2003 Balearic regional election, Opinion polls
The table below lists voting intention estimates in reverse chronological order, showing the most recent first and using the dates when the survey fieldwork was done, as opposed to the date of publication. Where the fieldwork dates are unknown, the date of publication is given instead. The highest percentage figure in each polling survey is displayed with its background shaded in the leading party's colour. If a tie ensues, this is applied to the figures with the highest percentages. The "Lead" column on the right shows the percentage-point difference between the parties with the highest percentages in a given poll. When available, seat projections are also displayed below the voting estimates in a smaller font. 30 seats were required for an absolute majority in the Parliament of the Balearic Islands.


2003 Ball State Cardinals football team
The 2003 Ball State Cardinals football team represented Ball State University during the 2003 NCAA Division I-A football season. The Cardinals were led by Brady Hoke in his first season as the program's 14th head coach. The Cardinals played their home games at Ball State Stadium as members of the West Division of the Mid-American Conference (MAC). They finished the season 4–8, 3–5 in MAC play to finish in fourth place in the West Division.


2003 Ballon d'Or
The 2003 Ballon d'Or, given to the best football player in Europe as judged by a panel of sports journalists from UEFA member countries, was awarded to the Czech midfielder Pavel Nedvěd on 22 December 2003. On 11 November 2003, was announced the shortlist of 50 male players compiled by a group of experts from France Football.


2003 Ballon d'Or
There were 52 voters, from Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Italy, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Ireland, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Scotland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, Wales and Yugoslavia. Each picked a first (5pts), second (4pts), third (3pts), fourth (2pts) and  fifth choice (1pt).


2003 Ballon d'Or
Nedvěd was the second Czech player to win the award after Josef Masopust (1962). Gianluigi Buffon (Italy) was the top ranked goalkeeper in the list, at ninth place. Paolo Maldini (Italy) was the best ranked defender in third place, while Thierry Henry (France) was the top forward, at second place.


2003 Ballon d'Or, Rankings, Non-voted players
The following 24 men were originally in contention for the 2003 Ballon d’Or, but did not receive any votes:


2003 Baltic Cup
The 2003 Baltic Cup football competition took place from 3 to 5 July 2003 at two venues in Estonia. It was the tenth competition of the three Baltic states – Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia – since they regained their independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.


2003 Baltimore Orioles season
The 2003 Baltimore Orioles season involved the Orioles finishing 4th in the American League East with a record of 71 wins and 91 losses.


2003 Baltimore Orioles season, Offseason, Steve Bechler
On February 16, 2003, towards the beginning of Orioles' spring training camp in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Steve Bechler collapsed while participating in conditioning drills. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, and died the next day. His body temperature had reached 108 °F (42 °C). An autopsy performed by Dr. Joshua Perper, a toxicologist, concluded that his death was caused by "'abnormal liver function and mild hypertension', his weight problem (he weighed 230 pounds and was exercising hard, the fact that he was not used to south Florida's warm weather and the toxicity of ephedra. He was using the supplement ephedra, against the advice of his trainer, and probably had not eaten in two days in an effort to lose weight.


2003 Baltimore Orioles season, Player stats, Batting
Note: G = Games played; AB = At Bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting Average; HR = Home Runs; RBI = Runs Batted In


2003 Baltimore Ravens season
The 2003 Baltimore Ravens season was the team's eighth season in the NFL. They improved upon their previous output of 7–9, winning 10 games and making the third playoff appearance in franchise history. This marked the first season the Ravens won their division. One notable moment from the season came in week 2, when Jamal Lewis rushed for 295 yards against the Cleveland Browns, setting the NFL record for most rushing yards in a single game. Lewis went on to rush for 2,066 yards on the season and was named NFL Offensive Player of the Year. In addition, Ray Lewis was named Defensive Player of the Year and 2003 first round pick Terrell Suggs was named Defensive Rookie of the Year.


2003 Baltimore Ravens season
The stadium was renamed M&T Bank Stadium, a name which has remained unchanged ever since.


2003 Baltimore Ravens season
In Week 12 against the Seattle Seahawks, Baltimore fought from a seventeen-point deficit halfway through the 4th quarter to force overtime, winning 44–41. The game was named to NFL Top 10 as #9 on Top Ten Comebacks.


2003 Baltimore Ravens season
The Ravens season ended in the Wild Card round of the playoffs, when they lost 20–17 to the Steve McNair-led Tennessee Titans.


2003 Baltimore Ravens season
Shortly after the loss Art Modell sold his majority ownership (retaining 1%) of the team to minority owner Steve Biscotti.


2003 Baltimore Ravens season, Game Summaries, Regular season, Week One at Pittsburgh Steelers
Three Tommy Maddox touchdowns raced the Steelers to a 27–0 lead, more than enough to win 34–15. Kyle Boller managed only 152 yards with an interception and a late touchdown.


2003 Baltimore Ravens season, Game Summaries, Regular season, Week Two vs. Cleveland Browns
Jamal Lewis erupted for 295 rushing yards and two scores in a 33–13 rout of the Browns. Lewis’ rampage offset another weak performance by quarterback Kyle Boller with just seven completions.


2003 Baltimore Ravens season, Game Summaries, Regular season, Week Three at San Diego Chargers
Kyle Boller once again failed to reach 100 yards passing but did have a touchdown while Jamal Lewis reached 132 yards rushing and added a touchdown in a 24–10 win at Qualcomm Stadium. Drew Brees was intercepted three times.


2003 Baltimore Ravens season, Game Summaries, Regular season, Week Four vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Despite limiting the Chiefs to 265 yards of offense the Ravens fell 17–10 on a Dante Hall 87-yard return score and three interceptions by Kyle Boller.


2003 Baltimore Ravens season, Game Summaries, Regular season, Week Six at Arizona Cardinals
Cardinals quarterback Jeff Blake had played for the Ravens the year before and was intercepted three times; Chris McAlister ran back one pick for a score while Ed Reed scored on a blocked punt. It was enough to win 26-18 and offset yet another weak performance from Kyle Boller (nine completions for 75 yards).


2003 Baltimore Ravens season, Game Summaries, Regular season, Week Seven at Cincinnati Bengals
For seven seasons Marvin Lewis had been Ravens defensive coordinator and he had the long-slumping Bengals beginning a competitive turnaround; Cincinnati's 34–26 win over his former team took a step in that direction. The Ravens fumbled twice and Jon Kitna, filling in for the season before rookie Carson Palmer would assume the starting role, threw for 274 yards and three touchdowns. The Ravens loss happened even as Kyle Boller hit 302 yards, two scores, and passer rating at 104.


2003 Baltimore Ravens season, Game Summaries, Regular season, Week Eight vs. Denver Broncos
For the second straight year the Ravens hosted and defeated the Broncos, this time 26–6. With Jake Plummer and Steve Beuerlein injured Danny Kanell started and was intercepted twice. Former Raven Shannon Sharpe was limited to two catches.


2003 Baltimore Ravens season, Game Summaries, Regular season, Week Nine vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Kyle Boller had a touchdown and nine other completions in a 24–17 win over Baltimore's former division rival. The Ravens fumbled once and Akin Ayodele scored for the Jaguars on the return.


2003 Baltimore Ravens season, Game Summaries, Regular season, Week Ten at St. Louis Rams
Four years earlier the Ravens had been humiliated by the Rams and Brian Billick wrapped up his debut game by saying “We don’t have enough paper to list my frustration.” In this 33–22 loss he saw his Ravens cough up four fumbles while Kyle Boller had another interception and went down with injury, then former starter Chris Redman threw two more picks.


2003 Baltimore Ravens season, Game Summaries, Regular season, Week Eleven at Miami Dolphins
The Ravens decided to start veteran quarterback Anthony Wright at Miami. In a battle of field goals the game went to overtime. After the Dolphins had to punt in overtime Jamal Lewis fumbled and the ensuing Dolphins field goal ended a 9-6 Ravens loss.


2003 Baltimore Ravens season, Game Summaries, Regular season, Week Twelve vs. Seattle Seahawks
The turning point in the Ravens season came against the Seahawks, whom they’d only faced once before. The game was only tied 3–3 with one minute to go in the first half when the Seahawks scored then grabbed a Chester Taylor fumble and scored on the next play. Anthony Wright managed touchdowns to Marcus Robinson but a Jamal Lewis fumble set up a Seahawks drive deep in their territory with the Ravens trailing 41–24. It was here that Ed Reed blocked a Seahawks punt and scored.


2003 Baltimore Ravens season, Game Summaries, Regular season, Week Twelve vs. Seattle Seahawks
Ray Lewis then forced and grabbed a Seahawks fumble and after getting sacked on consecutive plays Wright completed a 40-yard pass off Robinson's hands caught by Frank Sanders. Robinson caught the subsequent touchdown, then the Ravens stopped a fourth down attempt (a mistake in resetting the game clock on this drive appeared to give the Ravens thirty extra seconds). A Seahawks interference penalty set up the tying Matt Stover field goal. After stopping the Seahawks in overtime the Ravens won on another Stover kick. The 44–41 win was doubly emotional for Wright as immediately afterward he raced to the hospital in time for his wife to deliver their daughter.


2003 Baltimore Ravens season, Game Summaries, Regular season, Week Thirteen vs. San Francisco 49ers
The Ravens exploded to 44 points for the second straight game and the second straight against a visiting NFC West opponent but competitive fireworks were not necessary as they intercepted Jeff Garcia four times; Ray Lewis scored on one pick while Anthony Wright had two more touchdowns. The two teams combined for 546 yards vs. the 426 the Ravens had put up by themselves the previous week.


2003 Baltimore Ravens season, Game Summaries, Regular season, Week Fourteen vs. Cincinnati Bengals
The Ravens completed a rare three game home stand by downing the upstart Bengals 31–13. Baltimore rushed for 223 yards with three scores and forced five Cincinnati turnovers, offsetting two Anthony Wright interceptions.


2003 Baltimore Ravens season, Game Summaries, Regular season, Week Fifteen at Oakland Raiders
Baltimore's surge to the playoffs hit a speed bump in a 20–12 loss to the faltering Raiders. Three Ravens turnovers neutralized 149 rushing yards led by Jamal Lewis at 125 yards and aided Raiders starter Rick Mirer in completing for 186 yards and a score.


2003 Baltimore Ravens season, Game Summaries, Regular season, Week Sixteen at Cleveland Browns
The ex-Browns traveled to Cleveland and reasserted themselves in a 35–0 shutout win. The Ravens rushed for 276 yards and three touchdowns as Jamal Lewis, on his way to 2,000 yards, accounted for 205 yards and two scores for a season total of 500 yards against the Browns; Anthony Wright had another touchdown, and Baltimore's vaunted defense forced four Browns turnovers.


