Today in History: January 9
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1324Â Â Â Â Â Â
Jan 9, Venetian traveler, merchant and writer Marco Polo (b.1254)
summoned a priest-notary to his home in Venice and recorded his last
will in Latin on a sheepskin. Polo left money to Church institutions
in Venice, forgave outstanding debts, and freed his indentured
servant, a Tatar he had named Peter. Polo left nearly everything
else to his wife and three daughters.
   (Reuters, 4/17/18)
1349Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Basel,
Switzerland, 700 Jews were burned alive in their houses.
   (MC, 1/9/02)
1401Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Marienburg some
80 Lithuanian barons were baptized to Catholicism.
   (LHC, 1/9/03)
1409Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Rene' d'Anjou
(d.1480) was born the son and 3rd child of Duke Louis II of Anjou
and Yolande of Aragon at Angers in the Maine-and-Loire region of
western France. King René, poet and wine lover, demonstrated how all
our leaders ought to be.
   (http://www.guice.org/reneharr.html)(WSJ,
2/13/04, p.A12)
1429Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, The conference at
Luck began (Jan 9-29). Vytautas hosted a grand Congress at Luck
ostensibly to unite the region against threats from the Turks to the
south. Emperor Sigismund of Hungary agreed to the formation of the
Kingdom of Lithuania and dispatched a crown from Hungary.
   (DrEE, 11/9/96, p.6)(LHC, 1/9/03)
1493Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Christopher
Columbus 1st sighted manatees.
   (MC, 1/9/02)
1554      Jan 9, Gregory XV,
Roman Catholic Pope was born.
   (HN, 1/9/98)
1570Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Tsar Ivan the
Terrible killed 1000-2000 residents of Novgorod.
   (MC, 1/9/02)
1719Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Philip V of Spain
declared war on France.
   (HN, 1/9/99)
1768Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, English cavalry
sergeant Philip Astley staged the first modern circus, performing
elaborate feats on the backs of horses racing around a ring.
   (MC, 1/9/02)
1788Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Connecticut became
the fifth state to ratify the U.S. Constitution.
   (AP, 1/9/99)
1792Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, The Treaty of Jassy
was signed recognizing Russia's 1783 annexation of the Crimean
Khanate. The Ottomans signed a treaty with the Russians ending a
five year war.
  Â
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russo-Turkish_War_(1787%E2%80%931792))(HN,
1/9/99)
1793Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, The first US manned
balloon flight occurred as Frenchman Jean Pierre Blanchard, using a
hot-air balloon, flew between Philadelphia and Woodbury, N.J. He
stayed airborne for 46 minutes, traveled close to 15 miles and set
down at the "old Clement farm" in Deptford, New Jersey. [see Jun 23,
1784, Mar 9, 1793]
   (WSJ, 3/31/98, p.A1)(AP, 1/9/99)(ON, 6/09, p.2)
1811Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, The USS Revenge, a
ship commanded by US Navy hero Oliver Hazard Perry ran aground on a
reef off of Watch Hill, Rhode Island. Divers discovered the wreck in
August 2005, but only made the news public in 2011.
   (AP,
1/8/11)(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Revenge_%281806%29)
1839Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, The Daguerreotype
photo process was announced at the French Academy of Science. Louis
Daguerre had the influential astronomer Dominique-Francois-Argo make
an announcement at the Academy of Sciences in Paris of the
daguerreotype, a photographic process using fumes of iodine to
sensitize a silver plate, vapor of mercury to bring out the image,
and common salt to fix the image. [See 1765-1833, Nicephore Niepce,
French lithographer, and 1816].
  Â
(http://www.articleworld.org/index.php/Louis_Daguerre)(http://tinyurl.com/arl5k5)(WSJ,
9/14/95, p.A-16)(ON, 10/08, p.9)
1847Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, The first regular
issue of The California Star newspaper appeared in San Francisco
under editor Elbert P. Jones.
   (SFC, 7/12/14, p.C2)
1855Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, The clipper ship
Guiding Star disappeared in Atlantic and 480 died.
   (MC, 1/9/02)
1857Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, The Fort Tejon,
Ca., earthquake, estimated at magnitude 8, ruptured ground for 225
miles from Parkfield to Tejon Pass. It killed 2 people and destroyed
the Tejon Army post. The fort was established in 1854 and
closed in 1864.
  Â
(http://earthquake.usgs.gov/research/parkfield/1857.php)(SFC,
5/21/01, p.A4)(SFC, 12/10/04,
p.A4)(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_forts_in_California)
1859Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Carrie Lane Chapman
Catt, founder of the League of Women Voters, was born.
   (MC, 1/9/02)
1861      Jan 9, Mississippi
became the 2nd state to secede from the Union.
   (HN, 1/9/98)(AP, 1/9/99)(MC, 1/9/02)
1861Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, The Star of the
West, a merchant vessel bringing reinforcements to Federal troops at
Fort Sumter, S.C., retreated after being fired on by a battery in
the harbor.
   (AP, 1/9/04)
1870Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Alexander Herzen
(b.1812), Russian author, died in France. In 1961 US Prof. Martin
Malia (1924-2004) authored “Alexander Herzen and the Birth of
Russian Socialism (1812-1855).
  Â
(www.bookrags.com/biography/aleksandr-ivanovich-herzen/)(SFC,
11/24/04, p.B6)
1878Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Victor Emmanuel II
(57), king of Sardinia (1849-61) and Italy (1861-78), died.
   (MC, 1/9/02)
1889Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, A tornado struck
Brooklyn, NY, when Flatbush was farmland. A twister blew through
what are now the neighborhoods of Carroll Gardens, Boerum Hill,
Downtown, Fort Greene and Williamsburg, blowing roofs off houses and
uprooting trees, but killing no one. 14 people were killed by the
tornado in Pittsburg, Pa.
  Â
(http://tinyurl.com/349275)(http://tinyurl.com/395f4q)
1890Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Karel Capek
(d.1938), Czech writer and playwright, was born. He is best
remembered for his 1921 play R.U.R. which contained the first use of
the word "robot."
   (Econ, 4/2/11,
p.65)(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karel_%C4%8Capek)
1893Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Mohara, Arab ivory
and slave trader, died in battle and was eaten.
   (MC, 1/9/02)
1894Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, The "Edison
Kinetoscopic Record of a Sneeze" was released in movie theaters.
   (MC, 1/9/02)
1894Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Georges Feydeau's
"Un Fil a la Patte," ("Cat Among the Pigeons") premiered in Paris.
   (MC, 1/9/02)
1902Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Rudolph Bing, opera
manager (NY Metropolitan Opera), was born.
   (MC, 1/9/02)
1904Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, George Balanchine,
dancer, choreographer, ballet producer, was born. [see Jan 22]
   (MC, 1/9/02)
1905Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, (Old Style
calendar) On what would become known as "Bloody Sunday," Russian
Orthodox Father George Gapon led a procession in St. Petersburg of
some 200,000 who were marching on the Winter Palace to present their
grievances to Czar Nicholas. Troops on the scene panicked, firing
into the crowd and killing hundreds, thus igniting the Revolution of
1905. Across Russia, government officials were attacked, peasants
seized private estates and workers’ strikes virtually paralyzed the
economy. In St. Petersburg, a council (soviet) of workers’ delegates
threatened to take over the government. Nicholas consented to
the adoption of a constitution and election of a parliament (Duma).
The first Duma met in 1906. [see Jan 22]
   (HNQ, 10/1/00)
1908Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, French philosopher
and feminist Simone de Beauvoir was born in Paris.
   (AP, 1/9/08)
1908      Jan 9, Count
Zeppelin announced plans for his airship to carry 100 passengers.
   (HN, 1/9/98)
1908Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Italians reported
that Somaliland was under siege by the Abyssinians.
   (HN, 1/9/98)
1909Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, The Silver Dart
made the 1st manned flight in Canada. It was funded by the Aerial
Experiment Association, founded by Alexander and Mabel Bell.
   (ON, 1/03, p.5)
1909Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, A Polar exploration
team led by Ernest Shackleton reached 88 degrees, 23 minutes south
longitude, 162 degrees east latitude. They were 97 nautical miles
short of the South Pole, but the weather is too severe to continue.
   (HN, 1/9/01)
1912      Jan 9, Colonel
Theodore Roosevelt announced that he would run for president if
asked.
   (HN, 1/9/01)
1912      Jan 9, The $18
million Equitable Life Assurance building in New York was destroyed
by fire.
   (HN, 1/9/98)
1913Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Richard Milhous
Nixon, 37th president of the United States (1968-1974) and first
President to resign from office, was born in Yorba Linda, Calif.
   (HN, 1/9/98)(AP, 1/9/08)
Â
1915      Jan 9, Pancho Villa
signed a treaty with U.S. General Scott, halting border conflicts.
   (HN, 1/9/98)
1923Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Katherine Mansfield
(34), NZ-British writer (Dove's Nest), died.
   (MC, 1/9/02)
1924      Jan 9, Ford Motor
Co. stock was valued at nearly $1 billion.
   (HN, 1/9/98)
1924      Jan 9, Sun Yat-sen
appealed to the U.S. to seek international pressure for peace in
China.
   (HN, 1/9/98)
1927Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In San Francisco
another bomb exploded at SS Peter and Paul’s Catholic Church on
Filbert St. It was the 4th in less than a year.
   (SFC, 11/22/14, p.C1)
1927Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Fire in Laurier
Palace cinema in Montreal killed 78 children.
   (MC, 1/9/02)
1928Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Judith Krantz,
author (Scruples, Princess Daisy, Dazzle), was born in NYC.
   (MC, 1/9/02)
1928Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Eugene O'Neill's
"Marco Millions," premiered in NYC.
   (MC, 1/9/02)
1930Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Johannes ("John")
Charles, Siberian contra-basso, snake handler, faith healer,
grandson of Rasputin, was born.
   (MC, 1/9/02)
1930Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Earth rumbling
awakened Chicagoans- no earthquake, seismologists said. The
stockyards sprang a leak and a foul stench covered the city three
hours.
   (MC, 1/9/02)
1930Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Maria Innocente
(33) died. She claimed to have been visited by the Virgin Mary.
   (MC, 1/9/02)
1935Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Bob Denver, actor
(Dobie Gillis, Gilligan's Island), was born in New Rochelle, NY.
   (MC, 1/9/02)
1937Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Italian regime
banned marriages between Italians and Abyssinians.
   (MC, 1/9/02)
1941Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Joan Baez, American
folk singer and Vietnam War protester, was born.
   (HN, 1/9/99)
1941Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Some 6,000 Jews
were exterminated in a pogrom in Bucharest, Romania. [see Jan 22]
   (MC, 1/9/02)
1942Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, US Joint Chiefs of
Staff became established.
   (MC, 1/9/02)
1943Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Soviet planes
dropped leaflets on the surrounded Germans in Stalingrad requesting
their surrender with humane terms. The Germans refused.
   (HN, 1/9/99)
1944Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Antanas Smetona
(b.1874), former 1st and 6th Lithuanian president, died in
Cleveland, Ohio.
   (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antanas_Smetona)
1945Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Maj. Raymond
Cromley, head of the top secret "Dixie Mission," sent a cable to US
military headquarters in Chunking that said Mao Tse-tung would like
send a group to Pres. Roosevelt to explain the situation in China.
Ambassador Patrick J. Hurley, who opposed the meeting, intercepted
the message and failed to pass it to Pres. Roosevelt.
   (WSJ, 5/30/02, p.A2)
1945Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, American forces
began landing at Lingayen Gulf in the Philippines, 107 miles from
Manila. MacArthur finally mounted his invasion of Luzon.
   (HN, 1/9/99)(AP, 1/9/99)
1947      Jan 9, French
General Leclerc broke off all talks with Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh.
   (HN, 1/9/98)
1952      Jan 9, Jackie
Robinson became the highest paid player in Brooklyn Dodger history.
   (HN, 1/9/98)
1956Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, George Christopher
was sworn in as mayor of SF. He served to 1964.
   (SFC, 1/6/06, p.F6)
1956Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, The first Dear
Abbey column appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle. It was written
by Pauline Phillips under the pen name Abigail Van Buren. She began
her career as advice columnist "Dear Abby" under editor George
Stanleigh Arnold (d.1997 at 78). In 2002 her daughter took over the
column.
   (SFC, 5/30/97, p.A26)(SFC, 1/24/09, p.E1)
1957Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, British PM Anthony
Eden resigned in the wake of the Suez crises.
   (AP, 1/9/99)(Econ, 7/29/06, p.23)
1958Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, President
Eisenhower, in his State of the Union address to Congress, warned of
the threat of Communist imperialism.
   (AP, 1/9/08)
1959Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, The TV show
"Rawhide" with Clint Eastwood as Rowdy Yates premiered on CBS.
   (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052504/)(SSFC,
5/17/09, DB p.50)
1959Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, The American group
Reynolds and Tube Investments took over British Aluminium. In the
the first hostile takeover of a large British company.
   (Econ, 6/26/10, p.87)(http://tinyurl.com/28c8c7h)
1960Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, The foundation
stone for Egypt’s Aswan High Dam was laid.
  Â
(www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/020116/2002011626.html)
1964Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Anti-US rioting
broke out in the Panama Canal Zone, resulting in the deaths of 21
Panamanians and three US soldiers. US forces killed 6 Panamanian
students protesting in the canal zone. Violent clashes between
Panamanians and American soldiers, which resulted in the deaths of
21 Panamanians and four American soldiers, began when US students’
attempted to raise the American flag at the Canal Zone high
school. An order banning the flying of any flags in front of
Canal Zone schools had been issued on December 30, 1963, because of
Panamanian sensitivity to US control of the Zone. These events led
to attempts to renegotiate the Canal Zone’s status.
   (HN, 1/9/98)(AP, 1/9/99)(HNQ, 6/10/99)
1964Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In San Francisco
the Civil Service Commission voted unanimously to uphold the firing
of Juvenile Probation Officer James A. Forstner, who refusing to
shave his beard.
   (SSFC, 1/5/14, DB p.42)
1966Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Ronald Reagan
appeared on Meet the Press and was asked why he had not disavowed
the John Birch Society. Reagan said a committee had looked into the
group and found "nothing of a subversive nature." In 1960 an
informer reported to the FBI that Reagan was a Beverly Hills chapter
member.
   (SSFC, 6/9/02, p.F6)
1968Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, The TV show "It
Takes A Thief" with Robert Wagner began on ABC. It written and
produced by Leslie Stevens (d.1998) and ran to 1970.
   (SFC, 8/13/97, Z1 p.3)(SFC, 4/29/98, p.C2)
1968Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, The Surveyor VII
space probe made a soft landing on the moon, marking the end of the
American series of unmanned explorations of the lunar surface.
   (AP, 1/9/99)
1972Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Reclusive
billionaire Howard Hughes, speaking by telephone from the Bahamas to
reporters in Hollywood, said his purported biography by Clifford
Irving was a fake.
   (AP, 1/9/99)
1972Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, The RMS Queen
Elizabeth, the world’s largest ocean liner, sank after a major fire
in Hong Kong harbor. It had been purchased by Tung Chao-yung at a
bankruptcy sale in Florida. He had hoped to turn it into a floating
school. Arson was blamed and it was scrapped.
   (WSJ, 2/6/97,
p.B1)(www.ocean-liners.com/ships/queenelizabeth.asp)
1972Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, British coal miners
begin a national strike, the first for half a century. The strike
ended on 28 February 1972, when the miners returned to work.
  Â
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UK_miners%27_strike_(1972))
1974Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Cambodian
Government troops opened a drive to avert insurgent attack on Phnom
Penh.
   (HN, 1/9/98)
1977Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, The Oakland Raiders
beat the Minnesota Vikings in the Super Bowl 32-14 at the Pasadena
Rose Bowl. Quarterback Ken Stabler (1945-2015) led the SF Bay Area
team to victory.
   (SFC, 12/21/01, WB p.G16)(SFC, 12/28/01, WB
p.G7)(SFC, 7/10/15, p.A1)
1979Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, The Bee Gees
performed “Too Much Heaven,” released in late 1978, as their
contribution to the "Music for UNICEF" fund. It became part of their
13th album and topped the record charts.
   (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Too_Much_Heaven)
1979Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, ABBA performed
"Chiquitita" at the Music for UNICEF Concert held at the United
Nations General Assembly to celebrate UNICEF's Year of the Child.
