England imposes ban on smoking

Smoking was banned from Sunday in all public buildings in England, including pubs, movie theaters, shopping malls – and even Buckingham Palace.

England was the final part of the United Kingdom to broadly prohibit smoking, with Wales and Northern Ireland instituting such a ban in April and Scotland last year.

The Republic of Ireland made the move three years ago.

“Only by tackling the causes of illnesses will we be able to improve health inequalities and save lives,” said newly appointed Health Secretary Alan Johnson.

Buenos Aires, Argentina

President picks wife as successor

President Nestor Kirchner has tapped his wife to take his place as the ruling coalition candidate in October presidential elections, the official government news agency said late Sunday.

The Telam agency quoted the president’s Cabinet chief as saying Kirchner’s powerful wife, Sen. Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, would be the leftist ruling coalition’s candidate for the Oct. 28 vote and the president will not immediately seek a second term.

Cabinet chief Alberto Fernandez told Telam that Cristina Fernandez would formally announce her candidacy later this month.

Manila, Philippines

Taxi driver returns $17,000

He needed the money for his sick wife and overdue rent, but honesty prevented a motorcycle taxi driver from keeping $17,000 left behind by a passenger.

Iluminado Boc returned the money to police in Tagbilaran city on central Bohol island last week, the Philippine Daily Inquirer reported today. The woman who lost the bag of cash had just reported it to police when Boc showed up at the precinct.

“It was not mine,” Boc was quoted as saying.

The owner rewarded him with $32 – about seven times what a motorcycle taxi driver makes a day.

From wire reports