Forecasters say that Hurricane Bill, the first hurricane of the 2009 Atlantic season, could develop into a monster over the next 48 hours. CNN weather watchers say that Bill will either miss or barely nip western Bermuda as it veers toward the northeastern seaboard. By Wednesday, according to the Miami-based National Hurricane Center, the storm could be churning wind and water at more than 110 miles per hour, which qualifies it as a major hurricane.

Bermuda Celebrates 400 Years
The Caribbean island Bermuda is celebrating its 400th anniversary this year. The island was settled by the English back in 1609 and is one of the oldest British overseas territories. Activities to celebrate began this past weekend with a cultural program attended by hundreds of people, including Bermuda’s governor, Sir Richard Gozney, and Premier Ewart Brown, who talked about the island’s survival in the face of the world wide financial crisis, reports Caribbean Net. “If one country can deal with economic hardships, it’s Bermuda. If there is one country on the face of the planet who will survive in these circumstances, they are the people of my country,” he told a local paper, adding that 400 years of survival is already an amazing accomplishment. Gozney predicted a bright year ahead, saying 2009 was “set to be as special as the last 50 years, if not 100 years.”
 
Congo’s Ebola Outbreak Puts Angola on Alert
In response to an outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo, neighboring Angola has decided to close its border with Congo, reports CNN. Since November, there have been 41 cases of the virus in the nation and 14 people have died, according to the World Health Organization. There are still 183 cases still being investigated, and two people have been quarantined. Angola’s Health Minister Jose Van-Dunem recently announced the “suspension of migratory movements” at a border between the nations as a precaution.  The organization believes that the outbreak may be due to people having contact with infected dead monkeys in the forest. The Ebola cases are in the western Kassi province in the nation.