ABBA donated the copyright of this worldwide hit to the UNICEF; see
Music for UNICEF Concert. The single was released the following
week, and reached #1 in ten countries.
   (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ABBA)
1979Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, The Act of
Montevideo was signed in Uruguay pledging Argentina and Chile to a
peaceful solution and a return to the military situation of early
1977. Cardinal Antonio Samore (1905-1983), Vatican representative,
mediated the Beagle conflict.
   (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beagle_conflict)
1980Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Saudi Arabia
beheaded 63 people in towns across the country for their roles in
the November 1979 raid on the Grand Mosque in Mecca.
   (AP, 1/9/00)(SSFC, 10/21/01, p.C3)
1982Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, A 5.9 earthquake
hit New England & Canada; the 1st since 1855.
   (http://tinyurl.com/32vvon)
1987Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, The White House
released a memorandum prepared for President Reagan in January 1986
that showed a definite link between US arms sales to Iran and the
release of American hostages in Lebanon.
   (AP, 1/9/07)
1989Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, The Supreme Court
agreed to consider the Webster abortion case the same day that
Surgeon General C. Everett Koop advised President Reagan he would
not issue a report on the health risks of abortion.
   (AP, 1/9/99)
1989Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Evan Bayh (b.1955)
began office as Indiana state governor and continued to 1997. In
1998 he was elected as a US Senator for Indiana. In 2010 he decided
not to seek re-election.  Â
   (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evan_Bayh)(Econ,
2/20/10, p.28)
1990Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, The space shuttle
Columbia was launched on a 10-day mission that included retrieving a
drifting scientific satellite.
   (AP, 1/9/00)
1991Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Secretary of State
James A. Baker the Third and Iraqi Foreign Minister Tariq Aziz met
for six hours in Geneva, but failed to resolve the Persian Gulf
crisis. President Bush, in Washington, accused Iraq of "a total
stiff-arm, a total rebuff." Mr. Baker told Mr. Aziz that America
would throw Iraq out by force if it did not leave
Kuwait.  Â
   (AP, 1/9/01)(Econ, 5/24/08, p.19)
1991Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Microsoft announced
Excel 3.0
   (Wired, 12/98, p.197)
1991Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Lithuanians
gathered to support the parliament in Vilnius.
   (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iT0lb9SWgCk)
1992Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, President Bush
declared his trade visit to Japan a success, saying Japanese
officials had agreed to increase imports of American cars, auto
parts, computers and other goods. However, U.S. auto executives
traveling with Bush sounded less enthusiastic.
   (AP, 1/9/02)
1992Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Bosnian Serbs
declared the creation of their own state in Bosnia, igniting the
country's devastating four-year war.
   (AP, 1/9/17)
1993Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Felix Grucci (87),
fireworks expert, died of Alzheimer's disease.
   (www.inthe90s.com/generated/obit1993.shtml)
1993Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In France
Jean-Claude Romand killed his parents, wife and children in an
effort to save his pride following years of lies. He had spent
nearly 20 years pretending he was a successful doctor and researcher
working for the Geneva-based World Health Organization. In 2001
Emmanuel Carrere authored “The Adversary: A True Story of Murder and
Deception.”
   (www.truecrimeink.com/bkreview01.htm)(WSJ,
6/9/07, p.P8)(AFP, 6/28/19)
1993Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Two Red Cross
officials visited a camp of Palestinians who had been deported by
Israel to a no man's land in southern Lebanon.
   (AP, 1/9/03)
1994Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, President Clinton
began the first European trip of his administration in Belgium,
where -- on the eve of a NATO summit -- he warned of a rising mood
of nationalism in Russia that he said threatened Eastern Europe's
march of democracy.
   (AP, 1/9/99)
1995Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In New York, trials
began for Sheik Omar Abdel-Rahman and 11 other defendants accused of
conspiring to wage a holy war against the United States. Nine were
convicted of seditious conspiracy, and two reached plea agreements
with the government.
   (AP, 1/9/00)
1995Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Severe flooding
forced people to flee resort communities in the hills north of San
Francisco.
   (AP, 1/9/00)
1995Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Peter Cook (57),
English comic and actor (Bedazzled, Beyond the Fringe, The
Wrong Box), died.
   (AP, 1/9/05)
1996Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, President Clinton
and Republican congressional leaders broke off budget talks.
President Clinton vetoed a Republican welfare overhaul bill.
   (AP, 1/9/01)
1996Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, US House Speaker
fired Christina Jeffery as historian for the House under political
pressure based on knowingly false allegations of anti-Semitism by
Rep. Charles Schumer (D., N.Y.).
   (WSJ, 5/28/96, p. A-18)
1996Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Felix
Gonzalez-Torres (b.1957), Cuba-born artist, died in Miami of AIDS
related complications. He was known for his quiet, minimal
installations and sculptures. He was selected posthumously to be the
official American representative to the 2007 Venice Bienalle.
  Â
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F%C3%A9lix_Gonz%C3%A1lez-Torres)(Econ,
9/24/11, p.105)
1996Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Benin’s President
Nicephoro Soglo's government said that, in an effort to "correct an
injustice," it was formally recognizing voodoo as a religion. He
declared Jan 10th as a voodoo holiday.
   (www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/34/011.html)
1996 Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Chechen rebels
under Salman Raduyev seized a hospital in the southern Russian city
of Kizlyar and took up to three-thousand hostages. The rebels
released all but about 160 hostages the next day, using the
remaining captives as a shield against Russian troops. At least 40
people were killed.
   (WSJ, 1/10/96, p. A-12)(SFC, 7/17/99, p.A14)(WSJ,
3/13/00, p.A1)(AP, 1/9/01)
1996 Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Turkey Ozdemir
Sabanci (b.1941) was killed along with his secretary and another
colleague in an attack on the Istanbul headquarters of Sabanci
Holding. The Marxist DHKP-C claimed responsibility.
   (AFP, 2/4/16)
1997Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, The sliver of a new
moon rose over the Muslim world and began the fast of Ramadan for
the world’s 1 billion Muslims.
   (SFC, 1/10/97, p.A19)
1997Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, A Brink’s truck
overturned in the Overtown neighborhood of Miami and spilled cash
and foodstamps. $400,000 in cash and $300,000 in food stamps was
quickly gathered up by residents and pocketed.
   (SFC, 1/10/97, p.A1)
1997Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, A Comair Brazilian
made Embraer 120 commuter plane crashed 18 miles southwest of
Detroit and killed all 29 onboard. Icing was blamed for the crash.
   (SFC, 8/28/98, p.A7)(AP, 1/9/99)
1997Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Ronald Small (20),
a Tamalpais High School football star, was shot and killed during a
birthday party at 59 Cole Drive in Marin City, Ca. Darrell Hunter
was arrested a week later and in 1998 Iman Kennedy (20) and Rodwell
Cutkelvin (25) were arrested. An Int’l. search went into effect for
Joseph Michel (26), aka Jo Jo Koulibaly, who was suspected of
pulling the trigger on Small. Hunter was found guilty of 1st degree
murder in 2000. Charges against Kennedy and Cutkelvin were dropped
due to lack of evidence. In 2005 Michel was extradited from Germany.
In 2008 Darrell Hunter was cleared of all charges and released from
prison.
   (SFC, 11/19/98, p.A22)(SFC, 11/21/98, p.A20)(SFC,
2/22/99, p.A15)(SFC, 2/3/00, p.A18)(SFC, 2/9/00, p.A18)(SFC,
8/24/05, p.B1)(SFC, 5/2/08, p.B7)
1997Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, The government of
the Republic of Georgia informed the US that diplomat Gueorgui
Makharadze would be recalled following his Jan 3 involvement in a
car crash that left a 16-year-old Washington girl dead. Police
evidence strongly suggested that he had been drinking. He was later
sentenced to 7-21 years in US prison.
   (SFC, 1/10/97, p.A2)(SFC,12/20/97, p.A12)
1997Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Haiti former
Pres. Jean-Bertrand Aristide began forming a new political party
called the Lavalas Family. Lavalas means flash flood and is
synonymous with democracy.
   (SFC, 1/10/97, p.A15)
1997Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Israel a pair of
pipe bombs were exploded in Tel Aviv and 13 people were injured.
   (SFC, 1/10/97, p.A14)
1997Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Tamil rebels
attacked 2 northern military bases and killed at least 60 soldiers
with 232 wounded. A later count had 223 soldiers and 350 guerrillas
dead.
   (WSJ, 1/10/97, p.A1)(SFC, 3/7/97, p.A17)
1997Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In South Korea
workers clashed with riot police. The Federation of Korean Trade
Unions with 1.2 million members said it will begin a 2-day strike on
Jan 14.
   (SFC, 1/10/97, p.A14)
1997Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Christoph Meili,
night watchman at the Union Bank of Switzerland, salvaged an armful
of books and papers that contained bank records from the Nazi era
that were about to be shredded. His dismissal from the security
company for which he worked, effective at the end of April, was
announced Feb 24.
   (SFC, 1/17/97, p.E1)(SFC, 2/24/97, p.A14)
1997Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, From Zaire Pres.
Seko returned to France, apparently for cancer treatments.
   (SFC, 1/10/97, p.A15)
1998Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Anatoly Karpow,
defending champion, defeated Viswanathan Anand in the FIDE World
Chess Championship.
   (SFC, 1/10/98, p.A4)
1998Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Barry Switzer's era
with the Dallas Cowboys ended with the announcement of the coach's
resignation.
   (AP, 1/9/99)
1998Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, The US Dow Jones
stock market average dropped 222 points or 2.9% over fears about the
financial crises in Asia.
   (SFC, 1/10/98, p.A1)
1998Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, It was reported
that the oceans have risen 6 inches this century and that the Alaska
permafrost was melting.
   (WSJ, 1/9/98, p.A1)
1998Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Algeria another
35 people were killed.
   (SFC, 1/12/98, p.A1)
1998Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Wuhan, China, a
thousand factory workers marched after being laid off with little
compensation.
   (SFC, 1/10/98, p.A9)
1998Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, The decapitated
head of Danish Little Mermaid was returned.
   (MC, 1/9/02)
1998Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In France Prime
Minister Jospin pledged $160 million to help the unemployed, in an
attempt to end over a month of sit-ins at unemployment offices
across the country.
   (SFC, 1/10/98, p.A8)
1998Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Northern
Ireland, the British secretary, Mo Mowlam, met with prisoners at the
Maze prison and got their endorsement for the Ulster Democratic
Party to return to peace talks. Talks with the Progressive Unionist
were scheduled for the next day.
   (SFC, 1/10/98, p.A8)(AP, 1/9/99)
1998Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, From Pakistan it
was reported that investigators have uncovered a pattern of secret
payments by foreign governments for business favors during the 2
terms when Benazir Bhutto served as Prime Minister. These included a
$10 million payment, deposited into a Asif Zardari account by a
Middle East gold bullion dealer, for a monopoly contract to sustain
Pakistan’s jewelry industry. Officials said $80 million may be in
Swiss banks.
   (SFC, 1/9/98, p.A8)(WSJ, 1/9/98, p.A1)
1999Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Presidential
advisers prepared a public and legal defense in President Clinton's
impeachment trial on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice;
Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, meanwhile, pledged "above all,
fairness" to the president.
   (AP, 1/9/00)
1999Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, New postal rates
took effect. The H stamp, for Uncle Sam’s hat, represented the 33
cent rate, a one cent increase.
   (SFC, 11/9/98, p.A2)(SFC, 1/8/99, p.A5)
1999Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Near Foca, Bosnia,
French troops shot and killed Dragan Gagovic (38), the former police
chief of Foca and a war crimes suspect.
   (SFEC, 1/10/99, p.A17)
1999Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Colombia The
United Self-Defense Forces, right-wing death squads, killed 27
people in Playon de Orozco, and 14 people in San Pablo. Meanwhile
leftist rebels released Norbert Reinhart, a Canadian mining
executive, and Osmar Brohha, a German tourist.
   (SFC, 1/11/99, p.A8)
1999Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Indonesia 4
separatist supporters were beaten to death in Aceh province.
   (WSJ, 1/11/99, p.A1)
2000Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Pres. Clinton had
dinner with Israeli PM Ehud Barak and Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk
al-Sharaa. It was the 1st time in half a century that the Israeli
and Syrian leaders had shared a meal but no agreement on peace talks
was expected.
   (SFC, 1/10/00, p.A10)
2000Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, The controversial
"Sensation" art exhibit ended its three-month run at the Brooklyn
Museum, which had gotten into a fight with New York City Mayor
Rudolph Giuliani over what the mayor called the exhibit’s offensive
anti-Catholic content.
   (AP, 1/9/01)
2000Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Chechnya rebels
attacked Russian positions in Argun, Shali and Gudermes as Russia
continued a bombing halt for the Orthodox Christmas.
   (SFC, 1/10/00, p.A10)
2000Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Iraqi TV reported
that US and British air strikes in southern Iraq wounded 3 people.
   (SFC, 1/10/00, p.A11)
2000Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Park Tae-joon, the
leader of the United Liberal Democrats, was appointed South Korea’s
prime minister.
   (AP, 1/9/01)
2001Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Linda Chavez, the
Bush nominee for labor secretary, withdrew following reports that
she housed an illegal immigrant and paid her for house chores.
   (SFC, 1/10/01, p.A1)
2001Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, The Supreme Court
limited the reach of federal law to protect wetlands.
   (WSJ, 1/10/00, p.A1)
2001Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, It was reported
that Amory Lovins (53) of Colorado was attempting to build a
super-efficient sport-utility vehicle called the Hypercar with 99
mpg. It would be powered by fuel cells and built from carbon fiber.
   (WSJ, 1/09/00, p.A1)
2001Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, It was reported
that a super cluster of quasars and galaxies was found that spread
across 600 million light years. The system was 6.5 billion light
years away in the constellation Leo.
   (SFC, 1/9/01, p.A4)
2001Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Astronomers
reported the discovery of a giant object more than 17 times the size
of Jupiter in the constellation Serpens 123 light-years away.
   (SFC, 1/10/01, p.A1)
2001Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Algeria four
Russian engineers went mushroom picking in the forest of Edough and
were found with their throats cut 2 days later.
   (SFC, 1/10/01, p.A9)
2001Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Biljana Plavsic,
former Bosnian Serb president, left for the Hague to appear before
the UN war crimes tribunal over her role in the 1992-1995 war.
   (SFC, 1/10/01, p.A10)
2001Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, The UN announced
that in Burma Aung San Suu Kyi and the military junta had held more
than round of talks since October.
   (SFC, 1/10/01, p.A10)
2001Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Chechnya Kenny
Gluck, a US aid worker, was kidnapped and a 2nd was wounded.
   (WSJ, 1/11/00, p.A1)
2001Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Russia confirmed
that it does not intend to make all of its scheduled payments to the
18 Nation Paris Club.
   (SFC, 1/10/01, p.A10)
2002Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, The Bush
administration and the auto industry agreed to promote development
of pollution-free cars and trucks powered by hydrogen fuel cells.
   (AP, 1/9/03)
2002Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, The US Supreme
Court ruled that jurors weighing a death sentence must be told if a
life term excludes parole.
   (WSJ, 1/10/02, p.A1)
2002Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Lawyers advised the
Pentagon that the Geneva Conventions do not apply to the Taliban or
al Qaeda and that the President has the authority to suspend the
Geneva Conventions.
   (SFC, 6/23/04, p.A13)
2002Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Ashley Pond (12)
was last seen in Oregon City, 20 miles south of Portland, Or.
Miranda Gaddis (13) disappeared from the same neighborhood on Mar 8.
The remains of Gaddis were found Aug 24 behind the house of Ward
Weaver (39), who lived across the street. Weaver was arrested Aug 13
for the rape of his 19-year-old son’s girlfriend. Pond’s remains
were found Aug 25.
   (SSFC, 8/25/02, p.A7)(SFC, 8/26/02, p.A3)(SFC,
8/27/02, p.A3)
2002Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Colombia Pres.
Pastrana gave FARC 48 hours to retire from their designated safe
haven.
   (SFC, 1/10/02, p.A8)
2002Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Israel 2 Hamas
gunmen attacked a military post and killed 4 Israeli soldiers.
Israel halted work on a mosque next to the Christian Basilica of the
Annunciation.
