Carter says Hamas may recognize Israel if Palestinians approve peace deal; Lugo ousts Paraguay's Colorado party after 61 years in power...

21 April :: Carter says Hamas leaders may be willing to recognize Israel's right to exist, in exchange for lasting peace, even if negotiated by rival Fatah group, so long as accord is submitted to Palestinian people in referendum; CNN cites Carter saying at the start of his trip: "I'm not a negotiator, I'm just trying to understand different opinions and communicate, provide communications between people that won't communicate with each other"... Paraguay opposition leader, Fernando Lugo, a former Roman Catholic bishop, won 40.9% of the vote, against ruling Colorado party candidate Blanca Ovelar's 30.7%; the win means a change in party for the first time in 61 years; some observers predict a volatile power struggle may ensue, though under Paraguay law, the candidate with the most votes wins, regardless of margin of victory... Obama goes on the offensive in Pennsylvania, characterizing Clinton as a "compromised Washington insider"; Clinton fires back that Obama's attacks are effort to cover for last week's controversial ABC debate, in which a barrage of personal questions put the frontrunner on the defensive; Obama has been outspending Clinton 2-to-1 in ads in PA, and has narrowed her lead from 16% to between 4% and 6% in just a few weeks; NYT reports "Mr. Obama was using his fund-raising advantage to pay for a multimillion-dollar campaign that included sophisticated demographic targeting to find supporters in smaller cities" but is "also relying on old-fashioned tools, including sending supporters door-to-door, renting sound trucks to drive through urban neighborhoods and having volunteers serve as “town criers” to pass out literature on city buses"; Hillary and Bill Clinton have appeared across the state, trying to ensure Obama doesn't gain in the delegate race... NYT reporting that "In Japan and South Korea, some manufacturers for the first time have begun buying genetically engineered corn for use in soft drinks, snacks and other foods"; mounting international food shortages, coupled with soaring prices are causing what could be a fundamental shift in food production methods, with as yet unforeseeable consequences; some critics believe genetically modified foods could cause negative genetic and health-related impact in the human population...

UN warns worldwide food crisis imminent, if action not taken fast; Carter meets Hamas exiles in Damascus, talks of peace...

19 April :: "The global food crisis became official yesterday [15 April] when the UN called for urgent intergovernmental action and farming reforms to tackle the soaring prices that are plunging millions of people into potentially deadly poverty", reports UK's Independent; reports of riots from southeast Asia to the Caribbean, along with multiple border crises in the Horn of Africa, are leading to speculation that food scarcity may now be close to provoking regional conflicts... To the dismay of US, Israeli leaders, fmr. US pres. and Nobel peace laureate Jimmy Carter, has met for a 2nd time with two Hamas leaders in exile in Damascus, Syria; he says the group may be willing to talk peace with Israel; according to the AP, "On Saturday, Marzouk said Carter and Mashaal discussed a possible prisoner exchange with Israel, as well as how to lift a siege imposed by the Jewish state on the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. Carter, who brokered the 1978 Israeli-Egyptian peace, is trying to secure the release of captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit"... FoxBusiness reports "Today John McCain, the ninth richest member of Congress, again showed the American people that his call for openness and accountability in government applies to everyone but himself. By only releasing two years of returns, he is the first nominee of either party since Ronald Reagan in 1980 to disclose that little information. And by failing to release his wife Cindy McCain's return, serious questions remain unanswered about how John McCain's position as a U.S. Senator may have benefited John and Cindy McCain's business ventures"; DNC Chairman Howard Dean said McCain's limited disclosure "continues a troubling pattern of thinking the rules don't apply to him"; Sen. Obama and his wife have released 8 years of returns, and Sen. Clinton and fmr. Pres. Clinton's returns dating back to 1977 are on public record, according to the same FoxBusiness report... Russian pres. Vladimir Putin denies rumors he secretly divorced his wife of 24 years for a star gymnast, 24-year-old Alina Kabayeva, whom his party named to sit in Parliament; the newspaper that printed the story has had its right to publish "suspended", officially for "financial" reasons...

