September 2009 -- World Events

September 1, 2009 European leaders remember the victims of World War II at ceremonies marking the start of the conflict 70 years ago. Libyan leader Muammar al-Gaddafi celebrates the 40th anniversary of the coup d'état which brought him to power. The unemployment rate across the Eurozone reaches a ten-year high of 9.5%. The European Union bans the manufacture or import of 100 watt incandescent light bulbs, beginning a phase-out in favour of energy-saving compact fluorescent lamps. Ali Ben Bongo, Pierre Mamboundou and Andre Mba Obame each declare victory in the Gabonese presidential election. Documents released by the British government show that the United Kingdom gave in to Libyan demands that the Lockerbie bomber be eligible for transfer home to serve his sentence there. September 2, The 66th Venice International Film Festival gets underway. British energy company BP says it has drilled one of the deepest wells ever in the oil and gas industry as it made a "giant" discovery in the Gulf of Mexico. The death certificate of American pop star and entertainer Michael Jackson is amended to reflect his cause of death as homicide via "injection by another". Two British boys planning to create a massacre in a high school in Manchester are on trial after wanting to emulate the Columbine High School massacre. Miyuki Hatoyama, Japan's new first lady, speaks of riding a UFO to Venus, calling it "a very beautiful place" and "really green". September 3 Research indicates the Andromeda Galaxy appears to have expanded by digesting stars from other galaxies. China's State Food and Drug Administration grants approval to a homegrown swine flu vaccine, which producer Sinovac Biotech claims is effective after only one dose. Australia experiences its warmest August on record amid soaring winter temperatures. September 4 The International Monetary Fund grants Zimbabwe a US$ 500 million loan, its first to the country in 10 years. Temperatures in the Arctic are at their highest for 2000 years, according to a new study. The United States eases more restrictions on Cuba, allowing unlimited family visits and telephone exchanges. September 5 The G-20 finance ministers outline plans for banking reform, including tougher regulation of financial institutions. Around 90 people are arrested in clashes between right wing anti-Islamic groups and anti-Fascist protesters in Birmingham, England. September 7 Japan's Prime Minister-elect Yukio Hatoyama proposes a 25% cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020, up from 8% by the outgoing administration. Israel formally approves the construction of new settlements in the West Bank. Sudanese activist Lubna al-Hussein is found guilty of breaching Sudanese criminal law by wearing trousers, but is fined instead of being sentenced to flogging due to international concern over the trial. She has stated she will not pay and instead face a month in jail. September 8 A colossal statue of Apollo is discovered at a UNESCO World Heritage Site at Hierapolis, Turkey. Sudanese journalist Lubna al-Hussein is freed from one day in jail after being prosecuted for wearing trousers – the fine was paid by the Journalist Union. September 9

