29 September: US Senate approves legislation severely restricting rights of detainees accused of conspiring with terrorists or committing terrorist acts; bill to set up military tribunals for detainees, includes "restrictions on a suspect's ability to challenge his detention, examine all evidence against him, and bar testimony allegedly acquired through coercion of witnesses"... 25 September: Lebanon has begun the process of cleaning up the Mediterranean's worst-ever oil spill, leaked from a power plant destroyed by Israeli missiles during the conflict with Hezbollah... China closes more than 50 schools for children of migrant workers, in an effort to "clean up" Beijing for the 2008 Olympics... 1 September: California Assembly passes Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger agrees to sign; bill mandates reduction of greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020, an estimated reduction of about 25% overall... Majority of UK feel money should be "no object" in state healthcare expenditure: 40% of people surveyed in UK feel NHS should spare no expense...

30 September: US Congressional report finds Abramoff documents refer to 400 contacts arranged between White House officials and his clients, allegedly part of a payment for favors scheme; now RNC director Ken Mehlman is suggested to have played a role in getting money from the Justice Dept., for an Abramoff client; beyond Abramoff billing, there is currently little hard evidence of meetings... Brazil airforce has located passenger jet that crashed in remote Amazon rainforest; military helicopters were sent to the site to provide rescue and recovery operations, though no survivors are expected to be found... Rafael Correa, a US-educated PhD economist, has pulled 7 points ahead of nearest rival in polls for Ecuador's presidential election, scheduled for 15 October; Correa has promised to "give the lash" to the corrupt machinery of Ecuadoran politics and to cut Ecuador's international debt-financing payments by half... Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Dennis Hastert (R-IL) was reportedly notified about allegations Rep. Mark Foley (R-FL) had sent inappropriate e-mails to an underage male page; Foley has resigned effective immediately while facing a possible investigation into sexual harassment of underage boys... US pres. George Bush used his weekly radio address to defend his prosecution of the Iraq war and to claim that criticism of the war was overblown; he claimed the war has not provoked an upsurge in terrorist violence or in attacks against American interests and criticized the new book from Bob Woodward, 'State of Denial', reporting that the administration is losing lives while it fails to take action to correct its own mistakes or to admit the increasing level of violence in Iraq; The Economist magazine writes that Bush is "deluded" in his refusal to recognize errors in Iraq, but praises "his refusal to countenance failure there"...

29 September: US Senate approves legislation severely restricting rights of detainees accused of conspiring with terrorists or committing terrorist acts; bill to set up military tribunals for detainees, includes "restrictions on a suspect's ability to challenge his detention, examine all evidence against him, and bar testimony allegedly acquired through coercion of witnesses"; many provisions of new law may face serious constitutional challenge in court; Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) voted in favor, after saying he would vote against it for being "patently unconstitutional on its face", says he expects courts to throw out unconstitutional provisions barring habeas corpus motions... HRW reports "climate of fear" stalling efforts to investigate killings of leftist political activists and reporters, in what appears to be covert political effort tied to the military... ENN reports "A plan to fence off a third of the U.S. border to stop illegal immigration from Mexico may harm migration routes used by animals including rare birds and jaguars, environmentalists and U.S. authorities warn"... Fmr US VP Al Gore has presented his climate change lecture to the United Nations, warning of "full-scale climate emergency" with potential to undermine the bases of civilization as we now know it; he added amid a range of images showing increasingly extreme climate-based changes in landscape, "The planet itself will do nicely, thank you very much —what is at risk is human civilization"... US has suspended $24 million in military aid to Bangkok after Thai military overthrew elected government, alleging corruption...

28 September: Vicente Fox has decided to send federal troops to Oaxaca to quell a civil restistance movement there intent on ousting the governeror from his post; the Asamblea Popular de Pueblos de Oaxaca (APPO) has said it is on "red alert" and prepared to resist, will not give up its "total strike", which it says will last "until the tyrant falls"... Washington Post reports pre-9/11 Bush admin. efforts to counter terror threat amounted to "several meetings on terrorism through the interagency group known as the deputies committee and one on Sept. 4, 2001, through the principals committee composed of Cabinet officers"; while having demoted the counter-terrorism chief Richard Clarke to a sub-Cabinet position, and rejecting Clarke's report of 25 January 2001 on how to "roll back" al-Qaeda, the Bush admin. actually donated $43 million to the Taliban, in May 2001, despite their openly brutal treatment of women and dissenters and reports they were hosting al-Qaeda leaders... Citing "lack of evidence" to support any charges, an Israeli court ordered the release of Palestinian deputy PM, Nasser al-Shaer, one of the more than 30 Hamas lawmakers held over the last 3 months; al-Shaer was arrested 19 August 2006, and never charged...

