Protestors set cars and barricades on fire in Copenhagen over evictions. (Fox News)
Italian leader Romano Prodi is reinstated as prime minister after winning his second and final confidence vote in the Parliament , ending a political crisis that began last week when Prodi resigned after losing a foreign policy vote. (CNN) Cuban foreign minister Felipe Pérez Roque claims leader Fidel Castro is recovering from his illness and could come back to lead Cuba again. (CNN) The Bush administration selects a design from the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory for a new generation of nuclear warheads that could replace the Trident missile on submarines by 2012 . (AP via Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
Prices at the New York Stock Exchange and Toronto Stock Exchange continue to drop after a massive sell-off earlier in the week. (CBC)
The Parliament of Chechnya appoints Ramzan Kadyrov as the President of Chechnya after his nomination by the President of Russia Vladimir Putin . (BBC)
The United States Secretary of the Army Francis J. Harvey resigns over poor conditions at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center . President Bush later orders a full review of health care available to returning soldiers. (New York Times)
A bus carrying the baseball team of Bluffton University plunges off an overpass onto Interstate 75 near Atlanta , Georgia , killing six including four students. (CNN)
Puerto Rico institutes a smoking ban in all public places. Smoking will only be allowed in homes, places dedicated to tobacco sales, and open and ventilated places. (El Nuevo Día) A bomb explodes near a car carrying a judge of the Pakistani anti-terrorist court, Mian Bashir Bhatti , wounding him and killing at least three others. (AP via IHT)
Indonesia declares the deaths of the Balibo Five to be a closed case despite a New South Wales coronial inquest into their deaths in Balibo , East Timor in 1975 . (News Limited) The Communist Party of China expels nine senior officials and business leaders over a Shanghai corruption scandal related to misuse of Government pension funds. The nine people will also face criminal charges. (BBC)
The Attorney General for England and Wales , Lord Goldsmith , obtains an injunction from the High Court preventing the BBC from broadcasting an item about investigations into an alleged cash for honours political scandal. (BBC)
Reform of the House of Lords : In a British House of Commons vote, a majority of MPs express support for a fully elected House of Lords . A smaller majority support an 80% elected, 20% appointed chamber. Other options with a lower elected component are rejected. The proposals were put forward by Leader of the House of Commons Jack Straw , who describes the votes as "a historic step forward". (BBC) (Telegraph) Archived 2007-03-16 at the Wayback Machine (AP via Boston Globe) At least 30 Shia pilgrims heading to the city of Karbala for Arbaeen die as a suicide bomber attacks a café in Balad Ruz in Iraq 's eastern Diyala Governorate . (BBC)
Three Jordanians go on trial for plotting to assassinate U.S. President George W. Bush . (Al-Bawaba)
The People's Republic of China announces that its first probe to the Moon , Chang'e 1 , will be launched later in 2007 , with the eventual goal of landing a man on the moon by 2022 . The probe is supposed to orbit the Moon at least three times. (BBC )
President of Mauritius Anerood Jugnauth threatens to leave the Commonwealth of Nations over the British government 's treatment of the Îlois of the Chagos Archipelago . (BBC) Foreign Minister of Iran Manouchehr Mottaki confirms that Iran will attend a conference on Iraq featuring Iraq's neighbours and the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council . (Dow Jones via NASDAQ) The Israel Defence Forces raid the Palestinian Authority 's military intelligence headquarters in Ramallah . (AFP via News Limited) (AlJazeera)
The Taliban claim that they have kidnapped Daniele Mastrogiacomo, an Italian journalist working for La Repubblica newspaper . (Washington Post)
Rogerio Lobato, former Interior Minister of East Timor , is found guilty on five counts of arming hit squads during civil unrest in 2006 . (The Melbourne Age)
Voters in Northern Ireland go to the polls to elect new members to the Northern Ireland Assembly . (BBC) (BreakingNews.ie)
Garuda Indonesia Flight 200 crashes and catches fire during a landing in Yogyakarta , Indonesia resulting in 21 confirmed deaths. (The Age) (CNN) (ABC News Australia) [permanent dead link The United States Department of State issues a report saying that human rights in Fiji have sharply deteriorated since the 2006 coup . (NZ Herald)
Iranian general Ali Reza Askari is reported to have to defected to US custody after disappearing on February 7 in Istanbul .(The Jerusalem Post) Turkey bans user generated content web site YouTube after insulting clips of Turkish founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk are discovered. (BBC)