2003 Baltimore Ravens season, Game Summaries, Regular season, Week Seventeen vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
The bitterness of this rivalry meant the 6-9 Steelers refused to roll over. An 81-yard touchdown by punter Josh Miller tied the game in the third. The Steelers went up 10-7 before a Ravens field goal tied the game. Jerome Bettis’ fumble at the two minute warning set up a 52-yard Stover field goal. When Tommy Maddox was intercepted with 26 seconds to go Anthony Wright completed two passes for 32 yards but a 51-yard kick was no good. In overtime the Steelers had to punt and a 22-yard Wright pass led to Stover’s winning kick and the first division title for the Ravens.


2003 Baltimore Ravens season, Game Summaries, Postseason
Baltimore's five game winning streak over Tennessee dating to 2000 came to an end in a tense grinder of a game. Jamal Lewis was held to just 39 yards of offense. After the Titans took a 7–0 lead Will Demps picked off Steve McNair and scored. Following multiple punts and another McNair pick a Ravens field goal put them up 10–7 at the half, until McNair's 49-yard strike to Justin McCareins put Tennessee back up 14–10. Trailing 17–10 in the fourth Anthony Wright found Todd Heap on a 35-yard score. McNair was intercepted again but the Ravens had to punt with 2:56 to go, where McNair completed four passes and Gary Anderson booted the winning field goal, ending Baltimore's season 20-17 and with a 10–7 record.


2003 Bam earthquake
The 2003 Bam earthquake struck the Kerman province of southeastern Iran at 01:56 UTC (5:26 AM Iran Standard Time) on December 26. The shock had a moment magnitude of 6.6 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent). The earthquake was particularly destructive in Bam, with the death toll amounting to at least 34,000 people and injuring up to 200,000. The effects of the earthquake were exacerbated by the use of mud brick as the standard construction medium; many of the area's structures did not comply with earthquake regulations set in 1989.


2003 Bam earthquake
Following the earthquake the U.S. offered direct humanitarian assistance to Iran and in return the state promised to comply with an agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency which supports greater monitoring of its nuclear interests. In total a reported 44 countries sent in personnel to assist in relief operations and 60 countries offered assistance.


2003 Bam earthquake
Following the earthquake, the Iranian government seriously considered moving the capital of Tehran in fear of an earthquake occurring there. The earthquake had a psychological impact on many of the victims for years afterwards. A new institutional framework in Iran was established to address problems of urban planning and to reconstruct the city of Bam in compliance with strict seismic regulations. This process marked a turning point, as government ministers and international organizations collaborated under this framework with local engineers and local people to organize the systematic rebuilding of the city.


2003 Bam earthquake, Background, City of Bam
Before the earthquake, Bam had a population of roughly 97,000. It is one of the most popular tourism areas of Iran, one of its most popular attractions being its 2000-year-old mud-brick Bam Citadel. During the Safavid dynasty (1501–1736) Bam was a large trading hub due to its location on the Silk Road. It gradually declined in significance after the Afghans invaded in 1722, serving as an army camp until its abandonment in 1932. The city became a tourist attraction in 1953, when restoration of Bam's Old Quarter began.


2003 Bam earthquake, Background, Iranian earthquake education
There is little earthquake education in Iran although the International Institute of Earthquake Engineering and Seismology established a Public Education Department in 1990 to improve "the safety, preventing, and preparedness culture against the earthquake among all groups of the society". In October 2003, Bahram Akasheh, professor of geophysics at Tehran University, called the effects of public ignorance about earthquakes "poisonous".


2003 Bam earthquake, Background, Tectonics
Iran suffers from frequent earthquakes, with minor quakes occurring almost daily. This earthquake occurred as a result of stresses generated by movement of one tectonic plate, the Arabian plate, moving northward against another, the Eurasian plate, at approximately 3 centimetres (1 in) per year. The Earth's crust deforms in response to the plate motion in a broad zone spanning the width of Iran and extending north into Turkmenistan. Earthquakes occur as the result of reverse faulting and strike-slip faulting in the zone of deformation.


2003 Bam earthquake, Background, Tectonics
The preliminary analysis of the pattern of seismic-waves radiating from December 26, 2003 earthquake was consistent with the earthquake having been caused by right-lateral strike-slip motion on a north-south oriented fault. The earthquake occurred in a region within which major north-south, right-lateral, strike-slip faults had been previously mapped, and the epicenter is near the previously mapped, north-south oriented Bam Fault. However, field investigations will be necessary to find if the earthquake occurred on the Bam Fault or on another. The Bam earthquake is 100 kilometres (62 mi) south of the destructive earthquakes of June 11, 1981 (magnitude 6.6, approximately 3,000 deaths) and July 28, 1981 (magnitude 7.3, approximately 1,500 deaths). These earthquakes were caused by a combination of reverse-motion and strike-slip motion on the north-south oriented Gowk fault.


2003 Bam earthquake, Background, Tectonics
The rupture length of the earthquake was estimated to be around 24 kilometers. More than half of the quake was produced from its southern segment of approximately 13 kilometres (8 mi), where the slip reached a maximum of up to 270 centimetres (8.9 ft) resulting in a large stress drop of at least 6 MPa. Optical remote sensing data shows that the Bam fault is not a single fault but consists of a 4–5 km wide fault system with the main branch running between the cities of Bam and Baravat.


2003 Bam earthquake, Background, Tectonics
The fault ruptured by the Bam earthquake is believed to stretch the along northwest branch of this fault system from Bam southward. Based on these results, scientists suggest that the Bam earthquake ruptured a hidden fault and that in this process an unusually strong asperity was involved, causing the widespread devastation of the tremor.


2003 Bam earthquake, Damage and casualties
The quake occurred at 01:56 UTC (5:26 AM Iran Standard Time) on December 26, 2003. Its epicenter was roughly 10 kilometres (6 mi) southwest of the ancient city of Bam. Maximum intensities were at Bam and Baravat, with the most damage concentrated within the 16 kilometres (10 mi) radius around the city.


2003 Bam earthquake, Damage and casualties
At least 26,271 people were killed and 30,000 injured. In terms of human loss the quake was the worst to occur in Iranian history. The BBC reported that a large number of victims were crushed while sleeping. Eleven-thousand students were killed and 1/5 of the 5,400 local teaching staff were also. This caused a significant problem for the local education system.


2003 Bam earthquake, Damage and casualties
Up to ninety percent of buildings and infrastructure in the Bam area were either damaged or destroyed, with 70% of houses being completely destroyed, plus 70–90% of Bam's residential areas. This left an estimated 100,000 homeless. Not a single house was standing in Baravat. An important regional center during the 16th and 17th centuries, Bam contained many buildings that were not constructed to survive such ruptures. Many houses in Bam were homemade, and its owners did not use skilled labor or proper building materials to resist earthquakes in the construction. These were often built in the traditional mud-brick style.


2003 Bam earthquake, Damage and casualties
Mohsen Aboutorabi, professor of architecture at the University of Central England, demonstrated the lack of good building materials by banging two bricks together in Bam, resulting in cracking. On the other hand, Iranian regulations laid down in the 1989 Iran seismic code were better enforced in high rise buildings and skyscrapers.


2003 Bam earthquake, Damage and casualties
One reason for the large number of casualties was that when the walls began to fall down, the heavy roofs would collapse, leaving few air pockets in them. The dust and lack of oxygen contributed to the suffocation of survivors. The Iranian government promised to prosecute anyone who violated building regulations, even setting up a special unit to deal with the issue.


2003 Bam earthquake, Damage and casualties
A study of 210 victims showed that on average, each person had spent 1.9 hours under destroyed buildings. Among the victims, approximately 19 had compartment syndrome, 32 contracted impaired renal function, and fractures among their bones were common. As a result of these fractures neural injuries were also common.


2003 Bam earthquake, Damage and casualties
The Bam Citadel was considered one of the best surviving mud citadels before the quake. Most of it was destroyed, including a large square tower.


2003 Bam earthquake, Damage and casualties
Electricity and water supplies were cut by the earthquake. At least 29 serious aftershocks struck Bam following the main shock.


2003 Bam earthquake, Damage and casualties
A large number of schools were affected by the tremor. An estimated 1,200 teachers and 10,000 students were killed. Ali Zang-Abadi, head of education in Bam, described the state of pupils and teachers as "badly need[ing] psychological help because they are morally devastated". Around January 5, teachers were being registered to resume educating.


2003 Bam earthquake, Response, Iran–United States relations
Relations between the United States and Iran thawed due to the earthquake. U.S.-Iranian relations had been tense during the early years of the George W. Bush. presidency, having reached a low after the "axis of evil" speech given by President George W. Bush. However, following the earthquake, White House spokesman Scott McClellan spoke on behalf of President Bush: "Our thoughts and prayers are with those who were injured and with the families of those who were killed."


2003 Bam earthquake, Response, Iran–United States relations
The U.S. offered direct humanitarian assistance to Iran which was initially rejected but accepted later. On December 30 an 81-member emergency response team was deployed to Iran via U.S. military aircraft which consisted of search and rescue squads, aid coordinators, and medical support resulting in the first U.S. military airplanes to land in Iran for more than 20 years. Sanctions were temporarily relieved to help the rescue effort.


2003 Bam earthquake, Response, Iran–United States relations
In return, Iran promised to comply with an agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency which supported better monitoring of its nuclear interests. This led U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell to suggest direct talks with Iran in the future, however, he also said that the U.S. was still concerned about other Iranian issues such as the prospect of terrorism and the country's support of Hamas.


2003 Bam earthquake, Response, Iran–United States relations
Reaction to the help and rescue from the U.S. was mixed. It was well received by physicians and civilians at the scene, however, in contrast to this support, IRNA, the state-controlled radio in Iran, accused the United States of illegal interference in internal matters. Khatami, while not criticizing U.S. aid, had expressed regret about the politicization of this event. Interior Minister Abdolvahed Mousavi Lari accepted U.S. assistance but rejected Israeli assistance due to the political tensions between the two countries and Iran's lack of recognition of the state of Israel.


2003 Bam earthquake, Response, Relief
Bam was described as "literally a rubble pile" by the U.S. relief coordinator, Bill Garvelink. Iranian President Mohammad Khatami called the earthquake a "national tragedy" and urged all Iranians to help its victims. The disaster brought in prompt pledges of aid, resulting in President Khatami's statement that the "spirit of humanity and kindness is alive." The Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei visited the damaged areas on December 29, urging all Iranians and international organizations to help in anyway possible.


2003 Bam earthquake, Response, Relief
On January 8, the International Federation of the Red Cross and the U.N. launched an international appeal for relief together at a conference in Bam, appealing for $42 million and $31.3 million respectively. In response a reported 44 countries sent in personnel to assist in operations and 60 countries had offered assistance in the aftermath of the earthquake. By January 15, the U.N. World Food Program (WFP) had distributed approximately 100,000 rations of food. The United Nations sent experts to coordinate the relief effort. The Red Crescent set up tents to house survivors.


