March 2006 4238742 222924270 2008-07-01T19:34:36Z JForget 1064243 /* 30 March 2006 (Thursday) */ rm nn <!-- NOTE: Please log news events in the past tense. Provide links to the news stories after each entry. '''Stories without links will be removed'''. News stories must be in '''English''', no other languages! PLEASE DO NOT LINK TO SUBSCRIPTION-ONLY SITES SUCH AS AOL, WSJ (except in the unlikely event that a story is covered substantially better there than anywhere else). If possible, AVOID YAHOO NEWS LINKS, as those URLs are transitory and die quickly! (You can use a search engine to get the original source.) NOTE: For each item, please update the most relevant linked article if it is appropriate. Only stories of international interest should be added here. DO NOT LIST THE ORDINARY DEATHS OF PROMINENT PERSONS HERE. That's what [[Recent deaths]] is for. Generally the deaths listed here have been of persons of extreme prominence, such as Ronald Reagan, John Paul II or the Queen Mother. Only list items with news sources (book or interview): --> __NOTOC__ {{portalpar|Current events}} '''[[March]] [[2006]]''' : [[December 2005|←]] - [[January 2006|January]] - [[February 2006|February]] - [[March 2006|March]] - [[April 2006|April]] - [[May 2006|May]] - [[June 2006|June]] - [[July 2006|July]] - [[August 2006|August]] - [[September 2006|September]] - [[October 2006|October]] - [[November 2006|November]] - [[December 2006|December]]- [[January 2007|→]] {{March 2006 events|}} {| class="infobox" width="250" |- style="font-size: 133%; background-color: #DDDDDD; padding-top: 5px; padding-bottom: 5px" ![[Deaths in 2006#March 2006|Deaths]] |- | *[[March 1|1]]: [[Harry Browne]] *1: [[Peter Osgood]] *[[March 3|3]]: [[William Herskovic]] *[[March 5|5]]: [[Milan Babic]] *[[March 6|6]]: [[Kirby Puckett]] *6: [[Dana Reeve]] *[[March 7|7]]: [[Gordon Parks]] *7: [[Ali Farka Touré]] *[[March 10|10]]: [[Tom Fox (activist)|Tom Fox]] *10: [[John Profumo]] *[[March 11|11]]: [[Bernie Geoffrion]] *11: [[Slobodan Milošević]] *[[March 13|13]]: [[Maureen Stapleton]] *13: [[Jimmy Johnstone]] *[[March 14|14]]: [[Lennart Meri]] *[[March 17|17]]: [[Ray Meyer]] *17: [[Oleg Cassini]] *[[March 19|19]]: [[Mohammad Ali (actor)|Mohammad Ali]] (actor) *[[March 23|23]]: [[Sarah Caldwell]] *[[March 25|25]]: [[Richard Fleischer]] *25: [[Buck Owens]] *[[March 26|26]]: [[Paul Dana]] *[[March 27|27]]: [[Dan Curtis]] *27: [[Lyn Nofziger]] *27: [[Stanislaw Lem]] *[[March 28|28]]: [[Pro Hart]] *28: [[Caspar Weinberger]] *[[March 29|29]]: [[Henry Farrell]] |} {| class="infobox" width="250" |- style="font-size: 133%; background-color: #DDDDDD; padding-top: 5px; padding-bottom: 5px" !Events |- | ====Ongoing==== *[[Jack Abramoff lobbying and corruption scandal|Abramoff scandal]] *[[Illnesses of Ariel Sharon|Ariel Sharon illness]] *[[Global spread of H5N1|Avian influenza (H5N1) outbreak]] *[[Black site|Black sites scandal]] *[[CIA leak grand jury investigation]] *[[Government of Iraq, 2006-2010|Formation of a new Iraqi government]] *[[2006 Horn of Africa food crisis|Horn of Africa food crisis]] *[[Iran and weapons of mass destruction|Iran's nuclear program]] *[[2006 labor protests in France|Labor protests in France]] *[[Liberal Party of Canada leadership convention, 2006|Liberal leadership race in Canada]] *[[2005 Malawi food crisis|Malawi food crisis]] *[[Montenegrin independence referendum, 2006|Montenegrin independence campaign]] *[[Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy|Muhammad cartoons controversy]] *[[2006 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament|NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament]] *[[2006 North Indian Ocean cyclone season|North Indian cyclone season]] *[[2006 Pacific typhoon season|Pacific typhoon season]] *[[2005-06 Southern Hemisphere tropical cyclone season|Southern Hemisphere cyclone season]] *[[2006 Southern Leyte mudslide|Southern Leyte mudslide]] ====Recent==== *[[78th Academy Awards]] *[[2006 Commonwealth Games|XVIII Commonwealth Games]] *[[Baldgate|Malaysian Baldgate scandal]] *[[NSA warrantless surveillance controversy|NSA Spying Controversy]] *[[2005-06 Southern Hemisphere tropical cyclone season#Severe Tropical Cyclone Larry|Severe Tropical Cyclone Larry]] |} {| class="infobox" width="250" |- style="font-size: 133%; background-color: #DDDDDD; padding-top: 5px; padding-bottom: 5px" !Ongoing armed conflicts |- | *[[Lord's Resistance Army|Acholiland insurgency]] *[[Arab-Israeli conflict]] ([[Al-Aqsa Intifada]]) *[[Darfur conflict]] in [[Sudan]] *[[Iraq War]] *[[Ituri conflict]] in the [[Transitional Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo|DR Congo]] *[[Ivorian Civil War]] *[[Nepal Civil War]] *[[Second Chechen War]] *[[South Thailand insurgency]] |} {| class="infobox" width="250" |- style="font-size: 133%; background-color: #DDDDDD; padding-top: 5px; padding-bottom: 5px" ![[Electoral calendar 2006|Elections]] |- | ====Results - March==== *[[March 28|28]]: [[Elections in Israel|Israel]], [[Israel legislative election, 2006|legislature]] *[[March 26|26]]: [[Elections in Ukraine|Ukraine]], [[Ukrainian parliamentary election, 2006|Verkhovna Rada]] *[[March 19|19]]: [[Elections in Belarus|Belarus]], [[Belarusian presidential election, 2006|Presidential]] *19: [[Elections in Benin|Benin]], [[Beninese presidential election, 2006|Presidential]] *[[March 18|18]]: [[South Australia]], [[South Australian legislative election, 2006|legislative election]] *18: [[Tasmania]], [[Tasmanian legislative election, 2006|legislative election]] *[[March 12|12]]: [[2006 Colombian elections|Colombian legislative elections]] *[[March 12|12]]: [[Salvadoran legislative election, 2006|El Salvadoran legislative elections]] *[[March 11|11]]: [[Malta]], [[Maltese local council elections, 2006|Local Council Elections]] *[[March 6|6]]: [[Netherlands]], [[Dutch municipal elections, 2006|municipal]] *[[March 1|1]]: [[South Africa]], [[South African municipal election, 2006|municipal]] |} {| class="infobox" width="250" |- style="font-size: 133%; background-color: #DDDDDD; padding-top: 5px; padding-bottom: 5px" !Trials |- | ====Ongoing==== *Chile: [[Alberto Fujimori|Alberto Fujimori (extradition process)]] *Chile: [[Augusto Pinochet]] *Ethiopia: 111 defendants, including leaders of the [[Coalition for Unity and Democracy|CUD]] and journalists, for charges related to the [[Ethiopian general elections, 2005|2005 elections]]. *Iraq: [[Iraqi Special Tribunal]] **[[Trials of Saddam Hussein|Saddam Hussein]], among others *Netherlands: [[International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia|ICTY]] *Russia: [[Nur-Pashi Kulayev]] *South Africa: [[Jacob Zuma]] *UK: [[O'Connor - Keogh official secrets trial|Leo O'Connor & David Keogh]] *U.S.: [[Brian Nichols]] *U.S.: [[Kenneth Lay]] and [[Jeffrey Skilling]] *U.S.: [[Tom DeLay]] *U.S.: [[Zacarias Moussaoui]] |} {| class="infobox" width="250" |- style="font-size: 133%; background-color: #DDDDDD; padding-top: 5px; padding-bottom: 5px" |} ==Events== <!--When adding a new date header, please add a corresponding "div" as well. See talk; when citing sources please put the source and parenthesis entirely inside square brackets--> <div id="1_March_2006"> </div> ===[[1 March]] [[2006]] (Wednesday)=== *[[Fiji]]an Prime Minister [[Laisenia Qarase]] announces that the [[Fiji election of 2006|2006 Fiji general elections]] will be held in the second week of May 2006 from the 6th to the 13th. [http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=22559 (Radio New Zealand)] * A member of the board of directors of major German [[steel manufacturing]] company [[ThyssenKrupp]] AG says the company is "examining all its options," and may not complete its proposed acquisition of Canadian steel company [[Dofasco]]. [http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/provider/providerarticle.asp?feed=AP&Date=20060301&ID=5546668 (MSN Money)] *A video obtained by the Associated Press shows [[President of the United States|U.S. President]] [[George W. Bush]] being warned that the levees in [[New Orleans]] could break one day before [[Hurricane Katrina]] hit. [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11640594/ (MSNBC.com)] <div id="2 March 2006"> </div> ===[[2 March]] [[2006]] (Thursday)=== * The [[United States Senate]] voted 89-10 to renew the [[USA PATRIOT Act]] after two extensions. In its vote next week, the [[United States House of Representatives]] will likely also vote to renew the Act, analysts say. [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11638713/ (MSNBC)] * In a major turnaround for [[United States|American]] policy, the United States signs a historic [[civilian nuclear pact]] with [[India]], which promises to bolster India's rapidly growing economy. [http://www.forbes.com/work/feeds/afx/2006/03/02/afx2564440.html (Forbes)] [http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1418449.cms (Times of India)] [http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/03/02/bush.india.visit/index.html (CNN)] *A shipwreck from the [[14th century]] was found buried in [[Riddarfjärden]] Bay in [[Stockholm]], [[Sweden]]. If the ship is well preserved, there are plans to remove it from the waters. [http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory?id=1681476 (ABC)] *[[Alaksandar Kazulin]], the [[Belarusian Social Democratic Party|Social Democratic Party]] candidate for the office of [[President of Belarus]], was detained by [[Minsk]] police after he was rejected entrance to a congress hosted by current leader [[Alexander Lukashenko]]. Kazulin also suffered injuries during the course of his detention, which is still being enforced, though the [[Belarusian presidential election, 2006|elections]] will commence in 17 days. