Tsvangirai-Mbeki talks leave MDC with hope for Zimbabwe election outcome; Cuba lifts restrictions on buying consumer electronics, hotel stays...

11 April :: Tsvangirai "optimistic" after meeting with South Africa pres. Thabo Mbeki; opposition, some int'l observers accuse regime of intimidation tactics, including arrests, paramilitary sweeps, confiscation of property; ruling Zanu (PF) party has ceded to perception it could not have won majority, is pressing MDC to accept runoff vote... Cubans now able to buy cell phones, computers, or DVD players, or stay at hotels previously reserved for international tourists; while critics say the new rules are merely superficial changes, the gov't of Raúl Castro, which has announced no intentions of seeing through any deep political transition, says it hopes the new freedoms will allow for more pervasive economic reform over time; for most Cubans, the newly available items are stratospherically expensive, but access may be the most important change... Difference deepen within top ranks at Pentagon regarding Iraq troop reductions; Pres. Bush has committed large numbers of troops to Afghanistan, while Iraq field commander says he does not expect further cuts in troop levels or stabilization of situation in Iraq for several months... Sen. John McCain reported likely to forego private funding for his general election campaign, opt for public financing; move "severely limits the amount of money [McCain] can raise and spend", but his campaign is reportedly urging supporters to donate to the RNC, which can recieve more than ten times the donation per individual that any one candidate can; both Democrats have raised more than twice what McCain has so far, a likely motive for the decision; McCain has also reversed his position on public assistance for homeowners hit by the collapsing sub-prime mortgage market, after coming under heavy criticism for perceived "indifference" to working people's hardships...

4,000th US soldier killed in Iraq, 5 years into war; NASA scientist says administrations have tried to "control" release of scienctific data...

23 March :: US military has reported 4,000th soldier killed in Iraq conflict; BBC reports 4 US soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb in southern Baghdad, "In Baghdad, the heavily-fortified Green Zone suffered sustained mortar and rocket fire, which killed at least 15 civilians"... Dr. James Hansen, NASA's leading climate scientist, says both Republican and Democratic administrations have slowed the release of vital scientific findings, seeking to "control" science in line with political goals... US VP Dick Cheney has said the establishment of a Palestinian state is "long overdue", as some expect he will apply pressure to Israel to cease settlments in the West Bank; Financial Times reports "Dick Cheney, US vice-president, on Sunday met Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority, as part of his tour of the Middle East. He criticised Hamas for the rocket attacks launched from Gaza on Israeli cities, saying they posed a threat to peace talks"...

Democrats propose ex-parte defense right for telecoms, no immunity; CentCom commander resigns amid perceptions of opposition to Bush Iran policy...

12 March :: Democrats propose permitting telecom firms to defend themselves in ex parte communications with judges, away from view of plaintiffs, where evidence includes classified national security information; move is designed to allow court cases to move forward, permit phone companies right to mount defense, but with no offer of retroactive immunity for any potential violations of federal law; move is challenge to White House whose complaint about lawsuits was from concern over release of classified information... Admiral William Fallon, head of US Central Command, which oversees entire Middle East, East Africa, South Asia region, resigns amid growing press reports of rift between admiral, White House over possible war with Iran; recent Esquire magazine article called Fallon "the strongest man standing between the Bush Administration and a war with Iran"; Fallon himself has said there are no actual policy differences, though some observers expresss concern he may have been forced to step down... In effort to stave off further deterioration in credit, banking, real estate markets, "The US Federal Reserve, the European Central Bank and central banks in the UK, Canada and Switzerland will inject billions of dollars into money markets"; some $200 billion in loans to banks is designed to promote expansion of lending to individuals, small businesses... Scientists achieve direct command-structure between chemical-molecular "brain", mulitple nano-devices, leading to potential direct remote control for nanotech-equipped robotic devices, far more efficient computing capabilities...

Bush vetoes ban on waterboarding; Wash. Post reports Iraq war to cost more than $3 trillion...

