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...

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...

100,000 march for democracy in Burma; Ahmadinejad says no nukes, no war with US; Gore, Schwarzenegger push emissions protocol...

24 September :: Estimated 100,000 march in Rangoon (Yangon) to support Buddhist monks calling for end to military rule in Burma; some fear junta will impose another harsh crack-down... Iran pres. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said his nation does not need nuclear weapons and is not headed for war with US; news comes amid heightened tensions between Western powers and Teheran, over nuclear allegations, apparent French threat, upcoming UN General Assembly... Reuters reports "U.S. troop movements are being monitored by Iran using satellites and other technology and would be in range of Iranian missiles if an attack was launched, a top Iranian military official said"; Yahya Rahim Safavi, an advisor to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, also said he does not expect a US strike, as Iraq is taxing its military resources... US has said it considers Syria a "natural invitee" to Mideast peace conference it will host in November, but urges all participants to renounce violence, commit to peaceful, negotiated solution that recognizes Israel... CA gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and fmr. US vice pres. Al Gore to join world leaders at climate policy summit, aimed at establishing new solutions for global emissions reductions... Pudding Media, a new VoIP venture, is planning to monitor users phone calls in order to harvest keywords and target advertising to their computer screens as they talk; some say business method is one step too far in handing private information to online service providers... The NY Times has apologized for running a political ad criticizing the Petraeus report at a discounted rate; Moveon.org, who purchased the ad has already said it will wire the difference between the "standby rate" —for "political and advocacy groups willing to be flexible about the day their ads run"— and the full rate, according to Reuters...

Spain airs anti-migration ads in Senegal; NASA restores $105 million mission to survey black holes...

21 September :: Spain has begun airing commercials in West Africa urging would-be migrants not to attempt the perilous journey by boat to Spanish soil in the Canary Islands; adverts show weeping families, drowned migrants, urge viewers to see themselves as "the future of Africa"; the 6-week, $1.4 million campaign was launched on Senegalese TV... BBC reports on rally for the 'Jena Six' that "Racial tensions had been running high at the school after three nooses were found hanging from a tree in the school yard, the day after a black pupil had sat in its shade... The three white pupils responsible for that act were not disciplined"; estimated 10,000 people from across the US attended rally in town of 3,000... NASA has restored the Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR), a $105 million mission to study black holes; New Scientist reports "NuSTAR will carry out a census of black holes of all sizes, from small ones weighing a few times the mass of the Sun to 'supermassive' black holes weighing millions or billions of Suns"... US sec. of State Rice says scheduled summit on Mid-east peace must lay groundwork for Palestinian state, negotiated peace, otherwise there's no point inviting the two sides to the talks... US dollar fell yesterday to record-low $1.4018 against the euro, after Fed cut interest rates to ease economic crisis spurred by mortgage bank failures, weak dollar expected to help Eurozone firms reduce costs, hurt exports as US is largest Eurozone trading partner; in July dollar fell to record low against the Chinese yuan, when the Chinese central bank raised interest rates to stabilize currency, investment prospects, central bank sets 'mid-point' from which yuan is allowed to rise or fall in value by maximum of 0.5% per day...

North Korea denies nuclear assistance to Syria; French FM plays down call to war with Iran...

18 September :: North Korea's gov't says rumors it provided nuclear assistance to Syria are "conspiracy" designed to prevent its normalizing relations with the US... Russia, China have raised "alarm" over comments by French foreign minister Bernard Kouchner that the nation should prepare for war with Iran; Reuters reports "Kouchner sought, however, to play down his weekend remarks, saying they were meant as a 'message of peace'"... Israel's PM Olmert has said he respects Syrian pres. Bashar al-Assad and does not rule out dialogue with Damascus; Syria accuses Israel aircraft of firing on its territory earlier this month; alleged intel leaked to press suggests Israel may seek to defend actions claiming target was facility where Syria was working on nuclear technology obtained from North Korea; Syria, N. Korea deny allegations... Venezuelan man wakes up as coroners begin autopsy surgery; no official word on how death certificate was issued, autopsy ordered, on man whose heart, brain were still functioning; Reuters has published images provided by Carlos Camejo to a El Universal newspaper, showing his facial scar and the document ordering his autopsy...