28 January: Iranian legislator announces plans to install 3,000 centrifuges for uranium enrichment, as part of process to "stabilize" Iran's nuclear technology sector, officially for civilian energy use; move comes despite UN sanctions, Iran recently barred 38 IAEA inspectors from entering country because they were from nations that voted for sanctions...

24 January: Hezbollah-backed roadblocks seal Lebanon in general strike, opposition demanding resignation of PM Siniora; as aftermath clears, but protests continue, it is clear that at least 3 people were killed in sporadic clashes across the country, more than 100 injured, though security forces chose not to intervene, and Hezbollah militia were largely involved in maintaining roadblocks, strike, not attacking police... Israel pres. to be indicted on charges of rape and abuse of power; Pres. Moshe Katsav formally requested today that the nation's parliament temporarily remove him from power, while the trial is underway... E. Howard Hunt, Nixon agent who led Watergate break-in, dies at 88; SF Chronicle reports "When he left the CIA in 1970 after a decidedly checkered career, he had become a world-weary cynic. He eventually won a job as a $100-a-day security consultant at the Nixon White House in 1971. In that role, he conducted break-ins and burglaries in the name of national security", adding that "He [had] worked as a wartime intelligence officer in China, a postwar spokesman for the Marshall Plan in Paris and as a screenwriter in Hollywood"...

23 January: Massive opposition demonstration in Beirut paralyzes Lebanon capital; blockades of burning tires cut off major transport roots, as opposition coalition attempts to topple Siniora gov't, accused of corruption, collaboration with foreign powers...

22 January: Chávez announces plan to nationalize CANTV, Venezuela's major telecom, do not include paying market prices for shares; third term has begun with swift action to establish a "permanent" socialist system, including "the nationalization of CANTV, the electricity industry, and important oil assets, the revocation of Central Bank independence and the acquisition of special legislative powers from Congress"... African nations have been increasingly showing a desire to develop civilian nuclear technology, in order to meet growing demand for electricity, development, modernization of economy, infrastructure, security... Wash. Post reports majority of Americans (66%) now believe country is "on the wrong track", as pres. is about to deliver 6th state of the union address; despite major political changes, increasing expression of dissatisfaction among public, political figures, same finding was at 65% one year ago...

19 January:

US administration warns new Chinese anti-satellite weapon could pose serious threat, requests that China refrain from any further testing of devices, says US opposes any militarization of space; US did carry out similar test in 1985, but signals Cold War as different historical context... Senate Judiciary Committee subjected AG Gonzales to intense questioning today about the reasons for the administration's switching authority for the extrajudicial wiretap program to the secret FISA court; program has been subject of much criticism by administration opponents, civil rights groups, was ruled unconstsitutional by Supreme Court last year... Fmr US Rep. Bob Ney (R-OH) sentenced to 30 months in prison, $6,000 fine for conspiracy, false statements in Abramoff corruption probe... Venezuelan pres. Hugo Chávez has said Fidel Castro is "battling for his life", comparing the dictator's bleak health condition to his guerrilla insurgency in the Sierra Maestra... Journalist convicted by Turkish gov't of "insulting Turkish national identity" by mentioning genocide committed against Armenians has been shot and killed; Hrant Dink was killed while leaving the offices of the newspaper he headed, national leaders have condemned the killing... US congressmen have expressed skepticism about Iraq Study Group advice to open diplomatic negotiations with Iran and Syria; bipartisan ISG spokesman says their influence in Iraq cannot be ignored, even though they may be contributing to tensions at present... Gov. Corzine (D-NJ), Gov. Spitzer (D-NY) request Homeland Security not reduce funding for anti-terrorism security in their states; new risk classification system could reduce overall amount of federal spending for region...

18 January: Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME) becomes 2nd senator from Bush's party to sign up as co-sponsor to resolution opposing his troop-surge strategy for Iraq; she said of the resolution "Its focus rightly hinges on a diplomatic and political solution as a military solution is no longer feasible in Iraq"; Chuck Hagel (R-NE) said when he announced cosponsorship "This is the biggest issue facing our country since Vietnam... It's dividing our nation. It is dangerous for our country. It's dangerous for the world. The Congress needs to be part of this", adding that escalating the conflict would be "dangerously irresponsible"... In apparent response to harsh rhetoric from both the president and his critics in the Senate, Iraqi PM Nouri al-Maliki has said he wants massive and rapid weapons transfers to the new Iraqi gov't, to allow Iraqi forces to independently control security within 6 months; criticism has been harsh as violence has spiralled out of control, the UN announced 34,000 Iraqis died in hostilities in 2006, Pres. Bush said video of Hussein execution made it look "like it was kind of a revenge killing"... TIME reports "American paratroopers are already pouring into the Iraqi capital as part of President Bush's troop surge. Maliki said those troops could soon leave if the U.S. provided the Iraqi security forces with more weapons and equipment"... New report finds cigarette manufacturers increased nicotine content by 11% between 1998 and 2005, leading to a new "tobacco pandemic"; move appears to be effort to fight legal onslaught, popular aversion; industry denies increasing nicotine content... New report shows number of US cancer deaths fell in 2003 for first time since records began in 1930; drop is attributable to increasing numbers of Americans quitting smoking...

