February 2006 - 14 February 2006 (Tuesday)

14 February 2006 (Tuesday)

• The British House of Commons votes by 384 to 184, on a conscience vote, to implement a full smoking ban in all enclosed public places in England from summer 2007. (BBC)
• The U.S. Senate votes on a budgetary point of order on the Fairness in Asbestos Injury Recovery legislation. The bill's supporters fail to get the 60 votes they need to proceed with a vote on the bill's merits, so the legislation has effectively been returned to committee. (Business Week)
• Harry Whittington, the 78-year-old lawyer who was shot by Vice President Dick Cheney in a hunting incident, has some birdshot lodged in his heart and he has had a "minor heart attack due to an irregulairty in his heartbeat.". (ABC)
• Kenyan Police instruct 20 leading figures not to leave the country as investigations into two corruption scandals, the Goldenberg and Anglo Leasing scandals continue. Among the people told to hand in their passports is George Saitoti whose resignation as education minister was announced by President Mwai Kibaki yesterday. Meanwhile, 80 Members of Parliament have demanded the resignation of Deputy President Moody Awori, who is accused of involvement in the Anglo Leasing affair. (BBC)
• A moderate earthquake shakes east India, recording a 5.7-magnitude. (Reuters)
• Former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein tells the court during the latest session of his trial that he and his seven co-accused are on hunger strike to protest at their treatment. (CTV)
• A top Iranian official confirms that Iran has resumed small-scale enrichment of uranium at one of its main nuclear facilities last week. (CBC)
• Iran's veterinary organization said the first cases of the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu had been detected in wild swans in the Islamic Republic. (Reuters)
• The New York Times reveals the existence of a "destabilization plan" for Hamas, winner of the Palestinian legislative elections. The intention is, according to Israeli officials and Western diplomats, to make sure that Hamas officials fail in fulfilling their campaign promises so that the president, Mahmoud Abbas, is forced to call a new election. The plan would cut all Quartet funds from the Palestinian National Authority (PA), while Israel would refuse to release taxes and custom duties it collects on behalf of the PA and also block movements between the West Bank and the Gaza strip. A third of the Palestinian population would suffer from the Quartet's decision to cut funds to the PA. (NYT)
• Australians Andrew Chan, 21, and Myuran Sukumaran, 24, are sentenced to death by firing squad by an Indonesian court for their role in the Bali Nine heroin smuggling attempt. Fellow accused Martin Stephens, 29, and Michael Czugaj, 20, both receive life prison sentences. (ABC)
• In Israel, the Tel Aviv Magistrates Court sentences Omri Sharon to a nine-month prison term, a nine-month suspended sentence, and a NIS 300,000 (USD 65,000) fine after he is convicted of violating political fundraising law and providing false testimony. (Ynetnews)