Events in February 2009
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Feb. 1
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Leader of the Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Kirill is enthroned at a colourful ceremony at the nation's biggest Cathedral, Christ the Saviour. |
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Johanna Sigurdardottir takes over as Iceland's first woman Prime Minister and also happens to be first openly gay head of government |
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Feb. 2
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India and the International Atomic Energy Agency sign a safeguards agreement in Vienna. |
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Feb. 3
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Iran launches Omid (Hope) its first domestically made satellite. |
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Feb. 4
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Fiftytwo people are killed and 80 injured in continued fighting between the Sri Lankan forces and the LTTE. |
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Two nuclear submarines — Britain's HMS Vanguard and France's Le Triomphant collide in the Atlantic Ocean. |
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Feb. 5
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At least 30 people are killed as a suicide bombing rips through a crowd of worshippers at a mosque in Pakistan's Dera Ghazi Khan town in Punjab. |
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Feb. 6
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Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki's candidates sweep to victory in nine of the nation's 14 provinces. |
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Pakistan nuclear scientist Abdul Qader Khan is freed from five years of house arrest following the Islamabad High Court ruling. |
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U.S. scientists in collaboration with the Ethiopian government complete the first CT scan of Lucy, the human ancestor who lived 3.2 million years ago. |
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A Polish engineer Piotr Stancza is beheaded by Taliban militants in the Darra Adam Khel area in Pakistan's North West Frontier Province. |
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Feb. 7
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At least 135 people are killed and entire towns razed in the worst wild fire disaster in the south eastern state of Victoria in Australia that destroys more than 150 houses and burns 3,30,000 hectares. |
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Feb. 8
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Slumdog Millionaire sweeps the British Academy of Film and Television Arts awards winning seven major awards, including for Best Film, best Direction and A. R. Rahman's music. |
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Tabla maestro Zakir Hussain wins Grammy in the Contemporary World Music Album category for his collaborative album ‘Global Drum Project'. |
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Feb. 9
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At least 28 people and 64 injured as a woman suicide bomber blows herself up at a military checkpoint in Mullathivu district. |
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India and Bangladesh sign a mutual investment promotion and projection agreement and renew an old deal on water, road and rail transit. The Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina proposes a South Asia task force to combat terrorism. |
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Feb. 10
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Israelis cast ballots in parliamentary poll. |
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The U.S. Senate passes a $838 billion economic rescue plan. |
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At least 19 civilians are killed and 75 injured as LTTE cadre open small arms fire in Udayarkottukulam in Mullathivu district. |
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Two satellites — one a 560 kg American, Iridium Craft — the other a Russian weighing nearly a tonne smash into each other nearly 800 km over Siberia. International Space Station safe. |
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At least 16 patients are killed in shelling on the Putumattalam hospital in Wanni, Sri Lanka. |
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Feb. 11
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Twentysix persons are killed and 55 injured as Taliban gunmen storm the Justice Ministry and another government building in Afghanistan capital Kabul. Eight attackers among the dead. |
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Awami League loyalist Zillur Rahman is elected Bangladesh President by the Election Commission |
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Zimbabwe's opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai is sworn in Prime Minister in the capital Harare. |
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Israeli general election produces clear winners. |
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Feb. 12
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Pakistan admits that the November 26, 2008 attacks on Mumbai were partly planned on its soil. Case of terrorism registered against eight Pakistani suspects by the Federal Investigation Agency. Six of them under custody. |
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Fifty persons are killed as a U.S. commuter plane crashes into a house in Buffalo, New York state. |
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A man of Tamil origin commits suicide by setting himself ablaze outside the U.N.'s Geneva office. |
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Thirtytwo pilgrims are killed as a woman suicide bomber blows herself up in Iskandiriyah town in Iraq. |
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Feb. 13
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The U.S. Congress gives nod for a $ 787 billion stimulus package. |
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Brendon Sokaluk accused of lighting Australia's wild fire now known as Churchill fire is arrested. |
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Feb. 14
