December 10, 2003

=December 10, 2003=

* Western leaders are criticised at the World Summit on the Information Society in Geneva. [http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsArticle.jhtml?type=technologyNews&storyID=3968760&section=news]
* 2004 Taiwan Presidential Election: President Chen Shui-bian is officially nominated by his Democratic Progressive Party and picks Vice President Annette Lu as his running mate. [http://www.ajc.com/news/content/news/ap/ap_story.html/Intl/AP.V1414.AP-Taiwan-Vice-Pre.html]
* Campaign finance reform, passed as the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002, is upheld by a slim majority of the U.S. Supreme Court. [http://www.upi.com/view.cfm?StoryID=20031210-102525-5148r] , [http://www.supremecourtus.gov/opinions/03pdf/02-1674.pdf]
* Canada's BC Ferry system experiences a total shutdown due to job action by its union, after an 80-day cooling-off period, imposed by the provincial government, was not rescinded. [http://vancouver.cbc.ca/regional/servlet/View?filename=bc_strikepm20031210]
* The Barron Report into the Dublin and Monaghan Bombings in 1974 concludes that the Ulster Volunteer Force was responsible for the largest terrorist attack in the history of the Irish Troubles, which killed 33 people. It also concludes that some members of the Royal Ulster Constabulary and British military intelligence may have been involved in the attacks. The report strongly criticises the Irish National Coalition government (1973-77) for its handling of the crisis and criticises the United Kingdom for failures to offer assistance and information to track down the murderers. [http://www.rte.ie/news/2003/1210/bombings.html]
*Shirin Ebadi of Iran receives the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway. In her acceptance speech she delivers heavy criticism against the War on Terrorism as an excuse for human rights violations. She also repeats her argument that discrimination against women in Muslim countries has no foundation in religion, but rather in culture. [http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article.jhtml?articleID=688293] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3306803.stm]
*Occupation of Iraq:
**The Iraq Interim Governing Council announces the creation of a war crimes tribunal, to prosecute crimes against humanity committed under the Ba'ath Party régime (14 July 1968 to 1 May 2003). [http://www.ajc.com/news/content/news/ap/ap_story.html/Intl/AP.V9823.AP-Iraq.html] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3306605.stm]
**The European Commission announces it will investigate whether exclusion of Iraq war opponents from industrial contracts to rebuild the country constitutes a violation of WTO rules by the U.S. [http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsPackageArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=GGH0V1F5OSAHOCRBAE0CFFA?type=worldNews&storyID=419989&section=news] UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan condemns the "divisive" exclusion. [http://sify.com/news/international/fullstory.php?id=13331865]
**The People's Republic of China urges Japan not to send Japan Self-Defense Forces to Iraq. [http://famulus.msnbc.com/FamulusIntl/reuters12-10-182227.asp]
* Following electoral success in the Northwest Territories general election, 2003 Joe Handley is unopposed for election as premier of the Northwest Territories by the legislature. Two prospective opponents had chosen not to run against him. [http://www.cbc.ca/stories/2003/12/10/nwt_premier031210]
*Scott Brison becomes the fourth caucus member of the former Progressive Conservative Party of Canada to leave the new Conservative Party of Canada, crossing the floor to the Liberals. [http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1071056728899&call_pageid=968332188492&col=968793972154]
*Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada, issues a proclamation officially acknowledging the deportation of the Acadians, 248 years after it took place. The proclamation is delivered by Heritage Minister Sheila Copps, who is of Acadian descent. [http://www.cbc.ca/stories/2003/12/10/acadian031210]