Portal:Current events/September 2003

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September 2003 was the ninth month of that common year. The month, which began on a Monday, ended on a Tuesday after 30 days.

Portal:Current events

This is an archived version of Wikipedia's Current events Portal from September 2003.

Current events of September 1, 2003 (2003-09-01) (Monday) Dutch dispensaries become the first in the world to offer cannabis as a prescription drug. (BBC) Current events of September 2, 2003 (2003-09-02) (Tuesday) Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden says that his organization is working on "serious projects", and that his priority is to use biological weapons against the United States. Al Qaeda may already have such weapons, and be seeking means to transport and launch them. Indonesia: An Indonesian court sentences Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Bashir to four years in prison for treason against the Indonesian government. However, the court found insufficient proof that Bashir was the leader of the militant Islamic organization Jemaah Islamiyah. Iraq: A car bomb explodes near the headquarters of Coalition trained police in Baghdad, killing an Iraqi police officer and wounding up to 10 bystanders. Observers saw the incident as an attempt to destabilize the new Iraqi governing body. (See 2003 occupation of Iraq timeline) The Iraqi police handling the investigation say they have arrested 19 men in connection with the blast, many of them foreigners and all with admitted links to al-Qaeda. Astronomy: Astronomers announce the discovery of an asteroid (2003 QQ47) whose orbit has a remote chance of striking earth. SCO v. IBM: SCO Germany is ordered to pay fine of 10,000 Euro because they were ordered to cease their allegations that Linux contains stolen intellectual property of SCO. Road map for peace: Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz states he favors expelling Palestinian President Yasser Arafat by the end of the year, because Arafat is obstructing the United States led peace plan. Arafat denies the statement and says he backs the peace plan (though he refuses to release control of Palestinian security services to reformer Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas to stop militant group attacks as mandated by the plan). Palestinian leaders call Defense Minister's remarks inflammatory. Premier of Ontario Ernie Eves calls a provincial election for October 2. Eves' incumbent Tories, Dalton McGuinty's Liberals, and Howard Hampton's NDP are in the race. Premier of Prince Edward Island Pat Binns calls a provincial election for September 29. The incumbent Tories, Robert Ghiz's Liberals, and Gary Robichaud's NDP are in the race. A forest fire erupts in the Gorge of the Columbia River to the east of Cascade Locks, Oregon, forcing the closure of a 47-mile section of Interstate 84 and the evacuation of Cascade Locks for at least one full day. Current events of September 3, 2003 (2003-09-03) (Wednesday) Occupation of Iraq: Poland assumes a position in postwar Iraq. The coalition in Iraq hands over the south-central part of the country to a force led by Poland. The force of Polish troops leads a multinational peacekeeping brigade that will relieve Coalition forces (in particular the United States Marine expeditionary force). This is Poland's biggest military operation since World War II. This is also the first sign of the global community's commitment to a postwar Iraq. Secretary of State Colin Powell seeks support from Britain, France, Germany, and Russia on a proposed United Nations resolution that would give the United Nations a role in Iraq's economic and political future. Coalition soldiers strongly desire to see more troops from other nations share the work of occupation. Palestinian Authority: Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas threatens to quit if the Palestinian legislature does not endorse his government and its policies at a session scheduled for Thursday. Iraq: Iraqi Governing Council swears in the first ministerial cabinet since Saddam Hussein's removal. They urge the cabinet to help restore stability to the country. Iran: Iranian Vice President Mohammad Ali Abtahi states that President Mohammad Khatami rejects compromise with hard-line opponents over key reform bills. The bills seek to curb the conservatives' power. Diplomacy: British Embassy in Tehran closes temporarily after shots are fired at it from the street. United States: Former Presbyterian minister Paul J. Hill is executed for his 1994 murder in Pensacola, Florida, of an abortion doctor and his bodyguard. Irish minister Frank Fahey accuses US Immigration authorities at Shannon Airport of acting 'disgracefully' in turning back a group of 13 Irish musicians travelling to attend New York benefit concert to raise money for an Irish cancer victim in the United States for treatment. Ireland's 2003 Eurovision Song Contest singer Mickey Joe Harte, one of the singers refused entry, said they were told they needed no visas in their case. However, at Shannon, the musicians were suddenly told they needed work visas, though the event was for charity and they were providing their services 'free of charge'. Irish people travelling to the United States do not normally need visas except to get paid employment. The concert is scheduled for Friday. Miss Justice Mary Laffoy dramatically resigns as chairperson of the Laffoy Commission on Child Abuse, which is investigating evidence of child sex abuse in schools, orphanages and Catholic Church-run institutions over decades in Ireland. Her resignation followed one day after the Minister for Education, Noel Dempsey told RTÉ Radio that the Irish Government, worried by suggestions that the investigation would last more than a decade and cost hundreds of millions of euro, wanted to restructure the investigation to examine only a sample of the 1800 cases being investigated. The government has delayed publishing Justice Laffoy's resignation letter. Abuse victim and crusader against abuse Christine Buckey calls for Dempsey's resignation. Colm O'Gorman, of the child abuse charity One in Four, and himself a prominent survivor of abuse, calls on Taoiseach Bertie Ahern to publish all correspondence relating to the resignation. California recall: Five candidates (Lt. Governor Cruz Bustamante, California state senator Tom McClintock, Peter Camejo, Peter Ueberroth and Arianna Huffington) attended the first debate held for the recall election. Arnold Schwarzenegger was criticized for not turning