2003 Bam earthquake, Response, Relief
The People's Republic of China was one of the first countries to supply aid. Upon hearing of the quake, it immediately sent a 43-member rescue squad. In total, its government donated 15 million yuan (US$1.81 million). Many individuals and companies also donated money and/or supplies.


2003 Bam earthquake, Response, Relief
The 81-member emergency response team worked with an 11-member Fairfax County USAR Task Force (VA-TF1), 57 member International Medical/Surgical Response Team (IMSuRT), and a 6-member Management Support Team (MST) from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). USAID and OFDA sent in five airlifts of supplies for relief, including 1,146 tents, 4,448 kitchen sets, approximately 12,500 blankets, and 430 rolls of plastic sheeting amounting to a cost of $543,605. The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) sent in seven C-130s with approximately 68 tonnes of medical supplies and 2,000 blankets also assisting in relief.


2003 Bam earthquake, Response, Relief
From December 31 to January 4, the IMSuRT field hospital treated 727 patients, including surgeries and post-trauma cases of shock. The IMSuRT hospital closed on January 5, and from then on the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC) field hospital took the responsibility, reporting 550 outpatients per day on January 13. That day, the IFRC announced that the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) had sent in 75 volunteers, organized in 11 teams to treat earthquake survivors for shock and to provide psychological support.


2003 Bam earthquake, Response, Relief
During the nights following the earthquake, the temperatures would drop to "bitterly cold" extremes, effectively killing some survivors. Many of these individuals were living in unheated tents among the rubble which forced the coordinators to move thousands of families to heated camps on the outskirts of Bam. Unfortunately, this action was met with some resistance and resulted in many residents to stay in place. The Iranian government was, conversely, criticized for not doing enough supplying of tents. Those that owned motorized vehicles were met with jammed traffic going both ways through Bam. Survivors loaded their belongings to move elsewhere while relief supplies, volunteers, and relatives were arriving. In some areas, looters stole food from warehouses and local markets, causing the police force to react to stop further destabilization of the rescue efforts.


2003 Bam earthquake, Response, Relief
On December 29, a baby girl named Nassin was discovered alive under the rubble in her deceased mother's arms. China Daily called it "a rare moment of joy amid the devastation of Iran's worst earthquake for years." Around this time, relief operations had begun to shift from finding survivors to caring for them. Rescue workers began to slow their efforts, although three individuals were discovered alive shortly after. Water and electricity were restored to most parts of the city by then as well.


2003 Bam earthquake, Response, Relief
One of the most notable rescues was that of 97-year-old Sharbānou Māzandarānī (شهربانو مازندرانی in Persian), who was trapped in her home for eight days until she was rescued unhurt on January 3. Rescue workers took three hours to dig her out after sniffer dogs found her. Renewed media interest came to Bam on January 8, when a man was pulled out of the rubble alive. The chances of finding more living survivors following this were reportedly very slim.


2003 Bam earthquake, Response, Relief
An Iranian navy helicopter crashed 30 miles (48 km) southwest of Bam on December 28 after making a delivery of tents and blankets. It was headed toward Bandar Abbas as it went down for unknown reasons. On deck were two pilots and a third person, none of whom survived. The helicopter was one of more than 500 who delivered aid to the Bam region.


2003 Bam earthquake, Aftermath
After the earthquake, the Iranian government considered moving the state capital from Tehran to another location for fear of a crippling event similar to what had just befallen Bam. Tehran lies on a major fault which scientists have predicted may suffer from a devastating earthquake similar to that of Bam in the near future. The most cited example for the new capital was Isfahan, a city in central Iran that had previously served as capital until it was moved to Tehran in 1788.


2003 Bam earthquake, Aftermath
The year 2003 was later declared to be the deadliest earthquake year globally since 1990, primarily due to the Bam earthquake which contributed almost 75% of the Earth's earthquake fatalities for that year.


2003 Bam earthquake, Aftermath, Reconstruction, Planning
In January 2004, the United Nations estimated that a reconstruction of Bam would cost between US$700 million and $1 billion. It called on the international community to provide money for this endeavor. The Iranian government had announced over state television that it had earmarked roughly $410 million for this reconstruction.


2003 Bam earthquake, Aftermath, Reconstruction, Planning
Given the failure of the mud brick buildings and lack of compliance with the 1989 Iranian seismic code, the reconstruction in Bam paid special attention to using earthquake durable materials. Dr. Hamid Eskander who was in charge of the Bam reconstruction effort said "There will be no more mud bricks in Bam. The new design will have to take into account proper seismic design techniques and parameters. When you go with the old-style buildings and old-style engineering you're looking for trouble so we're going to change it now."


2003 Bam earthquake, Aftermath, Reconstruction, Planning
Horst Indorf, a representative for permanent shelter issues from ASB, a German non-government organization, frowned on the use of iron structures in the city given its movement during an earthquake, saying "The best architecture for this area is clay brick (with nets) but this means 80 to 90 cm thick walls and a very good insulated roof".


2003 Bam earthquake, Aftermath, Reconstruction, Planning
The Iranian Government established the Guiding Office for the Recovery of Bam (GO), consisting of a panel of 11 members, with the Minister of Housing and Urban Development as the chairman. The G.O. played a key role in the reconstruction progress by appointing consulting architects to plan, analyze and review possible strategies in the urban redesign for enhanced earthquake resistance in the future. The general community affected by the earthquake were given the liberty to actively participate in the planning, design and construction process, with householders often contributing in the reconstruction by selecting their own designs and cooperating with the architects and contractors to ensure a desirable and effective redevelopment.


2003 Bam earthquake, Aftermath, Reconstruction, Planning
Also established was the Council of Architecture and Urban Development (CAUD), a council of eight prominent professionals including HF members, architects, engineers, and businessman. CAUD played a role in the governance and finance of the reconstruction by ensuring that new structures complied with guidelines and by regulating bank loans and credit for the newly built structures. The council inaugurated the Bam Sustainable Reconstruction Manifesto, a further committee of experts in reconstruction to ensure the planning and building was conducted in coordination with the seismic code but also to retain the sense of urban identity of Bam during these efforts.


2003 Bam earthquake, Aftermath, Reconstruction, Planning
The United Nations Human Settlements Programme, UN-HABITAT, launched a project to address the issue of earthquake-resistant structures on March 1, 2004 in Bam. The UN worked together with the government councils and the community to overlook the reconstruction process which also involved the Islamic Revolutionary Housing Foundation. The UN Habitat project was scheduled to last six months and was estimated to cost $400,000.


2003 Bam earthquake, Aftermath, Reconstruction, Problems of redevelopment
While the established councils and efforts at collaborative planning were set up during the reconstruction phase, it has been considerably more difficult for the many stakeholders in the building to gain consensus on architectural decision making, given diverse and often conflicting interests. In reality actual collaboration was more limited than initially foreseen, and international support and involvement in relation to actual reconstruction was low. In addition to this, the reconstruction plan has been markedly slow to implement.


2003 Bam earthquake, Aftermath, Reconstruction, Problems of redevelopment
It took a considerable amount of time for the planning company to prepare the city's new overall urban plan, and two years after the disaster was still not adopted and authorised for implementation by the councils involved. This was largely due to a conflict of interest between them and the contractors and the differing architectural demands of people at a local level. Consequently, the actual reconstruction was initiated without acknowledgment to the overall urban strategic master plan, resulting in the discarding of many of the original proposals and scope for collaboration.


2003 Bam earthquake, Aftermath, Reconstruction, Problems of redevelopment
Notably the city reconstruction planners have had serious difficulties in regards to the planning of the streets and their width, which has seen them purchase over 1200 properties to facilitate and help shape the infrastructural redevelopment process. One of the factors that the re-developers failed to take into account was therefore social factors such as vulnerability, resulting in a slow rebuilding process.


2003 Bam earthquake, Aftermath, Reconstruction, Successes and benefits of redevelopment
Although the reconstruction process was prolonged and planning was often difficult to coordinate and approve, the post-earthquake reconstruction of Bam is considered by the stakeholders in the process to be of monumental importance and influence in the future for the way in which reconstruction programs in the country operate. During the reconstruction of Bam, the engineers significantly raised the standards of building and the obligations of the 1989 Seismic building code were closely followed.


2003 Bam earthquake, Aftermath, Reconstruction, Successes and benefits of redevelopment
Economically, the redevelopment of Bam following the earthquake provided the city with considerable opportunities for growth, and culturally, despite the extensive damage caused by the earthquake, has seen many continuities and even an advancement in these traditions. Notably the redesign and rebuilding of the city greatly improved the irrigation system and its quality, crucial to the date industry in Bam. During the reconstruction process, the improvement of the irrigation system beyond its original state increased the quality and quantity of production, and the rapidity of the process prevented the collapse of date production following the earthquake. The growth of the date industry since the earthquake in Bam has seen the expansion of the palm orchards, and an increase in investment and  employment.


2003 Bam earthquake, Aftermath, Medical impact
Psychologically, the earthquake had a profound impact on its victims and not just in the immediate aftermath. As a result of the quake, two hospitals in Bam collapsed leaving the remaining hospitals to be overcrowded. Emergency centers were set up to care for the injured, though many centers did not have enough room to do so. Of all of Bam's health workers, half were killed in the rupture. The World Health Organization (WHO) appealed for $4 million in medical relief. One of the priorities in this operation was to help mental health patients, many of whom were traumatized over the experience. A situation report released by the U.N. Disaster Assessment Coordination Team noted a rise in post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.


2003 Bam earthquake, Aftermath, Medical impact
Another effect of the rupture on the medical community was the disruption of drug trafficking. Before the earthquake in Bam, roughly 20% of the population over 15 was addicted. Syringes with opium were supplied to drug addicts in the aftermath.


2003 Bam earthquake, Aftermath, Medical impact
The Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS), who had begun a planned six month recuperation programme in the aftermath, were still present in Bam a year later. In September 2004, the treatment of mental disorders associated with the disaster was still at a high level, with one counselling centre in Bam receiving 129 new Post Traumatic Stress Disorder patients in that month.


2003 Bam earthquake, Aftermath, Medical impact
In December 2004, Mohammed Mukhier, head of delegation for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in Iran said about the situation, “Twelve months later, signs of the devastation are still evident, not just in the collapsed buildings but in peoples’ minds. Integrating psychological support into the relief effort right from the beginning of a sudden-onset disaster is a model that could be used more widely. Our experience in Iran can be used in response to future disasters elsewhere, and we should take care to provide that support both to the victims and to rescue workers."


2003 Bam earthquake, Aftermath, Medical impact
The psychological programme assessed 20,000 people, 9,300 of which were identified as needing mental support, with more than 5,600 people going through individual or group counseling as a result. The Iranian Red Crescent Society received support from the Red Cross societies of Denmark, Iceland, and Italy but the main source of funding was provided by ECHO, the humanitarian office of the European Union. The programme not only provided conventional medical therapy, but also provided affected people with leisure facilities such as painting, sewing and computer classes as a treatment.


