- September 2004
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September 2004 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December See also:September 2004 in sports Events
September 1 ,2004 *
Alu Alkhanov is confirmed as the winner of the presidential election inChechnya , with 73.67 percent of the vote. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3619428.stm (BBC)]
* Conflict in Iraq:
** The number ofU.S. military personnel wounded since the invasion of Iraq now stands at 6,916, an increase of almost 1,500 since the transfer of power onJune 28 , and a nearly two-fold increase since mid-April. The number of military dead is now 975, an increase of about 300 since sovereignty was restored. [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5886406/ (MSNBC)]
** Seven truck drivers who were being held hostage by Iraqi militants are released after nearly six weeks in captivity. The threeKenya ns, threeIndia ns, and oneEgypt ian were abductedJuly 21 and had been threatened with death unless Gulf Link Transport, aKuwait i trucking company, stopped doing work in Iraq. All seven drivers are heading back to Kuwait. [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,131067,00.html (Fox News)]
*Iran has informed theInternational Atomic Energy Agency that it plans to convert 37 tons (33,600 kg) ofyellowcake uranium intouranium hexafluoride — estimated to be enough for 5nuclear weapon s. [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=6126927 (Reuters)]
*Beslan hostage crisis : Approximately 30 armed men and women seize aschool inBeslan ,North Ossetia , aRussia n city close toChechnya , taking over 1,300 adults and childrenhostage . Russianpolice andarmy units quickly surround the school, beginning a three day standoff. [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=6125624 (Reuters)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/3616868.stm (BBC)]
* A group of 29 persons, thought to beNorth Korean defector s seeking asylum, storm a Japanese school inBeijing , China. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3616776.stm (BBC)]
* TheNepal esepolice impose an indefinitecurfew on thenation 's capital,Kathmandu . The curfew follows a series of violentprotest s that have targeted randomMuslim s and amosque in retaliation for the killing of 12 Nepalihostage s inIraq . [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3616712.stm (BBC)] [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=6120244 (Reuters)]
*2004 Republican National Convention : U.S. Vice PresidentDick Cheney accepts re-nomination and harshly criticizes Democratic candidateJohn Kerry . [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3619786.stm (BBC)] [http://www.guardian.co.uk/uselections2004/story/0,13918,1295626,00.html (The Guardian)] [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,11069-1243706,00.html (The Times)]
*Therape prosecution brought against U.S.basketball starKobe Bryant is dismissed, with prejudice, when it becomes clear that his accuser will refuse to testify. The civil suit filed by his accuser proceeds. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3620018.stm (BBC)]
* Former British Prime MinisterMargaret Thatcher posts a 2 million rand (USD 300,000) bond for her son, SirMark Thatcher , who was underhouse arrest inCape Town ,South Africa for allegedly funding a coup plot inEquatorial Guinea . [http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/africa/09/01/equatorial.thatcher/index.html (CNN)]September 2 ,2004 * A night-time fire breaks out in the
Duchess Anna Amalia Library (a UNESCOWorld Heritage Site ) inWeimar ,Thuringia ,Germany . Damage is estimated in the millions of dollars and 40,000 to 50,000 books were destroyed. An authentic LutheranBible from1534 was saved. The library contains more than 1,000,000 volumes, including the Duchess' 13,000-volume music collection, the world's largest collection of materials relating to Goethe's masterpiece "Faust," and an important collection of Shakespeariana. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3625042.stm (BBC)] [http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1094187590872&p=1006688055060 (Jerusalem Post)]
*U.S. presidential election:George W. Bush accepts the Republican nomination for a second term in office as the party's National Convention concludes, signaling the beginning of all-out campaigning by Bush and SenatorJohn Kerry .
* Two security guards atMI5 's headquarters inLondon are attacked by a man carrying amachete . [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/3625402.stm (BBC)]
*Alex Salmond is re-elected as leader of theScottish National Party . [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/3622728.stm (BBC)]
*Beslan school hostage crisis : Armed men and women continue to hold over 1,300 adults and childrenhostage inBeslan ,North Ossetia ,Russia . Russian authorities announce that they have, for the moment, ruled out the use of force to end the standoff, while Chechenrebel leaderAslan Maskhadov denies that his forces are responsible. Late in the day, 26 women and children are released by the hostage-takers. (BBC: [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3620498.stm 1] , [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3621418.stm 2] )
* Conflict in Iraq: The U.S. military bombs a site inFallujah , in what the U.S. describes as a "precision" attack on a militant safe house.Hospital officials say that at least seventeencivilians , including up to threechildren , were killed. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3619858.stm (BBC)]
* FormerMalaysia n opposition leaderAnwar Ibrahim is freed from jail after hissodomy conviction is overturned by the country's highest court. [http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000080&sid=abS0aIHad388&refer=asia (Bloomberg)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3619790.stm (BBC)]
* The UNwar crimes tribunal inThe Hague declares former Yugoslav PresidentSlobodan Milošević unfit to represent himself in his trial, and appoints two lawyers to his defense. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3620446.stm (BBC News)]
*South Korea admits that, in2000 , its scientists secretly enricheduranium to near nuclear-weapon level. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/3620566.stm (BBC)]September 3 ,2004 *The
Taiwan Affairs Office of theState Council of the People's Republic of China criticizesChen Shui-bian 's recent suggestion that "Taiwan" is the best abbreviation for theRepublic of China , characterizing it as an attempt to promoteTaiwan independence . [http://www.etaiwannews.com/Taiwan/2004/09/04/1094265768.htm (Taiwan News)] [http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200409/04/eng20040904_155873.html (People's Daily)] [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=6150137 (Reuters)]
*At the request ofSyria , and in defiance ofUnited Nations Security Council Resolution 1559,Lebanon amends itsconstitution to allow PresidentÉmile Lahoud to serve an additional term. [http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/international/AP-Lebanon-President.html (NYT)]
* Former United States PresidentBill Clinton is to receive urgent heart bypass surgery as early as Monday. He was admitted to New York Presbyterian Hospital on Friday after anangiogram showedlesion s in multiple coronary arteries. [http://apnews.myway.com/article/20040903/D84SANK01.html (AP)] [http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/09/03/clinton.tests/index.html (CNN)]
*Beslan school hostage crisis :
** Thehostage crisis inBeslan ,North Ossetia ,Russia ends violently as fighting erupts in the early afternoon between the hostage-takers and Russianspecial forces . Special forces teams storm the school, in attempt to save the remaining hostages, after two explosions are heard and the hostage-takers fire on a medical team attempting to remove dead bodies. Several hundred people die in the ensuing battle; the hostage-takers shoot some hostages are shot in the back as the hostages attempt to flee.
