The year 2005-2010

The year 2005.


• 1/15/2005 New prime minister looks to improve U.S. relations by AP.
      Toronto - Canada's prime minister named seasoned politician Frank McKenna as Canada's new ambassador to Washington, a move designed to enhance relations between the prickly North American neighbors.
• 1/24/2005 U.N. plan combines realism and idealism by AP.
      The United Nation's new initiative to alleviate global poverty and disease represents a necessary shift in approach that should both energize supporters and reassure skeptics.    The Millennium Project action plan, devised by a team of 265 international experts emphasizes practical steps to enhance the well-being and economic capacities of the world's poorest people, and it urges starting with a crash program in a dozen countries with well-run governments.    It requires that rich nations to double their current level of financial support, and developing nations must undertake governmental and legal reforms of their own.    The world leaders suggested the countries give money equal to 0.7 percent of their gross domestic products to help accomplish those goals.    This would mean that the U.S. would increase from its current $25 billion to $80 billion.
• 2/5/2005 Bankers warn U.S. on deficits by Jane Wardell, Associated Press.
      London - Some of the world's major central bankers warned the U.S. that the international community could be running out of patience with the massive U.S. budget and trade deficits that have pushed the dollar lower and increased the cost of their exports in America.    Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, said before the official opening of the Group of Seven finance ministers meeting that factors including a weaker dollar and tougher budget discipline in Congress may finally start to restrain the growth of the trade gap.    The U.S. tried to get China to untie its currency from the dollar but made little headway.    European Central Bank president Jean-Claude Trichet said that its unacceptable for developed countries to run long term current account deficits.    "The industralized world as a whole is in deficit, there is a current account deficit, and there is no offsetting of the U.S. current account deficit by the other industrialized countries" Trichet said.    The Bush administration has pledged to halve the budget deficit by 2009, but also intends to argue that trade partners concerned about the deficits should be speeding up their own growth and relying less on exports to America.    The U.S. deficits have been a drag on the dollar, putting European and Asian manufacturers who want a slice of the U.S. consumer market at a disadvantage.
• 2/6/2005 G-7 officials refrain from altering currency value by AP.
      London - Finance ministers and central bank governors from the Group of Seven industrialized countries held off taking any concrete actions to alter the value of the dollar, the euro or other currencies.    The G-7 did issue a veiled rebuke to China for its reluctance to unhitch its currency from the U.S. dollar.
• 2/9/2005 Rice urges Europeans to forget past disagreements by Ann Gearan, Associated Press.
      Paris - Trying to ease trans-Atlantic rifts, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice urged Europeans to move beyond disagreements with the U.S. and join forces to spread liberty and freedom across the globe in her first official tour of Europe.
• 2/23/2005 Bush, Europeans at odds on China by Terence Hunt, Associated Press.
      Brussels, Belgium - President Bush and European leaders settled simmering differences about Iraq but plunged into a troublesome new dispute over the lifting of an arms embargo against China.    Bush is against it because of the crackdown on pro-democracy activist in 1989 Tiananmen Square, and its affect on relations between China and Taiwan.    France and Germany want the ban to go.    Bush is meeting with the leaders of the 25-nation European Union for help with security and rebuilding of Iraq.
• 2/27/2005 Egyptian leader calls for open elections by AP.
      Cairo, Egypt - In a surprise reversal, President Hosni Mubarak, a key ally of the U.S., took a first step toward democratic reform in the world's most populous Arab country, ordering the constitution changed to allow presidential challengers on the ballot this fall, only if a member of an official political party and win endorsement of parliament.    This may be a forefront for democratic evolution in the Middle East
• 4/1/2005 EU seeks more sanctions against U.S. goods by Raf Casert, Associated Press.
      Brussels, Belgium - The European Union said it wants to impose additional sanctions of up to 15 percent on U.S. products to punish Washington for failing to repeal an antidumping law ruled illegal by the WTO.    The European Commission said seven other nations, including Japan, South Korea and Brazil, would join the effort.    This sanction would affect paper, textiles, machinery and farm produce.    One source claims that the WTO decision in the dipute does not affect our underlying trade laws, which the U.S. is trying to implement our trade laws to make sure Americans are treated fairly.
• 4/1/2005 Wolfowitz confirmed as World Bank chief by Elizabeth Becker, The New York Times.
      Washington - Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz was confirmed as the new president of the World Bank by the executive board, nominated by President Bush, a post which has been held by an American throughout its history.    With 184 member countries the World Bank provided $20 billion for 245 development projects around the world in 2004.    Their goal is to eradicate world poverty.
• 4/7/2005 Weaving protection, U.S. textile, clothing makers seek curbs on Chinese imports by Martin Crutsinger, Associated Press.
      Washington - The U.S. textile and clothing industry asked the government to reimpose quotas on 14 categories of clothing to protect American manufacturers from a flood of Chinese imports.    The industry says it is loosing 200 jobs a day because of Chinese imports, and could be tens of thousands of jobs if they wait the full four months to act.    Most likely the jobs will still shift to other countries.    Even the European Union is concerned about the Chinese imports on their textile industries.    Under the terms by which China was admitted to the WTO in 2001, the U.S. and other countries can limit textile imports from China through 2008 using a "safeguard" provision.
• 4/7/2005 World Bank says global recovery 'has peaked' by AP.
      The World Bank warned that the global economic recovery has "peaked" and said the severity of the coming slowdown will depend on the extent to which foreign investors lose their nerve about buying U.S.-dollar-denominated assets.    The global recovery of the last three years has masked cracks that can't be left unattended much longer, it is at a truning point.
• 4/12/2005 China and India plan partnership in several areas by John Lancaster, The Washington Post.
      New Delphi, India - The leaders of India (Prime Minister Manmohan Singh) and China (Wen Jiabao) announced a new "strategic and cooperative partnership" aimed at strengthening economic and political ties between the two Asian giants - and historical rivals - that together account for nearly 40 percent of the world's population.    The agreement will fuel their booming economies in computer software, agriculture and health care, and they believe they can reshape the world order, as they both recognize their common interests as emerging economic and military powers on the world stage.
• 4/15/2005 Chirac urges approval of EU constitution by AP.
      Paris - President Jacque Chirac urged the French to vote for the European Union constitution in the May 29 referendum to ensure Europe's standing as a world power.    A French rejection of the charter would halt Europe's development as a unified power.
• 4/17/2005 Richest countries work on debt relief by Celia W. Dugger, The New York Times.
      Washington - The world's richest nations failed to reach a deal to forgive $40 billion owed by the world's poorest nations, but are still pursuing the goal.    U.S. and Europe are at a disagreement.    U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan wants them to work with his reforms at the U.N. with help from the World Bank and the IMF, and those countries help could become allies to prevent terrorism and nuclear proliferation.
• 4/20/2005 Parliament approves EU constitution by AP.
      Athens, Greece - The Greek parliament voted in favor of the European Union's constitution, making Greece the fifth EU member to approve the bloc's landmark document.   
• 4/23/2005 France may reject EU constitution by AP.
      Brussels, Belgium - Europe has a fear that France might reject the constitution giving a blow to decades-long efforts to integrate the continent.
• 4/30/2005 EU, Canada put tariffs on U.S. goods by Martin Crutsinger, Associated Press.
      Washington - U.S. clothing, paper products and sweet corn will soon be more expensive for Europeans.    For Canada, U.S. cigarettes, hogs, oysters and fish will cost more.    For the U.S. its all part of a new trade war that will mean lost sales and probably lost jobs.    The U.S. will be hit with a penalty tariffs of 15 percent levied by Canada and the 25-nation European Union because of the ruling by the WTO.
• 5/9/2005 Nations in South America, Middle East plan summit by AP.
      Brasilia, Brazil - Ministers from 34 South American and Middle Eastern nations began laying the groundwork for the first summit of leaders from the two regions for a South American-Arab free-trade zone of mostly large multinational corporations.    This is an effort to counter U.S. political and economic influence, and the U.S. was not invited.
• 5/14/2005 France's Lamy emerges as probable WTO chief by Bradley S. Klapper, Associated Press.
      Pascal Lamy of France has won the race to lead the 148-member WTO.    His first task will be to get an agreement from countries on a new round of global trade talks at a conference in Hong Kong in December, leading to a final treaty in 2006 or early 2007.    The "Doha Round" of treaty talks aims to slash subsidies, tariffs and other barriers to global commerce, including rules restricting access for foreign service providers.
• 5/18/2005 Saudi minister: Oil supply is plentiful by Brad Foss, Associated Press.
      Washington - Saudi Arabia's oil minister Ali Naimi said that the kingdom has enough oil in the ground to meet global demand for decades and that there is no plan to curb daily output, even as rising inventories help ease prices below $50 a barrel from a record high $58 a barrel last month.
• 5/21/2005 Greenspan rebukes China plan by Jeannine Aversa, Associated Press.
      Washington - Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said America's bloated trade deficits probably would not be helped by China revamping its currency system as the Bush administration wants Beijing to do.    His reason is that companies are likely to turn to other countries, such as Thailand or Malaysia for goods, rather than U.S. producers.
• 5/23/2005 Trade agreement for Central America by several viewpoints.
      Twenty years ago Congress focused on Central America as a Cold War battleground.    A Soviet-backed government ruled Nicaragua and guerrilla wars raged in El Salvador and Guatemala.    Communist insurgents and right-wing violence threatened the region and democratic forces were beginning to make progress.
      By the early 1990s, the Central Americans, with U.S. help, succeeded in establishing peace and democracy, a triumph for promoting democracy throughtout the Western hemisphere.    Today, elected leaders in the region are embracing freedom and economic reform, fighting corruption, strengthening the rule of law and supporting America in the war on terrorism.    These democracies remain fragile.
      Congress is again focusing on a proposed trade agreement between the U.S. and the five Central American countries - Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua - and the Dominican Republic - also known by its initials CAFTA-DR.    The implementation is suppose to provide economic stability to the region by opening markets and increasing employment to escape poverty.    Most of their products enter the U.S. duty-free, but in return, the agreement will eliminate nearly all tariffs on U.S. goods sold in Central America.
      CAFTA-DR will be a stepping stone to the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), which some believe will cause more U.S. manufacturing jobs to go to the low-wage countries of Central America, and add to the trade deficits, which is unraveling the fabric of the American free enterprise system.
• 5/26/2005 EU ready to take China textiles case to WTO by AP.
      The European Commission said it will take a probe into soaring textiles imports from China to the World Trade Organization.    EU and China talks about how to ease Chineses textiles exports "will continue and intensify," EU spokeswoman Claude Veron-Reville said.    By May 31 they will request formal consultations at the WTO on whether to restrict imports of Chinese flax yarn and T-shirts, she added.
• 5/27/2005 Iran allowed to begin talks on joining WTO by AP.
      Geneva - Members of the WTO agreed to allow Iran to begin membership talks, with the U.S. dropping its opposition after Tehran promised to continue its freeze on nuclear activities.    Iran has agreed to suspend all of its uranium enrichment and reprocessing activities, but may still pursue that avenue.
• 5/28/2005 Germans approve EU treaty; Schroeder urges French OK by AP.
      Toulouse, France - Germany became the ninth country to approve the EU's new constitution, but Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder flew to France to rally voters there, since they seem to be determined to rattle the continent rejecting the treaty and the union they helped found.
• 5/29/2005 As France votes, the world waits by Michael Mandelbaum, Special to Newsday.
      The French vote today on making EU easier to operate with the 25 members it now has and enhances the power of the EU Parliament and creates an EU foreign minister.    All 25 EU members must ratify the constitution, so a defeat in France would prevent it from taking effect.    Most French voters are against President Jacques Chirac for his slow-growing economy with high unemployment, while others are against the negotiations with Turkey.
• 5/30/2005 France rejects European Union constitution by AP.
      Paris - French voters fearful of being swallowed up and lose its sovereignity, social system and trigger an influx of cheap labor in an ever-enlarging Europe rejected the future of the EU.    This could set the EU's plans back by years, if not kill the constituition entirely for its 450 million citizens.    Polls show that the Dutch are even more hostile to the treaty, which many insisted would bring more democracy to Europe.
• 6/1/2005 EU escalates trade war with U.S., claiming Boeing receives illegal aid by Constant Brand, Associated Press.
      Brussels, Belgium - In a new trade war with Washington, the EU filed a counter complaint at the WTO, claiming that Boeing Co. receives illegal U.S. government aid.    The retaliation is because the U.S. closed the door on reaching a deal in the standoff between Boeing's new 787 Dreamliner due in 2008 and Airbus' new A350, of France.    This will be the most difficult and costly dispute in the WTO's (10-year) history.    The EU wants to feed Airbus the aid it needs to launch the new model by 2010 in order to be competitive.
• 6/2/2005 EU vote likely dashes hope of 'super' Europe by Robert H. Reid, Associated Press.
      London - The dramatic Dutch rejection of the EU constitution could shift the EU onto a much less ambitious course, diminishing the chances the U.S. will face a rival European superpower anytime soon.    EU leaders will review their options at a summit on June 16-17, and rethink the direction of Europe.    If ratified the constitution would serve as a major pillar of a multipolar world, capable of standing up to the U.S., and competing economically with the Americans and the rising Asian economic powerhouses of China and India.
• 6/5/2005 Euro's slide on constitution vote good news for U.S. market by Meg Richards, Associated Press.
      New York - Wall Street got a shot of good news as the dollar strengthened following the votes against the EU constitution, with the perception of a weakening euro being more vunerable and confidence in the U.S. markets.
• 6/7/2005 Bush says Western Hemisphere nations must protect democracy by Deb Riechmann, Associated Press.
      Fort Lauderdale, Fla. - President Bush urged the nations of the Western Hemisphere to work together to prevent governments in the region from back-sliding into authoritarian rule.    Venezuela's foreign minister said the U.S. seemed to be aiming at his country for acting undemocratic.    Bush speaking to the Organization of American States (OAS), said that Cuba was the only country that was not democratic, and pushed for expanded trade.    Cuba claims that the U.S. is meddling in the affairs of other nations.
• 6/7/2005 Britain won't vote on EU constitution by AP.
      London - Britain shelved a referendum on the EU constitution, seeing no point in proceeding at this time.
• 6/11/2005 G8 nations discuss canceling debts by Jane Wardell, Associated Press.
      London - Backed by the U.S., Britain pressed the world's economic powerhouses the Group of Eight nations (which includes Russia) to cancel $15 billion owed by 18 poor nations and free up money to spend on health care, education and infrastructure in those struggling lands.    Eleven nations have been too hampered by corruption, poor governance, wars or other challenges to complete the economic reform stage of the initiative, which began in 1996.
• 6/11/2005 EU, China reach agreement on textiles by Christopher Bodeen, Associated Press.
      Shanghai, China - The EU and China agreed to limit surging Chinese textile exports, settling a dispute that threatened to cause a major trade disruption.    The agreement lays down staggered increases in Chinese textile exports over the next three years, which will end in 2008.    This avoided the dispute being taken before the WTO, and will give European producers breathing room to adjust and avoid the loss of 2.5 million jobs.
• 6/15/2005 OPEC pledges to try to pull down crude prices by William J. Kole, Associated Press.
      Vienna, Austria - 11 member OPEC and its leaders said they will attempt to lower soaring oil prices now at $55 a barrel by raising the cartel's production target from 29 million to 30.5 million barrels a day in hope to bring it back down to $50 a barrel.
• 6/15/2005 Defiant Blair pushes for EU reforms by AP.
      Brussels, Belgium - British Prime Minister Tony Blair emerged from a bitter EU summit defiant and calling for fundamental reform of the floundering bloc's future and tension between him and the French president.
• 6/18/2005 EU talks fail after Britain insists on annual rebate by AP.
      Brussels, Belgium - Talks on the EU's budget for 2007-2013 collapsed after Britain refused to surrender its annual rebate.
• 6/27/2005 Turkey won't accept more EU criteria by AP.
      Instanbul, Turkey - Turkey's prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said the country will not agree to any new conditions for EU membership, and expects "honest politics" as it begins negotiations to join the bloc.    The EU already has imposed tough conditions on Turkish membership.    Turkey must recognize Cyprus before talks open in October, show progress on Kurdish rights, improve the economy and limit military's influence in politics.    It is also expected to treat ethnic and religious minorities equally and implement penal code reforms.    Still many European voters are balking at letting in the poor, predominantly Muslim country of 70 million people, a decision that would extend the EU's border to Syria and Iran.
• 6/30/2005 Central American trade agreement advances in Senate by AP.
      Washington - Senate supporters of the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA), a market-opening deal with six Latin American nations, predicted victory after it was endorsed by the Senate Finance Committee.    A vote by the full Senate could come today, and the House takes up the measure next month.
• 7/1/2005 Bush says he hopes to double U.S. aid to Africa over the next five years by Jennifer Loven, Associated Press.
      Washington - President Bush, urging new help for Africa before an international meeting and wants to double aid to them over five years.
• 7/3/2005 Economic changes could force Group of Eight to expand membership by Tom Raum, Associated Press.
      Washington - The exclusive club of world leaders known as the Group of Eight has an identity crisis.    It often is describe as a collection of the richest countries or largest industrial democracies.    It is neither.    The partnership is under pressure to open the door to new members, such as China, India and South Korea.    Doing so would reflect the rapidly changing global economy and maintain the strategic role for which the group was organized in the first place.    None of the current members are making the first move toward expansion, but their 30th annual economic summit is coming up soon.    China's economy has surpassed Canada's and is racing to the front of the global pack.    India, the world's largest democracy, is surging ahead, too.    Five countries not in the G-8 boast economies that are stronger than Russia's: Australia, Brazil, Mexico, South Korea and Spain.
      By 2050, the countries with the top economies are expected to be the U.S., China, India, Japan, Britain, France, Germany and South Korea.    Some want to expand it to as many as 18 countries.    If they let China in then it would have to concede that democracy is not a central criteria, which at present all have open-market democracies.
      Russia is ranked number 15 in world economies and is in the G-8.
• 7/7/2005 Aid for Africa tops G8 agenda by Tom Raum, Associated Press.
      Auchterarder, Scotland - G8 countries have been challenged to double aid to Africa to $50 billion by 2010, from the current $25 billion.    During the summit there were deadly attacks in London.    Unity was pledged in the terrorism fight.    The G-8 unveiled a $50 billion-a-year package to help lift Africa from poverty and proposed up to $9 billion to help Palestinians achieve peace with Israel.
• 7/11/2005 Tiny nation approves EU constitution by AP.
      Luxembourg approved the EU's proposed constitution despite uncertainty over its future, to put the charter back on the agenda.    Thus far 13 out of 25 have approved it.
• 7/13/2005 U.S., EU hail farm-tariff proposal by Christopher Bodeen, Associated Press.
      Dalian, China - U.S. and EU trade officials welcomed a proposal by developing countries to cut farm tariffs, breathing life into a quest for an agreement ahead of a key WTO conference in December.    Officials from 30 nations see a new momentum to the Doha round of trade talks on how much governments should protect their farmer ahead of the new talks in Geneva offered by the Group of 20 poorer WTO members.    The proposal calls for the G-20 countries to be divided into five categories, or bands, within which different country's tariffs would be cut along a single rate to help lift obstacles to a much-delayed global trade deal.
• 7/18/2005 Four nations, Africans to hold security panel talks by AP.
      United Nations - As they negotiate with the 53-nation African Union, Brazil, Germany, India and Japan said that they will not seek a vote on their plan to change the makeup of the U.N. Security Council until the end of the month.    The four nations still do not have two-thirds support of the 191-member U.S. General Assembly without the Africans, who have their own plan for council change.
• 7/24/2005 Spread of attacks by The Washington Post.
      Terrorist attacks have occurred in: 1983 Lebanon; 1987 Sri Lanka; 1994 Israel; 1995; Saudi Arabia and India; 1996 Turkey; 1998 Kenya and Tanzania; 2000 Chechnya, Afghanistan, India, Yemen; 2001 United States; 2002 Tunisia, Pakistan, Indonesia; 2003 Morocco, Turkey, Iraq; 2005 Britain.
• 7/28/2005 Bush lobbies GOP House members on free-trade vote by Jim Abrams, Associated Press.
      Washington - The House headed for a showdown on CAFTA after President Bush told Republicans that passing it was critical to national security.    Of course the Democrats blame free-trade agreements for the overseas flight of American jobs and this new agreement would perpetuate the same thing and just a rush to put profits above people.
• 8/1/2005 Leader calls free-trade deal 'misguided' by AP.
      Caracas, Venezuela - Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez criticized a trade deal that eliminates barriers between the U.S. and Central American countries, calling it a misguided deal that will harm the region's small economies.
• 8/3/2005 Bush signs free-trade agreement, calls it vital to America's economy and national security by AP.
      Washington - President Bush signed a free-trade agreement of CAFTA-DR, celebrating a victory in Congress.
• 9/15/2005 World leaders sign global treaty aimed at preventing nuclear terrorism by Kim Gamel, Associated Press.
      United Nations - World leaders began signing a global treaty making it a crime to possess radioactive material or weapons with the intention of committing a terrorist act or to damage a nuclear facility.    The Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism was the 13^th anti-terrorism treaty to be adopted by the U.N. General Assembly but the first since the Sept. 11 terror attacks.    Russia and Bush paved the way for this treaty.    Bush also pushed democracy at the U.N.
• 10/11/2005 U.S., EU offer farm aid cuts by Sam Cage, Associated Press.
      Zurich, Switzerland - New offers from the U.S. and EU to cut aid to their farmers could herald a breakthrough in dead-locked global trade talks.    The U.S. plan also calls for the elimination of all agricultural subsidies and tariffs by 2023.
• 10/21/2005 EU hesitant on farm aid; world trade talks stall by AP.
      Efforts to liberalize world trade are stalling because of EU intransigence over reforming its farm aid.    The deadlock over agricultureal tariffs and subsidies threatens to derail the round of global trade talks, which aim to boost the world's economy by lowering trade barriers.    The WTO's 148 members are trying to agree on an outline for a deal by the end of the year.    The responsiblity at this point lies squarely with the EU.
• 11/4/2005 Americas summit may be tough for Bush by Deb Riechmann, Associated Press.
      Mar Del Plata, Argentina - President Bush faces ruffled relations in the Western Hemisphere from protesters and Venezuela's Hugo Chavez at a two-day summit.    Bush wants to reignite talks stalled since 9/11.    Chavez a revolutionary alternative to Bush, denounces the U.S. as a capitalist, imperialist model of democracy that exploits the economies of developing nations.    Mexican president Vicente Fox said that 29 of the 33 governments at the summit generally support the trade pact, and he proposed an alternative agreement that would exclude dissenters.    In the end the summit ended without agreement on talks to set up free trade zone.    On his visit to Brazil, Bush warns Latin America against authroitarian rule.