   (SFC, 1/10/02, p.A1)(AP, 1/9/03)
2002Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, A US KC-130 aerial
refueler crashed at Kharan, Pakistan, and all 7 marines aboard were
killed.
   (SFC, 1/10/02, p.A1)(WSJ, 1/10/02, p.A1)
2002Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In the Philippines
Gen. Diomedio Villanueva said some 100 US military advisers will be
allowed to join front-line Philippine troops fighting Abu Sayyaf
rebels.
   (SFC, 1/10/02, p.A8)
2002Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Zimbabwe the
military chiefs put their support behind Pres. Mugabe saying they
would only accept a president who fought in the war for
independence.
   (SFC, 1/10/02, p.A8)
2003Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, The Bush
administration said federal airport security screeners will not be
allowed to unionize so as not to complicate the war on terrorism.
   (WSJ, 1/10/03, p.A1)
2003Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Peter Tinniswood
(66), British author of plays for TV, radio and stage, died from
cancer.
   (AP, 1/10/03)
2003Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Six Russian
soldiers and police officers were killed in Chechnya in the last 24
hours. Another 9 Russian soldiers died when their convoy came under
rebel fire in Grozny. Two rebels were killed in the fighting.
   (AP, 1/10/03)(AP, 1/11/03)
2003Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In northeast
Colombia rebels detonated a car bomb that killed 4 people in a 2nd
attack in 2 days.
   (WSJ, 1/10/03, p.A1)
2003Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, India's PM Vajpayee
announced the introduction of legislation for dual citizenship for
people of Indian origin in "certain countries."
   (SSFC, 1/12/03, p.A4)
2003Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, UN weapons
inspectors said there's no "smoking gun" to prove Iraq has nuclear,
chemical or biological weapons, but they demanded that Baghdad
provide private access to scientists and fresh evidence to back its
claim that it had destroyed its weapons of mass destruction.
   (AP, 1/9/08)
2003Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, A Peruvian airliner
carrying 46 people, including eight children, disappeared amid
cloud-covered mountains in the Amazon jungle. On Jan 11 rescue
workers found the wreckage of TANS Airlines Flight 222, a Fokker 28
near the jungle town of Chachapoyas. There were no survivors.
   (AP, 1/9/03)(AP, 1/11/03)
2003Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In southeastern
Turkey 2 Turkish F-4 warplanes collided in heavy fog during a
training flight killing the four crew members.
   (AP, 1/9/03)
2003Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Thousands of
Venezuelan bank workers stayed home to support a nationwide strike
seeking new presidential elections.
   (AP, 1/9/04)
2004Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, The US terror alert
level was lowered one step, to yellow. However, airports and
airlines kept their high alert status.
   (AP, 1/9/04)
2004Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, US Officials said
Pentagon lawyers had determined that former Iraq leader Saddam
Hussein was a prisoner of war since his capture.
   (AP, 1/9/05)
2004Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Federal officials
arrested 2 people in southern California for conspiring to perform
genital mutilations on 2 girls. It was the 1st prosecution under the
1995 federal Female Genital Mutilation Act.
   (SFC, 1/10/04, p.A3)
2004Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, An Ohio woman who'd
claimed to have lost a lottery ticket worth $162 million was charged
with filing a false police report. Elecia Battle was later convicted
of the misdemeanor and put on one year's probation.
   (AP, 1/9/05)
2004Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Royal Dutch/Shell
announced that it overstated its proven reserves and planned to
slash estimates by 20%.
   (WSJ, 4/20/04, p.A12)
2004Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, A new Swen-style
Trojan horse, dubbed Trojan.Xombe and posing as a critical update
from Microsoft, was detected on the Internet.
   (AP, 1/9/04)
2004Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, An inflatable
speedboat packed with Albanian migrants trying to sneak into Italy
sank in up to 20-foot high waves and strong winds off Albania's
coast, killing 21 people.
   (AP, 1/10/04)
2004Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In southeastern
Brazil floodwaters swept a bus carrying 30 orange pickers off a
road, and at least eight people drowned.
   (AP, 1/10/04)
2004Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Colombia a FARC
rebel, aka Jeremias, suspected of killing a Japanese hostage last
year died in a shootout with the army outside Bogota.
   (AP, 1/9/04)
2004Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Ecuador about 20
women inmates stripped off clothing and protested from their
Guayaquil Prison roof, claiming they've been held for more than a
year without trial and should be freed.
   (AP, 1/9/04)
2004Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Estonian
prosecutors said they have launched an investigation into whether
Michael Gorshkow, an 80-year-old former U.S. resident, took part in
the massacre of 3,000 Jews during World War II. Gorshkow (19)
allegedly helped murder Jews in the Slutsk ghetto of Belarus in 1943
while serving as an interpreter and interrogator for the Gestapo.
   (AP, 1/9/04)
2004Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, The German
Neuzeller Kloster Brewery announced plans to introduce its
"Anti-Aging-Bier" this year and sell it in grocery and drug stores.
   (AP, 1/9/04)
2004Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Baqouba, Iraq,
an explosion ripped through a busy street as worshippers streamed
out of a Shiite Muslim mosque, killing 5 people and wounding dozens
of others. US soldiers in Kirkuk killed 2 Iraqi police officers.
   (AP, 1/9/04)(SFC, 1/10/04, p.A8)(SSFC, 1/11/04,
p.A7)
2004Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Israeli troops
swept into the West Bank town of Jenin, making arrests and trading
gunfire with militants.
   (AP, 1/9/04)
2004Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Norberto Bobbio
(94), an Italian liberal philosopher, essayist and senator for life,
died in Turin. One of his most important books is the 1955 "Politica
e Cultura" ("Politics and Culture"). A 1994 essay, called "Destra e
Sinistra" ("Left and Right"), was his best-selling work.
   (AP, 1/10/04)
2004Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Kashmir a hand
grenade exploded at a mosque, wounding at least 15 worshippers who
had gathered for prayers.
   (AP, 1/9/04)
2004Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Libya signed a $170
million compensation accord with families of people who died in the
1989 bombing of a French jetliner.
   (AP, 1/9/04)
2004Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Russia and
Kazakhstan extended Moscow's lease of the launching pad in Baikonur
until 2050. It served as the only link to the troubled International
Space Station.
   (AP, 1/9/04)
2005Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, More heavy rain
spread across parts of California and snow piled deeper in the
mountains as the state sat under a storm system that left at least 7
dead.
   (AP, 1/9/05)(SFC, 1/10/05, p.B1)
2005Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, American troops
opened fire after their convoy was struck by a roadside bomb at a
checkpoint south of Baghdad, killing at least 8 people.
   (AP, 1/9/05)(SFC, 1/10/05, p.A1)
2005Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Iraq 7 Ukrainian
soldiers and one Kazakh serving with the U.S.-led coalition were
killed in an explosion while loading bombs that could be used by
warplanes.
   (AP, 1/9/05)
2005Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Stanley Fischer,
Zambian-born vice-chairman of Citigroup, accepted the nomination to
be the next governor of the Bank of Israel.
   (Econ, 1/15/05, p.69)
2005Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, A French officer
serving with U.N. peacekeepers in Lebanon was killed by Israeli
shelling, shortly after a Hezbollah bomb attack killed an Israeli
soldier and wounded three others near the southern border.
   (AP, 1/9/05)
2005Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, At least five
Maoist rebels fighting to overthrow Nepal's constitutional monarchy
were killed, three days before a deadline for the guerrillas to
begin peace talks.
   (AP, 1/10/05)
2005Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Palestinians held
their 1st presidential election in nine years, choosing a successor
to longtime leader Yasser Arafat. Mahmoud Abbas was elected
Palestinian Authority president by a landslide, giving the
pragmatist a mandate to resume peace talks with Israel.
   (AP, 1/9/05)(AP, 1/10/05)
2005Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Saudi police killed
four terrorists believed linked to al-Qaida after the militants fled
their desert tent while throwing hand grenades at surrounding
forces.
   (AP, 1/9/05)
2005Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Sudan's VP Ali
Osman Mohammed Taha and John Garang, the country's main rebel
leader, signed the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) to end
Africa's longest-running conflict. The treaty said: The 10 states in
southern Sudan will be secular, while the north will practice
Islamic law; Former rebels will hold 30 percent of national posts,
the south will be autonomous; Oil revenues from the south will be
split 50-50 between the north and south: The south will vote on
independence in 2011; UN observers will monitor a cease-fire and
demobilization of troops.
   (AP, 1/9/05)(AP, 1/10/05)(Econ, 12/3/05, p.24)
2005Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Basel,
Switzerland, central bankers, joined by commercial counterparts and
financial regulators from around the globe, opened a 2-day meeting
to discuss ways to ensure smooth economic growth amid worries over
widening U.S. deficits.
   (AP, 1/10/05)
2005Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Thailand a
6-story building caught fire and collapsed in Bangkok, trapping five
firefighters inside the wreckage.
   (AP, 1/9/05)
2005Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, The Zimbabwe
Standard reported that a maize-meal shortage has become acute.
  Â
(http://allafrica.com/stories/200501100537.html)(Econ, 1/15/05,
p.44)
2006Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, The US charged a
husband and wife Florida Int’l. Univ. employees, one a teacher, with
spying for decades for Castro’s regime in Cuba.
   (WSJ, 1/10/06,
p.A1)(www.voanews.com/english/2006-01-10-voa7.cfm)
2006Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, The US sent 15
migrants back to Cuba after officials concluded that the section of
the partially collapsed bridge where they landed did not count as
dry land under the government's policy because it was no longer
connected to any of the Keys.
   (AP, 1/10/06)
2006Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Confirmation
hearings opened in Washington for Supreme Court nominee Samuel
Alito.
   (AP, 1/9/07)
2006Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, "The Phantom of the
Opera" leapt past "Cats" to become the longest-running show in
Broadway history.
   (AP, 1/9/07)
2006Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, The US DJIA rose
52.59 to close at 11,011.9, its 1st close above 11,000 since Jun 7,
2001.
   (SFC, 1/10/06, p.E1)
2006Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Howard Stern began
his new Sirius Satellite radio show.
   (AP, 1/9/06)
2006Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Don Stewart (70),
soap opera actor (Guiding Light), died in Santa Barbara, Calif.
   (AP, 1/9/07)
2006Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Taliban leader
Mullah Omar purportedly warned of a coming surge in violence,
clearly rejecting the Afghan president's proposal a day earlier to
"get in touch" if he wants to talk peace.
   (AP, 1/9/06)
2006Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Bolivian
President-elect Evo Morales met with Chinese President Hu Jintao in
Beijing and called China an "ideological ally," a day after he
invited the communist country to develop Bolivia's vast gas
reserves.
   (AP, 1/9/06)
2006Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Chile a judge
granted bail to former military strongman Augusto Pinochet in the
case of nine dissidents who disappeared during his dictatorship, but
the general will remain under house arrest while another court
reviews the decision.
   (AP, 1/9/06)
2006Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, China and Japan
agreed to hold new talks to resolve a dispute over gas deposits in
the East China Sea that could help ease their increasingly strained
relations.
   (AP, 1/9/06)
2006Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, China’s
state-controlled oil company CNOOC Ltd. said it is paying $2.3
billion for a 45 percent stake in a Nigerian oil field.
   (AP, 1/9/06)
2006Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, The US launched a
diplomatic initiative to try to mark the contested border between
Ethiopia and Eritrea, a dispute that led to a 2 1/2-year war in an
area where both countries are again massing troops.
   (AP, 1/9/06)
2006Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Haiti business
ground to a halt in a general strike called to protest a wave of
kidnappings that has terrified people and cast a shadow over already
troubled efforts to restore democracy.
   (AP, 1/9/06)
2006Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Experts urged the
Indian government to enforce laws against prenatal gender checks and
to work to change attitudes after a study showed up to 10 million
female fetuses may have been selectively aborted in India over the
past two decades.
   (AP, 1/9/06)
2006Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Iran state TV
reported that 14 alleged members of an Islamic extremist group had
been detained. The group in late December grabbed and held nine
soldiers hostage.
   (AP, 1/10/06)
2006Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In northwestern
Iran a small military passenger jet crashed, killing at least 13
people, including the commander of the ground forces of Iran's elite
Revolutionary Guards.
   (AP, 1/9/06)
2006Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Iraq insurgents
exploded a suicide car bomb and launched two mortar shells at the
Interior Ministry during National Police Day celebrations, killing
29 people and injuring 18.
   (AP, 1/9/06)
2006Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Israel permitted
Palestinian politicians to campaign in disputed Jerusalem, reversing
an initial ban and clearing an obstacle to holding Palestinian
parliament elections on Jan. 25.
   (AP, 1/9/06)
2006Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, The death toll from
snowstorms that have blasted northern and central Japan since early
December rose to 71 after three people died while clearing snow.
   (AP, 1/9/06)
2006Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Diplomats from
Mexico, Central America, Colombia and the Dominican Republic
demanded guest worker programs and the legalization of undocumented
migrants in the United States, while criticizing a US proposal for
tougher border enforcement.
   (AP, 1/10/06)(Econ, 1/14/06, p.40)
2006Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Turkey a Health
Ministry official said preliminary tests showed five more people
have been infected with the deadly H5N1 strain of the bird flu
virus.
   (AP, 1/9/06)
2007Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, The Bush
administration barred Bank Sepah, Iran’s oldest bank, from doing any
future business in the US, accusing it of transferring Iranian
missile payments to North Korea. Germany’s Commerzbank AG said it
will stop handling dollar transactions for Iran at its new York
branch by Jan 31.
   (AP, 1/10/07)(WSJ, 1/10/07, p.A3)
2007Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Pres. Bush lifted a
ban on oil and gas drilling in Alaska’s Bristol area.
   (SFC, 1/10/07, p.A5)
2007Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Mike Beebe,
Democrat, was sworn in as the 45th Governor of the State of
Arkansas.
   (www.governor.arkansas.gov/gov_biography.html)
2007Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, The National Park
Service announced that it signed a 60-year lease with San Francisco
developer to restore Fort Baker and build a hotel called “Cavallo
Point, the Lodge at the Golden Gate.”
   (SFC, 1/10/07, p.B1)
2007Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Steve Jobs
introduced the iPhone at the annual Macworld Expo in SF. The 4GB
version would be sold for $499 starting in June. A television set
add-on called Apple TV was planned to hit stores in February for
$299. Apple dropped the word “Computer” from its name.
   (SFC, 1/10/07, p.C1)(WSJ, 1/11/07, p.C1)(Econ,
1/13/07, p.57)
2007Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Rex Farrance (59),
a longtime editor for PC World, was shot to death during a robbery
at his home in Pittsburg, Ca. Farrance had let his son grow medical
marijuana. In September Tremaine Amos (25), Darryl Hudson (23) and
Montrell Hall (23) were charged with murder in the commission of a
robbery. In 2009 Hudson was convicted of murder, robbery and
assault. Amos pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter in
exchange for testifying against Hall and Hudson. A mistrial was
declared in Hall’s case. In a retrial Hall was convicted on Oct 9,
2009, of murder, assault, robbery and burglary.
   (SFC, 1/23/07, p.A1)(SFC, 9/26/07, p.B1)(SSFC,
6/21/09, p.B2)(SFC, 10/12/09, p.C4)
2007Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, An Australian zoo
put a group of humans on display to raise awareness about primate
conservation, with the proviso that they don't get up to any monkey
business.
   (Reuters, 1/9/07)
2007Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Dhaka, Bangladesh,
turned into a battlefield as protesters, demanding the scrapping of
national elections, hurled bombs and rocks at police who responded
by firing tear gas and rubber bullets. The parties demanded the
postponement of January 22 elections, alleging that they cannot be
fair without massive changes to the voter list.
   (AP, 1/9/07)
2007Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9 Britain’s Royal Mail
released a set of six stamps depicting the iconic Beatles' album
covers.
   (Reuters, 12/28/06)
2007Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Freddy Munoz, a
reporter for a state-controlled television network in Venezuela, was
released from a Colombian jail, 52 days after his arrest on
accusations of plotting bomb attacks with leftist rebels.
   (AP, 1/9/07)
2007Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Mikhail Prokhorov
(41), chief executive of Russian mining giant OAO Norilsk Nickel,
was detained in France for questioning as part of a crackdown on a
suspected prostitution ring at an upscale ski resort.
