EREV SHABBAT INTERNATIONAL NEWS SUMMARY

International Grassroots Gazette


*Adar II 19, 5771

• 3 25, 2011

Sacred Deeds of Creation: On This Day During The Week Of Creation

*Today is: Yom Ha’Shee’shee

Yom Ha´shee´shee ....Sixth day

*Genesis Chapter 1

בְּרֵאשִׁית

כד וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים, תּוֹצֵא הָאָרֶץ נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה לְמִינָהּ, בְּהֵמָה וָרֶמֶשׂ וְחַיְתוֹ-אֶרֶץ, לְמִינָהּ; וַיְהִי-כֵן. 24

And God said: 'Let the earth bring forth the living creature after its kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after its kind.' And it was so.

כה וַיַּעַשׂ אֱלֹהִים אֶת-חַיַּת הָאָרֶץ לְמִינָהּ, וְאֶת-הַבְּהֵמָה לְמִינָהּ, וְאֵת כָּל-רֶמֶשׂ הָאֲדָמָה, לְמִינֵהוּ; וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים, כִּי-טוֹב. 25

And God made the beast of the earth after its kind, and the cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the ground after its kind; and God saw that it was good.

.כו וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים, נַעֲשֶׂה אָדָם בְּצַלְמֵנוּ כִּדְמוּתֵנוּ; וְיִרְדּוּ בִדְגַת הַיָּם וּבְעוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם, וּבַבְּהֵמָה וּבְכָל-הָאָרֶץ, וּבְכָל-הָרֶמֶשׂ, הָרֹמֵשׂ עַל-הָאָרֶץ. 26

And God said: 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.'

כז וַיִּבְרָא אֱלֹהִים אֶת-הָאָדָם בְּצַלְמוֹ, בְּצֶלֶם אֱלֹהִים בָּרָא אֹתוֹ: זָכָר וּנְקֵבָה, בָּרָא אֹתָם. 27 And God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them.

כח וַיְבָרֶךְ אֹתָם, אֱלֹהִים, וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם אֱלֹהִים פְּרוּ וּרְבוּ וּמִלְאוּ אֶת-הָאָרֶץ, וְכִבְשֻׁהָ; וּרְדוּ בִּדְגַת הַיָּם, וּבְעוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם, וּבְכָל-חַיָּה, הָרֹמֶשֶׂת עַל-הָאָרֶץ. 28

And God blessed them; and God said unto them: 'Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that creepeth upon the earth.'

כט וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים, הִנֵּה נָתַתִּי לָכֶם אֶת-כָּל-עֵשֶׂב זֹרֵעַ זֶרַע אֲשֶׁר עַל-פְּנֵי כָל-הָאָרֶץ, וְאֶת-כָּל-הָעֵץ אֲשֶׁר-בּוֹ פְרִי-עֵץ, זֹרֵעַ זָרַע: לָכֶם יִהְיֶה, לְאָכְלָה. 29

And God said: 'Behold, I have given you every herb yielding seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed--to you it shall be for food;

ל וּלְכָל-חַיַּת הָאָרֶץ וּלְכָל-עוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם וּלְכֹל רוֹמֵשׂ עַל-הָאָרֶץ, אֲשֶׁר-בּוֹ נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה, אֶת-כָּל-יֶרֶק עֵשֶׂב, לְאָכְלָה; וַיְהִי-כֵן. 30

and to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is a living soul, [I have given] every green herb for food.' And it was so.

לא וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים אֶת-כָּל-אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה, וְהִנֵּה-טוֹב מְאֹד; וַיְהִי-עֶרֶב וַיְהִי-בֹקֶר, יוֹם הַשִּׁשִּׁי. {פ} 31 And God saw every thing that He had made, and, behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

*Today in Judaism

*Today in Jewish History

*Israel Secures Ein Gedi (1949)

• Following the War of Independance, Israel needed to secure its borders against the hostile Arab nations which surrounded it. Ein Gedi, on the western shore of the Dead Sea, was secured on Sunday, March 20, 1949.

*War of Independence

• Bombing in Cairo Jewish Quarter in Cairo Jewish Quarter 1948

• Following the War of Independence (see Jewish History for the 6th of Iyar), citizens in many Arab countries began harassing their Jewish co-citizens, often times inflicting casualties and substantial property damage. The 5,000 Jews living in Cairo, Egypt.

