24 September: Iran pres. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said his nation does not need nuclear weapons and is not headed for war with US; news comes amid heightened tensions between Western powers and Teheran, over nuclear allegations, apparent French threat, upcoming UN General Assembly... Reuters reports "U.S. troop movements are being monitored by Iran using satellites and other technology and would be in range of Iranian missiles if an attack was launched, a top Iranian military official said"; Yahya Rahim Safavi, an advisor to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, also said he does not expect a US strike, as Iraq is taxing its military resources... US has said it considers Syria a "natural invitee" to Mideast peace conference it will host in November, but urges all participants to renounce violence, commit to peaceful, negotiated solution that recognizes Israel... CA gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and fmr. US vice pres. Al Gore to join world leaders at climate policy summit, aimed at establishing new solutions for global emissions reductions... Pudding Media, a new VoIP venture, is planning to monitor users phone calls in order to harvest keywords and target advertising to their computer screens as they talk; some say business method is one step too far in handing private information to online service providers... The NY Times has apologized for running a political ad criticizing the Petraeus report at a discounted rate; Moveon.org, who purchased the ad has alread said it will wire the difference between the "standby rate" —for "political and advocacy groups willing to be flexible about the day their ads run"— and the full rate, according to Reuters...

23 September: Sunday Times reports "Israeli commandos seized nuclear material of North Korean origin during a daring raid on a secret military site in Syria before Israel bombed it this month, according to informed sources in Washington and Jerusalem"; nuclear-related material not named, report also says Israel raid carried out with US backing... Newsweek has reported fmr. aide to US vice pres. told "a small group" Cheney was "mulling" plan to ask Israel to strike Natanz nuclear site in Iran in hopes of provoking Iranian attack on Israel, then using Iran action as justification for massive air campaign against the Islamic republic... FBI reported to be investigating neo-nazi site that calls for lynching of the young African Americans known as the "Jena Six"; activists have called for Justice Dept. to provide full security for youths, families... FBI reported to have secretly recorded Sen. Ted Stevens' conversations in corruption investigation, long before he made public information that he was being investigated... US Senate has blocked legislation that would have ordered withdrawal of most US combat troops from Iraq within 9 months; 3 Republicans voted with 44 Democrats in favor of passage, bill needed 60 votes to pass... German chancellor Angela Merkel has defied Beijing and held a private audience with the Dalai Lama; the Chinese regime considers the meeting an implicit vote of support for Tibet's independence movement, for whom the Dalai Lama has long been the most visible spokesman...

22 September: Al-Qaeda has announced its intention to recapture the medieval caliphate of Al-Andalus, which covered much of modern Spain; alleged 2nd in command al-Zawahiri says retaking Maghreb and Al-Andalus is an 'obligation', will begin with assault on Spanish, French interests in north Africa, threatening to kidnap westerners working or living in areas where it operates... Two French nationals, one Italian and six Algerians, injured in suicide attack, terrorist group calling itself Al-Qaida pour le Maghreb islamique (AQMI) —or Al-Qaeda for an Islamic Maghreb— claimed responsibility for "first strike" against western Interests in the territory of the medieval western caliphate; AQMI is reportedly operating in Tunisia, Morocco and Mauritania as well... 10,000 protesters march in Jena, Louisiana, to call for release of Mychal Bell, whose conviction on charges of aggravated battery, conspiracy, was thrown out by appeals court, demand justice for African-American students accused of attempted murder for beating student who allegedly participated in racial threats, which included nooses hanging from oak tree; DA Walters said of the nooses strung up "I cannot overemphasize what a villainous act that was. The people that did it should be ashamed of what they unleashed on this town", while the NY Times quotes Latese Brown, a 40-year-old demonstrator saying, "If you can figure out how to make a school yard fight into an attempted murder charge, I’m sure you can figure out how to make stringing nooses into a hate crime"...

