International Events in 1997

1st Jan
Ghana's Mr. Kofi Annan takes office as seventh U.N. Secretary- General.

2nd Jan
Singapore Prime Minister, Mr. Goh Chok Tong and his People's Action Party win eighth general election.

4th Jan
On nation's 49th anniversary of Independence Myanmarese Opposition leader, Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi, vows to step up efforts to make the country a democracy.

8th Jan
Mr. Newt Gingrich sworn in Speaker of U.S. House of Representatives for second term.

12th Jan
British Prime Minister, Mr. John Major, says his Government's good offices could be used to solve Kashmir issue.

15th Jan
Israeli Prime Minister, Mr. Benjamin Netanyaju and PLO chairman, Mr. Yasser Arafat, sign agreement obliging Tel Aviv to withdraw troops from 80 per cent of West Bank city of Hebron.

18th Jan
Ethics Committee of U.S. House of Representatives slams Speaker, Mr. Newt Gingrich, with reprimand and $3,00,000 penalty for violating House rules.

19th Jan
Foreign Minister, Mr. I. K. Gujral, arrives in Colombo on four- day official visit.

20th Jan
Mr. Clinton sworn in U.S. President for second term.

21st Jan
First group of bank documents relating to Bofors case handed over to Indian Government.

29th Jan
Pakistan Supreme Court upholds dismissal of Ms. Benazir Bhutto as Prime Minister and sets stage for ``an appeal to electorate'' on Feb. 3.

Diary of important international events in February 1997

1st Feb
Prime Minister, Mr. H. D. Deve Gowda, participates in panel discussion on role of emerging economies in 21st century at Davos, Switzerland.

4th Feb
Mr. Nawaz Sharif leads his party PML(N) and allies to landslide victory in Pakistan general elections.

5th Feb
Nearly 16 months after being acquitted of murdering his wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ronald Goldman, American football star, O. J. Simpson found guilty.

7th Feb
Ecuador's Congress ousts President, Mr. Abdala Bucaram.

11th Feb
India and Russia agree on package of trade and economic cooperation measures.

12th Feb
Israel frees 30 Palestinian women from prison as part of accord with PLO.

15th Feb
U.S. expels two Indian diplomats in retaliation for expulsion of two American diplomats by New Delhi last month.

23rd Feb
India, Iran and Turkmenistan sign key transit agreement to propel trade with Central Asia.

25th Feb
South Korean President, Mr. Kim Youn Sam, apologises to nation for corruption scandal, involving closest aides and his son.

26th Feb
Israeli soldier's attack on Palestinian village, Hizmeh, sparks tension in West Bank.

Diary of important international events in March 1997

3rd Mar
Suicide bomber blows himself up near holiday residence of Sri Lankan President, Mrs. Chandrika Kumaratunga.

5th Mar
U.S. President, Mr. Bill Clinton, imposes ban on use of federal money for cloning humans.

8th Mar
Palestinians call for an ``emergency session'' of U.N. General Assembly after Washington vetoed Security Council resolution criticising Israel.

11th Mar
Russian President, Mr. Boris Yeltsin, dismisses entire Government except Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister.

14th Mar
Anarchy engulfs Albania as gangs of armed civilians roam country.

20th Mar
U.S. President, Mr. Bill Clinton nominates Mr. George Tenet as CIA Director.

22nd Mar
Ruling People's Alliance in Colombo wins local elections.

24th Mar
Prime Minister, Mr. Deve Gowda, arrives in Moscow on three-day official visit.

27th Mar
Bodies of at least 39 young men found after mass suicide in a mansion occupied by quasi-religious group of computer programmers in Rancho Santa Fe (California).

Diary of important international events in March 1997

1st Apr
Pakistan scraps parts of Eighth Amendment.

4th Apr
U.N. seeks Zaire's rebel leader, Laurent Kabila's permission for evacuation of weak and sick Rwandan refugees from Kisangani area in Eastern Zaire.

