1 JULY 2003

China, Hong Kong

Half a million people demonstrated against Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa and a proposed anti-subversion bill (Reuters).

Israel, West Bank and Gaza Strip

Prime Minister Sharon and PA prime minister Abbas met in Jerusalem (Reuters).

2 JULY 2003

Israel, West Bank

Israeli forces withdrew from Bethlehem (Reuters).

4 JULY 2003

Pakistan

Unknown gunmen attacked a Shi'ite mosque in Quetta, killing around 50 people (Reuters).

5 JULY 2003

Russia

Two suicide bombers attacked a rock concert, killing 15. They apparently did not reach the main concert area (Reuters).

6 JULY 2003

Mexico, politics

In elections for the lower house of Congress, the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) and Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD) made significant gains at the expense of President Vicente Fox's National Action Party (PAN) (Reuters).

7 JULY 2003

Iraq

US Army Maj. Gen. Carl Strock, a senior official with the reconstruction effort, said oil production was about 800,000 BPD. Officials hoped to increase that to one million BPD by autumn and 2.5 million BPD within a year (Reuters).

8-12 JULY 2003

Diplomatic affairs

US President Bush visited Senegal, South Africa, Botswana, Uganda and Nigeria. In Botswana, he discussed with President Festus Mogae a plan to provide Africa with $15 billion in AIDS assistance over the next five years (Reuters).

9 JULY 2003

China, Hong Kong

About 50,000 demonstrated against Tung Chee-hwa (Reuters).

13 JULY 2003

Philippines

Hashim Salamat, leader of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), died of a heart attack. He was reportedly replaced by al Haj Murad (Reuters).

Iraq

An Iraqi Governing Council held its first meeting. Ultimate authority still resided with the US (Reuters).

China, Hong Kong

There was another anti-government protest, this time with 20,000 people (Rueters).

20 JULY 2003

Israel

PA prime minister Abbas met Prime Minister Sharon in Jerusalem (Reuters).

21 JULY 2003

United States, Foreign Policy

President Bush, talking about the possibility for progress in the Middle East, said, "Today Syria and Iran continue to harbor and assist terrorists. This behavior is completely unacceptable and states that support terror will be held accountable" (Reuters).

22 JULY 2003

Iraq

Saddam Hussein's sons, Uday and Qusay, were killed in a shootout with US forces in Mosul (Reuters).

India, Kashmir

Brigadier R. Govil was among those killed during an attack by rebels on an army camp (Reuters).

23 JULY 2003

Liberia

Heavy fighting took place at the Stockton Creek Bridge as the rebel Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD) continued their offensive around Monrovia. Rebel and government forces remained deadlocked around two other bridges near the city center (Reuters).

24 JULY 2003

Solomon Islands

An Australian-led force of 2,225 troops and police began deploying on Guadalcanal island in a mission to restore law and order and disarm militia from Guadalcanal and Malaita islands. Under the intervention plan, former militia members will be given an amnesty to turn in weapons. Peacekeeping is to be supplemented by a long-term program to build up government institutions. The population strongly supports the intervention (Reuters).

Guatemala

About 3,000 supporters of former dictator Efrain Rios Montt violently protested in Guatemala City against a ruling by the Supreme Court that cast doubt on Rios Montt's candidacy in the 9 November presidential election (Reuters).

25 JULY 2003

Diplomatic Affairs

Palestinian Authority (PA) prime minister Mahmoud Abbas met US President Bush in Washington.

26-27 JULY 2003

Philippines

A group of about 300 soldiers mutinied and barricaded themselves in a hotel and nearby shopping mall in Manila's Makati financial district, accusing the government of corruption and demanding that President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and other officials resign. They were disarmed peacefully. The government later claimed that the mutiny was part of an abortive coup d'etat.1

28 JULY 2003

Liberia

There were reports that the 'Model' rebels had captured Buchanan (Reuters).

India

A bomb exploded on a bus in Bombay, killing two (Reuters).

29 JULY 2003

Diplomatic affairs

Israeli Prime Minister Sharon met US President Bush in Washington (Reuters).

30 JULY 2003

Turkey, politics

Parliament passed landmark legislation to curb the military's political influence. Among other things, it reduced the power of the National Security Council (MGK). The reform was among those required by the EU to consider admitting Turkey as a member (Reuters).

Sierra Leone

Former Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebel leader Foday Sankoh died (Reuters).

31 JULY 2003

Bosnia

The International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia (ICTY) sentenced Milomir Stakic, formerly the top official of the Prijedor municipality, to life imprisonment for extermination, murder and persecution. Over 1,500 non-Serbs were killed and 20,000 were deported when Bosnian Serb forces swept through the area in 1992 (Reuters).

Notes

1. “Filipino officers 'plotted coup'”, CNN.com, 12 July 2006.