Week Ending: Saturday 21st August 2004

French reporters vanish in Iraq
Two veteran French journalists have gone missing in Iraq as concern mounts over the fate of an Italian reporter. George Malbrunot of Le Figaro newspaper and Christian Chesnot of French radio have not been heard of since Thursday, the French foreign ministry said. The two men have often worked together and published a book on Iraq last year. An interpreter working for missing Italian reporter Enzo Baldoni has been found dead, raising fears that the journalist has been kidnapped.

Car bomb explodes in north Iraq
A car bomb has exploded in the Iraqi town of Baquba, killing two Iraqis and wounding at least four, officials say. Police officers said the target of the attack was the town's deputy mayor, Ghasan Ghadren, who survived the blast. The bomb exploded on as the official's convoy passed through Baquba. It is not known if it was a suicide attack or detonated remotely.

Is Israel planning to attack Iran?
Ariel Sharon may be on the warpath again and the target is Iran. In the past, the Israeli prime minister has focused attention on Iran by claiming that it presents the greatest threat to Israel. More than once, defense officials in Jerusalem have said that Israel might attack Iran's nuclear facilities. In response, Iran's defense minister, Ali Shamkhani, warned that should Israel do so, his country would wipe out Israel.

The warlords of America - John Pilger
Most of the US's recent wars were launched by Democratic presidents. Why expect better of Kerry? The debate between US liberals and conservatives is a fake; Bush may be the lesser evil. On 6 May last, the US House of Representatives passed a resolution which, in effect, authorised a "pre-emptive" attack on Iran. The vote was 376-3. Undeterred by the accelerating disaster in Iraq, Republicans and Democrats, wrote one commentator, "once again joined hands to assert the responsibilities of American power".

Halliburton: Designer of the real Manchurian candidate?
Those who command the empire don’t possess great clarity or intellect. Rather, they tend to not ask themselves or anyone else about right or wrong, attributes of sensitive, self-critical people. The Washington imperialists do great harm as naturally and routinely as most people breathe or sleep. Power, getting it and exercising it, sustains them. It is their drug, nay their oxygen. They will say and do  almost anything to keep it.

US general 'censured' for remarks
A US general who provoked outcry by describing the "war on terror" as a Christian campaign against Satan broke Pentagon rules, an inquiry has found. Top-ranking intelligence officer Lt Gen William Boykin made the remarks at several church gatherings last year. The Pentagon report has yet to be officially released but leaked copies of it have been seen by the media.

Fascist Infiltration of SWP
Manchester Respect, SWP and UAF have been infiltrated by a racist political party. The infiltrators are named and photographed with members of this racist organisation, as Joe Finnon and Diane Stoker, both students at Manchester universities.

US tanks 'encircle Najaf shrine'
US tanks have reportedly encircled the Imam Ali shrine in the Iraqi city of Najaf, after an intense bombardment of rebel positions overnight. The push came after radical Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr defied demands to end his insurgency, despite a "final call" from interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi. An aide to Mr Sadr said fighters were ready to hand over keys of the shrine to Shia leaders, but vowed to fight on.

Explosions near Najaf's Imam Ali mosque
" Massive" explosions have shaken the old quarter of Najaf as reports emerge that Shia leader Muqtada al-Sadr has ordered his militiamen to leave the holy shrines.
The reports indicated that the militia were to relinquish control of the Imam Ali mosque to Shia religious authorities. Aus al-Khafaji, an al-Sadr office director in Nasiriya appealed to the Vatican to urgently intervene to prevent a "massacre at a holy shrine".

US army medics accused in abuse
United States army medics have been accused of being complicit in the abuse of Iraqi inmates at Abu Ghraib prison, outside Baghdad. Writing in the medical journal, The Lancet, Professor Steven Miles says some medics collaborated with abusive guards.

Figures for Chávez supporters grow in recount
Another and no less convincing demonstration of popular support for the Bolivarian project has just been offered by the National Electoral Council. Of the votes scrutinized up until now, a total of 5,553,209 Venezuelans ratified President Hugo Chávez’ mandate as opposed to 3,349,683 representing his recall.

Kathmandu hit by 'rebel' blasts
Suspected Maoist rebels in Nepal have set off two bombs in Kathmandu, on the third day of a blockade of the capital. Two people have been injured, including a policeman who was wounded when rebels shot at him.

An Ordinary View of Extra-Ordinary Times
Future history will probably record these times as a dark and chaotic age, characterized by brutal terrorism, wars, fear, starvation and exploitation. The poor and struggling people form the vast majority in this world. They form the base of a pyramid, while at the top an elite few wage wars and keep half of humanity in debt. Perhaps it is time to turn that pyramid upside down.

War warning after Burundi carnage
The massacre of 160 Congolese refugees in Burundi has brought the central African region to the brink of war, the UN peacekeeping chief has warned. Jean-Marie Guehenno asked all parties to show "maximum restraint", saying "there has to be justice, not revenge".