   (AP, 1/11/07)
2007Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, A landslide in a
western Indonesian village killed up to 13 people, burying several
homes and a small mosque.
   (AP, 1/9/07)
2007Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Iraqi and US
soldiers, backed by American warplanes, battled suspected insurgents
for hours in central Baghdad, and 50 militant fighters were killed.
A cargo plane carrying Turkish construction workers crashed during
landing at an airport near Baghdad, killing 32 people and injuring
two. 4 members of a family died when their house in Baghdad's Sadr
City section was destroyed. Police initially said the attack was
from two mortar shells, but later a police official and witnesses
said the home was fired on by US aircraft.
   (AP, 1/9/07)(AP, 1/10/07)
2007Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Israeli Prime
Minister Ehud Olmert arrived in China for a visit centered around
boosting trade ties and discussions on Iran's nuclear program.
   (AP, 1/9/07)
2007Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Carlo Ponti
(b.1912), Italian film producer and longtime husband of Sophia
Loren, died in Geneva. His productions included such films as “La
Strada” and “Blowup.” In 1965 he joined with David Lean to produce
“Doctor Zhivago.” Ponti first married Sophia Loren using lawyers in
a proxy marriage in Mexico in 1957. They remarried again in France
in 1966.
   (SFC, 1/11/07, p.B5)
2007Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Japan launched its
first full-fledged defense ministry since World War II as part of
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's efforts to build a more assertive
nation.
   (AFP, 1/9/07)
2007Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Jordanian police
killed one suspected al-Qaida member and detained a second in a
crackdown that foiled a terrorist plot against Jordan.
   (AP, 1/9/07)
2007Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Mexico Andres
Manuel Lopez Obrador, who has refused to accept his slim loss to
President Felipe Calderon in July's election, launched a weekly TV
show mocking the government's battle against crime and unemployment
and promising to promote a law targeting Mexico's monopolies.
   (AP, 1/10/07)
2007Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Nigeria started
paying more than 1,000 Biafran police pensioners, 37 years after the
west African country ended a bloody civil war.
   (AFP, 1/10/07)
2007Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, More than 100
Indian fishermen left for home after Pakistan set them free in a
goodwill gesture to its longtime rival.
   (AP, 1/9/07)
2007Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Philippine troops
killed Binang Sali, a senior al-Qaida-linked militant, who allegedly
led an urban terror unit of the Muslim extremist group Abu Sayyaf.
   (AP, 1/10/07)
2007Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Somalia US
AC-130 strikes were reported to have killed 10 al-Qaida suspects.
Local officials said the toll was much higher and included
civilians.
   (AP, 1/9/07)(WSJ, 1/10/07, p.A1)
2007Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Armed Basque
separatist group ETA claimed responsibility for the bomb attack at
Madrid airport that killed 2 people last week but said its ceasefire
still held and it wanted peace.
   (AFP, 1/9/07)
2007Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, St. Lucian
lawmakers made history in the Caribbean island when they selected
two women to lead Parliament.
   (AP, 1/9/07)
2008Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, The US imposed
sanctions on Mishan Jaburi, owner of Al Zawra television in Syria,
and Brig. Gen. Ahmed Foruzandeh, leader of the Iranian Quds Force,
for broadcasting attacks on American troops and calls to violence.
Jaburi, a former parliamentarian in Iraq, had fled to Syria in 2006
amid charges that he had embezzled millions from Iraq’s treasury.
The BBC said the station was last seen July 27.
   (SFC, 1/10/08, p.A13)
2008Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Members of US
Congress increased their salaries to $169,300 this year, up $4,100,
or 2.5%, after forgoing a raise in 2007.
   (WSJ, 1/10/08, p.A1)
2008Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Muir Woods in
northern California was listed on the national Registry of Historic
Places on its 100th anniversary as a national monument.
   (SFC, 1/10/08, p.B1)
2008Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, A Survey of teen
sexual behavior in Europe and North America found that a
“substantial minority” of 15-year-olds have had intercourse.
   (WSJ, 1/10/08, p.A1)
2008Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Some 70 cars
crashed on a highway blanketed by fog and smoke from a brush fire in
central Florida. 4 people were killed.
   (AP, 1/9/08)(SFC, 1/10/08, p.A3)
2008Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Washington, DC,
the bodies of 4 girls, ages 5-17) were found by federal marshals
delivering eviction papers. They had been dead for about seven
months. Banita Jacks (34) was later convicted of killing her 4
daughters and in Dec 2009 was sentenced to 120 years in prison.
   (SFC, 12/19/09, p.A5)(http://tinyurl.com/ya5qebf)
2008Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Afghan authorities
said that at least 34 people had been killed in days of heavy
snowfall across the country. A NATO vehicle struck a mine in
southern Afghanistan, killing one soldier and wounding another,
while a militant attack in the east left a policeman dead.
   (AFP, 1/9/08)(AP, 1/10/08)
2008Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, British police and
animal welfare authorities rescued 84 neglected horses from a farm
where they had found 31 dead horses, ponies and donkeys.
   (AP, 1/9/08)
2008Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Sir John Harvey
Jones, British corporate manager and TV star, died. He served as
chairman of Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) from 1982-1987. In
1990 he became the presenter of the pioneering BBC TV show
“Troubleshooter” (1990-1992) which “aimed to interest the general
public in the nitty-gritty of running a business.” From 1989 to 1994
he served as chairman of The Economist.
   (Econ, 1/19/08, p.94)
2008Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, French legal
plaintiffs said police have arrested Marcel Bivugabagabo (53), a
former officer in the Rwandan army accused of taking part in the
1994 genocide. Bivugabagabo was commander of the Ruhengeri sector in
western Rwanda from April to July 1994.
   (AFP, 1/9/08)
2008Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, The WHO, based on
door-to-door surveys of nearly 10,000 households, estimated that
151,000 Iraqis had died from the start of war in March, 2003, to
June, 2006. 2 policemen were found dead inside their vehicle in the
al-Azizyah area, 35 miles southeast of Baghdad. 4 bodies were
retrieved from the Tigris River in Suwayrah, 25 miles south of
Baghdad. 6 US soldiers were killed and four were wounded in a
booby-trapped house in Diyala.
   (SFC, 1/10/08, p.A9)(AP, 1/9/08)(AP, 1/10/08)
2008Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, The Israeli
military fired at Palestinian militants in Gaza, killing three
people, after a rocket hit a house in a battered Israeli border town
just as President Bush, with an entourage of some 800 people, began
his Mideast peace mission. Bush, seeking to pull Israel and the
Palestinians toward serious negotiations, said that despite ongoing
land squabbles and fears of violence he has high hopes that a
Mideast peace pact can be achieved before he leaves office at the
end of the year.
   (AP, 1/9/08)(Econ, 1/5/08, p.39)
2008Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, African Union chief
John Kufuor met Kenyan leaders to try to break a political deadlock
following disputed presidential polls that sparked widespread
violence and left at least 600 dead. Hundreds of Kenyans tried to
flee the country's west amid escalating opposition anger after the
president named half of a new Cabinet, a line-up packed with his
allies.
   (AFP, 1/9/08)(AP, 1/9/08)
2008Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Hashim Thaci (39),
a former rebel leader, was elected Kosovo's prime minister, vowing
that the province is only weeks away from independence and calling
on Serbia to give up its claim to the territory.
  Â
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hashim_Tha%C3%A7i)(AP, 1/9/08)
2008Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, The latest round of
UN-led peace talks between Morocco and the pro-independence
Polisario Front ended in stalemate, with the two sides agreeing to
try again in March to resolve a 32-year dispute for control of
Western Sahara.
   (AP, 1/9/08)
2008Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Norway and Sweden
dropped plans to send some 400 troops to the UN peacekeeping force
in Darfur because of opposition by Sudan.
   (WSJ, 1/10/08, p.A1)
2008Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, A natural gas blast
ripped through an apartment building in Russia's Tatarstan region,
killing at least seven people.
   (AP, 1/9/08)
2009Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, The US House of
Representatives voted 390-5 for a bill declaring “unwavering
commitment” to Israel.”
   (Econ, 1/17/09, p.48)
2009      Jan 9, The US Labor
Dept. reported that unemployment rate rose to 7.2 percent in
December, the highest level in 16 years, as nervous employers
slashed 524,000 jobs. The labor market is expected to remain weak as
mass layoffs continue.
   (AP, 1/9/09)
2009Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, The US government
began collecting DNA samples from all immigrants arrested and
detained, despite concerns that the move violates their privacy
rights.
   (SFC, 1/9/09, p.A3)
2009Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, California
officials said they will close state offices two Fridays a month as
the state faced a $42 billion budget gap.
   (WSJ, 1/12/09, p.A1)
2009Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, The Illinois House
voted to impeach Gov. Rod Blagojevich, an unprecedented step in
state history.
   (AP, 1/9/09)
2009Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Baltimore Mayor
Sheila Dixon (55) was indicted on charges that she accepted illegal
gifts, including travel, fur coats and gift cards intended for the
poor that she allegedly used instead for a holiday shopping spree.
Her trial began on Nov 9.
   (AP, 1/10/09)(SFC, 11/10/09, p.A8)
2009Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Miami Charles
Taylor Jr. (31), the son of former Liberian President Charles
Taylor, was sentenced to 97 years in prison for mutilations and
executions carried out in Liberia, in the first US prosecution for
torture committed abroad.
   (Reuters, 1/10/09)
2009Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Jon Hager (67), who
performed in the musical comedy duo The Hager Twins on "Hee-Haw,"
died in Nashville. His brother Jim died in May, 2008. The syndicated
TV show, which debuted in 1969, satirized country life with a
mixture of music and comedy.
   (AP, 1/10/09)
2009Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In southern
Afghanistan a suicide bomber detonated explosives strapped to his
body inside a produce shop, killing 10 civilians and 2 policemen. 3
US soldiers were killed in southern Zabul province.
   (AP, 1/9/09)(WSJ, 1/10/09, p.A6)
2009Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Lloyds TSB Bank
said it has agreed to pay a 350-million dollar penalty to settle a
probe that it illegally handled financial transfers from 1995 to
2007 for Iran and Sudan in violation of US sanctions.
   (AFP, 1/10/09)
2009Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Worcestershire,
England, four armed robbers shot and killed Craig Hodson-Walker
(29), a postmaster's son, during a robbery in Fairfield near
Bromsgrove. His father was wounded in the leg.
   (AFP, 1/10/09)
2009Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Cambodian judges
denied that they paid kickbacks to government officials to secure
jobs on a genocide tribunal to try former Khmer Rouge leaders.
   (AP, 1/9/09)
2009Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Germany
Commerzbank AG issued a euro5 billion ($6.8 billion) bond, the first
to be backed by the government's massive stabilization package.
   (AP, 1/9/09)
2009Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In India some
55,000 white collar workers at state-run oil companies called off a
three-day strike, after causing a severe fuel shortage in India.
   (AP, 1/9/09)
2009Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Iraq a roadside
bomb targeting worshippers on their way to pray at a Shiite mosque
in Baghdad killed three people.
   (AP, 1/9/09)
2009Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Israeli jets and
helicopters bombarded Gaza and Hamas responded with a barrage of
rockets on at least two cities as both sides defied a UN call for an
immediate cease-fire. By the afternoon 22 Palestinians had been
killed, pushing the death toll to 776 and in the two-week-old
conflict.
   (AP, 1/9/09)
2009Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Kenya’s government
said 10 million people risked going hungry after harvests failed
following a drought.
   (WSJ, 1/10/09, p.A1)
2009Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Lithuania’s FlyLAL
airline, privatized in 2005, announced that SCH Swiss Capital
Holdings, a Switzerland-based firm, has purchased it for $1 million
and debt of about 1 million euros. On Jan 17 FlyLAL airline said it
has suspended its operations after a buyout deal by Swiss investment
firm SCH Swiss Capital Holdings failed.
   (AP, 1/9/09)(AP, 1/17/09)
2009Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Pakistan’s PM
Gilani said his intelligence agency has given India information
about the Mumbai attacks, as US Vice President-elect Joe Biden
arrived in Pakistan for talks with the country's top leaders. A
series of blasts have gone off near a theater in the eastern city of
Lahore, but there has been no immediate word on casualties.
   (AP, 1/9/09)
2009Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, A Russian
helicopter owned by the state gas giant Gazprom crashed while on a
hunting trip in the mountains of Western Siberia, killing eight
aboard. 3 people survived. The crash involved government officials
on an illegal hunt.
   (AP, 1/11/09)(WSJ, 4/28/09, p.A8)
2009Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Somali pirates
released the MV Sirius Star, an oil-laden Saudi supertanker seized
on Nov 15, after receiving a $3 million ransom. Five of the Somali
pirates drowned with their share of the $3 million ransom after
their small boat capsized.
   (AP, 1/9/09)(AP, 1/10/09)
2009Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Somali pirates
released a captured Iranian-chartered cargo ship. The ship Delight
was carrying 36 tons of wheat when it was attacked in the Gulf of
Aden Nov. 18 and seized by pirates. All 25 crew were in good health
and the vessel sailed toward Iran.
   (AP, 1/10/09)
2009Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Sri Lankan troops
captured Elephant Pass, the Tamil Tigers' last stronghold on the
Jaffna peninsula, seizing control of a symbolic highway and
isolating the retreating rebels in a shrinking slice of northeastern
jungle. Government soldiers seized a rebel training camp near the
village of Mulliyaweli, in Mullaitivu.
   (AP, 1/9/09)(AP, 1/11/09)
2010Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, California-based
eSolar Inc. said it will help build a series of solar thermal power
plants in China, as the world's biggest emitter of greenhouse gases
tries to decrease its heavy reliance on coal, imported gas and oil.
   (AP, 1/9/10)
2010Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, A company called
TrueCompanion premiered the "lifelike" sex robot, Roxxxy on the
floor of the Adult Entertainment Expo in Las Vegas.
   (http://tinyurl.com/yb7w8gr)(Econ, 4/2/11, p.65)
2010Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Afghan President
Hamid Karzai presented a second slate of nominees to fill his
Cabinet after parliament rejected 70 percent of his first picks.
Afghan and NATO officials signed an agreement for NATO to hand over
control of the prison at Bagram airbase near Kabul to Afghan
authorities. A blast hit a convoy carrying a provincial council
member from Wardak province, killing a bodyguard and wounding five
others. Another explosion killed one policeman and wounded two in
Kandahar. In southern Helmand province an explosion outside Nawa
village killed a US Marine and Sunday Mirror journalist Rupert Hamer
(39), a veteran war correspondent. Hamer became the first British
journalist killed in the conflict. Photographer Philip Coburn (43)
was seriously wounded. Mahmoud Mahdi Zeidan, a Jordanian militant
who served as a bodyguard for al-Qaida's No. 3 leader, was killed in
a US drone attack near the Afghan-Pakistan border.
   (AP, 1/9/10)(AFP, 1/9/10)(AP, 1/10/10)
2010Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Algerian security
forces killed 10 Islamist rebels in an ambush in the region of
M'sila, 400 km (250 miles) east of Algiers. A "large quantity" of
weapons were seized during the operation. Islamists looted and
burned a Protestant church, suggesting they were inspired by a
recent spate of religious intolerance in the Arab and Muslim world.
   (Reuters, 1/10/10)(AP, 1/11/10)
2010Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, British media
reported that Iris Robinson (60), the disgraced wife of Northern
Ireland's leader, will step down as a lawmaker within days as
pressure mounted on Peter Robinson and the province's shaky
coalition government. The reported move follows the revelation that
she had an adulterous relationship with a man nearly 40 years her
junior, and allegations that she solicited tens of thousands of
pounds (dollars) from businessmen to help the teenager launch a
cafe. She was 58 at the time, and the man was 19.
   (AP, 1/9/10)
2010Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In the Central
African Republic the wife of Charles Massi (57), head of the only
rebel group in the CAR still fighting the government, said that he
has been captured and is in a critical condition in jail. The former
prime minister led the rebel Convention of Patriots for Justice and
Peace (CPJP). On Jan 16 Denise Massi and his party said in a
statement that Massi has been dead since Jan 8 after being subjected
to torture.
   (AFP, 1/9/10)(AFP, 1/16/10)
2010Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Dagestan a car
with three men inside exploded during a shootout with police in the
Kumtorkala district. The men were part of a local terrorist group
and were transporting explosives.