17 January: Worried about escalating tensions between nuclear powers around the world, nuclear scientists have moved the minute hand on the "doomsday clock" fwd 2 minutes closer to Midnight, from 7 to 5, suggesting the dawn of a "new nuclear age"... US Justice Dept. announces extralegal wiretapping plan, by which NSA spies on citizens without any court oversight, will now be placed under jurisdiction of secret court for overseeing foreign intelligence surveillance... EU takes steps to initiate temporary visa program to expand legal immigration from Africa to the Union as a whole; CSM reports "The initiative is an attempt to manage a problem that shocked Europeans last year as they witnessed the desperate efforts of more than 30,000 African migrants —about six times the total for 2005— to transit north through the Canary Islands"... German chancellor Angela Merkel has warned that the EU must overcome the stalemate on its joint Constitution by 2009 or risk "historic failure"; there are now 27 member states in the Union, many of which might vote in referenda to oppose a centralized constitution... Republican senator Chuck Hagel is joining with lead Democrats to sponsor resolution opposing Pres. Bush's plan to increase US involvement in Iraq, saying it is "not in the national interest of the United States to deepen its military involvement in Iraq, particularly by escalating U.S. troop presence in Iraq"... Analysts tell NewsHour president needs to provide more information to public, now that he admits there is widespread skepticism about Iraq plans...

16 January: Illinois sen. Barack Obama announces exploratory committee to seek possible Democratic nomination for presidency in 2008...

13 January: Spanish authorities have arrested ex-president of Argentina, Isabel Perón, in connection with the disappearance of an opposition activist in 1976, at the hands of a death squad linked to her gov't; she has been released, but must report to police every 15 days, while Argentina decides if it will file an official extradition request... A fmr Argentine police chief has been detained in connection with the right-wing death squad known as Triple A, which took part in the alleged murder of over 1,500 gov't opponents between 1973 and 1976... Rep. John Murtha (D-PA), in charge of House defense appropriations, says he will push to close the extralegal Guantánamo prison camp before approving new funding for war in Iraq... Spain's conservative opposition party refuses to join cross-party popular demonstrations against terrorism; more than 250,000 people are reported to have taken part in the marches in Madrid and Bilbao... Cuban intellectuals protest the return to visibility, on official TV, of some of dictatorship's worst human rights abusers... José María Calleja, regular commentator on Telemadrid network's 'Alto y claro' has said he was let go by the show's producers for criticizing the conservative opposition party; he had alleged the 'Popular' Party was using terrorism as a "weapon of electoral fatigue" against the gov't; Calleja, who also hosts the show 'El Debate' on CNN+, was phoned the same day by the network's director, invited to return...

12 January: New scientific report concludes plan by OMB to rework rules governing chemical risk assessment "fundamentally flawed" and suggests the new rules should be withdrawn for safety reasons... US embassy in Athens target of bomb attack; no injuries reported, though damage did occur in a toilet on the floor where the ambassador's office is located... Wash. Post reports small number of US agents entered Somalia in order to assess results of airstrikes, determine who was killed... Democrats in House propose new prescription drug plan which would allow the government to negotiate lower prices with drug companies; Pres. Bush has said he will veto the proposal if it comes to his desk for signing... Boeing plans new look commercial airliners with only one color and less logo coverage, as lettering and patterns are said to cause enough drag to waste 113,562 liters of fuel per year per jet... Somali officials say warlord factions have agreed to disarm their militias and join the national military in order to establish a more stable security environment, and end years of rampant warfare... One day after state of emergency declared amid nationwide demonstrations in Bangladesh, Pres. Iajuddin Ahmed has stepped down; state of emergency and curfew remain in effect, in effort to bring calm... Moderate Republicans join Democrats in questioning or opposing Bush plan to send more troops to Baghdad; skepticism shows political climate in which 60% of Americans oppose escalating war...

