Myanmar

The raising of fuel prices by the government in mid-August triggered a protest movement that steadily grew in September. By mid-September there were small but persistent protests in Yangon and other cities led by Buddhist monks. On the 23rd about 20,000 people, half of them monks, protested in Yangon. On the 24th there was another, larger demonstration of probably 50,000-100,000, followed by a protest of about 35,000 on the 25th. (AP) The pro-democracy group '88 Generation was involved in the protests.

On the 27th security forces began using deadly force to disperse demonstrators; the government also was restricting the flow of information out of the country. There were reports of widespread arrests of members of '88 Generation and the National League for Democracy. The government later said it detained over 2,900 people during the crackdown. (CNN.com)

Colombia

Around the beginning of the month, Tomas Medina Caracas, a member of the FARC high command and a key figure in managing the group's cocaine trafficking network, who was also known as "El Negro Acacio," was killed in a military raid on a FARC camp in the jungle in the south of the country. (CNN.com)

Iraq

According to the Interior Ministry, 844 civilians were killed this month. (CNN.com)

1 SEPTEMBER 2007

France

Police arrested four members of ETA near Toulouse; it appeared they were in the advanced stages of preparing a car bomb attack. (CNN.com)

2 SEPTEMBER 2007

Asia and the Pacific, diplomatic affairs

US Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill said North Korea had agreed to declare and dismantle all of its nuclear programs by the end of the year. He said the relationship with North Korea "is a relationship that we will continue to try to build step by step with the understanding that we're not going to have a normalized relationship until we have a denuclearized North Korea....To the extent that we can move quickly to denuclearization, we can move quickly to normalization." (AP)

Lebanon

The government said its forces had overcome the last resistance in the Nahr el-Bared refugee camp near Tripoli. Apparently, some militants including Fatah al-Islam leader Shaker al-Absi managed to escape. (CNN.com)

3 SEPTEMBER 2007

Jamaica, politics

The opposition Jamaica Labor Party narrowly won parliamentary elections; Bruce Golding was sworn in as Prime Minister on the 11th. (www.rulers.org, AP)

Bangladesh, civil affairs

Former prime minister Khaleda Zia was arrested on charges of corruption and misuse of power. (AP)

4 SEPTEMBER 2007

Pakistan

Two bomb attacks in Rawalpindi killed at least 21 people and wounded 74. (CNN.com)

5 SEPTEMBER 2007

Iraq

Operation Lightning Hammer II, an offensive against al Qaeda in Iraq elements in Salaheddin, Nineveh, Diyala, and Kirkuk provinces, began. About 14,000 Iraqi security forces and 12,000 US troops were involved. (CNN.com)

6 SEPTEMBER 2007

Syria

There were reports of an Israeli airstrike against a target in the north. The next week, Syria complained to the UN about an Israeli violation of its airspace but did not request a meeting of the Security Council. Israel would not comment on the reports but was, according to certain sources, very happy with the success of the operation.1 Later, there were other reports that the target was a partially built nuclear reactor and that North Korea had a role in its construction.2

Algeria

A suicide bomber attempted to assassinate President Abdelaziz Bouteflika in Batna, just east of Algiers. He was not able to get through Bouteflika's security cordon and the President was unhurt; 19 other people were killed and 107 were wounded. Al Qaeda Islamic Maghreb later claimed responsibility for the attack. (CNN.com)

8 SEPTEMBER 2007

Sierra Leone, politics

In the presidential runoff, Ernest Bai Koroma defeated Vice President Soloman Berewa by a 54.6% to 45.4% margin. Koroma was sworn in on the 17th; he promised to root out corruption and create economic opportunities. (AP, www.rulers.org)

9 SEPTEMBER 2007

Guatemala, politics

In a presidential election, the top vote-getters in a crowded field were Alvaro Colom and Otto Perez; they were scheduled for a runoff on 4 November. (AP)