• 11/8/2005 Agency says demand for energy will soar by AP.
      Global energy needs will surge 50 percent by 2030 and prices will rise if capacity is not increased, the International Energy Agency said in its 2005 World Energy Outlook.    There are sufficient oil and natural gas reserves to meet those needs, particularly in North Africa and the Middle East, but about $20 trillion in new investment is needed to bring those supplies to consumers.
• 11/13/2005 Discord mars Mideast democracy summit by Anne Gearan, Associated Press.
      Manama, Bahrain - A U.S.-backed summit with 36-nations meant to promote political freedom and economic change in the Middle East ended without agreement.    A draft declaration on democratic and economic principle was shelved after Egypt insisted on language that would have given Arab governments greater control over which democracy groups receive money from a new fund.    The U.S. is putting up half of the $100 million in venture capital fund for economic development in a part of the world long dominated by monarchies and single-party rule.    Egypt receives nearly $2 billion annually in U.S. aid, second only to Israel so this was startling to the U.S. when Egypt threw up a roadblock.
• 11/16/2005 Bush urges China to expand political freedom by Terence Hunt, Associated Press.
      Kyoto, Japan - President Bush prodded China to grant more political freedom to its 1.3 billion people and held up rival Taiwan as an example of a society that has successfully moved from repression to a democractic Chinese society, which is sure to rile Beijing.    Bush plans to go to South Korea, China and Mongolia, and promoting influence in face of China's rising economy and military might.
• 11/25/2005 European union issues warning to Iran by George Jahn, Associated Press.
      Vienna, Austria - The EU accused Iran of having documents that show how to make nuclear warheads and joined the U.S. in warning Tehran that it could be referred to the U.N. Security Council for possible sanctions.    Even Russia and China are increasing pressure on Tehran but without luck.
• 12/2/2005 European Central Bank raises key interest rate by AP.
      The European Central Bank raised its key interst rate by a quarter of a percentage point to 2.25 percent to keep inflation in check, the first in five years, with many fearing that could slow the 12-nation region's economic growth.
• 12/4/2005 G-7 nations call on China to adopt new exchange rate by AP.
      London - The G-7 resumed their pressure on China to adopt a more flexible exchange rate and called for vigorous action against such threats to growth as high oil prices, protectionism and inflation.    They warned China about excess volatility and disorderly movement in exchange rates.    If China implements a flexible yuan currency system it would improve the functioning and stability of the global economy and the international monetary system.
• 12/10/2005 China treads carefully as WTO summit nears by AP.
      Shanghai, China - The WTO talks should be one of China's biggest events of the year - a global effort to slash subsidies, tariffs and other barriers to global commerce, and to use trade to help poor nations.    China is in no position to offer new concessions with the pressures to meet its commitments since joining the WTO in 2001.    The 2003 Communist Party are preoccupied with environmental catastrophes, inadequate schools and health care, and the explosive gap between rich and poor.
• 12/12/2005 4,000 march in protest of trade talks by AP.
      Hong Kong - About 4,000 anti-globalization activists marched in the first mass protest of the WTO's summit in Hong Kong.    They chant to junk the WTO, our world is not for sale.    They are trying to raise awareness of the true intentions of the WTO.    It is undemocratically elected.    It undermines and overrides any law a country wants to bring to protect workers and environment.    The 149-member WTO sets rules for global commerce and champions free trade, which it contends brings global economic prosperity.    The protesters say globalization favors the rich and robs workers of their jobs.
• 12/12/2005 OPEC president sees no reason to boost production by AP.
      Kuwait City - Backed by oil heavyweight Saudi Arabia, OPEC's president said that there is no need for the group to change output, at least for the first quarter of 2006.    At present they are pumping 30 million barrels a day of crude at full capacity, a third of the world's need.    Oil's price is around $60 a barrel - about 40 percent higher than at the start of the year and with no downward trend discernible.
• 12/13/2005 Farm-trade impasse may stall WTO talks by Sam Cage, Associated Press.
      Hong Kong - An impasse between rich and poor nations over farm trade threatens to undermine progress at this weeks WTO meeting, which was meant to wrap up the "Doha round."
• 12/15/2005 U.S., Europe bicker over looser agriculture rules by Sam Cage, Associated Press.
      Hong Kong - The U.S. and EU traded criticism at the WTO meeting even as they urged fellow delegates to break a deadlock in global trade liberalization talks.    Nothing will change unless the EU further opens its markets to agricultural imports.    At present the talks are going backwards.
• 12/20/2005 WTO still faces long trek - Farm deal hailed as breakthrough by Rajesh Mahapatra, Associated Press.
      Hong Kong - Government leaders praised a WTO agreement to end farm export subsidies, but said much work remains to reach a binding global trade treaty by late 2006.    The agreement came after six days of intense negotiations, agreeing to eliminate farm export subsidies by 2013 demanded by the EU, to dismantle trade barriers.
  
      In the year 2005 the U.S. is having huge trade deficits with their trade partners instigated in the name of growth in the global economy.    The Group of Seven join forces to spread liberty and freedom around the world.    The European Union tries to get a constitution and form a super trading bloc, but failed.    Many countries are trying to get membership into the WTO to jump on the band wagon of global trade.    China and India become major players in the world economy.    Oil consumption is growing faster than world production.
  
  The year 2006.
  
  
• 1/2/2006 Can we allow Iran to develop nuclear weapons? by anonymous.
      Some claim that Iran's president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is a mad man, who claims that Israel was created solely as a refuge for the European Jews, and should have been established somewhere in Europe, since the Europeans were guilty of the Holocaust.    He denies the Jewish people's 4,000-year-old atttachment to the land of Israel.    He laments the non-existence of a Palestine that never had existed as an Arab country.    He overlooks the thousands upon thousands of Iranian Jews who fled the tryanny of the bearded mullahs.    He never mentions the near million other Jews from Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Sudan, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, and Turkey, who also fled from the repressive Arab world.    Israel has been the destination of choice of the majority of these Jews.    The Muslim world thus has blind hatred for Israel and all the Jews, and Iran is trying to have the ability of developing nuclear weapons.
• 1/5/2006 Putin's despotic ways by AP.
      Vladmir Putin the Russian president in 2004, took steps to secure the victory of a pro-Russian puppet in a Ukranian presidential campaign.    Russia offered Ukraine a long-term supply of natural gas at ridculously low prices.    Despite Putin's meddling the nationalist opposition won in Ukraine's Orange Revolution, and the Kremlin has been seething ever since.
      Putin then ordered a cutoff of gas to Ukraine, which backfired and affected customers in Central and Western Europe.    Europe gets about a quarter of its gas from Russia, and even sells it to the U.S.    This may affect its membership in the G-8 group of industrialized nations if it cannot be depended upon as a economic and political partner.    Putin's chief economic adviser quit claiming that Russia has ceased to be politically free, and has accelerated takeovers of private companies, and the Chechnya tragedy continues unabated.
• 1/8/2006 Iran, Russia start talks on uranium enrichment by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - Iran and Russia began talks on Moscow's proposal that the two nations enrich uranium in Russian territory.    Inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency arrived in Tehran to remove seals from nuclear research facilities.    The Russian proposal, backed by Europe and the U.S., is aimed at getting Iran to move uranium enrichment completely out of its territory to ensure that its nuclear program cannot produce weapons.
• 1/11/2006 Iran removes U.N. seals, resumes nuclear work - Decision prompts international outcry - by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - Iran removed U.N. seals on uranium enrichment equipment at Natanz and resumed nuclear research, defying demands it maintain a freeze on its nuclear program and sparking an outcry from the U.S. and Europe.    The IAEA said Iran plans to enrich uranium as part of its experiments with the nuclkear fuel cycle.    The U.S. denounced Iran's move as a step toward creating material for nuclear bombs, and plans to refer the issue to the U.N. Security Council to impose sanctions.
• 1/17/2006 Russia, China urge Iran to halt nuclear activity - Nations join U.S., Europeans in applying political pressure - by The Washington Post.
      London - China and Russia agreed with the U.S., Britain, Germany and France that Iran must completely suspend its nuclear program, and called for an emergency meeting at the U.N. on February 2.
• 1/20/2006 Bin Laden warns of plans to attack America by AP.
      Cairo, Egypt - In an audiotape aired, Osama bin Laden warned that his fighters are preparing attacks in the U.S. but offered the American people a long-term truce, days after U.S. air strike in Pakistan that targeted bin Laden's deputy.    Osama, the peacemaker, we have heard it all now.
• 1/21/2006 Iran's foreign currency moved out of Europe - It's pushing OPEC to cut production - by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - Iran began pulling its foreign currency accounts of $50 billion out of European banks to protect its assets from U.N. sanctions.    Iran also called for a reduction in OPEC's oil production, as a standoff with the West.    Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, held a meeting in Damascus, Syria with leaders from the Palestinian militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad, to form a front against the U.S. and its Western allies domination.    Iran has the fourth-largest reserves of oil and could try to put a squeeze on petroleum supplies.    This action made crude oil prices rise above $67 a barrel, making fears that it could rise beyond $100 a barrel.    Iran pumps about 4 million barrels of oil a day, making it the second-largest producer in OPEC after Saudi Arabia.
• 1/31/2006 OPEC set to leave output unchanged - Energy costs' rise causes wariness - by The Wall Street Journal.
      Vienna, Austria - With oil prices near record highs and the global economy sucking up almost all the crude that's produced, OPEC's oil ministers have agreed to keep production unchanged.    OPEC's ministers are concerned about the impact of rising energy costs on the world economy, and were poised to tighten supply only if prices started falling toward $50 for a barrel of U.S. benchmark crude.    Crude prices have risen because of supply reductions in Nigeria and Iraq triggered by violence, and over fears of supplies from Iran.    Iran and Venezuela had called for an output cut, which was rejected by the cartel, until their meeting in March.
• 1/31/2006 Nations call for Iran to go before Security Council by AP.
      The U.S. and other members of the U.N. Security Council agreed that Iran should be hauled before that powerful body over its disputed nuclear program.
• 2/1/2006 Iranians have obtained instructions on how to make a nuclear warhead, U.N. agency says by AP.
      Vienna, Austria - The U.N. said in a report that Iran obtained documents and drawings on the black market that serve no other purpose than to make an atomic warhead.    Tehran warned of an end of diplomacy if plans to refer it to the Security Council are carried out.    The U.N. has the power to impose economic and political sanctions in a meeting in March, if a compromise is not forthcoming.
• 2/3/2006 Bush seeks $120 billion for wars - $18 billion requested for hurricane relief - by AP.
      Washington - The Bush administration will ask Congress for $120 billion more for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and $18 billion more this year for hurricane relief.    Also requested was $2.3 billion for preparation for a bird flu epidemic.    The 2007 budget will include $439.3 billion for the Defense Department, a 5 percent increase, representing $84.2 billion for weapons programs, fighter jets, Navy ships, helicopters and unmanned aircraft.
• 2/3/2006 U.S., S. Korea to begin free-trade negotiations by AP.
      Washington - South Korea cars, cell phones, televisions and other goods should drop in price if the U.S. and its Asian partner complete the biggest free-trade deal since America tore down barriers with Mexico and Canada.    This deal will take about a year if it succeeds.    S. Korea will join a list of 11 countries with which the U.S. is negotiating free-trade deals.
• 2/5/2006 Nuclear agency refers Iran to U.N. council by AP.
      Vienna, Austria - The 35 member board of the International Atomic Energy Agency reported Iran to the U.N. Security Council over fears it wants to produce nuclear arms.    Cuba, Venezuela and Syria voted against the referral, and five nations abstained.    Iran's president ordered resumption of uranium enrichment in defiance and an end to the agencies inspections.
• 2/14/2006 Nation now says it will abide by nuclear arms treaty by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - Iran reaffirmed its committment to a nuclear arms control treaty and urged a peaceful solution to the international crisis and will cooperate.    Inspectors from the IAEA, began a mission to Iran to learn just what controls remain on nuclear sites and equipment after Tehran ended all cooperation with the U.N. agency.
• 2/15/2006 U.S. to get tough on China trading - Move aims to quell unfair practices - by AP.
      Washington - The Bush administration declared that the U.S. has entered a new phase in its economic relationship with China and promised enforcement of laws aimed at curbing unfair trade practices.    The U.S. recorded a record $202 billion trade deficit with China, bringing renewed pressure from Congress, to crackdown on currency manipulation, theft of intellectual property and market-opening commitments that China made when it became a member of the WTO in 2001.
• 2/16/2006 Rice asks for funding of Iran programs by AP.
      Washington - Secretary of State Condeleezza Rice asked Congress for $75 million this year to build democracy in Iran, saying the U.S. must support Iranians who are seeking freedoms under what she called a radical regime.
• 2/17/2006 $65 billion sought for spending on wars by AP.
      Washington - The White House submitted an emergency request for $65.3 billion in U.S. military spending for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and $20 billion for hurricane relief through Sept. 30 for 138,000 troops.
• 2/21/2006 Pressure grows to move against China on trade by AP.
      Washington - The get tough approach to China could involve filing trade charges over auto parts and copyright piracy and branding the Chinese as currency manipulators.    Congress claims that the deficit contributed to the loss of nearly 3 million U.S. manufacturing jobs since mid-2000.    China is undervaluing their products by as much as 40 percent and the U.S. is trying to push an across-the-board penalty tariffs of 27.5 percent on Chinese goods unless the practice is stopped.    The U.S. may be forced to take their case to the WTO.
• 3/9/2006 OPEC won't cut output; extremists, Iran cited by AP.
      Vienna, Austria - OPEC said it would keep pumping at current levels to ensure adequate supplies as extremists target oil facilities from the Middle East to Nigeria and a confrontation escalates over Iran's nuclear program.
• 3/9/2006 Iran warns U.S. to suffer if U.N. votes for sanctions by AP.
      Vienna, Austria - Iran threatened the U.S. with harm and pain if the U.S. tries to use the U.N. Security Council to punish it for its nuclear program.    Washington said Tehran has enough nuclear material for up to 10 atomic bombs.
• 3/9/2006 North Korea test-fires two short-range missiles by AP.
      Seoul, South Korea - North Korea test-fired two short-range missiles, an unsettling reminder of the communist regime's ability to cause instability in the region where a standoff persists over its nuclear program.
• 3/10/2006 Thirst for oil, foreign goods sends trade deficit to record 68.5 billion by AP.
      Washington - Rising oil prices and American's insatiable appetite for foreign goods, from Chinese clothing to French wine and Japanese cars, sent the U.S. trade deficit to another monthly record.    American's have shopped the world markets until they dropped.    If this continues the U.S. could top last years deficit of $723.6 billion, which reflects on President Bush's free-trade policy.
• 3/11/2006 U.S. urges tough action on Iranian nuclear crisis by AP.
      United Nations - Russia proposed more talks on Iran's nuclear program as the five U.N. Security Council powers considered a statement to pressure Tehran to clear up questions about whether it is trying to build atomic weapons.    The U.S. is skeptical wanting tough action after three years of negotiations, and might impose sanctions on its own if no action is taken.
• 3/13/2006 Iran rules out Russian nuclear compromise plan by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - Iran ruled out a Russian proposal aimed at easing tensions, thus destroying its last chance for compromise before the U.N. takes on the issue.
• 3/13/2006 2005 trade deficit sets record by AP.
      Washington - America went deeper in debt to foreigners last year as the deficit hit a record $804.9 billion.
• 3/13/2006 Iran warns it could use oil as weapon against sanctions by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - Iran for the first time warned it could use oil as a weapon if the U.N. Council imposes sanctions over its nuclear program.    Iran noted that Iran's strategic location is at a chokepoint for a vital Persian Gulf oil route.
• 3/15/2006 Rice acknowedges that U.S. unpopular among Muslims by AP.
      Jakarta, Indonesia - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice courted the moderate brand of Islam that prevails in multiethnic Indonesia, but acknowledged that U.S. foreign policy is often unpopular in the Muslim world.    The anti-American sentiment has arisen since the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq, including terrorism.
• 3/19/2006 3 nations want U.N. to help curb Iran's nuclear program by AP.
      Pago, Pago, American Samoa - The U.S., Japan and Australia said they share grave concerns about Iran's nuclear program and that the U.N. Security Council must act to deter Tehran.
• 3/22/2006 Bush sees U.S. troops in Iraq till at least '09 by The New York Times.
      Washington - President Bush said the war in Iraq was eroding his political capital and admitted the costs of conflict to his presidency, but suggested that forces would remain in the country until at least 2009.
• 3/22/2006 Chavez says need for oil drives U.S. foreign policy by AP.
      Caracas, Venzuela - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez defended Iran's nuclear program, saying Washington's firm opposition to Tehran and the invasion of Iraq both resulted from America's thirst for oil.    He believes the North American empire has invaded Iraq just to look for oil and now threatens Iran because of oil, and Bush is falsely accusing Iran of trying to build an atomic bomb.
• 3/23/2006 Security Council deadlocked over Iran's nuclear program by AP.
      United Nations - Security Council members are in a deadlock after Britain and France could not get Russia and China to agree on how to pressure Tehran.
• 3/24/2006 Iraq must use its own resources to pay for rebuilding, U.S. says by USA Today.
      Baghdad, Iraq - The U.S. said that the Iraqi government can no longer count on U.S. funds and must rely on its own revenues and other foreign aid from Gulf nations to rebuild Iraq.    Iraq's capacity to produce oil generates 93 percent of the government's revenues.
• 3/25/2006 Urgency on Darfur by The New York Times.
      The genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan has about 500 people die every day, almost 400,000 in less than three years.    About 140,000 black African Muslims from Darfur have been killed by Arab militias and Sudanese government forces, and 250,000 Darfur citizens have died from disease, starvation and exposure.    Their only defense is a force of 7,000 African Union peace-keeping troops, who have a lack of resources.    President Bush has asked the U.N. to better equip this situation, even without a peace agreement.    The attacks have even spilled over into neighboring Chad, where Darfur refugees are clustered.
• 3/25/2006 Senate panel to review future of gas prices by AP.
      A U.S. Senate panel will examine whether gasoline prices will rise higher than normal this summer due to oil company plans to phase out the use of gasoline additive methyl tertiary butyl ether, or MTBE.    Instead they will use ethanol, which might be in tight supply.
• 3/28/2006 Joint U.S. military exercise brings warning from North by AP.
      Seoul, South Korea - North Korea warned Washington of grave consequences over a military exercise in South Korea, repeating that it has the ability to launch a pre-emptive attack on the U.S.    The North sees the drill as a rehearsal for an invasion.
• 3/28/2006 Six foreign ministers to discuss Iranian program by AP.
      London - Five U.N. permanent members and Germany will meet in Berlin for talks about Iran's nuclear program.
• 3/30/2006 Assad calls for improved ties with United States by AP.
      Damascus, Syria - Syrian President Bashar Assad has renewed his call for better relations with the U.S. but at the same time criticized President Bush's government, saying it does not care about peace.
• 3/31/2006 Bush meets with leaders of Canada and Mexico by AP.
      Cancun, Mexico - Bush and the leaders of Canada and Mexico met to iron out disagreements over trade and border security and to keep a North American economic edge against rising powers like China.
• 3/31/2006 Iran refuses to halt urnaium enrichment by AP.
      Berlin - A top Iranian envoy rejected a U.N. Security Council demand for a halt in uranium enrichment.
• 4/1/2006 Iran tests missile it says radar units can't detect - It is said to carry multiple warheads - by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - Iran's military said it successfully test-fired a missile that is not detectable by radar and that can use multiple warheads to hit several targets simultaneously, raising concerns in the U.S. and Israel.    The Fajr-3 can reach Israel and U.S. bases in the Middle East, Iran indicated as an attempt to flex its muscle.
• 4/3/2006 Iran says second test of new missile system a success by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - Iran conducted its second major test of a new missile firing a high-speed torpedo it said no submarine or warship can escape at a time of increased tensions with the U.S. over its nuclear program.    They claim the Fajr-3 missile can avoid radar, and the new torpedo, called the "Hoot," or "whale," could raise concerns over Iran's power in the Gulf, a vital corridor for the worl's oil supplies and where the U.S. Navy's 5^th Fleet is based.    The torpedo moves at 223 mph, which is three to four times faster than a normal torpedo, similar to the Russian-made VA-111 Shkval, developed in 1995.    Iran already possesses the Shahab-3 missile, capable of carrying a nuclear warhead and hitting U.S. forces in the Middle East.    The Pentagon said that the Iranians have been known to boast and exaggerate their statements.
• 4/4/2006 Australia agrees to sell uranium to China for energy by AP.
      Canberra, Australia - Australia agreed to sell China uranium for nuclear power stations despite concerns that Beijing could divert the material to atomic weapons.    Australia has 40 percent of the world's known deposits, and is expected to generate billions of dollars in annual sales.
• 4/6/2006 Oil tops $67 on fall in gasoline supplies by Dow Jones Newswires.
      New York - Crude oil futures prices topped $67 a barrel, propelled by gasoline which surged on slower than expected refinery operations and sliding inventories.    Some experts expect it to test the $70 a barrel level soon.    Hurricane season is also approaching, and tensions remain in Iran and Nigeria.
• 4/11/2006 Britain pledges $15 billion toward education in Africa by AP.
      Maputo, Mozambique - Britain announced $15 billion in overseas education aid over the next 10 years, as African leaders launched a campaign to get every child in school by 2015.    The commitment follows a pledge by the Group of Eight industrialized nations at their summit last July, to double aid for Africa.
• 4/11/2006 World turmoil sends price of oil up by The Courier-Journal.
      Washington - As geopolitical friction and oil-market fears from Nigeria shutdown of more than a half a million barrels a day of supply, caused a $68.99 a barrel price, and prices approaching $2.70 per gallon.
• 4/13/2006 Trade deficit with China drops 22.7% by AP.
      Washington - The Chinese are engaged in a multibillion-dollar buying spree of all things American, from soybeans to Boeing jets, and the huge U.S. trade deficit with China dropped unexpectedly in February.    The U.S. will require more trade concessions than this to quiet that issue before President Hu Jintao visits Washington next week to prevent punitive actions on Chinese products.
• 4/13/2006 Gas prices rise on fall in supplies by AP.
      New York - Gasoline futures rose after the U.S. reported a large drop in inventories, and prices rose to $2.85 a gallon.    Oil prices rose above $69 a barrel and fears are by next week it will be at $70.
• 4/14/2006 Iran rejects U.N.'s request to suspend uranium work by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - Iran's president insisted that his country will not retreat one iota on its uranium enrichment.    The Security Council has given Iran until April 28 to stop enriching uranium.
