Timeline for 2003 to 2005 CE

2003 CE

Increasing fresh water discharges into the Arctic Ocean could disrupt patterns of deepwater ocean circulation that affect climate (SciNews Jan. 11, 163: 29).

U.S. begins developing a system that will monitor germ attacks (Jan 22) (Info)

Mexican earthquake kills nearly 30 (Jan 22)

Scientists find winged dinosaur (Jan 23) a four-winged Microraptor gui, in China.

Space Shuttle Explodes (Feb 1) Columbia breaks up as it renters Earth's atmosphere; killing crew: R.D. Husband, W.C. McCool, M.P. Anderson, D.M. Brown, K. Chawla, L. Clark, and first Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon. (Info)

Panel criticizes Bush's climate plan (Feb 26)

The first large test of an AIDS vaccine failed to shield an at-risk population (SciNews Feb. 22, 163: 133)

Astronomers Confirm Big Bang Theory (Feb 11) The Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy satellite produces detailed map of universe, illustrating first stars appeared 200 million years after the bang, a half billion years earlier than previously thought. Also, reveals universe is 13.7 billion years old, is rapidly expanding, and weight is 4% atoms, 23% dark matter, and 73% dark energy. (Info)

g11
Global Change:
Global Power!
Global Solutions?
CONFLICT AHEAD

AIDS Vaccine fails to prevent infection (Feb 23) First AIDS vaccine to reach large-scale test stage, does, however, seem to decrease infection rate of some minorities.) (Info)

New portrait of infant cosmos pinned down age with unprecedented precision, new evidence that universe began with brief but humongous growth spurt & cosmos already contained a plethora of stars when it was just 200 million years old (SciNews Feb. 15, 163: 99).

Trace amounts of the chemicals used to battle bacteria in kitchens and bathrooms may kill off algae in streams, with potentially far-reaching consequences, studies found (SciNews March 29, 163: 196).

The flow of five of the six large glaciers that once fed into Antarctica's Larsen A ice shelf has sped up significantly since that floating ice mass collapsed and drifted away in January 1995 (SciNews March 8, 163: 149).

Researchers probed the biology of intelligence (Feb. 8, 163: 92) and the environment's effect on IQ scores (SciNews May 10, 163: 293).

Mystery Illness Strikes Asia (Mar 15) World Health Organization calls virus, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), a "worldwide heath threat." (Mar 19) WHO reports progress in finding cause of the virus and a test to detect it. (Info)

China Admits Underreporting SARS Cases (April 20) ... much higher than originally reported. (Info)

Supermassive black holes at cores of galaxies can blow out as much material as they swallow, creating high-speed winds that seed the universe with elements essential for life (SciNews April 5, 163: 214).

SARS Genome Decoded (April 12) Scientists at the British Columbia Cancer Agency determine that a “completely new” coronavirus causes the illness. (Info)

House Passes AIDS Plan (May 1) Votes, 220–197, for $15 billion measure to fight disease globally. Includes provision that one-third of the money be used to encourage abstinence.

Earthquake Hits Southeastern Turkey (May 1)

Tornadoes Ravage Central U.S. (May 5) Agency officials report sightings of more than 80 tornadoes. (Info)

Fuel Economy of Autos Hits Low (May 2)

In the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, analytical chemists raced to develop portable sensors capable of detecting the barest whiff of a chemical or biological weapon (SciNews June 7, 163: 362).

Robot Heads for Mars (June 10): A rover, named Spirit, equipped with eight cameras and a robot arm to analyze samples of the red planet's geologic composition, takes off from Cape Canaveral, Florida. (Info)

SARS Declared Under Control (July 5): WHO declares illness contained. No new cases reported since June 15. Officials warn that it could be a seasonal problem. (Info)

Bush Names Executive to Head AIDS Office (July 2): Nominates Randall Tobias, former CEO of Eli Lilly & Co., to run new $15 million State Department program to fight AIDS.

Study Reports Increased Resistance to AIDS Drugs (July 16): Researchers in Europe announce about 10% of new patients have drug-resistant strain. (Info)

Microbiologists discovered that bacteriophages, the viruses that invade bacteria, have incredible genetic diversity and abound in oceans and soils (SciNews July 12, 64: 26).

In less than a generation, modern industrial-scale fishing can exhaust the edible bounty of a plot of ocean (SciNews July 26, 164: 59).

A DNA study suggested that people first reached the Americas fewer than 20,000 years ago (SciNews Aug. 9, 164: 84).

A decrease in precipitation over the Pacific Ocean north of Hawaii in recent years has left the ocean there saltier and has diminished its capacity to soak up carbon dioxide (SciNews Aug. 16, 164: 101).

Analyses of genetic material from fossils of large, flightless birds called moas suggested that three types of the extinct creatures may not have been separate species after all (SciNews Aug. 9, 164: 84).

Chemical analyses of Earth's lower atmosphere showed that the overall concentration of bromine, a component of some potent ozone-destroying chemicals, has dropped by 5 percent since peaking in 1998 (SciNews Aug. 23, 164: 118).

A piece of 130-million-year-old amber revealed a thin filament of spider silk with sticky droplets that look just like those produced by modern spiders (SciNews Aug. 30, 164: 141).

Astronomers found new evidence that a mysterious substance, dubbed dark energy, is ripping the cosmos apart, causing the universe to expand at an ever-faster rate (SciNews Aug. 2, 164: 67*; Oct. 11, 164: 227).