27 September: ENN reports "Forests in northern nations such as Russia and Canada are worth $250 billion a year because of services they provide by purifying water or soaking up greenhouse gases"; quantifying ecosystem services is vital to understanding economic costs of undermining ecosystem integrity, environmental resilience... German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said "self-censorship out of fear is not tolerable", after Berlin opera house cancels performance of Mozart's "Idomeneo", which would have shown the severed heads of Poseidon, Jesus, Buddha and the Prophet Muhammad... White House refuses to release entire NIE finding Iraq war inflamed Islamist terrorism, put US at heightened risk, unedited, for public scrutiny, claiming it would cause analysts to "pull their punches" in future reports, a complaint questioned by many who believe that secrecy has allowed politicization of intelligence and intimidation of analysts; Bush has said retaliated against US intelligence agencies, calling them naïve for their analysis of the Iraq war as helping to spread fundamentalism... Nobel peace laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu has warned of a "deep malaise" permeating South African society at present, which could cause an escalation of violence, political divisions, and ethnic segregation; corruption allegations, high murder rate and levels of sexual violence reportedly have many citizens worried about the future direction of their society... The journal Nature has reported that release of a US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration report was blocked by the Commerce Dept., because it linked intensified hurricanes, like Katrina to global warming; Sen. Lautenberg (D-NJ) accused the administration of censorship, saying it "has effectively declared war on science and truth to advance its anti-environment agenda"...

26 September: US pres. Bush has ordered a declassified version of the National Intelligence Estimate that reportedly reveals 16 US spy agencies found the Iraq war is a "cause celebre" for Islamist terrorists and a dangerous recruiting tool... 50% of Florida voters are required to cast votes on electronic machines that produce no paper trail, meaning there is no way to verify the count of the actual votes cast or to catch any wrongdoing or mechanical error; Rep. Wexler (D-FL) is joining in a lawsuit to request that the Supreme Court review Florida's election process and mandate paper trails for all electronic voting machines... Bush admin. on defensive against mounting criticism related to fmr. Pres. Clinton's retort to Fox News journalist saying his administration didn't do enough to get Bin Laden; despite demotion of top counter-terrorism official to sub-cabinet position, and his famously being excluded from key security meetings, Rice claims "What we did in the eight months was at least as aggressive as what the Clinton administration did in the preceding years", offers no specifics... Deutsche Oper has announced it will not stage as planned Mozart's "Idomeneo", after Berlin security officials said they could not protect the opera house in the case of violent reaction to a scene which could offend religious sensitivities... NYT reported over weekend Senate-White House deal on detainee treatment appears to permit use of testimony obtained through already banned abusive interrogation techniques, an apparent severe erosion of constitutional principles... Jacob Zuma may seek to unseat South African pres. Thabo Mbeki as leader of African National Congress party, positioning himself, if successful, as likely successor to Mbeki as future president...

25 September: Lebanon has begun the process of cleaning up the Mediterranean's worst-ever oil spill, leaked from a power plant destroyed by Israeli missiles during the conflict with Hezbollah... China closes more than 50 schools for children of migrant workers, in an effort to "clean up" Beijing for the 2008 Olympics; the gov't has come under criticism for depriving possibly 50,000 poor children of education in exchange for an anti-migrant public relations project... Director of the World Widllife Fund for the UK, Australian-born Dr. Jill Bowling feared dead in missing helicopter, chartered by conservation group, carrying 24, lost in mountains in Nepal, east of Kathmandu... NYT investigation finds pervasive abuse, incompetence in NY state's thousands of "village courts", where judges with no higher education, no legal training often preside... Pope meets with muslim leaders, seeks to promote reciprocal respect among faiths, says tolerance is only way to make a peaceful world... Hugo Chávez tells US interviewer Tavis Smiley he is "but a straw in the wind", cares "more about the fortunes of the American people" than about being personally popular with them... Top retired general tells Congress "Secretary Rumsfeld's dismal strategic decisions resulted in the unnecessary deaths of American service-men and -women, our allies and the good people of Iraq"... Democrats intensify criticism of White House policy after 16 US spy agencies say Iraq war has made terror threat substantially worse...

