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. (Reuters)
• Manitoba becomes the fourth province, and the fifth jurisdiction, in Canada to legalize same-sex marriage. (CBC)
• Afghan President Hamid Karzai survives an assassination attempt when a rocket misses his helicopter, bound for the city of Gardez, by some 300 yards (275 m). The helicopter returned to Kabul. (ABC News)
• Indonesia sentences Islamic militant "Ismail", also known as Ricky Putranto, to 12 years in prison for his role in the bombing of a Marriott hotel in Jakarta last year. (Jakarta Post)
• The New York Times, citing unnamed U.S. government officials, reports that, in late July, the National Intelligence Council prepared a pessimistic classified report for President George W. Bush that predicted three likely outcomes for Iraq by the end of 2005, the best of which is "tenuous stability", and the worst of which is a descent into civil war. (New York Times) (Reuters)
• United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan reluctantly describes the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq as an "illegal" violation of the UN Charter, in response to repeated questions on the subject during a press conference. (BBC) (Reuters) (Boston Globe) (ITN)
• The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China convenes in Beijing for four days with speculation over whether Jiang Zemin will resign from his remaining post as Chairman of the Central Military Commission. (BBC)
• HRH Prince Joachim of Denmark and Alexandra Christina Manley announce their separation and eventual divorce. (The Scotsman)
• 2004 Atlantic hurricane season:
  • The eye of Hurricane 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 a tropical storm. (CNN) (NOAA/NHC) (AP)
  • Tropical Storm Jeanne briefly becomes a hurricane, but is downgraded back to tropical storm strength as it passes over the Dominican Republic, where it brings heavy rains and high winds. Forecasters warn that the storm could strengthen again once it reaches the open sea. (Reuters)