Russia stalls on signing the Kyoto Protocol, the international treaty to reduce global warming. Kyoto Protocol supporters in the EU react with consternation to Russia's decision. [3] (http://www.euobserver.com/index.phtml?sid=9&aid=12858)
EU foreign affairs ministers have approved a controversial pension reform for EU civil servants, which is set to increase their pension age and make the new entrants work more years to receive the maximum level of pension. [4] (http://www.euobserver.com/index.phtml?sid=9&aid=12862)
European Union: Poland and Spain are about to launch their battle to keep the current system of voting in the European Council, introduced by the Nice Treaty. [5] (http://www.euobserver.com/index.phtml?sid=9&aid=12873)
Euro-parliamentarians urge EU governments to form a united front and protest against US President George W. Bush over the lack of rights of detainees in the US base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. [6] (http://www.euobserver.com/index.phtml?sid=9&aid=12876)
The European Commission will not shy away from imposing fines on France if it continues to break Euro_rules, according to Economics Commissioner Pedro Solbes. [7] (http://www.euobserver.com/index.phtml?sid=9&aid=12869)
German weekly Bunte quotes Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger as saying We should pray for the pope, raising questions about the pope's health.
Abdalla Yones, who was convicted of murder for killing his daughter for dating a Christian, is sentenced to life in prison after becoming the first person in Britain to admit an "honour killing". [8] (http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/crime/story.jsp?story=448384)
Terrorism: Pakistan dismisses and condemns al-Qaidaterrorist network threat against PresidentPervez Musharraf, saying the war against terrorism will continue. Pakistan Foreign Ministry spokesman Masood Khan states (in Islamabad) Pakistan will not be deterred by such threats. The identity of the speaker on the audio tape or the authenticity of the tape has not been verified. The message was attributed to al-Qaida's second-ranking leader, Ayman al-Zawahri, and was aired on Al-Jazeera and Al-Arabiya. [9] (http://www.voanews.com/article.cfm?objectID=E6D30B0D-AFC3-4A1B-8688F94380F80B7A)[10] (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3150050.stm)[11] (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?storyID=3526177&thesection=news&thesubsection=world)
Space - Technology: NASA outlines plans for the Space Shuttle’s Replacement, a "Space Taxi". The next-generation space vehicle is on the drawing boards now and NASA has just issued newly defined requirements. [12] (http://abcnews.go.com/sections/scitech/US/nextgeneration030929.html)
Nuclear weapons: Iranian official confirm traces of highly enriched uranium found in the country at the Kalaye Electric Company near Tehran (this was the second time such a discovery was made by United Nations inspectors). Iran's ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Ali Akbar Salehi, attributes the find to the contamination of imported equipment on state television. Iranians have allegedly used Kalaye Electric Company to test centrifuges used to make highly enriched uranium that can be used to make atomic bombs. [14] (http://www.spacewar.com/2003/030929103544.xaohm76w.html)
International relations: European Union increases pressure on Tehran to cooperate with international nuclear weapons inspectors. Britain states Iran must declare "unequivocally" that it harbours no ambitions to develop nuclear arms. European Union, in a draft joint statement, warns of economic fallout if Tehran does not make progress on key areas including non-proliferation, fighting terrorism, human rights and the Middle East peace process. [15] (http://www.eubusiness.com/afp/030929125811.76c6zl5l)
Nuclear power: Iran insists on assurances it can develop uranium enrichment technology for its civil nuclear power program. Foreign Minister, Kamal Kharrazi, states he wants "assurances that the problem is going to be solved" before signing an additional protocol with the International Atomic Energy Agency. [16] (http://www.menafn.com/qn-news-story.asp?StoryId=Cp3EUqeidAxjHBI1UDwTLCW)
International relations: Former US Secretary of State, European Union relations to the United States), says that current transatlantic relations are in a dangerous "vicious circle". She states that the European Union is not a counterweight to American power in the world. She also states that there is an American "catch-22", and that America is criticized no matter which foreign policy it adopts. [17] (http://www.euobserver.com/index.phtml?sid=9&aid=12837)
