30 April: Le Monde has published testimony by head of French intelligence services, who says that in 2004, now PM de Villepin, on orders from Chirac, instructed the intel. services to implicate now Interior Min., political rival Sarkozy in bribery scandal tied to secret accounts in Luxembourg; both Chirac, Villepin deny allegations... Nepal's Maoist rebels, who have declared a 3-month ceasefire to give the interim parliament time to form a new constitution, has declared the new parliament must remove the king from power, or the king go into exile, or it will relaunch its war and execute the king "in the name of the people"; new parliament passes motions calling for ceasefire talks with Maoists, draft new constitution; PM Girija Prasad Koirala urged the rebels to join the political mainstream, represented by the 7-party alliance that has taken power in the reconvened parliament... Berlusconi says he will resign Tuesday, finally ceding defeat in the parliamentary elections 3 weeks ago; decision comes after winning center-left coalition wins speakership in both houses... Taliban executes kidnapped Indian engineer in Afghanistan; Economic Times reports "a strong condemnation by New Delhi which termed it as a 'pre-meditated' and 'brutal' act of terrorism by the militia and 'its sponsors'"...

29 April: Members of US Congress arrested at protest in front of Sudan embassy; "Reps. Tom Lantos of California, Jim McGovern and John Olver of Massachusetts, Jim Moran, of Virginia, and Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas" charged with "unlawful assembly"; Lantos said his generation has idly watched mass slaughter in Cambodia and Rwanda and he is determined to prevent a similar performance in Sudan... Indonesia deal with China could lead to stripping of last untouched tropical forest on Borneo... Rove testifies in CIA leak inquiry for 5th time; his appearance before the grand jury lasted 3 hours, and he is thought to have been required to answer questions about allegedly misleading statements given in prior testimony about the leak... Cost of Iraq war officially reaches $320 billion; Congressional Research Service projects costs will exceed $640 before war's end... Amateur computer hacker from UK faces up to 70 years in prison on terrorism-related charges, for successfully hacking into US military systems; he claims his original access came via systems which weren't even password-protected, that he was looking for evidence of extraterrestrial contact with human beings; he is currently fighting extradition to the US, where he would stand trial... Bush approves Dubai takeover of UK firm that supplies US military... "Star-Spangled Banner" recorded, released in Spanish, first translated version recorded, airs at 7pm on all Spanish-lang. station on east coast, features famed Latin vocalists, dubbed "Nuestro himno"; extreme conservative movement balks, renews campaign against non-English usage in "official" or patriotic situations; Bush says he disagrees with translation, anthem should be sung in English...

28 April: Iran says it will not bow to pressure from UN to stop uranium enrichment, Ahmadinejad tells rally "they do not know our power"; UN report to be issued to today, expected to lead to call from US for binding resolution on Iran nuclear program; Iran has turned over some documents in Vienna, in effort to forestall sanctions; new reports suggest Iran's latest generation of ballistic missiles have range to reach European territory... 10 states —New York, California, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin—, in an effort led by NY att. gen. Eliot Spitzer, have filed a lawsuit against the US federal Environmental Protection Agency for not regulating pollution from CO2 as a major cause of climate change... Nepal PM designate, needing oxygen, unable to be sworn in today, ceremony postponed; reconvening parliament will not be able to carry out "substantive business"... Senate committee calls for disbanding FEMA, replacing it with disaster-reservist apparatus within Dept. of Homeland Security; one critic says FEMA lacked adequately trained personnel or "standard operating procedure" in Gulf region, needed total overhaul to be viable... Bob Dylan to give free concert in Spanish Basque city San Sebastián, 11 July, in order to support the peace process... Bush rejects calls for tax on oil companies' record profits, says "we need to get off oil", favors reinvestment in alternative resources, includes hybrid vehicles; pres. also says he supports raising fuel-efficiency standards... Wired blog cites WSJ article reporting Verizon policy regulating precisely the amount of "bare skin" it considers offensive in wireless video, which also bans any negative comment on Verizon itself from being transmitted...