8 March :: US pres. George W. Bush has vetoed legislation that would have barred the CIA from using harsh interrogation techniques classed by critics as torture, such as "waterboarding", a form of simulated drowning; the New York Times reports the veto is affirmation of Bush's "legacy" as jealous defender of expanded executive power: "The veto deepens his battle with increasingly assertive Democrats in Congress over issues at the heart of his legacy. As his presidency winds down, he has made it clear he does not intend to bend in this or other confrontations on issues from the war in Iraq to contempt charges against his chief of staff, Joshua B. Bolten, and former counsel, Harriet E. Miers"; the veto is Mr. Bush's 9th since 2001, though 8 have come in the last 10 months, with the Democrats in control of Congress... Washington Post published for its Sunday edition a story detailing the $3 trillion cost of the Iraq war, drawing the sharp distinction between that bill and the estimated $60 billion budget touted by then Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld in the months before the war began; though the death benefits paid to families of fallen soldiers amounts to $500,000, "far less than the typical amount paid by insurance companies for the death of a young person in a car accident", society as a whole, and the gov't, pay doubly, by all the revenues lost from that individual's future work and taxpaying; the strain to the system of public financing is more severe than what raw numbers of emergency appropriations would seem to indicate...

Democrats debate 'do-over' for Florida, Michigan; Obama smashes fundraising records with $55M in Feb; Russian arms dealer in Thai custody...

7 March :: "Pariah states" Florida, Michigan, punished for voting early in party primaries, now want "do-over" opportunity, as DNC, state gov'ts spar over who would fund a re-vote; Clinton campaign announces $35 million fundraising peak in February, including an astounding $4 million in 48 hours after Tuesday's vital wins in Texas, Ohio, yet Barack Obama's "army of small donors" reportedly has given him $55 million in the month of February, far beyond any previous record for any candidate; Obama has said he will use the momentum of his campaign to answer charges leveled at him by his rival Democrat from New York... New York Times reports "Viktor Bout, 41, is suspected of supplying weapons to the Taliban and Al Qaeda and of pouring huge arms shipments into Africa’s civil wars with his own private air fleet. He was arrested by the Thai authorities at a hotel in Bangkok in an operation in which undercover investigators posing as rebels from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, sought to purchase millions of dollars in arms"; yesterday, ABC News reported that "In a January 2005 letter to Congress, then-Assistant Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz admitted the Defense Department 'did conduct business with companies that, in turn, subcontracted work to second-tier providers who leased aircraft owned by companies associated with Mr. Bout'", though the NY Times and various other major media outlets have failed to report this vital piece of information in much of their reporting about Bout's arrest and pending extradition requests...

Massive rally in Philippines calls for Arroyo's resignation; state of Georgia yet to reform police pensions so 1st black officers get full benefits...

2 March :: A demonstration estimated in excess of 50,000 and including former presidents Corazon Aquino and Joseph Estrada called for Philippine pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's resignation, amid allegations her husband took multi-million-dollar kickbacks in a telecommunications deal... State of Georgia yet to reform pension system to permit African American police officers who worked before 1976 to collect full pension state pays to retired white officers and those who joined the pension system after that date; state Rep. Tyrone Brooks says he will push to take the case to litigation if the legislature does not act... Ahmadinejad visits Baghdad, says trip aims to achieve regional peace and security; Iranian pres. will meet with Iraq pres. Jalal Talabani and PM Nouri al-Maliki, both of whom have visited Teheran since taking office; Ahmadinejad has said the two nations share close ties and have a shared interest in establishing peace in Iraq, which he says includes the withdrawal of US troops... IHT reports "Israeli aircraft and troops attacked Palestinian positions in northern Gaza on Saturday, killing at least 54 people and wounding more than 100 in the deadliest day of fighting in more than a year. Two Israeli soldiers were killed and seven wounded, the military said"...

