February 14, 2005
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- A fire in a mosque in the Iranian capital of Tehran leaves 59 people dead. The cause of the fire is currently unknown, but it is believed that a kerosene heater was left near a thick flammable curtain. (IranMania) (BBC)
- Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles create a modified form of HIV which targets P-glycoproteins on cancer cells. (BBC)
- Israeli-Palestinian conflict:
- A car bomb explodes in central Beirut, Lebanon killing former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri and at least 9 others. Approximately 100 further people are injured in the attack. A little known group calling itself "Victory and Jihad in Greater Syria" claim responsibility. (CNN) (Reuters) (BBC)
- In Sri Lanka, DNA tests identify "Baby 81" as a son of Murugupillai and Jenita Jeyarajah, one of the nine couples that tried to claim him. They have to wait for two more days for legal formalities. (Reuters) (Channel News Asia) (BBC)
- In the Democratic Republic of Congo, six Moroccan UN peacekeepers are arrested for alleged sexual abuse of young girls. (Reuters SA) (News24) (BBC)
- The African Union (AU) sends a team to Somalia to assess the security situation in the capital, Mogadishu. President of the exiled Somalian government, Abdullahi Yusuf, has requested an AU peacekeeping force to allow his cabinet to move back. The trip was delayed on Friday. There is some opposition to deployment of AU peacekeepers and thousands of Somalis have demonstrated in the capital, Mogadishu, against the plans. (BBC) (ReliefWeb) (East African Standard) (Reuters SA) (BBC)
- In Brazil, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva meets Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez in Caracas. They open talks about an alliance, joint energy projects and the sale of Brazilian fighter aircraft. (Bloomberg) (Forbes) (BBC)
- In French Polynesia, people vote for a new local assembly for the two main islands. The poll is contested between the pro-independence party of Oscar Temaru and the party of pro-Paris conservative leader Gaston Flosse. The results of the last year's general election were cancelled and a new poll ordered to settle the dispute. (ABC) (BBC)
- Floods and mudslides claim at least 64 lives in Colombia and Venezuela. (Reuters) (CNN)
- South Korean foreign minister Ban Ki-moon states his country's desire to intensify diplomatic efforts with North Korea. (Bloomberg) (BBC)