (AP via the Houston Chronicle) The United States Navy fires Tomahawk cruise missiles at Gaddafi's air defenses as Operation Odyssey Dawn gets underway. (Fox News) (Reuters) Colonel Gaddafi condemns the attacks as "barbaric, unjustified crusaders' aggression." (News Limited) Tens of thousands of people from Côte d'Ivoire flee to Liberia due to ongoing violence in the country. (Al Jazeera) Arab Spring Syrian security forces fire tear gas at a funeral for two men killed in an earlier protest in the southern city of Daraa. (AFP via Google News) Protests continue in Yemen after the shooting of anti-government demonstrators yesterday, and two ruling party members resign. (Reuters) Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika promises political reform, as security forces prevent protests in the capital Algiers. (Al Jazeera) Israeli–Palestinian conflict: More than 50 mortar rounds are fired from the Gaza Strip at an area in the Western Negev, Israel, injuring two Israeli civilians in response to Israeli airstrikes earlier in the week, which was itself a response to a previous Palestinian mortar attack from Gaza. Israel counterresponds with artillery and airstrikes killing two Palestinian militants. (Ynetnews) (Haaretz) Police in the Gaza Strip break up a student rally calling for unity between Fatah and Hamas and raid offices of foreign media covering the event. (UPI) The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu office reportedly calls for the United States to thwart Palestinian attempts to create a unity government; however, Hamas opposes Abbas' visit to Gaza claiming he is using the visit as a "ploy," and demands the release of Hamas prisoners held by the Palestinian Authority in West Bank (Ma'an News Agency)(The Jerusalem Post) Arts and culture The polar bear Knut dies at the Berlin Zoo. (MSNBC) Disasters A fire at a refugee camp in Tripura, northeastern India, kills at least 14 people. (The Times of India) (UPI) 600 people are evacuated in Indonesia from the area near Mount Karangetang as it began erupting. (Sify India) Construction of temporary housing begins in the Japanese town of Rikuzentakata severely damaged in the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. (Kyodo) Fukushima I nuclear accidents: The problems at the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant are upgraded to Level 5 on the International Nuclear Events Scale, the same as the Three Mile Island accident. (CNN) Milk and spinach found near the plant exceed Japanese government radiation levels as does water in the Fukushima Prefecture. (AP via MSNBC) (AP via Dayton Daily News) Japan resumes efforts to cool the reactors. (Xinhua) The U.S. Coast Guard begins investigating a reported oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. (Wall Street Journal) International relations Carlos Pascual resigns as United States Ambassador to Mexico due in part to tensions with the President of Mexico Felipe Calderón. (U.S. State Department) (Reuters) Edinburgh University students vote in favour of boycotting Israeli goods and services, citing Israeli treatment of Palestinians.(International Middle East Media Center) Robert Cooper, special adviser to Baroness Catherine Ashton (High Representative of the European Union for political, foreign affairs and security), meets with Bahraini Interior Minister Lt. Gen. Sheikh Rashid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa (Saudi News Today) to discuss the security situation of the Country and measures taken towards resolution under the light of the recent protests. Politics Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and nine cabinet ministers survive a no-confidence vote brought about by the opposition. (Thai News Agency) (Al Jazeera) A constitutional referendum takes place in Egypt. (BBC) (Al Jazeera) Egyptian presidential hopeful Mohamed ElBaradei is pelted with rocks, bottles and cans in Cairo. (Washington Post) The 14th Dalai Lama's submitted resignation as Head of State of the Central Tibetan Administration is denied by the Tibetan Parliament-in-exile. (Hindustan Times) Rap star Wyclef Jean is shot in the hand while campaigning in the Haitian election. (AP via ABC News America) Anti-Iraq War demonstrators are arrested outside the White House in Washington DC including Daniel Ellsberg, the man who leaked the Pentagon Papers. (Associated Press) Peruvian President Alan García swears in Rosario Fernández as Prime Minister, after the sudden resignation of José Antonio Chang. (Andina) (BBC) Science The moon reaches its closest point to the Earth since March 1993, and will appear 30% brighter and 14% larger than at its furthest point. (NASA) (The Press-Enterprise) Sports Maria Riesch of Germany and Ivica Kostelić of Croatia win the 2011 Alpine Skiing World Cup overall in men's and women's disciplines. (AP via Yahoo! News), (Reuters via Canada.com) England wins the 2011 Six Nations Championship in rugby union. (Reuters via ABC Online) Jon Jones, at age 23, becomes the youngest champion in the history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship by defeating Mauricio "Shogun" Rua in a Light Heavyweight Championship bout at UFC 128: Shogun vs. Jones in Newark, New Jersey, US. (Sherdog) Vitali Klitschko defeats Odlanier Solís via a controversial first-round technical knockout to retain the WBC Heavyweight Championship in Cologne, Germany. (Boxrec) Current events of March 20, 2011 (2011-03-20) (Sunday) Armed conflict and attacks Arab Spring 2011 Libyan civil war: Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani says Qatar will join the anti-Gaddafi forces, making it the first Arab country to commit military forces. (Bloomberg) The United Arab Emirates sends aircraft to Sardinia to join the anti-Gaddafi effort. (AFP)(Reuters) Amr Moussa of the Arab League expresses concerns about Gaddafi retaliation after supporting the imposition of a no-fly zone. (Christian Science Monitor) A Libyan army spokesman says Libyan armed forces have been issued a command to observe an immediate ceasefire following air bombardment from American, French and British forces aiming to implement a UN resolution authorising the use of force to protect Libyan civilians from government troops. (The Jerusalem Post) Libyan state television claims that 48 people have been killed and 150 injured in Operation Odyssey Dawn. (AP) Residents of Misrata claim that snipers loyal to Muammar Gaddafi are posted on rooftops in the town. (Reuters) The Opposition claim that more than 8,000 people have been killed. (Al-Jazeera) The Arab League speaks out against the military airstrikes on Libya as civilians are killed. (Press TV) Germany's foreign minister Guido Westerwelle defends his country's refusal to participate in the invasion of Libya, speaking of "the risks of a lengthy mission". (Press TV) NATO's top decision-making body approves a plan to implement a United Nations arms embargo but fail to agree on plans to enforce a no-fly zone over Libya. (AP via the Seattle Times) A missile totally destroys an administrative building in Muammar Gaddafi's compound in Tripoli. (Sydney Morning Herald) 2011 Syrian protests: Thousands of people demonstrate for a third consecutive day in Daraa, Syria, with crowds setting fire to the headquarters of the ruling Baath Party while one protester is killed by security forces. (The Jerusalem Post)(BBC) The Syrian government announces its intention to release children it locked up for their pro-democracy actions. (Al Jazeera) 2011 Bahraini protests: Opposition groups in Bahrain call for prisoners to be released amid the country's two-month-long pro-democracy demonstrations. (Al Jazeera) Iran and Bahrain expel diplomats following Iran's criticism of the crackdown on the protesters. (AFP via Google News) (BBC) 2011 Yemeni protests: The Yemeni human rights minister, Huda al-Baan, resigns in protest after a sniper attack on anti-government demonstrators. (AFP via Google News) The country's most powerful tribal confederation Hashed requests that Saleh resign. Hashed includes Saleh's own tribe. (Al Jazeera) Saleh sacks his cabinet. (BBC) 2011 Saudi Arabian protests: Security forces in Saudi Arabia break up a protest outside the interior ministry in the capital Riyadh demanding the release of political prisoners. (CNN) (Press TV) Saudi forces arrest and take away around 15 people as they gather outside the interior ministry building to request details of the whereabouts of their friends or family members who have been imprisoned without trial. Such expressions of opinion are outlawed in Saudi Arabia. (Al Jazeera) 2011 Moroccan protests: Thousands of people rally across the country demanding more civil rights and an end to