Ulster group develops child-tracking kit
The KinderGUARD system will allow parents to track the movements of their children in real-time on the Internet. The device not only uses tracking technology to indicate the location of the wearer, it also monitors biometrics. An alarm is raised if the child leaves the area in which he or she is expected to be, if the biometric sensor indicates that the child may be in distress, or if an unauthorised person puts on the device.

Vietnam dominates Bush-Kerry fray
US presidential contender John Kerry has accused rival George W Bush of using a front group to launch underhand attacks on his Vietnam war record. Mr Kerry said Mr Bush's refusal to condemn ads slamming his record shows he wants them to do "his dirty work". He has dismissed as "lies" a set of TV ads by Republican-leaning war veterans which say he exaggerated his valour.

Police Turn Up Volume for Republican Convention
Forget the megaphones. Police will have a much more high-tech - and louder - option to make themselves heard over the din of Manhattan traffic and noisy protesters outside the Republican National Convention. It's called the Long Range Acoustic Device, developed for the military and capable of blasting warnings, orders or anything else at an ear-splitting 150 decibels.

Paris court weighs Arab 'hate' TV
A top French court is due to decide on Friday whether a Lebanese-based Arabic channel should be banned in France. The country's broadcast watchdog body wants al-Manar TV removed from satellite transmissions for allegedly airing anti-Semitic views.

A war of words: A letter to Tony Blair
The 14-year-old sister of a teenage soldier killed in Iraq made an impassioned plea yesterday to Tony Blair to withdraw British troops. Maxine Gentle, whose brother Gordon, aged 19, was killed in June by a roadside bomb in Basra, delivered a letter to Downing Street in which she criticised the Prime Minister for dispatching troops to "a war over oil and money".

Locusts ravage northern Nigeria
The locusts swarming across West Africa have reached parts of northern Nigeria, devastating fields of crops. "The destruction done by the locusts is enormous, as a lot of farmland has been eaten up," said Zamfara state spokesman Ibrahim Birnin-Magaji. The swarms reached Nigeria as the UN made an urgent appeal for $100m to help contain them.

We could have stopped him
The CIA has taken much of the blame for the security lapses that led to 9/11 and the false intelligence on Iraq's WMDs. But now one spy has broken ranks to point the finger at the politicians - and warn that the war on terror could plunge the US into even greater danger.

Mbeki seeks urgent UN reform
South African President Thabo Mbeki has called for reform of the UN and other international institutions. At the Non-Aligned Movement summit in Durban he said developing countries should not allow powerful nations to dictate the world on their own terms.

McDonald's fights back against hit film
At first glance the text of the advert running in national newspapers today reads like an attack on the burger and fries giant McDonald's. The advert says it supports the core argument of a film where a man who eats burgers for 30 days piles on weight to such a health damaging extent that his doctors order him to stop eating them. But it is not placed by campaigners savaging the firm's nutritional record - it is placed by McDonald's.

Abu Ghraib report 'spreads blame'
The new US Army report on the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal will implicate at least two dozen more personnel, say US defence officials. It will also criticise senior officers in Iraq for failures of leadership, but clear them and the Pentagon of ordering any abuse, the unnamed officials said.

Tony Blair: 'When ya gettin' rid of him?'
Tony Blair has become an embarrassment to Labour's natural allies across the Atlantic - the Democrats. America is polarised between red and blue - or, as some Democrats whisper, between progressive America and a revived Confederacy.

Labour urges early Israeli poll
Israeli Labour opposition leader Shimon Peres has called for early elections, after Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was rebuffed by his own Likud party. Mr Sharon has vowed to press ahead with a contentious plan to pull Israeli settlers and troops from Gaza - the issue behind the Likud mutiny.

Republican Congressman: War Was a Mistake
It appears there was a massive failure or misinterpretation of intelligence concerning the weapons of mass destruction (WMD) programs and supply stocks of Saddam, both by the American agencies and leading decision-makers, but also on the part of allies and other leading countries.

Pakistan holds al-Qaeda suspects
Police in the northern Pakistani city of Peshawar say they have arrested a foreign al-Qaeda suspect. The man, who they believe is Iraqi, was held a day after evading arrest during a shoot-out in the west of the city. Another man, identified as Algerian, also escaped but was captured in a raid on a mosque later

Britons reminded of fingerprint plan at US airports
America warned Britons yesterday that they will be fingerprinted and photographed at US ports of entry from next month as part of stringent new security requirements.The four million Britons entering America annually will be subject to the new rules from Sept 30. The process will be carried out by the same officials who check passports. Visitors will be digitally photographed and two inkless fingerprint scans taken.

