- October 18, 2003
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October 18 ,2003 =*
Asia -International relations : Leaders ofPacific-rim nations gather inBangkok ahead of the 11thAsian Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) conference. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/3201744.stm] [http://interestalert.com/brand/siteia.shtml?Story=st/sn/10180000aaa07407.upi&Sys=siteia&Fid=LATEBRKN&Type=News&Filter=Late%20Breaking] [http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/18/international/asia/18CHIN.html?th]President George W. Bush arrives inThailand ahead of anAPEC summit of 21Asia-Pacific government leaders which is likely to be dominated by discussions of theWar on Terrorism andtrade friction between rich andpoor nation s (trade and currency).
*Middle East : New audio tapes, allegedly fromOsama bin Laden , air on theAl Jazeera network. [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=KYCXOXMVLCADACRBAELCFEY?type=topNews&storyID=3641017]
*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. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3199684.stm]
*Petroleum :Zimbabwe 's state oil corporation is reported to have run out of fuel, aggravating the continuing acute fuel crisis. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3203836.stm]
*Natural disaster : Officials declare a state of emergency due to severeflood ing inSquamish, British Columbia . Parts of the town are evacuated. [http://www.cbc.ca/stories/2003/10/18/squamish_031018]
* Canadian Prime MinisterJean Chrétien , visitingAfghanistan 's PresidentHamid Karzai , is whisked out ofKabul owing to reports of a rocket attack. The reports turn out to be unfounded. [http://www.cbc.ca/stories/2003/10/18/pm_kabul031018]
*Kosovo : First death of forcedstarvation inEurope for the last 50 years. Zhivorad Velikinac (age 65) fromUrosevac died in hospital inKosovska 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 otherSerbs were too afraid to visit him.
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