21 September: Spain has begun airing commercials in West Africa urging would-be migrants not to attempt the perilous journey by boat to Spanish soil in the Canary Islands; adverts show weeping families, drowned migrants, urge viewers to see themselves as "the future of Africa"; the 6-week, $1.4 million campaign was launched on Senegalese TV... BBC reports on rally for the 'Jena Six' that "Racial tensions had been running high at the school after three nooses were found hanging from a tree in the school yard, the day after a black pupil had sat in its shade... The three white pupils responsible for that act were not disciplined"; estimated 10,000 people from across the US attended rally in town of 3,000... NASA has restored the Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR), a $105 million mission to study black holes; New Scientist reports "NuSTAR will carry out a census of black holes of all sizes, from small ones weighing a few times the mass of the Sun to 'supermassive' black holes weighing millions or billions of Suns"... US sec. of State Rice says scheduled summit on Mid-east peace must lay groundwork for Palestinian state, negotiated peace, otherwise there's no point inviting the two sides to the talks... US dollar fell yesterday to record-low $1.4018 against the euro, after Fed cut interest rates to ease economic crisis spurred by mortgage bank failures, weak dollar expected to help Eurozone firms reduce costs, hurt exports as US is largest Eurozone trading partner; in July dollar fell to record low against the Chinese yuan, when the Chinese central bank raised interest rates to stabilize currency, investment prospects, central bank sets 'mid-point' from which yuan is allowed to rise or fall in value by maximum of 0.5% per day...

20 September: US Director of National Intelligence says China, Russia now spying on scale not seen since Cold War; claims comes as reports suggest China, India invovled in ballistic missile build-up, concerns over Asian arms race; Pentagon recently alleged its computer network was attacked by Chinese hackers... Israeli gov't criticizes opposition leader Netanyahu for confirming allegations about Israel airstrike on Syria earlier this month, move characterized as "irresponsibility" on part of fmr PM... NY Police Dept. has refused Iranian pres. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's request to lay a wreath at 'Ground Zero' —site of 11 Sept. 2001 attacks—, citing ongoing construction and security concerns; presidential candidates from both parties had revolted at the request, citing Iran's alleged support for militant groups in Middle East; Iran spokesman says intent was "to lay a wreath at the site of ground zero in order to pay tribute to the victims of the terrorists attack of September 11, 2001", while US ambassador to UN, Zalmay Khalilzad said "Iran can demonstrate its seriousness about concern with regard to terrorism by taking concrete actions, such as dropping support for Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and suspending their uranium enrichment program"... Israel's ambassador to UN had called on US authorities to refuse Ahmadinejad access to UN, saying he should be arrested and tried for "incitement to genocide"; Ha'aretz reports "Gillerman says he is aware of the American obligation as the UN host-country to allow any member of the organization to enter the US" but classified Iran as a special case because its president had called for the destruction of a fellow member-state...

19 September: US suspends all road travel outside Baghdad 'Green Zone' by its diplomats in Iraq, after Iraqi gov't prohibits private military firm Blackwater from providing security or operating in Iraq, amid allegations Blackwater agents fired "indiscriminately" on civilians with no apparent provocation; BBC reports Blackwater operations difficult to trace, company claims to have "come under fire"... Israel cabinet officially declares Gaza Strip, governed by Hamas, a "hostile entity", meaning it can now impose harsh economic sanctions on the territory; Hamas accuses Israel of "collective punishment" of civilian population... Iraq population migrating in ways that reshape country's ethnic and sectarian make-up; migration data from survey by Iraqi Red Crescent organization show "in Baghdad alone there are now nearly 170,000 families, accounting for almost a million people, that have fled their homes in search of security, shelter, water, electricity, functioning schools or jobs to support their families"... Burmese ruling military junta (which has renamed country Myanmar) has fired teargas into crowd of 1,000 Buddhist monks demonstrating against totalitarian regime in Sittwe; nationwide call for religious boycott of military junta led to demonstrations in numerous other cities, as lay people, some Muslims, joined protests; regime closed the Shwedagon Pagoda, the nation's holiest shrine, to prevent dissidents from organizing religious groups there; Pagoda was to be visible center of campaign for monks to refuse alms from anyone tied to the regime... IHT reports "The New York Times will stop charging for access to its Web site, except for some of its archives, effective at midnight Tuesday, reflecting a growing view in the industry that subscription fees cannot outweigh the potential advertising revenue from increased traffic on a free site"; move comes as media tycoon Rupert Murdoch, still in talks to finalize purchase of DowJones, said to be suggesting removing all fees for online access to the website of its flagship publication, the Wall Street Journal...