** Official reports list 335 confirmed dead, including 156 children, and more than 700 wounded; 176 remain missing. Some of the hostage-takers briefly escape, but eventually all are reported killed or captured by Russian authorities. (BBC: [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3624024.stm 1] , [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3624024.stm 2] , [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3624024.stm 3] ) (Interfax: [http://www2.interfax.ru/eng/news/politics/040903/64859/story.html 1] , [http://www.interfax.ru/e/B/0/28.html?id_issue=10699281 2] )September 4 ,2004 * 2.5 million
Florida residents are ordered to evacuate their homes in preparation forHurricane Frances , which has already hit theBahamas andTurks and Caicos Islands . Frances is currently a strong Category Two Hurricane, and will be very near the east coast of Florida by late tonight or early next morning. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/3625252.stm (BBC)] [http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCPAT1+shtml/ (NOAA/NHC)]September 5 ,2004 * Two large
earthquakes strike westernJapan , the first measuring 6.9 and the second 7.3 on the Richter scale.Tsunami s 1–2m (3–7 ft) are expected to hit the Pacific coast. [http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=564&ncid=716&e=15&u=/nm/20040905/ts_nm/quake_japan_dc (Reuters)]
*Women on Waves , a group that providesabortion s ininternational waters for women in countries where the procedure is outlawed, is denied access to Portuguese territorial waters. The Portuguese government has placed warships in the vicinity to enforce the decision. [http://www.indymedia.org/or/2004/09/111778.shtml (Indymedia)]
* Iraqi officials now say that contrary to earlier reports,Izzat Ibrahim ad-Douri , the deputy commander ofIraq 's armed forces during the rule ofSaddam Hussein , has not been captured. Medical tests now show that the man who had been identified as Izzat Ibrahim is actually one of his relatives. Seventy of Izzat Ibrahim's supporters are now dead and 80 have been captured. Izzat Ibrahim ad-Douri is number six on the U.S.'s list of the 55 most wanted Iraqis. [http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/09/06/iraq.main/index.html (CNN)] [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=6158502 (Reuters)]
*Hurricane Frances , a Category Two Hurricane, moves acrossFlorida .Insurance claims for damages are estimated to be between USD 2 and 10 billion. At least two deaths are attributed to Frances in theBahamas , and one in Gainesville, Florida. [http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCPAT1+shtml/ (NOAA/NHC)] [http://msnbc.msn.com/id/5921725/ (MSNBC)]September 6 ,2004 *Conflict in Iraq: Near the
Sunni city ofFallujah , seven U.S. Marines and threeIraq i soldiers are killed in an ambush. Elsewhere, U.S. troops, backed by U.S. planes and Iraqi forces, raid the city ofNajaf . The U.S. military tells residents to flee, mounts a pincer movement to trap theMahdi army in the city center, and raidsMoqtada al-Sadr 's house again. [http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,10681861%255E401,00.html (News Interactive[ Australia] )] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3630966.stm (BBC)]
* Theheart bypass surgery being performed on former United States PresidentBill Clinton is successfully completed. Clinton will spend the night in the intensive care unit of New York-Presbyterian Hospital before being moved to the general care unit tomorrow. Full recovery from the surgery could take a month. [http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/09/06/clinton.bypass/index.html (CNN)]September 7 ,2004 * The
United States Congress returns from its summer vacation. Several new pieces of legislation, including a major intelligence reform bill, are in the works in response to the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission. [http://www.guardian.co.uk/uslatest/story/0,1282,-4479502,00.html (The Guardian)]
* Fighting between U.S. forces and Shia insurgents across Baghdad's Sadr City suburb has left at least 34 dead, including one American. TheAssociated Press reports that this death marks the 1,000th U.S. combat fatality in Iraq. [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5911852/ (MSNBC)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3633742.stm (BBC)]
*2004 Atlantic hurricane season :
**Hurricane Frances , now downgraded to atropical depression , dumps up to 5 inches (127 mm) of rain on Georgia. At least nine deaths inFlorida , two deaths in theBahamas , and one death in Georgia are blamed on the storm. Damage estimates range widely from US$2 to US$15 billion.NASA 'sVehicle Assembly Building was heavily damaged by the storm. [http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/space/09/06/nasa.frances.cnn/ (CNN)] [http://msnbc.msn.com/id/5926976/ (MSNBC)]
**Hurricane Ivan strikesGrenada , then strengthens back to Category Four strength. [http://www.cnn.com/2004/WEATHER/09/07/hurricane.ivan.grenada.ap/index.html (CNN)]
* Conflict in Iraq:
** The BritishRoyal Institute of International Affairs issues a [http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/pdf/research/mep/BP0904.pdf?PHPSESSID=f603f5468afb87ae903834e70932bf14 report (pdf)] saying that if current conditions continue unabated inIraq , the most likely outcome would be a majorcivil war which could destabilize the entireMiddle East . [http://www.christiansciencemonitor.com/2004/0906/dailyUpdate.html?s=ent2 (Christian Science Monitor)] [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=6145759 (Reuters)]
** Two Italian NGO employees,Simona Torretta andSimona Pari , and two Iraqi citizens of undisclosed identity, are kidnapped from their office in centralBaghdad by a 20 mancommando team. They worked for the humanitarian organization "Un ponte per Baghdad ". [http://www.repubblica.it/2004/i/sezioni/esteri/itarap/itarap/itarap.html (La Repubblica)] [http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/08/international/middleeast/08kidnap.html (NYT)]
*Israeli-Palestinian conflict : AnIsrael i attack on aHamas training camp kills 14 members of the military wing of Hamas. [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=6166677 (Reuters)]September 8 ,2004 * Conflict in Russia (Chechnya):
Russian President Vladimir Putin 's government offers 300 million rubles (USD 10m) for information leading to the arrest of Chechen rebel leadersShamil Basayev andAslan Maskhadov . Maskhadov was the lastdemocratic ally elected leader ofChechnya . [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3636818.stm (BBC)] [http://www.guardian.co.uk/russia/article/0,2763,1299663,00.html (Guardian)]
*U.N. officials say a ten-year-oldPalestinian girl is in critical condition after being hit by "indiscriminate" gunfire fromIsrael i forces while sitting in school. Israel alleges that it exchanged fire with militants in the area but says it did not fire at buildings. [http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=11841&Cr=palestin&Cr1= (UN)] [http://www.kplctv.com/Global/story.asp?S=2271450 (AP)] [http://www.turkishpress.com/turkishpress/news.asp?ID=26447 (AFP)] [http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=3468995 (The Scotsman)]
* 2004 U.S. presidential election:
** The National Board of theLog Cabin Republicans votes 22-2 against endorsingGeorge W. Bush , citing his support for a constitutional amendment to define marriage in the U.S. The LCR is the largest group of gay men and lesbians in the Republican Party. This is the first time in the group's ten-year history that it has not endorsed the Republican candidate for president. [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5941189/ (MSNBC)]
** US Democrats and Republicans wrangle over Vice PresidentDick Cheney 's remarks about Democratic candidateJohn Kerry andterrorism . Cheney originally said, "It's absolutely essential that eight weeks from today, on Nov. 2, we make the right choice, because if we make the wrong choice then the danger is that we'll get hit again and we'll be hit in a way that will be devastating from the standpoint of the United States." The Kerry campaign interpreted this remark as a claim that, if John Kerry was elected, America would be hit by a devastating terrorist attack. The next day, Cheney told the "Cincinnati Enquirer," "I did not say if Kerry is elected, we will be hit by a terrorist attack." Democrats contend that Cheney's original statement reveals that Republicans "have consciously adopted a strategy of using Americans' justifiable fear of a future terrorist attack as a political tool." Democratic VP candidateJohn Edwards says that Cheney's remark shows that he and Bush "will do anything and say anything to save their jobs". [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3636852.stm (BBC)] ( [http://www.misleader.org/daily_mislead/Read.asp?fn=df09102004.html The Daily Misleader] )
** CBS News announces the discovery of newly uncovered records of United States PresidentGeorge W. Bush 's service in theAir National Guard . These documents are known as the "Killian memos ". The Democratic campaign concludes (1) that the records show then Lieutenant Bush disobeyed orders, and (2) that the Bush campaign lied about having made all such records public. [http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/B/BUSH_NATIONAL_GUARD?SITE=TNNAT&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT (Nashville Tennessean/AP)] Within hours, several bloggers question the authenticity of the memos, which prove to be modern forgeries produced with Microsoft Word rather than historic documents made on a typewriter; nevertheless, the documents heightened awareness of facts related tangentially to the memo, including that President Bush avoided duty in Vietnam at a time in which avoidance of such service was both highly in demand and difficult to obtain.
* A federal judge in Lincoln,Nebraska , USA, strikes down thePartial-Birth Abortion Ban Act , citing a lack of an exception to protect the health of the mother. This is the third time the controversial law has been declared unconstitutional by a federal judge within the last month. It is almost assured that the government will appeal the decision to the Supreme Court. [http://www.cnn.com/2004/LAW/09/08/nebraska.abortion.ap/index.html (CNN.com)]
* Italians outraged by the latestkidnapping inIraq — of two Italian aid workers — gather toprotest outside Prime MinisterSilvio Berlusconi 's offices inRome . [http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storyprint.cfm?storyID=3590013 (New Zealand Herald)]
* TheNASA unmanned spacecraft Genesis crash-lands as its parachute fails to open. The damage to the science instruments and collected samples on board is not yet known. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3638926.stm (BBC)]September 9 ,2004 * United States Secretary of State
Colin Powell declares that the actions of theJanjaweed Arab militia inDarfur constitutegenocide . Powell holds the government ofSudan responsible. Up to 50,000 ethnic Africans have been killed and 2.2 million displaced into refugee camps in neighboringChad by ethnic Arab militias. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/3641820.stm (BBC)] [http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/africa/09/09/sudan.powell/index.html (CNN)]
* A car bomb explodes outside theAustralia nembassy inJakarta ,Indonesia , killing 9 people (according to the BBC) and wounding 180.Jemaah Islamiyah , theSoutheast Asia n terrorist group connected withAl Qaeda , is believed responsible. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3643264.stm (BBC)] [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=6191406 (Reuters)] [http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,10714565%255E2,00.html (News.com.au)]
