Police open fire as soldiers turn on Mugabe
POLICE shot at rioting soldiers in Harare on Monday as unpaid troops sided with the country's impoverished people for the first time in protest against Zimbabwe's collapsing economy.
Study: WMD Attack In U.S. Likely By 2013
The United States can expect a terror attack using nuclear or more likely biological weapons before 2013, reports a bipartisan commission in a study briefed Tuesday to Vice President-elect Joe Biden
Some 100 countries to sign cluster bomb ban in Oslo
Representatives from some 100 countries meet in Oslo Wednesday to sign a treaty banning the use of cluster bombs, but major producers such as China, Russia and the United States are shunning the pact.
Lie detector tests to catch benefit cheats
Benefit claimants will face lie detector tests and will lose benefits for a month if found guilty of fiddling the system under proposals unveiled by Gordon Brown on the eve of today's Queen's speech.
Dissident poet is allowed to speak, but Egypt's leaders aren't listening
Iman Bakry has a fortuneteller's voice, husky and cracked. It coaxes you into her colloquial poems, which once were about romance, but have since shifted to a cutting critique of President Hosni Mubarak's government and an Egypt plagued by self-doubt, repression, corruption and a dangerous divide between rich and poor.
Texas: Man says God ordered him to ram vehicle at 100 mph
A speeding pickup rear-ended a woman's sedan on the South Side on Friday morning and sheriff's officials say the driver said it was Jesus' will because the other motorist was not “driving like a Christian.”
‘US concept of uncontested nuclear strike not feasible’
Russia says the US will not be able to launch a pre-emptive nuclear strike without being hit back. It follows Washington's plans to set up a missile defence shield in space.
Russia-Venezuela exercises begin
The Venezuelan and Russian navies have begun joint exercises in the Caribbean Sea, close to US territorial waters.
Russia building missiles to counter US space defences
Russia is developing missiles designed to avoid being hit by space-based missile defence systems that could be deployed by the United States, a top Russian general was quoted as saying Monday.
US intelligence warned India of Mumbai attack in mid-October – Report
DEBKAfile's intelligence sources report that the Indian spy agency RAW (the Research and Analysis Wing) caught wind of a terrorist threat for Mumbai in late August, three months before the event. More information was collected by RAW during September and October about the shape of the attack and its targets and passed to the American NSA.
India raises spectre of war over Mumbai attacks
The Indian foreign minister has refused to rule out military action against Pakistan following the Mumbai attacks, contradicting earlier statements.
CCTV shows start of Mumbai massacre
Fresh CCTV footage emerged today of the terrorists who killed nearly 200 people in Mumbai as they set about their killing spree.
Obama’s teammate with shady Russian past
Members of Obama’s economic task force are already rolling up their sleeves to fight the recession. Among those due to guide America through the financial crisis is Larry Summers, who will be the president's senior financial advisor, and who, as RT found out, comes with quite a controversial past.
Big Three survival bailout requests rise to $34B
Humbled and fighting for survival, Detroit's once-mighty automakers appealed to Congress with a retooled case for a bailout as large as $34 billion Tuesday, pledging to slash workers, car lines and executive pay in return for a federal lifeline.
Nixon tapes: Ruthless, cynical, profane
Richard Nixon's reputation takes a fresh pounding every time the National Archives releases another batch of audio tapes from his presidency, and today's opening of nearly 200 hours of Nixon White House recordings is no exception.
‘Bernanke-san’ Signals Policy Shift, Evoking Japan Comparison
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke signaled he’s ready to dig deeper into the central bank’s toolkit after cutting interest rates almost as much as he can, opening the door to a shift by policy makers this month.
Indictments against Cheney, Gonzales dismissed
A judge dismissed eight indictments Monday brought by a South Texas prosecutor against high-profile figures including Vice President Dick Cheney, former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and a state senator.
Who Killed John Lennon?
