www.theotherpress.ca News. World Recap: March 14 - 21 By Keating Smith, Staff Writer Africa: (Democratic Republic of Congo) Bosco Ntaganda, former-rebel military chief of staff, voluntarily turned himself in to the International Criminal Court via the US Embassy in Kigali, Rwanda. Ntaganda has been accused of recruiting child soldiers less than 15 years of age, as well as other human rights violations while carrying out operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo. He was conscripted into the Congolese Army in 2009 as part of a peace deal with M23 rebels in the country. Ntaganda has been in hiding in neighbouring Rwanda for the past several months as tensions between government forces in the DR Congo and M23 rebels has intensified. The reasons for him surrendering himself to the American Embassy are unknown. Latin & South America: (Guatemala) Guatemala’s former military ruler, Efrain Rios Montt, is currently on trial in Guatemala City facing charges of genocide. Montt is accused of killing over 1,700 indigenous Guatemalans during his time in power in the early “80s. According to the UN, this is the first time a former head of state has been placed on tribunal within their own country while facing such charges. Although Montt denies allegations against him, prosecutors in the trial accuse Montt of affiliating the indigenous Mayans in Guatemala with rebel fighters in the country, resulting in nearly 30,000 indigenous people being displaced in the Latin American country during his 17 months in power. To date, over 200,000 people were killed or are missing from the country’s 36-year civil war. Montt is being charged with 1,771 counts of murder. Asia- Pacific: (China) China’s one-child policy has influenced over 336 million abortions in the country since the state officially encouraged having fewer children. With 1.3 billion people living in China, estimates by the People’s Republic government predict China’s populations would be 30 per cent larger than what it is today. Although the family planning policy applied in 1979 was geared more towards people living in urban areas, many in China are calling for it to be dismantled due to a shrinking labour force and a spike in the country’s elderly demographic. Asia- Central & South: (Bangladesh) The president of Bangladesh, 84-year-old Zillur Rahman, died last week after a long battle with a lung infection. The Bangladeshi president, who served in office since 2009, is the third president of the country to die while holding presidency. Rahman was an active force for Bangladeshi independence during the Bangladesh Liberation War in the early 1970s when the country seceded from Pakistan. His action during this time landed him a 20-year jail sentence on top of being imprisoned for four years following the assassination of the Bangladesh’s acting president Seikh Mujibur Rahman in 1975. A three-day vigil was held across the country in wake of Rahman’s death last week from all sides of the country’s political spectrum. Europe: (Cyprus) The government in Cyprus ordered all of the country’s banks to remained closed and constrict cash withdrawals last week while the Cypriot parliament held further negotiations with Russia and the EU on receiving an emergency bailout fund. The small Mediterranean island nation is on the brink of bankruptcy and a complete economic collapse due to the country’s largest banks attempting to aid in bailing out neighbouring Greece. The IMF and Eurozone partners are preparing to send 10 billion euros in bailout funds to Cyprus, provided that the country allocates another 7 billion Euros to partially fund its own bailout. Middle East: (Israel) United States President Barak Obama met with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Jewish state last week to hold their annual talks on relations between the two countries. Obama pressed for greater unity and to rebuild ties with Turkey, due to the situation in Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu | Photo courtesy of AP Syria and for Israeli citizens, to strengthen their ties peacefully with the Palestinian territories. “The only way to truly protect the Israeli people is through the absence of war—because no wall is high enough, and no Iron Dome is strong enough, to stop every enemy from inflicting harm,” said Obama during his speech to a group of young Israelis. Several rockets from the Gaza Strip were launched into southern Israel during Obama’s visit, none of which caused any harm. TransLink finalizes Evergreen Line Skylrain stations Summer 2016 operational date confirmed By Dylan Hackett, News Editor ransLink announced the final plans for the Evergreen Line last week, confirming a 2016 opening for the line set to connect Port Moody, Coquitlam, and Burnaby with the Millennium Line at Lougheed Town Centre station. “Starting at Lafarge Lake- Douglas College in Coquitlam, the Evergreen Line starts south along an elevated track towards Lincoln Station, serving Coquitlam’s rapidly growing Coquitlam Station,” a video accompanying the release says. The construction of Lincoln station will be partially funded by Pensionfund Realty Ltd., a private real estate company who owns the nearby shopping mall, Coquitlam Centre. The majority of the new stations are being built near residential areas. Unlike previous Evergreen Line announcements, last Saturday’s press release came out of the provincial government's database with the headline “Promises made, promises kept.” The announcement is likely a political move, given that the new line will be built across several battleground ridings in the May 14 election, including Port Moody-Coquitlam. The press release also touts a timeline for individual project construction for the Evergreen Line. “Our government is delivering on our commitment to create 8,000 jobs, boost development opportunities, and transportation options for families and communities,” said Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Mary Polak. “We want the construction of the Evergreen Line project to be a positive experience for the communities. That’s why we are committed to responding quickly and providing valuable information to residents, commuters, and businesses as the project moves forward.” The new line embarks underground for 2 km of the journey after the Burquitlam station stop, serving SFU and new Burquitlam condo developments at the bank of Burnaby Mountain. The tunnel, being constructed this spring, cuts past Coquitlam neighbourhood Glenayre and then stops at existing bus loop and West Coast Express stop, Port Moody Station. The Inlet Centre Station serves the Suter Brook condo community in Port Moody. Existing bus loop and West Coast Express station, Coqutilam Centre is next on the line and will serve as a major stop for Park & Ride commuters. Fourteen months into construction, 80 per cent of groundwork is complete with a final estimated project cost figure of $1.43 billion. The bus loop at Lougheed Town Centre station will be relocated this summer to accommodate the station expansion and construction.