2003 Bam earthquake, Aftermath, Medical impact
Although the permanent hospital in Bam was rebuilt, the temporary hospital is stored in preparation for a future emergency response to as disaster, not only in Iran but in the regional area. In response to the earthquake, the International Federation of the Red Cross mobilized international funds and resources to assist the Iranian Red Crescent in vastly improving its environmental disaster response strategies which has seen the construction of an urban health center and ten schools with a formal training programme for its relief officers, and a road rescue station, completed in late 2005.


2003 Bam earthquake, Aftermath, Medical impact, Rise of illicit drugs and fall-off working people of Bam
After the earthquake, survivors began using opium on a large scale which was easily accessible due to Bam's location on a trade route for drugs coming from Afghanistan and Pakistan. By 2006, over 50% of men and roughly 15% of women were addicted with the youngest addict allegedly being 11 years of age. Construction workers have historically been large injectors, and the rise in addiction may have been attributed to this group passing needles on to the public. An anonymous UNICEF worker claimed that drugs were slowing reconstruction and lessening motivation.


2003 Bam earthquake, Aftermath, Films based on the earthquake
Colors of Memory, released in 2008, tells the story of a surgeon who returns home to Bam after living in Germany for 33 years. Dr. Parsa arrives in Tehran to perform a complex operation, where he notices a family friend named "Quanati" who urges him to come back to his hometown of Bam for assistance. The film was praised by Canadian Online Explorer as "both celebratory and heartbreaking" and urged Iranians "to bring tissues."


2003 Bam earthquake, Aftermath, Films based on the earthquake
Voices of Bam, released in 2006, is a Dutch-made documentary film about the incident.


2003 Bandy World Championship
The 2003 Bandy World Championship was a competition between bandy playing nations for men. The championship was played in Arkhangelsk, Russia from the 24–30 March 2003. Sweden won the championship. There were 9 countries participating in the 2003 championships: Finland, Kazakhstan, Norway, Russia, Sweden (group A) and Belarus, Estonia, the Netherlands and the United States (group B).


2003 Bandy World Championship
The competition was originally intended to be played in Norway. However, on 7 January 2002, the Bandy Association of Norway met and decided to not host the competition. Both Russia and Sweden showed their interests to host. The decission fell on Russia. By playing the tournament in late March, severe cold was avoided, unlike the 1999 World Championship when the tournament was played in late January and early February.


2003 Bandy World Championship squads
Below are the squads for the 2003 Bandy World Championship final tournament in Russia.


2003 Bangkok International Film Festival
The 2003 Bangkok International Film Festival was held from January 10 to 21, 2003 in Bangkok, Thailand.


2003 Bangkok International Film Festival, Festival program
A Bangkok International Film Festival was held in 2002, organized by Nation Multimedia Group in cooperation with the Tourism Authority of Thailand. From 2003, the Tourism Authority of Thailand took over the festival, while the Nation Group inaugurated the World Film Festival of Bangkok. For the 2003 Bangkok International Film Festival, the TAT hired Festival Management of Los Angeles, California to program and administer the festival.


2003 Bangkok International Film Festival, Festival program
The Golden Kinnaree International Competition was inaugurated in 2003, giving Golden Kinnaree Awards for Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Script, Best Asian Film and a Lifetime Achievement Award.


2003 Bangkok International Film Festival, Festival program
The 2003 festival opened with Frida, directed by Julie Taymor. The opening and closing films were shown at the Scala Theater in Siam Square. Festival screenings were held in various cinemas around the Siam Square area. Celebrities in attendance included Jean-Claude Van Damme, Steven Seagal and Jennifer Tilly. French director Agnès Varda was in attendance for a retrospective and to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award. A gala ball held during the festival at Queen Sirikit National Convention Center featured composer Maurice Jarre conducting the Bangkok Symphony Orchestra, performing some of his film scores.


2003 Bangkok International Film Festival, Festival program
The closing film was the world premiere of Ong-Bak, the lead-acting debut by Thai action star Tony Jaa. As a sidebar to the festival, a Guinness World Records record was set by 17 people for continuously viewing films for 64 hours, 58 minutes.


2003 Bangkok International Film Festival, Golden Kinnaree International Competition, Golden Kinnaree Awards
The awards banquet was held at Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok, with Princess Ubol Ratana presiding.


2003 Bank Alfalah Cup
The 2003 Bank Alfalah Cup was a triangular ODI cricket competition held in Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium, Dambulla from 10 to 23 May 2003. It featured the national cricket teams of New Zealand, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The tournament was won by New Zealand, who defeated Pakistan in the final.


2003 Bank of the West Classic
The 2003 Bank of the West Classic was a women's tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts that was part of the Tier II Series of the 2003 WTA Tour. It was the 32nd edition of the tournament and took place at the Taube Tennis Center in Stanford, California, United States, from July 21 through July 27, 2003. Second-seeded Kim Clijsters won the singles title, her second at the event after 2001, and earned $ 97,000 first-prize money.


2003 Bank of the West Classic, Finals, Doubles
Cara Black /  Lisa Raymond defeated  Cho Yoon-jeong /  Francesca Schiavone, 7–6(7–5), 6–1


2003 Bank of the West Classic – Doubles
Lisa Raymond and Rennae Stubbs were the defending champions, but competed this year with different partners.


2003 Bank of the West Classic – Doubles
Stubbs teamed up with Meghann Shaughnessy and lost in quarterfinals to Teryn Ashley and Abigail Spears.


2003 Bank of the West Classic – Doubles
Raymond teamed up with Cara Black and successfully defended her title, by defeating Cho Yoon-jeong and Francesca Schiavone 7–6(7–5), 6–1 in the final.


2003 Bank of the West Classic – Singles
Venus Williams was the defending champion, but did not compete this year.


2003 Bank of the West Classic – Singles
Kim Clijsters won the title by defeating Jennifer Capriati 4–6, 6–4, 6–2 in the final.


2003 Bank of the West Classic – Singles, Seeds
The first five seeds received a bye into the second round.


2003 Barangay Ginebra Kings season
The 2003 Barangay Ginebra Kings season was the 25th season of the franchise in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).


2003 Barangay Ginebra Kings season, Occurrences
Barangay Ginebra was coming off a three-game losing streak when they defeated Talk 'N Text, 122-117 in double overtime on March 21, with Eric Menk scoring a personal high 45 points while TNT rookie Jimmy Alapag scored 40 points. That game was forfeited and ordered replayed upon protest by the Phone Pals as Barangay Ginebra failed to free itself from a three-game slide.


2003 Barbadian general election
General elections were held in Barbados on 21 May 2003. The result was a victory for the Barbados Labour Party, which won 23 of the 30 seats. Voter turnout was 56.8%, the lowest since universal suffrage was introduced in 1951.


2003 Barbarians end of season tour
The 2003 Barbarians end of season tour was a series of matches played in May–June 2003 in Scotland, Wales and England by Barbarian F.C.


2003 Barber Dodge Pro Series
The 2003 Barber Dodge Pro Series season was the eighteenth and final season of the series. All races were run in support of the 2003 CART World Series. The season consisted of ten races of which four were run abroad, one in Mexico and three in Canada. Leonardo Maia won the championship and Colin Fleming won the Rookie of the Year title. This was the first, and only, time the series raced in Mexico.


2003 Barber Dodge Pro Series, Drivers
All driver use Dodge powered Michelin shod Reynard 98E chassis.


2003 Barcelona City Council election
The 2003 Barcelona City Council election, also the 2003 Barcelona municipal election, was held on Sunday, 25 May 2003, to elect the 7th City Council of the municipality of Barcelona. All 41 seats in the City Council were up for election. The election was held simultaneously with regional elections in thirteen autonomous communities and local elections all throughout Spain.


2003 Barcelona City Council election, Electoral system
The City Council of Barcelona (Catalan: Ajuntament de Barcelona, Spanish: Ayuntamiento de Barcelona) was the top-tier administrative and governing body of the municipality of Barcelona, composed of the mayor, the government council and the elected plenary assembly. Elections to the local councils in Spain were fixed for the fourth Sunday of May every four years.


2003 Barcelona City Council election, Electoral system
Voting for the local assembly was on the basis of universal suffrage, which comprised all nationals over eighteen, registered in the municipality of Barcelona and in full enjoyment of their political rights, as well as resident non-national European citizens and those whose country of origin allowed Spanish nationals to vote in their own elections by virtue of a treaty. Local councillors were elected using the D'Hondt method and a closed list proportional representation, with an electoral threshold of five percent of valid votes—which included blank ballots—being applied in each local council. Councillors were allocated to municipal councils based on the following scale:


2003 Barcelona City Council election, Electoral system
The mayor was indirectly elected by the plenary assembly. A legal clause required that mayoral candidates earned the vote of an absolute majority of councillors, or else the candidate of the most-voted party in the assembly was to be automatically appointed to the post. In the event of a tie, the appointee would be determined by lot.


2003 Barcelona City Council election, Electoral system
The electoral law allowed for parties and federations registered in the interior ministry, coalitions and groupings of electors to present lists of candidates. Parties and federations intending to form a coalition ahead of an election were required to inform the relevant Electoral Commission within ten days of the election call, whereas groupings of electors needed to secure the signature of a determined amount of the electors registered in the municipality for which they were seeking election, disallowing electors from signing for more than one list of candidates. For the case of Barcelona, as its population was over 1,000,001, at least 8,000 signatures were required.


2003 Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council election
The 2003 Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council election took place on 1 May 2003 to elect members of Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council in South Yorkshire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Labour party stayed in overall control of the council.


2003 Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council election, Ward results
+/- figures represent changes from the last time these wards were contested.


2003 Barrow-in-Furness Borough Council election
Elections to Barrow-in-Furness Borough Council were held on 1 May 2003. One third of the council was up for election and the Labour party gained control of the council from no overall control.


2003 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting
Elections to the Baseball Hall of Fame for 2003 proceeded in keeping with rules enacted in 2001. The Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) held an election to select from among recent players; Gary Carter and Eddie Murray were elected. The Veterans Committee held elections both for players who were active no later than 1981 and for non-players (managers, umpires and executives), but did not select anyone.


2003 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting
The induction ceremonies were held on July 27 in Cooperstown, with Commissioner Bud Selig presiding.


2003 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting, BBWAA election
The BBWAA was again authorized to elect players active in 1983 or later, but not after 1997; the ballot included candidates from the 2002 ballot who received at least 5% of the vote but were not elected, along with selected players, chosen by a screening committee, whose last appearance was in 1997. In addition, Darryl Kile was exempted from the five-season rule and included on the ballot, due to his unexpected death during the 2002 season. All 10-year members of the BBWAA were eligible to vote.


