01|In Arusha, Tanzania, former Rwandan prime minister Jean Kambanda pleads guilty to six charges of genocide. His admission of guilt to the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda marks the first acceptance of responsibility by the former Hutu regime for the killing of more than 800,000 people in 1994.|
01|In Leipzig, Germany, more than 6,000 police officers are deployed to break up fighting between the far-right National Democratic Party of Germany (NPD) and Left-wing extremists. The police intervene with water cannon and baton charges. Four people are injured and at least 40 are detained.|
02|In Brussels, European Union leaders formally launch the new European single currency, the euro. The euro will replace 11 European currencies when it comes into full circulation in 2002. During negotiations, an agreement is also reached to appoint Wim Duisenberg of Holland as president of the new European Central Bank. Duisenberg agrees to pass the presidency to Frenchman Jean-Claude Trichet halfway through the 8-year term of office.|
02|In southern Lebanon, a Hizbollah guerrilla is killed during attacks designed to oust Israeli and South Lebanon Army (SLA) troops from their occupation zone. Mohamad Abed al-Hussein dies as Hizbollah troops attack SLA outposts. He is the seventeenth guerrilla to be killed in south Lebanon since the beginning of the year.|
03|In Assam, northeast India, 12 Santhals tribesmen are killed and five more injured when the bus in which they are travelling is ambushed by rival Bodos tribesmen.|
03|In Sana, Yemen, three members of a British family arrive safely after their release from a two-week kidnapping ordeal. David Mitchell, his wife, and son were abducted on April 16, 1998, and held hostage by Yemeni tribespeople who demanded an electricity supply and provision of roads from the Yemen government in return for their safe release. It is not known whether the government agreed to their demands.|
03|In the Muheza district of northern Tanzania, 72 people are killed as the bus they are travelling in is swept into a river while attempting to cross a flooded bridge. A further 25 people, including the driver, escape from the accident.|
04|In Sacramento, U.S.A., Ted Kaczynski, known as the Unabomber, is sentenced to four life sentences in prison for his 17-year bombing campaign across America. Kaczynski, aged 55, killed three people and injured 29 more with his bomb devices between 1978 and 1995. (See also January 22, 1997.)|
04|An earthquake measuring 7.7 on the Richter scale causes a series of tidal waves to hit Okinawa and its neighbouring islands, in the north Pacific Ocean. The quake's epicentre is located 260 kilometres south of the Ryukyu Islands, 20 kilometres beneath the sea. No casualties are reported.|
04|At the Vatican, in Rome, the newly-appointed commander of the Pope's Swiss Guard and his wife are shot dead, apparently by a junior officer. Colonel Alois Estermann had been promoted to his new post just hours before his murder. It is believed Corporal Cedric Tornay, 23, killed Estermann and his wife before committing suicide.|
05|In Peru, a jet plane carrying 87 people crashes into the northern area of the Amazon rainforest, near Peru's border with Ecuador. The jet, en route from Lima to Andoas, crashes in heavy rain as it attempts to land. Twelve people are rescued from the crash site, but it is feared that no more survivors will be found.|
05|In Indonesia, violence between anti-Suharto protesters and police escalates as rioting breaks out in Jakarta, Medan, and other major cities. In Jakarta, more than 25 students are injured as police fire tear gas and rubber bullets at a demonstration of more than 5,000 people. In Medan, police fire live ammunition at fleeing looters. The renewed violence is prompted by Suharto's raising of fuel and electricity prices. (See also April 25, March 26, February 2.)|
05|In Austria, the first national day of remembrance for victims of the Holocaust is held on the anniversary of the liberation of Mauthausen concentration camp. The day is marked by a performance in parliament of an operatic version of "The Diary of Anne Frank", composed by Grigory Fried.|
06|In southern Italy, a series of mudslides caused by torrential rain devastates a number of towns, including Sarno, Caserta, and Avellino in the Campania region. The mudslides claim the lives of at least 130 people, and injure many more. Entire villages are submerged beneath the tides of mud which flow unhindered down the mountainside, because vegetation, which might have slowed its progress, was burnt away in previous forest fires. It is not known how many people remain buried and a definitive death toll is not expected for several days.|
06|In Pamplona, Spain, the Basque separatist group ETA shoot dead Tomas Caballero, a town councillor. Caballero is the fifth councillor to be killed by ETA since their campaign against Popular Party members began in July 1997.|
06|In the U.S.A., Interior Minister Bruce Babbitt announces that the bald eagle is to be officially removed from the endangered species list. The eagle is a heraldic symbol of American strength and the country's national bird. It has been recognized as an endangered species since 1967.|