18 September: North Korea's gov't says rumors it provided nuclear assistance to Syria are "conspiracy" designed to prevent its normalizing relations with the US... Russia, China have raised "alarm" over comments by French foreign minister Bernard Kouchner that the nation should prepare for war with Iran; Reuters reports "Kouchner sought, however, to play down his weekend remarks, saying they were meant as a 'message of peace'"... Israel's PM Olmert has said he respects Syrian pres. Bashar al-Assad and does not rule out dialogue with Damascus; Syria accuses Israel aircraft of firing on its territory earlier this month; alleged intel leaked to press suggests Israel may seek to defend actions claiming target was facility where Syria was working on nuclear technology obtained from North Korea; Syria, N. Korea deny allegations... Venezuelan man wakes up as coroners begin autopsy surgery; no official word on how death certificate was issued, autopsy ordered, on man whose heart, brain were still functioning; Reuters has published images provided by Carlos Camejo to a El Universal newspaper, showing his facial scar and the document ordering his autopsy...

17 September: The "six-party talks" aimed at dismantling North Korea's nuclear apparatus, normalizing relations with rogue regime, suspended, in move apparently linked to allegations of Syrian nuclear ties; Israel allegedly bombed, in secret, facilities in Syria it now claims contained North Korean nuclear technology, that claim has caused a heightening in tensions between Pyongyang, Washington, just as old foes are readying to "end the Korean war", in the words of Pres. Bush... Ukraine gov't approves plan to seal Chernobyl nuclear facility with giant steel shell, to prevent any further leaks of radiation from the site...

16 September: Former US Speaker of the House of Representatives, Newt Gingrich, has said he is contemplating a late run for the presidency, to help Republican party overcome "chaos" in primary field; some see possible run as attempt to take on old foe Hillary Clinton... UK gov't faces criticism over policy of deporting political asylum-seekers back to DR Congo, where it says they face no imminent peril; new report says opposite, with testimony for former DRC security forces operative says such political refugees and dissidents face detention, truly brutal torture, rape and murder at hands of regime... In his new book, Alan Greenspan, chairman of the Federal Reserve for nearly two decades, criticizes Bush admin. for ideologically-driven fiscal policy; of the Republican-controlled Congress, he reportedly writes they "lost their way", adding "They swapped principle for power. They ended up with neither"; media reports suggest Rove's political apparatus had excessive influence over economic policies, Rove met with Greenspan briefly, only once or twice...

15 September: China has freed a New York Times reporter imprisoned for 3 years; Zhao Yan was detained in 2004 after reporting that Jian Zemin was likely to step down, the charge being the leaking of state secrets; Zhao had also reported on official abuses; China is currently holding 35 journalists and at least 51 "cyber-dissidents" in prison on similar charges...

9 September: US pres. George W. Bush has said the US would consider a formal peace treaty with North Korea, if the DPRK agrees to give up entirely its nuclear program, in an effort to "end the Korean war"... Basque separast group ETA has said it will "continue to strike the structures of the Spanish state on all fronts" to stop politicians in Madrid from dismantling the Basque process favoring independence; the group said the Basque Country (Euskal Herria or Euskadi) "has no future in the current framework" and that it should begin crafting the aparatus of an independent state...

8 September: Gen. Michael Hayden, head of US CIA, has publicly defended detention and "extraordinary rendition" practices used by CIA in treatment of those captured in association with terror investigations; EU courts investigating abductions, illegal transport of prisoners, detention without judicial review, with evidence suggesting hundreds of clandestine flights related to such practices; lawsuits have been filed in Europe, US, Canada by former detainees who say they were abducted, flown to third countries, then later tortured... Leaders of APEC nations agreed in Australia yesterday to a "long-term aspirational goal" to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but have set no binding targets; major concern is how to bring China into a carbon-emissions regime without undermining its rapid industrial expansion...

7 September: US intel analysts "skeptical" about Al-Qaeda claim of forthcoming video of Bin Laden; agencies suggest threat of "gift" to commemorate attacks refers to video, which would be Bin Laden's first appearance in 3 years... Family of missing Madeleine in shock as Portuguese police name mother as suspect; Kate McCann says she is disappointed, fears police are no longer serious about finding missing girl... Experts said to be "baffled" by disppearance of Steve Fosset, aviation record-setter and expert pilot, in small plane on recreational outing in perfectly clear conditions; some observers have speculated he may have flown over top-secret military bases in Nevada desert, have demanded gov't give information as to his whereabouts; Cynthia Ryan, spokesperson for the Civil Air Patrol Nevada Wing, has said "I can't think of anyone more experienced and capable of dealing with an emergency than Steve Fossett ... The chances are still very, very good that we'll find this man"... Universal, world's largest music producer, is suing Veoh video service for "massive copyright infringement", alleging the company has based its business on exploiting others' intellectual property for profit; suit comes just as Napster lawsuit is finally settled "when German media-behemoth Bertelsmann AG paid the National Music Publishers Association $130 million to settle claims it contributed to copyright violations by financially propping up Napster with $85 million in loans"...

