Japan: The trial of Shoko Asahara, accused of involvement in the 1995 sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway, ends in Japan with final statements from lawyers. The next court session is to be held in mid-February2004. [1]
Russia: The furor surrounding Yukos deepens with an outspoken statement from the RussianPrime Minister expressing deep concern about the freezing of Yukos shares. [1]
Russian judicial authorities have seized control of Yukos, the giant oil company. [1]
Occupation of Iraq: Officials postpone awarding two contracts to repair Iraq's oil refineries and pipelines (primarily because of sabotage and dilapidated conditions). [1] An investigation has been started on the high price that the US is paying to Kellogg, Brown and Root for oil imported from Kuwait. nl:[1]. A US research organization, the Center for Public Integrity, says that firms awarded contracts in Iraq have tended to be big donors (in the past) to the United States Republican Party. [1] The UN announces that it is withdrawing its remaining international staff from Baghdad, perhaps temporarily. [1]
Israel: Israel is to train pigs to do guard work in Israeli settlements. The pigs have a better sense of smell than dogs and can be trained to walk towards perceived threats (e.g. explosives). [1]
Republic of Ireland: The Garda Siochána, the Irish police force, opens a criminal investigation following a hoax telephone call on 27 October from a woman claiming that she had abandoned her newborn baby in a derelict flat in Dublin. Hundreds of Gardaí had mounted a round the clock search of thousands of derelict sites in the working class suburb of Ballymun to find the child, as fears grew for its safety amid plummeting temperatures. Police later concluded that no such child existed and that the series of phone calls made to them and to childcare charities had been a deliberate hoax.
United Kingdom: British Conservative Party leader Iain Duncan Smith loses a vote of confidence in his parliamentary party by 90 votes to 75 and, in accordance with party rules, resigns from the leadership. A new leadership election is called. Shadow Deputy Prime Minister David Davis, previously tipped as a future leader, surprises Westminster by announcing that he will not seek the leadership and endorses former Home SecretaryMichael Howard, who is now seen as the frontrunner to assume the leadership. Other leading politicians endorse Howard, once famously described by a colleague as having "something of the night about him." [1][1]
Occupation of Iraq: The International Red Cross announces that it is to scale back its commitments to Iraq. [1] Two more GIs are killed, bringing the total killed since May 1 to 115. [1]
Mining: After six days trapped underground, eleven of the last thirteen remaining Russian coal miners have been rescued by underground rescuers from the mine where they were trapped underground. One more miner was found dead, and another is still missing. 33 miners had already been rescued on Sunday.
Economics: The United States Federal Reserve leaves its key interest rate unchanged at today's meeting, saying that rates will be kept low for a considerable period. [1]
California: Wildfires are largest in state history; 1,500 homes are destroyed, 16 people killed and 600,000 acres (2,400 km²) burned. Evacuations are ordered from parts of cities in Los Angeles and San Diego counties. [1] The conflagration also spreads across the border into the Mexican state of Baja California, where two deaths are reported.
Occupation of Iraq: More than 40 people are killed and over 200 are injured in a wave of coordinated bomb attacks on the Red Cross compound and several local police stations in Baghdad. [1]. George W. Bush states that the bombings are a sign of desperation by the insurgents. [1]
Mutual funds: U.S. fund group Putnam Investments fires four fund managers as scandals about improper and/or fraudulent dealings reach the mutual fund industry. [1]
Occupation of Iraq: The Al Rashid Hotel in Baghdad where US deputy defense secretary Paul Wolfowitz was staying has been evacuated after several rockets were fired at it in the morning. 1 US Colonel was killed and 15 individuals wounded (3 seriously) in the attack. class="external">[1
. Two more explosions occurred near Al Rashid hotel later towards the evening. Further investigations confirm that Iraq had no active nuclear program, but did not relinquish nuclear ambitions or technical records. [1][1]
Syria: The President of Syria says that Iran and Syria, which are increasingly close allies, are capable of neutralizing conspiracies of foreign powers (implicitly referring to the USA and Israel). [1]
Russia: Mikhail Khodorkovsky, the country's wealthiest businessman, has been arrested and is being held in Moscow facing charges of fraud and tax evasion. [1]
Occupation of Iraq: A US Blackhawk helicopter is brought down near Tikrit by Iraqi militants. The Daily Star Lebanon reports that the US is effectively plundering Iraq following the occupation. [1] The daily average of attacks on US troops rises and reaches about 25-26 per day. [1] 100,000 march against the occupation of Iraq in Washington DC. [1]
United Kingdom: Tony Blair amazes his advisers and ignores public opinion by insisting that the UK will press ahead with GM technology. [1]
Mining : 49 miners are trapped in a Russian mine as water began seeping into the mine, disabling electrical systems [1].
Israeli-Palestinian conflict: The body of the Hamas militant killed in the attack on an Israeli military camp (that killed 3 Israeli soldiers) returns to his family in their refugee camp. Source | Copyright Related categories