Government officials had been keeping strict tabs on the ex-Beatle they referred to as "Mr. Lennon." But the official U.S. war against Lennon began in earnest in 1972 when he was served with deportation orders. While the orders were supposedly for a four-year-old marijuana conviction in Great Britain, what Lennon didn't realize was that Nixon was personally driving the effort to have him deported.
Ocean currents can power the world, say scientists
A revolutionary device that can harness energy from slow-moving rivers and ocean currents could provide enough power for the entire world, scientists claim.
In Courtroom Showdown, Bush Demands Amnesty for Spying Telecoms
The Bush administration on Tuesday will try to convince a federal judge to let stand a law granting retroactive legal immunity to the nation's telecoms, which are accused of transmitting Americans' private communications to the National Security Agency without warrants.
Court ruling brings down Thai government
A court today dissolved Thailand's top three ruling parties for electoral fraud and banned the prime minister from politics for five years, bringing down a government that has faced months of strident protests seeking its ousting.
After 9/11, Rove pressured the entertainment industry ‘to produce propaganda.’
The New York Times reports today that shortly after 9/11, the White House met several times with “a delegation of high-level media executives, including the heads of every major studio,” in order to discuss how “the entertainment industry could play a part in improving the image of the United States overseas.” Karl Rove attended at least one of the meetings. One of the participants in the meetings, former RIAA chairwoman Hilary Rosen says Rove “put pressure” on them to “produce propaganda”
Icelanders Protest Economic Crisis
Thousands of Icelanders marked the 90th anniversary of sovereignty from Denmark Monday by demanding the government resign over the country's economic crisis.
Financial crisis could trigger social unrest, warns UN chief
The global financial crisis has brought an abrupt end to a long era of economic growth, and if not handled properly it could result in social unrest and political instability, according to the United Nations.
Shall We Save the Economy … or the Government?
By Vin Suprynowicz
Herbert Hoover and Franklin Roosevelt – the latter continued and amplified the former’s policies in a kind of one-two punch, as revealed in Murray Rothbard’s The Great Depression – did all the wrong things from 1930 to 1938.
India demands Pakistani sign of faith over Mumbai
India demanded Pakistan hand over 20 of its most wanted fugitives as a sign of good faith, while both sides on Tuesday tried to cool tensions over the Mumbai attacks before a visit by Washington's top diplomat.
Iran designs aircraft invisible to enemy eyes
Iran says it has designed a radar-evading aircraft capable of taking out high-value targets without being detected by hostile radar systems.
U.S. Manufacturing hits 26-year low
Manufacturing in the U.S. contracted in November at the fastest pace in 26 years, putting American factories at the forefront of a global industrial slump emanating from the lack of credit.
Pakistan rejects Mumbai allegations
Pakistan rejected what it called unsubstantiated allegations of complicity in the militant assault on Mumbai and sought help from allies to reduce tension with India.
They warned us: US was told to 'expect foreclosures, expect horror stories'
The Bush administration backed off proposed crackdowns on no-money-down, interest-only mortgages years before the economy collapsed, buckling to pressure from some of the same banks that have now failed. It ignored remarkably prescient warnings that foretold the financial meltdown, according to an Associated Press review of regulatory documents.
Neatness Ordinance Violates Fourth Amendment in Florida
The proposal basically sets standards for upkeep and appearance and gives town officials the right to enter homes. If the owner refuses to allow the official to enter, the town can go to a judge for an "administrative search warrant" to allow access to the interior of buildings. Violations would cost up to $250 a day.
Doctors shocked at hostages's torture
They said that just one look at the bodies of the dead hostages as well as terrorists showed it was a battle of attrition that was fought over three days at the Oberoi and the Taj hotels in Mumbai.
Donald Trump Facing Bankruptcy?
Trump Entertainment Resorts announced that it will have to miss the $53.1 Million interest payment due to it’s bondholders on Monday. Citing a collapse in revenues and a poor economic environment, the Atlantic City Casino operator says that it does not have ample liquidity to make the payment.
Sick babies denied treatment in DNA row
Babies with a severe form of epilepsy risk having their diagnosis delayed and their treatment compromised because of a company's patent on a key gene.