7th Apr
Vietnam signs agreement with U.S. to repay $140 million in debts owed by erstwhile South Vietnam regime in Saigon.

8th Apr
U.S.-Israeli talks fail as Israeli Prime Minister, Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu, rules out giving Jerusalem to Palestinians.

9th Apr
Zaire's dictator, President Mobutu Sese Seko, declares emergency throughout country.

13th Apr
Pope John Paul II, in historic mass at Sarajevo, appeals for econciliation and peace.

14th Apr
Pilgrims from Iran and other Muslim countries denounce U.S. and Israel in Mecca rally.

15th Apr
More than 100 Haj pilgrims killed in Mecca fire.

23rd Apr
Peru's special forces kill all 15 rebels of Tupac Amaru movement and free hostages at the Japanese Ambassador's residence in Lima.

28th Apr
Mr. Laurent Kabila, Zairean rebel leader, gives international community 60 days to evacuate refugees from Central Zaire.

Diary of important international events in March 1997

1st May
Britons vote in an election, expected to mark the end of era in nation's history.

2nd May
Labour party under Mr. Tony Blair sweeps to power in British elections.

5th May
Rebels advance on Zaire's capital, Kinshasa, as President, Mr. Mobutu Sese Seko, refuses to step down.

8th May
In the first war crimes verdict since Nuremberg and Tokyo trials after World War II, international court convicts Bosnian Serb police reservist of war crimes and crimes against humanity during ethnic cleansing in Bosnian war, but acquits him of murder charges.

9th May
Libyan leader, Mr. Qadhafi flies to Niger in defiance of U.N. ban on flights from Libya.

10th May
Around 2,400 people killed and 40,000 injured in earthquake that devastates 80 villages in Iran's Khorasan province.

Mr. Qadhafi awarded Nigeria's highest honour medal.

12th May
Russia and Chechnya sign peace treaty, aimed at normalising relations after two-year war that ended last year.

13th May
Thousands of Sri Lankan troops launch major offensive against Tamil rebels in north to seize strategic highway.

Japanese Ambassador to Peru, Mr. Morihisa Aoki, resigns bowing to public pressure to take responsibility for hostage standoff at his Lima residence.

14th May
Sri Lankan troops capture LTTE stronghold of Omanthai.

SAARC identifies, for first time, a new political ``confidence- building measure'' for ``good neighbourly relations'' among member-States.

15th May
Space shuttle Atlantis blasts off from Cape Canaveral in Florida with multinational crew of seven on one of the most critical resupply missions ever for Russia's orbiting Mir station.

16th May
Zairean President, Mr. Mobutu Sese Seko, gives up running Government and leaves Kinshasa.

17th May
Rebel leader, Mr. Laurent Kabila, proclaims himself head of State of Zaire.

Zaire army chief is killed by units of Mr. Sese Seko's elite guard.

18th May
Sri Lankan troops capture key rebel town of Nedunkeni.

Mr. Kabila declares himself head of `Congo' State.

19th May
South Africa to accord formal diplomatic recognition to new Government in Democratic Republic of Congo.

20th May
U.S. renews Most-Favoured Nation status to China for another year.

22nd May
Russian President, Mr. Boris Yeltsin, sacks Defence Minister, Mr. Igor Rodionov, accusing him of doing nothing to launch long overdue military reform. Chief of General Staff, Gen. Viktor Samsonov, is also dismissed.

23rd May
Gen. Igor Sergeyev takes charge as Russia's new Defence Minister.

24th May
Mr. Mohammad Khatami elected President of Iran.

25th May
Gen. Abdul Rashid Dostum, ousted from fiefdom in northern Afghanistan by Taliban, flees to Turkey.

27th May
NATO and Russia sign historic agreement on cooperation and security in Europe, paving way for NASA expansion to east.

28th May
U.S. Supreme Court unanimously rules that Paula Jones sexual discrimination suit against Mr. Clinton can proceed while he is in office.