2003 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting, BBWAA election
Voters were instructed to cast votes for up to 10 candidates; any candidate receiving votes on at least 75% of the ballots would be honored with induction to the Hall. Results of the 2003 election by the BBWAA were announced on January 7. The ballot consisted of 33 players; 496 ballots were cast, with 372 votes required for election. A total of 3272 individual votes were cast, an average of 6.60 per ballot. Those candidates receiving less than 5% of the vote (25 votes) will not appear on future BBWAA ballots, but may eventually be considered by the Veterans Committee.


2003 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting, BBWAA election
Candidates who were eligible for the first time are indicated here with a dagger (†). The two candidates who received at least 75% of the vote and were elected are indicated in bold italics; candidates who have since been selected in subsequent elections are indicated in italics. The 13 candidates who received less than 5% of the vote, thus becoming ineligible for future BBWAA consideration, are indicated with an asterisk (*).


2003 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting, BBWAA election
Jim Kaat was on the ballot for the 15th and final time.


2003 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting, BBWAA election
The newly eligible candidates included 22 All-Stars, five of whom were not on the ballot, who were selected a total of 68 times. Ryne Sandberg was selected a total of ten times, while Eddie Murray (eight times), Lee Smith (seven), Fernando Valenzuela (six) and Tony Peña (five) were all selected at least five times. The field included four Rookies of the Year (Murray, Valenzuela, Vince Coleman and Todd Worrell), as well as one MVP (Sandberg) and two Cy Young Award winners (Valenzuela and Mark Davis). Fernando Valenzuela is the only player ever so far to win a Cy Young Award and a Rookie of the Year Award in the same season.


2003 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting, BBWAA election
Players eligible for the first time who were not included on the ballot were: Damon Berryhill, Mike Bielecki, Darnell Coles, Mariano Duncan, Álvaro Espinoza, Greg Gagne, Mike Gallego, Rene Gonzales, Kevin Gross, Mark Gubicza, Ron Karkovice, Joe Orsulak, Jody Reed, Bruce Ruffin, Kevin Seitzer, Don Slaught, and John Smiley.


2003 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting, Veterans Committee
Rules enacted in August 2001 provided that the Veterans Committee would be expanded from its previous 15 members, elected to limited terms, and it would vote by mail rather than convene. The new committee would comprise all living members of the Hall of Fame, recipients of the Spink Award (broadcasters), recipients of the Frick Award (writers), and members of the old committee until expiration of their terms. They would vote by mail using "ballots and supporting material -- prepared by the Hall of Fame".


2003 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting, Veterans Committee
The process would cover players every two years and other contributors (managers, umpires and executives) every four years. Both cycles first concluded with elections in February 2003, electing no one. (In the event, the system was reformed again after the third fruitless election for players and the second for other contributors in February 2007.)


2003 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting, Veterans Committee, Nomination
A new Historical Overview Committee comprising ten baseball writers nominated 200 players and 60 managers, umpires, and executives.


2003 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting, Veterans Committee, Nomination
Players. († marks those newly eligible since 2001 (eight). The last played in the majors during 1980 or 1981.)


2003 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting, Veterans Committee, Nomination
Babe Adams – Joe Adcock – Dick Allen – Johnny Allen – Felipe Alou – Bobby Ávila – †Sal Bando – Dick Bartell – Ginger Beaumont – Glenn Beckert – Wally Berger – †Bobby Bonds – Ken Boyer – Harry Brecheen – Tommy Bridges – Pete Browning – Charlie Buffinton – Lew Burdette – George H. Burns – George J. Burns – Guy Bush – Dolph Camilli – Leo Cárdenas – Bob Caruthers – George Case – Norm Cash – Phil Cavarretta – Spud Chandler – Ben Chapman – Rocky Colavito – Walker Cooper – Wilbur Cooper – Mort Cooper – Doc Cramer – Del Crandall – Gavy Cravath – Lave Cross – Mike Cuellar – Bill Dahlen – Alvin Dark – Jake Daubert – Tommy Davis – Willie Davis – Paul Derringer – Dom DiMaggio – Patsy Donovan – Jimmie Dykes – Bob Elliott – Del Ennis – Carl Erskine – Roy Face – Wes Ferrell – Freddie Fitzsimmons – Curt Flood – Bill Freehan – Jim Fregosi – Larry French – Carl Furillo – Mike Garcia – Jim Gilliam – Jack Glasscock – Joe Gordon – Charlie Grimm – Dick Groat – Heinie Groh – Stan Hack – Harvey Haddix – Mel Harder – Jeff Heath – Tommy Henrich – Babe Herman – Pinky Higgins – †John Hiller – Gil Hodges – Ken Holtzman – †Willie Horton – Elston Howard – Frank Howard – Dummy Hoy – Larry Jackson – Julián Javier – Jackie Jensen – Sam Jethroe – Bob Johnson – Davey Johnson – Joe Judge – Willie Kamm – Ken Keltner – Don Kessinger – Johnny Kling – Ted Kluszewski – Ray Kremer – Harvey Kuenn – Joe Kuhel – Vern Law – Sam Leever – Mickey Lolich – Sherm Lollar – Herman Long – Ed Lopat – Dolf Luque – Sal Maglie – Jim Maloney – Firpo Marberry – Marty Marion – Roger Maris – †Mike G. Marshall – Pepper Martin – Carl Mays – †Tim McCarver – Frank McCormick – Lindy McDaniel – Gil McDougald – Sam McDowell – Stuffy McInnis – Denny McLain – Roy McMillan – Dave McNally – Andy Messersmith – Bob Meusel – Irish Meusel – Bing Miller – Stu Miller – Minnie Miñoso – Terry Moore – Tony Mullane – Thurman Munson – Johnny Murphy – Buddy Myer – Art Nehf – Don Newcombe – Bobo Newsom – Lefty O'Doul – Tony Oliva – Claude Osteen – Milt Pappas – Mel Parnell – Camilo Pascual – Ron Perranoski – Jim Perry – Johnny Pesky – Rico Petrocelli – Deacon Phillippe – Billy Pierce – Vada Pinson – Wally Pipp – Johnny Podres – Boog Powell – Jack Quinn – Vic Raschi – Ed Reulbach – Allie Reynolds – †J. R. Richard – Eddie Rommel – Charley Root – Al Rosen – Schoolboy Rowe – Pete Runnels – Jimmy Ryan – Johnny Sain – †Manny Sanguillén – Ron Santo – Hank Sauer – Wally Schang – Hal Schumacher – George Scott – Rip Sewell – Bob Shawkey – Urban Shocker – Roy Sievers – Curt Simmons – Vern Stephens – Riggs Stephenson – Mel Stottlemyre – Harry Stovey – Jesse Tannehill – Tony Taylor – Johnny Temple – Fred Tenney – Bobby Thomson – Mike Tiernan – Joe Torre – Cecil Travis – Hal Trosky – Virgil Trucks – George Van Haltren – Johnny Vander Meer – Bobby Veach – Mickey Vernon – Dixie Walker – Bucky Walters – Lon Warneke – Will White – Cy Williams – Ken R. Williams – Maury Wills – Wilbur Wood – Glenn Wright – Jimmy Wynn – Rudy York


2003 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting, Veterans Committee, Nomination
Gene Autry – Buzzie Bavasi – Samuel Breadon – Charles Bronfman – Gussie Busch – George W. Bush – Roger Craig – Harry Dalton – Bill Dinneen – Charles Dressen – Barney Dreyfuss – Chub Feeney – John Fetzer – Charles O. Finley – John Galbreath – Larry Goetz – Calvin Griffith – Fred Haney – Doug Harvey – Garry Herrmann – Whitey Herzog – John Heydler – Ralph Houk – Bob Howsam – Fred Hutchinson – Ewing Kauffman – Bowie Kuhn – Frank Lane – Billy Martin – Gene Mauch – Marvin Miller – Danny Murtaugh – Hank O'Day – Walter O'Malley – Steve O'Neill – Paul Owens – Steve Palermo – Gabe Paul – Joan Payson – Babe Pinelli – Bob Quinn – Alfred Reach – Beans Reardon – Paul Richards – Cy Rigler – Bill Rigney – Ben Shibe – Charles Somers – Billy Southworth – George Stallings – Bill Summers – Cedric Tallis – Chuck Tanner – Birdie Tebbetts – Patsy Tebeau – Chris von der Ahe – Lee Weyer – Bill White – Dick Williams – Phil Wrigley


2003 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting, Veterans Committee, Screening
Sixty baseball writers selected from the nominees 25 players and 15 other contributors to appear on the ballots. Meanwhile, six Hall of Fame members independently selected five nominated players, making 25 to 30 players. Evidently the writers passed over one man selected by the Hall of Famers, for there were 26 players on the final ballot.


2003 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting, Veterans Committee, Voting
Among 85 eligible voters, 81 cast ballots so 61 votes were the minimum to elect a candidate. Only three players led by Gil Hodges (61%) tallied more than fifty percent support. († marks those who were newly eligible since 2001. Italics mark those subsequently elected.)


2003 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting, Veterans Committee, Voting
On the composite ballot all fifteen finalists were active since 1976. Writing for the Business of Baseball Committee, SABR, Pappas classified them as one umpire (U), four owners (O), one labor leader (L), three general managers (GM), four managers (M), and two league officials (lg). Among 85 eligible voters, 79 cast ballots so 60 votes were the minimum to elect a candidate. Only umpire Doug Harvey tallied more than fifty percent support. (Italics mark those subsequently elected.)


2003 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting, J. G. Taylor Spink Award
Hal McCoy received the J. G. Taylor Spink Award honoring a baseball writer. (The award was voted at the December 2002 meeting of the BBWAA, dated 2002, and conferred in the summer 2003 ceremonies.)


2003 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting, Ford C. Frick Award
Bob Uecker received the Ford C. Frick Award honoring a baseball broadcaster.


2003 Baseball World Cup
The 2003 Baseball World Cup (BWC) was the 35th international Men's amateur baseball tournament. The tournament was sanctioned by the International Baseball Federation, which titled it the Amateur World Series from the 1938 tournament through the 1986 AWS. The tournament was held, for the ninth time, in Cuba, from October 12 to 25. Cuba defeated Panama in the final, winning its 25th title.


2003 Baseball World Cup
There were 15 participating countries, split into two groups, with the first four of each group qualifying for the finals.


2003 Baseball World Cup
The next four competitions were also held as the BWC tournament, which was replaced in 2015 by the quadrennial WBSC Premier12.


2003 Basildon District Council election
The 2003 Basildon District Council election took place on 1 May 2003 to elect members of Basildon District Council in Essex, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative party gained overall control of the council from no overall control.