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"...

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"...

Sharif, Zardari form Pakistan governing coalition; Obama wins Wyoming, Democrats take Hastert's old seat in special election...

9 March :: Sharif, Zardari form coalition gov't in Pakistan, calling into quesiton the viability of Pres. Pervez Musharraf, politically; Musharraf has lost substantial support for his hardline attempts to reform the nation's government structure in his favor, declaring martial law, throwing out judges who ruled against him, detaining lawyers and muzzling the press; former PM and Musharraf arch-rival Sharif is quoted by VOA saying "The restoration of the deposed judges, as it was on 2nd of November 2007, shall be brought about through a parliamentary resolution to be passed in the National Assembly within 30 days of the formation of the federal government"... Barack Obama wins Wyoming caucus, by margin of 61% to 38% over rival Hillary Rodham Clinton, with 7 and 4 delegates going to the candidates, respectively; though the vote has little effect on the overall delegate totals, it is considered important as a show of momentum over the long-term, after Clinton picked up 3 wins last week... Bill Foster, a Democrat, has won the seat of former House Speaker Dennis Hastert, in a special election called after Hastert's resignation last year, defeating Bill Oberweis by a margin of 53% to 47%; Republicans have sought to play down the loss, while Democrats say it is a rebuke of presidential candidate John McCain, who supported the local GOP candidate... In move that could inflame already flashpoint tensions, Israeli PM Ehud Olmert has approved a plan to build 750 new settlement homes in the West Bank; the US and EU have called for Israel to halt its settlement construction in the Occupied Territories and to phase in a withdrawal in the interests of a peace initiative sponsored by the US pres. George W. Bush; Israel, Palestinians have clashed heavily over last few weeks as Israel launched raids and missile attacks on Gaza in effort to deter Hamas rocket attacks into Israel...

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"...

Grain prices to soar by 35% in poor countries in 2008; US Senate bans harsh interrogations; bomb kills top Hezbollah agent in Damascus...

14 February :: Record-high grain prices will cause an untenable 35% minimum increase in poor nations' expenditures for cereals imports through July 2008, reports UN Food and Agriculture Organization; prices have increased rapidly due to record oil prices, dramatic deterioration of arable land in China — turning world's most populous nation into net importer of grain—, and diversion of crops in US, Brazil (world's top grain exporters) to bio-ethanol fuel production; combination of economic pressures expected to force a net reduction in expenditure for grain imports, signaling likely severe food shortages in poor countries... US Senate votes to ban waterboarding, other coercive interrogation techniques used by CIA in terrorist cases where gov't claims existing laws do not limit agents' behavior; Pres. Bush has said he will veto the intelligence bill if the ban were included; Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), a former PoW in Vietnam, who was subjected to torture, voted against the ban, while Democratic presidential candidates Clinton (D-NY) and Obama (D-IL) did not vote, as they are hotly contesting upcoming primaries across the nation... Top Hezbollah "security strategist" Imad Mughniyeh assassinated in car bombing in Damascus, Syria, Israel said to be bracing for reprisals; many speculate Israeli security forces were behind the killing, though Israel's prime minister Ehud Olmert has issued a statement saying "Israel rejects the attempts of terror elements to attribute to Israel any involvement"; Mughniyeh was considered responsible for many of Hezbollah's most serious attacks in the 1980s; a Lebanese parliament minister said of Mughniyeh "This is a loss of a major pillar in resistance work. He was an expert at making victories and building fighting capacities against Israel. He played an essential role in all resistance activities, especially the last war", some speculate the killing could lead to another Israel-Hezbollah war along the disputed Lebanese border areas...

Kenyan violence takes 50 lives since Thursday, Annan meets leaders; Obama wins SC 55% to Clinton's 27%...

