International Events in September 2001
Sept. 3:
The Sri Lankan President, Ms. Chandrika Kumaratunga, cancels a controversial referendum and announces resummoning of the prorogued Parliament ahead of time, to clinch a deal with the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna.
Seychelles President, Mr. France Albert Rene, secures another five-year term winning the island's closest presidential polls since Independence 25 years ago. He is in power since a 1977 coup.
Sept. 4:
In a mega merger, Hewlett Packard buys Compaq Computer Corp. for $ 25 billion in stock.
Sept. 5:
Sri Lanka's ruling People's Alliance, signs a Memorandum of Understanding with the JVP to seal the agreement under which the latter is to offer outside support to the Government for one year.
Mr. George Speight, accused of treason for leading the May 2000 coup in Fiji, is elected to the Parliament from jail.
Sept. 6:
Bangladesh's former military ruler, Gen. H.M. Irshad, is formally barred from election due to his conviction on corruption charges by a Dhaka criminal court.
Sept.7:
Commonwealth brokers land-reform deal and squatters to leave white-owned forms in Zimbabwe, after crisis talks between the Foreign Minister of the U.K. and its former dominions, in the Nigerian capital, Abuja.
A surgical team in New York performs a gall bladder operation on a patient in France by sending high-speed signals to robots, in the first such procedure.
Sept. 8:
The World Conference Against Racism, in Durban, adopts a declaration recognising the injustice of slavery and colonisation and the ``plight'' of Palestinians, after nine days of contentious debate and brinkmanship.
Tajikistan's Foreign Minister, Mr. Abdurrahim Rakhimov, is shot dead by a gunman in the western district of the capital Dushanbe.
Sept. 9:
The Zimbabwean President, Mr. Robert Mugabe, accepts in principle the `land deal' to end the controversial land seizure drive.
The anti-Taliban Northern Alliance leader, Mr. Ahmed Shah Masood, is injured in a landmine blast in the Afghan province of Takhar.
The Belarus President, Mr. Alexander Lukashenko, wins another five-year term.
Sept. 10:
Mr. Laisenia Qarase, is sworn in Fiji Prime Minister.
Norway's Labour Party suffers a jolt in the national parliamentary polls, with its tally falling to 43 seats from 65 in the 165-member Parliament.
Sept. 11:
Terrorists hijack and crash two airliners into the World Trade Centre in New York and bring down the 110-storey twin towers leaving over 3,000 dead. A plane also slams into the Pentagon destroying a portion. Two United Airlines planes are also hijacked and crashlanded leaving 266 people aboard dead.
Sept. 14:
The U.S. Senate approves use of force against those responsible for the terrorist attacks and clears $ 40 billion in emergency aid to help the victims and hunt the perpetrators. The President declares a national emergency.
A new-look Cabinet sworn in in Sri Lanka and the Prime Minister, Mr. Ratnasri Wickramanayake takes oath afresh.
The anti-Taliban military commander, Ahmad Shah Masood dies of injuries sustained in an assassination attempt.
Sept. 15:
After 15 years of negotiations, China gets the nod for admission into the World Trade Organisation.
Sept. 18:
The Palestinian leader, Mr. Yasser Arafat, announces a unilateral ceasefire, and Israel halts offensive military operations, orders troops out of Jenin and Jericho.
Sept. 19:
The WTO agrees to admit Taiwan to the group, giving Taipei a major victory in its 12-year campaign.
Sept. 20:
Mr. Mari Alkatiri, the leader of Fretilin (Revolutionary Front For An Independent East Timor) is appointed to head a new de facto Cabinet that will lead East Timor to independence in 2002.
Sept 21:
The Taliban rejects the U.S. President, Mr. George Bush's demand for handing over Osama bin Laden and access to the hideouts of the Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan.
The Russian Parliament votes for reversing the revolutionary nationalisation of land and making it legal to privately own real estate. However, the code applies only to ``commercial'' or urban land.
Sept 27:
An armed man goes on a rampage in the State Parliament of the lakeside town of Zug in Switzerland, killing 14 persons before shooting himself dead.
The Palestinian leader, Mr. Yasser Arafat and the Israeli Foreign Minister, Mr. Shimon Peres, reach a truce-consolidation deal almost a year after the outbreak of bloody confrontations that has left 700 dead.
In a historic step, Turkey's Parliament repeals ban on broadcasting and education in Kurdish.
Sept 28:
The U.N. Security Council, drafts, debates and approves a U.S.-sponsored resolution that mandates the 189 member-nations to deny support and sanctuary to terrorists and their networks.
Sept. 30:
The Taliban announces that Osama bin Laden is in its ``protective custody'' and it has no intention of handing him over to the U.S. Washington rejects any negotiations over the issue.