6 September: European Central Bank has injected another 42.245 billion € into the euro-zone markets, via monetary auction with minimum interest of 4%; at least 46 banks and financial institutions are reported to have participated in the bidding for extra cash; the move is intended to shore up the euro against increasing 'volatility' as European markets respond to the US mortgage-lending and homeowning crisis... Actor Fred Thompson, a former US senator, has announced his official bid for the Republican nomination for US president; his campaign will be launched by webcast and with an official announcement on NBC's The Tonight Show; reaction is mixed, as the popular former senator has made moves to jockey for visibility that other candidates consider unethical, including taking out a campaign ad before officially announcing, that will air at the beginning of a presidential debate he is skipping... The global carbon footprint is listed at 22.199 billion tons by desmogblog.com, as of 12 noon GMT...

5 September: Sudan gov't announces it has successfully produced military-use drone aircraft and is seeking ballistic missile capabilities; the Khartoum-based gov't of Pres. al-Bashir has said Sudan can now manufacture enough conventional weapons to be "self-sufficient" in defense-related production; observers say the announcement is disconcerting primarily because it is not clear against what perceived threat Sudan is arming itself; the top UN official in Sudan has called for progress on a negotiated political settlement to the conflict in Darfur, where some worry that a heavily armed Khartoum regime might use its military to support the ongoing slaughter with impunity...

4 September: Greece political climate soured by nationwide fires; 67% of those polled believe fires started deliberately by arsonist conspiracy, 31% say foreign entities, while 26% suspect property developers; Christian Science Monitor reports "European Commission's European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) estimates that 469,000 acres burned between Aug. 24 and 28 alone. The financial ministry now estimates the damage to be more than $1.6 billion, or 0.6 percent of Greece's GDP", while the Greek gov't is saying the fires appear to be part of an "asymmetric threat" plotted by unnamed conspirators; 6 people have been detained so far on arson-related charges; ecological experts, European officials say fires likely linked to extreme dry conditions, climate anomaly across southern Europe, poor land management tied to agricultural practices, and global warming... A strike by the Rail, Maritime and Transport Union (RMT) has halted Underground trains across London; authorities said trains were running with severe delays or not at all on all lines except the Northern and Jubilee; RMT says failed maintenance-service managing firm Metronet has not provided unequivocal guarantees not to lay off workers or cut pensions in future; another strike is planned by RMT after the current three-day strike, if Metronet does not provide signed guarantees... One day after North Korea's state-run news service reported it had been delisted by the US as a state sponsor of terrorism, in exchange for shutting down Yongbyon nuclear facility, US assistant sec. of State Chris Hill says no such thing has occurred, DPRK still listed as terror-backer, that other unnamed steps are required... La Vanguardia newspaper reports US security, biotech/health sectors seeing surge in investment, Washington, DC, locations, due to Iraq war, with gov't spending soaring, industrial concentration increasing around the funding capital, the Congress, and a massive and growing economic gap between the wealthy interests that rim the city and the inner-city poor that make up a large part of Washington's hometown population...

3 September: US assistant sec. of State Hill says North Korea has agreed to verifiably shut down its nuclear fuel production facilities, including an alleged secret program "purchased from Pakistan"; the DPRK will also allow UN inspectors to enter all such sites and carry out ongoing long-term inspections to insure compliance; the move reportedly represents the total denuclearization of the DPRK... KCNA, North Korea's state-run news agency, reported comments by an unidentified foreign ministry official who claimed that the US has agreed to remove the DPRK from its list of state sponsors of terrorism... US pres. George W. Bush, in a surprise visit to troops in Anbar province, Iraq (where the US has seen some security successes) told the press that if such successes continue, it may be possible to secure Iraq with fewer troops, hinting at a willingness to follow through on troop reductions now demanded by leaders of both parties in Congress... On the US mortgage crisis, Pres. Bush has told PBS, "It's not the government's job to bail out speculators" or people who knowingly take out loans they can't afford, but is planning to offer gov't-insured loans to more than 80,000 homeowners to help soften the sub-prime lending crisis; according to PBS, "economists predict that as many as two million people with subprime mortgages will be paying higher monthly payments within the next two years", with monthly payments possibly doubling in "some instances"...