• 4/18/2006 Jitters over Iran sends oil past $70 by AP.
      The price of oil finished at more than $70 per barrel for the first time since late August, the day after Hurricane Katrina hit.    Forecasts are seeing it reach $75, the highest it ever was occurred in 1980 at $77 a barrel during the war between Iraq and Iran.
• 4/20/2006 Crude oil jumps above $72 by The Courier-Journal.
      Washington - Oil prices leapt above $72 a barrel, setting a record and will make pump prices rise to $3 a gallon.
• 4/21/2006 Bush, Chinese leader make little progress - Falun Gong protester disrupts ceremony - by AP.
      Washington - Bush and Hu Jintao pledged cooperation in the nuclear ambitions of Iran and North Korea and in resolving trade disputes.    Not much new came out of the talks.
• 4/21/2006 IMF: World must face energy prices - 7 nations to discuss plight this weekend - by AP.
      Washington - Higher energy prices could be around awhile and we all will have to adjust, the head of the International Monetary Fund said.    The seven largest economic powers will be discussing worldwide economic matters this weekend with the IMF and World Bank.
• 4/22/2006 Oil price sets record by AP.
      Oil prices broke through $75 a barrel for the first time as gasoline prices will go above $3 a gallon soon.
• 4/23/2006 Saudi Arabia, China sign security, trade deals by AP.
      Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - Oil-rich Saudi Arabia and energy-starved China signed defense, security and trade agreements on the first day of Chinese president Hu Jintao's visit.
• 4/23/2006 Diplomat warns against threatening Iran by AP.
      Moscow - A top Kremlin diplomat warned against threatening Iran with sanctions or using force, saying it would only aggravate the international standoff over Tehran.
• 4/23/2006 World monetary fund has OK for overhaul - Crisis prevention one of new goals - by AP.
      Washington - The G-7 economic powers gave the world's financial firefighter, the 184-nation IMF, the green light to remake the 61-year-old institution so it can better prevent and cope with crisises.    There goal now is to focus on crisis prevention and crisis resolution.    The IMF was established in 1945 to help promote the health of the world economy.
• 4/23/2006 Sub-Sahara economies see growth by AP.
      Washington - The 48-country region of sub-Sahara Africa is showing economic growth of 4.8 percent, lifting thousands out of poverty the World Bank reported.    Many African countries are pursuing sound economic policies, developing a good investment climate, battling corruption and use aid more effectively.    Growth in the region of East Asia and the Pacific was 8 percent a year, South Asia (India) averaged 5.8 percent, and China was at 10.1 percent at the end of 2004.
• 4/24/2006 Bin Laden: West waging 'Zionist' war by AP.
      Cairo, Egypt - Osama bin Laden issued new threats in an audiotape and accused the U.S. and Europe of supporting a "Zionist" war on Islam by cutting off funds to the Hamas-led Palestinian government.    He urged followers to go to Sudan, his former base, to fight a proposed U.N. peacekeeping force.    The Hamas leaders were quick to distance themselves from bin Laden, declaring that their ideology is totally different from the ideology of Sheik bin Laden.    Both groups do share an anti-Israel ideology that calls for the destruction of the Jewish state.    Al-Qaida has been trying to build cells in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, Lebanon and Sudan.
• 4/24/2006 Iran says nuclear program 'irreversible' by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - Iran said its nuclear program is irreversible, and rejected the U.N. deadline to cease enriching uranium.    Iran has already enriched uranium using 164 centrifuges, a step toward large-scale production of nuclear fuel that can be used either in atomic weapons or in nuclear reactors.    The U.N. deadline is April 28.
• 4/26/2006 Iran threatens to hide its nuclear work - Israeli spy satellite launched by Russia - by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - Iran is threatening to hide its program if the West takes harsh measures and to transfer nuclear technology to Sudan, deepening their own isolation.    Russia launched a satellite for Israel that the Israelis say will be used to spy on Iran.    The satellite will spot small images on the ground allowing Israel to monitor Iran's nuclear program and long-range missiles.
• 4/27/2006 Leader threatens stiff retaliation if U.S. attacks by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned the U.S. that his nation would hit back twice as hard if America attacks its nuclear sites.
• 4/28/2006 Oil prices still sliding, dip below $71 a barrel - China acts to slow economic growth - by AP.
      Washington - Oil prices fell below $71 a barrel after China sought to cool its economic growth by raising a key interest rate and the World Bank resolved a dispute with Chad, which had theatened to shut of an oil pipeline.
• 4/29/2006 Iran defying U.N., nuclear agency reports - Bush stresses diplomatic options - by AP.
      Vienna, Austria - Iran has defied a U.N. Security Council call to freeze uranium enrichment and stonewall efforts to determine whether it is developing nuclear arms, the IAEA said, strengthening Western calls for sanctions.
• 5/1/2006 European Union fines U.S. $9.1 million more by AP.
      Brussels, Belgium - The E.U. imposed $9.1 million in additional sanctions against the U.S. in response to anti-dumping measures meant to protect U.S. companies, that the WTO had declared illegal.
• 5/2/2006 Social Security, Medicare future grim, report says - Bush plan ignored insolvency by 2040 - by Gannett News Service.
      Washington - Bush launched his bid to overhaul Social Security a year ago, but nothing has changed in the program that provides income to 48 million American retirees and family survivors.    When baby boomers of 1946-1965 retire the Social Security trust fund will be exhausted in 2040, and Medicare will exhaust its funds 12 years from now.    By 2017, the program's costs are projected to exceed income.
• 5/2/2006 Global concerns send oil above $73 - Iran, Bolivia, Nigeria fuel world tensions - by The Courier-Journal.
      Crude oil prices rose above $73 a barrel on supply concerns after Iran defied a U.N. deadline, Bolivian President Evo Morales ordered soldiers to occupy natural gas fields and refineries, and there was more violence in Nigeria.
• 5/3/2006 Crude oil futures top $74 a barrel - Analysts predict $80 - by The Courier-Journal.
      New York - Analysts say $75 oil may look cheap in a few months, as crude goes above $75 a barrel.
• 5/4/2006 European Union suspends trade talks with Serbia by AP.
      Belgrade, Serbia-Montenegro - The E.U. suspended aid and trade talks with Serbia over its failure to arrest Ratko Mladic, the ex-Bosnian Serb army commander indicted on charges of genocide in Europes' worst massacre in 1995 of 8,000 Muslim men and boys since World War II.
• 5/8/2006 Iran threatens to pull out of nuclear agreement by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - Iran's parliament threatened to pass legislation that would force the government to withdraw from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, putting them in company with North Korea.
• 5/8/2006 Bin Laden targets Pakistan president by AP.
      Miran Shah, Pakistan - A top U.S. counterterrorism official said that parts of Pakistan are a safe haven for militants and Osama bin Laden was more likely to be hiding there than in Afghanistan.    Pakistan has arrested hundreds and hundreds of al-Qaida figures.    A pamphlet purportedly from Osama bin Laden saying he was praying for the assassination of Pakistan's president and calling him a slave of President Bush.
• 5/11/2006 Putin wants Russians to have more babies - He says population decline is serious - by AP.
      Moscow - President Putin said that Russia must increase its birthrate, calling the persistent population decline of 700,000 a year the most acute problem of contemporary Russia, which began after the 1991 Soviet collapse.
• 5/11/2006 U.S. won't brand China a currency manipulator by AP.
      Washington - The Bush administration in the latest currency report to Congress did not believe China technically met the definition in the law of a currency manipulator.    China plans to let its currency rise in value faster in order to curb excess liquidity in financial markets, and help reduce its current account surplus.
• 5/13/2006 Traces of highly enriched uranium found in Iran, diplomats say by AP.
      Vienna, Austria - U.N. inspectors have found traces of highly enriched uranium on equipment from an Iranian research center linked to the military, a revelation likely to strengthen U.S. arguments that Iran wants to develop nuclear arms.
• 5/14/2006 Air Force experimenting with new fuel - Liquid made from coal could ease costs - by The New York Times.
      Washington - The Air Force which accounts for half the fuel of the U.S. government and began looking for a way to power its jets on something besides conventional fuel.    They are testing engines to fly with a fuel by blending conventional crude-oil-based jet fuel with a synthetic liquid made first from natural gas, and eventually from coal, which is plentiful and cheaper.    The AF consumed 3.2 billion gallons of aviation fuel in 2005 at a cost of $4.7 billion.
• 5/14/2006 Iranian leader won't hold nuclear talks with Israel by AP.
      Bali, Indonesia - Iran's president said he would not hold talks with any country including Israel that hold bombs over our head, as he talked with leaders from the D-8 summit with Egypt, Indonesia, Pakistan, Nigeria, Turkey, Bangladesh and Malaysia.
• 5/15/2006 Iranian president rejects anti-enrichment incentives by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - Iran's president said it was pointless for Europe to devise an incentive package if it required Tehran to stop enriching uranium.    Iran also denied reports that U.N. inspectors found traces of highly enriched uranium on equipment from an Iranian research center.    The European colonialism does not respect Iran's national sovereignty.
• 5/16/2006 U.S. is renewing ties with Libya - Gadhafi cited for fighting terrorism - by AP.
      Washington - The U.S. will restore full diplomatic relations with Libya and remove it from a list of terrorism sponsors.    The Bush administration is rewarding Moammar Gadhafi's government for renouncing weapons of mass destruction and cooperating in the hunt for terrorists.    This will clear the way for broader economic ties with the oil-producing nation.    The U.S. also announced it is banning sales of arms to Venezuela because of lack of support for counterterrorism efforts.
• 5/16/2006 China's exchange rate breaks through key level by AP.
      China's official exchange rate broke through the 8 yuan per dollar level, its highest in more than a decade, signaling Beijing's willingness to allow its currency to appreciate faster.
• 5/19/2006 U.S. proposes treaty to curb nuclear proliferation by AP.
      Geneva - The U.S. proposed a treaty at the 65-nation Conference of Disarmament that it said would curb proliferation of nuclear weapons and improve the world's leverage against hard cases like Iran and North Korea by banning production of weapons-grade uranium and plutonium.
• 5/20/2006 North Korea moved missile to launch site; test unsure by AP.
      Seoul, South Korea - North Korea moved a ballistic missile, which could reach the U.S., to a launch site this month, but there is no intelligence yet that the country is preparing to test-fire it, South Korean and Japanese officials said.
• 5/21/2006 U.S., others to offer Iran new proposal by AP.
      Vienna, Austria - Iran could be offered an end to U.N. pressure if it agrees to suspend uranium enrichment, but could face sanctions backed by the threat of force if it refuses, diplomats said.    The proposal also offers help in the building of the new light-water reactors in Iran, with an assured supply of nuclear fuel for up to five years, and move its enrichment program to Russia.    If they refuse the draft calls for banning travel visas, freezing assets, banning financial transactions of key government figures, an arms embargo as well as on shipping refined oil products to Iran.
• 5/21/2006 Egypt leader chides U.S. policy at forum by AP.
      Sharm El-Sheik, Egypt - President Hosni Mubarak opened the World Economic Forum with a speech signaling deepening strains in the once-ironclad links with Egypt's American allies and benefactors.    He said that the U.S. is running a foreign policy that promotes double standards on nuclear issues, ignored international opposition to the invasion of Iraq and was meddling in the internal affairs of countries, including his own, by pressing for Western-style democratic reforms.    Egypt has only gone with his efforts to mediate an Israeli-Palestinian peace.    The double standard he refers to is that the U.S. may have helped Israel build its nuclear arsenal, while curbing Iran's ambitious nature.
• 5/22/2006 Israel: Iran almost has A-bomb know-how by AP.
      Jerusalem - Iran is just a few months away from aquiring the technical know-how that will allow it to build an atomic bomb, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said.    Olmert flew to Washington to meet with Bush to discuss Iran's nuclear ambitions, and the Iranian's president calling for Israel's destruction.    In 1981, Israel's air force attacked the Iraqi nuclear reactor at Osirak, destroying the facility, and now hopes to see the Western world impose sanctions on Iran so they will not have to react.
• 5/22/2006 No deals with Iran, Rice says by AP.
      Washington - The U.S. has not offered a guarantee against attacking and undermining Iran's hard-line government in exchange for having Tehran curtail its nuclear program, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said.    Iran is a troublemaker in the international system, and a central banker of terrorism.
• 5/24/2006 Pentagon: China's military reach growing by AP.
      China is rapidly extending its military reach, buying more long-range aircraft and weapons that will allow it to compete with the U.S. and pose a threat to other countries in the region, a Pentagon report said.    China is looking beyond Taiwan.
• 5/25/2006 Taxpayers' burden a 'monster' problem by AP.
      Taxpayers owe more than half a million dollars per household for financial promises made by governments, mostly to cover the cost of retirement benefits for baby boomers.    Federal, state and local governments have added nearly $10 trillion to taxpayer liabilities in the last two years, bringing the total obligations to $57.8 trillion.    If payments on this delinquent tax bill does not start soon, then financial promises to the elderly will not be kept, for 79 miilion baby boomers in 2008 and 2011.
• 5/26/2006 More than 100 pledge to become suicide bombers by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - More than 100 Iranians pledged to become suicide bombers to defend their country, in event of an attack by U.S. or Israel.
• 5/27/2006 Iraq says Iran has right to nuclear research by The New York Times.
      Iraq's new foreign minister supports Iran's right to pursue nuclear research, taking a position at odds with that of the Bush administration.
• 5/28/2006 Police, protesters prevent gay-pride parade by AP.
      Moscow - Gay-rights activists were pummeled by right-wing protesters and detained by police, preventing them from putting on a display of gay pride in defiance of a city ban.    Moscow's mayor said gay parades may be acceptable in the West, but is unacceptable for Msocow and Russia.
• 5/28/2006 Bush likens war on terror to Cold War - He urges pursuit of democracy in Mideast - by AP.
      West Point, N.Y. - President Bush, likening the war against Islamic radicals to the Cold War threat of communism, told U.S. Military Academy graduates that America's safety depends on an aggressive push for democracy, especially in the Middle East.
• 5/30/2006 Earthquake aid inadequate, slow in coming, survivors say by AP.
      Jamprip, Indonesia - Indonesia death toll in a 6.3-magnitude quake was 5,137, and an estimate 200,000 homeless survivors are living in rice fields, short on food and water in a blazing sun, with power out.    Rough roads in mountainous central Java have hampered deliveries
• 6/1/2006 U.S. offers to join talks with Iran if it suspends nuclear program by AP.
      Washington - The U.S. said that it would join in face-to-face talks with Iran over its disputed nuclear program if Tehran first agreed to put challenged atomic activities on hold, as a last chance to avoid sanctions.    Iran dismissed the offer as a propaganda move.
• 6/2/2006 OPEC maintains oil output, rejects Venezuela call to cut production by Dow Jones Newswires.
      Caracas, Venezuela - OPEC ministers agreed to leave output unchanged, as the group pumped oil at 25-year highs.    OPEC rejected suggestions by Venezuela to cut production, who are the only one supporting that concept.
• 6/2/2006 China trying to slow economic growth by AP.
      Beijing - China has banned use of new land for luxury villas and will tighten scrutiny of soaring bank lending, expanding a campaign to rein in a building boom and cool off roaring economic growth now about 10 percent a year which may ignite inflation, state media reported.
• 6/3/2006 Iran calls for unconditional talks, says nuclear program won't stop by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - Iran insisted that the West will not deprive it of nuclear technology and must drop conditions on negotiations.    Iran is ready for any unconditional, just and indiscriminatory negotiations.
• 6/4/2006 President tells U.N. chief crisis could be settled by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - Iran's president told the U.N. that the crisis could be settled as long as Tehran's right to use atomic energy is preserved.    U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld branded Iran as the world's leading terrorist nation and hoped that Iran would consider incentives from the West in exchange for suspending suspect nuclear activities.
• 6/5/2006 Iran's leader threatens oil supplies if punished by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that Western accusations Iran seeks nuclear weapons are a sheer lie, and he declared that attempts to punish Tehran would jeopardize the world's oil supply.    He insisted that no oil shipments would be passing out of the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz, separating Iran from the Arabian peninsula which is 44 miles wide.    Rice dismissed the threat saying that Iran was too dependent on oil revenues to disrupt the flow of crude.
• 6/11/2006 G-8 finance ministers optimistic about economy by AP.
      St. Petersburg, Russia - Finance ministers from the world's most industrialized nations were upbeat about the global economy despite jitters about rising interest rates and tumbling stocks.    The G-8 ministers' final statement focused on the dangers of galloping oil prices and widening global imbalances, but did mention interest-rate increases in several countries and recent declines on world markets.    And ministers later brushed aside fears of economic turbulence, because they see no major crises, no major economies in recession, strong growth, inflation well-contained, interest rates at the low end of the historic level and rising prosperity.
• 6/12/2006 Government comments on nuclear incentive offer by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - Iran said that it accepted some parts of a Western offer aimed at getting Tehran to drop its nuclear program, but it rejected others while calling the central point ambiguous.    Iran said the key issue of uranium enrichment, a process to make nuclear fuel for a power plant or fissle material for an atomic bomb, needed clarification.
• 6/13/2006 China, Russia resist united stance on Iran by AP.
      Vienna, Austria - China and Russia are holding back from a united message with Western powers to insist Tehran halt uranium enrichment, that could encourage Iranian defiance.
• 6/14/2006 Nonaligned nations back Iran in nuclear dispute by AP.
      Vienna, Austria - Western countries pushed for broad support on the need for Iran to freeze uranium enrichment, but the 16-nation nonaligned countries backed Tehran, saying all countries have the right to pursue a nuclear program for civilian use.
• 6/16/2006 Iran sends mixed signals on uranium enrichment by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - Iran sent mixed signals on how it will respond to the world's incentives to give up uranium enrichment, which its supreme leader vowing his country would never back down, while the president and a diplomat said Tehran was ready to talk.
• 6/17/2006 Incentives might boost nuclear talks with Iran by AP.
      Shanghai, China - The Iranian president said a U.S.-endorsed incentive package was a positive step toward resolving the standoff over Tehran's nuclear program, signaling Iran was preparing to negotiate.
• 6/17/2006 U.N. report predicts more people will live in slums by AP.
      Geneva - About 1.4 billion people worldwide, mostly in developing countries, will be living in slums by 2020 unless action is taken to improve conditions for the urban poor, according to a U.N. report.
• 6/19/2006 U.S. says Korea must not fire missile by AP.
      Washington - The U.S. expects North Korea to maintain a freeze on missile tests, and a test-fire would draw an appropriate response, President Bush's spokesman said.    Specifically a missile that could reach the continental United States.
• 6/19/2006 Official says U.S. making nuclear talks more difficult by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - Iran accused the U.S. of steering Europe away from a possible compromise on Tehran's disputed nuclear program, by insisting on conditional negotiations.
• 6/20/2006 Iran's remarks send crude below $69 by AP.
      Dow Jones Newswires - Oil prices fell nearly $1 a barrel and finished under $69 a barrel on a sharp sell-off in gasoline futures after conciliatory remarks from Iranian officials regarding the country's nuclear dispute and considering the incentive packages.    The comment eased worries that the nuclear dispute would lead to a disruption in Persian Gulf oil supplies.    Also, OPEC said the high crude oil prices are affecting economic growth, because high prices have eased the demand.
• 6/20/2006 Albright: Iraq war gave Iran, Korea nuclear push by AP.
      Moscow - Fresh from a trip to North Korea, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright criticized the U.S. invasion of Iraq, saying it encouraged Iran and North Korea to push ahead with their nuclear programs.    The message out of Iraq is that if you don't have nuclear weapons, you get invaded.
• 6/22/2006 Japan lifts ban on U.S. beef, pending plant inspections by AP.
      Japan's decision to lift a ban and reopen its $1.4 billion annual market to U.S. beef, which brought joy to cattlemen and meat processors, but upset that their plants would be open to Japanese inspection as part of the deal, instead of the USDA.
• 6/24/2006 Little known about N. Korea's intentions - Missile threat stirs global jitters - by AP.
      Tokyo - The global jitters over suspected North Korean preparation to test a ballistic missile have underscored how little the world knows about Pyongyang's intentions, its missile capabilities or even what kind of rocket fuel it uses.    The U.S. suspects that the reclusive communist regime is ready to launch a Taepodong-2 long range missile with a range of up to 9,300 miles.    Whether North Korea can make a nuclear warhead is still in question, the Japenese say they doubt it.    The U.S. and Japan agreed to strengthen cooperation on missile defense with high-resolution radar that can detect a ballistic missile when deployed.    Also options of oil and food sanctions may be applied if they fire such a missile and talks fail.    North Korea has denounced the U.S. imperialism, and considers it a sworn enemy.    The U.S. has agreed to deploy advanced Patriot interceptor missiles on American bases in Japan for the first time, until the North Koreans notify the world of their intentions.
• 6/28/2006 Nuclear talks with U.S. won't help, top cleric says by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that Iran does not need negotiations with the U.S. over its nuclear program, reassuring hard-liners that the country will not cave in to the Western incentive package.
• 6/29/2006 Premier urges N. Korea to drop missile test by AP.
      Shenzhen, China - China's premier Wen Jiabao urged North Korea to desist from firing a long-range missile and avoid any actions that would aggravate regional tensions.
• 7/1/2006 Guests override Africa summit by AP.
      Banjul, Gambia - Iran's president prayed with African Muslims ahead of a summit where he and another guest, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, could steal attention from Africa's troubles.    Leaders of the 53-member African Union were to press Sudan to accept U.N. peacekeepers in the conflict-wracked Darfur region, debate the rise of hard-line Islamic regime in Somalia and consider a proposal aimed at keeping presidents from installing themselves for life.    Iran is trying to drum up support for its standoff with the West and leftist icon Chavez is working to form trading coalitions in the Americas as a counterbalance to the U.S.    Among African countries to attend were South Africa, Libya, Liberia, Nigeria, Zimbabwe and Kenya.
• 7/2/2006 Talks fail to end barriers to global trade by AP.
      Geneva - Negotiations on a global trade treaty ended in disarray when major trading nations failed to resolve differences on further lowering barriers to commerce.    More than 60 ministers from the149-member WTO missed the deadline to break a dead-lock over sensitive farm tariffs and subsidies, and blamed each other for the failure to move forward.
• 7/4/2006 North: U.S. attack would prompt nuclear strike by AP.
      Seoul, South Korea - North Korea vowed to respond with an annihilating nuclear strike if it is attacked pre-emptively by the U.S., who is determined to protect itself if they launch a long-range missile.
• 7/5/2006 Defiant N. Korea test-fires missiles by AP.
