Top Bush admin. officials approved "enhanched interrogation" techniques; Higgs predicts 'God particle' soon to be revealed...

10 April :: ABC News reported yesterday that "In dozens of top-secret talks and meetings in the White House, the most senior Bush administration officials discussed and approved specific details of how high-value al Qaeda suspects would be interrogated by the Central Intelligence Agency, sources tell ABC News"; Rice chaired the meetings, as National Security Adviser; according to the ABC News report: "At the time, the Principals Committee included Vice President Cheney, former National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Secretary of State Colin Powell, as well as CIA Director George Tenet and Attorney General John Ashcroft"... Physicist Peter Higgs predicts new CERN collider will discover 'Higgs boson', known as 'the God particle', early next year; Higgs theorized a primordial Higgs field, made up of a higher force that gives the universe mass, makes life possible, 4 decades ago... Palestinian officials say Bush plans to meet PA pres. Mahmoud Abbas in Sharm el-Sheikh for peace talks next month; other Arab leaders may also be in attendance... Microsoft, NewsCorp may team up in bid to takeover Yahoo!, which is reportedly in talks with TimeWarner to merge with AOL, seeking to reposition itself strongly against more profitable online rivals; projected mergers would reshape market for online goods, services... Despite protests from China's gov't, the Olympic torch was diverted with little announcement, to avoid clashes between human rights protesters and China supporters; Reuters reports "On a beautiful spring day, San Francisco deployed hundreds of security officers, including FBI agents backed up by police cars, harbor boats, jet skis and helicopters"; Hong Kong authorities also plan to divert the torch from its planned route, to avoid "embarrassing scenes"...

Australia plans increase in food aid, due to soaring prices; Bhutan becomes democracy; new Tibet protests reported in Qinghai province, China...

24 March :: Australia's gov't is contemplating increases in food aid to poor regions, nations, after study of soarng food prices, mounting scarcity; SMH reports "A steep two-year rise in global food prices, which in Australia has triggered the Federal Government's inquiry into grocery prices, has taken a heavy toll on poorer populations, particularly in East Timor and Indonesia. Surging fuel prices, drought, changing diets and the use of arable land for biofuels have pushed average food prices up almost 40 per cent in the past year. Wheat prices have risen 80 per cent rise"... Crisis Policy Forum (a Sentido.tv sister publication) is now hosting an open discussion forum on food security in Africa, in hopes of achieving innovative new solutions to the complex multi-regional problem... Small Himalayan nation Bhutan votes today for National Assembly, will complete transition from monarchy to democracy; VOA reports "The two main parties vying for seats are both led by men close to the king, and analysts say they are ideologically similar. Both party leaders have already served terms as prime minister, and one of them, Sangay Ngedup, is a member of the royal family", the young king leading campaign for democracy, will become head of state under new constitution... Tibetan exile community has reported new protests in Qinghai province in western China against Tibet crackdown; reports of demonstrations against Beijing's Tibet policy in Sichuan province include rumors of troops firing into crowds of civilians, in one case allegations of 23 dead... In rough press day for Republican presidential candidate, USA Today alleges more than one-third of lobbyists who have contributed to McCain's campaign have worked as telecom lobbyists during the last decade; his campaign denies he does favors for lobbyists or special interests, and Sen. McCain has sponsored legislation to limit the influence of lobbyists in crafting legislation; NY Times reports it may have been McCain aides who approached Democrats about switching parties in 2001 and about running with Kerry in 2004, McCain camp continues to deny he approached Dems... US economic data visits worrying extremes: avg. price for 1 gallon regular unleaded gasoline hits all-time record of $3.26, with some surveys saying nationwide avg. is $3.28 and rising; CNN also reports increasing numbers of middle-aged adults (40 to 55) making arrangements to move back in with parents in wake of layoffs, foreclosures or financial straits...

EPA tightens controls on ground-level ozone; Brazil steps up fight against illegal logging in Amazon...