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King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia appoints for the first time a woman Noura al-Fayez, Deputy Minister for girls' education. |
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At least 27 persons are killed in a U.S. missile strike in South Waziristan, a tribal area in Pakistan on the Afghan border. |
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Nikkitasha Marhawa, an Indian-American from Chicago is crowned Miss India Worldwide 2009 at an event in Durban, South Africa. |
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Feb. 15
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Sri Lanka's ruling combine United People's Freedom alliance notches up an impressive victory in elections to the Central Province and North Western Province. |
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Venezuelans cast ballots in a referendum on presidential term limits. |
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Feb. 16
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The Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez wins referendum on scrapping term limits for elected posts, paving the way for his seeking re-election in 2012 and beyond. |
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The toll in the Australian wild fire goes up to 189. |
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Pakistan ushers in New Islamic justice system — Nizam-e-Adl — in North West Frontier Province's Malakand division that includes seven districts including Swat valley. |
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Feb. 17
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The Sudanese government and Darfur's most powerful rebel group sign a framework pact for peace talks. |
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Feb. 19
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Kyrgyzstan Parliament votes to shut a strategic U.S. airbase, the Pentagon's last foothold in Central Asia. |
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Feb. 20
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Two persons are killed and 58 injured as two LTTE aircraft on a suicide mission attack government buildings in the heart of the Sri Lankan capital Colombo. The military brings down the two planes. |
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Thirty five people are killed and 60 injured as a suicide bomber attacks the funeral procession of a slain Shia Muslim leader in Dera Ismail Khan in northwestern Pakistan. Two killed in ensuing violence. |
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A jury acquits three men charged in the October 2006 murder of Russian investigative journalist Anna Politkovskaya. |
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Feb. 21
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Taliban fighters and Pakistani officials agree on a “permanent ceasefire” in Swat valley. |
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Feb. 22
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A blast in one of north China's coal mines leaves 74 dead and 114 injured. |
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Slumdog Millionaire, a small-budget British film bags eight Oscars at the 81st Academy Awards function in Hollywood, including Best Director (Danny Boyle), Original Music Score and Song (A. R. Rahman, the first Indian to get two Oscars), sound mixing (Resul Pookutty of Kerala shares it with Iam Tapp and Richard Pryke), Best Picture. Kate Winslet of Britain is named best female actor for her role in The Reader, Sean Penn of the U.S. is noted best actor for performance in the political drama Milk, Spain's Penelope Cruz bags award for her supporting role in the Woody Allen romance Vicky Cristina Barcelona. |
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Smile Pinki, the tale of a little girl with a cleft lip, Pinki Sonkar, from Uttar Pradesh gets Oscar for Best Documentary (Short). |
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Feb. 24
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The U.S. President Barack Obama announces decision to deny tax breaks to American firms that outsource work to low cost destinations in his address to the joint session of the Congress. |
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Feb. 25
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The Pakistan Supreme Court disqualifies former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his brother and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif from holding or contesting for public office. The latter demits office and Governor's rule is imposed in the province. |
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Iran completes work on the 1000 MW Bushehr atomic power station. |
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Fifty persons are killed as Bangladesh Rifles personnel launch an armed rebellion seeking better pay and putting an end to the deputation of Army officers to command paramilitary body guards. BDR chief Major General Shakil Ahmed is taken hostage. |
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Feb. 26
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After a 33-hour revolt, Bangladesh Rifles personnel lay down arms and are given amnesty. |
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Feb. 27
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Bangladesh security forces discover a mass grave of at least 42 massacred army officers at the Pilkhana headquarters of the BDR, including the Bangladesh Rifles chief Major General Shakil Ahmed. Dhaka declares three-day national mourning. |
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The U.S. President Barack Obamba sets August 31, 2010 for the end of American combat operations in Iraq. |
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A 15-year-old U.S. newspaper, the Denver, Colorado-based Rocky Mountain News ceases publication after suffering heavy losses. |
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Feb. 28
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Bangladeshi soldiers recover 10 more bodies in a second grave at the BDR's Pilkhana headquarters in Dhaka. The toll goes up to 76. |
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Events 2009
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May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
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