10 SEPTEMBER 2007

Colombia

Special forces captured Diego Leon Montoya Sanchez, or 'Don Diego', in Salsa, in the department of El Valle. Montoya was considered one of the principal leaders of the North Valley drug cartel. (CNN.com)

Pakistan, civil affairs

Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif attempted to return to Pakistan but was forced to go to Saudi Arabia immediately after arriving at Islamabad airport. (CNN.com)

12 SEPTEMBER 2007

Russia, politics

President Vladimir Putin dissolved the cabinet of prime minister Mikhail Fradkov, replacing him with Viktor Zubkov. (AP)

Iran, foreign policy

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, commenting on charges that Iran is conducting a proxy war in Iraq, said, "Responsible people should understand this: that Iran is against any sort of insecurity and attacks, and Iraq is able to defend themselves." (CNN.com)

13 SEPTEMBER 2007

Iraq

Sheik Abdul Sattar Abu Reesha, head of the Anbar Salvation Council, was killed by a roadside bomb which struck his convoy; Al Qaeda in Iraq claimed responsibility. (CNN.com)

16 SEPTEMBER 2007

France, foreign policy

Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said that European countries should consider sanctions outside the UN framework if Iran continues uranium enrichment and that “We should prepare for the worst.” Asked what that meant, he said, “That is war, sir.” (CNN.com)

Greece, politics

Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis and his New Democracy party won parliamentary elections, though with a reduced majority. (AP)

19 SEPTEMBER 2007

Lebanon

A bomb attack in Beirut killed Antoine Ghanem, a member of parliament from the Phalange Party, and four others; at least 70 were wounded. (CNN.com)

Cambodia, civil affairs

Police arrested Nuon Chea, 82 years old and the top surviving leader of the Khmer Rouge, at his home in Pailin near the Thai border; he was charged with crimes against humanity. (AP)

24 SEPTEMBER 2007

Iraq

A suicide bomber attacked a meeting of Sunni and Shiite militia leaders being held in Baquba, killing 24 people. (CNN.com)

25 SEPTEMBER 2007

Iraq

On the 28th the US military said US-led coalition forces killed senior al-Qaeda in Iraq leader Abu Usama al-Tunisi on the 25th, in Mussayib. (CNN.com)

25-26 SEPTEMBER 2007

Japan, politics

On the 25th, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe dissolved his cabinet and resigned, and the House of Representatives elected Yasuo Fukuda to replace him. The next day a new cabinet was sworn in which included Masahiko Komura as foreign minister and Shigeru Ishiba as defense minister. (www.rulers.org, AP)

26 SEPTEMBER 2007

Iraq

There were a handful of vehicle bombs around the country, including two in Baghdad. (AP)

30 SEPTEMBER 2007

Asia and the Pacific, diplomatic affairs

North Korea and the five other states party to the negotiations over its nuclear program signed an agreement under which North Korea would disable its nuclear facilities at Yongbyon; the agreement was made public on 3 October. (CNN.com)

Ukraine, politics

Parliamentary elections were held. It appeared that parties in favor of closer ties with the West gained enough ground to form a government. Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych's Party of Regions (PRU) won 175 seats in the 450 seat Verkhovna Rada (Supreme Council). However, the Bloc of Yuliya Tymoshenko (MYT) won 156 seats, up from the 129 it won in the March 2006 elections, and President Viktor Yushchenko's Our Ukraine-People's Self Defense party won 72 seats. (IFES, AP)

Ecuador

Elections were held for the 130-member National Constituent Assembly approved on 15 April. According to official results released on 19 November, President Rafael Correa's Alianza Pais party won 80 seats. The Patriotic Society Party of former President Lucio Gutierrez won 18 seats. Correa has called for an overhaul of the political system, including reducing the influence of political parties and allowing the President to be reelected to a second four-year term; he has promised the new constitution would not "impose any kind of ideology." (AP, IFES)

Notes

1. "Syria complains to U.N. about Israeli airstrike", CNN.com, 11 September 2007.

2. "Report: Israeli airstrike targeted Syrian nuclear reactor", AP, 14 October 2007.