13 March :: The Environmental Protection Agency plans to tighten standards for ground-level ozone pollution, reducing the maximum allowable from 84 parts-per-billion to 75 ppb over an 8-hour period; critics say "implementation could be decades away", depending on regulatory procedure and court review; last year, an official review suggested maximum allowable ozone levels of 60 to 70 ppb... Illegal logging on rise in Amazon, Lula gov't of Brazil launching efforts to combat illegal logging cartels, contributing ever more to the systematic deforestation of the world's largest rainforest, with agents living deep in the forest in order to track and prevent timber poaching... A study of teenage American girls found that 1 in four carried at least 1 of four common sexually transmitted diseases; of those infected with human papillomavirus, chlamydia, genital herpes or trichomoniasis, 15% had more than one of the microbes in their system; critics attribute the "alarming" figures in part to a federal government emphasis on abstinence as the ideal mode of prevention, and a reduced funding emphasis on education about health and safe-sex... Onetime Democratic vice-presidential candidate (1984), Geraldine Ferraro, has resigned from Sen. Clinton's campaign finance committee and refused to apologize for remarks reducing Sen. Obama's "movement campaign" to race (an issue the candidate himself has never used for political gain); Sen. Clinton had admonished Ferraro for her remarks but had not removed her from the campaign's funding apparatus; Ferraro's insistence that her remarks were not racist have been undermined by press revelations about similar remarks she made about other black candidates (ref.: Jesse Jackson in 1988)...

Mentally disabled women used as suicide attackers in Baghdad; Google facing lawsuit for censorship in China...

2 February :: Wash. Post reports "Two mentally disabled women strapped with remote-control explosives — and possibly used as unwitting suicide bombers — brought carnage to the two pet bazaars, in attacks Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said sought to 'turn Baghdad back to the pre-surge period'"; at least 99 people were killed in the two blasts... FT reports "A Chinese scholar who challenged the Communist government by setting up a democratic opposition party has vowed to sue the US internet company Google for excising his name from its local search results"; Google and other internet giants have been criticized by rights activists, Congress, public for aiding Chinese Communist party gov't in censoring internet available to its people; Google, whose company motto is "don't be evil", had promised it would alert users any time information is censored with a message about "local laws", but reportedly did not do so in at least this case... Effort to create wi-fi cooperative at Cambridge Univ., England, could mean new standard for providing inexpensive or even free wireless internet across cities; obstacles persist, but cities, academics, internet users continue to search for viable method for expanding access without reducing security...

Israel, Palestinians open peace talks; Kucinich calls for manual recount in New Hampshire; China says military buildup is no threat to US...

14 January :: Israel, Palestinians have opened most extensive peace negotiations in more than 7 years, after US pres. Bush toured region in effort to accelerate talks; Reuters reports: "Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said she would keep details of her talks with former Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurie confidential, but later told parliament she was 'prepared to make significant territorial concessions' to further Israel's interests"... Presidential candidate Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) has called for a manual recount of all ballots cast in New Hampshire primaries for his party's nomination, due to what his campaign's press release said were "unexplained disparities between hand-counted ballots and machine-counted ballots"; Kucinich himself wrote "This is not about my candidacy or any other individual candidacy. It is about the integrity of the election process"; mechanized voting technologies have been brought into question in several elections over the last decade, as security flaws, alleged misuse have become apparent... China says its rapid military buildup is not intended as a threat to the United States, with the People's Liberation Army chief of staff even saying "We don't have the ability to make you afraid of us"; statements are perceived as attempt to cool tensions that flared when Beijing attempted to block a ceremonial visit by US ships to Taiwan in 2007... "More than 10 years after her death, Princess Diana's former butler has said he believes there was no royal plot to murder her, and also disputes the rumors that she was engaged to marry Dodi al-Fayed; Reuters reports: "Dodi's father, Harrods luxury storeowner Mohamed al-Fayed, alleges that he and Diana were killed by British security services on the orders of Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth's husband and Diana's former father-in-law", further alleging "that Diana's body was embalmed to cover up evidence she was expecting a baby"; an ongoing inquest into the circumstances leading up to and surrounding her death recently revealed that Prince Philip had allegedly sent "extremely derogatory" and "cruel" letters to Diana, but that they did not contain threats, and her former security chief said he believed her private calls were being monitored by security services...

Indian, Chinese leaders meet in Beijing to discuss economic cooperation; Clinton camp says criticism of remarks about MLK have been "distorted"...

