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February 2005 - Your Art History Reference Guide!
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February 2005
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- Country Reports on Human Rights Practices released by the U.S. State Department (U.S. State Department).
- Steve Fossett prepares to set off on his attempt to be the first person to circumnavigate the globe, without refuelling, in a jet-powered plane – the Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer. (BBC)
- At the Old Bailey, Briton Saajid Badat pleads guilty to planning a suicide attack on a US bound aircraft. Badat subsequently withdrew from the conspiracy, leaving fellow "shoe bomber" Richard Reid to act alone. (AFP) (BBC)
- Following week-long public protests (in the wake of Rafik Hariri's assassination) and a no confidence vote, the entire government of Lebanon resigns. MSNBC (CNN)
- Israeli-Palestinian conflict:
- A suicide car bomb explodes in the Iraqi town of Hilla, 60 kilometres south of Baghdad. 125 people are killed and many injured.(The Guardian)(BBC)
- UK aid agency Oxfam states that atrocities still continue in Darfur (Reuters AlertNet (BBC)
- People of Burundi vote on a new constitution (News24) (BBC)
- In Spain, police arrest Raffaele Amato , head of a mafia gang that has waged turf wars against other gangs in Naples, Italy. (CNN) (BBC)
- Cannes police, investigating the November 2004 disappearance of Earl of Shaftesbury Anthony Ashley-Cooper, arrest his estranged wife Djamilia M'Barek . Her brother, Mohammed , is arrested in Munich. (New Criminologist) (BBC)
- In Haiti, police shoots at demonstrators who march in support of the former president Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Two deaths and several injuries are reported. Aristide left the country February 29 2004 (Reuters) (CBC) (LATimes) (BBC)
- In Ukraine, Together we are many! (Razom nas bagato!), a song that was written in support of the Orange Revolution that led Viktor Yushchenko to presidency, is selected as the country's entry in the Eurovision Song Contest. Band Greenjolly will present it. (Forum, Ukraine) (Doteurovision) (BBC)
- Ukraine's government also trims the retirement benefits of the ex-president Leonid Kuchma (Forum) (BBC)
- Police in Ukraine states that they have identified people who kidnapped and killed journalist Georgiy Gongadze in September 2000 (Forum) (BBC)
- In Botswana, high court allows Australian professor Kenneth Good to remain in the country when he appeals against deportation. President Festus Mogae declared him an illegal immigrant when he criticized the government in a lecture (Reuters) (SABC) (BBC)
- In the Ivory Coast there are new clashes between rebels and government forces. United Nations peacekeepers try to intervene. Rebels state the that peace effort is now finished (Reuters SA) (Reuters) (SABC) (BBC)
- Bosnian muslim general Rasim Delic gives himself up for the International War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague, as he had promised earlier (FENA) (Reuters)
- Two leaders of separatist group the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), spokesman Ruby Bhuyan and demolitions specialist Khagen Kachari , surrender to Indian police (Rediff) (NDTV)
- In Israel the Israel Defense Forces reports that those who tell recruiters that they play role playing games are automatically given low security clearance and are sent directly to a professional for an evaluation, usually a psychologist. (Ynetnews)
- For the first time in his 26-year papacy, Pope John Paul II, who is ill, will not bless the faithful at the weekly Angelus prayer service and will instead follow the service from his hospital room. (Reuters), (Calcutta Telegraph), (The Guardian)
- Israeli-Palestinian conflict:
- Wichita, Kansas police announce the arrest of the BTK killer. (CNN) (Wichita Eagle) (The BBC)
- In a conference organized by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, officials urge changes to be made in how poultry are raised in Southeast Asia to prevent a bird flu pandemic. (Seattle Times) (Washington Post)
- Nepali soldiers kill at least a dozen Maoist rebels in Kailali district. (Channel News Asia) (Reuters)
- Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin announces that the US must get permission first before launching missiles over Canadian airspace, after recently announcing Canada's non-involvement in the controversial US National Missile Defence plan. (Edmonton Sun)(Globe and Mail)
- Militia members ambush and kill 9 UN Bangladeshi peacekeepers in the Democratic Republic of Congo. (WebIndia123) (Xinhua) (LA Times)
- Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak calls for parliament to amend the constitution to allow for direct, secret elections for the next president. (Bloomberg) (Khaleej Times) (Japan Today)
- President Faure Gnassingbé of Togo announces that he will be stepping down from his position, after sanctions imposed by ECOWAS. (Xinhua) (Reuters)
- French Finance Minister Hervé Gaymard resigns after an report surfaces about his expensive state-paid apartment. (Boston Globe) (Guardian) (ABC)
- A suicide bomber explodes himself at the entrance of the "Stage" club in Tel Aviv, killing at least 4 Israelis and wounding 38 more. Responsibility is reportedly claimed by Islamic Jihad. (Haaretz) (CNN)
- At Amsterdam's Schiphol airport an armoured car is hijacked on the cargo ramp. Unconfirmed reports say that it contained diamonds and other gems worth at least 75 million euros (US$99 million). The vehicle was later recovered in the nearby town of Hoofddorp. (BBC), (Scotsman).