24 September: US "National Intelligence Estimate", a document comprised of information from 16 US spy agencies, reportedly concludes the Iraq war is the principle cause for the spawning of a new generation of Islamist fundamentalist militia and terror groups... Pressure on Khartoum to allow UN peacekeepers intensifies, as US Sec. of State Rice says "Time is running out", adding "The international community has pledged to end the conflict in Darfur. It pledged to help end the suffering of the people of Darfur. And we have committed to a course of action that can achieve these goals. Now we must match the strength of our convictions with the will to realize them"; she also said the Bashir regime has launched a military offensive against Darfur and the security is "deteriorating"... Venezuela's foreign minister has called the US gov't "Nazi" and "racist" after the diplomat was detained without cause for 90 minutes at JFK International Airport, in New York, and allegedly stripped of his passport and threatened with physical violence by border security guards; Venezuela says it will use "all available legal means" to pursue an appropriate investigation and a "definitive response for this violation of International Law"; Venezuela also said it suspects the action was an "aggression" and a "provocation", possibly designed to undermine the Chávez government's authority... E.coli-contaminated spinach has now caused illness in at least 25 states across US...

23 September: Israel's defense minister, Amir Peretz, has said that if Hamas recognizes Israel as a sovereign state, agrees to abide by all prior agreements with the PA, he will personally exhort PM Olmert to commence negotiations with the Palestinian ruling party and militia group... Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah leads gathering of hundreds of thousands of supporters in devastated area of Beirut, claims "historic victory" over Israel in July-August conflict, says militia now has 20,000 rockets, cannot be dismantled by any military force... Venezuela's foreign minister was detained by US Homeland Security staff at a NY airport, claims he was threatened after complaining the detention was a violation of international law; the US State Dept. has formally apologized, while Venezuela is calling for a UN investigation of the incident... Venezuelan pres. Hugo Chávez' citing of Chomsky book Hegemony or Survival, drives book onto bestseller lists, top spot on Amazon.com... US Army to test GM hydrogen fuel cell vehicle, in effort to move military hardware away from petroleum dependence, could also lead to new platform for weapons propulsion; ENN reports "The technology is backed by a five-year, $1.2 billion hydrogen initiative announced by President Bush in his 2003 State of the Union address"... Poll shows only 25% of Americans approve of GOP-led Congress; Ohio governor Taft has 16% approval rating amid serious corruption scandal, voter displeasure with Bush Iraq policy, state seen as possible loss for Republicans... Reuters news service has formally apologized for publishing digitally altered photo of Israeli air attack on Beirut during July-August conflict...

22 September: Palestinian pres. Abbas has said a planned national unity gov't will recognize Israel's right to exist, in the interest of pushing the peace process forward; Hamas PM Ismail Haniyeh says he personally will not head gov't that recognizes Israel, but that Hamas would support long-term truce with Israel in exchange for secure establishment of Palestinian state in W. Bank, Gaza... New research into sticky beta-amyloid protein suggests possible explanations for early onset of Alzheimer's disease... Istambul court dismisses case against novelist for defaming Turkish nat'l identity for discussing mass killings of Armenians by Turks in latest novel; PM Erdogan joins EU call for law to be reformed... Sec. General of British Commonwealth says means to combat, prevent genocide in Darfur "must be reached now, in New York, in the next 48 hours", commenting in extension of AU security forces' mandate, despite objection of Bashir gov't to UN peacekeepers... Indonesia executes 3 Christians for involvement in inter-religious violence in Sulawesi; human rights groups complain the death penalty has been applied arbitrarily, Christians complain no muslims have been sentenced to death for killing Christians in Sulawesi violence, those convicted for Bali bombings still haven't been executed; campaigners say imbalance shows need to abolish death penalty in Indonesia... Israel refuses 'Quartet' suggestion to unfreeze $500 million in frozen customs funds collected on behalf of Palestinian Authority, saying it will not return money until soldier taken prisoner in Gaza is released... US discount chain Target announces it will match Walmart's $4/month rates for generic prescription drugs... Pres. Bush to meet with Pakistan pres. Musharraf, HRW urges Bush to call for expedient end to military rule in Pakistan, saying torture, disappearances, mistreatment of women widespread under dictatorial regime... UN report on treatment of prisoners in Iraq says "substantive evidence" that torture now more frequent under new Iraq gov't than under Saddam Hussein regime...