corruption. (Reuters) Israeli–Palestinian conflict: Palestinian militants fire a Grad-type rocket from Gaza into southern Ashkelon, Israel; two residents are taken to a clinic for medical treatment. (The Jerusalem Post) (Ynet) The bodies of two 17-year-old Palestinians, shot dead by the Israeli military near the Gaza-Israel border yesterday, are retrieved; the military says the army opened fire on two men who were spotted moving suspiciously toward a frontier "no-go" zone, after fierce cross-border exchanges in which militants fired dozens of shells into Israel. (AFP via Google News) (BBC) Israel shuts down every crossing with the Gaza Strip, citing "security reasons", ahead of the Purim Jewish holiday. (Press TV) 12 people are killed in clashes between Transitional Federal Government troops and al-Shabaab rebels in southern Somalia. (AFP via Google News) (Press TV) Demonstrations against the treatment of Bradley Manning: A protest against the alleged "appalling" treatment by the United States of Bradley Manning occurs in London, with supporters from Wales, where Manning attended school, attending. (BBC) (Wales Online) A rally occurs in Quantico in the U.S. state of Virginia where Manning is currently imprisoned. (AP via WTKR) (Huffington Post) American security forces arrest 35 people protesting against the "torture" of Manning at Quantico during an event addressed by, among others, Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg. (Inside NoVA) (AP via Google News) (Newsday) (Washington Examiner) Ellsberg, who leaked information about U.S. government lies during the Vietnam War, says he does not mind being arrested in Manning's name, claiming "I was that young man; I was Bradley Manning". (CNN) Arts and culture Musician Wyclef Jean is shot in the hand near Port-au-Prince. Mr Jean supports Michel Martelly in the unfolding Haitian election. (BBC) Iranian year 1390 begins with Nowruz. (Press TV) The BBC World Service is expected to sign an agreement with the United States State Department to enable it to combat censorship in Iran and the People's Republic of China. (The Guardian) Business and economy AT&T and Deutsche Telekom reach an agreement for AT&T to purchase T-Mobile USA for $39 billion in cash and stock. (Business Wire) Disasters 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami and Fukushima I nuclear accidents: A small amount of radiation is found on vegetables exported from Japan to Taiwan but the amount is too small to harm human health. (Canadian Press via Prince Edward Island Guardian) The Japanese Ministry of Health advises people living in Iitate near the plant not to drink tap water due to elevated levels of radioactive iodine. (AP via Washington Post) The death toll from the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami will top 15,000 people in Miyagi Prefecture according to the local police chief. (Kyodo) The death and missing toll from the earthquake and resulting tsunami approaches 21,000. (RTÉ) A possible oil slick appears and spreads near the Mississippi Delta off the coast of Grand Isle, Louisiana, suspected to be an oil spill from the Matterhorn Seastar oil rig near the Deepwater Horizon oil spill location or silt contamination from a nearby dredging operation. (Reuters) (Daily Mail) (Wall Street Journal) International relations After a gag order is lifted and Sunday publication is permitted, Israel's security service admits it has arrested Gazan engineer Dirar Abu Sisi who disappeared in Ukraine almost two weeks ago and whose wife thought he had been abducted by Mossad. (Haaretz) (CP via Google News) (AFP via Google News) (Ma'an News Agency) (Ynetnews) U.S. president Barack Obama visits a favela and delivers a speech in Rio de Janeiro as part of his five-day Latin American journey. (BBC) Law and crime Police are growing concerned for the safety of Sian O'Callaghan, a 22-year-old woman who went missing while walking home from a nightclub in the English city of Swindon in the early hours of Saturday 19 March. (BBC) Politics and elections Thousands demonstrate in Taipei, Taiwan against the construction of a new atomic plant. (Straits Times) (Focus Taiwan) Tibetan exiles vote for a new Prime Minister. (Sify India) (Philippine Inquirer) Haitian general election, 2010–2011: Voters in Haiti go to the polls for the second round of voting in the presidential election. (NPR) Several polling sites fail to open on time and are reported to lack voting materials. (Al Jazeera) More than 80 per cent of votes in the Egyptian constitutional referendum support liberal reforms. (AP via France24), (ABC News Online) The President of Yemen Ali Abdullah Saleh fires the government as the protests continue. (Reuters via Alertnet), (BBC News) Opposition leader Mahamadou Issoufou is elected President of Niger following over a year of transitionary rule under a military junta since a coup overthrew Mamadou Tandja. The runner-up in the election, former Prime Minister Seyni Oumarou, accepts the results. (AFP) Voters in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt go to the polls for an election with the results indicating that the Christian Democratic Union is likely to remain in power. (The New York Times) Sport In tennis, Novak Djokovic threatens the world number one by defeating Rafael Nadal in the final of the BNP Paribas Open. (BBC Sport) Current events of March 21, 2011 (2011-03-21) (Monday) Armed conflict and attacks The King of Bahrain Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifa claims that the 2011 Bahraini protests were a foreign plot defeated by the intervention of forces from neighbors Saudi Arabia and the UAE of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf's Peninsula Shield Force. (Reuters) 2011 Libyan civil war: The Tripoli compound of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi is targeted for more bombing raids in the third night of the international intervention in Libya. (Sky News) Rebel forces go on the offensive following Western-led airstrikes with clashes near Ajdabiya and in Misrata. (Los Angeles Times) The Government of Libya releases four New York Times journalists captured six days ago while covering fighting in Ajdabiya. (The New York Times) A top Yemeni commander and at least 18 other officers defect to the Opposition as the 2011 Yemeni protests continue. (AP via The Washington Post) (Al Jazeera) Thousands of people march in the southern Syrian city of Deraa calling for more political freedoms. (BBC) (Times LIVE South Africa) 2010–2011 Ivorian crisis: Thousands of supporters of incumbent Côte d'Ivoire President Laurent Gbagbo gather to enlist in the army. (BBC) Israel Defense Forces launch air strikes on the Gaza Strip after militants fire mortars and rockets at Israel resulting in 19 Palestineans being injured. (MSNBC) Business and economy The World Bank predicts that the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami will cause a temporary slowdown in the Japanese economy before reconstruction has a positive economic impact. (Reuters via The Guardian) The U.S. Supreme Court declines to take an appeal from an appellate court ruling that ordered the disclosure of information about the Federal Reserve's emergency lending to banks during the 2008 financial crisis. The Supreme Court's refusal means the ruling of the court below stands. (Reuters) Microsoft sues Barnes & Noble and manufacturers Foxconn and Inventec over their Nook e-readers, claiming that they infringe patents. (Seattle PI) Three Argentina airports including Ministro Pistarini International Airport in Buenos Aires ground hundreds of flights due to problems in communications in air traffic control. (AP via AP3) Disasters Efforts continue to cool the reactors at the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant following recent accidents with signs that the treatment efforts are working. (Kyodo News) (Bloomberg) The death toll for the Japanese earthquake and tsunami reaches 8,450, with 12,931 people missing. (BBC) 2011 Pointe-Noire Trans Air Congo An-12 crash At least twenty-three people die after a cargo plane crashes into Pointe-Noire in the Republic of Congo. (ANP/AFP via Radio Netherlands) International relations Russian President Dmitry Medvedev criticises Vladimir Putin's stance on United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973 concerning the situation in Libya as "unacceptable". Putin had said the resolution resembled a "medieval call for crusades". (BBC) (RIA Novosti) The United States and Chile sign a nuclear accord. (BBC) Law and crime The perjury trial of U.S. baseball star Barry Bonds begins in federal court in San Francisco, California. (The New York Times) Politics and elections The House of Commons