- Three British soldiers convicted earlier this week of abusing Iraqi prisoners are jailed for periods between five months and two years, and dismissed from the army. (BBC).
- Human Rights Watch states that tough methods of Thai leader Thaksin Shinawatra in the south of the country may serve to invite more trouble (Reuters Alertnet) (Bangkok Post) (BBC)
- Vice President of Indonesia, Jusuf Kalla, states that he was pleased with the progress of talks with Free Aceh Movement in Finland. Government still opposes independence (Jakarta Post) (BBC)
- In Ecuador, José Gallardo , a former defence minister, is arrested accused of misusing public funds to secretly purchase outdated weapons (Reuters AlertNet) (BBC)
- King Gyanendra of Nepal asks for foreign help to crush Maoist insurgents. He says that he dismissed the elected government to fight terrorism and will return to democracy in three years. Many foreign countries have stopped all aid after his takeover (Channel News Asia) (Bloomberg) (New Kerala)
- In Switzerland, the court of appeals rules that Yeslam Binladin, a half-brother of Osama bin Laden, can market products under the brand name Bin Ladin (SwissInfo)
- In Somalia, thousands greet Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed and Mohammed Ali Ghedi , leaders of the exiled Somalian government, when they begin a week-long tour in the country. They lead a delegation that studies a possibility to finally relocate the government from Kenya to Somalia (Reuters AlertNet) (BBC)
- The Anglican Churches of North America – the Episcopal Church in the United States and the Anglican Church of Canada – are asked to voluntarily withdraw their members from the Anglican Consultative Council until after the next Lambeth Conference in 2008. This is viewed as an ultimatum to the churches to bring their policies into line with the worldwide Anglican Communion, following the ordination of the first gay bishop in New Hampshire and the blessing of same-sex unions by the Canadian church, and presages a schism if they do not comply. (BBC)
- In Taiwan, Chen Shui-bian and People First Party Chairman James Soong meet for the first time in four years. They issue a joint 10-point declaration emphasizing their agreement on preserving the "status quo" in cross strait relations. (Reuters) (United Evening News)
- The PRC objects to former US President Bill Clinton's plan to visit Taiwan and meet with the ROC President Chen Shui-bian. (VOA)
- Pope John Paul II returns to hospital in Rome for more specialist treatments and tests. (ANSA). Doctors decided to carry out a tracheotomy, which was performed successfully.[1]
- Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin tells the US ambassador to Canada that he will say "no" to the US' proposed missile defense plan. (Xinhua) (CNN) (CTV) (Reuters)
- Slovakia Summit between U.S. President George W. Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin begins in Bratislava. (Slovak Spectator)
- In Colombia, there is a ceremony to mark the three-year anniversary of the capture of Ingrid Betancourt, former Colombian presidential candidate who is still a FARC hostage. She was captured February 2002. Her relatives are pressing government to make a prisoner swap for her and other hostages. (Newsday) (BBC)
- Colombian supreme court authorizes the extradition of drug dealer Miguel Rodriguez Orejuela to the USA (Reuters Alertnet) (VOA) (BBC)
- In Sudan, an ammunition depot explodes near the town of Juba - at least 18 are dead and the toll continues to rise (BBC) (ABC)
- In Mexico, the supreme court rules that former President Luis Echeverría cannot be tried for genocide because of 30-year statute of limitations. Echeverría was accused of genocide because he ordered an attack on protesting students in 1971, resulting in 40 deaths. (Reuters) (BBC)
