October 2003
2003 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December
A timeline of events in the news for October, 2003.
- Security: A plastic toy gun, used as part of a Halloween costume, sparks a two-hour-long terrorism scare at the Capitol Building in Washington, DC.
- Economics: The U.S. Commerce Department reports that U.S. gross domestic product grew at an annual rate of 7.2% in the third quarter, the fastest growth rate since 1984.
- Russia: Vladimir Putin removes his Chief of Staff as the political battle with the "oligarchs", and between hard-liners and liberals, continues. Russian judicial authorities have seized control of Yukos, the giant oil company.
- Occupation of Iraq: Officials postpone awarding two contracts to repair Iraq's oil refineries and pipelines (primarily because of sabotage and dilapidated conditions). An investigation has been started on the high price that the US is paying to Kellogg, Brown and Root for oil imported from Kuwait. nl:. A US research organization, the Center for Public Integrity, says that firms awarded contracts in Iraq have tended to be big donors (in the past) to the United States Republican Party. The UN announces that it is withdrawing its remaining international staff from Baghdad, perhaps temporarily.
- Malaysia: After 22 years in power, Prime Minister Mahathir bin Mohamad retires. He is succeeded by Dato' Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
- Israel: Israel is to train pigs to do guard work in Israeli settlements. The pigs have a better sense of smell than dogs and can be trained to walk towards perceived threats (e.g. explosives).
- Medicine: The US FDA approves Risperdal Consta (Risperidone long-acting injection) for the treatment of schizophrenia. Although already approved in several other countries, it is the first long-acting, atypical antipsychotic medication to be approved by the FDA.
- Republic of Ireland: The Garda Síochána, the Irish police force, opens a criminal investigation following a hoax telephone call on 27 October from a woman claiming that she had abandoned her newborn baby in a derelict flat in Dublin. Hundreds of Gardaí had mounted a round the clock search of thousands of derelict sites in the working class suburb of Ballymun to find the child, as fears grew for its safety amid plummeting temperatures. Police later concluded that no such child existed and that the series of phone calls made to them and to childcare charities had been a deliberate hoax.
- United Kingdom: British Conservative Party leader Iain Duncan Smith loses a vote of confidence in his parliamentary party by 90 votes to 75 and, in accordance with party rules, resigns from the leadership. A new leadership election is called. Shadow Deputy Prime Minister David Davis, previously tipped as a future leader, surprises Westminster by announcing that he will not seek the leadership and endorses former Home Secretary Michael Howard, who is now seen as the frontrunner to assume the leadership. Other leading politicians endorse Howard, once famously described by a colleague as having "something of the night about him."
- Occupation of Iraq: The International Red Cross announces that it is to scale back its commitments to Iraq. Two more GIs are killed, bringing the total killed since May 1 to 115.
- Mining: After six days trapped underground, eleven of the last thirteen remaining Russian coal miners have been rescued by underground rescuers from the mine where they were trapped underground. One more miner was found dead, and another is still missing. 33 miners had already been rescued on Sunday.
- Earth's magnetic field: The Earth's magnetosphere is hit by the recent solar flare causing a brief but intense geomagnetic storm, provoking unusual displays of northern lights.
- Economics: The United States Federal Reserve leaves its key interest rate unchanged at today's meeting, saying that rates will be kept low for a considerable period.
- Solar system: The sun emits another coronal mass ejection directly toward the Earth, the 3rd largest solar flare on record. The effects are projected to affect Earth on the 29th.
- California: Wildfires are largest in state history; 1,500 homes are destroyed, 16 people killed and 600,000 acres (2,400 km²) burned. Evacuations are ordered from parts of cities in Los Angeles and San Diego counties. The conflagration also spreads across the border into the Mexican state of Baja California, where two deaths are reported.
- United Kingdom: The Conservative Party's 1922 Committee announces that leader Iain Duncan Smith will face an immediate vote of confidence in his leadership on the following day, after at least 25 backbenchers formally request it.
- Japan - politics: The campaign for Japan general election, 2003 starts, lasting until a voting date, Nov 9.
- California: Wildfires continue to rage in Southern California. The scheduled NFL Monday Night Football game between the San Diego Chargers and Miami Dolphins is relocated from San Diego, California to Tempe, Arizona as a consequence of the fires.
- Occupation of Iraq: The Al Rashid Hotel in Baghdad where US deputy defense secretary Paul Wolfowitz was staying has been evacuated after several rockets were fired at it in the morning. 1 US Colonel was killed and 15 individuals wounded (3 seriously) in the attack. . Two more explosions occurred near Al Rashid hotel later towards the evening. Further investigations confirm that Iraq had no active nuclear program, but did not relinquish nuclear ambitions or technical records.