2 September: Former head of the British Army, during the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Gen. Sir Mike Jackson, has created a political firestorm in Britain by saying US post-war planning was "intellectually bankrupt"; while current cabinet officials (Foreign and Defence secretaries) seek to cool the furore, saying the UK pullout of Basra will occur not before the end of the year, and only upon consultation with the US military commander in Iraq, the Guardian reports that "Sir Malcolm Rifkind, a former Tory Foreign Secretary and Defence Secretary, endorsed his criticism of Rumsfeld, calling him 'incompetent'" while "Major General Tim Cross, the top British officer involved in post-war planning. Describing US postwar policy as 'fatally flawed,' he said he had raised his concerns with Rumsfeld at the time but that his warnings had been 'dismissed' or 'ignored'"; Cross reportedly added "The US had convinced themselves that following the invasion Iraq would emerge reasonably quickly as a stable democracy. They shut out anybody who challenged that idea"...

1 September: Russia plans to send manned missions to the Moon by 2025, with a subsequent goal of establishing a permanent base there between 2027 and 2032; initiative comes after US space agency NASA, in December 2006, announced plans to establish a permanently occupied base on the Moon, with manned missions beginning in 2020; the only manned missions to the Moon to date were part of NASA's Apollo program, which began in 1968, ending in the 1970s; Russia, US currently collaborate on missions to International Space Station, alternately sending up NASA Shuttles from Florida and Soyuz space capsules from Kazakhstan... According to Wired, a unique experiment in energy recycling, the 'Mechabolic' is having trouble getting started at the Burning Man festival in Nevada: "130-foot-long slug by the name of The Mechabolic is supposed to crawl across the Black Rock Desert at Burning Man, eating trash and creating gas and electricity. It is also supposed to sequester carbon in the form of an agriculturally useful char to balance whatever carbon dioxide it emits"... Washington Post reports Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee has made strong showing early in Iowa, placing 2nd in an 11 August straw-poll; Huckabee, a former Baptist minister who once said in a debate he does not believe in evolution, served 10 years as Arkansas governor and is considered a moderate; told Bill Maher "I'd like to think the people of the country are looking for somebody that's not running because he's mad and angry," Huckabee says in an interview here. "My two strongest critics are the extreme right and the extreme left, both of whom say the same things about me"; of his pro-life views, he has remarked "for us to show true credibility, we must show as much compassion for the child sleeping under the bridge or in the back seat of the car as we do for the one in the womb", saying it's "about understanding the value of each individual life as having intrinsic worth"...

31 August: Roughly 1/10 of the population of New Orleans' Lower Ninth Ward has returned, two years after Hurricane Katrina unraveled the social and material fabric of the city; a hopeful campaign of regeneration is underway and volunteers are working to help restore the neighborhood and rebuild... Government Accountability Office reports says US mission in Iraq is failing to meet the "vast majority" of goals set by Congress in January; only 3 of the 18 key benchmarks have reportedly been met, with increasing doubt in Washington as to the viability of the government under PM Nouri al-Maliki... Texas governor Rick Perry, a Republican, yesterday commuted the death sentence of Kenneth Foster (a man who never killed anyone), just hours before he was due to be executed by lethal injection; the state parole board voted 6 to 1 to recommend that Perry commute the sentence, based on the fact that Foster was not involved in the fatal shooting for which he was convicted of driving the 'getaway car', and under Texas' "law of parties", he was considered automatically of equal guilt to the shooter at the time of trial; Perry himself told the press "I am concerned about Texas law that allowed capital murder defendants to be tried simultaneously and it is an issue I think the legislature should examine"... Sympathetic citizens are being allowed to deliver food and water to protesters who have occupied a stand of coastal oaks on Berkeley University's campus, after at least one man was arrested by police for doing the same on 29 August; the 'tree-sitters' are protesting the university's plan to cut down the trees to make way for a new athletic training facility...

