Chancellor Angela Merkel led official celebrations in the northern city of Bremen to mark 20 years of Germany’s reunification.

Pakistani police said six people died in an attack on a NATO fuel-tanker convoy by suspected militants early in the morning of October 4.

Delegates are gathering in Tianjin, China from October 3-9 for the final round of UN climate talks before this year's summit in Mexico, which begins at the end of November.

China pledged on October 3 to support a stable euro and not reduce its holdings of European government bonds in an effort to deflect criticism of its foreign exchange policy ahead of an EU-China summit this week.

Afghanistan has banned eight private security firms, including the company formerly known as Blackwater, a spokesman for President Hamid Karzai told reporters on October 3.  

Gunmen in Pakistan opened fire on oil trucks bound for NATO forces in Afghanistan, setting some 20 vehicles on fire and killing three, police said on October 3.  

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on October 3 to continue peace talks after Palestinian leaders called for a halt to the talks unless the Israelis stop settlement construction.  

The US government is to issue a travel alert, warning its citizens to be vigilant while travelling in Europe because of the threat of an al-Qaeda commando-style attack.  

The death toll from car bombs that exploded near a parade marking Nigeria's 50th anniversary of independence rose to 12 on October 2 and authorities admitted they has been warned of the attack.

China launched its second lunar probe on October 1, as the country celebrated more than six decades under communism.