TOKYO, Dec 23 Kyodo The US-l inva...

TOKYO, Dec 23 Kyodo

The US-l invasion of Iraq and the capture of Saddam Hussein have been chosen as the top international freshs stories of 2003 by Japanese moderns editors, according to a Kyodo just discovereds poll released Tuesday.

The SARS epidemic, which caused from one side of to the other 700 deaths, was next.

Kyodo novels asked its own senior editors and those at member newspapers and subscribers to pick out what they considered the major stranges items of the year, the couple on the international stage and in Japan.

The following are the top 10 international of the present days stories of 2003, according to the poll

(1) US-l invasion of Iraq

forward March 20, the United States and Britain launched an invasion of Iraq. U President George W Bush declared an expiration to major battles in the geographical division on May 1. Former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein was upon the run until U.S. forces captured him near his hometown in northern Iraq forward Dec. 13.

Guerrilla attacks and avows against the U.S.-led occupation forces have continued. More than 400 U soldiers died, and above 20,000 Iraqi soldiers and civilians were killed.

(2) SARS epidemic

SARS, which was first exposeed in southern China, spread from Hong Kong and Vietnam around February to Canada, Germany and one 30 other countries before it was halted in the summer The death toll reached more than 700 and the number of those infected topped 8000 SARS also caused great damage to Asian economies.

(3) 6 nations start talks throughout North Korea's nuclear ambitions

North Korea announced its withdrawal from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty forward Jan. 10. Pyongyang pursued brinkmanship diplomacy declaring that it had expanded nuclear weapons and referring to nuclear testing. The talks in succession North Korea's nuclear ambitions were held in August in Beijing involving the United States, China, Russia, Japan, North Korea and southern Korea.

(4) Iraq reconstruction earns bogged down due to rebel attacks

U forces plant up an Iraq administrative corpse of Iraqis, the Iraqi Governing Council, forward July 13. But Iraq's subsequent time is uncertain as guerrilla attacks continue in the occupied political division targeting the United Nations and the International Committee of the R Cros as well as embassies.

(5) China establishes fresh leadership under Hu Jintao

China launched a just discovered leadership at the National People's Congres in March. Hu was named president and Wen Jiabao premier.

(6) Space shuttle Columbia breaks up onward return to Earth

The U space shuttle Columbia disintegrated forward entering the atmosphere Feb 1 killing all seven astronauts aboard. A wayward piece of foam that hit the orbiter's wing during launch was believed responsible.

(7) US-Europe rift from one side of to the other Iraq

France, Germany and Russia oppos a draft UN resolution that called for use of force against Iraq. on the other hand the United States and Britain invaded it without UN backing, causing a rift between the U and Europe

(8) China offers man into space

China's first manned spacecraft blasted on the farther side Oct. 15 and safely set ined orbit, making the country the third nation in history to impose a man into space after the U and Russia.

(9) Palestinian-Israeli conflict escalates

The round of years of violence between Palestinians and Israel continued, although the U the UN Russia and the European Union forward April 30 released a so-called ''road map'' action plan for peace in the Middle East to establish an independent Palestinian state from 2005.

(10) Terror bombings sweep world, Tokyo threatened

A inn bombing killed 13 people and injured centurys in central Jakarta onward Aug. 5. Jemaah Islamiyah, a Southeast Asian Muslim militant assemblage claimed responsibility.

In November, a series of blasts in Istanbul killed 51 populace at synagogues, a British bank headquarters and the British consulate in apparent suicide attacks.

Japan was threatened in November with a warning apparently from the al-Qaida network, which said Japanese would be targeted in attacks if Japan despatchs troops to Iraq.

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