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PAST STORIES ON THE WORLD NEWS FORECAST PREVIEW-2008 |
JANUARY
| UNITED STATES 8 January 2008 New Hampshire holds second of key nominating events New Hampshire holds second of key nominating events in run up to US presidential vote The primary in the eastern state of New Hampshire is the second event in a compressed primary schedule that starts on Jan 3 in Iowa. It peaks on Feb 5, when more than 20 states hold primaries or caucuses. The Democratic and Republican presidential candidates who win in Iowa will hit New Hampshire with momentum. For some candidates, it could be the end of the dream.
full story  SPACE 14 January 2008 NASA MESSENGER due to make first pass by Mercury NASA launched the Mercury Surface, Space Environment, Geochemistry and Ranging (MESSENGER) mission on 3 Aug 2004, and it is due to make the first of three flybys of Mercury on Jan 14. When it settles into the orbit of the planet closest to the Sun in 2011, it is expected to reveal the chemical composition of Mercury's surface, the geologic history, the nature of the magnetic field, the size and state of the core, the volatile inventory at the poles, and the nature of Mercury's exosphere.
full story CUBA 20 January 2008 Cuba holds parliamentary election In January most of some 8.23 million voters will choose 609 deputies to the Cuban National Assembly for 5-year terms and 1199 to 14 provincial assemblies. A seat in parliament is the first step in a process that would allow the ailing President Fidel Castro to retain his post atop the Council of State. He remains on the ballot despite a statement made in December that suggested he did not plan to cling to power.
full story SWEDEN 22 January 2008 Al Gore receives environment award
Gore, a former United States vice president and presidential candidate and now an environmental activist, receives the 2007 Gothenburg Award on Sustainable Development. "Like no other person he has called humanity to save the climate," according to the jury.
full story INDIA 30 January 2008 India marks 60th anniversary of assassination of Mahatma Gandhi Mahatma Gandhi the pioneer of non-violence movement and the main architect of the independence of India was assassinated on 30 Jan 1948 on the grounds of Birla House in New Delhi. He is officially accorded the status of father of nation in India. A two-minute silence in memory of Gandhi is observed throughout India at 11 am.
full story MARS 30 January 2008 Asteroid could crash into Mars A football-field sized asteroid known as 2007 WD5 has a 1 in 25 chance of hitting the Red Planet on Jan 30, according to scientists from the Near Earth Object Program at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. They expect the odds to shorten as the date gets closer. When the space rock was discovered in late November, they judged the odds to be about 350 to one.
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FEBRUARY
| AFGHANISTAN February 2008 Afghanistan due to enter SAFTA
Afghanistan is expected to become the eighth member of the South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) in February, a potential economic boost for the war-ravaged country. As a member of SAFTA, Afghanistan will receive the benefit of zero import duty by India on 4536 tariff lines.
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VIENNA 1 February 2008 OPEC ministers hold special meeting The oil ministers of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries decided at their meeting in December to keep output ceilings steady. They will be reviewing that decision at their 147th Extraordinary Meeting in February, then again in March. The news in January that prices have topped US $100 per barrel is likely to be a big factor in their decision. The United States, for one, is pressing for production increases, arguing that the high prices threaten to derail global growth.
full story SPACE 1 February 2008. NASA shuttle Columbia disintegrated 5 years ago On 1 Feb 2003 the NASA shuttle Columbia disintegrated on re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere over the state of Texas, with the loss of all seven crew. It happened as Columbia was ending its 28th mission, STS-107. The Columbia Accident Investigation Board concluded in Aug 2003 that politics, budgets, schedule pressure and managerial complacency all played roles in causing the tragedy.
full story ETHIOPIA 1-2 February 2008 African Union leaders meet for 10th AU summit When the leaders of the 53-nation African Union meet in Addis Ababa for their 10th summit, the so-called Grand Debate on unification, spilling over from the 9th AU summit, is likely to vie for attention with newer issues like the African diaspora and developments in the continent's conflicts.
full story ANTARCTICA-AUSTRALIA-NEW ZEALAND 6 February 2008 Annular solar eclipse The first eclipse of 2008 will be an annular solar eclipse. It will be a partial eclipse and visible only in Antarctica, New Zealand and parts of Australia, yet could still attract significant excitement. Annular eclipses have long been unexplained, and a new study is believed to solve the mystery.
full story VILNIUS 7-8 February 2008 Lithuania hosts NATO defense ministers Kosovo's imminent declaration of independence, Russia's unilateral cancellation of the CFE treaty and Afghanistan represent equally demanding issues when NATO's defense ministers meet in February.
full story PARIS 8 February 2008 Court hands down judgement on Jean-Marie Le Pen The 79-year-old Frenchman best known as the leader of his country's National Front party and frequent presidential contender, Jean-Marie Le Pen, will hear on Feb 8 whether he must spend time in jail for allegedly conspiring to justify war crimes, a violation of France's Holocaust denial legislation.
full story VILNIUS 7-8 February 2008 Lithuania hosts NATO defense ministers Kosovo's imminent declaration of independence, Russia's unilateral cancellation of the CFE treaty and Afghanistan represent equally demanding issues when NATO's defense ministers meet in February.
