Iran, civil affairs

Conservative elements of the government banned numerous pro-reform newspapers and voided several results from the February parliamentary elections (Reuters).

2-5 APRIL 2000

Japan, politics

Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi suffered a stroke and went into a coma on 2 April. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) initiated procedures to select a successor, and settled on Yoshiro Mori on 5 April. Mori was expected to continue Obuchi's policies (Reuters).

1 APRIL 2000

Turkey / Iraq

Turkey announced an offensive into northern Iraq to attack bases of the Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK), an ethnic Kurd rebel group. There were reportedly 5,000-7,000 troops involved in the operation (Reuters).

Zimbabwe

There was a demonstration in Harare against President Robert Mugabe, organized by the National Constitutional Assembly. Mugabe supporters attacked the demonstrators; riot police subsequently restored order (Reuters).

3 APRIL 2000

Bosnia-Herzegovina, war crimes

Momcilo Krajisnik was arrested by SFOR troops in Pale. The former member of the Bosnian presidency is accused by the UN of genocide, crimes against humanity and other offenses (Reuters).

3-4 APRIL 2000

Diplomatic affairs

Representatives of the European Union (EU) and the Organization of African Unity (OAU) met at a summit in Cairo, Egypt. They discussed issues related to political and economic development in Africa (Reuters).

5 APRIL 2000

Zimbabwe

There were reports of widespread attacks on white-owned farms by veterans of the 1970s independence struggle. President Robert Mugabe has condoned seizure of white-owned farms (Reuters).

6 APRIL 2000

Pakistan, politics

Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was sentenced to life imprisonment for hijacking and terrorism (Reuters).

Iraq

US and British warplanes attacked Iraqi air-defense units in southern Iraq. The US said it was in response to Iraqi anti-aircraft fire (Reuters).

7 APRIL 2000

Israel

Israeli and Palestinian negotiators began another round of talks near Washington, DC (Reuters).

9 APRIL 2000

Greece, politics

In elections, the ruling socialist PASOK party, led by Prime Minister Costas Simitis, won a slim majority in parliament. Simitis is expected to continue existing policies, including improvement of relations with Turkey (Reuters).

12 APRIL 2000

Colombia

Colombian police conducted Operation MILLENNIUM II against what National Police chief and leader of the operation, General Rosso Jose Serrano, called "one of the most powerful heroin distribution and export networks". Almost 1600 agents, drawing on US intelligence and backed by planes and helicopter gunships, launched pre-dawn raids in the southwest city of Cali and elsewhere. They reportedly captured alleged cartel leader Nicolas Urquijo and 45 others (Reuters).

14 APRIL 2000

Russia / US, diplomatic affairs

Russia's Duma ratified the second Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START-2) nuclear weapons treaty with the US by a vote of 288-131 (Reuters).

Yugoslavia

100,000 people demonstrated against President Slobodan Milosevic in Belgrade (Reuters).

17 APRIL 2000

Europe, diplomatic affairs

Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Britian and met British Prime Minister Tony Blair (Reuters).

Rwanda, politics

Paul Kagame was named President by the country's political elite. Kagame is of the Tutsi ethnic group (Reuters).

19 APRIL 2000

Russia / US, diplomatic affairs

Russia's upper house, the Federation Council, approved START-2 by a vote of 122-15 with 7 abstentions (Reuters).

Italy, politics

Prime Minister Massimo D'Alema resigned after a poor showing by his coalition in regional elections (Reuters).

21 APRIL 2000

Russia / US, diplomatic affairs

In Russia, the State Duma ratified the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) 298-74 (Reuters).

22 APRIL 2000

Sri Lanka

LTTE rebels reportedly captured Elephant Pass and the Iyakachchi camp as they continued their month-old offensive to capture the government-held Jaffna peninsula (Reuters).

24 APRIL-20 MAY 2000

Diplomatic affairs

The 2000 Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference was held at the UN. On the 25th, Egypt called on Israel to acceed to the treaty, which prohibits the proliferation of nuclear weapons. In the final document, the five nuclear weapon states (the US, Russia, China, France and Britain) declared their "unequivocal" commitment to the elimination of nuclear weapons (Reuters).

Diplomatic affairs

Chinese President Jiang Zemin visited South Africa (Reuters).

26 APRIL 2000

Italy, politics

Guiliano Amato took office as the new Prime Minister to replace Massimo D'Alema (see 19 April) (Reuters).

29 APRIL 2000

Kosovo

There were more violent clashes between Serbs and Albanians, and between the local population and NATO forces (Reuters).

Asia-Pacific, diplomatic affairs

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori met Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg (Reuters).

30 APRIL-2 MAY 2000

Israel

Another round of Israeli-Palestinian talks was held in Eilat, Israel. The talks broke down on 2 May over land issues (Reuters).