US Representative Joe Wilson (R-SC) interrupts President Barack Obama's health care speech to the Congress with an audible shout of "You lie!" "Beatles Day" is celebrated worldwide as remastered versions of The Beatles' albums are released, as well as The Beatles: Rock Band. September 10 British Prime Minister Gordon Brown apologises for the post-war treatment of celebrated WWII codebreaker Alan Turing, who was chemically castrated for having homosexual relations. Libyan leader Muammar al-Gaddafi says he will demand a permanent place in the United Nations Security Council for Africa and compensation worth 777 trillion dollars for years of colonialism in New York later this month. September 11 Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe condemns "bloody whites" for meddling in his country's affairs, specifically perceived British and American interference. The oldest person in the world, Gertrude Baines, dies in Los Angeles aged 115. Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez announces the discovery of a vast gas field off the coast of his country, one of the world's largest finds. September 12 Ireland's Taoiseach Brian Cowen denies Libertas founder Declan Ganley's claim that the second Irish referendum on the Treaty of Lisbon is "profoundly undemocratic". In rugby union, South Africa defeat New Zealand 32-29 to win the 2009 Tri Nations Series. September 13 Kim Clijsters of Belgium defeats Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark to win the 2009 US Open Women's Singles. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva heavily criticises the "rich countries", the G8 and other international bodies over the global economic crisis. Two of the so-called Bermuda Triangle's most mysterious disappearances in the late 1940s may have been solved. September 14 Legislators in Aceh province in Indonesia pass a new law on stoning to death and other severe sentences for adultery, homosexuality and premarital sex. China lodges a complaint with the World Trade Organization over the United States' decision to impose import duties on Chinese-made tires. In tennis, Juan Martín del Potro defeats Roger Federer at the U.S. Open. American actor Patrick Swayze dies at age 57, after suffering from pancreatic cancer for more than 1 year. September 15 Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke says the worst U.S. recession since the 1930s has likely ended, while warning that growth may not be strong enough to quickly reduce the unemployment rate. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev accuses the United States of "blocking" Russia's accession to the World Trade Organization. A United Nations report into the Gaza War alleges both Israeli and Palestinian forces committed war crimes. September 16 New documents disclose that novelist J. R. R. Tolkien secretly trained as a spy for His Majesty's Government in the run up to World War II. José Manuel Barroso is re-elected as President of the European Commission, by Members of the European Parliament. Yukio Hatoyama is sworn in as the 60th Prime Minister of Japan. The World Meteorological Organisation says the hole in the Ozone layer is smaller than in 2008. September 17 A senior Irish Catholic bishop says Roman Catholics can vote "Yes" in the country's second referendum on

the Treaty of Lisbon "in good conscience". The President of France Nicolas Sarkozy says European Union leaders agree to impose a cap on banker pay. Egypt's top Islamic authority, Grand Mufti Ali Gomaa, defends women's rights to wear trousers in public following the high-profile court case in neighbouring Sudan where women, including Lubna al-Hussein, were flogged for dressing in the garments. September 18 Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad calls The Holocaust a "myth" and says that "the very existence of this regime is an insult to the dignity of the people" in referring to Israel at a Quds Day rally in Tehran. Solidarity co-founder and former President of Poland Lech Wałęsa (in favour) and United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) leader Nigel Farage (against) arrive in Ireland to campaign over the country's second referendum on the Treaty of Lisbon. September 19 President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso arrives in Ireland on the campaign trail for the country's second referendum on the Treaty of Lisbon. Two German ships become the first Western commercial vessels to navigate the Northern Sea Route. Singer Vera Lynn, aged 92, becomes the oldest artist to obtain a number one album in the United Kingdom. September 21 Sir Alex Ferguson, Gary Lineker and Fabio Capello are among 1,000 guests at a memorial service held for Sir Bobby Robson, a former England manager described as "one of football's best-loved figures" who coached clubs to titles in Portugal, the Netherlands, Spain and England. Most of the world's major river deltas are sinking, including Colorado, Nile, Pearl, Rhone and Yangtze, increasing the flood risk faced by ½ a billion people, scientists report. September 22 President Barack Obama calls for the resumption of the Middle East peace process in meetings with the Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu and the President of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas. New figures reveal that for the first time since 1995 more people emigrated from Ireland than immigrated there, with a growth of more than 40% from January–April 2009. Most of the emigrants are Eastern European or Irish nationals. French riot police detain 278 migrants in Calais in an operation to dismantle the "jungle" camp. The New Zealand dollar soars to a 13-month high against both the U.S. dollar and euro. Chinese President Hu Jintao tells a U.N. summit on climate change that China will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase reliance on clean energy sources in coming years. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration bans the sale of flavored cigarettes, except for menthol cigarettes. Cities around the world celebrate World Car Free Day. September 23 US officials order workers to stop the construction of Colonel Gaddafi's Bedouin-style tent in suburban New York, saying his erection "violated several codes and laws of the town of Bedford". One of the busiest border crossings between Mexico and the United States at San Ysidro is closed for hours after a gun battle between US agents and suspected human traffickers. A report carried by The Sydney Morning Herald says Australia is poised to be the world's fastest growing industrialised nation over the next four decades, reaching a population of 35 million by 2050. A court in Tanzania sentences three men to death by hanging for killing a 14-year-old albino boy to steal parts of his anatomy. It is the country's first conviction for this offence. Former President of Cuba Fidel Castro praises Barack Obama for his speech before the United Nations General Assembly for admitting it had been slow to act on climate change but urges that the American capitalist system is incompatible with a clean planet. One of the busiest border crossings between Mexico and the United States at San Ysidro is closed for hours after a gun battle between US agents and suspected human traffickers. September 24 The 2009 G-20 Pittsburgh summit commences with two dozen world leaders in attendance.