full story FRANCE 9 February 2008 Freeze on GM crops due to end A government freeze on genetically-modified crops is due to end on Feb 9, and Parliament will debate extending it in the days beforehand. France is Europe's top agricultural producer. Meanwhile, French anti-globalization activist Jose Bove said on Jan 3 that he would not eat again until the government imposes a year-long ban on GM crops.
full story NEW DELHI 10-15 February 2008 ICANN 31st International Public Meeting opens The domain name system for the Internet is controlled by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), a California-based nonprofit organization over which the United States government retains veto power. The New Delhi public meeting can be expected to pick up the dispute over control of the Internet from where it was left off at the Rio de Janeiro forum on Nov 15.
full story FRANCE 11 February - 20 July 2008 Virgin Mary believed to have appeared 150 years ago to French teen Between 11 Feb and 20 Jul in 1858 the Virgin Mary is said to have appeared 18 times in a cave near Lourdes to 14-year-old Bernadette Soubirous. The Catholic Church begins year-long program on 8 Dec 2007 to commemorate the 150th anniversary. Lourdes is one of the major pilgrimage destinations in the world, attracting some 6 million visitors a year, in part because miracle cures have been attributed to the waters from the cave spring.
full story CANBERRA 13 February 2008 Australia to apologize to Aborigines Australia's parliament convenes on 12 Feb, and its first item of business on Feb 13 is a formal apology to the so-called "stolen generations" of Australia's Aborigines. Supporters of the milestone say it could ease tensions with a minority whose mixed-blood children were taken away from their families between 1910 until the 1970s on the premise that their race was doomed.
full story PAKISTAN 18 February 2008 Volatile Pakistan due to hold postponed parliamentary election On Jan 3 Pakistan's Election Commission rescheduled the election planned for Jan 8 for six weeks, triggering charges from opposition parties that the postponement was an attempt by President Pervez Musharraf's ruling party to avoid almost certain defeat if the vote were held as scheduled.
full story INDIA 18-27 February 2008 Agra festival spotlights threats to Taj Mahal The Taj Mahotsav or Taj Mahal Utsav festival at Agra celebrates the cultural heritage of Uttar Pradesh and is a reminder of the threats to the nearby Taj Mahal, India's monument to love and its most popular tourist attraction. The famed marble palace that was recently listed among the "New Seven Wonders of the World" is under attack from pollution, and a dispute has grown up over the question of how to restore it.
full story ARMENIA 19 February 2008 Ex-Soviet republic presidential vote Thirteen candidates had submitted signatures from voters by 6 Dec, but the fight for the presidency of Armenia is expected to be between Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisyan and the country's first president, Levon Ter-Petrosyan. Robert Kocharian will be stepping down as president, but a recent constitutional change and a deal could leave him holding the reins.
full story SPACE 21 February 2008 Americas, Europe, Africa see lunar eclipse On Feb 21 the Moon will pass through the Earth's umbral shadow for the first of the two lunar eclipses of 2008. This first, a total eclipse, will be perfectly placed for observers in South America and Central America and the eastern two thirds of North America, Western Europe and Africa.
full story BRUSSELS 21-22 February 2008 EU defense ministers meet When they meet in February the defense ministers of the European Union could still be trying to clear the obstacles to deploying some 4000 EU troops to Chad and neighboring areas. The planned contingent will complement the Mixed United Nations-African Union force planned for Darfur, Sudan. By the time of the meeting the ministers could also be mulling the possibility of an enlarged deployment in Kosovo and a new one for Kenya.
full story FRENCH GUIANA 22 February 2008 New Ariane V blasts off for ISS with Jules Verne ATV In July, after several delays, the ESA's Jules Verne -- Automated Transfer Vehicle -- cargo ship was despatched for the European spaceport in French Guiana. It now looks likely that the biggest, most complex spacecraft ever built in Europe will launch in February on a new Ariane V-ES launcher with up to 7.5 tonnes of supplies for the International Space Station.
full story UNITED STATES 24 February 2008 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences holds 80th awards ceremony Political satirist and talk show host Jon Stewart hosts the 80th Academy Awards ceremony in Hollywood in 2008. If rumors that studio chiefs and screenwriters are about to end their three-month battle turn out to be true, then the ceremony is likely to proceed with its usual glitter and glamor. If not, there are likely to be picketers outside and few people inside.
full story PYONGYANG 26 February 2008 United States orchestra to perform in reculsive North Korea The New York Philharmonic Orchestra has agreed to play a concert in February at the invitation of one of the world's most isolated nations. The trip to the North Korean capital will be the first significant cultural visit by Americans to a country consigned by Washington to the "axis of evil."
full story BEIJING 28 February 2008 Beijing Capital International Airport Terminal 3 due to open Preparations for the opening of Beijing Capital International Airport Terminal 3 are due to be completed by Feb 28, according to airport spokesman Li Xiaomei. Testing begins the next day, he said in August, and will continue through June. It will be a dress rehearsal for July and August when visitors to the 2008 Summer Olympics begin descending on the country. 'It's the world's largest and most advanced airport building,' says the project's architect, Norman Foster. full story WORLD 29 February 2008 Leap Day - year for women to propose marriage The day that only comes around every four years is associated with women proposing marriage, birthday-deprived individuals and electronic devices in meltdown. In 2008 it shares the spotlight with frogs.