30th May
Afghan President, Mr. Burhanuddin Rabbani, overthrown in September by Taliban Islamic militia, returns to base controlled by Gen. Ahmed Shah Masood in Afghanistan.

Diary of important international events in March 1997

1st Jun
Taliban troops repulse offensive in northern Samangan province, inflicting heavy losses on opposition forces.

2nd Jun
French Socialist leader, Mr. Lionel Jospin, wins legislative elections.

3rd Jun
Sixtyfive persons, mainly civilians, killed in Nigerian naval bombardment of Sierra Leone's capital Freetown and in ensuing clashes.

Liberal Party in Canada, led by Mr. Jean Chretien, voted for another term but with reduced majority in House of Commons.

5th Jun
U.N. Security Council extends plan to allow Iraq to sell $2 billion worth of oil for second six-month period to pay for food, medicines and other essentials for civilians.

10th Jun
Several hundred Sri Lankan Tamil rebels and soldiers killed in guerilla-style counter-attack by LTTE on army field headquarters near Vavuniya.

11th Jun
Forces opposed to Taliban capture Pul-E-Khumri, northern stronghold from fleeing soldiers.

13th Jun
The Irish President, Ms. Mary Robinson, named U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights.

14th Jun
U.S. Federal jury sentences Gulf war veteran Timothy McVeigh, 29, to death for planning and executing April 1995 Oklahoma city bombing in which 168 persons died.

16th Jun
Rebels free 70 Colombian soldiers and marines after Government agreed to cede temporary control of a swath of territory to insurgents.

17th Jun
British Government calls off further contact with Sinn Fein, IRA's political arm, following killing of two police officers in Northern Ireland.

18th Jun
Notorious Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot surrenders, according to Khmer Rouge radio.

The Turkish Prime Minister, Mr. Necmettin Erbakkan, resigns in power-sharing deal with pro-Western coalition allies.

20th Jun
Rebel radio broadcast says Pol Pot has been captured by guerilla comrades-turned enemies.

Conservative party in Britain elects Mr. William Hague (36), leader replacing Mr. John Major.

22nd Jun
U.S., France and Russia reach agreement to toughen sanctions against Iraq.

Hong Kong's provisional Legislature approves Bill that retains residency rights for people, including foreigners, who have lived in the territory for seven years.

Cambodia's Second Prime Minister, Mr. Hun Sen, retracts statement that Pol Pot, said to have been captured by breakaway guerilla faction, is dead.

23rd Jun
China and Britain reach agreement on entry of advance troops of the Chinese People's Liberation Army in Hong Kong before actual handover of Hong Kong on July 1.

25th Jun
Over 200 feared dead in LTTE counter-offensive against Sri Lankan army near Puliyankulam.

26th Jun
Unmanned cargo vessel smashes into Russia's Mir space station during practice docking, knocking out power supply and puncturing part of space station.

27th Jun
Mr. Clinton announces that U.S. will provide developing countries with $1 billion in assistance for eco-schemes.

Government and Opposition leaders of Tajikistan sign peace treaty in Moscow, ending five years of bloody civil war.

29th Jun
Forty LTTE Sea Tigers killed in Sri Lankan navy attack off eastern coast.

30th Jun
Hong Kong reverts to China after 99 years under British rule. It will henceforth be called Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

JULY

Diary of important international events in March 1997

1st Jul
Jatiya Party in Bangladesh splits with dissident group expelling party's founding chief and former President, Mr.H.M. Ershad.

2nd Jul
U.S. conducts first underground nuclear-related test (known as ``subcritical'' experiment) since 1992 moratoriums. It is to evaluate safety and reliability of ageing nuclear weapons.

4th Jul
Bosnian Serb President, Ms. Biljana Plavsic, dissolves Parliament and calls elections for September 1.

5th Jul
Pathfinder, U.S. spacecraft, transmits first images from Mars.