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf suspends Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry on charges of misuse of authority. (IBN) Following a recent referendum , the Portuguese Parliament votes to legalise abortion until the tenth week of pregnancy . (BBC)
The European Union agrees to new targets to combat climate change including having a fifth of its power from renewable sources and 10% of its vehicles from biofuels . (Canadian Press)
Ugandan judges end a week-long strike after President Yoweri Museveni expressed regret over an incident where security men seized Opposition supporters from the High Court of Uganda. (Reuters Alertnet) The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit strikes down the Firearms Control Regulations Act of 1975 , a local law in the District of Columbia which banned residents from keeping handguns at home, on Second Amendment grounds. (Bloomberg)
Nepal :
Results from the Northern Ireland Assembly election show the DUP and Sinn Féin making gains, and ensuring that in order for direct rule to cease both parties must agree to cooperate in a powersharing Executive . (BBC)
Cuba-United States relations : The United States Coast Guard stages an exercise in Florida in preparation for a possible mass exodus from Cuba in the event of the death of Cuban leader Fidel Castro . During the drill 40 Cuban exiles reach the United States . (BBC) (BBC) Kelvin Thomson , the Shadow Attorney-General , in Australia resigns after it is discovered that he provided a reference to fugitive accused drug trafficker Tony Mokbel when Mokbel applied for a liquor licence in 2000. (News Limited) Iraq War : Abu Omar al-Baghdadi , leader of the insurgency group the Islamic State of Iraq , is captured in Baghdad . (BBC) , (CNN) Doğu Perinçek is found guilty of genocide denial by a Swiss district court, making him the first person ever convicted for denial of the Armenian Genocide by a court of law.(swissinfo) Some events of 10 March 2007
While identifying as a Unitarian , Representative Pete Stark (D -CA ) becomes the first member of the United States Congress to openly acknowledge that he does not hold a "god-belief". (Press Release) (AP via Guardian.co.uk)
The BBC 's correspondent in the Gaza Strip , Alan Johnston , who is the only Gaza-based foreign reporter from a major media organisation, is kidnapped. All the main Palestinian militant groups have called for his release. (BBC)
The High Court of Zimbabwe rules that detained opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai of the Movement for Democratic Change must either be brought into court on Tuesday or released. (BBC)
Nigel Griffiths resigns as the Deputy Leader of the British House of Commons over the proposed expansion of the Trident missile system . (The Scotsman) , (BBC) Lieutenant General Kevin Kiley resigns as the Surgeon General of the United States Army over the Walter Reed Medical Center scandal . (CNN) (BBC) Asanbekov Sarybayev , the Deputy Culture Minister of the Government of Kyrgyzstan , resigns and joins the United Front For A Worthy Future For Kyrgyzstan opposition coalition. The United Front says it will hold protests in Bishkek in April against the Constitution and in favor of early presidential elections. (RFE/RL) United Nations investigators criticise Sudan for gross human rights violations in Darfur , including murder, mass rape and kidnapping. (BBC) The blueprint for the Chinese space program , including the first Chinese-built astronomy satellite , a joint unmanned mission to Mars with Russia , and other extensive international cooperation, is released. (PTI via the Hindu) ,(Xinhua)
Lawyers in Pakistan boycott courts in protest at President Pervez Musharraf 's suspension of the country's Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry for alleged "misuse of authority". More than 20 lawyers were injured in clashes with police during demonstrations in Lahore . (BBC)
2007 National People's Congress : After announcements in February that China's trade surplus is near a record high, in an open press conference, People's Bank of China Governor Zhou Xiaochuan and Minister of Commerce Bo Xilai were both vocal in their criticism towards the United States in a proposed 27.5% tariff, with Bo calling it "destructive to bilateral trade". (The New York Times) (BBC)
Demonstrators in Mexico City clash with police as U.S. President George W. Bush meets with Mexican President Felipe Calderón in Mérida, Yucatán . (AP via Jerusalem Post)
Relatives of the 17 victims of the USS Cole bombing take Sudan to court in a civil suit claiming that the terrorist attack could not have happened without Sudan's help. (AP via Houston Chronicle)