* Four (or possibly five)Palestinian s, including a 9 year old boy, aHamas militant, and two young Palestinian men, are killed asIsrael i tanks force their way into theJabaliya refugee camp in northernGaza while receiving gunfire from scores of gunmen opposed to the invasion. [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=6193620 (Reuters)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3640212.stm (BBC)]
* U.S. andIraq i forces have launched an offensive to driveinsurgent s out of the northern Iraqi town ofTalafar . Hospital sources say at least 17 people have been killed including several women and children. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3640146.stm (BBC)]
* Seventy suspectedTaliban orAl Qaida terrorists are said to have been killed in aPakistan i air raid close to the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. Severalcivilian s are also believed to have been killed. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3640162.stm (BBC)]
* Sander Bersi famous violin player and succesfull businessmen died 88 years old
*Costa Rica asks the U.S. to remove it from the list of Iraq coalition partners. [http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/10/international/americas/10costa.html (NYT)]
* Crown PrinceAl-Muhtadee Billah ofBrunei marriesPengiran Anak Sarah . [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3640114.stm (BBC)]
*2004 Atlantic hurricane season :Hurricane Ivan strengthens to the first Category 5 hurricane of the season, with sustained wind speeds of 160 mi/h (260 km/h). It is currently forecast to strikeJamaica ,Cuba and possiblyFlorida . The storm has the potential to cause catastrophic damage. [http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCPAT4+shtml/090543.shtml? (NOAA/NHC)]
* An event suspected to be a large explosion occurred inNorth Korea 's second northernmost province ofRyanggang . The nature and cause of the suspected explosion is the subject of speculation. There are many political implications surrounding potential causes and the secrecy of the North Korean government about it.September 10 ,2004 * An air strike in
Iraq reportedly killsHabib Akdas , a man thought to be the leader of a terrorist cell responsible for the November 2003 bombings of two synagogues, a bank, and an embassy inIstanbul . Akdas was thought to have fled from Turkey to neighboring Iraq after the 2003 bombings to escape authorities. [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5962663/ (MSNBC)]
* A train crash inSweden kills two and injures 30. The accident happened when a passenger train collided with a lorry on a railway crossing inKristianstad . [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3644594.stm (BBC)]
*Zimbabwe sentences British mercenary and former SAS officerSimon Mann to seven years inprison for his role in attempting the violent overthrow of the government ofEquatorial Guinea . [http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,1301856,00.html (The Guardian)]
* Questions are raised about the authenticity of memos obtained by theCBS television network and broadcast on itsSeptember 7 issue of60 Minutes . The memos were purportedly written by Lt. Col.Jerry B. Killian , one ofGeorge W. Bush 's commanding officers in theTexas Air National Guard . One of the memos which was supposed to have been written in1973 , uses aproportional font ,kerning , andsuperscript s which were unlikely to have been available in typewriters of the period. SeeKillian memos . [http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/09/10/bush.guard.ap/index.html (CNN)]
* Abdel Aziz Ashkar, 34, aHamas chief from theJabaliya refugee camp, is killed while attempting to fire ananti-tank rocket at invadingIsrael i forces in the northernGaza Strip . [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3640212.stm (BBC)] [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=6205891 (Reuters)]
*Hindu hardliners, the VHP, announce plans to pull down the controversial tomb ofAfzalkhan on Sunday, in a grim echo of the 1992 razing of theBabri Mosque inAyodhya that sparked some ofIndia 's worstreligious riots . [http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/846500.cms (Times of India)]
* AUnited States air strike on theIraq i city ofFallujah kills one and wounds two others. [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=6203676 (Reuters)]
* A team ofastronomer s working on theYepun telescope inChile believe they have made the first direct image of aplanetary system beyond thesolar system . The star, called2M1207 , is 230light-year s away and is much smaller and fainter than theSun . [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3644410.stm (BBC)]
*Three men possessing homemade bullets at an illegal arms workshop are arrested in connection with theMarch 19, 2004 assassination attempt in Taiwan . [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3643796.stm (BBC)] [http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/eastasia/view/106011/1/.html (Channel News Asia)]September 11 ,2004 * Americans commemorate the third anniversary of the
September 11, 2001 attacks . U.S. President George Bush andFirst Lady Laura Bush observe a moment of silence on the South Lawn of theWhite House to officially begin the day of remembrance. [http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/09/11/sept11.anniversary.ap/index.html (CNN)]
* Peter VII, theGreek Orthodox Patriarch of Alexandria , dies along with 15 others, including three other bishops, in a helicopter crash en route toMount Athos . [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3647624.stm (BBC)]
* InAfghanistan ,Major General Eric Olson , the operational commander of U.S.-led forces in Afghanistan, says senior leaders ofAl Qaeda , probably includingOsama bin Laden , are still in command. [http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AFGHAN_AL_QAIDA?SITE=TXSHE&SECTION=HOME (AP)]
* AUnited States court martial inBaghdad ,Iraq sentences Specialist Armin J. Cruz to eight months in jail for maltreating and conspiring to maltreat Iraqi detainees at Abu Ghraib prison. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3646748.stm (BBC News)]
*Charles Robert Jenkins reports toUnited States authorities inJapan after living 39 years inNorth Korea . [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3645466.stm (BBC News)]
*2004 Atlantic hurricane season : Twenty-five foot waves and high winds fromHurricane Ivan hit the southern coast of Jamaica early Saturday morning, destroying homes and causing five deaths. There are also reports of looters roaming the streets of Jamaica's capital city, Kingston, some of whom are reportedly robbing emergency workers at gunpoint. As of 17:00 local time (21:00 UTC), Ivan has regained Category Five strength, and is now located about 234 km (134 miles) west of Jamaica and is headed toward theCayman Islands and westernCuba . Hurricane warnings have been issued for the Cayman Islands, western Cuba, and theFlorida Keys . The death toll from Ivan now stands at 50. [http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsPackageArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=581321§ion=news (Reuters)] [http://abcnews.go.com/wire/World/ap20040911_761.html (ABC)] [http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2004/pub/al092004.public.038.shtml? (NOAA/NHC)]
* At the sixty firstVenice Film Festival , British directorMike Leigh is awarded several prizes, including the prestigious Golden Lion ("Leone d'Oro") award, for his movie "Vera Drake ," about a working-class mother arrested for performing illegal abortions in1950s Britain. The star of the movie,Imelda Staunton , receives the award for best actress. [http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsPackageArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=581587§ion=news (Reuters)]September 12 ,2004 * The
Hong Kong Legislative Council election, 2004 achieves record turnout. In the direct election, the pro-democracy parties gain one seat and receive 60 percent of the vote while the pro-government parties unexpectedly gain seven seats. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3648568.stm (BBC)]
* At least 110Iraq is are killed in a day of widespread violence, as the U.S. engages in new offensives to retake insurgent-held areas before the January elections. Anal-Arabiya journalist is killed during a live broadcast whenattack helicopter s fire at a crowd gathered around a burning Bradley vehicle inBaghdad . Helicopters andtank s fire on residential areas in rebel-occupiedRamadi . More fighting takes place inTal Afar andHilla . [http://olympics.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=6212585 (Reuters)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3648786.stm (BBC)]
* 40,000 demonstrators protest inJerusalem against Prime MinisterAriel Sharon 's plans to force allIsrael iJew s to leave theGaza Strip and parts of theWest Bank . [http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/477191.html (Haaretz)]
*Vojislav Koštunica ,Prime Minister of Serbia , reverses the earlier decision by Serbian Minister of EducationLjiljana Čolić to suspend the teaching of Darwin's theory ofevolution inSerbia n schools for the current school year. Čolić had declared that the suspension would continue until schools could give equal weight to the ideas ofCreationism . [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=6201322 (Reuters)] [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/09/09/wdarw09.xml&sSheet=/news/2004/09/09/ixworld.html (news.telegraph)]
*Ryanggang explosion :
** TheSouth Korean news agencyYonhap reports that onSeptember 9 th (or possibly 8th) there was an explosion in theNorth Korea n province ofRyanggang massive enough to produce amushroom cloud 3.5–4.0 km (2.0–2.5 miles) indiameter .National security officials worldwide are hesitant to classify it as anuclear explosion [http://english.yna.co.kr/Engnews/20040912/320000000020040912130313E0.html (Yonhap)] [http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040912/ap_on_re_as/nkorea_explosion (AP)] [http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/asiapcf/09/12/nkorea.blast/index.html (CNN)]
** U.S. Secretary of StateColin Powell says specifically that the explosion "does not appear to be a nuclear event." [http://www.voanews.com/article.cfm?objectID=A10D4DFC-CB69-4B79-ACA90471B796E987&title=Powell%3A%20North%20Korean%20Explosion%20Probably%20Not%20Nuclear%20&catOID=45C9C78B-88AD-11D4-A57200A0CC5EE46C&categoryname=Asia%20Pacific (VOA)]
* The government ofSaudi Arabia announces that the first nationwideelection s in the kingdom's history will occur early next year. This is the biggest step toward reform theGulf state has ever taken, although the government has been promising to hold elections since [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3188310.stm October] of 2003. The first ballots will be cast onFebruary 10 ,2005 , for council seats in theRiyadh capital district. It is not known if women will be allowed to vote in the elections. [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5970996/ (MSNBC.com)]September 13 ,2004 * Following
Time Warner 's withdrawal, the management ofMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer accepts a take-over offer fromSony worth just under US$3 billion. [http://www.canada.com/national/nationalpost/financialpost/story.html?id=83c1e613-222e-4895-b476-644565c6116c (National Post)]
* AFathers 4 Justice protester dressed asBatman breaches security atBuckingham Palace and scales a wall. He remains on a balcony for five hours before being arrested by police. [http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/europe/09/13/britain.palace/index.html (CNN)]