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MARCH
| UNITED STATES 1 March 2008 Starting "mush" for 36th Iditarod Dog Sled Race A media favorite the world over, the Iditarod Dog Sled competition in Anchorage, Alaska, could be racing towards extinction. The global warming that is shrinking the glaciers and ice sheets of the Arctic north threatens the future of the 1150-mile race across Alaska at its fiercest. It requires contiguous frozen terrain. In 2003 the early thaw forced great changes in the route, and in Mar 2006 the race had to be moved 30 miles north.
full story VIENNA 5 March 2008 OPEC ministers meet for 148th Ordinary Meeting The decision by oil ministers of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries in December to keep output ceilings steady will be reviewed at meetings in February and March. The Northern Hemisphere winter will be a new factor in the March deliberations of the 13-nation cartel.
full story COLOMBIA 6 March 2008 Another big year for Gabriel Garc a Marquez readers Anyone arriving in Aracataca, Colombia or elsewhere to celebrate the 80th birthday of the man regarded as the greatest living writer in Spanish and one of the world's greatest novelists, Gabriel Garc a M rquez, is likely to find they have missed the party. Though a host of reputable biographies say Garc a M rquez was born on 6 Mar 1928, Colombia and Spain held big celebrations in Mar 2007, the year of the 40th anniversary of his literary masterwork, "One Hundred Years of Solitude."
full story BRUSSELS 6-7 March 2008 NATO foreign ministers meet to plan summit The main task for NATO foreign ministers in March is putting together an agenda for the meeting of the Alliance's leaders in April. The announced focus of the summit is enlargement, but the Alliance's worries about Afghanistan, Kosovo, which has declared its independence from Serbia, and Russia's recent unilateral suspension of the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) could move expansion of the body to second place.
full story DAKAR 10-11 March 2008 OIC foreign ministers prepare for 11th summit The foreign ministers of the Organization of Islamic Conference meet to prepare for the 11th ordinary summit of OIC heads of state. Israel is an evergreen issue for OIC summits, and the question is whether developments in the so-called peace process will see it higher or lower than usual on the summit agenda the ministers will put together.
full story THE HAGUE 11 March 2008 International Criminal Court turns five On 11 Mar 2003 Queen Beatrice of the Netherlands presided over the inauguration of the International Criminal Court, which was established on 1 Jul 2002 after the required minimum of 60 countries ratified the so-called Rome Statute. The world's first permanent international criminal court, it was set up to try the most serious crimes of international concern genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. Five years on, it is preparing to try its first cases.
full story DAKAR 13-14 March 2008 Senegal hosts 11th OIC summit News about an anticipated trade system for the body and an array of challenges await the leaders of the 57 member states of the Organization of Islamic Conference when they meet in Senegal. The challenges include preventing the breakup of Iraq, a lagging science project, Israel, and the fighting in Sudan, Somalia and other predominantly Muslim countries.
full story BRUSSELS 13-14 March 2008 Slovenia hosts summit of European Union leaders Solvenia, the first of the new members to hold the six-month rotating presidency of the European Union, hosts its first EU summit. The leaders signed the new Lisbon Treaty in December and can now turn their attention to seeing the pact ratified and other goals. Slovenia wants the focus turned to the Western Balkans, particularly Kosovo, to future Turkish EU membership, and to energy and climate change.
full story NEW DELHI 14 March 2008 Sonia Gandhi marks 10 years in office On Mar 14 Indian National Congress president Sonia Gandhi and party workers across India plan to celebrate her 10 years as party leader. The Gandhi name and her political prominence make her an inviting target for extremists, particularly on a milestone date. Following the assassination of Benazir Bhutto in December, Indian government efforts to keep Gandhi safe could be under scrutiny.
full story IRAN 14 March 2008 Iran holds legislative election Iranians vote for legislators for the country's 290-seat assembly. Five seats are reserved for religious minorities: Christians, Jews, and Zoroastrians. Moderate politicians opposed to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad are seeking to seize control of parliament from conservatives, who now dominate the body. The outcome is likely to be seen as an indicator for the 2009 presidential vote.
full story VIETNAM 16 March 2008 My Lai massacre 40 years ago On 16 Mar 1968 a US army division led by Lt. William L. Calley invaded My Lai village in South Vietnam, an alleged Viet Cong stronghold, and shot some 500 unarmed civilians to death. The massacre is the subject of Oscar-winning director Oliver Stone's fourth Vietnam movie, "Pinkville," and the one he hopes will prevent similar atrocities. He draws parallels to Iraq. Some My Lai analysts draw parallels to Wounded Knee.
full story PARIS/WORLD 20 March 2008 International Day of Francophonie The International Day of Francophonie is a day of celebration in countries as diverse as Vietnam and Haiti. The day is set aside to promote French culture and the French language around the world, as well as cultural diversity, democracy, solidarity and development. To many Africans, the recent election of Nicholas Sarkozy as president of France was a setback for the Francophonie movement.
