Portal:Current events/2006 July 31

July 31, 2006 (Monday)

New coins become legal tender in New Zealand, leaving the 5 cent piece redundant and reducing the weight of the 10, 20 and 50 cent pieces.(TVNZ)(Blogger News Network)
Fidel Castro temporarily transfers the duties of the Cuban presidency to brother Raúl during a surgical operation. (NY Sun)
North Korea and South Korea exchange fire across the Demilitarized Zone. (USA Today)
The UN Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 1697 (2006), which extends the UNIFIL mandate until 31 August 2006. The previous extension ended 31 July 2006. ( UN Resolution 1697)
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad told the Syrian military on Monday to raise its readiness, pledging not to abandon support for Lebanese resistance against Israel. (Reuters)
Tony Blair and Arnold Schwarzenegger have announced their intention to collaborate to decrease carbon emissions and fight global warming. Their plan includes incentives for companies which limit their carbon emissions, among other carbon-limiting measures. Schwarzenegger has shown interest in a ban on excessive carbon emissions, which is directly in opposition to statements made by President George W. Bush. (AP)
Incumbent Fradique de Menezes wins São Tomé and Príncipe's presidential election. (Reuters)
2006 Israel-Lebanon crisis:
- The UN Security Council has expressed its "shock and distress" at the previous day's Israeli attack in which 54 Lebanese civilians, many of them children, were killed. (BBC NEWS)
- World leaders must apply "maximum pressure" to bring about a UN resolution for a sustainable ceasefire in the Middle East, Tony Blair (Prime Minister of the United Kingdom) has said. (BBC NEWS)
- Israeli Defence Minister Amir Peretz has said that, despite a 48-hour halt to air strikes on south Lebanon, Israel cannot agree to an immediate ceasefire. (BBC NEWS)
- The Israeli Air Force has conducted airstrikes near Tayibe, Lebanon, despite claims that air strikes would be halted for forty-eight hours. (CNN) (CTV NEWS) Archived 2007-03-14 at the Wayback Machine
- Condoleezza Rice, in Jerusalem, says that she is calling for a cease fire and put in place a multi-national peacekeeping force. (Israel National News)^{[permanent dead link‍]}
John Howard announces that he intends to stay on as Prime Minister of Australia until the 2007 election which he plans to contest as Leader of the Liberal Party of Australia. (CNN)
NATO takes over command of operations in southern Afghanistan in Kandahar from a US-led coalition. (Channel News Asia)