*Arab Countries Declare War on Israel 1948

• One day after the State of Israel was proclaimed (see Jewish History for the 5th of Iyar), the surrounding Arab nations -- Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq --declared war on the fledgling state, with the objective of "driving the Jews into the sea.

*Hospital Convoy Ambushed 1948

• On the morning of the 4th of Nissan, a civilian convoy of doctors and nurses traveling to the Hadassah Hospital on Mount Scopus (see Today in Jewish History for 20 Iyar) was attacked by Arab forces. Of the ten vehicles in the caravan, five escaped.

*Israel Secures Ein Gedi 1949

• Following the War of Independence, Israel needed to secure its borders against the hostile Arab nations which surrounded it. Ein Gedi, on the western shore of the Dead Sea, was secured on Sunday, March 20, 1949. Link: War of Independence

*The Battle at Deganya 1948

• The Israeli Army defeated the advancing Syrian Army, following the shelling at the entrance of Deganya, which began at sunrise and lasted nine hours. It is considered the first Israeli victory following the start of the War of Independence.

*Daily Quote

• And you shall rejoice in your festival --you, and your son, and your daughter, and your manservant, and your maidservant, and the Levite, and the stranger, and the orphan, and the widow, who are within your cities

- Deuteronomy 16:14

*Daily Study

1. Chitas and Rambam for today:

2. Chumash: Shemini, 6th Portion Leviticus 11:1-11:32 with Rashi

3. Tehillim: Chapters 90 - 96

4. Tanya: Likutei Amarim, middle of Chapter 37

5. Rambam:

• Sefer Hamitzvos:

• 1 Chapter: Tum'at Okhalin Chap. 5

• 3 Chapters: Avel Chapter 12, Avel Chapter 13, Avel Chapter 14

6. Ha Yom:

*Latest news

• NATO to take control of Libyan no-fly zone

• English actress Elizabeth Taylor dies at age 79

• Detroit’s population drops by one-fourth in the last decade

• UK police find body of missing woman and search for another; suspect in custody

• Tamil Nadu Elections: DMK, AIADMK promise freebies

• Magnitude 6.8 earthquake strikes northeastern Myanmar

• More than a dozen reported dead after Syrian protests

• Libyan city of Misrata reported to be secure after Gaddafi forces retreat

• 'Worst song of all time' becomes YouTube sensation

• Gene mutation produces autism-like traits in mice

• Petition urges Apple to remove 'anti-gay' app

• U.S. military denies reports helicopter opened fire on Libyan civilians during rescue mission

• Professional wrestling manager Oliver Humperdink dies aged 62

• Blues musician Pinetop Perkins dies at age 97

• U.S. fighter jet crashes in Libya

• Boni Yayi confirmed as winner of 2011 Benin presidental election

• Egyptian voters approve constitutional changes

• Existing US home sales fall 9.6% in February

• Haiti votes in presidential runoff



Topics in the news



NATO takes over command of the no-fly zone in Libya.

After failing to pass austerity measures through the Assembly of the Republic, José Sócrates (pictured) resigns as Prime Minister of Portugal.

American mathematician John Milnor is awarded the Abel Prize for his contributions to geometry, topology and algebra.

Actress Elizabeth Taylor dies at the age of 79.

The House of Representatives of the Philippines impeaches Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez for alleged betrayal of public trust.

Earthquake in Japan • Middle East and North Africa protests



*Current events of 3 25 2011

• Armed conflicts and attacks

Libyan rebels arrest Omar Ahmed Sodani, the man believed responsible for the murder of PC Yvonne Fletcher outside the Libyan embassy in London in 1984. (The Guardian)

Supporters of the Jordanian government clash with protesters in Amman. (BBC)

• Arts and culture

Archaeologist Michael R. Waters and associates report in Science that discoveries at the Debra L Friedkin site north of Austin, Texas may indicate that the Clovis culture was not the first to settle the Americas. (BBC) (Science) (Irish Times)

• Disasters

1. Japan's National Police Agency states that the official death toll from the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami has passed 10000 with 17,440 missing. (AP via Yahoo! News)

