Tuesday, February 19 in the news.....
- Ailing leader Fidel Castro resigned as Cuba's president from nearly a half-century early Tuesday, at the age of 81. When asked of his plans, Fidel said he would continue exerting his power and influence within Cuba, but on a much lesser scale, and primarily over the nurses who are going to feed, bath and take him to the toilet.
- A raging snow storm that blanketed most of Greece over the weekend also continued into the early morning hours on Monday, plunging the country into sub-zero temperatures. Both men and women have been letting the hair on their shoulders and backs grow longer to keep warmer.
- Pakistan's opposition parties have won parliamentary elections, threatening President Pervez Musharraf's rule eight years after he seized power in a military coup, unofficial returns showed Tuesday. While the opposition parties celebrated, opposition militaries plotted their future overthrow.
- Senator Barack Obama said Monday that he doesn't think it's a big deal that he borrowed lines from his friend Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, although he probably should have given him credit. Bill Clinton said the plagiarism scandal was overblown, as blacks statistically steal more than other Americans.
- President Bush, touring Africa, said despite Russia's opposition, history will show the independence of Kosovo is "the correct move" and will bring peace to that region. When asked what history that was, President Bush deferred the question, saying he's up to the part where the hot-tempered Southerner lost the war to the yankee rabbit after stepping across the line.
- The man who claims Princess Diana and his son were killed in a wide-ranging conspiracy led by Britain's royal family said Monday that dark forces within the country's establishment would not accept a marriage between a princess and a Muslim. When queried on what these dark forces might be and what was motivating them, he said the dark forces included a range of issues but primarily were British history, British cultural traditions and British values.
- Former U.S. President George H.W. Bush urged disgruntled conservatives on Monday to rally around John McCain, calling their criticism of the Republican presidential front-runner 'grossly unfair'. The ex-president would not be drawn on whether he looks younger than John McCain though.