11 January: Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal, exiled in Syria, has recognized Israel is a "reality", saying full recognition is yet to come, but that Hamas would be ready to recognize Israel officially once a sovereign Palestinian state comes into existence... Khartoum gov't agrees to ceasefire with rebels to allow UN aid programs to go ahead in war-torn province, try to prevent further mass killing while political solution is negotiated... Scientists have created lightning balls in the lab, which appear to explain the rare natural phenomena as the electrification of stores of silica embedded in soil heated by normal lightning strikes... Belarus suspends oil transit duty for Russian oil passing through state-run pipelines, returns diverted oil, Russia restores supplies, as EU leaders say they can no longer trust Moscow for vital energy supplies... 3 explosions hit Khorramshahr in southern Iran; there is no information as to the cause or the explosions or whether they were provoked by an attack of any sort... Self-proclaimed insurgent group stages grenade attacks in center of Mogadishu, Somalia, in apparent action against Ethiopian-backed transitional gov't forces... European Space Agency may undertake missions to Moon, Mars, contemplates return to human exploration, as one observer pointed out "what a rover can survey in a year, a geologist could do in 20 seconds"... US House of Representatives voted yesterday to raise the nation's minimum wage from $5.15/hr to $7.25/hr, first increase in 10 years, to be phased in over 2 years, in 3 steps... Venezuelan pres. Hugo Chávez, sworn in for 3rd consecutive term yesterday proclaimed his goal of establishing a permanent socialist system in Venezuela; Chávez' roots are as social democrat, but policies have moved more toward concentration of state power in recent years... New Scientist reports studies show massive black hole at center of our galaxy consumed an object about the size of Mercury roughly 60 years ago, but is now dormant; it's last large aggregation of stellar mass was 350 years ago, causing it to appear 1 million times brighter than now in x-ray spectrum...

10 January: Reuters AlertNet reports alarming increase in trading sex for clothes from fashionable boutiques in Tehran, could contribute to spread of HIV... US officials say strikes in Somalia may continue as purported hunt for al-Qaeda linked suspects continues; a Pentagon spokesman said "we pursue the war on terror we will seek out, attempt to identify, locate, capture and, if necessary, kill terrorists … to thwart their activities" as quoted by the LA Times... Former Sandinista revolutionary Daniel Ortega takes power in Nicaragua; Ortega has said he will pursue moderate economic policies and has sought ties to other leaders across the region; Wash. Post reports "the U.S. has reluctantly welcomed Ortega's promises to respect private property and continue free trade agreements"... Basque separatist group ETA says its "permanent ceasefire" is still in effect, though it assumes responsability for the airport parking garage bombing that killed two Ecuadorians in Madrid, saying it did not intend for anyone to be harmed by the attack; ETA criticized authorities for not fully evacuating the structure, despite its issuing warnings of where the bomb was located... Spain's interior minister Pérez Rubalcaba is working out an all-parties agreement to have national political unity in the government's new policies against ETA terrorism...

9 January: US bombs at least 14 sites in Somali village in Ras Kamboni area of Badmadow island; cause for attack was report that al-Qaeda linked suspects had been "spotted" in the village; Reuters quotes a "senior Somalian government official" saying "there are so many dead bodies and animals in the village", AP quotes Mohamed Mahmud Burale, a local resident, saying "My 4-year-old boy was killed in the strike"; by 4:12am ET, Wash. Post reports at least two separate airstrikes on locations inside Somalia... France24 reports at least 130 people have been killed in Haifa St. area of Baghdad since start of new raids 4 days ago... Schwarzenegger proposes universal health coverage for California; AP reports "California's 6.5 million uninsured residents will have health coverage if Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger gets his way. The governor's proposal would spread the cost among businesses, individuals, hospitals, insurers and the government. Last year, Massachusetts became the first state to require universal health insurance"... Energy policy crisis in EU as Russia cuts off all oil supply passing through former Soviet republic Belarus, which Moscow accuses of illegally diverting oil destined for EU; EU leaders to discuss aggressive post-petroleum energy policy to reduce reliance on Russian supplies... Sen. Kennedy (D-MA) in speech today said he wants Congress to vote on whether new funding should be approved for Bush's planned "troop surge" in Iraq, will lead efforts to block such escalation "unless and until Congress approves" the move; Kennedy and Rep. Markey (D-MA) will introduce bills requiring White House to seek approval for sending more troops... Apple introduces iPhone at Mac Expo, device uses several revolutionary technologies to bring internet, e-mail, video, photography, music and mobile telephony into sync; company also unveils new device to expand user control of TV viewing, content, storage; share prices jumped 7% just in afternoon hours as word spread...