Euro: British Prime MinisterTony Blair has not ruled out a euro referendum before the next general election - expected in 2005. Both pro and anti-euro campaigners, however, believe that the chances for an early referendum on the single currency have disappeared. [18] (http://www.euobserver.com/index.phtml?sid=9&aid=12842)
United Kingdom: The British Labour Party is holding its annual conference in European Union: Member states clash over the issue of how many MEPs should represent the European Parliament on the approaching Intergovernmental Conference on October 4. The developing consensus seems to be that at least one representative from the two major parties in the European Parliament will attend the conference, but this procedure is highly controversial -- normally parliamentarians do not attend high level meetings among EU leaders. [19] (http://www.euobserver.com/index.phtml?sid=9&aid=12853)
Nuclear Weapons : Iran remains defiant about nuclear program. Iran states it will not give up its nuclear program (including uranium enrichment). The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have given Iran until October 31 to prove it has no secret nuclear arms program and told it to halt enrichment activities. Iran states international pressure will not deter its nuclear plans. [24] (http://asia.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=3519377)[25] (http://www.voanews.com/article.cfm?objectID=7B14F972-545E-42D3-B641EE69657BFE6C)
Blackout: In Italy and a small part of Switzerland 57 million people were without power from late Saturday night until Sunday noon. The power outage was more extensive than the North American blackout in August. [26] (http://www.spiegel.de/panorama/0,1518,267558,00.html)[27] (http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-3202370,00.html)
Terrorism: Ukraine warns United States of nuclear terror threat. Officials in Kiev have formed a joint task force to examine purchase of nuclear materials by U.S.-based terrorists. Officials investigate radioactive package addressed to America seized in Kiev's airport. Ukraine Ministry of Emergencies official states the package was emitting radiation "higher than the acceptable norm". [28] (http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=34818)
Space: Europe has launched its first mission to the moon, using SMART-1, an unmanned probe. [29] (http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20030928/wl_nm/space_europe_dc_6)
Pope John Paul II names 30 new cardinals, including Marc Ouellet, Archbishop of Quebec and Primate of Canada. The Pope also created a 31st Cardinal in pectore, which means his identity is kept secret and he will not be made a Cardinal if the Pope dies before revealing his name. [30] (http://www.iht.com/articles/111686.html)
International relations: RussianPresidentVladimir Putin (at Camp David) states his country supports measures to make sure Iran does not develop a Iraq (reiterating Russia's position that the Provisional Governing Council of Iraq and the United Nations play "an important role" in the establishment of a "free, democratic, and united state"), as well as in Afghanistan. Putin did not offer troops to help the effort in the rebuilding of Iraq. [32] (http://www.upi.com/view.cfm?StoryID=20030927-024405-1083r)
Iraq: Thousands of protesters marched in London and other major cities around the world to protest the U.S._led occupation of Iraq. [33] (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3145708.stm)
Medicine: An experimental treatment given to a British man has halted the progress of brain damage caused by Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. [34] (http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=571&ncid=751&e=2&u=/nm/20030926/hl_nm/health_britain_cjd_dc)
Israeli-Palestinian conflict: A Palestinian gunman enters a home in Negohot (an Israeli settlement in the West Bank, near Hebron), murders 7-month-old Shaked Avraham and 27-year-old Eyal Yeberbaum, and injures both of the baby girl's parents as they were celebrating the Jewish New Year. The shooter was later killed by Israeli security forces. The Palestinian Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the attack.[36] (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,98437,00.html)
Road map for peace: 'Quartet' urges Israel and Palestinians to do more to revive Middle East peace plan. Voicing "great concern" at recent Israeli and Palestinian attacks that have stalled the Middle East peace process, a high-level meeting of the diplomatic Quartet of the United Nations, United States, European Union call on both sides to take immediate action to revive the Road map for peace. [37] (http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2003-09/27/content_1102107.htm)[38] (http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=8380&Cr=middle&Cr1=east)