   (AP, 1/10/10)
2010Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Egypt Muslims
and Christians set fire to each others' homes and shops near the
southern town of Nagaa Hamady, three days after a gunman killed six
Coptic Christians in a drive-by shooting there.
   (Reuters, 1/9/10)
2010Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Four suspected
members of the Basque separatist group ETA were arrested in Portugal
and France, one driving a van loaded with explosives near a police
barracks. two police officers stopped the van in Spain when their
suspicions were raised by its French license plates. The driver of
the van then pushed passed the police and proceeded to flee the
scene driving off in their patrol car which he stole. The police
alerted their Portuguese counterparts who rapidly arrested the man
and a woman, who had been following the van in a presumed getaway
vehicle with French plates.
   (AP, 1/10/10)
2010Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Germans faced the
cancellation of hundreds of flights as fresh snow blew in from the
south, and Britons shivered through the country's longest cold snap
in three decades as icy weather maintained its grip on Europe.
   (AP, 1/9/10)
2010Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Iran about 30
"mourning mothers," with children who were killed or disappeared
during the post-election unrest, were arrested in a Tehran park and
taken to a detention center in the capital. The mothers had gather
in Tehran's Laleh park every Saturday.
   (Reuters, 1/10/10)
2010Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Italy some 300
African migrants were bused out of Rosarno, a southern Italian town
rocked by two days of clashes between the migrants, police and local
residents. The rioting began after two men, one from Nigeria and the
other from Togo, were lightly wounded by a pellet gun attack on Jan
7. Migrants alleged they were earning illegally low wages, as little
as euro20 euros ($30), for a 12-hour day picking citrus fruit and
other crops.Â
   (AP, 1/9/10)
2010Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Humam Khalil Abu
Mulal al-Balawi, the Jordanian doctor who killed 7 CIA employees in
a suicide attack in Afghanistan, said in video clips broadcast
posthumously today that all jihadists must attack US targets to
avenge the death of Pakistani Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud.
Speaking in Arabic in the video shown on al-Jazeera, the Arabic
network, and Aaj, a Pakistani channel, al-Balawi noted that the
Pakistani Taliban had given shelter to "emigrants" — Muslim fighters
from abroad.
   (AP, 1/9/10)
2010Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Malaysia a
fourth church was hit by firebombs, stoking concern among Christians
as a dispute rages over the use of the word "Allah" by non-Muslims.
   (AP, 1/9/10)
2010Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Pakistan 2
missiles fired by a suspected unmanned US drone hit a house in Data
Khel, an area in North Waziristan that is a stronghold of the
Haqqani militant network. 2 people were killed and 3 wounded.
Intelligence officials later said the missile strike killed Jamal
Saeed Abdul Rahim. Pakistani officials called him an al-Qaida
member, but the FBI says he was a member of the Abu Nidal terrorist
group. According to an FBI Web site, Rahim is wanted for his alleged
role in the Sept. 5, 1986, hijacking of Pan American World Airways
Flight 73 during a stop in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi.
Some 20 passengers and crew, including two American citizens, were
killed during the attack.
   (AP, 1/9/10)(AP, 1/15/10)
2010Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Sri Lanka more
than 700 former Tamil Tiger rebels were reunited with family members
after months in rehabilitation camps since the country's
decades-long civil war ended last year.
   (AP, 1/9/10)
2010Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Togo's national
soccer team, devastated by a shooting attack on its bus in Angola
that killed at least 3 and left 8 gravely injured, withdrew from the
African Cup of Nations.
   (AP, 1/9/10)
2011Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In San Francisco
Police chief George Gascon was sworn in as the city’s first Latino
district attorney. Outgoing Mayor Newsom offered him the job the
previous day.
   (SFC, 1/10/11, p.A1)
2011Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Afghanistan’s
northern province of Kunduz, NATO forces, in tandem with their
Afghan counterparts, arrested five people in connection with a Dec.
19 attack that killed at least eight Afghan security soldiers and
police in the area. Hundreds gathered in the main mosque in Kunduz
to protest the arrest of Mullah Nurallah, the apparent target of the
raid. Irate Afghan authorities denied that local forces were
involved.
   (AP, 1/9/11)
2011Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Algerian
authorities vowed to punish those responsible for nationwide food
riots in which at least four people were reported killed and more
than 800 injured.
   (AFP, 1/9/11)
2011Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Australia a
swollen river submerged bridges and inundated homes and stores in
Australia's already sodden Queensland state as more heavy rain added
to the country's worst flooding in decades.
   (AP, 1/9/11)
2011Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, British film
director Peter Yates (b.1929) died in London. His films included
“Bullitt” (1968) and “Breaking Away” (1979).
   (SFC, 1/11/11, p.C4)
2011Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Chinese Vice
Premier Li Keqiang kicked off a business-focused state visit to
Britain with the sealing of a renewable energy deal between Scottish
and Chinese companies.
   (AFP, 1/9/11)
2011Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In eastern India at
least 12 Maoist rebels were killed in two separate clashes with
police. 9 were killed in Orissa state and 3 rebels were killed in a
clash with police in Bokaro district of neighboring Jharkhand state.
According to the Home Ministry the rebels were present in 20 of
India's 28 states and have an estimated 10,000 to 20,000 fighters.
   (AP, 1/9/11)
2011Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In northwestern
Iran a passenger jet broke to pieces on impact while trying an
emergency landing in a snowstorm killing at least 77 people in
Orumiyeh. The Boeing-727, operated by Iran's national airline,
carried 104 passengers and crew.
   (AP, 1/10/11)
2011Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Israeli organizers
said at least 165 professors have declared a boycott against a
contentious Israeli college in the West Bank, deepening an internal
rift in Israel over the expansion of West Bank settlements. They
said Ariel University Center is an "illegal settlement" intended to
prevent Palestinians from establishing an independent state.
Bulldozers demolished a wing of the Hotel Shepherd in Jerusalem to
make way for a new Israeli enclave in the heart of a Palestinian
neighborhood.
   (AP, 1/9/11)(Econ, 1/15/11, p.50)
2011Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Italy a
74-year-old retiree in Genoa shot dead two neighbors and then his
wife before turning the gun on himself. Jealousy appeared to be
behind the rampage.
   (AP, 1/9/11)
2011Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Mexican authorities
in Chihuahua state reported 17 people murdered over the weekend, 14
of them in Ciudad Juarez.
   (AFP, 1/9/11)
2011Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Nigeria
witnesses heard gunshots and saw smoke rising from neighborhoods in
the city of Jos. Gunmen attacked a church near the Maiduguri
International Airport in a drive-by shooting. A police officer was
killed and the church watchman wounded.
   (AP, 1/9/11)(AP, 1/10/11)
2011Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Pakistan's PM
Yousuf Raza Gilani bowed to a package of opposition demands to shore
up his government after a week in which the ruling party briefly
lost its majority in parliament. Tens of thousands of demonstrators
marched in Karachi to oppose any change to national blasphemy laws
and to praise a man charged with murdering a provincial governor who
had campaigned against the divisive legislation.
   (AFP, 1/9/11)(Reuters, 1/9/11)
2011Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In the Philippines
more than a million Roman Catholics joined a raucous religious
procession in Manila to honor a centuries-old black statue of Jesus
Christ that they believe possesses mystical powers. Nearly 600 were
treated for injuries.
   (AP, 1/9/11)
2011Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Sri Lanka's
government said that at least nine people have been killed in floods
and mudslides caused by heavy rain across the country. One person
was reported missing and more than 55,000 people have become
homeless and were housed in camps.
   (AP, 1/9/11)Â
2011Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Sudan millions
of jubilant south Sudanese started voting in an independence
referendum expected to see their war-ravaged region emerge as
Africa’s 54th sovereign state. Khartoum's government was expected to
lose a third of its land, nearly a quarter of its population and
much of its main moneymaker, oil. Armed Arab nomads clashed with
tribespeople in the disputed Abyei region for the third day leaving
20 people dead. At least 36 people were reported dead in clashes
over the last three days between tribespeople and Arab nomads near
Sudan's north- south border.
   (Reuters, 1/9/11)(Reuters, 1/9/11)(AP,
1/10/11)(Econ, 1/8/11, p.11)
2011Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, South Sudan
journalist Nhial Bol published the first edition of The Citizen
newspaper to mark the referendum that paved the way for South
Sudan's full independence six months later. In 2015 Bol quit
journalism following death threats.
   (AFP, 9/10/15)
2011Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Thailand
thousands of anti-government demonstrators marched in Bangkok,
saying they had learned lessons from chaotic violence last year and
had a new strategy for the new year. A Red Shirt leader vowed to
hold "frequent and symbolic gatherings" twice a month, a change from
the large sit-in last year that lasted 10 weeks and prompted a
violent crackdown.
   (AP, 1/9/11)
2011Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Turkey PM
Erdogan visited Kars and called for the destruction of a local
monument near the Armenian border. The monument featured a divided
human figure, with one half extending a hand to the other half. It
was meant to symbolize the pain of division and the hope of
reconciliation, and was sculpted from stone by Mehmet Aksoy, a
prominent Turkish artist. Local authorities halted its construction
on grounds that it was built on a historic military site, Timur
Pasha emplacement, used to defend the city in the 16th century.
   (AP, 1/10/11)(Econ, 1/15/11,
p.56)(http://tinyurl.com/4g4kpya)
2011Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, UAR media reports
said Dubai’s Court of Cassation, the last stop in the appeal
process, confirmed that the United Arab Emirates' strict indecency
codes cover hand gestures and the deportation sentence would stand
and upheld the deportation of a Pakistani man for a case of road
rage that included a raised middle finger.
   (AP, 1/9/11)
2011Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In the US Virgin
Islands a traffic stop led to the seizure of 228 kg (502 pounds) of
cocaine from Miguel Pascual, a Dominican national. The drugs had an
approximate street value of more than $6 million.
   (AP, 1/10/11)
2011Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Yemen masked men
on motorcycles attacked a government vehicle on its way to deposit
cash in Zinjibar, killing 3 electricity workers and a guard.
   (Econ, 1/15/11, p.51)
2012Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Maryland former
US Army veteran Craig Benedict Baxam (24), who had done earlier
tours in Iraq and South Korea, faced charges that he had tried to
enlist with Somalia's al-Shabab terrorist group. Baxam, an Army vet
trained in intelligence and cryptology, was arrested Jan 6 at
Baltimore-Washington Int’l. Airport as he returned from a failed
effort to get to Somalia.
  Â
(http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/11/us/soldier-al-shabaab/index.html)
2012Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Britain’s PM David
Cameron said Scotland should hold an independence referendum as
early as 2013, clashing with the SNP which does not want to hold a
one before autumn 2014 - the 700th anniversary of the Battle of
Bannockburn.
   (Reuters, 2/16/12)
2012Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Britons were urged
to avoid drinking alcohol for at least two days a week to protect
their health, a committee of MPs said in a report published today.
   (Reuters, 1/9/12)
2012Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Richard Branson's
Virgin Money opened its first bank branch in northeast England.
Northern Rock was sold in November to Virgin Money for £747 million
($1.18 billion, 872 million euros) in cash.
   (AFP, 1/9/12)
2012Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, The presidents of
China and South Korea agreed to work together to achieve peace and
stability on the Korean peninsula, in their first summit since Kim
Jong Il's death opened the chance for major changes in North Korea.
   (AP, 1/9/12)
2012Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Guinea-Bissau
President Malam Bacai Sanha (64) died in Paris after a lengthy
hospitalization. He was elected in this tiny, coup-prone nation on
Africa's western coast about two years ago after the previous leader
was assassinated.
   (AP, 1/9/12)
2012Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Indian software
outsourcer Mahindra Satyam said it has filed a case against past
directors and a former auditor, seeking damages over a $1 billion
accounting scam.
   (AFP, 1/9/12)
2012Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Iran’s state radio
reported that an Iranian court has convicted Amir Mirzaei Hekmati
(28), an American man, of working for the CIA and sentenced him to
death. The case added to the accelerating tension between the United
States and Iran. In March the Supreme Court tossed out his death
penalty and said a new trial would held. In 2014 the death sentence
was overturned and reduced to 10 years in jail. In 2016 Hekmati was
released as part of a US-Iran prisoner swap. In 2021 it was reported
US compensation for his imprisonment was being held back due to FBI
suspicions that Hekmati had traveled to Iran to sell classified
secrets.
   (AP, 1/9/12)(SFC, 3/6/12, p.A3)(AFP, 4/13/14)(AP,
3/15/21)
2012Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Iranian President
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad visited his close ally President Hugo Chavez in
Venezuela on the first leg of a four-nation tour that will also take
Ahmadinejad to Nicaragua, Cuba and Ecuador.
   (AP, 1/9/12)
2012Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Iraq a roadside
bomb killed two Shiite pilgrims walking to Karbala. 3 car bombs
killed at least 17 people in Baghdad.
   (AP, 1/9/12)(SFC, 1/10/12, p.A4)
2012Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Malawi's courts
ground to a halt as some 2,000 judicial workers began an indefinite
strike over work conditions and higher pay.
   (AFP, 1/9/12)
2012Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Malaysia
opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim was acquitted of sodomy charges.
   (SFC, 1/10/12, p.A4)
2012Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Mexican police
found 13 bodies at a gas station in the town of Zitacuaro, Michoacan
state.
   (AP, 1/9/12)
2012Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Nigerian police and
protesters clashed and people were shot dead as tens of thousands
demonstrated nationwide over fuel price hikes and a general strike
shut down the country. Suspected members of Boko Haram killed two
Christians in separate attacks in Maiduguri despite an increased
security presence in the area. Boko Haram gunmen killed a secret
police officer in Biu. 6 people were killed in Benin as a crowd
split off to attack a mosque and terrorize people in neighborhoods
that are mainly Hausa.
   (AFP, 1/9/12)(AP, 1/9/12)(AP, 1/10/12)(AFP,
1/10/12)
2012Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Peru passengers
in Lima traveled the full length of a 22km elevated railway for the
first time. The project had begun in 1986.
   (Econ, 1/14/12, p.37)  Â
2012Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In western Poland
military prosecutor Col. Mikolaj Przybyl, the head of a local
department investigating organized crime in the army, shot himself
in the head after defending the work of his office and rejecting
planned reforms. Przybyl survived the shooting in Poznan and said he
tried to commit suicide because his own work has been used as a
reason supporting plans to close military prosecution offices in
Poland.
   (AP, 1/9/12)(AP, 1/10/12)
2012Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Russia a gas
explosion and fire at the Il Pittore restaurant in Moscow killed two
people and injured at least 26. The explosion was believed to have
been caused by improper use of gas canisters.
   (AP, 1/9/12)
2012Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In South Sudan
Jonglei state governor, Kuol Manyang Juuk, said that Murle fighters
had burned down three villages, killed at least 24 people and
wounded 20 over the last 24 hours with fighting still ongoing.
   (AP, 1/9/12)(AFP, 1/9/12)
2012Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Swiss National Bank
chief Philipp Hildebrand resigned acknowledging he could not prove
his innocence amid a public uproar over his private currency deals.
Dollar swaps last year netted him and his wife tens of thousands in
profits.
   (SFC, 1/10/12, p.A2)
2012Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Activists said
Syrian troops have fired on protesters as Arab League observers
toured the Khaldiyeh neighborhood of Homs province. A group of Arab
League observers were attacked in the northern city of Latakia and
two Kuwaiti army officers were lightly injured.
   (AP, 1/9/12)(AP, 1/10/12)
2012Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Tunisia several
hundred journalists demonstrated in Tunis to protest at the
appointment of media bosses by the government, which they regard as
a return to bad practices of the past.
   (AFP, 1/9/12)
2012Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Venezuela
fighting broke out at a jail. 6 prisoners were left dead.
   (AP, 1/10/12)
2013Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Google said it is
putting $200 million into a Texas Panhandle wind farm.
   (SFC, 1/10/13, p.C6)
2013Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Argentina’s ARA
Libertad naval ship returned home from Ghana after being held there
on a claim by a Cayman Islands-based hedge fund.
   (SFC, 1/10/13, p.A2)
2013Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Australia
Richard Ammar Chichakli, a Syrian-born American, was arrested on
charges that he conspired with Viktor Bout and others to try to buy
aircraft from two companies in the United States.