6th Jul
Thousands flee Cambodian capital Phnom Penh, as heavy fighting rages between forces loyal to rival Prime Ministers.

7th Jul
Violence erupts throughout Northern Ireland as Catholics react in anger to decision to allow Protestant procession to pass through predominantly Catholic area.

Cambodia's Second Prime Minister, Mr. Hun Sen, takes complete control of Phnom Penh and outskirts.

10th Jul
Fijian Senate approves new Constitution that removes radical restrictions on political power of Indian community, which makes up almost half the population.

ASEAN defers Cambodia's entry into grouping perturbed by bloody factional feud in the kingdom.

Emergency partially lifted in Sri Lanka. Relaxation does not apply to troubled Tamil-predominant areas in north and east.

11th Jul
U.S announces suspension of aid to Cambodia for 30 days in response to seizure of power by Second Prime Minister, Mr. Hun Sen.

13th Jul
Forces loyal to Cambodian strongman, Mr. Hun Sen, rout troops of rival co-Premier, Prince Ranariddh, in key northern stronghold.

15th Jul
Thirtyfive supporters of Cambodia's deposed First Prime Minister, Prince Norodom Ranariddh, executed in custody of troops loyal to Mr. Hun Sen.

16th Jul
Cambodian Foreign Minister, Mr. Ung Huot, to replace Prince Ranariddh as co-Premier.

17th Jul
Embattled Mir space station loses virtually all power after accidental disconnection of vital cable by crew.

20th Jul
Non-controversial member of Sri Lanka's Parliament, Mr. M.E.H. Mahroof of Opposition United National Party, is assassinated near Trincomalee.

IRA ceasefire takes effect, restoring truce abruptly broken off after 17 months in early 1996.

23rd Jul
Mr. Yeltsin vetoes controversial draft law on religion that will have established supremacy of Russian orthodox church and severely restricted activities of other denominations, including Roman Catholics.

31st Jul
U.S. lifts 10-year ban on travel by Americans to Lebanon.

Diary of important international events in March 1997

2nd Aug
Around 100 persons massacred in Blida and Ain Defla near Algerian capital of Algiers.

Over 100 LTTE militants killed as their attack on Sri Lankan army near Omanthai in Vanni theatre is repulsed.

4th Aug
French woman Jeanne Calment, officially world's oldest person at 122 dies at retirement home in provincial town of Arles.

5th Aug
South Africa expels Portugal's Ambassador over leak of misdirected note from President, Mr. Nelson Mandela, to Indonesian counterpart.

6th Aug
Cambodia's National Assembly strips ousted First Prime Minister, Mr. Norodom Ranariddh, of immunity from prosecution.

Over 200 people aboard Korean airliner killed in crash at Guam.

8th Aug
Cambodia's King Norodom Sihanouk authorises acting Head of State, Mr. Chea Sim, to approve appointment of Mr. Ung Huot as First Prime Minister.

10th Aug
Yemen's coast guard recovers bodies of 15 Ethiopian and Somali refugees who were forced to jump overboard in Red Sea. They set sail on a fishing boat from an Eritrean port, having paid for being smuggled into oil-rich Saudi Arabia. 3

14th Aug
Beleaguered crew of Mir space station returns to earth.

15th Aug
U.S. asks Afghan Embassy in Washington to suspend operations.

16th Aug
Briton Jennifer Murray becomes first woman to pilot helicopter around world.

18th Aug
Embattled Russian space station Mir runs into new trouble, as its main computer shuts down, causing station to lose orientation towards sun, which cuts off power supply from solar batteries.

19th Aug
Russian cosmonauts aboard limping Mir space station stabilise spacecraft and reposition energy generating solar panels toward sun.

22nd Aug
Transport plane carrying top leaders of Afghanistan's anti- Taliban coalition, including the group's new Prime Minister, Mr. Abdul Rahim Ghafurzai, crashes killing all on board.

