Darfur conflict: Rwanda begins deploying a contingent of 237 troops to Darfur, Sudan, as part of an African Union mission to bring stability to the troubled region. Sixty-five soldiers have been sent this weekend; the rest will be deployed as the week progresses. Rwanda already had some troops in Darfur. (CNN)
NAACP sends out warnings about a forged letter that threatens the arrest of voters who have outstanding parking tickets or have failed to pay child support. (The State)
Fighting broke out for the second time in a month in Somalia between the declared independent Republic of Somaliland and the autonomous Puntland. So far, fighting in the disputed region has left over a hundred dead.(BBC)
Two bombings occur in southern Thailand, in the wake of clashes between minority Muslim protesters and Thai soldiers in which about 80 protesters were suffocated while being transported to detention camps. (see 26 October current events.) (INQ7.net)
Belgium : Strike of the buses, metros and tramways of the Brussels public transport company STIB /MIVB . Buses of De lijn however worked. (Expatica.com)(Xinhua)
Scientists announce the discovery on the Indonesian island of Flores of the skeleton of a previously unknown species of extinct human, named Homo floresiensis. Unusually, the creature, while quite different from modern humans — as an adult, it stood only 3 feet (90 cm) tall — dates from only 18,000 years ago, disproving the accepted theory that modern humans became the sole human species 160,000 years ago. (AP)
Amnesty International declares the Bush administration to be "guilty of setting conditions for torture and cruel treatment by lowering safeguards and failing to respond adequately to allegations of abuse", amid other criticisms of the "war on terror", which the report says is "violating basic rights in the name of national security" and urged the President and challenger John Kerry to support an independent inquiry into detention and interrogation policies. (Reuters)
Iraq's appointed Prime MinisterIyad Allawi tells the interim national council that yesterday's killing of 49 unarmed army recruits "was the outcome of major neglect by some parts of the multinational (forces)." (Reuters)
The U.S. military reports a known associate of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was killed in an early morning air strike on a safe house in Fallujah. Local residents say that the houses destroyed were empty for over a month and hospital staff report no casualties. (CNN)(Reuters)
78 people died of suffocation while in the custody of Thailand police following the dispersal of a violent demonstration on October 25 in the restive Muslim-majority southern region of the country. The deaths appeared to have occurred during a five hour trip in closed trucks to a detention facility. (Reuters)(BBC)
Tensions remain high in French Polynesia as the Leadership remains in doubt. The Legislative Assembly failed to sit on Monday 25 October. Gaston Flosse, elected President on 22 October, attempted to enter the Presidential palace on the weekend but was met by closed gates. (Oceania Flash)
Conflict in Iraq: A roadside bomb kills a U.S. soldier and wounds five others in western Baghdad. Hospital officials say five civilians are killed from U.S. snipers in the western city of Ramadi. In Kirkuk, a roadside bomb kills an Iraqi civilian. An Estonian soldier is killed and five wounded in a bomb blast in Baghdad. A mortar lands on a Iraqi National Guard checkpoint north of Baghdad, killing an Iraqi civilian. In Mosul, a car bomb kills a tribal leader and two civilians. (Reuters)(BBC)
Israelitelevision news reports that Yasser Arafat is granted permission to go to hospital due to suffering from gall stones and had an intestinal infection. Palestinian spokesman Saeb Erekat says "It is unfounded that President Arafat requested to go to a Ramallah hospital" and "He is recuperating from an acute case of the flu". (Reuters)
The International Atomic Energy Agency announces that two weeks ago, the Iraqi government informed the agency that about 380 tons (345,000 kg) of powerful explosives, potentially usable in detonators for nuclear bombs, apparently disappeared from the Al-Qaqaa weapons facility, a site about 30 miles south of Baghdad, sometime shortly before or after Saddam Hussein's government fell. The Iraqi director of planning attributed the disappearance to "the theft and looting of the governmental installations due to lack of security", although other sources indicate the explosives could have been removed by the Hussein regime itself. (Reuters: 1, 2) (CNN : 1, 2)
