October 15, 2003

=October 15, 2003=

* 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. [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A32403-2003Oct15.html] [http://slate.msn.com/id/2089881/]
* 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. [http://www.rte.ie/news/2003/1015/mideast.html] [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=LSUC5YQ5L5VGOCRBAEKSFEY?type=topNews&storyID=3619857]
*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. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3192330.stm] [http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200310/15/eng20031015_126043.shtml]
* 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. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/3193128.stm]
* 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. [http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/news/2003/oct/14/101409718.html]
*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. [http://www.rte.ie/news/2003/1015/booker.html]
*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. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/3192728.stm] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/3192728.stm]
* International relations - Israeli-Palestinian conflict: The US vetoes a United Nations Security Council resolution condemning Israel's controversial West Bank wall. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3192762.stm]
*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. [http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/Northeast/10/15/ferry.accident/index.html]
*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. [http://www.cbc.ca/stories/2003/10/15/unitetheright031015]
*Azerbaijan: Presidential elections. [http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/election.watch/europe/azerbaijan3.html]
*Baseball: National League Championship Series: The Florida Marlins defeat the Chicago Cubs 4 games to 3 to advance to the 2003 World Series. [http://www.thedesertsun.com/news/stories2003/sports/20031016032539.shtml]