A bomb explosion in Bali, Indonesia which claimed more than 180 lives, including those of 17 Britons, was identified as the work of Islamic extremists.

Two teachers at Bootham School won £6,600 each, and three others won smaller amounts, after placing bets that Howard Wilkinson would be named as the new manager of Sunderland FC. The bets appeared to go against the Quaker ethos of the school, which was attended by the daughter of Sunderland chairman Bob Murray.

Classmates paid tribute to York schoolboy David Harry, 15, who died of a heart attack in his bed.

The ruling Labour group announced it was to renege on its hugely ambitious election pledge to put a computer in the home of every York primary school pupil.

As protests against RAF Fylingdales' possible use in the US missile defence system continued, the base was causing other problems. Fylingdales' radars were activating some car immobilisers.

It emerged that Persimmon Homes, would-be developer of Bootham Crescent, had acquired a ten per cent stake in the company which owns the ground.

Operation Ratcatcher was launched by York police, to encourage the public to tip them off about criminals.

Profitable York pub the Starting Gate would close, the owners said. It was even more profitable to sell it for housing.

Only about one third of the tickets were sold for a stadium dance party in Huntington.

Tony Blair suspended the Northern Ireland power sharing executive after a Sinn Fein official was arrested in connection with IRA spying on Government ministers in Belfast.

Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith told the party conference not to underestimate the "determination of the quiet man".

Education Secretary Estelle Morris resigned from office, citing an admission of failure in her post.

Revelations in Ulrika Jonsson's autobiography caused a media frenzy in an attempt to identify the television presenter at the centre of her rape accusations. A slip-up on live TV saw John Leslie named as the alleged attacker.

The pursuit of a serial sniper, responsible for 13 killings, in Washington DC resulted in the arrests of two men.

Armed Chechen rebels took 600 hostages at a Moscow theatre. The siege ended when Russian troops overpowered the captors using a debilitating nerve gas, killing many hostages in the process.