October October – Operation Enduring Freedom – Horn of Africa: The United States deploys troops to the Horn of Africa to combat Islamist groups and pirates. October 2 – Former Republika Srpska president Biljana Plavšić pleads guilty to crimes against humanity for her involvement in the Bosnian genocide. October 4 – The genome sequences for malaria carriers anopheles gambiae and plasmodium falciparum are published. October 10 – The International Court of Justice rules in favor of Cameroon in Cameroon v. Nigeria. October 11 – The United States Congress approves military action in Iraq should it fail to comply with United Nations requirements for weapons of mass destruction. October 12 – Jemaah Islamiyah militants detonate multiple bombs in two nightclubs in Kuta, Bali, killing 202 people and injuring over 300 people, making it the worst terrorist act in Indonesia's history. October 15 – The Somali Reconciliation Conference begins, initiating peace talks between two factions of the Somali Civil War: the Transitional National Government and the government of Puntland. October 16 The Indian military stands down from the border with Pakistan, ending the standoff between the two nations. The Bibliotheca Alexandrina opens in Alexandria, Egypt, in a ceremony attended by several heads of state. October 17 – The European Space Agency launches the INTEGRAL observatory. October 21 – The discovery of the James Ossuary is announced. October 23–26 – Chechen rebels take control of the Nord-Ost theatre in Moscow and hold the audience hostage. At least 170 people are killed following a Russian attempt to subdue the militants. October 24 The culprits of the D.C. sniper attacks are arrested after they kill ten people in the United States over the previous three weeks. 2002 Bahraini general election: Bahrain holds its first Parliamentary elections since 1973. October 27 – 2002 Brazilian general election: Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is elected President of Brazil. October 31 – Belarus restricts religious activity outside of the Belarusian Orthodox Church with a new law.
October October – Operation Enduring Freedom – Horn of Africa: The United States deploys troops to the Horn of Africa to combat Islamist groups and pirates. October 2 – Former Republika Srpska president Biljana Plavšić pleads guilty to crimes against humanity for her involvement in the Bosnian genocide. October 4 – The genome sequences for malaria carriers anopheles gambiae and plasmodium falciparum are published. October 10 – The International Court of Justice rules in favor of Cameroon in Cameroon v. Nigeria. October 11 – The United States Congress approves military action in Iraq should it fail to comply with United Nations requirements for weapons of mass destruction October 12 – Jemaah Islamiyah militants detonate multiple bombs in two nightclubs in Kuta, Bali, killing 202 people and injuring over 300 people, making it the worst terrorist act in Indonesia's history. October 15 – The Somali Reconciliation Conference begins, initiating peace talks between two factions of the Somali Civil War: the Transitional National Government and the government of Puntland. October 16 The Indian military stands down from the border with Pakistan, ending the standoff between the two nations. The Bibliotheca Alexandrina opens in Alexandria, Egypt, in a ceremony attended by several heads of state. October 17 – The European Space Agency launches the INTEGRAL observatory. October 21 – The discovery of the James Ossuary is announced. October 23–26 – Chechen rebels take control of the Nord-Ost theatre in Moscow and hold the audience hostage. At least 170 people are killed following a Russian attempt to subdue the militants. October 24 The culprits of the D.C. sniper attacks are arrested after they kill ten people in the United States over the previous three weeks. 2002 Bahraini general election: Bahrain holds its first Parliamentary elections since 1973. October 27 – 2002 Brazilian general election: Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is elected President of Brazil. October 31 – Belarus restricts religious activity outside of the Belarusian Orthodox Church with a new law.