07|In Denmark, parliament votes to intervene to end the country's longest strike in 13 years. Members of Parliament pass a bill that allows government intervention to resolve the dispute. The strike has halted production of manufactured goods, as well as transport and construction industries, since it began on April 27.|
07|In the U.S.A., it is announced by officials in the Pentagon that the remains of a soldier interred in The Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington National Cemetery are to be exhumed in the hope of a successful identification. It is hoped that DNA testing will confirm the Vietnam veteran in the tomb was Lieutenant Michael Blassie.|
08|In Kushpur, Pakistan, police open fire on a group of more than 2,000 people who gather to carry the coffin of Roman Catholic Bishop John Joseph to Faisalabad Cathedral. Several people are injured in the violence. The mourners are angry at the death of Bishop Joseph, who killed himself in protest against the passing of a death sentence on a young Catholic man who had allegedly praised Salman Rushdie and thus contravened Pakistan's strict blasphemy laws.|
08|In Oppido Mamertina, in southern Italy, four people are shot dead and two others are injured in what is believed to be a feud between rival Mafia gangs. Among the dead is an eight-year-old girl, who is caught in the crossfire.|
09|In Birmingham, in the United Kingdom, the annual Eurovision song contest is won by Israel, their first victory in the competition since 1979. Israel's representative, Dana International, is the first transsexual to perform in the contest. She wins by a margin of only 6 points over the United Kingdom. Malta wins third place.|
09|In Algiers, a bomb explodes near a market in the Bab el Oued district, injuring more than 15 people. The bomb is believed to be the work of a pro-Islamist group, but no-one has yet claimed responsibility.5|
10|In South Africa, the president of the South African Rugby Football Association (Sarfu), who had been criticized for attempting to maintain white supremacy in the game, resigns. Louis Luyt takes this action to avoid disruption of the team's forthcoming fixtures by members of the National Sports Council.|
10|In Sarno, Italy, the coffins of 95 victims of this month's mudslides are laid out in the town's football stadium for a mass funeral. Among the thousands of mourners are President Oscar Scalfaro and Prime Minister Romano Prodi. (See also May 6.)|
10|In Memphis, U.S.A., a five-year-old boy is arrested when his nursery school teacher discovers a semi-automatic handgun in his possession. The boy acquired the gun from his grandfather's bedroom and was intending to use it to shoot his teacher and classmates.|
11|In Pokhran, west India, the government carries out three underground nuclear tests, its first for 24 years. The controlled explosions are condemned by the international community, who fear a new Asian nuclear arms race. Pakistan immediately vows to strengthen its own defences in response to India's expansion of nuclear arms.|
11|In Paraguay, Raul Cubas Grau is elected president, succeeding Juan Carlos Wasmosy. Grau, of the ruling Colorado party, wins amid controversy, as the opposition Democratic Alliance accuse the vote of being rigged. About 85 per cent of the electorate vote in the elections.|
11|In the southern port of Kismayu in Somalia, at least 14 people are killed and 25 more injured when violence breaks out between rival factions. The fighting begins as the Majertein clan advances northward and, after battles with the Marehan clan, captures the town of Kansuma.|
12|In Ankara, Turkey, the president of the Human Rights Association (HRA) is shot six times by two gunmen who enter his offices in the city centre. Akin Birdal is rushed to hospital where his condition is described as critical. Hundreds of people gather outside the hospital to chant anti-government slogans, in protest against the lack of protection afforded Birdal in the weeks before the shooting.|
12|In Madrid, Spain, Cristina Sanchez becomes the first woman to receive a doctorate of bullfighting. In a ceremony at Las Ventas bullring, she is confirmed as a matador before going on to fight and kill two bulls, in front of an audience of tens of thousands.|
12|In Bogota, Colombia, former defence minister General Fernando Landazabal Reyes is shot dead in a street attack. The shooting is thought to be the work of a political opponent of Reyes who was backing General Harold Bedoya in the country's presidential elections.|
13|In Jakarta, Indonesia, at least 10 people are killed and more than 25 injured in the worst mob violence in the city's history. Shops, houses, and vehicles are looted and set alight as angry crowds continue to protest in the streets against President Suharto's regime. Nine ethnic Chinese are attacked in their shops and burn to death when their premises are set alight. Riot police open fire on the crowds with live ammunition, killing at least one person, in an attempt to bring the chaos to an end. Other major Indonesian cities also see gatherings of tens of thousands of protestors, all demanding the resignation of President Suharto. (See also May 5.)|
13|In New York, thousands of taxi drivers go on strike for the first time in protest over police initiatives against bad driving, which include fines for cab drivers who are rude to their customers. The strike, which is organized by the New York Taxi Workers Alliance, is the first of a series of actions planned to bring about a repeal of the new laws.|
