October 18, 2003
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Asia - International relations: Leaders of Pacific-rim nations gather in Bangkok ahead of the 11th Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) conference. [1][2] [3] President George W. Bush arrives in Thailand ahead of an APEC summit of 21 Asia-Pacific government leaders which is likely to be dominated by discussions of the War on Terrorism and trade friction between rich and poor nations (trade and currency).
- Middle East: New audio tapes, allegedly from Osama bin Laden, air on the Al Jazeera network. [4]
- occupation of Iraq: Spain's government, one of the staunchest supporters of the attack on Iraq, has pledged $300 million over several years toward Iraqi reconstruction. [5]
- Petroleum: Zimbabwe's state oil corporation is reported to have run out of fuel, aggravating the continuing acute fuel crisis. [6]
- Natural disaster : Officials declare a state of emergency due to severe flooding in Squamish, British Columbia. Parts of the town are evacuated. [7]
- Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, visiting Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai, is whisked out of Kabul owing to reports of a rocket attack. The reports turn out to be unfounded. [8]
- Kosovo: First death of forced starvation in Europe for the last 50 years. Zhivorad Velikinac (age 65) from Urosevac died in hospital in Kosovska Mitrovica after not eating for more than a month - he was disabled and not able to get out of his apartment on his own, his Albanian neighbours were threatened not to bring him food anymore, and other Serbs were too afraid to visit him.