*United States Secretary of StateColin Powell says that he saw no direct connection betweenSaddam Hussein 's former regime inIraq and theSeptember 11, 2001 attacks . During an interview onNBC 's "Meet the Press ," Powell also said he believes that ifJohn Kerry were president at the time of aterrorist attack he would respond in a "robust" way. [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A16707-2004Sep12.html (Washington Post)]
* The "pre-election offensive" against theIraqi resistance continues in therebel -held city ofFallujah , with air-strikes killing at least 16, including women and children. Joint U.S.-Iraqi forces say that they are targetingJordanian militantAbu Musab al-Zarqawi , who is linked toal-Qaeda . The U.S. military says it is investigating an incident that occurred September 12th inBaghdad in which five people, including an "al-Arabiya " journalist broadcasting live, were killed in ahelicopter attack. [http://olympics.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=6216912 (Reuters)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3650762.stm (BBC)]
* InAfghanistan , 22 insurgents believed to be members of theTaliban andal-Qaeda are killed in the province ofZabul . Zabul Province is widely regarded as a Talebanstronghold . [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/3651202.stm (BBC)]
* Former UDA member Ken Barrett pleads guilty to the murder of solicitor Pat Finucane in 1989 — one of the most controversial murders ofNorthern Ireland 's Troubles. [http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsPackageArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=582279§ion=news (Reuters)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/3650842.stm (BBC)]
*2004 Atlantic hurricane season :
**Hurricane Ivan , still at Category Five strength, continues to travel northward, causing damage throughout the westernCaribbean . As of 23:00 local time (0300 UTC September 13), it is located about 285 km (175 miles) southeast of the western tip ofCuba , and it is predicted that the eye of Ivan will pass over that part of the island Monday afternoon or evening. [http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsPackageArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=581889§ion=news (Reuters)] [http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2004/mar/al092004.fstadv.043.shtml? (NOAA/NHC)]
** The Cuban government evacuates between 800,000 and 1.3 million people from coastal cities and developed areas. Cubans have begun calling the hurricane "Ivan the Terrible". [http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsPackageArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=581889§ion=news (Reuters)] [http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/13/national/13storm.html (New York Times)] [http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2004/mar/al092004.fstadv.043.shtml? (NOAA/NHC)]
** A storm surge from Hurricane Ivan travels at least 1 km (0.6 mile) inland onGrand Cayman , the largest of the three islands of theCayman Islands , forcing residents to seek shelter on their house roofs.September 14 ,2004 *The "
China Times " reports that thePeople's Republic of China has deployed heavily armed troops to guard theThree Gorges Dam from a possible terrorist attack. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3654772.stm (BBC)]
* An advisory panel to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), by a vote of 15-8, recommends that warnings be added toantidepressant s, stating that the medications can be linked to suicidal behavior in some children. The FDA is not required to follow the recommendations of its advisory panels, but usually does so. [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,132338,00.html (FOX News)] [http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsArticle.jhtml?type=healthNews&storyID=6235839§ion=news (Reuters)]
* In the trial ofZacarias Moussaoui , the only person yet tried in the U.S. in relation to the 9/11 attacks, the court refuses to allow Moussaoui to callCamp X-Ray detainees as witnesses, but does allow him to use written evidence from some of the detainees. Prosecutors are seeking thedeath penalty against Moussaoui, who admits to being a member ofal-Qaeda but denies involvement in the 9/11 plot. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/3653994.stm (BBC)]
* At least 45 people are killed and over 100 others are injured when acar bomb explodes in centralBaghdad ,Iraq . The blast leaves a three-meter (10 ft) crater in the road in a busy shopping area; many of the dead are Iraqi job-seekers who were queuing up outside a nearbypolice station. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3654176.stm (BBC)]
* The United States lifts its siege of the northernIraq i city ofTal Afar afterTurkey threatens to end all cooperation with the U.S. in Iraq if the attacks, which had killed many civilians in the largely Turkmen city, continue. [http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-09/15/content_1983154.htm (Xinhua)]
* TheOntario Superior Court permits the first divorce of a same-sex couple in Canada (and perhaps the first in the world), declaring that the portion ofCanada 's Divorce Act that excludes same-sex marriages from the act's effects is unconstitutional. [http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20040913.wdivor0913/BNStory/National/ (Globe and Mail)] [http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsPackageArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=583372§ion=news (Reuters)]
*2004 Atlantic hurricane season :
**Hurricane warning s are issued forPuerto Rico and theUnited States Virgin Islands in anticipation of Tropical Storm Jeanne, which is expected to become ahurricane by tomorrow. [http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCPAT1+shtml/142117.shtml? (NOAA/NHC)]
** As of 13:00 local time (1800UTC September 14),Hurricane Ivan is located about 650 km (405 miles) south-southeast of the mouth of theMississippi River and is moving along a north-northwest path at about 9 mph (14.5 km/h). The hurricane is now projected to make landfall along the Gulf Coast of theUnited States on Thursday morning. [http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2004/pub/al092004.public_a.049.shtml? (NOAA/NHC)]
** As of 23:00 local time (0300 UTC September 14), Ivan is located about 60 km (40 miles) west-northwest of the western tip of Cuba. Forecasters are predicting landfall somewhere between easternLouisiana and the panhandle ofFlorida late Wednesday. [http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2004/pub/al092004.public.047.shtml? (NOAA/NHC)]
** The center ofHurricane Ivan passes over theGuanahacabibes peninsula on the western tip ofCuba , flooding coastal areas, ripping roofs off houses, and knocking down trees and power lines, but sparing Cuba its worst effects. [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=CIC5MLMQSRTC2CRBAELCFFA?type=topNews&storyID=6225759 (Reuters)]September 15 ,2004 *
China and the United Nations : For the 12th consecutive year, the General Assembly of the United Nations rejects a request for theRepublic of China (Taiwan) to be represented in theUnited Nations . This reiterates the Assembly's position that Resolution 2758, which recognized thePeople's Republic of China rather than theRepublic of China as the sole legitimate representative of "China", prevents Taiwan from being separately represented. The ROC's supporters argue that the resolution did not give the People's Republic the exclusive right to represent the people of Taiwan. [http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/latest/story/0,4390,272941,00.html (Straits Times)] [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=6247725 (Reuters)] [http://www.mofa.gov.tw/public/Attachment/49116494958.pdf (Resolution requesting representation[PDF] )]
*Canada 's federal government and its provincial and territorial leaders reach an accord to increase funding for the country's nationalhealth care system . In exchange for an increase in federal funding of CAD 18 billion over the next six years, provincial and territorial leaders agree to reforms intended to reducepatient waiting times. [http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1095242707797&call_pageid=968332188492&col=968793972154 (Toronto Star)]
* In a report released today, the U.S. State Department for the first time places the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on its list of "countries of particular concern" (CPCs) that engage in "particularly severe violations" of religious freedom. A designation as a CPC requires the State Department to take whatever steps are necessary — up to the level of sanctions — to increase religious tolerance in the designated country. [http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/09/15/us.saudi.religious.rights.ap/index.html (CNN.com)] [http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2004/ (State Department report)]
* SixPalestinian gunmen and four others are killed by Israeli troops. [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=6246681 (Reuters)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3657652.stm (BBC)]
* InAfghanistan , three Americans are sentenced to up to 10 years imprisonment for illegally detaining and torturing Afghans, and for running an illegal private jail inKabul . The defiant Americans —Jonathan Idema ,Brent Bennett , andEdward Caraballo — say they intend toappeal the decision. [http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/asiapcf/09/15/afghan.prison/index.html (CNN)]
* ACountryside Alliance rally outside Britain's Parliament buildings, in opposition to a bill that would banfox-hunting , descends into violence as protesters andpolice clash. Some protesters successfully breach security and enter the floor of the House of Commons. The bill later passes 339–155. (BBC: [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3656524.stm 1] , [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/3660294.stm 2] )
* Five crew members of an Irishyacht , who had been adrift in a liferaft for seven days after abandoning their ship, are rescued byhelicopter off theCornwall coast of Britain. The crew members ran out of water on Monday and were running low on food when rescued. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/3658528.stm (BBC)] [http://www.rte.ie/news/2004/0915/rescue.html (RTÉ)]
* Both theEuropean Union and the government of the United States express concern about Russian PresidentVladimir Putin 's announcement that, as a means of responding toterrorism , he would significantly alter Russia's political system. The Russian government rejects the United States' concerns as inappropriate interference inRussia 's internal affairs. (Reuters: [http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsPackageArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=583655§ion=news 1] , [http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsPackageArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=PK1I2MCEA22IUCRBAE0CFEY?type=worldNews&storyID=583654§ion=news 2] )
* InSouthern California , the radio system linkingair traffic controller s to high-altitude planes breaks down at 17:00 local time, Tuesday (0000UTC September 15), prompting the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to halt outgoing flights for three hours at Los Angeles International and several otherairport s. [http://www.cnn.com/2004/TRAVEL/09/14/lax.stoppage/ (CNN)]
*2004 Atlantic hurricane season :
