1-4 JANUARY 2006

Europe, economic affairs

Russia's state-owned gas monopoly Gazprom suspended natural gas supplies to Ukraine after Ukraine refused to agree to a price increase from $50 per 1,000 cubic meters to $230. Gazprom quickly restored supply levels after Western European customers complained of reduced pressure in their pipelines (AP, CNN.com). Ukraine eventually agreed to a price increase to $95.1

3 JANUARY 2006

Uganda, civil affairs

Opposition leader Kizza Besigye was released from prison (AP).

Israel / Egypt

In Rafah, in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian Authority (PA) facilities were attacked by supporters of an Al Aqsa militant who had recently been arrested by the PA. These militant supporters then went on a rampage, temporarily closing the border crossing with Egypt, then creating a breach in the border obstacle. Hundreds of Palestinians crossed the border into Egypt where there were deadly clashes with Egyptian border security personnel. The PA has failed to establish full control over the Gaza Strip since the withdrawal of Israeli forces in September (AP).

Western Hemisphere, diplomatic affairs

At a meeting between Bolivian President-elect Evo Morales and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez in Caracas, Chavez announced that Venezuela would supply Bolivia with 150,000 barrels of diesel fuel per month (AP).

4 JANUARY 2006

Israel, politics

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon suffered a major stroke and was taken to a Jerusalem hospital. His powers of office were transferred to Deputy Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. Sharon was operated on and then remained unconscious in the following months. On 11 April the Cabinet declared him permanently incapacitated (CNN.com).

Iraq

A suicide bombing attack on a funeral procession in Muqdadiya killed 36 people (CNN.com).

5 JANUARY 2006

Iraq

A blast in Karbala killed 45 people (CNN.com).

Afghanistan

A suicide bombing attack in Tarin Kot killed 10 people. The Taliban claimed responsibility (CNN.com).

7 JANUARY 2006

Sri Lanka

Shortly after midnight, a suicide attack by an explosives-laden boat sank a Sri Lankan navy patrol craft off Trincomalee (CNN.com).

Haiti

The commander of the UN peacekeeping force, Brazillian Gen. Urano Teixeira da Matta Bacellar, was found dead in Port-au-Prince from an apparent suicide. Chilean Gen. Eduardo Aldunate Herman was named interim commander (AP).

8 JANUARY 2006

Middle East and North Africa, diplomatic affairs

Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad visited Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah in Jiddah, then visited Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Sharm el-Sheik (AP).

10 JANUARY 2006

Iran, research

The government announced it was resuming some nuclear research at its enrichment facility at Natanz. In the following days there was a barrage of international criticism of the move. Ali Larijani, Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, said Iran did not want to get into uranium enrichment on a large scale and that its activities are for research purposes only (AP, CNN.com).

11 JANUARY 2006

United States, foreign policy

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice released a statement which said, "The United States has grave and continuing concerns about Syria's destabilizing behavior and sponsorship of terrorism....Syria must once and for all end its interference in the internal affairs of Lebanon." It called for Syria to fully cooperate with the UN investigation into the February 2005 assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri, and for Syria to cease its alleged intimidation of and violence against anti-Syrian politicians in Lebanon. It also called for full implementation of UN resolution 1559, which calls for the disarmament and disbanding of Hezbollah and other militias (AP).

13 JANUARY 2006

Diplomatic affairs

German Chancellor Angela Merkel met US President Bush in Washington (CNN.com).

Mongolia, politics

Parliament voted to dissolve the government after the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party (MPRP) withdrew from the ruling coalition (AP).

13-15 JANUARY 2006

Pakistan

There was a missile strike reportedly carried out by the American CIA intelligence service on some buildings in Damadola, near the Afghan border. The strike killed 15-20 people, some of whom were probably members of al Qaeda. Apparently the main target of the attack was Ayman al-Zawahiri, al Qaeda's second-in-command, but it later became clear that he was not among those killed. The Pakistani government protested to the US over the civilian deaths from the strike, which was reportedly carried out from across the border in Afghanistan. On the 15th there were anti-US demonstrations in some cities. President Pervez Musharraf later said the strike was a “violation of sovereignty” (CNN.com).

15 JANUARY 2006

Kuwait, politics

Emir Sheikh Jaber Al Ahmad Al Jabir Al Sabah died. He was ultimately succeeded by Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jabir Al Sabah (www.rulers.org).

Chile, politics

In the presidential election runoff, Michelle Bachelet defeated Sebastian Pinera 53.5% to 46.5% (www.rulers.org).