up at the debate. Issues such as tax and campaign finance were brought up. Current events of September 4, 2003 (2003-09-04) (Thursday) North Korea announces re-election of dictator Kim Jong-il as chairman of the National Defense Commission by a unanimous vote of the Supreme People's Assembly, a move dismissed as a propaganda stunt by Western observers, who nearly all regard the Supreme People's Assembly as a rubber stamp body. California legislature passes expanded domestic partnership bill. The state assembly approved a measure to extend nearly all the legal rights of married couples to people in same-sex partnerships. If signed by the governor, the bill will become law in 2005. The right wing British National Party (BNP) candidate Nicholas Geri, who is of Italian descent, wins a surprise victory in a local government by-election to Thurrock Borough Council in Essex. The Labour Party, which has a 21-seat majority on the Council, sees its candidate pushed into third place, behind the BNP and the Conservative Party. Turnout in the by-election was 22%. Singapore drops its 21-year ban on Cosmopolitan magazine and slightly relaxes its film censorship policy. Despite this move, the censorship board's surveyors found the Singaporean public largely does not want the country's tough censorship rules liberalized. Natural disaster: The Booth and Bear Butte forest fires in the Cascade Mountains, which had been 45% contained, explodes to burn an additional 20,000 acres (80 km2). Estimates of the size of this fire vary between 62,000 and 80,000 acres (250 and 320 km2). The resort community of Camp Sherman, where authorities allowed residents to return, is once again evacuated. A Dutch court rules that Karin Spaink's publication of the Fishman Affidavit on her website is legal in the Netherlands. The Israeli Air Force flew three F-15 fighter planes over the Auschwitz death camp in Poland. Current events of September 5, 2003 (2003-09-05) (Friday) Hong Kong's leader Tung Chee-hwa announces that he will indefinitely postpone plans for an extremely unpopular security bill which sparked massive public protests and would have granted the government broad powers to prosecute vaguely defined threats to national security. Palestinian Authority: Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas tells the Palestinian parliament to either support him or fire him, a move seen as making public for the first time his quarrel with Yasser Arafat. VOA characterizes Mr. Abbas' ultimatum as the latest twist in a power struggle between him and Arafat, who is the President of the Palestinian Authority. David Blaine begins a new stunt. He will stay in a small transparent capsule suspended 30 feet above the ground near Tower Bridge on London's River Thames without food for 44 days. A train goes off the rails at a roller coaster at Disneyland in Anaheim, California, killing one. Current events of September 6, 2003 (2003-09-06) (Saturday) Johns Hopkins researchers retract all results of a frequently cited study which claimed that extensive and permanent brain damage occurred after just a single dose of Ecstasy. Due to a labelling mistake on the experimental drug vials, all but one of the animals involved in the study were not actually given Ecstasy at all, but were instead given the drug d-methamphetamine. War on Terrorism: European Union foreign ministers denounce the political wing of Hamas as a terrorist organization following the group's claim of responsibility for a truce-shattering bomb attack in Jerusalem. War on Terrorism: An Israeli warplane drops a relatively small bomb on a house in Gaza City (in an effort to avoid killing innocents, according to military sources who spoke to AP), lightly wounding Hamas founder Sheik Ahmed Yassin and 15 other people in an airstrike that Israeli officials confirm was an attempt to wipe out the Islamic group's top leaders as they assemble for a meeting. Natural disaster: Hurricane Fabian lashes Bermuda, causing heavy damage. It is the most powerful storm to hit the island in fifty years. Palestinian Authority: Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas submits his resignation to the President of the Palestinian Authority, Yasser Arafat. According to Palestinian sources, he will play a "caretaker" role of the position until a new prime minister is sworn in. Tennis: Justine Henin-Hardenne defeated fellow Belgian Kim Clijsters 7–5, 6–1 to win her first U.S. Open title. She had defeated Clijsters earlier that year to take the French Open as well. Current events of September 7, 2003 (2003-09-07) (Sunday) Israeli-Palestinian conflict: Israel's Prime Minister Ariel Sharon declares that Hamas leaders are "marked for death" and will not have a moment's rest, after Israel failed in an attempt to kill the top-ranking members of Hamas with a 550-pound bomb dropped on a Gaza City apartment. Violence surges sharply in Indian-controlled Kashmir with a series of separatist attacks across the Himalayan region. This follows a bomb explosion on Saturday in the main wholesale market for fruit in the region, which killed six people and wounded 25. Tennis: Andy Roddick defeated Spain's Juan Carlos Ferrero in straight sets (6–3, 7–6, 6–3) in the Men's Singles Final at the U.S. Open. This marks the first Grand Slam victory for the 21-year-old American. Warren Zevon dies in Los Angeles Current events of September 8, 2003 (2003-09-08) (Monday) Occupation of Iraq: Declaring Iraq to be the "central front" in the war against terrorism, President Bush asks Congress for $87 billion to help pay for the reconstruction of Iraq as well as Afghanistan. Road map for peace: Ahmed Qurei, who was nominated as Palestinian prime minister by the head of the Palestinian Authority, Yasser Arafat, accepts the position (pending the approval of the parliament). He had originally said there was no reason to form a new government unless "Israel wants to change its hostile attitude." The Ellen DeGeneres Show premiered on NBC. Hosted by comedian and entertainer Ellen DeGeneres and originally filmed in Studio 11 at NBC Studios in Burbank, California, The successful television program has won 31 day-time Emmy Awards and is scheduled to remain on air to at least the 2013-2014 season. Jaclyn Linetsky, the voice of Caillou, died in a car accident. Current events of September 9, 2003 (2003-09-09) (Tuesday) Governor Frank O'Bannon of Indiana lapses into a coma following an operation after the governor suffered a stroke in a Chicago hotel room. Lieutenant Governor Joe Kernan becomes acting governor. Iraq: The Iraqi Governing Council gains the seat at the Arab League left open since Saddam Hussein's ouster by the US-led coalition earlier that year. The council, which was formed under US auspices, seems to have taken a step toward sovereign legitimacy in the eyes of the international community. Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: A Palestinian suicide bomber kills at least 8 Israelis and seriously wounds 15 others at a bus stop near Rishon LeZion. Several hours later this is followed by a second suicide bombing at a Jerusalem café, in which 7 more people are killed and dozens are wounded. SARS: A Singaporean man is confirmed to have SARS, which is the first case of the illness since June 2003. Home quarantine have been imposed on those who had direct contact with the 27-year-old man, who is a post-doctoral student working with the West Nile virus. 2004 U.S. presidential election: The nine Democrats competing for the Democratic Party nomination for President of the United States clashed in a live televised debate, which was co-sponsored by the Congressional Black Caucus and the Fox News Channel. The debate was held at the historic Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland. The United States Department of the Treasury revamps its $20 bill as part of its never-ending quest to foil counterfeiters, including the addition of a peach-hued background to the denomination. (Many non-US citizens regard the US dollar as "hard currency" and keep much of their wealth in it as a hedge against inflation.) The name of Montreal Dorval International Airport is officially changed to Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport. The Montreal airport becomes the first major Canadian site to be renamed in honour of Prime Minister Trudeau. The move sparks controversy among many in Quebec owing to Trudeau's political history, such as his decision to invoke the War Measures Act and send troops into Montreal during the October Crisis in 1970, and his construction of Montréal-Mirabel International Airport, which they regard as a white elephant. The renaming will take effect on January 1, 2004. Current events of September 10, 2003 (2003-09-10) (Wednesday) The Swedish Foreign Minister Anna Lindh is stabbed while shopping for clothes at a mall without bodyguards. Terrorism: Al-Qaida sued over September 11 attacks. Major insurance companies are suing al-Qaida and Middle Eastern governments in a bid to recover billions of dollars in losses related to the September 11 attacks. Terrorism: On the eve of the second anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks, the Arabic-language television channel Al Jazeera airs a videotape, purportedly from Osama bin Laden. The videotape shows two men, including one meant to be bin Laden, walking down an (unidentified) rocky hillside. Al Jazeera said the other man seen on the tape, carrying an automatic rifle, was Ayman al-Zawahri, the Egyptian physician who merged his Islamic Jihad organization with Al Qaeda. The tape was claimed to have been made in late April or early May. An accompanying audiotape, attributed to the deputy, Ayman al-Zawahri, called on Iraqis to "bury" American troops in Iraq. Japan is to freeze and confiscate assets linked to the removed Iraqi regime based on a United Nations resolution. The assets belong to former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, his two sons, and 52 other former top officials of the removed regime. Terrorism: Imam Samudra became the second Bali bomber to be sentenced to death by firing squad for his role in the October 12 atrocity which killed 202 people. Samudra greeted the sentence with chants of "Allahu Akbar" (God is great). War on Terrorism: An Israeli warplane targeted the apartment building which is home of the senior Hamas leader, Mahmoud al-Zahar, in Gaza. Al-Zahar is lightly wounded; his adult son and a bodyguard are killed in the attack. A half-ton bomb destroys the building, marking the first time a Hamas leader has been attacked in his home, an escalation of Israel's campaign against the group. Twenty-five people were wounded, including Zahar's wife and a daughter. Terrorism: The leader of Hamas, says that its jihad will continue, and that the group may now attack Israeli homes. The military wing of the group has threatened to change tactics by attacking Israeli houses and buildings after Israel tried to kill Hamas political leader. War on Terrorism: Israel states that an "unwritten and abstract" axis with India and the United States has been created to combat international terrorism and make the world a more secure place for all. War on Terrorism: APEC: Indonesia and Malaysia have submitted lists of 20 suspected terrorists with links to two militant groups, asking for Thailand to help monitor their movements on the southern border. War on Terrorism: Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia will amend its Penal Code to punish not just terrorists but also those who provide financial services or facilities to them. Changes will penalize those who help terrorists. Dewey Decimal Classification: The Online Computer Library Center sues the Library Hotel for trademark infringement. Current events of September 11, 2003 (2003-09-11) (Thursday) As the United States remembers the deadliest terrorist attack ever on its shores, the United States Department of State warns it is seeing "increasing indications that al-Qaeda is preparing to strike United States interests abroad" and urges citizens overseas to take special caution on the second anniversary of the September 11 attacks amid growing indications that al-Qaeda is planning bigger attacks, "possibly involving unconventional weapons such as chemical or biological agents." Swedish Foreign Minister Anna Lindh dies in the hospital from stab wounds inflicted while she was shopping in a department store in the centre of Stockholm. In the wake of the incident, both the Yes and No Euro campaigns suspended their activities. The Security Cabinet of Israel votes in principle to expel President of the Palestinian National Authority Yasser Arafat from the West Bank. According to one source, the cabinet decided to ask the Israeli Defense Force to draw up a plan to expel Arafat. No timeline was specified, and Israeli government sources say that the decision was not to expel him immediately. The U.S. Department of States criticises such a move as "unhelpful". Thousands of Palestinians travel to the presidential compound in Ramallah to protest at the Israeli decision. Ahmed Qurei, Prime Minister of the Palestinian National Authority-designate, announces in response that he is halting efforts to form a government. Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov states an international force may be needed to end spiraling violence in the Palestinian territories. Massachusetts Institute of Technology scientists achieve the lowest temperature ever recorded, half a billionth of a Kelvin (0.5 nanokelvin) above absolute zero, in sodium gas. At that speed, atoms move about 12 cm/second. The 6-10 Office, an arm of the National Security Bureau and Public Security Bureau of the People's Republic of China responsible for the measures against Falun Gong, changes its name to the "Leading Bureau for the Prevention and Procession of Evil Cults." Actor John Ritter dies just shy of his 55th birthday after an unsuccessful surgery for an undisclosed heart condition. Current events of September 12, 2003 (2003-09-12) (Friday) Israeli-Palestinian conflict: Arab and Non-Aligned nations call on the United Nations Security Council to stop Israel carrying out its threat to expel the head of the Palestinian Authority, Yasser Arafat, from the West Bank. Elsewhere the European Union and Russia describe the Israeli proposal as a 'terrible mistake'. UN General Secretary Kofi Annan calls the Israel's proposed action "dangerous" and "unwise". The Irish Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, who takes over as President of the European Council in January, tells journalists after a summit meeting with French President Jacques Chirac in Paris that he is "shocked" by the Israeli plan and said his government is "totally opposed" to the Israeli plan. The United States Ambassador to Israel meets the Israeli Defence Minister to outline American hostility to the plan. Zimbabwe's only opposition newspaper, the Daily News ceases publication following a court order that it breached the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act introduced by President Robert Mugabe in 2002. The closure follows an armed raid on the paper's offices by police. One reporter told Reuters that the action was an "unprecedented attack on press freedom". Libya: The United Nations today ends 15-year-old sanctions against Libya. The sanctions were imposed following the Lockerbie disaster. The sanctions are lifted following payment by Libya (following an admission of responsibility) of $2.7 billion to the families of those who died in the bombing. Johnny Cash died at the age of 71 due to complications from diabetes, which resulted in respiratory failure, while hospitalized at Baptist Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee. He was interred next to his wife in Hendersonville Memory Gardens near his home in Hendersonville, Tennessee. Steam, a digital distribution, digital rights management, multiplayer and communications platform developed by Valve was initially released Current events of September 13, 2003 (2003-09-13) (Saturday) A typhoon hits South Korea, reportedly killing 42 people and leaving 24 missing. Kids' WB: The Big, Really, Really, Big Premiere with What's New, Scooby-Doo?, ¡Mucha Lucha!, Jackie Chan Adventures, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Ozzy & Drix, Pokémon: Master Quest and X-Men: Evolution Current events of September 14, 2003 (2003-09-14) (Sunday) Sweden and the euro: Swedish voters reject joining the Economic and Monetary Union of the European Union and adopting the Euro, with 56.1 percent of voters voting no. A military coup d'état is reported in Guinea-Bissau. Estonian European Union membership referendum, 2003: Estonians vote, 66.8 percent to 33.2 percent, to join the European Union. World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference of 2003: World Trade Organization talks collapse in Cancún, Mexico. Rich and poor countries are unable to find common ground. The meetings have been the subject of anti-globalization protests. Some of the severe wildfires in British Columbia have been contained, including the one threatening Kelowna. The one near Kamloops is still threatening structures. This has been the worst wildfire season in BC in fifty years. Yetunde Price, sister of Venus Williams and Serena Williams was shot down during a gang shootout in Compton. Current events of September 15, 2003 (2003-09-15) (Monday) China formally acknowledges that it has transferred guard duties along the China – North Korea border from the police to the army. The government does not formally report the number of troops deployed, however independent media estimate place it at 150,000. The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in San Francisco rules unanimously that the California gubernatorial recall election be postponed because several large counties, including Los Angeles County, have not upgraded their voting machines to replace the punched card systems which have consistently resulted in a significant number of uncountable votes (and thus unrepresented citizens). German Interior Minister Otto Schily warns of a rise in the threat of neo-Nazis in Germany. The discovery of a suspected plot to bomb a Munich Jewish centre during a visit by the German president has "dramatically confirmed" the danger to society. Chechen suicide attacks: A powerful truck bomb explodes near the branch office of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation in Magas, the capital of Ingushetia, which borders separatist Chechnya. Reports say three people were killed and more than 20 injured. Current events of September 16, 2003 (2003-09-16) (Tuesday) WNBA Finals: The Detroit Shock defeat the Los Angeles Sparks, 83–78 in Game three, to win the series two games to one, and the WNBA's world championship. Swedish police arrest Per-Olof Svensson in connection with the assassination of Anna Lindh. Same-sex marriage in Canada: A House of Commons motion brought by the Canadian Alliance reiterating the heterosexual definition of marriage is narrowly defeated. This motion is preparatory to the government's introduction of a bill to extend the Federal marriage law to include same-sex couples, expected within the next few months. Current events of September 17, 2003 (2003-09-17) (Wednesday) NASA says that capsules similar to those used in the Apollo program are among the options considered as replacements to the Space Shuttle. 