In Falluja, hospital officials report five civilians dead resulting from what witnesses claim were U.S. military airstrikes. Military officials say a precision strike had destroyed a known enemy command and control post. (Reuters)(BBC)
Carlos Valenzuela , top United Nations electoral expert in Iraq, says that despite the absence of international monitors, "Things could go wrong . . . But, so far, everything is on track" for Iraqi national assemblyelections in January 2005. (AP/Boston Globe)(NYT)
Typhoon Tokage]] kills at least 66 people and injures hundreds more in southern Japan, making it the deadliest typhoon to hit Japan in 22 years. (BBC)(Reuters)
The Human Genome Project revises its estimate of the number of genes in the human genome, putting the number at 20,000 to 25,000, about 30 percent fewer than the previous estimate. (ABC News)
U.S. war planes strike a building in Fallujah. Local sources say the strike killed a family of six, including four children. The U.S. military, however, denies a family was killed and issues a statement saying that "intelligence sources indicate a known Zarqawipropagandist is passing false reports to the media". (Reuters: 1, 2)
CARE International, a health and water aid agency, announces that it is suspending operations in Iraq. Its local manager, Margaret Hassan, was abducted yesterday. (BBC)
Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri resigns and says he will leave the government, ending several weeks of conflict between Hariri and the Syrian-backed President, Émile Lahoud. Lahoud's term in office was extended last month, allegedly as a result of pressure from Syria; in response, the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution condemning foreign interference in Lebanon and demanding the withdrawal of foreign troops. (Reuters)(Daily Star [Lebanon])(ABC)
In Minsk, Belarus, protests continue over the results of Monday's referendum, which permitted President Alexander Lukashenko to seek a third term. At least 30 protesters are arrested, including opposition leader Anatoly Lebedko. Supporters say Lebedko was badly beaten by police and was refused treatment for his injuries. (BBC)
A mortar attack on an U.S. army compound in central Baghdad kills a U.S. contractor, while another mortar attack, on an Iraqi National Guard base in Mushahida , kills four guardsmen and injures 80. Iraqi security forces, backed by U.S. Marines, arrest 100 suspected insurgents south of Baghdad. Three car bombs kill two Iraqis in Mosul. (BBC)
Thai officials say that Myanmar's military has removed the current prime minister of Myanmar, General Khin Nyunt, from office and placed him under house arrest. (BBC)
A referendum is held in Belarus on a proposal by President Alexander Lukashenko to permit Lukashenko to run for a third term by amending the country's constitution to remove term limits. The Belarus electoral commission says the referendum won the support of at least 75 percent of voters, but independent elections monitors say that the voting procedures "fell significantly short" of international standards. In Minsk, the capital, more than 2,000 people protest the results of the referendum. (BBC)(Reuters)
The Anglican Communion's Lambeth Commission on Communion releases the Windsor Report. The Commission recommends that churches throughout the Communion express regret for the divisions that they have caused in the Communion. This report was precipitated by the consecration of the openly gay Reverend Gene Robinson as a bishop in the United StatesEpiscopal Church, and by the responses of other Anglican churches to his consecration. (BBC)(Windsor Report)
Australianjournalist John Martinkus is released after approximately one day in the custody of unknown captors in Iraq. Martinkus strayed into an unsafe part of Baghdad while compiling a report for SBS' Dateline program. (AAP)
The UKambassador to Uzbekistan is recalled and suspended after criticizing the use of intelligence allegedly obtained under torture by the Uzbekistan government. (BBC)
Heavy fighting in Fallujah continues as U.S. tanks blockade the city and insurgent targets are hit by air and artillery. Hospital officials say four civilians, including a child, were killed. (Reuters)(ABC)
Car bombs are detonated in Qaim and Mosul, Iraq, killing three U.S. soldiers and a civilian in Qaim, and one U.S. soldier in Mosul. A mortar attack in Qaim kills four Iraqis and wounds 30. (Reuters)
Israeliforces withdraw from the northern Gaza Strip, ending Operation Days of Penitence. Three men, allegedly militants, and a 70-year-old Palestinian woman are killed on the final day. Over 100 Palestinians have died in the course of the 16-day operation; BBC sources say about one third were civilians.