Massive Blackout Darkens Northeast and Midwest (Aug. 14): In the country's largest power failure in history, 50 million people in eight U.S. states and parts of Canada are without electricity. Cause unknown, but officials acknowledge that electricity grid is antiquated. (Aug. 15): Power restored to most areas after 29-hour blackout. (Aug. 16): Electricity restored in Detroit, the last metropolitan left in the dark. (Info)

Virus Attacks Computers (Aug. 12): Program, called the Blaster worm, wreaks havoc with thousands of computers running recent versions of Microsoft Windows operating systems. (Info)

Studies suggest strongly materialistic values lessen people's sense of happiness and well-being (SciNews Sept. 6, 164: 152).

The fires that swept through Indonesian rain forests late in 1997 seemed to have laid waste to some of the region's marine ecosystems (SciNews Sept. 6, 164: 158).

Vaccines advanced: Against Ebola in monkeys (SciNews Aug. 9, 164: 83); tuberculosis vaccine in animal tests (May 17, 163: 318); rotavirus (Sept. 27, 164: 204); and an experimental anthrax vaccine (Sept. 6, 164: 147).

A combination of drugs that researchers anticipated would work well against HIV failed to stop the virus reliably (SciNews Oct. 4, 164: 222)

China Sends First Astronaut into Orbit (Oct. 15) Lt. Col. Yang Liwei successfully orbits Earth several times in the Shenzhou V, and returns home after 21-hour flight. China is the third country to send a man in space, after the U.S. and Russia. (Info)

The most precise map of galaxy clusters confirmed that most of the cosmos is in the dark, consisting of 70 percent dark energy, 25 percent dark matter, and 5 percent ordinary matter (Nov. 1, 164: 275).

Countries must reduce or eliminate the production and use of 16 persistent
pollutants, under a United Nations treaty that went into effect (SciNews Nov. 8, 164: 301).

New data support hypothesis for mysterious spike in neurological disease in Guam: The food chain bacteria to plants to bats to people-magnifies the tissue concentrations of a naturally produced neurotoxin (SciNews May 17, 163: 310; Dec. 6, 164: 366).

FDA Approves Contraceptive (Dec. 16) U.S. Food and Drug Administration votes to allow over-the-counter sale of "morning-after pill."

2003 CE

Britain arrests terror suspects (Jan 5).

Suicide bombers strike Tel Aviv (Jan 5)

Britain calls up military reserves (Jan 7)

North Korea withdraws from arms treaty (Jan 9)

U.S. deploys troops to Persian Gulf area (Jan 10)

N. Korea states it has no plans for nuclear weapons (Jan 22)

U.N. Arms inspectors report on Iraq (Jan 27) Iraq not fully cooperating (Info)

Sharon Prevails in Israeli election (Jan 29) and his Likud Party defeats Labor Party by taking 38 of 120 seats, while Labor with 19 loses 6. (Info)

U.S. State Dept. argues for war in Iraq (Feb 5)

New Bin Laden tape broadcast (Feb 11)

U.N. arms inspectors say Iraq missiles violate range limits (Feb 12); later say Iraq more cooperative (Feb 14) (Info)

U.S., U.K., & Spain say Iraq has failed to disarm (Feb 22)

North Korea reportedly has restarted nuclear reactor (Feb 26)

Parliament approves Israeli Government (Feb 28)

US says Saddam Hussein must leave Iraq (Feb 28)

N. Korean jets intercept US plane. (Mar 3); US sends 24 bombers to Guam in case diplomacy with N. Korea fails (Mar 4). (Info)

Suicide Bomber Strikes Israeli Bus (Mar 5) Hamas responsible for attack in Haifa; killing 15. First such attack in 2 months, Israel retaliates in Gaza. (Info)

Argentina Indicts Bombing Suspects (Mar 8) judge issues arrest warrants for four Iranian government officials suspected of blowing up a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires in 1994. Blast killed 85 people. (Info)

Palestinian Parliament Approves Prime Minister Post (Mar 10).

Back and forth movements on UN resolutions ends as US, UK, and Spain withdraw resolution (Mar 17).

War in Iraq begins (Mar 19)

US troops strike in Afghanistan (Mar 20) ... about 1000 soldiers raid Kandahar, seeking out al-Qaeda members. (Info)

U.S. Forces Enter Baghdad (April 5) Baghdad falls. U.S. forces take control the city, but sporadic fighting continues throughout the capital. (April 10) (Info)

Arafat Endorses Cabinet (April 23)

North Korea Reports It Has a Nuclear Bomb (April 24) (Info)

Peace Plan Proposed for Middle East (April 30)

Powell Meets with Middle East Leaders in Jerusalem (May 11) U.S. secretary of state urges Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian prime minister Mahmoud Abbas to pursue steps toward peace process. (Info)

U.S. Names New Administrator for Iraq (May 11)

Terrorists Strike in Saudi Arabia (May 12)

Arab Leaders Promise to Curb Violence (June 3): including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, and Bahrain, and Palestinian prime minister Mahmoud Abbas. (Info)

Bush Meets with Middle East Leaders (June 5): At a summit meeting in Aqaba, Jordan, Ariel Sharon and Mahmoud Abbas commit to taking the first steps to implement the road map. (Info)

Hamas Ends Talks with Palestinian Leader (June 6): Militant Islamic group withdraws from cease-fire negotiations with Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas, claiming he yielded too much at summit with Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon. (Info)

Road Map Hits Snags (June 8): Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and Al Aksa Martyrs Brigades, three Islamic militant groups, collaborate in attack on Israeli soldiers in Hebron. Four soldiers die. (June 10): Israel tries to assassinate Hamas leader Dr. Abdel Aziz Rantisi. President Bush criticizes move. (June 11): Palestinian suicide bomber blows up bus in Jerusalem, killing 16 and wounding more than 100. (Info)

Captured Iraqi Official Tells Interrogators That Hussein Is Alive (June 20): U.S. troops intensify their search for Hussein after Abd Hamad Mahmoud al-Tikriti tells U.S. officials that Hussein and his sons, Uday and Qusay, survived attacks in March and April. (Info)

Israelis Agree to Pullout of Gaza (June 27): Palestinians assume security . First coordinated step in the peace process. (Info)

Palestinian Militant Groups Announce Ceasefire (June 29): Hamas and Islamic Jihad vow to end attacks on Israeli targets for three months. Al Fatah announces a six-month truce.

