Portal:Current events/November 2003

Time: 18:17 UTC | Date: Sunday, June 8, 2025

November 11, 2003

War on Terrorism:
- Arab magazine claims a purported member of Usama bin Laden's Al Qaeda group sends an e-mail claiming responsibility for the bombing in Riyadh that killed 17 people and left more than 100 wounded. [1]
- The United States Supreme Court agrees to consider whether illegal combatants held by the Unitied States since the War in Afghanistan can use American courts to challenge their detainment. [2] [3] [4]
Occupation of Iraq:
- The Coalition has detained about 20 people suspected of links to al-Qaida. [5]
- United States threatens reprisals unless attacks on coalition forces stop. [6]
- 49 percent of Americans say that the war in Iraq was not worthwhile. [7]
- There is a rising trend of complaints from returning National Guardsmen and reservists as they return to work after assignments. [8]
The Control Risks Group reports that London is the leading terrorist target in Western Europe due to British involvement in Iraq and the UK's large Muslim population. [9]
Large parts of central London are to be sealed off during US President George W. Bush's state visit to the United Kingdom next week. [10]
In the United Kingdom, Michael Howard, new leader of the Conservative Party, cuts the number in the shadow cabinet from 26 to 12; all positions are announced. [11]
Toyota nudges out Ford in the latest quarter to become the second largest manufacturer of automobiles behind General Motors. [12]
Nudity: Porn publisher Larry Flynt states he bought reported nude photos of Iraq war heroine Jessica Lynch - to keep them from ever being published. Jessica Lynch is frolicking topless with male soldiers in the photos before she went off to war. [13] [14] [15]

November 10, 2003

The World Trade Organization declares United States tariffs on steel imports inconsistent with free trade, opening the way for the European Union to impose punitive tariffs on goods of US origin. [16] [17]
War on Terrorism: The United States Supreme Court has agreed to hear appeals by 16 people detained at Guantanamo Bay. The court will assess whether US courts have jurisdiction to consider appeals by detainees there. [18]
In India, heavy rain boosts economic growth forecasts for the Indian economy. [19]
Alliance Capital Management, owned by Axa, fires 2 senior executives as a result of enquiries into mutual fund abuses. [20]
Occupation of Iraq:
- An array of senior figures in the United States criticize the case the Bush administration used to go to war with Iraq; they state that there never was a clear and present danger. [21]
- Paul Bremer says that attacks on coalition forces in Iraq will get worse unless intelligence improves; he says several hundred terrorists have entered Iraq from neighbouring countries. [22]
Security officials in Saudi Arabia order 4600 extra troops into Mecca to provide increased security during Ramadan, saying that additional attacks could occur at any moment. [23]
Questions surround Yasser Arafat after further allegations about money moved out of the West Bank to secret bank accounts. [24][25]
Researchers report that some patients who recovered from SARS have developed bone disease, possibly as a result of drugs used to fight the infection. [26]
2003 Toronto election: David Miller is elected mayor of Toronto. [27]
In the United Kingdom, the Prince of Wales returns from a foreign trip to confront enormous media interest in rumours of homosexual acts involving him and a former aide arising from allegations made by another former royal servant, George Smith. Charles is considering legal action, but his staff have ruled out the possibility of a televised statement or interview. [28]
Survivors of the massacre of Srebrenica, the worst European atrocity since World War II, are to sue the United Nations and the Netherlands for almost USD $850 million for failing to protect the Muslim enclave. [29]
Fine arts : A striking piece of art, the life-like sculpture of the Nazi leader Adolf Hitler kneels in an empty room in a Munich art museum, Germany (where the Nazi past have made it taboo to display Hitler in any form except in documentary films). The exhibition is at the neo-classical museum, which the Nazi leader ordered built in 1937. [30]