27 April: EU investigation concludes CIA flew 1,000 undeclared flights over the EU since 2001, including flights carrying individuals abducted without legal process and flown to 3rd nations ("extraordinary renditions") where they faced torture; report also suggests gov'ts of EU states, including Italy, Sweden, Bosnia-Herzegovina, were aware of abductions on their soil, may be complicit in human rights violations... Nepal rebels declare 3-month ceasefire in order to give new parliament time to arrange framework for lasting peace; declaration comes one day before new parliament to meet for first time... China to announce plans to build Nigeria's infrastructure in exchange for oil; $4 billion deal to be announced during Pres. Hu's visit today... 13 of world's most prestigious malaria specialists have published a stinging criticism of the World Bank in The Lancet, saying the organization has severely reduced the amount of funding available to its program Roll Back Malaria, designed to eradicate the disease in the poorest countries, where it is still taking millions of lives... Israel's Kadima, Labor parties sign agreement to form coalition gov't; Labor leader Amir Peretz will submit pact to party committee for approval... US military officials have brought charges against a Lieutenant Colonel for "dereliction of duty" and "conduct unbecoming an officer" in relation to prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq; Lt. Col. Jordan expected to have evidence of what role superior officers, including top-ranking military intelligence personnel, played in the persistent abuse which occurred at the prison; Jordan's immediate superior, Col. Pappas, faced lighter charges and has been issued only an $8,000 fine in connection with his role in the abuse... Egypt detains Cairo bureau chief of Al-Jazeera television, accusing him of reporting "false information" and "spreading confusion" for mentioning reports that an incident had occurred elsewhere on the Sinai Peninsula in the midst of last week's triple bombing...

26 April: Ukraine remembers Chernobyl nuclear tragedy, 20 years ago today; mourners, some survivors from the plant itself, described watching friends die before their eyes; ceremonies throughout the day will mark the anniversary of the world's worst nuclear accident... UN Security Council imposes sanctions on four individual suspected of war crimes in Darfur, Sudan... Maoist rebels reject Nepal king's offer to restore parliament, say 7-party political opposition "betrayed" them by accepting restoration of parliament as cause to desist in king's ouster; parliament may still draft constitution eliminating monarchy... Spanish airline Iberia announces launch of new low-cost airline with its hub at Barcelona's main airport; Ministry of Commerce sees move as positive for Spain's economy, carrier will compete with foreign services like Ryanair, Easyjet, Germanwings... Marking today the international Day of Intellectual Property, an alliance of software providers and audiovisual industry representatives are seeking to ensure copyright is protected against an "alarming increase" in piracy and 'authorship' rights are advanced...

25 April: After weeks of massive demonstrations, demands for return to democracy, his ouster, King Gyanendra of Nepal says he will restore parliament, announces parliament will reconvene Friday; plan does not include relinquishing rule; move appears to defuse tensions, as 7-party opposition alliance begins talks to enter new parliament, which may draft a new constitution leaving Gyanendra with little power or may even dissolve the monarchy... Hamas gov't joins US, int'l community in condemning bomb attack that killed at least 22, injured more than 80 in Egypt, as a crime against innocents... Scientists at the University of Bath have tested a new prototype mini-car with 3 wheels, tilting chassis, designed to be ecologically sound, reduce congestion in city centers... Iran has announced it will cease cooperation with the IAEA —UN nuclear regulator— if UN votes to impose sanctions... Basque political party, banned for its ties to militant separatist group ETA, has called two weekend acts of "street violence" "very grave" incidents and cause for reflection, prompting Spain's gov't to say the party "is on the right path" with such declarations; Batasuna spokesman Permach also called on all parties to "overcome all manifestations of violence" in the process to achieve a lasting peace between Spain's gov't and Basque separatists...