   (AP, 1/10/13)
2013Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, British health
officials said a new strain of the winter vomiting disease norovirus
has spread to France, New Zealand and Japan from Australia and is
overtaking all others to become the dominant local strain.
   (Reuters, 1/9/13)
2013Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Talks on the crisis
in Central African Republic began in Gabon with representatives of
the government, rebels and other groups.
   (AP, 1/9/13)
2013Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In France 3 Kurdish
women, including Sakine Cansiz, one of the founders of a militant
group battling Turkish troops since 1984, were "executed" at the
Kurdish Information Center in Paris. Protesters blamed Turkey. A
Turkish lawmaker claimed the women were slain in a dispute between
PKK factions. Omer Guney (34) was later charged with murder in the
killings of Cansiz, Leyla Soylemez and Fidan Dogan. On Dec 17, 2016,
Guney died from brain disease.
   (AP, 1/10/13)(AP, 12/18/16)
2013Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Hong Kong
pro-democracy lawmakers made a symbolic attempt to impeachÂ
Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying. The 27 pro-democracy legislators
were outnumbered by pro-Beijing representatives in the 70-seat
Legislative Council.
   (AP, 1/9/13)
2013Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Legislators in
Kenya voted themselves a hefty pay package in a late-evening vote on
the last day of session before national elections. The bill also
would give Kenya's president, vice president and prime minister
hefty retirement packages, in a move that could tempt President Mwai
Kibaki not to veto the legislation.
   (AP, 1/10/13)
2013Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In eastern Kenya 7
people were killed in tribal violence near the Tana River after more
than 100 people launched an attack on a local village.
   (AP, 1/9/13)
2013Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, The fiercest winter
storm to hit the Mideast in years brought a rare foot of snow to
Jordan, caused fatal accidents in Lebanon and the West Bank, and
disrupted traffic on the Suez Canal in Egypt. At least eight people
died across the region.
   (AP, 1/9/13)
2013Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Mexico’s government
enacted a new law that require authorities to assist victims of
drug-related violence and establish as fund for possible
reparations.
   (SFC, 1/10/13, p.A4)
2013Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, The Mali army
attacked Islamist rebels with heavy weapons in the center of the
country which divides the insurgent-held north and the
government-controlled south.
   (AP, 1/10/13)
2013Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In northwest
Pakistan truckers who carry supplies to NATO troops in Afghanistan
went on strike to protest lower pay, inadequate security and corrupt
officials who demand bribes from the truckers.
   (AP, 1/9/13)
2013Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Saudi authorities
beheaded a Sri Lankan domestic worker for killing a Saudi baby in
her care in 2005. Rizana Nafeek, 17 at the time of the killing, had
denied strangling the 4-month-old boy.
   (AP, 1/9/13)(SFC, 1/10/13, p.A2)
2013Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, A fuel shortage has
hit Sierra Leone, causing rationing and long lines at gas stations
and hampering the movement of vehicles and goods in the West African
nation.
   (AP, 1/9/13)
2013Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, South African
police fired rubber bullets at striking farm workers who set up
barricades and threw stones at motorists and security forces in
Western Cape province whose vineyards are vital to the wine
industry. At least 50 demonstrators were arrested.
   (AP, 1/9/13)
2013Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, The Sudanese army
said its soldiers have killed at least 30 rebels in clashes in the
troubled North Darfur region. The rebel forces were said to belong
to the Justice and Equality Movement.
   (AP, 1/9/13)
2013Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Syrian rebels freed
48 Iranians held captive since August in exchange for the release of
more than 2,000 detainees in the first major prisoner swap of the
country's civil war.
   (AP, 1/9/13)
2013Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, The NATO alliance
detected the launch of an unguided, short-range ballistic missile in
Syria.
   (AP, 1/10/13)
2013Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, A Vietnamese court
found 14 democracy activists guilty of subversion and sentenced them
to jail terms ranging from 3-13 years.
   (SFC, 1/10/13, p.A5)
2014Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, President Barack
Obama spoke about how he will target job creation, housing, law
enforcement and education in the poorest US communities, part of his
pledge to narrow the gap between rich and poor in America. He
planned to create "promise zones" in San Antonio, Philadelphia, Los
Angeles, southeastern Kentucky, and the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.
   (Reuters, 1/8/14)
2014Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, The SEC charged
Diamond Foods and two former top executives with accounting fraud.
Diamond will pay $5 million to settle the charges. Former CEO
Michael Mendes agreed to pay $125,000 to settle. He had previously
given back $4 million in bonuses to the company. Litigation
continued against former DFO Steven Neill.
   (SFC, 1/10/14, p.C1)
2014Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, The SEC charged
Diamond Foods and two former top executives with accounting fraud.
Diamond will pay $5 million to settle the charges. Former CEO
Michael Mendes agreed to pay $125,000 to settle. He had previously
given back $4 million in bonuses to the company. Litigation
continued against former DFO Steven Neill.
   (SFC, 1/10/14, p.C1)
2014Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, New Jersey Gov.
Chris dismissed deputy chief of staff Bridget Anne Kelly, who had
sent e-mails calling for trouble at a key commuter choke point and
repeatedly apologized in a two-hour news conference.
   (AP, 1/10/14)
2014Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Amiri Baraka
(b.1934), poet, playwright and black nationalist, died in New
Jersey. He was born as Everett LeRoi Jones and changed his
name in 1965 following the assassination of Malcolm X. His play
“Dutchman” won the 1964 Obie Award for best American play.
   (SFC, 1/10/14, p.D5)
2014Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Oklahoma an
African American man was put to death for murdering a store manager
with a baseball bat. This was the second US execution of 2014.
Michael Lee Wilson (38) was the third man put to death for the
murder of Richard Yost, beaten with a baseball bat and found in the
freezer of his supermarket in Tulsa in February 1995.
   (AFP, 1/10/14)
2014Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In West Virginia a
spill of 4-Methylcyclohexane Methanol (MCHM), a chemical used in the
coal industry, occurred on the Elk River in Charleston, West
Virginia's capital and largest city. It took Freedom Industries, a
maker of specialty chemicals, 12 days to disclose the additional
presence of polyglycol ethers (PPH). Over the next year six top
company officials pleaded guilty to charges relating to the spill.
   (Reuters, 1/10/14)(AP, 1/23/14)(SFC, 8/20/15,
p.A5)
2014Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, IBM said DBS Group
Holdings Ltd. of Singapore will begin to use the Watson
supercomputer to aid financial planners in guiding its wealth
management unit’s affluent customers.
   (SFC, 1/10/14, p.C2)
2014Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Health experts
launched Action on Sugar, a drive to cut sugar levels in food in an
effort to tackle obesity and diabetes.
   (AFP, 1/9/14)
2014Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Dennis Rodman
apologized for comments he made in North Korea about a detained
American missionary, saying he had been drinking and was under
pressure as he organized a game with former NBA players.
   (AP, 1/9/14)
2014Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Afghanistan said it
has enough evidence to try only 16 of 88 prisoners that the United
States considers a threat to security and plans to free the
remaining detainees. Pres. Karzai ordered the release of all but 16
of the 88 prisoners.
   (Reuters, 1/9/14)(SFC, 1/10/14, p.A3)
2014Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In northwest
Australia the temperature in the Pilbara region reached 122 degrees.
   (SFC, 1/10/14, p.A2)
2014Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Chad African
leaders began talks to tackle the sectarian violence wracking the
Central African Republic, with the pressure piling on the country's
embattled Pres. Michel Djotodia.
   (AFP, 1/9/14)
2014Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Chile's supreme
court ruled in favor of local fishermen who say Endesa Chile's
Bocamina coal-fired facility kills marine life and pollutes ocean
water, but it said halting its operations was a decision for
environmental authorities.
   (Reuters, 1/10/14)
2014Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Chinese officials
said famed film director Zhang Yimou must pay more than $1.2 million
in fines for having three children in violation of China's strict
family planning rules.
   (AP, 1/9/14)
2014Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Egyptian courts
convicted 113 Muslim Brotherhood supporters on charges including
attacking police, rioting and weapons possession in three separate
cases brought after protests against the army-backed government.
   (Reuters, 1/9/14)
2014Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, A European
Parliament committee voted to invite Edward Snowden to testify via
video link in its investigation of US surveillance practices.
   (AP, 1/9/14)
2014Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, A French court
suspended a ban the city of Nantes imposed to prevent a show tonight
by comic Dieudonne M'Bala M'Bala whose performances are considered
anti-Semitic.
   (AP, 1/9/14)
2014Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, A French court
ruled that dissident Kazakh Mukhtar Ablyazov, accused of embezzling
up to $6 billion from his former bank BTA, should be extradited from
France to Ukraine or Russia.
   (Reuters, 1/9/14)
2014Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, French engineering
group Alstom said it has won a contract worth 120 million euros
($163 million) to build Israel's first hydroelectric storage
facility.
   (AFP, 1/9/14)
2014Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Germany said it has
accepted a UN request to destroy remnants of Syria's chemical
weapons on its own soil as part of a bid to eliminate the arsenal by
June 30.
   (AFP, 1/9/14)
2014Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Iraq a suicide
bomber blew himself up at a military recruiting center in Baghdad
killing at least 21 people. Human Rights Watch said that Iraqi
forces appear to have used mortar fire indiscriminately in civilian
areas in recent days in their effort to dislodge militants in Anbar
province.
   (AP, 1/9/14)
2014Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, The Kenyan military
killed at least 30 Islamic militants in an airstrike on a militant
camp in Somalia.
   (AP, 1/10/14)
2014Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In southern Libya a
militia chief linked to Awled Sleiman was killed. The tribe accused
Toubou tribesmen, traditionally black oasis farmers, of murdering
him.
   (AFP, 1/12/14)
2014Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Nigeria's military
reportedly killed as many as 38 Boko Haram fighters early today
during counter-insurgency operations in Borno state.
   (AFP, 1/9/14)
2014Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Pakistan
Chaudhry Aslam, a senior police investigator known for arresting
dozens of Pakistani Taliban, was killed along with two other
officers in a car bombing in Karachi.
   (AP, 1/9/14)
2014Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Palestinians threw
rocks at a West Bank hotel, shattering windows and breaking up a
meeting of Israeli and Palestinian peace activists. Residents of
Palestinian refugee camps burnt tires and closed roads in the
Israeli-occupied West Bank in protests stemming from a month-long
strike by the UN agency that operates the camps.
   (AP, 1/9/14)(Reuters, 1/9/14)
2014Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, South Sudanese
government forces battled to retake the key rebel-held town of
Bentiu, as thousands of civilians continued to flee fighting and
peace talks appeared deadlocked.
   (AFP, 1/9/14)
2014Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Syria a powerful
car bomb exploded near a school in al-Kaffat village, Hama province,
killing at least 16 people and causing massive damage to a
residential area. Jihadists battling rebels in the north fought to
recover lost turf nearly a week after a new front opened in the
conflict gripping the country. Syrian government forces killed
dozens of rebel fighters overnight who tried to break an army siege
of Homs.
   (AP, 1/9/14)(AFP, 1/9/14)(Reuters, 1/10/14)
2014Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Disparate Syrian
opposition groups, including several Islamist rebel representatives,
met for the first time in the Spanish city of Cordoba to seek common
ground ahead of peace talks with President Bashar al-Assad's
government later this month.
   (Reuters, 1/9/14)
2014Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Thai protesters
trying to topple PM Shinawatra marched in Bangkok again, testing
support for a planned "shutdown" of the capital next week.
   (Reuters, 1/9/14)
2014Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Tunisia's Islamist
PM Ali Larayedh, who was tortured under the ousted Ben Ali regime,
resigned as part of a plan to end months of political deadlock. He
is to be replaced within 15 days by premier designate Mehdi Jomaa at
the head of a government of technocrats that will lead the country
to fresh elections this year under a new constitution.
   (AFP, 1/9/14)
2015Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In San Francisco 4
men were shot dead inside a double-parked stolen Honda in the Hayes
Valley neighborhood. On July 29, 2016, police pulled Lee Farley (27)
from his cell in at a federal lockup in Atwater and booked him in SF
for the four murders. Farley was serving time for possession of a
stolen gun.
   (Reuters, 1/10/15)(SFC, 1/13/15, p.A1)(SFC,
7/30/16, p.A1)(SFC, 7/30/16, p.A8)
2015Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Florida George
Zimmerman, a former neighborhood watch volunteer acquitted in a
fatal shooting of an unarmed black teenager in 2013, was arrested
for aggravated assault in connection with a domestic disturbance
earlier in the week. His ex-girlfriend soon recanted her story and
the case was dropped.
   (Reuters, 1/10/15)(SFC, 1/31/15, p.A7)
2015Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Michigan
blinding snow caused 193 vehicles to pile up in I-94 near Kalamazoo.
At least one person was killed.
          Â
(Reuters, 1/11/15)(SSFC, 1/11/15, p.A8)Â Â Â
2015Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In France a
hostage-taking at a Jewish deli left four hostages and the gunman,
Amedy Coulibaly, killed.
   (Reuters, 1/11/15)
2015Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Saudi Arabia
blogger Raif Badawi was flogged 50 times, the first set of 1000
lashes over 20 weeks. He was sentenced in 2014 to 10 years in prison
plus the lashes for criticizing clerics.
   (SFC, 1/10/15, p.A2)
2015Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Ukrainian officials
said 6 soldiers have been killed in two days of fighting as
separatists intensified shelling of government positions.
   (SFC, 1/10/15, p.A2)
2016Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, The US-led
coalition conducted 11 air strikes against Islamic State forces in
Syria and 15 in Iraq.
   (Reuters, 1/10/16)
2016Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Organizers said
Britain's biggest-ever national lottery win was shared by two
players, after huge numbers of tickets were sold for the 66 million
pound ($96 million) tax-free jackpot.
   (Reuters, 1/9/16)
2016Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, China’s state news
reported that Beijing will close 2,500 small polluting firms this
year in its latest effort to combat pollution.
   (Reuters, 1/9/16)
2016Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Germany police
fired tear gas and used water cannon to clear a rally in Cologne of
the far-right xenophobic PEGIDA movement, after protesters hurled
firecrackers and bottles at officers.
   (AFP, 1/9/16)
2016Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Iraqi PM Haider
al-Abadi pledged to stamp out corruption this year amid criticism
from the nation's highest Shi'ite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali
al-Sistani, that his government has done little to combat graft.
   (Reuters, 1/9/16)
2016Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In northern Iraq 9
fighters from a Shi'ite Muslim militia battling Islamic State were
killed when an Iraqi army aviation drone opened fire on mistaken
coordinates.
   (Reuters, 1/10/16)
2016Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Israeli troops shot
dead two Palestinian men at a checkpoint in the occupied West Bank.
Details of the incident were disputed.
   (Reuters, 1/9/16)
2016Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Italian police
opened a murder investigation after Ashley Olsen (35) of Summer
Haven, Florida, was found dead in Florence, her neck bruised and
scratched. Cheik Tidiane Diaw (27), who had arrived in Italy from
Senegal in recent months, was arrested Jan14 at his brother's
apartment after DNA evidence linked him to the murder. On Dec 22
Tidiane was convicted and sentenced to 30 years in prison.
   (AP, 1/10/16)(AP, 1/14/16)(AP, 12/22/16)
2016Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Kosovo police used
water cannons and tear gas to disperse a group of violent opposition
supporters who pelted them with rocks and Molotov cocktails
following an anti-government protest in the capital. Several
thousand people called on Kosovo's government to resign, arguing the
executive has broken the country's constitution in reaching deals
with Serbia and Montenegro last year.
   (AP, 1/9/16)
2016Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In southwest
Pakistan a roadside bomb killed two coast guards and wounded three
others in Baluchistan province. Elsewhere in Baluchistan armed
motorcyclists gunned down 2 policemen who were guarding a mosque in
Quetta.
   (AP, 1/9/16)
2016Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Poland thousands
of opponents of the new right-wing government held protests in
Warsaw and other cities against policies which they say threaten
democracy and media freedom.
   (AP, 1/9/16)(SSFC, 1/10/16, p.A5)
2016Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In the Philippines
about 5,000 police and soldiers were deployed to secure the daylong
procession of the Black Nazarene in one of Asia's largest religious
festivals. More than a million Filipino Roman Catholic devotees
jammed Manila's streets for the annual procession. 2 people died and
hundreds were injured.