21 September: Pakistan pres. Gen. Pervez Musharraf told CBS television that his "intelligence director told me that (Armitage) said, 'Be prepared to be bombed. Be prepared to go back to the Stone Age'"; then deputy to Sec. of State Powell, Armitage was apparently responsible for delivering threats designed to gain Pakistan's help in the fight against Al-Qaeda... US pres. Bush, Republican Senate leaders reach agreement on new legislation to define procedures permitted for interrogating, trying terror suspects held at Guantánamo Bay or by CIA; no specifics yet available, but senators claim White House has conceded there will be no new definition of Geneva torture ban, no use of secret evidence against accused, Bush charged with enforcing Geneva Conventions provisions... Walmart announces it will lower prices for prescription drugs to as low as $4/month for as many as 300 generic medicines... Virgin founder, owner Richard Branson promises $3 billion to combat global warming, announcement made at annual meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative; air, train travel have made Branson's wealth, move seen as gesture to repay "carbon debt", effort to promote clean fuels, new renewable resource technologies... Ousted Thai PM Thaksin, in exile in London, says he will take "well-deserved" break from politics; newly formed ruling military council has banned all political activity, gatherings of more than 5 people, restricted media freedom to publish statements of support for Thaksin... Kyrgyz opposition leader cleared of drug charges in Poland after Kyrgyz parliamentary inquiry finds secret police planted drugs to justify detaining him... Reports emerge saying Republican senators have reached agreement with Bush national security adviser; details of provisions to protect due process, Geneva rights not yet clear; White House claims agreement allows CIA to "continue this most important of programs"...

20 September: UN report says 6,600 Iraqi civilians were killed in conflict in July, August; 3,500 civilians were killed in Baghdad in July alone; violence across Iraq, between insurgency, inter-sectarian conflict, burgeoning civil war, reaching unprecedented levels; US Gen. Abizaid says Iraq police forces now "infiltrated" by militia groups, using police powers to persecute enemies, mount rackets to fund "militia interests"... Hungary PM says his gov't will not stand for another night of violence, after 2nd such day of demonstrations against his rule... Thai military leader says he will cede premiership to appointed PM in two weeks, recognizes king as head of state, will return to full democracy within 12 months; constitution has been "revoked", all security forces' commanders appear to be in full cooperation with coup; world leaders have called for a peaceful resolution of the conflict, condemned the military takeover as an assault on democracy and human rights... Even as reports suggest South African troops may be in policing operation for "long haul", Kenya newspaper publishes analysis suggesting Burundi is "on the brink of chaos", as competing factions appear to still doubt the resiliency of the current ceasefire arrangement; Burundi's gov't has arrested a number of high-ranking opposition leaders, accusing them of plotting a coup d'état, Nairobi's East African newspaper reports "So far, the government has not produced any evidence to back up the arrests, whose suspects include former president Domitien Ndayizeye and former Vice-President Alphonse Marie Kadege"...

19 September: Thailand PM declares "severe state of emergency" after tanks roll into Bangkok, surround gov't headquarters; as US pres. Bush began speech, around 12:15 EDT, Thai military had broadcast message claiming it had full control of Thai gov't... US pres. Bush, addressing the UN General Assembly, cites opening of Universal Declaration of Human Rights, speaking of a "world beyond terror" where "extremists are marginalized by the peaceful majority", in effort to promote his reframing of the so-called "freedom agenda" for transforming the Middle East; he spoke to young people in countries where Islamic fundamentalism has taken root, saying propaganda suggesting the US is engaged in a war against Islam is false and is used to justify acts of terror, adding "We respect Islam, but we will protect our people from those who pervert Islam to sow death and destruction"; Bush also said of Darfur that if the Khartoum gov't continues to oppose intervention, "the UN must act"; of Palestine, he called "one of the great objectives of my presidency" to achieve a Palestinian state with "territorial integrity" and living in peace and cooperation with Israel... Violence overtakes Budapest as demonstrators storm state TV station in bid to demand resignation of PM, after confession he lied to hide economic figures...