2003 Basildon District Council election, Background
The previous election in 2002 saw the Conservatives win exactly half of the seats, but Labour remained in control of the council with the support of the Liberal Democrats. However 6 months before the 2003 election 2 Labour councillors defected and the Conservatives took over the administration of the council.


2003 Basildon District Council election, Election result
The results saw the Conservatives win a majority for only the second time in the history of Basildon council.


2003 Basildon District Council election, Election result
Following the election the Labour leader on the council Nigel Smith was replaced by his group with Paul Kirkman.


2003 Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council election
The 2003 Basingstoke and Deane Council election took place on 1 May 2003 to elect members of Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council in Hampshire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the council stayed under no overall control.


2003 Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council election, Election result
Following the election the Labour and Liberal Democrat administration continued to run the council with 15 seats each and 30 of the 60 councillors. However the Labour deputy leader Rob Donnelly took over as leader of the council, replacing Liberal Democrat Brian Gurden who became deputy leader.


2003 Basque foral elections
The 2003 Basque foral elections were held on Sunday, 25 May 2003, to elect the 7th Juntas Generales of Álava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa. All 153 seats in the three Juntas Generales were up for election. The elections were held simultaneously with regional elections in thirteen autonomous communities and local elections all throughout Spain.


2003 Basque foral elections, Foral deputation control
The following table lists party control in the foral deputations. Gains for a party are displayed with the cell's background shaded in that party's colour.


2003 Bassetlaw District Council election
The 2003 Bassetlaw District Council election took place on 1 May 2003 to elect members of Bassetlaw District Council in Nottinghamshire, England as part of the 2003 United Kingdom local elections. One third of the council was up for election.


2003 Batang Red Bull Thunder season
The 2003 Batang Red Bull Thunder season was the 4th season of the franchise in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). The team was known as Red Bull Barako Coffee Drink starting the Invitational Conference.


2003 Batang Red Bull Thunder season, Occurrences
Red Bull Barako were tied with FedEx at 3-1 in the Group A standings of the Invitational Conference and gain the last berth in the crossover semifinals by way of a controversial ending in their game against Talk 'N Text, which the Phone Pals won 88-87, but needed to win by 8 points. The TNT players went to the extent of shooting on the Red Bull's goal while enjoying the lead in the closing seconds.


2003 Batang Red Bull Thunder season, Occurrences
In the Reinforced Conference best-of-three quarterfinals series against Talk 'N Text, Red Bull lost in the deciding third game where guard Jimwell Torion put in a vicious clothesline on Phone Pal Jimmy Alapag with the outcome of the game beyond doubt, Torion's actions serve him an eight-month suspension.


2003 Bath and North East Somerset Council election
Elections were held on 1 May 2003 to elect 65 local councillors for Bath and North East Somerset Council. The results are shown below. Following the election, a coalition was formed between the Liberal Democrats and Conservative councillors. Cllr Paul Crossley became leader of the council.


2003 Bath and North East Somerset Council election, Ward results
The ward results listed below are based on the changes from the 1999 elections, not taking into account any party defections or by-elections. Sitting councillors are marked with an asterisk (*).


2003 Bathurst 24 Hour
The 2003 Bathurst 24 Hour was a motor race staged at the Mount Panorama Circuit just outside Bathurst in New South Wales, Australia. The race started at 2:00pm on 22 November 2003 and finished at 2:00pm on 23 November. It was the second Bathurst 24 Hour.


2003 Bathurst 24 Hour
The race featured five car classes and was intended as a showcase for the racing categories promoted by Procar Australia, namely Nations Cup cars, GT Performance Cars and Production Cars. It was also open to various other categories which included FIA Group N-GT and Grand-Am GT.


2003 Bathurst 24 Hour
The race was won by Peter Brock, Greg Murphy, Jason Bright and Todd Kelly driving a Holden Monaro 427C.


2003 Bathurst 24 Hour, Class structure, Class A
The leading class contained vehicles eligible for international FIA N-GT, American Grand-Am GT and the Australian Nations Cup Group 1 category. It featured BMW M3 GTR, Ferrari 360 N-GT, Mosler MT900R, Porsche 996 GT3-RS, Porsche 996 GT3-RC, Lamborghini Diablo GTR, and the "Nations Cup" version of the Holden Monaro, the 427C


2003 Bathurst 24 Hour, Class structure, Class B
Consisted of Nations Cup Group 2 cars: Ferrari 360 Modena, Porsche 996 GT3 Cup and international GTs of varying kinds, Morgan Aero 8, Porsche 996 GT3 S and a modified BMW M Coupe.


2003 Bathurst 24 Hour, Class structure, Class D
A production based class featuring cars from the Australian GT Performance Car Championship. The entry consisted of BMW M Coupe, BMW M3, FPV GT, HSV X Series GTS, Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VII, Nissan 200SX, Nissan 350Z and Subaru Impreza WRX.


2003 Bathurst 24 Hour, Class structure, Class E
A production based class featuring cars from the Australian Production Car Championship. The entry consisted of Alfa Romeo 156 GTA, Ford Falcon XR6T, Holden Commodore VY, Honda Integra, Honda S2000 and Toyota Celica SX.


2003 Bathurst 24 Hour, Class structure, Class F
The class catered for a variety of vehicles which included Future Touring Ford Falcon, Holden VX Commodore & Holden VY Commodore, a Nürburgring VLN series BMW M3, a Supertouring BMW 320i, an old GT-Production BMW M3-R, New Zealand Schedule S touring car Toyota Altezza and Mitsubishi Mirage Cup one-make series cars.


2003 Bathurst 24 Hour, Top 10 Qualifiers
The top 10 qualifiers for the 2003 Bathurst 24 Hour were as follows:


2003 Bauchi State gubernatorial election
The 2003 Bauchi State gubernatorial election occurred on April 19, 2003. Incumbent Governor, PDP's Adamu Mu'azu won election for a second term, defeating ANPP's Ibrahim Jarma Katagum and three other candidates.


2003 Bauchi State gubernatorial election
Adamu Mu'azu emerged winner in the PDP gubernatorial primary election. He retained Abdulmalik Mohammed as his running mate.


2003 Bauchi State gubernatorial election, Electoral system
The Governor of Bauchi State is elected using the plurality voting system.


2003 Bauchi State gubernatorial election, Results
A total of five candidates registered with the Independent National Electoral Commission to contest in the election. Incumbent Governor, Adamu Mu'azu won election for a second term, defeating four other candidates.


2003 Bauchi State gubernatorial election, Results
The total number of registered voters in the state was 2,130,557.


2003 Bausch & Lomb Championships
The 2003 Bausch & Lomb Championships was a women's tennis tournament played on outdoor clay courts at the Amelia Island Plantation on Amelia Island, Florida in the United States that was part of Tier II of the 2003 WTA Tour. It was the 24th edition of the tournament and was held from April 14 through April 20, 2003. Elena Dementieva won the singles title, her first at WTA level, and earned $93,000 first-prize money.


2003 Bausch & Lomb Championships, Finals, Doubles
Lindsay Davenport /  Lisa Raymond defeated  Virginia Ruano Pascual /  Paola Suárez 7–5, 6–2


2003 Bausch & Lomb Championships – Doubles
Daniela Hantuchová and Arantxa Sánchez Vicario were the defending champions, but Sánchez Vicario chose not to compete in 2003. Hantuchová played with Dája Bedáňová, but lost in the first round.


2003 Bausch & Lomb Championships – Singles
Venus Williams was the defending champion, but she didn't compete in 2003.


2003 Bausch & Lomb Championships – Singles
Elena Dementieva won the title by defeating Lindsay Davenport in the final in three sets.


2003 Bavarian Cup
The 2003 Bavarian Cup was the sixth edition of this competition which was started in 1998. It ended with the TSV Aindling winning the competition. Together with the finalist, TSV Gerbrunn, both clubs were qualified for the DFB Cup 2003-04.


2003 Bavarian Cup
The competition is open to all senior men's football teams playing within the Bavarian football league system and the Bavarian clubs in the Regionalliga Süd (III).


2003 Bavarian Cup, Rules & History
The seven Bezirke in Bavaria each play their own cup competition which in turn used to function as a qualifying to the German Cup (DFB-Pokal). Since 1998 these seven cup-winners plus the losing finalist of the region that won the previous event advance to the newly introduced Bavarian Cup, the Toto-Pokal. The two finalists of this competition advance to the German Cup. Bavarian clubs which play in the first or second Bundesliga are not permitted to take part in the event, their reserve teams however can. The seven regional cup winners plus the finalist from last season's winners region are qualified for the first round.


2003 Bavarian Cup, Participating clubs
The following eight clubs qualified for the 2003 Bavarian Cup:


2003 Bavarian Cup, Bavarian Cup season 2002-03, Final
The reason for the one-sided result in the final can be seen in the fact that TSV Gerbrunn had withdrawn its team from the Bayernliga to the lower Bavarian amateur leagues, therefore fielding a much weaker side.


2003 Bavarian Cup, DFB Cup 2003-04
The two clubs, TSV Aindling and TSV Gerbrunn, who qualified through the Bavarian Cup for the DFB Cup 2003-04 both were knocked out in the first round of the national cup competition:


2003 Bavarian state election
The 2003 Bavarian state election was held on 21 September 2003 to elect the members to the 15th Landtag of Bavaria. The Christian Social Union (CSU) led by Minister-President Edmund Stoiber achieved the largest majority in German history, winning 69% of the seats in the Landtag. This election was the first and to date only time a single party won a two-thirds supermajority of seats in any German state parliament. The CSU also won its largest proportion of the popular vote since 1974, at 60.7%.


2003 Bavarian state election
The election was marked by a major decline in turnout, falling by almost 13 points to 57%. As a result, despite achieving its best result in decades, the CSU won 230,000 votes fewer than it had in the 1998 election.


2003 Bavarian state election, Parties
The table below lists parties represented in the 14th Landtag of Bavaria.


2003 Bayelsa State gubernatorial election
The 2003 Bayelsa State gubernatorial election occurred on April 19, 2003. Incumbent Governor, PDP's Diepreye Alamieyeseigha won election for a second term, defeating ANPP's Millionaire Abowei and two other candidates.


2003 Bayelsa State gubernatorial election
Diepreye Alamieyeseigha won the PDP nomination at the primary election. He retained Goodluck Jonathan as his running mate.


2003 Bayelsa State gubernatorial election, Electoral system
The Governor of Bayelsa State is elected using the plurality voting system.


2003 Bayelsa State gubernatorial election, Results
A total of four candidates registered with the Independent National Electoral Commission to contest in the election. Incumbent Governor, DSP Alamieyesiegha won election for a second term, defeating four other candidates.


2003 Bayelsa State gubernatorial election, Results
The total number of registered voters in the state was 765,472. About 97.38% (i.e. 745,408) of registered voters participated in the exercise.


