Current Events for the Week of 1 February 2010

Current Events for Monday, 1 February 2010

U.S. to continue military medical evacuations from Haiti after four-day suspension over cost, treatment questions
U.S. National Conference of State Legislatures tells federal government “hands-off” education
China expresses anger at latest U.S. military equipment sale to Taiwan
Unnamed congressional source: U.S. White House to paint grim fiscal picture with $3.8 trillion budget
Karachi ethnic violence kills at least twelve
Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) ends truce with government, attacks pipeline
U.S. White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs: self-proclaimed 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed “likely” to face death penalty
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon “optimistic” over possible Cypriot unification deal
Afghan President Hamid Karzai calls on talks with Taliban before possible U.S. pullout
U.S. Department of Defense (Pentagon): U.S. expanding land-, sea-based missile defenses in Persian Gulf
Pakistani Taliban deny report leader Hakimullah Mehsud was killed in U.S. drone attack
U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) officials “satisfied” with Toyota recalls steps, Toyota President Akio Toyoda apologizes for recall
Haitian injured at risk of lower emergency relief medical aid, food aid distribution streamlines
Thai report sent to U.N. Security Council: intercepted North Korean arms headed for Iran
Massive Kaliningrad rally against Russian Federation Prime Minister Vladimir Putin draws 10,000
Mistaken identity blamed for “friendly-fire” incident between Afghan forces, International Security Assistance Force—Afghanistan (ISAF-A) soldiers
U.S. Department of Justice “exploring” alternative sites for trial of 9/11 plotters
U.S. Department of State: North Korea holding two U.S. citizens
Republican U.S. House of Representatives (House) members, U.S. President Barack Obama spar in televised meeting
Anti-abortion activist Scott Roeder convicted of killing obstetrician Dr. George Tiller
U.S. White House unveils $33 billion in tax cuts to help push small businesses into hiring workers
U.S. economy grew 5.7% in 2009, fastest in six years
Purported Osama bin Laden audio blames U.S. dollar ($) for global economic crisis, developed nations for climate change
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) joins calls by International Monetary Fund (IMF) for nations to “write-off” Haitian debt
Egyptian authorities arrest twenty-six members of Islamic Jihad, accuse them of plotting terrorism
U.S. President Obama expected to announce new U.S. “space vision,” permit private sector to compete
Yemen rejects truce offer by northern rebels
World Economic Forum ends with no clear goals, banks defensive
U.S. Special Investigator-General Neil Barofsky’s report: U.S. Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP) goals “not met”
New British rules on energy conservation could force shops to turn-off 24-hour illuminated displays
Moderate Chinese earthquake in Sichuan kills one, destroys 100 homes
Deathtoll in southern Peruvian floods rises to twenty
BBC poll: three-quarters of population supports “mercy killings”
Several hundred Kazakhs gather in Almaty to protest against farm leases to China
Honda recalls some 646,000 vehicles to fix faulty switch which could lead to in-cabin fires
Nigerian High Court backs President Umaru Yar’Adua
New CNN/Opinion Research Corporation (ORC) poll: most Americans dislike “stimulus,” support TARP provisions

Current Events for Tuesday, 2 February 2010

Afghan President Hamid Karzai seeking Saudi help on Taliban peace talks
Americans held in Pakistan on terrorism charges complain of torture
Female suicide bomber kills forty-one Shia pilgrims in outskirts of Baghdad
China: U.S. President Obama should not meet with Dalai Lama
U.S. President Obama asks U.S. Congress to authorize record $708 billion defensive spending in 2011 budget
Italian judge hears testimony Italian secret services knew of extraordinary rendition
U.S. Pentagon: missile system failed to intercept drill missile, blames malfunctioning radar
Toyota braces for worldwide reduction in sales
Haitian authorities question ten American rescuers over child “kidnapping”
Oil giant BP blames lower oil, natural gas prices on 45% profit reduction for 2009
ExxonMobile sees 23% drop in profits for 2009
Major Taliban base in northwestern Pakistan taken by Pakistani security forces
India: Maoist violence on rise, major concern
Brazil grants environmental license for controversial hydro-electric dam in Amazon
International research team from Austria, Australia, Switzerland: daily fish oil regimen may be enough to cut rates of psychotic disorders
Fresh clashes reported between Houthi rebels, Yemeni security forces
Somali Islamist rebel group al-Shabab confirms it is aligned with al-Qa`ida
Small traffic plane emergency-lands on New Jersey Turnpike