13 January :: IHT reports from Beijing "Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of India will arrive in Beijing on Sunday for a three-day visit to China, with each country eager to increase bilateral trade, promote mutual friendship and offer reassurances that Asia is big enough to accommodate the ambitions of both rising powers"; the two nations with more than 1 billion inhabitants each, are foreseen as major economic competitors for unprecedented shares of world resources, as they develop their economies... Presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) has complained that Sen. Barack Obama's (D-IL) campaign has "distorted" her statements regarding the value of Martin Luther King's civil rights movement; while both Sen. Clinton and her husband have long lauded the civil rights movement of the 1960s, she attempted to play down her rival's appeal to hope and American ideals by saying that "It took a president" (Lyndon Johnson) to realize the dream of Dr. King, by forcing legislation through Congress; the Obama campaign has said it has not released any misleading statements about Sen. Clinton's words... An asteroid observers feared could strike Mars is now estimated to miss the Red Planet by a considerably safe distance, reducing likelihood of impact to 1 in 10,000; Discovery reports "Scientists said the best estimate was for the asteroid to pass at a distance of more than 16,000 miles from the surface of Mars, or at worst, no closer than 2,480 miles"...

Kibaki offers opposition potential power-sharing role in gov't to ease tensions; Scotland Yard team arrives in Pakistan...

5 January :: WSJ reporting "After a week of political stalemate and bloodshed, Kenyan president Mwai Kibaki said Saturday that he was prepared to form a government of national unity with the opposition, easing tensions between the two side and potentially setting the stage for negotiations to end violence that has so far killed at least 300 people and displaced as many as 250,000"... A team of investigators from Britain's Scotland Yard police headquarters arrived yesterday in Pakistan to assist in the probe into the assassination of fmr PM Benazir Bhutto; Pakistan's pres. Pervez Musharraf said the team would assist in forensics but warned against "a wild goose chase" and said their role would not be permitted to interfere with Pakistan's internal politics... According to BBC report, China will see migration of 320 million people —more than the entire current population of the US— from rural areas to its urban centers in coming decades; the mass migration is said to be having environmental impact on "every atom in the Chinese soil", the general diet, the food supply, and potentially agricultural and commodities markets across the world... Le Monde reports indications gathering that US headed for recession in 2008, citing Pres. Bush's caution, pledges to work with Democrats in Congress to shore up economic weak spots, also noting that while only 18,000 jobs were created across the nation in December, unemployment is up to its highest in at least 2 years... French philosopher, writer and feminist Simone de Beauvoir was born 100 years ago, spurring a new round of publications and re-editions of her work, to celebrate her achievement and the significance of her ideas in 20th century society and culture...

Congress report says Iraq, Afghan wars have cost $1.5 trillion to date; Bhutto barricaded in home, calls for Musharraf ouster...

13 November :: New report by Congressional Joint Economic Committee says wars in Iraq, Afghanistan have already cost taxpayers $1.5 trillion over last 6 years, including long-term cost rises related to oil, veterans' healthcare, borrowing... Bhutto again under house arrest, calls for Musharraf to resign office, form interim "coalition of interests" to govern in run-up to elections; some 4,000 police have barricaded Bhutto's home in Lahore, using concrete, barbed wire and wet-sand barriers; reports say Musharraf forces have jailed over 7,000 opposition activists, British Commonwealth yesterday gave regime 10 days to lift martial law... Two Spanish cartoonists for El Jueves magazine face judgment for "damaging the prestige of the crown"; originally, prosecutors sought 3 years jailtime for cartoon mocking crown prince... Citing evidence Afghan authorities have been torturing detainees, Amnesty Int'l has called for suspension of all prisoner transfers from NATO-controlled ISAF operation to Afghan authorities; Afghan gov't acknowledges police continue to engage in persistent abuse, Pres. Karzai has called on police to cease use of torture as recently as last week... Food prices in China have risen by over 17% in October alone, while pork, the staple Chinese meat, rose by 55% in just one month, with 11-year high inflation across economy, creating concern of political unrest as poor Chinese run out of money to pay for basic food items; many poor Chinese already pay more than 1/3 of their income for food alone, wealth gap growing to historic records, undermining Communist party's claim to economic legitimacy... EU parliament votes to impose emissions caps on airlines, includes int'l flights; IHT reports "The measures, approved by the European Parliament, are fiercely opposed by the United States and the airline industry, which could cost companies billions of dollars and lead to sharp price rises for passengers. On the opposing side, some environmental groups criticized the proposed measure, which still must be approved by individual EU states, as far too timid"...