2003 Bayern-Rundfahrt
The 2003 Bayern–Rundfahrt was the 15th edition of the Bayern–Rundfahrt cycle race and was held on 21–25 May 2003. The race started in Grassau and finished in Höchstadt an der Aisch. The race was won by Michael Rich.


2003 Baylor Bears football team
The 2003 Baylor Bears football team (variously "Baylor", "BU", or the "Bears") represented Baylor University in the 2003 NCAA Division I-A football season. They were represented in the Big 12 Conference in the South Division. They played their home games at Floyd Casey Stadium in Waco, Texas. They were coached by head coach Guy Morriss.


2003 Beach Soccer World Championships
The 2003 Beach Soccer World Championships was the ninth edition of the Beach Soccer World Championships, the most prestigious competition in international beach soccer contested by men's national teams until 2005, when the competition was then replaced by the second iteration of a world cup in beach soccer, the better known FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup. It was organized by Brazilian sports agency Koch Tavares in cooperation with and under the supervision of Beach Soccer Worldwide (BSWW), the sports governing body.


2003 Beach Soccer World Championships
For the first time since 2000, the tournament returned to its native venue at Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The main sponsor was McDonald's.


2003 Beach Soccer World Championships
The tournament saw Brazil win their eighth title by beating first time finalists Spain.


2003 Beach Soccer World Championships, Organisation
As like in the previous year, a record low of eight nations competed in two groups of four teams in a round robin format. The top two teams in each group after all the matches of the group stage had been played progressed into the semi-finals, in which the championship proceeded as a knock-out tournament therein until a winner was crowned, with an additional match to decide third place.


2003 Beach Soccer World Championships, Teams, Qualification
European teams gained qualification by finishing in the top three spots of the 2002 Euro Beach Soccer League. North and South American qualification was based on performances over recent times in a series of events involving teams from the Americas. The other entries received wild-card invites.


2003 Beach Soccer World Championships, Teams, Entrants
This remains the only year in all nineteen editions when no new nations made their debut at a world cup.


2003 Beach Soccer World Championships, Group stage
Matches are listed as local time in Rio de Janeiro, (UTC-3)


2003 Beach Volleyball World Championships
These page shows the results of the IV Beach Volleyball World Championships, held from October 7 to October 12, 2003 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It was the fourth official edition of this event, after ten unofficial championships (1987–1996) all held in Rio de Janeiro.


2003 Belarusian First League
2003 Belarusian First League was the thirteenth season of 2nd level football championship in Belarus. It started in April and ended in November 2003.


2003 Belarusian First League, Team changes from 2002 season
Three top teams of last season (Darida Minsk Raion, Naftan Novopolotsk and Lokomotiv Minsk) were promoted to Belarusian Premier League. Due to the expansion of Premier League from 14 to 16 clubs, the promoted teams were replaced by only one team that finished at the bottom of 2002 Belarusian Premier League table (Lokomotiv-96 Vitebsk).


2003 Belarusian First League, Team changes from 2002 season
One team that finished at the bottom of 2002 season table (Osipovichi) relegated to the Second League. They were replaced by three best teams of 2002 Second League (MTZ-RIPO Minsk, Pinsk-900 and Vertikal Kalinkovichi).


2003 Belarusian First League, Team changes from 2002 season
Lokomotiv-96 Vitebsk shortened their name to Lokomotiv Vitebsk before the start of the season.


2003 Belarusian Premier League
The 2003 Belarusian Premier League was the 13th season of top-tier football in Belarus. The first round was postponed from April 11–12 to later dates due to heavy snowfall. The season finally started on April 18 and ended on November 9, 2003. BATE Borisov were the defending champions.


2003 Belarusian Premier League, Team changes from 2002 season
Due to Premiere League expansion from 14 to 16 teams, one lowest placed team in 2002 Lokomotiv-96 Vitebsk was replaced by three best teams from 2002 First League: Darida Minsk Raion, Naftan Novopolotsk and Lokomotiv Minsk. Torpedo-MAZ Minsk changed their name to Torpedo-SKA Minsk. Darida originally was registered in Minsk suburb Zhdanovichi, while playing their games in Kuntsevschina district in Minsk. The team was renamed to Darida-TDZh Zhdanovichi (due to sponsorship from shopping center Zhdanovichi) for a few weeks in early 2003. However, after shopping center cancelled their sponsorship, team's name was changed back to Darida and official location became Minsk Raion, while team's office and stadium locations remained the same.


2003 Belarusian Premier League, Overview
Gomel won their 1st champions title and qualified for the next season's Champions League. The championship runners-up BATE Borisov and 2003–04 Cup winners Shakhtyor Soligorsk qualified for UEFA Cup. Teams finished on the last two places (Lokomotiv Minsk and Molodechno-2000) relegated to the First League.


2003 Belarusian municipal elections
2003 24th convocation local councils of Republic of Belarus elections were held on 2 March.


2003 Belarusian municipal elections, General information
24th convocation local councils of Republic of Belarus elections were held on 2 March 2003 under plurality voting. Official turnover was 73.4%. 23469 deputies of all levels were elected.


2003 Belgian Cup Final
The 2003 Belgian Cup Final, took place on 1 June 2003 between La Louvière and Sint-Truiden. It was the 48th Belgian Cup final and was won by La Louvière.


2003 Belgian Figure Skating Championships
The 2003 Belgian Figure Skating Championships (Dutch: Belgisch Kampioenschap 2003; French: Championnat de Belgique 2003) took place between 29 and 30 November 2002 in Leuven. Skaters competed in the disciplines of men's and ladies' singles.


2003 Belgian Super Cup
The 2003 Belgian Supercup was a football match between the winners of the previous season's Belgian First Division and Belgian Cup competitions. The match was contested by Cup winners La Louvière, and 2002–03 Belgian First Division champions, Club Brugge on 2 August 2003 at the ground of the league champions as usual, in this case the Jan Breydel Stadium.


2003 Belgian Super Cup
La Louvière took an early lead through Vervalle, with Nastja Čeh providing the equalizer just before the hour mark. Club Brugge eventually won its second consecutive Supercup title and 11th in total, as it beat La Louvière on penalty kicks.


2003 Belgian federal election
Federal elections were held in Belgium on 18 May 2003, the first Belgian elections to be held under a new electoral code. One of the novelties was an electoral threshold of 5%, which has cost many seats to the N-VA and the Green parties, Ecolo and Agalev. The Belgian Socialists recovered well; the liberal and nationalist parties increased their vote as well.


2003 Belgian federal election
The Flemish Greens lost all their seats. The Greens were attacked on two fronts: some, including their coalition partners, accused them of being too fundamentalist, while others said that they had betrayed their ideals. The resignation of a Walloon green minister (Isabelle Durant), one week before the elections, probably didn't do them much good either. Although it was predicted in some opinion polls, the gains of the Front National were surprising, considering that it seldom appeared in the media. The most important trend was the recovery of the Flemish social-democrats, led by the popular (some would say populist) Steve Stevaert. The fact that Elio Di Rupo was learning Dutch caused rumours that he hoped to become Prime Minister, if the social-democrats would turn out to be the largest political family.


2003 Belgian federal election
Themes that probably influenced the election results in some way or another were the government's opposition to the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the controversy around the nuisance around the airport of Zaventem, the controversy surrounding the banning of tobacco publicity, and unemployment, but a general dominating theme was lacking.


2003 Belizean general election
General elections were held in Belize on 5 March 2003. Belizeans elected 29 members to the House of Representatives for a term of five years. The result was a victory for the ruling People's United Party (PUP), which won 22 of the 29 seats.


2003 Belizean general election, Background
The PUP were seeking a second consecutive term in office after recording significant development in the economy from 1998 to 2003. Their opponents, the UDP, sought to replace them in office because of charges of corruption and mismanagement of public funds. Previous to this election, the parties had alternated their time in office since independence.


2003 Belizean general election, Background
As an aside, municipal elections had originally been called for this date, creating a situation of triple elections in one day, a first for the Caribbean region according to Myrtle Palacio of the EBD.


2003 Belizean general election, Background
As a postscript, Cayo South winner Agripino Cawich Sr. died of illness in August 2003. UDP candidate John Saldivar, who had lost to Cawich in March, won the subsequent by-election over son Joaquin Cawich in October.


2003 Belizean general election, Background
This general election was also the first in Belizean history in which former Prime Minister George Cadle Price was not a candidate. Price, who stood down from the Pickstock constituency, had contested every prior general election since 1954, winning each time except 1984.


2003 Belizean general election, Background
After what Prime Minister Said Musa called a "drawn-out" campaign that he said affected the country's ability to function, Musa called a house meeting on January 24, 2003 and formally announced that he had asked Governor General Sir Colville Young to dissolve the National Assembly of Belize by February 4, decree nomination of candidates for elections on February 17, and call elections on March 5.


2003 Belizean general election, Background
Elections were called early; they had not been constitutionally due until at least November 2003. The Opposition UDP, led by attorney Dean Barrow and eager to recover from the disastrous 1998 campaign, declared themselves ready to battle. Governor General Young officially issued the proclamation dissolving the House on February 4, as requested by Mr. Musa.


2003 Belizean general election, Campaign
The People's United Party had nominated candidates through much of 2001 and 2002. Among the more hotly contested races was Pickstock, where Attorney General and Senator Godfrey Smith defeated Bobby Usher of the PUP old guard. A number of other sitting members declared that they would not run again, including Jorge Espat in Freetown (relieved by Francis Fonseca) and Henry Canton in Stann Creek West (replaced by Rodwell Ferguson). The PUP prepared a visually oriented campaign, stressing their accomplishments in office as the governing party and citing weak links in the UDP armor.


2003 Belizean general election, Campaign
The United Democratic Party's selection process was rife with controversy. In May 2002, Pickstock standard bearer and musician Kenny Morgan was removed (he would eventually be replaced by Diane Haylock). Attorney Wilfred Elrington contested Pickstock independently after running into party officials over Haylock's appointment; brother Hubert, who had already left the party, likewise contested independently in Lake Independence against the sitting Cordel Hyde. Another bone of contention was Albert, where the UDP selected Marilyn Williams over Sydney Fuller. Fuller ran independently but Williams was herself the subject of investigation over allegations that she was a U.S. citizen and therefore ineligible to participate in the elections. Representatives in Lake Independence and Belize Rural Central were also replaced.


2003 Belizean general election, Campaign
This was the first election for the We the People Reform Movement, which put up candidates in Corozal, Orange Walk and Belize District. Independents appeared in all six districts. The election was tagged as featuring the highest number of independent candidates ever, including former UDP candidate Wilfred Elrington in Pickstock. Elrington finished second to winner Godfrey Smith but doubled up UDP choice Diane Haylock.