FCC Chair To Push Free Porn-Free Internet
During the FCC's December meeting, chair Kevin Martin plans to push for a free, but porn-free Internet service that would be available to all Americans. Reports the Wall Street Journal:
It's a depression
By Helen Thomas
Few prominent economists will say it, but to me it looks and feels like we are in another Great Depression or a reasonable facsimile.
Obama vows to continue to invest in military
President-elect Barack Obama vowed on Monday to continue to invest to strengthen the U.S. military, increase ground forces and ensure success against al Qaeda and the Taliban.
China's currency falls by record against U.S. dollar
China's currency staged a record loss against the U.S. dollar Monday, falling to the lower end of its daily trading limit, in what some analysts said is a policy shift as authorities let the yuan depreciate against the greenback in an effort to help bolster the decelerating economy.
“OOPS, WE MEANT $7 TRILLION!”
WHAT HANK AND BEN ARE UP TO AND HOW THEY PLAN TO PAY FOR IT ALL
By Ellen Brown
The $700 billion that was arm-twisted from Congress by Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson in October was evidently just the camel’s nose under the tent. According to a November 24 Bloomberg report, the Paulson/Bernanke team is now prepared to pay $7.76 trillion to rescue the financial system. Prepared to pay how? Congress has not raised its debt ceiling to anywhere near that level; but the approval of Congress, which originally voted down the controversial $700 billion bailout, is apparently no longer necessary.
The ship was said to be carrying about 3,000 tonnes of goods for residents of the Strip in defiance of an Israeli sea and land blockade of the territory.
Pentagon to Detail Troops to Bolster Domestic Security
The U.S. military expects to have 20,000 uniformed troops inside the United States by 2011 trained to help state and local officials respond to a nuclear terrorist attack or other domestic catastrophe, according to Pentagon officials.
Indian air and missile forces on war footing, Pakistani armored units diverted from Afghan border
Asia's two nuclear powers, India and Pakistan, took their first steps towards a conventional war. India, claiming evidence of Pakistan's involvement in the Islamist terrorist assault on Mumbai, placed its air and missile units on war preparedness, while Pakistan, disclaiming the charge, diverted its armed divisions from the Afghan border to its frontier with India.
Credit card industry may cut $2 trillion of lines: analyst
The U.S. credit card industry may pull back well over $2 trillion of lines over the next 18 months due to risk aversion and regulatory changes, leading to sharp declines in consumer spending, prominent banking analyst Meredith Whitney said.
CIA Foreknowledge of the Mumbai Attacks
In mid-September this year, the CIA station chief in Delhi sought an urgent meeting with his counterpart in R&AW to pass on some critical inputs. This was part of an understanding that Indian and American intelligence had institutionalised in the aftermath of 9/11. From its assets in Pakistan and Afghanistan, American intelligence had come to learn that the Lashkar-e-Toiba was planning to launch a major terrorist attack in Mumbai, which would be carried out from the sea.
Robert Fisk: 'Nobody supports the Taliban, but people hate the government'
The collapse of Afghanistan is closer than the world believes. Kandahar is in Taliban hands – all but a square mile at the centre of the city – and the first Taliban checkpoints are scarcely 15 miles from Kabul. Hamid Karzai's deeply corrupted government is almost as powerless as the Iraqi cabinet in Baghdad's "Green Zone"; lorry drivers in the country now carry business permits issued by the Taliban which operate their own courts in remote areas of the country.
Homeland Security in disarray, officials warn
As the Department of Homeland Security prepares for its first transition, a series of major projects - including a communication network linking state and locals officials in a crisis, a system to scan shipping containers for terrorist weapons, and a massive border-control initiative - face serious technical delays or cost overruns.
Iran would 'hit US warships' at war
Iran says heavy enemy warships in the Persian Gulf would become prime targets for its forces in the event of an attack on the country.
Chavez seeks reelection, eyes presidency through 2021
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has announced he was seeking a constitutional amendment to allow himself to seek re-election again, saying he hoped to lead the OPEC nation until 2021.