13|In Stockholm, Chelsea Football Club of the United Kingdom win the U.E.F.A. cup with a 1-0 victory over VfB Stuttgart of Germany. The winning goal is scored by Gianfranco Zola in the 71st minute of the game.|
14|American singer Frank Sinatra dies in hospital in Los Angeles at the age of 82 following a heart attack. His death is mourned throughout the world and particularly in the U.S.A., where he is remembered as the greatest entertainer of all time. "Ol' Blue Eyes", as he was affectionately called, recorded more than 2,000 songs and appeared in more than 50 films, including "From Here to Eternity" for which he won an Academy Award.|
14|In Israel, eight people are killed and more than 100 injured as Israeli troops open fire on Palestinians protesting against Israel's fiftieth anniversary celebrations. The violence breaks out in Gaza and along the West Bank as troops attempt to suppress Palestinian demonstrations. An eight-year-old boy is among those killed.|
14|In Mexico, environmental officials announce that the country's worst forest fires for more than 50 years continue to burn out of control across Mexico. The fires are already threatening large areas of rainforest, and have created a blanket of smoke that is affecting southern states of the U.S.A. Weather forecasts show that no rain is due in the near future to help douse the flames.|
14|In Paris, a gold-leafed cap is finally put in place on top of an ancient Egyptian obelisk, erected more than 150 years ago in the Place de la Concorde. The obelisk, which dates from the 700's B.C., was installed in Paris in 1836, but has only now been completed with the addition of the 3.6-metre-high cap.|
15|In Birmingham, in the United Kingdom, the leaders of the U.S.A., Germany, France, Italy, Canada, Japan, Russia, and the United Kingdom gather for the annual G8 summit. The summit was intended to address the financial crisis in Asia over the past 12 months and the Northern Irish peace process, but instead concentrates on the turmoil in Indonesia and the issue of nuclear weapons on the Indian subcontinent. The summit is scheduled to last for three days.|
15|Thousands of Christians gather in Lahore, Pakistan, to demonstrate against blasphemy laws that prompted the suicide of a Catholic bishop. Police use tear gas and sticks to disperse the protesters. More than 25 people are injured and at least 12 are arrested. (See also May 8.)|
16|Officials in midwestern U.S.A. announce that tornadoes, hail, high winds, and thunder have caused the death of at least one person and injured 65 more over a 24-hour period. The worst damage is recorded in Iowa where homes and apartment blocks are destroyed and power supplies throughout the region are affected.|
16|More than 50,000 people gather in front of the venue of the G8 summit in Birmingham, United Kingdom, to stage a protest against the repayment of outstanding debts by developing countries. The demonstration, organized by the Jubilee 2000 Coalition, sees protesters join hands to form a 10-kilometre-long human chain, at least four people deep, that circles the summit site. They then hand in a petition signed by more than 1.5 million people calling for a cancellation of Third World debt in time for the millennium. (See also May 15.)|
17|In the region of Krasnoyarsk, Siberia, Alexander Lebed wins election to the post of governor. General Lebed, 48, is widely regarded as the most dangerous opponent to Yeltsin-backed anti-Communist candidates in the presidential elections scheduled for the year 2000.|
17|In Jaffna, Sri Lanka, the country's first female mayor is shot dead in her home by Tamil Tiger guerrillas. Sarojini Yogeswaran was the first mayor to be elected in the town for 15 years, following the recapturing of Jaffna from Tamil separatists by the Sri Lankan Army in 1996.|
18|In Jakarta, Indonesia, a mass funeral is held for 200 people killed in the violence of the past week. The bodies of those killed in department store fires, begun by rioters, remain unidentifiable and are buried in a cemetery east of the city. Many more have been killed in the violence of the past week, and the cost of the damage in Jakarta is estimated at 270 million U.S. dollars. (See also May 13, 5, April 25, March 26, February 2.) |
18|In Teheran, Iran, the head and leather boot of an Iron Age man go on display in the National Museum. The remains of the "Salt Man", so named because of his discovery in a saltmine in 1994, are 2,500 years old. The head, torso, and leg of the man, who is thought to have been about 40 years old when he died, are very well preserved because of the salt in which he had been buried.|
19|In Saudi Arabia, two British nurses convicted of the murder of a fellow nurse have their sentences commuted by King Fahd and are freed. Deborah Parry and Lucille McLauchlan were jailed for the murder of Yvonne Gilford in December 1996, and Parry had been sentenced to death. Gilford's brother waived the death penalty for compensation of 1.1 million U.S. dollars, allowing King Fahd to commute the sentences under Saudi law. (See also November 30, 1997.)|
