31 October: The casket of Rosa Parks, civil rights pioneer who prompted the Montgomery bus boycott, lies in state at US Capitol Rotunda, as thousands of mourners lined the Mall to have a chance to pay their respects; Parks is first woman to lie in state at Capitol, honor shared by Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy... Bush picks Samuel Alito to replace Sandra Day O'Connor, a conservative career judge from Pennsylvania, declares him to have "most experience as a federal judge of any Supreme Court nominee in 70 years"; litany of credentials seen as move to prevent criticism of inexperience stemming from Miers nod... Pentagon announces count of estimate 26,000 civilian casualties due to insurgent attacks in Iraq; no official count to date of civilians killed by coalition raids; reports from Qaim, NW Iraq, suggest some 30 dead, including women, children... Spanish telecom Telefónica bids nearly £18 billion for UK provider O2... Veteran of UK involvement in 1991 Gulf War has won disability pension for a variety of ailments categorized as Gulf War Syndrome...

30 October: Hurricane Beta hits Nicaragua, dropping 12 inches of rain... The US military has charged 2 soldiers with assaulting detainees in Afghanistan, in what the Pentagon has described as an isolated incident... Brother of the Shi'a VP of Iraq, was killed by as-yet-unnamed militants... Democracy Now! reports Justice Dept. has approved House Bill to renew USA Patriot Act's provisions allowing "smaller juries" to decide death penalty sentencing, triples number of "terrorism-related" crimes eligible for death penalty, notes critics say provisions radically alter federal death penalty system, were added with virtually no debate... Pentagon has begun force-feeding hunger-striking Guantánamo detainees through feeding tubes...

29 October: Libby lawyers suggest defense will be Libby doesn't recall conversation; speculation continues VP will be brought into affair... UN Security Council unanimously condemns Iran for calling for Israel's destruction; Iran foreign ministry issues statement saying comment was rhetoric, poses no threat to Israel, Iran will not attack... CNN Radio reports risk of hunger rising in US, Texas leads in likelihood a household will be short of food; NPR reports House committee has voted to cut $844 million in food stamps, as 11% of US households were at risk of hunger between 2002, 2004... Israel has launched at least 12 airstrikes against Gaza, after Palestinian militants launch terror attacks...

28 October: VP Cheney chief of staff Lewis Libby resigns after being indicted on five counts of obstruction of justice, perjury and giving false statements to federal investigators... Record-setting Atlantic hurricane season extends to 2nd Greek-named storm, Beta, forming off coast of Nicaragua, heading for central America with 10 to 15 inches of rain in store... US State Department plans to implement radio-tagged passports, which will contain sensitive personal and possibly biometric information... Cuba has accepted US offer to send disaster relief experts to assist in Wilma recovery, 1st such offer accepted in decades; some hope development is sign of possible softening of relations... Japan agrees to US stationing nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in one of its ports, reversing decades of anti-nuclear policy stemming from bombing of Hiroshima, Nagasaki... With 6 million left without power, officials unable to deliver food, water, Gov. Bush admits state, federal agencies were under prepared...

27 October: US judge order Pentagon must notify lawyers before force-feeding Guantánamo detainees on hunger strike, says abuse allegations "deeply troubling"... Harriet Miers withdraws name from consideration to fill O'Connor's Supreme Court post; Bush reasons for accepting could set precedent (noted senators wanted documents internal advisory documents he deemed beyond Senate purview—implication is nominations going forth successfully may need to answer such Senate demands)... Spokesman for independent counsel says no announcement today regarding leak indictments... China's "People's Congress" passes legislation exempting anyone earning less than $200/mo. from income tax... Oxfam warns aid money pledged to Kashmir-quake relief is severely inadequate, may not save the life of even one survivor unless increased, redirected... UN report says two-thirds of companies involved in Iraq Oil-for-Food programme paid bribes, "surcharges", kick-backs to Saddam regime... EU officially condemns Iran president's statements calling for Israel to be "wiped off the map"; Iran reponds saying there is "nothing new" about Admadinejad's remarks... Israel has requested UN expel Iran...