Iraq - Constitution: Secretary of StateColin Powell, responding to a rapid timetable self-rule demands from France (and others), states the United States would set a deadline of six months for Iraqi leaders working under the coalition occupation to produce a new constitution. The constitution would clear the way for elections and the installation of a new leadership next year. [39] (http://www.iht.com/articles/111463.html)[40] (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3141490.stm)
Iraq - Terrorism: Mortar rounds hit killing at least seven civilian Iraqis in the town square of Baquba. At least 20 civilian were wounded. Also, Akila al-Hashemi, a member of Iraq's Governing Council, was buried in Najaf a day after she died from wounds inflicted by an unidentified gunmen. [41] (http://www.iht.com/articles/111548.html)
Media: The two leading cable news networks, Fox News and CNN, have engaged in a public battle over phone numbers. Fox publicizes CNN commentator's home number after talk host gives out FNC's phone. [42] (http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=34789)
Entertainment: Movie trailer of The Matrix Revolutions is released. [43] (http://whatisthematrix.warnerbros.com/rv_cmp/trailers_rev_frames.html)[44] (http://slashdot.org/articles/03/09/26/0514248.shtml?tid=186&tid=188&tid=200&tid=214&tid=97)
International relations: Brazilian president Lula da Silva makes his first official visit to Cuba. In meetings with president Fidel Castro, he plans to affirm the friendship between the two countries and to increase bilateral ties. Reporters Without Borders had previously called on the Brazilian president to intercede on behalf of 30 journalists currently imprisoned on Cuba. [45] (http://www.granma.cu/ingles/2003/septiembre03/vier26/39llegada-i.html), [46] (http://www.brazzil.com/2003/html/news/articles/sep03/p139sep03.htm)
Terrorism: FBI probes Hamas-linked 'criminal enterprises' associated with the radical Islamic group Hamas that has taken responsibility for a string of bombings in Israel. Hamas also declares the organization would not participate with other Palestinian groups in a proposed cease-fire nor join the next Palestinian government. SheikAhmed Yassin states "the enemy is continuing his aggression, killing, and settlement activities." [47] (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A60582-2003Sep24.html)[48] (http://www.inq7.net/brk/2003/sep/25/brkafp_2-1.htm)
Shariah: Nigerian "adulteress" escapes stoning [49] (http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=1503&u=/afp/20030925/ts_afp/nigeria_islam_030925124536&printer=1). An Islamicappeals court in northern Nigeria has acquitted single mother Amina Lawal facing death by stoning for adultery. The five-judge panel rejected Amina Lawal's conviction under Shariah in March 2002, saying she was not given "ample opportunity to defend herself". [50] (http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm-822824.html)
Business: Kodak has said that it will no longer make major investments in conventional photographic film. [51] (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/3141414.stm)
WMD: An early draft of an interim report by the inspectors for banned weapons in Iraq says his team has not found any of the unconventional weapons cited by PresidentGeorge W. Bush as a principal reason for going to war. CIA stresses report is not final and inspectors are still getting data. [52] (http://www.iht.com/articles/111275.html)
Natural disaster: An earthquake of magnitude 8.0 struck near the island of Hokkaido in Japan at 19:50:07 (UTC). A 7-foot tall tsunami was generated off the coast of Hokkaido as a result of the quake and tsunami warnings have been issued for most of the Pacific Rim, including Japan, Russia's eastern coast, Alaska, and Hawaii. [53] (http://earthquake.usgs.gov/recenteqsww/Quakes/uszdap.htm)
Science - Space: Europe gets set for Moon mission. Rocket operators clear the Smart 1 probe to begin its lunar adventure on an Ariane 5 rocket from the French Guiana. Smart 1 will test a novel type of propulsion system on its mission and map lunar surface features. [55] (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3136004.stm)
Occupation of Iraq: Nine rebels in north Iraq are killed. Coalition troops kill nine guerrillas, the biggest toll for more than a month, in scattered action over northern Iraq in the past 24 hours. Major Josslyn Aberle states "The enemy are becoming more desperate as we pursue them." [56] (http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s953157.htm)
Terrorism: United States taking measures to deprive dollars from Swedish police arrests a new suspect in the murder of Anna Lindh. Per-Olof Svensson is no longer a suspect and has been released.