      North Korea test-fired a long-range missile that may be capable of reaching America, but it failed seconds after launch and fell into the Sea of Japan despite warnings from the U.S.    The U.S. called the firings a provocation and consider this as isolating themselves, possible resulting in international sanctions.
• 7/5/2006 No quick response likely on nuclear negotians by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - Iran rejected Russia's and China's calls for a quick response to incentives to suspend its nuclear program, indicating it wants to negotiate the terms of the offer.    The U.S., Britain and France are trying to revive a push to punish Iran with U.N. sanctions.
• 7/6/2006 Gas tops $3 for 1st time since Katrina aftermath by The Courier-Journal.
      Gas prices rose as high as $3.10 per gallon in Louisville, with oil prices jumping to a record above $75 a barrel on concerns over a recent snag in shipping and refining along the Gulf Coast.
• 7/6/2006 U.S. urges sanctions on N. Korea by The New York Times.
      Washington - The Bush administration tried to build international support for stronger measures, including sanctions, to persuade North Korea to abandon its weapons program after it fired a seventh missile into the Sea of Japan.    China and Russia resisted in favor of less punitive actions.    South Korea said it would withhold food and fertilizer shipments to N. Korea until the missile crisis is resolved.    Japan is drafting a resolution to order countries to take steps to keep the North from acquiring items that could be used for its missile program
• 7/9/2006 U.S. to seek deal with Russia on nuclear cooperation by AP.
      Washington - President Bush will meet Russian leader Putin during a summit of industrialized nations the Group of Eight in St. Petersburg next week to pursue a nuclear cooperation agreement to pressure Iran.    Bush wants the use of nuclear power increased to reduce the global demand for oil.    Russia sees a lucrative market in providing such capabilites.
• 7/11/2006 U.N. delays vote on N. Korea sanctions by AP.
      United Nations - Supporters of a resolution that would impose limited sanctions on North Korea agreed to delay a vote in hope that China can pressure Pyongyang to return to six-party talks.    Japan has hinted that it might consider a pre-emptive strike on the North to take out missiles and prevent further tests, if there is no other option in self-defense.
• 7/11/2006 First test of new Indian missile fails by AP.
      New Delhi - India's first test-firing of a new missile, Agni III, designed to carry nuclear warheads across much of Asia and the Middle East was unsuccessful and plunged into the Bay of Bengal short of target, the defense minister Pranab Mukherjee said.    Also an Indian rocket carrying a satellite for TV broadcasts veered off course and exploded after takeoff.
• 7/11/2006 Ethanol is sort of a drop in the bucket, scientists warn by AP.
      Washington - Ethanol is far from a cure-all for U.S. energy problems, and not as environmentally friendly as supporters claim and would only supply 12 percent of U.S. motor fuel, even if every acre of corn were used.    Biodiesel from soybeans is the better choice, University of Minnesota researchers concluded without impacting food supplies but still would not replace petroleum.
• 7/11/2006 China's trade surplus hits $14.5 billion by AP.
      Shanghai, China - China's export-driven economy pushed its trade surplus with the world to a new high of $14.5 billion, which is sure to raise more tension over Beijing's currency controls, especially with the U.S.   
• 7/13/2006 EU imposes $357 million fine against Mocrosoft by AP.
      Brussels, Belgium - The EU levied a second massive fine on Microsoft and threatened greater penalties unless the company obeys a 2004 antitrust order to share technical details of its Windows operating system with rivals.    Microsoft was fined $357 million for flouting an earlier order, on top of the record $613 million fine it paid at the time.    They also face new penalties of $3.8 million a day beginning July 31.    Microsoft intends to appeal for not being clear on what it wants.
• 7/13/2006 Problems grow as Bush prepares for G-8 summit by AP.
      Rostock, Germany - President Bush blamed Syria and Iran for new Middle East violence, encountered further defiance from Iran and North Korea and got an acerbic retort from Russian President Vladimir Putin to U.S. criticism, including his retreat from democracy.    His problems grew as Bush flew to Germany to meet with one of his strongest allies in Europe before the summit of world powers with all this as the major topics at the G-8 meeting.    China and Russia introduced a resolution deploring North Korea's missile tests, but no military action, just a moratorium on such launches.    The world powers agreed to send Iran before the U.N. Security Council for possible punishment.
• 7/14/2006 Stocks drop sharply as inflation, profit reports unnerve investors by AP.
      Oil prices surged to almost $77 per barrel sending stocks sharply lower for a second straight day.    The escalating Israel-Lebanon conflict got much of the blame, igniting fears of higher interest rates to slow inflation could instead bring on a recession.
• 7/15/2006 G-8 leaders signal desire to break impasse during trade talks that begin today by AP.
      St. Petersburg, Russia - The Group of Eight leaders appear intent on going beyond agenda items of energy security, infectious diseases and education to push for a breakthrough on long-stalled talks aimed at reducing trade barriers to poor countries, who can not get a foothold in the global economy.    The negotiations are aimed at boosting the global economy and lifting millions out of poverty worldwide by lowering commercial barriers across all sectors.
• 7/16/2006 Russia's bid to join WTO hits roadblock in U.S. talks by The New York Times.
      Strelna, Russia - Bush and Putin have failed to come to an agreement on Russia's accession to the WTO.    The two differed over Iraq, Russia's state of democracy and Israel's military campaign in Lebanon.
• 7/16/2006 U.N. imposes limited sanctions; N. Korea is instantly defiant by AP.
      United Nations - The U.N. Security Council voted unamiously to impose limited sanctions on North Korea for its recent missile tests and demanded the reclusive communist nation suspend its ballistic missile program.    North Korea immediately rejected the resolution and vowed continued launches.    The resolution bans all U.N. member states from selling material or technology for missiles or weapons of mass destruction to North Korea, and from receiving them from Pyongyang.
• 7/17/2006 G-8 offers support for nuclear energy by AP.
      St. Petersburg, Russia - With high demand driving oil near $80 a barrel, the Group of Eight offered support for nuclear energy as an alternative.    Bush got bit again by talking on a open-microphone, unaware blaming Syria for Hezbollah's attacks on Israel, critizing the U.N. Secretary-General, teasing British prime minsiter Tony Blair, and joking about long-windeness of certain world leaders.
• 7/23/2006 U.S. goal: Isolate Syria from Iran by The New York Times.
      Washington - The U.S. is at the beginning stages of encouraging Saudi Arabia and Egypt to make the case to the Syrians that they must trun against Hezbollah, hoping they will listen to their Arab neighbors.    For years Syria has been the primary sponsor of Hezbollah with shipments of Iranian-made weapons.    Iran's actions threaten the entire Middle East and bringing peace to the region.
• 7/25/2006 Trade talks collapse over farm product subsidies by AP.
      Geneva - WTO members called a halt to more than five years of commerce liberalization talks as differences over farm aid proved unbridgeable.    The deal to lift millions of people worldwide out of poverty would not be reached by the end of the year.    The 25-nation European Union criticized U.S. intransigence over agricultural subsidies for the breakdown.    The U.S. blamed Brazil and India for being inflexible on cutting barriers to industrial inports and the EU for refusing to make deeper cuts in its farm product tariffs.
• 7/29/2006 N. Korea says no nuclear talks until U.S. drops sanctions by AP.
      Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - North Korea spurned appeals to join talks on its nuclear and missile programs, saying the U.S. should drop financial sanctions before any negotiations occur.
• 7/29/2006 August deadline likely for Iran's nuclear program by AP.
      United Nations - The U.N. Security Council will give Iran until the end of August to suspend uranium enrichment or face threat of economic and diplomatic sanctions.
• 7/30/2006 Country to reject proposed U.N. resolution, radio says by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - Iranian radio said the government will reject a proposed U.N. resolution deadline for Aug. 31, and accuses the U.S. and its allies of making what is called an illegal demand.
• 8/4/2006 Bush urges Cubans to seek democracy by AP.
      After Fidel Castro had surgery and transferred temporary control of Cuba to his brother, Raul, President Bush urged the people of Cuba to work for democratic change and warned the U.S. would watch for Cuban officials who stand in the way.
• 8/4/2006 Generals: Iraq edging to civil war by The Washington Post.
      Washington - Army Gen. John Abizaid, the top U.S. commander in the Middle East told a Senate panel that escalating sectarian violence in Iraq could lead to a civil war.
• 8/7/2006 Officials vow to expand uranium enrichment by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - Iran vowed to expand its uranium enrichment defying a U.N. deadline to suspend it.    Iran is feeling emboldened as the U.S. and Europe scramble to deal with escalating violence between Israel and Lebanon-based Hezbollah militants.
• 8/7/2006 Korean missiles found targets, study concludes by AP.
      Tokyo - Japan and the U.S. has concluded that six of the seven medium range missiles tested by North Korea fell within their targets.    Only the long-range missile failed.
• 8/8/2006 BP's Alaska pipeline corroded by AP.
      Anchorage, Alaska - BP said that it discovered corrosion so severe that it will have to replace 16 miles of pipeline at the huge Prudhoe Bay oil field that could shut down the nation's single largest source of domestic crude for months.    Oil prices climbed more than $2 a barrel, which may force the goverment to release oil from its emergency stockpile to ease the crunch.
• 8/20/2006 Bush says Iraq, Lebanon key to terror fight by AP.
      Washington - President Bush said he is determined to remain in Iraq and end violence in Lebanon to protect the U.S. from future terrorist attacks.    Democrats want the nation to pull forces from Iraq.    The two nations trying to build free societies in the Middle East are the scenes of the most violent terrorist activity trying to deter democracy.
• 8/24/2006 India says it retains nuclear-test rights by AP.
      New Delhi - India's prime minsiter said that the country would retain its right to carry out nuclear tests despite a civilian nuclear deal with the U.S.
• 8/24/2006 U.S.: Iran's response 'fall short' by AP.
      Washington - Bush said that a proposal by Iran for nuclear negotiations falls short of U.N. demands, and is now pushing with other nations to lead U.N. sanctions against Iran.
• 8/26/2006 Bernanke warns against protectionism by AP.
      Jackson, Wyo. - Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke cuationed lawmakers to avoid the temptation to impose protectionist trade policies as the U.S. grapples with fierce competition from globalization.    Globalization has shrunk the world and made countries increasingly connected through economic ties.    It has hurt those left behind in the changing worldwide economic landscape, such as losing jobs to workers in China and India.    Lawmakers should help displaced workers get the training to take advantage of new opportunities.
• 8/26/2006 Nations aim to prevent nuclear test by AP.
      Seoul, South Korea - South Korea and China have agreed to cooperate to prevent a possible nuclear test by North Korea amid reports of suspicious activity in the communist nation.
• 8/27/2006 Iran expands atomic program by AP.
      Khondab, Iran - Iran inaugurated a heavy-water plant, expanding its nuclear program only days before a U.N. deadline that threatens sanctions.    Heavy water contains heavier hydrogen particle that allows a nuclear reactor to run on the natural uranium mined by Iran, without undergoing the enrichment process.    The spent fuel from a heavy-water reactor can be reprocessed to extract plutonium for use in a bomb.
• 8/28/2006 Iran tests missile fired by submarine by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - Iran tested a new anti-ship missile fired from a submarine during war games, raising worries it could disrupt oil tanker traffic in the Persian Gulf amid its standoff with the West.
• 9/1/2006 Defiant Iran still enriching uranium, defies U.N. deadline by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - Iran remained defiant ignoring the U.N. deadline for Aug. 31.
• 9/1/2006 Bush: War on terror the ideological battle of 21^st century by Los Angeles Times.
      Salt Lake City - President Bush began a new effort to get support for the war in Iraq, telling the fight against terrorism was no military conflict but the decisive ideological struggle of the 21^st century, a successor of fascism, Nazism and communism.    If we leave Iraq now the battle against terrorism would eventually be fought on U.S. streets.    America has spent more than $430 billion for wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, 2,870 troops dead and 20,000 wounded and $250 billion for domestic security, and Osama bin Laden still loose after five years.
• 9/2/2006 Pentagon issues grim report on violence in Iraq by The Washington Post.
      Washington - Rising sectarian bloodshed has pushed violence in Iraq to its highest level in more than two years, and preventing civil war is now the most urgent mission of the 140,000 U.S. troops in the country, according to a Pentagon report.    More than 3,000 Iraqis are killed or wounded each month in sectarian incidents.
• 9/8/2006 Senate OKs $63 billion more for wars by AP.
      Washington - The Senate agreed to spend an additional $63 billion for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and added $200 million to help track down al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden and $700 million to combat opium trade in Afghanistan, putting the total at $469.7 billion.
• 9/12/2006 OPEC won't scale back for now by AP.
      A wary OPEC said it will keep pumping crude at current levels, but would scale back if prices keep plummeting.    Prices hit a five-month low because of rising inventories and easing political tensions pushed it below $65 a barrel.    Saudi Arabia is waiting for China to move ahead on negotiations to build the country's first strategic oil reserves.
• 9/14/2006 U.S. urges reforms for China by AP.
      Washington - Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson urged China to undertake a broad range of economic reforms and said the country's failure to overhaul its currency system could raise the threat of a protectionis backlash.    The Bush administration would oppose efforts by Congress to erect trade barriers in response to America's large and growing trade deficit.    He also mentioned China should pursue modernizing its farm economy, opening up its financial system and domestic-led growth rather than relying so much on exports, thus creating the millions of jobs that China needs to generate annually and will help create markets for U.S. exports of goods and services.
• 9/15/2006 IMF says U.S. housing slowdown could weigh on world by AP.
      Singapore - The U.S. economy is headed for a slowdown caused by a cooling housing market, the IMF warned, and that could drag on global growth.    But China's booming economy shows no sign of slowing down, raising its global growth forecast for the next few years.    Japan and Europe are also expanding and the IMF raised its forecast on them too.    The U.S. could help reduce global imbalances by setting a more ambitious deficit reduction path and put its federal budget in a stronger position to respond to future economic downturns, the IMF said.
• 9/15/2006 China criticized over weapons sales by AP.
      Top U.S. officials have criticized what they called China's indiscriminate sale of weapons to rogue countries, suggesting that Beijing's policies have made the world a more dangerous place.    The U.S. urged China to re-evaluate its relationships with Iran and North Korea's missile tests, and Hezbollah's use of cruise missiles against Israeli naval vessel.    Other countries mentioned were Sudan, Myanmar, Zimbabwe, Cuba and Venezuela.
• 9/17/2006 U.S. and G-7 economies keeping growth on track by AP.
      Singapore - The U.S. and other major economies are keeping global growth on track despite risks from high oil prices and other threats, the Group of Seven industrialized nations said.    They also urged China to adopt a more flexible currency policies, and urged more action to combat terrorist financing and illicit activities by North Korea and Iran.    Despite a sharp slowdown in U.S. growth the U.S. economy is growing solidly, underpinned by rising wages, healthy corporate cash flow and investment.
• 9/20/2006 Bush says war not against Islam by AP.
      United Nations - President Bush tried to blunt anti-Americanism across the Middle East, asserting that extremists are attempting to justify their violence by falsely claiming the U.S. is waging war on Islam, singlying out Iran and Syria as sponsors of terrorism.    Addressing world leaders at the U.N. General Assembly, Bush tried to advance his campaign for democracy in the Middle East against a backdrop of turmoil in Iraq and Afghanistan and in other nations that have embraced the very change he seeks for the region.    Aligned with Israel the U.S. is viewed with anger and suspicion by Muslims across the Middle East.
• 9/21/2006 African Union will keep forces in Darfur for now by AP.
      United Nations - The African Union said it will extend the mandate of peacekeeping forces in Darfur through the end of the year, ensuring troops will remain in the wartorn Sudanese province for now.    The U.N. will provide support to the mission, but will not take over the mission from the AU, who has not been able to stop the violence there.
• 9/22/2006 $70 billion agreed upon for wars by AP.
      House-Senate negotiators approved a $70 billion infusion for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan as they wrapped up talks on a $447 billion Pentagon funding bill, bringing the total since Sept. 11, 2001 to more than $500 billion.
• 9/24/2006 War in Iraq said to raise terror risk by AP.
      Far from being in retreat, Islamic radicalism has spread across the globe, according to a classified intelligence report that cites the Iraq war as a reason for the diffusion of jihad ideology.
• 9/27/2006 Romania, Bulkgaria OK'd to join EU next year by AP.
      Strasbourg, France - Romania and Bulgaria were cleared to join the European Union on Jan. 1, from their journey from communism's collapse.    Turkey, Croatia and other hopefuls will be left on the sideline for now.
• 9/27/2006 New Prime Minsiter wants to bolster ties with U.S. by AP.
      Tokyo - Japan's new prime minister, Shinzo Abe, pledged to repair relations with China, bolster his country's alliance with the U.S. and overhaul the pacifist constitution after his victory.    He will steer Japan toward a more robust military and more assertive foreign policy.
• 9/29/2006 Sanctions target Iran's weapons program by AP.
      Washington - The House voted to impose mandatory sanctions on entities that provide goods or services for Iran's weapons programs.    U.S. diplomats continue to press the U.N. Security Council to penalize Tehran.    The Iran Freedom Support Act will approve assistance for human rights, pro-democracy and independent organizations and the U.S. will not enter into agreements with governments that are assisting Iran's nuclear program or chemical and biological weapons.
• 9/29/2006 President rejects demands Iran end nuclear program by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad again rejected demands that Tehran suspend uranium enrichment.    He even pledged that Iran will expand the program to produce more nuclear fuel for electricity.
• 10/2/2006 NATO to soon take control over 12,000 U.S. troops by AP.
      Kabul, Afghanistan - NATO will soon assume direct control over most military operations in Afghanistan, a move that will place 12,000 more U.S. troops under its authority.    Of the 40,000 foreign troops in Afghanistan, only 8,000 U.S. troops will function outside NATO control: those tracking al-Qaida terrorists.
• 10/4/2006 North Korea plans nuclear test by AP.
      Seoul, South Korea - North Korea triggered global alarm by saying it will conduct a nuclear test, a key step in the manufacture of atomic bombs that it views as a deterrent against a U.S. attack.    North Korea said it was committed to nuclear disarmament, and a willingness to negotiate, an attempt to win economic aid.    North Korea claims the U.S. extreme threat of a nuclear war and sanctions and pressure, compelled the DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) to conduct a nuclear test, as a nuclear deterrent for self defense.    Intelligence thinks the North has enough radioactive material to build a half-dozen or more nuclear weapons.    The U.S. has 29,500 troops in South Korea, a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War.    China, North Korea's ally and chief benefactor, had no immediate comment.
• 10/5/2006 North Korea's neighbors unite over nuclear threat by AP.
      Seoul, South Korea - North Korea's neighbors forged a common front against Pyongyang's threatened nuclear test, with South Korea warning of a regional atomic arms race that could upset the regional balance of power.    China, Japan and South Korea appealed to the North to show calm and restraint.
• 10/6/2006 Diplomats to meet on Iran nuclear case by AP.
      London - U.S., Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia will meet to assess sanctions for Iran's refusal to suspend uranium enrichment.
• 10/7/2006 North Korea told not to carry out a nuclear test by AP.
      United Nations - The U.N. Security Council warned North Korea of unspecified consequences if it carries out a nuclear test and urged it to abandon all nuclear weapons as it promised last year and cancel plans to detonate a device.
• 10/8/2006 The reality behind N. Korea's threat by AP.
      Seoul, South Korea - The timing of North Korea's nuclear test may coincide with the anniversary of former leader Kim Jong Il date he assumed the top job of the Workers Party of Korea.    A U.S. military plane capable of detecting radiation took off from southern Japan to monitor.    North Korea is so isolated from the world that the warnings will do liitle to punish them, but China and South Korea, two of their top trade partners may be able to discourage them.    North Korea has one of the world's largest armies, a force of more than 1 million.    Experts do not think that the North can build an atomic weapon light enough to fit on a missile that could strike the U.S.
• 10/9/2006 Japan, China warn N. Korea over bomb test by AP.
      Beijing - China joined Japan in sending a strong message to the North that the test cannot be tolerated, and Pyongyang appeared to back down from its threat.
• 10/10/2006 World leaders condemn N. Korea for nuclear test by Los Angeles Times.
      United Nations - International condemnation poured down on North Korea for its announced nuclear test, once again defying the will of the international community.    Scientists tried to determine whether the underground blast actually reflected a successful nuclear explosion, and diplomats conferred on how to contain the rogue regime if it was.
• 10/11/2006 China backs punishing N. Korea - Nuclear weapon test rattles communist ally - by AP.
      United Nations - China agreed that North Korea must be punished for testing a nuclear device but tried to soften sanctions which would be a crushing blow to the impoverished ally.    Scientists confirmed that the underground test was a partial failure.    Bush asked the U.N. to impose a partial trade embargo, limiting weapons exports and freezing related financial assets.    North Korea demanded a one-on-one talk with the U.S. and threatened to launch a nuclear-tipped missile if Washington doesn't help resolve the standoff.    The U.S. told the North to buy a ticket to Beijing and rejoin stalled six-nations talks.    The blast was less than a tenth the power of the bomb that the U.S. dropped on Hiroshima in 1945, but success in a small scale means a large-scale is possible.    Iran blamed Washington for North Korea's nuclear test and vowed to continue developing its own atomic program.
• 10/12/2006 North Korea fuels nuclear fire - It says sanctions will be act of war - by AP.
      Seoul, South Korea - North Korea threatened more nuclear tests and said that it would consider additional sanctions an act of war, stoking tensions in an already jittery Asia.    Japan closed its ports to imports and exports from North Korea.    South Korea has its troops prepared for atomic warfare and U.S. soldiers are poised to repel any attack.    Pyongyang was rehearsing for a performance for the 80^th anniversary of the "Down with Imperialism Union."
• 10/12/2006 OPEC to cut 1 million barrels a day by AP.
      OPEC will cut crude oil production by 1 million barrels a day, but they are hashing out how to share the pain of doing so.    Prices have dropped below $58 a barrel, after being above $77 in July.
• 10/13/2006 Paulson prods China on reforms by AP.
      New York - Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson is concerned that China might not move fast enough with its economic reforms.
• 10/15/2006 Sanctions imposed on North Korea by AP.
      United Nations - The U.N. Security Council voted unamiously to impose strict sanctions on North Korea, excluding the threat of military force.
• 10/18/2006 North Korea might be planning second nuclear test, U.S. says by AP.
      Seoul, South Korea - Satellite images indicate North Korea appears to be getting ready for a second nuclear test.    China warned the government not to aggravate tensions.    The U.S. has condemned the Oct. 9 atomic blast and another explosion would be a very belligerent answer to the world.
• 10/20/2006 OPEC nations agree to cut oil output by AP.
      OPEC agreed to cut oil production by 1.2 million barrels a day starting Nov. 1, the first cut since December 2004.