The United Nations Security Council, headed by world leaders, unanimously approve Resolution 1887 to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons. Australia begins clearing up after its worst dust storm in seven decades, which smothered Sydney and brought transport to a standstill. The United Kingdom's largest haul of Anglo-Saxon treasure, a collection of 1,500 gold and silver pieces comparable to the Book of Kells, is discovered buried beneath a field in Staffordshire. The News of the World and Daily Mail newspapers apologise to Fabio Capello, the manager of England's national football team, after printing pictures of him and his wife Laura resting in mud-baths on an Italian beach. Governor Deval Patrick of Massachusetts chooses former Democratic National Committee chairman Paul G. Kirk, Jr. to replace former Senator Teddy Kennedy on a temporary basis, until elections can be held to choose a permanent replacement to fill the remainder of Kennedy's term. Melting ice is pouring off Greenland and Antarctica into the sea far faster than was previously realised because of global warming, new research shows. September 25 Latest research reveals opposition to the Treaty of Lisbon is increasing one week ahead of Ireland's second referendum on the matter. Iran reveals to the United Nations nuclear watchdog the existence of a second uranium enrichment plant, facing accusations of secret building projects from Gordon Brown, Barack Obama and Nicolas Sarkozy. September 26 The second South America-Africa Summit (ASA) begins on Isla Margarita. 30 African and South American leaders arrive to attend. South African President Jacob Zuma says during the opening of the summit that the South-South union between South American and African regions will contribute to the development of both. A regional bank for South America, the Bank of the South, with a $20-billion initial capital is then set up under an agreement signed by seven nations—Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela—on the sidelines of the summit. A second dust storm hits Sydney, Australia. September 27 Germany holds a federal election to elect members of the Bundestag. The cult American television series Family Guy is outlawed by authorities in Venezuela due to talking dog character Brian Griffin's promotion of marijuana. Film director Roman Polanski is arrested in Zurich on a 31-year old US arrest warrant. The Swiss multinational Nestlé is buying milk from a farm seized from its white owners and now owned by the wife of Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe, according to England's The Sunday Telegraph. Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi tells a rally in Milan about his encounters with President of the United States Barack Obama, saying: "What's his name? Some tanned guy... Ah, Barack Obama!", also commenting on his wife Michelle: "You won't believe it, but two of them went to the beach because the wife is also tanned". September 28 Opponents of the Treaty of Lisbon question the European Commission on deliberate interference in the Irish referendum campaign (vote on Friday, Oct. 2nd) in order to secure its desired "Yes" vote, suggesting that the Commission has broken the law. The death toll in the worst flooding in the Philippines for forty years reaches 140 as the capital Manila is "overwhelmed". Oxfam launches an emergency appeal for £9.5 million for Ethiopia and other East African countries to fight the worst drought in a decade. September 29 The European Commission denies accusations that it broke Ireland's laws against using taxpayers' money on referendum spending after an EU office in Dublin paid €150,000 to insert a guide to the Treaty of Lisbon into all Sunday newspapers as the country's second referendum approaches. A 14-year-old schoolgirl in Coventry, England, dies after being given a cervical cancer vaccine as part of that country's national immunisation programme.

September 30 The United States is to withdraw 4,000 troops from Iraq by the end of October. Ongoing events : Automotive industry crisis Financial crisis Worldwide recession H1N1/09 flu pandemic West African meningitis outbreak HIV/AIDS in Africa Treaty of Lisbon ratification