Today in History - January 28
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28CEÂ Â Â Â Â Â
Jan 28, The Roman Emperor Nerva named Trajan, an army general, as
his successor.
   (HN, 1/28/99)
814Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Charlemagne (71),
German emperor, Holy Roman Emperor (800-814), died. In 1968 Jacques
Boussard authored “The Civilisation of Charlemagne.” In 2004
Alessandro Barbero authored “Charlemagne: Father of a Continent.”
   (www.tiscali.co.uk)(Econ, 1/3/04, p.39)(Econ,
9/18/04, p.87)
1077Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Pope Gregory VII
pardoned German emperor Henry IV at Canossa in northern Italy. Henry
had insisted that he reserved the right to "invest" bishops and
other clergymen, despite the papal decree, but became penitent when
faced with permanent excommunication.
  Â
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walk_to_Canossa)(Econ, 5/9/09, p.88)
1457Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Henry Tudor (later
Henry VII), 1st Tudor king of England (1485-1509), was born in
Pembroke Castle, Wales.
  Â
(www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/henry_vii_king.shtml)
1495Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Pope Alexander VI
gave his son Cesare Borgia as hostage to Charles VIII of France.
   (MC, 1/28/02)
1547Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, England's King
Henry VIII (55) died; his sixth and last wife was Catherine Parr. He
was succeeded by his 9-year-old son, Edward VI. In 1996 Alison Weir
authored “The Children of Henry VIII.”
   (V.D.-H.K.p.162)(AP, 1/28/98)(HN, 1/28/99)(ON,
5/00, p.5)
1561Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, The Edict of
Orleans suspended the persecution of French Huguenots.
   (MC, 1/28/02)
1573Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Warsaw a
confederation act acknowledged freedom of religion in Lithuania and
Poland.
   (LHC, 1/28/03)
1578Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Cornelis Haga,
Dutch lawyer, ambassador to Constantinople (1611-39), was born.
   (MC, 1/28/02)
1588Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, King Sigismund
Vaza upheld the 3rd Lithuanian Statute that until 1795 stood as the
fundamental code of law. In practice it was active until 1840.
   (LHC, 1/28/03)
1596Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, English navigator
Sir Francis Drake (50) died off the coast of Panama of a fever; he
was buried at sea.
   (HT, 4/97, p.30)(AP, 1/28/98)
1608Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Giovanni Alfonso
Borelli, mathematician, astronomer, was born in Naples.
   (MC, 1/28/02)
1613Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Thomas Bodley
(b.1545), English diplomatist and scholar, died in London. He
founded the Bodleian Library at Oxford.
   (www.nndb.com/people/859/000094577/)
1613Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Galileo may have
unknowingly viewed the undiscovered planet Neptune.
   (MC, 1/28/02)
1621Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Pope Paul V
(b.1552), born as born Camillo Borghese, died. Shortly after his
death Cardinal Scipione Borghese, the Pope’s nephew, commissioned
Bernini to create a marble bust of the Pope.
   (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Paul_V)(Econ,
6/27/15, p.73)
1693Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Anna "Ivanovna",
Tsarina of Russia, was born. [see Feb 7]
   (HN, 1/28/99)
1706Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, John Baskerville,
English typographer and inventor of the "hot-pressing" method of
printing. He also manufactured lacquered ware.
   (HN, 1/28/00)(WUD, 1994 p.124)
1725Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Peter I "the
Great" Romanov (52), Czar of Russia (1682-1725), died. [see Feb 8]
   (MC, 1/28/02)
1757Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Antonio Bartolomeo
Bruni, composer, was born.
   (MC, 1/28/02)
1757Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Ahmed Shah, the
first King of Afghanistan, occupied Delhi and annexed the Punjab.
   (HN, 1/28/99)
1775Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Peter the Great,
Czar of Russia, was born.
   (HN, 1/28/99)
1792Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Rebellious slaves
in Santo Domingo launched an attack on the city of Cap.
   (HN, 1/28/99)
1801Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Francis Barber
(ca. 1735 – 1801), the Jamaican manservant of Samuel Johnson
(1752-1784), died at the Staffordshire General Infirmary.
  Â
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Barber)(http://tinyurl.com/2njdfy)
1807Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, London's Pall Mall
was 1st street lit by gaslight.
   (MC, 1/28/02)
1825Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, George Edward
Pickett (d.1875), Major General in the Confederate Army, was born.
When blame was being sought for why his ill-fated charge was the
final action of the Battle of Gettysburg, and why the Confederacy
did not win the three-day battle, George Pickett suggested that "The
Union Army might have had something to do with it." Pickett had been
sponsored for West Point by the Illinois congressman, Abraham
Lincoln.
   (MC, 1/28/02)
1829Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Scotland
William Burke was hanged for murder following a scandal in which he
was found to have provided extra-fresh corpses for anatomy schools
in Edinburgh. His partner William Hare had turned king’s witness.
The scandal led to the 1832 Anatomy Act.
   (Econ, 11/15/08,
p.99)(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Burke)
1830Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Daniel Auber's
opera "Fra Diavolo," premiered in Paris.
   (MC, 1/28/02)
1833Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Charles George
"Chinese" Gordon, general (China, Khartoum), was born in London.
   (MC, 1/28/02)
1839Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, William Henry Fox
Talbot (1800-1877), English inventor, presented his discoveries and
methods of photography to the Royal Society of London. His
callotype, a negative to positive process, allowed multiple
reproductions of a single image for the 1st time. Talbot suggested a
daguerreotype camera with extra parts to hold mercury.
   (ON, 4/00, p.10)(SFC, 6/12/96, Z1 p.5)(SFC,
12/26/02, p.E9)
1851Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Northwestern
University, near Chicago, was chartered.
   (MC, 1/28/02)
1853Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Cuban
revolutionary Jose Marti was born in Havana.
   (AP, 1/28/98)
1858Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, John Brown
organized a plan to raid the Arsenal at Harper's Ferry. [see Oct 16,
1859]
   (MC, 1/28/02)(ON, 7/02, p.7)
1871Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, France, under a
provisional republican government, continued the war against
Germany, but was forced to surrender in the Franco-Prussian War.
Surrounded by Prussian troops and suffering from famine, the French
army in Paris surrendered. During the siege, balloons were used to
keep contact with the outside world.
   (V.D.-H.K.p.260)(AP, 1/28/98)(HN, 1/28/99)
1878Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, The first daily
college newspaper, Yale News (now Yale Daily News), began
publication in New Haven, Conn.
   (AP, 1/28/08)  Â
1878Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, The 1st telephone
exchange was established at New Haven, Conn.
   (AP, 1/28/04)
1880Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Henry Casebolt,
San Francisco inventor of the cable car grip, sold his interest in
the Sutter Street Railway.
   (www.cable-car-guy.com/html/ccwho.html#hxc)
1884Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Jean Felix
Piccard, scientist, explorer (balloonist), was born in Switzerland.
   (MC, 1/28/02)
1886Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Artur Rubinstein,
pianist, was born in Lodz, Poland.
   (MC, 1/28/02)
1901Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Byron Bancroft
Johnson announced that the American League would play the 1901
baseball season as a major league and would not renew its membership
in the National Agreement. The new league would include Baltimore
and Washington, DC, recently abandoned by the National League. The
league would also invade 4 cities where National League teams
existed: Boston, Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia. The 8 charter
teams included: the Baltimore Orioles, Boston Americans, Chicago
White Stockings, Cleveland Blues, Detroit Tigers, Milwaukee Brewers,
Philadelphia Athletics, and Washington Senators.
   (ON, 6/09,
p.11)(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_League)
1902Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, The Carnegie
Institute was established in Washington, D.C.
   (AP, 1/28/98)
1909Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, The United States
ended direct control over Cuba.
   (AP, 1/28/98)
1911Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In San Francisco
143 were taken prisoner following a raid on gambling at a poolroom
at Fourth and Mission streets run by Brophy & Collins.
   (SSFC, 1/23/11, p.42)
1912Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Jackson Pollock
(d.1956), "Jack the Dripper", expressionist painter (Lavender Mist),
was born in Cody, Wyoming. Leader of the abstract expressionist
school of art. He filled two sketchbooks between 1937-1939 and
another from 1938-1941.
   (AHD, 1971, p.1015)(WSJ, 11/5/97, p.A20)
1912Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Ecuador a group
of pro-Catholic soldiers supported by a mob, broke into the prison
where former Press. Alfaro and his colleagues were detained and
dragged them along the cobbled streets of the city center. This
sparked the Concha Revolution.
   (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1912_in_Ecuador)
1913Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Pleasance Pendred,
an active member of the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU),
was arrested for taking part in a window breaking campaign mainly
targeting government offices around Westminster. Her pamphlet “Why
Women Teachers Break Windows” was first published circa 1912 by the
Woman’s Press. The Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) had
recently declared all out war against public and private property in
the United Kingdom. An orgy of vandalism followed.
  Â
(http://suffragettes.nls.uk/media/28977/project_1_4_1.pdf)(ON,
10/2010, p.8)
1914Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Beverly Hills, Ca,
was incorporated.
   (http://www.beverlyhills.org/)
1915Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Pres. Wilson
refused to prohibit the immigration of illiterates.
   (MC, 1/28/02)
1915Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, The U.S. Coast
Guard was founded by an Act of Congress to fight contraband trade
and aid distressed vessels at sea.
   (AP, 1/28/98)(HN, 1/28/99)
1915Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, 1st US ship, the
William P. Frye, was lost in WW I while carrying wheat to UK.
   (MC, 1/28/02)
1915Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, The German navy
attacked the U.S. freighter William P. Frye, loaded with wheat for
Britain.
   (HN, 1/28/99)
1916Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Louis D. Brandeis,
a private practice attorney and leader in the US Zionist movement,
was appointed by President Wilson to the Supreme Court, becoming its
first Jewish member. He served until 1939.
   (AP, 1/28/98)(SFC, 10/6/05, p.A15)
1917Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, US forces were
recalled from Mexico after nearly eleven months of fruitless
searching for Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa, accused of leading
a bloody raid against Columbus, New Mexico.
   (MC, 1/28/02)
1918Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Lieutenant Colonel
John McCrae (b.1872), Canadian MD and author of the poem Flanders
Field (1915), died.
   (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_McCrae)
1918Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Leon Trotsky
became leader of the Russian Communists.
   (MC, 1/28/02)
1921Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Albert Einstein
startled Berlin by suggesting the possibility of measuring the
universe.
   (HN, 1/28/99)
1922Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, The American Pro
Football Association was renamed "National Football League."
   (MC, 1/28/02)
1923Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, The 1st "National
Socialist German Workers Party" (NSDAP, aka NAZI) formed in Munich.
   (MC, 1/28/02)
1929Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Claus Oldenburg,
US pop artist (Alphabet/Good Humor), was born in Stockholm, Sweden.
He worked in Chicago as a newspaper reporter and then went to New
York in 1956. He opened his “Store” in 1961, which was a storefront
stocked with painted plaster replicas of food, clothing, and
inexpensive household goods.
   (WSJ, 10/11/95, p. A-12)(MC, 1/28/02)
1932Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, The Japanese
attacked Shanghai, China, and declared martial law.
   (HN, 1/28/99)
1933Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Susan Sontag,
American essayist and novelist, was born. Her works included "The
Style of Radical Will" and "Illness as a Metaphor."
   (HN, 1/28/99)
1934Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, The 1st US rope
ski tow began operation at Woodstock, Vermont.
   (MC, 1/28/02)
1936Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Alan Alda,
[Alphonso D'Abruzzo], actor (Hawkeye Pierce-M*A*S*H), was born in
NYC.
   (MC, 1/28/02)
1936Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, A fellow prison
inmate slashed infamous kidnapper Richard Loeb to death.
   (HN, 1/28/99)
1941Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, French General
Charles DeGaulle's Free French forces sacked south Libya oasis.
   (HN, 1/28/99)
1943Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In San Francisco
the price of coffee jumped from five cents to a dime in one chain of
restaurants.
   (SSFC, 1/28/18, DB p.50)
1944Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Leonard
Bernstein's "Jeremiah," premiered in Pittsburgh.
   (MC, 1/28/02)
1944Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Matthew Henson
received a joint medal from Congress as co-discoverer of the North
Pole.
   (HN, 1/28/99)
1944Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, 683 British
bombers attacked Berlin.
   (MC, 1/28/02)
1944Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, U-271 & U-571
sank off Ireland.
   (MC, 1/28/02)
1945Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, During World War
II, Allied supplies began reaching China over the newly reopened
Burma Road.
   (AP, 1/28/98)
1945Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Chiang Kai-shek
renamed the Ledo-Burma Road the Stillwell Road, in honor of General
Joseph Stillwell.
   (HN, 1/28/99)
1945Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, The US Army 10th
Mountain Division first entered combat in the Apennine Mountains of
northern Italy.
   (ON, 4/2011, p.7)
1945Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, The Red Army
captured Klaipeda, the last German-held Lithuanian city.
   (LHC, 1/28/03)
1946Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Helene Schjerfbeck
(b.1862), Finnish painter, died. Her work included a 5 painting
series of self-portraits that represented herself at various ages.
   (Econ, 11/24/07,
p.91)(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helene_Schjerfbeck)
1948Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, A plane chartered
by US Immigration Services left Oakland, Ca., carrying 32 people,
including 28 Mexicans. Many were part of the bracero program and had
finished their government-sponsored work contracts. 20 miles west of
Coalinga an engine exploded, a wing broke off and more than 100
witnesses watched bodies and luggage thrown from the fireball. There
were no survivors.
   (http://tinyurl.com/ky6debf)
1948Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Charles Taylor,
later president of Liberia (1997-2003), was born in Arthington, near
Monrovia. His family descended from freed American slaves He was the
third of 15 children of an Americo-Liberian father, Nelson Taylor.
His mother, Zoe, was a Gola-woman.
  Â
(www.liberiapastandpresent.org/charles_taylor.htm)(AP, 7/14/09)
1949Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, NY Giants signed
their 1st black players, Monte Irvin & Ford Smith.
   (MC, 1/28/02)
1953Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, J. Fred Muggs (the
chimp) joined NBC's "Today Show."
   (MC, 1/28/02)
1955Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, The U.S. Congress
passed a bill allowing mobilization of troops if China should attack
Taiwan.
   (HN, 1/28/99)
1956Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Elvis Presley
recorded his television debut for “Stage Show” hosted by Tommy and
Jimmy Dorsey.”
   (SFC, 12/27/04,
p.C10)(www.elvisconcerts.com/liv1956.htm)
1956Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Pres. Eisenhower
rejected a proposal for a friendship pact from Soviet Premier
Bulganin.
   (EWH, 1968, p.1210)
1956Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Iva Toguri
D'Aquino (1916-2006), a Japanese-American suspected of being wartime
radio propagandist "Tokyo Rose," was released from prison at
Alderson, W. Virginia. In 1949 she had been tried in San Francisco
and convicted for having spoken “into a microphone concerning the
loss of ships.” She was pardoned in 1977 by President Ford.
   (SFC, 9/28/06, p.A18)(AH, 10/02, p.28)
1956Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28-1956 Jan 29, Henry
Louis Mencken (b. Sep 11-12, 1880), author, critic and journalist,
died in his sleep in Baltimore. H.L. Mencken’s work included "Smart
Set," "American Mercury," "In Defense of Women," "Treatise on the
Gods," and "A Mencken Chrestomathy." Mencken won fame as a
journalist with the Baltimore Morning Herald and Baltimore Sun, as
editor of The American Mercury magazine and as a literary critic. In
2002 Terry Teachout authored "The Skeptic: A Life of H.L. Mencken."
In 2005 Marion Elizabeth Rodgers authored “Mencken: The American
Iconoclast.”
   (HNQ, 6/20/98)(SSFC, 11/3/02,
p.M1)(www.policyreview.org/DEC02/munson.html)
1958Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Roy Campanella,
catcher for the Brooklyn Dodgers, was paralyzed in a car crash. In
1959 Topps Chewing Gum Company issued a baseball card in his honor
featuring Campanella in a wheelchair with the phrase “Symbol of
Courage.”
   (AH, 6/03, p.56)(http://tinyurl.com/ry7spx)
1959Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Joseph Sprinzak
(73), Speaker of Israel Knesset (1949-59), died.
   (MC, 1/28/02)
1962Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Elliot Joslin
(b.1869), American pioneering diabetes researcher, died. He had
argued that controlling the level of glucose in a person’s
bloodstream was the key to managing type 2 diabetes.
  Â
(www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/pagerender.fcgi?artid=1848826&pageindex=1)
1963Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Jean Felix
Piccard, Swiss explorer, died on his 79th birthday.
   (MC, 1/28/02)
1964Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, The Soviets downed
a U.S. jet over East Germany killing three.
   (HN, 1/28/99)
1970Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Israeli fighter
jets attacked the suburbs of Cairo.