** As of 13:00 local time (1800UTC September 15), the center ofHurricane Ivan is located about 275 km (170 miles) south of the coast ofAlabama and is moving northward at about 23 km/h (14 mph). The hurricane is now projected to make landfall along the Gulf Coast of theUnited States very early on Thursday. Forecasters now predict that there is little risk that the hurricane will pass over New Orleans. Ahurricane warning is in effect for the Gulf Coast from New Orleans to theFlorida Panhandle . [http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2004/pub/al092004.public_a.053.shtml? (NOAA/NHC)] [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A23454-2004Sep15.html (Washington Post)]
** AsHurricane Ivan approaches the Gulf Coast of the United States, an estimated 1.9 million people, including 1.2 million residents of metropolitan New Orleans, are advised to evacuate. The situation is particularly dangerous for New Orleans, since a direct or close hit by the hurricane could breach thelevee s around the city, causing its streets to fill with a mixture of floodwater, rawsewage ,gasoline , and chemicals. [http://www.cnn.com/2004/WEATHER/09/14/ivan.gulfcoast.ap/ (CNN)]September 16 ,2004 * Prominent Saudis reject yesterday's declaration by the U.S. State Department that Saudi Arabia severely restricts religious freedom, arguing that the report that made the declaration was politically motivated. [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=6255999 (Reuters)]
*Manitoba becomes the fourth province, and the fifth jurisdiction, inCanada to legalize same-sex marriage. [http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2004/09/16/manitobasamesex040916.html (CBC)]
* Afghan PresidentHamid Karzai survives an assassination attempt when a rocket misses his helicopter, bound for the city ofGardez , by some 300 yards (275 m). The helicopter returned toKabul . [http://abcnews.go.com/wire/World/ap20040916_444.html (ABC News)]
*Indonesia sentencesIslam ic militant "Ismail", also known asRicky Putranto , to 12 years in prison for his role in the bombing of a Marriott hotel inJakarta last year. [http://www.thejakartapost.com/detaillatestnews.asp?fileid=20040916160240&irec=3 (Jakarta Post)]
* "The New York Times ," citing unnamed U.S. government officials, reports that, in late July, theNational Intelligence Council prepared a pessimisticclassified report for PresidentGeorge W. Bush that predicted three likely outcomes for Iraq by the end of2005 , the best of which is "tenuous stability", and the worst of which is a descent intocivil war . [http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/16/politics/16intel.html (New York Times)] [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=6251328 (Reuters)]
*United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan reluctantly describes the 2003 U.S.-led invasion ofIraq as an "illegal" violation of the UN Charter, in response to repeated questions on the subject during a press conference. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3661134.stm (BBC)] [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=6248462 (Reuters)] [http://www.boston.com/dailynews/259/world/U_N_chief_says_U_S_led_Iraq_wa:.shtml (Boston Globe)] [http://www.itv.com/news/index_1969667.html (ITN)]
* TheCentral Committee of the Communist Party of China convenes inBeijing for four days with speculation over whetherJiang Zemin will resign from his remaining post as Chairman of theCentral Military Commission . [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3661130.stm (BBC)]
* HRHPrince Joachim of Denmark andAlexandra Christina Manley announce their separation and eventual divorce. [http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/international.cfm?id=1091312004 (The Scotsman)]
*2004 Atlantic hurricane season :
** The eye ofHurricane Ivan makes landfall near Mobile,Alabama in the early morning, killing at least 33 and causing an estimated USD 4–10 billion in flood, wind, and other storm damage across the Gulf Coast of the United States. By late afternoon, Ivan is downgraded to atropical storm . [http://www.cnn.com/2004/WEATHER/09/16/hurricane.ivan/index.html (CNN)] [http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2004/pub/al092004.public.058.shtml? (NOAA/NHC)] [http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=514&e=2&u=/ap/20040917/ap_on_re_us/hurricane_ivan_22 (AP)]
** Tropical Storm Jeanne briefly becomes ahurricane , but is downgraded back totropical storm strength as it passes over theDominican Republic , where it brings heavy rains and high winds. Forecasters warn that the storm could strengthen again once it reaches the open sea. [http://olympics.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=6259973 (Reuters)]September 17 ,2004 * The
government ofIndia announces that Tamil will be the first language recognized as a "classical language " in India. Government ministers add thatSanskrit and other languages could be granted the status, depending on their "heritage and legacy". The Indian government plans to create a center for the study oflanguage s so designated. [http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/854752.cms (Times of India)] [http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/holnus/001200409171719.htm (The Hindu)]
* Three men are arrested inNew Delhi ,India for attempting to sell an 800 year oldTibet an Buddhist manuscript, which had been reported stolen from a monastery atKalimpong ,West Bengal several months earlier. The thieves attempted to sell the manuscript for 30 million rupees (535,000euro s), although experts say that it could be worth three times that much on the international market. [http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1011402,000600010001.htm (Hindustan Times)] [http://athens-olympics-2004.newkerala.com/?action=fullnews&id=31785 (India News via New Kerala)]
* Researchers at theUniversity of Central Florida publish an article in the "Lancet" documenting a strong link betweenCrohn's disease and thebacterium "Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis ." This is the latest in a series of studies that strongly suggest a link between the bacterium and the disease. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3663336.stm (BBC)]
*Darfur conflict : Peace talks between theSudan ese government andDarfur ian rebels, which began three weeks ago, collapse. Sudan accuses theUnited States of prolonging the conflict by describing the actions of Arab militias in Darfur asgenocide . Rebels will meet withNigeria n presidentOlusegun Obasanjo Friday evening to give their version of the story. [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6021717/ (MSNBC.com)]
* U.S. presidential election: At a firehouse campaign rally inHamilton Township, Mercer County, New Jersey ,Sue Niederer , the mother of a soldier killed inIraq , is arrested after disrupting a speech by First LadyLaura Bush . [http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/09/17/bush.protester/index.html CNN.com] [http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/09/17/politics/main644005.shtml CBS News]
* U.S. air raids in the city ofFallujah , allegedly aimed at militants loyal toAbu Musab al-Zarqawi , kill an estimated 60 fighters, according to claims from the U.S. military. A spokesman for Iraq's health ministry says at least two women and 17 children were among the wounded. Meanwhile in centralBaghdad , a suicidecar bomb leaves at least 13 dead. [http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1306807,00.html (The Guardian)]
* Chechen warlordShamil Basayev claims responsibility for theBeslan school massacre , saying that it was carried out by a "martyr battalion " fromRiyadus-Salikhin , the group that he heads. [http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200409/s1201684.htm (ABC Au)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3664864.stm (BBC)]
* In an interview with the Saudi-owned "Al-Arabiyya " satellite television network, U.S. Secretary of StateColin Powell plays down the importance of Wednesday's report by the State Department — which listed Saudi Arabia as a country that severely restricts religious freedom — saying that he hopes that he will be able to use dialogue to remove Saudi Arabia from the list.September 18 ,2004 * In
Kirkuk ,Iraq , a suicidecar bomb attack on theIraqi National Guard headquarters inKirkuk kills 23, and prominentShia clericSheikh Kadhim al-Hany is ambushed and killed. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3668098.stm (BBC)]
* Darfur Conflict: TheUnited Nations Security Council passes a resolution threateningSudan with sanctions if it does not act to control the Arab militias accused ofgenocide inDarfur . The resolution passes 11–0, with thePeople's Republic of China ,Russia ,Pakistan , andAlgeria abstaining. [http://msnbc.msn.com/id/6021717/ (MSNBC)]
* Nader ballot access disputes: TheFlorida Supreme Court orders that Reform Party candidateRalph Nader be included on the ballot inFlorida for the upcoming U.S. presidential election. [http://olympics.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=6270086 (Reuters)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3667874.stm (BBC)] [http://edition.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/09/18/presidential.polls.nader/ (CNN)]September 19 ,2004 * The former president of the
People's Republic of China ,Jiang Zemin , resigns from his last official post, the Chairmanship of theCentral Military Commission , and is replaced byHu Jintao . [http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/asiapcf/09/19/china.leadership.ap/index.html (CNN)] [http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=126&art_id=qw1095592863493B254 (IOL)] [http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,10818957%255E31477,00.html (The Australian)]
* TwoPalestinian women, who theIsrael i government alleges intended to carry out suicide bomb attacks, voluntarily surrender to Israeli authorities. [http://www.israelnn.com/news.php3?id=69037 (INN)] [http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,10786372%255E1702,00.html (Melbourne Herald Sun)]
*Iran rejects a unanimousUnited Nations International Atomic Energy Agency resolution calling on Iran to freeze itsuranium enrichment activities. Iran threatens to prevent UN inspections of its nuclear program. [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=6272724 (Reuters)]
* TheGeorge E. Trelease Memorial Baseball Park atWestern New England College inSpringfield, Massachusetts , is dedicated. [http://www1.wnec.edu/athletics/index.cfm?selection=doc.3488 (Western New England College Athletics)]
*Turkey 'sparliament adjourns without passing an important reform of itspenal code — intended to prepare the country for membership in theEuropean Union — due to a dispute over a controversial proposal (opposed by the EU) to criminalizeadultery . [http://abcnews.go.com/wire/World/ap20040918_850.html (ABC News)] [http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000085&sid=afZx4Q.L2zE8&refer=europe (Bloomberg)]September 20 ,2004 *
2004 Atlantic hurricane season : Massive flooding inHaiti resulting from this weekend's passage ofHurricane Jeanne over the island ofHispaniola leaves large areas submerged and at least 556 people dead, with that number expected to increase. [http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsPackageArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=587483§ion=news (Reuters)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3674990.stm (BBC)]
* Conflict in Iraq:Tawhid and Jihad , a militant group led byAbu Musab al-Zarqawi , beheads Americanhostage Eugene Armstrong . The group threatens tobehead two additional hostages, American Jack Hensley and Briton Kenneth Bigley, within 24 hours unless the United States meets its demands. [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=6284093 (Reuters)]
* United States presidential campaign:
