Headlines for Monday, March 16, 2009

• Tensions in Madagascar Escalate
• Hospital in Sri Lankan War Zone Stops Surgeries
• G20 Finance Ministers Meet
• Pakistan’s Top Judge Reinstated
• Seattle Post Intelligencer Out of Print
• Morales Takes From the Rich and Gives to the Poor

Tensions in Madagascar Escalate
In Madagascar today, dozens of soldiers and armored tanks forcibly entered one of the nation’s presidential compounds and ordered those inside to vacate the building. This after opposition leader Andry Rajoelinea called for both the resignation of the nation’s president – and his arrest on charges of high treason.  President Ravalomanana, who was not in the palace at the time, has said he will not resign while Rajoelinea has refused to participate in a referendum. Also today, the Indian Ocean Island’s new Army Chief, who assumed his position last week after staging a mutiny, declared his support for the opposition.

Hospital in Sri Lankan War Zone Stops Surgeries
Thousands of Tamil Tiger supporters demonstrated in Brussels today calling on European Union foreign ministers meeting there to send observers to the war zone and to bring an end to what they call the genocide happening there. Also today, the United Nations accused the LTTE rebels of forcibly recruiting a UN staffer and his family – FSRN’s Ponniah Manakavasagam has more.

G20 Finance Ministers Meet
Finance ministers from the G20 -- the world’s so-called major economies – met over the weekend in advance of a meeting of world leaders in early April. They agreed to a framework for the summit including more market regulations, preventing protectionism and keeping trade avenues open. They also agreed in principle to increased funding of the IMF – but were unable to agree on just how much.

Pakistan’s Top Judge Reinstated
Thousands in Pakistan celebrated the reinstatement of a deposed chief justice today. Lawyers and opposition parties rallied in Lahore yesterday and threatened to stage a sit-in in front of the Parliament in Islamabad. Masroor Hussain is there.

Seattle Post Intelligencer Out of Print
fter 146 years of operation, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer has announced that tomorrow’s print edition will be its last. From Seattle – Mark Taylor Canfield.

Morales Takes From the Rich and Gives to the Poor
Bolivian President Evo Morales took from the rich and gave to the poor over the weekend, saying the move would stop human rights abuses of indigenous citizens. Morales gave the deeds to nearly 40 thousand hectares of land to the Guarani people and another 17 thousand to the Communal Lands of Origin. Morales said that while continuing to respect private property rights – this redistribution of land is the beginning of the end of giant property holdings in Bolivia.