November 9, 2003

In Guatemala, large numbers of voters turn out for presidential election, despite fears of violence. With early indications giving him 49% of the vote, Óscar Berger, former mayor Guatemala City, tells supporters he might have won the outright majority needed for an unprecedented first-round victory. [31]
Coca Cola sends some of its most senior executives to Dublin to discuss a spreading student boycott of Coca Cola products. Students in University College Dublin, Trinity College Dublin, National University of Ireland, Maynooth and Queens University Belfast announced ther boycott amid allegations of ill-treatment of Colombian workers who bottle the company's drinks for sale in Latin America. [32]
Japan general election: Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi wins the election in Japan but with a reduced majority. The opposition Democratic Party is projected to win almost 180 seats which for the first time will take them into the position of forming a credible opposition. Other small parties like Japan Communist Party loses seats significantly, making two-party system realistic in politics of Japan. [33] [34]
War on Terrorism :
- News reports suggest that more than 11 people have been killed and 122 injured, many of them children, in attacks launched in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. [35] Witnesses spoke of hearing explosions and gunfire. Though the attack is currently unclaimed by any group, suspicions focus on the terrorist movement al-Qaeda. Sky News suggests the target may have been compounds resided in primarily by people from the Lebanon, which were less strongly protected that those lived in by Europeans and Americans. [36] [37] [38]
- The Venice Commission: (The European Commission for Democracy through Law) criticizes the regime under which men are held in Guantanamo Bay. It concludes that it is wrong to ignore the Geneva Conventions and basic human rights law. [39]
- British special forces commanders criticise the quality of the intelligence given to them before and during the conflict with Iraq. [40]
- The UK Secretary of Defence Geoff Hoon is accused of providing misleading figures about the true cost of conflict in Iraq. [41]
Peruvian armed forces capture a leader of the Shining Path rebel group after a clash in the Andes in which four guerrillas were killed and an officer wounded. [42]
2003 Rugby Union World Cup: England beats Wales to reach the semi-final of the World Cup, but Wales led in the first half. [43]
Beginning at about 1 a.m. UTC there is a lunar eclipse, visible from the Americas, Europe, Africa, central Asia.
William Donaldson, chairman of the SEC, launches a scathing attack on the US securities and mutual fund industries. [44] Eliot Spitzer, New York Attorney General, is expected to shortly file civil and criminal charges against a widening group of fund management companies. [45]
Experts conclude that dioxin probably killed off the trout in the Great Lakes. [46]
In the United States, support for George W. Bush decreases as casualties mount in Iraq. [47]
British bank Barclays Bank Plc is reported to be in talks with 3 US banks with regard to a takeover bid for one of them. [48]

November 8, 2003

The Countess of Wessex has given birth to a daughter by Caesarean section one month early. As the first child of Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, the child is eighth in the line of succession to the throne of the United Kingdom.
War on Terrorism : A large explosion near the diplomatic quarter of Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh affected a residential compound largely inhabited by Saudis and other Muslims; reports speak of 50 people injured, while others speak of up to 30 dead. [49]
In Pakistan, United Press International reports a letter sent to members of the opposition in Pakistan on a military letterhead causes panic in President Pervez Musharraf's government because it says he "has been imposed on this nation." The letter reportedly states that "We want to assure the nation that this army belongs to you and to Pakistan ... Pervez Musharraf and his clique has been imposed on this nation". [50]
The All Blacks defeat South Africa in the first quarter final of the rugby World Cup. [51]
Occupation of Iraq:
- Two US paratroopers are killed west of Baghdad. [52]
- US forces bomb homes in Tikrit, following the shooting down of a helicopter. Iraqi and American rights investigators state to a conference they had identified 260 mass graves containing the bodies of at least 300,000 Iraqis murdered by Saddam's regime. [53]
- Debate intensifies about the choices America faces in devising a strategy for Iraq. [54] Senator John McCain argues that force levels are inadequate. [55]
- The International Red Cross, which was already planning to reduce staff in Iraq following a deadly attack on its Baghdad headquarters, states it is temporarily closing its Baghdad and Basra offices due to dangerous conditions. [56] [57] [58]
- A US Army study concludes that Iraqi intelligence was excellent during the conflict (in which their fighting forces collapsed), and probably still is. [59]
- There is still a lot of work needed to win over hearts-and-minds in Iraq. [60]
British scientists develop a gel that allows wounds to heal in the half the time it took formerly; the gel speeds wound closure and reduces inflammation. [61]
Germany's upper house rejects controversial economic policy changes (tax cuts and changes to labour law) aimed at kick-starting Europe's largest economy pushed by Social Democrat Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, who has invested a lot of political capital in the reforms, but opposed by many labour unions and left wing politicians. [62]
An expert says that the AIDS epidemic in the People's Republic of China is reaching major proportions. [63]
North Korea nuclear weapons program: The CIA says North Korea already has one or two nuclear devices and doesn't need to test them to confirm they are viable. [64]
Faced with a hazardous-waste crisis, the Pentagon is pushing to exempt itself from the United States environmental laws. [65]
The longest U.S. hiring slump in more than 60 years appears to be ending. [66]
War on Terrorism : Panel subpoenas NORAD, not CIA. Commission set up to investigate the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, votes to issue a subpoena to the North American Aerospace Defense Command, but rejects a proposal to subpoena the daily intelligence briefings that the president receives from the CIA. After a series of field inquiries and interviews with NORAD personnel, commission staff realize that the materials NORAD had provided were incomplete. [67]