27 January :: Tribal violence, spurred by Kenya's disputed election, continues to spread, with 50 dead in recent clashes; VoA reports "Local media report that people have been hacked with machetes, shot with bows and arrows and burned to death in their homes. Shooting in Naivasha continued late Sunday despite the arrival of soldiers and more police", and fmr UN Sec. Gen. Kofi Annan is in Kenya to try to help find a road to peace... Sen. Barack Obama wins Democrats' SC primary, with 55% of the vote, Sen. Clinton finishing 2nd with 27%, and fmr. Sen. John Edwards in 3rd with 18%, as unprecedented numbers of voters turned out to participate... Israeli PM Olmert, Palestinian Pres. Abbas meet to discuss resuming path to peace, reducing Gaza tensions; Olmert promised Abbas Israel would continue to ensure that humanitarian aid and vital supplies reached the isolated territory, to avert a humanitarian crisis...

Civil war in DR Congo has claimed 5.6 million lives in 10 years, 45,000 die per month; peace deal signed in eastern DR Congo bet. rival factions...

23 January :: DR Congo death toll since 1998 now stands at 5.6 million, with 45,000 still dying each month in 10-year ongoing civil war; Democracy Now! reports that "Amidst the deadliest conflict since World War II, hundreds of international corporations have reaped enormous profits from extracting and processing Congolese minerals", speculation has long weighed the possibility that neighboring gov'ts are eager to maintain factional rivalries in order to keep DR Congo's natural resource markets open... In eastern DR Congo, a peace deal has been signed between pro-government Mai Mai militia and rebel general Laurent Nkunda's faction; gov't has sanctioned deal which BBC reports "includes an immediate ceasefire and the deployment of UN peacekeepers in 13 key locations"Hamas agents have broken through Egypt-Gaza border wall to permit flow of refugees in search of food, supplies, as border closure continues to strain territory; Bloomberg reports "Hamas militants blew 15 holes in a security fence separating the Gaza Strip and Egypt, enabling thousands of Palestinians to leave the blockaded enclave to search for food and supplies"... US Federal Reserve Bank cuts interest rates a sharp 0.75%, leading to criticism from economists at the Davos Economic Forum; FT reports "Economists at the meeting warned that the monetary easing announced on Tuesday would not succeed in boosting a sickly US economy. Moreover, they said, by reacting to turmoil in equity markets, the Fed seriously risked creating the impression that it was most concerned with ensuring investors did not lose money"...

Gaza City in darkness after power plant shutdown forced by border closing; NH recount uncovers human error, overcount of votes for some candidates...

21 January :: Lights out in Gaza City, as Palestinian authorities there are forced to shut down two turbines at Gaza power plant, due to Israel cutting off fuel supplies and other imports into Gaza Strip; officials there have said hospitals and emergency services will also be affected by the blackout; Israel says its effort is designed to slow and/or halt rocket attacks allegedly coming from Gaza, that it has not cut off the 70% of Gaza's electricity supply that comes from Israel itself... "Election integrity activists in New Hampshire are finding all kinds of problems with the electronic vote count in last week's presidential primary, after a first day of recounting the Democratic vote. But the problems so far have not changed the outcome of the race that Hillary Clinton won", according to a 17 January AlterNet report; The Concord Monitor is reporting that human error played a roll in erroneous counts conducted on the day of the primary vote: "A recount of ballots cast in Nashua's Ward 5 show that Hillary Clinton, John Edwards and Joe Biden received a total of 110 votes less than originally reported because of human error", though so far the ongoing recounts have not turned up any error or manipulation serious enough to cause a change in the placing of top candidates...

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...

Cuban gov't hints Castro may be retiring permanently; Hamas leadership floats peace deal with Israel, no talks as yet...

19 December :: Cuban gov't announces official consideration of Fidel Castro's retirement; ailing leader will likely not return to power, leading to wide-ranging speculation about successor to the world's longest ruling dictator; no timetable has been set for his official withdrawal from public life... Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, who served as PM in their short-lived elected gov't of the Palestinian Authority, has said he is open to negotiating a permanent ceasefire with Israel; Israel has reacted with caution and has given no indications of accepting the offer, as various figures cite past refusals by Hamas to recognize Israel or honor negotiated settlements...