   (HN, 1/28/99)
1973Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, A cease-fire
officially went into effect in the Vietnam War. The Vietnam War
resulted in the death of 58,153 (58,167) Americans, 1.1 million
North Vietnamese and Southern resistance fighters (Viet Cong), and 2
million civilians. In 2001 Gerald Nicosia authored "Home to War: A
History of the Vietnam Veteran’s Movement."
   (AP, 1/28/04)(WSJ, 11/30/95, p.A-23)(SFEM,
11/10/96, p.12)(SSFC, 6/3/01, DB p.68)
1977Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, A heavy blizzard
began in Eastern Canada and the US. It claimed as many as 100 lives.
This was the only blizzard declared a natural and national disaster
by the American and Canadian governments. In 1978 Erno Rossi
authored “White Death: Blizzard of ’77.”
  Â
(www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-gRb_MuUgg)(www.whitedeath.com/)
1978Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Fire swept through
the historic downtown Coates House hotel in Kansas City, Mo.,
killing 20 people.
   (AP, 1/28/08)
1979Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, "The Wiz" closed
at Majestic Theater in NYC after 1672 performances.
   (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wiz)
1980Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, SF Mayor Diane
Feinstein signed a Friendship City agreement with Zhao Xingzhi, vice
mayor of Shanghai. It was the 1st of its kind between an American
city and the PRC.
   (SFC, 1/28/05, p.F7)
1980Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Six U.S. diplomats
who had avoided being taken hostage at their embassy in Tehran flew
out of Iran with the help of Canadian diplomats.
   (AP, 1/28/98)
1981Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, William J. Casey
(1913-1987) became the 13th director of CIA replacing Adm.
Stansfield Turner.
  Â
(www.espionageinfo.com/Cou-De/DCI-Director-of-the-Central-Intelligence-Agency.html)
1982Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In southern
California Hampig Sassounian (19) and a companion shot and killed
Kemal Arikan, Turkey’s consul general in Los Angeles. Sassounian was
later convicted and sentenced to life in prison. His companion was
not caught.
  Â
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Sassounian)(SFC, 5/18/17, p.D1)
1982Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Italian
anti-terrorism forces rescued U.S. Brigadier General James L.
Dozier, 42 days after he had been kidnapped by the Red Brigades.
   (AP, 1/28/98)
1985Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, The song "We are
the World" was recorded in Hollywood, Ca. The collaborative song
recorded by a dizzying array of stars, including Harry Belafonte,
was released in March. Ken Kragen (1936-2021) latched onto Mr.
Belafonte’s vision and became a pivotal behind-the-scenes force in
creating the song. Quincy Jones produced the song with lyrics by
Lionel Richie and Michael Jackson.
  Â
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Are_the_World)(NY Times, 12/16/21)
1986Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Just 73 seconds
into its 10th launch, Americans watched in horror as the space
shuttle Challenger (STS-51L) exploded in midair, killing its crew of
seven: Navy pilot Michael J. Smith, Commander Francis Scobee and
mission specialist Ronald McNair, mission specialist Ellison
Onizuka, first teacher in space Christa McAuliffe, payload
specialist Gregory Jarvis and mission specialist Judith Resnik.
President Ronald Reagan spoke to the nation from the Oval Office
that afternoon, explaining the tragedy to the nation's
schoolchildren: "The future doesn't belong to the fainthearted. It
belongs to the brave.... The crew of the space shuttle Challenger
honored us by the manner in which they lived their lives. We will
never forget them nor the last time we saw them this morning as they
prepared for their journey and waved good-bye and 'slipped the surly
bonds of earth to touch the face of God.'" Space shuttle flights
were suspended until 1988. An independent U.S. commission blamed the
disaster on unusually cold temperatures that morning and the failure
of the O-rings, a set of gaskets in the rocket boosters. Rocket
engineer Bob Ebeling (d.2016 at 89) and Rocco Petrone (1926-2006),
former Apollo program manager and Rockwell chief shuttle engineer,
had cautioned against the launch fearing that low temperatures might
have damaged the shuttle’s thermal protection tiles.
   (SFC, 12/18/96, p.A3)(AP, 1/28/98)(HNPD,
1/28/00)(SFC, 9/1/06, p.B8)(SFC, 3/25/16, p.D7)
1986Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In northern
California the Apex Houston oil spill began. By Feb 4 it killed an
estimated 6,500 common murre seabirds.
  Â
(www.dfg.ca.gov/ospr/NRDA/apex-houston.aspx)(SSFC, 1/20/02, p.A27)
1988Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, A 13-day standoff
in Marion, Utah, between police and a polygamist clan ended in
gunfire that killed a state corrections officer and seriously
wounded the group's leader, Addam Swapp.
   (AP, 1/28/98)
1988Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Public Service of
New Hampshire filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. This was the first
American utility since the Depression to go bankrupt, mostly because
of unexpected costs of a nuclear plant.
   (www.nu.com/aboutnu/psnh.asp)(Econ, 6/2/07, SR
p.22)
1988Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, The Supreme Court
of Canada struck down the nation's restrictive abortion law.
   (AP, 1/28/98)
1988Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Nicaragua's
leftist government and Contra rebels began their first face-to-face
peace talks, meeting in San Jose, Costa Rica.
   (AP, 1/28/98)
1989Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Antarctica an
Argentine navy ship, the Bahia Paraiso, was wrecked on rocks next to
DeLaca Island, near the US Palmer Station scientific base. It was
still leaking diesel fuel in 1996 and had decimated imperial
cormorant and kelp gull bird population.
   (SFC, 1/4/97,
p.A19)(www.antarcticmarc.com/bahia.html)
1989Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Hungary
official Imre Pozsgay described the 1956 Hungarian Revolution as a
popular uprising, a startling contradiction of the official
Communist view that the revolt was a counter-revolution.
   (AP, 1/28/99)
1990Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, The San Francisco
49ers routed the Denver Broncos, 55-10, in the 24th Super Bowl.
   (AP, 1/28/00)
1991Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Secretary of State
James A. Baker the Third and Soviet Foreign Minister Alexander A.
Bessmertnykh announced in Washington DC that a planned February
superpower summit in Moscow had been postponed.
   (AP, 1/28/01)
1991Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, The US military
reported that more than 60 Iraqi fighter-bombers had taken refuge in
Iran, where they were impounded by the Iranian government.
   (AP, 1/28/01)
1991Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Harold "Red"
Grange (b.1903), three-time All-American, died. He is credited with
establishing professional football as a popular spectator sport. In
2009 Lars Anderson authored “Red Grange and the Barnstorming Tour
That Launched the NFL.”
   (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Grange)(SSFC,
1/3/10, Books p.F4)
1992Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, President George
H.W. Bush, in his State of the Union address, proposed tax breaks
and business incentives to revive the economy, and announced
dramatic cuts in the U.S. nuclear arsenal.
   (AP, 1/28/02)
1992Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, A multinational
Middle East peace conference opened in Moscow.
   (AP, 1/28/02)
1993Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Funeral services
were held in Washington for former Supreme Court Justice Thurgood
Marshall.
   (AP, 1/28/98)
1993Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, The Israeli
Supreme Court unanimously upheld the deportations of 400
Palestinians from the occupied territories to Lebanon.
   (AP, 1/28/98)
1994Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Los Angeles,
Superior Court Judge Stanley Weisberg declared a mistrial in the
case of Lyle Menendez, just over two weeks after a mistrial was
declared in the case of Lyle's brother Erik; both juries deadlocked
over whether the brothers were guilty of murder in the shooting
deaths of their wealthy parents. They were later retried, convicted
of murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole.
   (AP, 1/28/99)
1994Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Helicopter crashed
into an office building in San Jose, Calif. 1 person was killed.
   (http://tinyurl.com/8c32g)
1995Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, President Clinton
was host to a 5 1/2-hour "work session" of governors, legislators
and local officials, both Democrats and Republicans, to discuss
welfare reform.
   (AP, 1/28/00)
1996Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Super Bowl XXX
the Dallas Cowboys captured their third Super Bowl victory in four
years, beating the Pittsburgh Steelers 27-to-17.
   (AP, 1/28/01)
1996Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In California
Gunner Lindberg, head of the supremacist gang Insane Criminal Posse,
murdered Thien Minh Ly (24) at Tustin high school. It was a racially
motivated attack where he stabbed Ly 50 times, slashed his throat
and pounded his head. Lindberg was convicted in 1997 and sentenced
to death.
   (SFC,12/13/97, p.A20)
1996Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Joseph Brodsky
(b.1940), Russian-born poet, died at age 55. He was a winner of the
Nobel Prize in 1987. In 2000 his “Collected Poems in English” was
published.
   (WSJ, 1/29/96, p. A-1)(SFEC, 10/8/00, BR p.5)
1997Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, O.J. Simpson's
fate was placed in the hands of a civil court jury that was charged
with deciding whether Simpson should be held liable for the slayings
of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman. The jury found that
Simpson was liable, and ordered him to pay $33.5 million.
   (AP, 1/28/98)
1997Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Algeria union
leader Abdelhak Benhamouda was killed by an assassin. Separately a
bomb in the marketplace at Blida killed 15 people.
   (USAT, 1/29/97, p.8A)
1997Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Chechnya Aslan
Maskhadov claim victory in the elections.
   (SFC, 1/29/97, p.A6)
1997Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, PepsiCo Inc. said
it was ending business in Myanmar due to human rights problems. It
joined Eddie Bauer, Levi Strauss and Liz Claiborne.
   (USAT, 1/29/97, p.8A)
1997Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Five former police
officers in South Africa admitted to killing anti-apartheid activist
Stephen Biko, who died in police custody in 1977. His death had been
officially listed as an accident.
   (MC, 1/28/02)
1997Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Sudan the
government faced a new rebel offensive.
   (SFC, 1/28/97, p.A8)
1998Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, The day after his
State of the Union address, President Clinton barnstormed in the
nation's heartland, where he was warmly received; accompanying him
was Vice President Al Gore, who urged Americans to "join me in
supporting him and standing by his side."
   (AP, 1/28/99)
1998Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Michelangelo's
"Christ & the Woman of Samaria" sold for $7.4 million.
   (MC, 1/28/02)
1998Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Algeria the
military reported 3 more civilian massacres that killed 34 people
and said that 18 Muslim rebels were killed.
   (WSJ, 1/29/98, p.A1)
1998Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Burundi Colonel
Firmin Sinzoyiheba, the Tutsi minister of defense, was killed in a
helicopter crash in the Gihinga Hills.
   (SFC, 1/29/98, p.A11)
1998Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In the Czech
Republic prime minister Josef Tosovsky’s government won a vote of
confidence in the parliament 123-71.
   (SFC, 1/29/98, p.A11)
1998Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Israel’s finance
minister, Yaakov Neeman, met with US officials and outlined a plan
to end the $1.2 billion annual economic package over 10-12 years
with an increase in annual military aid from $1.8 billion to 2.4
billion.
   (SFC, 1/29/98, p.A10)
1998Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, From Kenya it was
reported that 77 people died in the month in attacks aimed at ethnic
Kikuyus, who opposed Pres. Moi’s re-election.
   (WSJ, 1/28/98, p.A1)
1998Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In India the 26
people accused of the May 21, 1991 assassination of Prime Minister
Rajiv Gandhi were sentenced to death by hanging. Authorities braced
for possible unrest. Only 2 of the 26 were charged with murder, the
rest were charged with conspiracy.
   (WSJ, 1/28/98, p.A1)(SFC, 1/29/98, p.A10)
1998Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Japan two more
finance ministry officials resigned and a 3rd committed suicide.
Separately the lower house passed a $16 billion income tax cut.
   (SFC, 1/29/98, p.A11)
1998Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Chiapas,
Mexico, Rubicel Ruiz Gamboa, a peasant organizer in Ocosingo, was
gunned down in an ambush.
   (SFEC, 2/1/98, p.A22)
1998Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Mexico federal
police in Guerrero came upon the anti-kidnapping squad of Morelos
with the tortured body of a 17-year-old member of a kidnapping gang.
They suspected that the body was to be dumped and arrested the state
officers that included Armando Martinez Salgado, chief of the squad.
   (SFC, 2/10/98, p.A10)
1998Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, From Switzerland 3
balloonists set out to circle the globe in the Breitling Orbiter 2.
They failed to get clearance from flying over China in time and were
forced down in Burma on Feb 7 after traveling a record 4,730 miles.
   (SFC, 2/7/98, p.11)
1998Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Thailand
officials at Chulalongkorn Univ. posted posters forbidding the
wearing of miniskirts.
   (SFC, 1/29/98, p.A11)
1999Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, The Senate voted
54-44 to allow the video-taping of witness depositions for the
Clinton impeachment trial.
   (SFC, 1/29/99, p.A1)
1999Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Missouri Governor
Mel Carnahan honored a personal request for mercy from Pope John
Paul II and commuted the death sentence of triple murderer Darrel
Mease (52) to life without parole.
   (SFC, 1/29/99, p.A1)(AP, 1/28/00)
1999Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Ford Motor Co,
confirmed the acquisition of the passenger car division of Volvo AB
for $6.47 billion.
   (SFC, 1/28/99, p.B1)(WSJ, 1/3/00, p.R12)
1999Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Scientists
announced the creation of Element 114 with about 184 neutrons in its
nucleus.
   (SFC, 1/29/99, p.A9)
1999Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, The council of the
American Geophysical Union, an int'l. organization with 35,000
members, issued a warning that the pace of global warning was
increasing due to greenhouse gases.
   (SFC, 1/29/99, p.A3)
1999Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, NATO allies warned
Pres. Milosevic that they were ready to use immediate force, and
Britain and France said they were prepared to send in ground troops
to enforce a peace settlement in Kosovo.
   (SFEC, 4/18/99, p.A3)
1999Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Burundi
officials reported that at least 178 civilians had been killed over
the last 2 weeks in clashes between rebels and government troops.
   (SFC, 1/29/99, p.E9)
1999Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Colombia Pres.
Pastrana ordered in 2,700 soldiers and police to restore order. 2
human rights activists were kidnapped by right-wing militia. They
were released Feb 18.
   (WSJ, 1/29/99, p.A1)
1999Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, From Iraq a UN
official reported that hoof-and-mouth disease had crippled 1 million
sheep and cattle in the country and that 50,000 kids and calves had
died from the viral disease. The vaccine supply was exhausted due to
the 1993 destruction of a vaccine laboratory by the UN commission.
   (SFC, 1/29/99, p.E9)
1999Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Cape Town,
South Africa, a bomb exploded at the main police station and wounded
11 people. It was the 3rd bombing in 5 months.
   (SFC, 1/29/99, p.E9)
2000Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Sister Jeanne
O’Laughlin, the Florida nun selected by Attorney General Janet Reno
as a neutral party in the custody battle over Elian Gonzalez, sought
unsuccessfully to persuade Reno to change her mind about returning
the six-year-old to Cuba.
   (AP, 1/28/01)
2000Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Karachi,
Pakistan, a bomb exploded in a Mosque and killed 4 people with 28
wounded.
   (SFC, 1/29/00, p.C1)
2000Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Turkey police
uncovered 7 more bodies at a Hezbollah hideout and the government
ordered clerics to read a sermon denouncing violence. Captured
militants in Batman led police to a cache of small arms that
included 26 AK-47 assault rifles.
   (SFC, 1/29/00, p.A9)
2001Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Super Bowl XXXV
was played in Tampa. The Baltimore Ravens defeated the New York
Giants 34-7.
   (SSFC, 12/24/00, p.T8)
2001Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Marc Rich,
fugitive financier pardoned by outgoing Pres. Clinton, said he would
return to the US to face tax evasion charges.
   (SSFC, 12/30/01, p.D2)
2001Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Algeria an
armed group killed 2 dozen people in Oued Fares in the Chlef region.
16 of the dead were children.
   (SFC, 1/29/01, p.A14)
2001Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Colombia gunmen
killed at least 10 people in Hato Nuevo.
   (SFC, 1/29/01, p.A14)
2001Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Israel state
workers under the Histadrut labor federation expanded their strike
with a walkout by workers at Ben-Gurion airport over pay demands.
   (SFC, 1/29/01, p.A12)
2001Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Karachi,
Pakistan, masked gunmen ambushed a religious school’s van and killed
5 Sunni Muslims.
   (SFC, 1/29/01, p.A14)
2001Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Peshawar,
Pakistan, an angry mob torched the English language newspaper, the
Frontier Post. It had just published a letter to the editor titled
"Why Muslims hate Jews."
   (LSA, Fall/03, p.38)
2001Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Only a week after
naming a record-setting 37 new cardinals, Pope John Paul II named 5
new cardinals, two Germans, and one each from South Africa, Bolivia
and Ukraine. He also revealed the identities of 2 others from the
former Soviet Union.
   (SFC, 1/29/01, p.A14)(AP, 1/28/02)
2001Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Weekend clashes in
Zanzibar (Tanzania) killed 39 opposition supporters as protesters
demanded new elections.