Geoff Hoon told the grieving father "You're irritating me"
The gaffe-prone Defence Secretary was branded arrogant over the outburst by Reg Keys whose son Tom, 20, was one of six military police officers killed by a mob in Iraq. Reg said the astonishing comment came during a heated meeting with bereaved families. He claimed Mr Hoon told him: "I believe you're getting irritated and you're irritating me now."

FBI Took Coolers From Anthrax Investigation
When an anthrax investigation at Fort Detrick, Md., wrapped up last month, FBI agents carried out at least three coolers from the building where the dangerous bacteria is stored. It has long been speculated that the anthrax in tainted mailings that killed five people and sickened 17 shortly after the Sept. 11 attacks was somehow stolen from the Fort Detrick labs.

Wave your RFID credit card to get a burger
Burger outlet McDonald's said it will accept payment for its meaty products later this year using radio frequency tech implemented on Mastercards. It will trial the method at some of its fast food joints in the US - in particular in Dallas and the Big Apple - using Mastercard Paypass.

Car-tracking RFID tags may enforce Congestion Charge
Transport for London is set to spend up to £34m on new digital enforcement technologies for the Congestion Charging Scheme, which could include radio frequency identification (RFID) tags. A new number plate recognition system will be used in the proposed western extension zone once it gets the go ahead and will then be rolled out to the existing congestion charging zone.

Aborted baby's head left inside woman
Couple horrified to find face of child after returning home. A British hospital is now investigating the case of a woman who had an abortion, but then was shocked to find out the head of her unborn baby had been left inside her.

US troops arrest journalist in Iraq
US occupation troops have arrested an Agence-France Presse journalist in the Iraqi town of Tikrit. Many journalists in Iraq, including several Aljazeera reporters and cameramen, have been detained in the past by occupation troops or police and then released without charge or apology.

Venezuela’s Chavez dodges another bullet from the Globalists
The Globalist’s vision of a Pan-American Union was dealt a serious blow when it was announced that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez had beaten the effort to recall him from office. Chavez has led the fight in South America against the Globalist’s corporate takeover of the hemisphere, and has been vocal in denouncing U.S. Foreign Policy as well as exposing extensive CIA intervention in the region.

Soldier's mum's anger at Prescott
The mother of a soldier killed in Iraq stormed out of a meeting with John Prescott saying he talked "rubbish". Rose Gentle and 14-year-old daughter Maxine had been in Downing Street to hand over a letter to Tony Blair stating concerns about the Iraq war.

US forces kill two in Iraq jail riot
US forces shot dead two prisoners during riot at the Abu Ghraib prison yesterday, the worst violence for months at the notorious jail west of Baghdad. Military police intervened first vocally, then with rubber bullets and finally with deadly force after more than 200 inmates were drawn into a massive brawl. Five prisoners were wounded by other prisoners, and military officers said the intervention was necessary to prevent an inmate from being killed by the crowd.

US pushes into Baghdad Shia area
US forces say they have made a major advance into a mainly Shia area in Baghdad that is a stronghold of the radical Iraqi cleric Moqtada Sadr. Residents of Sadr City told the BBC there was fierce fighting overnight between the Americans and Shia militia. And in Najaf, where Mr Sadr's armed supporters are locked in a stand-off with US and Iraqi troops, gunfire reverberated.

Sceptic's tests support homoeopathy
Homoeopathy is big business and getting bigger. Yet there is little if any evidence to show that it works, and absolutely nothing to justify its central claim - that highly diluted solutions containing nothing but water can affect human health. That is until now. Researchers have just published what could be the first hard evidence in a peer-reviewed scientific journal that appears to support the central idea behind homoeopathy.

Viagra introduces its latest celebrity backer: the devil
Gone are the days when coyness ruled the marketing of the drug that helps the condition that men find hard to talk about. In a Madison Avenue dream situation, Viagra is facing some stiff competition in a three-way battle for the erectile dysfunction dollar.

Israeli PM defies party rebellion
Israel's prime minister has vowed to press on with his disengagement plan, despite its receiving another rejection from his mutinous Likud party. Likud's central committee ruled out a coalition with Labour, which backs his plan to pull settlers and troops out of Gaza, in a vote.

The Coincidence Theorist's Guide to 9/11
That intelligence agencies, financiers, terrorists and narco-criminals have a long history together is well established, but the Nugan Hand Bank, BCCI, Banco Ambrosiano, the P2 Lodge, the CIA/Mafia anti-Castro/Kennedy alliance, Iran/Contra and the rest were a long time ago, so there’s no need to rehash all that. That was then, this is now!

China protesters threaten suicide
Six Chinese women have threatened to jump from the top of a six-storey apartment building in central Beijing. They were demonstrating against corruption and trickery in China's courts. After six hours of protesting from the roof, they were escorted away by Chinese police. This is the second time in the last two months that a group suicide has been attempted as a form of demonstration in China.

