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...

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

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

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"...

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

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