female Chancellor of Germany in 2005. The St Andrews Agreement signed in St Andrews, Fife, Scotland to restore the Northern Ireland Assembly and bring in the principle of policing by consent with the Police Service of Northern Ireland with all parties in 2006. Nicolas Sarkozy is elected President of France in 2007 succeeding Jacques Chirac, who had held the position for 12 years. Gordon Brown succeeds Tony Blair as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in 2007. Tony Blair was officially confirmed as Middle East envoy for the United Nations, European Union, United States, and Russia in 2007. Dmitry Medvedev succeeded Vladimir Putin as the President of Russia in 2008. Parties broadly characterised by political scientists as being right-wing populist soar throughout the 2000s, in the wake of increasing anti-Islam and anti-immigration sentiment in most Western European countries. By 2010, such parties (albeit often significant differences between them) were present in the national parliaments of Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Switzerland, Austria, Italy and Greece. In Austria, Italy and Switzerland, the Freedom Party of Austria, Lega Nord and Swiss People's Party, respectively, were at times also part of the national governments, and in Denmark, the Danish People's Party tolerated a right-liberal minority government from 2001 throughout the decade. While not being present in the national parliaments of France and the United Kingdom, Jean-Marie Le Pen of the National Front came second in the first round of the 2002 French presidential elections, and in the 2009 European Parliament election, the UK Independence Party came second, beating even the Labour Party, while the British National Party managed to win two seats for the first time. World leaders 2000 – 2001 – 2002 – 2003 – 2004 – 2005 – 2006 – 2007 – 2008 – 2009– 2010 Assassinations and attempts Prominent assassinations, targeted killings, and assassination attempts include: Disasters Natural disasters The 2000s experienced some of the worst and most destructive natural disasters in history. Earthquakes (including tsunamis) On January 13, 2001, a 7.6-magnitude earthquake strikes El Salvador, killing 944 people. On January 26, 2001, an earthquake hits Gujarat, India, killing more than 12,000. On February 28, 2001, the Nisqually earthquake hits the Seattle metro area. It caused major damage to the old highway standing in the urban center of Seattle. On February 13, 2001, a 6.6-magnitude earthquake hits El Salvador, killing at least 400. On May 21, 2003, an