- Foreign Minister of Burma/Myanmar Nyan Win visits Bangladesh to discuss with Shamsher M Chowdhury about a direct road link between the countries and repatriation of Burmese refugees 05-29.htm (Mizzima) (Financial Express, Bangladesh) (BBC)
- Ebert Anibal Rivera , alleged head of a Mara Salvatrucha gang that killed 28 bus passengers in Honduras last December 23, is arrested in Texas. Honduras intends to request extradition if Texas authorities do not file charges. (Reuters) (Houston Chronicle) (BBC)
- Italian court orders Diego Maradona to pay 30 million euros of back taxes (equal to US$39.6 million) (Sporting Life) (BBC)
- New EU laws declare lottery scams illegal (BBC)
- The parliament of Turkey grants amnesty to 677,000 people who have been expelled from university in recent years (BBC)
- In Kyrgyzstan, thousands of people protest in support of opposition politicians who were barred from elections (BBC)
- French Finance Minister Hervé Gaymard faces increasing pressure to resign. He has been criticized due to the luxury apartment where he lives at the state's expense, although he has promised to move elsewhere. (Reuters) (Financial Times)
- American author and journalist Hunter S. Thompson is found dead in his Aspen, Colorado home, the result of an apparent suicide. (BBC) (Bloomberg) (CNN)
- The United States and Japan release a joint statement which says that easing tensions in the Taiwan Strait is among their "common strategic objectives". The statement is welcomed by the government of Taiwan, but is condemned by China. (Xinhua) (Reuters) (NY Times)
- U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Ruud Lubbers resigns over allegations of sexual harassment, while continuing to deny them. (VOA)
- In Europe's first national referendum on the proposed European Constitution, the people of Spain vote to endorse the Treaty by a landslide 76.73% to 17.24%. However, turnout is an extremely low 42.32%, even after both the government and the main opposition party campaigned for a "yes" vote. (BBC) (Reuters) (Bloomberg) (EUobserver) (EurActiv) (BBC)
- Irish Minister for Justice Michael McDowell directly accuses Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams as well as Martin McGuinness (both elected MPs) and Martin Ferris TD of being on the Provisional IRA Army Council, the first such direct accusation from the Irish Government. Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern meanwhile has said he does not know the make-up of the Council. (Ireland Online)(RTÉ)
- According to official results, the opposition Socialist party secures an absolute majority at the Portuguese Parliament election, 2005. (CNN International) (ABC)
- The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus votes in its early general election. The election was called by President Rauf Denktash after the coalition led by Mehmet Ali Talat finally lost its parliamentary majority. (BBC), (DW)
- USA and EU join the protests against Faure Gnassingbé of Togo. ECOWAS imposes sanctions and suspends Togo's membership in the organization and USA does not accept his rule as legitimate and ends all military assistance (Reuters AlertNet) (News24) (GhanaWeb) (BBC)
- 350 inmates escape from a prison in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. (CNN)
- A massive demonstration in Rome asks for the release of an Italian journalist abducted in Iraq. (AP via Yahoo!)
- Former US Presidents George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton toured parts of Thailand that were ravaged by the Asian Tsunami. [Newslink missing]
- An earthquake, registering 6.9 on the Richter scale, strikes South East Sulawesi, Indonesia at 00:04 UTC. (Reuters)
- Former US President Jimmy Carter is on hand to christen the USS Jimmy Carter, the last of the Seawolf class submarines ordered during the Cold War. The submarine cost 3.2 billion USD. It has a 100 foot (30.5 m) extension for special operations and can reportedly tap undersea cables. (AP via Yahoo!)