2. The deathtoll from the 2011 Burma earthquake near the Thailand border reaches 50 with the potential for "many more casualties" as dozens of buildings are destroyed. (Reuters via TV New Zealand) (AFP via Channel News Asia)

3. Japanese officials raise concerns that the core of the unit at the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant may be damaged. (New York Times)

• International relations

The Government of Iran rejects a United Nations Human Rights Council investigation into alleged human rights abuses. (AFP via France24)

• Law and crime

Chinese human rights activist Liu Xianbin is sentenced to ten years in jail on charges of inciting subversion. (AP via The Statesman)

• Politics

Yassin Noman, the head of Yemen's opposition coalition, rejects the offers by the President of Yemen Ali Abdullah Saleh to resign by the end of the year. (Al-Jazeera)

The Northern Ireland Assembly dissolves ahead of May elections. (BBC)

TODAY IN THE NEWS, JUDAISM, DAILY STUDY, IN THE CYCLE OF CREATION, DAILY MITZVAH

*Today is:Yom Revee´ee............Fourth day


Adar II 17, 5771 • 3 23, 2011



יד וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים, יְהִי מְאֹרֹת בִּרְקִיעַ הַשָּׁמַיִם, לְהַבְדִּיל, בֵּין הַיּוֹם וּבֵין הַלָּיְלָה; וְהָיוּ לְאֹתֹת וּלְמוֹעֲדִים, וּלְיָמִים וְשָׁנִים. 14



And God said: 'Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years;



טו וְהָיוּ לִמְאוֹרֹת בִּרְקִיעַ הַשָּׁמַיִם, לְהָאִיר עַל-הָאָרֶץ; וַיְהִי-כֵן. 15



and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth.' And it was so.



טז וַיַּעַשׂ אֱלֹהִים, אֶת-שְׁנֵי הַמְּאֹרֹת הַגְּדֹלִים: אֶת-הַמָּאוֹר הַגָּדֹל, לְמֶמְשֶׁלֶת הַיּוֹם, וְאֶת-הַמָּאוֹר הַקָּטֹן לְמֶמְשֶׁלֶת הַלַּיְלָה, וְאֵת הַכּוֹכָבִים. 16



And God made the two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night; and the stars.



יז וַיִּתֵּן אֹתָם אֱלֹהִים, בִּרְקִיעַ הַשָּׁמָיִם, לְהָאִיר, עַל-הָאָרֶץ. 17



And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,



יח וְלִמְשֹׁל, בַּיּוֹם וּבַלַּיְלָה, וּלְהַבְדִּיל, בֵּין הָאוֹר וּבֵין הַחֹשֶׁךְ; וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים, כִּי-טוֹב. 18



and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness; and God saw that it was good.



יט וַיְהִי-עֶרֶב וַיְהִי-בֹקֶר, יוֹם רְבִיעִי. {פ} 19



And there was evening and there was morning, a fourth day. {P}





* Today in Judaism

• A High Priest under the Same Roof as a Corpse

Negative Commandment 167



1. The 167th prohibition is that a kohen gadol is forbidden from being under the same roof as a dead body, even if it is someone who there is a command to mourn, i.e. a close relative.1 The source of this prohibition is G d's statement,2 "He shall not come into [a tent containing] any dead body." If he makes himself tameh — even for his father or mother — he is punished by lashes.



• Today in Jewish History

• Torah Sages Escape (c. 75 BCE)

1. In the year 91 BCE, Alexander Yannai of the Hasmonean family succeeded his brother Yehuda Aristoblus to the throne of Judea. Alexander Yannai was a Sadducee who virulently persecuted the Pharisees. At one point during his bloody reign, following a victory he scored on a battlefield, he invited all the Torah scholars for a celebratory feast. During this feast he was slighted by one of the guests, which led him to execute all the Torah scholars in attendance.

2. A few of the sages managed to escape to the town of Sulukus in Syria. There, too, they encountered anti-Semitic enemies who murdered many of the exiled sages. The handful of surviving Torah scholars went in to hiding, finding refuge in the home of an individual named Zevadai. On the night of the 17th of Adar they escaped the hostile city of Sulukus.

3. Eventually these surviving scholars revived Torah Judaism. The date they escaped the clutches of death was established as a day of celebration.