- Syria: The President of Syria says that Iran and Syria, which are increasingly close allies, are capable of neutralizing conspiracies of foreign powers (implicitly referring to the USA and Israel).
- Russia: Mikhail Khodorkovsky, the country's wealthiest businessman, has been arrested and is being held in Moscow facing charges of fraud and tax evasion.
- miners are trapped in a Russian mine as water began seeping into the mine, disabling electrical systems .
- Israeli-Palestinian conflict: The body of the Hamas militant killed in the attack on an Israeli military camp (that killed 3 Israeli soldiers) returns to his family in their refugee camp.
- 2003 invasion of Iraq: The US Senate Committee on Intelligence finalizes its report on pre-war intelligence and is highly critical e.g. of George Tenet and the quality of US intelligence about Iraq's weapons.
- Space weather: Earth is expected to be hit by a solar ion storm, potentially disrupting satellite communications and posing a threat to electric power transmission grids. Canada, the northern US northern Europe are expected to be treated to an exceptional display of aurora borealis.
- Aircraft: The final flights of Concorde, from New York, Edinburgh, and a loop around the Bay of Biscay, touch down at Heathrow International Airport around 1600 BST, marking the end of 27 years of commercial supersonic flight.
- Same-sex marriage: Three same-sex couples in Spain, including a Madrid city councilman, apply for marriage licenses. They state that if the registry judge does not grant them the licenses, they will appeal to Spain's constitutional court, and as far as the European Court of Human Rights if necessary. They describe their actions as inspired by the recent rulings on same-sex marriage in Canada.
- Computing: Mac OS X v. 10.3 (Panther) is released.
- Canada: Dalton McGuinty is sworn in as the 24th premier of Ontario.
- Occupation of Iraq: There is every sign that the international conference in Madrid at which pledges to re-build Iraq are hoped for will disappoint and e.g. Paul Bremer seeks to lower expectations.
- United States Supreme Court: Before a conservative legal organization, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia ridicules the recent Supreme Court decision overturning anti-sodomy laws in Texas, saying that the Court had "held to be a constitutional right what had been a criminal offense at the time of the founding and for nearly 200 years thereafter." According to news reports, Scalia adopted a mocking tone to read from the court's ruling.
- United Kingdom: A new biography, reported in The Sunday Times, claims that the prosecution of Oscar Wilde for sodomy was ordered by the then Liberal government, in a deal with the Marquess of Queensberry, the father of Lord Alfred Douglas, to prevent his exposure of a homosexual relationship between another of his sons, Viscount Drumlanrig, and British Prime Minister Lord Rosebery. According to reports, future prime minister Herbert Asquith played a key role in negotiating the deal, which led to the imprisonment of the Irish writer.
- United Kingdom: Frank Bruno leaves hospital in the UK where he has been undergoing treatment for depression.
- United Kingdom: British Prime Minister Tony Blair is rushed to hospital with heart problems. An irregular heart-beat is diagnosed. Blair is given a cardioversion in hospital, where he stays for 4 or 5 hours before going back to Number 10 Downing Street, and is ordered by his doctors to take 24 hours complete rest.
- Roman Catholicism: Pope John Paul II beatifies Mother Teresa. Hundreds of thousands attend the ceremony in St. Peter's Square. Mother Teresa, who founded the Missionaries of Charity, is now one step from sainthood.
- International relations: South Korea and the United States are reported to be discussing the possible withdrawal of thousands of US troops.
- North Korea crisis: The United States says it is willing to give North Korea security assurances in exchange for a nuclear standdown. U.S. President Bush rules out a non-aggression treaty demanded by Pyongyang.
- Afghanistan: Bomb blows up a pickup truck on a dirt road in Afghanistan's eastern Kunar province, killing four people, and two Afghan soldiers are killed in a separate land mine explosion in the country's south. The explosions come two days after the Taliban allegedly distributed pamphlets warning against working with the post-Taliban government of President Hamid Karzai.
- Israeli-Palestinian conflict: Palestinian gunmen attack an Israeli army foot patrol near a West Bank village, kills three soldiers and wounds a fourth, rescue services and security sources state. Gunfire attacks near the Palestinian village of Ein Yabrud, east of the town of Ramallah, not far from the Israeli settlement of Occupation of Iraq: A Fallujah roadside attack on a military convoy leaves an American armored car and munitions truck burning wrecks. No one was reported killed. Iraqis nearby were reportedly cheering. Emerging series of threats.