18 September: Hungary PM admits to lying to win election, after tape recording is leaked; PM Gyurcsany said "Evidently, we lied throughout the last year and a half, two years. It was totally clear that what we are saying is not true... You cannot quote any significant government measure we can be proud of... we made people believe that they have nothing to do, that we will give them happiness as a gift"... Car bomb assassination attempt against interim Somali president in Baidoa takes at least 6 lives, pres. escapes unharmed; responsibility for attack is not yet officially known, authorities seeking those responsible... UK Liberal Democratic party plans "bonfire" to throw out thousands of "illiberal laws" initiated by Labour gov't; "Nick Clegg, the rising star of the party, got a standing ovation on the first day of the conference in Brighton, when he called for a cull of some of the 3,000 new criminal offences that the party calculates Labour has brought in", Clegg tells party conference Tony Blair's gov'ts have criminalized nearly one new activity every day since he took office... Fmr. US Congressman Mickey Edwards (R-OK, 1977-93) tells panel on Congress' Oversight Duties House should propose legislation to cut 10% funding from Sec. Rumsfeld's office budget the next time he refuses to answer questions or appear at hearings, and if he doesn't respond, propose 20% cut; says "it is not supposed to be the opposition party that holds the Executive branch accountable, it is supposed to be the opposition institution [the Legislature]"... Accused ETA member Iñaki de Juana Chaos, on hunger strike since 7 August 2006, has published an open letter in the Basque press demanding his release from prison, saying he was sentenced unjustly to 96 years in prison "for two opinion articles" he published, despite the judge finding "no evidence of criminal guilt"; de Juana Chaos is accused of aiding in 25 murders related to ETA violence...

17 September: Pope Benedict XVI has formally apologized to Muslims around the world for citing a medieval text that characterized some of the religion's teachings as "evil and inhuman", saying the text does not express his personal opinion and that he only sought to open a "frank" discussion about the need to prevent wars based on religious adherence; shooting murder of Italian nun in Mogadishu, Somalia, seen as "retaliation" for perceived insult to Islam, though responsibility has not been determined... US National Security Adviser, Stephen Hadley, tells press legislation to "clarify" legal parameters for treatment of detainees should not modify Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions... 19 states across the US have been affected by an outbreak of E.Coli, leaving over 100 people ill and one person dead; the bacterial outbreak reportedly stemmed from prepackaged spinach, which health experts have asked people to discard and to use with care; restaurants have been stripping their menus of spinach... Rival factions Hamas, Fatah agree to form "national unity gov't" to cool tensions over how Palestinian territories are governed, prevent collapose of Palestinian Authority due to refusal of funding to Hamas gov't by Israel, NATO powers...

16 September: Town of Eagle Pass, Texas, has announced "unanimous" agreement among its officials to reject the federal government's plan to build a permanent barrier between the United States and Mexico, saying it will not resolve the migratory problem, will harm relations between neighbors and could undermine the local economy, freedom of the local people and generate an even more dangerous black market trade in human traffic and drug smuggling... Reporters without Borders says journalists in Burundi have received death threats as apparent campaign of intimidation waged by ruling party supporters against the privately-owned radio station Isanganiro; one of its reporters was allegedly assaulted at a meeting of the ruling party...

15 September: Miguel Ángel Moratinos, Spain foreign min., to call on EU counterparts to protest, investigate alleged illegal CIA actions involving current or prior gov'ts, or without permission of nat'l gov'ts; while saying there is not conclusive evidence as to whether Spain's prior gov't collaborated in rendition flights or whether illegal prisoner transfers took place in Spain, Moratinos also confirmed "our investigation remains open", primarily in the way of Spain being used as "stopover on the way to committing crimes in another country"... Ukraine PM Viktor Yanukovich, the pro-Russia presidential candidate ousted by the citizen-based 2004 Orange Revolution, has said Ukraine will remain on course for eventual accession to the European Union; Yanukovich agreed in power-sharing pact with Pres. Yuschenko, beneficiary of the Orange Revolution, to stay united on course to join EU, NATO, though Brussels says Kiev not ready for EU accession, Yanukovich cites near two-thirds opposition in Ukrainian society to joining NATO...