• Completion of Code of Jewish Law (1563)

1. Rabbi Yosef Caro completed the Shulchan Aruch, the Code of Jewish Law. This concise codification of all Jewish law which is germane today was an extension of his Beit Yosef commentary (see entry for the 11th of Elul).

2. The Shulchan Aruch is divided in to four sections: Orach Chaim -- details the laws pertaining to daily life, lifecycle events, and holidays. Yoreh De'ah -- laws which a practicing rabbi must be proficient in, such as complex nuances of the kosher laws, laws of mikvah, and laws of slaughtering. Even Ha'ezer -- laws of marriage, divorce, reproduction, and the like. Choshen Mishpat -- monetary and judicial laws; required study for a member of a rabbinical court.

3. To this very day, the Shulchan Aruch serves as the primary halachic guide for Jewish life.





*Daily Quote





1. Hear O Israel, the L-rd our G-d, the L-rd is one

- Deuteronomy 6:4

*Daily Study



Chitas and Rambam for today:



Chumash: Shemini, 4th Portion Leviticus 10:12-10:15 with Rashi



Tehillim: Chapters 83 - 87



Tanya: Likutei Amarim, middle of Chapter 37



Rambam:

• Sefer Hamitzvos:

• 1 Chapter: Tum'at Okhalin Chap. 3

• 3 Chapters: Avel Chapter 6, Avel Chapter 7, Avel Chapter 8

*

Hayom:

*

• The House of Representatives of the Philippines impeaches Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez for alleged betrayal of public trust.

• Nikolai Andrianov, winner of the most medals in men's Olympic gymnastics, dies at the age of 58.

• Voters in Egypt approve a new constitution at a referendum, as a part of the overall reform.

• The Alpine Skiing World Cup concludes with Ivica Kostelić of Croatia and Maria Riesch of Germany winning the overall titles.

• French, British and American forces launch attacks (USS Barry pictured) on pro-Gaddafi troops in Libya in support of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973.

• Earthquake and tsunami in Japan

*

*Current events

*

• Armed conflict and attacks

*

1. Syrian forces kill at least four people at the Omari Mosque in the southern Syrian city of Deraa following days of protest against the Ba'ath Party. (Reuters), (BBC)

2. 2011 Libyan uprising

3. NATO will take over responsibility for enforcing the Libyan no-fly zone. (The Guardian)

4. Libyan forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi continue to attack the cities of Ajdabiya, Misurata and Zintan despite the western intervention. (The Guardian)

5. The President of Yemen Ali Abdullah Saleh offers to stand down by the end of the year and warns of a "civil war" as 2011 Yemeni protests continue. (Al-Jazeera)

6. Palestinean militants in the Gaza Strip fire a Grad rocket at the Israeli city of Beersheba with initial reports of one person injured. (Haaretz)

*

• Business and economy

*

1. The Chinese yuan reaches a record level against the US dollar. (BBC)

*

• Disasters

*

1. The Prime Minister of Japan Naoto Kan instructs the Governor of Fukushima Prefecture Yūhei Satō not to advise residents to eat leafy vegetables due to the Fukushima I nuclear accidents. (Kyodo News)

2. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bureau of Waterworks says levels of radioactive iodine in city tap water is two times the recommended limit for infants. (NZ Stuff)

*

• International relations

*

Roberto Maroni, the Italian Minister of the Interior, flies to Tunis to discuss stopping the flow of Tunisian immigrants to the small island of Lampedusa following the Tunisian Revolution. (BBC)

*

• Politics and elections

*

1. Thousands of people gather in Canberra, Australia to protest the introduction of a carbon tax.

2. Prime Minister Julia Gillard met the Australian Youth Climate Coalition which is pushing for a price on emissions, while climate change mitigation activists including the Australian Council of Trade Unions delivered a petition to Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency Greg Combet signed by about 10,000 "working Australians" .