15-17 JANUARY 2006

Ivory Coast

There were violent anti-UN protests around the country after an international working group overseeing the UN peace process recommended on the 15th that the Ivorian parliament be dissolved. On the 17th, President Laurent Gbagbo's ruling Ivorian Popular Front (FPI) announced it was withdrawing from the UN peace process (Reuters).

15-29 JANUARY 2006

Finland, politics

President Tarja Halonen was reelected. In the first round of presidential elections on the 15th she won 46.3% of the vote; Sauli Niinisto won 24.1% and Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen won 18.6%. In the second round on the 29th, Halonen defeated Niinisto 51.8% to 48.2% (www.rulers.org).

16 JANUARY 2006

Afghanistan

A suicide bomber killed 22 people in Spin Boldak. The Taliban reportedly claimed responsibility (CNN.com).

17 JANUARY 2006

Israel, foreign policy

Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, in reference to an alleged nuclear weapons program in Iran, said that "Under no circumstances, and at no point, can Israel allow anyone with these kinds of malicious designs against us [to] have control of weapons of destruction that can threaten our existence" (CNN.com).

19 JANUARY 2006

Western Hemisphere, diplomatic affairs

Argentine President Nestor Kirchner, Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez met in Brazilia, Brazil. They confirmed their intention to develop a 8,000-kilometer natural gas pipeline that would span much of South America (AP).

20 JANUARY 2006

Nepal, civil affairs

The government placed Nepali Congress party President Girija Prasad Koirala, general secretary of the Communist Party of Nepal Madhav Kumar Nepal, his deputy, Khadga Prasad Oli, and Narayan Man Bijuchche of the Nepal Workers and Peasants' Party under house arrest for 90 days. It also arrested about 200 political activists (AP).

21 JANUARY 2006

Serbia and Montenegro, Kosovo

Kosovo President Ibrahim Rugova died at the age of 61 after battling lung cancer (CNN.com).

Nepal

Police dispersed a small pro-democracy demonstration in Katmandu (AP).

23 JANUARY 2006

Canada, politics

In general elections the Conservative Party of Canada, led by Stephen Harper, won enough votes to form a minority government. The Conservatives won 124 of 308 seats in the House of Commons, up from the 99 they won in June 2004. The Liberal Party of Canada won 103, down from 135. The Liberals had lost some support due to the 'sponsorship scandal' which the government inherited from former Prime Minister Jean Chretien. Harper has promised to cut taxes and make government “more accountable and effective” (CNN.com, www.rulers.org, IFES).

25 JANUARY 2006

Israel, West Bank and Gaza Strip

Elections were held for the Palestinian Authority's (PA) 132-seat Palestinian Legislative Council. Hamas won 74 seats; the ruling Fatah won 45. Hamas has called for Israel's destruction but its leaders said during the campaign they would continue to observe the ceasefire and were open to negotiations with Israel. Hamas has said that its main priority is to improve the lives of Palestinians. It appeared that Fatah was hurt by a perception among many Palestinians of corruption and lack of leadership (CNN.com, www.rulers.org).

26 JANUARY 2006

Afghanistan

Britain announced its intention to expand its presence in the country from the current 1,000 troops to 4,700. In May Britain will take command of NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). Plans are for ISAF to expand from 9,000 troops to about 16,000 and take responsibility for security in about three-quarters of Afghanistan, while US forces continue to combat Taliban rebels. Most of the increase in British forces will be for a task force in Helmand province which will be assigned to the new Multinational Brigade (South). (AP)

26-28 JANUARY 2006

Israel

On the 26th the Cabinet held an emergency meeting and afterward released a statement saying, "The state of Israel will not negotiate with a Palestinian administration if its members include an armed terrorist organization that calls for the destruction of the state of Israel; in any case, Israel will continue to fight terrorism with a heavy hand, everywhere." The next day Hamas leader Mahmoud Zahar said, "Europe and the United States must ask Israel to withdraw from Gaza, the West Bank and Jerusalem according to international legitimacy before they ask Hamas to disarm."

Also on the 27th, about 2,000 Fatah supporters protested violently in Gaza City against PA President Mahmoud Abbas. The next day there were also protests in Ramallah and Nablus (CNN.com).

29 JANUARY 2006

Iraq

Two car bomb attacks on churches in Kirkuk killed three people (CNN.com).

Notes

1. “Tymoshenko: Rework Russia gas deal”, AP, 22 June 2006.