• 10/21/2006 N. Korea reportedly apologizes for nuclear test by AP.
      Seoul, South Korea - North Korea showed signs that it might be backing away from its nuclear showdown with the world.    Although they continued the rhetoric that the U.S. imperialist will not stifle and isolate our republic with their sanctions.
• 10/28/2006 Iran reportedly enriches uranium by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - Iran stepped up its uranium enrichment program, regardless of the U.N. sanctions.    Iran's injection of gas into a second network of centrifuges, marked the country's first known uranium enrichment since February.
• 10/29/2006 North Korean activities monitored by AP.
      Seoul, South Korea - South Korea and U.S. officials are trying to determine whether recent movements at North Korea's suspected nuclear testing site indicate the communist regime is planning another test explosion.
• 10/29/2006 Official sounds warning of fiscal danger by AP.
      Austin, Texas - David M. Walker, head of the Government Accountability Office is telling the American public that it is time to tell Washington to steer the nation off the path to financial ruin.    The ship of state will founder on the reefs of economic disaster if nothing is done to correct its course.    Of course politicians would have to raise taxes and cut benefits to solve the fiscal black hole Washington has dug itself, the demographic tsunami that will come when the baby boom generation begins retiring and the recklessness of borrowing money from foreign lenders to pay for the operation of the U.S. government.    He claims that if the U.S. government conducts business as usual over the next few decades, a national debt that is already $8.5 trillion could reach $46 trillion or more, adjusted for inflation.    A hole that big could paralyze the U.S. economy, as the interest payments on that debt would be as much as all the taxes the government collects today.    This is growing at $2 trillion to $3 trillion a year.
      Oh no!    We may have to outsource our government to other countries who can run it more efficently.
• 11/1/2006 North Korea has agreed to rejoin nuclear-disarmament talks by AP.
      Beijing - The U.S. and Chinese governments announced that North Korea has agreed to rejoin six-nation nuclear-disarmament talks, as the first signs of easing tensions.    Chinese exports of diesel and heating oil dropped to North Korea, and the sanctions will continue until the North complies, and the U.S. and China does not consider them as a nuclear power.    So no one is breaking out the champagne and cigars yet.
• 11/3/2006 Iranians test dozens of missiles, including nuclear-capable one by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - Iran test-fired dozens of missiles from mobile launchers, including the Shahab-3 with a range of 1,250 miles, which can reach Israel, in military maneuvers that it said were aimed at putting a stop to the role of world powers in the Persian Gulf region.
• 11/5/2006 China to increase aid, African leaders are told at summit by AP.
      Beijing - China began extensive effort to expand its access to Africa's oil and markets, pledging billions of dollars in aid and loans as dozens of leaders from the world's poorest continent opened a conference in Beijing.    African leaders criticized Beijing that it is treating Africa like a colonial territory and supports regimes with poor human rights records.    China pledged $3 billion in loans, $2 billion in export credits and a $5 billion fund to encourage Chinese investment in Africa.    China's trade with Africa was $39.7 billion last year and plans to boost that to $100 billion by 2020 and open China's markets to African exports.
• 11/5/2006 Thousands of Turks march against Islamic radicals, EU dictates by AP.
      Ankara, Turkey - Twelve thousand nationalist Turks marched in the capital, vowing to defend the secular regime against radical Islamic influences and urging the government not to make too many concessions in order to gain European Union membership.    Turkey is predominantly Muslim but is governed by strict secular laws that separate religion and state.    Many fear that is left unchecked, Islamic fundamentalism will lead to a theocracy like that in Iran.    Under intense pressure from the EU for reforms to start talks for membership, many Islamic-oriented candidates have been blocked from civil service positions to avoid the Islamic agenda to influence and to violate secular contitution.
• 11/7/2006 Oil rises on OPEC talk by AP.
      Vienna, Austria - Oil prices rose by more than $1 a barrel after Nigerian oil minister and OPEC president said the cartel may need to further cut its output, and as armed protesters shut down one of his county's oil facilities.    Oil prices rose to $60 a barrel.
• 11/11/2006 White House will be destroyed, tape says - Terrorist praises election results - by AP.
      Baghdad, Iraq - A tape recording from the leader of al-Qaida in Iraq Abu Hamza al-Muhajir, mocked Bush as a coward whose conduct of the war was rejected at the polls, challenging him to keep U.S. troops in the country to face more bloodshed.    He claimed to have 12,000 fighters under his command who have vowed to die for God's sake, and they won't rest until they blow up the White House and occupy Jerusalem.    In Tuesday's midterm elections, Republicans lost control of both houses of Congress to the Democrats.
• 11/18/2006 Bush urges resolve on North Korean matter by AP.
      Hanoi, Vietnam - President Bush tried to stiffen global resolve to challenge a nuclear-armed North Korea, while in Vietnam for the annual summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.    He is having trouble getting South Korea to fully implement the U.N.'s sanctions implemented on North Korea.
• 11/25/2006 Russia begins delivering air-defense system to Iran by AP.
      Moscow - Russia has begun delivery of Tor-M1 air-defense missile systems to Iran, a Defense Ministry official said, confirming that Moscow will proceed with arms deals despite of Western criticism.    Moscow will supply 29 of the sophisticated missile systems to Iran under a $700 million contract signed in December, according to Russian media reports.    The U.S. called on all countries last spring to stop all arms exports to Iran.
      This is why the G-7 will always be 7, and never the G-8 as Russia has so-called it, and will have a hard time getting into the WTO.
• 11/29/2006 Vietnam ratifies joining World Trade Organization by AP.
      Vietnam's legislature ratified the country's entry into the WTO, paving the way for the communist nation to become its 150^th member, taking effect Dec. 28, oepning the gates to increased foreign investment and trade in Southeast Asia's fast-growing economy.
• 12/6/2006 Iran blocks access to YouTube, urges Arabs to eject U.S. military by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - Iran has blocked access to the popular video-sharing Web site YouTube.com, and a media rights group warned Internet censorship in the Islamic state is on the rise.    The reason is that videos from the Mujahedeen-e-Khalq and other opposition groups have been posted on YouTube.com, along with videos posted by individual Iranians critical of the regime.
      Iran's top national security official urged Arabs to eject the U.S. military from bases in the region and to instead join Iran in a regional security alliance, the strongest sign yet of Iran's rising assertiveness in international affairs.
• 12/10/2006 Iran, Syria can't end Iraq crisis alone, some in Mideast say by AP.
      Beirut, Lebanon - Iran could play a crucial role in curbing Iraq's Shiite militia if the U.S. opens dialogue as recommended by the Iraq Study Group, some in the Middle East say.    Iran does not trust the U.S. and observers agree that Iran alone even with help from its ally Syria cannot bring peace in the Middle East.
      The Group has not swayed President Bush from his opposition to opening talks with the two top U.S. foes in the region.    Shiite militia are blamed for killing hundreds of Sunnis in Iraq's sectarian bloodshed.    Iran will not help until the U.S. stop making such accusations and announce a timetable for the withdrawal of troops.    The Sunni insurgents are a patchwork of groups, former members of Saddam Hussein's Baath party, Iraqi Islamic extremists and non-Iraqi militants linked to al-Qaida, their ranks fed by Iraqi Sunnis embittered by the new Shiite domination of the country and by Sunni killings.
      Syria is believed to have influence over former Baathist leaders, and Jordan and Saudi Arabia have strong ties to Iraq's Sunnis.    All would be needed to convince Sunnis that reconciliation with the Shiites is the new course.    But then rivalries among the countries could sink the effort altogether, since Iraq's Arab neighbors are deeply concerned about Persian Iran's growing influence in the region.
• 12/14/2006 Oil climbs as OPEC meets to consider cut by AP.
      Oil prices rose to $61 a barrel after a drop in U.S. and worldwide crude inventories making OPEC meet in Nigeria to discuss a production cut.
• 12/15/2006 Pentagon seeks new command in Africa by AP.
      Washington - The Pentagon is recommending a new U.S. military command for Africa and has sent a proposal to President Bush for his approval.    The U.S. military has a system under which each region of the world is overseen by a specific command.    Africa is split among several commands, which have been greatly increasing activities in recent years.    The goal is to make African nations less vulnerable to the recruiting efforts of terrorist and help drive out those already finding haven in Africa.
• 12/15/2006 Next chief of U.N. is sworn in by AP.
      United Nations - South Korea's Ban Ki-moon took the oath of office as the next secretary-general of the United Nations, promising to restore the organization's tarnished reputation and push for peace in the Middle East and Darfur.
      In his sharpest comments, he said Iran's call for Israel's destruction and its dismissal of the Nazi Holocaust were "unacceptable," and he expressed concern about the regional and global implications of Tehran's nuclear program.
      Ban plans to bring peace to Sudan's Darfur region on his first trip to an African Union summit in late January.    The African Union peacekeeping forces have not been able to quell the violence there in four years leaving more than 200,000 people dead and a huge humanitarian crisis.    The suffering of the people of Darfur is simply unacceptable.    Ban takes over on Jan. 1, succeeding Kofi Annan of Ghana.
• 12/16/2006 U.S., China pledge to work on trade gap by AP.
      Beijing - U.S. and Chinese officials pledged to work on reducing China's swollen trade surplus, but ended with little progress on currency and other disputes that are straining ties.    Henry Paulson wanting faster action, said China would pursue currency flexibility, but China said they will relax currency controls and enact market opening reforms at its own pace.    China must achieve this soon or the trade between China and U.S. may strain this relationship.
• 12/16/2006 Japan moves away from pacifist stance by AP.
      Tokyo - Japan's conservative government chipped away at the country's postwar pacifism, requiring schools to teach patriotism and upgrading the Defense Agency to a full ministry for the first time since World War II.    This is Prime Minsiter Shinzo Abe's push to bolster Japan's international military role, build up national pride and distance the country from its post-1945 war guilt.
• 12/17/2006 President backs transfer of nuclear technology by AP.
      Tehran, iran - Iran's president said his country was ready to transfer nuclear technology to neighboring countries, Kuwaiti television reported, after Arab states on the Persian Gulf announce plans to consider a joint nuclear program.
• 12/17/2006 Democracy activists pulled from buses, trains by AP.
      Moscow - Russian authorities pulled hundreds of opposition activists off buses and trains and detained them along with scores of others ahead of a rare anti-government rally in Moscow.    The police action did not prevent more than 2,000 people from gathering in a central square, where leftist and liberal groups demanded that Russian President Vladimir Putin stop what they called Russia's retreat from democracy.
• 12/18/2006 North Korea nuclear talks to reconvene after boycott by AP.
      Beijing - Since North Korea exploded a nuclear bomb Oct. 9, they will return to the international disarmament talks it has boycotted.    The U.S. says the choice is simple - negotiate or face sanctions.    The six-nation negotiations, to be held in the Chinese capital, have been plagued by delays and discord since they began in August 2003.    The main task is to implement an agreement from September 2005, when the North promised to abandon its nuclear program in exchange for security guarantees and aid.
• 12/19/2006 North Korea demands equal footing with U.S. in arms talks by AP.
      Beijing - North Korea insisted that it be treated as a full-fledged nuclear power as six-nation arms talks convened, but the U.S. said time was running out for Pyongyang to dismantle its nuclear arsenal and threatened more sanctions.    The U.S. dismissed the communist regime's comments as rhetoric, and moved on to disarmament.
• 12/19/2006 Iranian's president's opponents lead in local elections by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad suffered an embarrassing blow in local council races, according to partial election results, in voting viewed as a sign of public discontent with his hard-line stance.    His Islamic government policies have fueled fights with the West, brought Iran closer to U.N. sanctions, and failed to fix the country's faltering economy.    Former President Hashemi Rafsanjani, a relative moderate, got the most votes of any candidate.    The election does not affect his administration, but shows that local councils and the public have weighed in on his presidency since June 2005.
• 12/19/2006 U.S. signs nuclear pact with India by AP.
      Washington - President Bush signed legislation to let America share its nuclear know-how and fuel with India even though New Delhi refuses to sign the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty.    By providing India with safe nuclear energy it will build a partnership and ease their demands for fossil fuels and ease pressure on global markets.
• 12/20/2006 Bush plans to expand military by AP.
      Washington - President Bush said that he plans to expand the size of the U.S. military to meet the challenges of a long-term global war against terrorism, upon recommendations by the Pentagon.
• 12/20/2006 Annan: Military action in Iran unwise by AP.
      United Nations - Annan said a negotiated settlement with Iran over its nuclear program should be sought and he warned that military intervention would be unwise and disastrous.    He also stated that the U.N.'s failure to stop the conflict in Iraq was the worst moment of his 10 years as secretary-general, as he leaves office on Dec. 31.
• 12/20/2006 U.S., N. Korean diplomats meet by AP.
      Beijing - As U.S. and North Korean diplomats met face to face, there was no indication of any progress after two days of rounds.
• 12/20/2006 China absolved of currency manipulation by AP.
      The Bush administration said that China does not meet the technical requirements of a country that is manipulating its currency to gain unfair trade advantages.
• 12/21/2006 Bush admits Iraq war difficult but says it can be won by AP.
      Washington - President Bush warned Americans that the war in Iraq would require dificult choices and additional sacrifices in the coming year, but he firmly rejected the notion that the war cannot be won.    He reflected that nearly 12 million Iraqis voted in free elections, but the situation has turned into a difficult year for our troops and the Iraqi people, due to sectarian violence.    The Democrats want a gradual withdrawal of troops, and a move to achieve stability in the region.    Bush says the enemy cannot run us out of the Middle East, they can't intimidate America.
• 12/23/2006 Russia seeks amendments on U.N.'s Iran resolution by AP.
      United Nations - Russia pressed for amendments to ensure it can conduct legitimate nuclear activities in Iran ahead of an expected vote on a U.N. resolution imposing sanctions against Tehran.
• 12/23/2006 Sudan agrees to U.N. peacekeeping plan by AP.
      Khartoum, Sudan - The Sudanese government has agreed to U.N. involvement in a African Union-U.N. troops peacekeeping operation in its trouble Darfur region, for a scaled-back version of the mission originally requested by the U.N.    The bulk of the force will come from the African Union countries, with the U.N. providing technical assistance, consultants and military and police experts, all commanded by the African Union.
• 12/25/2006 Uranium enrichment will continue, leader says by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - Iran vowed to press ahead with uranium enrichment despite U.N. sanctions aimed at forcing a rollback in its nuclear program.
• 12/25/2006 U.N. approves sanctions against Iran by The New York Times.
      United Nations - The U.N. Security Council unanimously approved by Germany, U.S., Britain, France, Russia and China, a resolution intended to curb Iran's nuclear program.    The resolution, in its first step, bans the import and export of materials and technology used in uranium enrichment.    Russia is affected the most since they have strong economic ties with Iran and they were involved in building a nuclear power plant in Bushehr, Iran.    The measure also freezes the assets of 12 Iranians and 10 companies that are said to be involved in nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
• 12/27/2006 Saddam's death sentence upheld by AP.
      Baghdad, Iraq - Iraq's highest court rejected Saddam Hussein's appeal and said the former dictator must be hanged within 30 days for his role in the 1982 slayings of 148 Shiites in a town where assassins had tried to kill him.    The ruling on Saddam's sentence could stoke Iraq's sectarian rage.
• 12/27/2006 Bush rethinking Iraq strategy at ranch by AP.
      Crawford, Texas - President Bush went to his Texas ranch to rethink U.S. involvement in Iraq.    He is holding a National Security Council meeting and will announce his decisions before the State of the Union address on Jan. 23.
• 12/27/2006 260 killed in Nigeria as gas pipeline explodes by AP.
      Lagos, Nigeria - A gasoline pipeline ruptured by thieves exploded into a blazing inferno as scavengers collected the fuel in a poor neighborhood, leaving at least 260 people dead.    It was the latest oil-industry disaster to strike Nigeria, Africa's biggest petroleum producer.    Hundreds of more may be dead, because of the tapping which is common in Nigeria where 130 million people live in woeful poverty.    A single can of gasoline sold on the black market can earn two weeks of wages for a poor Nigerian.    Earlier this year, 150 people died in a similar explosion in Lagos, and in 1998 a pipeline fire killed 1,500 in southern Nigeria.
• 12/27/2006 Militia retreats as troops close in on Somali capital by AP.
      Mogadishu, Somali - Somali government soldiers, joined by troops from neighboring Ethiopia, advanced toward Somalia's capital as Islamic fighters dug in and their leader Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed promised a new phase in the war.    Around 3,000 to 4,000 Ethiopian troops enter Somalia on Saturday to wrap up their offensive against the militia that until recent days controlled most of the southern part of the country.    Ethiopia's goal was not to defeat the militia but to severely damage their military power in hopes to get both sides to return to peace talks on even footing.
• 12/29/2006 Government advances on capital; militia retreats by AP.
      Mogadishu, Somali - Ethiopian and Somali government troops drove Islamic fighters out of Jowhar, the last major town on the northern road to Mogadishu, the Somali capital.    The Council of Islamic Courts seized the capital in June and took much of southern Somalia, often without fighting.    Government spokesman Abdirahman Dinari confirmed that talks for a peaceful surrender were under way.    Islamic fighters were seen changing out of their uniforms into civilian clothes.
• 12/29/2006 Uranium issue may prompt less cooperation with U.N. by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - Iran's parliament urged the government to reexamine the nation's ties with the U.N. nuclear agency after being sanctioned.    The move signaled that Iran was likely to reduce its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency.
• 12/29/2006 Somalis oust Islamic force from capital by AP.
      Mogadishu, Somalia - Somalis cheered as troops of the U.N.-backed interim government rolled into Mogadishu unopposed, putting an end to six months of domination of the capital by radical Islamic movement.    Some Islamic fighters fled south vowing to continue the battle.
• 12/30/2006 Hangman executes Saddam by AP.
      Baghdad, Iraq - Saddam Hussein, 69, the Iraq dictator who ruled with brutality for a quarter-century and was driven from power by a U.S.-led war, was taken to the gallows and executed today.    Also hanged were Saddam's half-brother Barzan Ibrahim and Awad Hamed al-Bandar.
• 12/30/2006 N. Korea might be able to build 7 nuclear bombs by AP.
      Seoul, South Korea - South Korea's Defense Minister said North Korea is believed to have about 110 pounds of plutonium, enough to produce up to seven nuclear weapons.    He also claimed that the North is believed to be capable of producing biological weapons, including anthrax weapons, and possesses up to 5,000 tons of toxic agents.
• 12/30/2006 Somali leader takes control of capital by AP.
      Mogadishu, Somalia - Somalia's prime minister Ali Mohamed Gedi promised thousands of war-weary Somalis peace and stability as he formally took control of the battle-scarred capital for the first time since his government was formed two years ago.    Some are unsure of the government's reliance on Ethiopia, a rival with a large Christian population and one of Africa's largest armies.    Ethiopia and Somalia fought a war in 1977.
• 12/30/2006 Euro flourishes; complaints remain by AP.
      Frankfurt, Germany - The surging euro is confounding critics who doubted it could rival the dollar, pound and yen - but Europe's shared currency still annoys some consumers five years after its introduction in cash form.    This year, it has surged in value, rising nearly 14 percent to 20-month highs and is about 3 or 4 cents off its all time high of $1.36 in December 2004.    Now the euro is seen as a strong global currency.
      However, some consumers still grumble about using the euro, with 41 percent of people in the 12-nation euro zone saying they still have difficulties using it.    Many still calculate large purchases in the old currencies.
• 12/31/2006 Ethiopian forces rattle Islamic militia by The New York Times.
      Addis Ababa, Ethiopia - Ethiopian tanks and armored personnel carriers chugged toward the port city, Kismayo, the last city occupied by Somalia's diminished Islamic movement, setting the stage for a final battle.
• 12/31/2006 Iraqis watch TV images of Saddam before execution by AP.
      Baghdad, Iraq - Iraq was riveted by the news of Saddam hanged at dawn in one of his own execution chambers.
  
      As you have read in the year 2006 is that the world leaders are no where near bringing peace and stability to the world.    Iran and South Korea are engaging in nuclear ambitions, and were fed by the very powers who are trying to stabilize it out of greed.    The push for democracy on the world is failing in that one man's democracy is not another man's democracy.    Oil consumption is still fueling the fire of the economy, and wars are killing thousands and thousands in the name of ideology.    The trade relationships is the new game to control oil reserves.    The United Nations is a joke that does nothing but assess and lingers in decisions, and the United States has troops all over the world, not much different than the Roman Empire was 2,000 year ago.    The United States is heading toward financial catastrophe not much different from what happened to Communism in Russia.    Nuclear technology is the new fad for trade so that countries that have too much of it, that they cannot get rid of, are bartering it to countries that do not have it.
  
  The year 2007.
  
  
• 1/1/2007 Fighting flares up in Somalia by AP.
      Kismayo, Somalia - Fighting erupted on the outskirts of a 3,000 militant Islamic movement's last remaining stronghold, which has al-Qaida suspects who are wanted.    Somali troops, supported by Ethiopian tanks and MiG fighter jets attacked the Islamic group in the thick mango forests.
• 1/2/2007 Sunnis protest Saddam's hanging by AP.
      Baghdad, Iraq - Enraged crowds protested the hanging of Saddam Hussein across Iraq's Sunni heartland, as a mob in Samarra broke the locks off a bomb-damaged Shiite shrine and carried a mock coffin and photo of the dictator.    This may represent a spreading militancy of the Sunni as demonstrations occurred in several areas.
• 1/2/2007 Romania, Bulgaria join European Union by AP.
      Sofia, Bulgaria - Bulgaria and Romania, two former communist nations from one of the poorest corners of Europe, joined the European Union bringing its membership to 27 nations.    This adds 30 million people to the union.
• 1/5/2007 Somali, Ethiopian forces battle Islamic militiamen by AP.
      Mogadishu, Somalia - Somali troops and Ethiopian soldiers battled about 600 Islamic militiamen at the southern tip of Somalia near Kenya, and the U.S. Navy prevented them from fleeing by sea.    Islamic fighters are still vowing they will wage a guerilla war.
• 1/6/2007 Oil's drop could quickly cut pump prices by AP.
      Crude prices fall 8 percent for the week just above $55 a barrel, because warmer weather means less demand for heating fuels.
• 1/9/2007 Several al-Qaida suspects attacked from air by U.S. by AP.
      Somalia - The U.S. military launched a strike with a AC-130 gunship against several suspected members of al-Qaida in Somalia.
• 1/9/2007 Ban says U.N. facing record demand for peacekeepers by AP.
      United Nations - The U.N. faces demand for peacekeeping troops to help prevent conflicts and rebuild war-battered countries, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said.    Presently they have 18 peacekeeping missions and 100,000 personnel in the field.