26-year-old gunman Harold Kilpatrick, Jr. of Dyersburg, Tennessee, takes a classroom of 12–16 students at Dyersburg State Community College hostage. Kilpatrick, who was mentally ill, was shot dead by police after firing a pistol, ending a nine-hour standoff. Two hostages were slightly wounded. Richard Grasso, chairman of the New York Stock Exchange, resigns amid criticism of his $140 million compensation package and the fact that the compensation was approved without input from the exchange's board of directors. Retired United States Army General Wesley Clark announces that he is seeking the nomination of the Democratic Party for the 2004 presidential election, making him the tenth candidate to enter the race. Howard Dean had earlier expressed hopes that Clark would join him as a vice-presidential running mate. The Arab League submits a draft resolution to the annual General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency which calls on Israel to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and to open up its nuclear program to inspections by the United Nations. Israel's nuclear weapons program is believed have developed 100 to 200 nuclear warheads, but officially maintains a policy of "nuclear ambiguity" with support from the United States. The move by Arab nations comes in response to a Friday IAEA resolution submitted by Australia, Canada and Japan and lobbied for by the United States which asked Iran for "accelerated cooperation" and set an October 31 deadline for the country to disclose any attempts to acquire nuclear weapons. LGBT rights in Canada: The Canadian House of Commons passes a private member's bill brought by NDP MP Svend Robinson, including protection for sexual orientation in the existing law on hate propaganda. Current events of September 18, 2003 (2003-09-18) (Thursday) International Atomic Energy Agency: Iranian officials give signals that they do not intend to comply with a resolution passed by the United Nations's nuclear watchdog giving Tehran until the end of next month to come clean on its atomic programme. Parliamentary speaker Mehdi Karrubi, a close ally of President Mohammad Khatami, said the IAEA resolution was "political" and that "the Iranian people will not accept giving in to the logic of force." Hurricane Isabel makes landfall on the east coast of the United States near Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina. A passenger aboard a South African Airways jet tries to break into the cockpit during a flight from Cape Town to Atlanta. The passenger, James Drake, is arrested upon arrival. He had also been arrested in 1987 after trying to break into another airplane's cockpit. Current events of September 19, 2003 (2003-09-19) (Friday) Peace: United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan rings the Japanese Peace Bell, marking International Day of Peace at United Nations Headquarters in New York, cautioning that for some, the direst threat to peace was terrorism and weapons of mass destruction, while for others it was poverty, disease, deprivation, and civil war. Occupation of Iraq: Iraq's former defense minister, Sultan Hashim Ahmed, surrenders to Coalition troops. He was seen at Saddam Hussein's side in what is thought to have been the ousted dictator's last public appearance as Baghdad fell. He is number 27 on the most-wanted list of former top officials under Saddam Hussein (also eight of hearts). The ex-minister surrendered at a house in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul and was being taken to Baghdad. Hurricane Isabel: Isabel, now a tropical storm, moves through western Pennsylvania before heading to Ontario, Canada. The storm leaves more than 4.3 million residents along the East Coast of the United States without power. Canadian Liberal Leadership Race: Balloting begins in delegate-selection meetings across Canada which will determine the outcome of the Liberal leadership convention this November. Paul Martin is expected to easily secure enough votes to beat opponent Sheila Copps. This all-but guarantees Martin will replace his longtime rival Jean Chrétien as the next Prime Minister of Canada. Email virus: Email users are swamped by a new fast-spreading computer virus circulating through email that purports to be security software from Microsoft, but actually tries to disable security programs that are already running. The worm, dubbed "Swen" or "Gibe", takes advantage of a two-year-old hole in Internet Explorer and affects systems that have not installed a patch for that security hole. Nuclear Weapons: Secretary of the Guardian Council Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati, a leading hardline Iranian cleric, calls for Iran to withdrawal from Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty because of the compliance protocols referred to by the International Atomic Energy Agency and not consent to unfettered inspections of its nuclear facilities. "The treaty has been denounced by a number of countries. Although Iran has inked the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, it is free to withdraw from it anytime". "North Korea withdrew from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. Many countries have not even signed it. It would have been better if Iran had not signed it." Current events of September 20, 2003 (2003-09-20) (Saturday) Israeli-Palestinian conflict: Israel says that the United Nations resolution on Yasser Arafat (passed 133–4 with 15 abstentions) "is meaningless. It is only a declaration and not legally binding." Yasser Arafat states it is of the "utmost importance" as a sign of international support for the Palestinians. Israel states Palestinians should focus their energy on fighting terrorism. Israel also insists that a new government being formed by incoming Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia cut links to Arafat. Israel says Arafat is tainted by terrorism. Qureia's criticism of United States policy is the strongest sign yet he does not plan to challenge Arafat. 