Key events of 2007

PAKISTAN POLITICAL CRISIS

Pakistan is beset by violence in July after the military storms an Islamabad mosque taken over by militant Islamists. On Oct. 18, with pressure rising for new elections, former premier Benazir Bhutto returns from self-exile. A suicide bombing kills 139 people during her homecoming parade. On November 3, President Pervez Musharraf imposes a state of emergency, and then sets elections for January. The United States, which has built its “war on terror” on an alliance with Pakistan, expresses concern that the country’s nuclear weapons could fall into the hands of a radical Islamic regime.

MYANMAR PROTESTS

At least 15 people die and 3,000 are jailed in September when Myanmar’s military and police break up pro-democracy protests, which see Buddhist monks lead 100,000 people in the streets of Yangon on successive days. The United States, which has a trade and investment ban on Myanmar, and the European Union impose limited sanctions. UN envoy Ibrahim Gambari seeks to launch dialogue between the military regime and opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

IRAQ WAR

On Feb. 3 a suicide bomber in a truck packed with one tonne of explosives kills at least 130 people and injures more than 300 in a popular Shiite neighbourhood of Baghdad. More than 400 people are slaughtered in four suicide truck bomb attacks in northern Iraq on August 16. The number of U.S. forces killed in the conflict approaches 4,000 as 2007 closes, although overall violence appears to be falling. The United States blames Iran for much of the mayhem and also accuses Iran of seeking nuclear weapons, although a U.S. intelligence report at the year’s end goes against that accusation.

BANGLADESH CYCLONE

Nearly 3,300 die in Bangladesh in a November 15 cyclone, with hundreds of thousands left homeless. More than 3,200 people are also killed and 25 million of others marooned and displaced in the worst floods in decades across South Asia — Nepal, India and Bangladesh — between June and September caused by heavy monsoon rains and snow melt.

U.S. ELECTION

Rival contenders jockey for position ahead of the U.S. presidential election in November 2008, with Hillary Clinton vying with Barack Obama in the Democratic race and former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani with former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee for the Republicans. All candidates have embarked on an exhausting sprint of rallies and TV debates ahead of their first date with voters at primary contests in January.

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