   (WSJ, 1/29/01, p.A1)(Econ, 12/13/03, p.43)
2002Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Hamid Karzai
became the first Afghan leader to visit Washington in 39 years;
President George W. Bush promised a "lasting partnership" with
Afghanistan.
   (AP, 1/28/03)
2002Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, US forces and
Afghan militiamen attacked and killed 6 al Qaeda gunmen, who had
been holed up at the Mir Wais Hospital in Kandahar.
   (SFC, 1/28/02, p.A9)(SFC, 1/29/02, p.A10)(NW,
8/26/02, p.39)
2002Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Palm Inc.
introduced its $449 i705 handheld computer with wireless e-mail and
message service.
   (SFC, 1/28/02, p.E1)
2002Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, An Ecuadoran TAME
Airlines Boeing 727-100 crashed along the Colombia border with 92
people aboard. The wreckage was found on a glacier of the Nevado de
Cumbal volcano and there were no survivors.
   (SFC, 1/29/02, p.A8)(SFC, 1/30/02, p.A8)
2002Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Israeli police
killed a Palestinian car thief as he barreled through an army
checkpoint in a stolen car.
   (SFC, 1/29/02, p.A8)(WSJ, 1/29/02, p.A1)
2002Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Sweden Astrid
Lindgren (b.1907), author of "Pippi Longstocking" (1945), died in
Stockholm. Her wartime diaries highlighted the shortages and terror
of invasion.
   (SFC, 1/29/02, p.A17)(Econ., 5/23/20, p.71)
2002Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Zimbabwe Pres.
Mugabe’s government announced plans for compulsory national youth
service training.
   (SFC, 1/29/02, p.A8)
2003Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Pres. Bush in his
State of the Union vowed to use the "full force and might of the
U.S. military" if needed to disarm Saddam Hussein's Iraq. Bush
pledged of $15 billion for AIDS assistance in Africa, a domestic
agenda of tax cuts, medical malpractice caps and a ban on certain
late abortions. Bush also announced a $1.2 billion hydrogen fuel
initiative.
  Â
(www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/02/20030206-2.html)(AP,
1/29/03)(WSJ, 1/29/03, p.A1)
2003Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Oregon voters
defeated a proposed 3-year income tax hike designed to forestall
$310 million in cuts to schools and social services.
   (SFC, 1/29/03, p.A3)
2003Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, John Philip
Thompson (77) died. He expanded his family's business into the
nationwide 7-Eleven chain.
   (AP, 1/28/04)
2003Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, US and Afghan
forces battled rebels aligned with renegade leader Gulbuddin
Hekmatyar in the largest-scale fighting in 10 months. 18 enemy
fighters were killed in 2 days of fighting. Norwegian F-16s
participated in bombing enemy targets.
   (AP, 1/28/03)(WSJ, 1/29/03, p.A1)(SFC, 1/29/03,
p.A8)
2003Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, A Chinese company
began distributing generic drugs for an anti-AIDS cocktail.
   (SFC, 1/29/03, p.A5)
2003Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In eastern India a
passenger bus caught fire after colliding with a truck carrying
paint in dense fog, killing at least 42 people and injuring 13
others.
   (AP, 1/28/03)
2003Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, An explosion
leveled a Gaza City house, killing three Palestinians, including a
teenage brother and sister, and wounding 11. In Jenin four
Palestinians were killed in battles with Israeli troops.
   (AP, 1/28/03)
2003Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Israel PM Ariel
Sharon's Likud won with 38 seats, but still needed coalition
partners to reach a 61-spot majority in the 120-seat parliament.
   (AP, 1/29/03)(AP, 2/4/03)
2003Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Ivory Coast's army
said it opposed a new peace deal with rebel forces. Ethnic fighting
flared amid violent protests over the proposed peace accord. A 4th
day of ethnic clashes reportedly killed 10 people.
   (AP, 1/28/03)(AP, 1/29/03)
2003Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Mauritania, an
Arab-dominated West African nation, banned anti-U.S. protests and
deployed hundreds of security forces in the capital to enforce the
prohibition.
   (AP, 1/29/03)
2003Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Mexico, gunmen
in San Juan Chamula ambushed police trying to arrest murder
suspects, sparking a gunbattle that left 5 people dead.
   (AP, 1/28/03)
2003Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Rwanda began
releasing 19,000 genocide suspects and former rebels in an effort to
ease intense overcrowding in the country's prisons and foster
national reconciliation.
   (AP, 1/28/03)
2003Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Sweden Keith
Jarrett was named winner of the $117,000 Polar Music Prize, founded
in 1989 by Stig Anderson, manager of ABBA.
   (SFC, 1/29/03, p.D8)
2004Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, David Kay, former
head of the CIA's weapons search team in Iraq, told Congress no
weapons of mass destruction had been found and that prewar
intelligence was "almost all wrong." In 2007 Bob Drogin authored
“Curveball: Spies, Lies, and the Con Man Who Caused a War.”
Curveball was the code name for an Iraqi chemical engineer who
turned up in Germany in 1999 and served as the source for Iraq’s
chemical and biological weapons pro-grams. In 2011 Rafid Ahmed Alwan
al-Janabi, identified as the informer called "Curveball," said he is
proud that he lied about his country developing mobile biological
warfare labs.
   (SSFC, 4/11/04, p.A22)(WSJ, 10/13/07, p.W8)(Econ,
11/3/07, p.100)(AP, 2/16/11)
2004Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, A new strain of
the Mydoom virus emerged. Mydoom.B was programmed to launch an
attack against Microsoft's web site the following week.
   (SFC, 1/29/04, p.B1)
2004Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Scientists said
they had created a new form of matter, called a fermionic
condensate, and predicted it could help lead to the next generation
of superconductors for use in electricity generation, more efficient
trains and countless other applications. It is the sixth known form
of matter, after gases, solids, liquids, plasma and a Bose-Einstein
condensate, created only in 1995.
   (Reuters, 1/29/04)
2004Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, The UN was shut
down and more than one million children had the day off school on
the heels of a storm that dumped as much as 36 cm. of snow in the
Northeast.
   (AP, 1/28/04)
2004Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Lloyd “Pete”
Bucher (76), former U-S Navy commander who helped his USS “Pueblo”
crew survive brutal captivity in North Korea then faced criticism
back home, died in Poway, California.
   (AP, 1/28/05)
2004Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Elroy "Crazy Legs"
Hirsch (80), a pro football Hall of Famer and later the athletic
director at Wisconsin, died.
   (AP, 1/28/04)
2004Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Afghanistan a
suicide car bomber blew himself up in a taxi next to British
peacekeepers patrolling the Kabul, killing one soldier and wounding
four.
   (AP, 1/28/04)
2004Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Arab prisoners
began their journey to Germany under a long-awaited prisoner swap
between Israel and Hezbollah guerrillas.
   (AP, 1/28/04)
2004Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Bosnia's
international administrator imposed a decree to unify the ethnically
divided city of Mostar, a precondition for Bosnia to join
international organizations and perhaps even the European Union.
   (AP, 1/28/04)
2004Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, British PM Tony
Blair won vindication when a judge said the BBC was wrong to report
the government had “sexed up” intelligence to justify war in Iraq.
   (AP, 1/28/05)
2004Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Businesses shut
down, schools closed and streets emptied for a 48-hour strike to
protest the Dominican Republic's worst economic crisis in decades.
   (AP, 1/28/04)
2004Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In the Dominican
Republic at least 4 protesters died from gunshot wounds suffered in
clashes with security forces.
   (AP, 1/29/04)
2004Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Haiti one
student was shot and killed as protests mounted against President
Jean-Bertrand Aristide.
   (AP, 1/28/04)
2004Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Iraq some ten
thousand Shiite Muslims protested in the south to demand the
resignation of the U.S.-appointed provincial governor.
   (AP, 1/29/04)
2004Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Iraq a suicide
bomber blew up a van disguised as an ambulance in front of the
Shaheen Hotel after speeding through a security barrier in the heart
of Baghdad, killing three people, including a South African, and
injuring 17.
   (AP, 1/28/04)(SFC, 1/28/04, p.A9)
2004Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Israeli troops
clashed with Palestinian militants in fierce, prolonged street
battles across Gaza City, killing eight Palestinians.
   (AP, 1/28/04)(SFC, 1/29/04, p.A7)
2004Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Italian police
said they cracked a drug smuggling ring spanning four continents,
arrested more than 150 people and seized more than five tons of
cocaine.
   (AP, 1/28/04)
2004Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Nigeria said North
Korea had agreed to share its missile technology. Nigerian VP
Atiku Abubakar reached the accord with Yang Hyong Sop, the visiting
VP of North Korea's Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly.
Nigeria rejected the offer under US pressure.
   (AP, 1/28/04)(WSJ, 2/4/04, p.A1)
2005Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Senate Democrats
criticized President Bush's plan to add personal accounts to Social
Security and accused his administration of improperly using the
Social Security Administration to promote the idea.
   (AP, 1/28/06)
2005Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Procter &
Gamble, under CEO Alan G. Lafley (b.1947), announced the largest
acquisition in its history, agreeing to buy Gillette in a $57
billion deal. Gillette CEO James Kilts stood to reap over $153
million.
   (WSJ, 1/31/05, p.A1)(WSJ, 6/1/05, p.A16)
2005Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, According to an
insider's written account, female interrogators tried to break
Muslim detainees at the US prison camp in Guantanamo Bay by using
techniques such as sexual touching, wearing a miniskirt and thong
underwear.
   (AP, 1/28/05)
2005Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Bolivia’s Pres.
Mesa agreed to allow Santa Cruz residents to elect their own local
leaders and hold a national referendum that could extend greater
autonomy to other provinces.
   (AP, 1/28/05)
2005Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Chile Retired
Gen. Manuel Contreras, the chief of the feared security service of
former dictator Gen. Augusto Pinochet, was forcefully arrested at
his home and sent to prison with four of his top aides after being
convicted in an emblematic human rights case.
   (AP, 1/28/05)
2005Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Colombia and
Venezuela announced a settlement in a bitter dispute over the
capture of a Colombian rebel on Venezuelan soil.
   (AP, 1/29/05)
2005Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, India took a major
step to reform its financial sector and boost the country's stock
markets by allowing non-government pension funds to invest up to 5
percent of their portfolios in equities.
   (AP, 1/28/05)
2005Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Iraq battened down
for the 1st free balloting in half a century, imposing a 7 p.m.-6
a.m. curfew and closing Baghdad Int’l Airport. 5 US soldiers were
killed in the capital and insurgents blasted polling stations across
the country. Iraqis overseas began three days of voting in 14
nations.
   (AP, 1/28/05)
2005Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Authorities in
Iraq said they have arrested three close associates of Abu Musab
al-Zarqawi. In southern Iraq a roadside bomb hit an Iraqi police
vehicle, killing one officer. 2 American soldiers were killed in two
separate incidents in Baghdad.
   (AP, 1/28/05)
2005Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Israel's army
chief ordered troops to halt operations in the Gaza Strip and to
scale back raids in the West Bank, as hundreds of Palestinian police
deployed in the volatile central and southern parts of the
territory.
   (AP, 1/28/05)
2005Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Nicaragua
Eugenio Hernandez, who served as mayor of El Ayote from 1990 to
2000, was sentenced to 25 years in prison in the Nov 9 slaying of
Maria Jose Bravo (26), a reporter who was investigating an electoral
dispute.
   (AP, 1/29/05)
2005Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Election officials
said the Hamas won an overwhelming victory in local elections in
Gaza towns in a setback for the Fatah Party of Palestinian leader
Mahmoud Abbas.
   (AP, 1/28/05)
2006Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, A 20-million US
dollar FA-18 Hornet strike fighter jet was lost when it crashed
during a training exercise off the Queensland coast.
   (AFP, 1/30/06)
2006Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Close to 200 teams
in NYC participated in the 3rd annual Idiotarod, a race of shopping
carts pulled by a human team.
   (WSJ, 2/2/06, p.A1)
2006Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In southern
Arkansas police found the bodies of 3 children lying side-by-side on
a bed in their home after Paula Eleazar Mendez (43), their mother,
said she smothered them.
   (AP, 1/29/06)
2006Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Warren Mundine,
previously an advisor on Aboriginal issues to the conservative
government of PM John Howard, took over the role of Australian Labor
Party president. The first Aborigine to be elected president of an
Australian political party, Mundine said that he wanted to enter
parliament after his term finishes.
   (AFP, 1/28/06)
2006Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, A 2-day European
conference on the future of the EU ended in Salzburg, Austria.
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said that Europe
must face globalization head-on and not shy away from the issue.
   (AP, 1/28/06)
2006Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Beijing prepared
to usher in the Lunar New Year with bang, after authorities lifted a
12-year ban on fireworks.
   (AP, 1/28/06)
2006Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, China’s
state-owned CNOOC began gas production at the Chunxiao field near
the disputed border region with Japan.
   (WSJ, 4/6/06, p.A13)
2006Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Karnataka Governor
T.N. Chaturvedi invited H.D. Kumaraswamy (b.1959), son of former
Indian PM H.D. Deve Gowda, to form the government in the state after
Dharam Singh resigned earlier in the day.
   (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H.D.Kumaraswamy)
2006Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, The UN Children
Fund (UNICEF) said 3 more children have contracted polio in
Indonesia, bringing the total cases to 302 since the crippling
disease resurfaced last year.
   (AFP, 1/28/06)
2006Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Iran's foreign
minister said Tehran and Moscow have agreed to expand the number of
countries participating in the plan to enrich Iranian uranium in
Russia, describing a compromise that could satisfy U.S. concerns
about the nuclear program.
   (AP, 1/28/06)
2006Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, According to a new
tape the kidnappers of four Christian peace activists threatened to
kill them unless all Iraqi prisoners are released from Iraqi and US
prisons. The aired tape was date Jan 21. The 4 workers disappeared
last Nov 26.
   (AP, 1/28/06)
2006Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, A Sunni Arab
leader condemned recent police crackdowns on Sunni neighborhoods in
the Iraqi capital and demanded government protection from further
raids. At least eight people were killed in attacks across Iraq. A
US soldier was killed in a roadside bomb blast in Baghdad.
   (AP, 1/28/06)(SFC, 1/30/06, p.A7)
2006Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, At least 8 people
were killed in a gunfight between Indian security forces and Kashmir
rebels.
   (AP, 1/28/06)
2006Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Rabbi Yitzhak
Kadouri (106), a leader of the Kabbalah school of Jewish mystical
thought who wielded great influence over Israeli politics, died in
Jerusalem.
   (AP, 1/30/06)
2006Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, North Korea warned
of nuclear war and vowed to strengthen its deterrent forces as it
demanded that Washington show evidence backing its allegation that
the communist regime is counterfeiting US money.
   (AP, 1/28/06)
2006Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Pakistan
suspected tribal rebels have fired rockets at a major gas field,
blasted a main power line and tried to blow up a rail track in the
restive southwestern province of Baluchistan.
   (AFP, 1/28/06)
2006Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Fatah activists
marched to Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas' compound, police
briefly stormed the parliament building in Gaza and security forces
clashed with Hamas gunmen as the long-ruling party lashed out in
anger for its devastating election loss.
   (AP, 1/28/06)
2006Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In southern Poland
an exhibition hall collapsed during a racing pigeon show in
Katowice, killing at least 65 people and injuring 160. On June 26
three men, who helped design the exhibition hall, were arrested on
suspicion of endangering lives by failing to meet building codes. In
2016 a court convicted five men and one woman over the roof
collapse.
   (AP, 1/31/06)(SFC, 2/1/06, p.A3)(AP, 6/26/06)(AP,
6/17/16)
2007Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, The comedy "Little
Miss Sunshine" won the top prize at the Screen Actors Guild Awards.
Forest Whitaker won for his portrayal of Uganda's brutal dictator
Idi Amin in "The Last King of Scotland" and Helen Mirren won for her
performance as Britain's Queen Elizabeth II in "The Queen."
   (Reuters, 1/29/07)
2007Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Jim Gray (63), an
acclaimed computer scientist, was last heard from shortly after he
set out from San Francisco for the shark-infested waters of the
Farallon Islands, about 25 miles west of the Golden Gate Bridge.
   (AP, 2/1/07)
2007Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Rev. Robert Drinan
(b.1920), former Jesuit congressman from Massachusetts (1971-1981),
died.
   (SFC, 1/30/07,
p.B5)(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Drinan)
2007Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Afghan Pres.
Karzai told House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that his security forces need
to be stronger as the two discussed possible US troop increases.
   (AP, 1/28/07)
2007Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Officials said
India will set up an aerospace defense command to shield itself
against possible attacks from outer space.