30 August: GAO to report at least 13 of 18 'benchmarks' set by Congress have not been met, ahead of 15 September deadline, when Pres. Bush will give major speech detailing progress in planned "troop surge" to quell violence, instability in Iraq; White House is expected to claim measures of progress were "designed to lock-in failure", while critics say the GAO report will demonstrate that current policy is inadequate... Ousted PM Nawaz Sharif, in exile since being deposed by Musharraf's military coup in 1999, to return to Pakistan, seek presidency, after court ruling says his exile may end; top prosecutor says Musharraf may "revoke pardon", ask for Sharif's arrest, though Musharraf gov't has been forced to make promises about respecting judicial orders, opposition, since failed effort to remove chief justice... US gov't has reportedly informed UK no witnesses will be sent to UK for inquests into the deaths of UK soldiers in Iraq; the UK ministry of defence has released a document that states "The US have confirmed categorically that they will not provide witnesses to attend UK inquests. While coroners may continue to ask for US witnesses to attend ... they should be aware that there will in all cases be a refusal"... Republicans calling for resignation of Sen. Larry Craig, who pleaded guilty earlier this month to "disorderly conduct" after being accused of soliciting "lewd behavior" from an undercover agent in a men's restroom...

29 August: US judge approves Manuel Noriega's extradition to France to stand trial for money laundering after his shortened 40-year sentence in Florida runs out next month; the Guardian reports "Judge William Turnoff said Noriega's status as a prisoner of war under the Geneva conventions did not mean he should immediately be sent back to the central America country he ruled in the 1980s. An extradition order would be issued today, said the judge"... Presidential candidate John Edwards tells forum US needs to give up SUV's and move to fuel-efficient vehicles; he said he believes Americans are "actually willing to sacrifice" to make a cleaner, sustainable future, adding "We are the worst polluter on the planet. We are 4% of the world's population, we're putting out 25% of the world's greenhouse gas... America's going to have to change"... US sub-prime mortgage crisis deepens as home price index hits 20-year low, stock markets react with significant declines...

28 August: Bolivian pres. Evo Morales threatens to take "radical decisions" regarding foreign diplomats who support US policy in Bolivia; Morales alleges US diplomats have been openly supporting the opposition, seeking foreign support for effort to remove him from office; US has expressed concerns over Morales' ties to Venezuelan pres. Hugo Chávez, and ailing Cuban dictator Fidel Castro... Brazil to try 36 people, including Lula's former right-hand man, for bribery and corruption charges...

27 August: Iran has successfully tested a "smart bomb" that it says can be launched from two of its fighter jets at 20km distance; the missile will be produced domestically, along with four new production lines for armor-piercing bullets; it says the arms advances are strictly defensive, and announcements come after the US gov't announced it willl authorize the sale of $20 billion in military hardware to Saudi Arabia...

26 August: Another 74 people have been killed in floods across south Asia this weekend; Reuters reports "Nearly 2,000 people have been killed by snake bites, drowning, diarrhea and in house collapses since July when swollen rivers burst their banks, inundating huge areas in eastern India and Bangladesh"... After NIE says Iraq further splitting into warring factions, reconciliation unlikely, faulting PM for not acting to promote reconciliation, Sen. John Warner (R-VA) has called on Pres. Bush to announce an initial withdrawal of US troops by October, to provoke action on part of Iraq political apparatus, security forces... Iraq PM al-Maliki, facing increasing opposition from US Congress, Washington analysts, criticized two Democratic senators for "interfering" in Iraq's domestic policy: "Carl Levin and Hillary Clinton are from the Democratic Party and they must demonstrate democracy," said Maliki, adding "I ask them to come to their senses and to talk in a respectful way about Iraq"; Clinton had called for Maliki to be replaced, after the NIE blamed him for not acting to curb spreading chaos...

24 August: US National Intelligence Estimate —report on information, analysis from all US spy agencies— reportedly contradicts official US policy in Iraq; IHT reports "security gains remain too modest to reverse Iraq's dynamic of violence and fear", saying women in Baghdad avoid buying 'river fish' at market for fear they may be purchasing human remains, and "according to Iraqi political analysts and officials, Iraq has become a cellular nation, dividing and redividing, where the constituency for chaos now outnumbers the constituency for compromise"...