Chad calm after France threatens to intervene to protect gov't; CIA admits to using waterboarding in 3 interrogations; 24 states vote in primaries...

5 February :: Quiet in Chad capital N'Djamena, after France announces it will intervene to protect Déby gov't, rebels pull back; at least one Darfur rebel group also said it would fight to protect Déby's gov't, as it considers Déby an ally in its fight against the Sudan regime of Omar al-Bashir... CIA Director Michael Hayden told Congress today that his agency had used "waterboarding" in interrogations with 3 different suspects, but that the technique had not been used for 5 years; the simulated drowning technique is illegal according to several US military codes, and Congress is working to pass an outright ban; Reuters reports "Sen. Dick Durbin, an Illinois Democrat and judiciary committee member, demanded that Attorney General Michael Mukasey investigate the CIA waterboarding and vowed to delay the nomination for Mukasey's deputy until the attorney general responds to that and other issues"; Justice is already investigating the destruction of evidence related to these interrogations, and investigators have authority to look into related criminal activity... 24 states to hold primaries, caucuses, in the largest single day of presidential primary voting in US history; Democrats expected to draw comparable numbers of convention delegates, while GOP looks to have clear frontrunner after Super Tuesday voting... US Congress to question Defense Dept. officials on war costs, demand more thorough, precise cost projections, as Democrat-controlled Congress organizes attack on Bush's $3.1 trillion spending plan; Defense Secretary Gates says the $515 billion Pentagon request is well thought out, what is needed to keep America safe, while many in both parties in Congress remain skeptical that money is being well spent in Iraq conflict... US Navy lawyer defending Canadian accused of aiding al-Qaeda says then 15-year old client was "a victim of al Qaeda, not a member of al Qaeda", that international law treats all child soldiers as involuntary victims of war, while prosecution argued that the legislation governing the Guantánamo special tribunals does not distinguish between adult and child soldiers, that Congress would have made the distinction, because it knew Khadr could face charges; there is no ruling as yet on the request... Mother of pop star Britney Spears has filed injunction against her daughter's manager, saying he drugged her daughter in effort to take control of her life, assets; Lynne Spears said in sworn statement that Lutfi stole her daughter's phone chargers, slipped drugs into her food, yelled and dominated her, and tried to cut contact from outside influences, and described the following scene: "She cleaned the house. She changed her clothes many times. She also changed her dogs' clothes many times. Britney spoke to me in a tone and with the level of understanding of a very young girl"...

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...

SPECIAL NEWS ALERT: Center for Public Integrity launches site tracking all false statements made prior to Iraq war

"President George W. Bush and seven of his administration's top officials, including Vice President Dick Cheney, National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, made at least 935 false statements in the two years following September 11, 2001, about the national security threat posed by Saddam Hussein's Iraq. Nearly five years after the U.S. invasion of Iraq, an exhaustive examination of the record shows that the statements were part of an orchestrated campaign that effectively galvanized public opinion and, in the process, led the nation to war under decidedly false pretenses." [Full Story]

9/11 Comm. says CIA tape destruction impeded probe; US army unit refused combat orders fearing their anger could lead to massacre...