Fischer renounces US citizenship
Bobby Fischer has been moved to a new detention facility in Tokyo, pending a decision on his deportation to the US, where he faces a 10-year jail sentence. A lot of new material has surfaced, including Fischer's handwritten renouncement of his US citizenship and a blow-by-blow description and picture of his arrest at Narita Airport.

Opposition snubs Chavez audit
Venezuela's opposition is refusing to take part in an audit of the vote on President Hugo Chavez's rule, which electoral authorities say he won. Opposition leaders said the review would not properly investigate their allegations of massive fraud.

IDF teaches US soldiers guerilla response
In order to improve their skills and learn firsthand tactics adopted by the IDF in urban and guerilla warfare in the West Bank and Gaza, US Army units are undergoing training in the special anti-terror school located in the Adam base near Modi'in. After completing their training, the units will return to Iraq. The IDF Spokesman said, "The army does not comment on cooperation with foreign armies," but did not deny US forces were currently training in Israel.

Palestinian strike gains strength
Hundreds more Palestinian prisoners have joined a four-day-old hunger strike, Israeli prison officials say. A total of 2,264 of 3,800 prisoners in jails run by the prison service were now refusing their meals, prison service spokesman Ian Domnitz said.

Al-Sadr says militia will leave Najaf mosque
Radical Shiite Muslim cleric Muqtada al-Sadr announced Wednesday his militia would leave the Imam Ali Shrine in Najaf, following a threat by the Iraqi government to "liberate" the holy site.

Teleportation goes long distance
Physicists have carried out successful teleportation with particles of light over a distance of 600m across the River Danube in Austria. Long distance teleportation is crucial if dreams of superfast quantum computing are to be realised. When physicists say "teleportation", they are describing the transfer of key properties from one particle to another without a physical link.

Mayor of NYC says Freedom of Speech is a privledge
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg told a group of volunteers who plan to toil at the Republican National Convention yesterday that he expected most protesters who come to the event later this month would "be reasonable," but he warned that "if we start to abuse our privileges, then we lose them."

Rebels' blockade disrupts Nepal
An indefinite rebel blockade of the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu, has disrupted food and other supplies to the city. Two major highways linking Kathmandu with the rest of the country are virtually deserted, say reports. There are no visible signs of the Maoists but drivers are staying off roads through fear of reprisals.

Iraq given a low priority by voters
The average voter does not share the keen interest of the political and media classes with Iraq, according to the results of this month's Guardian/ ICM opinion poll. The survey shows that voters, including Labour supporters, rank Iraq last out of a list of 10 issues that they consider to be most important when deciding how they will cast their vote in the next general election.

Iraqis aim to decide new assembly
The national conference on Iraq's future is going into an unscheduled fourth day as delegates hammer out the shape of the first post-war parliament. They are due to select an interim assembly which will monitor the country's move to democracy ahead of direct elections next year. The conference is also pursuing efforts to end the armed stand-off in Najaf.

Journalist killed in Fallujah
Iraqi freelance journalist working for Germany's ZDF television has been killed in the flashpoint city of Fallujah. Mahmud Hamid Abbas, 32, had gone to the city to film when he was killed "in unexplained circumstances". The media watchdog Reporters without Borders said the journalist was killed as he was leaving his native Fallujah for Baghdad.

Terror suspects due in court
Eight British men arrested in anti-terror raids two weeks ago will appear in court on Wednesday charged with conspiracy to murder. They are also charged with conspiracy to commit a public nuisance by using radioactive material, toxic gas, chemicals or explosives. The men will appear at Belmarsh magistrates court, next to London's high security Belmarsh jail.

Rings, torch have ties to Hitler's Nazi propaganda
The most beloved emblems of the modern Olympics have a decidedly dark past. The torch relay that culminates in the ceremonial lighting of the flame at Olympic stadium was ordered by Adolf Hitler, who tried to turn the 1936 Berlin Games into a celebration of the Third Reich. And it was Hitler's Nazi propaganda machine that popularized the five interlocking rings as the symbol of the Games.

Execution for China relics theft
A Chinese official responsible for looking after cultural relics has been sentenced to death for stealing them. Li Haitao was found guilty of the theft of more than 250 antiques over a period of 10 years, state media said. The case is said to be the largest theft of antiquities since the start of communist rule in1949.

Don't use Pearl as electoral pawn, family tells politicians
The family of the murdered journalist Daniel Pearl has appealed to American politicians not to use his name in their election campaigns. The family issued the appeal after vice-president Dick Cheney mentioned Pearl in a campaign speech that criticised Democratic presidential contender John Kerry.

Invasion alert in DR Congo town
Security has been stepped up in the border town of Bukavu after Rwanda and Burundi said they could send troops into Democratic Republic of Congo. "People are scared," local radio station director Kizito Mushizi told the BBC. Rwanda and Burundi were responding to the massacre of more than 150 Congolese Tutsi refugees in Burundi.