19|In the southern Yugoslavian republic of Montenegro, President Slobodan Milosevic nominates opposition leader Momir Bulatovic as federal prime minister, prompting a political crisis. Milosevic is accused of deliberately undermining the Democratic Party of Socialists' government in the republic. It is feared that Bulatovic's election could cause the final breakdown of the Yugoslav federation.|
19|In Colombia, a series of demonstrations takes place across the country, in protest against continued political violence. The protests are targeted at paramilitary and guerrilla groups who have been behind recent massacres and assassinations. In Bogota and other major cities, hundreds of thousands of residents join hands and march through the streets, bearing placards pleading for peace.|
20|In Russia, protesting miners continue to block the country's major railway routes for the sixth day, in protest against the government's delay in paying their wages. Thousands of miners, many of whom have not been paid for months, prevent more than 300 passenger and freight trains from travelling. They occupy the main Trans-Siberian line in the central province of Kemerovo, the southern line in the province of Rostov-on-Don, and the line servicing the Arctic mining centre of Vorkuta.|
20|In Amsterdam, Spanish football club Real Madrid beat Juventus, of Italy, in the final of the European Cup. The winning goal is scored by Predrag Mijatovic in the 67th minute, securing the club's seventh Cup victory in four decades.|
21|In Indonesia, President Suharto announces from the presidential palace in Jakarta that he is to resign. He steps down after 6 weeks of violent protest against his authority, and is replaced by his vice-president, Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie. The announcement prompts widespread celebrations throughout the country. (See also May 18, 13, 5, April 25, March 26, February 2.)|
21|In Springfield, Oregon, U.S.A., a 15-year-old boy shoots dead his parents before entering his school and opening fire indiscriminately on his schoolmates. Kipland Kinkel enters the Thurston High School cafeteria at 8 am, armed with a semiautomatic rifle and two handguns, and begins shooting randomly at the crowd of 400 students gathered there. Two people are killed and more than 23 others injured before a student is able to wrestle Kinkel to the floor and restrain him until police arrive.|
21|More than 200 Muslim gunmen enter the government building in the Russian region of Dagestan, taking over the State Council building and demanding the resignation of the region's government. They tear down the republic's flag and replace it with an Islamic banner, and leave after looting the building. They are supported by more than 2,000 sympathizers who gather outside the government building.|
22|In Lisbon, Portugal, the last world exhibition of the millennium, Expo 98, opens. The exhibition celebrates the United Nation's Year of Oceans, as well as the 500th anniversary of Vasco de Gama's arrival in India. The highlights of the exhibition, which is set to continue until September 30, include a virtual-reality dive, re-creations of gardens from the 1400's, and a massive aquarium in the form of a boat.|
22|In central Bolivia, at least 85 people are killed as the country's most powerful earthquake this century flattens the towns of Totora and Aiquile. The quake measures 6.8 on the Richter scale, and leaves more than 1,000 people homeless, with many people still missing. A landslide blocks the road to Aiquile, where the quake was centred, making rescue attempts difficult.|
22|In Jakarta, Indonesia, armed troops finally expel students who have been occupying the parliament building for a week. The student movement is regarded as largely responsible for the downfall of Suharto's thirty-year reign as president. (See also May 21, 13, 5, April 25, March 26, February 2.)|
23|The results of the Northern Ireland referendum on the Good Friday Peace Agreement are announced, with more than 71 per cent voting to accept the terms of the deal. In the Irish Republic, a simultaneous referendum to accept an amendment to the country's constitution as part of the agreement is approved by 94 per cent of voters. The result of the referenda shows the first agreement of Nationalists and Unionists in Ireland's troubled history.|
23|In Tehran, thousands of people gather outside Tehran University to hear President Mohammad Khatami give a speech to mark his first year in power. Khatami was elected last year with a landslide majority, and remains hugely popular among Iran's large youth population.|
24|An explosion in a church in Illinois, U.S.A., injures more than 30 people, 10 of them seriously. The blast takes place during a church service in the town of Danville. It is believed that many of those injured are teenagers. The cause of the explosion is under investigation.|
24|In Popayan, Colombia, more than 300 prisoners escape when the San Isidro jail is attacked by left-wing guerrillas. Two prisoners and a guard are killed as the guerrillas, armed with guns and dynamite, surround the prison and later seize it.|
24|In Russia, a 10-day blockade of the Trans-Siberian Railway is lifted as the government promises to pay the protesting coal miners their overdue wages by July 1. The blockades in Kemerovo and Rostov-on-Don are lifted, but the block to the Arctic-link line continues. (See also May 20.)|
