Test tubes The first babies to have been created through in-vitro fertilization utilizing a full gene screen are born this year. This gene screen looks for chromosomal defects which often lead to unsuccessful IVF treatments.
Drought A prolonged drought in the Amazon region forces Brazil to declare a state of emergency in 25 towns.
Olive Lembe di Sita Olive Lembe di Sita, the First Lady of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, leads a march of thousands of women against sexual violence in the town of Bukavu in the east of the country where hundreds of women have been raped.
United Kingdom The U.K. government urges councils to stop giving charity tax breaks to Scientology, an organization described as a cult by a high court judge.
Rome Tens of thousands of people rally in Rome against a weakening of labour rights being carried out by the country's government; rumours spread by politicians of clashes caused by "anarchist infiltration" prove unfounded.
Iran Iranian police have arrested seven Afghan border guards who had illegally crossed the border, border police chief Hossein Zolfaqari announced.
Prime Minister of Iraq Former Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi accuses Iran of working to destabilize the Middle East, claiming that the region is falling victim to terrorist groups backed financially by Iran.
Rwanda A Rwandan opposition party, the United Democratic Forces, says that their, leader Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza, arrested last week, is being held in "intolerable and immoral" conditions without food or water.
Jewellery At least twelve people die when gunmen try to rob jewellery shops in Baghdad, Iraq and get into a gunfight with security, police and military.
Somalia Somali pirates hijack a South Korean owned Kenyan registered fishing boat with 43 crew aboard.
El Salvador It was reported that Ingmar Guandique, an illegal immigrant from El Salvador, was to go on trial Monday for Chandra Levy's 2001 killing.
Angela Merkel Angela Merkel claims that multicultural society has "failed" in a Potsdam speech before younger activist members of the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party.
Racial profiling An international report finds its most noticeable example of racial profiling is that black people are 26 times more likely than white people to be searched by police in England and Wales; U.S. civil rights activist Jesse Jackson describes it as "astonishing".
Benjamin Netanyahu A planned summit between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak scheduled for October 21 in Paris is postponed amidst Palestinian ojections to a decision by Israel to construct 240 housing units in east Jerusalem
Brice Hortefeux French Interior Minister Brice Hortefeux states that Saudi Arabia has warned that Al-Qaeda is targeting Europe particularly France.
Israeli Prime Minister Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that Israel had recently renewed contacts with a German mediator to negotiate the release of a captured Israeli soldier, Staff Sgt. Gilad Shalit, who is being held incommunicado by Hamas.
Coal mine Five more bodies are found after a gas leak in a coal mine in China's Henan province, bringing the death toll to 26.
Philippines The Philippines prepares for Typhoon Megi, potentially the strongest typhoon to hit the country this year.
Hilton Hotels Workers in Hilton Hotels in the US cities of Chicago, San Francisco, and Honolulu continue a strike over what they claim are efforts to "lock workers into cheap recession contracts."
General Motors GM workers protest a drop in wages, from $58,000-year to $30,000-year, at a new car plant in Michigan that was funded by a $50 billion government bailout and is receiving $770 million in tax incentives.
Canonization Five other saints from other countries are also canonised: André Bessette of Canada, Stanisław Sołtys of Poland, Giulia Salzano and Camilla Battista da Varano of Italy, and Cándida María de Jesús of Spain.
Benedict XVI Pope Benedict XVI canonises Mary MacKillop, the first Australian saint, in front of 50,000 people in Saint Peter's Square in the Vatican City.
Germany Rare German stamps featuring film star Audrey Hepburn smoking fetch €430,000 at a charity auction in Berlin.
Vietnam International Film Festival 70 films from 23 countries and territories will be shown during the first Vietnam International Film Festival opening in Hanoi.
Yemen Yemen begins a ground and air campaign against al-Qaeda forces, killing at least 6; Western embassies in Yemen go on high security alert.
Karachi At least 33 people are killed and 50 others are injured during violence in Karachi as a by-election approaches.