- In a 13 hour operation, doctors in Egypt successfully remove the second head of a baby suffering from the rare disease craniopagus parasiticus. This is the second such operation to take place in a year. The previous operation, in the Dominican Republic, was not successful and resulted in death. (Reuters)
- The UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, is sending a team of experts to Lebanon to investigate the killing of the former prime minister, Rafik Hariri. (BBC)
- Northern Bank robbery investigation:
- Police in Northern Ireland confirm that £50,000 in unused Northern Banknotes found at Newforge Country Club, a facility for off-duty and retired police officers, was part of the £26 million stolen in the bank robbery. Police still consider it a diversion. (BBC)
- Gardaí in Cork receive £175,000 from a local businessman, who said he had been asked to keep it. (Independent)
- It is discovered that the tsunami resulting from the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake uncovered an ancient city near the coastal town of Mahabalipuram in India. (AP via Yahoo!)
- A number of blasts hit Shi'a mosques in Baghdad, Iraq, leaving at least 27 dead and 60 wounded on day before the Shi'a holy festival of Ashura. (BBC News) (CNN)
- An Iraqi rebel group calling itself the Army of Warriors claims responsibility for the kidnapping of two Indonesian journalists. The journalists had been last seen near Ramadi in central Iraq three days ago. (BBC) (Al Jazeera)
- Northern Bank robbery investigation:
- The UK Food Standards Agency orders the withdrawal of over 350 food products from sale following the discovery that a batch of chilli powder used to produce a batch of Worcestershire sauce subsequently used to produce processed foods was contaminated with the possibly carcinogenic dye Sudan I. The problem was first identified with food products tested in Italy. (BBC) (FSA: List of Withdrawn Products).
- Telephone connections in Nepal are severed again, on Nepal's National Democratic Day. Authorities continue to arrest opposition figures who had planned demonstrations against the new government of King Gyanendra. (Times of India) (Reuters) (Scotsman) (BBC)
- In the United Kingdom, the Hunting Act, the ban on hunting with dogs, comes into force. Its opponents intend to challenge the law and hunt. (Politics.co.uk) (BBC) (Reuters)
- U.S. invasion of Afghanistan: The American Civil Liberties Union releases documents obtained from the United States Army alleging the destruction of photographs documenting the army's abuse of prisoners in Afghanistan, following the exposure of the Abu Ghraib scandal. (AP).
- Sir Mark Thatcher returns to court in Cape Town, South Africa, to answer charges about his involvement in a coup attempt in Equatorial Guinea. (BBC) (IAfrica)
- The 42nd known Mersenne prime is discovered by Martin Nowak of Germany, a participant of the GIMPS distributed computing project. The prime number is the largest known Mersenne prime at the time of its discovery, and is nearly eight million digits long. (GIMPS)
- A car bomb explodes in southern Thailand near the Marina Hotel in Sungai Kolok , a popular tourist town close to the Malaysian border. Five people are killed and more than 40 injured. The car bomb is believed to be the first to explode in the Muslim dominated region. (Yahoo!) (Boston Globe) (BBC)
- Irish police arrest four people in Cork and three in Dublin in raids concentrating on the financing of the Provisional IRA. Over 2.3 million pounds sterling were seized in Cork, and £60,000 in Northern Bank notes believed to be from the £26.5 million robbery in Belfast just before Christmas. Reportedly, among the people arrested are former Sinn Féin councillor Tom Hanlon and someone working in the banking industry. (RTE) (BBC) (Scotsman).