full story IRAQ 20 March 2008 Fifth anniversary of US invasion of Iraq Sat, 03 May 2008 The United States invaded Iraq five years ago on Mar 20 despite global protests and a lack of support. The fifth anniversary is a flashpoint for anti-US and anti-Iraq war protests around the world and for a spike in violence in Iraq. It invites new speculation about President George W. Bush's real motives for invading and new questions about whether the war can be won.
full story HAVANA 22 March 2008 Colonial masterpiece Hotel Sevilla turns 100 Tue, 29 Apr 2008 The city's first luxury establishment, the Hotel Sevilla, is often described as a masterpiece of Moorish and colonial architecture. For its 100th birthday the hotel is gearing up to recreate some of the pomp that accompanied its opening in 1908. Bought and restored by a French hotel chain, the Accor group, it has been lovingly restored and is one of the most expensive places to stay in Havana.
full story LONDON 27 March 2008 Vast Terminal 5 inaugurated Queen Elizabeth II or Prince Charles will inaugurates Terminal 5 at Heathrow Airport, the biggest free-standing building in the United Kingdom, on Mar 27. The runway is also outsized, as it has been designed to accommodate the behemoth Airbus A380 jet. As the inauguration for the vast glass, concrete and steel structure approaches, the praise and criticism that the project has drawn since its conception can be expected to reach a crescendo.
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BRUSSELS 28-29 March 2008 EU foreign ministers meet
When the foreign ministers of the European Union meet, they will be moving forward on the decisions made by the EU leaders at their summit two weeks earlier. They are likely to discuss international issues ranging from Central Asia to the Sudan and shaping the role of the new EU foreign minister. The most urgent issue is likely to be the fallout from the expected declaration of independence from Serbia by Kosovo.
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APRIL
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LONDON 1 April 2008 Indian diplomat takes over as Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamlesh Sharma, the present high commissioner of India to Britain, takes over the Secretary General of the Commonwealth Secretariat. The first Indian and Asian to hold the top job in the Commonwealth, he replaces Don McKinnon. The New Zealander's 8-year term ends in Mar 2008.
full story BUCHAREST 2- 4 April 2008 NATO holds enlargement, Afghanistan, summit Some 9,000 security personnel will be assigned to guard the thousands of participants at this 20th NATO summit. Postings on activist websites promise massive demonstrations that will keep the security forces busy.
full story VATICAN 2-6 April 2008 Pope Benedict XVI convenes World Apostolic Congress on Mercy The Catholic Church will mark the third anniversary of the death of Pope John Paul II with its first World Apostolic Congress on Mercy. The aim is to "energize, educate and enable attendees to return to their native countries and initiate or improve upon the spreading of the message of Divine Mercy."
full story UNITED STATES 4 April 2008 Martin Luther King killed 40 years ago Civil rights leader and Nobel Peace laureate Dr. Martin Luther King was assassinated on 4 Apr 1968 in southern city of Memphis by avowed white racist James Earl Ray. The 40th anniversary could revive the conspiracy theories surrounding his death. A memorial to him on the National Mall in Washington DC is under construction. King will be the first African American and only the third non-president to be honored with a National Mall area memorial.
full story UNITED STATES 4 April 2008 Dr. Martin Luther King assassinated 40 years ago Sat, 03 May 2008 The iconic civil rights leader and Nobel Peace laureate Dr. Martin Luther King was assassinated on 4 Apr 1968 in the southern city of Memphis in Tennessee by avowed white racist James Earl Ray. The 40th anniversary could even revive the conspiracy theories surrounding the assassination of one of the most revered figures in contemporary history. A memorial to him on the National Mall in Washington DC is under construction.
full story CHECHNYA 5 April 2008 Ramzan Kadyrov first anniversary as president Moscow-backed Ramzan Kadyrov was sworn in as Chechen president on 5 Apr 2007 at the the age of 30. His swearing-in was marked with pomp and high security that included secrecy about the location. Same again for the first anniversary?
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GENEVA 7 April 2008 World Health Organization turns 60 The 193-member World Health Organization turns 60 and World Health Day turns 58 on 7 Apr 2008. The WHO is publishing a book and exhibitions to mark the anniversary. If it heeds two experts, the WHO will be in midst of a soul-searching exercise when the anniversary rolls around.
full story NEPAL 10 April 2008 Nepal elects constitutional assembly Nepal plans to hold election for constitutional assembly on 10 April 2008, but new strife threatens the vote. The new assembly will be expected to prepare a new constitution and formally declare an end to the nearly 240-year-old monarchy.
full story UNITED STATES 11-13 April 2008 Anti-space weapons protests The Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space plans to hold demonstrations outside the United States Strategic Command base at Offut Air Base in Omaha, Nebraska, during its 16th Annual Space Organizing Conference. The group argues that the base as the "most dangerous place on Earth," but that assessment could be arguable.
