Portal:Current events/2007 March 7

March 7, 2007 (Wednesday)

Reform of the House of Lords: In a British House of Commons vote, a majority of MPs express support for a fully elected House of Lords. A smaller majority support an 80% elected, 20% appointed chamber. Other options with a lower elected component are rejected. The proposals were put forward by Leader of the House of Commons Jack Straw, who describes the votes as "a historic step forward". (BBC) (Telegraph) Archived 2007-03-16 at the Wayback Machine (AP via Boston Globe)
At least 30 Shia pilgrims heading to the city of Karbala for Arbaeen die as a suicide bomber attacks a café in Balad Ruz in Iraq's eastern Diyala Governorate. (BBC)
Three Jordanians go on trial for plotting to assassinate U.S. President George W. Bush. (Al-Bawaba)
The People's Republic of China announces that its first probe to the Moon, Chang'e 1, will be launched later in 2007, with the eventual goal of landing a man on the moon by 2022. The probe is supposed to orbit the Moon at least three times. (BBC)
President of Mauritius Anerood Jugnauth threatens to leave the Commonwealth of Nations over the British government's treatment of the Îlois of the Chagos Archipelago. (BBC)
Foreign Minister of Iran Manouchehr Mottaki confirms that Iran will attend a conference on Iraq featuring Iraq's neighbours and the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council. (Dow Jones via NASDAQ)
The Israel Defence Forces raid the Palestinian Authority's military intelligence headquarters in Ramallah. (AFP via News Limited) (AlJazeera)
The Taliban claim that they have kidnapped Daniele Mastrogiacomo, an Italian journalist working for La Repubblica newspaper. (Washington Post)
Rogerio Lobato, former Interior Minister of East Timor, is found guilty on five counts of arming hit squads during civil unrest in 2006. (The Melbourne Age)
Voters in Northern Ireland go to the polls to elect new members to the Northern Ireland Assembly. (BBC) (BreakingNews.ie)
Garuda Indonesia Flight 200 crashes and catches fire during a landing in Yogyakarta, Indonesia resulting in 21 confirmed deaths. (The Age) (CNN) (ABC News Australia)^{[permanent dead link‍]}
The United States Department of State issues a report saying that human rights in Fiji have sharply deteriorated since the 2006 coup. (NZ Herald)
Iranian general Ali Reza Askari is reported to have to defected to US custody after disappearing on February 7 in Istanbul.(The Jerusalem Post)
Turkey bans user generated content web site YouTube after insulting clips of Turkish founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk are discovered. (BBC)