Bhutto calls on Musharraf to restore constitution, or face mass march from Lahore to Islamabad; Turkey to reform "national insult" law...

7 November :: Benazir Bhutto has called on Pakistan pres. Musharraf to restore constitution, fix date for elections, step down as army chief, or she will lead mass demonstration in Lahore, march with thousands of supporters to Islamabad to repeat demands; police used force to put down pro-Bhutto rally outside parliament building in Islamabad... In address to Parliament, Britain's foreign secretary David Milliband has called on Pakistan's pres. Pervez Musharraf to "release all political prisoners, including members of the judiciary and human rights activists", and to declare a specific date for January elections, step down from the role of military chief and establish negotiations with opposition leaders... Turkey reported to be considering changes to Article 301, which bans "insults" to Turkish identity, used to imprison intellectuals, journalists, and activists; the change is aimed at opening Turkey's laws governing freedom of speech, under pressure from Turkish activists, international human rights observers, and foreign gov'ts... China's Three Gorges Dam has provoked collapse of reservoir lake banks, causing dozens of deaths from massive landslides; now 4 million to be forcibly uprooted, many for 2nd time, as dam-critics' predictions appear to be realized, sustainability of dam in question... Scientists in the US have discoverd a 5th planet orbiting the star Cancri 55, 41 light years from Earth, making that star system the only other one known which approaches our solar system (with 8 planets), in density of orbiting planetary bodies; the new planet is 45 times larger than Earth, researchers say Cancri 55 system is not twin to our solar system, as 4 planets closest to sun are size of Neptune... BBC World Service radio reports torture now commonplace in Iraq, both among factional militia and in facilities run by gov't; 'power drill' is particularly disturbing method used by militia groups across south; gov't facilities alleged to include electro-shock, stress-positions, beating of soles of feet; human rights groups say independent monitoring, 24-hour court hearing, end of arbitrary detention, are simple means that can greatly reduce the likelihood of torture...

US southeast in tri-state water-scarcity conflict; coal becoming increasingly popular as petroleum costs escalate...

28 October :: US southeast caught up in political conflict over scarce water resources; PhysOrg reports "Hoping to guarantee no one will go thirsty, Georgia authorities want to drastically reduce the outflow from a reservoir that supplies drinking water to three million people. But neighboring Alabama claims that would have devastating economic effects on its population, while Florida says a reduced flow would threaten fragile ecosystems"... Sky-high oil and natural gas prices driving coal boom, making dirtiest fossil fuel a fashion for future development, major threat to climate stability, with new track being laid in Wyoming and Montana, and mining operations across Africa expanding; "An average of 13 Chinese miners die every day in explosions, floods, fires and cave-ins. Toxic clouds of mercury and other chemicals from mining are poisoning the air and water far beyond China's borders and polluting the food chain"... A study from Sept. 2006, available at PhysOrg.com found babies born via elective Caesarian in women considered "low-risk" for infant mortality 3 times more likely to die within 1st month of life as babies born via vaginal delivery with low-risk mothers... Antarctic krill is being overfished in order to feed growing demand for farmed salmon; krill scarcity could harm penguin populations, endanger fragile ecosystems... Assassination of reggae star Lucky Dube in alleged car-jacking incident has brought issue of crime-reduction to forefront of South African politics and popular debate; Dube killing seen as "emotional tipping-point" in society nursing still young democracy with twin problems of mass street crime, HIV-epidemic; trade union leader has said "This atrocity highlights the grim reality of the daily carnage on our streets, the main victims of which are working people and the poor"... CSM reports al-Qaeda-linked groups from Iraq to Lebanon appear to be showing "signs of weakness", less able to mount guerrilla attacks, even as sectarian violence, civilian deaths spread in Iraq, that al-Qaeda-of-Mesopotamia —group commonly referred to as "al-Qaeda-in-Iraq"— "simply is gone" from Sunni-controlled Anbar province, other hotspots...

