Nine bombs exploded in Soweto, South Africa and the vicinity and one near Pretoria. It is believed to be the work of white right-wing soldiers or police.
Pat Buchanan denounces Canada as Soviet Canuckistan over the warning issued by the Canadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding travel to the US (see October 29 below.)
The government of Canada issued a travel advisory[?] to the United States for all Canadian citizens born in Iran, Iraq, Libya, Sudan or Syria after the United States announced that anyone born in those countries will be photographed and fingerprinted upon arrival in the United States.
Moscow theatre siege: Some medical experts now believe that the Moscow hostages and terrorists were gassed with a military incapacitating agent such as BZ or a similar substance. Others claim that a fentanyl derivative may have been used. The U.S. Embassy in Moscow stated that it believed that the substance was an opiate. Other candidates suggested include the Russian incapacitating agent Kolokol-1[?] and aerosolized Valium. Yet another medical expert has stated that the gas used is a common anaesthetic gas that is commonly used in Europe.
The Canadian ministry of foreign affairs issues an advisory to Canadians born in Iraq, Iran, Syria, Libya, and Sudan warning them to "consider carefully" whether to go to the United States for "any reason." This follows a US law requiring photos and fingerprints of Canadian citizens born in those countries upon entering the US, as well as the deportation to Syria of Maher Arar, a Canadian citizen. The American ambassador, Paul Cellucci, later assures the Canadian government that all Canadian passport holders will be treated equally; however, further incidents attributed to racial profiling take place.
Sports: Team Bath become the first university team to qualify for the FA Cup First Round since 1882. They beat Horsham 4-3 on penalties in the Fourth Qualifying Round replay.
Moscow theatre siege: Special forces of the Russian army attacked the Chechen separatists who were holding hostages in a Moscow theater. 50 of the 53 separatists and 117 of the 800 hostages were killed. Most of hostages were killed by poisongas used by the special forces, with most of the surviving hostages hospitalised with gas poisoning.
Moscow theatre siege: The Chechen separatist "suicide squad" released eight children but kept some 700 people hostage in a Moscow theater rigged with explosives. Diplomats waited for the gunmen to honor a pledge to free about 75 foreigners among their hostages, including Australians, Austrians, Britons, Germans and three Americans.
Kenyan President Daniel arap Moi dissolved the country's Parliament, officially starting the campaign for one of the East African country's most competitive general elections and closing his tenure as one of Africa's longest ruling leaders.
Moscow theatre siege: The Chechen rebels holding hundreds of hostages in a Moscow theater shot and killed one captive and said they were ready to die for their cause, warning that thousands more of their comrades were "keen on dying."
Beltway sniper: Within hours of Police Chief Charles Moose announcing that John Allen Muhammed was wanted in connection with the investigation, Muhammed and his 17-year-old stepson John Lee Malvo[?] were arrested on federal weapons charges, found with the rifle used in the shootings.
Washington sniper: Police reported that a ransom note was left at the scene of the latest shooting by the person believed to have shot 13 people and killed 9. The note apparently demanded $10 million, and it contained a threat to local residents saying, "Your children are not safe anywhere at any time."
Canadian author Yann Martel won the Booker Prize for his "quirky fable" Life of Pi. The prize is worth £50,000 ($77,300). Martel's work was picked from 130 novels from Britain, Ireland and the Commonwealth.
Israeli-Palestinian conflict: Sixteen people were killed and 30 wounded when a car pulled alongside a commuter bus and exploded in Israel's Karkur Junction. The militant Islamic Jihad movement claimed responsibility for the attack, which police described as a suicide bombing.
Washington sniper: Authorities took two men into custody for questioning in the Washington-area sniper attacks, after surrounding a white van parked at a pay phone. They were later said not to be related to the sniper investigation.
European Union: The Irishreferendum on the Treaty of Nice has approved Ireland's acceptance of the treaty, removing an obstacle to the proposed expansion of the EU[?] to 25 countries. Since the caretaker administration in the Netherlands has also agreed not to veto the expansion, relying on the support of the parliamentary opposition, it seems that it will be approved by all member states.
October 18, 2002 Manila bus bombing[?]: A bomb exploded in suburban Manila, destroying a bus and killing at least three people, while 23 others were wounded. A grenade exploded in the Philippine capital's financial district hours earlier. The bomb attacks occurred only one day after two deadly bombings in the southern Philippines.
An armed individual entered a school in Stuttgart, Germany and held five people hostage, demanding a ransom for their release. The hostages were known to be four schoolchildren and one teacher. The 16-year old gunman subsequently released the hostages and surrendered peacefully.