November 7, 2003

Occupation of Iraq:
- Turkey announces it will not send troops to Iraq.[68]
- With the turkish announcement, there are 24,000 non-American troops in Iraq, but almost half of them are British. [69]
- Jessica Lynch accuses the US military of manipulating news about her capture, treatment and release for propaganda purposes. She also states that she has no memory of the supposed anal rape which a former New York Times reporter claims in a book that she was subjected to. [70]
- United States Army Black Hawk helicopter crashes near Tikrit. Six soldiers are killed. All of the dead are from the 101st Airborne. It is unknown if the craft went down because of mechanical failure or hostile fire. Reportedly, a military source says it may have been hit by a rocket-propelled grenade. [71]
- 57% of Poles oppose the mission in Iraq as the first Polish soldier dies. [72]
- Vietnam War vets comment on the worrisome parallels between Vietnam and Iraq. [73][74]
A monitoring panel states to the United Nations Security Council tells of violations of the arms embargo against Somalia have taken place over a six-month period and the weapons are arriving now continuously in many small quantities (while large quantities arrive less often). [75]
In Pakistan, President Pervez Musharraf pledges that Pakistan will match India's military spending spree. [76]
Medical marijuana : The largest study to date on the effectiveness of cannabis treating symptoms of multiple sclerosis produces mixed results; doctors state that there is enough evidence to warrant licensing the treatment for the illness. [77]
War on terrorism : USA military commander for the Middle East reportedly creates a covert commando force (named Task Force 121)to hunt Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden (and other key terrorists throughout the region). Military officers state a broader, regional mission is given to the force, which has become one of the Pentagon's most highly classified and closely watched operations. The Special Operations organization to act with greater speed on intelligence tips about "high-value targets" and not be contained within the borders where American conventional forces are operating in Iraq and Afghanistan. General John Abizaid, who commands all American forces in the strategic crescent from the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean, had previously decided to disband two Special Operations missions (Task Force 5 in Afghanistan and Task Force 20 in Iraq). [78]
Foreign relations of Taiwan: The South Pacific island nation of Kiribati recognizes the Republic of China, bringing the number of countries recognizing Taiwan to 27. Although it has not yet severed ties with the People's Republic of China and has expressed the intention to continue relations, Beijing is expected to break relations in response to this move.[79]
Some Arab scholars state Bush's speech over how "Western governments should not back undemocratic regimes" is an important message to the Arab political elite and important message when it comes to the idea of democracy. [80]
The United States Senate's permanent ban on Internet access taxes fails, with senators vowing to negotiate over the weekend and return to the topic. State and local governments warn that a permanent extension of an existing moratorium, which expired on November 1, would cost billions in lost tax revenue. The moratorium had applied to special taxes that singled out dial-up and some other Internet access methods and is not related to sales taxes. [81]