votes in favour of the United Kingdom's involvement in military action in Libya. (BBC) Barrister Malcolm McCusker will become the new Governor of Western Australia on July 1, 2011. (Perth Now) A Canadian House of Commons committee tables a report recommending that the Conservative government of Stephen Harper be found in contempt of parliament. (The Toronto Star) (CBC) The President of Guatemala Álvaro Colom and his wife Sandra Torres file for divorce so that she can stand in the presidential election. (BBC) Science Surgeons at the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, perform the first full face transplant in the United States. (The Boston Globe) Current events of March 22, 2011 (2011-03-22) (Tuesday) Armed conflicts and attacks 2011 Libyan civil war: Two US airmen safely eject prior to their F-15E crashing near Benghazi, Libya, due to mechanical failure. (BBC) (The Gulf Today) Al Jazeera reports Hussein al-Warfali, a head of a pro-Gaddafi brigade, has been killed in fighting near Tripoli. (BBC) Muammar Gaddafi appears at his Bab al-Azizia compound and tells his followers "we will be victorious in the end." (BBC) The President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai names the seven areas of Afghanistan that will pass into Afghan control from July: Kabul, Panjshir Province, Bamiyan Province, Herat, Mazar-e-Sharif, Mihtarlam and Lashkar Gah. (BBC) The headquarters of Egypt's Ministry of Interior burns to the ground as police officers protest outside about low wages. (AP via ABC News America) The United Nations calls for an investigation into a crackdown on demonstrators in Syria. (Al Jazeera) Journalists in Yemen condemn the restrictions on their media coverage of the 2011 Yemeni protests. (Al Arabiya) Eight Palestinians are killed and dozens more injured from Israeli mortar and tank attacks on Gaza City.(The Guardian)(Irish Times) Arts and culture A US judge blocks an agreement between Google and publishers about efforts to digitize books online at Google Books. (BBC) Business and economy Sony announces that five more Japanese manufacturing plants will stop working or reduce hours as a result of supply problems caused by the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. (Reuters) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China rejects accusations by Google that it is blocking access to Gmail in China. (Reuters) Germany's Federal Court of Justice rules that Deutsche Bank must compensate a customer, Ille Papier Service, for selling it an interest rate swap product without adequate disclosures. (NYT DealBook) The Mozilla Foundation releases Firefox 4. (SMH) Disasters 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami: Tokyo Electric Power Co. resumes its policy of rolling electricity blackouts following ongoing problems caused by the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. (Kyodo News) The Japanese government says that Tokyo Electric Power will have to compensate farmers for losses caused by the Fukushima I nuclear accidents. (BBC) Radiation levels 20km from the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant measured at 1600 times normal levels. (Herald Sun) After a series of four aftershocks above magnitude 6 east of Honshu, a magnitude 5.7 aftershock of the 2011 Japan earthquake hits Fukushima Prefecture near Iwaki, without immediate reports of damage or casualties. (Canadian Business) (The Sydney Morning Herald) (USGS) The US Food and Drug Administration bans all milk, fruit and vegetables imports from areas of Japan near the Fukushima plant. (ABC News), (Comcast) South Korea agrees to hold talks with North Korea about a potential eruption of Baekdu Mountain near the North's border with the People's Republic of China. (Yonhap News) An explosion at the Sorange coal mine in Pakistan's Baluchistan province kills 52 people. (AP via The Guardian) International relations China denies it is disrupting access to Google's email service in the country. (BBC) (Peace FM Ghana) (Sify India) Nigeria accuses the international community of taking action in Libya while doing little to resolve the crisis in Côte d'Ivoire. (Reuters) Robert Cooper, special advisor to Baroness Catherine Ashton (High Representative of the European Union for political, foreign affairs and security), despite serious concerns over excessive and indiscriminate use of force expressed by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon (UN News Centre), speaking to MEPs in the foreign affairs committee in Brussels after visiting Bahrain (Saudi News Today), defended Bahrain's protests crackdown: "It's not easy dealing with large demonstrations in which there may be violence. It's a difficult task for policemen. It's not something that we always get right in the best Western countries and accidents happen" (Guardian). Cooper's endorsement disturbed one MEP at the debate. "'Accidents happen?' ... I'm sorry this is a funny picture as you describe it," German Green deputy Franziska Brantner said. "What are you talking about? I find this very scary." Law and crime The former President of Israel, Moshe Katsav, is sentenced to seven years in prison, two years probation and payment of compensation to his victims on charges of rape, indecent assault, sexual harassment and obstruction of justice. Current President Shimon Peres says that "this is a sad day but everyone is equal before the law." (Haaretz) (The Jerusalem Post) Syrian police arrest human rights activist Loay Hussein. (Reuters via MSNBC) The Moriarty Tribunal, in investigating links between businessman Denis O'Brien and then government minister Michael Lowry, finds "beyond doubt" that Lowry assisted O'Brien in gaining a mobile phone license for Esat Digifone, and concludes that Lowry's actions were "disgraceful and insidious." (RTÉ) (The Guardian) (TV3) Politics and elections John-Paul Langbroek stands down as the Leader of the Opposition in the Australian state of Queensland with the sitting Lord Mayor of Brisbane Campbell Newman favoured to take his place. (ABC News) The Philippine House of Representatives votes to impeach the Ombudsman, Merceditas Gutierrez, for allegedly failing to investigate former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and other senior officials of her administration with sufficient vigor. (AP via Yahoo! News) Dennis Daugaard, the Governor of South Dakota, signs an abortion bill requiring women to undertake counselling and wait for 72 hours, the longest period in the US. (Argus Leader) All 3 opposition parties in the Canadian House of Commons, who together form a majority, state they will not support the 2011 federal budget, precipitating a possible election. (Globe and Mail), (CBC News) Bob Buckhorn is elected as the mayor of the US city of Tampa, Florida. (WUSF) Sly James is elected as the Mayor of the US city of Kansas City, Missouri. (Kansas City Business Journal) Current events of March 23, 2011 (2011-03-23) (Wednesday) Armed conflict and attacks 2011 Syrian protests Syrian forces kill at least four people at the Omari Mosque in the southern Syrian city of Deraa following days of protest against the Ba'ath Party. (Reuters) (BBC) The government fires the governor of Daraa province. (CNN) 2011 Libyan civil war Kuwait and Jordan provide logistics, and Turkey adds five ships and a submarine to the military intervention in Libya. (hurrieyet)) (DAWN)(France24) Libyan forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi continue to attack the cities of Ajdabiya, Misrata and Zintan despite the western intervention. (The Guardian) Air Vice Marshal Greg Bagwell of the British Royal Air Force claims that the Libyan Air Force "no longer exists as a fighting force". (CBS News) 2011 Yemeni protests The President of Yemen Ali Abdullah Saleh offers to stand down by the end of the year and warns of a "civil war" as 2011 Yemeni protests continue. (Al-Jazeera)(CNN) The Parliament of Yemen passes emergency laws giving broader powers of arrest to the Government. (The Guardian) Islamic Jihad militants in the Gaza Strip fire ten mortars at the Eshkol, Sha'ar Hanegev region, and Grad rockets at the Israeli cities of Ashkelon and Beersheba; one person is injured in Beersheba. (Haaretz) (The Jerusalem Post) (The Australian) An explosive device which was placed in a suitcase on the sidewalk exploded next to bus number 74 near the Jerusalem International Convention Center complex. A woman is killed in the explosion and at least 50 people are injured. (Haaretz) (Jerusalem Post) (Al Jazeera) (BBC)(The Australian) Arts and culture English-American actress Elizabeth Taylor dies at the age of 79 in Los Angeles. (E Online) Business and economy The Chinese yuan reaches a record