Putin leads exit polling in Russian parliamentary vote; Venezuelans reject Chávez constitutional reforms; Annapolis may warm US-Syria relations...

3 December :: With 54.5% of vote counted, Putin's 'United Russia' party has reportedly gathered 62.9% of the vote, the Communist party a distant 2nd with 11.6%; NY Times reporting "Across Russia in recent weeks, members of opposition parties said they had been subjected to intense harassment from the authorities, and people who worked for government agencies and companies that received state financing reported that they had been ordered to vote for United Russia"... Observers around world say Putin gov't manipulated parliamentary elections, European observers say there is "no doubt" the elections were "[not] free, fair nor democratic", US calls on Kremlin to investigate allegations of media bias, widespread voter intimidation; opponents say Putin plan to become 'national leader' with no clear constitutional role, no clear limit to power, dangerous for Russia's fledgling democracy... Official results show Venezuelan pres. Hugo Chávez has suffered a major political defeat, as population votes 51% to 49% against his proposed constitutional reforms; Venezuelan gov't ministers, speaking anonymously, had claimed Chávez won referendum, by as much as 6% margin; "If approved, the referendum vote on a raft of reforms would allow Chavez —in office since 1999— to run for reelection indefinitely, control foreign currency reserves, appoint loyalists over regional elected officials and censor the media if he declares an emergency", according to Reuters; VP says election results are too close to call, are already in dispute, opposition has called for calm, but says its numbers show Chávez victory not assured... Speculation spreads US may be considering talks with Syrian gov't in new post-Annapolis worldview; CSM reports US may be tacitly backing Syrian favorite for Lebanese presidency, despite opposition from US allies in Lebanon, who now appear to also approve Gen. Michel Suleiman's rise as president... UN climate change policy conference opens on Indonesian island of Bali, to draft successor protocols to Kyoto treaty; with 180 nations in attendance, hopes are US will support accord, push global emissions regulations... Facing mounting international pressure, and after meetings with muslim members of the British parliament, Sudan pres. Omar al-Bashir pardons British schoolteacher jailed for allowing pupils to name teddy bear 'Muhammad', she will be sent home in coming days...

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...

Blair proposes jobs plan for West Bank, Gaza; oil nears $100/barrel, fears of widespread recession; Senate bill bars telecom immunity in wiretap...

19 November :: Fmr UK PM Tony Blair, envoy for 'Quartet' —UN, US, EU, Russia— to Middle East, has proposed a sweeping economic regeneration, job-creation plan for Palestinian territories, to dissuade militancy, get territories on path to viable statehood, long-term peace; plan to include Jericho trade-park, a checkpoint-free Jordan-Jericho trade corridor, public works projects like new sewage system for beleaguered Gaza strip... Oil nearing $100/barrel, observers worry record price could cause recession in several economies around the globe; CSM report suggests OPEC, created to stabilize oil prices, has lost control of pricing due to market, political factors... US Senate committee has voted to strip telecommunications firms of immunity from prosecution for collaborating in illegal NSA wiretaps; telecoms have contended they were forced by gov't to cooperate, while critics charge the companies knowingly violated the law, aided in assault on Constitutional liberties... Transport strike deepens in France, as unions oppose Sarkozy's proposed pension reforms across nation; as more groups join work stoppages, threat of real national 'general strike' looms for president... AP reports "Everyone will feel its effects, [said Yvo de Boer, director of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change] but global warming will hit the poorest countries hardest and will 'threaten the very survival' of some people", as UN scientists gather at Valencia IPCC talks to prepare language, agenda for Bali climate meetings...

Mukasey takes helm as AG; 4,000-year-old temple found in Peru; IPCC expected to push binding emissions cuts...