14 September: EU may consider easing restrictions against funding Hamas-led Palestinian Authority, if group moves toward national unity gov't officially recognizing Israel, intending to move peace process forward... European Commission to propose new restrictions on liquids allowed onboard commercial aircraft; new rules should permit carrying medicines, items for personal use, like contact-lens solution, shampoo, as well as larger hand-carried luggage items... New Chinese "Godson" microprocessors to be available for June 2007; chips, known as Longxing or "dragon chip" to Chinese users, expected to rival first generation of Intel Pentium IV chips; 39 theses and 12 patents achieved by researchers behind Godson chips expected to help develop 2008 generation of Chinese supercomputers... China has asked Iran to cooperate with the United Nations' IAEA in the verification of its nuclear program's civilian purposes; EU foreign min. Javier Solana, Iran's top nuclear policy negotiator Ali Larijani, have announced an agreement to continue diplomatic cooperation to verify Iran's nuclear program is intended for civilian energy generation only...

13 September: US rules out normalization of ties to Syrian gov't, after thanking Syria for thwarting attack on US embassy; Syrian security forces killed 3 gunmen in firefight, 4th detained; BBC reports Syria vigorously opposes any violent Islamist group within its borders, viewing them as threat to secular gov't... Montenegro ruling coalition declared winners in first post-independence election; PM says goal is to join EU, NATO... Indian PM Manmohan Singh, S. African pres. Thabo Mbeki to meet with Brazil pres. Lula da Silva in Brazil; Brazil, India seek permanent, veto-wielding seats on UNSC, to lead, represent interests of developing democracies... Iran pres. Ahmadinejad welcomes Iraq PM to Tehran, promises support for new democratic gov't, saying Iran considers "independence, national integrity, and freedom" for Iraq as integral to Iran's own security and independence; more than 20 died Tuesday in attacks across Iraq, as insurgent, Islamist, sectarian violence all continue unabated...

12 September: US gov't thanks Syria for "assistance" in preventing attack against US embassy in Damascus; US invited Syria to "become an ally and make the choice of fighting against terrorists"... Rival Palestinian factions have announced they will form a "national unity government", designed to defend and promote Palestinian interests while working to enable the lifting of the funding embargo that has crippled the Hamas-led gov't and threatened to undermine public services and security in the West Bank and Gaza... Abbas, Olmert say they are prepared to meet "unconditionally" for discussions about how to proceed with the peace process, Abbas seeking means of drawing Hamas into functioning "national unity" government that would recognize Israel's right to exist, thus speeding peace process along... UK gov't minister warns climate change is threatening the resilience of English gardens and lawns, could change landscape of country known for gardening enthusiasts, saying it will be necessary in future to use less water and to plant Mediterranean species able to withstand more intense heat... UK Guardian newspaper reports "British children are being "poisoned" by a culture of processed food, computer games and over-competitive education, a group of academics and authors claimed today"...

10 September: UK PM Tony Blair meets with Palestinian pres. Mahmoud Abbas, seeks to highlight suffering of Palestinians during recent escalation of crisis, in effort to "restart roadmap" process, to meet with families of Israeli prisoners held by Hamas, Hezbollah; Israel agrees to move back into "Quartet"-drafted roadmap to peace process... Paul Salobek, a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner and Chicago Tribune reporter, has been freed after one month in detention in Sudan, accused of spying for the US in Darfur, after Gov. Bill Richardson (D-NM) traveled to Khartoum, met personally with Omar al-Bashir and persuaded him to free the reporter, his chauffeur and his interpreter, both Chadian nationals, who were detained with Salobek, while he was preparing a report for National Geographic...

9 September: Senate Intelligence Committee reports findings Saddam Hussein never had any ties to Osama Bin Laden or to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, and further reports that while Zarqawi was in Iraq before the war, he was an enemy of the state and Hussein was trying to capture or kill him; findings indicate Bush and Cheney claims of strong ties before 2003 invasion were in fact unfounded... Israel PM Ehud Olmert says after meeting with UK PM Blair he plans to meet with Palestinian pres. Abbas, even without liberation of kidnapped Israeli soldier, that Abbas, leader of Fatah party, could help free soldier held by Palestinian militants in Gaza...

