Major events that occurred in around the globe in 2008 By Mohammad Shamseddin KUWAIT, Dec 29 (KUNA) -- The financial crisis dominated worldwide discussions during the second half of 2008, and its impact could be felt at all levels, while another unprecedented achievement was the election of Barak Obama as the first African-American president of the US and the expectation arising from this development.
The following are some of the major events that occurred around the world this year: UN Security Council ==================.
-- March 3: The Security Council approves a tightening of sanctions on Iran for refusing to suspend its nuclear activities.
-- June 2: The Security Council condemns the bombing outside the Danish Embassy in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, in which eight people are killed and 24 others are wounded.
-- June 3: The Security Council extends the mandate of the international committee investigating the assassination for former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri for six months.
-- June 6: The Security Council allows warships to enter Somalia's regional water, with government agreement, to fight piracy.
-- June 12: The Security Council adopts a resolution aimed at improving international commercial tracking of "chemical materials" used in making heroine, in preparation for the reduction of the production of this drug in Afghanistan, -- July 11: The Security Council fails to impose sanctions on Zimbabwe after Russia and China veto the decision.
-- Sept 27: The Security Council unanimously adopts a resolution calling on Iran to suspend its nuclear activities, but does not impose new sanctions.
-- Oct 17: Austria, Japan, Mexico, Uganda and Turkey are elected non-permanent members of the UN Security Council for 2009-2010.
-- Nov 20: The Security Council imposes limited sanctions on Somali citizens whose activities hindered the peace process in their country.
-- Dec 17: The Security Council approves international land operations against armed pirates in Somalia for a period of a year, but does not allow air raids.
-- Dec 16: The Security Council adopts a US-Russian resolution reiterating support for the Middle East peace process with was relaunched at the Annapolis Conference.
-- Dec 17: The Security Council extends once again the mandate of the international committee investigating the assassination for former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri until February 28.
Sri Lanka ========.
-- March 4: More than 100 people are killed in clashed between the army and Tamil separatists.
-- April 23: Bloody clashes leaves more than 200 people dead in an army attack that is countered by the Tamil separatists.
-- Nov 15: Army gains control over strategic city in the north, formerly held by the Tamil.
-- Dec 14: The army wages an air strike against the political headquarters of the Tamil to facilitate a ground assault.
Afghanistan ==========.
-- April 27: Afghan President Hamid Karzai escapes a rocket assault executed by the Taliban during a military procession in Kabul.
-- June 14: More than 1100 detains flee after the Taliban attack a prison in Kandahar, southern Afghanistan.
-- July 14: More than 60 people are killed in the bombing of the Indian Embassy in Kabul.
-- Dec 21: The US announced an increase in the number of American troops in Afghanistan, up for 20,000 to 30,000.
Pakistan =======.
-- June 2: Eight people are killed in a suicide attack targeting the Danish Embassy in Islamabad, on grounds of the cartoons published in Danish newspapers depicting Prophet Mohammad (PBUH).
-- June 6: 14 Pakistani policemen and a civilian are killed in a suicide attack targeting policemen deployed in Islamabad to maintain order on the first anniversary of the bloody attacks at the Lal (red) Mosque.
-- Aug 4: 136 people are killed, including 100 members of the Taliban, in battles that break out in the northwestern region.
-- Aug 18: Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf announces his resignation to avoid impeachment.
-- Sept 9: Asif Ali Zardari is takes oath as Pakistan's 14th president.
India ====.
-- Nov 27: Islamists wage terrorist attacks on the Taj and Trident hotels in Mumbai, as well as eight other locations. Some 195 people are killed, including 28 foreigners, while 295 are injured.
Zimbabwe =======.
-- July 21: Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe and the opposition leader sign an agreement for negotiating the state's new political system.
-- July 27: Mugabe is reelected for a sixth term.
Kenya ====.
-- April 13: Kenya President Mwai Kibaki appoints opposition leader Raila Amolo Odinga as prime minister, to head a coalition government. The government announces the results of elections that took place in late December 2007, which are greatly marred by violations. A political crisis erupts in which 1, 500 people are killed and more than 300,000 people are dislocated.
Serbia =====.
-- July 22: Former leader of Serb Bosnians, Radovan Kradic, is apprehended for war crimes and genocide.
-- July 31: Kradic stands before the international tribunal for war criminals in The Hague.
-- Aug 28: Kradic pleas not guilty.
Georgia ======.
-- Aug 7: Georgian forces wage an attack on South Ossetia and occupy a large area of it after accusing Russia of allowing fighters in Ossetia to help it announce independence from Georgia.
-- Aug 12: Russian President Dimitry Medvedev, during a meeting with his French counterpart Nicholas Sarkozy, says the Russia military operation succeeding in pushing Georgia to opt for peace after its forces are destroyed and the safety of civilians in Ossetia is guaranteed.
-- Oct 15: Russian Defense Minister Anatoliy Serdyukov reiterates his country's commitment to Medvedev's plan for resolving the situation in Georgia, and says all Russian forces had withdrawn from Georgia before the October 10 deadline.
Union for the Mediterranean ==========================.
-- March 14: EU leaders approve the establishment of the Euro-Mediterranean Union.
Presidential elections =====================.
-- Jan 20: Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili takes oath for a second five-year term.
-- Jan 20: Armenian Prime Minister Serzh Sargsian is elected president.
-- Feb 15: Czech President Vaclav Klaus is reelected for a second five-year term.
-- Feb 24: Socialists Demetris Christofias is elected president of Cyprus.
-- Feb 25: Cuban Council of State selected General Raul Castro as its president.
-- March 3: Dimitry Medvedev is declared the winner of the Russian presidential elections.
-- March 22: Opposition candidate Ma Ying-jeou become Taiwan's president.
-- April 21: Fernando Armindo Lugo Mendez is elected president of Paraguay.
-- June 29: Robert Mubage is reelected president of Zimbabwe.
-- Sept 6: Asif Ali Zardari is elected Pakistani president.
-- Sept 21: The presidency term of Mauritius's Anerood Jugnauth, Sir is renewed.
-- Sept 22: Kgalema Motlanthe becomes president of South Africa.
-- Oct 19: Azeri President Ilham Aliyev is reelected.
-- Oct 29: Mohamed Nasheed wins the presidency in the Maldives.
-- Nov 5: Barak Obama becomes the first African-American president of the US. (end) msd.ema