Current Events for Wednesday, 3 February 2010

Ford, General Motors (GM), Honda announce increase in January sales; Chrysler, Toyota decreases
Toyota: recall may cost company $2 billion
Iran test-fires nuclear-capable “satellite” rocket
Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias wins Democratic nomination to run for seat vacated by U.S. President Obama in U.S. Senate, draws populist crowd
U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI): Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab providing “useful, actionable” information
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad: Iran may be willing to “swap” U.S. hikers being held on espionage charges for Iranians being held by U.S.
U.S. Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair: recent attacks on Google provided “wake-up call” over cyber-terrorism
Conservative Republican congressman express disdain for U.S. Pentagon’s planned phase-out for “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy
U.S. President Obama to meet with Dalai Lama despite Chinese threats
U.S. unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV, drone) attacks in Miranshah, Pakistan kill ten militants
U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator John Holmes: Haitian aid operation “still has a way to go”
Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow, six more weeks of winter
Iran to hang nine more over election unrest
U.S. wary over tentative Iranian agreement to take-part in uranium swap
Karbala explosion kills at least seven Shia Muslims
International Criminal Court (ICC) rules there is insufficient evidence to charge Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir with genocide over actions in Darfur
Ukraine expels four Russians, accusing them of espionage
Medical journal Lancet fully and completely retracts 1998 paper entry linking autism and measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine
Sri Lankan Supreme Court rules President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s new term does not start until November 2010
At least nine killed as Karachi ethnic violence increases
U.N.: the number of people needing food aid in South Sudan had quadrupled in the last year to four million
International music stars head to the studio, remake 1985 charity hit We Are the World for Haitian relief
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan retracts statements linking Hurricane Katrina with bettering New Orleans school system
U.S. Representative John Murtha remains in intensive care after complications arose during routine gallbladder surgery

Current Events for Thursday, 4 February 2010

Three U.S. Special Operations soldiers killed in Pakistani bombing
U.S. Senate Democrats eyeing November elections, to push through tax credits in job bill
U.S. Senator-elect Scott Brown “likely” to be sworn-in today
Haiti, U.S. enter into talks over Americans accused of child trafficking
Group of Seven (G7) to hold Arctic meeting in northern Canada
Obama administration steps-up pressure on Toyota, investors fleeing world’s largest automaker
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem: U.S. has asked Damascus to accredit a new U.S. ambassador
U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter crashes in Germany, casualties reported
U.S. Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair: “We take direct action against terrorists, in the intelligence community. If... we think that direct action will involve killing an American, we get specific permission to do that.”
U.S. President Obama reminds his party of why he was elected
U.S. government data shows rate of joblessness slowed in January 2010
Afghan President Karzai calls-off meeting with Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) because of reservations over agenda
Russian Federation Prime Minister Vladimir Putin invites Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk to Katyn for ceremony marking seventieth anniversary of massacre there
Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd blocks three shipments of unknown goods citing Australia’s Weapons of Mass Destruction Act
Switzerland agrees to take two Uighur Chinese detainees from U.S.
Curfew imposed in Srinagar, summer capital of Indian-administered Kashmir, following violent protests over the killing of fifteen-year-old boy
Western diplomats raise early proposals for new, tougher U.N. sanctions against Iran
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton rejects proposed Iranian “prisoner swap”
U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) extends Cassini-Huygens mission to Saturn
Pakistani soldiers deployed in Karachi after recent ethnic violence turned deadly
Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) Secretary-General Abdalla El-Badri: states have flouted target production, excessive supply “worrying”
Fox in-talks with Conan O’Brien for late-night American talkshow
Former British Home Secretary John Reid: failures in Vietnam conflict “shaped” Iraq strategy
Federal immigration judge to decide if U.S. President Obama’ aunt can remain in U.S. after spending years as illegal immigrant

Current Events for Friday, 5 February 2010

British military confirms they are paving the way for “major” International Security Assistance Force—Afghanistan (ISAF-A) offensive
South Korean news: upper-level Chinese diplomat to visit Pyongyang next week, pressure North Korea on nuclear disarmament
North Korea to release American religious activist Robert Park, arrested in December for illegally entering the country
Toyota may expand recall to include other “issues,”s such as the Prius braking problem
Strong 6.0-magnitude earthquake hits off coast of California, no immediate reports of casualties or damage
Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi: discussing new Iranian sanctions “hinders diplomacy”
Israeli Cabinet Minister Gilad Erdan: indirect talks between Israel, Palestinian Authority may occur
U.S. Army: three killed in Black Hawk helicopter crash in Germany, cause still under investigation
NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope reveals dwarf planet Pluto “turning red”
Naples celebrates official European Union (E.U.) recognition, protection of the pizza
Ten U.S. missionaries formally charged with child abduction in Haiti
Legal action against Bank of America’s take-over of Merrill Lynch begins
Los Angeles coroner rules American actress Brittany Murphy’s cause of death was pneumonia
Last speaker of the Bo language native to the Andaman Islands dies
First U.S. national convention of the “Tea Party Movement” begins, former Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin expected to attend
Cyclone Oli forces thousands of evacuations in French Polynesia
Romanian President Traian Basescu agrees to host U.S. missile shield
Australian judge rules Internet service provider (ISP) iiNet “not responsible” for users who download illegal content
Human Rights Watch: Libya must halt Internet crack-down, censorship
Dubai may seek arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over Hamas assassination
Chechen militants kills five Russian soldiers
University of California, San Francisco researchers identify cause of “sperm swim”
Scott Brown sworn-in as U.S. senator