Main News of March 9

A roundup of what has happened in the past 24 hours.

WORLD

*U.S. President Barack Obama congratulated Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on his presidential election victory in a telephone call on Friday, a Putin aide told RIA Novosti.

*The magnetic storm whose effects began to be felt on Earth earlier on Friday has now intensified to G3 (Strong), the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said on its web site.

*The United States may use a new 13,600-kilogram bunker-buster bomb against Iran, DefenseNews.com reported on Thursday quoting the U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Herbert Carlisle as saying.

*North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un congratulated Russian President-elect Vladimir Putin Thursday on his landslide victory in the March 4 presidential elections and said that he wished Putin “building a powerful Russia,” North Korean state-run Rodong Sinmun daily reported.

 

RUSSIA

*Nine people including seven children were killed on Friday in a house fire in Russia's Urals Perm region, emergencies services said.

*Many of the owners of shops and restaurants along the broad plaza in downtown Moscow that is the site for Saturday’s opposition demonstration are beefing up security ahead of the three-hour event.

*Rallies of opposition and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s supporters are held across Russia after the March 4 presidential election.

 

BUSINESS

*Fitch Ratings has downgraded Greece’s long-term foreign and local currency issuer default rating (IDR) to “RD” (restricted default) from “C,” the ratings agency said in a press release.

 

SPORTS

*Russian president-elect Vladimir Putin has pledged to ride the Olympic bobsled run in the Russian town of Sochi after watching trial runs there.