23 August: World Health Organization says infectious diseases spreading at "unprecedented rate" globally; UN agency says diseases also becoming increasingly difficult to treat, warns another outbreak of something akin to AIDS, Ebola or SARS, is likely in coming decades... March against price hikes in Rangoon (now officially called Yangon) shows rare opposition to military junta policy in Myanmar (formerly Burma); 13 demonstration organizers were arrested the night before in an effort to punish protesters for previous demonstrations against inflation and steep fuel price increases; as IHT reports, "In 1990, the junta held elections that it lost and later annulled. It has detained the pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi under house arrest for most of the 17 years since then"... Major in US Army indicted on charges of conspiracy to accept bribes for millions of dollars in Iraq contracts... New study shows 87% of Americans "seriously concerned" about environmental degradation, 73% expecting federal gov't to enforce environmental protections, a majority saying economic growth should take 2nd place to environmental stewardship... Recognizing growing popularity of 'green' products, environmentally-friendly consumption, GreenforGood.com launches guide to 1,400 entities, services and products that help to live 'green lifestyle' in day to day life... Effective 27 August this year, the US gov't will screen for terror ties anyone linked to funds received from USAID agency for international assistance...

22 August: Venezuelan pres. Hugo Chávez has proposed amending the constitution to allow himself to be re-elected indefinitely; the move is seen by some as sign that his gov't, which has been aggressively reformist and controversial, but democratic until now (each time he has been elected, int'l observers have declared the vote free and fair), may be moving away from pluralist democracy... 2-day outage of internet phone service Skype affects millions who depend on VOIP calling technology; experts say outage shows strength, not weakness of VOIP, as new standard in voice telecommunications...

17 August: After 5 consecutive days of downward trending stocks, and losses of 1,300 points on the Dow, Asian markets are beginning to feel crunch from US credit crisis; US Federal Reserve injected another $5 billion into the banking system, followed by a second injection of $12 billion; last week, some $76 billion was released to banks to increase liquidity and try to halt negative reaction to credit crisis... Estimated 450 dead after Peru quake; search for survivors continues as reports suggest whole villages leveled... US citizen Jose Padilla, held for more than 3 years as an "enemy combatant", convicted of terrorist conspiracy charges, after 3-month trial, in which Reuters reports defense presented zero witnesses or evidence; gov't originally accused Padilla of plotting a "radiological 'dirty bomb' attack", an accusation later dropped for lack of evidence; Padilla faces life in prison... 3 members of a team sent to rescue or recover the miners trapped in a Utah mine have died, several others were injured, including three members of the Mine Safety and Health Administration... US housing market falls further: new home construction fell to lowest level in 10 years, leading to concerns mortgage-related housing crisis deeper than previously thought; European Commission goes after credit-rating agencies that gave top-level ratings to US sub-prime mortgage lenders which seemed evidently unable to meet obligations...

16 August: Coordinated bomb attacks in north of Iraq kill at least 250 people in several villages; attack is worst single massacre since Iraq invasion of 2003... US Federal Reserve Bank injects $17 billion into banking system, as sub-prime crisis worsens, int'l markets struggle to maintain equilibrium... US official says Iran Revolutionary Guard may soon be labeled a terrorist organization by the US; move would permit US to take action against financing apparatus for state militia, while speculation circulates that such a move would provoke 'hostility' and hard-line diplomatic reactions... Major earthquake strikes 145 km southeast of Lima, at 25 km depth, killing at least 337 people, with hundreds reported missing; experts report there may have been 9 separate, powerful aftershocks...

14 August: European Central Bank injects another 7.7 billion euros into the banking system, in effort to forestall further losses from US sub-prime mortgage crisis... Iranian gov't confirms two Belgian tourists taken hostage by gang of armed "bandits" near Bam; alleged gang-leader demands release of brother jailed by Iranian gov't...

10 August: Dow Jones Industrial Average has fallen the widest margin in four years, amid fears of a housing-credit crisis in the US, falling 387.18, or 2.83%; it is the 2nd worst decline of the year, and the worst percentage-wise since 2003... European Central Bank has reportedly injected a record amount of new currency into the market in hopes of forestalling a negative reaction across the EU economy; the record loan amount $94.8 billion, far exceeding the $69.3 billion put into circulation after the attacks of 11 September 2001...