full story BRUSSELS 11-14 April 2008 EU environment ministers meet European Union environment ministers are likely to be debating a recent proposal by French President Nicolas Sarkozy to "level the playing field" by taxing imports from countries that have not ratified the Kyoto Protocol. Any initiative of the kind is likely to upset the United States, China and India, among others.
full story WASHINGTON DC 12-13 April 2008 World Bank, IMF meet Climate change, a possible global recession and the recent resumption of Palestinian-Israeli peace talks could be top issues at the Spring meeting of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. Anti-globalization and anti-capitalism protesters can be expected.
full story BRUSSELS 11-14 April 2008 EU environment ministers meet At this European Union meeting, environment ministers are likely to be debating a recent proposal by French President Nicolas Sarkozy to "level the playing field" by taxing imports from countries that have not ratified the Kyoto Protocol. Any initiative of the kind is likely to upset the United States, China and India, among others. There are several related proposals to debate, as well as a recent controversial concession to the aviation industry.
full story GENEVA 15 April 2008 WTO aims for Doha Round restart The World Trade Organization hopes preparatory talks will make possible a resumption of the Doha Round negotiations on farm and industrial products at a ministerial meeting in mid April. Some experts view 2008 as the make-or-break year.
full story UNITED STATES 15-20 April 2008 Pope Benedict XVI first visit as pontiff Pope Benedict XVI's first visit to the United States as pontiff is arranged around a papal speech before the United Nations General Assembly. He will also pay his respects at "Ground Zero" in New York. His words will be sifted for any attempt to influence Catholic voters' choice of candidates in the 2008 US election.
full story VATICAN 16 April 2008 Pope Benedict XVI is 81 The 81st birthday of Pope Benedict XVI offers a milestone for Vatican-watchers to assess his papacy. It is likely to increase speculation about whether the pontiff would consider resigning if age or infirmity decrease his effectiveness.
full story WASHINGTON DC 16-20 April 2008 British PM Gordon Brown visits Prime Minister Gordon Brown visit President George W. Bush to talk about security issues that include Iraq and Iran. His visit follows a crucial report to the White House on Iraq.
full story BRUSSELS 17-18 April 2008 EU health ministers meet A controversial issue for the European Union ministers of health at their April meeting was to have been a plan put together by the European Commission to create a single market in medical treatment across the bloc. Now in draft form, it may not be aired at the meeting.
full story SWAZILAND 19 April 2008 King Mswati III 40th birthday party On Apr 19 Swaziland, sandwiched between South Africa and Mozambique and one of Africa's poorest and most AIDS-ridden countries, celebrates the 40th birthday of King Mswati III, who plans to throw a lavish birthday party and independence day celebration and is likely to choose a new wife.
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CANBERRA 19-20 April 2008 PM Kevin Rudd convenes Australia 2020 Summit Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has called 1000 of the nation's best and brightest to help chart the way forward in areas such as the economy, climate change and social inclusion.
full story PARAGUAY 20 April 2008. Paraguay elects president, legislators One of South America's more turbulent countries elects a president to replace President Nicanor Duarte Frutos and legislators. The front runner, Fernando Lugo Mendez, is Catholic bishop - or ex-bishop, depending on a Vatican decision. The election could end the 60-plus years of unbroken rule of the tarnished conservative Colorado Party.
full story ALGERIA 20 April 2008 Berbers of Kabylia region commemorate Berber Spring Berber linguistic and cultural aspirations loom as a second threat to Algeria - after Muslim extremism - particularly on Apr 20. This is the 18th Berber Spring, and in 2008 as it falls in the 10th anniversary year of the assassination of a leading Berber activist and musician, Matoub Lounes.
full story UNITED STATES 20 Apr 2008 Oldest person turns 115 Edna Parker, recognized as the oldest peson in the world, turns 115 on 20 Apr. And Parker has another title. In December she was recognized by the Indiana State Teachers Association as the oldest teacher in the state and presented with a plaque of appreciation and an honorary lifetime ISTA membership.
full story TOKYO 21-22 April 2008. S.Korean, Japanese leaders meet The new South Korean president, Lee Myung-bak, plans to visit Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, delivering on a promise to hold regular summits with his country's former colonial overlord. North Korea is on their economic and political agenda.
full story UNITED STATES 24 April 2008 Hearing on new trial for Warren Jeffs Polygamous sect leader Warren S. Jeffs was convicted in St. George, Utah, on Sep 25 of two counts of rape as an accomplice, and sentenced on Nov 20 to two consecutive five-year terms in prison. Jeffs, leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, which is in the news in April after a raid in Texas on an FLDS community, is seeking a new trial.
full story KAZAKHSTAN 26-27 April 2008 European Space Agency launches GIOVE-B The European Space Agency launches the second Galileo in-orbit validation satellite (GIOVE) from Baikonur. It is part of a politically-mired project to create a system that has an edge over the existing American GPS (Global Positioning System). GIOVE-B, the second demonstrator spacecraft, will test advanced technology that will be incorporated in the final satellite constellation.