- Asia - International relations: Leaders of Pacific-rim nations gather in Bangkok ahead of the 11th Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) conference. President George W. Bush arrives in Thailand ahead of an APEC summit of 21 Asia-Pacific government leaders which is likely to be dominated by discussions of the war on terrorism and trade friction between rich and poor nations (trade and currency).
- Middle East: New audio tapes, allegedly from Osama bin Laden, air on the Al Jazeera network.
- occupation of Iraq: Spain's government, one of the staunchest supporters of the attack on Iraq, has pledged $300 million over several years toward Iraqi reconstruction.
- Oil: Zimbabwe's state oil corporation is reported to have run out of fuel, aggravating the continuing acute fuel crisis.
- Natural disaster : Officials declare a state of emergency due to severe flooding in Squamish, British Columbia. Parts of the town are evacuated.
- Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, visiting Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai, is whisked out of Kabul owing to reports of a rocket attack. The reports turn out to be unfounded.
- Kosovo: First death of forced starvation in Europe for the last 50 years. Zhivorad Velikinac (age 65) from Urosevac died in hospital in Kosovska Mitrovica after not eating for more than a month - he was disabled and not able to get out of his apartment on his own, his Albanian neighbours were threatened not to bring him food anymore, and other Serbs were too afraid to visit him.
- Baseball: The New York Yankees defeat the Boston Red Sox, 4 games to 3, to win the American League Championship Series and move on the World Series. They will play the Florida Marlins, who defeated the Chicago Cubs, 4 games to 3, to win the National League Championship Series.
- Occupation of Iraq: The UN Security Council unanimously approves a new US resolution on Iraq. Russia, Germany and France back the resolution but will not provide troops or money. . A survey indicates poor morale amongst the US troops serving in Iraq.
- East Asia: President Bush re-affirms his intention to pressure China and Japan into fair policies re their exchange rates. . China's trade surplus is shrinking as imports surge. At the same time India is wrestling with the implications of the sustained appreciation of the rupee against the dollar.
- Roman Catholicism: Tens of thousands of Catholics attend Mass celebrating the 25th anniversary of Pope John Paul II in Rome. The Pope will beatify Mother Teresa on Sunday, October 19, and install 30 new Cardinals on Tuesday, October 21.
- Genetically Modified Foods: In a surprise move, Monsanto announce their intention to quit the European cereal business. Citing lack of success, the company has decided to cut costs.
- Israeli-Palestinian conflict: European Commissioner for External Relations, Chris Patten has questioned Israel's commitment to a two-states resolution to the conflict with the Palestinians.
- Space exploration: The People's Republic of China's first astronaut, Yang Liwei returns to earth safely aboard a Shenzhou spacecraft, Shenzhou 5. During the 21-hour trip, he circled the planet 14 times.
- Apple launches its iTunes Music Store, an online download music store, for the Microsoft Windows platform. The iTunes software can be downloaded from for free.
- 2003 occupation of Iraq: US concessions to proposals from Russia, the People's Republic of China and Pakistan ensure their support for a UN Security Council resolution to provide greater international legitimacy to the occupation force and the Iraq Interim Governing Council. The resolution draft, legitimizing US military and political control over Iraq's political future, was already supported by Britain, Spain, Cameroon, Bulgaria, Angola, Mexico, Chile and Guinea. Russia agrees to act as a mediator to achieve support for the compromise also from Germany and France.
- Israeli-Palestinian conflict: Four people die in a bomb attack on a convoy of US diplomatic vehicles in the Gaza Strip. Palestinian Authority head Yasser Arafat calls the bombing "dirty and shameful" in an exclusive interview on BBC News. Secretary of State Colin Powell urges Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei in a telephone call "to take action to put an end to violence and terrorism," according to a Palestinian official.
- Space exploration: China launches its first astronaut, Yang Liwei into orbit aboard a Shenzhou spacecraft, Shenzhou 5. The 21-hour trip is planned to circle the planet 14 times.
- 2003 occupation of Iraq: Japan offers $1.5 billion aid to Iraq in what could be the first tranche of a total of $5 billion.
- United States Supreme Court : Supreme Court agreed to hear a case stemming from a lawsuit by an atheist over whether his nine-year-old daughter's tax-supported school should be permitted to hold a compulsory form of the recitations of the Pledge of Allegiance. An earlier court decision decreed that tax-supported schools may not require students to participate in the pledge. Plaintiffs in the suit charge claim that the patriotic oath as it is recited in most classrooms is an unconstitutional blending of church and state. The court is expected to settle whether the phrase "under God" will remain in the pledge when the court hears the case sometime next year.