   (AP, 1/28/07)
2007Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, US-backed Iraqi
forces killed 263 militants in a daylong battle near Najaf against a
group called the Jund al-Samaa, or Soldiers of Heaven. The group's
leader and foreign fighters were among the dead. The US military
confirmed a report that a helicopter crashed during the battle and
that the two crew members were killed. Mortar shells rained down on
a girls' secondary school in a mostly Sunni area of western Baghdad,
killing five pupils and wounding 20. At least seven other people
died in a series of bombings and shootings across the capital,
mostly in Shiite areas. Drive-by shooters killed a high-ranking
Shiite official at the Iraqi industry and mines ministry, along with
his 27-year-old daughter and two other people. Two car bombs
exploded within a half-hour of each other in the northern oil city
of Kirkuk, killing a total of 11 people and wounding 34. US troops
captured 21 suspected terrorists including an al-Qaida courier in a
series of raids in Baghdad and Sunni areas north and west of the
capital. At least 61 people were killed and scores wounded across
Iraq. Ghanim al-Qureyshi, the provincial police chief of Diyala
province, said the mayor of Baqouba and 1,500 provincial police
officers have been fired in a bid to end the raging violence.
   (AFP, 1/28/07)(AP, 1/29/07)(AP, 1/30/07)
2007Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, The Israeli
government approved the appointment of Raleb Majadele, the country's
first Muslim Cabinet member.
   (AP, 1/28/07)
2007Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Some 50 Nigerian
rebels attacked a city centre police station in the Niger Delta and
freed George Sobomabo, a top commander, arrested earlier that day.
Militants released 125 inmates when they stormed the police station
in Port Harcourt.
   (AFP, 1/28/07)(AFP, 1/30/07)
2007Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Sinn Fein members
overwhelmingly voted to begin cooperating with the Northern Ireland
police, formally abandoning their decades-old hostility to legal law
and order in the British territory.
   (AP, 1/28/07)
2007Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In southern
Pakistan dozens of people sitting on the roof of a crowded passenger
train were by hit by an overhead power line. At least 15 people were
killed and 40 were injured.
   (AP, 1/28/07)
2007Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Hamas and Fatah
gunmen battled each other in the streets in an increasingly bloody
power struggle that left more than two dozen Palestinians dead over
the weekend. Palestinian gunmen shot dead a member of a Hamas police
force and a senior Fatah intelligence official was abducted in Gaza
as Saudi Arabia called for talks to end the spiraling violence.
   (AP, 1/28/07)(AFP, 1/28/07)
2007Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Somalia gunmen
attacked a police station in Mogadishu, sparking an hour-long battle
that killed two people just hours after two other stations were hit
with machine-guns and rocket-propelled grenades.
   (AP, 1/28/07)
2008Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Pres. Bush State
in his State of the Union speech called again for immigration
reform, an end to lawmakers' pet projects, control of Social
Security spending and making tax cuts permanent.
   (AP, 1/29/08)
2008Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, The US Senate
confirmed former North Dakota Gov. Edward Schafer as secretary of
agriculture.
   (WSJ, 1/29/08, p.A1)
2008Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, A US District
judge in Washington, DC, sentenced Ricardo Palmera, a Colombian
rebel leader, to 60 years in prison. Palmera admitted serving as
FARC’s chief negotiator during discussions over the release of 3
American hostages captured in 2003.
   (SFC, 1/29/08, p.A4)
2008Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Data Privacy Day
began in the United States and Canada, as an extension of the Data
Protection Day celebration that started in Europe in 2007. In the
United States, the House and Senate passed Resolutions recognizing
January 28, 2009 as National Data Privacy Day, and the Senate also
recognized National Data Privacy Day in 2010 and 2011.
   (www.staysafeonline.org/dpd/about/history)
2008Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, It was reported
that security costs for California Gov. Schwarzenegger and other top
state officials approached $38 million a year. A state senate panel
rejected a proposed $14.7 billion health-care plan supported by Gov.
Schwarzenegger.
   (SFC, 1/28/08, p.D1)(WSJ, 1/29/08, p.A1)
2008Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Pegasus Wireless,
a Fremont, Ca., technology company, filed for bankruptcy. In 2011
financial officer Stephen Durland was sentenced to 33 months in jail
for fraudulent stock sales that netted him some $2.1 million. CEO
Jasper Knabb pleaded guilty to stock fraud that netted him some $29
million and awaited sentencing. On June 7, 2012, Knabb was sentenced
to 21 years in federal prison.
   (SFC, 10/15/11, p.D1)(SFC, 6/8/12, p.D1)
2008Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In SF one worker
was killed and 2 others badly injured when a 5-story tower of a
decommissioned power plant collapsed during demolition in the
Hunters Point neighborhood.
   (SFC, 1/29/08, p.D2)
2008Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Afghanistan’s
Health Ministry said as many as 300 Afghans had died over the past
10 days from bitter cold and heavy snows.
   (SFC, 1/29/08, p.A4)
2008Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Abderrahmane
Bouzegza, leader of the Dec 11 attacks in Algiers, was killed by the
army at Boumerdes, east of the capital. 4 others responsible for the
attacks were arrested in February.
   (AFP, 2/6/08)
2008Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In London
demonstrators staged noisy protests as Pakistan's President Pervez
Musharraf held talks with PM Gordon Brown, amid criticism over human
rights and concern over elections.
   (AP, 1/28/08)
2008Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Chile Patricia
Troncoso, an indigenous rights activist jailed for setting fire to a
farm once owned by Mapuche Indians, ended her 110-day hunger strike.
   (AP, 1/28/08)
2008Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Congolese Tutsi
rebels and Mai Mai militia clashed in eastern Democratic Republic of
Congo, breaking a ceasefire signed last week aimed at ending A
long-running conflict in the east.
   (AP, 1/28/08)
2008Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Egyptian security
forces and Hamas militants strung barbed wire across one of the
openings in the Egypt-Gaza border, a sign that a days-long breaching
of the frontier may be nearing an end.
   (AP, 1/28/08)
2008Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, The EU launched
its long-awaited peacekeeping force for Chad and the Central African
Republic to help protect hundreds of thousands of refugees from
strife-torn Darfur.
   (AFP, 1/28/08)
2008Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, A French court
sentenced six French charity workers to 8 years in prison, after
they were convicted in Chad of trying to kidnap 103 children they
said were orphans from Darfur.
   (AP, 1/28/08)
2008Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Archbishop
Christodoulos (69), the leader of Greece's powerful Orthodox Church,
died. He eased centuries of tension with the Vatican but was viewed
as reactionary by his liberal critics.
   (AP, 1/28/08)
2008Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Iran received the
final shipment of uranium fuel from Russia for its first nuclear
plant, state media reported, a key step toward the launch of the
reactor's operations expected later this year.
   (AP, 1/28/08)
2008Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Iraq a roadside
bomb struck a minibus carrying a coffin and mourners to a funeral in
the predominantly Shiite southeastern neighborhood of New Baghdad,
killing three passengers. Insurgents attacked 4 policemen heading
home from work south of Mosul, killing two and wounding the other
two. US troops detained 18 al-Qaida-linked militants in two days of
operations ending today north of Baghdad. 5 American soldiers were
killed in a complex attack in Mosul, described as one of al-Qaida in
Iraq's last strongholds.
   (AP, 1/28/08)(AP, 1/29/08)
2008Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Nakuru, Kenya,
the provincial capital of the fertile Rift Valley, 64 bodies were
counted at the morgue. In Kisumu on the shore of Lake Victoria,
armed mobs of young men torched houses and buses, burning alive
anyone inside and blocking blood-spattered roadways.
   (AP, 1/28/08)
2008Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Pakistani
authorities found the body of Keith Ryan (37), a US immigration and
customs enforcement attache, with a bullet wound in his head at his
home in Islamabad and were investigating a suspected case of
suicide. A US missile from a Predator drone destroyed a suspected
militant hideout in Torkhali village in North Waziristan, killing 12
people inside. Later reports said there were seven Arabs and six
Central Asians killed. Abu Laith al-Libi, a top al-Qaida commander,
was among the dead.
   (Reuters, 1/28/08)(Reuters, 1/31/08)(AP, 1/31/08)
2008Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Somalia 3 staff
members of Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF-Holland) were killed and
one wounded when their vehicle hit a land mine on a road between the
international staff members' home and the hospital where they worked
in the southern Somali town of Kismayo. In response Doctors Without
Borders evacuated its 87 employees from Somalia.
   (AP, 2/1/08)
2008Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Sri Lanka
security forces killed 45 rebels along the northern frontlines.
   (AFP, 1/29/08)
2008Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Thailand’s
parliament chose Samak Sundaravej, representing ex-PM Shinawatra’s
interests, as premier easily beating the Democratic party candidate
310-163.
   (SFC, 1/29/08, p.A4)
2009Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, President Barack
Obama signed requests from Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear and Arkansas
Gov. Mike Beebe for federal emergency declarations as crews worked
around the clock to resurrect power lines downed by thick ice in
both states. Since the storm began building on Jan 26, the weather
has been blamed for at least six deaths in Texas, four in Arkansas,
three in Virginia, six in Missouri, two in Oklahoma, and one each in
Indiana and Ohio.
   (AP, 1/29/09)
2009Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, A White House
official said President Barack Obama will press Afghan President
Hamid Karzai to extend government control beyond the capital and
fight corruption under a new US policy with a "significant
non-military component."
   (AP, 1/28/09)
2009Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, US federal
regulators guaranteed $80 billion in uninsured deposits at the
institutions that service the nation’s credit unions.
   (WSJ, 1/29/09, p.A1)
2009Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Peanut Corp.
expanded its recall to all peanut products produced at its Blakely,
Ga., plant since Jan 1, 2007, due to a salmonella outbreak.
   (SFC, 1/29/09, p.A3)
2009Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Billy Powell (56),
Lynyrd Skynyrd keyboard player, died in Florida. He played on such
hits as "Sweet Home Alabama" and survived the Oct 20, 1977, plane
crash that killed three band members.
   (AP, 1/29/09)
2009Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Five African and
international human rights groups called on the African Union to
press Senegal to move forward with the trial of former Chadian
dictator Hissene Habre.
   (AP, 1/28/09)
2009Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Albania awarded a
35-year concession to the British-Swiss Zumax AG group for a
euro1.18 billion ($1.55 billion) container terminal for ships in
southwestern Albania.
   (AP, 1/28/09)
2009Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, China’s state
media said at least 81 people have been detained as the country
launched a security sweep in Tibet ahead of one of the region's most
sensitive anniversaries in years.
   (AP, 1/28/09)
2009Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Cuba’s President
Raul Castro began the first visit to Russia by a Cuban leader since
the end of the Cold War, the latest sign of reviving ties between
the two countries.
   (Reuters, 1/28/09)
2009Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, El Salvador police
said they found the remains of what they believe to be eight to 10
gang victims at the bottom of a well in Tonacatepeque, located
outside San Salvador.
   (AP, 1/29/09)
2009Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, The European Union
promised billions of dollars in aid to the world's poorest nations
to entice them to sign a new global climate change pact.
   (AP, 1/28/09)
2009Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, French PM Francois
Fillon said 1,000 French 1,650 soldiers would be pulled out from the
EUFOR mission to protect refugees in Chad. He also says France's
1,800-strong contingent in Ivory Coast will be reduced by half.
   (AP, 1/28/09)
2009Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Iceland both
parties of the new coalition government supported the appointment of
social affairs minister Johanna Sigurdardottir (66), an openly gay
former air hostess, as interim prime minister.
   (SFC, 1/29/09, p.A8)(Econ, 5/2/09, p.52)
2009Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Iraq special
voting began for those needed on duty for Jan 31 elections, such as
security forces and government officials. Iraqis held in detention
also were expected to take part in the early voting.
   (AP, 1/28/09)
2009Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Israeli warplanes
struck Gaza smuggling tunnels and a weapons factory. There were no
reports of casualties. George Mitchell, Pres. Obama's new Mideast
envoy, said a long-term Gaza truce must be based on an end to
weapons smuggling to Hamas and the re-opening of the territory's
blockaded borders.
   (AP, 1/28/09)(AP, 1/29/09)
2009Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Israel’s chief
rabbinate cut ties with the Vatican to protest the reinstatement of
English-born Bishop Richard Williamson (b.1940), who has continued
to deny the Holocaust. Williamson was excommunicated by the Roman
Catholic Church in 1988 because of his unauthorized consecration by
French Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, deemed by the Holy See to be
"unlawful" and "a schismatic act."
    (WSJ, 1/29/09,
p.A1)(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Williamson_(bishop))
2009Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Japan's defense
minister ordered the dispatch of ships to fight pirates off the
shores of Somalia, joining other countries in the battle against the
outlaws.
   (AP, 1/28/09)
2009Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Japan’s
territorial row with Russia was re-ignited as Japan announced that
it had cancelled humanitarian aid to the four disputed Russian-held
islands, north of Japan's main northern island of Hokkaido,
following new Russian demand that a disembarkation card be submitted
in addition to the usual procedures.
   (AP, 1/28/09)
2009Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Japan's former
prime minister Shinzo Abe signed a partnership accord with Iraq, on
a rare visit to the country for a senior leader of the close US
ally.
   (AFP, 1/28/09)
2009Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Kenya a massive
fire swept through a supermarket in downtown Nairobi. 28 shoppers
were burned alive.
   (AP, 1/30/09)(AP, 2/3/09)(Econ, 2/7/09, p.42)
2009Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Madagascar
thousands of opposition supporters demanded the resignation of Pres.
Marc Ravalomanana. The director of the main hospital said 43 people
had burned to death as protesters set fires in political violence
earlier in the week.
   (AP, 1/28/09)
2009Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, A new UN report
said Myanmar faced food shortages in many parts of the country,
largely because of last year's cyclone and a rat infestation that
destroyed crops. A human rights group said the Chin people,
Christians living in the remote mountains of northwestern Myanmar,
are subject to forced labor, torture, extrajudicial killings and
religious persecution by the country's military regime.
   (AP, 1/28/09)
2009Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Pakistan arrested
nine men suspected in a string of deadly bombings last year which
devastated the Danish Embassy, killed an army general and wounded
several FBI personnel. The day’s raids turned up about 220 pounds
(100 kilograms) of explosives and other materials suitable for
making vests worn by suicide bombers.
   (AP, 1/29/09)
2009Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Russia’s military
said it has halted plans to deploy missiles near the Polish border,
in what could be a sign Moscow is seeking better ties with the new
US president.
   (Reuters, 1/28/09)
2009Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Serbia the
editor of a popular liberal radio show, critical of Serb
nationalism, said attackers have disrupted the broadcasts of
Pescanik (Hourglass) and hacked into its Web site.
   (AP, 1/28/09)
2009Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Sri Lankan forces
fought their way into another village still held by Tamil Tiger
rebels, as neighboring India raised fears for civilians caught up in
the war.
   (AFP, 1/28/09)
2009Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, A Sudanese man,
Mohammed el-Sari, was jailed for 17 years on charges of trying to
help the International Criminal Court investigate a minister
suspected of war crimes in Darfur. He was arrested in June accused
of trying to solicit information about special police in Darfur, men
trained and paid by the government and supervised by current
Minister of Humanitarian Affairs Ahmed Haroun.
   (AFP, 1/28/09)
2009Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Switzerland
some 2,500 business and political leaders met at Davos for the World
Economic Forum, as the worst financial crisis since the Great
Depression served to mute the enthusiasm of previous years. China’s
Premier Wen Jiabao and Russia’s PM Vladimir Putin blamed the US-led
financial system for the global economic slump.
   (AP, 1/28/09)(WSJ, 1/29/09, p.A1)
2009Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, A Thai court
convicted 66 barefoot, disheveled migrants detained at sea of
illegally entering the country, raising the prospect they could be
sent back to Myanmar despite fears they would be persecuted there.
   (AP, 1/28/09)
2010Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, A US government
audit found that a $46 million American aid program aimed at
strengthening the government in Pakistan's tribal regions and
blunting the appeal of al-Qaida and the Taliban has achieved little
since it began two years ago.
   (AP, 1/29/10)
2010Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, The US formally
pledged to the UN that it would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by
17% (from what they were in 2005) by 2020. Meeting the target
depended on getting a climate bill through Congress.
   (Econ, 2/6/10, p.38)
2010Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Arizona police
Lt. Eric Shuhandler (42) was shot in the face as he walked back
toward a pickup after finding the passenger had an arrest warrant.
Shuhandler, the father of two girls, was rushed to a hospital, where
he died shortly before midnight. A high-speed, 50-mile chase ended
near the small mountain mining community of Superior when the
suspects jumped out and opened fire on police before falling to the
ground in a hail of bullets. The suspects were identified as
Christopher A. Redondo (35) of Globe, and Daimen Irizarry (30) of
Gilbert. Both were expected to survive.
   (AP, 1/30/10)
2010Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Louisiana Mose
Jefferson, the brother of former US Representative William
Jefferson, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for bribing a former
New Orleans school board president for her support in awarding
contracts to a computer-based teaching system, which he sold.