The U.S.Army is investigating up to 19 members of a Army Reserve unit stationed in Iraq who refused to take part in a fuel delivery convoy mission they considered unsafe. Relatives of the soldiers say that several soldiers described it as a "suicide mission". Relatives also say that the soldiers were held under guard for almost two days, although an army spokesperson denies the claim. (Daily Telegraph)(San Francisco Gate)(Washington Times)
Major United States air strikes against Fallujah continue. The U.S. military says that the bombings are "not the beginning of a major offensive". (Reuters)
Senior British military sources say that the U.S. has asked that some British troops be moved to an area south of Baghdad to replace U.S. troops moved to Fallujah. Sources also say that the troops would be under U.S. command, a possibility which provokes criticism from opposition members of Parliament. (BBC)
Former OAS and Costa Rican president, Miguel Angel Rodriguez, is arrested after stepping down last week on allegations of corruption. He is not formally charged but a judge is demanding him to testify. (BBC)
The Israeliarmy clears an officer accused of repeatedly shooting a Palestinian schoolgirl, Iman al-Hams, while she lay wounded or dead, accepting the officer's claim that he actually shot into the ground near the girl. A separate military police investigation is continuing. (BBC)
Iraqi insurgents carry out two bomb attacks within Baghdad's heavily fortified "Green Zone", which houses Iraqi government offices and U.S. military facilities. U.S. officials say that 6 Iraqis and 4 Americans were killed in the attacks. Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's Tawhid and Jihad militant group later claims responsibility for the bombings. (BBC)
The Iraqigovernment warns of a possible increase in terrorist activity during the Muslim month of Ramadan (which starts tonight), and says the government is taking extra precautions. (Reuters)
The Israeli government announces that it will not restrict the number of worshippers allowed to enter Jerusalem's Al-Aqsamosque compound (located in the area known as the Temple Mount in Judaism) during the Muslim month of Ramadan, despite concerns voiced by security officials that the site is dangerously structurally unstable and could collapse if too many people visit. The Israeli government had earlier suggested it would limit the number of visitors, with mosque officials accusing Israel of having "political reasons" to do so. (Haaretz)(Jerusalem Post)(AFP)
The BritishForeign MinisterJack Straw comments on Israeli actions in the Gaza Strip, saying that the United Kingdom "unreservedly condemns all acts of terrorism including the firing of Qassam rockets", but that "Israel has an obligation under international law to ensure that its response to terrorism is proportionate to the threat it faces, as well as a duty to avoid innocent civilian casualties", and that "[Israel] is not meeting those obligations". (BBC)(E-Politix)
The Israeliarmy expands its operation in the Gaza Strip into Beit Lahiya. A missile fired from an Israeli helicopter kills a Hamas militant, Mohammed Marous , and wounds three others. Separately, two Fatah militants are killed. (Haaretz)(Reuters)
Interim Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi issues an ultimatum to the city of Fallujah, warning that a major new military operation will be launched if all foreign militants are not expelled from the city. (Reuters)
Relations between local insurgents and foreign Arab militants in the Iraqi city of Fallujah deteriorate, with locals threatening to expel the foreigners by force. Locals have killed at least five foreign fighters in recent weeks, and foreign fighters have taken refuge in the city's commercial district after being denied shelter in residential neighborhoods. (MSNBC)
In the Gaza Strip, Ghadir Mokheimer, an 11-year-old Palestinianschoolgirl, is struck in the chest and critically wounded by gunfire when Israeli troops open fire near her school. She dies one day later. The Israeli army says soldiers returned fire after coming under mortar attack. (BBC: 1, 2) (CNN)
The Nigerian government announces that last month, Nigerian Sharia courts sentenced two women, one of whom is pregnant, to death by stoning on charges of committing adultery, while acquitting the two men involved. The sentence may still be appealed. (Reuters)
Pakistan test fires a nuclear-capable missile with a range of 1,500 km (930 miles), sufficient to reach most cities in neighboring India. Pakistan and India routinely test their missiles. (BBC)(The Hindu [India])
The Saudi Arabian Interior Ministry requests that all non-Muslims currently in Saudi Arabia refrain from eating, drinking or smoking in public. "Authorities will take deterrent measures such as terminating work contracts of, and deporting, violators" [1]
Conflict in Iraq: A rocket attack in southern Baghdad kills two U.S. soldiers and injures five others, while in the northern city of Mosul a suicide car bomb detonated near a U.S. military convoy kills a U.S. soldier and two Iraqis and injures 27 others. (ABC/AP)(News.com.au)
In the northern Gaza Strip, Israeli troops shoot and kill Abed Rauf Nabhan , a local Hamas leader, as he prepares to fire an anti-tank missile at Israeli tanks in Jebaliya. The Israeli military says that Nabhan was responsible for a rocket attack that killed two Israeli children in Sderot on Sukkot eve. (Maariv)
In addition to Abed Rauf Nabhan, seven Palestinians, including two Palestinian Authority policemen, are reported to have been killed today. A total of 94 Palestinians, about half of whom were civilians, including 18 children, have been killed since Israel began its offensive 10 days ago. (ABC News)(BBC)