Twenty Ecuadoran lawmakers clash with police after trying to regain their seats in Congress . The legislators were part of a group of 57 dismissed by President Rafael Correa for trying to block a referendum . (BBC)
Morgan Tsvangirai , the leader of the Movement for Democratic Change in Zimbabwe , appears in court limping and with a head wound after having been arrested on Sunday. Tsvangarai is later taken from court to a hospital under police guard. (New York Times) Spanish police arrest Brian David Anderson , a Canadian citizen, in Madrid , on behalf of the U.S. government, for allegedly engaging in fraud and funding a terrorist camp in Afghanistan . (The Columbus Dispatch)
Alexander Veshnyakov , the head of Russia's Central Election Commission , is removed after criticising changes to electoral laws favouring United Russia associated with Vladimir Putin . (BBC) Alberto Gonzales , the Attorney General of the United States , acknowledges that mistakes were made in the handling of the firing of eight federal prosecutors . His top aide Kyle Sampson resigns for not advising other senior officials of the Department of Justice about discussions with former White House counsel Harriet Miers regarding the possible firings. (AP via the Advocate) At least 50 people die due to heavy snow in Kashmir and thunderstorms in the rest of northern India. (AFP via News Limited)
Five British Embassy workers kidnapped in Ethiopia twelve days ago have been set free in neighbouring Eritrea . (The Times)
The first match of the 2007 Cricket World Cup , between West Indies and Pakistan , takes place at Sabina Park in Jamaica . The West Indies win by 54 runs .(BBC )
A draft Climate Change Bill is published in the United Kingdom, outlining a framework for achieving a mandatory 60% cut in carbon emissions by 2050 . (BBC)
Japan and Australia sign a security pact, the first defence treaty for Japan with a nation other than the United States since the end of World War II. (BBC)
The Mauritanian government announces that Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi and Ahmed Ould Daddah have won the most votes in the first round of the 2007 presidential election , and their runoff election will be held on March 25 . (Reuters) (Xinhua via People's Daily) (BBC)
Four people die in a shootout in Greenwich Village in New York City. (AP via CNN)
Twelve people die in Nandigram near Kolkata in India, as police shoot at farmers protesting the establishment of a special economic zone . (BBC) Nancy Worley , former Secretary of State of the U.S. state of Alabama , is indicted for violations related to solicitation of campaign contributions from Secretary of State employees.(Associated Press) Khalid Sheikh Mohammed , long suspected as the mastermind of the September 11, 2001 attacks , confesses to that and a string of others in a closed military hearing held at Guantánamo Bay , Cuba . (AP via CBS Atlanta) Dutch police seal off the streets of Ondiep in Utrecht on the second day of rioting . (DutchNews) (Canada Free Press)
The United States military states in a report that some aspects of the situation in Iraq could be described as a "civil war ". (AP via Houston Chronicle)
The United Kingdom Government wins the support of the House of Commons to update the Trident nuclear missile system . There was a significant revolt within the Labour Party , with two PPSs , Stephen Pound and Chris Ruane , resigning. (UK Telegraph) [permanent dead link
NASA announces that the Cassini spacecraft has captured images of several sea-sized bodies of liquid, likely hydrocarbons , on Titan , the largest moon of Saturn . (AP via Seattle Post-Intelligencer) Police in India arrest two people in relation to the Samjhauta Express bombing . (BBC)
Eight people in southern Thailand are shot dead after their vehicle is bombed by suspected Islamic insurgents . Law enforcement warns of more violence by separatists , citing the anniversary of the founding of the Barisan Revolusi Nasional . (AP via CNN)
An explosion at a gun shop in Kabul kills at least six people. (AFP via Melbourne Herald-Sun)
Tonga is considering options for the redevelopment of its capital city, Nukuʻalofa , after 2006 riots destroyed the CBD. (Radio NZ) The U.S. state of Colorado adopts "Rocky Mountain High ", written by John Denver , as its second official state song . (Denver Post)
The trial against former media baron Conrad Black begins in Chicago. He is accused of defrauding Hollinger 's shareholders of millions of dollars. (CBC News)
The WWF declares a new species, the Bornean clouded leopard . (WWF)
Two Iraqi police officers are killed and hundreds wounded or sickened as three suicide attacks using chlorine gas occur in Anbar province . (New York Times)
The Inter-American Development Bank forgives US$ 4.4 billion in debt owed by Bolivia , Honduras , Nicaragua , Haiti and Guyana , five of the poorest countries in the Americas . (AP via San Diego Union Tribune)