23rd Aug
Over 100 Tutsi refugees killed at camp in Western Rwanda.

At least 64 persons killed by fundamentalists near Algiers in Algeria.

24th Aug
Masoumeh Ebtekar appointed Vice-President of Iran.

25th Aug
Mr. Egon Krenz, erstwhile East German hardline communist leader, convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 6-1/2 years in jail by Berlin court for killings at Berlin Wall during Cold War.

26th Aug
Crew aboard Mir repairs two oxygen generators after all oxygen systems failed for several hours.

27th Aug
U.S. grants asylum to Mr. Jang Sung-ho, highest-ever ranking North Korean diplomat to defect.

31st Aug
Princess Diana, estranged wife of Prince Charles, dies in car crash in Paris. Also killed are her companion - Egyptian millionaire, Mr. Dodi Al Fayed - and her chauffeur.

Britain bids farewell to Diana, Princess of Wales with an outpouring of public grief. Well over million people gather along procession route, as coffin passes through Central London streets.

Diary of important international events in March 1997

1st Sep
Taiwan's President, Mr. Lee Teng-hui swears in Island state's new Cabinet, headed by Mr. Vincent Siew, former Economics Minister, who took over from Mr. Lien Chan as Premier. Mr. Lien retains his seat as Vice-President.

4th Sep
At least eight persons are killed and 200 injured, as suicide bombers blow themselves up in crowded outdoor pedestrian mall in Central Jerusalem, throwing West Asia peace process in jeopardy.

7th Sep
Moscow celebrates 850 birthday with lavish party that outshines even grandiose Soviet-era bashes.

8th Sep
Japanese Prime Minister, Mr. Ryutaro Hashimoto, secures two more years at helm of ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

Indonesian President, Mr. Suharto, receives United Nations Development Programme award in Jakarta. It is in recognition of his efforts to eradicate poverty.

One-man movie machine Steven Spielberg garners top spot on the Forbes Top 40 list of the World's highest-paid entertainers earning $ 313 millions in 1996-97.

10th Sep
South Africa's new leader of National Party, Mr. Marthinus van Schalkwyk, takes over after president and Nobel laureate Mr. F. W. de Klerk, quits party post.

12th Sep
U.S. Space engineers, in a step towards possible manned mission to Mars, blast a tiny robotic craft into orbit around the red planet to map surface for landing sites.

Scotland casts aside doubts and votes overwhelmingly in favour of greater autonomy within United Kingdom.

13th Sep
International communications company Iridium successfully launches more satellites into orbit from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

15th Sep
Swiss bank accounts of former Prime Minister, Ms. Benazir Bhutto, her jailed husband Mr. Asif Zardari, and her mother, Begum Nursat Bhutto, are frozen following request from Pakistan Government.

17th Sep
United Nations General Assembly opens 52nd session with focus on `comprehensive reforms package' presented by Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, and ways and means to resolve financial crisis facing world body.

19th Sep
U.S. conducts underground explosive test on radio active plutonium at Nevada site. Experiments designed to check safety and reliability of U.S. nuclear stockpile.

Wales votes by narrowest of margins in favour of creating its own elected Assembly. The close result saves British Government an embarrassing defeat.

22nd Sep
U.S. President, addressing 52nd session of General Assembly, gives strong support to reform plan of Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan.

China cautions World Bank and International Monetary Fund that straying into areas like corruption is outside their competence and they should adhere to respective mandates.

23rd Sep
Mr. Bill Clinton nominates former Governor of Ohio, Mr. Richard Leleste, as next Ambassador to India.

Mir crew restart space station's computer and fix other problems in advance of rendezvous with U.S. shuttle Atlantis.

U.S. and Japan agree to strengthen military relationship despite warnings from China that the stronger alliance is provocation that would threaten peace and stability throughout Asia.

24th Sep
Pop Singer Elton John's new version of `Candle in the wind,' which he sang at funeral of Princess Diana has sold 8 million copies in advance sales in U.S. Recording Industry Association of America gives song multi-platinum status.