• 1/9/2007 Volcano shoots ash cloud in 'warning call' to island by AP.
      Olveston, Montserrat - The volcano that destroyed Monterrat's capital in 1997 shot a cloud of ash more than 5 miles into the sky.
• 1/9/2007 Strong earthquake hits the South Pacific by AP.
      Suva, Fiji - A strong earthquake at 6.2-magnitude struck deep under the sea floor between Fiji and Tonga, but no tsunami warnings or damage was reported.
• 1/10/2007 Attack copters strike in Somalia by AP.
      Mogadishu, Somalia - U.S. helicopters strafed suspected al-Qaida fighters in southern Somalia killing 31 in an attempt to ensure the militants no longer pose a threat.
• 1/11/2007 Trade deficit falls for third month by AP.
      Washington - The trade deficit fell for a thrid straight month as the U.S. bill for foreign oil declined to its lowest level in 16 months and American exports hit an all-time high.
• 1/11/2007 NYSE invests in India's largest stock exchange by AP.
      New York - The New York Stock Exchange took a step in building the world's first global financial market, to buy a 20 percent stake in India's largest bourse, a $460 million deal for the Mumbai-based National Stock Exchange to consolidate global markets.    The NYSE also is striking a deal to buy European stock exchange operator Euronext and now is making its first entry into Asia.    The goal is about globalization to ensure a strategic path in the fastest growing markets in the world.    Oil prices are still falling below $52 a barrel, and the stock markets have reached record levels.
• 1/13/2007 Somali says last Islamic stronghold has fallen by AP.
      Mogadishu, Somalia - Ethiopian forces captured the last remaining stronghold of the Islamic movement in the town of Ras Kamboni.    The U.S., U.N. and the African Union all want to deploy 8,000 peacekeepers to stop a return to clan-based violence and anarchy.
• 1/13/2007 Oil rises on OPEC worries by AP.
      Crude oil futures rebounded for the first time in a week, rising by more than $1 a barrel because OPEC is considering an emergency meeting and a production cut.
• 1/15/2007 Iranian, Nicaragua courts anti-U.S. allies by AP.
      Managua, Nicaragua - Iran and Nicaragua said they will open embassies in each other's capitals as Iran's president courted leftist allies in Latin America in an effort to offset Washington's global influence.
• 1/14/2007 Oil dispute damages Russia's reputation by AP.
      Moscow - German Gref, Russia's trade minister, acknowledged that his country's reputation as an energy supplier suffered in a dispute with Belarus that disrupted oil exports to Europe, and said Russia must rebuild more alternative export routes.    Russia stopped shipping oil to Europe through a major pipeline that crosses Belarus, after accusing them of siphoning off oil.
• 1/14/2007 Peace talks set in March between Pakistan, India by AP.
      Islambad, Pakistan - Pakistan and India agreed to hold peace talks in March in an attempt to resolve disputes over Kashmir, a predominantly Muslim region in the Himalayan mountains that was divided between the two when Britain granted them independence in 1947.    They have since fought two wars over it.
• 1/14/2007 Rice: Raids on Iran targets to protect Iraq, U.S. troops by AP.
      Jerusalem - U.S. raids that President Bush approved against Iranian targets in Iraq are part of broad efforts to confront Tehran's aggression, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said.    Iranian activities have threatened to destabilize the chance for Iraq to proceed to stability.
• 1/15/2007 African Union delegation discusses deployment by AP.
      Mogadishu, Somolia - An African Union delegation was in Somalia's capital to discuss sending peacekeepers with President Abdullahi Yusuf to protect his government until it can form a police force and army.
• 1/16/2007 Gasoline prices under $2 a gallon for now by AP.
  
• 1/16/2007 War on terrorism's cost near historic proportions by AP.
      Washington - The Vietnam War in 1975 killed 58,000 Americans and cost the U.S. $660 billion in todays dollars, World War II in 1943 was $600 billion.    The Iraq War if it continues has already since Sept. 11, 2001 reached $570 billion.
• 1/16/2007 U.S., South Korea vow to advance trade talks by AP.
      South Korea and the U.S. vowed a major push in a sixth round of free-trade talks that have so far yielded little progress.    South Korean farmers, laborers and filmmakers are the main resistance.
• 1/17/2007 Russia officials confirms sale of missiles to Iran by AP.
      Moscow - Russia's defense minister said that Moscow has sold 29 air-defense missiles under a $700 million contract in December 2005 to Iran, despite U.S. complaints
• 1/19/2007 China destroys a satellite by The Washington Post.
      The Chinese military used a ground-based missile to destroy one of its aging satellites orbiting more that 500 miles in space, an apparent test of anti-satellite technology that raised fears of an arms race in space and drew criticism from other nations.    The test comes at a time of heightened tension between the U.S. and China regarding space, and recently a U.S. satellite was illuminated by a laser in China.
• 1/20/2007 Jordan wants to start peaceful nuclear program by AP.
      Amman, Jordan - King Abdullah II said that Jordan wants to develop a peaceful nuclear program, joining Egypt and Arab Gulf countries in considering a nuclear option.    Arab nations are fearful over the West's failure to stop Iran's nuclear ambitions.
• 1/22/2007 Iran says it's testing short-range missiles by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - Iran announced new tests of Zalzal and Fajr-5 short-ranged missiles and President Mahmoud Ahmandinejad dismissed criticism that the country's economy has been hurt by U.N. sanctions imposed on it.    The U.S. Navy is sending a second aircraft carrier to the Persian Gulf as a warning to Iran.
• 1/24/2007 Dire warning issued about deficit by AP.
      Washington - The federal deficit has been diagnosed with cancer and will ruin the economy unless drastic long-term reforms are undertaken to rein in spending according to David Walker, Comptroller General of the Government Accountability Office.    The government's total libilities and commitments to social-insurance programs has soared from about $20 trillion in 2000 to about $50 trillion today, which is four times the nation's total output, which means it will run out in 2017.
• 1/24/2007 Ethiopian pullout raises fears of power vacuum by AP.
      Mogadishu, Somalia - Ethiopian troops began withdrawing raising fears unless peacekeepers arrive soon.
• 1/23/2007 U.S. considering missiles in East Europe; Russia upset by AP.
      Warsaw, Poland - A U.S. plan to set up missile-defense sites in Eastern Europe has led Russian military leaders to warn of a new arms race.    The U.S. is talking to Poland about locating ground-based interceptor missiles in their country as part of a larger missile-defense system and also a radar station in Czech Repulic.    The U.S. has tried to reassure Russia it has nothing to fear, because it would be solely aimed at countering the evolving Middle Eastern ballistic-missile threat.
• 1/25/2007 Military demonstrates hot new weapon - Ray gun causes burning sensation by AP.
      The military calls its new weapon an "active denial system," but it is a ray gun that shoots a beam of energy that makes people feel as if they are about to catch fire.    The electromagnetic technology developed by Raytheon is suppose to be harmless, a non lethal way to get enemies to drop their weapons, and is expected to go into production after 2010.    In an experiment airmen fired beams from a large dish antenna mounted atop a Humvee at people pretending to be rioters at Moody Air Force Base, Ga.    Anyone hit by the beam jumped out of its path because of the blast of heat throughout the body.    It uses electromagnetic millimeter waves, which can penetrate only ^1/64th of an inch of skin, just enough to cause discomfort.    Microwave ovens' radiation can penetrate several inches of flesh.
• 1/25/2007 Rice says U.S. will triple aid to Lebanese government by AP.
      Paris - The U.S. will offer nearly $770 million to help the fragile democratic government in Lebanon, Rice said after deadly Hezbollah led protests in Beirut underscored deep divisions.    Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran, has vowed to bring the government down unless the opposition is given more power.    Shiites back the opposition, Sunnis back the prime minister and Christian parties are divided between the two camps.
• 1/25/2007 Iran says it has received air-defense missiles by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - Iranian officials said they have taken deliveries of advanced Russian Tor-M1 mobile air-defense missile systems, which was reported to be used to defend Tehran's nuclear facilities.
• 1/26/2007 Russia offers to build four nuclear reactors by AP.
      New Delhi - Russian President Putin offered to build four nuclear reactors for India and give it broader access to Moscow's energy riches, as the old Cold War allies tried to reinvigorate their relationship.
• 1/27/2007 Iran to start work on uranium enrichment facility by AP.
      Davos, Switzerland - Iran plans to begin work on an underground uranium enrichment facility at Natanz, as part of a plan to create a network of tens of thousands of machines turning out material that could be used to make nuclear arms, U.N. officials said.    Iran does not care about universal international opposition, and can expect pressure and sanctions.    Some 3,000 centrifuges makes it possible to produce more enriched uranium in a shorter period.
• 1/28/2007 Saudi officials seeking to temper price of oil by The New York Times.
      Saudi Arabia, which benefited immensely from record oil prices last year, has sent signals that it will keep oil at around $50 a barrel, in order to avoid a run-up.    When gas prices rose above $3 a gallon, it affected the U.S. in retail, travel, industries, automakers also taking a profound toll on global economy, which in turn reduces the demand for oil, resulting in a push for alternative fuels to wean off of oil.    Weather and political turmoil in the Middle East and Africa can also affect it greatly.
• 1/29/2007 Gunbattle indicates Islamic forces regrouping by AP.
      Mogadishu, Somalia - Islamic fighter gunmen attacked police in northern Mogadishu in an hour-long battle and demonstrated the U.S.-backed government's feeble grip on power.
• 1/30/2007 Bush warns Iran not to grow role in Iraq by AP.
      President Bush said that "we will respond firmly" if Iran escalates its military actions in Iraq and threatens American forces or Iraqi citizens.
• 1/31/2007 U.N. relief agency appeals for money to aid Darfur by AP.
      Khartoum, Sudan - The U.N. refugee agency appealed for additional money to help millions displaced by violence in Darfur as Africa and U.N. officials negotiated a peacekeeping deal for the troubled region.
• 1/31/2007 City liable for some 1999 WTO arrests by AP.
      Seattle - A federal jury found the city of Seattle liable for the unlawful arrests and violation of rights of a group of 175 protesters during the WTO meeting in 1999, a ruling that could cost the city millions of dollars.    They were sitting and singing patriotic anthems in a no-protest zone at a park.
• 2/1/2007 Paulson insists new China talks can succeed by AP.
      Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson insisted that new high-level talks with China offer the greatest chance of success in reforming a Chinese currency system that critics blame of soaring U.S. trade deficits, before placing punitive economic sanctions.    This issue is the loss of 3 million workers who have lost jobs to unfair foreign competition.
• 2/1/2007 President Chavez given unprecedented powers by AP.
      Caracas, Venezuela - Lawmakers granted President Hugo Chavez free reign to accelerate changes in broad areas of society by presidental decree, propelling Venezuela toward dictatorship and his egalitarian socialist state.    Chavez dismissed Washington's concerns that democracy is under threat, and claimed that Bush's democracy is the true threat around the world.
• 2/2/2007 Putin slams U.S. missile-defense plan by AP.
      Moscow - President Vladimir Putin said that Russia faces unfair criticism and needless military threats from the West, lashing out at U.S. plans to put missile defenses in Eastern Europe.
• 2/2/2007 Hundreds protest foreign peacekeepers by AP.
      Mogadishu, Somalia - Hundreds of supporters of Somalia's ousted Islamic courts council demonstrated in the capital against an imminent deployment of foreign peacekeepers from Uganda and Nigeria and called for the return of the Islamic movement to restore order.
• 2/3/2007 Work reported on Iran nuclear complex by AP.
      Vienna, Austria - Technical crews have hauled centrifuges into Iran's vast underground Natanz complex beneath the desert said the IAEA.    To many this is a looming threat, but nuclear experts say this is just political showmanship, and that they are at least four years away from producing a bomb.
• 2/6/2007 Tanzanian sworn in as deputy U.N. chief by AP.
      United Nations - Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon introduced Tanzania's Asha-Rose Migiro who took the oath of office as U.N. deputy secretary-general pledging to press U.N. reform and to overhaul the world body.
• 2/8/2007 Russia plans to increase deployment of new missile by AP.
      Moscow - The Russian military will sharply increase the number of new intercontinental ballistic missiles as part of a 2007-2015 weapons-modernization plan costing about $189 billion.
• 2/9/2007 North Korea nuclear talks resume with draft plan by AP.
      Beijing - China distributed a draft agreement with North Korea to initial steps to disarm their nuclear program in exchnage for aid and security guarantees.
• 2/9/2007 Iran says it will retaliate if attacked by U.S. by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - Iran stepped up its warning to the U.S. with the nation's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei saying Iran will strike U.S. interests around the world if his country is attacked.
• 2/11/2007 Financial leaders urge vigilance on currency by AP.
      Essen, Germany - The G-7 finance officials said the world's major developed economies show solid growth, but foreign exchange fluctiations, the rising power of hedge funds and dwindling energy supplies are a concern.    The finance ministers and central bankers also lauded China's commitment to "rebalance growth," but called for a move in its effective foreign exchange rate.    The G-7 had previously urged China to let the yuan respond more flexibly to market movements.    They also discussed ways to stimulate domestic demand in Japan and Europe.    China in three decades growth has exploded as it embraces elements of capitalism.    China has amassed more than $1 trillion in foreign currency reserves as it buys dollars to control the value of the yuan, a practice the G-7 have criticized in the past.
• 2/11/2007 Putin blasts U.S. handling of global affairs at security conference by AP.
      Munich, Germany - Putin accused the U.S. of trying to dominate global affairs, provoking a new new nuclear arms race by developing ballistic missile defenses, undermining international institutions, making the Middle East more unstable through its handling of the Iraq war and trying to divide modern Europe.    The Bush administration was disappointed by Putin's remarks, claiming his accusations were wrong, and is just a political statement for public approval in Russia for standing up to the West.
      Putin said the world is now unipolar: "One single center of power.    One single center of force.    One single center of decision making.    This is the world of one master, one sovereign.    This global role destroys it from within.    It has nothing in common with democracy, of course."
• 2/11/2007 No breakthrough yet in N. Korea talks by AP.
      Beijing - Negotiators from China, Japan, the two Koreas, Russia and the U.S. on North Korea's nuclear program engaged in intense diplomacy, but a deal seems elusive.
• 2/10/2007 U.N. nuclear agency ends technical aid to Iran by AP.
      Vienna, Austria - The U.N. atomic monitor suspended nearly half the technical aid it provides to Iran, a punishment for nuclear defiance.    This was in line with sanctions imposed on Iran.
• 2/11/2007 U.S. tries to avoid its Iraq misstep in building case against Iran by AP.
      Washington - Since the Bush administration is haunted by the history of intelligence blunders about Saddam Hussein's supposed weapons of destruction but is at present trying to document that Iran is providing lethal help to Iraqi insurgents.    A release of an Iran dossier is almost ready for release and will be scrutinized by officials to see if it is valid.    Their evidence is mostly in weapons and explosives confiscated in raids that have Iranian markings and serial numbers on them.    This also suggests they are training Iraqis in making bombs and using firearms.
• 2/13/2007 Korean talks show progress by AP.
      Beijing - Six countries reached a tentative agreement on initial steps toward North Korea's disarmament ushering progress in order to deal with regional tensions.
• 2/13/2007 Bush, Ahmadinejad have softened rhetoric on U.S.-Iran relations by AP.
      Washington - Bush tried to dampen speculation about a U.S. military strike on Iran, as did the Iranian president, both wanting dialogue rather than confrontation.
• 2/14/2007 Trade deficit sets 5th straight record by AP.
      Washington - The U.S. tade deficit set a record for a fifth consecutive year at $763.6 billion up by 6.5%, and the imbalance with China soared to an all-time high.    The Democratic Congress is demanding a change of course.
• 2/18/2007 Top ayatollah says oil, gas reserves will dry up by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - Iran's top leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the country's oil and gas reserves will dry up and defended the drive to produce nuclear fuel, claiming it was the only way to avoid dependence on the West for energy.    Iran is the second-largest exporter of crude among OPEC and the world's second-largest natural gas reserves.
• 2/20/2007 India, Pakistan press on with peace talks after attack by AP.
      Dewana, India - Leaders of India and Pakistan pressed ahead with their pursuit of peace after twin bombs intended to disrupt relations caused a fire that killed 66 people on a trian that links the countries.
• 2/20/2007 Russian general blasts planned missile defense by AP.
      Moscow - A top Russian general Nikolai Solovtsov warned that Poland and the Czech Republic risk being targeted by an overpowering barrage of Russian missiles if they accept U.S. missile-defense bases.
• 2/21/2007 Somalis flee violence as Islamists fight back by AP.
      Mogadishu, Somalia - Somalis fled their capital by the hundreds in an attempt to escape mortar and rocket attacks.    Government forces and Ethiopian troops exchanged heavy fire overnight with insurgents.    The U.N. has authorized an 8,000-member African Union force from 53 nations to help stabilize Somalia.    The extremists have threatend to carry out suicide attacks against African Union peacekeepers who are about to begin deploying in the coming days
• 2/23/2007 Report prompts talks on new Iran sanctions by AP.
      Vienna, Austria - The U.S. said key countries would meet next week to try to develop new U.N. sanctions against Iran as their deadline has expired.
• 2/25/2007 Iran says U.S. in no position to launch a third war by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - The Iranian foreign minister said the U.S. was in no position for another war, and maintained negotiations, not threats, were the only way to resolve the standoff over its nuclear activities.
• 2/25/2007 Venezuela escalates weapons spending by AP.
      Caracas, Venezuela - Venezuela's arms spending has climbed to more than $4 billion the past two years, making them the largest Latin american weapons buyer exceeding even Pakistan and Iran.    This includes fighter jets and attack helicopters, assualt rifles, in order to counter potential aggression from the U.S.    The U.S. has banned sales to them and has refused them from aquiring replacement parts for American F-16s bought in the 1980s.    Venezuela has created a large civilian reserve force and assistance to regional allies like Bolivia, along with they are a large source of imported oil to the U.S.    The U.S. fears they will destabilize the region, in an area that needs economic development above military action.
• 2/25/2007 Europe will keep sanctions on Palestinians by AP.
      Paris - Palestinian president Abbas ended his tour of Europe without persuading any country to end the crippling economic sanctions.    All require that a new Palestinian government must recognize Israel's right to exist before aid can resume.
• 3/1/2007 Russian official warns U.S. not to launch strike on Iran by AP.
      Moscow - Russia's foreign minister Sergey Lavrov warned Washington not to use force against Iran and criticized the U.S. unilateral approach to other global crises.
• 3/3/2007 Gadhafi wants Libya to regain ties with world by AP.
      Sabha, Libya - Moammar Gadhafi said it was time for his long-isolated nation to open up to the world and one day Libya will not need him as leader.    He said the ruling ideology he has entrenched for three decades is superior to Western democracy.    Having improved ties with the U.S. and Europe, he has backed ambitious economic reforms, with the highest gross domestic product in North Africa, but most of its 5.6 million people are impoverished and poor.    He wants to open its economy to the world.
• 3/3/2007 N. Korea pressured to halt reactor by AP.
      Seoul, South Korea - South Korea added pressure on North Korea to comply with an international disarmament agreement, refusing to restore full aid shipments of 1 million tons of oil until its main nuclear reactor is shut down.
• 3/5/2007 China boosts budget for military 17.8 percent by AP.
      Beijing - China announced it will enlarge its defense budget by 17.8 percent to $44.9 billion for 2007.    They claimed it was for higher wages and living allowances for members of the armed forces and for upgrading weapons.    The announcement did not include weapons purchases.
• 3/6/2007 Economic aid agency freezes N. Korea work by AP.
      United Nations - The U.N. Development Program said that it has suspended its operations in North Korea because the nation failed to meet conditions set by agency's board after the U.S. claimed that U.N. aid money was being diverted to Kim Jong Il's regime.
• 3/9/2007 China says U.S. lacks standing on human rights by AP.
      Beijing - China charged that the Bush administration has no standing to criticize other countries on human rights because its own record is full of blemishes, such as abuses against terrorist suspects in Afghanistan, Iraq and Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, spying on its own citizens on telephones, computers and travels.    Also Russia rips the U.S. over the report U.S. accusations of Russia's centralized power, restriction of free speech, and abuse of civilians around Chechnya.
• 3/13/2007 South Korea, U.S. eye free-trade deal this month by AP.
      Seoul - South Korea and the U.S. said they are on the verge of concluding an ambitious free-trade agreement, but still need to bridge gaps in areas such as automobiles and agriculture.    It is aimed at slashing barriers so the two can do more than $70 billion in trade a year.    This would be the first deal for America in the northeast Asia.
• 3/13/2007 China reports monthly trade gap 2nd highest by AP.
      China's government said in Beijing that it is trying to shrink its swollen trade surplus but reported its monthly gap soared to its second-highest level in February amid threat of U.S. sanctions.    China is criticizing proposed U.S. punitive tariffs as a violation of free trade and said they would hurt U.S. companies.
• 3/15/2007 U.N. official says N. Korea willing to close reactor by AP.
      Beijing - North Korea committed to closing its main reactor within a month as long as Washington keeps its promise to drop financial sanctions the head of the IAEA said.
• 3/16/2007 Major powers agree on new sanctions against Iran by AP.
      United Nations - The world's major powers agreed on modest new sanctions on arms exports and financial restrictions against Iran, which sends a strong signal to the U.N. Security Council.
• 3/17/2007 Leader blast U.N., dimisses sanctions by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - President Ahmadinedjad insisted that new sanctions won't force Iran to give up its right to enrich uranium, and blasted the U.N. Security Council as an instrument used by "bullying" Western nations.
• 3/17/2007 Russia announces plan to add nuclear reactors by AP.
      Moscow - Russia said it will build two nuclear reactors annually through 2015, and increase to four a year by 2020 to increase atomic power generation.    Russia has 31 reactors at 10 nuclear power plants providing 17 percent of its electricity generation.    Putin has called for raising the total by 25 percent by 2030.
• 3/19/2007 Mubarak foes fight constitution changes by AP.
      Cairo, Egypt - Islamic opposition lawmakers boycotted a parliamentary debate on constitutional amendments that they say will further tighten President Hosni Mibarak's grip on power.    He wanted 34 changes to it for what he calls a program of democratic and economic reform.    His ally the U.S. has been involved in helping Egypt to bring greater democracy, in hope of winning support in the Mideast crises.
• 3/22/2007 Gunmen drag slain soldiers through streets in Somalia by AP.