level against the US dollar. (BBC) A U.S. federal court judge dismisses part of a lawsuit brought by Lions Gate Entertainment against its shareholder, Carl Icahn, holding that Icahn had met certain statutory disclosure requirements. (Reuters) Disasters The Prime Minister of Japan Naoto Kan instructs the Governor of Fukushima Prefecture Yūhei Satō to advise residents to avoid eating leafy vegetables, due to the Fukushima I nuclear accidents. (Kyodo News) The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bureau of Waterworks says levels of radioactive iodine in city tap water are two times the recommended limit for infants. (NZ Stuff) International relations Roberto Maroni, the Italian Minister of the Interior, flies to Tunis to discuss stopping the flow of Tunisian immigrants to the small island of Lampedusa following the Tunisian Revolution. (BBC) Law and crime An Egyptian committee set up to investigate violence during demonstrations that ousted former President Hosni Mubarak has charged him and the interior minister with the intentional murder of protesters. (The Jerusalem Post) Moriarty Tribunal: The Moriarty Tribunal, which yesterday found former government minister Michael Lowry guilty "beyond doubt" of assisting billionaire businessman Denis O'Brien in gaining a mobile phone license for Esat Digifone, in actions judged "disgraceful and insidious" by the tribunal, is referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). (RTÉ) Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin asks that Michael Lowry resign over his part in what he calls "the greatest corporate scandal in the history of the State". (Inside Ireland) Former Denis O'Brien employee and journalist Sarah Carey's "significant leaking" of tribunal information is judged by the tribunal to have been "irresponsible" and "not remotely justified". (The Irish Times) The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit refuses to allow same-sex marriages to resume in the US state of California while it considers the constitutionality of Proposition 8. (San Francisco Chronicle) Politics and elections Thousands of people gather in Canberra, Australia to protest the introduction of a carbon tax, Prime Minister Julia Gillard met the Australian Youth Climate Coalition which is pushing for a price on emissions, while climate change mitigation activists including the Australian Council of Trade Unions delivered a petition to Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency Greg Combet signed by about 10,000 "working Australians" urging the government to take action. (AAP via Adelaide Now) (The Australian) (Sydney Morning Herald) (Daily Telegraph) The Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne delivers the 2011 United Kingdom budget. (The Daily Telegraph) The Israeli Knesset passes a new law which requires the state to fine local authorities and other state-funded bodies for denying Israel as Jewish, democratic state or supporting racism, armed resistance against Israel, or desecrating the state flag or national symbols, including holding events marking Nakba Day.(BBC)(Ynet)(The Jerusalem Post) The Liberal Party of Canada announces it will introduce a motion to the Canadian House of Commons that calls on MPs to support a committee report finding the Conservative government in contempt of Parliament. The finding was in response to the government allegedly not supplying sufficient information on costs of crime bills, purchasing F-35 fighter jets for the Canadian Forces, and corporate tax cuts. (CBC) The Prime Minister of Portugal José Sócrates resigns after the parliament rejects austerity measures. (AP via The Star), (Reuters) Spain bans the new Basque nationalist political party Sortu.(Wall Street Journal) Current events of March 24, 2011 (2011-03-24) (Thursday) Armed conflicts and attacks Arab Spring Protest in Jordan sees 500 March in Jordan's capital Amman demanding the removal of prime minister Marouf al-Bakhit and other reforms. (AP) 2011 Syrian protests: Witnesses and rights activists say Syrian government security forces killed at least 15 anti-government protesters in Daraa, bringing the death toll for the week to 21. (The Australian) (BBC) The Syrian government pledges a series of reforms in response to the unrest, including lifting the state of emergency law and allowing other political parties. (Al Jazeera) (BBC) 2011 Libyan civil war: Representatives of Muammar Gaddafi and his opponents in the Libyan rebel movement have been invited to attend a Friday African Union meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. (VoA) (Globe and Mail) Coalition air strikes on targets in Tripoli, Libya, continue for a sixth day in an effort to destabilize Gaddafi's government. (CNN) (The Australian) French jet destroys a Libyan plane that breached the no-fly zone. (BBC) The Israeli air force launches early morning airstrikes on smuggling tunnels along Gaza-Egypt border as well as a Hamas training camp in Gaza following Palestinian militants' rocket attacks against Beersheba and Ashkelon, Israel. (AP via The Sydney Morning Herald) (The Jerusalem Post) South Korea issues a report into the sinking of the ROKS Cheonan criticising the readiness of the Navy. (BBC) Two British soldiers from the 1st Battalion Irish Guards are killed fighting in Afghanistan's Helmand province. (BBC) The European Commission is hit by a cyberattack. (Computerworld) (Europolitics) Army forces in Colombia kill 10 FARC rebels in western Chocó department. (Press TV) Arts and culture The United States Census Bureau confirms that New York City is the largest city in the US with 8,175,133 residents at the time of the 2010 United States Census on April 1. (CNN Money) Business and economy A U.S. federal district court in Delaware rules in favor of Cephalon, a phamaceutical company, in a patent infringement lawsuit it had brought against a manufacturer of generic drugs. (Reuters) The Africa Carbon Exchange, Africa's first carbon exchange which will trade in carbon credits a form of carbon pricing, opens in Kenya. (Reuters) (UPI) Disasters Two large earthquakes are recorded in northeastern Burma near the borders with Laos and Thailand, killing at least two people. (BBC) (New York Times) (AFP via Yahoo News) Thousands of people are stranded by flash flooding in Tasmania, amid record falls of rain. Roads are closed, blackouts occur and people are flown away in helicopters. (The Sydney Morning Herald) Japanese earthquake, tsunami and nuclear incidents Several governments in the Asia-Pacific region including Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore ban the import of food from areas near the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant following the recent incidents. (BBC) The Japanese National Police Agency states that the official death toll of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami is 9,700 with 16,500 missing. (Yahoo News) Parents in Tokyo and the Greater Tokyo Area scramble for bottled water following warnings about elevated levels of radioactive iodine in drinking water. (Los Angeles Times) Water in a purification plant in the city of Kawaguchi in Saitama Prefecture is found to be unsafe for infants to drink. (Kyodo) Three workers at the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant are exposed to high levels of radiation with two being hospitalized. (AFP via Channel News Asia) Radiation levels in Tokyo tap water have dropped by half, well below the country's maximum for infants. (NY Times) The United Nations claims that six million North Koreans need international food assistance. (AP via Star Tribune) Law and crime Lian Yang, a US citizen, pleads guilty to conspiring to violate the Arms Export Control Act by trying to sell radiation-hardened" military and aerospace technology to the People's Republic of China. (Seattle Times) Serial rapist Delroy Grant is convicted of 18 sexual assaults and rapes in London, England, with fears that he may have committed hundreds of offences. (PA via Sydney Morning Herald) British Police find the body of 22-year-old Sian O'Callaghan in Oxfordshire, five days after she went missing in Swindon, Wiltshire. A 47-year-old man is arrested on suspicion of murder and police are also searching for the body of an unnamed missing woman who is feared to have been murdered. (BBC) Two girls (11 and 8 years old) were brutally murdered in their home in Krailling, Bavaria (Germany). (The Local) Politics and elections European Council Summit on 24-25 March 2011 (Invitation letter by President Van Rompuy to the European Council -PDF-), focusing on 1) its economic policy (Washington Post), 2) On the finalisation of the ESM (European Stability Mechanism) and