US whistleblower faces death threats
Relatives of the US soldier who sounded the alarm about abuse of Iraqi detainees at Abu Ghraib prison say they are living in protective custody because of death threats against them. Reservist military police officer Staff Sgt Joseph Darby alerted US Army investigators about the abuse by fellow soldiers of prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison near Baghdad, a move his wife says has angered people in their community in western Maryland.

Venezuela to audit ballot result
The Venezuelan electoral authorities are to take an audit of Sunday's referendum result which confirmed President Hugo Chavez in office. The audit follows allegations of fraud by opposition leaders who have still to accept defeat in their attempt to have the leftist leader recalled. Jimmy Carter, the former US president who has been observing the poll, said such charges were unwarranted.

'Plot' to kill Tony Blair thwarted
British anti-terror authorities have foiled a suspected al-Qaeda plot to assassinate Prime Minister Tony Blair. Police swooped on two Lithuanian asylum seekers believed to be spying on Mr Blair's home in his constituency in England's north. The men were caught with hi-tech surveillance equipment less than a kilometre from Mr Blair's countryside home.

Israel strikes at Hamas activist
Israel has confirmed that it was behind an explosion at a house in Gaza City which killed five people, including a number of known militants. Palestinian witnesses were divided over whether an air-launched rocket or a ground device had gone off at the home of Hamas activist Ahmed al-Jabari.

'Secret Pentagon' hidden under mountain
Known familiarly to government insiders as the "underground Pentagon," this is where Vice President Dick Cheney set up shop in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and where he sometimes is when his office is being secretive about Cheney's whereabouts. The location is a highly secure complex of buildings inside Raven Rock Mountain near Blue Ridge Summit, Pa., close to the Maryland-Pennsylvania state line and about seven miles north of Camp David.

Pardon for 500 Togolese prisoners
Togo's government has freed some 500 prisoners, after President Gnassingbe Eyadema granted them a pardon. Among those released are seven militants of the opposition Union of Forces for Change (UFC) party. The European Union (EU) has made improvement to human rights and political freedoms conditions to the resumption of aid frozen in 1993.

Army to withhold some payments to Halliburton after all
The military will start withholding 15 percent of Halliburton's payments for feeding and housing the troops in Iraq on future invoices, the company said today.
At issue is a dispute over whether the company's KBR unit properly documented its bills for work in Iraq.

Complaints follow Haiti acquittal
The former paramilitary leader Louis-Jodel Chamblain has been acquitted of murder at a retrial in Haiti. Mr Chamblain was the second-in-command of one of the rebel groups which forced the fall of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide earlier this year. He was charged with the 1993 murder of Antoine Izmery, a former justice minister under Mr Aristide.

Saudi adverts avow loyalty to US
Saudi Arabia has launched a series of radio advertisements in the US aimed at restoring the kingdom's battered public image there. The announcements stress that Saudi Arabia is a loyal ally in the fight against al-Qaeda.The Saudis appear to have been stung by heavy criticism in the US press and mass media. The film Fahrenheit 9/11 stoked some distrust of Saudi Arabia.

Annan demands Suu Kyi's release
United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan has called for Burma's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi to be freed from house arrest. He said the Burmese government's reforms would not be credible without the involvement of Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy.

Bomb found near Berlusconi villa
Italian police have defused a bomb near Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's holiday villa, hours after a visit by UK Prime Minister Tony Blair. Local reports say a second device was also was found in the Porto Rotundo area, on the Sardinian coast, after a newspaper received a tip-off.

Serbia changes national symbols
Serbia's parliament has approved a new national emblem and anthem.
It is dropping a five-pointed communist star and restoring a coat-of-arms that was last used in the 19th century. Serbia's new anthem, Boze Pravde or God of Justice, was sung by pro-democracy protesters who helped oust former President Slobodan Milosevic in 2000.

Drug firms supplying baby jabs fund head of vaccination committee
The chairman of the Government committee that approved the use of the new five-in-one inoculation for babies receives financial support for his work from the sole suppliers of the vaccine. Michael Langman, who chairs the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, receives "industrial support" funding from Merck Sharp and Dohme for his work as a professor of medicine at Birmingham University.

Sharon backs new settlement homes
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has authorised the construction of 1,000 settler homes in the West Bank. A cabinet official told AFP news agency the bids would be published after site inspections by the housing minister. The Middle East peace plan known as the roadmap specifies a complete freeze on settlement activity, but Israel insists the plan has backing from the US.

Musharraf's man faces poll test
Voting is under way in Pakistan to determine the future of the man chosen by President Pervez Musharraf to be the country's next prime minister. Shaukat Aziz must by law win a seat in parliament in order to take up the post and is fighting two by-elections to improve his chances.

Israel turns up heat on prisoners
Israel has launched a psychological war against hundreds of Palestinian inmates on hunger strike for better conditions. Prison officers are setting up barbecues outside cells and have told guards to eat in front of prisoners. The fast has entered its second day as about 1,600 prisoners press for an end to strip searches, increased family visits and access to public telephones.