Israeli and Palestinian Prime Ministers Meet (July 1): Ariel Sharon and Mahmoud Abbas make symbolic public appearance together and hold two-hour meeting to discuss peace plan. Israeli troops continue to withdraw from parts of Gaza and the West Bank.

Israeli Troops Continue Withdrawal (July 2): Soldiers withdraw from parts of Bethlehem and the West Bank. (Info)

Palestinian Prime Minister Threatens to Resign (July 7): In response to attacks from Yasir Arafat and his supporters criticizing his handling of peace negotiations with Israel. (July 14):Arafat and Abbas agree to a power-sharing deal that calls on Abbas to consider negotiating guidelines put forth by a committee of the PLO when dealing with Israel. Both Arafat and Abbas are members of the committee. (Info)

Interim Government Established in Iraq (July 13): Governing Council, a diverse group of 25 Iraqi leaders. (Info)

North Korea Announces Plans for Six Nuclear Bombs (July 14).

Hussein's Sons Killed (July 22): Uday and Qusay Hussein die in firefight in a Mosul palace.

Palestinian Prime Minister Visits White House (July 25): Abbas meets President Bush to discuss Middle East peace plan. Bush presses Abbas to move against Palestinian terrorist groups. (Info)

Sharon Refuses to Dismantle Fence (July 29): At White House meeting, Israeli prime minister says he plans to continue construction of security fence that cuts through the West Bank. (Info)

Investigation Reveals Widespread [sexual] Abuse by Massachusetts Priests (July 23): ... in Boston's Roman Catholic Archdiocese since 1940. (Info)

Suicide Attacks Resume in Middle East (Aug. 12): In separate, uncoordinated incidents, two bombers kill two Israelis. Hamas and Al Aksa Martyrs Brigade claim responsibility. First attacks in more than a month. (Info)

Israel to Give Palestinians Control of West Bank Cities (Aug. 15): (Jericho and Qalqilya) Will also permit Yasir Arafat to travel outside his Ramallah compound to visit his sister's grave. Moves contingent on Palestinians ending violence and that Palestinian militants disarm. (Info)

Bomb Destroys UN Compound in Iraq (Aug. 19).

Devastating Suicide Bombing Threatens Peace Plan (Aug. 19): Attack on bus in Jerusalem kills 20 people, including 6 children, and wounds more than 100. Hamas and Islamic Jihad claim responsibility. (Aug. 21): After Israel retaliates by killing a top member of Hamas, Ismali Abu Shanab, Hamas and Islamic Jihad formally withdraw from cease-fire. (Info)

Episcopal Church Approves Gay Bishop (Aug. 5): Episcopalian bishops vote against creating an official blessing of same-sex unions. (Aug. 7): Church leaders pass resolution that says local dioceses are acting within the parameters of the church when they bless same-sex unions. (Info)

Catholic Church Offers Settlement to Victims (Aug. 8) (Info)

U.S. Seeks UN Help in Iraq (Sept. 3): In a shift in policy, introduces a draft resolution to UN Security Council calling for multinational force, under U.S. command. (Info)

Palestinian Prime Minister Resigns (Sept. 6): Mahmoud Abbas steps down, saying Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian leader Yasir Arafat undermined his authority. (Sept. 7): Arafat nominates Ahmed Qurei, speaker of Palestinian parliament, as prime minister. (Info)

Suicide Bombers Strike in Israel (Sept. 9): In separate attacks, two Palestinians blow themselves up at a cafe and a bus stop. Fifteen people killed. (Info)

Iran Faces Deadline on Nuclear Compliance (Sept. 9): Britain, France, and Germany submit a UN resolution demanding that Iran provide complete information on its nuclear material and allow UN inspectors free access to nuclear sites. (Info)

Bin Laden Appears on Videotape (Sept. 10): On eve of second anniversary of Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Osama bin Laden and his deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri, seen on Al Jazeera network. (Info)

Israeli Government Announces Plans to Remove Arafat (Sept. 11): Threatens to exile, jail, or kill Palestinian leader. Statement bolsters Arafat's popularity among Palestinians. (Info)

Bush Seeks $87 Billion to Help in Iraq (Sept. 7) (Info)

Boston Archdiocese Settles with Abuse Victims (Sept. 9): Church agrees to pay $85 million to settle about 550 lawsuits filed by people who said they were sexually assaulted by priests. Each victim to receive between $80,000 and $300,000. (Info)

Israel To Expand Barrier and Settlements (Oct. 1) (Info)

Suicide Bomb Attacks Haifa Restaurant (Oct. 4) On the eve of Yom Kippur, female bomber kills 19 people and wounds about 50. (Info)

Israel Attacks Syria (Oct. 5) In a shift in tactic, bombs what it calls a Palestinian terrorist training camp outside Damascus. First Israeli strike inside Syria in 30 years. (Info)

Arafat Installs New Government (Oct. 5) Declares state of emergency and names new cabinet, with Ahmed Qurei as prime minister. (Info)

Americans Targeted in Gaza (Oct. 15) Remote-controlled bomb explodes under a convoy of U.S. diplomatic vehicles, killing three people. (Info)

Israeli Warplanes Target Gaza (Oct. 20) Helicopters fire strike 5 times, killing at least 11 and wounding dozens.