'War on Terrorism': Seventeen people are killed by United States airstrikes in southeast Afghanistan's Zabul province (in particular the Shinkay district). Eight nomad women and children, two Taliban fighters, several collaborating nomads, and a Taliban commander (Mohammad Gul Niazai) are among the dead. Occupation of Iraq: Two American soldiers are killed and 13 wounded in a mortar attack in Abu Ghraib, and another soldier dies in a roadside attack in Ramadi, bringing the number of U.S. deaths since the war began to 304, of which 165 occurred after President Bush's "mission accomplished" statement of May 1. A member of the Governing Council, Dr. Aquila al-Hashimi, is shot in an assassination attempt (she dies five days later). United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan strongly condemns the attack and warns that it only undermines the country's political progress. European Union enlargement: Latvians vote overwhelmingly in favor of the Baltic country joining the European Union. Canadian Liberal Leadership Race: Early numbers from delegate-selection elections within the Liberal Party confirm Paul Martin will win an automatic first-round victory at the forthcoming leadership convention. Barring unforeseen circumstances, Martin can now be expected to become Canada's 21st Prime Minister in February 2004. Current events of September 21, 2003 (2003-09-21) (Sunday) Galileo probe: After 14 years of flight time and 8 years of service in the Jovian system, Galileo's mission was terminated by sending the probe into Jupiter's crushing atmosphere at a speed of nearly 50 kilometres per second to avoid any chance of it contaminating local moons. Espionage: The Washington Times reveals the arrest of U.S. Army Captain James Yee, an Islamic chaplain at the Guantanamo Bay naval base, for officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, state that FBI agents discovered classified documents carried by Yee and were questioning him before handing him over to the military. Terrorism – 9/11: Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, mastermind of the September 11 attacks, tells interrogators he first discussed the plot with Osama bin Laden in 1996. The original plan, and its evolution, are told to an interrogator, along with the answers to several questions over the attacks. United Nations: Leaders of the United Nations are concerned if change can give it the freedom it needs to survive. Kofi Annan will outline plans for reform at the United Nations General Assembly next week. Annan states that only "radical" revisions will likely preserve it. Iraq: To open up its economy, the Iraq leadership council unveils sweeping free market reforms permitting foreign investment and imposes income taxes – but keeps oil under government control. Embargo: China voices opposition to United States sanctions over the alleged sale of advanced missile technology to an unnamed country. Germany: State elections in the state of Bavaria show a great success for the governing CSU of Edmund Stoiber, scoring over 60%. The nationally governing SPD is down to 19%, a historic low point. Current events of September 22, 2003 (2003-09-22) (Monday) A suicide attacker detonates a car bomb near United Nations headquarters in Baghdad, killing himself and an Iraqi guard and injuring at least 11 others. The attack came a month after a massive truck bomb devastated the complex and as the UN considers expanding its role in Iraq. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan states that personnel are assessing the situation following the attack. 90% of the delegates elected to the November 15 convention of the Liberal Party of Canada support Paul Martin, thereby assuring that he will win the leadership of the party and thereby become Prime Minister of Canada after Jean Chrétien retires in February 2004. The journal Science publishes an article on a jawbone of an early modern human found in 2002 near the entrance of the Pestera cu Oase (cave with bones) in the southwestern Carpathian Mountains in Romania. Radiocarbon dating places its age at between 34,000 and 36,000 years, making it the oldest fossil from an early modern human. The jawbone suggests interbreeding between modern humans and Neanderthals. Current events of September 23, 2003 (2003-09-23) (Tuesday) California recall: An 11-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit overturns the earlier ruling of a three-judge panel and reinstates October 7 as the date of the California gubernatorial recall election. The American Civil Liberties Union, whose suit was responsible for the original decision, will not appeal to the Supreme Court. United Nations: World heads of state and government convene at United Nations Headquarters in New York City for the start of the annual General Assembly high-level summit. President of the United States George W. Bush urges the international community to help Iraq rebuild itself into a democracy with the "great power to inspire the Middle East." President Bush states a transformed Middle East would also benefit the entire world "by undermining the ideologies that export violence to other lands." President Bush also calls on the Security Council to adopt new anti-proliferation resolution "calling on all members of the UN to criminalize the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction", enacting strict export controls, and securing all sensitive material. Iraq: A new Gallup poll shows majority of Iraqis expect a better life in five years. After foreign occupation and the removal of Saddam Hussein, around two-thirds of Baghdad residents state the Iraqi dictator removal was worth the hardships they've been forced to endure. Iraq: A U.S.-led coalition-backed Iraqi Governing Council member, Ayad Allawi, announces restrictions of the operations of TV networks al Jazeera and al-Arabiya. The networks are barred from reporting on official activities and news conferences and from entering ministries and office buildings for the next two weeks. The council claims they incited anti-occupation violence (by airing statements from resistance leaders; specifically broadcasting a video of "terrorists terrorizing Iraqis"), increased ethnic and sectarian tensions and were supportive of the lawless resistance. Allawi hopes the ban sends a "very clear message" to other stations. Al Jazeera responds that it is trying to give a balanced view of the current situation in Iraq and that it considers its ethical standards to be similar to western ones. The Coalition Provisional Authority has not responded to inquiries about the announcement. The Methuselah Foundation launches the Methuselah mouse contest, offering a prize to the team which can extend mouse lifespan the longest. The aim is to promote research which can offer insights into human longevity. Blackout: A power shortcut lays the southern part of Sweden and the eastern part of Denmark dead from midday, creating traffic problems and other disruptions throughout the area. About 2–3 million people are affected. From 4 p.m. Copenhagen has power again. A Swedish nuclear power plant abruptly stopped producing power. Current events of September 24, 2003 (2003-09-24) (Wednesday) Swedish police arrests a new suspect in the murder of Anna Lindh. Per-Olof Svensson is no longer a suspect and has been released. Belgium's highest court, the Court of Cassation, throws out