President-elect Barack Obama proposes economic suicide for US
If the holder of the most powerful office in the world proposed a policy guaranteed to inflict untold damage on his own country and many others, on the basis of claims so demonstrably fallacious that they amount to a string of self-deluding lies, we might well be concerned. The relevance of this is not to President Bush, as some might imagine, but to a recent policy statement by President-elect Obama.
Barack Obama's security team delights the hawks
Barack Obama will announce his national security team today to approval from the military establishment and Republicans, distant cries of dissent from liberals and head-scratching from others.
UK 'closer' to adopting the euro
The UK is "closer than ever before" to joining the euro, according to the president of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso.
Now anthrax takes toll on the starving in Zimbabwe
To add to the peril of cholera, Zimbabwe's beleaguered population is now facing anthrax. An outbreak of the deadly infection has killed two children and one adult and spread to 32 others. It is threatening to wipe out at least 60,000 livestock in the northern Zambezi Valley, aggravating the food crisis, Save the Children warned yesterday.
Judge's disgust after soldier is held down and hit EIGHT times
A judge has condemned an apparent police assault on a soldier who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Lance Corporal Mark Aspinall, 24, was thrown to the ground by three uniformed officers after a night out with friends and punched eight times.
Obama's Team Includes Dangerous Biotech "Yes Men"
Biotech "Yes Men" on Obama's team threaten to expand the use of dangerous genetically modified (GM) foods in our diets. Instead of giving us change and hope, they may prolong the hypnotic "group think" that has been institutionalized over three previous administrations--where critical analysis was abandoned in favor of irrational devotion to this risky new technology.
Mossad role in Turkey coup plot revealed
Israel's national intelligence agency Mossad has been behind a failed coup in Turkey, the Turkish daily newspaper, Milliyet reports.
Lawyers call for international court for the environment
Stephen Hockman QC is proposing a body similar to the International Court of Justice in The Hague to be the supreme legal authority on issues regarding the environment.
Venezuela's Chavez offers heat to villages
With heating oil prices approaching $10 a gallon in rural Alaska and reports of neighbors stealing fuel from neighbors to warm their homes, a Venezuela-owned oil company plans to supply free fuel to villages again this winter.
U.S. 'Not Getting What We Pay For'
Talk to the chief executives of America's preeminent health-care institutions, and you might be surprised by what you hear: When it comes to medical care, the United States isn't getting its money's worth. Not even close.
Cracks widen in Mugabe regime as soldiers riot over shortage of cash
In a significant setback to Robert Mugabe's regime, uniformed soldiers have for the first time rioted in the centre of Zimbabwe's capital, Harare, after trying to withdraw cash from a bank that had run out of money.
Somali pirates to release Ukraine ship with arms
Somali pirates and owners of a Ukrainian ship carrying 33 tanks and other military hardware have reached a deal to release the vessel, a Kenyan maritime official said on Sunday.
Taj Mahal hotel chairman: We had warning
The Taj Mahal hotel in Mumbai, India, temporarily increased security after being warned of a possible terrorist attack, the chairman of the company that owns the hotel said Saturday.
No sympathy for Detroit at a Kia plant in Georgia
This attractive old mill town along the Chattahoochee River, with its brick downtown and streets of cozy, unpretentious homes, could be the backdrop for a patriotic American car commercial -- lacking only the plaintive croak of a Bob Seger or John Mellencamp
Salmon-tracking network upends some sacred cows
They were two of the 1,000 juvenile salmon implanted with almond-sized transmitters as they headed out of the Rocky Mountains, down the Snake River bound for the sea.
Their remarkable three-month, 1,500-mile journey of survival to the Gulf of Alaska was tracked by an underwater acoustic listening network that has wired the West Coast from just north of San Francisco to southeastern Alaska. The tracking network could provide a model for a global system.
Tracing the silk traders' route
Pot holes?! Whaddya mean pot holes?! I thought this was the Silk Road! With apologies to historians, driving the ancient Silk Road trading route from China to eastern Europe is a sometimes bumpy adventure that, yes, has more than a few potholes en route.