   (AP, 1/9/16)(AFP, 1/9/16)
2016Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In northern Spain
tens of thousands protested in Bilbao calling for the return of more
than 400 prisoners linked to the Basque separatist group ETA who are
being held outside the region.
   (AFP, 1/9/16)
2016Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Syria Russian
strikes on a prison complex run by the Nusra Front, Al-Qaeda's
Syrian affiliate in the country's northwest, killed at least 81
people, including 23 Al-Qaeda fighters.
   (AFP, 1/9/16)(AFP, 1/10/16)
2016Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Turkey 16 rebels
were killed in the towns of Cizre and Silopi, near the Syrian and
Iraqi borders, and another four were killed in Sur.
   (Reuters, 1/10/16)
2016Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, UN officials said
at least 10 people have died and over 1,000 fallen sick with cholera
in an outbreak among Somali refugees in the world's largest refugee
camp in Kenya.
   (AFP, 1/9/16)
2016Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, The UN Refugee
Agency said a rise in fighting in a once peaceful part of South
Sudan has forced tens of thousands of civilians to flee their homes
in Western Equatoria state since December.
   (SFC, 1/10/16, p.A5)
2017Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Florida Orlando
police Master Sgt. Debra Clayton (42) was killed after approaching
suspect Markeith Lloyd (41), wanted in the December killing of his
pregnant ex-girlfriend Sade Dixon (24). Officer Norman Lewis was
killed in a motorcycle crash during a massive manhunt for Lloyd, who
was captured on Jan 17.
   (SFC, 1/10/17, p.A7)(SFC, 1/18/17, p.A5)(SSFC,
1/29/17, p.A8)
2017Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Kentucky Garry
Morrison (51) killed his mother and his girlfriend inside his rural
home near Morehead. He then set his home on fire and died from a
self-inflicted gunshot wound as deputies responded.
   (SFC, 1/10/17, p.A6)
2017Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Angolan health
officials said they had recorded the country's first two cases of
the Zika virus, a French tourist (two months ago) and a resident in
the capital Luanda (last week).
   (AFP, 1/9/17)
2017Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Bosnian Serbs
celebrated a controversial holiday in defiance of the country's
other ethnic groups, its constitutional court and the international
community. On Jan 9, 1992, Bosnian Serbs declared the creation of
their own state in Bosnia.
   (AP, 1/9/17)
2017Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In England a
24-hour strike by London Underground station staff shut down much of
the city’s subway network.
   (SFC, 1/10/17, p.A2)
2017Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, The Czech Republic
said it has approved a plan for Czech and Slovak air forces to
cooperate in protecting air spaces over the two neighboring
countries that once formed Czechoslovakia. Slovakia's government had
already approved the deal.
   (AP, 1/9/17)
2017Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Egypt militants
attacked a police checkpoint in the northern Sinai Peninsula using a
stolen garbage truck packed with explosives, killing at least eight
people and setting off clashes with security forces. The Islamic
State’s local affiliate soon claimed responsibility.
   (AP, 1/9/17)(SFC, 1/11/17, p.A2)
2017Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, French police
arrested 17 people in relation to the robbery last Oct 3 in Paris of
more than $10 million in jewels from Kim Kardashian West.
   (SFC, 1/10/17, p.A2)
2017Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, A Gambian foreign
ministry source said President Yahya Jammeh has fired 12 ambassadors
after they called for him to step aside and allow opposition leader
Adama Barrow to take power.
   (AFP, 1/9/17)
2017Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Iraqi special
forces made further advances against Islamic State in Mosul, pushing
militants from another eastern district and edging closer to army
units nearby.
   (Reuters, 1/9/17)
2017Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Israeli authorities
charged two Palestinians, arrested last month, with helping to
smuggle hundreds of cameras to the Gaza Strip for the Islamic
militant group Hamas and others.
   (AP, 1/9/17)
2017Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Italy's
anti-establishment 5-Star Movement voted to cut its ties with the
anti-EU UK Independence Party (UKIP) and to hook up instead with the
Liberals in the European Parliament. The liberal group rejected the
request, ending a short-lived courtship.
   (Reuters, 1/9/17)(AP, 1/9/17)
2017Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Ivory Coast's PM
Daniel Kablan Duncan resigned along with his government, a day after
the end of a short-lived army mutiny that raised security fears in
the world's top cocoa producer. The resignation was standard
procedure as it follows legislative elections in December. Ivorian
state employees meanwhile began a five-day strike to protest against
pension cuts ranging from 30 to 50 percent and a plan to raise the
retirement age from 55 to 60.
   (AFP, 1/9/17)
2017Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Japanese drugmaker
Takeda Pharmaceutical said it will buy US cancer drug developer
Ariad Pharmaceuticals in a $5.2 billion deal that the companies
expect to close by the end of February.
   (AP, 1/9/17)
2017Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Northern Ireland's
power-sharing government was on the brink of collapse after Deputy
First Minister Martin McGuinness, the leader of Sinn Fein, announced
he was resigning. The announcement ramped up pressure on First
Minister Arlene Foster, leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, to
step down over her handling of a botched renewable energy scheme
that wasted public funds.
   (AFP, 1/9/17)
2017Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In North Korea
seven miners were initially trapped after the collapse at the Unryul
mine, a leading iron ore producer in the country's southwest. One
miner was rescued 10 days later but six others were found dead.
   (AP, 3/20/17)
2017Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Pakistan's military
says it has successfully test-fired a submarine-launched cruise
missile for the first time, giving it a "credible second strike
capability."
   (AP, 1/9/17)
2017Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Pakistani
opposition lawmakers called for an investigation into the
disappearance of four social activists last week, including a
prominent university professor who often spoke out over
disappearances of fellow campaigners.
   (Reuters, 1/9/17)
2017Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Turkish Airlines
canceled 277 domestic and international flights to and from
Istanbul's two airports due to heavy snow.
   (AP, 1/9/17)
2017Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, UAE media reported
that the United Arab Emirates has ordered the removal from a
textbook of the term "Persian Gulf" for the waterway that is the
subject of a bitter naming dispute with Iran.
   (AFP, 1/9/17)
2018Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, US Pres. Trump
urged Congress to pass “a bill of love” to provide legal status to
the young immigrants who arrived in the country illegally as
children but were raised as Americans.
   (SFC, 1/10/18, p.A1)
2018Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, The United States
hit Canada with yet another round of punitive import tariffs, this
time for as much as 10 percent on paper used to print newspapers and
books. The US Commerce Department said that the tariffs on uncoated
groundwood paper came after an investigation launched in August
found Canadian producers receive subsidies giving them an unfair
advantage in the US market.
   (AFP, 1/10/18)
2018Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, US Interior
Secretary Ryan Zinke said President Donald Trump's administration
will not allow drilling for oil and gas off the coast of Florida
after urging from the state's governor.
   (Reuters, 1/10/18)  Â
2018Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, US District Judge
William Alsup late today granted a request by California and other
plaintiffs to prevent Pres. Trump from ending the Deferred Action
for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program while their lawsuits play out
in court.
   (AP, 1/10/18)
2018Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In San Francisco
eight people connected to the racketeering and murder case of
Raymond “Shrimp Boy” Chow were sentenced to prison terms of 12 to 84
months.
   (SFC, 1/10/18, p.A7)
2018Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In southern
California massive mud slides slammed into homes, turned highways
into raging rivers and swept away vehicles after heavy rains. At
least 21 people were left dead in the coastal community of Santa
Barbara. The mudslides destroyed about 100 homes, injured 28 people
and eight remained missing. US Highway 101 in Santa Barbara County
was closed down until January 21.
   (Reuters, 1/10/18)(Reuters, 1/11/18)(SFC,
1/22/18, p.A4)
2018Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, US federal judges
ruled that North Carolina's congressional district map, drawn by
legislative Republicans, is illegally gerrymandered and must be
redone.
   (SFC, 1/11/18, p.A5)
2018Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Bosnian Serbs
celebrated a banned "statehood" holiday in stubborn defiance of the
west and their non-Serb compatriots, but with tacit backing from
Russia.
   (AP, 1/9/18)
2018Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In China
paramilitary People's Armed Police forces used excavators and
dynamite to destroy the Golden Lampstand Church, a well-known
Christian mega-church in the city of Linfen, Shanxi province. Local
authorities planted explosives in an underground worship hall to
demolish the building, which was built with nearly $3 million in
contributions from local worshippers in one of China's poorest
regions. The church, with a congregation of more than 50,000, has
long clashed with the government.
   (AP, 1/11/18)
2018Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, The presidents of
China and France promised closer cooperation on climate,
counter-terrorism and other issues as their governments try to gain
influence in a shifting global political landscape.
   (AP, 1/9/18)
2018Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, The tanker Sanchi,
run by Iran's top oil shipping operator, National Iranian Tanker Co,
continued burning for a 3rd day in the East China Sea. The body of
one of 32 crew members was found a day earlier in the water near the
tanker.
   (Reuters, 1/9/18)
2018Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Egypt said security
forces have killed eight suspected militants in a shootout in
el-Arish city in the northern Sinai Peninsula.
   (AP, 1/9/18)
2018Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, An Egyptian court
jailed 262 people from three years to life for security-related
offences during a 2013 sit-in protest against the ousting of former
president Mohamed Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood.
   (Reuters, 1/9/18)
2018Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, German prosecutors
said they had arrested Milorad Obradovic (51), a Bosnian Serb man.
He was suspected of taking part in the illegal detention of around
120 Bosnian Muslim civilians in the village of Miska Glava, near the
northwestern town of Prijedor, in July 1992, and their summary
execution in nearby Ljubija.
   (AP, 1/9/18)
2018Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Germany and
Italy 169 people, including mayors, businessmen and local
administrators, were arrested in a large anti-mafia blitz against
clan members who controlled restaurants, garbage collection and
funeral services.
   (Reuters, 1/9/18)
2018Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, An Iranian lawmaker
said security forces arrested some 3,700 people during widespread
protests and unrest over the past two weeks. A judiciary official
announced that a detainee in Arak, a town approximately 200 km south
of Tehran, had died after committing suicide.
   (AP, 1/9/18)
2018Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Israeli jets and
ground-to-ground missiles struck Syria as PM Benjamin Netanyahu
reiterated he would do what was needed to stop Hezbollah gaining
"game-changing" Iranian weapons.
   (AP, 1/9/18)
2018Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Israeli settler
Raziel Shevah (35) died after being hit multiple times in a drive-by
shooting by suspected Palestinian gunmen near the unauthorized Havat
Gilad settlement near Nablus.
   (AP, 1/10/18)
2018Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Ivory Coast
soldiers in Bouake began looting weapons from the base of a rival
elite military unit before setting it on fire late today.
   (Israel, 1/10/18)
2018Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Kashmir a young
man was killed, and two others wounded when government forces fired
at anti-India protesters following a gunbattle that killed one
militant.
   (AP, 1/9/18)
2018Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, The Libyan navy
rescued some 279 migrants off the Libyan coast. Some 100 migrants
were missing at sea and feared dead.
   (SFC, 1/11/18, p.A2)
2018Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Nigeria's military
said troops from Nigeria and neighboring countries have launched
major offensives against the two Boko Haram factions and their
leaders. Soldiers from Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria were
targeting Abubakar Shekau in the Sambisa Forest, and Mamman Nur, on
and around Lake Chad, both in Borno state.
   (AFP, 1/9/18)
2018Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, A Pakistani court
ordered the release of a radical anti-US cleric who went to
Afghanistan with thousands of volunteers to help the Taliban fight
against Americans after the 2001 US-led invasion. Sufi Mohammad is
also known as the father-in-law of Mullah Fazlullah, the leader of
the Pakistani Taliban.
   (AP, 1/9/18)
2018Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Pakistan a bomb
targeting a police truck killed 7 people and wounded 23 in the city
of Quetta. Four of those killed and most of the wounded, were
policemen.
   (Reuters, 1/9/18)
2018Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Pakistan the
body of Zainab Ansari (8) was found in a garbage bin in Kasur city,
Punjab province. Police said she had been abducted last week, raped
and murdered. DNA testing later linked the killing to at least five
other cases of child abuse and murder in Kasur. eight suspects were
soon detained.
   (AP, 1/10/18)(SSFC, 1/14/18, p.A4)
2018Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Authorities in the
Paraguayan border town of Ciudad del Este temporarily closed a shop
accused of selling transgender dolls. The city attorney Christian
said the shop also was closed for failing to pay this year's
commercial tax and was selling toys when it's only authorized to
sell electronic goods.
   (AP, 1/10/18)
2018Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, It was reported
that a South African tribal leader has agreed to a more transparent
structure for a 175 million rand ($14 million) community trust
funded by Anglo American Platinum (Amplats), a move that aims to
curb unrest around the firm's most profitable mine.
   (Reuters, 1/9/18)
2018Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Switzerland
heavy snowfall has trapped some 13,000 tourists at Zermatt, one of
the country's most popular ski stations.
   (AFP, 1/9/18)
2018Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Syria air
strikes and artillery fire killed at least 15 civilians in the
besieged rebel enclave of Eastern Ghouta near Damascus. Four people
were reported killed by rebel bombardment on two neighborhoods in
Damascus.
   (AP, 1/9/18)
2018Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Venezuelan
officials extended the ban on air and maritime ties with Aruba,
Curacao and Bonaire, three nearby Dutch Caribbean islands, citing
smuggling claims.
   (AP, 1/9/18)
2018Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, A boat carrying
roughly 30 migrants left Venezuela for Curacao. Early the next day
four bodies washed up on the shore of Curacao. Venezuelan
authorities later confirmed 16 survivors from the shipwreck with ten
people still missing.
   (AP, 1/12/18)
2019Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Three days of
US-Chinese talks aimed at ending a costly tariff battle wrapped up
in an optimistic atmosphere.
   (AP, 1/9/19)
2019Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, A US supplier of
T-shirts and other team apparel to college bookstores cut its ties
with a Chinese company that drew workers from an internment camp
holding targeted members of ethnic minority groups.
   (AP, 1/10/19)
2019Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, The San Francisco
Giants announced a 20-year agreement with Oracle Corp. for the
company to affix its name to the city's waterfront ballpark for an
estimated $300-350 million.
   (SFC, 1/10/19, p.A1)
2019Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Colorado officials
said a simplified program will make it easier for thousands of
people to seek the elimination of low-level marijuana convictions
they received in Denver before recreational use became legal in the
state.
   (SFC, 1/10/19, p.A6)
2019Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, A wave of Taliban
attacks in western and northern Afghanistan killed 21 members of the
country's security forces.
   (AP, 1/10/19)
2019Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Australian police
late today arrested Savas Avan (48) after 38 packages allegedly
containing asbestos were sent to foreign consulates in the cities of
Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney.
   (AP, 1/10/19)
2019Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Bangladesh police
fired tear gas and swung batons as thousands of garment workers
demonstrated for better wages for a fourth day. One protester was
fatally shot and three dozen others were injured in clashes with
police.
   (AP, 1/9/19)
2019Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Bosnian Serbs
celebrated a holiday to mark the date in 1992 when Bosnian Serbs
declared the creation of their own state in Bosnia, igniting the
country's devastating four-year war that killed more than 100,000
people and left millions homeless. Bosnia's top court banned the
Serb holiday in 2015, but the ban was not observed.
   (AP, 1/9/19)
2019Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, British MPs voted
to force PM Theresa May to quickly set out an alternative plan for
Brexit if she loses a crucial vote on her EU withdrawal deal next
week, in a second parliamentary defeat in 24 hours.
   (AFP, 1/9/19)
2019Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Cambodia Kong
Korn, a veteran member of the dissolved opposition, party broke
ranks with his colleagues and became the first to apply for a
government-offered lifting of a ban on engaging in political
activity.
   (AP, 1/9/19)
2019Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, A Cambodian court
jailed Ieng Cholsa for three years for insulting the king in
Facebook posts, the second known conviction under a new lese majeste
law enacted last year, which rights groups fear could be used to
stifle dissent.
   (Reuters, 1/9/19)
2019Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, A Egyptian court
sentenced Ahmed Douma, one of the country's best-known activists, to
15 years' jail for rioting and attacking security forces in 2011.