November 6, 2003

A Foxborough company, Cyberkinetics Inc, plans to asks permission from United States federal regulators to test a device that would enable paralyzed people to control computers directly with their brains or possibly help them move their limbs. [82]
Scientists report to United States senators the potential to find energy on the moon. Solar power from the moon could provide clean, affordable, and sustainable electric power. [83]
An intruder attempts to insert a Trojan horse program into the code of the next version of the Linux kernel, stored at a publicly accessible source-code repository database. Security features of the BitKeeper system detect the illicit changes within 24 hours. The changes, which would have introduced a security flaw to the kernel, never became a part of the Linux code. [84]
The United States will focus its foreign policy on bringing democracy to all peoples of the Middle East. In a major policy speech, US President George W. Bush states that some states people of the region should have responsible democratic leaders, announcing a new American "forward strategy of freedom in the Middle East." Bush states a failure to establish democracy in Iraq would embolden terrorists around the world, increase the danger to the US, and extinguish the hopes of millions in the region. "Our commitment to democracy is being tested in the Middle East," Bush states. He describes democratic reforms in the region as the next great turning point and blames decades of post-colonial Western foreign policy for allowing the many dictatorships and violent theocracies to develop. "As long as the Middle East remains a place where freedom does not flourish," Bush states, "it will remain a place of stagnation, resentment and violence ready for export. And with the spread of weapons that can bring catastrophic harm to our country and to our friends, it would be reckless to accept the status quo." [85] [86] [87]
War on Terrorism: Suspected al Qaeda memeber tried unsuccessfully to enter the country around the same time as the September 11 hijackers may have been part of a plan to launch other attacks on targets in the United States. Identities of the suspects were discovered after a comparison of visa applications received before September 11 with names recovered from documents seized in caves in Afghanistan. Roger Cressey, former director for counterterrorism for the National Security Council, states the attack may have been "not on 9/11 but certainly afterward. [Osama] bin Laden and his people think strategically." [88]
In the United States, Democratic candidate Howard Dean issues an apology for controversial remarks. He stated previously he wanted to be a candidate for "guys with Confederate flags on their pickup trucks." [89]
Also in the United States, New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer is reported ready to take further action in widening mutual fund investigations. [90]
SCO v. IBM: Lawyers representing SCO Group in intellectual property litigation stand to benefit significantly if the company settles lawsuits or is sold. [91]
In the United Kingdom, the Prince of Wales issues a denial of an unspecified allegation whose publication has been prohibited by court injunction granted against the Mail on Sunday tabloid newspaper. The injunction had been granted to one former Royal Aide, but earlier today The Guardian newspaper had been granted permission to name a person who had sought an injunction. Sir Michael Peat, the Prince's Private Secretary who issues the Prince's statement, attacks the person who had made the original allegation now subject to a court injunction, describing him as someone "who, unfortunately, has suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and has previously suffered from alcoholism following active service in the Falklands" and who has a history of making wild allegations which when investigated by police were found to be untrue. Peat says the country has been awash with rumours on the issue for the last week and that the Prince's unprecedented statement was intended to kill off the unfounded speculation. The Prince's Household was previously embroiled in allegations of homosexual rape involving a staff member, amid the allegation that the Prince failed to take appropriate action against the person who allegedly committed the offence. Though details of the incident are not clear, they appear to involved the alledged witnessing of a male royal in bed with a male servant. [92] [93] [94] [95]
A book reveals the details of the capture and captivity of Jessica Lynch. She was treated brutally (resulting in Lynch's shattered body) and, says medical records, confirm she was anally raped. The book says some Iraqi doctors said Lynch was virtually dead. [96]
The U.S. nickel design changes for the first time since 1938. [97]
US President Bush signs Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act. New law, supported by 70% of Americans, takes effect in all states but Nebraska. [98]
Just hours after Bush signed the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act, federal judges in California and New York issue injunctions against the newly-signed "partial birth abortion" law, forcing the United States government to stop any legal action against doctors who work for Planned Parenthood and the National Abortion Federation, until full hearings can be held on the law's constitutionality. [99]
In the United States, NPR is given $200 million, bequeathed by Joan B. Kroc, the widow of Ray Kroc, the founder of McDonalds. [100]
In the United Kingdom, Michael Howard is confirmed as the new leader of the Conservative Party. [101]
The Bank of England increases base interest rate 0.25% to 3.75% in an attempt to damp down rising consumer borrowing. This is the first increase in base rate for four years. [102]
In Rwanda, four former government ministers go on trial on charges of masterminding genocide in 1994. [103]
Occupation of Iraq:
- Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld unveils a troop replacement plan for Iraq. Overall number of American soldiers in the country will decrease next year, if security conditions permit. [104]
- United States Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.) criticizes the Bush administration's plans to reduce troops in Iraq. The former Vietnam POW discusses why more ground troops are needed to meet policy goals. [105]
- One US soldier is killed and 2 injured in another ambush. [106]
- The US begins informing units that will be needed in Iraq in 2004. [107]
- The Marines will be returning. [108]
- The United States Department of Defense summarizes US casualties so far. [109]
- The first Polish soldier is killed in Iraq. [110]
- A CNN/USA Today Gallup poll suggests that support for President Bush's handling of Iraq is slipping; a majority of the people polled disapprove of what is being done. [111]
In Seattle, Washington, the text of Gary Ridgway's ("Green River Killer") confession is released. [112]
Free software: The People's Republic of China government has announced that it will fund Linux software development as an alternative to Microsoft's Windows operating system. [113]
In Brisbane, Australia, the criminal convictions of controversial right wing politicians Pauline Hanson and David Etteridge for electoral fraud, were completely overturned on appeal [114]
Pornographic movies : A Seattle-based porn site reportedly will broadcast the sex video of the Los Angeles-based celebutante, Paris Hilton. Friends of hotel heiress state that new video is a "terrible invasion of her privacy". Roger Vadocz, president of the company, claims the video is Hilton and Rick Solomon having sex. [115]

