28 February: Burundi to hold first elections after war's end... Police in Togo have clashed with opposition demonstrators calling for full restoration of the nation's Constitution, even as military-installed leader plans to step down... Car bomb in Hilla, Iraq, kills at least 100... Protesters in Beirut defy ban on demonstrations, call for resignation of government, withdrawal of Syrian troops; some also protest presence of US Dep. Assistant Sec. of State Satterfield, who has called for a "credible investigation" into Hariri's assassination...
25 February: UN refuses treaty to combat mercury pollution worldwide, opting for "voluntary controls" instead...
24 February: 474 products now listed as possibly containing banned carcinogenic food-dye, 143 products listed as recalled for safety risks... Pope John Paul II admitted to hospital, undergoes tracheotomy to assist breathing, Vatican predicts protracted stay...
23 February: Ukraine chief prosecutor investigating possible link in poisoning of Yuschenko, to Russian "political technologist", who denies claim... Allawi says he will mount new coalition to preempt Shi'ite majority that won last month's Iraq election... Aznar achieves high absurd, claiming Spain's affirmative referendum for the EU Constitution was a "failure" (blaming PM Zapatero for low turnout), though his party supported it and claimed it was his past government's success...
22 February: Pres. Bush in Brussels declares NATO "the vital relationship for the United States when it comes to security"... Pres. Chirac, with backing of Chancellor Schroeder, is calling for reform of NATO to account for its role within changing EU...
21 February: Spanish voters approve the new EU Constitution by 3/4 majority, first EU nation to ratify by referendum, though with record low turnout (42%)...
16 February: Kyoto Protocol to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, comes into effect today, seven years after it was first agreed upon; US, responsible for 25% of greenhouse gas emissions, still refuses to sign... Tens of thousands line Beirut streets to join funeral procession for fmr. Lebanese PM Rafik al-Hariri; many blame Syria for killing, as Hariri opposed presence of Syrian troops in Lebanon ... New research shows mathematical reasoning not directly linked to understanding of language...
16 February: 16 February: UN details Darfur crimes; ICC referral is sought for prosecution...
13 February: Hundreds are killed in Pakistan when dam breaks under pressure from extreme rains; military still trying to rescue 31 soldiers buried with their vehicles under an avalanche near the Khyber Pass on the border with Afghanistan...
11 February: Postcard with flawed address delivered to Hitler at German Bundestag, 60 years after his death...
10 February: African nations, members of ECOWAS, decry Togo transfer of power as illegitimate coup, calling for restoration of original constitution, new elections... North Korea has withdrawn from denuclearization talks, saying Rice "outpost of tyranny" comment undermines possibility of settlement...
8 February: Truce said to be brewing at Middle East summit... British sailor home after her solo trip around world in record time...
5 February: In surprising move, US court of appeals rules in favor of Big Tobacco, throws out $280B punitive verdict; Justice Dept. has not said if it will continue suit... Bush admin. states fervent opposition to UK aid plan to eliminate crippling Third World debt...
4 February: Protesting villagers occupy Chevron-Texaco petroleum plant in Nigeria's Delta region; reports suggest incident led to security forces using violence to end protest, so far reports of protester deaths are not confirmed... Uribe ear infection stalls talks to end diplomatic crisis with Venezuela...
3 February: Alberto Gonzales, criticized for past pro-torture stance, passes Senate confirmation, will be next AG under Bush; new Dep. Nat. Security Adviser is Elliot Abrams, convicted in connection with Iran-Contra affair under Reagan...
2 February: Iraqi shi'a leader quoted as saying Allawi gov't is Iraq's "most corrupt ever"...
1 February: After it was revealed Colombia paid mercenaries to kidnap a Marxist leader in Venezuela, Venezuela has cut diplomatic, trade ties with neighbor Colombia...
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