- Cyclone Olaf passes Samoa and American Samoa largely without incident. No deaths or injuries on land are reported, but two fishermen are unaccounted for and are feared dead. (USA Today)
- Japan's Chubu Centrair International Airport opens on Ise Bay , south of Nagoya. Built on an artificial island, the airport is Japan's third largest international passenger airport, and is intended to replace nearby Nagoya Airport. (Daily Yomiuri) (Kyodo News)
- The European Union introduces new laws that increase the rights of air passengers so that they receive higher compensation for overbooking, delays and cancellation of flights. (BBC) (Forbes) (Bloomberg)
- The BNFL nuclear plant at Sellafield, in the United Kingdom, reports that 30 kg (66 lb) of plutonium is "unaccounted for". This amount of missing plutonium would be sufficient to make seven atomic bombs. The UK Atomic Energy Authority states that the discrepancy in the record keeping is merely an auditing issue, and that there was no "real loss" of plutonium. (ITV) (BBC) (The Times)
- The government of Burma/Myanmar reopens constitutional talks but there is widespread criticism that the approximately 1,000 delegates, selected by the military, form an unrepresentative group. They do not include main opposition group National League for Democracy and its leader Aung San Suu Kyi. (Bloomberg) (DVB) (Reuters) (BBC) (Mizzima News)
- In Ecuador, there are mass rallies for and against the government of Lucio Gutiérrez. His opponents accuse him of using heavy handed tactics to remove his political opponents. (Reuters) (BBC)
- US President George W. Bush names John Negroponte as his nominee to be the first United States Director of National Intelligence. (Reuters)
- Exiled Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen, currently living in Sweden, is seeking Indian citizenship. Conservative Muslims of Bangladesh have deemed her works blasphemous and have called for her execution. Nasreen states her wish to live in West Bengal. (WebIndia) (BBC) (Hindustan Times)
- The United States House of Representatives passes a Class Action Fairness Act that intends to curb class action suits, moving them from state courts to federal courts. (US Newswire) (USA Today) (Bloomberg)
- The Brazilian government intends to create a protected rainforest region in the aftermath of the murder of US missionary Dorothy Stang. (Reuters) (CNN) (ABC) (BBC)
- The government of Sudan rejects the United Nations' demand that the suspects of war crimes in the violence ridden western Sudanese region of Darfur would be put before the International Criminal Court in The Hague. (AllAfrica) (Reuters Alertnet) (BBC)
- Mohamed ElBaradei, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), states there is no evidence to suggest Iran is developing nuclear weapons. (Washington Post)
- National Hockey League Commissioner Gary Bettman announces the cancellation of the 2004-05 season because of the ongoing lockout. It is the first time a North American professional sports league has cancelled an entire season due to a labor dispute. (TSN)
- A large explosion is reported in southwestern Iran, in the province of Bushehr, close to the site of a newly built nuclear power plant. Iranian officials later announce that the explosion was caused by construction work on a dam at Kowsar, near the port city of Deylam . (BBC) (Reuters) (VOA News) (Guardian) (Reuters)
- The Kyoto Protocol, an international agreement addressing global warming, comes into effect. (BBC) (Reuters)
- North Koreans celebrate the 63rd birthday of their Dear Leader, Kim Jong-il. (SCN AP)
- In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration announces that it will create a board for advisement regarding drug complications and the ongoing study of the safety of already approved drugs. (NY Times) (LA Times)
- According to African envoys negotiating with the new government of Togo, the negotiations are making progress and the country agrees to organize new elections within 60 days. A crackdown on private media continues in the country. (Reuters SA) (Reuters SA) (BBC)
- In Uganda, some of the child soldiers that had escaped the Lord's Resistance Army are recruited into the national army. (World Peace Herald) (BBC)
- In Cambodia, former Khmer Rouge commander Chhouk Rin loses his final appeal against a murder conviction. In 1994, he ordered his soldiers to attack a train, and as a result, three backpackers from Australia, Britain, and France were killed. (Reuters) (BBC)
- In the United Kingdom, the pro-fox hunting lobby Countryside Alliance loses an appeal. The Court of Appeals does not accept their claim that the 1949 Parliament Act, used to introduce the Hunting Act 2004, is invalid. (BBC) (Scotsman)
- In Sri Lanka, Abhilasha Jeyarajah, otherwise known as Baby 81, is reunited with Murugupillai and Junitha Jeyarajah, his confirmed parents. (Reuters) (Channel News Asia)