**The political campaigns of Republican incumbentGeorge W. Bush and Democratic challengerJohn Kerry agree to a tentative schedule of three televiseddebate s, the first of which will take place onSeptember 30 inFlorida . [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A34246-2004Sep19.html (Washington Post)]
**CBS News announces that it now doubts the authenticity of the "Killian memos ", after defending their authenticity for more than a week in the face of widespread expert opinion to the contrary. The network acknowledges that it was a mistake to use the memos as part of the supporting evidence in a "60 Minutes " story byDan Rather alleging deficiencies in U.S. PresidentGeorge W. Bush 's Vietnam-era service in theTexas Air National Guard . [http://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/nation/president/2004-09-21-cover-guard_x.htm (USA Today)]
*Indonesia n presidential election: Early returns in today'selection favor former generalSusilo Bambang Yudhoyono overincumbent PresidentMegawati Sukarnoputri 61 to 39 percent. [http://tnp.kpu.go.id/ (KPU)]September 21 ,2004 * Three members of
Texans for a Republican Majority , apolitical action committee founded byTom DeLay , Majority Leader of the U.S. House of Representatives, are indicted by agrand jury in Travis County,Texas on charges ofmoney laundering and accepting illegal campaign contributions. [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=domesticNews&storyID=6297086 (Reuters)]
* U.S. PresidentGeorge W. Bush addresses a skepticalUnited Nations audience to discuss his plans regardingIraq . [http://www.boston.com/news/world/articles/2004/09/22/at_un_bush_still_finds_his_iraq_plan_hard_to_sell (Boston Globe)]
*2004 Atlantic hurricane season : The number of people confirmed dead inHaiti from the effects ofHurricane Jeanne rises to at least 691, with the number of missing at more than 1,000. The city ofGonaïves remains flooded, and thousands are homeless. [http://abcnews.go.com/wire/World/ap20040921_2335.html (ABC News)]
* The U.S.Department of Homeland Security intercepts aUnited Airlines flight fromLondon , so that Yusuf Islam, the musician formerly known asCat Stevens , can be arrested and deported for allegedly financially supporting groups linked toterrorism . [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6067570/ (MSNBC)]
*Syria begins a "phased redeployment" of its forces inLebanon (currently estimated at 20,000 troops), moving about 1,000 troops out of bases south ofBeirut ; it is not clear whether they will be redeployed in Lebanon or Syria. Earlier this month,UN Security Council Resolution 1559 , drafted by theUnited States andFrance , called for all foreign troops to leave Lebanon. [http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/09/21/lebanon.syria/index.html (CNN.com)]
* Defying a recentUnited Nations resolution,Iran announces that it will continue converting 37 tons (33,600 kg) ofyellowcake uranium intouranium hexafluoride , a requirement for producingnuclear power plant fuel, but which some fear might be used to buildnuclear weapons . [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=6292567 (Reuters)]
* Conflict in Iraq:Tawhid and Jihad , a militant group led byAbu Musab al-Zarqawi , beheads Americanhostage Jack Hensley . The group threatens tobehead the remaining hostage, BritonKenneth Bigley , within 24 hours unless the United States meets its demands.Eugene Armstrong was beheaded yesterday. [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=6295804 (Reuters)]
* Anearthquake swarm is currently in progress in the Adobe Hills about 18 miles (29 km) east ofCalifornia 'sMono Lake . Over 600 earthquakes have been recorded since September 18, including events ofmoment magnitude 4.8, 5,4, and 5.5. [http://www.cisn.org/special/evt.04.09.18/ (California Integrated Seismic Network)] [http://quake.usgs.gov (U.S. Geological Survey)] [http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/09/19/earthquake.swarm.ap (CNN/AP)]
* The United States formally lifts its general trade and aviation sanctions againstLibya today, in response to Libya's decision last year to permit the removal of many of itsweapons of mass destruction . [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=6285182 (Reuters)]
*Green Day 's quadruple platinum "Punk Rock Opera" American Idiot is released.September 22 ,2004 * Experts and officials from
Interpol and 19 countries met Tuesday inBurkina Faso to elaborate a strategy to combatterrorism andcrime inAfrica . Countries participating includedFrance , theUnited States , Britain,Morocco ,Algeria ,Egypt ,Turkey ,Senegal ,Burkina Faso ,Chad ,Sudan ,Côte d'Ivoire ,Lesotho ,Zimbabwe ,Cambodia ,Benin ,Burundi ,Togo andMauritania . [http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=68&art_id=qw1095848462393B236 (Independent Online)]
*Brazil ,Germany ,India , andJapan announce in a joint statement that have agreed work together on a plan for reforming the United Nations, including securing a permanent seat or seats on theUN Security Council for at least one of the four nations. [http://abcnews.go.com/wire/World/ap20040922_139.html (ABC News)]
* The United States Senate, by a vote of 77–17, confirms thenomination ofPorter Goss as Director of theCentral Intelligence Agency . Some Democratic senators had charged that Goss is too partisan to deliver unbiased reports to theWhite House . [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=6309561 (Reuters)]
* TheRepublic of Ireland 'stelecommunications regulator, ComReg, announces that, starting onOctober 4 , it will suspend direct-dialtelephone services to thirteen island nations and dependencies, in order to counter telephone dialer scams which have cost some customers thousands ofeuro s. [http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsArticle.jhtml?type=internetNews&storyID=6308210§ion=news (Reuters)]
* TheUnited States military dropsespionage charges againstSyria n-Americanairman Ahmad al Halabi after he pleads guilty to four lesser charges. The judge criticizes the prosecution for improperly handling key evidence and for failing to correct the mistranslation of a crucial document. [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=6307798 (Reuters)]
* TheAmerican Broadcasting Company runs its pilot episode of the hit series "Lost". In the "Lost" timeline, this is also the dateOceanic Flight 815 crashed on an island in thePacific Ocean .September 23 ,2004 * The current
Dalai Lama ,Tenzin Gyatso , continuing a tour ofLatin America , arrives inPuerto Rico for a two-day visit. He is scheduled to make several addresses on the subjects ofhuman rights anddemilitarization and to be awarded an honorarydoctorate by theUniversity of Puerto Rico . [http://www.endi.com/noticiat.asp?newsid=BE209433-6FF4-49F2-A112-DF287A8102CC (AP/El Nuevo Día)]
* Court officials arrive on the remote British territory ofPitcairn Island , which has only 47 inhabitants, to begin the trial of seven islanders, on charges ofsexual abuse that date back more than 40 years. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3682222.stm (BBC)]
* TheUnited States agrees to releaseYaser Esam Hamdi , who was born in the United States and raised inSaudi Arabia , after having held him for almost three years, without charges, as an "illegal enemy combatant". In exchange, Hamdi agrees to relinquish his Americancitizenship and to never return to the United States. [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=domesticNews&storyID=6309570 (Reuters)]
* Conflict in Iraq: The governments of theUnited Kingdom andIraq announce that they will not comply with the demands of the militant groupTawhid and Jihad , which has threatened to behead itshostage , British citizenKenneth Bigley . [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=6314427&pageNumber=1 (Reuters)]
*2004 Atlantic hurricane season : The death toll inHaiti fromflood ing caused by this weekend's passage ofHurricane Jeanne is now at 1,080 persons, and government officials say the final number is likely to be around 2,000. At least 175,000 Haitians have been affected by the flooding. [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=6309716 (Reuters)]September 24 ,2004 * Scientists announce that they have deciphered the complete
DNA sequence of "Legionella pneumophila ," one of the bacteria that causes Legionnaires' Disease. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3677756.stm (BBC)]
* Conflict in Iraq: TheMuslim Council of Britain sends a delegation toBaghdad in the hopes of securing the release ofKenneth Bigley . [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3688076.stm (BBC)]
*Same-sex marriage in Canada : TheNova Scotia Supreme Court strikes down the province's law forbiddingsame-sex marriage s, making it the sixth ofCanada 's provinces and territories to legalizesame-sex marriage . Neither the federal nor the Nova Scotia government had opposed the court challenge. [http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2004/09/24/samesex_ns040924.html (CBC)]
*2004 Atlantic hurricane season : The storm formerly known asHurricane Ivan , now atropical depression , makes landfall near theTexas -Louisiana border late Thursday night, with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph. [http://www.cnn.com/2004/WEATHER/09/23/storms.wrap/index.html (CNN)]September 25 ,2004 *
2004 Atlantic hurricane season :Hurricane Jeanne strengthens slightly as it passes over the northernBahamas and makeslandfall at 11:50 p.m. local time at Hutchison Island, just east ofStuart, Florida , as a Category Three storm with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph (195 km/h). About 3 million people are ordered to evacuate vulnerable areas in Florida. [http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsPackageArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=590444§ion=news (Reuters)]
*Israel i army bulldozers tear down buildings in the Gaza refugee camp ofKhan Yunis , one day after mortars fired from the camp killed an Israeli settler.UNRWA officials say over 200Palestinian s lost their homes or shelters. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3689104.stm (BBC)]
* Conflict in Iraq:
** U.S. air strikes on theIraq i city ofFallujah destroy several buildings. The U.S. military says nocivilian s were reported in the area, but ahospital official says at least eight civilians were killed, andtelevision broadcasts show civilian survivors, including an infant, being pulled out of a destroyed building. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3688812.stm (BBC)]
** U.S.Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage insists that Januaryelection s inIraq will be held in all areas of the country, apparently contradicting earlier statements bySecretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld that elections might be limited to secure areas. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3688812.stm (BBC)]September 26 ,2004 * Conflict in Iraq: U.S. Secretary of State
Colin Powell says, in an interview on the ABC television interview program "This Week ," that theinsurgency inIraq is worsening, and that the aim of the insurgents is to disrupt the upcomingelection s. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3691748.stm (BBC)] [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=6338871 (Reuters)]
*Pakistan i security forces killal-Qaeda member Amjad Farooqi, who is suspected of involvement in the murder of U.S.reporter Daniel Pearl . [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=6334609 (Reuters)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3692606.stm (BBC)]
* Severalearthquake s over the weekend centered belowMount St. Helens in the U.S. state ofWashington prompt scientists to issue a rare warning that thevolcano could erupt soon. [http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Volcanoes/Cascades/CurrentActivity/current_updates.html (USGS/CVO)]
*The relaunch ofDoctor Who is officially announced by theBBC .