Herschelle Gibbs of South Africa becomes the first cricketer to hit six sixes in one over in a One Day International at the 2007 Cricket World Cup . (BBC) Three officers of the New York Police Department are indicted on charges related to the death of a black man, Sean Bell , on his wedding day. (AP via IHT)
British coroner Andrew Walker finds that the death of soldier Matty Hull in the 190th Fighter Squadron, Blues and Royals "friendly fire " incident was "unlawful and criminal". (AP via CNN) (BBC) The U.S. Department of State rejects this ruling. (BBC) Airbus workers in Germany , France and Spain hold protest meetings and strikes in response to plans to cut 10,000 jobs and close six plants. (AP via ABC News America) Livedoor founder Takafumi Horie is sentenced to two and a half years for his role in securities fraud at the company. (BBC) Santo Santoro , the federal Minister for Ageing in Australia , resigns after revealing that he owned shares in at least 50 companies not disclosed on the Senate register of interests. (ABC News Australia) The Property Law of the People's Republic of China is adopted at the 2007 National People's Congress . (BBC)
Foreign ministers of Pacific Islands Forum countries meet in Vanuatu and call on Fiji to hold elections within two years. (ABC) (Radio New Zealand)
The Marshall Islands declares a state of emergency after thousands of people lack drinking water due to a long drought . The government despatches boats to outlying islands. (AFP via News Limited)
In a 2007 Cricket World Cup tie-up, India beats Bermuda by 257 runs, the highest margin of victory in the history of One Day Internationals . (BBC Sports) (Reuters)
The Prime Minister of Canada Stephen Harper releases a budget forecasting a surplus of C$ 3.3 billion, and offers tax cuts for families and seniors and increased spending in Ontario and Quebec with the possibility of an election later this year. (Bloomberg)
People's Bank of China Governor Zhou Xiaochuan starts talks with leadership of the Inter-American Development Bank to include the People's Republic of China as its newest member. This may signal erosion of Taiwan's status in the Latin American and Caribbean region. (AP via Houston Chronicle ) The government of Iraq seeks custody of former Vice President Taha Yassin Ramadan so he can be hanged at dawn tomorrow after having been recently sentenced to death for his role in killing 148 Shiites in 1982. (Washington Post)
Waleed bin Attash , a suspected al Qaeda operative, confesses plotting the USS Cole bombing as well as the bombing of two United States embassies in Africa . (AP via Houston Chronicle ) The Supreme Court of the United States hears Morse v. Frederick Alaskan high school student argues free speech rights in connection with his displaying a banner reading "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" in front of a Juneau high school. (MSNBC)
Daniele Mastrogiacomo , an Italian journalist working for la Repubblica Taliban . He had been kidnapped in the Afghan province of Helmand on March 6 . (BBC) The Israeli Ministerial Committee for Symbols and Ceremonies declares the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict a war . (Ynetnews)
At least 75 miners are dead after a methane gas explosion in the Ulyanovskaya coal mine in the city of Novokuznetsk in the Kemerovo region of Siberia . (Reuters)
The Airbus 380 makes a publicity flight with Lufthansa to New York and then Chicago . (BBC)
A suicide bomber attacks a Western convoy in Kabul , causing casualties. (Reuters via ABC News Online)
Six-party talks resume to discuss progress in implementing last month's agreement, with North Korea and the United States having resolved an issue about North Korean funds frozen in a Macau bank. (Bloomberg)
At least 27 people are killed in a landslide in northern Pakistan following days of heavy rain. (Reuters via the Irish Times)
Indonesian police shoot dead a suspected member of Jemaah Islamiyah , wound three people and arrest others in an anti-terrorist raid. (AP via USA Today) The G33 group of developing countries meet in Indonesia to develop what they consider to be fairer trade options and restart the stalled Doha Round of World Trade Organization negotiations. (BBC)
Commercial spaceflight venture SpaceX launches the second Falcon 1 rocket into space , though failing to reach orbit . (Space.com) Jamaican police announce investigation into the death of former Pakistan cricket coach Bob Woolmer with suspicions that it was murder . (ABC News Australia) Local tribesmen and Uzbek militants clash in South Waziristan , Pakistan , leaving at least 46 people dead. (The Independent)
Britain releases a school uniform policy allowing schools to ban the niqab or full-face veil for girls . (ABC News Australia) Up to 65 people die as a truck overturns on a bridge near Gueckedou , Guinea . (AP via Houston Chronicle) (BBC)