   (SFC, 1/29/10, p.A6)
2010Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Ford Motor Co.
said it has halted production of some full-sized commercial vehicles
in China because they contain gas pedals built by the same company
behind the accelerators in Toyota Motor Corp.'s recent recall. Ford
spokesman Said Deep said the diesel version of its Transit Classic
built by a Chinese joint venture contains accelerators built by CTS
Corp., based in Elkhart, Ind. The vehicles began production in
December and only about 1,600 have been produced.
   (AP, 1/28/10)
2010Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Oakland, Ca.,
Dhar Mann (25) opened iGrow, a one-stop shop for medical marijuana
in a 15,000-square-foot warehouse near the Oakland Airport.
   (SFC, 1/28/10, p.C1)
2010Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, US researchers
reported the development of a prototype vaccine that protects
monkeys and mice against the emerging chikungunya virus. The
mosquito-borne virus first appeared on Reunion Island in 2005 and
has spread to more than 18 countries.
   (SFC, 1/29/10, p.A13)
2010Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, The Afghan
government invited the Taliban to a peace council of elders, the
strongest signal yet that Kabul and its Western allies are looking
for a way out of the eight-year war in Afghanistan. US soldiers shot
and killed an Afghan cleric as he drove with his young son near an
American base on the eastern edge of Kabul, underscoring the dangers
facing civilians despite NATO efforts to minimize casualties. A
homemade bomb killed a US soldier in southern Afghanistan.
   (Reuters, 1/28/10)(AFP, 1/28/10)(AP, 1/28/10)
2010Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Britain world
powers agreed on a timetable for the handover of security duties in
Afghan provinces starting in late 2010. The 70 nations said Pres.
Karzai had promised to crack down on corruption and said a summit in
Kabul later this year would offer specific plans to bolster his
faltering government. The Afghan Taliban dismissed the London
conference as a propaganda ploy and said the London summit will fail
to produce results.
   (AP, 1/28/10)(AFP, 1/28/10)
2010Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Denmark's
government said that face-covering Muslim veils don't belong in
Danish society but no ban is needed because their use can be limited
under existing rules.
   (AP, 1/28/10)
2010Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, France's
ex-premier Dominique de Villepin was acquitted of charges of
plotting to smear Nicolas Sarkozy and sabotage his presidential bid
in a verdict seen as bolstering his chance at a comeback.
   (AFP, 1/28/10)
2010Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Honduras' new
administration began its term saying the nation is bankrupt and will
likely need international financial assistance to recover from
months of diplomatic isolation over its June coup.
   (AP, 1/28/10)
2010Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Iran executed two
men, Mohammad Reza Ali Zamani and Arash Rahmani Pour, accused of
involvement in an armed anti-government group. The public prosecutor
announced that new death sentences have been issued against
opposition activists involved in protests over June's disputed
presidential election.
   (AP, 1/28/10)(AFP, 3/8/10)
2010Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In southern Iraq
an American soldier died of injuries unrelated to combat.
   (AP, 1/29/10)
2010Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Toyota Motor Corp
extended its safety recall of millions of its most popular cars to
Europe and China in a further blow to the reputation of the world's
largest auto maker.
   (Reuters, 1/28/10)
2010Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Libyan Justice
Minister Mustafa Abdeljalil said he wants to resign because of
"hindrances" and his inability to secure freedom for hundreds of
prisoners who have been found innocent.
   (AFP, 1/28/10)
2010Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In southern
Pakistan militants staged a rare attack against trucks carrying
supplies for NATO troops in neighboring Afghanistan, wounding three
people in the latest violence to plague the country's largest city.
A bomb attached to a bicycle exploded, killing three people and
wounding a dozen others in an area of Baluchistan province.
   (AP, 1/28/10)
2010Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In the southern
Philippines a decades-old military plane crashed into a residential
area, killing a two-star air force general and eight other people.
   (AP, 1/28/10)
2010Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Spanish police
arrested two suspected members of Basque separatist group ETA in
northern Spain and discovered a hidden cache containing explosives
and bomb-making equipment.
   (AP, 1/28/10)
2010Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Spain
prosecutors say charges have been filed against Mohamed Benbrahim, a
Muslim imam, for threatening a woman in Cunit, Catalonia, who
refused to wear an Islamic headscarf.
   (AP, 1/28/10)
2010Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Venezuela
police fired tear gas to chase off thousands of students
demonstrating in the capital, a fifth day of protests against
President Hugo Chavez for pressuring cable and satellite TV
providers to drop an opposition channel.
   (AP, 1/28/10)
2011Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In southwest
Michigan investigators found the bodies of 2 women buried in a
woodland near Bangor. Suspect Junior Lee Beebe was charged with
murder.
   (SFC, 1/29/11, p.A6)
2011Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Minot, North
Dakota, a mother, her 2 children and her boyfriend were found dead
at a home and trailer.
   (SFC, 1/29/11, p.A6)(SSFC, 1/30/11, p.A10)
2011Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Authorities in
Columbus, Ohio, seized about 800 more pounds of marijuana from
Mexico during a 2nd raid in 3 days. The total street value from the
2 raids was estimated at $3.5 million, as well as almost $1 million
in cash.
   (Reuters, 1/29/11)
2011Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Afghanistan a
suicide bomber killed 9 people, including 3 foreign women, inside a
high-end grocery store in the heart of a heavily guarded district of
Kabul that's home to many diplomats and Westerners. Six of the
victims were the son of a former Afghan senator (Mahbooba Huqoqmal),
his rights activist wife and their four children. On Feb 10 an
Afghan man publicly confessed to helping a suicide bomber cross the
Pakistani border so he could attack the Kabul supermarket popular
with foreigners.
   (AP, 1/28/11)(AFP, 1/29/11)(AP, 2/10/11)
2011Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Tens of thousands
of Albanians marched through Tirana to honor three opposition
supporters shot dead in a protest last week.
   (SFC, 1/29/11, p.A2)
2011Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In eastern Algeria
a guard was killed and four people injured in the Kabylie region,
when armed Islamists attacked a barracks.
   (AP, 1/29/11)
2011Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Bolivia the
raging Molle Punku River swept at least 34 people to their deaths
after swamping a bus and a truck that tried to cross.
   (AP,
1/30/11)(www.whatsonningbo.com/tag-Bolivia%20flood.html)
2011Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, British-based
Vodafone said the Egyptian government has ordered all mobile
telephone operators to suspend services "in selected areas" of the
country. Egypt's four primary Internet providers, Link Egypt,
Vodafone/Raya, Telecom Egypt, Etisalat Misr, and all went dark at
12:34 a.m.
   (AP, 1/28/11)
2011Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Cambodia a
tribunal statement said Japan has agreed to make a contribution of
$11.7 million to the UN-assisted genocide tribunal that is trying
former leaders of Cambodia's communist Khmer Rouge. Japan has
provided a total of about $67 million to the tribunal, about 49
percent of all contributions.
   (AP, 1/28/11)
2011Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Canada said it
will comply with a new Tunisian government request to extradite
Belhassen Trabelsi, a billionaire businessman and the brother-in-law
of ousted Pres. Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali.
   (SFC, 1/29/11, p.A2)
2011Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, China introduced
its first home-ownership tax in the cities of Chongqing, .4%-.6% of
the property’s value, and Shanghai, .5$-1.2%.
   (Econ, 2/5/11, p.52)
2011Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, A Danish warship
rescued two men who escaped from pirates off the coast of East
Africa. The men were among several crew members who attempted to
shake their captors two days after their ship, the MV Beluga
Nomination, was hijacked.
   (AP, 1/28/11)
2011Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Djibouti's first
political rally broke out after the Muslim country's Friday prayers.
Democracy International estimated that 2,000 to 3,000 people
attended.
   (AP, 2/18/11)
2011Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Egyptian security
officials said police have put Nobel Peace laureate Mohamed
ElBaradei under house arrest. Dozens of people were wounded as
police and demonstrators fought running battles on the streets of
Cairo in a fourth day of unprecedented protests by tens of thousands
of Egyptians demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak's
three-decade rule. Looters broke into the Egyptian Museum during
anti-government protests late in the day and destroyed two Pharaonic
mummies. The “Friday of Rage” witnessed a heavy police crackdown on
tens of thousands of protesters. Policeman Mohammed Abdel-Moneim was
later sentenced to death for shooting 20 protesters. In 2012 his
death sentence was overturned.
   (AP, 1/28/11)(Reuters, 1/28/11)(Reuters,
1/29/11)(AP, 3/7/12)
2011Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, France's top
constitutional watchdog ruled that law prohibiting gay marriage does
not violate the constitution, all but challenging parliament to
debate overturning the ban.
   (AP, 1/28/11)
2011Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Two Indonesian
passenger trains crashed killing 3 people in West Java province. A
crowded ferry burst into flames off Java, killing at least 18 people
and sending hundreds to the hospital, many in critical condition.
   (AP, 1/28/11)(AP, 1/31/11)
2011Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, An Israeli settler
shot and critically wounded a Palestinian teenager in the West Bank,
in the second such shooting in two days. The teenager from the
village of Beit Safa was shot in the head during a clash with
settlers near the city of Hebron.
   (AP, 1/28/11)
2011Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Jordan the
Muslim Brotherhood called for fresh demonstrations to press its
demand for political and economic reforms. Thousands of Jordanians
demonstrated peacefully in Amman and other cities after weekly
prayers to press for political and economic reform, and demanding
that the government resign.
   (AP, 1/28/11)(AFP, 1/28/11)
2011Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Mexico Mayor
Ramon Villagomez said soldiers, state and federal police had been
deployed to patrol General Teran, a town along a drug-smuggling
route to the US border. The local police chief and 38 officers quit
after the discovery on Jan 26 of the mutilated bodies of two
officers who had been kidnapped by gunmen two days earlier.
Authorities began arresting over 30 former mayors in the Mexican
Gulf coast state of Veracruz on suspicion of corruption. They were
among 115 ex-municipal employees in the state charged with
corruption between 2004 and 2008. The first to be arrested was
Leonardo Mendoza, former mayor of the town of Benito Juarez.
   (AP, 1/28/11)
2011Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Mexican soldiers
seized nearly 200 pounds (90 kg) of drugs from the cargo area of an
Aeromexico commercial plane scheduled to fly to the northern border
city of Tijuana.
   (AP, 1/29/11)
2011Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In central Nigeria
up to 13 people were killed overnight when men with rifles attacked
4 Christian villages near Jos. Authorities in Maiduguri said gunmen
on motorcycles shot and killed Modu Fannami Gubio, a dominant
gubernatorial candidate.
   (AP, 1/28/11)(AP, 1/29/11)
2011Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, North Korea’s Kim
Jong Nam said his father opposed continuing the family dynasty into
a third generation but named his youngest son as heir to keep the
country stable, according to TV Asahi.
   (AP, 12/28/11)
2011Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Pakistani fighter
jets and helicopter gunships bombed militant hideouts in a tribal
region near the Afghan border, killing 28 rebels.
   (AFP, 1/28/11)
2011Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Russian President
Dmitry Medvedev signed the ratification of a nuclear arms cut pact
with the US, the centerpiece of Pres. Obama's efforts to reset ties
with Moscow.
   (AP, 1/28/11)
2011Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Rwanda a
grenade attack killed two people and wounded at least 28 in Kigali
during the evening rush hour.
   (Reuters, 1/29/11)
2011Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Spain's Cabinet
approved a plan to raise the retirement age by two years to 67 for
most workers, a key structural reform aimed at reassuring markets
that are uneasy over the country's finances.
   (AP, 1/28/11)
2011Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Switzerland
Daniel Domscheit-Berg, a former member of the group that created
WikiLeaks, said a new platform called OpenLeaks will allow sources
to choose specifically who they want to submit documents to
anonymously, such as to a particular news outlet. He hoped it would
be fully operational later this year.
   (AP, 1/28/11)
2011Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, The head of
Tunisia's main union body said that PM Mohammed Ghannouchi had
agreed to meet critics demanding his removal amid signs that mass
protests were running out of steam.
   (AFP, 1/28/11)
2012Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Oakland, Ca.,
riot police fought running skirmishes with anti-Wall Street
protesters, firing tear gas and bean bag projectiles and arresting
more than 200 people in clashes that injured three officers and at
least one demonstrator.
   (Reuters, 1/29/12)
2012Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, A California
police officer under investigation for sexual misconduct with a
teenage minor was shot and killed while on duty by fellow officers
as they tried to arrest him in Santa Maria.
   (AP, 1/28/12)
2012Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Aiken, South
Carolina, Joshua Tremaine Jones (26) shot and killed police Master
Cpl. Sandra Rogers (49) as she responded to a report of suspicious
activity. Jones was soon arrested and also faced murder charges for
the death of his girlfriend Cayce Vice (26).
   (SFC, 1/30/12, p.A5)
2012Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Washington state
wildlife officials said 8 sea lions have been found shot dead in
recent weeks.
   (SSFC, 1/29/12, p.A8)
2012Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Bird enthusiasts
were reporting rising numbers of snowy owls from the Arctic winging
into the lower 48 states this winter in a mass southern migration.
   (Reuters, 1/28/12)
2012Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, British police
searched the offices of Rupert Murdoch's British newspapers after
arresting a police officer and four current and former staff of his
tabloid The Sun as part of an investigation into police bribery by
journalists.
   (AP, 1/28/12)
2012Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Ethiopia
African leaders inaugurated a new $200 million headquarters that was
funded by China as a gift. They said the massive complex in Addis
Ababa is a symbol of China's rapidly changing role in Africa.
   (AP, 1/28/12)
2012Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In northeast India
a suspected Naga rebel opened fire at a police station packed with
voters on a tense election day in Manipur state, killing 4 people
before he was shot dead.
   (AP, 1/28/12)
2012Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Iraqi Kurdish
leader Massud Barzani backed minority Kurds in Syria, who have
rallied against the rule of President Bashar al-Assad during 10
months of nationwide protests. He spoke at a two-day conference of
Syrian Kurds in the Iraqi Kurdish capital of Arbil.
   (AFP, 1/28/12)
2012Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, The foreign
ministers of Japan and Russia agreed to strengthen economic and
security cooperation but made no progress on resolving a
long-standing territorial dispute that has kept the two nations from
concluding a peace treaty.
   (AP, 1/28/12)
2012Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Kazakhstan some
300 opposition activists staged a rare rally in Almaty, the
commercial capital, to protest recent elections and the violent
suppression of a group of oil workers. Hours later, speakers at the
rally were handed two-week jail sentences for holding the
unsanctioned gathering.
   (AP, 1/28/12)
2012Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, It was reported
that more than 1,000 prisoners in Kyrgyzstan have sewn their lips
together, a grotesque act inmates describe as a protest of their
dismal conditions, but which authorities blame on organized criminal
gangs who resent attempts to break the power they wield in prisons.
   (AP, 1/28/12)
2012Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Liberia arrested
some 70 people near its southeastern border with Ivory Coast for
their alleged involvement in plans to destabilize the neighboring
country.
   (AFP, 1/31/12)
2012Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Libya’s ruling
National Transitional Council adopted a new electoral law to form
its first constituent assembly in June, dropping a 10% quota set
aside for women. It now said each political party must have equal
numbers of men and women in its list of candidates for the 136
seats.
   (AFP, 1/28/12)
2012Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Pakistan a
private TV station said it had fired Maya Khan, a popular morning
show host, after she sparked outrage by running around a public park
trying to expose young, unmarried couples hanging out, a taboo in
this conservative Muslim country.
   (AP, 1/29/12)
2012Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Papua New
Guinea Yaura Sasa, a retired colonel who attempted to take over the
military and ordered the prime minister to step down, was arrested
and charged with mutiny.
   (AP, 1/29/12)
2012Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Peru a fire
swept through a two-story private rehabilitation center for addicts
in a poor part of Lima, killing 27 people and critically injuring
five. The "Christ is Love" center for drug and alcohol addicts was
unlicensed and overcrowded and its residents were apparently kept
locked inside.
   (AP, 1/29/12)
2012Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Somalia
unidentified gunmen shot dead Hassan Osman Abdi (29), a station
director at a Mogadishu radio station. Pres. Saleh arrive in the US
for medical treatment.
   (AFP, 1/28/12)(SSFC, 1/29/12, p.A3)
2012Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, South Korean
activists floated giant balloons carrying boxes of socks into North
Korea hoping that North Koreans could wear the socks or trade them
for food during the harsh winter.
   (AP, 1/28/12)
2012Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In South Sudan a
Nuer tribe from Unity state attacked a Dinka community in
neighboring Warrap state. 70 people were reported killed and
attackers took more than 4,000 cattle. On Jan 30 South Sudan accused
its former foes in the Khartoum government of arming gunmen who
killed over 40 people in the cattle raid.
   (AP, 1/30/12)(AFP, 1/30/12)
2012Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Sudan agreed to
free ships with South Sudanese oil as a goodwill gesture to ease
negotiations aimed at resolving a furious row over pipeline transit
fees.