full story  AFGHANISTAN 27 April 2008 30th anniversary of Communist revolution Sun, 27 Apr 2008 On 27 Apr 1978 the Afghan Communist party seized power in a coup against President Mohammed Daoud, who had overthrown his cousin King Zahir Shah five years earlier. The 30th anniversary of the revolution in 2008 is a reminder that Afghanistan was once a scourge for the Soviet Union, as it is now for the United States and NATO.
full story MAY | | CANADA 4 May 2008 Wonderland theme park opens tallest, fastest roller coaster in Canada Sun, 04 May 2008 The Wonderland theme park in Vaughan, Ontario, plans to open the country's tallest and fastest roller coaster, the Behemoth, to the public on May 4. It opens to special pass holders on 25 Apr. Designed by Bolliger & Mabillard of Switzerland, the Behemoth will stand 230 feet tall, with the first drop at the near-vertical angle of 85 degrees and top speeds at 77 mph. The ride on the 5,318-foot long track will last 3 minutes and 10 seconds.
full story BOLIVIA 4 May 2008 President Morales plans controversial referendum Bolivia's leftist president, Evo Morales, signed a law on Feb 29 that makes May 4 the date for a national referendum on a controversial draft constitution. The proposed charter, approved in a congress dominated by Morales' Movement to Socialism (MAS) party, seeks to give more power and resources to Bolivia's poor indigenous majority. Morales describes it as an effort "that allows us to re-found Bolivia." His critics describe it as a coup d'etat.
full story MOSCOW 7 May 2008 Dmitry Medvedev inaugurated as president Dmitry Medvedev was elected on Mar 2 to replace Vladimir Putin as president of Russia. His inauguration will make history: It is the first time in Russia for a popularly elected head of state to hand over to another popularly elected head of state.
full story BELFAST 7-9 May 2008 Northern Ireland Protestant leader Ian Paisley retires Ian Paisley, the Protestant minister who spent decades fighting a compromise settlement of Northern Ireland s sectarian violence, steps down from government and as the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party he founded. There is speculation that he is being pushed out.
full story POLAND 8 May 2008 Holocaust Train ends 6-month journey The Holocaust Train of Commemoration ends a six month 1,864-mile journey through Germany and Poland at the Auschwitz concentration camp on May 8, the anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe. The traveling exhibition commemorates the fate of the estimated 1.5 million Jewish, Sinti and Roma children and youth who were rounded up between 1940 and 1944 and transported by the Nazis to concentration camps and their deaths.
full story BRAZIL 8-11 May 2008 Brasilia may be hosting National Conference of Gays President Luiz Inazio "Lula" da Silva of Brazil announced his support in November for the country s controversial first National Conference of Homosexuals, Bisexuals, Transvestites and Transsexuals. Early reports said it would be held in Brasilia in May, but recent reports suggests the date has been moved to June and put the event in doubt.
full story INDIA. 11 May 2008 10th anniversary of Pokharan II nuclear tests Sun, 11 May 2008 As the debate continues and the government hangs in imbalance over the Indo-United States nuclear deal, India observes the 10th anniversary of Pokharan-II or Operation Shakthi. These refer to test explosions of five nuclear devices, three on 11 May and two on 13 May 1998, conducted by India at the Pokhran test range. They resulted in sanctions against India by a number of states, including the United States.
full story MYANMAR 10 May 2008 Junta plans constitutional referendum
Sat, 10 May 2008 Army-ruled Myanmar plans to hold a referendum on a new constitution on May 10 despite a cyclone that hit the country on May 3 that is believed to have killed some 50,000 people. As a concession, the military rulers will split the referendum, holding it on May 24 in parts of the country hit hardest by the storm.
full story MOSCOW 9 May 2008 Victory Day parade of military might
Fri, 09 May 2008 For the first time since the Soviet collapse, the Victory Day parade in Red Square will feature ballistic missiles, some 110 tanks, 32 aircraft and other weapons in what is seen as a show of Russia flexing its military muscles. The new political order will also be on show. Dimitry Medvedev will be taking the salute as president, with Vladimir Putin as prime minister.
full story ISRAEL 8 May 2008 Israel marks 60th anniversary of independence
Thu, 08 May 2008 Israel reaches an important milestone in 2008, the 60th anniversary of the nation's creation. The Palestinians mark the milestone on May 15, the anniversary of the start of the war on 15 May 1948 between Israel and the Arabs that was triggered by the independence proclamation, as Yom al-Nakba (Catastrophe Day.)
full story FRANCE 14-25 May 2008 Iconic Festival de Cannes opens Wed, 14 May 2008
The Cannes Film Festival has always been among the more glamorous events in the movie calendar, and the 61st festival promises to dish up a wide array of films seeking the holy grail of film making -- the Palme d'Or. The opener is reported to be Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, and Hollywood is also represented with the closer, Barry Levinson's new film, What Just Happened?
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GAZA/WEST BANK 15 May 2008 Palestinians mark 60th Nakba
Thu, 15 May 2008
Marches and rallies on 15 May and for about a week afterwards in the region and in some European and American cities will mark the 60th Nakba (Catastrophe) Day for Palestinians, hundreds of thousands of whom were dispossed by the establishment of the State of Israel on 14 May 1948 and the wars that followed. Some Nakba demonstrations incorporate protests against the Israeli West Bank barrier.