Iraqi 'human shields' flock to Najaf
About 2000 Iraqi civilian "volunteers" have formed a human shield around Shia leader Muqtada al-Sadr in Najaf as US-led forces besiege the city. The volunteers cheered al-Sadr in the marble-floored courtyard of the Imam Ali mosque on Monday in an impressive show of force. Al-Sadr is holed up inside one of Shia Islam's most sacred shrines before an expected American-led offensive.

Najaf: City of defiance
They came from across Iraq, marching in solidarity with Shia brothers. Civilians - they bear no arms, for the moment anyway - who are willing die on the steps of the Imam Ali shrine. The human shields have arrived in Najaf.

Political protesters come under FBI questioning
The FBI has been questioning political demonstrators across the country, and in rare cases even subpoenaing them, in an aggressive effort to forestall what officials say could be violent and disruptive protests at the Republican National Convention in New York.

World Bank ignores its own advice
The World Bank has declared itself to be more concerned with the needs of oil companies than the impoverished people it officially serves, by ignoring most of the recommendations of a pathbreaking report that the lender itself commissioned over three years ago.

Heavy shelling batters S Ossetia
Georgia's breakaway South Ossetia region has witnessed another night of heavy shelling, leaving a ceasefire deal signed on Friday in tatters. Georgia says one of its soldiers died and three were wounded in the latest fighting with South Ossetian forces.

Inside the Axis of Deceit
As a senior analyst at Australia’s top intelligence agency, the Office of National Assessments, Andrew Wilkie had high-level access to the raw data pouring in before the Iraq war. But while his country’s prime minister, John Howard, resolutely supported an invasion, Wilkie saw a significant gap between the evidence the intelligence community collected and the way Howard, George Bush, and Tony Blair argued the case for war.

Ambush fears delay Najaf mission
A mission by leading Iraqis to try to reach a peace deal with insurgents in Najaf has been delayed amid fears that they might be attacked. Religious and political leaders at the national conference voted to send about 60 delegates to negotiate with followers of Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr. But delegation leader Fawzi Hamza said there were reports of a planned ambush as they travelled from Baghdad.

Protesters try to stop C4 broadcast
Lobby groups have begun an online campaign encouraging the public to bombard Channel 4 with emails of protest against its documentary Edge of the City which claims that white schoolgirls are being groomed for sex by Asian men in Bradford.

Iraqi intelligence officer seized
An Iraqi group has taken an intelligence officer captive, stating its action was in response to the attacks on Najaf, according to a tape sent to Aljazeera.The group calling itself the Brigades for Defending the Holy Sites named the intelligence officer as Usama Abd Al-Jabbar. The video tape showed the officer revealing his personal information to his captors.

Observers endorse Venezuela vote
International observers in Venezuela have confirmed President Hugo Chavez's victory in a referendum on whether he should be removed from office. The former US president, Jimmy Carter, said Mr Chavez had won fairly, and the Organization of American States said it had not found any element of fraud.

Why are American troops in Najaf?
So what are we Americans doing in Najaf? Is killing the followers of a nasty Shiite preacher, killing them at the gates of the most holy shrine of Shiite Muslims all over the world, vital to the national interests of the United States and its allies?

Mortar hits busy Baghdad street
At least six people have been killed and more than 30 wounded in a mortar attack blast in central Baghdad. The explosion happened in the crowded al-Rashid street, engulfing the heart of the city's business district in thick black smoke. At least one building and five cars were badly damaged in the attack.

UN ends talks with Burundi rebels
The United Nations has suspended negotiations with the Burundi rebel group which admitted responsibility for the massacre of Congolese refugees. The UN had been mediating between the government and the National Liberation Forces - the only rebel group to remain outside the peace process.

Probe into rising ocean acidity
The UK's Royal Society has launched an investigation into the rising acidity of the world's oceans due to pollution from the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide.
The change could have catastrophic consequences for marine life. Oceans mop up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, lowering the water's pH value - an effect that may be exacerbated by burning of fossil fuels.

Rebels force Nepal firms to close
A number of big businesses in Nepal have shut down following threats from Maoist rebels. The rebels have ordered the companies to close indefinitely as part of efforts to pressure the government. The move is in protest at the alleged exploitation of workers, the rebels say. The companies deny this.

Gulf war inquiry checks evidence for libel
The independent inquiry investigating whether illnesses among veterans of the first Gulf war were related to their service is taking legal advice about whether it should publish claims from a doctor who said many veterans he examined on behalf of the Ministry of Defence were liars.

Sydney death 'not police's fault'
Police in Australia have been cleared of having caused the death of an Aboriginal boy, Thomas "T J" Hickey. The death led to one of the country's worst race riots earlier this year. At an inquest in Sydney, the coroner described the death of the 17-year-old as a freak accident and said police were not to blame.

