February 4 — Latin America: COLOMBIA

Hundreds of thousands of Colombians protest against kidnappings and killings by the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC), a leftist rebel group. Protests also take place in cities around the world. Along with drug profits, the FARC uses kidnapping ransoms to fund its long-running war with the Colombian government. Along with Colombia, both the European Union and the United States list the FARC as a terrorist group.

February 11 — East Asia: EAST TIMOR

Renegade soldiers in East Timor seriously wound the country’’s president, José Ramos-Horta, in an attack at his home in Dili. Rebel leader Alfredo Reinado is killed in the attack. The rebels also unsuccessfully attempt to kill Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão by shooting at his convoy. Gusmão describes the incident as an attempted coup and announces a state of emergency.

February 12 — Latin America: BOLIVIA

Bolivian President Evo Morales declares a national disaster after severe floods caused by weeks of rain kill at least 60 people and leave about 60,000 families homeless. The floods have also swept away crops and communication lines. It is the second year in a row that Bolivia has seen devastating floods.

February 12 — Middle East: SYRIA/LEBANON

Imad Mughniyeh, senior commander of the Lebanese militant group, Hezbollah, is killed by a car bomb in Syria’s capital, Damascus. Hezbollah and Iran blame Israel for his death, but Israel denies involvement. Mughniyeh is believed to have been responsible for countless bombings, kidnappings, and hijackings, including the 1983 bombing of the U.S. embassy and Marine barracks in Beirut and the 1985 hijacking of a TWA airliner.

February 17 — South Asia: AFGHANISTAN

A suicide bomb in Afghanistan’s southern city of Kandahar kills more than 100 people and injures scores more. Among those killed is Abdul Hakim Jan, a police chief and leader of an anti-Taliban militia. The incident is Afghanistan’’s bloodiest attack in recent years, and follows a string of bomb attacks that made 2007 the deadliest year since the Taliban fell in 2001.

February 17 — Europe/Russia and Other Former Soviet Republics: SERBIA/KOSOVO/RUSSIA

Serbia’’s province of Kosovo unilaterally declares independence, prompting protests across Serbia and by the Serb minority in Kosovo. While Serbia says the declaration is illegal, other countries are divided on whether to recognize Kosovo’’s independence. With the help of Russia, Serbia vows to block Kosovo from obtaining membership in the United Nations.

February 18 — South Asia: PAKISTAN

General elections in Pakistan result in defeat for President Pervez Musharraf’’s ruling party, Muslim League (PML-Q), which secures less than 16 percent of the seats in the National Assembly. The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) of late former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto wins a third of the Assembly seats, and the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N), led by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, wins almost a quarter of the seats. Despite the defeat of his party, President Musharraf says he will not resign.

February 19 — Latin America: CUBA

Cuba’’s president, Fidel Castro, announces his retirement at age 81, ending his 49-year rule of Cuba. Fidel’s brother and the world’’s longest-serving minister of defense, 76-year old Raúl Castro, is designated as the communist island state’’s next president.

February 22 — Middle East: TURKEY/IRAQ

Thousands of Turkish troops make an incursion into northern Iraq, targeting Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) rebels. Turkey accuses Iraq of failing to stop the rebels from using the mountainous area to launch attacks on Turkey. Turkey, the United States, and the European Union consider the PKK, comprised of Turkish Kurds, a terrorist organization.

February 24 — Europe: CYPRUS

Demetris Christofias of the communist Progressive Party of the Working People (AKEL) wins Cyprus’’ presidential election, becoming the only communist head of state in the European Union. In contrast with his predecessor, Christofias promises to pursue a reunification settlement with the Turkish-Cypriot northern part of the island.

February 26 — East Asia/North America: NORTH KOREA/UNITED STATES

The New York Philharmonic Orchestra visits North Korea to play a concert in the country’s capital, Pyongyang. Hailed as “soft power ambassadors,” the ensemble is the biggest American delegation to visit North Korea since the Korean War. The visit is compared to the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s concert in the Soviet Union during the Cold War, as it aims to ease strained diplomatic relations.

February 28 — Africa: KENYA

Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga agree to share power in an effort to end the political crisis and intense violence that have dominated Kenya since last December’’s disputed election. Under the agreement reached with help of international mediators, Odinga will take a newly created position of prime minister.