25|In Australia, the New South Wales state government announces plans to find a new Aboriginal name for Botany Bay National Park as a token of reconciliation between white and black Australians. The announcement comes on the eve of the country's first "Sorry Day", which is hoped will highlight past injustices to indigenous Australians and help promote toleration and forgiveness.|
25|In India, a heatwave in which temperatures have risen as high as 46 degrees Celsius enters its fourth day. The intense heat has already caused 111 deaths, 48 of them in Rajasthan. Frequent electricity failures are exacerbating the problems. Environmentalists blame the intense heat on deforestation, urban growth, and inadequate measures to combat pollution.|
26|On a state visit to London, the Emperor and Empress of Japan are greeted by more than 1,500 protesters as they process down the Mall in the company of Queen Elizabeth II. The demonstrators, many of them World War II veterans or their relatives, turn their backs on Emperor Akihito's carriage and boo him. They are angry that the emperor has so far failed formally to apologise to former prisoners of war, captured by the Japanese during World War II. The Japanese constitution forbids Akihito from making the type of apology sought.|
26|In France, truckdrivers blockade several major highways in the continuation of industrial action that has disrupted the country for several months. The drivers demand increased wages and the implementation of a deal that was struck with haulage firms in 1997. (See also November 7, 1997.)|
26|Tom Whittaker from Portmadoc, in North Wales, becomes the first disabled climber to reach the summit of Mount Everest. Whittaker lost his right foot in a car accident in 1979. This was his third attempt to scale the mountain.|
27|In South Korea, more than 120,000 workers, affiliated to a total of 125 unions, begin a strike action against rising unemployment. The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) announces that the action is due to last for two days but will be extended if the government uses force against them.|
27|In Senegal, opposition parties petition the constitutional court for the scrapping of parliamentary election results on the grounds of fraud. President Abdou Diouf's Socialist Party is accused of "fraudulent practices" by using surplus voting cards to rig the vote, which took place on May 24. The final result of the count is to be announced on May 29.|
28|In Munich, Felix Somm, a former head of CompuServe online services in Germany, is convicted of aiding and abetting the spread of child pornography and is given a two-year suspended sentence. Somm's conviction is the first time an Internet service provider has been held responsible for the content of the Internet.|
28|In Pakistan, five nuclear devices are detonated at underground sites near the Iran-Pakistan border, prompting further international fears of an Asian arms race following India's nuclear tests earlier this month. Pakistan President Rafiq Tarar calls a state of emergency, citing the aggression of India's nuclear stance for his actions. (See also May 11.)|
29|Barry Goldwater, former senator and founder of modern American conservatism, dies at his home in Arizona, aged 89. He had been ill for some time and was diagnosed as having Alzheimer's disease in 1997. President Bill Clinton pays tribute to him and flags across the country fly at half-mast.|
29|In Harare, Zimbabwe, hundreds of student protestors are dispersed by riot police armed with teargas and truncheons. More than 2,000 students had blockaded the Parliament building in the capital for the past two days, calling for President Robert Mugabe to follow Indonesian President Suharto's example of relinquishing power.|
30|In Afghanistan, an earthquake measuring 7.1 on the Richter scale destroys 36 villages in the northeast of the country, causing the deaths of more than 3,000 people. The earthquake triggers off a series of further landslides that hamper rescue attempts. More than 30,00 people are left homeless by the quake, which is the second devastating tremor in the country in 4 months. (See also February 4.)|
30|In Geneva, hundreds of children march through the city's streets as "The Global March" against child labour reaches its climax. The children, from Asia, Africa, Europe, and Latin America, are joined by hundreds more adult campaigners for the final leg of the march which began in January in the Philippines, Brazil, and South Africa. (See also April 14.)|
31|In London, lawyers representing the members of The Spice Girls pop group announce that Geri Halliwell, known as "Ginger Spice", has left the band. Halliwell, regarded as the unofficial leader of the band, cites differences between herself and other band members as her reason for leaving. The four remaining members of the group pledge to complete their world tour.|
31|In northeastern U.S.A., a series of 12 tornadoes rip through New York, Massachusetts, and Vermont, injuring more than 10 people and destroying homes, roads, and cutting off electricity supplies. Yesterday, this extreme weather system caused the deaths of six people when a tornado struck in South Dakota, wiping out the town of Spencer, and injuring more than 150 people.|