26 October: International Institute of Strategic Studies says China is spending double published amount on military, estimating $62.5 billion (against Beijing's acknowledged $25 billion)... Hussein defense team —comprising some 2,000 Iraqi lawyers— cuts contacts with tribunal due to deteriorating security situation, after kidnap, murder of defense laywer... US confirms 2,000 soldiers now known killed in Iraq conflict... UK condemns Iran president Ahmadinejad comments calling for Israel's destruction... Port Authority of New York & New Jersey found "68% liable" in 1993 bombing of World Trade Center...

25 October: Iraq approves new constitution, by wide margin, with Ninevah's "No" not strong enough... Argentine pres. Néstor Kirchner wins 40% support, gaining power in both houses, standing as leading political force in nation's parliament... Bush names Ben Bernanke, seen as Wall Street's preferred candidate, to replace Alan Greenspan as Chairman of the Federal Reserve... Unsealed Libby notes indicate Cheney was source of information on V. Plame, indicate Libby gave misleading testimony to grand jury, involve VP in leak affair... White House insists CIA be exempted from ban on physical, psychological abuse of detainees... Bloggers who "gather news" would be treated as journalists, protected under proposed federal journalist shield law, the Free Flow of Information Act... UK Foreign Sec. Jack Straw to eliminate BBC World Service operations in 10 countries, including EU states, Croatia, Bulgaria, Thailand & Kazakhstan, to fund Arabic TV news channel...

24 October: Protesters rally in Bishkek calling for resignation of Kyrgyz PM; protests drove Pres. Akayev from office in March... Representatives of Frankfurt book fair, Catalán gov't agree, sign terms for participation of Catalán culture as special invitee for 2007... White House orders Onion newspaper to stop using official presidential seal in spoofs...

23 October: UK officials call for global ban on bird imports into EU, to halt spread of avian flu... NATO to send 1,000 troops to Pakistan to aid in relief effort for Kashmir quake victims... Hurricane Wilma breaches Havana flood defenses, inundates Havana streets; extent of flooding considered highly unusual; with hundreds of thousands evacuated from western coastline, 244 had to be rescued from flooding... Hussein lead attorney to argue tribunal illegitimate, alleges judges have restricted access to client, evidence, have inhibited mounting of defense arguments...

22 October: Avian flu found in quarantined parrot in UK; gov't says nation still "disease free" because bird was quarantined import... Kyrgyz gov't orders all guards, staff out of prisons, after MP Tynchbek Akmatbayev, two aides were shot, killed in Moldavanovka prison; prisoners have been protesting harsh conditions, security forces now surround prisons to prevent escape, conditions inside uncertain...

21 October: Pakistan's pres. Pervez Musharraf has said aid to his country for relief for the Kashmir quake is totally inadequate: $620 million pledged, he says at least $5 billion is needed to rebuild devastated areas; some 3 million people remain without shelter; UN says quake & aftermath form worst logistical nightmare the org. has ever faced, now asking NATO to do massive airlift of hudnreds of thousands, even millions left exposed to oncoming winter; UN refugee undersecretary Jan Egeland has reportedly said number of severely wounded (67,000) outnumbering known dead (48,000) means "an exponential growth of infections, gangrene, tetanus and other diseases"... DeLay smiles for mug shot, lawyers wrangle PR coup, shifting arrest to other jail, getting positive photo to press; prosecutor wanted him treated as any common criminal... FEMA worker testifies boss ignored warnings, did not respond to request for help to avert growning number of deaths, instead wanted to schedule TV appearance, sure to mention needing 1 hr for dinner; Marty Bahamonde specified "There was a systematic failure at all levels of government to understand the magnitude of the situation"...

