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...

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...

UN Security Council unanimously 'deplores' Burma crackdown; Gore wins Nobel Peace Prize; Afghanistan closes 2 security firms, probing 10 more...

12 October :: UN Security Council passes unanimous non-binding declaration that it "strongly deplores" the violence used by Burma's military gov't against peaceful demonstrators; statement also calls for release of "all political prisoner and remaining detainees", as well as urging direct talks with opposition, pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, significant action to move Burma toward a lasting democratic process; statement is first ever Council action on Burma's military junta... Fmr US VP Al Gore and the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts to raise global awareness of the climate change crisis; since spring 2007, Gore has won an Academy Award, an Emmy and now the Nobel, he said in response "We face a true planetary emergency. The climate crisis is not a political issue, it is a moral and spiritual challenge to all of humanity", two advisers told the press the award does not make it more likely he will run for US presidency... CNN reported yesterday "Afghan authorities this week shut down two private security companies and said more than 10 others —some suspected of murder and robbery— would soon be closed, Afghan and Western officials said Thursday"; move comes amid growing concerns over role of private security firms in Iraq violence, UN urging US to investigate alleged crimes... Crude oil hits record high trading price of $84/barrell, just after noon New York time; cost for alternative fuels expected to drive adoption of new fuel sources, transport costs straining overall economic output... Russian Soyuz rocket launched from Kazakhstan carrying American, Russian, Malaysian to Int'l Space Station; Peggy Whitson to be first woman to command Space Station, Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor 9th Muslim in space, 1st Malaysian...

Police fire on demonstrating monks in Rangoon; global carbon footprint 23.881 billion tons...

26 September :: Riot police in Burma (Myanmar under its military dictatorship) have fired on 10,000 Buddhist monks and pro-democracy activists protesting against totalitarian rule; US has announced new sanctions against regime, Bush denouncing "19-year reign of fear"; on Monday, 100,000 marched to support the "saffron rebellion"... Global carbon footprint at 23.881 billion tons, as of 12:00 noon GMT... Iran pres. tells UN General Assembly his gov't will ignore "arrogant" mandates from the Security Council, but will comply with IAEA supervision of its nuclear research; he accused "certain big powers" of using the Security Council "to turn a simple legal issue into a very loud, controversial, political issue"... Germany's foreign minister accuses French, American firms of doing extensive business with Iran; upcoming report will reportedly demonstrate major US firms doing business in Iran, despite sanctions imposed since 1979, via front companies in Dubai...

Ban calls for global action to slow climate change; Antarctic melt moves inland; Ahmadinejad in NY...

25 September :: UN Sec. Gen. Ban Ki-moon has called for concerted action to slow global warming, saying "I am convinced that climate change, and what we do about it, will define us, our era, and ultimately the global legacy we leave for future generations"... Discovery reports "Antarctica's once fringe-thawing is moving well inland, say scientists who have studied water-sensitive microwave satellite data spanning the years 1987 to 2006"; in 2005, considered a major event in terms of hot weather, with melt found more than 500 miles inland and at 5,500 feet elevation in the Transantarctic Mountains... Iran pres. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad addresses Columbia University, after univ. pres. introduces him as a "cruel and petty dictator" who is "astonishingly uneducated", captures US media attention, makes plea for his nation's right to nuclear power; protesters outside called him the "new Hitler"... UK health secretary has announced plans to "remorselessly" fight to eliminate hospital 'superbugs'; Johnson says he plans to see "zero" incidence of MRSA in UK hospitals... Social networking site helps Kentucky youth bring pres. candidate Edwards to town of 229, Columbus, KY, once considered by Thomas Jefferson for national capital after burning of Washington; Shawn Edwards, 24, is also running a campaign to try to unseat Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell...