I am pleased to announce that the content of the September issue of Keesing's Record of World Events is now live on the site. 

September's top stories include:

•  Zimbabwe: freeze on wages

•  United States: debate over Iraq war strategy

•  Burma: suppression of uprising

•  Russia: new prime minister and cabinet

•  Iraq: visit by US president

•  Space: launch of Japanese lunar orbiter

I would also like to draw your attention to a new category which has been created in KRWE - since the August edition we now have an 'Arctic' section to cover the territorial claims countries are making over the region. 

In this month's edition you can read how the European Space Agency (ESA) declared the Northwest Passage as “fully navigable” for the first time since monitoring began in 1978.  The opening of the passage creates the most direct potential shipping route from Europe to Asia. Our Arctic section will enable you to follow the development of any territorial disputes which may arise from the Northwest Passagebecoming viable for commercial shipping.  Analysts have speculated that the development could reignite a diplomatic dispute between Canada, which claimed jurisdiction over the waters of the Northwest Passage, and the USA, which regarded the route as an international strait.

If you would like instant access to any of the above articles, please click here to sign up for a Keesing's account - you can view unlimited content from just $7.95 for 24 hours' access. 

This weekend marks the anniversary of an event in history which the Washington Post called “the most stunning step since World War II towards ending the East-West division of Europe”. 

Eighteen years ago today, on Nov. 9, 1989, the Berlin Wall "fell" when East Germans were allowed to enter West Germany.  Egon Krenz , East Germany's new leader, announced that East Germans could in future travel freely abroad, simply using an exit visa stamped in their identity cards.

Over the weekend of Nov. 10–11 around 2,000,000 East Germans flooded through breaches in the Berlin Wall, which had divided the city since 1961. 

Enjoy your weekend, and if you wish to learn more about the fall of the Berlin Wall, please click here.