China to spend $14 bn to clean up toxic lake; FEMA apologizes for sham press briefing...

27 October :: China plans to spend $14.4 billion to clean up Lake Tai, 3rd largest fresh-water lake in country, affected by direct toxic dumping, rampant algal bloom that cut off drinking water to Wuxi, a city of 2.3 million; according to IHT "Lake Tai, known as China's ancient "land of rice and fish," is a legendary setting, once famous for its bounty of white shrimp, whitebait and whitefish. But over time, an industrial buildup transformed the region. More than 2,800 chemical factories arose around the lake, and industrial dumping became a severe problem and, eventually, a crisis"... FEMA has apologized for staging a sham press conference; the Federal Emergency Management Agency gave reporters from around the country only 15 minutes' notice to attend, then had its own public affairs personnel pose questions... DR Congo, US leaders meet to discuss the humanitarian, security situation, as well as economic policies, political viability; fighting in far east of sub-Saharan nation of major concern, rebels say they are fighting to protect the population from outsiders who fled Rwanda after their campaign of genocide there was ended... Georgia Supreme Court orders 21-year-old man freed who was sentenced to 10 years in prison for having consensual oral sex at 17 with 15-year-old, saying the extreme sentence violated Constitutional protection against "cruel and unusual punishment"; court found the sentence "grossly disproportionate", that the activity considered criminal by then state law "did not rise to the level of culpability of adults who prey on children"... CNN reports "An eastern Kentucky school district with one confirmed case of antibiotic-resistant staph infection plans to shut down all 23 of its schools Monday, affecting about 10,300 students, to disinfect the facilities"; drug resistant bacterium suspected of infecting 90,000 Americans per year...

Half million Californians forced to flee wildfires; fossil record shows high temps correspond to mass extinction; China launches lunar probe...

24 October :: More than 500,000 Californians have been evacuated as wildfires blaze out of control, more than 1,000 structures destroyed; firefighters admit they cannot control the fires, can only hope at present to protect people; Gov. Schwarzenegger has warned the White House the fires are too vast to be dealth with by state agencies... UK researchers have found link between elevated global temperatures and mass extinction throughout fossil record; findings suggest escalating global temperatures could lead to a new mass extinction; Le Monde Diplomatique has reported UN figures showing high concentrations of CO2 correspond to highest temperature spikes... Sentence for Pinochet security forces chief extended 15 years; he has been found guilty of masterminding, ordering abduction of dissident last seen at Villa Grimaldi detention center in 1974... China launches unmanned orbiter, its first lunar probe; Japan has just put its first satellite into lunar orbit, with India planning to follow; some worry 'nationalism' in region fueling new 'space race', though for now there does not appear to be a plan to militarize... Turkey has admitted it launched airstrikes against PKK positions inside Iraqi Kurdistan, crossing as far as 20km into Iraqi airspace; pres. of Kurdish regional assembly, Iraqi pres. Talabani, also a Kurd, have called on PKK to renounce the use of violence; Turkish ground forces have allegedly made isolated incursions as well, through for now no large-scale ground invasion has occurred... NYT reports "In a report made public on Tuesday, a review panel found that there were too few American officials in Iraq to enforce the rules that apply to Blackwater and other security contractors. It also found that the conduct of the contractors had undermined the broader mission of ending the insurgency and establishing a democratic government in Iraq"... China, world's #2 oil consumer, tells OPEC oil prices are too high; contacts were part of OPEC-China 'roundtable' to help steer OPEC policy with regard to China's explosive growth in petroleum demand...

Iran nuclear negotiator steps down; Turkey reports raid by Kurdish rebels kills at least 9 soldiers; far-right party leads Swiss poll...