UN Votes to Stop Construction of Barrier (Oct. 22) (Info)

September 11 Casualty List Reduced (Oct. 29) NY officials reduce number killed at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on US by 40 names ... dropping to 2,752 from 2,792. The total number to die from terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and in rural Pennsylvania is 2,995. (Info)

Blast Rocks Riyadh (Nov. 9) 17 killed and dozens wounded when a bomb explodes at housing complex in capital of Saudi Arabia. Al Qaeda blamed. (Info)

Palestinian Parliament Approves New Government (Nov. 12) Confirms government of Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei. Cabinet, however, seen as loyal to Yasir Arafat rather than Qurei. (Info)

British Bank and Consulate Bombed (Nov. 20) At least 26 people killed and 400 wounded when two trucks blow up in Istanbul, Turkey. One truck explodes outside the British consulate, and the other at the British bank HSBC. Al-Qaeda suspected in the bombings. (Info)

Massachusetts CourtRules in Favor of Gay Marriage (Nov. 18) (Info)

Gay Man Becomes Bishop (Nov. 1) Rev. V. Gene Robinson consecrated as bishop of New Hampshire. He's the first openly gay man to hold the post in the Episcopal Church U.S.A. (Info)

Suicide Bombers Strike in Moscow (Dec. 5) Nearly 50 people killed and about 150 wounded when a commuter train blows up. (Dec. 9) Suicide attacker kills herself and five others near the Kremlin and Red Square.

Saddam Hussein Caught (Dec. 13) American troops find former dictator of Iraq on a farm near Tikrit, in an 8-foot hole. He surrenders without a fight.

2004 CE

U.S. Begins Fingerprinting Foreign Visitors (Jan. 5): New security system, U.S. Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology, or US-VISIT, requires international travelers to be fingerprinted and photographed. The information is compared with people who are on terrorist lists, have violated their visas, or have committed other crimes. (Info)

Bush Proposes Journey to the Moon (Jan. 14): President sets sights on another flight to the Moon by 2020 and the construction of a launching base there for a trip to Mars and beyond.

FDA Moves to Prevent Mad Cow Disease (Jan. 26): Food and Drug Administration issues new rules that prohibit feeding chicken waste and cow blood to cattle. Also bans the use of dead or injured cows in the manufacture of cosmetics, soups, and dietary supplements. Rules intended to stop the spread of mad cow disease.

Rover Lands on Mars (Jan. 3): Spirit sends back "postcards," black-and-white and color images of the planet. The images, the most detailed ever taken by a Mars lander, show a flat, but rocky surface. (Jan. 25): Second rover, Opportunity, lands on Mars and sends pictures back to Earth.

Bird Flu Reaches Thailand (Jan. 22): The Thai government announces that it is investigating three possible cases of avian flu. Five Vietnamese have died from the bird flu, and officials are concerned that the disease has spread to other parts of Asia.

Virus Affects Millions of Computers (Jan. 26): Worm, called MyDoom or Novarg, spreads through Internet servers, infecting about 1 in 12 e-mail messages.

Massachusetts Court Supports Gay Marriage (Feb. 4): State's supreme judicial court rules that only full marriage complies with its November 2003 ruling that said barring gays and lesbians from marrying violates the state constitution. "The dissimilitude between the terms 'civil marriage and civil union' is not innocuous," the ruling states.

g11
Global Change:
Global Power!
Global Solutions?
CONFLICT AHEAD

Gay Couples Marry in San Francisco (Feb. 12): More than 50 couples tie the knot after Mayor Gavin Newsom advised the city clerk's office to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. (Info)

Bush Endorses Constitutional Amendment Banning Gay Marriage (Feb. 24)(Info)

Researchers Report New Elements (Feb. 1): Team of American and Russian scientists created two new chemical elements, temporarily named Ununtrium (Element 113) and Ununpentium (Element 115). (Info)

Scientists Say They Have Cloned a Human Embryo (Feb. 12): Scientists in South Korea announce that they have created 30 human embryos by cloning and have removed embryonic stem cells from them. The scientists say these stem cells will be used for medical research, not to create human babies. (Info)

NASA Cites Evidence of Water on Mars (March 2): Space agency announces that the robot explorer Opportunity has detected signs that water had once covered the rocks of a small crater.(Info)

Scientists Report New Planetoid (March 15): NASA reports discovery of a distant object in our solar system that closely resembles a planet. Dubbed Sedna, the frigid object is made of rock and ice. Three times farther away from the Sun than Pluto, it's the most distant object in the solar system. (Info)

Air Pollution Violates Federal Standards (April 15): The EPA tells 31 governors air pollution in their states does not meet federal health standards. (Info)

FDA Rejects Morning-After Pill (May 6): Food and Drug Administration bans over-the-counter sale of emergency contraception drug, citing potential misuse by teenagers.

Bush Administration Alters AIDS Drug Policy (May 16): Changes expedite process for approving generic and combination antiretroviral drugs. Plan will allow countries in Africa and the Caribbean to buy drugs cheaper and administer them more efficiently.

Gay Marriages Begin in Massachusetts (May 17):

Boston Archdiocese to Shutter Churches (May 25): Almost 20% of the Roman Catholic churches in the Boston Archdiocese to close by the end of 2004 due to low attendance and financial problems caused by the sex-abuse scandal.

Aspirin May Prevent Breast Tumors (May 26): Report in the Journal of the American Medical Association shows that women who take aspirin at least seven times a week are 26% less likely to develop a certain kind of tumor than women who did not take it.