24 April: Nepal opposition plans peaceful rally of 2 million people in Kathmandu, after rejecting King Gyanendra's offer to restore democratic gov't; opposition seeks end to monarchy; 7 people reported killed in clashes between Maoist rebels and monarchist forces... US-Iraqi inspection teams find more cases of apparent torture, neglect, overcrowding in prisons run by Shi'a controlled Iraq Interior Ministry; reports say only some prisoners were removed for treatment, while most were left in place, raising concerns US not following through on Marine Gen. Pace promise that US troops would intervene to stop abuse wherever they found it... CNN reports Nagin (38%), Landrieu (28%) look poised for 20 May runoff in election for New Orleans mayor... SFC reports major child trafficking ring uncovered in Vienna, children sold into slavery by parents or relatives to beg, steal or prostitute themselves in western EU; Rumanian authorities praised for efforts to halt trade in children... Microsoft seeks new ruling in EU court to throw out or reduce record fine of 497€ imposed by Brussels two years ago, for the company's violating EU laws against abusing a dominant market position... Purported Bin Laden tape urges "jihadists" to exploit Darfur crisis as scene of religious conflict with West, though Darfurian victims are often Muslim; tape appears to support Khartoum genocide campaign through proxy militia... Liberian environmental activist Silas Siakor awarded Goldman Environmental Award, for efforts to expose illegal timber trade under ousted regime of Charles Taylor... Senate Republican leaders urge Pres. Bush to get involved, give "specifics" regarding planned immigration reforms, saying his efforts are needed to persuade hard-line conservatives opposed to any leniency... Spanish authorities have arrested a woman in connection with alleged efforts by terrorist group ETA to distribute bonds requesting funding from local officials, business owners in Bilbao; gov't is engaged in effort to end this sort of covert financing, possible extortion by the group which only recently declared its intention to abandon violence...

23 April: Day of Sant Jordi (also "Day of the Book"), in Barcelona, Spain, city streets lined with bookstalls, as publishing industry seeks to gain publicity boost, sell new editions to throngs of pedestrians... Pres. Bush reportedly "resigned" to high gas prices in US, says he wants to develop alternative energy sources, such as hydrogen fuel cells, and that his admin. will pursue price gouging wherever it's found, amid allegations supplies are being controlled to drive up prices, increase profits... Violence reported between gov't, Maoist forces in Nepal, as Gyanendra imposes curfew; pro-democracy groups refused King's offer of joint gov't, demanding he renounce, end monarchy... NYT reports Director Goss' campaign to heighten secrecy at CIA has led to "highly unusual" polygraph test for the chief of the agency's independent watchdog; program includes ingestigations into dozens of employees, firing of one agent, in what some see as retaliation for leaks of information which embarrassed CIA, revealed programs of highly questionable legality; fmr Inspector General L. Britt Snider said of polygraph for successor "I've never heard of it, and it's certainly unusual"; NYT report adds "the inspector general's office has also referred more than half a dozen cases of detainee abuse to the Department of Justice, but officials there have taken no action"... 2 acts of "street violence" including arson, in Barañain and Getxo, in Spain's Basque region, this weekend have raised questions about whether ETA has truly renounced violence, though it is not clear who authored the attacks...

22 April: Iraq PM named after months of wrangling over who would lead majority Shi'a multiparty coalition, after al-Jaafari stepped aside: Jawad al-Maliki approved by Shi'a parties, must face full parliamentary approval vote... CIA fires analyst accused of revealing clues about secret, extrajudicial prison camp network run by agency; agent removed from CIA headquarters by security personnel, despite colleagues saying she followed rules throughout; fmr CIA director Richard Kerr is quoted as commenting "there is a lot of dissension within the agency and it seems to be a rather unhappy place", as related to disagreement with methods used to pursue, interrogate terror suspects... King of Spain, Juan Carlos I, delivers to Mexican author Sergio Pitol the Premio Cervantes, the most important literary award for life's work in the Spanish language... Leader of Spain's opposition "Popular" party says there can be no "peace process" with ETA, because "there is neither a war nor a conflict"...

21 April: After weeks of massive demonstrations, police violence and a general strike against his reign, King Gyanendra of Nepal imposes curfew for 2nd consecutive day, as he announces he will cede to the people the power he wields as absolute ruler, asking that 7 opposition parties demanding return to democratic gov't name an interim prime minister... Al-Jaafari has offered to step aside to end conflict over who will head Shi'a majority gov't in Iraq... A massive iceberg has broken off the Antarctic coast and has been photographed traveling a jostled route along the coastline; melt, breakage attributed to increased erosion due to climate warming... Hu heckled for nearly 3 minutes by activist-journalist at White House, who urged Bush to "stop him from killing"; US exptected to charge her with "attempting to harass a foreign official"... Crude oil prices reach record $75/barrell, as Nigeria conflict, reduced US gasoline stocks, Iran crisis increase pressures on sources, market...