      Mogadishu, Somalia - Somalia and Ethiopian soldiers were ambushed and then masked gunmen dragged slain soldiers through the streets of Somalia's capital, then set the bodies on fire as jeering crowds threw rocks after a battle of Islamic insurgents.    This has not happened since the Clinton administration pulled U.S. troops out during the downing of a U.S. Black Hawk helicopter in 1993, leaving Somalia to years of anarchy.
• 3/22/2007 Spending bill sets deadline on Iraq by AP.
      Washington - Democratic senators urged Bush to bring combat troops home from Iraq in a year, attaching the plan to a $122 billion measure to fund the war.
• 3/25/2007 U.N. approves new sanctions against Iran by AP.
      United Nations - The U.N. Security Council unamiously voted to impose new sanctions against Iran, intended to leave the country in isolation.
• 3/25/2007 Merkel urges Europe's leaders to support unity by AP.
      Berlin - German Chancellor Angela Merkel challenged her fellow European leaders to back a fundamental renewal of the European Union, seeking a way out of deadlock over the bloc's stalled constitution.    The EU's 490 million citizens need a clear message on where the union was headed, as in removing trade barriers to bolstering democracy in Spain, Portugal, Greece and Eastern Europe.
• 3/25/2007 Dozens of protesters held as rallies face crackdown by AP.
      Nizhny Novgorod, Russia - Hundreds of riot police broke up an illegal opposition rally without permission in a central Russian city, detaining dozens of activists and beating some of them in the third major crackdown on a demonstration.    The activist accused the Kremlin of stifling free speech, silencing dissent and depriving them of a free and fair political process ahead of December parliamentary elections and next year's presidential vote.
• 3/28/2007 U.S. carriers, jets in Mideast exercise by AP.
      U.S. warplanes screamed off two aircraft carriers as the U.S. Navy staged its largest show of force in the Persian Gulf since the 2003 invasion of Iraq to send a message to Iran.    With 15 warships and more than 100 F/A-18 fighter jet aircraft were sure to heighten tensions with Iran, as face off over its nuclear program and its capture of a British naval team.    The maneuvers were a warning and to demonstrate our flexibility and capability to respond to threats to maritime security.
• 3/28/2007 Oil prices shoot up after Iran rumors by AP.
      Oil prices shot 8 percent higher, surpassing $68 per barrel following rumors of a military confrontation with Iran.
• 3/30/2007 Arabs push plans for nuclear energy by AP.
      Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - Arab leaders of the Arab League pushed ahead with plans to develop nuclear programs, even as they warned of a possible Middle East nuclear arms race created by their powerful rivals, Israel and Iran.    Their man purpose is to build our societies and modernize the realms of science, industry, agriculture and health.    Also discussed was reviving a land-for-peace offer to Israel and forging a united stance in the numerous crises in the Middle East.
• 4/2/2007 Iran appears ready for prolonged standoff by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - Iran appears to be digging in for a prolonged standoff over its capture of 15 British sailors and marines and to confront the West.
• 4/3/2007 S. Korea, U.S. reach free-trade agreement by AP.
      Seoul, South Korea - The U.S. reached its biggest free-trade agreement since NAFTA with South Korea to bolster bilateral ties and add a spark to the Doha Round of global trade talks.    It will lead to more than 90 percent of U.S. exports to South Korea the world's tenth largest economy being duty-free within three years.
• 4/9/2007 Cleric calls U.S. the 'great evil' by The Washington Post.
      Baghdad, Iraq - Radical Shiite cleric Muq-tada al-Sadr is calling the U.S. the "great evil" and accused U.S. forces of dividing Iraq by stoking violence.    He has called for his followers to demonstrate and stop fighting against each other, which may end Shiism, or rather Islam.
• 4/10/2007 China faces new trade cases by AP.
      Washington - Growing political pressure has the Bush administration filing two new trade cases against China to the WTO over copyright piracy and restrictions on the sale of American movies, music and books there.    The soaring U.S. trade deficit and American companies are losing billions of dollars in sales because of rampant copyright piracy.
• 4/12/2007 U.S. says Iraqi militias being trained in Iran by AP.
      Baghdad - Iraqi militia fighters are being trained in Iran to build and use armor piercing roadside bombs and complex attack tactics against American forces according to the U.S. military Maj. Gen. William Caldwell.
• 4/14/2007 G-7 leaders upbeat on global economy by AP.
      Finance officials from the world's seven wealthiest countries expressed confidence in Washington that the global economy will experience strong growth despite risks.    They stated that such as trade deficits, jittery financial markets and slumping housing market in the U.S. will not be enough to derail growth.
• 4/14/2007 U.S. envoy presses N. Korea to begin nuclear shutdown by AP.
      Beijing - The top U.S. nuclear envoy insisted that North Korea act on its promises to begin nuclear disarmament, which today is the deadline.
• 4/15/2007 Uneasy over Iran, Arab states eye nuclear power by The New York Times.
      Two years ago the leaders of Saudi Arbia did not see a need to develop nuclear power, but now they are trying to get it.    Turkey is preparing for its first atomic plant, and Egypt has announced plans to build one on its Mediterranean coast.    Over a dozen states in the region have turned to the IAEA for help in starting their own nuclear programs.    The Arab states are also investing in the future, for a day when the flow of oil dries up, but a main underlying reason is Iran's drive for an arms race in the region.    Israel did it four decades ago.
• 4/16/2007 Police beat, detain anti-Putin protesters by AP.
      St. Petersburg, Russia - Riot police beat and detained dozens of anti-Kremlin demonstrators in a challenge to Putin strangling of democracy, by controlling the media and laws against nongovernmental organizations.
• 4/20/2007 China growth fuels worries by AP.
      Beijing - China's economy is surging as seen everywhere and it expanded in the first quarter by 11.1 percent.    China is trying to take steps to keep the economy from overheating, but to no avail even after interest rates have been increased three times in the past year.    The U.S. wants them to develop a market-determined currency and become a more driven by domestic demand, opening them up to outside competition.
• 4/21/2007 N. Korea says it will honor nuclear disarmament deal by AP.
      Seoul, South Korea - North Korea restated its commitment to a nuclear disarmament deal as soon as it confirmed the release of its funds frozen in a banking dispute.    South Korea agreed to give 400,000 tons of rice to them despite their failure to meet the deadline.
• 4/22/2007 Islamic insurgents fight Ethiopian soldiers by AP.
      Mogadishu, Somalia - Islamic insurgents and Ethiopian soldiers turned the streets of the Somali capital into a battleground and the worst violence in years.
• 4/25/2007 Iran may be able to keep some nuclear potential by AP.
      Ankara, Turkey - The U.S. and other world powers may be ready to allow Iran to keep some of its uranium enrichment program intact instead of demanding its complete dismantling in a meeting with top Iranian envoy and the EU.    This still means they cannot produce enriched uranium.
• 4/25/2007 U.S. open to talks on European missile defense by AP.
      Warsaw, Poland - The Bush administration is willing to negotiate with Russia on limitations to proposed U.S. missile defenses in Europe.    In a meeting of NATO diplomats Putin threatened to freeze Russia's compliance with an arms control treaty.    Putin rejected the missile shield because it would extend American control deep into Russian airspace up to the Urals.
• 4/28/2007 EU official urges U.S. to hold talks with Iran by AP.
      Brussels, Belgium - Javier Solana, the EU's foreign policy official urged the U.S. to engage Iran in direct talks.    Iran and U.S. Rice will attend along with Egypt, Bahrain and five U.N. Security Council members in Sharm El-Sheik, Egypt this week to deal with stablizing the violence in Iraq.
• 5/5/2007 Iran's refusal to budge stalls nuclear conference by AP.
      Vienna, Austria - Under fire for stalling a 130-nation nuclear meeting, Iran accused the U.S. of being the real culprit.
• 5/10/2007 China to spend $4.3 billion on U.S. technology by AP.
      San Francisco - A delegation of Chinese business leaders committed to buying $4.3 billion in U.S. technology, hoping to soften a political backlash to the massive trade imbalance dividing two of the world's economic powers.    Many think this is just a political smoke screen.
• 5/10/2007 EU won't force British to switch to metric by AP.
      London - The EU abandoned its plan to force Britain to phase out the use of feet, inches, pounds, ounces and gallons to allow it to coexist with the meters, grams and liters.
• 5/10/2007 Germans raid offices of anti-globalization groups by AP.
      Berlin - Hundreds of German police used anti-terrorism laws to raid the offices and apartments of globalization opponents they fear could disrupt next month's Group of Eight summit with firebombings and other attacks.
• 5/23/2007 China warned on trade by AP.
      Congress in a huff over China's trade and currency practices, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson warned Beijing officials that top-level economic talks in Washington must produce concrete results to ease tensions.
• 5/23/2007 House passes bill that would take on OPEC by AP.
      Decrying high gasoline prices above $3 a gallon, the U.S. House voted to allow the government to sue OPEC over oil production quotas.    The White House objected since it might disrupt supplies and lead to even higher costs
• 5/23/2007 Al-Sadr planning takeover in Iraq by AP.
      Baghdad - From hiding, possibly in Iran, radical anti-American Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr is believed to be honing plans to sweep into the power vacuum when and if the U.S. pulls its troops out of Iraq.
• 5/23/2007 Iran raises gas prices 25%; rationing planned by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - Iran raised gasoline prices 25 percent in a new blow to consumers already disgruntled over high inflation, and the government said it will begin rationing fuel in two weeks.    This oil rich nation faces the same quandary as the U.S., which is a lack of refinery capacity forcing both to buy it on the world market.    In Iran the cost of housing has doubled and prices for basic goods have tripled since last summer.
      Iran's president will not halt the nuclear program with a goal of becoming a world power, and within three to eight years could make nuclear weapons.
• 5/25/2007 Trade pact to exclude betting by AP.
      The U.S. has decided to withdraw gambling services from a global trade agreement, to resolve a dispute of online betting on horse races in the U.S.    The Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda filed a complaint four years ago with the WTO claiming that U.S. law banning most online gambling, but exempting horse racing, violated trade rules.    The WTO sided with Antiqua.
• 5/26/2007 U.S. warns of Chinese military buildup by AP.
      Washington - China is modernizing its military in ways that give it options for launching surprise attacks, potentially far from its borders, the pentagon said in an annual report to Congress.    They are acquiring better missiles, submarines and aircraft in the buildup leading some to view China as a threat.
• 5/26/2007 North Korea fires test missiles into sea by AP.
      Seoul, South Korea - North Korea fired a salvo of test missiles into its coastal waters, flexing naval muscles as South Korea launched its most advanced destroyer ever, armed with a high-tech U.S. air-defense system.
• 5/30/2007 Russia tests 2 new missiles by AP.
      Moscow - Russia tested new intercontinental ballisitic missiles carrying multiple warheads that a Kremlin official boasted could penetrate any defense system, and Putin warned the U.S. plans for an anti-missile shield in Europe would turn the region into a "powder keg."
• 5/31/2007 China reins in stock market by AP.
      Beijing - Former U.S. Federal Reserve chairman, Alan Greenspan, who termed the reference to the American tech boom, sees the same thing in the meteoric rise in China's stock market as unsustainable.    But China's leaders may have found a way to control it, at least for now, they tripled the "stamp tax" on stock trades to 0.3 percent from 0.1 percent.    In response, the main Shanghai Composite Index tumbled 6.5 percent to 4,071.27 after hitting a record high.    The Shenzhen Composite Index fell 7.2 percent to 1,199.45.    This affects other markets also.    This change was to prevent a possible stock market bubble, a move to cool the boom.
• 5/31/2007 With relations strained Bush, Putin will meet by AP.
      Washington - Bush and Putin will meet on July 1 and 2.
• 6/3/2007 Authorities: Terrorists targeted Kennedy Airport by AP.
      New York - A Muslim terrorist cell planned an attack to destroy John F. Kennedy International Airport to kill thousands of people and trigger an economic catastrophe by blowing up a jet fuel artery that runs through populous neighborhoods, federal authorites announced.    They had been tracking the plot for more than a year.
• 6/3/2007 Clashes injure several at Group of Eight protest by AP.
      Rostock, Germany - Protesters with black hoods and bandanas covering their faces showered police with rocks and beer bottles, before the officers drove them back with water cannon and tear gas during a rally against an upcoming Group of Eight summit.
• 6/5/2007 India acts to delay liquor duty complaint by AP.
      India took steps to delay a U.S. trade complaint over taxes and surcharges on imported wines and spirits that can add as much as 550 percent to the price.    India is one of the world's largest markets for alcohol and has huge potential growth.    Europe has also already filed a similar complaint to the WTO.    India's basic import duties on wine are 100 percent, while spirits is 150 percent, both within WTO limits.    Government surcharges take the tariffs up to levels reaching as high as 550 percent.
• 6/6/2007 Despite rising tension, Bush tells Putin 'the Cold War is over' by AP.
      Prague, Czech Republic - Bush accused Russia of backsliding on democratic reforms but promised Putin he has nothing to fear from a U.S. missile defense shield in Europe.    China joined Russia in criticizing the U.S. anti-missile system.    Bush then faulted both Russia and China for their troubled records on democracy.    Thus the accusations created a tense atmosphere for the annual G-8 summit of the leaders at the Baltic Sea resort of Heiligendamn, Germany which was intended to discuss global warming and aid to Africa and was circled by seven miles of fence topped with razor wire, which 800 protestors made it to.
• 6/8/2007 Putin offers missile-shield option - G8 leaders reach emission accord by AP.
      Rostock, Germany - Putin made a counter proposal built around a Soviet-era radar system in Azerbaijan rather than new defenses in Poland and the Czech Republic.    Bush promised to consider it to avoid further tensions.
      The world leaders also compromised on a plan to attack global warming to seek substantial reductions in emissions of 50 percent by 2050, but set no targets, because of U.S. opposition.    The agreement committed the countries to come up with a successor to the Kyoto Protocol by 2009.
• 6/9/2007 Bush steadfast on missile-defense plan by AP.
      Rome - President Bush said the U.S. will press ahead with a missile-defense shield in Eastern Europe despite Russia's heated objections.    He was to meet Pope Benedict XVI for the first time.
• 6/11/2007 Iraqi Sunnis will get U.S. arms by The New York Times.
      Baghdad - U.S. commanders are arming Sunni Arab groups that have promised to fight their former allies, al-Qaida-linked militants.    Are we just arming both sides in a future civil war?
• 6/17/2007 North Korea invites nuclear inspectors by AP.
      Seoul, South Korea - A day after criticizing the U.S. missile defense plan threatened to postpone disarmament, North Korea invited U.N. nuclear inspectors for a breakthrough in a stalemate over its atomic program.    A team of inspectors will be sent to Pyongyang next week to discuss how the shutdown will occur in the second half of July.
• 6/23/2007 Pakistan's new reactor may boost nuclear arsenal by AP.
      Islambad, Pakistan - Satellite images show that Pakistan is building a nuclear reactor that can produce weapons-grade plutonium, the Institute of Science for International Security said.
• 6/24/2007 N. Korea may shut down reactor within 3 weeks by AP.
      Tokyo - North Korea could shut down its nuclear reactor within three weeks and return to disarmament talks.    Russia said disputed funds have reached a North Korean account at a Russian bank, clearing a key hurdle in negotiations.
• 6/24/2007 EU leaders agree on treaty meant to strengthen bloc by AP.
      Brussels, Belgium - EU leaders agreed on the key points of a treaty meant to strengthen the bloc's foreign policy role and eliminate unweildy bureaucracy.    The treaty would replace that in operation before 2015's constitution that Dutch and French voters rejected two years ago.    It would allow more decisions to be taken by a majority, rather than unamimous vote.
• 6/28/2007 U.N. official: North to allow inspectors to visit reactor by AP.
      Seoul, South Korea - North Korea has told U.N. inspectors they can visit a reactor the country has promised to shutdown.
• 6/30/2007 N. Korea agrees on method to verify reactor shutdown by AP.
      Pyongyang, North Korea - North Korea moved a step closer to shutter its nuclear reactor after agreeing with the international monitors on how to verify a shutdown.
• 7/1/2007 Nuclear plants on upswing by The New York Times.
      The U.S. is about to see a surge of 30 applications to build nuclear plants, spurred by increasing energy and concerns about the pollution that current power sources produce.    It will be three to four years to evaluate the application of new plants and construction would take another four years, which means none in operation until 2015.    Most would be in the South and there are now 104 nuclear plants in the U.S.
• 7/7/2007 North may stop reactor when aid arrives by AP.
      Seoul, South Korea - North Korea suggested that it is willing to suspend operations at its plutonium-producing nuclear reactor as soon as it receives an initial shipment of energy aid promised as a reward for closing the facility.    South Korea plans to deliver the first oil shipment to the North on July 14, ending a standoff in 2002.
• 7/10/2007 Wars cost $12 billion a month, agency says by AP.
      Washington - The troop surge to Iraq and Afghanistan has increased the cost of war to $12 billion a month, and the total for Iraq alone is nearing half a trillion dollars, congressional analysts say.    Congress has approved $610 billion since Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks, Iraq alone has cost $450 billion.    The Vietnam War cost accounting for inflation around $650 billion.    If Congress approves Bush's request for an additional $147 billion the total war on terror would exceed $750 billion and no withdrawal is seen in the forecast.
• 7/13/2007 U.N. team to monitor N. Korea reactor by AP.
      Vienna, Austria - The U.N. team left for North Korea to supervise the shutdown of its reactor on a tanker with the initial delivery of energy promised to the them under a six-nation deal.
• 7/14/2007 Iran to let inspectors from U.N. visit reactor by AP.
      Vienna, Austria - Due to international demands, Iran has agreed to let U.N. inspectors return to a plutonium-producing reactor to answer questions, but its purpose is to weaken the U.S. push for sanctions.    Iran is claiming it only wants peaceful nuclear energy
• 7/14/2007 North Korea seems poised to shut down its reactor by AP.
      Seoul, South Korea - North Korea seemed ready to scale back its nuclear weapons program as inspectors monitored, and did so one day later.    Then set terms for disabling its reactor so the U.S. would lift its economic sanctions and take them off a list of terrorism sponsors.
• 7/15/2007 Russia suspends arms pact, citing U.S. missile plan by The New York Times.
      Moscow - President Putin notified NATO governments that Russia would suspend its obligations in 150 days under the Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty in response to U.S. plans to deploy a missile shield in Eastern Europe (Poland and Czech Republic).    Putin claims this is an American bullying and NATO and Euorpean encirclement, both economic and military, which encroaches into a Russian sphere of influence.
• 7/15/2007 Al-Maliki: Iraq can handle security by AP.
      Baghdad - Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki shrugged off U.S. doubts about his government's military and political progress, saying Iraqi forces are capable and could step in if American troops leave.    He is doing this at a time when Congress is mounting a speedy withdrawal of U.S. forces by spring if 15 benchmarks are met.    He has to overcome deep divisions between Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish members of his coalition and enact the list of benchmarks.
• 7/26/2007 Putin vows to strengthen military, increase spying by AP.
      Moscow - President Putin vowed to strengthen Russia's military capability and step up spying abroad in response to the U.S. plan to build missile-defense sites and deploy troops in Eastern Europe.    I guess Russia does not feel like a G-7 country.
• 7/29/2007 U.S. to sell arms to 6 Gulf nations by The Washington Post.
      Washington - The Bush administration will announce a series of arms deals worth at least $20 billion air-to-air missiles to Saudi Arabia and five other oil-rich Persian Gulf states (U.A.E., Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman) as well as new, 10-year military aid packages of $30 billion to Israel and $13 billion to Egypt, a move to shore up allies in the Middle East and counter Iran's rising influence.    Iran's president criticized the plan to impose its dominance on the Middle East and its ideas and hegemony.
• 8/9/2007 Gap between rich and poor grows quickly across Asia by AP.
      Beijing - The gap between rich and poor in China and other Asian countries is growing, possibly fueling unrest, the Asian Development Bank said.    The unrest comes in protests, some violent, over land seizures and other economic grievances blamed on the growing gap.    China sees the inequality has reached alarming and unacceptable levels, and has disrupted social cohesion, and may lead into violent civil wars.    It has already happened in Nepal.    Other countries experiencing this issue are Cambodia, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.    The growing wealth gap is a byproduct of globalization.
• 8/19/2007 Danger: made in China by AP.
      Mattel recalled 19 million Chinese-made toys, due to lead in the paint of the toys could harm children, raising doubts about doing business with China.    Issues also occurred in toothpaste, seafood, and petfood.
• 8/19/2007 Some worry that amended law will permit broader U.S. spying by The New York Times.
      Washington - Broad new surveillance powers approved by Congress could allow the Bush administration to conduct spy operations that go well beyond wire-tapping to include -- without court approval -- certain types of physical searches of U.S. citizens and the collection of their business records.    Supposedly there are strict rules in place to minimize the surveillance, but the lawmakers in a franctic end of session scramble passed the legislation they may have not fully understood giving the administration more power than it sought.
• 8/24/2007 TV reports development of 'smart bomb' by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - Iran has developed a new 2,000-pound "smart bomb," which can be deployed by Iran's aging U.S. made F-4 and F-5 fighter jets.
• 9/1/2007 Bush, Fed try to calm jitters by AP.
      Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and Bush sent tough love messages to Wall Street and Main Street, as it is not our job to rescue from your financial woes.    They do try to protect the national economy from the global credit crunch, but not to bail out investors and lenders from the consequences of their financial decisions.
• 9/1/2007 Iraq war straining military, Bush told by AP.
      Washington - At a key juncture in the Iraq war, the military chiefs conveyed to President Bush their concern about a growing strain on troops and their families from long and repeated combat tours.    Bush had planned to stick with his current approach at least into 2008.    The strain also may leave the military ill-prepared in the event of a crisis elsewhere.
• 9/8/2007 Bin Laden speaks to U.S. in new video by AP.
      Cairo, Egypt - Osama bin Laden appeared for the first time in three years in a video ahead of the sixth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, with a message to Americans telling them they sould convert to Islam if they want the war in Iraq to end and the failure of your leaders to stop war in Iraq despite growing public opposition.    At this time experts believe his terror network is regrouping in the lawless Pakistan-Afghanistan border region.    His message was a hodgepodge of anti-capitalist vitriol, Islamic evangelism and a statement of join us or we will kill you in an attempt to stay relevant.
• 9/8/2007 N. Korea invites nuclear experts by AP.
      Sydney, Australia - North Korea has invited nuclear experts from the U.S., China and Russia into the country to survey and recommend ways of disabling all of its atomic facilities by the end of the year.    President Bush had planned to attend the final session of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum and then head home after a confrontation with the South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun over terms for ending the Korean War where no peace treaty has ever been signed since 1953.
• 9/12/2007 Russia says it has tested powerful new bomb by AP.