Floods Devastate Caribbean Island (May 26): Death toll reaches 1,950 from floods caused by several days of heavy rains in Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

List of Smoking-Related Illnesses Grows (May 27): Surgeon General says smoking can also cause cervix, kidney, pancreas, and stomach cancer, in addition to other serious diseases.

Judge Strikes Down Abortion Ban (June 1): Federal judge in San Francisco says 2003 Partial Ban Abortion Ban Act unconstitutional because it lacks a medical exception to save a woman's life.

Civilian Reaches Space (June 21): Michael Melvil pilots SpaceShipOne into space, becoming the first person to do so in a privately developed aircraft

Spacecraft Transmits Photos of Saturn's Rings (June 30): Black-and-white photos from the Cassini spacecraft reveal details of Saturn's ice and rock ring. (Info)

AIDS Conference Opens in Bangkok (July 11): Officials gather for the 15th International AIDS Conference to discuss status of worldwide epidemic. World Health Organization AIDS director says the world has "failed miserably" to combat the spread of the disease. (Info)

Life Expectancy Drops in Africa (July 15): Report by the UN Development Program finds life expectancy drops to below 40 and poverty on the rise in 7 countries hit hardest by AIDS. Countries include Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Zambia, Malawi, Central African Republic, and Mozambique. (Info)

Church Declares Bankruptcy (July 5):Roman Catholic archdiocese in Portland, Oregon, files for bankruptcy protection as a result of claims in child-sex lawsuits that total about $160 million.

Bush Administration Dismantles Logging Rules (July 12): Agriculture secretary announces plans to end Clinton directive that banned logging, road building, and other development in national forests. States will now decide how the 60 million acres of land will be designated. (Info)

Senate Kills Effort to Ban Same-Sex Marriages (July 14): Votes, 50–48, against proposed constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage.

Hawking Revises Black Hole Theory (July 21): Renowned cosmologist Dr. Stephen Hawking reverses himself and concludes information can be retrieved from black holes. (Info)

Florida Pounded by Storms (Aug. 12): Tropical storm Bonnie pounds the Florida Panhandle. (Aug. 13): At least 13 people die as Hurricane Charley tears into the state's west coast, with winds of 145 miles an hour.

Bush Administration Changes Position on Global Warming (Aug. 25): Report to Congress says scientific evidence suggests climate change is caused by emissions of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases. (Info)

Space Probe Crashes (Sept. 8): Capsule with samples of the Sun crashes after its parachutes fail to open.

Advisory Panel Recommends Warning for Antidepressants (Sept. 14): Group advising the FDA urges drug manufacturers to strongly warn parents and doctors that prescribing antidepressants to teenagers and children may increase suicidal behavior. (Info)

Storms Ravage South (Sept. 15): Ivan hits Alabama and Florida, causing tornadoes and the evacuation of more than 2 million people. Nearly 100 people
died in the hurricane: 70 in the Caribbean and 27 in the U.S. (Sept. 26): Jeanne hits Florida, causing five deaths and severe flooding. Florida's fourth
hurricane in season. (Info)

Hundreds Killed in Haiti (Sept. 20): Floods and mudslides caused by tropical storm Jeanne claim more than 550. (Info)

Mt. St. Helens Erupts (Oct. 1): After almost two decades of dormancy, the Washington volcano erupts in a small explosion of steam and ash. No deaths, damage, or injuries reported. (Info)

SpaceShipOne Wins X Prize (Oct. 4): The privately funded manned spacecraft flies above the Earth's atmosphere for the second time in a week, winning the $10 million Ansari X Prize. (Info)

Flu Vaccines Contaminated (Oct. 5): Half of the country's flu vaccines to be destroyed because its maker, Chiron Corp., had its manufacturing license suspended.

Malaria Vaccine Proves Promising (Oct. 15): Director of the Malaria Vaccine Initiative says vaccine tested on children in Mozambique prevented disease in 30% of cases and prevented life-threatening illness 58% of the time. (Info)

2004 CE

Pakistan Cited as Supplier of Bomb Design (Jan. 5): Bush administration says it believes Pakistani scientists gave Libya the technology to build nuclear weapons. Pakistan also suspected of providing weapons design to Iran and North Korea. (Jan. 23) President Pervez Musharaff admits that Pakistani scientists probably sold nuclear-weapons designs to other countries for personal profit. (Info)

Iraqi Cleric Calls for Direct Elections (Jan. 11): Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, most influential Shiite cleric in Iraq, says members of country's interim assembly must be selected by direct vote and asserts country will be prepared to manage the elections within months.

Palestinian Suicide Bomber Strikes in Gaza Strip (Jan. 14): Mother of two young children and a member of the militant group Hamas kills herself and four Israeli security officers. Attack marks the first time Hamas has used a woman as a suicide bomber.

U.S., British, and UN Officials Discuss Future of Iraqi Government (Jan. 19):

Israel Agrees to Swap with Hezbollah (Jan. 24): Plans to free about 400 Arab prisoners in exchange for the release of a kidnapped Israeli businessman and the bodies of three soldiers.

Hundreds of Muslims Killed During Pilgrimage (Feb. 1): Nearly 250 pilgrims crushed to death in a stampeded during a devil-stoning ceremony in Saudi Arabia. Pilgrims were celebrating the end of hajj

Suicide Bomber Kills Dozens of Kurds (Feb. 1): Several top Kurdish leaders slain in attacks at the headquarters of two political parties. At least 56 people killed and hundreds wounded.

Sharon Says He May Have Settlers Leave Gaza (Feb. 2): Israeli prime minister indicates he plans to order the evacuation of several settlements in the Gaza Strip.