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4766024.stm (BBC)]. *Traces of a prehistoric, 8,000-year-old civilization are found in [[Shahrud]], [[Iran]]. The discoveries included ovens, craft workshops, and other evidence of settlements. [http://www.payvand.com/news/06/mar/1023.html (Payvand)] * Televangelist [[Pat Robertson]] loses his bid for re-election to the board of directors of the [[National Religious Broadcasters]]. [http://www.dailypress.com/news/local/virginia/dp-sou--robertson-evange0302mar02,0,2148019.story?coll=dp-headlines-virginia (Associated Press)] *[[Dubai Ports World controversy]]: The [[United States]] urges the [[United Arab Emirates]] to end its boycott of [[Israel]]: "The Bush administration said yesterday it is pressing the United Arab Emirates to drop its economic boycott of Israel - a major sticking point in the proposed takeover of key U.S. ports by a UAE-owned firm." [http://www.washtimes.com/world/20060301-113324-4242r.htm (The Washington Times)] * Sir [[Menzies Campbell]] has been elected the new leader of the UK [[Liberal Democrats]] Party. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4763646.stm (BBC)] *The [[European Central Bank]] raises [[Euro]] base interest rates by 0.25% to 2.5%. The move affects the 12 members of the [[Eurozone]]. [http://news.ft.com/cms/s/e728076c-a9ce-11da-96ea-0000779e2340.html (FT)] * [[Kenya]]: Masked gunmen, since revealed to be [[Kenya]]n police, attack the offices of leading newspaper ''[[The Standard (Kenya)|The Standard]]'' and its television station [[Kenya Television Network|KTN]], following their report that [[Heads of State of Kenya|President]] [[Mwai Kibaki]] held secret meetings with key opposition figure [[Kalonzo Musyoka]]. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4765250.stm (BBC)], [http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/IRIN/594f371980df55020e96a8268a9aa506.htm (Reuters)] * [[Black site#Investigations in France concerning CIA flights|CIA flights]]: French newspaper ''[[Le Figaro]]'' reveals that the [[attorney general]] of [[Bobigny]] has opened up an investigation concerning the landing of a [[CIA]] flight in [[Le Bourget Airport]] following a complaint deposed at the end of December 2005 by [[NGO]]s [[International Federation of Human Rights Leagues]] and the French ''[[Ligue des droits de l'homme]]''. [http://www.lefigaro.fr/france/20060302.FIG000000200_la_france_enquete_sur_les_avions_de_la_cia.html (Le Figaro)] *Crowds of 100,000 people protest against [[President of the United States]] [[George W. Bush]] while he is in [[Delhi]]. [http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1434573.cms (Times of India)][http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle.asp?xfile=data/subcontinent/2006/March/subcontinent_March35.xml&section=subcontinent (Khaleej Times)]. * Just two days before [[President of the United States|U.S. President]] [[George W. Bush]] is scheduled to visit [[Pakistan]], a car bomb exploded in the Marriott Hotel Karachi parking lot adjacent to a United States [[consulate]] in [[Karachi]], killing at least four people including a US diplomat and his driver and injuring at least fifty others. [http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/03/01/karachi.blast/index.html (CNN)] * A [[prison riot]] involving close to 1,300 prisoners at [[Afghanistan]]'s [[Pul-e-Charkhi prison]] ended after four days. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4762976.stm (BBC)] *[[Italy|Italian]] judges in [[Milan]] to charge Prime Minister [[Silvio Berlusconi]] and [[David Mills (lawyer)|David Mills]] (husband of [[Tessa Jowell]], a [[United Kingdom|British]] Minister) in connection with a [[bribery]] scandal. [http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/article348714.ece (Independent)]. * Former [[President of Iran|Iranian President]] [[Mohammad Khatami]], member of the moderate wing of the regime, describes the [[Holocaust]] as a "historical reality," contradicting the current leader [[Mahmoud Ahmadinejad]], an extremist who has described it as a "myth" last year. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4763494.stm (BBC)] <div id="3 March 2006"> </div> ===[[3 March]] [[2006]] (Friday)=== * [[Research In Motion]], a [[Waterloo, Ontario]], [[Canadian]] based company, agrees to pay [[NTP Inc.]] [[United States dollar|$]]612.5 million to settle NTP's [[patent]]-infringement suit against RIM. NTP had argued RIM's [[BlackBerry]] wireless-communication devices use technology patented by NTP. [http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060304/ap_on_hi_te/blackberry_battle;_ylt=Aig3CqZwMwqWDIyZRNT1sAas0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA3bGI2aDNqBHNlYwM3NDk- (AP)] * The ruling [[African National Congress]] takes 66% of the votes in the [[South African municipal election, 2006|2006 South African municipal election]]. Voter turnout was 46%. No [[List of political parties in South Africa|party]] in the [[City of Cape Town]] claims an outright majority. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4765652.stm (BBC)] * [[Russian Hamas talks, 2006|Russian-Hamas talks, 2006]]: [[Russia]]n [[Foreign Minister]] [[Sergey Lavrov]], in his talks with the Hamas leader [[Khaled Mashal]] , calls on [[Hamas]] to transform itself into a [[politics|political organisation]], recognise [[Israel]]'s right to exist, and to keep previous peace accords. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4769112.stm (BBC)], [http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=topNews&storyid=2006-03-03T182144Z_01_L02460679_RTRUKOC_0_US-RUSSIA-HAMAS.xml (Reuters)] * [[Kenya]] and [[Sudan]], completing trade talks that have gone on since 2001, announce plans to sign a landmark [[trade agreement]]. [http://allafrica.com/stories/200603030950.html (AllAfrica)] Kenya, which is currently in a drought, is in desperate need of food to feed 3.5 million Kenyans by the end of March, despite the presence of the U.N. food agency. Sudan has had a huge surplus this season. [http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060304/ap_on_re_af/kenya_food_shortages (Reuters)] * Three Israelis ignite [[firecracker]]s in an attempt to detonate gas canisters smuggled into the [[Church of the Annunciation]] in [[Nazareth]] during prayer services, sparking riots and confrontation between thousands of protestors and [[Israeli police]]. [http://www.cbc.ca/story/world/national/2006/03/03/israel-nazareth060303.html (CBC)] [http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3223594,00.html (YNet)] *After four years of legal efforts to get the names of about 490 [[Guantanamo Bay detainment camp|Guantanamo Bay]] inmates released, the [[United States]] is forced by [[Jed S. Rakoff#Associated Press v. Dep.27t of Defense|a federal judge's ruling]] to release transcripts of hearings of 317 of them. [http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=1684997 (ABC)] * Former [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. House]] Representative [[Randy "Duke" Cunningham]] ([[Republican Party (United States)|Rep.]], [[California|CA]]) is sentenced to eight years and four months in prison, the longest sentence ever for a congressman, for collecting $2.4 million in bribes. [http://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/03/03/cunningham.sentence.ap/index.html (CNN)] * [[United Kingdom|British]] [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] [[Member of Parliament|MPs]] close to [[Gordon Brown]] call for Culture Secretary [[Tessa Jowell]] to resign over her husband, [[David Mills (lawyer)|David Mills]]' alleged acceptance of money from [[Silvio Berlusconi]]. [http://news.ft.com/cms/s/dd957c4e-aa59-11da-96ea-0000779e2340.html (Financial Times)] * The [[2006 CPPCC|2006 Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference]] opens in [[Beijing]]. [http://english.people.com.cn/200603/04/eng20060304_247696.html (People's Daily)] * British Rock star [[Gary Glitter]] is convicted of the molestation of one 11- and one 12-year-old girl in the town of [[Vung Tau]] in southern [[Vietnam]]. He is sentenced to 3 years in prison, but may be back in the [[United Kingdom]] by December. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4771420.stm (BBC News)] * An [[Italy|Italian]] parliamentary commission accuses the former [[Soviet Union]] of orchestrating the 1981 attempt to assassinate [[Pope John Paul II]] [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/03/03/wpope03.xml&sSheet=/news/2006/03/03/ixworld.html (Telegraph)] *[[Ukraine]] imposed new customs regulations on its border with [[Transnistria]], leading to the [[Ukraine-Transnistria border customs conflict]]. <div id="4 March 2006"> </div> ===[[4 March]] [[2006]] (Saturday)=== *The central [[Papeete]] power station is damaged by a fire, resulting in limited power for some areas of [[Tahiti]] for a couple of weeks.[http://www.pacificmagazine.net/pina/pinadefault2.php?urlpinaid=20702 (Pacific Magazine)] *[[Anti-war]] campaigners criticised [[United Kingdom|British]] [[Prime Minister]] [[Tony Blair]] after he suggested his decision to go to [[war]] in [[Iraq]] would ultimately be judged by [[God]]. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4773124.stm] *British Culture Secretary [[Tessa Jowell]] splits from her husband, [[David Mills (lawyer)|David Mills]]' following allegations of an alleged acceptance of money from [[Silvio Berlusconi]]. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4773468.stm] *A new species of [[shark]], ''[[Mustelus hacat]]'', is discovered in [[Mexico]]'s [[Sea of Cortez]], bringing the number of ''[[Mustelus]]'' species found in the eastern [[North Pacific]] to five. *The [[Deep Space Network]] tries one final contact attempt to [[Pioneer 10]]. [http://www.planetary.org/programs/projects/pioneer_anomaly/update_200603.html] <div id="5 March 2006"> </div> ===[[5 March]] [[2006]] (Sunday)=== * [[78th Academy Awards]]: ''[[Crash (2004 film)|Crash]]'' wins [[Academy Award for Best Picture|Best Picture]], [[Ang Lee]] (''[[Brokeback Mountain]]'') wins [[Academy Award for Best Director|Best Director]], [[Reese Witherspoon]] (''[[Walk the Line]]'') wins [[Academy Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]], and [[Philip Seymour Hoffman]] (''[[Capote (film)|Capote]]'') wins [[Academy Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]]. [http://www.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/Movies/03/05/oscar.advancer/index.html (CNN)] * The [[2006 National People's Congress]] opens in [[Beijing]], beginning a 10-day session of China's parliament. Premier [[Wen Jiabao]] makes a Working Report and vows for support for the poor. [http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/03/05/china.parliament/ (CNN)] [http://english.people.com.cn/200603/05/eng20060305_247909.html (People's Daily)] * [[Benin presidential election, 2006]]: Voters in [[Benin]] go to the polls to decide who will succeed [[Mathieu Kérékou]] as [[List of Presidents of Benin|President]]. Results are expected to be announced by Wednesday. If no single candidate of the 26 wins an outright majority, a [[runoff election]] will take place in two weeks. [http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/international.cfm?id=336242006 (Scotsman)], [http://www.voanews.com/english/2006-03-05-voa22.cfm (VOA)], [http://za.today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2006-03-05T132302Z_01_ALL532525_RTRIDST_0_OZATP-BENIN-ELECTION-20060305.XML (Reuters)] * Tens of thousands of protesters in [[Bangkok]] demand the resignation of [[List of Prime Ministers of Thailand|Prime Minister]] [[Thaksin Shinawatra]] of [[Thailand]]. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4775926.stm (BBC)], [http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2006-03-05T204237Z_01_BKK198058_RTRUKOC_0_UK-THAILAND-POLITICS.xml&archived=False (Reuters)], [http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/03/05/thailand.protests/ (CNN)] <div id="6 March 2006"> </div> ===[[6 March]] [[2006]] (Monday)=== * The [[United Kingdom]] government is defeated in the [[House of Lords]] over a plan to make [[biometric]] [[ID card]]s compulsory for passport applicants. The government is to seek to overturn the defeat in the [[British House of Commons|House of Commons]], and has suggested that it might invoke the [[Parliament Act]]. [http://www.upi.com/InternationalIntelligence/view.php?StoryID=20060306-015335-5102r (United Press International)] * [[Israel]]i aircraft fire rockets at a car in [[Gaza]], killing two [[Palestinian Islamic Jihad Movement|Islamic Jihad]] members and three innocent bystanders as well as wounding seven other people, mostly children. Commander-in-Chief of the [[Israel Air Force]], Maj.-Gen. [[Eliezer Shkedy]] said: "We are doing everything we can possibly think of to prevent innocent people from being harmed, but this is a war and nothing is certain." [http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1139395554481&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull (JPost)] * [[Milan Babić]], former leader of the breakaway [[Republic of Serbian Krajina]], commits [[suicide]] in prison while serving a sentence for [[war crimes]]. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4778498.stm (BBC)] * [[Mike Rounds|M. Michael Rounds]], [[Governor of South Dakota|governor]] of the [[United States|U.S.]] [[United States state|State]] of [[South Dakota]], signs an [[Abortion debate#History of the debate in the United States|abortion ban]] that conflicts with the [[United States Supreme Court]]'s landmark [[1973]] ''[[Roe v. Wade]]'' decision. [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11699703 (MSNBC)] * The sentencing hearing of [[Zacarias Moussaoui]], the only person indicted in the US for a direct role in the [[9/11]] attacks, has opened in Virginia. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4777242.stm (BBC)] * Avian flu outbreak: [[Poland]] confirms first outbreak of [[H5N1]], the [[bird flu]] virus, in two wild [[swan]]s. [http://www.news-medical.net/?id=16348 (News-Medical Net)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4777832.stm (BBC)] * In [[South Africa]], former Deputy President (1999-2005) [[Jacob Zuma]] pleads [[not guilty]] of [[rape]] as his trial starts. [http://iafrica.com/news/sa/835180.htm (Iafrica)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4777616.stm (BBC)] <div id="7 March 2006"> </div> ===[[7 March]] [[2006]] (Tuesday)=== * The [[PvdA|Dutch Labour party]] gains more than five hundred seats in the country's [[Dutch municipal election, 2006|municipal election]]. [http://news.ft.com/cms/s/94591d3e-ae2c-11da-8ffb-0000779e2340.html (Financial Times)] * Fifteen people die and many others are injured in [[2006 Varanasi bombings|three blasts]] throughout [[Varanasi]], [[India]]. [http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/03/07/india.blasts/index.html (CNN)] * [[Kizza Besigye]], formerly opposition presidential candidate in the [[Uganda general election, 2006|recent Ugandan elections]], is cleared of [[rape]] charges.[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4781244.stm (BBC)] * [[Israel]]'s defense minister [[Shaul Mofaz]] says that the [[Hamas]] [[Palestinian National Authority|PNA]] prime minister-designate, [[Ismail Haniyeh]], may be subject to an Israeli [[assassination|targeted killing]] if Hamas resumes attacks against Israel. [http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=1695655 (AP)] * [[United Kingdom|British]] Lieutenant General Nick Houghton announces that the UK's 8,000 [[British Army|soldiers]] in Iraq could begin leaving the country within weeks. Most would be home by 2008, he says. [http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,,1725556,00.html (Guardian Unlimited)] * [[Anibal Ibarra]], former mayor of [[Buenos Aires]] is removed from office over allegations of poor government safety regulation in last year's club fire. [http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/breaking_news/14040678.htm (The Mercury News)] <div id="8 March 2006"> </div> ===[[8 March]] [[2006]] (Wednesday)=== * The world's biggest [[Expo (exhibition)|Expo]] on [[information technology]], [[CeBIT]], opens in [[Hanover]], [[Germany]]. [http://news.com.com/2300-1041_3-6047571-1.html (news.com)] *[[Slovenia]] asks to join the [[Euro]] [[monetary union]]. [http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D8G7G1702.htm?campaign_id=apn_home_down&chan=db (Business week)] * The [[United States]] [[United States House of Representatives|House]] [[United States House Committee on Appropriations|Appropriations Committee]] votes to block the [[George W. Bush administration|Bush administration]]'s plan for [[Dubai Ports World]] to take over operations at six major U.S. ports. [http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/politics/3710328.html (Houston Chronicle)] * The [[Government of Chad]] renews accusations of [[Sudan]]ese support for attacks by the [[UFDC]] into eastern Chad, despite the recent signing of the [[Tripoli Accord]] and the successful formation of the ministerial committee. Sudan has accused Chad of supporting [[ARFWS]] rebels in the past, and Chad is believed to have stepped up support in light of recent attacks. [http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L08663643.htm (AlertNet)] * The [[Channel Islands|Channel Island]] of [[Sark]] votes to maintain its [[Feudalism|feudal system]] of governance [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/guernsey/4787130.stm (BBC)] * [[Iran]] threatens 'harm and pain' against the [[United States]] for its role in putting Iran before the [[United Nations Security Council]]. [http://www.channel4.com/news/content/news-storypage.jsp?id=584357 (Channel 4 News)] *The [[European Union]] announces that it has lifted a worldwide ban on the export of [[United Kingdom|British]] [[beef]] introduced in [[1996]] to prevent the spread of [[Bovine spongiform encephalopathy|BSE]] (Mad Cow Disease). [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4784810.stm (BBC)] *An [[Argentina|Argentine]] military aircraft crashes after take off from [[El Alto International Airport]] in [[La Paz, Bolivia]], killing all six people on board. The aircraft was a [[Learjet]] [[Learjet 35/36|35A]]. [http://www.planecrashinfo.com/ (planecrashinfo.com)] <div id="9 March 2006"> </div> ===[[9 March]] [[2006]] (Thursday)=== * Astronomers announce that the [[Cassini-Huygens]] probe has detected possible [[geyser]]s of [[water]] on [[Saturn]]'s moon [[Enceladus (moon)|Enceladus]], perhaps the first example of naturally-occurring liquid water beyond [[Earth]]. [http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory?id=1706420 (AP)] [http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/news/press-release-details.cfm?newsID=639 (JPL)] * [[United Nations]] [[United Nations Secretary-General|Secretary-General]] [[Kofi Annan]] launches the [[Central Emergency Response Fund]] to provide aid to regions of [[Africa]] currently facing [[starvation]].[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4788298.stm (BBC)] * The [[Sablé-sur-Sarthe hostage crisis]] in [[France]] ends peacefully with no casualties. The gunman had suffered from depression. [http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=1705435&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312 (ABC)] * The [[Abu Ghraib torture and prisoner abuse|notorious]] [[Abu Ghraib prison]] in [[Iraq]] is to close and its prisoners to be housed elsewhere, the [[United States|U.S.]] [[United States Military|military]] has said. [http://www.channel4.com/news/content/news-storypage.jsp?id=633355 (Channel 4 News)] <div id="10_March_2006"> </div> ===[[10 March]] [[2006]] (Friday)=== * Further evidence accrues to show that the [[polar ice cap]]s are shrinking. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4790238.stm (BBC)] * The [[Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter]] enters orbit around [[Mars]]. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4791006.stm (BBC)] *More than 250 medical experts sign a letter in [[The Lancet]] urging the [[United States]] to stop [[force-feeding]] of [[Guantanamo Bay Naval Base|Guantanamo Bay]] detainees and close down the prison. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4790742.stm (BBC)] * The [[World Health Organization]] announces that the number of people killed by [[measles]] declined by 48% between 1999 and 2004, from 871,000 to 454,000. The greatest decline, 60%, was in [[sub-Saharan Africa]]. The improvement is attributed to increased [[vaccination]]. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4792756.stm (BBC)] * [[John Profumo]], the man at the centre of [[United Kingdom|Britain]]'s most famous [[Profumo Affair|political scandal]] of the 20th century, has died at the age of 91. [http://www.channel4.com/news/content/news-storypage.jsp?id=975366 (Channel 4 News)] * [[Italy|Italian]] prosecutors ask for [[Prime Minister of Italy|Prime Minister]] [[Silvio Berlusconi]] and [[United Kingdom|British]] lawyer [[David Mills]] to be [[indictment|indicted]] in the on-going alleged bribery case [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4793052.stm (BBC)] * [[2006 Pakistan landmine blast|Twenty-six people are killed]] in [[Dera Bugti]], southwest [[Pakistan]], when their vehicle hits a [[landmine]]. The victims were primarily women and children. Both tribal rebels and security forces [[Balochistan (Pakistan)#Post Independence|planted landmines]] in the area. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4792116.stm (BBC)] *Terminal D at [[LaGuardia Airport]] in [[New York City]] was closed due to a security breach. [http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/03/10/airport.evacuation/index.html (CNN)] *[[Gale Norton]] has announced her resignation as [[United States Secretary of the Interior]], effective March 31, 2006. [http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/03/10/norton/index.html?section=cnn_latest (CNN)] <div id="11 March 2006"> </div> ===[[11 March]] [[2006]] (Saturday)=== * The former [[Federal Republic of Yugoslavia|Yugoslav]] president [[Slobodan Milošević]] has been found dead in his prison cell in [[The Hague]], [[Netherlands]]. [http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/03/11/milosovic/index.html (CNN)] [http://ca.today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2006-03-11T123623Z_01_LA749012_RTRIDST_0_NEWS-WARCRIMES-MILOSEVIC-COL.XML (Reuters)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4796470.stm (BBC)] [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-2081301,00.html (Times)] * Michelle Bachelet takes the honor of being in office as the first female president in Chile . [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4795810.stm (BBC)] [http://www.cbc.ca/storyview/MSN/world/national/2006/03/11/chile-bachelet060311.html (CBC)] [http://www.voanews.com/english/2006-03-11-voa19.cfm (VOA)] [http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/americas/03/11/chile.inauguration.ap/ (CNN)] <div id="12 March 2006"> </div> ===[[12 March]] [[2006]] (Sunday)=== *[[Islam in Algeria|Algerian "national reconciliation"]]. [[Abdelhak Layada]], one of the founder of the [[Armed Islamic Group]] (GIA), is released from prison due to the February 28, 2006 national reconciliation charter decree of application [http://www.rfi.fr/actufr/articles/075/article_42395.asp RFI]. *[[Venezuela]] introduces its new [[Flag of Venezuela|national flag]] with eight, instead of seven, stars and a slightly altered [[Coat of arms of Venezuela|coat of arms]]. [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/12/AR2006031200590.html (The Washington Post)] * Reports claim that a post-mortem examination has found that former Yugoslav President [[Slobodan Milošević]] died from heart failure. [http://www.channel4.com/news/content/news-storypage.jsp?id=1682977 (Channel 4 News)] * Six car bombs explode in [[Sadr City]], a neighborhood in [[Baghdad]], killing at least forty-six people. [http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/03/12/iraq.main/index.html (CNN)] * In [[Malta]], the [[Malta Labour Party]] makes a big victory in the [[Maltese local council elections, 2006|Local Council Elections]] [http://www.timesofmalta.com/core/article.php?id=217541 (Times of Malta)] *Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh began their Visit to Australia which she will open the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne. * U.S. Senator [[Russ Feingold]] announces that he will introduce a motion of [[censure]] against President [[George W. Bush]]. [http://rawstory.com/news/2006/Democratic_senator_will_introduce_censure_motion_0312.html (RawStory)] * [[Schering]], a [[Berlin]], [[Germany]] based pharmaceutical firm, announces that it has received a hostile merger bid from [[Frankfurt]]-based rival [[Merck & Co.|Merck]]. [http://msnbc.msn.com/id/11796572/ (MSNBC)] [http://today.reuters.com/investing/financeArticle.aspx?type=bondsNews&storyID=2006-03-12T190339Z_01_L12770031_RTRIDST_0_HEALTH-MERCK-SCHERING-UPDATE-3.XML (Reuters)] <div id="13 March 2006"> </div> ===[[13 March]] [[2006]] (Monday)=== * A cash-for-honours scandal has erupted around [[United Kingdom|UK]] Prime Minister [[Tony Blair]]. A millionaire donor has revealed that [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] fundraisers had arranged secret loans from businessmen who were then nominated for peerages. [http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=379680&in_page_id=1770 (Daily Mail)] * A [[March 2006 Tornado Outbreak Sequence|major tornado outbreak]] finally ends in the [[central United States]]. In all, more than 100 [[tornado]]es were reported and 11 people were killed. Two tornadoes hit [[Springfield, Illinois]] late on the 12th, causing major damage to the city. * [[United States|U.S.]] climate scientists working for the [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]] have recorded a significant rise in the concentration of [[carbon dioxide]] in the atmosphere, pushing it to a new record level. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4803460.stm (BBC)] * A major oil slick, which could contain some 40 tonnes of fuel, has been detected off the coast of [[Estonia]], one week after the Runner-4 cargo vessel sank in the [[Baltic Sea]]. Heavy sea ice prevents an accurate estimate of the content of the oil slick that may have killed 35,000 sea birds. [http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/estoniashippingenvironmentpollution;_ylt=Atvl4F0uyWvG5y1KEgXz42qs0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA3ODdxdHBhBHNlYwM5NjQ- (Yahoo News)] *The judge in the trial of [[Zacarias Moussaoui]] is considering throwing out the [[death penalty]] as an option after lawyers from the [[Federal Aviation Administration]] coached four government witnesses. [http://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/03/13/moussaoui.trial.ap/index.html (CNN)] *[[Germany|German]] drug & chemical manufacturer [[Merck KGaA]] announces plans to buy [[Schering]] in a merger of €14.6 billion. Merck and Schering would become Germany's largest [[pharmaceutical company]]. - [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2006/03/13/umerck.xml&sSheet=/money/2006/03/13/ixcitytop.html (Telegraph)] *[[Metropolitan Police Service|London Metropolitan Police]] chief [[Sir Ian Blair]] admits secretly recording conversations with the [[Attorney General for England and Wales|Attorney General]] [[Peter Goldsmith, Baron Goldsmith|Lord Goldsmith]], an act that could lead to a civil legal proceedings if the other party has not granted permission for conversations to be taped. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4800172.stm (BBC)] <div id="14_March_2006"> </div> ===[[14 March]] [[2006]] (Tuesday)=== *An [[2006 Chadian coup d'état attempt|attempted coup d'état]] against [[Chadian President]] [[Idriss Déby]] is foiled. [http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-5688614,00.html (AP via The Guardian)] * In [[London]], six men taking part in a [[clinical trial]] for a new [[monoclonal antibody]] anti-inflammatory drug, [[TGN1412]], are placed in [[intensive care]], some in a life-threatening condition, after suffering adverse side-effects. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4807042.stm (BBC)] * [[Euronext]], a derivatives exchange based in [[Amsterdam]] and [[Paris]], announces that it might join the ongoing auction for the [[London Stock Exchange]] &mdash; which would put it in competition with bidders [[Nasdaq]] and [[Deutsche Börse]]. [http://www.forbes.com/facesinthenews/2006/03/14/furse-lse-euronext-cx_cn_0314autofacescan01.html (Forbes)] * [[Jordan]] is to indict [[Abu Musab al-Zarqawi]] for bombings that killed over 60 people. [http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=1723303 (ABC)] *At least 80 people die in [[Iraq]] following an attack on a [[Shiite]] holy site. [http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-031406iraq_lat,0,3398948.story?coll=la-home-world (LA Times)] * At least seven people have died in [[wildfire]]s in the U.S. state of [[Texas]] which have burned 1,000 mi² (2500&nbsp;km²), forcing 1,900 people to evacuate. [http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060313/ap_on_re_us/wildfires (AP)] * The [[2006 National People's Congress]] concludes in Beijing, China. Premier [[Wen Jiabao]] holds annual press conference from Chinese and foreign reporters. Wen reiterates Taiwan issue in serious tone. [http://english.people.com.cn/200603/15/eng20060315_250736.html (People's Daily)] *[[Israeli-Palestinian conflict]]: **[[Israeli]] troops shell and demolish a [[Palestinian]] prison in [[Jericho]], seizing [[Ahmad Sa'adat]], imprisoned for allegedly assassinating an Israeli minister. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4804424.stm (BBC)] **In retaliation for the Israeli attack in Jericho, [[Palestinian]] gunmen kidnap and then release American professor Douglas Johnson. [http://www.forbes.com/home/feeds/ap/2006/03/14/ap2594746.html (Forbes)] <div id="15_March_2006"> </div> ===[[15 March]] [[2006]] (Wednesday)=== * Two armed gunmen attacked the UN Refugee Agency ([[UNHCR]]) compound in [[Yei, Sudan]], killing a local guard and leaving two others in critical condition. [http://www.angolapress-angop.ao/noticia-e.asp?ID=425669 (Angola Press)] * The [[United States|U.S.]] online magazine [[salon.com]] publishes the most extensive documentation of the [[Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse]]. [http://www.salon.com/news/abu_ghraib/2006/03/14/introduction/ (salon.com)] * [[United Kingdom]]: The [[British House of Commons|House of Commons]] votes to approve an education reform bill. The [[Prime minister]], [[Tony Blair]]'s authority is called into question for his relying on the opposition [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative party]] to secure the vote, due to revolt within his own [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour party]]. [http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000102&sid=a_Rfcysox0pg&refer=uk (Bloomberg)] * [[War in Iraq]]: A raid by the [[United States]] military kills eleven [[Iraqis]], mostly civilians. [http://www.channel4.com/news/content/news-storypage.jsp?id=1993664 (Channel 4 News)] * The [[United Nations General Assembly]] votes to establish the [[United Nations Human Rights Council]], a new [[human rights]] organization to replace the [[United Nations Commission on Human Rights]], with only the [[United States]], [[Israel]], the [[Marshall Islands]] and [[Palau]] opposing. [http://www.upi.com/InternationalIntelligence/view.php?StoryID=20060315-010515-6434r (United Press International)] [http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2006-03-15T063517Z_01_N14224220_RTRUKOC_0_UK-RIGHTS-UN-USA.xml&archived=False (Reuters.uk)] * [[Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom|Queen Elizabeth II]], [[Head of the Commonwealth]] opens the [[2006 Commonwealth Games]] in [[Melbourne, Australia]]. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/commonwealth_games/4805592.stm (BBC)] * Five arrests are made over the [[UK Islamist demonstration outside the Danish Embassy]] in [[London]] against the [[Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy|cartoons depicting the prophet Muhammad]]. [http://www.guardian.co.uk/cartoonprotests/story/0,,1731376,00.html (Guardian)] <div id="16_March_2006"> </div> ===[[16 March]] [[2006]] (Thursday)=== * Tens of thousands of [[Thailand|Thai]] anti-government protesters continue their rally against the country's current Thai Prime Minister [[Thaksin Shinawatra]] today. They also demand his resignation from the post. The opposition leader, [[Sondhi Limthongkul]], declared he and his party would not stop protesting all day and night until the PM resigns. [http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=reutersEdge&storyID=2006-03-17T100538Z_01_NOA736303_RTRUKOC_0_ANALYSIS-THAI-CRISIS.xml&archived=False (Reuters)] * U.S. President [[George W. Bush]] nominates [[Governor of Idaho|Idaho Governor]] [[Dirk Kempthorne]] as [[United States Secretary of the Interior]]. [http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/03/16/kempthorne.bush.ap/index.html (CNN)] * Near the third anniversary of the beginning of the [[Iraq war]], U.S. and Iraqi forces on Thursday launch an [[air assault]] known as [[Operation Swarmer]] into [[Salah ad Din Governorate|Salahuddin province]] in what was termed the largest air assault since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003. [http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=1732693 (ABC News)], [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4814094.stm (BBC)], [http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Mar2006/20060316_4504.html (USDoD)] * The [[Iraqi National Assembly]] [[Government of Iraq, 2006-2010#First assembly meeting|meets]] for the first time since it was elected in [[Iraqi legislative election, December 2005|December 2005]]. [http://today.reuters.com/news/NewsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2006-03-16T091021Z_01_L16569830_RTRUKOT_0_TEXT0.xml&related=true (Reuters)] * An international [[child pornography]] network is discovered using information from an Internet [[chat room]], leading to the world-wide arrests of 4 [[Australia]]ns, 13 [[USA|Americans]], 10 [[Canada|Canadians]], and 2 [[Great Britain|Britons]]. [http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=80209 (National Nine News)] * The 2006 NCAA Men's Division 1 Basketball Tournament begins in Winston-Salem, North Carolina; Salt Lake City, Utah; Jacksonville, Florida; and San Diego, California <div id="17_March_2006"> </div> ===[[17 March]] [[2006]] (Friday)=== *[[Beijing]]'s wealthiest millionaire, [[Yuan Baojing]], and two alleged accomplices are sentenced to death and executed by [[lethal injection]] for [[murder]] by a [[Liaoyang]] [[Court of law|court]], making Yuan the wealthiest person to be executed in [[People's Republic of China|PRC]] history. [http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-03/18/content_4315137.htm (Xinhuanet)] [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/18/AR2006031800061.html (Washington Post)] *The [[European Parliament]] demands that [[Senegal]] turn over [[Hissène Habré]] to [[Belgium]] to be tried for his actions while he was [[President of Chad]]. Senegal is not expected to comply, as it already refused [[extradition]] demands from the [[African Union]]. The [[ATDPH]] has expressed its approval of the decision. [http://allafrica.com/stories/200603170228.html (allafrica)] *Six people have been charged in connection with [[Kenya]]'s [[Goldenberg scandal|biggest fraud]], which cost the government about $600m. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4816894.stm (BBC)] *Following an outbreak of [[bird flu]] in [[Israel]], [[Europe]] bans imports of Israeli [[chicken]]; Ministry of Agriculture halts exports of unprocessed birds; [[Kibbutz]]im in the south, heart of Israel put under closure; four people hospitalized in the south are found not to be infected with the disease. [http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3228903,00.html (Ynetnews)] * [[Thomas Lubanga]], former leader of the [[Union of Congolese Patriots]] militia in the [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]], becomes the first person arrested on behalf of, and then referred to the [[International Criminal Court]] for [[war crime]]s.[http://www.icc-cpi.int/press/pressreleases/132.html (ICC)] * The fourth global [[World Water Forum]] meets in [[Mexico City]] to address problems of [[water]] shortages and conflicts. Protesters claim the forum is a platform for further [[privatization]] of water supplies. [http://www.forbes.com/business/manufacturing/feeds/ap/2006/03/16/ap2601188.html (AP via Forbes)] * The [[International Crisis Group]] warns that continued neglect of the [[Darfur conflict]] may lead to thousands more deaths and spill over into neighboring countries, further destabilizing the region. [http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2006-03-17T133614Z_01_L17497238_RTRUKOC_0_UK-SUDAN.xml&archived=False (Reuters)] <div id="18_March_2006"> </div> ===[[18 March]] [[2006]] (Saturday)=== * [[Hamas]] announces the formation of its new cabinet to govern the territory under the control of the [[Palestinian Authority]]. Hamas, however, in a last ditch effort to include the [[Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine]] in the government, postponed by one day the submission of the new cabinet to the approval of [[President of the Palestinian National Authority|PNA President]] [[Mahmoud Abbas]]. [http://breakingnews.iol.ie/news/story.asp?j=176423046&p=y764z375z (IOL)] [http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/50FDBDCB-BEB1-4B66-BA8A-2388E2D8FF7F.htm (Al-Jazeera)] * [[2006 labor protests in France]]: In [[Paris]], and other major French cities, hundreds of thousands of people march in protest of the [[Contrat de première embauche]] (First Employment Contract), a labor law set to take effect in April that gives employers the right to fire workers under the age of 26 in the first two years of their employment without justification.[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4819052.stm (BBC)] * [[United States Navy|US Navy]] warships engage [[piracy|pirates]] off the coast of [[Somalia]], killing one, capturing 12, after the [[U.N. Security Council]] on [[March 15]], encouraged any naval forces near Somalia to take action against suspected piracy. This occurred after an attack on a UN [[World Food Program]]-chartered ship bringing drought-relief food supplies on [[March 13]]. [http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060318/ap_on_re_mi_ea/somalia_us_pirates (AP)][http://www.upi.com/SecurityTerrorism/view.php?StoryID=20060317-110234-8288r (UPI)] * The [[Australian Labor Party|Labor]] government of [[South Australia]], led by [[Mike Rann]], has been returned with a ten percent swing. [http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200603/s1595239.htm (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)] <div id="19_March_2006"> </div> ===[[19 March]] [[2006]] (Sunday)=== *Three of the six men left seriously ill during a drugs trial (of a [[monoclonal antibody]] [[TGN 1412]]) have been taken off organ support.