* British Royal Air Force fighter planes escort a GreekOlympic Airlines plane toStansted Airport inLondon after an anonymous caller warns of a bomb on board. [http://news.lycos.co.uk/uk/040926160349.j2zayq9q.xml.html (AFP)] [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/09/26/uplane.xml&sSheet=/portal/2004/09/26/ixportaltop.html (news.telegraph)]September 27 ,2004 *
Arab-Israeli conflict :
**Jewish settlers inGaza line a bridge and pelt passingPalestinian cars with rocks, forcing theIsrael i army to close the only road from the north into theGaza Strip . [http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,2763,1314384,00.html (The Guardian)]
** In theGaza Strip , four Palestinianskidnap Riad Abu Ali, an Israeli citizen working forCNN . Two other CNN employees were beaten and their equipment stolen. [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=6344981 (Reuters)] [http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/482510.html (Haaretz)]
** TheIsrael i army raids theWest Bank city ofJenin , taking over a hospital and several other buildings, making a number of arrests, and reportedly wounding threePalestinian s. Several other violent incidents occurred in the West Bank andGaza Strip . [http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,10896625%255E1702,00.html (The Australian)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3692838.stm (BBC)]
** A 'senior'Israeli security source has told several news organizations (Including theBBC ,Haaretz and the AP) that it was Israel who killed a senior figure ofHamas ,Izz El-Deen Sheikh Khalil , who died in a car bomb yesterday,September 26 inDamascus . [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3692858.stm (BBC)] [http://www.dispatch.co.za/2004/09/27/Foreign/aisrael.html (Dispatch)] [http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/482037.html (Haaretz)] [http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Story.asp?Article=92678&Sn=WORL&IssueID=27191 (Gulf Daily News)]
***Hamas states that an unnamedArab state may have aidedIsrael in the assassination of Hamas leaderIzz El-Deen Sheikh Khalil . [http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/482329.html (Haaretz)] [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=6339496 (Reuters)]
* Conflict in Iraq:
**Fereidoun Jahani , anIran ian diplomat who was kidnapped inIraq in early August, is freed; he was held by a militant group that also claims to be holding two Frenchjournalist s,Christian Chesnot andGeorges Malbrunot . [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3694236.stm (BBC)] [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=6342133 (Reuters)]
** The U.S. military carries outair strike s on several suspected militant positions in theBaghdad suburb ofSadr City , killing at least five people and wounding 46, according to a local hospital official. The U.S. military disputes that total. [http://www.boston.com/dailynews/271/world/Insurgents_press_offensive_to_:.shtml (AP)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3692624.stm (BBC)]
** Two separatecar bomb s kill at least sevenIraq i national guardsmen inMosul andFallujah , while mortars are fired at a police academy inBaghdad , with no reported casualties. (http://www.boston.com/dailynews/271/world/Car_bomb_kills_four_Iraq_Natio:.shtml 1] , [http://www.boston.com/dailynews/271/world/Insurgents_press_offensive_to_:.shtml 2] )
* TheVirgin Group announces that it will create the world's first commercial space-flight company, to be calledVirgin Galactic , usingSpaceShipOne technology licensed fromMojave Aerospace Ventures . Virgin hopes to begin commercial space flight within five years. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3693020.stm (BBC)]
* TheUniversité de Montréal announces that a Quebec researcher has discovered a lost play byAlexandre Dumas, père , titled "Les voleurs d'or " ("The Gold Thieves"), in the archives of the "Bibliothèque nationale de France " (National Library of France). [http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,10904968%255E1702,00.html (Herald Sun)]September 28 ,2004 * The
2004 Summer Paralympics inAthens ,Greece closes.China ,Great Britain andCanada have won the most gold medals. [http://www.athens2004.com/en/ParalympicGamesClosingCeremony (Athens2004.com)]
*North Korea nuclear weapons program :North Korea n Vice Foreign MinisterChoe Su-hon announces at theUN General Assembly that it has turnedplutonium from 8,000 spent fuel rods intonuclear weapon s as a deterrent against the U.S. nuclear threat. Six-nation talks on the nuclear issue, which were due to have resumed before October, have been suspended. Analysts believe North Korea has ruled out further talks until after the U.S. presidential election in November. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3696092.stm (BBC)]
*Republic of China foreign ministerMark Chen callsSingapore "the size of a piece of snot" after Singaporean foreign ministerGeorge Yeo declared opposition toTaiwan independence . He later apologized for his "improper wording". [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3697244.stm (BBC)] [http://www.chinapost.com.tw/i_latestdetail.asp?id=22940 (China Post)]
* U.S. PresidentGeorge W. Bush 's hometownnewspaper , theCrawford, Texas "Lone Star Iconoclast", endorses Democratic presidential candidateJohn Kerry . The editorial column asked Texan voters "not to rate the candidate by his hometown . . . but instead by where he intends to take the country." In the last election, the paper endorsed Bush. [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=politicsNews&storyID=6356211 (Reuters)] [http://news.iconoclast-texas.com/web/Columns/Editorial/editorial39.htm (Lone Star Iconoclast)]
* Giovanni di Stefano, the lawyer of former Iraqi PresidentSaddam Hussein , tells the Danish newspaper "B.T." that Hussein plans to run as a candidate in theIraq i elections scheduled for January2005 . A recentGallup poll indicated that 42 percent of theIraqi people want their former leader back. [http://www.zaman.org/?bl=international&alt=&trh=20040921&hn=12424 (Zaman, Turkey)]
* Health officials inThailand report that they have identified a likely case of human to human transmission of theH5N1 strain ofavian influenza , although theWorld Health Organization says the transmission occurred only after prolonged contact between individuals. A more easily transmitted virus could potentially cause a worldwide flupandemic on the level of the1918 Spanish flu . [http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsArticle.jhtml?type=healthNews&storyID=6357648§ion=news (Reuters)]
* Conflict in Iraq:
** InBaghdad , two Italian aid workers,Simona Pari andSimona Torretta are released, three weeks after they were takenhostage , along with twoIraqi s who had been captured with them. In a separate incident, fourEgypt ian workers are also released. [http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=3557666 (The Scotsman)] .