21 October :: Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani, has stepped down, allegedly over differences with Pres. Ahmadinejad; Iran gov't says there is no rift among leadership, diplomats, Larijani will attend meeting with UN representatives to ease transition to new negotiator's team... At least 9 casualties reported in PKK raid on Turkish forces near Iraqi border; BBC reports deaths have spurred popular support for military incursions into Iraq to hunt Kurdish rebels; Iraq gov't says Turkish incursions would violate int'l law; observers fear Turkish cross-border raids would further destabilize Iraq... Reuters reporting US military raid on Sadr City district of Baghdad has killed 13, wounded 69, showing two toddlers among the dead; US says clashes with Mehdi militia group led to airstrikes on residential neighborhood... Chinese Communist party removes VP, two other top officials from party leadership, preparing to elevate new generation of leadership, as party conference comes to end... Far-right People's Party (SVP) appears to have won Swiss election, is predicted to take 61 of 200 seats in parliament, Green party makes strong gains; with 50% of electorate estimated to have cast ballots, SVP 'victory' may represent as little as 15% of total voting-age population, the party's 'black-sheep' campaign stoked fears of official racism... Houston Chronicle reports $90 oil is not record when adjusting for inflation, "The federal government says prices still haven't exceeded the January 1981 inflation-adjusted record of $93.09. The Paris-based International Energy Agency says the actual record was in the previous spring and is $101.70 in today's dollars"... Ségolène Royal has criticized Sarkozy's new French gov't for its "total improvisation" with regard to social policy; Sarkozy's opponent in the presidential elections, Royal also said "Driving a modern country to strike is the mark of poor government", referring to the ongoing transport strike...

1st 'baby-boomer' starts collecting Social Security; Hillary's foreign policy expected to "Use both hard and soft power"...

16 October :: 1st official 'baby-boomer' begins collecting Social Security; as many as 80 million Americans from her generation will eventually collect the government pension payments... NY Times 'The Caucus' blog reports Hillary Clinton's foreign policy would "Use both hard power and soft power; talk to your enemies and strengthen alliances with your friends; deal with systemic destabilizing issues such as poverty and disease; elevate pragmatism over ideology; use international institutions such as the United Nations as tools for progress; make the military a part of comprehensive solutions, not as the solution itself; and encourage the spread of “our values” and the rule of law"; she had said in previous debates she would hesitate to engage in direct talks with hostile states... Critics complain actions like her vote to designate Iran's Revolutionary Guard a foreign "terrorist organization" makes her too hawkish, moreso even than many in current administration, could risk intensified hostilities with Iran... Putin in Iran says Caspian nations should agree "that no Caspian nation should offer its territory to third powers for use of force or military aggression against any Caspian state"; declaration comes amid mounting tensions between Iran and western powers —namely France and US—, which suspect it is illegally developing nuclear weapons... China's Communist party has said it is "furious" at the US awarding the Dalai Lama the Congressional Gold Medal; Tibet's party boss is quoted as saying "If the Dalai Lama can receive such an award, there must be no justice or good people in the world"; China has withdrawn from a planned meeting to discuss UN policy regarding Iran, as a matter of protest against the US award; Liu Jianchao, speaking for China's foreign ministry, has said the award would have "extremely serious impact" on US-China relations... Fmr US pres. Bill Clinton's Climate Initiative (CCI) is partnering with the City of Paris to overhaul energy consumption of 600 schools to make them more environmentally sustainable; the program will retrofit schools to reduce their consumption of greenhouse gases; Paris' new Climate Strategy aims to bring emissions, energy consumption to 30% below 2004 levels city-wide by the year 2020...

Vacancies in US executive at worrying high; US House to debate Armenian genocide; China's Communist party congress opens...

15 October :: Unfilled vacancies in top-level executive-branch positions in US gov't startlingly common, leaving multi-billion-dollar agencies without leadership; interim appointees can serve for up to 210 days with full authority, while approval of nominees runs through Senate, 462 days remain in Bush term as of today; IHT quotes Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA), ranking Republican on the judiciary committee, as saying "In the long history of the country, I don't think the Justice Department has been in such disarray", citing unconfirmed openings throughout the top ranks; observers speculate raft of vacancies reflects belief next admin. will be led by Democrat, meaning less 'job security' for able Republicans if named now; 3 Cabinet posts remain unfilled... Pelosi has announced she will bring the resolution on the 1915 Armenian genocide, at the hands of Ottoman Turks, to the full House for debate and passage; Turkey's top general has warned passage would permanently damage the strategic alliance with the US... China's Communist party congress opened today in Beijing; NYT reports Pres. Hu "promised to address social fissures, a degraded environment and rampant corruption during his second term as China’s top leader, but he all but ruled out more than cosmetic political reform"... Sir Menzies 'Ming' Campbell has resigned as leader of UK Liberal Democrat party, the nation's 3rd largest, after mounting criticism in party, press, that his leadership was not strong enough to represent a serious opposition... US, EU talk of barring all new investment in Burma, in effort to completely isolate junta, a move that goes far beyond the current sanctions regime...