Pakistani Scientist Admits to Selling Weapons Technology (Feb. 4)

Suicide Bombs Kill Dozens in Iraq (Feb. 10): At least 54 people, mostly civilians, die outside a police station in Iskandariyah. They were lined up applying for jobs. (Feb. 11) Bomber strikes in Baghdad, killing nearly 50 people, who were seeking employment with Iraq's new army. (Info)

Russian President Sacks Prime Minister and Cabinet (Feb. 24): Russian president Vladimir Putin unexpectedly fires his entire cabinet and Prime Minister Mikhail M. Kasyanov, two weeks before nationwide elections. (Info)

Suicide Bombers Hit Iraqi Mosques (March 2): About 170 Shiite Muslims observing ashoura killed in attacks in Baghdad and Karabala. (Info)

Israeli Army Raids Refugee Camps (March 7): More than a dozen Palestinians killed in attack on Gaza camps. Move follows bold suicide attack by Palestinian militants on a border crossing. (Info)

Spain Rocked By Terrorist Attacks (March 11): At least 10 bombs explode on four commuter trains in Madrid during rush hour, killing nearly 200 people and wounding more than a thousand. (Info)

Sharon Announces Settlement Plan (April 12): plans to keep five West Bank settlements. (April 14): President Bush endorses Israeli prime minister's unilateral strategy.

Pakistani Scientist Reports North Korea Possesses Nuclear Weapons (April 13)

Bin Laden Offers Truce to Europe (April 14) (Info)

Hamas Leader Killed in Gaza (April 17)

Car Bombs Kill Dozens in Iraq (April 21)

Bush Ends Trade Ban with Libya (April 23)

Gunmen Detonate Bomb in Damascus (April 27):

Abuse Reported at Iraqi Prison (April 30)

Likud Party Rejects Sharon's Gaza Plan (May 3)

Shiites Demand Rebel Cleric Withdraw Forces (May 4): About 150 influential leaders meet in Baghdad and urge Moktada al-Sadr to hand over weapons and remove his militia from Najaf and Karbala. (May 4)

Bush Addresses Prison Abuse (May 5)

American Decapitated in Iraq (May 8)

Israeli Troops Raid Gaza (May 11)

Iraqi Leader Killed (May 17): Ezzidin Salim, te president of the Iraqi Governing Council, killed by a suicide bomber

U.S. Soldier Sentenced in Abuse Scandal (May 19)

Israelis Open Fire on Protest (May 20): More than three dozen people killed.

Militants Attack Residential Area of Saudi Arabia (May 29)

Rumsfeld Takes Blame for Abuse in Iraq (May 7)

New Government Formed in Iraq (June 1)

Sharon Fires Cabinet Ministers (June 4): Israeli prime minister sacks two opponents of his plan to withdraw settlers and troops from the Gaza Strip. (June 6): Sharon's coalition government approves plan to begin preparing for evacuation of some settlements in 2005.

Iraqi Officials Fatally Shot (June 12)

Several Bombs Explode Around Baghdad (June 14)

Blasts Shut Down Iraqi Oil Terminal (June 14)

South Korean Beheaded in Iraq (June 22)

U.S. Hands Over Power to Iraqis (June 28)

Israel Ordered to Remove Part of Barrier (June 30): Supreme Court tells army to dismantle a 20.5-mile portion of the security wall in the West Bank because it separates Palestinian landowners from their land and burdens an entire village. Ruling, however, says Israel has legal right to build the fence.

President Reagan Dies (June 3) (Info)

Hussein Appears in Court (July 1): Former Iraqi president and 11 codefendants arraigned on charges of crimes against humanity stemming from the 1988 gassing of Kurds, 1990 invasion of Kuwait, and the persecution of political opponents.

World Court Rules Against Israeli Barrier (July 9): In a nonbinding ruling, International Court of Justice says portion of the fence that cuts into occupied Palestinian land in the West Bank is illegal and advises Israel to remove it. (July 20): General Assembly passes a resolution demanding that Israel comply with World Court decision.

Sharon Seeks Coalition with Labor (July 12)

Palestinian Premier Submits Resignation (July 17): Ahmed Qurei tells Yasir Arafat he plans to step down. Move follows unrest and lawlessness in the Gaza Strip. Arafat, however, refuses to accept the resignation. (July 27): Qurei withdraws resignation after Arafat agrees to hand over some control of security agencies to Qurei. (Info)

Leaders of Islamic Charity Arrested (July 27): Five former officials of the Holy Land Foundation charged by U.S. officials with funneling more than $12 million to Palestinian terrorists. Two other leaders who were wanted by the FBI left the country while under investigation. (Info)

Sharon Suffers Setback (Aug. 18): His Likud party votes against his plan to
form a coalition with the opposition Labor party. Prime minister needs broader support to follow through with his plan to unilaterally withdraw Jewish settlements from the Gaza Strip. (Info)

Arafat Admits Errors (Aug. 18): In an unusual televised address, Palestinian leader acknowledges he has made mistakes in addressing the breakdown of law and order in Gaza (Info)

Two Buses Blow Up in Israel (Aug. 31): In the worst violence in months, 16 people are killed in twin blasts in Beersheba. Militant group Hamas takes responsibility.