case against Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Israeli General Amos Yaron. Also, a case against former U.S. President George H. W. Bush (for war crimes in Iraq) and Secretary of State Colin Powell is dismissed. Israeli-Palestinian conflict: A protest letter by a group of 27 Israeli pilots to the Israeli air force is publicized. In the letter, the pilots announce their refusal to fly further missions to bomb leaders of Palestinian terrorist groups in civilian areas. The pilots' letter calls the attacks "illegal and immoral". It draws quick condemnation from commentators, from politicians and from military leaders, with calls for severe punishment including jail, although a dismissal is considered the most likely result. The pilots' protest is a reaction to attacks like the one on Hamas leader Salah Shehade in July 2002, which killed Shehade, his bodyguard and 15 civilians, among them nine children., Computer and Communications Industry Association report, written by a handful of security experts, Microsoft's dominance in key technologies poses security risk and threatens the national infrastructure. Computer and Communications Industry Association states reliance on a single technology, such as the Windows operating system, threatens economic security and critical infrastructure. The paper warns that many security improvements planned by Microsoft are likely designed to deter customers from switching to another operating system. After several postponements the European Parliament finally passes a directive concerning the "patentability of computer-implemented inventions". The final text differs substantially from the original proposal and is seen as going a long way in addressing the concerns that it would legalize patents on software and business methods. The directive should now be under review by the Council of the European Union. Judge Lee Roy West of the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma rules that the Federal Trade Commission lacks the authority to create the National Do Not Call Registry. The ruling came in response to a suit filed by the telemarketing industry. Current events of September 25, 2003 (2003-09-25) (Thursday) Terrorism: FBI probes Hamas-linked 'criminal enterprises' associated with the radical Islamic group Hamas that has taken responsibility for a string of bombings in Israel. Hamas also declares the organization would not participate with other Palestinian groups in a proposed cease-fire nor join the next Palestinian government. Sheik Ahmed Yassin states "the enemy is continuing his aggression, killing, and settlement activities." Shariah: An Islamic appeals court in northern Nigeria has acquitted single mother Amina Lawal. A Shariah court had sentenced her to death by stoning for adultery, but a five-judge panel rejected her March 2002 conviction under Shariah saying she was not given "ample opportunity to defend herself". Business: Kodak has said that it will no longer make major investments in conventional photographic film. WMD: An early draft of an interim report by the inspectors for banned weapons in Iraq says his team has not found any of the unconventional weapons cited by President George W. Bush as a principal reason for going to war. CIA stresses report is not final and inspectors are still getting data. Natural disaster: An earthquake of magnitude 8.0 struck near the island of Hokkaido in Japan at 19:50:07 (UTC). A 7-foot-tall (2.1 m) tsunami was generated off the coast of Hokkaido as a result of the quake and tsunami warnings have been issued for most of the Pacific Rim, including Japan, Russia's eastern coast, Alaska, and Hawaii. Technology: Electronic paper reaches video speed. Paper capable of playing videos has been invented at the Philips Research laboratory in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. The ink can be rearranged electronically fast enough to show video movies. Science – Space: Europe gets set for Moon mission. Rocket operators clear the Smart 1 probe to begin its lunar adventure on an Ariane 5 rocket from the Kourou spaceport in French Guiana. Smart 1 will test a novel type of propulsion system on its mission and map lunar surface features. Occupation of Iraq: Nine rebels in north Iraq are killed. Coalition troops kill nine guerrillas, the biggest toll for more than a month, in scattered action over northern Iraq in the past 24 hours. Major Josslyn Aberle states "The enemy are becoming more desperate as we pursue them." The U.S. District Court in Denver rules that the National Do Not Call Registry would violate the First Amendment since it contains exceptions for certain unsolicited calls. Thus, the Federal Trade Commission is currently prohibited from implementing the registry. Current events of September 26, 2003 (2003-09-26) (Friday) Medicine: An experimental treatment given to a British man has halted the progress of brain damage caused by Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. SCO vs IBM: International Business Machines Corp. files new counterclaims against SCO Group Inc. involving the Linux operating system according to a memo sent to the IBM sales force. Israeli-Palestinian conflict: A Palestinian gunman enters a home in Negohot (an Israeli settlement in the West Bank, near Hebron), murders 7-month-old Shaked Avraham and 27-year-old Eyal Yeberbaum, and injures both of the baby girl's parents as they were celebrating the Jewish New Year. The shooter was later killed by Israeli security forces. The Palestinian Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the attack. Road map for peace: 'Quartet' urges Israel and Palestinians to do more to revive Middle East peace plan. Voicing "great concern" at recent Israeli and Palestinian attacks that have stalled the Middle East peace process, a high-level meeting of the diplomatic Quartet of the United Nations, United States, Russian Federation and European Union call on both sides to take immediate action to revive the Road map for peace. Iraq – Constitution: Secretary of State Colin Powell, responding to a rapid timetable self-rule demands from France (and others), states the United States would set a deadline of six months for Iraqi leaders working under the coalition occupation to produce a new constitution. The constitution would clear the way for elections and the installation of a new leadership next year. Iraq – Terrorism: Mortar rounds hit killing at least seven civilian Iraqis in the town square of Baquba. At least 20 civilian were wounded. Also, Akila al-Hashemi, a member of Iraq's Governing