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WORLD 16 May 2008 International day for sharing life stories Fri, 16 May 2008 May 16 has been chosen for "Listen! - International Day for Sharing Life Stories." The May date was chosen to honor two pioneers in the tradition - Studs Terkel in the United States and Professor Paul Thompson in England. May 16 is Terkel's 86th birthday and is also Thompson's retirement date from the Department of Sociology at Essex University. Tributes to both men will be the highlight of public storytelling events.
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UNITED STATES 16-20 May 2008 NRA holds annual meeting Fri, 16 May 2008 The 2008 Meeting and Exhibits of the National Rifle Association in Louisville, Kentucky, falls in a nationwide election year. It's an occasion for the NRA to fine-tune its endorsements of candidates. Other business includes assessing the effectiveness of the damage control that was required after a gunman's deadly rampage at Virginia Tech in 2007 and commemorating Charlton Heston, the actor and NRA past president who died in April.
full story MARS 25 May 2008 NASA Phoenix Mars Lander touches down Sun, 25 May 2008 NASA's Mars Phoenix Lander is due to touch down on an icy plain on the Red Planet after a 423-million-mile journey. It will be the first ever landing in the arctic region of Mars. Once there, it will dig with a robotic arm into the ice and run laboratory tests to determine if the chemical environment beneath might favor microbial life. Evidence of vast amounts of underground ice were uncovered at both poles of the planet by NASA's orbiting Mars Odyssey spacecraft in 2002.
full story BELGRADE 22 & 24 May 2008 Serbia hosts Eurovision Song Contest
Thu, 22 May 2008 When Serbia hosts the 53rd edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, which is second only to the soccer World Cup in the size and ardor of its television audience in Europe, its winning diva of 2007 could be singing for another country. Marija Serifovic, is being lined up to represent Switzerland a year after winning the contest for her native Serbia with the song, "Molitva."
full story ITALY 22 May 2008 Italy marks 30th anniversary of legal abortion
Thu, 22 May 2008 Italy legalized abortion on 22 May 1978 and the furore hasn't died down. The confiscation of an aborted foetus by Italian police in February has rekindled the charged debate. The Radical Party is planning rallies across Italy in support of the law.
full story MOSCOW 21 May 2008 Russia hosts Champions League soccer final for first time
Wed, 21 May 2008 Moscow hosts the first all-English final in the history of soccer's Champions League, and is gearing up for the arrival of some 50,000 fans from England. And it is the first time the final of football's most prestigious event -- after the FIFA World Cup -- will be played in Moscow. It is the farthest East the cup final has ever been played. The visa system could be designed to weed out England's infamous football hooligans so Russia only has its own to worry about.
full story PERU 20-29 May 2008 APEC trade ministers meet
Tue, 20 May 2008 At the 2007 summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation forum, the leaders asked ministers and officials to report back in 2008 with a summary of steps taken to promote regional economic integration. When they meet in Arequipa, trade ministers, as bidden, can be expected to look again at progress towards the body's overall goal -- free and open trade among the developed nations of the 21 country Pacific Rim forum by 2010 and by 2020 for its developing countries.
full story INDIA 30 May 2008 Prime Minister opens Bangalore International Airport Fri, 30 May 2008
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh inaugurates the country's first greenfield airport, Bangalore International Airport, in Bangalore, Karnataka, the Silicon Valley of the country and capital of its information technology sector. An employee strike caused a postponement from March to May. Social activists and organizations plan to mark the occasion with a protest march.
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SYDNEY 28-30 May 2008 FIFA 58th Congress meets under Sepp Blatter Wed, 28 May 2008
Some 2500 delegates and media from the 205 member nations of the F d ration Internationale de Football Association descend on Sydney for the 58th FIFA Congress. International football's "parliament" will meet under the still controversial chairmanship of Sepp Blatter, who was elected to a third term as FIFA president in May 2007.
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PAKISTAN 28 and 30 May 2008 Pakistan marks 10th anniversary of nuclear tests Wed, 28 May 2008
Pakistan observes the 10th anniversary of its nuclear tests amid concerns in the Western world and India about the possibility that Islamic extremists, sympathetic to the Taliban and al-Qaeda, could take control of Pakistan s nuclear arsenal. The nuclear weapons concerns increased with the instability related to the country's election and the assassination of former Pakistan prime minister Benazir Bhutto.
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| JUNE | COLOMBIA 1-3 June 2008 OAS holds 38th General Assembly
Government ministers and a few leaders from North, Central and South America and the Caribbean at the Organization of American States 38th General Assembly are likely to begin by applauding the organization for averting a war. Will they reconsider Cuba and Malvinas issues?
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GERMANY 1 June 2008 European Central Bank marks 10th birthday The 10th birthday of one of the world's most important central banks, the European Central Bank in Frankfurt, will be watched for announcements. The most anticipated one, particularly by France, is that a decision has been made on reform of the body responsible for monetary policy covering the Eurozone. To date, wrangling has prevented significant movement on the issue.
full story SANTIAGO 1-22 June 2008 Cetacean experts gather ahead of 60th meeting When cetacean experts gather ahead of the annual International Whaling Commission meeting (23-27 Jun), one of their sessions will look at the future of the organization. Conservation bodies are worried the IWC is at risk of extinction.
full story GERMANY 9 June 2008 Re-scheduled Franco-German summit German newspapers attribute the postponement of the regular Franco-German summit from February to June in Straubing to tensions between German Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Nicolas Sarkozy over his attempts to create a Mediterranean Union modeled on the European Union. Sarkozy, openly hostile to Turkish accession to the European Union, sees the proposed bloc as a way of having Turkey join an alternative set-up and keeping it off the EU membership track.
full story UNITED STATES 6-10 June 2008 68th Scientific Sessions of American Diabetes Association. Challenging A challenge before the physicians and other medical professionals meeting for the 68th Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association in San Francisco, California, is sorting out whether the conventional treatment for diabetes poses a deadly risk. Conflicting information from two recent studies has left some 20 million Americans with type 2 diabetes in limbo.
full story IRISH REPUBLIC 12 June 2008 Ireland holds referendum on European Union treaty The now 27-member European Union needs agreement on the rules and regulations by which it will govern itslef sooner rather than later, and Ireland is one of the few member countries willing to take a chance on putting the newly-formed EU Treaty to public vote. Many other members see a parliamentary vote on ratification as a safer bet for approval. Ireland's farmers are threatening to throw their weight against the treaty unless certain trade conditions are met.
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BRUSSELS 12-13 June 2008 NATO Defense Ministers meet. Bush initiatives? NATO defense ministers meet in June, October and March. The issues on the agenda are likely to be the same at all three meetings, but ranked differently. If Washington is allowed to drive, the Allies could be pressed to firm up NATO commitments to projects initiated by President George W. Bush. The approach of the change of administration in the United States adds urgency to his agenda. Regardless of who is driving, iniatives to firm up cooperation with EU defense goals will be priorities.
full story PARIS 13 June 2008 European Union launches Mediterranean Union. Includes Israel, Turkey The controversial Mediterranean Union comes into being at a ceremony in Paris on 13 June. The new body will include 27 European Union states and Mediterranean states bordering the Bloc that include Israel and Turkey. It is seen as an alternative to letting Turkey into the Union.
full story UKRAINE 13-15 June 2008 Russia, Ukraine celebrate 225th anniversary of Black Sea Fleet Russia and the Ukraine plan to mark the 225th anniversary of the Soviet-era Black Sea Fleet with lavish celebrations in Sevastopol on Ukraine's Crimean peninsula, through the two countries remain divided on issues that include the strategic port. Russian and Ukrainian sailors will participate, and the Ukranian authorities are preparing for the city jubilee. Catherine the Great annexed the Crimea in 1783 and established a Russian naval base at Sevastopol.
full story EDINBURGH 14 June 2008 City to turn pink to support MoonWalk Some 12,000 MoonWalkers will participate in a midnight Power Walking Challenge to raise funds for breast cancer, with the marathon and half marathon 26.2-mile route lit up in pink in a show of support for the fundraiser.
full story SPAIN 14 June-13 September 2008 Expo 2008 an in-between Sat, 14 Jun 2008 As befits an event with an environmental theme - "Water and Sustainable Development" - Expo 2008 in Zaragoza won't be rivalling previous world fairs for excess. The 1889 Exposition Universelle on the Champ de Mars in Paris and Chicago's "White City" expo in 1893 set such a high mark for excess that it has been hard for any modern expo to claim the crown.
full story QUEBEC CITY 15-22 June 2008 Catholics gather for 49th International Eucharistic Congress Sun, 15 Jun 2008 Twelve thousand to 15,000 Catholic clergy and lay people from around the world will gather in the city for the 49th International Eucharistic Congress, which coincides with the provinces 400th anniversary.
full story ARGENTINA 14 June 2008 Che Guevara born 80 years ago
The 80th birthdate of the late doctor-turned-revolutionary, Ernesto "Che" Guevara de la Serna, is unlikely to attract the same level of notice as the 40th anniversary of his death in 2007, but it could still cause a flood of print and TV retrospectives examining his legacy, and berets, T-shirts and other memorabilia bearing the Che brand. If he were alive today he might find himself branded as a terrorist.
full story LONDON 27 June 2008 Nelson Mandela in town for birthday charity concert Despite reported poor health and rare public appearances, former South African president and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Nelson Mandela will visit London for a charity concert in Hyde Park. It is timed to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the Free Mandela concert. That concert publicized demands for the release of Mandela, whose prisoner number was 46664, from jail. The proceeds from the concert will go to the 46664 charity, which raises money to fight AIDS. Mandela turns 90 on 18 Jul.
full story RUSSIA 26-27 June 2008 EU summit with Russia, hopes of wide deal Dimitry Medvedev has spoken in favor of more market economy and for promoting civil liberties since he was elected Russian president in March. European Union leaders want to see his words translate into action at the 21st EU-Russia summit in Khanty-Mansiisk, Siberia.
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Archive 2008