Aid for Darfur refugees flies out
A plane carrying aid supplies for refugees from Sudan's war-ravaged Darfur region will take off from the UK. The British Red Cross flight is bound for Chad, where refugees have fled across the border with Sudan. The flight, from Manston Airport, Kent, will take 4,160 jerry cans, 2,000 tarpaulins and a vehicle.

Terror risk weighs on US economy
Terrorism has overtaken weak job growth to become the biggest perceived threat to the US economy, a survey says. The National Association for Business Economics (NABE) said 40% of its members cited terrorism as the number one threat, up from 19% six months ago.

The Ultimate Stupidity: The Attack on Najaf
If those commanding U.S. forces in Iraq really wanted to perform the ultimate stupidity, and ratchet up exponentially the degree of hatred they face in Iraq and throughout the Muslim world - then they'd surely attack the Imam Ali Shrine in Najaf, or be drawn into a situation where they'd damage it.

HK politician in prostitute claim
A candidate from Hong Kong's largest democracy party has been arrested and jailed for six months in mainland China, accused of hiring a prostitute. Ho Wai-to is contesting a closely fought seat in legislative elections next month.

FBI Tracks Potential GOP Protesters
Federal agents and city police are keeping tabs on people they say might try to cause trouble at the Republican National Convention, questioning activists, making unannounced visits and monitoring Web sites and meetings.

New bird spotted in Philippines
An international expedition has found a bird species new to science on a remote island in the northern Philippines. The team of Filipino and UK researchers discovered the bird, a rail, living by a stream in the forests of Calayan.
They think the birds number only about 200 pairs at most, and since they are found nowhere else they might soon be at risk from development pressures.

Watchdog's Big Brother UK warning
The UK could "sleepwalk into a surveillance society" as a result of ID cards and other plans, the information commissioner Richard Thomas has warned. He is concerned about how much information will be collected and shared under the ID card plans.

Chavez named as referendum winner
President Hugo Chavez has won a referendum on his rule, electoral authorities in Venezuela say. Officials from the National Electoral Council said that, with 94% of ballots counted, Mr Chavez had 58% of the vote. It now appears clear that an opposition attempt to force him from office has failed, as have previous attempts.

On a Filtered Internet, Things Are Not As They Seem
Internet filtering is hardly new. Using technologies like router-based IP blocking and, more recently, DNS redirection, countries have found they can block the web content they dislike, while still obtaining what they consider the benefits of the Internet.

Mystery over Iran judo 'protest'
Iran's Arash Miresmaeili has been eliminated after failing to make the correct weight at the Athens Olympics. But there is confusion over the affair, following the judo star's reported threat to walk out in protest when he was drawn against an Israeli opponent. Iran has a strict policy of sanctions against Israel and forbids any contact with Israeli citizens.

Hecklers Banned At Bush Rallies
There was a full-throated roar of support for President Bush at a New Mexico rally - adoring crowds and a beaming candidate - the stuff great political theater is made of - and it's no accident. Said a rally organizer, "I wanna hear lots of cheering in there for the president!"

The Trials of Henry Kissinger: The Making Of A War Criminal
A fascinating, bombshell documentary that should shame Americans, regardless of whether or not ultimate blame finally lies with Kissinger. Should be required viewing for civics classes and would-be public servants alike

Palestinian inmates on hunger strike
About 1,600 Palestinians in Israeli jails have begun a hunger strike to protest at conditions they say are humiliating and unnecessary. But Israel's security minister said they would not bow to pressure and the prisoners could "starve to death".
The inmates' demands include an end to strip searches and more prison visits.

Ashcroft's Quiet Prisoner
David Joseph is a little guy, about 5-foot-5, maybe 115 pounds. He's 20 years old, looks younger, and has the sluggish demeanor and sad expression of one who is deeply depressed. Mr. Joseph is a refugee from Haiti who is seeking asylum in the United States. He is not a terrorist, and no one has even suggested that he is a threat to anyone. And yet he's been in federal custody for nearly two years.

Journalists ordered out of Najaf
Journalists have been ordered out of the holy city of Najaf where fighters loyal to Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr have clashed with US and Iraqi forces. Observers say the move indicates a major assault on the city is imminent. "From now on this city is closed," a senior police officer told correspondents, who face arrest if they decide to stay on.

U.S. Army, 'Fahrenheit 9/11' Distributors at War
A war of words has broken out over whether the U.S. Army is stonewalling efforts to book the film at military bases. But the organization that orders films for the 160 base theaters countered that it was the distributors - Fellowship Adventure Group, IFC Films and Lions Gate Films - that had the problem and noted they plan to stock base stores with the film's DVDs when they are released.

Pair tell of 'Falconio sighting'
Two witnesses have told an Australian court they saw British tourist Peter Falconio alive more than a week after he is believed to have been killed. The couple were giving evidence at the committal hearing of Bradley Murdoch, accused of shooting Mr Falconio on a remote highway near Alice Springs.