- In Nigeria, an Islamic court sentences cross-dressing Abubakar Hamza to six months in prison and a fine equivalent to $38 for "immoral behaviour". He had lived for seven years as a woman to sell aphrodisiacs. (BBC)
- Iran and Syria announce the formation of a "united front" in order to face "challenges and threats", resolved after a meeting between Iranian First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref and Syrian Prime Minister Mohammed Naji al-Otari. (Pakistan Daily Times) (San Francisco Chronicle) (BBC) (Tehran Times)
- The body of Cecilia Cubas, daughter of former Paraguayan President Raúl Cubas Grau, is found in an underground chamber at a house near the capital city of Asunción. She was abducted on September 21 2004. (MercoPress) (ABC) (BBC)
- Six Rwandans file a lawsuit in France that accuses French soldiers of complicity in the Rwandan Genocide of 1994. (Reuters) (BBC)
- In Tunisia, authorities continue to clean up an oil spill near the town of Korbous that was caused by a Moroccan container ship running aground late the day before. (Reuters Alertnet) (BBC) (Daily Star)
- A state of emergency is announced in Samoa and American Samoa as South Pacific cyclones Olaf and Nancy make landfall on Savai'i. (CNN)
- The Nigerian government will not rule out military actions against the coup regime in Togo if it does not comply with demands from West African leaders to step down. (AFROL)
- Yusuf Islam, formerly known as Cat Stevens, receives substantial damages from two British newspapers, The Sun and The Sunday Times, which alleged that the United States was correct to ban him from the country. The Sun has published, and The Sunday Times will publish, acknowledgments that he is not, and never has been, involved in or supported terrorism, and that he abhors all such activities. They also highlight that Islam was recently presented with the Man for Peace award by a group of Nobel Peace Prize laureates. (BBC)
- The United States recalls its ambassador to Syria, Margaret Scobey , in protest of alleged Syrian involvement in the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. (Houston Chronicle) (AP)
- At least 209 people die in a mining disaster in Fuxin City, in China's north-eastern Liaoning province. During the first nine months of 2004, an average of 15 people died every day in China's mines. (BBC)
- The European Court of Human Rights, deciding about the so-called McLibel case, rules in favour of environmental campaigners Helen Steel and David Morris and their claim that their trial was unfair. The pair said their human rights were violated when their criticism of McDonald's was ruled libel. The case has taken 15 years. (BBC) (Scotsman)(CNN)
- In South Africa, President Thabo Mbeki announces that the country's elite crime-fighting unit Scorpions will be investigated. There have been claims of political vendettas and mismanagement of funds. (AllAfrica) (IOL,SA) (BBC)
- United States, India and European Union countries recall their ambassadors from Nepal in protest of the takeover by King Gyanendra. (Bloomberg) (World Peace Herald)(BBC) (Reuters)
- Germany's foreign minister Joschka Fischer accepts political responsibility for immigration policies that allowed criminals to enter the European Union. (Deutsche Welle) (Reuters) (BBC) (Expatica)
- Microsoft announces its intentions to release Internet Explorer version 7.0. This is seen by some as a response to the growing popularity of the Mozilla Firefox browser. (News.com) (Reuters UK)
- A fire in a mosque in the Iranian capital of Tehran leaves 59 people dead. The cause of the fire is currently unknown, but it is believed that a kerosene heater was left near a thick flammable curtain. (IranMania) (BBC)
- Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles create a modified form of HIV which targets P-glycoproteins on cancer cells. (BBC)
- Israeli-Palestinian conflict:
- A car bomb explodes in central Beirut, Lebanon killing former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri and at least 9 others. Approximately 100 further people are injured in the attack. A little known group calling itself "Victory and Jihad in Greater Syria" claim responsibility. (CNN) (Reuters) (BBC)
- In Sri Lanka, DNA tests identify "Baby 81" as a son of Murugupillai and Jenita Jeyarajah, one of the nine couples that tried to claim him. They have to wait for two more days for legal formalities. (Reuters) (Channel News Asia) (BBC)
- In the Democratic Republic of Congo, six Moroccan UN peacekeepers are arrested for alleged sexual abuse of young girls. (Reuters SA) (News24) (BBC)