the adoption of the Euro Plus Pact, 3) On the developments on its southern neighbourhood under the light of the 2011 Libyan civil war and the UN Security Council Resolution 1973 and 4) On possible assistance to Japan, and the necessary steps to review the safety of both European and neighbouring nuclear facilities. (Summit Conclusions -PDF-) Moriarty Tribunal in Ireland: Former government minister Michael Lowry refuses to resign the seat he recently claimed back in Dáil Éireann in the aftermath of the Moriarty Tribunal's findings that he assisted billionaire businessman Denis O'Brien "beyond doubt" in gaining a mobile phone license for Esat Digifone, in actions judged "disgraceful and insidious" by the tribunal. Taoiseach Enda Kenny admits Fine Gael accepted a donation worth thousands of dollars from Esat at the time. (Irish Examiner) (The Daily Telegraph) Libertas founder and chairman Declan Ganley urges Michael Lowry to resign, calling it "embarrassing for Ireland to have someone like that in Dáil Éireann". (The Irish Times) Journalist Sarah Carey uses her column in The Irish Times to call her lies to the tribunal a "black spot on my record" amid calls for her to be immediately dismissed by the newspaper. (The Irish Times) (Irish Central) Mr Justice Moriarty judges that Michael Lowry and his associates "went to great lengths" to cover up payments of thousands and then to mislead the tribunal. (The Irish Times) Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard is among the MPs to have been revealed in the latest MPs' interests register to have received gifts, including iPods and concert tickets, from Bono. (The Sydney Morning Herald) The Governor of the US state of California Jerry Brown signs off on billions of savings to the budget but acknowledges that billions more in savings or revenue increases need to be found to resolve the ongoing budget crisis. (San Francisco Chronicle) Science and technology Mathematician John Milnor wins the 2011 Abel Prize for his contributions to topology, geometry and algebra. (The Hindu) The first battery-swapping station in Israel for electric cars is inaugurated by Better Place; over 1,000 charging stations for the cars are already in place. (The Jerusalem Post) Current events of March 25, 2011 (2011-03-25) (Friday) Armed conflicts and attacks Arab Spring Libyan rebels arrest Omar Ahmed Sodani, the man believed responsible for the murder of WPC Yvonne Fletcher outside the Libyan embassy in London in 1984. (The Guardian) Supporters of the Jordanian government clash with anti-government protesters in Amman, resulting in 1 death and over 100 injuries. (BBC) (Al Jazeera) Protests continue in cities across Syria demanding greater freedoms; gunfire is also heard in Deraa. (Al Jazeera) (BBC) (Angola Press) Pro-Syrian government demonstrators surround the Al-Jazeera offices in Damascus and threaten to burn it to the ground. (Al Jazeera) Rival demonstrations take place in Yemen; President Ali Abdullah Saleh offers to hand over power to a "safe pair of hands". (CNN) (AFP via Google News) Clashes between anti-government demonstrators and security forces erupt in Bahrain despite a government ban on gatherings. (Wall Street Journal) 2010–2011 Ivorian crisis Up to one million people flee Abidjan in southern Côte d'Ivoire amid violence. (UN) (IOL) West African leaders urge the United Nations to authorise force to remove incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo, who refuses to leave office, from power. (BBC World Service) A bomb blast in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa injures two people. (Reuters) A bomb in the city of Peshawar in Pakistan results in nineteen people being injured. (One Pakistan) Arts and culture Archaeologist Michael R. Waters and associates report in Science that discoveries at the Debra L Friedkin site north of Austin, Texas, may indicate that the Clovis culture was not the first to settle the Americas. (BBC) (Science) (Irish Times) Business and economy More than 600 workers at a Chinese-owned mine in Zambia strike over pay. (Reuters) The U.S. International Trade Commission has agreed to hear an appeal from Kodak to an initial unfavorable decision by an administrative judge on Kodak's claim that Research in Motion and Apple have infringed its patents, in connection with wireless devices equipped with digital cameras. (Reuters) Disasters and accidents More than 100 people are poisoned by lead from a battery plant built in a residential area in Zhejiang, China. (AP via Google News) (People's Daily) Japan's National Police Agency states that the official death toll from the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami has passed 10,000 with 17,053 missing. (AP via Yahoo! News) Japanese officials raise concerns that the core of unit 3 at the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant may be damaged. (New York Times) The death toll from the 2011 Burma earthquake near the Thailand border reaches at least 75 with the potential for "many more casualties" as dozens of buildings are destroyed. (BBC) (Xinhua) International relations The Democratic Republic of the Congo recalls its ambassador to the Republic of Congo in connection with a raid on President Joseph Kabila's home in Kinshasa. (AFP via Google News) The Government of Iran rejects a United Nations Human Rights Council investigation into alleged human rights abuses. (AFP via France24) European Council Summit (24-25 March 2011) (Invitation letter by President Van Rompuy to the European Council -PDF-), completion (Summit Conclusions -PDF-) focusing on 1) its economic policy under the pressure of the Portugal crisis (Reuters), 2) On the finalisation of the ESM (European Stability Mechanism) and the adoption of the Euro Plus Pact, 3) On the developments on its southern neighbourhood under the light of the 2011 Libyan civil war and the UN Security Council Resolution 1973 and 4) On possible assistance to Japan, and the necessary steps to review the safety of both European and neighbouring nuclear facilities. Law and crime Chinese human rights activist Liu Xianbin is sentenced to ten years in jail on charges of inciting subversion. (AP via The Statesman) (Straits Times) Domonique Ramirez wins a lawsuit against the Miss San Antonio pageant which means she will regain her title and crown, this after being stripped of her title for being "overweight". (Fox News) Delroy Grant, a 53-year-old London taxi driver who was found guilty on a total of 29 charges including indecent assault, burglary and rape committed against 10 elderly people between 1992 and 2009, is sentenced to life imprisonment at Woolwich Crown Court with a recommendation that he should serve at least 27 years in prison before parole can even be considered. (BBC) Politics Inmates at six prisons in Kyrgyzstan go on hunger strike over poor conditions. (CP) (ITAR-TASS) Demonstrators in New Delhi, India, march to the Indian Parliament demanding the government end plans to build a large number of nuclear power plants. (Canadian Press) (Sify India) The Tibetan government in-exile accepts the Dalai Lama's resignation from politics; the parliament is to seek the Tibetan community's opinion. (Times of India) (Angola Press) (Himalayan Times) Zimbabwe's Minister of Public Works, Theresa Makone of the MDC, goes into hiding for fear of arrest. (BBC) Yassin Noman, the head of Yemen's opposition coalition, rejects the offers by the President of Yemen Ali Abdullah Saleh to resign by the end of the year. (Al Jazeera) The Northern Ireland Assembly dissolves ahead of May elections. (BBC) The minority of the Conservative Party of Canada led by Prime Minister Stephen Harper is defeated in a no confidence motion in the House of Commons with an election to be held in early May. (Reuters) (CBC) Sport 2011 Hong Kong Sevens, the highest number of participants event of the 2010–11 IRB Sevens World Series, has started at Hong Kong Stadium in Hong Kong and features 24 teams. (BBC) Current events of March 26, 2011 (2011-03-26) (Saturday) Armed conflicts and attacks Arab Spring: 2011 Libyan civil war: Rebel forces in Libya retake the town of Ajdabiya from troops loyal to Muammar Gaddafi, and later recapture Brega. (BBC) (Al Jazeera) Five suspected al Qaeda terrorists are killed at a checkpoint in Yemen. (Reuters) Libyan authorities detain and forcibly drive Iman al-Obeidi to an unknown location, declaring her "possibly mentally challenged", after she publicly accuses Muammar Gaddafi's troops of gang-raping her. (Associated Press) Rebel forces claim to have captured Brega in the Third Battle of Brega but with no independent verification as yet. (Reuters) An agreement allowing the departure of Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh is "close", according to the Foreign Minister Abu Bakr al-Kurbi. (BBC) Snipers in the city of Latakia, Syria, kill at least three people as protests continue. (Al Jazeera) (BBC) The official death toll since the 2011 Syrian protests is 27 since March 15 with confirmed deaths occurring in the cities of Homs, Sanamen, Daraa and Latakia. (al Jazeera) Three people are killed by leftist rebels in Tampakan, southern Philippines. (Xinhua) Hamas states that it will agree to a ceasefire and halt their rocket fire at Israel if Israel stops attacking targets in the Gaza Strip. (BBC) (The Jerusalem Post) Business and economy Alaska Airlines and its affiliate Horizon Air cancel dozens of flights because of problems with its computer system. (AP via ABC News America) A fuel fire at Miami International Airport causes flight cancellations and delays. (Miami Herald) Ford announces plans to shut down its plant in Cenk, Belgium for a few days starting April 4 due to parts shortages following the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. (Reuters) Disasters Levels of radiation in Tokyo's water supply return to normal. (Japan Times) Law and crime A woman becomes the first person to be jailed for violating a ban on non-recyclable plastic bags in Mandalay, Burma. (Straits Times) British Police are granted an extension by magistrates to continue questioning a Swindon man suspected of the murder of Sian O'Callaghan. (Sky News) Politics and elections Voters in the Australian state of New South Wales go to the polls for the NSW state election with the Liberal/National coalition led by Barry O'Farrell winning government by a landslide. (Sydney Morning Herald) Hundreds of thousands of people march in London, England against government budget cuts with the protests later turning violent. (The Telegraph) (The Guardian) Geraldine Ferraro, a Democratic Party Congresswoman and the first woman to stand for Vice-President of the United States on a major party ticket dies in Boston. (Reuters) The Governor-General of Canada David Johnston dissolves the Parliament of Canada and issues writs for the Canadian federal election. (680 News) Sports Victoire Pisa wins the Dubai World Cup, the first Japanese win in the history of the US$10 million event. (BBC) Current events of March 27, 2011 (2011-03-27) (Sunday) Armed conflicts and attacks Arab Spring: 2011 Syrian protests The Syrian Army is deployed to the country's main port of Latakia. (Reuters) A Syrian government official says the state of emergency law is to be lifted. (CNN) 2011 Libyan civil war Rebel forces seize more towns and advance towards the government-held town of Sirte. (Al Jazeera) NATO assumes control of military operations in Libya. (News24) (Xinhua) 2011 Yemeni protests Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh scraps an offer to resign by the end of this year, as Islamist militants take control of a town in the south of the country. (Taiwan News) Arts and culture Rock group Arcade Fire wins four awards at the Juno Awards of 2011 honouring Canadian music. (AP via MSNBC) Disasters The level of radioactive iodine in the Pacific Ocean near the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant reaches 1850 times normal levels following the recent accidents. (Reuters) Anti-nuclear activists hold a big rally in Tokyo. (BBC) Seven people are missing following an apartment fire and explosion in the Canadian town of Woodstock, Ontario, and seven people, including one firefighter are hospitalised for injuries. (CBC) (Toronto Sun) (Victoria Times Colonist) Two boats collide in San Diego Bay near Shelter Island in southern California resulting in at least two deaths. (San Diego 6) International relations South Korea will repatriate 27 North Koreans who inadvertently drifted across the maritime border. (Yonhap) Law and crime A 47-year-old taxi driver is charged with the murder of Sian O'Callaghan, who vanished while walking home from a night club in the English city of Swindon last weekend. (BBC) (Telegraph and Argus) Politics and elections Winfried Kretschmann is set to be the first Green German state premier after the party success in elections in Baden-Württemberg. (DW) (DW world) (Democratic Underground) (National Public Radio) Sport Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull Racing wins the 2011 Australian Grand Prix, the opening round of the 2011 Formula One season. (AFP via Channel News Asia) Current events of March 28, 2011 (2011-03-28) (Monday) Armed conflicts and attacks Arab Spring: 2011 Syrian protests Syria forces open fire on protesters in Daraa, witness says although other reports claim that they were firing shots in the air. (Haaretz) (Reuters) Syria's VP says Assad will announce important decisions that will 'please the people' in the next two days. (Haaretz) A Syrian government official says the state of emergency law is to be lifted. (CNN) Two Reuters journalists arrested on Saturday in Damascus are released. (Reuters) 2011 Libyan civil war Opposition forces in the 2011 Libyan civil war attack Muammar Gaddafi's hometown of Sirte with disputed claims that they have captured it. (Al Jazeera) (Jerusalem Post) Lieutenant-General Charles Bouchard of the Canadian Forces Air Command is named to lead enforcement of the Libya no fly zone. (Globe and Mail) (National Post) (Defense News) The President of the United States Barack Obama gives a televised address on progress in the Libyan campaign. (Washington Post), (Sydney Morning Herald) 2011 Yemeni protests An explosion at a weapons factory taken over by Islamist militants in southern Yemen kills at least 121 people. (BBC) (Philippine Star) 2011 Bahraini protests Bahrain rejects a mediation offer by Kuwait to resolve the country's political crisis. (Al Jazeera) (Reuters) Al Wefaq, the leading Shi'ite opposition party, claims that 250 people have been detained and 47 held in detention since the declaration of martial law. (Reuters) 2011 Moroccan protests Teachers plan to stage a nationwide strike demanding better benefits. (Reuters) 2010-2011 Ivorian crisis: Rebel forces loyal to presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara seize the town of Duékoué in western Côte d'Ivoire from government forces. (Xinhua) A car bomb attack on a construction company in Afghanistan's Paktika Province kills at least 13 people and injures another fifty. (The Australian) Seventeen militants and three Russian security force members die in fighting in Ingushetia while two suspects in the Domodedovo International Airport bombing are arrested. (Al-Jazeera) Arts and culture A 2,500-year-old preserved human brain dating from the Iron Age is found in Heslington in the English city of York. (Live Science via Fox News) Business and economy Qatar recognizes Libyan rebels as the representative of the Libyan people, after a deal to market crude oil. (EuroNews) (WorldNews.com) (Qatar News Agency) Volkswagen recalls 71000 2011 model Jetta sedans due to a wiring problem. (Detroit News) Disasters Fukushima I nuclear accidents Radioactive seawater from the accidents travels further from the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant. (AP via Yahoo! News) Plutonium is found at five locations around the power plant. (Voice of America) International relations The International Atomic Energy Agency calls a summit in Vienna to tackle concerns about nuclear safety following the Fukushima crisis. (Reuters) More than 500 Ethiopian and Somalian migrants arrive in Malta from Libya. (Reuters) Law and crime The appeal of former Khmer Rouge prison chief Kaing Guek Eav begins. (Phnom Penh Post) (Straits Times) The trial of Prime Minister of Italy Silvio Berlusconi on corruption charges commences. (BBC) A court in southern Vietnam sentences a zoo owner to three years imprisonment for selling the carcasses of dead tigers. (Straits Times) (Malaysia Star) Politics Egypt is to hold parliamentary elections in September 2011. (Reuters) Barry O'Farrell is sworn as the Premier of the Australian state of New South Wales following Saturday's state election. (News Limited) The Governor of the US state of Michigan Rick Snyder signs legislation lowering the period that jobless workers can claim state unemployment benefits from 26 weeks to 20 weeks. (AP via Yahoo! News) Sport The captain of the Australia national rugby league team Darren Lockyer announces his retirement as at the end of the 2011 NRL season. (Melbourne Herald-Sun) (Brisbane Times) The opening date of the Nippon Professional Baseball season is deferred due to the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. (Los Angeles Times via Seattle Times) French urban climber Alain Robert scales the