Afghanistan Voting began in Afghanistan for the first direct presidential election in the country's history, with queues forming at polling stations despite militant threats to violently disrupt the vote. Iraq Islamic militants executed British hostage Kenneth Bigley, it was announced, bringing a tragic end to a three-week ordeal, while US planes bombed a suspected hideout of an Islamic militant blamed for beheading several hostages. US US President George W. Bush accused Senator John Kerry of being dangerously fickle on Iraq, as the Democrat countered in their second debate that Bush had become a "weapon of mass deception" on the war. Australia Australians began voting in national elections with polls tipping conservative Prime Minister John Howard to narrowly win a fourth term after beating off a strong challenge by the centre-left Labor Party. Mideast At least 30 people were killed and 120 wounded when car bombs exploded at resorts packed with Israeli holidaymakers on the Red Sea coast of Egypt's Sinai desert in attacks claimed by a group saying it belongs to Al-Qaeda. US Oil prices rose to record highs in New York, surging above 53 dollars amid fears of interrupted supplies from Nigeria and the Gulf of Mexico in a market struggling to meet global demand. Sweden Kenyan ecologist Wangari Maathai, whose campaign to save Africa's forests began with nine trees in her yard nearly three decades ago, won the Nobel Peace Prize. Russia-US Yukos won a stay of execution when a Russian official said its main production unit may have three months to scrape up cash to cover a crushing tax bill that could otherwise bury the wounded oil giant. France-Indonesia French police were investigating a possible terrorist connection after 10 people were slightly injured in a pre-dawn bomb blast outside the Indonesian embassy in Paris. Japan The most powerful typhoon to hit eastern Japan in a decade was bearing down on Tokyo and neighbouring regions, sparking transport chaos amid warnings of torrential rain, strong winds and landslides.