3. They are urging the government to take action. (AAP via Adelaide Now) (The Australian) (Sydney Morning Herald), (Daily Telegraph)

4. The Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne delivers the 2011 United Kingdom budget. (The Telegraph)



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Yom Shleeshee News and Judaism Blog

Yom Shlee´shee


Adar II 16, 5771

• 3 22, 2011



THE SACREDNESS OF EACH DAY IN TORAH

Genesis Chapter 1

בְּרֵאשִׁית

Yom Shlee´shee.........Third day

ט וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים, יִקָּווּ הַמַּיִם מִתַּחַת הַשָּׁמַיִם אֶל-מָקוֹם אֶחָד, וְתֵרָאֶה, הַיַּבָּשָׁה; וַיְהִי-כֵן. 9 And God said: 'Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear.' And it was so.

י וַיִּקְרָא אֱלֹהִים לַיַּבָּשָׁה אֶרֶץ, וּלְמִקְוֵה הַמַּיִם קָרָא יַמִּים; וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים, כִּי-טוֹב. 10

And God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering together of the waters called He Seas; and God saw that it was good.

יא וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים, תַּדְשֵׁא הָאָרֶץ דֶּשֶׁא עֵשֶׂב מַזְרִיעַ זֶרַע, עֵץ פְּרִי עֹשֶׂה פְּרִי לְמִינוֹ, אֲשֶׁר זַרְעוֹ-בוֹ עַל-הָאָרֶץ; וַיְהִי-כֵן. 11

And God said: 'Let the earth put forth grass, herb yielding seed, and fruit-tree bearing fruit after its kind, wherein is the seed thereof, upon the earth.' And it was so.

יב וַתּוֹצֵא הָאָרֶץ דֶּשֶׁא עֵשֶׂב מַזְרִיעַ זֶרַע, לְמִינֵהוּ, וְעֵץ עֹשֶׂה-פְּרִי אֲשֶׁר זַרְעוֹ-בוֹ, לְמִינֵהוּ; וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים, כִּי-טוֹב. 12

And the earth brought forth grass, herb yielding seed after its kind, and tree bearing fruit, wherein is the seed thereof, after its kind; and God saw that it was good.

יג וַיְהִי-עֶרֶב וַיְהִי-בֹקֶר, יוֹם שְׁלִישִׁי. {פ} 13

And there was evening and there was morning, a third day.





EDITORIAL



The American people want action! We do not want to see Libyans being slaughtered by a vengeful tyrant determined to hold on to power and then to pass it on to his sons, thus creating a dynasty. The tide of history is this: people want freedom and Democracy. The day when the people of the world would sit quietly like sheeple allowing tyrants to oppress them are done. America should be ashamed of the role that it played in giving these gangsters legitimacy by treating them as true leaders instead of the murderous tyrants that they really are. Why is the congress not behind Our president 100%? POLITICS!! Remember when he received the Nobel Prize? They criticized! At long last is there NOTHING that this man can do that they would not find fault with? If The President helped an old lady across the street they would rail and rant and accuse him of staging a cynical media event to gain favor with the voters. Where will it end? The tide of history will leave many of these men behind! History will show them to have been the petty, small minded political hacks that they really are! The Congress and the Senate Need to get on with GOVERNANCE, and ‘quit the unending small minded politicking. America is watching and it is disgusted!

*

Daily Mitzvah (Maimonides)

*

Today's Mitzvah

A daily digest of Maimonides' classic work "Sefer Hamitzvot"

The High Priest Coming in Contact with a Corpse

*

Negative Commandment 168

• The 168th prohibition is that a kohen gadol is forbidden from becoming tameh by means of a dead body, regardless of the type of contact — whether through touching or carrying.1

• The source of this prohibition is G‑d's statement,2 "He shall not become tameh [even] for his father or mother."

• You might think that this mitzvah and the previous one3 are all one idea, and the phrase, "He shall not become tameh [even] for his father or mother," is merely explaining [the previous phrase4]. But this is not the case; there are two prohibitions, "He shall not come," and "He shall not become tameh." [We see this from] the words of the Sifra:5 "He is punished for transgressing, 'He shall not come,' and he is punished for transgressing, 'He shall not become tameh.' "

• These prohibitions [regarding a kohen gadol] also apply to a regular kohen, because of a gezeira shavah.6 Our Sages said, "Just as the kohen gadol is forbidden from becoming tameh through a dead body by two prohibitions — 'He shall not come' and 'He shall not become tameh' — so too the regular kohen. Since he is prohibited from becoming tameh,7 he also has the prohibition, 'He shall not come.' " This prohibition, however, is not counted separately, for the reason given in the Second Introductory Principle.8