22 December :: The two chairmen of the investigatory commission for the 9/11 attacks, Lee Hamilton and Thomas Kean, have said their review of classified evidence suggests the CIA made a concerted effort to "impede" the inquiry by hiding evidence of abusive interrogation techniques; according to Reuters, "Among statements that the memo suggested were misleading was a June 2004 assertion by John McLaughlin, deputy director of central intelligence, that the CIA had "taken and completed all reasonable steps necessary to find the documents in its possession, custody or control" in response to the panel's requests and "has produced or made available for review" all such documents"... Democracy Now reports "After an IED attack killed five more members of Charlie 1-26, members of 2nd Platoon gathered for a meeting and determined they could no longer function professionally. Several platoon members were afraid their anger could set loose a massacre"; the action is described as "mutiny", but framed as a responsible attempt to ensure that the revenge instinct not be permitted to filter into their battlefield performance, report based on a 4-part Army Times series, aimed at showing the war from the soldiers' perspective... "Secretive" Russian oil firm Gunvor denies Pres. Putin has any stake in its ownership, saying he is "not a beneficiary", that "None of the shares of this organisation are held by President Putin or anyone allied by him", though media reports suggest he may be hiding a $40 billion fortune; reports based on research by a Russian political analyst have suggested that a "non-transparent scheme of successive ownership of offshore companies and funds", leading to accounts in Switzerland and Lichtenstein, gives 75% ownership to Putin... Havana-based blogger sneaks critical articles onto restricted web through luxury hotel internet cafes, putting herself at risk of persecution, having to spend nearly a week's wages for the 30 minutes of access to post her stories... Guardian reporting that UK "Ministers have been instructed to factor into their calculations a notional 'carbon price' when making all policy and investment decisions covering transport, construction, housing, planning and energy"; move means global warming risk will be considered in long-term economic measures for UK gov't projects, for first time...

GOP lawmaker says intel. comm. probe of CIA tapes' destruction, will continue; UK study says consumer product chemicals may be mixing dangerously...

17 December :: Michigan Republican Peter Hoekstra, ranking GOP member of the House intelligence committee, has said the committee will pursue its investigation of the CIA's destruction of tapes of alleged torture; Hoekstra told the press it was important that there be accountability in the intelligence community, adding "The CIA did not tell us about the existence of these tapes. They did not tell us that they were going to be destroyed"; he also said he expected to issue subpoenas and that only after testimony had begun would the committee explore the possibility of offering immunity... New Scientist reports "A report by the UK's Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) says chemicals from consumer products and drugs could be breaking down and recombining into a harmful brew in water supplies"... Russian pres. Vladimir Putin has said he will accept the request to serve as ally/appointee Medvedev's PM, if the now-confirmed United Russia candidate should win presidency in March vote, as observers consider likely; NY Times reports the announcement "raised the prospect that at some point in Mr. Medvedev’s term, Mr. Medvedev could step down, which would propel Mr. Putin, as prime minister, back to the presidency. A special presidential election would then be held, in which Mr. Putin could run", though PM has far less power than president in Russian system, Putin has said he does not intend to seek to change the powers of either... UK Conservative party leader David Cameron has made a bold offer to the Liberal Democratic party and the Green party, calling for a "progressive alliance" to counter Brown's Labour party and push for comprehensive "decentralization" of the British system of government and public services... British troops have officially turned over control of Basra province, in southern Iraq, to Iraqi security forces, amid mounting violence and intense fighting among sectarian militia; ABC News reports "'The British legacy in Basra is criminal gangs, a corrupt and infiltrated police force, and borders open to all,' says a senior Iraqi Army official in the province, who spoke on condition of anonymity"...

Supreme Court hears Guantanamo habeas complaint against military tribunals; NIE position on Iran meshes with military intelligence...

5 December :: US Supreme Court hearing case of prisoners held at Guantánamo Bay naval base, without charge or due process, who now argue 2006 military tribunals legislation violates the US Constitution because it strips defendants of habeas corpus rights; LA Times reports "the detainees do not have lawyers and have no right to challenge the evidence against them" and that "Some of the men were picked up by bounty hunters in Afghanistan, who were paid $5,000 for turning over Arab men to U.S. soldiers"... Speculation emerges Pentagon used NIE to voice its opposition to White House Iran policy, as 9 of 16 US spy agencies that form NIE report are military; top Pentagon officials say no policy intervention in NIE, but that military intelligence looks at intent or threat level, not scientific knowhow, that Iran could eventually restart program, but war is not presently advisable... TIME reports unnecessary use of Social Security numbers rampant, puts consumers at serious risk of identity theft; private companies, utilities, and ISPs do not need a Social Security number, nor can they, by law, demand it; Verizon is listed as repeatedly insisting it is necessary to open an account, while their own website warns that giving out such information puts consumers at risk of identity theft; in November, the FTC released data showing that "in 2005, the last year for which there's data, 8.3 million Americans were victims — almost 4% of all adults in this country"... Bush to announce plan to freeze mortgage rates for 5 years, for homeowners at risk of losing homes as adjustable rates suddenly rise...

