March 1 — Africa

Europe’s largest multi-national pharmaceutical company, Sanofi-Aventis, and the non-profit Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDI) launch an innovative, low-cost anti-malaria drug. ASAQ is easy to use and more affordable and efficient in treating the disease than other drugs. The companies promise to make ASAQ available to all patients, and will not patent the drug in order to keep costs down. In Africa, malaria kills more than a million children every year and consumes 25 percent of household incomes.

March 3 — Europe: BULGARIA/GREECE/RUSSIA

After thirteen years of negotiations, Bulgaria, Greece, and Russia sign an agreement to build a pipeline that will transport oil from Russia to Europe, bypassing the busy Bosphorus and Dardenelles Straits. The 178-mile long pipeline will go overland from Bulgaria’s Black Sea port of Burgas to the northern Greek town of Alexandroupolis on the Aegean Sea.

March 4 — Africa: COTE D’IVOIRE

Côte d’Ivoire’s government and the country’s New Forces rebels sign a power-sharing peace agreement, mediated by Burkina Faso. Under the deal, New Forces leader Guillaume Soro will become prime minister, the north-south buffer zone will be removed, and the joint army command will include both rebels and government supporters.

March 6 — East Asia: CHINA/TAIWAN

Taiwan tests a cruise missile that has a range of up to 620 miles and is capable of reaching Shanghai and Hong Kong in China. The Taiwanese defense minister justifies the missile test by saying that China has hundreds of similar missiles pointed at Taiwan. The test comes after the news that China has increased its military spending by almost 18 percent.

March 9 — Europe: CYPRUS

Greek Cypriots demolish a part of the Green Line in the center of the island’s capital, Nicosia. The opening of the barrier becomes the sixth crossing point along the Green Line dividing Cyprus since 1974. Greek Cypriots live in the southern part of the island and Turkish Cypriots live in the northern part.

March 9 — East Asia: CHINA

About 20,000 demonstrators clash with 1,000 police troops in the Chinese province of Hunan during protests sparked by rising costs of public transportation. Last year, there were thousands of similar protests in rural China triggered by corruption and discontent over the widening gap between rich and poor.

March 13 — East Asia: AUSTRALIA/JAPAN

Australia and Japan sign a security pact aimed at closer cooperation between the two Asian states and bringing stability to the region. The agreement includes cooperation on border security, counterterrorism, and disaster relief. Both countries, however, emphasize that the pact is not equal to the mutual defense treaty that Japan has with the United States.

March 15 — Middle East: PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas endorses a long-awaited unity government, in which Hamas, the Fatah party, and minority factions will share power. Ismail Haniya of Hamas is designated prime minister. Palestinian leaders hope that the unity government will lead to an end of the international boycott of the Palestinian Authority imposed after Hamas came to power in 2006.

March 16 — Middle East: IRAQ

Insurgents in Iraq detonate three trucks loaded with toxic chlorine gas bombs in the city of Falluja and near Ramadi, west of Baghdad, killing eight people and injuring hundreds. Six of the injured victims are U.S. troops. Chlorine gas causes severe burns to the throat and lungs, and can kill instantly.

March 21 — Africa: SOMALIA/AFRICAN UNION

Sixteen people die during the heaviest clashes between the Somali government forces and insurgents since the African Union (AU) peacekeepers arrived in Somalia earlier this month. The AU peacekeepers take over from the Ethiopian troops that helped Somalia’s interim government oust the Union of Islamic Courts. The AU intends to send up to 8,000 troops to stabilize Somalia.

March 25 — International Organizations/Middle East: UNITED NATIONS/IRAN

The UN Security Council unanimously agrees to impose new sanctions on Iran for its refusal to halt its nuclear enrichment program. The proposed sanctions expand the December 2006 sanctions, and include a ban on Iranian arms exports and a freeze on the assets of people and companies involved in Iran’s nuclear program. The resolution also proposes to end new loans for Iran. Iran has sixty days to comply with the resolution and suspend its controversial program.

March 26 — Africa: MAURITANIA

Mauritania’s former cabinet minister Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi wins run-off presidential elections in the country’s fairest democratic elections since its independence in 1960. The elections mark the restoration of civilian rule following a military regime that took power in a 2005 coup. The European Union election observers hail the elections as open and fair.

March 26 — Latin America: VENEZUELA

The Venezuelan government seizes more than 815,450 acres of private land to be used for cattle production. In the past five years, the Venezuelan government has seized about 5 million acres of land as part of an agrarian reform program to move toward a collective property policy within a socialist system.

March 27 — Europe/Other Former Soviet Republics: LATVIA/RUSSIA

Latvia and Russia sign a treaty demarcating their border, after sixteen years of disagreements since the break-up of the Soviet Union. Both sides hope that the move will normalize relations between the two countries.

March 28 — Middle East: ARAB LEAGUE/ISRAEL

The Arab League appeals to Israel to accept the 2002 Arab Middle East peace plan, known as the Beirut Declaration, during its summit in the Saudi capital, Riyadh. According to the plan, Arab states would recognize Israel if Israel withdraws from all the Arab territories occupied since the 1967 war, accepts an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, and allows the return of Palestinian refugees. Unlike in 2002, Israel agrees to consider the plan.

March 29 — North America: UNITED NATIONS

According to the 2006 Networked Readiness Index published by the World Economic Forum (WEF), the United States has lost its position as the world leader in technological advancement, falling to seventh place. The top position has been taken by Denmark. The WEF made its ranking based on the integration of technology in business, the available infrastructure, government policy encouraging innovation and progress, and leadership in promoting the usage of the latest information technology tools.