• But we have counted these [of the kohen gadol] as two separate mitzvos because there are two separate statements: "He shall not come" and "He shall not become tameh." And the prohibition "he shall not come" is independent of "he shall not become tameh," as our Sages, guardians of the Oral Tradition, said, "He is punished for transgressing, 'He shall not come,' and he is punished for transgressing, 'He shall not become tameh.' "



Today in Judaism

*

Today in Jewish History

• Rebuilding of Jerusalem Wall Begun (c. 41 CE)

Agrippa I, appointed by the Roman Emperor to rule over Judea, was pious and kind to his subjects. During his reign, the Jews began to prosper and live comfortably. The Sages of the time accorded him great respect.

Agrippa I started construction to repair, broaden and heighten the walls around Jerusalem. The Romans, wary of the Jews' rising prosperity, placed many obstacles in his way. Nonetheless, the wall was completed, though the finished product was not as magnificent as originally planned.

The 16th of Adar, the day when the construction commenced, was instituted to be a joyous day.

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Daily Quote

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[A very high] level of charity is to give to the poor without knowing to whom one gives, and without the recipient knowing from whom he received. For this is performing a mitzvah solely for the sake of Heaven

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- Mishneh Torah, Laws of Charity, 10:8

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Daily Study

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Chitas and Rambam for today:

• Chumash: Shemini, 3rd Portion Leviticus 9:24-10:11 with Rashi

• Tehillim: Chapters 79 - 82

• Tanya: Likutei Amarim, middle of Chapter 37

Rambam:

• Sefer Hamitzvos:

• 1 Chapter: Tum'at Okhalin Chap. 2

• 3 Chapters: Avel Chapter 3, Avel Chapter 4, Avel Chapter 5

Ha Yom:

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• Topics in the news

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1. Nikolai Andrianov (pictured), winner of the most medals in men's Olympic gymnastics, dies at the age of 58.

2. Voters in Egypt approve a new constitution at a referendum, as a part of the overall reform.

3. The Alpine Skiing World Cup concludes with Ivica Kostelić of Croatia and Maria Riesch of Germany winning the overall titles.

4. French, British and American forces launch attacks on pro-Gaddafi troops in Libya in support of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973.

5. Thousands of people protest across Syria in the country's largest demonstrations in decades.

6. In rugby union, England win the Six Nations Championship.

7. Earthquake and tsunami in Japan

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• Current events

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• Armed conflicts and attacks

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1. The President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai names the seven areas of Afghanistan that will pass into Afghan control from July: Kabul, Panjshir Province, Bamiyan Province, Herat, Mazar-e-Sharif, Mihterlam and Lashkar Gah. (BBC)

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• Business and economy

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1. Sony announces that five more Japanese manufacturing plants will stop working or reduce hours as a result of supply problems caused by the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. (Reuters)

2. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China rejects accusations by Google that it is blocking access to Gmail in China. (Reuters)

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• Disasters

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1. Tokyo Electric Power Co. resumes its policy of rolling electricity blackouts following ongoing problems caused by the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. (Kyodo News)

2. The Japanese government says that Tokyo Electric Power will have to compensate farmers for losses caused by the Fukushima I nuclear accidents. (BBC)

3. Radiation levels near the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant soar to 1600 times normal levels. (Herald Sun)

4. South Korea agrees to hold talks with North Korea about a potential eruption of Baekdu Mountain near the North's border with the People's Republic of China. (Yonhap News)

5. An explosion at the Sorange coal mine in Pakistan's Baluchistan province kills 52 people. (AP via The Guardian)



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Law and crime

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1. The former President of Israel Moshe Katsav is jailed for seven years for rape. (Haaretz)

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• Politics

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1. John-Paul Langbroek stands down as the Leader of the Opposition in the Australian state of Queensland with the sitting Lord Mayor of Brisbane Campbell Newman favoured to take his place. (ABC News)

2. The Philippine House of Representatives votes to impeach the Ombudsman, Merceditas Gutierrez, for allegedly failing to investigate former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and other senior officials of her administration with sufficient vigor. (AP via Yahoo! News)