8 January: Iraq Health Ministry announces at least 17,310 Iraqi civilians were killed violently in the last 6 months of 2006, more than triple the 5,640 who died violently in the preceding 6 months... Massive opposition protests in Dhaka, Bangladesh, continue, as police clash with demonstrators; opposition says elections planned by gov't will not be fair or open, is opposing "caretaker gov't" with 3-day national transportation strike... Somali president, head of "transitional" gov't, exiled in recent years to inland city of Baidoa, has reached Mogadishu, the wartorn capital, which only weeks ago was the center of the Union of Islamic Courts militia's hold on power across much of the country... New House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has said Congress will challenge the president's request for more troops and more funding, demand oversight, explanations; saying the Congress fully supports the troops who are there and "We will not abandon them", she also added "if the president wants to add to this mission, he is going to have to justify it. And this is new for him because up until now the Republican Congress has given him a blank check with no oversight, no standards, no conditions"; House Appropriations chairman David Obey (D-WI) reiterated "There are certainly going to be no blank checks" issued by the committee under his leadership... GM says it plans to produce a new battery-powered electric car for mass-market distribution, after decades of resistance, that the moment is right for persuading consumers to abandon the internal combustion engine... Bristol airport officials say airport may re-open today, after 10 airlines boycotted, canceling or diverting flights, claiming newly refurbished runway was unsafe, caused skidding...

7 January: UK nationals will be required to give all 10 fingerprints and have their personal information and photographs stored in an FBI database of convicted criminals and terror suspects, as standard procedure for entering the United States, despite Britain being one of the "visa-waiver" countries; analysts say process should be expected to triple wait times for non-US residents at passport control; civil liberties and human rights groups warn there does not yet exist a fully reliable, fool-proof digital biometric system, which could avoid errors, false matches and fraud... House leaders hint they may challenge Pres. Bush on his new Iraq policy, will demand clarity, consultation, expanded role for Congress in war policy... Lt. Gen. David Petraeus, named by Pres. Bush to be new Iraq ground commander, considered imaginative, skilled enough to grasp difficulties, scope, direction of war, but some question whether he's been given "a losing hand"; Army Gen. Barry R. McCaffrey (ret.) commented "The war is unmistakably going in the wrong direction", while many say Petraeus is the person with the creativity and intelligence to take on the task...

5 January: Dems to push budget reform package that requires "pay as you go" spending solutions, forcing gov't to find funds for new spending either in cuts elsewhere or in tax increases; move will help reach balanced budget, make gov't benefits-spending increases or extending Bush tax cuts more difficult...

3 January: Iraq gov't probing allegedly illegal cell video of Saddam execution, showing executioners mocking him with chants of "al-Sadr"; Iraq officials say video meant to provoke sectarian conflict, US says it would have carried out execution "differently"; BBC reports anecdotal commentary from Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca as ordinary Muslims say date of Saddam execution was insulting to their faith, occurring on day of Muslim celebration, when lives should not be taken... On last day of Republican leadership, US House Ethics Committee issues rulings in Abramoff corruption scandal, ordering outgoing member Weldon (R-PA) to repay $23,000 in trip financing classified as an illegal gift and re-elected member Sweeney (R-FL) to repay charges for illegally paid trip... Televangelist Pat Robertson has announced he believes God has spoken personally to him, telling him to expect "mass killing" in the US later in 2007...

2 January: Controversy erupts as video released showing Saddam executioners allegedly taunting condemned dictator in minutes before his death...

1 January 2007: New Year begins with news 3,000th US soldier killed in Iraq conflict... Eliot Spitzer sworn in as governor of New York, among first actions taken is effort to enact legislation to stop political corruption...

29 December: US court refuses appeal to prevent Saddam Hussein's transfer to Iraqi custody for the purpose of immediate execution; observers had raised serious questions about integrity of trial process, decried rush to execute as likely to prevent the vast majority of his victims from seeking justice... Saddam Hussein, fmr Iraqi dictator ousted by 2003 US invasion, has been hanged for crimes against humanity, after transfer to Iraqi government custody...

28 December: Ethiopian forces assist Baidoa government troops in moving on Mogadishu; Somalia could see protracted civil war if UIC mounts substantial "unconventional war" against pro-Baidoa forces...

27 December: Iraq supreme court upholds Saddam Hussein death sentence, machinery of justice system appears to indicate ex-dictator may be executed by year's end...

14 December: Xinhua reports "The sudden disappearance of a number of key witnesses in the Alexander Litvinenko investigation will make it even harder for British detectives, whose inquiry has now spread across five countries"; a number of witnesses have reportedly said they are too afraid to give evidence to detectives... War reportedly near in Somalia; UN envoy says conflict could spread to entire Horn of Africa region...