   (AFP, 1/28/12)
2012Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Sudan's South
Kordofan state rebels of the Sudan People's Liberation
Movement-North (SPLM-N) captured 29 Chinese workers after a battle
with government forces. Nine members of the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF)
were also being held. On Feb 7 all 29 Chinese workers were released
and flown to Kenya. Sudan's foreign ministry spokesman said that in
addition to the 29 freed Chinese, 17 others had earlier been
"released" by the Sudan Armed Forces but one other Chinese died.
   (AFP, 1/29/12)(AFP, 2/7/12)
2012Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, At Davos,
Switzerland, 3 topless Ukrainian protesters were detained while
trying to break into an invitation-only gathering of international
CEOs and political leaders to call attention to the needs of the
world's poor. Separately, demonstrators from the Occupy movement
marched to the edge of the gathering.
   (AP, 1/28/12)
2012Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, The Arab League
halted its observer mission to Syria, sharply criticizing the regime
of President Bashar Assad for escalating violence in recent days
that has killed at least 80 people across the country. Government
forces clashed with anti-regime army defectors across the country.
At least nine were reported killed in the clashes and other
violence. State-run news said "terrorists" ambushed a bus carrying
army officers near the tense Damascus suburb of Douma, killing seven
of them.
   (AP, 1/28/12)
2012Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Tunisia over
8,000 people marched in Tunis denouncing violence committed by
ultraconservative Islamist groups.
   (SSFC, 1/29/12, p.A3)
2012Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Yemen hundreds
of air force personnel in Sanaa and Taez demanded the ouster of air
force commander Mohammed Saleh al-Ahmar, a half-brother of Pres.
Saleh.
   (AFP, 1/29/12)
2013Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In New Hampshire
Catherine Houghton (70) of Novato, Ca., was stabbed to death in the
lobby of the Hampton Inn in Littleton. Rodney Hill (37) was later
charged with 2nd degree murder. He said he attacked her because he
thought she was the devil.
   (SFC, 5/30/13, p.D3)
2013Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Argentina’s Pres.
Cristina Fernandez announced 15.8% raise in public pension payments
effective in March. Retirees dismissed the move as too little and
too late.
   (Econ, 2/16/13, p.39)
2013Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Australia reported
4 deaths as torrential rain over the weekend flooded the Queensland
towns of Gladstone, Gympie and Ipswich.
   (AP, 1/28/13)(AP, 1/29/13)  Â
Â
2013Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Britain received
an initial 340 million pounds from the Swiss government as part of a
deal to tackle tax evasion that the government expects will net it
some 5 billion pounds over the next six years.
   (Reuters, 1/29/13)
2013Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In EgyptÂ
riot police fired tear gas at rock-throwing protesters in central
Cairo, and one protester died of gunshot wounds. Egypt's main
opposition coalition rejected the Islamist president's call for
dialogue unless their conditions are met.
   (AP, 1/28/13)
2013Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Nikolaos Dertilis
(94), the last jailed member of the Greek military dictatorship
(1967-1974), died of a stroke at Athens' Erythros Stavros Hospital.
He had spent the last 38 years in prison.
   (AP, 1/29/13)
2013Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In eastern
Indonesia a mob of wild monkeys has gone on a rampage in a
village in South Sulawesi province, entering houses and attacking
residents. Seven people were injured.
   (AP, 1/30/13)
2013Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Iran said it has
successfully sent a monkey into space, describing the launch as
another step toward Tehran's goal of a manned space flight. In 2017
Iran’s space organization cancelled a project to explore sending
humans into space.
   (AP, 1/28/13)(SFC, 6/1/17, p.A2)
2013Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Malian ground
forces backed by French paratroopers and helicopters took control of
Timbuktu's airport and the roads leading to the town in an overnight
operation. Timbuktu’s mayor said Islamist extremists torched a
library containing historic manuscripts as they fled late last week.
The jihadists left a manual behind on how to use the SA-7
surface-to-air missile as well as other instructional material,
including a spiral-bound pamphlet showing how to use the KPV-14.5
anti-aircraft machine gun and another on how to make a bomb out of
ammonium nitrate.
   (AP, 1/28/13)(AP, 6/11/13)
2013Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, The Netherlands'
Queen Beatrix announced that she is ending her reign after 33 years
and passing the crown to her eldest son, Willem-Alexander (45), who
has long been groomed to be king.
   (AP, 1/28/13)
2013Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Nigeria John
Yakubu Yusufu, a man who formerly helped oversee the country’s
police pension program, pleaded guilty to stealing $145 million, but
walked out of court a free man after agreeing to a plea bargain that
saw him pay only a fraction of it back.
   (AP, 1/28/13)
2013Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, The Philippine
Congress ratified a bill awarding $246 million to victims of martial
law compensation and recognition for detentions, beatings,
harassment and killings from 1972-1986. The bill will be sent to
Pres. Benigno Aquino III for signing into law.
   (AP, 1/28/13)
2013Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Syrian activists
said troops battled rebels in several towns and villages around
Damascus, including in Daraya, Arbeen and Zabadani.
   (AP, 1/28/13)
2013Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Yemen a car
bomb exploded next to a military checkpoint in Radda, where Yemeni
government forces waged their first offensive targeting al-Qaida
militants in the area. 11 soldiers were killed. The military
launched a wide offensive against al-Qaida in surrounding Bayda
province. The first day of shelling left 6 dead, 4 from
al-Qaida and 2 from the army.
   (AP, 1/28/13)
2014Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Pres. Obama made
his State of the Union address saying would be a “year of action”
and that if Congress wasn’t willing to work with him, he was
prepared to act on his own.
   (SFC, 1/29/14, p.A1)
2014Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, A report by the US
Office of the Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction said
an estimated half of Afghan security forces remained illiterate
despite a 3-year-old $200 million US program to bolster their
literacy rates.
   (SFC, 1/29/14, p.A2)
2014Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Officials said the
cheating scandal inside the Air Force's nuclear missile corps is
expanding, with the number of service members implicated by
investigators now roughly double the 34 reported just a week ago.
   (AP, 1/28/14)
2014Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, A rare blast of
snow, sleet and ice hit the US South, prompting schools to close,
airlines to cancel flights and emergency officials to warn of icy
roads. Forecasters predicted 1 to 2 inches of snow in parts of
middle and north Georgia including the Atlanta area, prompting
dozens of school closings. In Mississippi 4 people were killed in a
fire in a mobile home blamed on a faulty space heater.
   (Reuters, 1/28/14)(SFC, 1/30/14, p.A8)
2014Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Bolivia's
government declared a national emergency to deal with flooding that
has claimed at least 30 lives and forced some 21,000 families from
their homes over the past two months.
   (AP, 1/28/14)
2014Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Brazil a dump
truck smashed into a pedestrian bridge on a busy highway in northern
Rio de Janeiro, causing the walkway to collapse onto three cars and
a motorcycle below. At least 4 people were killed.
   (AP, 1/28/14)
2014Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Britain announced
it would take in hundreds of vulnerable Syrian refugees, targeting
those most traumatized by the 3-year civil war.
   (AFP, 1/28/14)
2014Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Debut author
Nathan Filer won Britain's Costa Book Award for his novel "The Shock
of the Fall", which draws on his experience as a mental health
nurse.
   (AFP, 1/28/14)
2014Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Burundi's top
lawyer, Isidore Rufyikiri, was sacked after criticizing the
government and being accused of urging the people to rebel.
   (AFP, 1/29/14)
2014Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Canada's BMO
Financial Group said it will acquire UK-based financial manager
F&C for 1.3 billion Canadian dollars (860 million euros).
   (AFP, 1/28/14)
2014Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In China an Indian
oil tanker being repaired at a shipyard at Haizhou Shipyard in the
port city of Zhousha exploded and caught fire, killing 7 Chinese
workers.
   (AP, 1/28/14)
2014Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Cuba Latin
American and Caribbean leaders (CELAC) opened a regional summit in
Havana.
   (AP, 1/28/14)(Econ, 2/1/14, p.28)
2014Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, A Cyprus Forestry
Department official said illegal logging in the bailed-out island
nation has picked up sharply as people turn to firewood to save on
heating bills.
   (AP, 1/28/14)
2014Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Egypt gunmen on
a motorbike killed General Mohamed Saeed, head of the technical
office of the minister of interior, outside his home in Cairo.
   (AP, 1/28/14)
2014Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, European Union
officials demanded Croatia slash its budget shortfall and reduce
spending to bring the country's deficit back under the bloc's
allowed ceiling.
   (AP, 1/28/14)
2014Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Europe's top human
rights court in Strasbourg, France, ruled that Ireland's government
failed in its duty to protect children in the case of a woman
sexually abused by a lay teacher at a state-backed Roman Catholic
school in 1973. Louise O'Keeffe (48) said she was abused by her
teacher during lessons in his classroom when she was 9 years old.
She argued that the Irish state failed to put in place appropriate
measures to stop "systematic abuse" at the Dunderrow National
School.
   (AP, 1/28/14)
2014Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, A French court
barred the return to France of a Roma family including Leonarda
Dibrani, the teenage girl whose arrest in front of her schoolmates
and expulsion to Kosovo became a cause celebre.
   (AP, 1/28/14)
2014Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, France's crackdown
on Dieudonne M'bala M'bala intensified with police raiding premises
linked to the controversial comic as part of a probe into suspected
fraud.
   (AFP, 1/28/14)
2014Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Hong Kong culled
around 20,000 chickens after finding the deadly H7N9 bird flu virus
in poultry imported from mainland China. Fears over avian flu have
grown following the deaths of two men from the H7N9 strain in Hong
Kong since December.
   (AFP, 1/28/14)
2014Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Indonesia two
landslides triggered by torrential rain killed at least 19 people
and left 10 others missing on the main island of Java.
   (AP, 1/28/14)
2014Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Iraq gun
attacks north of Baghdad killed 7 members of the security forces.
   (AFP, 1/28/14)
2014Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, A Kenyan court
ordered a Chinese man to pay $230,000 in fines or be jailed seven
years for ivory smuggling in the first of what will likely be many
cases as authorities implement a stringent new law to deter illegal
trading in wildlife products.
   (AP, 1/28/14)
2014Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Mexican officials
said that they are launching a nationwide effort to fight
kidnapping, a crime that has risen to epidemic levels across the
country.
   (AP, 1/28/14)
2014Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Nicaraguan
lawmakers approved constitutional changes that would allow Pres.
Daniel Ortega to be re-elected indefinitely, a move that his critics
say is designed to keep the Sandinista leader in power for life.
   (AP, 1/28/14)
2014Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Pakistan a
senior official in Bannu said 23,000 refugees in North Waziristan
had fled to the town fearing a major military operation by armed
forces.
   (Reuters, 1/28/14)
2014Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, A Polish court
convicted seven Poles for attacking Mexican cadets last year in a
massive beach fight on the Baltic coast, and sent them to jail. Some
300 Poles had attacked 57 Mexican naval cadets who were on a
training voyage aboard a sailing vessel docked in Gdynia.
   (AP, 1/28/14)
2014Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, South Africa's
main opposition Democratic Alliance party under Helen Zille merged
with the smaller Agang group to jointly challenge the ruling ANC
party. Mamphela Ramphele will stand as the presidential candidate of
the new coalition.
   (AP, 1/28/14)
2014Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, South African
police shot dead two protestors in a northern village during a siege
a day earlier of their station by an angry mob throwing stones and
petrol bombs. The violence near Tzaneen was sparked by community
anger over a recent killing in the area.
   (AFP, 1/29/14)
2014Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Sri Lanka
thousands of protesters from opposition parties, human rights
groups, trade unions and media groups marched in Colombo in a rare
show of dissent against the government.
   (AP, 1/28/14)
2014Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Sudan a Russian
diplomat and his wife were stabbed in Khartoum by a man anguished by
the death of his brother in violence-plagued Central African
Republic.
   (AFP, 1/28/14)
2014Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Togo police said
they have arrested 3 men after discovering nearly two tons of ivory
in a container marked for shipping to Vietnam.
   (AP, 1/28/14)
2014Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Turkey's central
bank hiked all of its key interest rates in dramatic fashion at an
emergency midnight policy meeting, ignoring opposition from PM
Tayyip Erdogan as it battles to defend the country's crumbling lira
currency. The key rate rose from 4.5% to 10%.
   (Reuters, 1/28/14)(Econ, 2/1/14, p.59)
2014Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Ukraine PM Mykola
Azarov resigned. Pres. Yanukovych accepted Azarov’s resignation but
asked him to stay on in an acting role until a new government is
formed. Parliament repealed anti-protest laws that had set off
violent clashes between protesters and police.
   (AP, 1/28/14)
2014Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, The Vatican
library and four Japanese historical institutes agreed to inventory,
catalogue and digitize 10,000 documents from a lost Japanese archive
detailing the persecution of Christians in Japan in the 17th-19th
centuries.
   (AP, 1/28/14)
2014Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Venezuelan
journalists and journalism students protested on one of Caracas'
avenues to demand that the government auction off dollars to allow
newspapers to buy newsprint after nine regional dailies shut down
and some of the main media chains are experiencing difficulties.
   (AP, 1/28/14)
2015Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In San Francisco
chopped up body parts were found in a suitcase outside a Goodwill
store on 11th St. between Mission and Market. The victim’s head,
lower arms and hands were missing. The victim was later identified
as Omar Shahwan. On Jan 31 police arrested Jeffrey Andrus (54) on
suspicion of murder. Andrus was released on Feb 3 for lack of
evidence and died at a city hospital on Feb 8.
   (SFC, 1/30/15, p.A1)(SFC, 1/31/15, p.A1)(SSFC,
2/1/15, p.A1)(SFC, 2/4/15, p.A1)(SFC, 2/9/15, p.A1)(SFC, 8/12/15,
p.D1)
2015Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, American poet
Steve Sanfield (b.1937), founder of the Sierra Storytelling
Festival, died at his home on the San Juan Ridge in Nevada Ct., Ca.
His work included 30 books.
   (SFC, 2/12/15, p.D3)
2015Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Millions in the
Northeast started digging out from a powerful blizzard that dumped
up to 3 feet of snow and led to coastal flooding around parts the
region, while largely bypassing New York City. Massachusetts had a
record-breaking 34.5 inches (88 cm) of snow in Worcester, and 24.4
inches (62 cm) at Boston's Logan International Airport.
   (Reuters, 1/28/15)
2015Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, McDonald’s, the
world’s biggest fast food chain, announced that CEO Don Thompson
will leave on March 1 and be replaced by Steve Easterbrook, the
company’s chief brand officer. On Jan 23 the company had announced a
significant drop operating profit.
   (Econ, 1/31/15, p.58)
2015Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, A new study said
an estimated 550 women who have traveled to Iraq and Syria are
expected to marry, keep house and bear children.
   (AFP, 1/28/15)
2015Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Afghanistan's
parliament approved eight out of 25 Cabinet nominees. Two alleged
militants from a Taliban splinter group were reported arrested last
week. The Feday-e-Mahaz group had claimed responsibility for the
2014 killing of Swedish journalist Nils Horner in Kabul. In Herat
province a bomb blast killed a female police officer and wounded a
policeman at a checkpoint. Taliban militants attacked a checkpoint
operated by a group of armed villagers late today, killing 11
people. 7 militants were killed.
   (AP, 1/28/15)(Reuters, 1/29/15)
2015Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, A new report said
Canada's electronic spy agency has been intercepting and analyzing
data on up to 15 million file downloads a day as part of a global
surveillance program. The spying initiative was revealed in 2012
documents obtained by US whistleblower Edward Snowden. Canada is
part of the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing network along with the
United States, Britain, Australia and New Zealand.
   (Reuters, 1/28/15)
2015Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Denmark
commuters in Copenhagen faced widespread disruptions on the train
network caused by the third theft in a week of copper cables from
the tracks.
   (Reuters, 1/28/15)
2015Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, France unveiled a
video and web site designed to dissuade potential jihadists from
joining Islamist fighting groups in Syria and Iraq.
   (Reuters, 1/28/15)
2015Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, France's highest
court ruled that a gay French-Moroccan couple are allowed to marry
despite the North African kingdom's refusal to recognize marriages
between two men.
   (AP, 1/28/15)
2015Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Leftwing Greek PM
Alexis Tsipras threw down an open challenge to international
creditors by halting privatization plans agreed under the country's
bailout deal, prompting a third day of heavy losses on financial
markets.
   (Reuters, 1/28/15)
2015Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, A Guam attorney
agreed to drop his legal challenge to a voter-approved medical
marijuana initiative. Howard Trapp had filed a federal lawsuit
against the Guam Election Commission in late October to prevent it
from certifying the results of the November medical marijuana vote.
   (AP, 2/2/15)
2015Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Israel missiles
fired by the Lebanese Hezbollah group struck an Israeli military
convoy, killing 2 soldiers in an apparent retaliation for a deadly
airstrike attributed to Israel that killed 6 Hezbollah fighters in
Syria earlier this month. Israeli warplanes struck Syrian army
targets on the Golan Heights hours after rockets hit the
Israeli-held sector. Cpl. Francisco Javier Soria Toledo, a Spanish
UN peacekeeper, was accidentally killed by Israeli artillery. On
April 8 Israel publicly admitted responsibility.