Valentin Tsvetkov[?], governor of the Russian Far East region of Magadan, was assassinated on the streets in Moscow, in what authorities claim was probably a contract killing.
Politics of the Netherlands: the cabinet of Balkenende resigns. Because of the constant internal fighting in the new party LPF, the other two governing parties, CDA and VVD decided that continuing the coalition was impossible. It seems almost certain that there will be new elections, possibly as early as December.
Officials in Brussels fear that the collapse in the Netherlands will delay the expansion of the EU. The Netherlands cabinet was already divided on the issue and if new elections are to be held it may take 4-5 months before another cabinet is installed that is willing to make a decision.
A Kiev judge ordered prosecutors to open a criminal probe of Ukraine's veteran President Leonid Kuchma[?], on charges of corruption and abuse of power.
ImClone Systems founder Sam Waksal[?] pleaded guilty to bank fraud and conspiracy in an insider trading scandal that threatens Martha Stewart and her home decorating empire.
United Kingdom took back the reins of government in Northern Ireland amid a crisis in the peace process provoked by a spying scandal, but vowed to try and restore home rule early next year. See also Good Friday Agreement.
Indonesia's defense minister blamed al-Qaida and its extremist allies for the massive bomb attack that killed more than 180 people at a nightclub on the resort island of Bali.
U.S. President George W. Bush amongst many others has condemned the perpetrators of the Bali car bombing of October 11. The death toll has now risen to at least 187.
Ethnic rioting in India results in numerous deaths. The riots are said to be a reaction to recent public comments by Jerry Falwell, American televangelist, derogatory of the Islamic prophet, Muhammad.
2002 Bali Terrorist Bombing : A car-bomb on theIndonesian island of Bali explodes outside a nightclub killing at least 182 people, 75% of whom are said to have been foreign holidaymakers. Another 210 people are said to have been injured. The principal suspects for this terrorist incident are a group seeking to establish an Islamic state in Indonesia, Jemaah Islamiyah, although it could equally be the work of al-Qaeda. Another bomb explodes at around the same time in the nearby town of Denpasar, Bali[?].
A suicide bomber killed a 71-year-old woman and injured several other at a bus stop near Tel Aviv, Israel.
A large crowd of Palestinian police officers and militiamen marched in a funeral procession for a policeman killed by a Hamas militiaman. Hamas claims that, although they did not authorize the killing, it was justified under Islamic law.
Lawrence Lessig argues Eldred v. Ashcroft in front of the U.S. Supreme Court. The case challenges retroactive copyright extensions passed by Congress, and potentially affects millions of copyrighted works.
Israeli-Palestinian conflict: Israeli troops raid Khan Yunis in the Gaza Strip, killing 13 (10 from a helicopter missile) and wounding as many as 100, after Palestinians fire a rocket at a Jewish settlement in the area. Later Palestinians kidnap and kill Rajeh Abu Lehiya[?], chief of the Palestinian riot police, and two others die in gunfire during a police-Hamas supporters conflict.
Astronomy: Announcement of the discovery of Quaoar a planetoid object circling the Sun
Bertrand Delanoë, mayor of Paris stabbed in the abdomen at city hall during the Nuits Blanches event.
were already recognized by their associates as belonging in a class by
would be remembered later. They were a good deal together, and it was
the weekly staff.html">staff at the then unexampled twelve-dollar rate. The
heavier financial backing. With Mark Twain on the staff and Bret Harte
of San Francisco periodicals. A number of the sketches collected by Webb
Etc., appeared in the Era or Californian in 1864 and 1865. They were
the day. Some of them are still preserved in this volume of sketches.
present, though some of them are still delightful enough. "The Killing
report of a gladiatorial combat in The Innocents Abroad. The Answers to
could hardly have been better done at any later period. The Jumping Frog
as we shall see a little further along.
The reportorial arrangement was of brief duration. Even the great San
permanent enthusiasm for the drudgery of the 'Call'. He had lost
undertaking that subject or that undertaking were better dead, so far as
and he wondered daily why it was delayed so long. The connection had
heart.html">heart-to-heart talk presently, with the result that Mark Twain was free.
worst of himself, that he was discharged, and the incident has been
with great willingness. It is very likely that the paragraph at the end
accuracy, though, as always, the author makes it as unpleasant for
remember with considerable respect, and gave me an opportunity to resign
his beginning in San Francisco, and for no other discoverable reason, he
depict himself as having reached the depths of hard luck, debt, and
.
On
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