12 November :: Judge Mukasey was sworn in Friday as US attorney general, after key senators said they were re-assured by his promises not to endorse any interrogation practices beyond the law... "A 4,000-year-old temple filled with murals has been unearthed on the northern coast of Peru, making it one of the oldest finds in the Americas, a leading archaeologist said on Saturday" according to Reuters news service... IPCC meeting in Valencia, Spain, gathers representatives and scientists from 140 countries "to draft a report that could increase pressure on countries like the United States and China to make binding cuts in greenhouse gas emissions"; meeting comes just weeks before Bali conference expected to begin draft for replacement to Kyoto Protocol... Texas legislature caught violating rules, multiple members franticly voting multiple times for absent colleagues; rules already propose penalties, new law would make such abuse criminal offense... Oil spill spreads across San Francisco Bay as weather condiditons make containment, clean-up hazardous, unpredictable; state officials continue to call for probe into lax response in early stage of spill... At least 7 were killed, 80 injured in Gaza demonstration when gunfire broke out, allegedly between supporters of rival Fatah, Hamas factions; Hamas said to be planning crackdown on Fatah after deaths...

Musharraf arrests 3,500 in national attack on dissidents; Israel, PA say Annapolis summit can achieve peace; Google launches mobile phone software...

5 November :: Foreign envoys aim to force Musharraf to keep promises to US, UK, to hold elections in January, step down as military chief or face drop in Western support... As reports say as many as 3,500 dissidents have been arrested in Musharraf's 2nd military takeover, the Pakistani president has said on state television "I am determined to execute this third stage of transition fully and I'm determined to remove my uniform once we correct these pillars in judiciary and the executive and the parliament", even as the Daily News reports "In the eastern city of Lahore, about 2,000 lawyers gathered a the High Court. As they tried to march out onto a main road, they were overcome by a swarm of police, swinging clubs and firing tear gas"; Musharraf has reportedly said, without naming a date, that he will step down as military chief and become a civilian leader, when conditions are right... Upcoming mideast peace conference touted as start of negotiations for lasting settlement; Israel has raised possibility of ceding part of East Jerusalem to Palistinian state, hoping to sweeten deal for would-be peacemakers in Ramallah... Palestinian pres. Mahmoud Abbas has said he believes negotiations begun in Annapolis this month could achieve Palestinian state by January 2009, when US pres. Bush leaves office... Google has unveiled a new Open Handset Alliance, to implement and expand its open-platform Android mobile phone software platform, which could free up wireless telecommunications devices for interoperability, customization and serious cost-reduction; no device is expected to implement the new system before mid-2008...

DHS detains UK cabinet minister, Muslim, 2nd time in 2 yrs; US hands Karbala to Iraqi forces; UN says Gaza fuel cuts unacceptable...

30 October :: US Dept. of Homeland Security has for 2nd time in 2 years detained, searched and interrogated Shahid Malik, the UK's international development minister and its first Muslim cabinet minister; on both occasions, he had been in the US to meet with members of the Dept. of Homeland Security itself... Bloomberg reporting "Karbala province, scene of some of the worst sectarian attacks since the fall of Saddam Hussein, was handed over to Iraqi forces after the U.S. judged them ready to take responsibility for security in the Shiite Muslim area"... UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon has said Israel's fuel, electricity cuts to Gaza Strip are unacceptable collective punishment of entire population for actions of radical group; Israel gov't says cuts —limited to 15% or less— are a nonviolent means of pressuring Hamas leadership... Two competing philosophies on patent law go head to head in pushing for changes to federal law governing damages for infringement, strength of patent protections; each side says their way would protect intellectual property, innovation, while the other would hurt it... Adriana Cortes, of Bajio Community Foundation seeking to create job opportunities in small rural towns in Mexico, as incentive to promote economic development, prevent emigration to the north; Cortes says motivation is to prevent long-term social and economic hardships that result from damaging, sometimes hellish process of migration... Violence erupts as Spanish authorities attempt to clear Canada Real shanty outside Madrid, Europe's largest shanty-town, home to 30,000 people; residents are mostly immigrants, who say they have nowhere else to go, Spanish authorities have initiated an audacious plan to raze all shanty-towns across country, relocate families affected... Budget tussle between Bush, Democrats intensifies as president says Congress has "worst record" in years for pushing appropriations bills —which specify funding priorities—, Congress pushes "$9 billion more than [Bush] wants for various domestic social programs, from cancer research and early childhood education to helping the poor heat their homes this winter", as reported by Reuters news service... The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has found that funding for the war in Iraq could reach $2.4 trillion by 2017, accounting for interest, because administration has funded war with borrowed money; CBO calculates interest alone will cost over $700 for the period from 2001 through 2017; $604 billion has been spent so far, with $11 billion in Iraq, per month, and costs on the rise; Pres. Bush is currently seeking an additional $196 billion for the two wars, funding to take the military campaign only through 30 September 2008...

