Current events of 26 October 2006 (2006-10-26) (Thursday) edit history watch

George W. Bush signs into law The Secure Fence Act of 2006 to build a fence along the U.S.-Mexico border. (Wikinews) In Australia, Sheikh Taj El-Din Hilaly apologizes after a public uproar over his statement comparing women who did not wear the hijab to "uncovered meat". (BBC News) The National Assembly of Nicaragua passes a law banning all abortions in the run-up to general elections.(BBC News) A Russian Progress spacecraft hauling fresh food, oxygen and vital spare parts for the International Space Station (ISS) arrived at its orbital destination after a successful rendezvous marred by a last-minute antenna glitch. (USA Today) Four firefighters are killed and one is critically injured as they tried to control the Esperanza Fire that drove hundreds from their homes near Palm Springs, California, United States. An arsonist started the fire. (CNN) (CBS) Fifteen people die and 400 are admitted to hospital in Pskov, Russia, after consuming alcohol suspected of being tainted with medicinal drugs or chemicals. (Reuters) The Governments of Kiribati and Tuvalu say the citizens of their countries will need to be permanently relocated over the next ten years due to rising sea levels caused by global warming. (TNZH) ExxonMobil Corp., the world's largest petroleum extracting company, says its third-quarter net income rose to USD $10.5 billion from $9.92 billion as crude prices rise to an all-time high. This is the second highest quarterly profit figure for a United States company. (Bloomberg) Afghan government officials claim at least 60 civilians were killed in ISAF Operation Medusa in the Panjwayi district of Kandahar province on Tuesday. (ABC News) A German minister claims that two Israeli fighter jets fired two shots over a German naval peacekeeping ship near the Lebanese coast. Israel denies the jets fired. (Times) The Sims 2 Pets is released in Australia and is announced that AU$1 will be donated from every game for the first 50,000 games sold to the RSPCA