- Literature: The Irish-based Australian novelist D.B.C. Pierre (real name Peter Finlay) wins the 2003 Booker prize with his first novel, Vernon God Little, a satire on a Texas high-school massacre.
- Religion: Anglican leaders from around the world meet in Lambeth Palace in an attempt to avoid a schism on the issue of homosexuality in the clergy. The Church of Ireland Archbishop of Armagh, Robin Eames says that the Anglican Communion is moving towards a "consensus situation" on the issue of homosexuality and the clergy at its meeting in Lambeth Palace.
- International relations - Israeli-Palestinian conflict: The US vetoes a United Nations Security Council resolution condemning Israel's controversial West Bank wall. .
- New York City: A collision between the Staten Island Ferry "Andrew J. Barberi" and a pier at the St. George ferry terminal on Staten Island has left at least ten people dead.
- The Canadian Alliance and Progressive Conservative Party of Canada strike a deal to merge. The deal creating the Conservative Party of Canada must be ratified by each party's membership before December 12.
- Azerbaijan: Presidential elections.
- Baseball: National League Championship Series: The Florida Marlins defeat the Chicago Cubs 4 games to 3 to advance to the 2003 World Series.
- Religion: RTÉ's Prime Time current affairs programme reports that Cahal Cardinal Daly, then Bishop of Down and Conor, refused to accept allegations passed on to him by students of improper sexual conduct by Monsignor Micheal Ledwith, then head of St Patrick's College, Maynooth, Ireland's major seminary. According to the programme Daly became aggressive, telling students "go back and say your prayers". The TV programme confirms that Daly, and his predecessor, Tómas Cardinal Ó Fiaich, were centrally involved in efforts to silence critics of Ledwith, including forcing the resignation of one dean of students who informed them of allegations that Ledwith was making sexual advances against student priests. Ledwith subsequently left the college after paying damages to an under-age teenager to whom he allegedly made sexual advances. Ledwith, once an internationally famous Catholic theologian tipped to become Catholic Archbishop of Dublin, is now associated with an American New Age cult. Having been tracked down by the programme, Ledwith refuses to comment 'for legal reasons'.
- Liberia: The Inauguration of a new government takes place. The rebels are expected to disarm.
- Sniper - Terrorism: Trial of John Allen Muhammad, who is suspected of being the Washington DC serial sniper, begins. He pleads not guilty.
- Weapons: The BBC reports that dissident IRA groups are supplying the weapons that have led to a recent surge in UK gun crime.
- Instant Messaging: Microsoft chatrooms are closing down today. Free unmoderated chatrooms outside the US are being closed in what Microsoft claim is an attempt to safeguard children.
- Israeli-Palestinian conflict: Israel orders the expulsion of 15 Palestinian detainees from the West Bank to the Gaza Strip.
- British Politics: Conservative Party leader, Iain Duncan Smith, is being investigated by Parliamentary Standards Commissioner Sir Philip Mawer over allegations that he paid a secretarial salary to his wife without her doing sufficient work to warrant the payments.
- Law - A British HIV carrier is found guilty of causing grievous bodily harm after infecting two lovers.
- 2003 occupation of Iraq: New draft resolution being circulated at UN aims at getting international aid. The resolution sets a deadline for initial steps, if only for a transitional step, toward restoring Iraqi sovereignty, giving the Iraqi Governing Council until December 15 to develop a timetable for writing a constitution and holding elections. The Bush administration proposes that the United Nations recognize the Iraqi Governing Council as a unit that "will embody the sovereignty" of Iraq until the country returns to self-rule.
- Mass media: Rush Limbaugh's drug addiction revealed by housekeeper. Newsweek reports Limbaugh’s exposure as a pain-pill addict began when Wilma Cline (who had worked at Limbaugh from 1997 to July 2001) showed up at the Palm Beach County state attorney's office late last year eager to sic the cops on her former boss. Cline had delivered enough pills to Limbaugh "to kill an elephant", she stated to the National Enquirer.
- Israeli-Palestinian conflict: Israeli incursion leaves 1,240 Palestinians homeless, UN agency finds. The Israeli demolition of refugee shelters in Rafah camp on the southern Gaza Strip last week has left 1,240 people homeless, United Nations relief workers state.
- Ireland: The Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, and the British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, have begun talks in