Rescue teams retrieve at least 30 bodies from the ruins of the Hilton Hotel in Taba, Egypt. Officials say up to 20 more bodies could be recovered. (Haaretz)
An earthquake of magnitude 6.5 occurs near Manila, the capital city of the Philippines. Its effects are felt as far as 90 miles (145 km) north of the city. The quake causes buildings to sway and knocks out power in some areas, but no serious damage or injuries are reported. (CNN)(USGS)
The FBI seizes the servers of the open-publishing network Indymedia in the US and the UK, disabling Indymedia websites in many countries. No reason was given. (IMC: 1, 2)
Three car bombs are detonated in Egyptian towns in the Sinai Peninsula frequented by Israelitourists. The largest explosion, which killed at least 34 and wounding 105, was at a Hilton Hotel in Taba, near the border with Israel. The other two explosions occurred at the towns of Ras al-Sultan and Nuweiba , killing two Israelis and four Egyptians. A group calling itself Jamayia al-Islamia al-Alamiya ("World Islamist Group") later claims responsibility and threatens further attacks. (Al Jazeera)(Haaretz)(The Australian)(ABC)(CNN)
The United Nations issues a special report warning of an imminent humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. The report says that 72.5 percent of Palestinians will be living in poverty by the end of 2006, that Israeli restrictions are hampering emergency aid deliveries, and that, since September 28, 82 Palestinians and 5 Israelis, including 26 children, have been killed. (BBC)(UN)
Same-sex marriage in Canada: The Supreme Court of Canada begins three days of hearings into the federal government's reference of a draft bill to legalize same-sex marriage. The court will review the bill's constitutionality, hearing arguments from groups on either side of the debate. A ruling is not expected for months. (CBC)
A BritishRoyal Navy rescue ship reaches the HMCS Chicoutimi, which is adrift off the Irish coast following an electrical fire en route to Halifax yesterday. Heavy seas have impeded rescue efforts, and one crewman has died being airlifted to hospital. (BBC)
Three people, including a 15-year-old boy, are killed after Israel shells the town of Beit Lahiya. (BBC)
Three Hamas militants are killed after infiltrating the Israeli settlement of Kfar Darom. One of the militants blew up when hit by Israeli gunfire, killing a Thai worker in addition to himself. The other two militants were killed by IDF forces. Gaza Strip. (Haaretz)(INN [Israel])
The UNRWA denies Israel's claim that it has detained 13 of its staff in Gaza. A spokesman said a member of the Gaza staff had been in detention for two years, but knew of no one else in Israeli custody. Israel qualified its earlier statement, admitting that the number 13 referred to people detained in the past four years, some of whom are no longer in custody. (BBC)
A major British flu vaccine company, Chiron, has its manufacturing license revoked due to a bacteria outbreak. Chiron had been expected to supply half of this season's flu vaccines in the United States. (BBC)
Iran announces that its Shahab-3 missile has been modified to increase its range (originally 810 miles (1,300 km)) to 1,250 miles (2,000 km). This puts parts of Europe — and all of the Middle East — within range of Iran's missiles for the first time. (Reuters)(The Scotsman)
Three car bombs — two in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, and one in the northern city of Mosul — kill at least 26 people and wound at least 100. All the casualties are Iraqis. (Reuters)(BBC)
The U.S. military continues its aerial bombardment of the rebel-held city of Fallujah. Local hospital officials say that nine people were killed. Elsewhere, two U.S. soldiers are shot dead at a checkpoint in Baghdad. (AP)(BBC)
Conflict in Iraq: On the third day of the assault on Samarra, which has left 125 insurgents and 70 civilians dead, U.S. and Iraqi government officials say they have secured 70 percent of the city. (AP)(BBC)
In interview with the CBC, UNRWA commissioner Peter Hansen says that he is sure that members of Hamas are also members of UNRWA. The Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs, which has designated Hamas a terrorist organization said it "will immediately seek clarification from Mr. Hansen directly and from UN authorities". (CBC)
The Israeli military begins an operation to create a 9 km (5.5 mile) "buffer zone" within the northern Gaza Strip. Israel says that the purpose of the zone is protect Israel from attacks using Qassam rockets (which have a 9 km (5.5 mile) range). (The Telegraph)(CNN)
The government of Denmark is investigating whether it can claim ownership of the North Pole, by studying how far the underwater portion of Greenland, a Danish territory, extends. Canada and Russia are already undertaking similar investigations regarding their own claims. (Toronto Star)
The Israelimilitary releases unmanned dronefootage of the Gaza Strip showing what Israel says are Palestinian militants loading rockets into a van marked "UN". The UN dismisses the claim, saying that the footage actually shows a stretcher being loaded into a van. (Islam Online) (Haaretz: 1, 2)
U.S. and Iraqi government forces attack the insurgent-held city of Samarra in northern Iraq. U.S. officials say over 100 militants were killed and 37 were captured, while local doctors say at least 80 people died, and 100 were wounded, including civilians. (BBC)(Canada.com News)(The Independent)
U.S. officials say that U.S. forces rescued Yahlin Kaya , a Turkish construction worker who had been held hostage by militants, during today's assault on the city of Samarra. (Reuters)(The Australian)
