complied by MONITOR
IN Parliament the British government comfortably defeated opposition demands for a referendum on ratification of the European Union's Lisbon Treaty.
In the US Hillary Clinton defied criticism to win important Ohio and Texas primaries and pledged to remain in the tight race against Barack Obama to the end. John McCain was hailed as the Republican candidate for the 2008 presidency.
After five days of military action in Gaza to stop rocket firing on Israeli towns, the Israel Army had killed more than 100 people, two-thirds of whom were civilians including women and children. In Jerusalem a Palestinian resident in Israel killed eight students at a Jewish seminary.
In the week Forbes magazine named him the richest man in the world, Warren Buffett said that by any common sense definition America was already in a recession.
Bulletin headlines of the week
SUNDAY/MONDAY: Election Boycott (The Basque separatist group ETA called for a boycott of the general election because of repression by the Spanish government).
TUESDAY: Bad Economic News Mounts For Spain (A series of gloomy economic indicators were due before the election on March 9).
WEDNESDAY: Bitter, Sweet For Spain PM (Zapatero had little time to enjoy his victory of a final televised debate, as rising unemployment data was released).
THURSDAY: Freezing ( After a warm start to the month temperatures dropped and gales caused high seas).
FRIDAY: Election Showdown (The last permitted polls pointed to a victory for the incumbent PSOE socialists).
SATURDAY: Outrage (The final stages of the election campaign were cancelled after a former socialist councillor was shot dead in the Basque country).