International Events in March 2001
March 1:
A five-judge bench of Fiji's Court of Appeal, declares the interim Government of Mr.Laisenia Qarase illegal and upholds the validity of the multi-racial democratic Constitution of 1997.
The Taliban regime in Afghanistan begins destruction of statues, including the tallest standing Buddha in Bamiyan province.
March 2:
Taliban militia subjects the giant 2000-year-old Bamiyan Buddha statues to missile and tank attack.
The Philippines Supreme Court votes 13-0 to confirm the legitimacy of the Presdient, Ms.Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, and denies her predecessor, Mr.Joseph Estrada, immunity from prosecution.
March 3:
The Thai Premier, Mr.Thaksin Shinawatra, escapes an assassination attempt after an explosion rocks an aircraft at Bangkok airport minutes before he was to board it.
March 4:
At least 70 people die after their bus falls into the Duoro river just outside Castele de Paiva town in Portugal, due to the collapse of an 116-year-old road bridge.
Swiss voters overwhelmingly say `no' to talks on joining the European Union.
March 6:
Israel's Prime Minister-elect, Mr.Ariel Sharon, forms a unity Government comprising an eight-party coalition. Mr.Shimon Peres becomes Foreign Minister and Mr.Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, Defence Minister.
March 7:
The Fiji `interim' Prime Minister, Mr.Laisenia Qarase, submits his Government's resignation to the President, Mr.Josefa Iloilo.
March 8:
Ratu Ipeli Ganilau, replaces former Premier, Mr.Sitiveni Rabuka as Chairman of Fiji's Great Council of Chiefs.
March 9:
The Italian President, Mr.Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, dissolves Parliament.
The Anthony Hammond probe into the Hindujas' passport affair, exonerates former British Minister for Northern Ireland, Mr.Peter Mandelson and the Foreign Office Minister, Mr.Keith Vaz.
March 12:
The Ugandan President, Mr.Yoweri Museveni, wins a second five- year term, receiving 69.3 per cent of the valid votes cast.
March 13:
The US slaps ban on meat imports from the EU countries.
Mr.Ratu Tevita Momoedonu, is sworn in Fiji Prime Minister, shortly after the `sacking' of Mr.Mahendra Chaudhry from office by the President, Mr.Josefa Iloilo.
March 15:
Mr.Josefa Iloilo is sworn in Fiji President, orders dissolution of Parliament and fresh elections, while reappointing Mr.Laisenia Qarase as `caretaker' Prime Minister following the resignation of the incumbent Mr.Tevita Momoedonu.
The Chechen rebels hijack a Russian Unukova Airlines plane which took off from Istanbul with 174 on board and force land it in Medina, Saudi Arabia.
March 16:
Saudi security forces storm hijacked Russian plane and free all the hostages. Two passengers and an hijacker lose their lives in the operation.
A series of four explosions in apartments attached to a state-run cotton mill leaves 200 dead in the northern Chinese city of Shijiazhuang.
The International Court of Justice, The Hague, upholds a 1939 decision by the then colonial power, the U.K. awarding the Hawar islands to Bahrain, thus bringing to an end a decade-old case brought forward by Qatar.
March 18:
The Teheran Revolutionary Court, bans Iran's only real Opposition group, Freedom Movement after accusing it of trying to topple the Islamic establishment.
March 19:
Canada lifts diplomatic and economic sanctions against India, imposed after the Pokhran tests in 1998.
March 20:
A 40-storey oil rig billed as the world's largest sinks in the South Atlantic, off the coast of Macae, 195 km northeast of Rio de Janeiro.
March 21:
The U.S. orders the expulsion of 50 Russian diplomats in the wake of the arrest of Robert Hanssen, an FBI agent accused of spying for Moscow.
March 23:
The Russian space station, Mir, ends its glorious 15-year space odyssey with a fiery splashdown into the Pacific Ocean, about 1800 miles east of Wellington, New Zealand in a controlled descent.
Mr.David McTaggart, the Canadian co-founder of the environmental pressure group, Greenpeace dies in a car crash in Italy.
March 25:
The British funded ``Gladiator'' wins the 2001 Oscar for Best Picture; and earns Russel Crowe Best Actor Award; Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon bags the Best Foreign Film Award and Mr.Steven Soderbegh gets the Best Director Award for his film ``Traffic.''
March 26:
The South Korean President, Mr.Kim Dae-Jung effects Cabinet shakeup and names Mr.Lim Dong-Won to head the Unification Ministry.
March 27:
Britain traces source of foot-and-mouth epidemic to smuggled infected meat served at a Chinese restaurant.
March 28:
The Russian President, Mr.Vladimir Putin, appoints two civilians, Mr.Sergei Ivanov and Mr.Boris Gryzlov, the Defence and Interior Ministers.
The Bush administration says it is not interested in implementing the Kyoto treaty on global warming and declares the Protocol dead.
March 31:
Mr.Bharat Jagdeo, is sworn in Guyanese President.