Council, was buried in Najaf a day after she died from wounds inflicted by an unidentified gunmen. Current events of September 27, 2003 (2003-09-27) (Saturday) Current events of September 28, 2003 (2003-09-28) (Sunday) Nuclear Weapons: Iran remains defiant about nuclear program. Iran states it will not give up its nuclear program (including uranium enrichment). The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have given Iran until October 31 to prove it has no secret nuclear arms program and told it to halt enrichment activities. Iran states international pressure will not deter its nuclear plans. Blackout: In Italy and a small part of Switzerland 57 million people were without power from late Saturday night until Sunday noon. The power outage was more extensive than the North American blackout in August. Natural disaster: Hurricane Juan is expected to make landfall near Halifax, Nova Scotia. Space: Europe has launched its first mission to the moon, using SMART-1, an unmanned probe. Pope John Paul II names 30 new cardinals, including Marc Ouellet, Archbishop of Quebec and Primate of Canada. The Pope also created a 31st Cardinal in pectore, which means his identity is kept secret and he will not be made a Cardinal if the Pope dies before revealing his name. Current events of September 29, 2003 (2003-09-29) (Monday) Abdalla Yones, who was convicted of murder for killing his daughter, Heshu Yones, for dating a Christian, is sentenced to life in prison after becoming the first person in Britain to admit an "honour killing". Terrorism: Pakistan dismisses and condemns al-Qaida terrorist network threat against President Pervez Musharraf, saying the war against terrorism will continue. Pakistan Foreign Ministry spokesman Masood Khan states (in Islamabad) Pakistan will not be deterred by such threats. The identity of the speaker on the audio tape or the authenticity of the tape has not been verified. The message was attributed to al-Qaida's second-ranking leader, Ayman al-Zawahri, and was aired on Al Jazeera and Al-Arabiya. Space – Technology: NASA outlines plans for the Space Shuttle's Replacement, a "Space Taxi". The next-generation space vehicle is on the drawing boards now and NASA has just issued newly defined requirements. Occupation of Iraq: Iraqi security forces and United States military police in Tikrit launch a hunt for guerrillas behind a series of deadly attacks on coalition troops—the largest-ever joint military operation to date. During the raids, dozens of soldiers from the United States Army's 720th Military Police Battalion backed up over 200 Iraqi police. The raids netted 92 people and weapons that included Kalashnikov rifles, mortars, firing tubes, 155 mm artillery shells and rocket launchers. Nuclear weapons: Iranian official confirm traces of highly enriched uranium found in the country at the Kalaye Electric Company near Tehran (this was the second time such a discovery was made by United Nations inspectors). Iran's ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Ali Akbar Salehi, attributes the find to the contamination of imported equipment on state television. Iranians have allegedly used Kalaye Electric Company to test centrifuges used to make highly enriched uranium that can be used to make atomic bombs. International relations: European Union increases pressure on Tehran to cooperate with international nuclear weapons inspectors. Britain states Iran must declare "unequivocally" that it harbours no ambitions to develop nuclear arms. European Union, in a draft joint statement, warns of economic fallout if Tehran does not make progress on key areas including non-proliferation, fighting terrorism, human rights and the Middle East peace process. International relations: Former US Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright (commenting on European Union relations to the United States), says that current transatlantic relations are in a dangerous "vicious circle". She states that the European Union is not a counterweight to American power in the world. She also states that there is an American "catch-22", and that America is criticized no matter which foreign policy it adopts. United Kingdom: The British Labour Party is holding its annual conference in Bournemouth on the English south coast. For the party and especially Tony Blair it is a tough conference as his policies (especially over Iraq) are under heavy attack. European Union: Member states clash over the issue of how many MEPs should represent the European Parliament on the approaching Intergovernmental Conference on October 4. The developing consensus seems to be that at least one representative from the two major parties in the European Parliament will attend the conference, but this procedure is highly controversial—normally parliamentarians do not attend high level meetings among EU leaders. Elections: Despite the blackout and other damage caused by Hurricane Juan, Prince Edward Islanders go to the polls during the Prince Edward Island general election, 2003, re-electing the Tories under Premier Pat Binns. The Liberals receive four seats. Elections: Newfoundland and Labrador premier Roger Grimes calls a general election for October 21. Grimes' Liberals are seeking reelection against the Tories, NDP, and the Labrador Party. Current events of September 30, 2003 (2003-09-30) (Tuesday) Air France and KLM are completing their merger. EU Agriculture Commissioner, Franz Fischler urged EU ministers to lift the ban on GMO food, as the EU risks facing legal challenges by the US and other countries at the World Trade Organization. Russia stalls on signing the Kyoto Protocol, the international treaty to reduce global warming. Kyoto Protocol supporters in the EU react with consternation to Russia's decision. EU foreign ministers have approved a controversial pension reform for EU civil servants, which is set to increase their pension age and make the new entrants work more years to receive the maximum level of pension. European Union: Poland and Spain are about to launch their battle to keep the current system of voting in the European Council, introduced by the Nice Treaty. Euro-parliamentarians urge EU governments to form a united front and protest against US President George W. Bush over the lack of rights of detainees in the US base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The European Commission will not shy away from imposing fines on France if it continues to break Euro-rules, according to Economics Commissioner Pedro Solbes.

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