Little Progress Reported in Sudan (Sept. 1): Secretary General Kofi Annan says government has failed to disarm Arab militias, called the Janjaweed, or stop attacks on civilians in Darfur. (Info)

Car Bomb Explodes at Embassy in Indonesia (Sept. 7)

Atomic Energy Agency Tells Iran to Stop Enriching Uranium (Sept. 18)

Israeli Troops Attack Gaza Camp (Sept. 30): Soldiers battle with Palestinian militants in refugee camp. Nearly 30 Palestinians and 3 Israelis die in the fighting, the worst in two years. (Info)

Israelis Targeted in Egypt (Oct. 8): More than 30 people die in three bombings at three resorts in the Sinai Peninsula. (Info)

Israeli Troops Withdraw from Gaza (Oct. 16): Move ends 17-day offensive to stop Palestinians from firing rockets into Israeli settlements.

2005 CE

Relief Pours into Asia (Jan. 2): Helicopters based on US aircraft carriers off Indonesian begin dropping supplies to survivors of the tsunami that devastated a dozen Asian nations. International community has pledged more than $2 billion in aid. (Jan. 5) Info

Former Presidents Lead Aid Drive: Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton lead a nationwide campaign to raise funds for victims of December 2004 earthquake and tsunami (Jan. 3).

g11
Global Change:
Global Power!
Global Solutions?
CONFLICT AHEAD

European Spacecraft Lands on Saturn Moon (Jan. 14): Photos of Titan sent back to Earth by craft Huygens reveal rocky surface and lakes of what astronomers think are frozen gases. Info

Largest Passenger Plane Launched (Jan. 18): The prototype of the Airbus A380 debuts in France. The plane is seven stories high, is four aisles wide, and can seat 555 passengers.

Cancer Top Killer in U.S. (Jan. 19): Replaces heart disease as No. 1 cause of death for people ages 85 and under. Number of deaths from both, however, have fallen. Info

Drug companies' overaggressive marketing of risky drugs is hurting public safety, researchers asserted (Feb. 5, SciNews)

N. Korea Admits to Having Nuclear Weapons (Feb. 10): First time country makes declaration. Also says it will not engage in disarmament talks.

Cost of Medicare Drug Plan Rises (Feb. 9): Prescription drug benefit, initially estimated to cost $400 billion over 10 years, now projected to top $724 billion. Info

Astronomers Find Hot Spot on Saturn (Feb. 4): Astronomers in Hawaii report a glimpse of what is believed a warm polar vortex on Saturn. The first such discovery in the solar system.

Kyoto Protocol Goes into Effect (Feb. 16): The international environmental treaty requires 35 industrialized nations to reduce heat-trapping gases such as carbon dioxide. Info

Congress Intervenes in Case of Brain-Damaged Woman (March 20)

Greenspan Urges Action on Deficit (March 2): Urges Congress to work toward reining in budget deficit, saying they are “ unsustainable.” Info

Diabetes - Transplanting insulin-making pancreas cells from a cadaver into people with type 1, or juvenile-onset, diabetes reversed the disease (March 5, SciNews)

Obesity Shortens Life Expectancy of Children (March 17): Report in the New England Journal of Medicine indicates if childhood obesity continues, current generation of children may live 2 to 5 fewer years than adults today.

2005 CE

Iraqi Violence Intensifies as Election Nears (Jan. 4) Info

Mahmoud Abbas Wins Election (Jan. 9): chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization, takes race for president of the Palestinian Authority to succeed Yasir Arafat, who died in Nov. 2004. (Jan 15): Abbas sworn in as the president of the Palestinian Authority. Info

Sudanese Government and Rebels Sign Peace Agreement (Jan. 9)

Palestinian Militants Attack Israelis (Jan. 13): Six civilians killed in Gaza Strip. Israelis respond by killing the militants. (Jan 14): Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon announces he will not engage Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas until he moves against militants. Info

Bush Nominates Homeland Security Secretary (Jan. 11): Michael Chertoff.

President Bush Begins Second Term (Jan. 20) Info

Abbas and Sharon Declare a Truce (Feb. 8)

Counting Complete in Iraqi Elections (Feb. 13) Info

Former Prime Minister of Lebanon Killed (Feb. 14): Rafik al-Hariri, and 11 others die when a car bomb explodes.

Israel Ends Demolition of Homes (Feb. 17): Troops stop destroying homes of Palestinian militants as retribution for attacks. Info

Israeli Cabinet Approves Withdrawal from Gaza (Feb. 20): Cabinet also approves new route for barrier that cuts into Palestinian-controlled areas in the West Bank.

Syria Promises Withdrawal from Lebanon (Feb. 24)

Egypt Moves Toward Democratic Elections (Feb. 26)

Lebanese Government Resigns (Feb. 28): dissolves the Syrian-backed government.

Earthquake Kills Hundreds in Iran (Feb. 22)

A World In Turmoil

Leftist Government Assumes Power in Uruguay (March 1)

Members of Iraqi Tribunal Assassinated (March 1)

UN Troops Battle Congo Militia (March 1)

Saudi Arabia Demands Syrian Withdrawal from Lebanon (March 3):

Thousands of Syrian Supporters March in Lebanon (March 8)

Hamas to Participate in Elections (March 12)

Middle East Friction

Palestinians Take Control of Jericho (March 16): Move is first stage of truce agreement between Israelis and Palestinians that will give Palestinians control of five towns in the West Bank.

Israel to Expand Settlement (March 21): Government announces plans to build 3,500 housing units in Maale Adumim, a West Bank settlement near Jerusalem. Palestinians call the move a violation of the peace plan.

Iraqi Assembly Moves Toward Forming a Government (April 3)

Bush Speaks Out Against Settlements (April 11): President tells Israeli prime minister he opposes construction of any new settlements in the West Bank. He confirms support for Sharon's plan to withdraw from the Gaza Strip.