8 September: Fmr. Asst. Sec. of State Richard Armitage admits to press he was first to leak Valerie Plame's CIA role to press, says it was inadvertent; Armitage also said he was not able to reveal his involvement sooner because special prosecutor Fitzgerald required that he not speak with press... "Deadliest blast since Taliban fall" takes at least 18 lives, injures 30 more in Afghanistan, as violence there intensifies, observers talk of return to all-out war... British Chancelor Gordon Brown, seen as likely successor to Blair, speaks of need to understand "interdependence" as crux of new global economy, future economic success will come to those who best "move away from the old nation states economics of the past", embrace "knowledge economy", creativity...

7 September: Pres. Bush acknowledges existence of secret network of CIA-run prisons, where "alternative set of procedures" was used to extract information given up "unwillingly" by top terror suspects; admission comes as 14 suspects are transferred to Guantánamo Bay, in effort to persuade Congress to set up special, extra-consitutional tribunals for their prosecution... Israel has announced it will lift its air and sea blockade of Lebanon this evening, in anticipation of UN forces moving in to secure southern Lebanon and prevent arms shipments to Hezbollah... Entire cabinet of Côte d'Ivoire gov't resigns amid brewing scandal over release of toxic waste into main city Abidjan, chemicals leading to at least 3 deaths, 1,500 people suffering ill-effects... British press rife with speculation that PM Tony Blair will be forced from office in coming weeks, as several officials resign, Blair announces he will step down within one year, in wake of embarrassing leak of PR plan for eventual retirement; several contenders for Labour Party leadership already jockeying for position...

6 September: US gov't announces new "National Strategy for Combatting Terrorism", which includes steps to prevent "rogue states" from acquiring weapons of mass destruction and aims to use democracy as "antidote" to causes of terrorism... Kofi Annan has said Israel's blockade of Lebanon should end by Thursday, at the latest, to allow humanitarian aid to reach devastated areas, and to permit UN to more effectively police southern border; Annan this week won approval from both Israel and Hezbollah to mediate the crisis over two kidnapped Israeli soldiers... Palestinian security forces have joined a general strike demanding pay from the Palestinian Authority, currently run by Hamas, and which is negotiating a "national unity gov't" with rival faction Fatah... UK Conservative party leader David Cameron said during a visit to India that world leaders must be honest about the negative costs of globalization on people "left behind" and take steps to avoid creating such economic stresses... Memo leaked from UK gov't outlines PR strategy for Blair's farewell from office, possibly sometime next year... 76% of the US population reports being dissatisfied with the Bush administration on some front, and a majority now say they are inclined to vote against incumbents at some level in the November elections; poll shows what appears to be increasing vulnerability of Republican party in Congress; leadership worry Democratic House of Representatives may seek to investigate top officials for alleged crimes related to Iraq war, secret prisons...

5 September: Fmr Iranian pres. Mohammed Khatami tells CNN Iran is committed to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and has never had and does not have the policy of pursuing nuclear weapons, says NPT permits development of civilian nuclear power-generation technology; Khatami also said the IAEA has "enough tools" at its disposal to "prevent any country" from developing nuclear weapons; he also called for the 3 countries in the region who have nuclear weapons to join the NPT and obey its provisions... Mexico's federal electoral tribunal says it will rule Tuesday either to declare a winner in the presidential election or to annul the results of the 2 July 2006 vote... Sudan gov't refuses to allow African Union peacekeepers to continue work to secure Darfur, prevent gov't-linked militia from returning to campaign of genocide; Khartoum has moved 10,000 troops into area, in apparent show of force designed to permit gov't taking Darfur by military means; refusal to allow UN troops raises fears Darfur could descend into full-blown civil war... Magnitude 5.5 eartquake hits southern Philippines, 975 km southeast of Manila, at reported depth of 123 km... Spain's gov't, which previously gave amnesty to undocumented workers, says it will no longer tolerate the mounting influx of undocumented immigrants from Africa, after 1,400 arrive in the Canary Islands in two days; the VP has said "sooner or later, anyone entering this country in an irregular condition, will leave it"; Spain, other EU gov'ts are proposing a new development agency for Africa, to help reduce the disparity in wealth and opportunity between the two continents... Lebanese colonel crtically wounded when car he's traveling in explodes; early reports cited colonel as killed, but medical teams are tending to him and he is now reported to have been seriously injured; 3 bodyguards were also injured, no word yet on who was responsible for explosion... Irish budget airline Ryanair to offer 4 million free fares (not including taxes), to celebrate its 4 million passengers in August...