Stand down Sadr urges Iraq regime
Radical cleric Moqtada Al Sadr last night urged Iraq's "dictatorial" interim government to resign and said his militia would fight US forces in the holy city of Najaf until death or victory, his spokesman said.

Americans appear in Kabul trial
Three Americans, including a former soldier, have returned to court in the Afghan capital Kabul to face charges of hostage-taking and torture. Jonathan Idema and two others, Edward Caraballo and Brent Bennett, also face charges of illegally entering Afghanistan and running a private jail. Mr Idema has said that he was in Afghanistan on a secret anti-terrorist mission approved by the Pentagon.

IDF draws diplomatic fire after shooting at Spanish car
The diplomatic community is fuming over shots fired by Israeli troops at a Spanish consulate car near Gush Katif roadblock last Thursday and Spain on Friday demanded an explanation. The IDF soldiers fired warning shots to force a car carrying a senior Spanish diplomat to stop at a Gaza checkpoint.

Sudan refugees report new attacks
There has been an upsurge of Sudanese refugees fleeing across the border into Chad following reports of renewed violence in the Darfur region. The United Nations refugee agency says up to 500 people crossed the border close to the Chadian village of Berak.

Bush Planned Iraq 'Regime Change' Before Becoming President
A secret blueprint for US global domination reveals that President Bush and his cabinet were planning a premeditated attack on Iraq to secure 'regime change' even before he took power in January 2001. The blueprint for the creation of a 'global Pax Americana' was drawn up for Dick Cheney (now vice- president), Donald Rumsfeld (defence secretary), Paul Wolfowitz (Rumsfeld's deputy), George W Bush's younger brother Jeb and Lewis Libby (Cheney's chief of staff).

Mass funeral after Burundi deaths
More than 150 refugees, including many children, killed in Burundi are to be buried in mass graves later on Monday. The refugees, mostly ethnic Tutsis who fled Democratic Republic of Congo, were allegedly killed by Hutu rebels from Burundi, DR Congo and Rwanda.

A Film About Brainwashing That Brainwashes
In December of 2003, the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee got a tip through Arab-American actors in Hollywood that a new version of the 1962 movie classic, “The Manchurian Candidate”, was being produced. They were told that the new villains in the 2004 version were to be “Arabs and Muslims” who would do the brainwashing of American troops.

Package prompts US embassy alert
An envelope containing a "suspicious powder" has caused a security alert at the US embassy in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur. Emergency services went to the embassy, and the substance was removed for testing. In a similar incident last week at the US embassy in Sri Lanka, a white powder was found to be harmless.

AOL targets Net newbies
In an effort to boost sagging subscriber numbers and reach first-time computer owners, America Online will start selling discounted computers if buyers agree to sign up for a year of Internet service.

Mobile speed camera change mooted
The government is considering police demands for more freedom in the siting of mobile speed cameras. At the moment, cameras can only be sited in places where there has been a history of deaths and injuries. But senior police officers want the freedom to put speed traps on longer stretches of road around accident sites, with 20km suggested.

Nader criticized for anti-Israel comments
Abraham Foxman, the Anti-Defamation League's national director, fired back at Independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader on Friday in what has become an ongoing sparring match over Nader's assertion that Israel and American Jews are "puppeteers" who control Congress and the White House.

Nader's Letter To ADL's Foxman
There is far more freedom in the media, in town squares and among citizens, soldiers, elected representatives and academicians in Israel to debate and discuss the Israeli-Palestinian conflict than there is in the United States. Israelis of all backgrounds have made this point.

US troops overseas face shake-up
US President George W Bush is expected to confirm plans for a major shake-up of US forces around the world. It is thought the US military presence in Iraq and Afghanistan will be not be affected. However, the proposal is thought to involve withdrawing at least 70,000 troops from Europe and Asia.

9/11 Video shocks Sacramento citizens
A new 9-11 video was screened last night in Sacramento, California, leaving the audience stunned. '911 in Plane Site' is basically presented in two parts. The first segment is 52 minutes and designed for showing on television with the balance of a one hour time slot reserved for commercials. Part II continues with more film and analysis.

Hungry world 'must eat less meat'
World water supplies will not be enough for our descendants to enjoy the sort of diet the West eats now, experts say. The World Water Week in Stockholm will be told the growth in demand for meat and dairy products is unsustainable.

Osama to air message ending truce offered to Europe
An Islamist website said that Osama Bin Laden or his second in command was due to release an audiotape to declare an end to the truce he offered to Europe if it pulled troops out of Iraq.

UN creates game to tackle hunger
A forthcoming video game aims to teach children about global hunger.
Food Force is the brainchild of the World Food Programme, which last year fed more than 100 million people. The UN body seeks to capitalise on the popularity of video games to educate youngsters about hunger and the work of the aid agency.