China facing Three Gorges fallout; Turkey says US Armenian genocide resolution strains ties; UN calls for Iraq contractors to face justice...

11 October :: China plans to relocate some 4 million additional people to curb ecological fallout from massive reservoir, "irrational development", ecological collapse around Three Gorges Dam; move comes after top officials, engineers at site warned gov't the project could lead to "environmental catastrophe"; ENN reports "Environmentalists have long criticized the project, saying silt trapped behind the dam is causing erosion and warning that the dam's reservoir will turn into a cesspool of raw sewage and industrial chemicals backing onto Chongqing"... Turkey's gov't has condemned a resolution passed by the US House recognizing the WWI massacre of Armenians by Ottoman Turks as genocide; PM Tayyip Erdogan, head of the conservative ruling party, has been preparing to push for permission from Parliament for a military incursion into Kurdish-controlled northern Iraq, says US resolution will damage strategic relationship "make relations with a friend and ally, and a strategic partnership nurtured over generations, more difficult"... Reuters reports "The United Nations wants probes to determine whether private security contractors in Iraq have committed war crimes and for governments to ensure that the rule of law is applied, U.N. officials said on Thursday"; statement comes after a shooting incident in which a Dubai-based security firm allegedly "shot randomly" at security checkpoint, killing two female civilians, amid mounting pressure to rein in security firms after Blackwater guards allegedly killed 17 Iraqi civilians in mid September shooting... Monks detained by Burmese junta reportedly told "you are no longer monks", as guards abused, threatened them, forced them to stand in cages for days with no toilet or wash area...

Sarkozy campaign against 'sans papiers' includes police storming homes, woman killed, child in coma, public mounts 'resistance'...

3 October :: Guardian newspaper reports Sarkozy campaign against immigrants has led to police "storming" private residences, people falling from balconies —at least one woman killed, one youth in coma—, new underground network of conscientious citizens hiding children to prevent parents' deportation, estimated 20,000 have joined 'new resistance' to prevent rounding up of neighbors... Intense ice-melt across Canadian Arctic has split Ayles Ice Island —iceberg the size of Manhattan— in half, with one section traveling up to 98km in one week; record ice-melt has startled climatologists, Coast Guard... Chinese scientists and officials have warned Three Gorges dam project will cause "environmental catastrophe unless accumulating threats are quickly defused, senior officials and experts have warned"; according to the Environmental News Network, even top officials at the dam itself, who have formerly defended its safety, now say local ecosystems are facing calamitous stresses and action needs to be taken...

Falling water tables put Chinese economy at risk; int'l day of protest supports Burma monks; CA electoral reform fails, still 'winner takes all'...

28 September :: Shijiazhuang, a city of 2 million on the North China Plain has seen 11% growth, construction boom, even as irreplaceable aquifers are drying up, water tables fast dropping; as IHT reports, "China is scouring the world for oil, natural gas and minerals to keep its economic machine humming. But trade deals cannot solve water problems. Water usage in China has quintupled since 1949, and leaders will increasingly face tough political choices as cities, industry and farming compete for a finite and unbalanced water supply"... CA ballot initiative designed to split Electoral College vote by Congressional districts folds, as backers resign from signature drive; CA gov. has twice rejected initiatives to sign on to National Popular Vote accord with other states, while GOP-backed initiative would have undermined Dems' dominance in most elector-rich state... Blackwater security firm said to be involved in twice as many violent incidents as other private contractors operating in Iraq; according to IHT, the firm "has gained a reputation among Iraqis and even among American military personnel serving in Iraq as a company that flaunts an aggressive, quick-draw image that leads its security personnel to take excessively violent actions to protect the people they are paid to guard"; Congress, the Pentagon and the Iraqi gov't are investigating... Burmese military junta reportedly cuts off internet across nation; demonstrators in Makati, Philippines shave heads, protest outside Burmese embassy; Indonesian Parliament ministers stand in moment of silence for demonstrators killed by Burmese regime; junta has closed monasteries, detained more Buddhist monks, declaring "no go" zones around targeted monasteries and shrines; Guardian reports "Yesterday, a Japanese photographer, Kenji Nagai, 50, was among those killed in fierce clashes", Burmese civilians continue gathering, cursing at and insulting military and police... Mychal Bell, the only youth convicted in Jena case free on bond after court vacated conviction; prosecutor may face investigation for abuse of office... LA Times reports "lesser-known Republican presidential candidates condemned their top rivals Thursday for skipping a debate on minority issues and said their absence hurt the party's image and amplified racial divisions", GOP contender Mike Huckabee said "I'm embarrassed for our party, and I'm embarrassed for those who did not come, because there's long been a divide in this country, and it doesn't get better when we don't show up", while Sen. Brownback (R-KS) called it "a disgrace for our country"...