4 September: Kofi Annan wins support of Iran for terms of UN resolution to bring peace to Lebanon-Israel border region, but Tehran will not halt uranium enrichment without negotiations to guarantee security against US invasion, expansion of power supply available to Iran... Israeli forces destroyed at least one home in Gaza, saying it belonged to a "militant" allegedly responsible for planning attacks against Israel, and pushed into Gaza, reportedly targetting "a building used for making and storing weapons in Jabalya refugee camp"... Media icon, beloved environmentalist, known as "The Crocodile Hunter", Australian Steve Irwin killed in accident involving stingray while filming; authorities reportedly received a call and rushed to the scene, but found Irwin with a puncture wound to the left side of his chest, and pronounced him dead on the scene; tributes have been pouring in from around the world, though his wife is currently trekking in Tasmania and may not yet be aware... Sen. Santorum (R-PA), trailing challenger Bob Casey, Jr., says Bush has been "a terrific president, absolutely", claims Iraq chaos can be resolved by shifting "focus" to Iran, alleges empty missile shells, left over from 1980s Iran-Iraq war, are proof there were WMD in Iraq in 2003; Casey challenged Bush policies, called for Rumsfeld to resign, says it's time for new leadership...

3 September: Wash. Post reports Republicans plan to leave major domestic issues untouched until after November elections, due to strategy of "devoting the few remaining legislative days almost exclusively to security issues"; no immigration reform package will be completed, no 2007 budget passed, no lobbying reforms initiated, despite major and spreading corruption scandal, "as many as eight of the 11 bills needed to fund the government will not be passed"... NYT reports only 29% of electorate feels country heading "in the right direction", experts say Democrats likely to gain 15 to 20 seats in House, "if nothing changes"; 15 are needed for power to change in House...

2 September: Wash. Post reports experts place likelihood of Democratic takeover of House at 70% to 90%, while Republicans reportedly plan "a national effort to focus on terrorism and security to raise voter fears"... FBI raids offices of 6 Alaska state legislators allegedly linked to corruption investigation surrounding oil firm; at least 20 warrants are said to have been issued... Danish gov't tells Kenya it supports US Senator Obama's call for efforts to combat endemic corruption... HRW calls on Nigerian gov't to punish members of military, sodliers and officers, who were responsible for setting ablaze an entire slum neighborhood, destroying homes and businesses, in apparent retaliation for death of soldier in kidnap by armed militants of Italian oil worker...

1 September: Series of apparently coordinated blasts kill 55 people overnight in Baghdad, as extreme level of violence against civilians continues... California Assembly passes Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, Gov. Schwarzenegger agrees to sign; bill mandates reduction of greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020, an estimated reduction of about 25%; California has officially broken with Washington on Kyoto rules, Democrats say they hope to take the legislation to other states... US pres. Bush says Iran must face sanctions for not complying with Security Council by deadline; recent reports suggest Iran is continuing to enrich uranium, developing nuclear program, which UN worries is intended for weapons use, Iran says is for civilian power generation; Russia says Iran position regrettable, but sanctions counter-productive... New "green" housing design, made of modular, sustainable materials, to be used in one section of New Orleans' Lower Ninth Ward, area most devastated by Katrina flooding one year ago; actor Brad Pitt, who sponsored the architectural competition to design the homes, says the pace of rebuilding is appallingly slow, communities need schools which are not being rebuilt... Naming of Google CEO, fmr Sun executive, to Apple board of directors seen by some as sign of imminent period of negotiation for merger between Sun, Apple... Majority of UK feel money should be "no object" in state healthcare expenditure: 40% of people surveyed in UK feel NHS should spare no expense in helping patients, 31% more feel all treatments, drugs should be available through service, regardless of cost...