istoryworld
Events relating to asia
Thousands of Shia Muslims are massacred by the Taliban in Mazar-e-Sharif, in a brief spell before they are driven from the city
Hong Kong reverts to China with the end of Britain's 99-year lease of the New Territories
Indian author Arundhati Roy publishes her first novel, The God of Small Things
The British architectural firm of Foster & Partners completes the Hong Kong International Airport
President Suharto is finally forced to resign, after more than 30 corrupt and embezzling years as Indonesia's dictator
The Akashi Kaikyo Bridge, linking Shikoku and Honshu in Japan, creates a new record as the longest suspension bridge
The Taliban recapture Mazar-e-Sharif, giving them control of 90% of Afghanistan
A sudden collapse of the Brazilian stock market follows the earlier slump in the Asian markets
US cruise missiles attack al-Qaeda bases in Afghanistan and a suspected chemical factory in Khartoum
The first module is launched of the International Space Station, a cooperative venture by five space agencies (USA, Russia, Japan, Canada, Europe)
King Hussein of Jordan dies and is succeeded by his son as Abdullah II
Moderate Shiite cleric Muhammad Sadiq al-Sadr and two of his sons are assassinated in the Iraqi city of Najaf
A plebiscite in East Timor delivers a vote for independence from Indonesia
Ehud Barak becomes prime minister after leading the Labour party to election victory in Israel
A Pakistani general, Pervez Musharraf, takes power in a military coup
The island of Macau reverts from Portuguese ownership to the People's Republic of China
Israel completes the withdrawal of its troops from southern Lebanon
A visit by Ariel Sharon to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem sparks off a new intifada
Suicide bombers kill 17 crew members of the destroyer USS Cole in Aden harbour
Hafiz al-Assad dies and is succeeded by his son Bashar as president of Syria
The Netherlands becomes the first country to legalize euthanasia, allowing doctors to end the life of a patient suffering 'unbearably' from a terminal condition
An earthquake kills about 20,000 people in the region of Bhuj in the Indian state of Gujarat
Ariel Sharon is elected prime minister of Israel on the platform of taking a tough line with the PLO
Crown Prince Dipendra kills nine members of his own royal family at the court of Nepal
Ahmed Shah Massoud, leader of the Afghan Northern Alliance, is fatally wounded in an attack by two suicide bombers