November 5, 2003

United States - Politics : Democratic intel memo by staff disturbs the US Senate. Senator Zell Miller (D-GA) states "heads should roll" over the memo of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence that outlines a strategy to politicize intelligence data. [116]
The sun surprises astronomers by launching another solar flare, this time the largest ever recorded. [117]
After 26 years, and at a distance from Earth of over 8 billion miles, Voyager 1 exits the solar system. It is expected to keep on transmitting into the 2020s. [118] [119]
The Australian Central Bank raises interest rates by 0.25% in a bid to curb surging consumer borrowing. [120]
Saskatchewan general election, 2003: The NDP government of Lorne Calvert is returned to power with a majority government.
The third Matrix movie, The Matrix Revolutions, opens simultaneously worldwide. [121]
The European Union says it will press ahead with retaliation against US steel tariffs if the WTO rules in its favour next week. [122]
Occupation of Iraq:
- The United States states foreign terrorists are slipping into Iraq and believes the people behind recent attacks in Iraq have come in from neighbouring countries. Iraq's Governing Council head, Jalal Talabani, urges Iraq's neighbours to crack down on "terrorists" crossing into Iraq. Talabani states terrorists had entered from Syria, Saudi Arabia and Iran. Syria urges America to withdraw troops from Iraq. [123]
- Soldiers recount crash horror. One soldier states that he "heard a crash and prayed". Recovering from wounds suffered when their helicopter was shot down in Iraq, the U.S. soldiers expect to be needed in action again. [124]
- Turkey says it will not send troops to Iraq without a significant improvement in security there. [125]
- Talabani plans visit to Turkey in bid to ease crisis over Turkey's troops to Iraq. [126]
- An Iraqi senior judge, Muhan Jabr al-Shuwaili, investigating former officials of Saddam Hussein's regime is kidnapped and shot dead. The Najaf prosecutor-general, Aref Aziz, was also kidnapped and later released unharmed. [127]
- A second judge, Ismail Yussef Saddek, investigating members of Saddam Hussein's ousted regime is shot dead in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul. [128]
- US intelligence-gathering in Iraq is being questioned partly as a result of disbanding the army. [129][130]
The ninth case of mad cow disease is confirmed in Japan. [131]
An article in the November issue of J. Climate argues that global warming will bring more snow to the Eastern Great Lakes region. [132]
The United Nations votes again and overwhelmingly in a non-binding and non-enforceable resolution for an end to sanctions against Cuba; only the USA, Israel, and the Marshall Islands vote against. [133] The US's United Nations ambassador John Negroponte avoided the forum. Washington responded to the vote through a mid-level diplomat, Sichan Siv, who tells the General Assembly delegates that the Cuban embargo was a "bilateral issue" which was really none of the UN's business. [134]
Arizona officials believe two rival immigrant smuggling rings are responsible for a shootout in Arizona that killed four people, and wounded several others. [135]
In Portland, Oregon, a local election to establish a PUD that would investigate public ownership of Portland General Electric failed when 69% of the voters voted against the measure. Both Portland General Electric, an Enron subsidiary, and PacifiCorp, a subsidiary of Scottish Power contributed $1.9 million to fight the measure. [136]
In Seattle, Washington, Gary Ridgway confesses to the murder of 48 women, who were the victims of the Green River Killer. In return, he will not be subject to capital punishment, but serve life inprisonment for his crimes. [137]
North Korea nuclear weapons program: United States allies in Asia and Europe agree to stop cooperation on nuclear power plant project. They suspend a multibillion-dollar project to build two nuclear power reactors in North Korea. Japan, South Korea, the United States, and the European Union will announce the fate of the project by November 21.[138]
Microsoft contributes $500,000 to fund the search of computer viruses and other malicious code writers, starting with the MSBlast computer worm and the Sobig virus orginators. Microsoft will be working with law enforcement agencies (FBI, the Secret Service, and Interpol) in the search. The initiative marks the latest move by Microsoft and law enforcement to curtail attacks that plague the Internet. [139]