The Cairo court also ordered Douma to pay six million Egyptian
pounds ($336,0005) for damages.
   (Reuters, 1/9/19)
2019Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Activists from a
French protest movement encouraged supporters to set off a bank run
by emptying their accounts, while the government urged citizens to
express their discontent in a national debate instead of weekly
demonstrations disrupting the streets of Paris.
   (AP, 1/9/19)
2019Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, It was reported
that France and Germany have agreed to deepen a 1963 treaty of
post-war reconciliation in a bid to show that the European Union's
main axis remains strong and counter growing eurosceptic nationalism
among some other members. The extension to the Elysee Treaty will be
signed on Jan. 22.
   (Reuters, 1/9/19)
2019Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, A French fighter
jet carrying two pilots disappeared from radar screens near the
Swiss border in a snowstorm.
   (AP, 1/9/19)
2019Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Greek authorities
said they have broken a drugs ring importing narcotics into the
country as dehydrated 'superfood' berries implanted with cocaine.
   (Reuters, 1/9/19)
2019Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Guatemala's top
court overturned a decision by President Jimmy Morales to shut down
a UN anti-corruption mission to the central American country.
   (AFP, 1/9/19)
2019Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, India's upper house
of Parliament approved a bill providing a 10 percent quota in
government jobs for the poor members of upper castes who have been
excluded from existing quotas for low-ranking castes. The bill now
only needs the approval of India's president, a formality, to become
law.
   (AP, 1/10/19)
2019Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Iran confirmed that
is holding US veteran Michael White at a prison in the country.
   (SFC, 1/10/19, p.A2)
2019Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Italy's far-right
Deputy PM Matteo Salvini, at a press conference in Warsaw, said he
wants his country and Poland to join forces to reshape Europe in his
quest for a euroskeptic alliance ahead of elections in May.
   (Reuters, 1/9/19)
2019Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Kashmir a mortar
shell fired by Indian troops from across the frontier killed a woman
as she was trying to reach a shelter during an exchange of fire
between India and Pakistan.
   (AP, 1/9/19)
2019Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, The Kazakh Foreign
Ministry said China is allowing more than 2,000 ethnic Kazakhs to
abandon their Chinese citizenship and leave the country in a sign
that Beijing may be starting to feel a mounting backlash against its
sweeping crackdown on Muslims in the far west region of Xinjiang.
   (AP, 1/9/19)
2019Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Lebanon a storm
packing snow and rain that has battered the country for five days,
flooded neighborhoods and paralyzed major mountain roads. The body
of an 8-year Syrian girl, who had gone missing a day earlier after
she fell into a river, was found in a nearby orchard.
   (AP, 1/9/19)
2019Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Forty-nine migrants
disembarked in Malta after spending more than two weeks stranded on
board rescue ships, ending a standoff in which European Union
countries had refused to offer them a safe port. An agreement
brokered by the European Commission calls for a total of some 300
migrants who have reached Malta in recent weeks to be redistributed
between eight EU countries, including Italy.
   (Reuters, 1/9/19)
2019Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Mexico's President
Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador issued an emotional appeal to his
countrymen to help battle against fuel thefts, as long lines spread
to gas stations in Mexico City.
   (AP, 1/9/19)
2019Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In northern Mexico
an apparent clash between drug gangs left 21 bodies, some burned, in
the township of Miguel Alemanof, Tamaulipas state. The death toll
soon rose to 24 with the discovery of the bodies of three more men.
   (AP, 1/10/19)(AP, 1/11/19)
2019Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Nepal and Japan
agreed to allow state-run Nepal Airlines to resume flights between
the two Asian nations at the beginning of a two-day visit to Nepal
by Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono.
   (AP, 1/9/19)
2019Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Nepal a woman
(35) and her sons were found dead by family and villagers in a small
hut next to their family home due to suspected smoke inhalation. A
local tradition exiled women from their homes and forced to live in
huts during menstruation.
   (AP, 1/10/19)
2019Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, It was reported
that the Palestinian Authority has cut off the salaries of Hamas
lawmakers in the West Bank, the latest in a series of recent
measures that have escalated tensions between the rival factions.
   (AP, 1/9/19)
2019Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In the Philippines
a mammoth crowd of mostly barefoot Catholics joined a raucous
procession in Manila of a centuries-old black statue of Jesus
Christ.
   (AP, 1/9/19)
2019Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Thousands of Poles
protested a government plan to hold a massive slaughter of wild
boars as a way to stop the spread of the deadly African swine fever
among farm pigs.
   (AP, 1/9/19)
2019Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Russia's Defense
Ministry says it has received 30 Soviet WW II-era T-34 battle tanks
from Laos, a move reflecting the national veneration of the weapon.
The ministry said more than 58,000 T-34s were built between 1940 and
1946, making it the world's most widely produced tank. The T-34 was
widely exported and used in numerous conflicts.
   (AP, 1/9/19)
2019Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Saudi Arabia's
energy ministry said proven oil reserves stood at 263.2 billion
barrels at the end of last year, up from the figure of 261 billion
barrels that has been used for almost three decades. The kingdom has
another 2.9 billion barrels of crude in a border zone shared with
neighboring Kuwait, bringing total oil reserves to 266.1 billion
barrels. Saudi oil remains among the cheapest in the world to
extract, at only $4 a barrel.
   (AFP, 1/9/19)
2019Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Sudan thousands
of people cheered President Omar al-Bashir in a show of support for
his embattled regime in Khartoum Wednesday, as riot police fired
tear gas at crowds of protesters at a rival anti-government
demonstration.
   (AFP, 1/9/19)
2019Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, A Syrian Kurdish
militia said its fighters earlier this week captured eight foreign
fighters with the Islamic State group in eastern Syria, including an
American teenager. The YPG identified the 16-year-old American
teenager as Soulay Noah Su.
   (AP, 1/9/19)
2019Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Turkey a
pro-Kurdish party legislator said 162 prisoners across Turkey have
joined a hunger strike in a show of solidarity with an imprisoned
opposition legislator who has been refusing food since November.
   (AP, 1/9/19)
2020Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, The Trump
administration unveiled a plan to speed permitting for major
infrastructure projects like oil pipelines, road expansions and
bridges, one of the biggest deregulatory actions of the president's
tenure.
   (Reuters, 1/9/20)
2020Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, It was reported
that an analysis of Commerce Department data showed that tariffs
imposed by President Donald Trump to restructure the United States'
top trade relationships have cost American companies $46 billion
since February 2018, and US exports of goods hit by retaliatory
tariffs have fallen sharply. Seasonally adjusted US Commerce data
released on Jan. 7 showed the overall US trade deficit narrowed to a
more than three-year low in November.
   (Reuters, 1/9/20)
2020Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, The mayor of Los
Angeles wrote a letter to the Trump administration formally
requesting federal assistance with the growing numbers of homeless
on the city's streets. The letter showed he and Housing Secretary
Ben Carson have had negotiations on the issue.
   (Reuters, 1/10/20)
2020Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Chicago authorities
captured a coyote late today after two reported attacks by wild
canines on humans in the city, including a 6-year-old boy who was
bitten in the head. DNA tests would confirm if this was the animal
involved in either of the attacks.
   (AP, 1/10/20)
2020Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In New York a
helicopter crash in Silver Spring Township killed pilot Mark Croce
(58) and developer Michael Capriotto (63).
   (SFC, 1/11/20, p.A6)
2020Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, A North Dakota man
who allegedly told a neighbor he had a bomb and indicated he would
harm anyone who tried to enter his condominium died after he was
shot by tactical officers in an exchange of gunfire.
   (AP, 1/10/20)
2020Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Regeneron
Pharmaceuticals Inc said its experimental treatment for a very rare
genetic bone disorder showed a nearly 90% reduction in new lesions
compared to placebo, in a mid-stage study.
   (Reuters, 1/9/20)
2020Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Abkhazia
hundreds of protesters besieged the office of regional leader Raul
Khadzhimba to demand his resignation. Demonstrators claimed
widespread irregularities in his re-election as president last
September.
   (SFC, 1/10/20, p.A2)
2020Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Britain's PM Boris
Johnson urged Iran's President Hassan Rouhani to end the
confrontation with the US and underlined Britain's commitments to
Tehran's nuclear agreement.
   (The Telegraph, 1/9/20)
2020Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Britain's
parliament gave finally approve to Brexit, allowing the traumatized
country to become the first to leave the European Union on January
31.
   (SFC, 1/10/20, p.A2)
2020Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Chinese state media
reported that a preliminary investigation into viral pneumonia
illnesses sickening dozens of people in and around the country has
identified the possible cause as a new type of coronavirus.
   (SFC, 1/10/20, p.A3)
2020Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Officials from
Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan concluded a two-day meeting in Addis
Ababa, without reaching an agreement on technical issues related to
the construction of the $4.6 billion Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam
on the Blue Nile.
   (AP, 1/10/20)
2020Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In northern Iran a
bus plunged into a ravine early today, killing 19 people and
injuring 24 in Mazandaran province.
   (AP, 1/9/20)
2020Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, The Israeli the
Justice Ministry confirmed that a psychiatric panel has determined
that Malka Leifer, a woman facing dozens of sex-abuse charges in
Australia, is fit to stand trial for extradition.
   (AP, 1/9/20)
2020Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In northern Lebanon
protesters closed a major road late today, triggering scuffles with
Lebanese troops that left more than a dozen soldiers injured.
   (AP, 1/10/20)
2020Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Niger's defense
ministry said a large assault on its military left at least 25
soldiers dead along with 63 jihadists in the town of Chinagodrar on
the border with Mali. The death toll soon rose to at least 89,
making it the most deadly attack of its kind in years in the nation.
   (SFC, 1/11/20, p.A2)(AP, 1/13/20)
2020Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In the Philippines
a mammoth crowed of barefoot Filipinos began the annual procession
of the wooden Black Nazarene in Manila.
   (SFC, 1/10/20, p.A3)
2020Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Slovenia a
nearly 26-foot wooden statue mocking US President Donald Trump was
burned to the ground. Police were looking for the arsonist.
   (AP, 1/9/20)(SFC, 1/10/20, p.A2)
2020Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Spain's Supreme
Court ruled that Oriol Junqueras, an imprisoned Catalan politician,
must remain behind bars despite a Europen court ruling that his
election to the European Parliament gave him immunity.
   (SFC, 1/10/20, p.A2)
2020Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Sudan’s PM Abdalla
Hamdok, accompanied by United Nations officials, embarked on a peace
mission to a rebel stronghold, in a major step toward government
efforts to end the country’s long-running civil conflicts.
   (AP, 1/9/20)
2020Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Thailand a
masked assailant killed three people, including a boy (2) in a
shooting spree late today at a shopping mall in Lopburi province.
   (SFC, 1/11/20, p.A2)
2020Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Ukraine's President
Volodymyr Zelensky announced a day of national mourning, promising
to find the "truth" about the crash of a Ukrainian airliner in Iran
which killed all 176 on board.
   (AFP, 1/9/20)
2020Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, The World
Organization for Animal Health (OIE) said Poland recorded 55
outbreaks of African swine fever in wild boar near the German border
last month, in a sign the deadly virus is spreading near one of the
European Union's biggest pork exporters.
   (Reuters, 1/9/20)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, US Secretary of
State Mike Pompeo announced that the State Department is voiding
longstanding restrictions on how US diplomats and others have
contact with their counterparts in Taiwan. China's state media
quickly lashed out at the move.
   (AP, 1/9/21)(AP, 1/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Off-duty US Capitol
Police officer Howard Liebengood (51) died of an apparent suicide.
He was among the officers who clashed with a pro-Trump mob that
stormed the Capitol last week.
   (https://tinyurl.com/y3mlca6q)(The Week, 1/11/21)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, California to date
had 2,661,646 cases of coronavirus and 29,241 deaths. The SF Bay
Area had 301,773 cases and 2,991 deaths. Total cases nationwide
reached over 22,129,231 with the death toll at
372,384.  Â
   (sfist.com, 1/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Jason Nightengale
(32) killed three people and wounded four others in a series of
shootings over roughly four hours that started on Chicago's South
Side and ended with his death in a shootout with police in a parking
lot just north of the city. On Feb. 2 Damia Smith (15) died due to
her injuries.
   (AP, 1/10/21)(Chicago Tribune, 2/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Ved Mehta (86), a
celebrated blind writer for The New Yorker, died in Manhattan. He
was best known for exploring the history of modern India through 12
volumes of memoir.
   (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ved_Mehta)(NY
Times, 1/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Australia's health
officials said they are on high alert after cases of highly
transmissible new variants of the coronavirus, discovered in Britain
and South Africa, have made it into the country.
   (Reuters, 1/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, It was reported
that British PM Boris Johnson has secretly ordered civil servants to
strip references to the EU from tens of thousands of laws to stop
Labour reversing Brexit after the next general election in a plan
known by some in Whitehall as “Operation Bleach”.
   (The Telegraph, 1/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 10, David Barclay
(86), one of the billionaire identical twins whose business empire
includes Britain’s Daily Telegraph newspaper, died.
   (AP, 1/13/20)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Chinese authorities
halted public transport in a provincial capital near Beijing in an
effort to stamp out a new cluster of coronavirus infections.
Government authorities said China will provide COVID-19 vaccines
free of charge once they become available to the general public.
   (AP, 1/9/21)(Reuters, 1/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Chinese electric
vehicle (EV) maker Nio Inc launched its first sedan model ET7,
eyeing a greater share of the world's largest car market. Nio's new
battery technology will give the ET7 a drive range of over 1,000 km
(621 miles) between charges.
   (Reuters, 1/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Cuba's top
epidemiologist said irresponsible partying over year-end, often with
relatives from abroad, fueled a surge in coronavirus infections and
he warned of a crackdown to prevent the spread of the disease.
   (Reuters, 1/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In western India a
fire broke out in the intensive care unit of a government-run
hospital in Bhandara, Maharashtra state. Ten infants were reported
killed.
   (SSFC, 1/10/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Indonesia a
passenger plane carrying 56 passengers and six crew members lost
contact shortly after taking off from Jakarta. The 26-year-old
Boeing 737-500 Sriwijaya Air flight went missing over the Java Sea
while en route to Pontianak.
   (AP, 1/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Indonesia two
landslides triggered by heavy rain left at least 11 people dead and
18 injured in West java province.
   (SFC, 1/11/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Iraq denounced as
"unacceptable" a US decision to blacklist the leader of a state
umbrella group for mainly Iran-backed Shi'ite militia.
   (Reuters, 1/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Thousands of
Israelis renewed weekly demonstrations against PM Benjamin
Netanyahu, calling for the long-serving leader to resign over
corruption charges against him and his alleged mishandling of the
coronavirus crisis.
   (AP, 1/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Italy reported 483
coronavirus-related deaths, down from 620 the day before, while the
daily tally of new infections rose to 19,978 from 17,533. Italy has
registered 78,394 COVID-19 deaths since its outbreak came to light
on Feb. 21.
   (Reuters, 1/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Osaka and its
surrounding prefectures asked Japan to expand a state of emergency
to the western cities in an effort to contain the latest COVID-19
outbreak. Tokyo's new daily infections kept above 2,000 cases.
   (Reuters, 1/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, The Korean Central
News Agency said North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called the US his
biggest enemy and vowed to advance Pyongyang's nuclear arsenal.
   (AP, 1/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, Lebanon reported a
record 5,400 coronavirus infections.
   (SFC, 1/15/21, p.A5)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, A major technical
fault in Pakistan's power generation and distribution system caused
a massive power outage late today that plunged the country into
darkness. The Ministry of Energy said restoration of power to all
areas of the country would take some time.
   (AP, 1/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, The Philippine
government signed a deal to secure the supply of 30 million doses of
the COVID-19 vaccine Covovax from Serum Institute of India (SII).
   (Reuters, 1/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In the Philippines
more than 400,000 Catholics in Manila celebrated a feast for a
centuries-old wooden statue of Jesus Christ, despite health experts
warning it could turn into a super-spreader event for coronavirus.
   (Reuters, 1/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 9, In Spain a
persistent blizzard has blanketed large parts of the country with
50-year record levels of snow, killing at least four people and
leaving thousands trapped in cars or in train stations and airports
that had suspended all services as the snow kept falling.
   (AP, 1/9/21)
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