1998: Malaysia’s dominant party expelled former finance minister Anwar Ibrahim, stripping him of political power one day after he was sacked from the government. The decision by the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) marked a political coup de grace for Anwar and appeared to strengthen Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad’s hand. Hundreds of supporters of sacked finance minister gathered outside the headquarters of Malaysia’s dominant political party as its leaders met to decide the ousted minister’s fate. The supporters cheered loudly as Anwar arrived with his wife for the meeting of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) leadership. Three trucks of riot police were stationed on the street outside the building. Anwar’s supporters were noisy but peaceful.
Other important events
1879 Afghans massacre British legation at Kabul, leading to British occupation of the city.
1916 The first German Zeppelin bomber is shot down over England.
1945 Singapore is returned to British control after being occupied by the Japanese since 1942.
1967 Nguyen Van-thieu is elected president of South Vietnam under a new constitution.
1976 US Viking II spacecraft lands on Mars.
1984 Typhoon Ike hits the southern Philippines, killing more than 4,000 people.
1990 Arab League Secretary General Chadli Klibi resigned after 11 years in office.
1996 Ruth Perry becomes the first female head of state of Liberia.
1997 A Vietnam Airlines plane crashes at Phnom Penh airport, killing 65 people.
2004 Commandos storm a school in southern Russian town of Beslan. More than 330 adults and children are killed.
2006 Europe’s first lunar mission crash lands on the moon.
2007 British troops withdraw from Basra city in Iraq.
2008 Dubai government launches Noor Dubai campaign for ‘world free from blindness’.
2010 UPS Cargo plane crashes near Dubai-Al Ain road in Dubai after fire in the cockpit occur killing the two pilots on board.
2015 An overloaded wooden boat believed to be carrying dozens of Indonesian illegal immigrants sinks off the coast of Malaysia, killing at least 14 people.
2017 North Korea conduct its most powerful nuclear test, which it said was an advanced hydrogen bomb.
