International Events in May 1997
1st May
Britons vote in an election, expected to mark the end of era in
nation's history.
2nd May
Labour party under Mr. Tony Blair sweeps to power in British
elections.
5th May
Rebels advance on Zaire's capital, Kinshasa, as President, Mr.
Mobutu Sese Seko, refuses to step down.
8th May
In the first war crimes verdict since Nuremberg and Tokyo trials
after World War II, international court convicts Bosnian Serb
police reservist of war crimes and crimes against humanity during
ethnic cleansing in Bosnian war, but acquits him of murder
charges.
9th May
Libyan leader, Mr. Qadhafi flies to Niger in defiance of U.N. ban
on flights from Libya.
10th May
Around 2,400 people killed and 40,000 injured in earthquake that
devastates 80 villages in Iran's Khorasan province.
Mr. Qadhafi awarded Nigeria's highest honour medal.
12th May
Russia and Chechnya sign peace treaty, aimed at normalising
relations after two-year war that ended last year.
13th May
Thousands of Sri Lankan troops launch major offensive against
Tamil rebels in north to seize strategic highway.
Japanese Ambassador to Peru, Mr. Morihisa Aoki, resigns bowing to public pressure to take responsibility for hostage standoff at his Lima residence.
14th May
Sri Lankan troops capture LTTE stronghold of Omanthai.
SAARC identifies, for first time, a new political ``confidence- building measure'' for ``good neighbourly relations'' among member-States.
15th May
Space shuttle Atlantis blasts off from Cape Canaveral in Florida
with multinational crew of seven on one of the most critical
resupply missions ever for Russia's orbiting Mir station.
16th May
Zairean President, Mr. Mobutu Sese Seko, gives up running
Government and leaves Kinshasa.
17th May
Rebel leader, Mr. Laurent Kabila, proclaims himself head of State
of Zaire.
Zaire army chief is killed by units of Mr. Sese Seko's elite guard.
18th May
Sri Lankan troops capture key rebel town of Nedunkeni.
Mr. Kabila declares himself head of `Congo' State.
19th May
South Africa to accord formal diplomatic recognition to new
Government in Democratic Republic of Congo.
20th May
U.S. renews Most-Favoured Nation status to China for another
year.
22nd May
Russian President, Mr. Boris Yeltsin, sacks Defence Minister, Mr.
Igor Rodionov, accusing him of doing nothing to launch long
overdue military reform. Chief of General Staff, Gen. Viktor
Samsonov, is also dismissed.
23rd May
Gen. Igor Sergeyev takes charge as Russia's new Defence Minister.
24th May
Mr. Mohammad Khatami elected President of Iran.
25th May
Gen. Abdul Rashid Dostum, ousted from fiefdom in northern
Afghanistan by Taliban, flees to Turkey.
27th May
NATO and Russia sign historic agreement on cooperation and
security in Europe, paving way for NASA expansion to east.
28th May
U.S. Supreme Court unanimously rules that Paula Jones sexual
discrimination suit against Mr. Clinton can proceed while he is
in office.
30th May
Afghan President, Mr. Burhanuddin Rabbani, overthrown in
September by Taliban Islamic militia, returns to base controlled
by Gen. Ahmed Shah Masood in Afghanistan.