October 10, 2003
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Nobel Prize: Shirin Ebadi, Iranian human rights lawyer, is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. [1]
- In Iraq two more soldiers are killed and 4 wounded in an ambush in the Sadr district of Baghdad. The troops are lured into the ambush by civilians in what could be a new tactic by hostile forces in Iraq. [2]
- Camp X-ray: The United States' policy of detaining up to 600 people in Guantanamo Bay comes under fierce attack from the Red Cross and a group of American former judges, diplomats and military officers who are asking the Supreme Court of the United States to review the situation. The Red Cross criticises the policy of holding detainees without legal representation and in contravention of legal conventions; it reports a worrying deterioration in the mental health of detainees. [3]
- Canadian Census: NDP MP Bill Blaikie accuses the Canadian federal government of contracting out the census to American manufacturer Lockheed Martin, a charge Industry Minister Allan Rock does not confirm or deny. Blaikie raises dire concerns of privacy. [4]
- Israeli-Palestinian conflict: Israeli military officer states Palestinian militants are feared to be using a tunnel to smuggle anti-tank missiles and portable anti-aircraft missiles, though no tunnels had been found yet. The army states it's encountering strong resistance from Palestinians using dozens of homemade bombs, rocket propelled grenades and other grenades and automatic weapons. One Palestinian child and four adults killed in overnight attack on Rafah refugee camp in Gaza. [5]
- Sports - Rugby union: The 2003 Rugby World Cup, with 20 countries competing for the William Webb Ellis Trophy over a 7 week period, starts after a spectacular opening ceremony at the Telstra Stadium, Sydney, Australia with Australia defeating Argentina 24-8 in the opening match. [6]
- Royalty: Prince Johan-Friso of the Netherlands, second son of Queen Beatrix and second in line of succession to the throne will lose his succession rights when he marries Mabel Wisse Smit without the Dutch Parliament's permission. Government assent was refused because the couple had been less than candid about the bride's interactions with gangster Klaas Bruisma in the late 1980s. [7]