South Korean President, Mr. Kim Young Sam resigns as head of ruling New Korea Party to help boost the image of its presidential candidate.

25th Sep
1997 annual meetings of IMF in Hong Kong and World Bank end with Mr. Michel Camdessus, MD of the IMF, saying Governments should not ``outlaw'' speculative activity in currency markets. A ban will only make speculators create parallel circuits and continue with their trading.

Poland's Premier, Mr. Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz, announces resignation, hours after Solidarity alliance was proclaimed winner in elections.

26th Sep
All 234 passengers including 12 crew on board Indonesian Airbus killed as plane explodes and bursts into flames while approaching airport in smog-hit northern Sumatra island of Indonesia.

27th Sep
Russian President, Mr. Boris Yeltsin, signs controversial religion Bill that enshrines Russian Orthodox Church as the country's pre-eminent religion and limits the activities of other religious groups.

Former Soviet leader, Mr. Mikhail Gorbachev, is awarded France's top cultural honour, named a commander of Arts and Letters.

28th Sep
U.S. space shuttle Atlantis docks with Russia's Mir space station for controversial exchange of American astronauts. The metallic docking ports of the craft came together in darkness as they soared 392 km above Central Asia.

Mexico city orders cars off roads and stops factories from working full time as pollution levels soar. The Metropolitan Environment Commission declares a Phase I emergency as ozone levels go above permitted levels.

Massive relief and rescue operations are on in Bangladesh as army troops and civilian volunteers start combing the debris left behind by cyclone in which 300 are feared drowned.

Diary of important international events in March 1997

1st Oct
Spiritual leader of Islamic movement Hamas, Sheik Ahmed Yassin, is released from Israeli prison and flown to Amman. The army said he was freed in response to request from Jordan's King Hussein and in view of the paraplegic's deteriorating condition.

Nepalese Prime Minister, Mr. Lokendra Bahadur Chand loses vote of confidence in Parliament.

6th Oct
Mr. Stanley Prusiner, U.S. biochemist, whose discovery provided key insights into dementia-related diseases, wins 1997 Nobel Medicine Prize.

9th Oct
Italian playwright Dalio Fo (71), who wrote `` Accidental death of an anarchist'' wins 1997 Nobel Literature Prize.

Nepal's King Birendra names Mr. Surya Bahadur Thapa, president, Rashtriya Prajatantra Party, new Prime Minister.

10th Oct
International campaign to ban landmines and campaign coordinator, Ms. Jody Williams of U.S., wins the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize.

13th Oct
Haze back in Indonesia, South-East Asia, on a larger scale. Caused by forest fires, haze causes traffic disruptions and health concerns there.

Norwegian Prime Minister, Mr. Thorbjorn Jagland resigns after his Social Democratic Party loses majority in general elections.

14th Oct
Mr. Tony Blair shakes hands with Sinn Fein President, Mr. Gerry Adams, at first meeting for more than 70 years between a British P.M. and an Irish Republican leader.

1997 Volvo Environment Prize awarded jointly to Dr. Syukuro Manabe of Japan and Dr. Veerabhadran Ramanathan (currently U.S. citizen) for pioneering opinion on greenhouse effect.

Mr. Robert C. Merton of Harvard University and Mr. Myron S. Scholes of Stanford University win Nobel Prize for Economics for developing formula used to evaluate derivatives and other stock options.

15th Oct
Seventeen die as vehicle-bomb rips through centre of Colombo, 110 injured. The rear portion of World Trade Centre damaged.

1997 Nobel Prize for Physics awarded jointly to Prof. Steven Chu (Stanford University, California, U.S.), Prof. Claude Cohen- Tannoudji (College de France and Ecole Normale Superiere, France) and Dr. William D. Phillips (National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersberg, Maryland, U.S.) for developing methods to cool and trap atoms with laser light.