United Kingdom Secretary of State for Defence Des Browne orders the military to destroy cluster bombs that lack self-destruct mechanisms in order to avoid harming civilians . (AP via Seattle Post-Intelligencer) Dismissal of U.S. attorneys controversy : The Bush administration agrees to allow Deputy White House Chief of Staff Karl Rove and former White House Counsel Harriet Miers to testify but not under oath .France signs an extradition treaty with the People's Republic of China but will only extradite people in death penalty cases when China agrees that the person will not receive a death penalty. (BBC) European Union High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana says that the EU is doing all it can to find Alan Johnston , the BBC Gaza correspondent who has been missing for 8 days. (BBC) At least 63 people die in a fire in a home for elderly and disabled people in a village in Russia 's Krasnodar Krai . (AFP via Independent Online South Africa) , (AP via CNN)
Taha Yassin Ramadan , former Baathist Vice President of Iraq and the Ten of Diamonds in the most-wanted Iraqi playing cards , is hanged in Baghdad for his role in the Dujail killings. (BBC) The wife of Sami Al-Arian , a former university professor convicted by a United States district court of funneling money to Islamic Jihad , fears for his life as his hunger strike to protest his imprisonment enters its 58th day. (St. Petersburg Times)
An arms depot explodes in Maputo , Mozambique , killing at least 93 people and injuring hundreds more. CNN (AP via CNN)
French space agency CNES releases its UFO files to the public via its website . (Washington Post) Jamaican Police announce that Bob Woolmer , the coach of the Pakistan national cricket team , was murdered on Sunday, and proceed to question all members of the team. (This is London) , (IOL (S. Africa)) NBC , News Limited , AOL , MSN and Yahoo! join forces to develop an ad-supported online video network to compete with YouTube . (Business Week) 2007 Zimbabwean political crisis : The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Bulawayo Pius Ncube calls for mass protests to force President Robert Mugabe from power. (BBC) Fighting erupts in Kinshasa , Democratic Republic of Congo , between Government troops and the personal militia of Jean-Pierre Bemba , defeated presidential candidate in 2006 and recently elected Senator . The Spanish embassy is caught in the crossfire, leading to its evacuation under United Nations guard. (Reuters via CNN)
The European Union agrees to open the trans-Atlantic air market to greater competition. (New York Times)
A senior U.S. District Judge , Lowell Reed Jr. , strikes down the Child Online Protection Act , which made it an offence for commercial website operators to allow minors to access "harmful" material. (The Times)
Police arrest three men in England in relation to the 7 July 2005 London bombings . (Bloomberg) United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is left shocked, but uninjured at a press conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki in Baghdad as a nearby bomb explodes. (BBC) Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John R. Bolton claims the United States deliberately resisted calls for an immediate ceasefire during the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict . (BBC)
Amnesty International calls on governments not to co-operate with U.S. military in trials of detainees at Guantánamo Bay . (BBC) The ventromedial prefrontal cortex is identified as the part of the human brain that combines logic and emotion in order to make moral decisions. (The Times)
Insurgency in Somalia :
Condoleezza Rice , the United States Secretary of State , travels to the Middle East to talk with Israel and the Palestinian National Authority about the peace process. (CNN) Sami Al-Arian , the former university professor convicted of funneling money to Palestinian Islamic Jihad , ends his hunger strike to protest his imprisonment, after 60 days. (AP via Yahoo! News) Jorge Noguera , former Colombian intelligence chief, is freed from prison following a ruling by an appeals court after having been jailed last month for collaborating with right wing militia . (BBC) War in Afghanistan (2001–present) :
The President of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad cancels a trip to address the United Nations Security Council before it decides whether to impose further sanctions, saying the United States government had been "obstructive" in issuing visas to members of his entourage. (AP via CBS)
A missile hits an Ilyushin airplane assisting the African Union Mission to Somalia as it takes off from Mogadishu , killing up to 11 people. (Reuters via ABC Australia)
The United States Senate votes 52-47 to approve a budget plan that aims to achieve a balanced budget within five years and aims to find offsets for tax cuts passed in President Bush 's first term . (Dow Jones via Nasdaq)
Iraq War :