Burmese junta threatens "extreme action", fires on demonstrators, as protests grow; Georgia accuses Russia of interference in Abkhazia...

27 September :: Reports emerge from Rangoon military junta has raided monasteries in effort to end pro-democracy rallies; UN Security Council has urged regime to meet with special envoy, China says it views Burma crisis as "internal affair"; reports suggest 70 monks were abducted from one monastery alone by security forces; junta has warned demonstrators to cease protests or face "extreme action"; today, on 10th day of demonstrations, reports from Rangoon suggest thousands of "very angry" ordinary citizens "spontaneously" began gathering to demand end to violence against monks; security forces have again opened fire on protesters in Rangoon... China, Russia have blocked UN Seceurity Concuil actions to condemn violence against civilians; Russia reportedly suggested it would use the logic of western powers to bring France before the Security Council next time there are riots or police violence there... Georgian pres. accuses Russian military of direct involvement in Abkhazia independence movement, says Russian officer was among militants killed in firefight in Abkhazia; Georgian gov't spokesman broadcast on BBC saying "Is there not enough territory in Russia, are there not enough forests in Russia for Russian officers to die in Russian territory and Russian forests?"... US defense sec. Gates says he is not pleased with regulation of private security firms in Iraq, has ordered a comprehensive investigation of their activities in Iraq... Bush to host 2-day meeting with world's most prolific carbon emitters (China, India, western Europe) to discuss possible terms for future greenhouse-gas controls; opponents warn they believe Bush may be seeking to stall global emissions regime or ensure that major powers support only voluntary limits; China, Russia have called for all future global regimes to be constructed through the UN... According to the NY Times, in an apparent move to stop pro-choice group communicating with its membership, "Last week, Verizon rejected a request from the abortion rights group Naral Pro-Choice America for a five-digit 'short code.' Such codes allow people interested in hearing from businesses, politicians and advocacy groups to sign up to receive text messages"; Verizon has since apologized, calling the refusal "incorrect", and granted the request...

Israel raid on Syria turns up alleged 'nuclear-related' material; Cheney said to have "mulled" Israel strike on Iran; Merkel meets Dalai Lama...

23 September :: Sunday Times reports "Israeli commandos seized nuclear material of North Korean origin during a daring raid on a secret military site in Syria before Israel bombed it this month, according to informed sources in Washington and Jerusalem"; nuclear-related material not named, report also says Israel raid carried out with US backing... Newsweek has reported fmr. aide to US vice pres. told "a small group" Cheney was "mulling" plan to ask Israel to strike Natanz nuclear site in Iran in hopes of provoking Iranian attack on Israel, then using Iran action as justification for massive air campaign against the Islamic republic... FBI reported to be investigating neo-nazi site that calls for lynching of the young African Americans known as the "Jena Six"; activists have called for Justice Dept. to provide full security for youths, families... FBI reported to have secretly recorded Sen. Ted Stevens' conversations in corruption investigation, long before he made public information that he was being investigated... US Senate has blocked legislation that would have ordered withdrawal of most US combat troops from Iraq within 9 months; 3 Republicans voted with 44 Democrats in favor of passage, bill needed 60 votes to pass... German chancellor Angela Merkel has defied Beijing and held a private audience with the Dalai Lama; the Chinese regime considers the meeting an implicit vote of support for Tibet's independence movement, for whom the Dalai Lama has long been the most visible spokesman...