November 4, 2003

The U.S. National Cancer Institute is funding human clinical studies to test experimental reovirus-based cancer treatments, after initial studies show promising results against a number of different types of tumor which contain the Ras oncogene. [140] [141]
War on Terrorism: In Saudi Arabia, an attempt at a terror attack on Saudi officials and/or pilgrims in the holy city of Mecca is foiled; plotters believed to be linked to Al Qaeda. [142]
Occupation of Iraq: For the second night running the HQ of the coalition in central Baghdad comes under attack; huge explosions are heard. [143] Spain, one of the staunchest supporters of the USA in the Iraq war, withdraws many of its staff from its embassy in Iraq. [144]
Whilst the Sri Lankan prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe is visiting the United States, the country's president Chandrika Kumaratunga suspends parliament and deploys troops, effectively putting the country into a state of martial law.
The Anglican Church splits over gay bishop. Half the archbishops of the Anglican union denounce the Episcopal Church's consecration of theworld's first openly homosexual bishop and vowed not to recognize the appointment. [145]
Software company Novell has announced that it will purchase Linux distributor SuSE. [146] [147]
A study in Germany shows that leeches can help with arthritis pain, apparently because their saliva contains anti-inflammatories. [148][149]
Mark Messier of the New York Rangers scores two goals against the Dallas Stars, giving him 1851 to pass Gordie Howe and to move into second place on the NHL career points list. [150]
Mexican President Vicente Fox begins a three state trip to the United States with a stop in Arizona, where he addresses immigration issues. A man is reportedly injured at a shooting near the place Fox spoke.[151]
Canadian author M.G. Vassanji is awarded the Giller Prize for his book The In-Between World of Vikram Lall. [152] [153]
In Ecuador, Angel Shingre, a campesino leader and human rights campaigner who played a key role in bringing to light environmental problems caused by oil exploration in Ecuador's Amazon region, is assassinated in the city of Coca. [154]

November 3, 2003

Occupation of Iraq: US Congress allocates $87 billion for occupation and reconstruction of Iraq and Afghanistan. The funding bill omits a provision included in the Senate version of the bill, demanding that Iraq repay some of the $20 billion of the funds dedicated for rebuilding. U.S. President Bush had been strongly opposed to this provision.
At a campaign fundraiser in Birmingham, Alabama, President George W. Bush states that the tax cuts are working to help the economy. Bush also vows that the coalition forces will stay in Iraq. The president states the deaths of 15 soldiers in an attack on a helicopter will not deter the United States. Bush states, "The enemy in Iraq believes America will run. That's why they're willing to kill innocent civilians, relief workers, coalition troops. America will never run." [155] [156]
Occupation of Iraq: Attacks comprising of six explosions, reportedly coordinated, occur (one in Kirkuk, five in Bagdad). The series of explosions in Baghdad, which may have come from mortar shells, is in an area that is home to several coalition headquarters buildings. The Kirkuk bomb blast northeast of Baghdad kills one Iraqi and wounds 15. The target of this explosion was the deputy governor of the northern Diyala province Aqil al-Hamid, who was in a convoy driving near the city of Baquba. He escapes uninjured. Also, another blast occurs near a holy Shiite Muslim shrine in the city of Karbala kills three people and injured 12. [157] [158]
The European Commission comes out with another Eurobarometer, a survey of EU citizens. According to the survey, most Europeans think that the war in Iraq is not justified, that UN should supervise Iraq and provide security, and that US should pay for the rebuilding of Iraq. As to which countries pose a threat to world peace, 59% think it's Israel, and 53% that it's United States. [159]
The SEC finds further evidence of widespread irregularities in the mutual fund industry. [160] The head of Putnam Investments has resigned. [161]
Embattled energy tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky has quit as CEO of Yukos. [162]
War on Terrorism: Saudi Arabian authorities have broken up, for the second time, a militant ring in Mecca amid a wide crackdown on Islamic extremists. The police combated militants in the streets of the holy city of Mecca, killing two of the suspects and uncovering a large cache of weapons. The raid on two buildings in Mecca's al-Share'a neighborhood foiled a terrorist operation "that did not respect the sanctity of holy places and the month of Ramadan". [163] [164]

