International Events in December 2001
Dec. 1:
The Taiwanese President, Mr. Chen Shui-bian's Democratic People's Party wins in legislative elections, ending the National Party's five decade control of the law-making body.
The Russian President, Mr. Vladimir Putin, sacks 14 Navy commanders for the loss of nuclear submarine, Kursk last year.
Dec. 2:
Swiss citizens say no to a proposal to scrap the army put forward by the ``Switzerland Without An Army'' coalition.
The Houston-based Enron Corp. files for bankruptcy protection and sues would be suitor Synergy Inc. for wrongful termination of a $ 8.4 billion proposed merger, seeks $ 10 billion in damages.
Dec. 3:
The former first lady of South Africa, Marike de Klerk is strangled to death in her Cape Town apartment.
Dec. 5:
Mr. Hamid Karzai, the southern Pashtun commander is to head the Afghan interim government, after delegations sign a historic agreement after U.N.-brokered talks in Koenigswinter, Germany.
The Sri Lankan Opposition United National Party wins parliamentary polls.
Dec. 6:
The three-week Fifth Review Conference of the Biological Weapons Convention ends in Geneva with an unprecedented failure to agree on a final declaration.
Dec. 7:
The Taliban surrenders Kandahar, the last city under its control, after two months of U.S. air strikes on Afghanistan.
Dec. 8:
Mr. George Speight, Fiji's coup plotter, loses MP seat for being absent for two successive sessions of the House without permission.
Dec. 9:
Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe, UNP leader, is sworn in Sri Lanka's Prime Minister.
Six former Taliban Ministers and senior diplomats float a new outfit, Khudamul Furqan Jamiat.
Eleven prisons die following the outbreak of the contagious Ebola virus in the Central African nation Gabon's capital, Liberville.
Dec. 10:
India and Japan vow to fight global terrorism and side step differences over nuclear issues at the Vajpayee-Junichiro Koizumi summit, in Tokyo.
The U.N. Secretary-General, says ``humanity is indivisible'' as he and the U.N. General Assembly President and South Korean Foreign Minister, Mr. Hang Seung-Soo, accept the centennial Nobel Peace Prize, in the Norwegian capital, Oslo.
Dec. 11:
China becomes the 143rd member of the WTO, ending a 15- year battle for accession.
Zacarias Moussaoui, a French citizen of Moroccan descent becomes the first person to be charged by a grand jury in Virginia with planning the Sept. 11 attacks.
Syed Sirajuddin, Raja of Perlis, is elected Malaysia's 12th monarch in a secret ballot by traditional leaders sitting in a conference.
Dec. 12:
A 25-member United National Front Government is sworn in in Sri Lanka following a decision by the President, Ms. Chandrika Kumaratunga, to shed all portfolios. Mr. Tilak Marapone gets Defence and Mr. Tyronne Fernando Foreign Affairs.
South Korean biotechnologists breed the first `human-gene' laboratory mouse.
Dec. 13:
The U.S. withdraws from the ABM Treaty.
Israel bans the Palestinian leader, Mr. Yasser Arafat from leaving the West Bank town of Ramallah.
The U.S. House of Representatives approve a sweeping poll reform Bill, in more than a generation.
Dec. 14:
The British Government assumes emergency power to detain without trial foreign nationals suspected of terrorism.
Dec. 16:
China, Myanmar sign a border security pact at the conclusion of a visit by the Chinese President, Mr. Jiang Zemin.
Dec. 19:
Mr. Joseph Michael Perera, is elected Sri Lankan Speaker.
The Argentine President, Mr. Fernando de la Rua declares a state of siege as the economy crumbles leading to rioting on the streets that claim 22 lives.
Scientists decipher largest human chromosome.
Dec. 20:
Pakistan, China sign seven agreements after Jiang-Musharraf summit, in Beijing.
The Argentinian President, Mr. Fernando de la Rua, quits.
Dec. 21:
Commonwealth readmits Fiji.
Dec. 22:
Mr. Hamid Karzai, is sworn in leader of a 30-member interim Afghanistan Government, in Kabul.
Dec. 23:
Mr. Adolfo Rodrigues Saa, is sworn in Argentine President.
Passengers foil bid to blow up an American Airlines flight from Paris to Miami, and overpower suspect.
Dec. 24:
The Nigerian Justice Minister, Mr. Bola Ige, is shot dead by attackers who gate crash into his house, in the city of Ibadan.
The first reciprocal ceasefire by the Government and the LTTE since 1994, begins in Sri Lanka.
The LeT chief, Prof. Hafeez Mohammad Saeed, quits, after Pakistan freezes the outfit's assets.