Russia's supreme court declares the imperial dynasty victims of political repression, marking the official rehabilitation of the house of Romanov. The decision overturns a lower court ruling that classified the killings as plain murder, and exonerates Emperor Nicholas II and his family of the alleged crimes the Bolshevik regime used to justify their killing. (Reuters)
A search team finds the wreckage of the airplane flown by adventurer Steve Fossett in the mountains of Madera County, California, and what appears to be some of his personal effects nearby. Fossett had disappeared on September 3, 2007. (Sydney Daily Telegraph)
An attempt of assassination of head of the Akhalgori Ossetian administration, Anatoli Margiev failed. He survived the explosion of a bomb planted on a road in Georgian village while driving to Tskhinvali, South Ossetia. (Rustavi 2)
Two teenagers are injured after blowing up a landmine at the territory of the military base in Gori, Georgia. (Rustavi 2)
Both of Russia's main stock exchanges, the MICEX and RTS, suspend trading of stocks "for technical reasons" as the markets rally after a 1-1/2 day trading halt that ended earlier in the morning. (Financial Times)[permanent dead link]
Trading is suspended for a second and a third time in the same day at the RTS stock exchange as Russian equities tumble. The dollar-denominated stock index was last down 7.8% in intraday trading. At MICEX, index fell 6.2% in intraday trading. (MarketWatch)
United States government announces sale of billions of dollars of arms to Taiwan to keep a balance with China's massive arms buildup aimed at Taiwan. (CBC News)
Police find nine more dead bodies around the Mexican city of Tijuana with 50 people having died over the past week as a result of a week of drug trade related violence. (AP via Google)
Colonel Ivan Petrik, chief of staff of the Russian ground force in South Ossetia, is confirmed dead from wounds he suffered in the Friday blast in Tskhinvali.(Reuters)
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev ordered the Defense Ministry, law enforcement agencies and the Foreign Ministry to investigate a bombing in the South Ossetian capital, Tskhinvali, on 3 October, 2008. A car, carrying weapons, was detained by Russian peacekeepers in Georian village and transported to Tskhinvali, where it exploded. EU and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development earlier condemned this 'act of terrorism'. Georgian authorities claimed 'Russian special services' 'were behind' the blast that left 7 servicemen of Russian peacekeeping forces dead. (Rustavi 2)(RIAN)(NY Times)
Earlier, on October 2, an attempt of assassination of head of the AkhalgoriOssetian administration, Anatoli Margiev failed. He survived the explosion of a bomb planted on a road in Georgian village while driving to Tskhinvali, South Ossetia. (Rustavi 2)
Russian troops are dismantling positions in security zones on the border of South Ossetia and Georgia created after the war, a Georgian Interior Ministry official said. (AP via Google News).
Authorities detain separatist leader and impose curfew in anticipation of a separatist rally to be held on Monday in Kashmir. (BBC News)
The Dow Jones Industrial Average falls by as much as 800.06 points, its biggest intraday drop on record; the Dow closed below the 10,000 mark for the first time since October 26, 2004. (MarketWatch)
Significant losses are marked on stock exchanges worldwide: São Paulo Stock Exchange suspended trading after a 15 percent drop in its benchmark index. (Reuters)
The UK's leading share index, the FTSE 100 closes down 391.1 points (7.85%), the largest single-day points fall since it was launched in 1984. The French CAC 40 also recorded a record drop of 9.04%, whilst Germany's DAX finished down 7.09%. (BBC News)
Human Rights Watch says Somalia is the "most ignored tragedy" and the international community has "completely failed Somali civilians" regarding the destruction of Mogadishu. (BBC News)
Britain's Chancellor of the ExchequerAlistair Darling releases details of a rescue package aimed at restoring confidence in British Banks. As part of the deal the British Government will provide £50bn of investment, provide a further £200bn in short term loans and guarantee up to £250bn of intra-bank loans (BBC News)