   (AP, 1/28/15)(AFP, 1/28/15)(AP, 4/7/15)
2015Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Italian police
conducted a huge dragnet against a Calabrian mafia clan operating in
the north, arresting 110 people and seizing more than 100 million
euros ($114 million).
   (Reuters, 1/28/15)  Â
2015Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Jordan offered to
hand over Sajida al-Rishawi, an Iraqi woman on death row for her
role in a 2005 suicide bomb attack, if Lieutenant Muath al-Kasaesbeh
captured by Islamic State was released.
   (Reuters, 1/28/15)
2015Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Madagascar's
government appealed for international aid after a tropical storm
earlier this month killed 68 people and devastated large swathes of
the Indian Ocean island, with damages at around $40 million.
   (Reuters, 1/28/15)
2015Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In northern Mali
an attack overnight by pro-government GATIA fighters, including
suicide bombers, killed a dozen people near Tabankort. GATIA is the
commonly-used name for the pro-government Imghad and Allies Tuareg
Self-Defence Group.
   (AFP, 1/28/15)
2015Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Myanmar opened
trial operations of a deep sea port off its western coast, part of a
$2.45 billion port and pipeline project that will carry crude oil
from the Middle East to China.
   (AP, 1/30/15)
2015Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Dozens of
Palestinians attacked a UN compound in Gaza City following the world
body's suspension of an aid program for victims of last year's war
due to lack of funds.
   (AP, 1/28/15)
2015Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Sri Lanka's new
President Maithripala Sirisena reinstated Shirani Bandaranayake, the
country's chief justice, who was impeached two years ago after she
refused to back a law granting wider powers to the former
president's brother. Bandaranayake reassumed her duties but would
retire after attending a farewell ceremony on Jan 29. That would
allow the government to appoint a new chief justice.
   (AP, 1/28/15)
2015Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Tanzania
Ibrahim Lipumba, chairman of the opposition Civic United Front
(CUF), was charged with holding political rallies without a permit,
prompting fellow lawmakers to storm out of parliament in protest.
Lipumba pleaded not guilty in a court in Dar es Salaam, a day after
he and some 30 supporters were arrested.
   (AFP, 1/28/15)
2015Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Thailand
Jatuporn Prompan, a top leader of the "Red Shirt" political
movement, was sentenced to two years in jail for insulting a former
PM Abhisit Vejjajiva in 2009.
   (AP, 1/28/15)
2015Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Turkey informed US
officials that it was revoking the passport of Fethullah Gulen
because it was issued based on a "false statement". Gulen has lived
in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania since 1999.
   (Reuters, 2/3/15)
2015Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Ukraine said 3
soldiers were killed in the past 24 hours in fighting in the east.
   (AP, 1/28/15)
2015Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Vietnam a UH-1
"Huey" chopper crashed in farmland on soon after taking off from Ho
Chi Minh City on a training flight killing 4 crew members.
   (AP, 1/30/15)
2015Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Yemen's Shiite
rebels took over a key military base south of Sanaa where US
advisers had previously trained counter-terrorism forces.
   (AP, 1/29/15)
2016Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Republican White
House hopefuls jostled for the limelight in the absence of master
showman Donald Trump, who snubbed the last debate before the party
nomination votes begin and upstaged his rivals with a dueling event.
   (AFP, 1/29/16)
2016Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In northern
Cameroon 2 suicide bombers died when they targeted a school in the
town of Kerawa.
   (Reuters, 1/28/16)
2016Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, The bodies of 24
migrants, including 10 children, were discovered off the Greek
island of Samos. Eleven people from a dinghy carrying 45 people were
still listed as missing.
   (AFP, 1/28/16)
2016Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Japanese Economy
Minister Akira Amari resigned abruptly to take responsibility for a
political funding scandal that has rocked the government, but denied
having taken bribes.
   (Reuters, 1/28/16)
2016Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Yemen a suicide
car bomb detonated outside President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Rabbu Hadi's
residence in the southern city of Aden. Several people were killed
and wounded in the attack.
   (Reuters, 1/28/16)
2017Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, US Pres. Donald
Trump elevated his chief strategist Steven Bannon to full membership
in the National Security Council and downgraded the director of the
national intelligence and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
   (SFC, 1/30/17, p.A5)
2017Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, President Donald
Trump told Japan's PM Shinzo Abe that the United States is committed
to ensuring Japan's security.
   (Reuters, 1/28/17)
2017Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Pres. Trump had an
hour-long discussion with Russian Pres. Vladimir Putin. The White
House said it was a significant start to improving relations between
the US and Russia.
   (SSFC, 1/29/17, p.A7)
2017Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Immigration
lawyers sued to block Pres. Donald Trump's order halting the entry
of refugees and foreign nationals from seven predominantly Muslim
countries to the United States, saying numerous people have already
been unlawfully detained. A Department of Homeland security
spokeswoman said people holding so-called green cards, making them
legal permanent US residents, are included in President Donald
Trump's executive action.
   (Reuters, 1/28/17)
2017Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, NY federal judge
Ann Donnelly granted a stay to prevent deportations of people with
valid visas detained on entry to the US following President Trump’s
executive order barring refugees.
   (http://tinyurl.com/hvm7wwa)(SFC, 1/30/17, p.A1)
2017Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Bharati Mukherjee
(76), Indian-American writer, died at NY Univ. Hospital. Her books
included “The Tiger’s Daughter” (1972).
   (SFC, 2/3/17, p.D3)
2017Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, PM Theresa May
said Britain did not agree with US President Donald Trump's curbs on
immigration after coming under criticism from lawmakers in her own
party for not condemning his executive order when initially
questioned.
   (Reuters, 1/29/17)
2017Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, China marked that
start of the lunar Year of the Rooster as families reunited for
festivities, fireworks and food.
   (AP, 1/28/17)
2017Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, France and Germany
expressed mounting alarm at key decisions by US Pres. Donald Trump
in his first week in office, saying they raised many issues of
concern.
   (AFP, 1/28/17)
2017Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Gambian President
Adama Barrow said that every aspect of his tiny west African state
would need an overhaul after ex-leader Yahya Jammeh's 22-year rule,
but that its dread secret police would remain.
   (AFP, 1/28/17)
2017Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Germany confirmed
that high-ranking Turkish soldiers, who worked at NATO facilities in
Germany but were suspended after the failed coup in Turkey in July,
have requested asylum. Der Spiegel and broadcaster ARD reported that
about 40, mostly high-ranking Turkish soldiers, have requested
asylum.
   (Reuters, 1/28/17)
2017Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Iraqi special
forces Brig. Gen. Haider Fadhil said French officials tested a
chemical from Mosul this week and confirmed it was a mustard agent.
It was found alongside a cache of Russian surface-to-surface
missiles.
   (AP, 1/28/17)
2017Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In India the BW
Maple, with a total capacity of 82,000 cubic meters of liquefied
petroleum gas, was half full when it collided near Chennai with the
Indian ship Dawn Kanchipuram. Days later port authorities impounded
the two ships and detained their crews after the collision caused an
oil spill affecting marine life and local fishing.
   (Reuters, 2/3/17)
2017Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Madagascar at
least 47 people, including 10 children and a newly-wed couple, were
killed when a truck carrying a wedding party and guests veered off
the road and plunged into the Mananara river.
   (AFP, 1/29/17)
2017Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Thousands of
Mongolians stood in frigid weather for the second time this winter
to protest the government response to smog that routinely blankets
their capital.
   (AP, 1/28/17)
2017Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, It was reported
that heavily-armed police are guarding the streets of Podgorica, the
capital of Montenegro, after a spike in gangland violence rattled
the Balkan country, which is on the brink of joining NATO.
   (AFP, 1/28/17)
2017Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, The Dutch
government announced that it is putting 10 million euros into an
int’l. fund to finance access to birth control, abortion and sex
education for women in developing nations after Pres. Trump cut US
funding for such services.
   (SSFC, 1/29/17, p.A4)
2017Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Nigeria gunmen
believed to be Boko Haram Islamic extremists attacked a convoy of
motorists along a recently secured highway. At least 15 trucks laden
with food were seized when the Islamists struck at the Korowaso
forest. More than 20 people were feared dead.
   (AP, 1/29/17)(AFP, 1/30/17)
2017Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Russia over
2,000 people rallied in St. Petersburg to protest plans by the city
authorities to give the landmark St. Isaac's Cathedral to the
Russian Orthodox Church amid an increasingly passionate debate over
the relationship between the church and state.
   (AP, 1/28/17)
2017Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Spain hundreds
of protesters rallied in Barcelona over what they considered an
out-of-control tourism boom that has damaged their ability to live
and work in the northeastern Spanish city. A soaring tourism
business has fueled higher prices for rent and property sales,
leaving many of the city's 1.6 million residents priced out of the
city center.
   (AP, 1/28/17)
2017Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Swedish
photographer Lennart Nilsson (94) died. His pictures of fetuses
developing in the womb illustrated a 1965 book was translated into
several languages.
   (AP, 1/28/17)
2017Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Syria's army
entered Ain al-Fijeh, a key water pumping station outside the
capital, for the first time in four years after a deal with rebels.
   (AFP, 1/28/17)  Â
2017Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Several Syrian
Islamist factions including al Qaeda's former branch in the country
said they were joining forces, as clashes between jihadists and more
moderate rebels raged on in northwestern areas.
   (Reuters, 1/28/17)
2017Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Turkey British
PM Theresa May signed a $125 million defense equipment deal with
Turkey and promised to push for more trade between the NATO allies,
but cautioned Ankara on human rights following last year's failed
coup.
   (Reuters, 1/28/17)
2017Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, UAE state news
agency WAM reported that the air force of the United Arab Emirates
has shot down an Iranian-made drone in Yemen.
   (Reuters, 1/28/17)
2017Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, UN sanctions
monitors reported to the world body's Security Council that the
Saudi Arabia-led military coalition has carried out attacks in Yemen
that "may amount to war crimes".
   (Reuters, 1/29/17)
2017Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, A military
official said Yemeni government forces have advanced into the Red
Sea town of Mokha but Shiite Huthi rebels are still putting up
fierce resistance. At least 19 rebels were reported killed and 23
wounded over the last 24 hours.
   (AFP, 1/28/17)
2018Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, The 60th Grammy
Awards returned to New York City for the first time in more than a
decade with a nod to the city's rich history of musical theater.
Bruno Mars picked up the night's top prizes, including album of the
year and record of the year for “24K Magic.”
   (AP, 1/29/18)(SFC, 1/29/18, p.E1)
2018Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Pennsylvania
four people were shot and killed at a carwash in Saltlick Township.
Suspect Tim Smith, driven by apparent jealousy, was on life support
with a possibly self-inflicted gunshot wound after the shooting.
   (SFC, 1/29/18, p.A5)
2018Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Afghan authorities
raised the death toll from the suicide bombing a day earlier in
Kabul to 103 with 235 wounded, as hundreds of people gathered for
funerals or awaited word of loved ones outside hospitals and
morgues. Four people have been arrested in connection with the
attack.
   (AP, 1/28/18)
2018Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, The African Union
summit opened in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa. UN leaders and
the African Union urged stronger international cooperation.
   (AP, 1/28/18)
2018Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Colombia
unidentified assailants attacked a police station with explosives in
the city of Barranquilla. Four police officers and a civilian were
injured in the latest attack.
   (AP, 1/28/18)
2018Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Voters in Cyprus
headed to the polls for a presidential election. Opinion polls put
conservative incumbent Nicos Anastasiades (71) ahead as he pledged
to restart negotiations with the Turkish-backed north quickly after
the vote. No candidate received an outright majority. Pres.
Anastasiades will face Stavros Malas, backed by the communist-rooted
AKEL party, in a runoff on Feb. 4.
   (AFP, 1/28/18)(SFC, 1/29/18, p.A2)
2018Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Danish lawmakers
agreed to allocate an additional 12.8 billion crowns ($2.14 billion)
to military spending over the next six years, citing Russia as one
of the major threats to its security.
   (Reuters, 1/28/18)
2018Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Finland held
presidential elections. President Sauli Niinisto (69) was poised to
win another six-year term.
   (AFP, 1/28/18)
2018Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In France more
than 240 towns along the Seine and smaller rivers have suffered
damage swollen by weeks of heavy rains. The Seine was expected to
reach its peak in Paris over the next 24 hours.
   (AP, 1/28/18)
2018Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Iran's first heavy
snowfall of the season forced both international airports in the
capital to close. Many welcomed the heavy snow, which comes amid a
severe drought.
   (AP, 1/28/18)
2018Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Japanese Foreign
Minister Taro Kono expressed hopes for improved relations with China
during talks in Beijing that also touched on joint efforts to
counter North Korea's nuclear program.
   (AP, 1/28/18)
2018Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In
Indian-controlled Kashmir shops and businesses closed after
separatists fighting against Indian rule called for a strike a day
after soldiers shot and killed two young men in the disputed region.
   (AP, 1/28/18)
2018Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, An opposition
alliance in the Maldives petitioned the Supreme Court to temporarily
remove the president and appoint investigators to look into
allegations of corruption and misrule.
   (AP, 1/29/18)
2018Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, A Pakistani
official said volunteers were able to rescue French mountaineer
Elisabeth Revol from Nanga Parbat, the ninth highest peak in the
world, but called off efforts to retrieve Polish climber Tomasz
Mackiewicz, who was declared deceased.
   (AP, 1/28/18)
2018Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Russian police
wrestled opposition leader Alexei Navalny into a patrol wagon
moments after he appeared at a rally to urge voters to boycott what
he said would be a rigged presidential election in March. Protesters
shouting slogans including "Putin is a thief!" gathered briefly
around the Russian government's headquarters while marching through
central Moscow.
   (Reuters, 1/28/18)(AP, 1/28/18)
2018Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Syria heavy
fighting resumed in eastern Ghouta after a short period of relative
calm following reports that a ceasefire had been agreed there late
on Jan. 26.
   (Reuters, 1/28/18)
2018Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Thailand
student activist Chanoknan Ruamsap became the latest political
dissident to flee Thailand, explaining on her Facebook page that she
made a snap decision to leave after learning she had been charged
with insulting the monarchy because she shared a BBC article about
the country's new king.
   (AP, 1/29/18)
2018Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Turkey seized a
strategic outpost from Kurdish militia in Syria. Turkish air strikes
killed three people in one family early in Afrin. President Tayyip
Erdogan said that Turkey will "clean" its entire border with Syria
in a sign that the Turkish offensive on the Syrian Kurdish YPG group
in northern Syria's Afrin region could be extended further. The
Syrian government said that Turkish shelling of the Kurdish-held
Afrin region of Syria had seriously damaged the ancient temple of
Ain Dara.
   (AFP, 1/28/18)(Reuters, 1/28/18)
2018Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Yemen's government
accused southern separatists of an attempted coup after they took
over its headquarters amid fierce clashes in the city of Aden. At
least 15 people were killed and 30 wounded.
   (AFP, 1/28/18)
2019Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, The US imposed
restrictions on Venezuelan state-oil company PDVSA with the goal of
curbing some $11 billion of crude exports from the OPEC member to
the United States this year.
   (Reuters, 1/29/19)
2019Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Blizzard-like
conditions in the US Midwest caused the cancellation of some 1,000
flights at Chicago's airports and the closure of hundreds of
schools.
   (SFC, 1/29/19, p.A10)
2019Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Texas four
undercover narcotics officers were shot and wounded during a gun
battle that broke out when they tried to serve a search warrant at a
home in the Houston area where drugs, including black tar heroin,
were being dealt. A 5th police officer was also injured. Two
suspects were killed.
   (SFC, 1/29/19, p.A5)
2019Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Facebook said it
is tightening requirements for political ads in the European Union
ahead of bloc-wide elections scheduled for the spring, its latest
effort to fight misinformation and increase transparency on its
platforms.
   (AP, 1/28/19)
2019Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, It was reported
that Freedom Forum is selling its Newseum, a Washington DC museum
devoted to journalism and the First Amendment, to Baltimore-based
Johns Hopkins Univ. for $372.5 million.
   (SFC, 1/28/19, p.A4)
2019Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Afghan Pres.
Ashraf Ghani assured his people that their rights will not be
compromised in the name of peace with the Taliban, days after the US
envoy tasked with resolving America's longest war reported
significant progress in talks with the insurgents.
   (AP, 1/28/19)
2019Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Bahrain's supreme
court upheld a life sentence for opposition leader Sheikh Ali Salman
for spying for Gulf rival Qatar, a decision his party slammed as
"political revenge".
   (AFP, 1/28/19)
2019Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Brazil the
confirmed death toll rose to 60, with 292 people still missing for
the Jan. 25 dam break in Minas Gerais state.