Nobel Prize for Chemistry is being divided, one half awarded jointly to Prof. Paul D. Boyer (University of California, Los Angeles) and Dr. John E. Walker (Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, U.K.) for elucidation of the enzymatic mechanism underlying the synthesis of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and the other half to Prof. Jens C. Skou (Aarhus University, Denmark) for discovery of an ion-transporting enzyme across all membranes.

Titan 4-B rocket carrying Cassini saturn probe blasts off from Cape Canaveral air station in Florida.

British nurse accused in Saudi Arabian court for murdering colleague saved from execution as Mr. Frank Gilford, brother of slain Australian, waives his right to the life of her killer, Deborah Parry.

Judges revolt against Pakistan Supreme Court Chief Justice, Mr. Sajjad Ali Shah.

18th Oct
Mr. Jerry Buzek, 57, academic of Solidarity Electoral Action takes over as Prime Minister of Poland.

After 30 years of mystery and intrigue, remains of Ernesto ``Che'' Guevara, doctor turned-guerilla, are laid to rest in Santa Clara (Cuba). It was in this provincial capital that he achieved military victory that first established his reputation.

China promises Clinton administration that it will no longer send anti-ship cruise missiles to Iran, say senior U.S. officials.

22nd Oct
A potentially destabilising political crisis in Russia is defused as Opposition withdraws no-confidence motion in exchange for major concessions from Kremlin.

27th Oct
Commonwealth Heads of Government end 4-day summit in Edinburgh with political communique condemning terrorism, drug trafficking and money laundering: issues that countries such as India and Sri Lanka were keen on.

Diary of important international events in March 1997

1st Nov
Belfast law professor, Ms. Mary McAleese, has been elected President of Irish republic.

9th Nov
Britain tells U.S. President, Mr. Bill Clinton, world must stand firm against Iraqi leader, Mr. Saddam Hussein, after Baghdad turns back weapons inspection teams that included Americans.

Russia loses suitcase nuclear bombs. Nightmare scenario of terrorists acquiring Russian suitcase sized nuclear weapons took a dramatic turn last week when Kremlin implicitly admitted that bombs exist - and some were missing.

11th Nov
President, Mr. Daniel Arap Moi, dissolves Kenya's seventh Parliament in preparation for general elections

13th Nov
Mr. Richard Butler, U.N. Special Commission Chief, announces withdrawal of all U.S. inspectors from Baghdad. He would not accept ``illegal separation'' of U.N. inspectors on the basis of nationalities.

15th Nov
Thai Premier Mr. Chuan Leekpai and Cabinet sworn in after winning a crucial vote of confidence from IMF for their bid to rebuild shattered economy.

19th Nov
The Pakistan Prime Minister, Mr. Nawaz Sharif, formally charged with contempt of court when he appeared before Supreme Court. The charges arise out of the remarks Mr. Sharif made this month when the Supreme Court suspended one of the Prime Minister's first acts of legislation.

Egypt's Interior Minister resigns after being publicly criticised by a furious President, Mr. Hosni Mubarak, for doing nothing to prevent the Luxor temple massacre in which 60 foreign tourists died.

20th Nov
Baghdad revokes decision to ban U.S. citizens from working on the U.N. teams inspecting Iraq's programme for the development and deployment of weapons of mass destruction.

25th Nov
Slovenian President, Mr. Milan Kucan was reelected for second five year term in office winning an absolute majority in the Presidential polls.

26th Nov
Russia, Peru and Vietnam admitted as members of the Asia Pacific Economics Cooperation Forum effective 1998 with a 10-year moratorium on new membership.

27th Nov
Novelist Anatoly Azolsky is awarded the 1997 Russian Booker Prize for his novel describing the adventures of a dissident scientist. ``The cage'' by Azolsky, a Moscow author representing the 1960's literary generation, was chosen by an international jury over 41 other novels and from a short list of six.