Syrian Military Exits Lebanon (April 26): Troops, which had been stationed in Lebanon for 29 years, complete withdrawal

Iraqi Legislator Murdered (April 28)

Insurgent Attacks Kill Dozens in Iraq (April 29)

Pope John Paul II Dies (April 2): John Paul, the first Polish pope and the first non-Italian pope since 1522, dies after a long struggle with Parkinson's Disease. (April 8): John Paul II is buried at the Vatican. Conclave of cardinals select Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger of Germany as the new pope. He will call himself Benedictine the 16th. (April 24) Some historical documents speak to this being the last Pope before the biblical last days.

Insurgents Continue Series of Attacks (May 1): At least 35 Iraqis die in bombings in Mosul and Baghdad.

Iran Says It Plans to Resume Nuclear Activity (May 3)

Iraqi Cabinet Sworn In (May 3)

Pakistan Captures High-Ranking Member of al-Qaeda (May 2): Faraj al-Libbi found in Mardan.

British Prime Minister Reelected (May 5): Tony Blair becomes first Labour Party premier to win three successive terms.

European Constitution in Jeopardy (June 1)

Bombs Explode in London (July 7): Four coordinated terrorist attacks on the city's subway and bus systems during rush hour kill 52 people, including the attackers, and wound more than 700.

Violence Escalates Between Israelis and Palestinians (July 12): Suicide bomber kills two women at a shopping mall in Netanya. (July 15): Palestinians attack Israeli settlements in the Gaza Strip. Israeli troops respond with a strike at Hamas militants in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, killing seven of them.

Suicide Bomber Kills Group of Children (July 13): About 27 people, mostly children who were gathered around a U.S. military jeep, die in attack in Baghdad.

Explosions Kill Dozens in Egypt (July 23): At least 90 people die in a series of car bomb explosions at popular Red Sea resort Sharm el Sheik. Two militant groups claim responsibility.

Saudi King Dies (Aug. 1): King Fahd bin Abdel Aziz al-Saud, 82, dies after a bout with pneumonia. Prince Abdullah, 81, assumes the throne.

U.S. Revises Estimate on Iran's Nuclear Arsenal (Aug. 2): Intelligence agencies find that while Iran plans to build nuclear weapons, the country will not have the ability to do so for about 10 years. Earlier estimates put the time frame at five years.

Europe Presents Nuclear Program Plan to Iran (Aug. 4): Britain, France, and Germany offer to allow Iran to acquire nuclear reactors and fuel if it promises to end conversion and enrichment of uranium. (Aug. 6): Iran says it will reject the proposal. (Aug. 10)

Talks on North Korea Weapons Suspended (Aug. 7)

Israeli Cabinet Approves Gaza Withdrawal (Aug. 7): Finance minister and former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu quits in protest.

Iraq Delays Final Draft of Constitution (Aug. 15)

Settlement Withdrawal Begins (Aug. 15): Israeli police officers and soldiers start process of evacuating about 8,700 residents from the Gaza Strip and 675 from the West Bank.

U.S. Ships Attacked in Jordan (Aug. 19)

Pakistan Says North Korea Received Nuclear Machines (Aug. 24): Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf admits that nuclear scientist A. Q. Khan sent North Korea centrifuge machines, which can be used to make fuel for a nuclear bomb.

Four Charged in Murder of Lebanese Prime Minister (Sept. 1)

Saddam Hussein Trial Set (Sept. 4) trial on Oct. 19 for the 1982 deaths of 150 residents of Dujail.

Talks on North Korea's Nuclear Weapons Program Resume (Sept. 13)

Suicide Bombers Wreak Havoc on Baghdad (Sept. 14): About 150 people die and 500 are wounded in a series of coordinated attacks.

Agency Will Report Iran's Nuclear-Weapons Violations (Sept. 24): International Atomic Energy Agency votes to send a resolution saying Iran violated the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.

Syrian Minister Found Dead (Oct. 12): Ghazi Kanaan, interior minister, reportedly committed suicide. He was questioned in September about the February murder of Lebanon's former prime minister Rafik Hariri.

Iraqis Vote on Constitution (Oct. 15): Millions of Iraqi voters head to the polls to vote on a constitution.

U.S. Deaths in Iraq Reach Solemn Milestone (Oct. 25): Number of deaths of U.S. soldiers fighting in Iraq reaches 2,000.

Iranian President Makes Inflammatory Statement (Oct. 26): At a speech in front of 4,000 students, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says Israel should be “wiped off the map.” Remark ignites international outrage.

Violence on the Rise Between Israelis and Palestinians (Oct. 26): Islamic Jihad claims responsibility for suicide bombing that kills 20 in the Israeli town of Hadera. (Oct. 27): Israeli troops launch retaliatory airstrikes in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

Suicide Bomber Kills Dozens in Jordan (Nov. 10)

Israel's Labor Party Elects New Leader (Nov. 10): Trade union leader and member of Parliament Amir Peretz upsets Shimon Peres. He threatens to withdraw Labor from Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's coalition.

Rice Brokers Gaza Travel Deal (Nov. 15): Agreement between Israelis and the Palestinian Authority—mediated in a marathon session by U.S. secretary of state Condoleezza Rice—allows Palestinians to travel in and out of the Gaza Strip with minimal restrictions.

Sharon Forms a New Party (Nov. 21): Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon quits as head of the Likud Party, which he founded, to start a new, more centrist organization, called Kadima.

Lebanese Legislator Assassinated (Dec. 12): Gebran Tueni, who has been critical of Syria, is killed in a car bomb attack less than a day after he returned to the country.

Iraq Holds Parliamentary Elections (Dec. 15): As many as 11 million Iraqis turn out to select their first permanent Parliament since the overthrow of Saddam Hussein.