November 2, 2003

Occupation of Iraq: In the heaviest single loss for the coalition troops since cessation of the military campaign in Iraq two US Chinook helicopters are fired on by two surface to air missiles and one crashes near Fallujah and on its way to Baghdad airport; 16 soldiers are killed and 20 wounded. [165] [166] A blast damages an oil pipeline near Kirkuk, north of Baghdad. [167]
War on Terrorism: The New York Times reports that militant Muslim recruits are "streaming into Iraq" and answering the call of Osama bin Laden and other extremists. These individuals are joining the fight against the coalition's occupation in Iraq, state counterterrorism officials. Intelligence officials (in six countries) have detected an estimate of hundreds of militant young Muslims from various countries headed for Iraq (primarily by crossing the Syrian or Iranian borders). [168]
The Yukos crisis continues and Dmitry Medvedev, the new Chief of Staff, warns of risks to the economy. [169] Following the appointment the siloviki (ex-KGB, ex-police, ex-security services) remain enormously more heavily represented in Putin's administration than in the Yeltsin and Gorbachev years. [170]
In the United Kingdom, Tony Blair faces a formal complaint that has been made to the International Criminal Court about the prosecution of the Iraq War. [171]
In Hawaii, a shark bites the arm off a 13 year-old girl surfing at Kauai, the fourth such amputation in Hawaiian waters in 20 years. [172]
In the Sudan, Locusts cause breathing difficulties and some deaths in Sudan. [173]
Former brokers of Prudential Securities are to be charged in Massachusetts as part of a widening investigation into abuses at mutual funds. [174]

November 1, 2003

Israeli-Palestinian conflict : In Israel, a hard-hitting UN report says that Israel will effectively annex large areas of Palestinian territory as a result of the permits it intends to issue to Palestinians near the wall being built. The Israel security wall has been built inside the internationally recognised Green Line (about 18,000 acres) and cuts off the rest of the West Bank. It has been declared a "closed military zone". [175]
The October Taylor Nelson Sofres / EOS Gallup EU poll reportedly shows that 59% of Europeans think that Israel is a threat to world peace (greater threat to world peace than North Korea, Iran, or Afghanistan). Also according to the poll, Europeans believe the United States surpasses the "axis of evil" (i.e., Iran, Iraq, and North Korea) and Afghanistan for countries that contribute most to world instability. Around 7,500 people from 15 different European countries were surveyed. Some of the results not yet published are still reportedly "unstable". Representatives will be meeting the Secretary General of the European Union, Javier Solana, to discuss the results of the poll and issues around combating anti-Semitism in Europe. [176] [177] [178] [179]
Zimbabwe leader Robert Mugabe announces an overhaul of his cabinet and changes to the central bank aimed at tackling acute economic problems. [180]
Communications in the United Kingdom are disrupted as the Royal Mail faces a wave of unofficial strikes. [181]
North Korea nuclear weapons program: A North Korean defector to the South says the US cannot trust Pyongyang to stick to any deal about nuclear weapons. [182]
Fire fighters in California begin to gain the upper hand as they battle against the wildfires in Southern California. [183]
The United States prosecutes Greenpeace for protesting illegal mahogany trade under an 1872 law against "sailor-mongering". [184]
Taipei celebrates the first gay pride parade in either part of China. Approximately 1,000 people march. [185]

Past events by month

2003: January February March April May June July August September October
2002: January February March April May June July August September October November December

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