worlds tallest building, Burj Khalifa in Dubai. (BBC)(Time) Current events of March 29, 2011 (2011-03-29) (Tuesday) Armed conflicts and attacks Arab Spring: 2011 Syrian protests Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian president, accepts the resignation of the country's government, following two weeks of anti-government protests that have gripped Syria. However Muhammad Naji al-Otari, the resigning prime minister will continue to serve as caretaker Prime Minister. (Al Jazeera) (Syrian Arab News Agency) (SBS World News) 2011 Libyan civil war Sweden, a non-NATO member, adds eight JAS Gripen jetfighters to the international Libyan no-fly zone. (DU) Gaddafi forces push back rebels who were gathered east of Muammar Gaddafi's hometown of Sirte. (Haaretz) An international conference takes place in London, England, to discuss the military action and future of Libya. (Al Jazeera) (BBC) Coalition forces bomb missile dumps in Tripoli. (CBS) 2011 Bahraini protests Bahrain's parliament accepts the resignations of 11 out of 18 Al-Wefaq MPs who stepped down on February 14, 2011 in protest at violence against pro-democracy demonstrators. (Bahrain News Agency) 2011 Omani protests Authorities in Oman arrest some protesters and clear blockades in the city of Sohar. (UPI) 2010-2011 Ivorian crisis: Fighters backing internationally recognised president Alassane Ouattara launch a "general offensive" in the west, centre-west and east of Ivory Coast. (France 24) Business and economy The President of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, James Bullard, says that the continued purchase of U.S. Treasuries by the Federal Reserve is "feeding the fire" of inflation, and should be tapered off. (Reuters) GE Energy To Buy 90% Stake In Converteam For $3.2Billion (WSJ) Disasters and accidents Around 4,000 bodies of people who died in the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami in Iwate Prefecture, Miyagi Prefecture and Fukushima Prefecture remain unidentified. (Kyodo) North Korea is reported to be on a state of high alert for radiation from the Fukushima I accidents. (Yonhap) (Sydney Telegraph) Nine hospital patients in the US state of Alabama die after being treated with Intravenous therapy feeding bags with the manufacturer withdrawing the product. (AP via Montgomery Advertiser) International relations Local residents on Italy's southern islands protest over the arrival of more migrants from North Africa on boats. (Reuters) (AFP via Google News) India and Pakistan agree to set up a "terror hotline" to share information about terror threats. (Channel News Asia) (Indian Express) Law and crime China arrests two activists on charges of subversion after calling for 'Jasmine' protests similar to those in the Middle East. (Straits Times) (Times Online Sri Lanka) (Bangkok Post) Wanted Ugandan rebel leader Joseph Kony, leader of the Lord's Resistance Army, returns to eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. (Reuters) The Israeli Knesset approves an amendment to the Nationality Law in a 37-11 vote. The amendment empowers the Israeli court system to revoke the citizenships of Israeli citizens convicted of terrorism, aiding the enemy in wartime, causing war, serving in enemy forces or espionage.(Seattle Times) (Jerusalem Post) Politics Burma is to swear in a new President within two days, marking a transfer from military to civilian government. (Channel News Asia) José Alencar, the former Vice-President of Brazil between 2003 and 2010, dies after a long battle of cancer. (BBC) Sport Ricky Ponting steps down as the captain of the Australian cricket team in both Tests and One Day Internationals. (Sportal) Arrest warrants are issued for Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Aqib Talib and his mother on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in Garland, Texas. (Tampa Tribune) Current events of March 30, 2011 (2011-03-30) (Wednesday) Armed conflict and attacks Arab Spring: 2011 Syrian protests Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian president, addresses the nation amid unrest. (Al Jazeera) (AFP via Google News) Syrian Army troops open fire on protesters in front of the mayor's office in Latakia. (USA Today) 2011 Libyan civil war Muammar Gaddafi's forces capture the town of Ra's Lanuf. (AFP via Google News) After rebels retreat outside Ra's Lanuf, the coalition has begun launching air-strikes at Gaddafi's forces again. (Al Jazeera) The British government confirms that the Libyan Foreign Minister, Moussa Koussa, has resigned and defected to Britain. (Al Jazeera) (BBC) Reuters reports that the President of the United States Barack Obama has signed an order authorising covert help for the rebels. (Reuters) 2011 Bahraini protests Prominent Bahraini blogger Mahmood Al-Yousif is arrested as the 2011 Bahraini protests continue. (Global Voices Online) UN Human Rights Watch announces that Bahrain authorities are harassing and isolating hospital patients wounded in anti-government protests. (The Independent) (UN Human Rights Watch) 2010–2011 Ivorian crisis Forces loyal to Alassane Ouattara enter Yamoussoukro, the capital of the Ivory Coast. (Al Jazeera) (AP via Houston Chronicle) Arts and culture 45,000 Inca artefacts taken by Yale University from Machu Picchu almost a century ago, and described by the president as "the dignity and pride of Peru", arrive in Lima after a long campaign by Peruvians to have them returned. (BBC) The finalists for the Man Booker International Prize are announced, including Wang Anyi, Juan Goytisolo, James Kelman, John le Carré, Amin Maalouf, David Malouf, Dacia Maraini, Rohinton Mistry, Philip Pullman, Marilynne Robinson, Philip Roth, Su Tong and Anne Tyler. (Man Booker Prize) The oldest copy of Codex Holmiensis, dating from 1280, is returned to Denmark after 300 years in Sweden. [1] (Danish) The orca Tilikum resumes performing shows at Seaworld Orlando 13 months after being involved in the death of trainer Dawn Blancheau. (ABC News America) The former Governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger returns to acting in an animated television series. (AP via MSNBC) British Labour Party leader Ed Miliband announces that he is engaged to his partner Justine Thornton. (The Telegraph) Business and economy The Australian dollar reaches a 29 year high against the US dollar due to high demand for commodities. (BBC) (Market Watch) Google announces plans to make the U.S. city of Kansas City, Kansas the first site in its ultra-high speed broadband network. (Google) Obama Administration endorses Pickens plan for natural gas vehicles. (Dallas News) Disasters Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant The Tokyo Electric Power Co. says that it will scrap at least four units at the Fukushima I Power Plant and warns that fixing the problem will be a drawn out process. (Kyodo) The United States and France announce plans to help Japan as Fukushima I nuclear accidents continue. (Reuters) Flooding across southern Thailand results in eleven deaths with thousands of people stranded. (AFP via Channel News Asia) The U.S. state of Washington issues flood warnings. (Komo News) 19 people are trapped after a tunnel under construction collapses in southwest China. (The Straits Times) International relations Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter ends a three-day visit to Cuba, saying that the American trade embargo and travel ban has damaged the people and disrupted progress. (BBC) Kuwait recalls its ambassador to Iran after it convicted three people on charges of spying for Iran. (Al Arabiya) The South Korean military holds a live-fire drill on Yeonpyeong Island which was shelled by North Korea last year. (Yonhap) The Yonhap news agency in South Korea reports that the People's Republic of China has reinforced fences and increased patrols along its border with North Korea in order to stop a flow of refugees. (AFP via Yahoo! News) Law and crime Three Filipinos are executed on drug charges in the People's Republic of China. (Yahoo! News Philippines) A man suspected of being Umar Patek wanted for his alleged role in the 2002 Bali bombings is arrested in Pakistan. (The Australian) Diamonds worth millions are stolen from the BaselWorld Watch and Jewellery Fair in Basel, Switzerland. (The Daily Telegraph) Politics The State Peace and Development Council military government is officially dissolved in Burma. (BBC) Egypt's transitional government promises to hold the Egyptian presidential election by November. (Al Masry Al Youm) Science The first virophage virus found in a natural environment is discovered in Organic Lake in East Antarctica. (Nature) (PhysOrg) Sport 2011 Cricket World Cup: The World Cup