September 25, 2003

=September 25, 2003=

* 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." [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A60582-2003Sep24.html] [http://www.inq7.net/brk/2003/sep/25/brkafp_2-1.htm]
*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". [http://web.amnesty.org/pages/nga-010902-background-eng] [http://www.hrw.org/reports/2004/nigeria0904/5.htm]
* Business: Kodak has said that it will no longer make major investments in conventional photographic film. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/3141414.stm]
* 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. [http://www.iht.com/articles/111275.html]
* Natural disaster: An earthquake of magnitude 8.0 struck near the island of Hokkaidō in Japan at 19:50:07 (UTC). A 7-foot tall tsunami was generated off the coast of Hokkaidō 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. [http://earthquake.usgs.gov/recenteqsww/Quakes/uszdap.htm]
* 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. [http://www.nature.com/nsu/030922/030922-10.html]
* 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. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3136004.stm]
* 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." [http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s953157.htm]
* 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.