** Two Britishsoldier s are killed in anambush near the southernIraq i city ofBasra . [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/3696300.stm (BBC)]
** The administration of U.S. PresidentGeorge W. Bush says that it had considered secretly supporting pro-U.S. candidates in the upcomingelection s inIraq , but has now decided against the plan. [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1101041004-702122,00.html (TIME)] [http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/nation/2815833 (Houston Chronicle)]
** U.S. military planes bomb a building in the insurgent-held city ofFallujah , in what the U.S. describes as a raid against terrorists linked toAbu Musab al-Zarqawi . Local doctors say at least three civilians were killed, but the U.S. says only "Zarqawi operatives" died. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3695858.stm (BBC)]
*Arab-Israeli conflict :
** In theGaza Strip ,CNN producer Riad Abu Ali, anIsrael i citizen, is released by his captors one day after he was abducted from his car byPalestinian militants. [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=televisionNews&storyID=6355380 (Reuters)]
**Israel i soldiers kill a mentally illPalestinian man in theWest Bank city ofJenin , under disputed circumstances. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3696626.stm (BBC)]
* The price of U.S. light crude briefly exceeds the price of USD 50/barrel, the highest since1983 . Analysts attribute the increase largely to concerns over the disruption of oil production inNigeria ; conflicts inIraq andSaudi Arabia and the effects ofHurricane Ivan are also cited. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/3695820.stm (BBC)]
* ANigeria n militant group threatens "all-out war" against foreign companies in theNiger River delta region if they do not leave by October. TheEurope an oil company Royal Dutch/Shell has already evacuated 254 non-essential workers from the area. (BBC: [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3688582.stm 1] , [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3695990.stm 2] )
* A strongearthquake , with an estimated magnitude of 6.0 on the Richter scale, strikes centralCalifornia , near Parkfield. The effects are felt as far away as Sacramento and Santa Ana. [http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/09/28/california.quake.ap/index.html (CNN)]September 29 ,2004 * The
People's Republic of China accuses Taiwanese PremierYu Shyi-kun of "clamoring for war" after he said Taiwan would defend itself by firing missiles atShanghai in the event of an attack ofTaipei orKaohsiung by the PRC. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3699460.stm (BBC)] [http://www.voanews.com/article.cfm?objectID=47BF3C9C-A50E-4453-91F5BB6D88376AAE&title=China%20Accuses%20Taiwan%20of%20Provoking%20War%20with%20Missile%20Threat&catOID=45C9C78B-88AD-11D4-A57200A0CC5EE46C&categoryname=Asia%20Pacific (VOA)]
* Forty-threeNorth Korean s, reportedly seeking asylum, use MFI ladders to scale the walls of the CanadianEmbassy inBeijing, China . [http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20040929.wemba0929/BNStory/International/ (Globe and Mail)]
* U.S. presidential campaign: Former Republican PresidentDwight Eisenhower 's sonJohn Eisenhower endorses DemocratJohn Kerry 's presidential bid. [http://www.theunionleader.com/articles_showa.html?article=44657 (The Union Leader)]
*Scaled Composites SpaceShipOne , an experimentalspaceplane , makes the first competitive flight for theAnsari X Prize . Although a roll problem caused the mission to be aborted early, SpaceShipOne nonetheless reached an estimated 109.1 km (358,000 feet), which qualifies as a spaceflight. [http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/xprize_success_040929.html (Space.com)] [http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99996463 (New Scientist)]
* Conflict in Iraq
**Kenneth Bigley , a Britishhostage held inIraq , appeared alive in a video broadcast byAl Jazeera . Seen in a cage wearing an orange jumpsuit, Bigley said "Tony Blair is lying. He doesn't care about me". [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/3699998.stm (BBC)]
** Reports that ransom was paid to secure yesterday's release of two Italian aid workers raise fears that the burgeoning hostage crises will worsen. Gustavo Selva, an Italian lawmaker, states that "The sum ($1 million) is probably correct". To date about 130 foreigners have been taken hostage. About 30 of these have been killed. [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=6364046 (Reuters)]
*Arab-Israeli conflict
**Five masked men armed with bats and chains attack Chris Brown and Kim Lamberty, members ofChristian Peacemaker Teams outside the Israeli settlement of Ma'on inHebron while the volunteers were escortingPalestinian children to school. CPT alleges the assaults are part of an ongoing pattern of intimidation by Israeli Settlers. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3701036.stm (BBC)] [http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/483300.html (Haaretz)] [http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/AE40E95F-C2E1-4401-8463-B83DA4B9391A.htm (Al Jazeera)]
** FivePalestinian s, includingHamas member Tawfik Ali Charafi, are killed duringIsrael i raids in theJabaliya refugee camp in theGaza Strip and Nablus in theWest Bank . The Israeli government claims the troops entered in retaliation for at least four rockets being fired at the Israeli town ofSderot onSeptember 28 . [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3699224.stm (BBC)] [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=6362400 (Reuters)] [http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/07150357-0246-4366-9FBB-E9CE0D2A6CF3.htm (Al Jazeera)] [http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/483032.html (Haaretz)]
** TwoIsrael i children, aged 3 and 5, are killed after aQassam rocket attack from Palestinian terrorists on the town ofSderot .Hamas claimed the attack was launched in retaliation for the Israeli raid of theJabaliya refugee camp, which left four Palestinians dead. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3699224.stm (BBC)] [http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/483283.html (Haaretz)]
** TwoPalestinian teenager s are killed and power supplies are knocked out after anIsrael i raid on theJabaliya refugee camp. The raid was launched in retaliation for the rocket attacks on the town ofSderot which left two children dead. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3699224.stm (BBC)]
* Two men,Rahim al-Nashiri andJamal Mohammed al-Bedawi , who were found guilty of organizing theOctober 12 ,2000 bombing of the USS "Cole", are sentenced to death by a court inYemen . [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3699426.stm (BBC)]
* Theasteroid 4179 Toutatis passes within 1 millionmile s (1.6 millionkilometer s, or about four times the distance from Earth to theMoon ) ofEarth . Toutatis is the largest known asteroid to pass this close to Earth. [http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/toutatis_flyby_040927.html (Space.com)]
* The Montréal Expos play their last game at the Olympic Stadium in Montréal against the Florida Marlins in front of over 30,000 fansSeptember 30 ,2004 *
Typhoon Meari batters the town ofMiyagawa ,Mie Prefecture ,Japan killing 27 and causing widespread flooding and significant damage. [http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,10935358%255E1702,00.html (News.com)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3702566.stm (BBC)] [http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=12514 (NASA)]
* A by-election for theHartlepool constituency of the UKparliament , to fill the seat ofPeter Mandelson , who resigned to take up a role in theEuropean Union , results in a win for Labour (12,752), with the Liberal Democrats second (10,719). The Conservative Party (3,044) is pushed into fourth place by theUK Independence Party (3,193). [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/low/uk_politics/3706100.stm (BBC)]
* Incumbent presidentGeorge W. Bush and challenger Senator John F. Kerry meet at theUniversity of Miami ,Florida in the first of three presidential debates in the run-up to the2004 U.S. presidential election .Nielsen Media Research later reports 62.5 million people watched the debate. () [http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/09/30/debate.main/index.html (CNN)] [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6123725/ (MSNBC)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3703756.stm (BBC)]
*Same-sex marriage in the United States : The proposedFederal Marriage Amendment (HJR 106) is rejected by theUnited States House of Representatives by a vote of 227–186. [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=domesticNews&storyID=6383639 (Reuters)]
* The office of British Prime MinisterTony Blair announces he will undergo "routine heart surgery" tomorrow to correct an irregular heartbeat. [http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000102&sid=a3TCPSM97gU4&refer=uk (Bloomberg)]
* Conflict in Iraq
** At least three people are killed by U.S. air raids on the insurgent held city ofFallujah . Locals say civilians are among the dead, but the U.S. maintains they struck a safe house of theJordan ian militantAbu Musab al-Zarqawi . Just outsideBaghdad , a rocket fired at aUS military support base killed one coalition soldier. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3702710.stm (BBC)]
** At least 41 people are killed in a multiple bomb attack on a US military convoy traveling through Baghdad, close to a water treatment plant. At least 34 of them were children. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3702710.stm (BBC)]
** Three southern provinces (Basra , Missan andDhiqar ), which together control 80 percent of Iraq's proven oil reserves, are considering plans to set up an autonomous region. [http://news.ft.com/cms/s/3d40c9a2-1242-11d9-863e-00000e2511c8.html (Financial Times)]
* TheRussia n cabinet recommendsratification of theKyoto Treaty againstglobal warming , which would bring the accord into force; the measure will be debated in Parliament, which has final say. [http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/09/30/tech/main646485.shtml (CBS)] [http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsPackageArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=593883§ion=news (Reuters)] [http://www.tass.ru/eng/level2.html?NewsID=1300805&PageNum=0 (Itar-Tass)]
*Arab-Israeli Conflict
**Israel launches a major offensive into the Jabaliya refugee camp killing at least 23 gunmen and civilians. Earlier this morning, a column of Israelitank s moved into the center of the camp, followed bybulldozer s. At least three Palestinian civilians have been killed thus far. Homes are being demolished, forcing people to flee. 72 Palestinians are known to have been wounded, some losing limbs. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3702902.stm (BBC)] [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=6374094 (Reuters)]
** TwoPalestinian s are killed byIsraeli troops returning fire after an Israelisoldier was killed at an observation post in the northernGaza strip . The troops have been engaged in that part of the northern Gaza Strip since yesterday,September 29 . [http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/local/9797477.htm?1c (AP)]
** TwoIsrael is, including acivilian , are killed in an ambush close toGaza . ThePalestinian gunman was also killed. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3702902.stm (BBC)]
*Ahmed Zaoui ,Algeria n MP,refugee , wins another court case but remains inNew Zealand prison. (Court of Appeal of New Zealand , CA20/04)
* TheJ2SE 5.0 version of theJava platform (codename "Tiger") is released.News collections and sources
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