An assassination attempt was made on President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan in Kandahar. A gunman wearing the uniform of the new Afghan Army opened fire, wounding the Governor of Kandahar and an American Special Operations officer. The gunman and one of the President's bodyguards were killed.
U.S. plan to invade Iraq: In a speech before the U.N. General Assembly, George W. Bush asserts that Iraq has defied various U.N. resolutions and is "a threat to the authority of the United Nations and a threat to peace". He says that the US will work with the Security Council to draft the necessary resolutions for military action.
Tim Montgomery of the United States broke the world record in the 100 meter dash at the IAAF Grand Prix Final, running 9.78 seconds to beat the former record of 9.79 set by Maurice Greene of the United States in 1999.
After three days of negotiations in Sattahip, Thailand, the Tamil Tigers agreed to drop their demand for independence from Sri Lanka, and accepted autonomy in the north and northwest of the country.
Archaeologists use a remote-controlled robot to access a hitherto sealed chamber within the Great Pyramid of Giza: the robot drilled a hole in a long-sealed door and poked a fiber-optic camera through. Unfortunately, all that was revealed was another closed door.
An attempted coup by disaffected former soldiers of Côte d'Ivoire was put down, with the death of the alleged coup leader, General Robert Guéï, a former military dictator of the country. Guéï was killed when his car refused to stop at a roadblock in downtown Abidjan. Rebels continue in control of the cities of Bouaké and Korhogo.
U.S. plan to invade Iraq: The Bush administration pressures US Congress to pass a resolution giving Bush authority to use "all means he determines to be appropriate, including force" to oust Saddam Hussein and disarm Iraq.
A large tornado carves a path through Indiana, this tornado was given a rating of EF3, which is 3/5 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale.
A fire destroys a home on Clivus Drive in Nevada County, California, killing two dogs and several cats, and leaving a resident with second-degree burns, prompting officials to close Highway 49. (The Union)
Stock market downturn of 2002: Global indices sink heavily today, with the Nasdaq falling 3% to a 6-year low of 1,184.94. The yield of the U.S. Treasury's 10-year bond sank to a 40-year low of 3.70%, with the 2-year bond yield falling to a record low of 1.89%. Meanwhile, concern of the U.S. plan to invade Iraq pushed oil prices to over $30 a barrel, not seen since February 2001.
Côte d'Ivoire: Côte d'Ivoire rebel soldiers, still attempting to overthrow the government, have invested a compound containing over 100 American citizens and other foreigners. 200 United States Marines have entered the country.
India: The federal government has moved thousands of troops into the state of Gujarat after 32 people were killed in an attack on a Hindu temple. According to the government, the move is aimed at preventing further communal violence in the aftermath of the attack.
NOAA and NASA researchers announce the ozone hole over Antarctica has grown markedly smaller since last year and has broken into two, due to warmer temperatures.