Diary of important international events in March 1997

2nd Dec
Mr. Earl Spencer, brother of Princess Diana, settles acrimonious divorce battle. This ends days of humiliating claim and counter- claims in South Africa court.

Pakistan President Mr. Farooq Leghari, announces his resignation. He would quit ``on principle'' rather than sign ``summary'' from government denotifying Chief Justice, Mr. Sajjad Ali Shah.

3th Dec
Pakistan acting President, Mr. Wasim Sajjad, appoints Mr. Justice Ajmal Mian acting Chief Justice.

4th Dec
Nepalese Gurkha regiments who have served British Army for nearly two centuries, honoured with bronze memorial unveiled by Queen Elizabeth II.

Canada becomes first nation to sign Ottawa convention that bans use, transfer, production and stockpiling of anti-personnel mines. Prime Minister, Mr. Jean Chretein says Canada would establish $71-million fund to implement the treaty.

6th Dec
United Nations Industrial Development Organisation's Awards Committee presents 1996/1997 individual award for outstanding performance to Dr. Jebamalai Vinanchiarachi ``for extraordinary work on industrial development review publications and on project for agro-industry in Nigeria''.

Space shuttle Columbia's astronauts return to earth following two-week science mission on enquiry awaiting them because of botched satellite release. Columbia and its crew of six including India-born Kalpana Chawla swooped through a clear chilly sky and landed on runway at Kennedy space centre. Astronauts save runaway $10-million satellite by catching it with their hands.

At least, 150 persons are feared killed and as many wounded in Russia's worst plane accident. Military cargo jet crashes into a residential area in Siberian town.

Russian Parliament approves the 1998 budget after unprecedented intervention by President, Mr. Boris Yeltsin, persuading communists to revise decision to vote against it.

8th Dec
Chinese-made Long March 2C rocket successfully places two satellites made by U.S. company Motorola, into orbit. They will form part of iridium network for providing wireless telephone data and paging services anywhere on planet.

Dissension among 160 countries at Kyoto meet discussing average greenhouse gas emissions target of 5.2 per cent. It puts off hard decisions to next conference in Buenos Aires. The creation of compliance mechanism is put off till next year.

11th Dec
British Prime Minister, Mr. Tony Blair, welcomes Sinn Fein leaders to 10, Downing Street for first time after 76 years. Sitting opposite Mr. Gerry Adams and Mr. Martin McGuinness, he challenges them to ``look him in the eye' and say they remain committed to seeking peaceful settlement.

12th Dec
World's famous terrorist Carlos (Illich Ramirez Sanchez) known as `The Jackal' goes on trial in Paris for killing two French policemen in 1975. In 1992 he was tried and condemned in absentia, to life imprisonment.

17th Dec
Israeli Prime Minister, Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu, and U.S. Secretary of State, Ms. Madeleine Albright, begin talks in Paris on stalled peace process between Israel and Palestinians.

19th Dec
India's new High Commissioner, Mr. Shiv Shankar Menon, presents credentials to Sri Lankan President, Ms. Chandrika Kumaratunga, in Colombo.

U.N. Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan's proposals aimed at revitalising world body, receive unexpected endorsement from general membership. A ``Committee of the whole'' approves creation of new post of Deputy Secretary-General.

20th Dec
Within 24 hours of election as South Korea's new President, Mr. Kim Dae-Jung meets the man he replaced and agrees to grant amnesty to two former Presidents and their associates who are in jail for mutiny, corruption and treason.

Five South Africans of Indian origin are among top ten in list of 60 members whose election to ANC's National Executive Committee is announced.

21st Dec
British Prime Minister, Mr. Tony Blair, sets target date of 1999 to implement far-reaching reform of London Parliament: abolition of House of Lords in present form.

25th Dec
Former Zambian President, Mr. Kenneth Kaunda, is placed under detention under emergency regulations in force since attempted coup in October. Mr. Kaunda goes on hunger-strike.

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