40 nations gather at Annapolis summit; Sarkozy calls for calm as riots strike Paris suburb; Bush, Gore privately discuss climate change...

27 November :: 40 nations to gather at Annapolis summit for Mideast peace negotiations; Israel, Palestinian leaders express hope for progress on comprehensive peace deal, while Hamas leader, ex-Palestinian PM, Haniyeh, says the Palestinian people will not be bound by what his rival Abbas agrees to... French pres. Nicolas Sarkozy has urged calm as riots spread through Paris suburb Villiers-le-Bel in wake of hit and run death allegedly involving police; residents allege the police involved fled on foot after being unable to start their car, damaged by the accident, opposition leader François Hollande, condemning the violence, said it sprung from a "social and political crisis" the gov't was unable to handle; similarity to situation that sparked 2005 riots across France leads some to fear more violence will ensue... In first private meeting since 2000 presidential election, US pres. Bush, fmr. rival Al Gore discussed climate change for 30 min. while Gore attended White House dinner for Nobel laureates... US, Iraq leaders sign non-binding bilateral cooperation agreement, via video conference; document is attempt to "codify" a relationship that would see phase out of US combat mission, conduct parallel security policy to UN mandate for occupation, stabilization troops...

US military to hand detained AP photographer over to Iraqis; FBI says hate crime up 7% in US; Chávez threatens $200 oil if Iran attacked...

20 November :: US military to turn over AP photographer to Iraqi authorities for prosecution, accusing him of links to terrorist groups; AP says no such links have even been demonstrated, Iraq native —who won Pulitzer Prize with team of AP photographers— was detained by US after offering shelter to people fleeing a bombing raid in Ramadi, allegedly knowing none of them; AP further says identity of alleged militants among those sheltered has never been demonstrated, calls process "a sham of due process"... FBI reports 7% rise in hate crimes across US last year, to more than 7,700 officially recognized cases nationwide; 19% are reported to have been cases where individuals were targetted for their religious beliefs... While Iowa is reported to be "up for grabs", a Wash. Post/ABC News poll shows Obama leading Democrats with 30% support, Clinton with 26%, Edwards with 22% support; the poll represents an overall gain for Obama, but also, according to the Post, "strategic gains for Obama. His support is up eight percentage points since July among voters 45 and older -- who accounted for two-thirds of Iowa caucus-goers in 2004. He also runs evenly with Clinton among women in Iowa, drawing 32 percent to her 31 percent, despite the fact that her campaign has built its effort around attracting female voters"... Hugo Chávez says oil prices will double, to $200/barrel, if the US takes military action against Iran, also calling on OPEC to drop the dollar-based pricing scheme, use "basket" of currencies; Chávez made declaration as he, Iran pres. Ahmedinejad annoucned binational joint bank, invited other OPEC members to join... Pakistan announces 8 January date for parliamentary, regional assembly elections; opposition leaders say they will boycott if emergency rule not lifted, jailed opposition figure Khan on hunger strike until ousted supreme court justices reinstated...

State Dept. inspector gen. recuses self from Blackwater probe, for conflict of interest; top military brass move to block VP's role in war policy...

18 November :: CNN has reported "The State Department's inspector-general announced Wednesday he would recuse himself from decisions involving security contractor Blackwater, after admitting his brother serves as an adviser to the company"... Truthdig reporting that senior military officers are moving to protect Pentagon policy against the influence of VP Cheney's office; Admiral William Fallon, who heads the U.S. Central Command, spoke out in a diplomatically worded front-page editorial in the 12 November edition of the Financial Times, warning Iran's leaders will not "come to their senses" while facing threat of "bombardment, invasion or worse" —as Conason writes—; Fallon wrote "None of this is helped by the stories that just keep going around and around and around that any day now there will be another war, which is just not where we want to go"... Worry over disappearing landscape, permanent loss of permafrost, rising temperatures, drives new rise in tourist visits to remote Alaskan wilderness; experts warn species extinction, loss of traditional ways of life, disappearance of glaciers, villages, could soon become reality...