2003 Belizean general election, Campaign
The 2003 general election can be considered one of the most glitzy and packaged. The PUP ran a mostly upbeat campaign, focusing on celebrating the works achieved in its five years in office. The campaign was highlighted by the release of a CD of political campaign songs written by prominent Belizeans, particularly "Welcome to the Party" by Supa G. "Party" saw three translations and numerous airings over the course of two months of campaigning, invariably accompanied by PUP officials smiling and making contact with their constituents.


2003 Belizean general election, Campaign
The UDP chose substance over style in a realist campaign. Their commercials and statements attacked what they saw as latent corruption in the PUP's governing of the country. In February a broadside of scandals rocked the retiring administration, in sectors as varied as transport and education, and the UDP pushed every single one as an indication of the things the UDP would not tolerate if elected.


2003 Belizean general election, Campaign
We The People and other independent candidates stressed their belief that the system needed to change and that overall life needed to be improved for all Belizeans. The independents were not as heavily represented on the media but saw their opportunities as they came.


2003 Belizean general election, Conduct
The elections were supervised by the Elections and Boundaries Department, headed by Chief Elections Officer Myrtle Palacio and her four person administrative staff. In preparation for the possibility of general elections and the certainty of municipal elections, the EBD had cleaned out their electoral rolls following the 1998 re-registration exercise, sought to boost voter confidence through the media, and trained fellow civil servants across the country to prepare for the rigorous test of conducting three separate elections in one day.


2003 Belizean general election, Conduct
The EBD commanded 1,432 election workers, 567 municipal, 865 general. The workers were divided according to post: returning officer (in charge of the station and vote), election clerks and assistants, presiding officers (at each polling area), poll clerks and assistants, and counting clerks. Statutory Instruments Nos. 14 and 43 of 2003 respectively guaranteed voters the right to register up to February 10, 2003 in lieu of nomination day and allowed for more counting agents assigned to the general elections.


2003 Belizean general election, Conduct
On election day itself, despite the usual early headaches, voting went smoothly. Palacio noted in her end of year report that no petitions for recounts were presented for any election. Nevertheless, The Guardian newspaper of March 16 saw an article written by then member of the Elections and Boundaries Commission and editor Herbert Panton, which criticized the electoral process. For more, see the Guardian article.


2003 Belizean general election, Conduct
A number of media houses joined forces to cover wire-to-wire the events of March 5. Great Belize Television (Channel 5) announced a partnership with RSV Media Center, headlined by LOVE FM, on January 13, 2003. Their coverage used the tagline "Decision 2003."


2003 Belizean general election, Conduct
Later on, Tropical Vision Limited Channel 7 teamed up with fledgling Krem Television and Radio. Their coverage was nicknamed "The Moment" and used "Lose Yourself" by Eminem as its theme song.


2003 Belizean general election, Conduct
Election day began at 5:00 am for workers and 7:00 AM for voters. Voters participated from 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM; counting began at 8:00 PM. Palacio reported that Pickstock's result, a victory for Godfrey Smith, was the first official result to come in, at 10:00 PM. By 12:45 AM Thursday morning, the PUP had amassed the majority fifteen seats, and by 1:10 AM could start celebrating as the CEO stamped the particulars. While the UDP had regained 6% of votes over the 1998 results, the PUP still beat them 53-45.


2003 Belizean municipal elections
Belize municipal elections, 2003 were a series of municipal elections held on March 5, 2003 to elect City and Town Councils in the Cities of Belize and Belmopan and the towns of Corozal, Orange Walk, San Pedro, San Ignacio/Santa Elena, Dangriga and Punta Gorda. 142 candidates ran in this election, of whom 25% were women.


2003 Belizean municipal elections
This election was the first to be held on the same day as a general election, although general and municipal elections have been held in the same year.


2003 Belizean municipal elections
The ruling People's United Party (PUP) won 47 of a possible 67 seats, with the UDP winning the remaining 20.


2003 Belizean municipal elections, Major party preparations
Beginning with the 1997 City Council elections, municipal elections have generally been called in March every three years. Even before then the majority of local and national elections were held in March or April.


2003 BellSouth Open
The 2003 BellSouth Open was a men's tennis tournament played on outdoor clay courts in Viña del Mar in Chile and was part of the International Series of the 2003 ATP Tour. It was the tenth edition of the tournament and ran from 10 February through 16 February 2003. Unseeded David Sánchez won the singles title.


2003 BellSouth Open, Finals, Doubles
Agustín Calleri /  Mariano Hood defeated  František Čermák /  Leoš Friedl 6–3, 1–6, 6–4


2003 BellSouth Open – Doubles
Gastón Etlis and Martín Rodríguez were the defending champions but lost in the first round to Agustín Calleri and Mariano Hood.


2003 BellSouth Open – Doubles
Calleri and Hood won in the final 6–3, 1–6, 6–4 against František Čermák and Leoš Friedl.


2003 BellSouth Open – Singles
Fernando González was the defending champion but did not compete that year.


2003 BellSouth Open – Singles
David Sánchez won in the final 1–6, 6–3, 6–3 against Marcelo Ríos.


2003 Belmont Stakes
The 2003 Belmont Stakes was the 135th running of the Belmont Stakes. The 1 1⁄2-mile (2,400 m) race, known as the "test of the champion" and sometimes called the "final jewel" in thoroughbred horse racing's Triple Crown series, was held on June 7, 2003, three weeks after the Preakness Stakes and five weeks after the Kentucky Derby.


2003 Belmont Stakes
New York-bred Funny Cide won the Derby and Preakness and attracted an enthusiastic following. Before a near-record crowd, Funny Cide's attempt to win the Triple Crown was derailed by Empire Maker, who had finished second as the favorite in the Derby and had skipped the Preakness to train up to the Belmont.


2003 Belmont Stakes, Pre-race
Funny Cide won the 2003 Kentucky Derby in an upset, then turned in a dominating performance to win the Preakness. For the Belmont he faced only five other horses, but all of them were more rested. In particular, Empire Maker had skipped the Preakness after finishing second in the Derby as the favorite. He was considered to have an excellent chance in the Belmont, having beaten Funny Cide earlier in the year in the Wood Memorial.


2003 Belmont Stakes, Pre-race
A crowd of 101,562 showed up despite the cold, rainy weather. It was a near-record for Belmont Park, just behind the 2002 attendance of 103,222 that watched Sarava upset War Emblem's Triple Crown bid.


2003 Belmont Stakes, Race description
Funny Cide broke well and went to the early lead. Although he set reasonable fractions, the jockeys in the race saw cause for concern. José A. Santos on Funny Cide felt the horse was not handling the sloppy track, while Jerry Bailey on Empire Maker felt Funny Cide was running rank, wasting valuable energy. Funny Cide led for the first mile but tired around the far turn where he was passed by Empire Maker. Ten Most Wanted made a late run to finish second, while Funny Cide held on for third.


2003 Belmont Stakes, Race description
Despite a Hall of Fame career, it was the first win in a Triple Crown race for trainer Robert Frankel. "I really wanted to win it, more so for the horse," said Frankel. "I just wanted to prove he was the best horse. I was very, very confident all week. I didn't think I could get beat."


2003 Belmont Stakes, Race description
Funny Cide became the ninth horse since Affirmed in 1978 to win the first two legs of the Triple Crown, only to fall short in the Belmont. "I am very proud for all of the New Yorkers, Spanish people and New York-bred people who came out to support this horse today," said Santos said. "To win the Triple Crown is very difficult. That is why it has been 25 years since somebody did it."


2003 Belmont Stakes, Chart
Source: EquibaseTimes: 1⁄4 — 0:23.85;  1⁄2 — 0:48.70; 3⁄4 — 1:13.51; mile — 1:38.05; 1 1⁄4 — 2:02.62;  final — 2:28.26. Fractional Splits: (:23.85) (:24.85) (:24.81) (:24.54) (:24.57) (:25.64)


2003 Bendigo tornado
The 2003 Bendigo tornado  was an F2 tornado which hit the city of Bendigo, Victoria, Australia about 6.30 pm on 18 May 2003. Wind speeds ranged from 130 km/h to 150 km/h at the core of the storm.


2003 Bendigo tornado
The city of Bendigo is located in Victoria, a southeastern state in Australia. This southeastern region of Australia has seen tornadoes in the past, but, according to the Bureau of Meteorology, the tornado was an unusual occurrence for central Victoria and the last similar event occurred in Wonthaggi in 1993.


2003 Bendigo tornado, Impacts and Casualties
The tornado traveled seven kilometers with a 500 meter wide path in less than ten minutes. The main areas hit were the city's northern suburbs of Eaglehawk and California Gully which had severe damage and power outages. Overall, no one was injured, but the tornado left eight homes destroyed, 44 homes with serious damages, trees torn up, and power was lost in up to 18000 homes (located in Bendigo, California Gully, Eaglehawk, Epsom, Long Gully and Maiden Gully). Also, the tornado disrupted society as a whole with traffic disruption on the Loddon Valley Highway (runs from Bendigo to Kerang) and suspension of certain V/Line train lines. The damages were estimated to cost up to millions of dollars.


2003 Bendigo tornado, Impacts and Casualties
There was flash flooding and minor damage across other suburbs of the city (including Strathfieldsaye and Flora Hill) and other parts of central Victoria experienced power outages.


2003 Bendigo tornado, Aftermath
Emergency efforts quickly started to get the area safe and electricity back into homes. Victims were also given assistance, including:


2003 Beninese parliamentary election
Parliamentary elections were held in Benin on 30 March 2003. The result was a victory for the parties of the pro-government Presidential Movement supporting President Mathieu Kérékou, which won 52 of the 83 seats.


2003 Benue State gubernatorial election
The 2003 Benue State gubernatorial election occurred on April 19, 2003. Incumbent Governor, PDP's George Akume won election for a second term, defeating ANPP's Paul Unongo and two other candidates.


2003 Benue State gubernatorial election
George Akume was the PDP nominee at the primary election. He retained Ogiri Ajene as his running mate.


2003 Benue State gubernatorial election, Electoral system
The Governor of Benue State is elected using the plurality voting system.


2003 Benue State gubernatorial election, Results
A total of four candidates registered with the Independent National Electoral Commission to contest in the election. Incumbent Governor, George Akume won election for a second term, defeating three other candidates.


2003 Benue State gubernatorial election, Results
The total number of registered voters in the state was 1,755,528. However, only 70.27% (i.e. 1,233,522) of registered voters participated in the exercise.


2003 Bergen International Film Festival
The 2003 Bergen International Film Festival was arranged in Bergen, Norway 16–21 October 2003, and was the fourth edition of the festival.


2003 Berlin Marathon
The 2003 Berlin Marathon was the 30th running of the annual marathon race held in Berlin, Germany, held on 28 September 2003. Kenya's Paul Tergat won the men's race in 2:04:55 hours, while the women's race was won by Japan's Yasuko Hashimoto in 2:26:32. Tergat broke the men's marathon world record by a margin of 43 seconds, making him the first man to complete the distance under two hours and five minutes.