semi-final in Mohali between India and Pakistan is watched by over 1 billion people as both countries come to a standstill and both prime ministers attend. (BBC News) Michael Clarke is announced as the captain of the Australia national cricket team in both test cricket and One Day Internationals replacing Ricky Ponting. (The Daily Telegraph) Current events of March 31, 2011 (2011-03-31) (Thursday) Armed conflict and attacks Arab Spring: 2011 Syrian protests: Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian president, authorises a review of emergency laws and an inquiry into the deaths of protesters. (Al Jazeera) 2011 Libyan civil war: Libyan Foreign Minister Moussa Koussa defects from the government and seeks refuge in the United Kingdom. (Haaretz) Fierce fighting takes place around the town of Brega. (Al Jazeera) U.S. President Obama is reported to have authorized covert support for Libyan rebels. (Haaretz) 2010–2011 Ivorian crisis: Disputed President Laurent Gbagbo's army chief Phillippe Mangou seeks refuge in the South African ambassador's home in Abidjan. (BBC) Forces loyal to Ivory Coast's internationally recognised President Alassane Ouattara seize further towns and move into the biggest city Abidjan. (Reuters), (CNN) Arts and culture James Franco appears on the Late Show with David Letterman, speaking publicly for the first time about his hosting performance on the 83rd Academy Awards. (BBC News) Business and economy Google agrees with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission to have an independent privacy audit every couple of years as a result of problems with the Google Buzz social network. (BBC) The U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, Timothy Geithner, says at a meeting in Nanjing, China that the "most important problem" in the world's monetary system is that some countries refuse to allow the free flow of the value of their currency. (Reuters) Disasters and accidents Nine people are killed after a train crashes into a minibus in Hanoi, Vietnam. (Vietnam Net) (Straits Times) The death toll from flooding in Southern Thailand rises to thirteen. (Phuket Wan) Thousands of people are evacuated in Perlis, northern Malaysia, due to flooding. (Bernama) Radiation exceeding evacuation levels is found 40 kilometres from the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant, outside the exclusion zone. (Herald Sun) International relations Defense chiefs from ASEAN countries agree on information sharing at a conference in Indonesia. (Jakarta Post) The Gaddafi government in Libya asks former Nicaraguan foreign minister Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann to represent it in the United Nations. (AP via Yahoo News) Law and crime 43 Afghan migrants on their way to Australia are detained by Indonesian authorities. (AFP via Google News) Philippine authorities are to seek long jail terms for six Chinese poachers as part of a crackdown on foreigners stealing marine wildlife. (Sin Chew Jit Poh) Moriarty Tribunal: Taoiseach Enda Kenny confirms that disgraced former minister Michael Lowry is to be censured by Dáil Éireann today without any discussion of the matter, following two days of debate on the tribunal's findings. (The Irish Times) Michael Lowry refuses to resign from Dáil Éireann. (The Irish Times) Baidu deletes 2.8 million works from Baidu Wenku as part of a copyright dispute. (BBC) Austrian police arrest a man suspected of robbing banks while wearing a Barack Obama mask in Fornach. (BBC) A lynch mob in the Guatemalan village of La Democracia kills three men for allegedly stealing a truck full of coffee. (AP via Washington Post) Keith Brown, the former manager and father of The 5 Browns classical music group is sentenced for ten years for sexual abuse of his daughters. (People) Former British Labour MP Jim Devine is jailed for 16 months for fraudulently claiming £8,385 in expenses. (BBC) Politics China launches its largest crackdown on dissenters in years, according to activists, amid unrest in the Middle East. (AFP via Google News) (The Guardian) The Governor of Ohio John Kasich signs a bill removing collective bargaining rights from Ohio government employees. (Toledo Blade) Science Paleontologists announce the discovery of Zhuchengtyrannus, a large dinosaur from Zucheng, Shandong Province in China. (Discovery) Sport Boxing Hall of Fame trainer Gil Clancy, who trained Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier and George Foreman, dies. (Reuters) Australian mining magnate Nathan Tinkler takes over control of the Newcastle Knights in the National Rugby League. (Sydney Morning Herald)

<< March 2011 >> S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31  Ongoing events Disasters Japan earthquake and tsunami Economic Global financial crisis European sovereign debt crisis Greek economic crisis Medical HIV/AIDS in Africa Haiti cholera outbreak Political Belgian political crisis Ivorian political crisis Moriarty Tribunal Arab Spring Algeria protests Bahrain protests Egyptian revolution Jordan protests Libyan civil war Tunisian Revolution Yemen protests Iran protests Wisconsin unions protests Sports 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup Scientific Expedition 26  Recent deaths March 31: Gil Clancy 29: José Alencar 29: Iakovos Kambanelis 29: Robert Tear 27: Farley Granger 27: H. R. F. Keating 26: Paul Baran 26: Harry Coover 26: Diana Wynne Jones 26: Geraldine Ferraro 23: Fred Titmus 23: Elizabeth Taylor 23: Richard Leacock 21: Nikolai Andrianov 21: Loleatta Holloway 21: Pinetop Perkins 19: Knut 18: Princess Antoinette, Baroness of Massy 18: Warren Christopher 18: Drew Hill 18: Jet Harris 17: Michael Gough 17: Ferlin Husky 15: Nate Dogg 15: Yakov Kreizberg 15: Smiley Culture 13: Owsley Stanley 12: Joe Morello  Ongoing conflicts Global War on Terror Terrorist incidents Operation Active Endeavour Operation Enduring Freedom War on Drugs Africa Libya Tunisia Maghreb OEF - Trans Sahara Casamance Niger Delta Ivory Coast Chad Sudan Darfur Nomadic conflicts Lord's Resistance Army Ogaden Somalia Somali Civil War War in Somalia (2009–) Piracy OEF - Horn of Africa Europe Basque conflict Real IRA North Caucasus Ingushetia Middle East Iraqi insurgency Balochistan Fatah–Hamas conflict Arab–Israeli conflict Israeli–Palestinian conflict Israeli–Lebanese conflict Palestinian political violence and rocket attacks Yemen: Terrorism and al-Qaeda South Yemen insurgency Shia insurgency Kurdistan: Turkey–PKK Iran–PJAK Asia Afghanistan Military operations Taliban insurgency Pakistan Terrorism North-West Pakistan Balochistan Drone attacks Sectarian violence India Terrorism Jammu and Kashmir Naxalite-Maoist Northeast India Nagaland Kashmir Siachen Korean maritime border Southeast Asia Laos insurgency Burma internal conflict Burma border clashes South Thailand insurgency Cambodian–Thai border dispute Philippines insurgency OEF - Philippines Papua conflict Americas Colombian conflict Plan Colombia FARC Mexican Drug War Mérida Initiative Peru internal conflict  Elections Recent: March 12: Niger, President (2nd Round) 13: Benin, President (1st Round) 19: Egypt, Constitutional referendum 20: Central African Republic, Parliament (2nd Round) 20: Haiti, President (2nd Round) Upcoming: April 2: Nigeria, Parliament 3: Kazakhstan, President 3: Andorra, Parliament 8: Djibouti, President 9: Nigeria, President 9: Iceland, loan guarantees referendum 10: Peru, General 13:Tamil Nadu, Assembly 17: Benin, Parliament 17: Finland, Parliament 30: Laos, Parliament  Trials Recently concluded Cambodia: Kang Kek Iew Egypt: Hisham Talaat Moustafa France: Jérôme Kerviel, Air France Flight 4590 Singapore: Alan Shadrake United States: Faisal Shahzad, Noshir Gowadia, Buju Banton Ongoing Cambodia: Khmer Rouge Tribunal Canada: David Russell Williams China: Organized crime in Chongqing France: Church of Scientology Germany: Heinrich Boere, John Demjanjuk Indonesia: Abu Bakar Bashir Iraq: Supreme Criminal Tribunal Iran: Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani Malaysia: Anwar Ibrahim Netherlands: Thomas Lubanga (ICC), Radovan Karadžić (ICTY), Geert Wilders Palau: Tommy Remengesau Peru: Joran van der Sloot Philippines: Andal Ampatuan, Jr. Russia: Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Platon Lebedev Sierra Leone: Charles Taylor (SCFSL) Singapore: Tak Boleh Tahan Thailand: Thaksin Shinawatra Turkey: Ergenekon network United States: David Headley, Rod Blagojevich, Ahmed Ghailani, Jared Lee Loughner, Charles P. White Upcoming Sudan: Lubna al-Hussein United States: Viktor Bout, Allen Stanford, Nidal Malik Hasan  Holidays  and observances Recent March 8: International Women's Day

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