House votes to force Iraq withdrawal; poll finds 64% of US says Bush abused powers; MRSA spreading dangerously among US population...

15 November :: US House of Representatives has passed $50 billion in Iraq war spending, conditioned on starting withdrawal in coming weeks, ending combat role for US by December 2008, before Bush leaves office; president has already begun troop-level reductions, in part under pressure from Republicans seeking reelection to Congress, but opposes Congressional mandate or fixed date for withdrawal... A poll from the American Research Group finds that 64% of all American voters believe Pres. Bush abused his powers, with 34% saying he should be removed from office for impeachable offenses, while a total of 55% —including those who don't want him impeached— say he has committed impeachable offenses under the Constitution; 64% of Republicans disagree; 70% of voters polled agreed that the vice president had abused his office, including 39% of Republicans... Drug-resistant staph bacterium MRSA has spread beyond hospital wards, now threatens healthy people in wider community, effective treatments still elusive; 60 Minutes reports "New government data estimate that about 2,000 people are dying of community-based MRSA every year. But with the deaths of five school children this year, parents are understandably frantic and want to know what causes it, and how to protect against it"... A small opposition group has filed suit against Russian pres. Vladimir Putin to prevent him from running for prime minister on grounds of "repeated violations of the law", saying his office will be used to manipulate the vote, undermine the democratic process; though Kremlin denies charges, observers inside Russia and abroad often cite Putin's authoritarian style as contrary to democracy taking root in Russia... Man killed by Royal Canadian Mounted Police in tasering incident; Polish tourist confused by lack of information about whereabouts of mother, who was told he had not arrived, became disturbed after 10 hours wait; video shows incident, observers say Taser far too dangerous to be of routine police use...

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 home surrounded by Pakistan security forces; CA sues EPA for emissions inaction; Mukasey approved by Senate as next AG...

9 November :: Musharraf's forces in riot gear have surrounded home of Bhutto's home, alleging suicide bombers are waiting to strike, no one being allowed in or out; move is aimed at preventing her holding massive rally in Rawalpindi; after she attempted to leave, she was prevented by gov't forces, she has been placed under house arrest by 30-day detention order... California leads lawsuit by 15 states against EPA, alleging negligence in responsibility to act to diminish risk of global climate change; CA gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said if the EPA does not move to permit the state's new emissions regulations, "We sue again, and sue again and sue again until we get it"... US Senate has voted 53-40 to approve Judge Mukasey as next attorney general; vote came even as leaders like judiciary committee chair Leahy stiffly opposed the nomination, declaring "I do not vote to allow torture"... Senate votes 79-14 to override Bush water bill veto, confirming first override of Bush presidency; CNN reports "Supporters said the projects authorized under the Water Resources Development Act are necessary to rebuild the Gulf Coast after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, restore the Everglades and Great Lakes fisheries and build flood-control projects nationwide", while Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA), a major backer of the measure told president "You should respect the Senate, the House, the Congress and American people because we are elected, too"... Georgian pres. Mikheil Saakashvili, facing demands for his resignation and having declared martial law alleging media conspiracy to overthrow him, has set date for early elections, saying he seeks to demonstrate his democratic mandate, also alleging "cunning plots" by hostile foreign powers to steal Georgian land; security forces had targeted press, arresting reporters, opposition politicians, confiscating cellular phones in alleged effort to prevent reporters' informing outside world or asking for US diplomatic pressure... Brazil announces major oil discovery, which could turn it into a major oil exporter; new find estimated to equaal 40% of all petroleum ever found in Brazilian territory... Fmr NY police commissioner, Giuliani ally Bernard Kerik to be indicted for corruption; while Kerik and Guiliani were business partners, the presidential candidate has not been implicated in the investigation, to date... US military in Iraq has released 9 Iranians it had held for up to 3 years, saying they are neither threat nor of intelligence value...