But that should be of no concern to travellers whose goal it is to experience a slice of history written by the likes of Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan and Marco Polo, to name a few. They can have that experience by embarking on this epic overland journey.
The entire trip covers nearly 14,000 kilometres -- a journey that might have lasted years by camel train centuries ago. Now, it takes about two months to navigate the Silk Road by car.
Signs Of An Attempted Coup In New Delhi
With a traumatized nation and a paralyzed government, a core group of secular ideologues and Hindu nationalists are executing a ‘soft coup’ in New Delhi to bring to power hawks who want to pursue America’s agenda of grooming India as a regional policeman, sort out Pakistan and confront China. India will self-destroy in the process. India’s military and intelligence has been penetrated. The man who uncovered the plot, Hemant Karkare, the antiterrorism chief of Mumbai police, was the first target of the mysterious terrorists.
Terrorists trained by special forces: Russian expert
A top Russian counter-terrorism expert on Sunday (November 30) underlined that the Mumbai attackers were not "ordinary terrorists" and were probably trained by the special operations forces set up in Pakistan by the US intelligence prior to the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan
"The handwriting and character of the Mumbai events demonstrates that they were not ordinary terrorists," said Vladimir Klyukin, an Afghan war veteran. "Behind this terrorist attack there are 'Green Flag' special operations forces, which were created by the Americans in Pakistan, just an year before the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan, and in the initial period were under full US control," stressed Klyukin, a veteran of the special "Vympel" commando group of the former Soviet KGB.
India-Pakistan tensions may pull in U.S.
Tensions between India and Pakistan over the Mumbai attacks and threats to move troops to the border between the nuclear rivals are unlikely to lead to a flashpoint, analysts said on Sunday.
Mumbai attackers 'wanted to do a 9/11'
"In a startling revelation by Times Now, [a] terrorist who was caught alive had confessed to investigating agencies that they had a plan to blow up the Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai. Times Now spoke to officials who are investigating the sole surviving terrorist, identified as 21-year-old Azam Amir Kasav.
China official daily says don’t rule out Hindu radicals
The Chinese Communist party’s mouthpiece — the People’s Daily — has carried a news article, indicating involvement of Hindu radicals in the Mumbai Terror attacks. The article has based its argument on a “red thread” worn by the attackers on their wrists.
Evidence suggests CIA funded experiments at state hospital
Few people in Vermont remember Dr. Robert W. Hyde, but one of his former patients can’t forget him. The doctor was involved in one of the nation’s darkest chapters in medical science: In the 1950s, Hyde conducted drug and psychological experiments at a Boston hospital through funding that apparently originated with the CIA. Later, he became director of research at the Vermont State Hospital.
Switzerland condemns Gaza blockade
Switzerland has demanded an end to Israel's tightened blockage of the Gaza Strip, saying the area has been completely cut off from the outside world.
A New Foreclosure Wave Hits The Jobless
There's a new wave of foreclosure sweeping across the country, and the people who are getting swept up are not greedy investors, or people who got in over their heads with bad loans, reports CBS News correspondent Ben Tracy. Rather, the crisis is hitting home for those who never expected to be in trouble until the slumping economy put them out of work.
Poverty spreading in suburbs: study
Poverty in the United States is spreading from rural and inner-city areas to the suburbs, according to a study, a situation that can worsen as the economy confronts what may be a protracted recession.
Thailand crisis deepens amidst new violence
Nearly 50 anti-government demonstrators were rushed to hospital early Sunday morning after a grenade attack on one of their protest sites in Bangkok.
Press and "Psy Ops" to merge at NATO Afghan HQ: sources
The U.S. general commanding NATO forces in Afghanistan has ordered a merger of the office that releases news with "Psy Ops," which deals with propaganda, a move that goes against the alliance's policy, three officials said.
Civil War in the U.S.A. in 2009?
Russia Today interviews Igor Panarin, who believes the economic crisis in the U.S. has confirmed his long-held belief that the country is heading for extinction in its present form.
