Portal:Current events/2006 February 2

February 2, 2006 (Thursday)

A leaked memo in the UK, detailing a conversation between U.S. President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair in 2003, has revealed that Blair intended to follow the US into Iraq even without a UN resolution, and that Bush considered provoking a response from Iraq using falsely marked Lockheed U-2 spy planes to provide an excuse for war. (Guardian)
Venezuela has expelled U.S. Navy Cmdr. John Correa, a military attaché at the U.S. embassy in Caracas, on suspicion of espionage. (Newsweek) (BBC)
Representative John Boehner of Ohio becomes the U.S. House Majority Leader, beating out acting majority leader Roy Blunt in a house vote. (New York Times)
Royal Dutch Shell breaks the record for the highest ever annual profit for a British company with a total of £13.12bn (BBC)
The oil tanker Seabulk Pride, carrying approx 100,000 barrels (16,000 m³) (approx. 16 million L) of oil, runs aground in the port of Nikiski, Alaska. (BBC)
The mobile phones of high ranking Greek government officials, including Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis have been revealed to have been tapped by unknown eavesdroppers. (Reuters) (Athens News Agency)