January 23, 2003

350 Australian troops begin their journey towards Iraq, joining the US and UK troops already assembled there. Prime Minister John Howard said that "pre-positioning troops increased the likelihood of (the crisis) being resolved peacefully". Around 150 people protested as the troop ship left Sydney, some shouting "Go yourself!" to Mr. Howard. (BBC)
Fast food restaurant chain McDonald's reports a quarterly loss for the first time. The loss amounted to US$344m. Shares in the company fell around 3% on the news. (BBC)