Israeli-Palestinian conflict: A protest letter by a group of 27 Israeli pilots to the Israeli air force is publicized. In the letter, the pilots announce their refusal to fly further missions to bomb leaders of Palestinian terrorist groups in civilian areas. The pilots' letter calls the attacks "illegal and immoral". It draws quick condemnation from commentators, from politicians and from military leaders, with calls for severe punishment including jail, although a dismissal is considered the most likely result. The pilots' protest is a reaction to attacks like the one on Hamas leader Salah Shehade in July 2002, which killed Shehade, his bodyguard and 15 civilians, among them nine children. [60] (http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/09/25/1064083125257.html), [61] (http://asia.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=3509703), [62] (http://www.msnbc.com/news/971397.asp?cp1=1)
Computer and Communications Industry Association report, written by a handful of security experts, Microsoft's dominance in key technologies poses security risk and threatens the national infrastructure. Computer and Communications Industry Association states reliance on a single technology, such as the Windowsoperating system, threatens economic security and critical infrastructure. The paper warns that many security improvements planned by Microsoft are likely designed to deter customers from switching to another operating system. [63] (http://news.com.com/2100_1029-3_5081214.html)
After several postponements the European Parliament finally passes a directive concerning the "patentability of computer-implemented inventions". The final text differs substantially from the original proposal and is seen as going a long way in addressing the concerns that it would legalize patents on software and business methods. The directive should now be under review by the Council of the European Union. [64] (http://news.zdnet.co.uk/business/legal/0,39020651,39116642,00.htm)[65] (http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/4/33016.html)
A federal judge ruled that the national "do-not-call" list against telemarketers is illegal. [66] (http://www.mediainfo.com/editorandpublisher/headlines/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1985553)
Islam in France: Two Frenchmuslim girls are excluded from school today over the wearing of the Islamic veil in schools. [67] (http://www.lemonde.fr/article/0,5987,3226--335303-,00.html)[68] (http://www.guardian.co.uk/france/story/0,11882,1049070,00.html)
California recall: A federal appeals court overturns a three-judge panel's ruling and reinstates the original date for the recall election, October 7, 2003. The ACLU, whose suit was responsible for the original decision, will not appeal to the United States Supreme Court. [69] (http://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/state/2003_09_23_court_rules-x.htm)
United Nations: World Government convened at United Nations Headquarters in New York City for the start of the General Assembly's annual high-level debate. President of the United StatesGeorge W. Bush urges the international community to help Iraq rebuild itself into a democracy with the "great power to inspire the Middle East." President Bush states a transformed Middle East would also benefit the entire world "by undermining the ideologies that export violence to other lands." President Bush also calls on the Security Council to adopt new anti-proliferation resolution "calling on all members of the UN to criminalize the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction," enacting strict export controls, and securing all sensitive material. [70] (http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=8329&Cr=iraq&Cr1=)
Iraq: A new Gallup poll shows majority of Iraqis expect better life in 5 years. After foreign military occupation and the removal of Saddam Hussein, around two-thirds of Baghdad residents state the Iraqi dictator removal was worth the hardships they've been forced to endure. [71] (http://www.iht.com/articles/110955.html)
Iraq: A US-led coalition backed Iraqi Governing Council member, Iyad Allawi, announces restrictions of the operations of TV networks al-Jazeera and al-Arabiya. The networks are barred from reporting on official activities and news conferences and from entering ministries and office buildings for the next two weeks. The council claims they incited anti-occupation violence (by airing statements from resistance leaders; specifi
September 10 - Sweden rejects adopting the Euro in a referendum.
September 15 - The ELN kidnaps 8 foreign tourists in the Ciudad Perdida in Colombia; they demand a human rights investigation and release the last hostages 3 months later.
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