   (AP, 1/28/19)
2019Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Cameroon
Maurice Kamto, leader of the opposition MRC, was arrested in the
country's economic capital Douala. Party treasurer Alain Fogue was
also arrested and over the weekend, Paul-Eric Kingue, who ran
Kamto's election campaign, and rapper Valsero were also detained
alongside 115 others for attending opposition protest marches in
several towns.
   (AP, 1/29/19)
2019Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Central African
Rep. PM Mathieu Simplice Sarandji led a rally of around 3,000 people
calling for a global arms embargo to be lifted ahead of a UN meeting
later this week.
   (AFP, 1/28/19)
2019Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In China prominent
human rights lawyer Wang Quanzhang was sentenced to 4½ years in
prison on the charge of subversion of state power, more than three
years after he was detained in a sweeping crackdown on the legal
profession.
   (AP, 1/28/19)
2019Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Denmark began
erecting a 70-km (43.4-mile) fence along the German border to keep
out wild boars in an attempt to prevent the spread of African swine
fever, which could jeopardize the country's valuable pork industry.
   (AP, 1/28/19)
2019Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Egypt French
President Emmanuel Macron called for "respect for individual
freedoms" as he met with his Pres. Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Cairo.
   (AFP, 1/28/19)
2019Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In France two
armed men attacked a van carrying a jailed prisoner on his way to a
court, firing shots at the vehicle and striking a guard before
making their getaway in the southern town of Tarascon.
   (AFP, 1/28/19)
2019Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In western Germany
three Polish men were killed when their car collided with a truck
transporting pigs.
   (AP, 1/28/19)
2019Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Greece announced
plans to return to bond markets and increase the minimum wage, amid
protests against bailout-era measures by farmers who used tractors
to block the country's main highway. PM Alexis Tsipras announced an
11-percent rise in the minimum wage, the first after a decade of
austerity and months ahead of legislative elections.
   (AP, 1/28/19)(AFP, 1/28/19)
2019Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Indonesia
separatists opened fire on an aircraft carrying military personnel
and local government officials in the easternmost Papua region,
killing one soldier.
   (AP, 1/28/19)
2019Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Japan Toshiba
Corp. unveiled a remote-controlled robot with tongs that it hopes
will be able to probe the inside of one of the three damaged
reactors at the tsunami-hit Fukushima nuclear plant and grip chunks
of highly radioactive melted fuel.
   (AP, 1/28/19)
2019Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Malaysian
prosecutors charged former prime minister Najib Razak with three
more counts of money laundering, allegedly receiving the proceeds of
illegal activities in his personal bank accounts.
   (Reuters, 1/28/19)
2019Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Mexican officials
said the death toll from the Juan. 18 fire at an illegally tapped
pipeline in Hidalgo state has risen to 115.
   (AP, 1/28/19)
2019Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, The Netherlands
refused an Italian request to take in 47 migrants on a humanitarian
ship that is being blocked from Italian ports, saying there was a
need to distinguish between genuine refugees and economic migrants.
   (Reuters, 1/28/19)
2019Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Nigeria the
militant group Boko Haram killed at least 60 people when it renewed
its attack on the northeastern town of Rann.
   (AP, 2/1/19)
2019Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Poland's
anti-corruption bureau says it has detained six suspects as part of
an investigation into a state-owned arms company, including an
ex-lawmaker and former employees from the Defense Ministry.
   (AP, 1/28/19)
2019Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Singapore's health
ministry accused American Mikhy K. Farrera Brochez of stealing and
leaking the records of 14,200 people infected with HIV, the virus
that causes AIDS, before January 2013. Brochez worked in Singapore
as a lecturer for a period before he was jailed for several drug and
fraud-related offenses and deported last year.
   (AP, 1/28/19)
2019Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Sudanese President
Omar al-Bashir extended ceasefires in the conflict-hit states of
South Kordofan and Blue Nile, where protest leaders pushed for
anti-government rallies.
   (AFP, 1/28/19)
2019Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In eastern Syria
Kurdish-led fighters pressed their assault against the Islamic State
group, boxing the jihadists into a tiny last pocket of land along
the Euphrates River.
   (AFP, 1/28/19)
2019Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Pope Francis said
celibacy for priests was a "gift to the Church" and not "optional",
while returning to the Vatican from Panama. Francis said there's
reason to consider ordaining older, married men in remote
communities where priests are in short supply. Celibacy was imposed
in the 11th century, possibly partly to prevent descendants of
priests inheriting church property.
   (AP, 1/28/19)
2020Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Lawyers for
President Donald Trump wrapped up their arguments urging acquittal
in his US Senate trial as Democrats ramped up their calls for former
national security adviser John Bolton to testify about explosive
allegations regarding Trump's role in a pressure campaign targeting
Ukraine.
   (Reuters, 1/28/20)
2020Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, The US
Congressional Budget Office in its annual report said that the US
budget is likely to burst through the $1 trillion mark this year
despite a healthy economy. In 2012 former Pres. Barack Obama capped
four consecutive years of $1 trillion-plus budget deficits.
   (SFC, 1/29/20, p.D1)
2020Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, The Pentagon
raised to 50 the number of US service members who suffered traumatic
brain injuries in Iran's Jan. 8 missile on an Iraqi air base, the
third time the number of injuries has been increased.
   (AP, 1/28/20)
2020Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, San Francisco
electronic health records company Practice Fusion agreed to pay $145
million to resolve charges that it took kickbacks from an opioid
maker that used the company's software to prod doctors to prescribe
more opioid panikillers to patients. Practice Fusion was acquired by
Chicago-based Allscripts in 2018 for $100 million.
   (SFC, 1/29/20, p.A1)
2020Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Illinois three
people and a dog were killed in a small plane crash in a residential
area southeast of Springfield.
   (Good Morning America, 1/29/20)
2020Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Charles Lieber
(60), the chair of Harvard's chemistry and chemical biology
department, was arrested on charges of lying to the US Defense
Department about his involvement with the Chinese government to
recruit foreign researchers into the controversial Thousand Talents
Plan.
   (Business Insider, 1/29/20)
2020Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Mississippi
officials announced late today that another inmate has died in the
state's prison system, marking the 13th state prisoner death since
late December.
   (AP, 1/29/20)
2020Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Afghanistan the
Taliban carried out attacks late today on security checkpoints in
the northern province of Kunduz. 15 members of the Afghan army were
reported killed.
   (Reuters, 1/29/20)
2020Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Britain gave the
green light to a limited role for Chinese telecoms giant Huawei in
the country's 5G network, in a decision it said was necessary for
developing its future digital economy but one that left the United
States "disappointed" after it called for a total ban.
   (AFP, 1/28/20)
2020Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, The European Union
added seven Russian-backed officials in Crimea to its sanctions
blacklist for organizing local elections in the peninsula last year.
   (Reuters, 1/28/20)
2020Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, French police
clashed with firefighters protesting in Paris against their working
conditions and demanding more pay.
   (Reuters, 1/28/20)
2020Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 29, Islam Alloush,
whose real name is Majdi Ne'mah, was arrested in Marseille and days
later handed preliminary charges linked to his activities in Syria.
The one-time spokesman for the Syrian rebel faction the Army of
Islam had arrived in the country on a short-term visa.
   (AP, 2/6/20)
2020Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, A German court
ruled that a hostel situated on the grounds of the North Korean
embassy in Berlin must close as its operation breaches sanctions
aimed at stopping the flow of hard currency to Pyongyang.
   (Reuters, 1/28/20)
2020Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Germany-based
Adidas said it will launch new fabrics made from recycled polyester
and marine plastic waste and expand the product lines that use them
after the success of shoes made with the Parley for the Oceans
initiative.
   (Reuters, 1/28/20)
2020Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, It was reported
that most major railway stations in India will use facial
recognition to fight crime by the end of 2020. Digital rights
campaigners warned the move could breach people's privacy in the
absence of stringent laws.
   (Reuters, 1/28/20)
2020Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, North Korea said
it will impose a one-month quarantine on all foreigners arriving
from China in a bid to prevent the spread of a new coronavirus. The
new strain of virus has killed at least 106 people in China and
infected more than 4,500.
   (Reuters, 1/28/20)
2020Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Norway's national
economic crime unit (Okokrim) raided the local office of
international shipping company Teekay Offshore on suspicion of
illegally exporting waste. The company said a vessel had been sent
to an Indian yard in 2018 for recycling in full compliance with the
requirements and standards of the Hong Kong convention.
   (Reuters, 1/30/20)
2020Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Thousands of
Palestinians protested in Gaza City ahead of the Trump
administration's announcement of its peace plan, which is expected
to strongly favor Israel.
   (AP, 1/28/20)
2020Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Puerto Rico opened
only 20% of its public schools following a strong earthquake that
delayed the start of classes by nearly three weeks as fears linger
over the safety of students.
   (AP, 1/28/20)
2020Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Qatar’s ruler
Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani appointed Khalid bin Khalifa Al
Thani, a close aide, as the country’s new prime minister after the
resignation of Abdullah bin Nasser Al Thani, who had held the
position since the emir came to power in June 2013.
   (Bloomberg, 1/28/20)
2020Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, A team overseeing
SAA's bankruptcy protected restructuring said that cash-strapped
state carrier South African Airways (SAA) will receive 3.5 billion
rand ($244 million) of emergency funding from the Development Bank
of Southern Africa.
   (Reuters, 1/28/20)
2020Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Syrian government
forces entered Maaret al-Numan, a key rebel-held town in in Idlib
province, after surrounding it on three sides, sending thousands of
people fleeing to safety in areas farther north.
   (AP, 1/28/20)
2020Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, The UN's WHO said
China has agreed that the World Health Organization can send
international experts there "as soon as possible" to increase
understanding of a new coronavirus and guide the global response to
the outbreak.
   (Reuters, 1/28/20)
2020Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, The UN reported
that hundreds of children in the Sahel were killed, maimed or
forcibly separated from their parents last year as the jihadist
conflict continued to rage across the region.
   (AFP, 1/28/20)
2020Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, The UN refugee
agency reported that tribal clashes in Sudan’s West Darfur province
forced more than 11,000 people to flee into neighboring Chad over
the past month.
   (AP, 1/28/20)
2020Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, The UN food agency
said that one of its warehouses in the Houthi-controlled part of
Yemen had been looted. WFP said 127.5 tons (over 115,000 kg) of aid
were stolen in the northern province of Hajja.
   (AP, 1/28/20)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, US Pres. Joe Biden
signed an executive order to reopen the HealthCare.gov insurance
markets for a special sign-up opportunity geared to people needing
coverage in the coronavirus pandemic.
   (SFC, 1/28/21, p.A5)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, President Joe
Biden rescinded a regulation that barred US foreign aid from being
used to perform or promote abortions.
   (AP, 1/29/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, The United States
called on Russia, Turkey and the UAE to immediately halt their
military interventions in Libya as demanded in a cease-fire
agreement, and accept Libyan sovereignty as it moves to unify its
government, hold elections and end years of fighting.
   (AP, 1/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, California's state
auditor reported that fraudulent unemployment claims have caused the
state to pay at least $10.4 billion to scammers.
   (SFC, 1/29/21, p.A1)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, California state
legislators approved SB91 extending the state's partial eviction
moratorium through the end of June and creating a program to
distribute $2.6 billion in emergency rental assistance received
through a federal coronavirus aid package passed last month.
   (SFC, 1/29/21, p.B1)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, California to
date had 3,233,942 cases of coronavirus and 38,991 deaths. The SF
Bay Area had 368,285 cases and 4,068 deaths. Total cases nationwide
reached over 25,736,789 with the death toll at 432,603.
   (sfist.com, 1/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Georgia a
liquid nitrogen leak at a poultry plant in Gainesville killed six
people. Union officials said the accident raised questions about
safety protocols at the plant.
   (NY Times, 1/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Ohio the police
chief of Columbus was forced out after Mayor Andrew Ginther, who
hired him, said he'd lost confidence in the chief's ability to make
needed changes to the department, weeks after the police killing of
Andre Hill.
   (AP, 1/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, American actress
Cicely Tyson (96) died. She broke ground for Black actors by
refusing to take demeaning parts. She won three Emmys, an honorary
Oscar, and at 88 she became the oldest person to win a Tony.
   (NY Times, 1/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, General Motors
said it will sell only electric vehicles by 2035, phasing out the
gas-powered pickup trucks and SUVs that today earn billions for the
company.
   (NY Times, 1/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Facebook’s
quasi-independent oversight board issued its first rulings,
overturning four out of five decisions by the social network to take
down questionable content.
   (AP, 1/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Novavax, a
little-known company supported by the federal government’s Operation
Warp Speed, said that its coronavirus vaccine was almost 90 percent
effective. But it’s only about 50 percent effective against the
variant that was first found in South Africa.
   (AP, 1/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, The maritime law
tribunal of the UN ruled that Britain has no sovereignty over the
Chagos Islands and criticized London for its failure to hand the
territory back to Mauritius. The decision confirmed a ruling by the
International Court of Justice (ICJ) and a vote in the UN General
Assembly. The ruling should enable Mauritius to start settling its
new maritime borders.
   (BBC, 1/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Chinese
ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing said it has raised $300 million for
its autonomous driving unit, tapping investors to expand its
technological know-how in the field for a second time since last
year.
   (Reuters, 1/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Colombia's
"special jurisdiction for peace" (JEP) indicted eight FARC leaders
for war crimes and crimes against humanity. The ruling disclosed
details of how the FARC kept some 21,396 hostages they took from
1990 to 2016.
   (Econ., 2/6/21, p.25)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, CongoDRC's
National Assembly passed a motion of no confidence in the cabinet of
PM Sylvestre Ilunga Ilunkamba, effectively forcing its resignation.
   (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sylvestre_Ilunga)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Human Rights Watch
accused the government of Congo’s Pres. Felix Tshisekedi of having
arbitrarily detained and prosecuted journalists and activists.
   (Econ., 2/13/21, p.48)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, The European
Union's drugs regulator approved the AstraZeneca Covid vaccine after
the pharma giant published its contract with the EU, amid a row over
whether it broke its vaccine commitments.
   (The Telegraph, 1/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Qualcomm lost its
fight against a data demand from EU antitrust regulators after
Europe's top court reaffirmed the regulators' right to see it, in a
case that has already landed the company a 242-million-euro ($292.60
million) fine.
   (Reuters, 1/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In France an
unemployed engineer, suspected of attacking three human resources
workers and a job center employee, was taken into custody in
Valence.
   (The Telegraph, 1/29/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Germany's vaccine
committee recommended that AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine should
only be given to people aged between 18 and 64.
   (Reuters, 1/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, A court in
Frankfurt convicted Stephan Ernst (47), a German neo-Nazi, of
murdering local politician Walter Lübcke in 2019 and sentenced him
to life in prison for what the prosecutor called the country’s first
political assassination by far-right extremists since the end of
World War II.
   (NY Times, 1/28/21)(SFC, 1/29/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Paul Crutzen (87),
Dutch atmospheric chemist, died in Germany. In 1995 he shared a
Nobel Prize with Sherry Rowland and Mario Molina for work on the
ozone destroying effects of nitrogen oxide.
  Â
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_J._Crutzen)(Econ., 2/13/21,
p.86)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, India’s PM
Narendra Modi invited foreign investors to take advantage of the
country’s $26 billion incentive-linked program and help the country
become a manufacturing hub.
   (AP, 1/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, India's health
minister declared its COVID-19 epidemic contained as, with most of
the country's active patients concentrated in two states, a fifth of
districts completed a week with no new cases.
   (Reuters, 1/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, In Indonesia two
men were publicly caned each 77 times after neighbors reported them
to islamic religious police for having sex.
   (SFC, 1/29/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, State TV reported
that Iran has exceeded 17 kg of 20% enriched uranium within a
month's time, moving its nuclear program closer to weapons-grade
enrichment levels amid heightened tensions with the US.
   (AP, 1/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Mexico’s death
toll became the world’s third highest. Cases have surged in the
country since December, and its hospitals are struggling.
   (NY Times, 1/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Pakistan's supreme
ordered the immediate release of Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh (47) after
dismissing appeals to reinstate his conviction for killing Daniel
Pearl in 2002.
   (Reuters, 1/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, A Russian court
rejected opposition leader Alexei Navalny's appeal against his
arrest while authorities detained several of his allies and issued
warnings to social media companies after tens of thousands swarmed
the streets in over 100 Russian cities last weekend demanding his
release.
   (AP, 1/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Russia dispatched
240,000 doses of its Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine, with most
heading to Argentina and the rest bound for Bolivia.
   (Reuters, 1/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, It was reported
that South Africa's military has changed its dress policy to allow
Muslim women to wear hijabs with their uniforms.
   (BBC, 1/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jan 28, Vietnam reported
82 new coronavirus cases, hours after confirming the first two
infections in nearly two months. Vietnam has so far reported 1,553
cases.
   (AP, 1/28/21)
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