CBS reveals key fraud in Iraq WMD intel; Bhutto leaves Pakistan, rumors of martial law; crude reaches $96/barrel record high price...

2 November :: 60 Minutes reveals WMD intel fraud, Iraqi emigré known as 'Curve Ball' by spy agencies said to have lied to officials about involvement in WMD work in Iraq in order to get asylum in Germany; US later used his false claim as support for invasion of Iraq; program to air Sunday in US... Fmr PM Benazir Bhutto, touted to be hope for democracy, stability if she regains PM post, leaves country for Dubai, rumors Musharraf to decree martial law; Pakistan's Supreme Court to rule on validity of Musharraf's latest re-election to presidency, militant Islamist attacks on rise across country, including military facilities, as Musharraf steps up efforts to bring northwestern border region under central control... Crude oil trading in New York yesterday reached $96/barrel for the first time in history; prices fell slightly by the end of trading, continuous climb attributed to continuing scarcity, projected short supplies, OPEC plans not to increase production levels... Water scarcity tensions high in Australia as man watering lawn murdered by passerby who objected to his wasting water; victim was rushed to hospital after being brutally beaten during argument, but later died; he was watering lawn by hand, on officially assigned day, was within law... 29 US senators, including Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton (NY) and Chris Dodd (CT), have signed a letter warning Pres. Bush that vote labeling Iran Revolutionary Guard a terrorist group does not authorize attack on Iran; Sen. Obama (D-IL), a campaign rival of Clinton and Dodd, has said he believes the letter is too weak, that the matter requires a binding resolution from the Senate...

US fears catastrophic dam collapse in Iraq could kill 500,000; UK power Grid officials warn of possible energy crisis this winter...

31 October :: US authorities fear catastrophic dam failure in Iraq: "A catastrophic failure of the largest dam in Iraq would send a wave 65ft high hurtling down the valley of the river Tigris, killing up to 500,000 people, US engineers warned yesterday" reports UK's Independent; Army Corps of Engineers warns failure of the two-mile-across earth-filled dam could flood Mosul —with 1.7 million residents— with 60 feet of water... UK officials warn of possible energy crisis this winter, as natural gas prices are 40% above continental Europe; supplies likely to be undercut by plant outage, shortages could lead to electricity cuts if 300 extra megawatts are not generated for peak home-usage hours; officials moderated warning, saying reports are precautionary requests, aimed at increasing elasticit of overall system to face shortages... HRW reports Burmese military junta enslaving children as young as 10 years old to prop up its unpopular regime, finding that "Military recruiters are literally buying and selling children to fill the ranks of the Burmese armed forces"; the 135-page report 'Sold to be Soldiers' is available free online... On an intensifying crackdown against press by Azerbaijan authorities, HRW reports "On October 30, Azerbaijan’s Grave Crimes Court convicted Fatullayev, the outspoken editor-in-chief of the independent Realni Azerbaijan and Gundelik Azerbaijan newspapers, for terrorism, inciting ethnic hatred, and tax evasion. The conviction is a culmination of a concerted effort by the Azerbaijani authorities to silence Fatuallyev and his newspapers"... NY Times reporting "All State Department security convoys in Iraq will now fall under military control, the latest step taken by government officials to bring Blackwater Worldwide and other armed contractors under tighter supervision"; Pentagon authority asserted could protentially bring contractors under Uniform Code of Military Justice, after State Dept. officials without authorization offered immunity to Blackwater guards accused of murder, Iraq gov't has approved draft law to revoke immunity granted to foreign contractors by Coalition Provisional Authority...