15 Royal Navy servicemen of the HMS Cornwall operating in Iraqi waters are seized by Iranian authorities after inspecting a ship suspected of smuggling. (BBC) (ITV)
Nepal 's Government orders a judicial probe into clashes between Maoists and supporters of the Madhesi People's Rights Forum . (Yahoo News) Heavy fighting is reported in northwest Sri Lanka between the Army and the Tamil Tigers . (BBC)
Democratic Republic of Congo 's chief prosecutor issues an arrest warrant for Senator Jean-Pierre Bemba who has sought refuge in the South African embassy as fighting continues in Kinshasa . (AP via IHT) Celebrations to mark the 50th birthday of the European Union begin. (Sky)
At least three people die after an accident involving four cars and three trucks causes a fire in the Burnley Tunnel in Melbourne , Australia . Both the Burnley tunnel and nearby Domain Tunnel are evacuated. (Herald Sun)
Veterinarians warn that thousands of cats and dogs may die in the wake of the Menu Foods voluntary recall of over 60 million cans of aminopterin -contaminated pet food across North America . (ABC) 16 people are dead and twelve more missing after a passenger schooner capsized in the Toe River , Myanmar . (Press TV)
Business and economy
Disasters and accidents
Health
International relations
Law and crime
Sport
President of Chile Michelle Bachelet sacks several ministers including the Minister for National Defence Vivianne Blanlot Soza and the Minister for Justice Isidro Solís Palma for perceived poor performance as well as her Chief of Staff. The Minister for Transport Sergio Espejo Yaksic is sacked for problems with Santiago's new transport system Transantiago . (BBC) A Guatemalan prison riot results in the death of three prisoners. Carlos Vielman , the Interior Minister, resigns over police involvement in the killing of three politicians from El Salvador last month. (AP via the Ottawa Recorder) (Washington Post) Archived 2012-10-26 at the Wayback Machine
Quebec general election : The governing Quebec Liberal Party wins a minority government , with the conservative Action démocratique du Québec a strong second and the separatist Parti Québécois third. (CBC) Nine United States Army officers including four generals could face disciplinary proceedings as a result of mistakes made in the aftermath of the friendly-fire death of Pat Tillman . (San Francisco Chronicle)
India 's DRDO successfully test fires a new version of the Astra air-to-air missile . (Jerusalem Post) (ITAR-TASS) (Washington Times) Scientists discover how fossilized dung-eating mites can provide vital information on the rise and fall of the Inca civilization in South America . (The Times)
Alan Johnston , a BBC News journalist, begins his third week in captivity, making him the longest-held foreign hostage since kidnappings began in Gaza . Reporters Without Borders urges the Arab League to make an appeal for his release at an upcoming summit. (MidEast Times) (RSF) Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe apologizes for Japan 's use of women as sex slaves in frontline brothels during World War II . (AP via the Daily Comet) French presidential election : Nicolas Sarkozy resigns as Interior Minister to concentrate on his presidential candidacy. (BBC) Egyptians go to the polls to vote on 34 amendments to the constitution of Egypt which the government claims will help combat terrorism. Opposition groups are boycotting the referendum claiming that they will erode civil liberties . The amendments achieved approval with 76% of the vote but with only a 27% turnout. (New York Times) (BBC) Health officials meet in Jakarta to resolve a dispute between Indonesia and the World Health Organisation about access to H5N1 vaccines . (AP via IHT)
President of the People's Republic of China Hu Jintao begins a three-day tour of Russia to promote trade and energy ties. (BBC) The military commission process begins for detainees accused by the United States of war crimes , with the first person to face trial being Australian David Hicks . Hicks pleads guilty to providing material support for terrorists .(New York Times) (ABC News Australia)
A 5.3 magnitude aftershock hits the Noto Peninsula of Honshū , 300 km northwest of Tokyo , a day after a 6.9 magnitude earthquake hits the same area. (AFP via News Limited)
Sri Lankan Civil War : The Sri Lanka Army claims that an airbase adjacent to Bandaranaike International Airport was subjected to air attack by the Tamil Tigers , making it the first air attack launched by the Tigers. (The Australian) Northern Ireland Peace Process : Members of the Democratic Unionist Party , led by Ian Paisley , and Sinn Féin , led by Gerry Adams , meet face-to face for the first time, and agree a timetable for implementing the St. Andrews Agreement . (BBC) The Supreme Council of Kyrgyzstan votes against allowing polygamy , maintaining the two-year imprisonment punishment for offenders. (RFE/RL)