[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4822574.stm (BBC)] * The [[Liberal Party of Canada]] announces it has scheduled the [[Liberal Party of Canada leadership convention, 2006|vote for a new leader]] for [[December 3]]. [http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2006/03/19/sliberals-race060319.html (CBC)] * Part of a tunnel in the [[Moscow Metro]] collapses on a train setting the train on fire. Russian [[emergency service]]s were dispatched to the scene, passengers were evacuated, and no one was hurt. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4822440.stm (BBC)] * Former [[Prime Minister of Iraq]] [[Iyad Allawi]] says that he believes that Iraq is engaged in a [[civil war]], although the country has not passed "the point of no return." [[United Kingdom|British]] and [[United States|American]] officials dispute calling the conflict a civil war. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4821618.stm (BBC)] * [[Polling station]]s open for the [[Belarusian presidential election, 2006]]. [http://www.voanews.com/english/2006-03-19-voa3.cfm (VOA)] The main opposition candidate [[Alaksandar Milinkievič]] calls for a re-run of the presidential election within hours of polls closing. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4821502.stm (BBC)] * With the exception of [[Uganda]] and [[South Africa]], sub-Saharan Africa is failing to meet [[United Nations]] standards for accessibility to clean water or sanitation. [http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=scienceNews&storyID=2006-03-19T223848Z_01_N19222784_RTRUKOC_0_US-UN-AFRICA-WATER.xml (Reuters)] <div id="20_March_2006"> </div> ===[[20 March]] [[2006]] (Monday)=== * The [[United Nations|UN]]'s refugee agency, the [[United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees|UNHCR]], says it has been ordered to leave [[Uzbekistan]] within one month. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4826278.stm (BBC)] * [[Belarusian presidential election, 2006]]: [[Alexander Lukashenko]] has been re-elected [[List of Belarusian rulers|president]] of [[Belarus]] with 82.6 percent of all votes, in an election which is considered by many to have been rigged. **The [[Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe]], which monitored the election, concluded that the presidential election failed to meet OSCE commitments for democratic elections. [http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060320/wl_nm/belarus_dc (Reuters)], [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4823800.stm (BBC)] **The [[Commonwealth of Independent States]] also monitored the election and declared that the election was fair and that the results must be respected. [http://news.monstersandcritics.com/europe/article_1148866.php/Russia_Belarus_election_was_fair_and_open (Monsters and Critics)] **The [[United States]] and [[European Union|EU]] condemn the elections. The White House, which has previously labeled Mr Lukashenko a dictator, says it does not accept the results. The EU says it is likely that it will impose sanctions.[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4824642.stm (BBC)] * At 0730 [[Australian Time Zones|AEST]], [[Tropical Cyclone]] [[Cyclone Larry|Larry]] makes landfall near [[Innisfail, Queensland|Innisfail]], [[Queensland]], [[Australia]], with wind gusts of 290&nbsp;km/h (180 mph) recorded, which would make it a Category 5 storm on the Australian scale for severity of cyclones. [http://www.theage.com.au/news/National/Cyclone-Larry-rips-through-north-Qld/2006/03/20/1142703243509.html (AAP)] * Russian President [[Vladimir Putin]] visits Beijing on energy talks with Chinese President [[Hu Jintao]]. [http://www.forbes.com/markets/feeds/afx/2006/03/20/afx2608814.html (Forbes)] * Charles, [[Prince of Wales]], and his wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, begin official visit to [[Egypt]], [[Saudi Arabia]] and [[India]]. *The [[Northern Hemisphere]] [[Vernal Equinox]] and the [[Southern Hemisphere]] [[Autumnal Equinox]] occurred at 18:26 UTC. <div id="21_March_2006"> </div> ===[[21 March]] [[2006]] (Tuesday)=== * The [[French National Assembly]] votes on "[[DADVSI]]" ("[[Right of the Author]] and related rights in the information society") with 296 votes for against 193. The DADVSI act implements the 2001 [[EU Copyright Directive]] with some modifications. The [[Union pour un mouvement populaire|UMP]] (right-wing), which has the [[absolute majority]] at the National Assembly, voted for, while the left voted against it. MPs of the center-right [[Union for French Democracy|UDF]] voted either against the text or [[abstention|abstained]] themselves. [http://www.lemonde.fr/web/article/0,1-0@2-651865,36-753285,0.html ''Le Monde''] *Over 150 [[Chadian military|Chadian soldiers]] are killed in eastern [[Chad]] by members of the rebel [[United Front for Democratic Change|UFDC]]. The growing rebel movement seeks to overthrow Chadian president [[Idriss Deby]]. [http://www.forbes.com/home/feeds/ap/2006/03/21/ap2610813.html (AP via Forbes)] * In the [[United Kingdom]], [[Metropolitan Police]] confirm they are to investigate claims the ruling [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] broke the [[Honours (Prevention of Abuses) Act 1925]] in the ongoing controversy over "[[cash for Peerages]]" row. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4830018.stm (BBC)] * Irish [[Taoiseach]] [[Bertie Ahern]] has said in the [[Dáil]] that he believes the [[United Kingdom|British]] security forces colluded with [[Ulster Loyalist|loyalist paramilitaries]] in the planning of [[Belfast]] solicitor [[Pat Finucane (lawyer)|Pat Finucane]]'s murder in 1989. [http://www.examiner.ie/pport/web/ireland/Full_Story/did-sgWZUvMJ7UQqcsgdL11Zs5FWAE.asp (Irish examiner)] * In a major Sino-[[Russia]]n energy deal, it is announced that [[Gazprom]] intends to build two large [[natural gas]] [[Pipeline transport|pipeline]]s directly to [[China]] within the next 5 years. [http://www.forbes.com/home/feeds/afx/2006/03/21/afx2609390.html (Forbes)] Russia will also help with the construction of two [[nuclear power]] plants in China. [http://www.makfax.com.mk/look/agencija/article.tpl?IdLanguage=1&IdPublication=1&NrArticle=18908&NrIssue=414&NrSection=30 (Makfax)] <div id="22_March_2006"> </div> ===[[22 March]] [[2006]] (Wednesday)=== *A [[bankruptcy]] court judge in [[New York]] has authorized the creation of an equity holders' committee in connection with the [[Chapter 11, Title 11, United States Code|reorganization]] of auto parts maker [[Delphi Corporation]], [http://money.cnn.com/2006/03/23/news/companies/delphi_committee.reut/ (Reuters)] *[[University of Wisconsin-Madison]] scientists believe they may have discovered a reason why the deadly [[H5N1]] [[bird flu]] virus cannot yet jump easily between humans. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4829858.stm (BBC)] *The [[Queen of the North|MV ''Queen of the North'']], a 125 metre [[ferry]] operated by [[BC Ferries]], strikes a rock in [[British Columbia]]'s [[Inside Passage]] shortly after midnight, and [[shipwreck|sinks]]. All passengers and crew are thought to have safely abandoned ship, but two passengers are later declared missing and presumed dead. [http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2006/03/22/bc_ferry060322.html (CBC)] * [[Basque Country (autonomous community)|Basque]] separatist group [[ETA]] announce a permanent ceasefire to their 38-year campaign for independence from [[Spain]], which has cost over 800 lives. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4832672.stm (BBC)] * Russian President [[Vladimir Putin]] pays a visit to the [[Shaolin Temple]], the symbol of Chinese [[Martial arts]] on his [[state visit]] to China. [http://news.sina.com.cn/c/2006-03-23/10508510805s.shtml (SINA)] *[[Tracy Williams (internet libel)|Tracy Williams]] from [[Oldham]], [[Greater Manchester]], [[England]], is [[Keith-Smith v Williams|ordered]] to pay £10,000 damages, plus £7,200 legal costs for [[libel]]ling former parliamentary candidate [[Michael Keith Smith]] in a [[Yahoo]] [[chat room]] and in her [[blog]], making history in respect of legal actions involving the Internet. She had accused Smith of being a sex offender and a racist bigot. Williams did not file a defence to the libel writ. [http://www.manchesteronline.co.uk/men/news/s/208/208621_net_blogger_must_pay_10000.html (Manchester Evening News)], [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-2097470,00.html (Times)], [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hampshire/4829932.stm (BBC)] *[[Ethiopia]]: Government procecutors withdrew charges against 18 out of 129 opposition figures and journalists facing charges following last year's violent skirmishes in the country. However, none of the party leaders of the [[Coalition for Unity and Democracy]] (CUD) were included in this action. <div id="23_March_2006"> </div> ===[[23 March]] [[2006]] (Thursday)=== *[[2006 labor protests in France|French youths]] set fire to cars and loot shops in [[Paris]] during protests against the ''[[contrat première embauche]]'' law that [[Prime Minister of France|Prime Minister]] [[Dominique de Villepin]] had agreed to discuss with unions. [http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2006-03-23T194858Z_01_L23178518_RTRUKOC_0_US-FRANCE.xml (Reuters)] *[[Adwaitya]], a [[tortoise]] that once belonged to [[United Kingdom|British]] [[colonial]] [[Robert Clive, 1st Baron Clive|Lord Clive]] in the 18th Century has died at the age of 250 in a zoo in [[Calcutta]]. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4837988.stm (BBC)] *More than 100 people die after their boat capsizes in [[Cameroon]]. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4838326.stm (BBC)] *The British Embassy in [[Baghdad]] confirms the rescue of three [[2005-2006 Christian Peacemaker hostage crisis|Christian Peacemaker hostages]] held in [[Iraq]] for nearly four months; Briton [[Norman Kember]] and Canadians [[Harmeet Singh Sooden]] and [[James Loney (peace activist)|James Loney]]. They were freed during a British led [[multinational]] military operation involving American, British, Canadian and Iraqi forces. [http://www.channel4.com/news/special-reports/special-reports-storypage.jsp?id=2012 (Channel 4 News)], [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4836218.stm (BBC)], [http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060323/hostages_freed_060323/20060323?hub=TopStories (CTV)] <div id="24_March_2006"> </div> ===[[24 March]] [[2006]] (Friday)=== * Clerics in [[Kabul]] call for [[Abdul Rahman (convert)|Abdul Rahman]] to be put to death. He is accused of committing [[Apostasy in Islam|apostasy]] for converting from [[Islam]] to [[Christianity]]. [http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=1760304 (AP)] * [[President of South Korea|President]] [[Roh Moo-hyun]] nominates [[Han Myung-Sook]] to become the [[South Korea]]'s first woman [[Prime Minister of South Korea|prime minister]]. [http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2006-03-24T093434Z_01_SEO159135_RTRUKOC_0_US-KOREA-POLITICS.xml&archived=False (Reuters)] * [[Lin Liang Ren]], 29, is convicted on 21 counts of [[manslaughter]] arising from the [[Morecambe Bay cockling disaster 2004|February 2004 Morecambe Bay cockling disaster]]. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/lancashire/4832454.stm (BBC)] * [[EU summit]] in Brussels: the EU leaders back plans to develop a common energy policy, but the specifics remain vague and difficult [http://news.independent.co.uk/europe/article353480.ece (Independent)] * [[The Pentagon|Pentagon]]: It is alleged by a report that [[Russia]] gave intelligence information to [[Saddam Hussein]]'s [[Iraq]] regarding American troop movements during the early stages of the [[Iraq War]]. [http://today.reuters.com/news/newsarticle.aspx?type=politicsNews&storyid=2006-03-24T203341Z_01_N24241162_RTRUKOC_0_US-IRAQ-USA-RUSSIA.xml&rpc=22 (Reuters)] <div id="25_March_2006"> </div> * [[Hannah Montana]] starts with its first episode. ===[[25 March]] [[2006]] (Saturday)=== * A revolutionary [[scramjet]] [[jet engine]] designed to fly at 7 times sonic speed is successfully tested in [[Australia]]. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4832254.stm (BBC)] * [[Canada]]'s annual [[Seal hunting|seal hunt]] has begun, amid international appeals for an end to the controversial [[cull]] of up to 325,000 young [[Harp Seal|harp seal]] pups. The Canadian government says the cull, which reportedly earns C$16.5m (£8.3m) in meat and [[pelt]] sales, is also necessary to control seal numbers. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4844008.stm (BBC)] * An explosion at a French [[university]] chemical research facility kills one professor. The cause is unknown. [http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=92912 (National Nine News)] * [[2006 U.S. immigrant rights protests|Protests]] against the US [[immigration reform]] bill [[H.R. 4437]] are held in several US cities. 500,000 people march in [[Los Angeles]], [[California]], 50,000 in [[Denver, Colorado]], and 20,000 in [[Phoenix, Arizona]], protesting proposed legislation that includes construction of a security wall along the [[United States-Mexico border]]. [http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/03/25/immigration.rallies.ap/index.html (CNN)] [http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-immig26mar26,0,7628611.story?coll=la-home-local (BBC)] [http://cbs4denver.com/local/local_story_085153713.html (CBS4Denver)] [http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=61862 (East Valley Tribune)] * A gunman killed six people at a party and then himself in the [[Capitol Hill massacre]] in [[Seattle, Washington]]. [http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/264412_shoottimeline26ww.html (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)] * [[Reading Football Club]] are promoted to the [[English Premiership]] for the first time in their 135-year history. They are also the first post-war [[Football Club]] to be promoted to the [[English Premiership]] in [[March]]. <div id="26_March_2006"> </div> ===[[26 March]] [[2006]] (Sunday)=== * The [[CBS]] television program ''[[60 Minutes]]'' airs a story on a lawsuit against the [[hedge fund]] SAC, alleging that it orchestrated a fall in the stock price of Canadian drug company [[Biovail]]. *Officials in [[Afghanistan]] say that [[Abdul Rahman (convert)|Abdul Rahman]] may be released soon, although the case may have only been temporarily dropped to gather more evidence. [http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/03/26/afghan.convert/ (CNN)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4847342.stm (BBC)] *The [[2006 Commonwealth Games]] in [[Melbourne]], [[Australia]] draw to a close with the [[2006 Commonwealth Games Closing Ceremony|Closing ceremony]]. [[Australia]] finishes with a record 84 gold medals, making this their best [[Commonwealth Games 2006|Games]] ever. [[Samaresh Jung]] is adjudged the ''Best Athlete of the 18th Commonwealth Games.'' The [[2010 Commonwealth Games|2010]] games will be hosted by [[New Delhi|New Delhi, India]]. [http://melbourne2006.com.au/M2006/Homepage+News/20060323+Closing+Ceremony.htm (M2006)] [http://in.rediff.com/sports/2006/mar/26cwgi-jung.htm (Rediff)] *Voters in [[Ukraine]] [[Ukrainian parliamentary election, 2006|go to the polls]] to elect a new [[Verkhovna Rada]] (parliament). [http://en.rian.ru/world/20060326/44811332.html (RIA Novosti)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4846006.stm (BBC)] *[[Scotland]] becomes the first part of the [[United Kingdom]] to introduce a full [[smoking ban]] in enclosed public places and workplaces. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4845260.stm (BBC)] <div id="27_March_2006"> </div> ===[[27 March]] [[2006]] (Monday)=== *[[Iraq]]i security minister [[Abd al Karim al Enzi]] accuses [[United States|America]]n soldiers accompanied by Iraqi troops to have raided the Mustafa [[Shiite]] [[mosque]] in eastern [[Baghdad]] and executed 37 unarmed people who had been tied up. [http://www.palestinechronicle.com/story.php?sid=033106220004 (Palestine Chronicle)] [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,7374-2106068,00.html (Times)] * The [[mayor of London]], [[Ken Livingstone]], refers to the [[United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom]], [[Robert Tuttle]], as a 'chiseling little crook' because the United States embassy continues to refuse to pay the [[London congestion charge]]. [http://www.guardian.co.uk/guardianpolitics/story/0,,1740977,00.html (Guardian Unlimited)] * ''[[The New York Times]]'' reports that it has seen [[Bush-Blair memo|a memo]] that shows [[George W. Bush]] was determined to go to war at least two months before the [[2003 invasion of Iraq]]. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4849744.stm (BBC)] [http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/27/international/europe/27memo.html?pagewanted=1&ei=5090&en=7c30d11fe0c8c923&ex=1301115600&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss (NYT)] * In [[Germany]], a rare [[tornado]] kills 2 and leaves more than 300,000 people without electricity. [http://www1.ndr.de/ndr_pages_std/0,2570,OID2439852,00.html (NDR Television Germany)] * Preliminary results of the [[Ukrainian parliamentary election, 2006|2006 Ukrainian parliamentary election]] give former [[Prime Minister of Ukraine|Prime Minister]] [[Viktor Yanukovych]] and his pro-[[Russia]]n [[Party of Regions]] a narrow lead over the [[Yulia Tymoshenko Electoral Bloc]], with [[President of Ukraine|President]] [[Viktor Yushchenko]]'s [[Our Ukraine]] Bloc trailing in third place. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4848958.stm (BBC)] *[[Zacarias Moussaoui]] testifies in an American court that he and [[Richard Reid (terrorist)|Richard Reid]] planned to fly a [[passenger jet]] into the [[White House]] as part of the [[September 11, 2001 attacks]], contradicting his previous [[testimony]]. [http://www.channel4.com/news/content/news-storypage.jsp?id=981947 (Channel 4 News)] [http://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/03/27/moussaoui/index.html (CNN)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4850988.stm (BBC)] *The [[European Union]] agrees to introduce a standardized [[European driving licence]]. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4849330.stm (BBC)] <div id="28_March_2006"> </div> ===[[28 March]] [[2006]] (Tuesday)=== * [[Israeli-Palestinian conflict]]: for the first time, a [[Katyusha]] [[rocket]] is fired from the [[Gaza Strip]]. The [[Israel Defense Force|IDF]] says the attack is a "clear escalation". [http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1143498754886&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull (JPost)][http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4855056.stm (BBC)][http://msnbc.msn.com/id/12052666/ (MSNBC)] * One [[Canadian]] soldier has been killed and three others injured during a firefight with [[Taliban]] [[insurgents]] in a remote area outside of [[Kandahar]]. [http://www.cbc.ca/story/world/national/2006/03/28/kandahar060328.html (CBC)] * [[Kadima]] leader [[Ehud Olmert]] declares victory in the [[Elections in Israel|17th]] [[Israel legislative election, 2006|Israeli legislative election]], ahead of main opponents [[Labor (Israel)|Labor]] and [[Likud]]. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4855154.stm (BBC)] * Over a million protesters [[2006 labor protests in France|join large protests]] in [[France]] amid [[general strike|strike]]s against the new [[contrat première embauche]], which protesters say will harm job stability for workers under the age of 26. Violent clashes with the [[riot police|police]] in [[Paris]] are reported. [http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/NewsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2006-03-28T170729Z_01_L27580342_RTRUKOC_0_UK-FRANCE.xml (Reuters)] * More than one million [[local government]] workers in the UK strike over cuts to [[pension]] schemes, in an action co-ordinated by eight [[trade union]]s. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4848584.stm (BBC)] * [[White House Chief of Staff]] [[Andrew Card|Andy Card]] announces he will resign from his job on [[April 14]] [[2006]]. Card is one of a few people who has been on duty in the [[George W. Bush administration|Bush Administration]] since day 1. He will be replaced by [[Joshua B. Bolten|Joshua Bolten]], Director of [[Office of Management and Budget]]. [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12048598/from/ET/ (MSNBC)] * Former [[Liberia]]n [[List of Presidents of Liberia|President]] [[Charles G. Taylor|Charles Taylor]] disappears after [[Nigeria]] agrees to [[extradition|extradite]] him to face [[war crime]] charges in [[Sierra Leone]]. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4853158.stm (BBC)] * [[Abdul Rahman (convert)|Abdul Rahman]] is deemed [[M'Naghten Rules|mentally unfit to stand trial]], and released. He is seeking [[Right of asylum|asylum]] in a Western country. His whereabouts are unknown. [http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/03/28/christian.convert/index.html (CNN)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4851666.stm (BBC)] <div id="29_March_2006"> </div> ===[[29 March]] [[2006]] (Wednesday)=== * [[Canada]] has officially cut all ties with the members of the [[Hamas]] cabinet and is suspending assistance to the [[Palestinian Authority]]. [http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2006/03/29/ottawa-hamas060329.html (CBC)] * [[The Beatles]]' record label [[Apple Corps]] accuse [[Apple Computer]] in court of breaching a [[trademark]] agreement by operating their [[iTunes Music Store]]. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4854408.stm (BBC News)] * [[Afghanistan|Afghan]] [[Christianity|Christian]] convert [[Abdul Rahman (convert)|Abdul Rahman]] takes [[Refugee|political asylum]] in [[Italy]]. Many Islamic clerics and members of Afghanistan's parliament protest his release. [http://msnbc.msn.com/id/12063255/ (MSNBC)], [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4856748.stm (BBC)] * A [[Solar eclipse on 2006 March 29|total solar eclipse]] may be observed from 08:36 GMT (09:36 BST) to 11:48 GMT (12:48 BST) in Eastern [[Brazil]], [[West Africa|West]] and [[North Africa]], [[Turkey]], [[Central Asia]] and [[Mongolia]]. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4849224.stm (BBC)] * Former [[Liberia]]n [[List of Presidents of Liberia|President]] [[Charles G. Taylor|Charles Taylor]] is captured after disappearing in [[Nigeria]] and is [[extradition|extradited]] to [[Sierra Leone]]. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4857628.stm (BBC)] * The chief prosecutor in [[Austria]] seeks an arrest warrant for former [[Refco]] chairman [[Phillip Bennett]] and former Refco client [[Wolfgang Floettl]] on suspicion they helped defraud Austria's [[BAWAG]] Bank. [http://www.nypost.com/business/66130.htm (NY Post)] <div id="30_March_2006"> </div> ===[[30 March]] [[2006]] (Thursday)=== *[[Feleti Sevele]] is confirmed as the first non-[[Nobility of Tonga|noble]] [[Prime Minister of Tonga]]. [http://www.matangitonga.to/article/tonganews/government/Tonga_primeminister310306.shtml (Matangi)] *Several large [[earthquakes]] rock western [[Iran]], killing and injuring many people [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4863372.stm (BBC)][[n:Western Iran rocked by series of large earthquakes|(WikiNews)]] *[[Portia Simpson Miller]] is sworn in as [[Prime Minister of Jamaica]], becoming the first woman to lead the [[Jamaica|Commonwealth of Jamaica]]. *[[Janjaweed]] [[militia]]s cross over the [[Chad]]-[[Sudan]] border and attack [[Chadian]] villagers in the city of [[Moudeina]], but are beaten back by the [[Chadian military]]. [http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/A3DDBE58-5D30-4E20-A3D5-6DFB85760071.htm (Al Jazeera)] * [[United States|U.S.]] [[Secretary of State of the United States|Secretary of State]] [[Condoleezza Rice]] canceled her visit to a [[mosque]] after a protest group threatened to "invade the mosque" during scheduled prayers (see [[Condoleezza Rice visit to Blackburn and Liverpool]]). [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/lancashire/4860496.stm (BBC)] * [[Jill Carroll]], a ''[[Christian Science Monitor]]'' journalist abducted in [[Iraq]] on [[January 7]], is released. [http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/03/30/carroll/index.html (CNN)] * [[NASA]] and the [[Russian Federal Space Agency]] launch the thirteenth mission to the [[International Space Station]] when ''[[Expedition 13]]'' takes off. On board is [[Marcos Pontes]], the first [[Brazil]]ian in space. [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12072500/ (MSNBC)] * An outage of ''[[Optus fleet of satellites#Optus B1|Optus B1]]'' after realignment knocks out [[SKY Network Television|Sky TV]]'s [[pay TV]] to an estimated 650,000 [[New Zealand]]ers [http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=1&ObjectID=10375260 (NZ Herald)]. Conflicting reports suggest the outage could be fixed within a few hours [http://www.newswire.co.nz/main/viewstory.aspx?storyid=309874&catid=16 (Newswire)] or could be permanent as the satellite may be missing [http://www.nbr.co.nz/home/column_article.asp?id=14829&cid=1&cname=Media (National Business Review)]. * At least 48 people died in the [[2006 Bahrain ferry disaster]]. [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,189727,00.html (Fox)] *U.S. Congresswoman [[Jean Schmidt]] has been claiming a degree in secondary education from the [[University of Cincinnati]] she did not receive. Her spokesman said Schmidt earned the degree but did not complete the paperwork to be awarded it. ([http://www.cleveland.com/weblogs/openers/index.ssf?/mtlogs/cleve_openers/archives/2006_03.html#125630 The Plain Dealer]) <div id="31_March_2006"> ===[[31 March]] [[2006]] (Friday)=== * In [[Ukraine]], after days of vote tallying, [[Viktor Yanukovych]]'s [[Party of Regions]] wins a [[plurality]] in the [[Ukrainian parliamentary election, 2006|2006 parliamentary election]]. [http://www.cvk.gov.ua/vnd2006/w6p001e.html Central Election Commission of Ukraine] * [[Chad]]ian senior army commander [[Abakar Itno]] is [[assassination|assassinated]] by a joint force of [[Janjaweed]], [[Rally for Democracy and Liberty]], and [[Sudanese military]] forces. [http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/IRIN/06cd9b0a8b7b50f9f7603c5d0dcae2c1.htm (Reuters)] * [[:Category:Jack Abramoff scandals|Jack Abramoff scandals]]: Lobbyist [[Tony C. Rudy]], former chief of staff for Rep. [[Tom DeLay]] ([[Republican Party (United States)|R]]-[[Texas|TX]]), pleads guilty to conspiracy and agrees to cooperate with the ongoing investigation into the [[Jack Abramoff Indian lobbying scandal]]. [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/31/AR2006033100638.html (Washington Post)] *[[MINOS]] (the Main Injector Neutrino Oscillation Search) observes [[neutrino oscillation]], implying that [[neutrino]]s have [[mass]], which would require a substantial revision to the [[Standard Model]] of [[particle physics]]. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4862112.stm (BBC)] [http://www.physorg.com/news62941548.html (PhysOrg.com)] [http://www-numi.fnal.gov/talks/results06.html (MINOS)] *A [[The Nation Group]]'s [[newspaper]] critical of [[Thailand|Thai]] [[List of Prime Ministers of Thailand|Prime Minister]] [[Thaksin Shinawatra]] agrees to stop publishing for five days amid [[protest]]s about the way it referred to the [[Chakri Dynasty|King of Thailand]]. [http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/31Mar2006_news01.php (Bangkok Post)] * In [[Brussels]], [[Microsoft]] claims a breakthrough, as an independent monitor of its hearings with [[European Union]] regulators in [[Brussels]] has outlined what it can do to avoid paying fines of 2 millions euros a day. [http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/03/31/yourmoney/msft.php (IHT)] * An earthquake measuring 6 on the [[Richter scale]] rocks [[Iran]] early in the morning killing 66 people and wiping out a number of villages. [http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=1789302 (ABC News)] ''See'' [[2006 Borujerd earthquake]] * An intruder enters a [[church]] in [[Malta]] during [[mass (liturgy)|mass]] and smashes a 200 year old [[Jerusalem]] [[mother-of-pearl]] [[crucifix]] creating commotion. [http://www.timesofmalta.com/core/article.php?id=219645 (Times of Malta)] {{Events by month links}} [[Category:March|2006]] [[Category:2006|*2006-03]] [[ar:مارس 2006]] [[zh-min-nan:2006 nî 3 goe̍h]] [[cs:Březen 2006]] [[de:März 2006]] [[et:Märts 2006]] [[el:Μάρτιος 2006]] [[es:Marzo de 2006]] [[eo:Marto de 2006]] [[fr:Mars 2006]] [[ko:2006년 3월]] [[id:Maret 2006]] [[nl:Maart 2006]] [[ja:最近の出来事 2006年3月]] [[oc:Març de 2006]] [[pl:Marzec 2006]] [[ro:Martie 2006]] [[ru:2006 год#.D0.9C.D0.B0.D1.80.D1.82]] [[scn:Marzu 2006]] [[sk:Marec 2006]] [[sv:Mars 2006]] [[tl:Marso 2006]] [[th:มีนาคม พ.ศ. 2549]] [[vi:Tháng 3 năm 2006]] [[fiu-vro:Urbõkuu 2006]] [[yi:מארטש 2006]] [[zh:2006年3月]]