20 April: Globe and Mail reports White House resignations sign of change in strategy, public image, but not policy direction, notes critics in president's own party had demanded a "shake-up" of staff under Bush... Washington Post reports McClellan, Rove moves signal shift to "survival mode" as pres. notes peril for his party in November elections, suggests new chief of staff will draw "clearer lines of authority", restrict expansive influence of closest Bush aides, adds "One of Bolten's biggest challenges, administration allies say, will be to find ways to open up the Oval Office to new ideas and to the opinions of people who are not longtime Bush confidants"...

19 April: Independent reports "The United States emitted more greenhouse gases in 2004 than at any time in history" even as climate change becomes top priority for gov'ts, int'l agencies, curbing carbon emissions a primary method of slowing radical climate pattern alterations; recent years have seen "sharp" increase in emissions other countries have promised to reduce, despite California, NY, other states taking action to curb emissions... Blair gov't seeks to reduce or even eliminate right of people wrongfully imprisoned to receive compensation; critics say gov't should not have right to reduce its own liability for errors which ruin lives... Mount Merapi in central Java, Indonesia, showing signs of imminent eruption, causing authorities to prepare for evacuation of local residents; BBC shows farmers, residents exploring mist and ash-cloud strewn slopes of volcano; trucks, buses in place in case alert rises one more level to automatic evacuation... India sending envoy to Nepal to attempt to moderate a political settlement to crisis in which mass demonstrations are demanding King Gyanendra step down, allow democratic reform... Student movement stages sit-in protests in tent camps on US campuses, to protest funding cuts, fee increases, diversion of domestic funding to Iraq war; statement from "Tent State University" group says "The truth is that there is no budget crisis. There is a crisis of values and leadership", blaming skewed political priorities for shortage of education funds...

18 April: Reports today suggest a special cabinet meeting decided Israel will hold Hamas gov't responsible for Tel Aviv suicide attack —claimed by Islamic Jihad—, but will not strike directly at Hamas militarily; 3 Hamas lawmakers have, however, had their Jerusalem residency permits revoked... Spain's major parties agree with regional Chamber of Deputies the format for an interim governing authority for the city of Marbella, in Málaga province, whose mayor and deputy mayor are jailed facing corruption charges, city leadership disbanded by gov't... US crude oil futures closed Monday trading at record high $70.40, just one trading day after UK Brent Crude futures reached similar record high...

17 April: Blair suggests UK will build "new nuclear" power stations to replace those going offline, instead of using renewables in general or —as Parliament has recommended— aggressive investment in "carbon-efficient" natural gas techhnology and wind turbines... Chad gov't says it promises Darfur refugees will not be forced back into conflict zone... "Non-cooperation movement" gaining force in Nepal, as pro-democracy groups advocate refusal to pay taxes to authoritarian regime, protests continue to demand abolition of monarchy; staff of supreme ct. joins pro-democracy protests, US ambassador meets with Nepal gov't, urges monarchy to make concessions, hand power to pro-democracy political parties to avoid possible civil war, widespread rebellion led by Maoist insurgents... Beijing "caked in yellow dust" as sand storms from inner Mongolia spread across the entire north of China; desertification in northwest increasingly severe, some reports describe possibility capital will not be able to show green face in Olympics, as desert is spreading east... Rumania, Bulgaria, Serbia face threat of serious inundations as Danube swells to highest levels in 100 years, record levels in those 3 countries; Rumania using explosives, "controlled flooding" to protect its cities against the floodwaters, with dam collapse causing hundreds to evacuate homes... Suicide bomb kills at least 9 in Tel Aviv; Islamic Jihad claims responsibility, Hamas spokesman quoted as saying attack is "a natural result of the continued Israeli crimes against our people" and that it was "self-defence"; PM Olmert consequently has said Israel blames Hamas for the attack, is considering military response... US Sen. Richard Lugar, an influential Republican, members of both parties push for direct bilateral nuclear talks with Iran; Dem. senator quoted as saying talks could be productive, doesn't mean negotiators agree with Iran's policies... Crude prices in London at record $71/barrel, NY at $70, highest in 7 months, due in part to reduced supplies, dwindling new discoveries, 500,000 barrel/day shortage from Nigeria supply —due to demonstrations, conflict with rebel groups—, Iran nuclear crisis... Handwriting experts reportedly testify in Hussein trial ex-dictator's signature clearly on documents linked to massacre of villagers...