Ford Motor's Volvo subsidiary tripled the number of jobs it planned to cut to 6,000 positions, or 25 percent of its work force, citing a "rapidly deteriorating" auto market.(CNN)
The RTS and MICEX stock exchanges halt trading until Friday after opening for just more than half an hour as prices plummeted in tune with the overall situation in the world's stock markets and falling oil prices. (Interfax via Onet.pl)
Head of International Monetary Fund says the US financial crisis threatens to send the world into a recession. IMF releases World Economic Outlook report with gloomy projections for the global financial system. (Deutsche Welle)
Greece introduces a 100,000 Euro guarantee for the 230 billion Euro bank deposits in the country for three years, well above the EU-wide Ecofin-mandated minimum of 50,000 Euro for one year, and gives assurances that the Greek banking system is stable, while the Greek central bank announces a drop in the expected growth of the Greek economy to 3.3% (from 4%) because of decreased consumption caused by high petrol and food prices. (ekathimerini), (ekathimerini), (Forbes), (Wikinews)
Suicide bomber attacks police headquarters in Pakistani capital of Islamabad, wounding eight. Two air strikes northwest of Pakistan kill 20 militants. (Reuters)
Pirate spokesman threatens to blow up MV Faina, which has been held off the coast of Somalia since September 25, if $20 million is not paid by October 13. (BBC News)
27 people were killed by a suicide car bomb in Pakistan near the Afghanistan border during a tribal meeting planning the eviction of the Taliban from the area. (BBC News)
NATO ministers reach a deal after overcoming resistance from France, Italy and Germany by agreeing that only willing countries temporarily "act in concert with the Afghans, against [drug] facilities". (Deutsche Welle)
The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded to former Finnish president Martti Ahtisaari for mediation for the resolution of international conflicts who, as a UN special envoy, guided Namibia to independence in 1990, oversaw the 2005 reconciliation between the government of Indonesia and rebels in Aceh, and mediated a peace deal in Kosovo.(AFP via Yahoo News)
The University of Toledo's Rockets stunned the Michigan Wolverines 13-10 at the Big House, in the first ever match up between the two schools, only fifty miles apart.
China has made rules which were introduced for the Olympic Games allowing foreign reporters to interview without applying for permission permanent. (BBC)
The United States Supreme Court overturns a lower court’s order requiring state officials in Ohio to supply information that would have made it easier to challenge prospective voters. (New York Times)
Russia reports that two soldiers were killed and seven were wounded in an ambush by local Muslim separatists in Ingushetia. Other reports suggested as many as 40 Russian troops were killed. (BBC News)
The New YorkCity Council votes 29–22 in favor of extending the term limit on the office of the Mayor to three consecutive four-year terms from two consecutive four-year terms. This allows current Mayor Michael Bloomberg to run for office again in the next mayoral election in November 2009. (WCBS)
President of Abkhazia, Sergei Bagapsh, accused Georgia of 'massive provocations with the use of armed force' after Georgians opened 'heavy fire' on Abkhazian border guards on Inguri river, part of the Georgian-Abkhazian border. (Kasparov.ru)
A Georgian source claims a shootout occurred between the Russian 'occupational forces' and Abkhazian 'militiamen'. (Rustavi2)
The Washington, D.C.Metro announces it will randomly search "backpacks, gym bags and any other containers that riders carry with them onto the bus and rail system" during periods of increased threat. (The Washington Post)
Pakistani intelligence officials claim that a US missile strike in South Waziristan has killed up to twenty people. The BBC claims that about 80 people were killed during US strikes into Pakistan over the past month.(AP via The Guardian)(BBC News)
North Korea issues a statement declaring that it will turn South Korea into "debris" if the South does not stop all "confrontational activities". (CNN)
Libya pays US$1.5 billion in compensation for past terrorist attacks to the United States, clearing the way for normal diplomatic ties between the two countries. (AFP via ABC)
Seven people are killed in Tibet's worst snowstorm in recorded history. (Xinhua).
