Portal:Current events/October 2003

July 2, 2003

Silvio Berlusconi makes an embarrassing remark, causing an uproar of critisism from 626-seat EU assembly the and European media, on taking up the EU presidency by insulting the German EU-Minister Martin Schulz with the words "Mr. Schulz, I know there is a producer in Italy who is making a film on the Nazi concentration camps. I will suggest you for the role of ‘kapo.' You'd be perfect." Berlusconi's response to crticism was "My joke wasn't meant to be offensive," "It was an ironic joke, perhaps the translation wasn't done in an ironic sense."
The European parliament approves two laws that will allow the EU to lift its controversial ban on GM food.
The International Olympic Committee announced in Prague, Czech Republic, that Vancouver, British Columbia will host the 2010 Winter Olympics.
There are reports of the discovery of a possible new type of subatomic particle, a pentaquark. [1]
The results of a Royal Commission on renewing the relationship between Canada and the province of Newfoundland and Labrador is released. [2]

In Hong Kong, 500,000 people march to protest the rush into legislation of Hong Kong Basic Law Article 23, the anti-subversion law. Critics say the law is both too broad and too vague.
After many years of controversy, the United Kingdom parliament votes in favour of legislation to ban fox hunting.
Italy Premier Silvio Berlusconi's government assumed the rotating EU presidency.

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