Atlanta's main source of drinking water may be dry within 4 months; UK housing market may be heading for crash...

17 October :: Lake Lanier, Atlanta's main water source, might be dry within four months, according to one worst-case projection; drought across the US southeast has reached the most severe warning level... Guardian reports "Britain risks the prospect of a US-style crash in its house prices as the credit crunch in the financial markets takes its toll of a heavily over-valued property market, the International Monetary Fund warned today"; the IMF report warned the UK's housing market is severely overpriced, more even than the US market inflated by unsustainable 'sub-prime' mortgage loans... Turkey's Parliament grants Erdogan authority to launch military raids into Kurdish-controlled northern Iraq; the PM said no actions is pending, but observers say with no US or Iraqi action against Kurdish rebels, raids will occur... Hamas confounds US, Israeli plans to gain momentum for peace push with Fatah, by expressing support for peace talks with Israel; both Israel, US, view Hamas as terrorist group, moderating statements may pave way to long-term process, but Hamas inclusion may make starting talks next month less attractive to many in Israel... Clinton campaign returns $1.3 million in donations, out of "abundance of caution", including over $800,000 with potential ties to disgraced political fundraiser Norman Hsu, who allegedly coerced investors into making political donations; there is no known connection between Mr. Hsu and the Clinton campaign, but an FEC spokesman said one reason for returning donations would be that the money received is found to be "illegal"...

Northwest passage open across Arctic Ocean for the first time; Calderón says border fence will harm both Mexico, US; Olmert vows to work for peace...

9 October :: The fabled 'Northwest Passage' through northern Canada was ice-free this summer for the first time in recorded history, and is being explored by a Canadian Coast Guard ice-breaker, whose journey will be far easier than any before through the glacial route; climate models had not foreseen such intense Arctic-wide ice-melt until one or two decades further into the future; Canada, Denmark, the US and Russia, may now compete for the right to use or control parts of what may become a seasonal shipping route as the planet keeps warming... Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) proposes national cap on greenhouse gas emissions, auction system that would force polluters to pay, saying "No business will be allowed to emit any greenhouse gases for free"; plan would bring US emissions to 1990 levels by 2020, to 80% below that by 2050... Mexico pres. Felipe Calderón has criticized US pres. Bush for building security barrier between two countries, saying nations should "build bridges, not fences", says he believes economic expansion in Mexico is best way to solve problem of mass economically-driven migration to the north... Israel PM Ehud Olmert has told MPs he will devote the coming year to security a lasting peace with Palestinians; while conservative ministers berated him, Olmert said he believed the Abbas gov't was devoted to peace and its commitment to that end should not be squandered; senior Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat welcomed the remarks saying it showed Olmert understood that "time is of the essence"... CA group reported to be collecting signatures to put former VP Al Gore's name on ballot for 5 February primary elections; 2000 Democrat candidate for presidency has repeatedly said running is not in his plans, but has never fully ruled out running... Burmese junta names retired general as liaison to Nobel-laureate opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, under house arrest; move is direct response to suggestion by UN envoy Ibrahim Gambari, opposition worries it is "cosmetic" step meant to deflect attention from violent crackdown; Singapore arrested 6 demonstrators who criticized Burma's military gov't, as it does not allow gathering of more than 5 people in public without permission...