16 April: TIME magazine reports "revolt of the generals", in reference to swelling chorus of retired military leaders calling for defense secretary to resign, criticizing his incompetence, arrogance, blaming him for failures in Iraq; two days ago, HRW reported Rumsfeld may be criminally liable for detainee abuse, according to a US Army report; Pres. Bush has consistently defended Rumsfeld in recent days, though rhetoric has shifted from his being the only man for the job to praise of his "steady" leadership... Iran has promised $50 million in funding to Hamas-led Palestinian Authority amid funding cuts from international community... Boston Globe reports US investigators, courts, find firms have "stolen" funds from Iraq reconstruction project, US and Iraqi gov'ts, court orders to repay are in process, mounting...

15 April: Anti-monarchy demonstrators in Nepal persist demanding end to absolutist rule; government cracks down, police firing rubber bullets, tear gas, using bamboo canes against protesters... Iraq still languishes without forming elective government; Shi'a leaders may meet to replace sitting PM Ibrahim al-Jaafari as coalition leader... Palestinian gov't employees in Gaza demonstrate against failure of PA to pay salaries; security forces invaded PA building in Khan Yunis by force of arms; Russia may provide new funding to avoid further disintegration as PA faces funding freezes by Israel, EU, US...

14 April: Oil prices yesterday reached $70/barrell, London Brent Crude prices hit record highs, as tensions escalate between Iran, int'l community, rumors of US war plans; Ahmadinejad has threatened Israel, says it will soon be "annihilated"... Chad pres. accuses Sudan of aiding rebels, plotting to overthrow him, plans to eject Darfur refugees, cut ties with Khartoum... Human Rights Watch reports US Army Inspector General found through investigation that defense secretary Donal Rumsfeld was "personally involved" in interrogation of detainee allegedly tortured at Guantánamo Bay in 2002, 2003, could be held criminally liable... Pres. Bush defends Rumsfeld, speaks of his leadership qualities, perseverence in policy despite major setbacks in Iraq... UK approved by European Commission to sell state nuclear assets to private interests, with possible facilitation of sale of "clean-up" business to an array of investors; concerns raised over "incentivizing" pollution by creating profit-motive for cleanup, reversing "polluter pays" policy...

13 April: Documents obtained from CBP through Freedom of Information Act requests show that US-VISIT computer system border security failure last August resulted from deliberate witholding of software patch designed to protect against then spreading internet worm; gov't initially refused FOIA request, but ceded documents after Wired News filed federal FOIA lawsuit, 6 documents released "heavily redacted", including one page entirely blacked out... Yesterday, one day after estimated 2 million people rallied across US for immigrants' rights, top Republicans say House will revisit harsh provisions of December bill which would make undocumented migrants felons and punish anyone providing them with humanitarian assistance... Rebel army enters Chad capital Ndjamena, but is reportedly beaten back by gov't forces in what is described as "fierce fighting"; Chad pres. says situation "under control", though rebels vow to continue fighting to overthrow him, as he seeks to extend rule beyond constitutional limit of two terms... Guardian reports "EU competition commissioner, issued an ultimatum yesterday to banks and networks issuing credit and debit cards to reduce their 'outrageous' fees and profits or face legal action", possibly large fines for "absolutely abnormal" fee structures and profits... Iran says it will open 3,000 centrifuges for uranium enrichment by year's end, with plans for expansion to "industrial scale" enrichment in 54,000 centrifuges; such plans have been known for some time, but announcement signals Tehran's intent to follow through on Ahmadinejad claim the nation is now part of nuclear club; no mention of weapons to date... UK court rules woman seeking Herceptin drug treatment for breast cancer must have treatment provided, health insurers must provide costly drug wherever doctors prefer it as needed treatment... UK imprisons officer who refused order to serve in Iraq, saying he should have resigned before the order was given if he had opposed the war... UK high court finds "control order" against British man, suspected of "wanting to travel to Iraq to fight coalition forces" is "incompatible" with EU human rights law, because travel-restricted individual had no hearing before any impartial tribunal... Researcher working for Human Rights Watch, investigating alleged abuses by police, gov't officials, detained without charge in Bingol, southeastern Turkey, expected to be deported; HRW says move is deliberate attempt to gloss over ongoing human rights problems in the NATO country aspiring to EU membership, calls it "a big step backwards"...