- The African Union (AU) sends a team to Somalia to assess the security situation in the capital, Mogadishu. President of the exiled Somalian government, Abdullahi Yusuf, has requested an AU peacekeeping force to allow his cabinet to move back. The trip was delayed on Friday. There is some opposition to deployment of AU peacekeepers and thousands of Somalis have demonstrated in the capital, Mogadishu, against the plans. (BBC) (ReliefWeb) (East African Standard) (Reuters SA) (BBC)
- In Brazil, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva meets Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez in Caracas. They open talks about an alliance, joint energy projects and the sale of Brazilian fighter aircraft. (Bloomberg) (Forbes) (BBC)
- In French Polynesia, people vote for a new local assembly for the two main islands. The poll is contested between the pro-independence party of Oscar Temaru and the party of pro-Paris conservative leader Gaston Flosse. The results of the last year's general election were cancelled and a new poll ordered to settle the dispute. (ABC) (BBC)
- Floods and mudslides claim at least 64 lives in Colombia and Venezuela. (Reuters) (CNN)
- South Korean foreign minister Ban Ki-moon states his country's desire to intensify diplomatic efforts with North Korea. (Bloomberg) (BBC)
- A shooting incident occurs at Hudson Valley Mall in upstate New York, north of New York City. Two people are injured. Local police believe that this is the work of a lone gunman and have a suspect in custody. (Reuters)
- Results from the Iraqi election show that a Shi'a group approved by Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani has won by a landslide with 48% of all votes cast. The nearest rival party, a Kurdish alliance of two parties, won 26% of the vote. The results will stand if not challenged within three days. (BBC)
- An early morning explosion extensively damages a Paris theater, and slightly injures seven people. (AP via CNN)
- In Moscow, Russia, thousands protest against the new benefits plan, which replaces such benefits as free transportation and subsidized drugs with small cash payments. (The Washington Post)
- Two strong aftershocks strike tsunami-devastated Aceh, Indonesia, leading to some panic. (ABC News Online Australia)
- Windsor Tower in central Madrid, Spain, one of the most prominent buildings in the city, is destroyed in a dramatic fire starting around 23:30 of February 12, Madrid time. Part of the building has been empty for renovations since 2003, but it still held offices for Deloitte & Touche. The Mayor of Madrid says that it is a critical situation and the building may collapse. The cause of the fire is not yet known, but a short-circuit on the 21st floor is suspected. (El Mundo) (BBC)
- Sister Lucia de Jesus dos Santos dies. She was the last survivor of three children to whom the Virgin Mary is said to have appeared at Fatima in central Portugal in 1917. (Scotsman) (Daily Telegraph) (CNN)
- Germans mark the 60th anniversary of the Dresden fire bombing. (AFP-Yahoo!) (CBC)
- Eason Jordan resigns from his posts at CNN, where he has been both chief news executive and executive vice president. The controversy that led to his resignation began at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland last month where, witnesses claim, he said that the U.S. military had targeted and killed journalists. (Miami Herald)
- At least eight people are killed during a jail riot in Córdoba, Argentina. All hostages taken by the prisoners were later freed by police. (Yahoo! News)
- Conflict in Iraq: At least 20 people are killed in Baghdad as United States Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld tours the country for a day. (BBC)
- Israeli-Palestinian conflict: Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas travels to the Gaza Strip to persuade militant groups to join the ceasefire announced with Israel three days ago. (BBC)
- An estimated two million Iranians demonstrate against a possible US pre-emptive strike aimed at preventing Iran from deploying nuclear weapons - a strike which top US military leaders deny considering. (Jakarta Post)
- The 485-foot-long Shakidor Dam in Baluchistan, southwest Pakistan, bursts under the pressure of a weeks' worth of rain, sending the Pakistani military into emergency search and rescue operations. Some 400 to 500 people are still unaccounted for. (CBC)
- Japan pledges over $21M in support of a United Nations-backed independent tribunal of Khmer Rouge leaders in Cambodia. The proposed tribunal is for crimes against humanity. (ChannelNews Asia) (BBC)
- The Supreme Court of India agrees to examine the legality of the sensitive issue raised in a petition demanding reservation for Dalits even after conversion to Christianity. (Indian Express)
- In Karnataka, India, armed Naxalites gun down six State Reserve Police personnel and a civilian and injure five others at Venkammanahali in the Tumkur district bordering Andhra Pradesh. (Times of India) (Indian Express)
- The Supreme Court of India i
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