20 October: Spanish judge issues international arrest warrant for 3 US military personnel involved in killing of two journalists in Baghdad with tank shell attack... China issues "white paper" on democracy, claiming awkwardly "Democratic government is the Chinese Communist party governing on behalf of the people ... while upholding and perfecting the people's democratic dictatorship"... UN warns many more will die from effects of quake in South Asia if aid is not increased... Sec. of State Rice testifies US may remain in Iraq for next 10 years... Arrest warrant issued for fmr. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX) on charges of conspiracy, money laundering... UK outlines plan to stockpile avian flu shots for its entire population...

19 October: Microsoft warns UK gov't biometric ID cards could permanently compromise people's identity, produce credit, banking, ID fraud on an unprecedented scale... Scientists studying climate change at Purdue University in Indiana predict severe, worsening alterations for US climate in next 100 years... India praises Pakistan plan to open Line of Control dividing Kashmir to facilitate assitance to, reunion of affected families... Saddam defiant at start of trial for killing 143 Shi'a men in 1982... Japan struck by magnitude 6.2 earthquake... New marine worm species discovered, feeds on bones of whales...

18 October: Israel has broken off relations with the Palestinian Authority in response to militants' killing 3 Israeli settlers... After agreeing to pay a $300 million fine to US authorities for price fixing, Samsung may now be investigated by Korean authorities for similar offenses; this has reportedly led to Apple dropping a possible deal to make flash memory chips... Avian flu confirmed in Greece, EU asks all gov'ts to stockpile antiviral drugs, prepare to slow or halt spread of disease... Chinese astronauts return safely to earth in nation's 2nd successful manned expedition... UK national ID card scheme criticized as "descending into farce" as tests show bald men, "people with brown eyes", dark skin or manually-intensive work could be misidentified due to biometric generalization... Daily News reports Cheney seen as directing Libby who was "totally obsessed with Wilson"; VP has hired private attorney...

17 October: Pakistan reporting 50,000 known killed in Kashmir earthquake... UK chief medical officer tells BBC 50,000 people in UK will be killed when bird flu mutates into human-transmissible form... VP Dick Cheney said to be new target in special counsel investigation of leaking of CIA agent identity... Judith Miller takes "leave of absence" from New York Times, while managing editor expresses regret about "the entire" affair... US offers Syria "Qadhafi deal" to avoid looming sanctions for Hariri murder: Syria would have to cooperate with UN investigators, turn over accused officials to foreign jurisdiction, abandon recruitment for Iraq insurgency and cease all support for Lebanese and Palestinian militant groups... Catalán president proposes changing regional Govern; tripartite gov't which he heads, own PSC party, strongly oppose move, will not disband alliance or shift ministers... Spanish mobile phone provider Amena, together with la Universidad de Extremadura, have begun equipping 'pata negra' pigs in the region with cell phones and GPS tracking equipment, in order to control what they eat...

15 October: Somali pirates have let go UN aid ship hijacked earlier this year; owner says no ransom paid, will suspend operations due to security risks... Uzbek woman testifies gov't forces opened fire on demonstrators on Andizhan demonstrators in May; gov't had expected she would tell its story about troops responding to a violent Islamist rebellion... Deadly strain of avian flu found in Turkey causing worry across Europe; UK tells citizens not to be alarmed, asks those with weak immune systems to seek preventive treatment...

14 October: Russian forces storm Nalchik police station, killing 85, apparently including 24 hostages, freeing 7... Aid not reaching devastated Kashmir in Indian or Pakistan-controlled regions; Indian military 400,000 strong in Kashmir providing security, not moving supplies or wounded; lack of infrastructure also creating bottlenecks... Karl Rove to face 4th appearance before a Federal Grand Jury to answer questions about his alleged role in leaking the name of an undercover CIA agent in 2003... US forming National Clandestine Service to oversee all human intelligence in CIA, FBI, Pentagon; NCS to be headed by still undercover op known only as "José"... Evo Morales, Bolivian indigenous leader, vows to "re-found" the nation... Spain sees relentless attack campaign by ousted Popular Party to disrupt process to restore to Catalunya local taxation rights —enjoyed by rest of Spain's autonomous communities— stripped by 1714 war...