      Moscow - Russia has successfully tested what it described as the world's most powerful non-nuclear bomb, and nicknamed it "dad of all bombs" and four times as powerful as the U.S. "mother of all bombs."    So they claim the new air-delivered ordnance is comparable to a nuclear weapon in its efficiency and capability.
• 9/16/2007 Industries seek new U.S. regulations by The New York Times.
      Washington - Some of the nation's biggest industries are pushing for new federal regulations for toys, cars, antifreeze, fireworks, popcorn, produce, cigarettes and light bulbs to improve health safety and environmental mandates.    After years of trying to block such efforts and costly rules due to inexpensive imports and head off liability lawsuits.    Its big business and their ultimate goal is regulation that protects them, not the public.
• 9/23/2007 When the United State sneezes ... by AP.
      When U.S. stocks tanked in late July on concerns about tight credit conditions, global equities dived right with them.    The drops in Britain's, France's and Japan's indexes show how interwined the global economy is.    They also call into question a theory that the U.S. economy is "decoupling" from the rest of the globe, with its growth declining while economies in Asia, Latin America and Europe continue to expand.    Those economies are not impervious to a U.S. downturn, especially if consumer spending weakened.    Some economist believe the global economy would weather the U.S. subprime-induced storm well, while others say foreign economies would be hurt if the U.S. were to fall into a deep recession spurred by a collapse in consumer spending.    So at present the world has caught a cold.
• 9/26/2007 Bush scolds nations for repression by Cox News service.
      United Nations - Bush scolded an array of nations for repressing their citizens, calling Belarus, Syria, Iran and North Korea "brutal regimes" and announcing tougher sanctions against Myanmar's military rulers.    He urged the world's nations to support struggles for freedom and democracy and stand up for the people suffering under dictatorship.    Bush said the best way to defeat extremists is to defeat their dark ideology with a more hopeful vision -- the vision of liberty that founded this body.    He also singled out Zimbabwe, Sudan and Cuba as places where the U.N. should promote freedom.    He said that the U.N. must work for great purposes, to free people from tyranny and violence, hunger and disease, illiteracy and ignorance, and poverty and despair.    Bush said Americans are outraged by the situation in Burma, where a military junta has imposed a 19-year reign of fear, and basic freedoms of speech, assembly and worship are severely restricted, ethnic minorities are persecuted, forced child labor, human trafficking and rape are common.
• 9/28/2007 Iran's president pledges $1 billion to Bolivia by AP.
      La Paz, Bolivia - Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad promised to invest $1 billion in Bolivia over the next five years to help the nation tap its natural-gas reserves, extract minerals, generate more electricity, and pay for agricultural projects because of new diplomatic relations with Bolivian President Evo Morales.
• 9/29/2007 U.N. gives Iran reprieve on sanctions by AP.
      New York - In a setback for the U.S., Iran won a two-month reprieve from new U.N. sanctions over its nuclear program.
• 9/30/2007 Parliament labels CIA, U.S. Army 'terrorists' by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - Iran's parliament voted to designate the CIA and the U.S. Army as "terrorist organizations," a symbolic response to a U.S. Senate resolution seeking a similar designation for Iran's Revolutionary Guards.    They justified this claiming they atomic bomb Japan; used depleted uranium munitions in the Balkans, Afghanistan and Iraq; supported the killings of Palestinians by Israel; bombed and killed Iraqi civilians and the torture of imprisioned terror suspects.
• 10/1/2007 China bans provocative ads by AP.
      Beijing - China has banned television and radio ads for push-up bras, other figure-enhancing underwear and sex toys, sexual enhancement aids in the communist government's latest move to purge the nation's airwaves of social pollution.
• 10/2/2007 Putin might become Russia's prime minister by AP.
      Moscow - Vladimir Putin opened the door to becoming Russia's prime minister and retaining power when his term ends next year to a weakend president, since he is barred from seeking a third term.
• 10/4/2007 Bush lauds Korea's nuclear agreement by AP.
      Washington - Bush hailed an agreemet for North Korea to detail its nuclear programs and disable its main reactor complex as a key step toward a denuclearized Korean Peninsula, which will allow for a removal from a list of countries that sponsor terrorism, and U.S. will spend up to $25 million for 50,000 tons of fuel oil for North Korea.    The agreement calls for the 6 parties to provide 1 million tons of fuel oil for the first two phases of action.    Another hope is that a new deal can be agreed upon to end the Korean War.
• 10/4/2007 Senate OKs $459 billion Pentagon spending bill by AP.
      Washington - The Senate passed a huge $459 billion budget for the Pentagon, including $43 billion for new weapon systems, after adding $3 billion to try to gain control over the U.S. border with Mexico, and did not include Bush's request for $190 billion for war operations.    A 700 mile fence on the border to keep illegal immigrants out, 3.5 percent pay increase for military personnel, new weapons such as V-22 tilt rotor aircraft, unmanned drone aircraft, next generation Joint Strike Fighters and the F-22 Raptor fighter jet, and a ballistic missile defense system.
• 10/5/2007 Government begins plans to wipe out insurgency by AP.
      Mogadishu, Somolia - The Somali government announced a massive operation to stamp out insurgency hours after two explosions rocked the capital, killing at least four people.    They divided the city into four security zones and station soldiers at every junction.
• 10/7/2007 White House pushes for trade pact by AP.
      Washington - The White House said that if Costa Ricans vote against joining a U.S.-Central American free trade agreement, the Bush administration will not negotiate the deal, since voters are poised to reject it.    Much of the opposition is the requirements under the pact that Costa Rica open its telecommunications, services and agricultural sectors to greater competition.
• 10/11/2007 Group wants no women, Christians as president by AP.
      Cairo, Egypt - The Muslim Brotherhood has produced its first detailed political platform, which would bar women and Christians from become president and would establsih a board of Muslims clerics to oversee the government, reminiscent of Iran's Islamic state.    This has dismayed secular reform activists who had hoped the Brotherhood was becoming more moderate.
• 10/12/2007 Congressional talk incenses Turkey by AP.
      Ankara, Turkey - Turkey a NATO ally, which is a key route to U.S. tropps in Iraq, recalled its ambassador to Washington and warned because Congress labelled the killing of Armenians by Turks a century ago as genocide.    Turkey might also be more inclined to send troops into northern Iraq to hunt Turkish Kurd rebels, which could disrupt supplies shipped to American bases in both Iraq and Afghanistan.
• 10/13/2007 Putin warns U.S. in missile meeting by AP.
      Moscow - Putin warned Bush's top officials Rice and Gates to back off U.S. missile defense plans for Eastern Europe, and threatened to pull out of a Cold War treaty that limits intermediate-range missiles.    The Pentagon plans to install 10 missile interceptors in Poland, linked to a missile tracking radar in the Czech Republic, providing protection in Europe for long-range missiles launched from Iran.
• 10/14/2007 President lobbies for free-trade pacts by AP.
      Washington - Bush is arguing that protectionism will cut Americans out of chances for more and better jobs, and has launced a blitz on behalf of pending free-trade pacts with four nations, Peru and Panama who are likely to pass, and with Columbia and South Korea, both seen as precarious.
• 10/15/2007 Kasparov faces tough new opponent: Putin by USA Today.
      Washington - Former chess great, Garry Kasprov running for president, must now match wits against Putin, who he claims is trying to strangle democracy in Russia and push the country to resemble the former Soviet Union, thus a fight to have elections.    Putin can decide who will win by eliminating independent media and creating registration requirements for opponents that are almost impossible to meet.
• 10/15/2007 Illegal export of U.S. military technology up by The Washington Post.
      Washington - Pentagon investigators thought they had discovered a major shipment of contraband when they intercepted parts for F-14 Tomcat warplanes headed to Iran, via FedEx, from Southern California.    Under U.S. sanctions since its 1979 revolution, Tehran has been trying for years to obtain spare parts for the fighters, which are still used only in Iran.    When agents descended on the Orange County home of Reza Tabib, a former flight instructor at John Wayne Airport who sent the shipment, they were astonished to discover 13,000 other aircraft parts, worth an estimated $540,000, as well as a list of additional request by an Iranian military officer and two airplane tickets for Iran.
• 10/15/2007 U.S. genocide resolution will hurt ties, general says by AP.
      Istanbul, Turkey - Turkey's top general warned that ties with the U.S. will be irreversibly damage if Congress passes a resolution that labels the World War I-era killings of Armenians a genocide.
• 10/17/2007 Libya wins U.N. Security Council seat by AP.
      United Nations - Libya won a seat on the U.N. Security Council, just a year after the U.S. removed it from the list of nations deemed to sponsor terrorism and without any opposition from President Bush
• 10/17/2007 Putin warns against attacking Iran by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - Putin issued a veiled warning against any attack on Iran as he began the first visit to Tehran for a summit of five nations bordering the Caspian, and as a mission reflecting Russian-Iranian efforts to curb U.S. influence.    He suggested that Moscow and Tehran should have a veto on Western plans for new pipelines to carry oil and natural gas from the Caspian Sea, usually routes that would bypass Russian soil and break the Kremlin's monopoly on energy deliveries from the region.
• 10/17/2007 Crude futures reach a record $88 a barrel by AP.
      Oil futures climbed to record prices that topped $88 a barrel on concerns about disruptions to Middle Eastern crude supplies (in Turkey and Iraq border) and a growing view that domestic supplies won't meet fourth-quarter demand.    Gasoline prices reached around $2.90 a gallon an 11 percent jump.
• 10/18/2007 Bush urges China to talk with Dalai Lama by AP.
      Washington - Bush, raising Beijing's ire, presented the Dalai Lama with the U.S. Congress' highest civilian honor and urged Chinese leaders to welcome the monk to Beijing.    The exiled spiritual head of Tibet's Buddhists by his side, Bush called him a "universal symbol of peace and tolerance, a shepherd of the faithful and a keeper of the flame for his people.    Americans cannot look to the plight of the religiously oppressed and close our eyes or turn away."    China looks at the monk as a Tibetian separtist and protest the elaborate public ceremony.
• 10/18/2007 Bush restates need to isolate Iran by The New York Times.
      Washington - Bush warned that a nuclear-armed Iran might raise the risk of "World War III."    Iran has a leader who wants to destroy Israel, and all the pressure tactics, and economic sanctions were aimed at persuading the Iranian people to find new leadership, and come out of isolation.
• 10/20/2007 After attack, Bhutto pushes for democracy by AP.
      Karachi, Pakistan - Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto blamed al-Qaida and Taliban militants for the assassination attempt against her that killed at least 136 people, and she declared she would risk her life to restore democracy in Pakistan and prevent extremists from taking over.
• 10/20/2007 Blair gets backing to be EU president by AP.
      Lisbon, Portugal - After agreeing on a European Union governing treaty, leaders began jostling over who should become the first full-time president of the union - and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair drew backing from his successor and the president of France.    Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski and Danish Premier Anders Fogh Rasmussen are also on the short list.
• 10/20/2007 World finance officials concerned about credit by AP.
      Finance officials from the world's top economic powers, The Group of Seven, pledged in Washington to do all they can to limit damage to the global economy from a jarring credit crisis as Wall Street took another plunge.    A group of developing countries said the IMF should step up its surveilance of the U.S. and other advanced economies in light of the global credit crisis shaking world markets.
• 10/23/2007 Microsoft makes concession to end European legal fight by The New York Times.
      Berlin - With its legal options running out, Microsoft bowed to pressure from the European Commission and agreed to sell some confidential computer code to rivals at nominal cost, ending a practice of designing closed systems to bolster its competitive advantage.    This in all helps Microsoft in the bid for $50 billion global server market, by selling its server software protocols, which helps rivals make their software work with Microsofts own.
• 10/23/2007 Change in government may affect missile deals by AP.
      Prague, Czech Republic - The Bush administration's aim to strike deals by the end of the year to establish missile defense bases in the Czech Republic and Poland may be in jeopardy.    Bush told Moscow it may delay activities until it has definite proof that Iran psoes a missile threat, even though some believe they already are working on the ability to strike the U.S. and many European allies by 2015
• 10/23/2007 Bush seeks $46 billion more for wars by AP.
      Washington - Bush asked Congress for $46 billion more to bankroll wars in Iraq and Afghanistan by Christmas, for a war in its fifth year already costing $455 billion.
• 10/24/2007 Treasury's Paulson urges Congress to act by AP.
      Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson warned Congress that delays in enacting a temporary fix to the alternative minimum tax could mean delayed refunds for 21 million taxpayers.
• 10/24/2007 Turkey says attacks by Kurds must be stopped by AP.
      Istanbul, Turkey - Turkey delivered a message to Iraq and Western allies with a cross-border attack on Kurdish guerrilla bases in Iraq saying they cannot wait forever and had no choice but to take military action.
• 10/25/2007 China launches first lunar probe in 10-year program by AP.
      Beijing - On a 10-year moon exploration program, China launched its first lunar probe for a leap forward in the Asian space race that gave a boost to national pride, and the promise of scientific and military payoffs.    Just a week ago, Japan put a probe into orbit around the moon, and India is likely to join the rivalry soon, with plans to send its own lunar probe into space in April.    China is planning a 2012 moon landing with a moon rover, and another one five years later to the moon with the rover returning to Earth with soil samples.
• 10/25/2007 War's cost through 2017 could hit $2.4 trillion by AP.
      Washington - The Bush administration brushed off the analysis as speculation for the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, which is already at $604 billion.
• 10/26/2007 OPEC delay in boosting output propels crude oil to record close by AP.
      Oil futures jumped to a record close of $90.46 a barrel on news that OPEC claim they will not be boosting output next month, and gasoline went to $2.90 a gallon.    Some of this was influenced by Lebanese troops firing on Israeli warplanes, and the incursion of Turkey into Iraq.
• 10/26/2007 Turkey: Talks won't stop Iraq incursion by AP.
      Istanbul, Turkey - Turkey warned that U.S. objections will not stop its troops from crossing into Iraq to pursue Kurdish separatists in the country's most stable region.
• 10/26/2007 Sarkozy details vision for eco-friendly France by AP.
      Paris - President Nicolas Sarkozy laid out an "ecological New Deal" to push France toward a fight against global warming, such as no more incandescent light bulbs, no more energy-wasting cars and televisions, no more drafty windows by 2010, altogether 12 measures.    By 2020 all new buildings would be required to produce more energy than they consume.
• 10/26/2007 U.S. places new sanctions on Iran by AP.
      The U.S. announced harsh new penalties on Iranian military and state-owned banking systems, raising pressure on the world's financial system to cut ties with the regime, which is the broadest set of measures imposed on Tehran since 1979.    Bush plans to pursue a strategy of escalating financial, diplomatic and political pressure on Tehran, aimed not at starting a new war in the Middle East.    Tehran has already boasted that it is safe from U.S. military action which would have no world support since it would send oil prices skyrocketing, and do nothing but isolate the U.S.    Iran has its own internal problems with domestic criticism from a public angry over the country's poor economy and political mismanagement.
• 10/27/2007 Putin again condemns U.S. missile defense plan by AP.
      Mafra, Portugal - Putin at a summit with the European Union evoked confrontations of the Cold War to highlight opposition to a proposed U.S. missile defense system in Europe, comparing it to the Cuban missile crisis of 45 years ago.
• 10/27/2007 Crude pushes to new record - again by AP.
      Crude-oil futures rose to a record level $92 a barrel over worries of political tensions in the Middle East.    The U.S. plans no action against Kurds in Iraq keeping troops out of the fight intentionally, even though Turkey has increased pressue for someone to act.
• 10/30/2007 Nuclear plants planned for future power needs by AP.
      Cairo, Egypt - Egypt's president Hosni Mubarak announced plans to build several nuclear power plants -- the latest in a string of proposals from moderate Arab countries.    Their aim is to diversify Egypt's energy resources and preserve its oil and gas reserves for future generations.
• 10/30/2007 China arrests hundreds in crackdown by AP.
      Beijing - China has arrested 774 people in a crackdown on sub-standard goods, in efforts to reassure the world of the quality of the country's products, with potentially deadly chemicals found in toothpaste, toys and seafood.    Also in their coal-mining regions of northern China reports are soaring of numbers of defects in newborns, an apparent result in heavy pollution.
• 10/31/2007 TVA applies to build two nuclear reactors by AP.
      Washington - The Tennessee Valley Authority applied to build and operate two nuclear power reactors at a site in Alabama.
• 11/2/2007 S.C. nuclear landfill to close to most states by AP.
      Columbia, S.C. - Starting next summer, many power plants, hospitals, universities and companies in 36 states will be forced to store low-level radioactive waste on their own property because a South Carolina landfill, Barnwell County dump, open since 1971 is closing its doors to them.    No one has been constructing landfills either to handle this.    The equivalent of more than 40 tractor-trailers full of radioactive trash from 39 states was buried there each year before 2000, before the place was ordered to scale back because S. Carolina did not want to be the nation's dumping ground.
• 11/3/2007 U.S. pushes new Iran sanctions by AP.
      London - U.S. officials said that Russia and China were keeping the U.N. Security Council from moving quickly enough toward a third set of sanctions on Iran.
• 11/3/2007 U.S. tries to ease tension on Turkey-Iraq border by AP.
      Ankara, Turkey - The U.S. officials not wanting another front to open in the Iraq war struggled to persuade Turkey not to send its troops into Iraq.
• 11/6/2007 U.S., China will have a crisis hot line by AP.
      Beijing - China and the U.S. said that they will set up a military hotline between Beijing and Washington to avoid misunderstanding during any moments of crisis in the Pacific.    China's rapidly improving military has come to be seen as a factor to be dealt with in the Asia-Pacific region.
• 11/7/2007 Global credit crunch by AP.
      From 2001 through mid-2006, single-family home prices surged 84 percent, according to the a price index.    Lenders granted mortgages with risky structures to poor-credit or "subprime" borroowers, thinking rising home values would offset the risks.    Homebuilders built new homes at a record rate.    Home loans were resold and packaged into mortgage-backed securities, which were bought by hedge funds and other investors.    This generated capital for lenders to make more loans.    Then, the housing boom ended.
      The ripple effect: Home prices ease, then level off, adjustable rate mortgages begin to reset from low "teaser" rates, thus defaults and foreclosures rise.    The value of mortgage-backed securities starts to fall.    Then the mortgages melt down causes losses to drag down prices for other asset-backed securities as investors grow skittish about credit conditions.    Unable to resell loans lenders go under and file for bankruptcy, with a run on some banks.    Banks lose big, causing write-downs among financial institutions, hurting third-quarter profits.    Credit is crunched, banks tighten lending standards for mortgages, as well as credit cards and corporate loans.    This could lead into a slowdown in consumer spending and business expansion.
• 11/7/2007 French leader mends fences in visit to U.S. by AP.
      Washington - French president Nicholas Sarkozy began a new chapter in U.S.-French relations in a visit with tough talk on sanctions for Iran, supporting Lebanese sovereignty, and support for the war in Iraq, which were bruised from the former president Chirac.
• 11/8/2007 National debt hits record $9 trillion by AP.
      Washington - The U.S. Treasury Department says the national debt has hit $9 trillion for the first time, after the fifth debt-limit increase since Bush took office in 2001, which increased it by $3.865 trillion.
• 11/10/2007 Consumer confidence is down as oil prices edge closer to the $100 mark by AP.
      Oil prices neared $97 a barrel, threatening the housing slump, both will slow economic growth in the coming months.    Consumer confidence plunged in early November to the lowest level since Hurricane Katrina battered the Gulf Coast and sent oil prices soaring in 2005.
• 11/11/2007 Bush, German leader meet at ranch by AP.
      Crawford, Texas - German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrived with her husband for an overnight visit at Bush's remote central Texas ranch, to discuss Afghanistan, Iran, Russia, Kosovo and the U.N., and sanctions.
• 11/14/2007 Turkish helicopter gunships attack villages inside Iraq by AP.
      Sulaimaniyah, Iraq - Turkish helicopters swooped into Iraqi territory firing on villages in renewed pressure to dislodge Turkish Kurd guerrillas from bases in northern Iraq.
• 11/15/2007 Iran says negotiator passed secrets to West by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - Iran's government charged a former senior nuclear negotiator with passing classified information to the West in a move aimed at silencing domestic opponents of the Iranian President.
• 11/15/2007 North, South Korean talks are harmonious by AP.
      Seoul, South Korea - The North and South Korean ministers launched their first talks in 15 years on a harmonious note, seeking to build on plans for economic cooperation devised at a summit of their leaders.
• 11/18/2007 Saudi king chides Chavez at OPEC summit by AP.
      Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - In his opening address at a rare OPEC summit meeting, Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez warned that oil prices would further surge if the U.S. contemplates attacks against his nation or Iran.    Chavez declared that OPEC should assert itself as an active political agent.    Saudi King Abdukkah appeared to rebuke him, insisting that "OPEC has always acted moderately and wisely.    Oil shouldn't be a tool for conflict; it should be a tool for development."    Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said that OPEC's members have expressed interest in converting their cash reserves into a currency other than the depreciating U.S. dollar, which he called a "worthless piece of paper."    So fissures are developing within the 13-member cartel, especially between Saudi Arabia, the largest oil producer and Iran and Venezuela, since the decline of the dollar has contributed to rising crude prices, and may be considering the euro as a new source.
• 11/20/2007 Idea that oil production may hit limit gains support among industry officials by The Wall Street Journal.
      Oil-industry chieftains are realizing that the world is approaching a practical limit to the number of barrels of crude oil that can be pumped every day, and predictions that it could hit that ceiling of 100 million barrels a day as soon as 2012.    This would be well short of global demand projections over the next few decades, which is currently at 85 million barrels a day.    Nearly half of the world's available oil has already been pumped.
• 11/22/2007 Putin lambastes West in speech by AP.
      Moscow - Putin called his critics foreign-funded jackals and accused the West of meddling in Russian politics in a speech to drum up support for the main pro-Kremlin party, before the Dec. 2 parliamentary elections.
• 11/23/2007 Country will vote again on adopting euro by AP.
      Copenhagen, Denmark - Danes will get a chance to adopt the euro in a referendum, even though they opted out of the EU's common currency, defense policy and law enforcement in the early 1990s, and rejected again in 2000.
• 11/25/2007 Advance reported in nuclear program by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - The head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization said that the country had produced its first nuclear fuel uranium oxide pellets for use in a heavy-water Arak reactor, which is still under construction and hopes to be finished by 2009.    This material can be used to make a nuclear weapon.
• 11/27/2007 Putin accuses U.S. of trying to discredit Russian voting by AP.
      St. Petersburg, Russia - Putin accused the U.S. of pressuring respected international monitors to stay away from parliament elections, which hurts the credibility of balloting that is expected to bolster his power.    The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said that Russia had not issued visas in time and had restricted to only 70 observers.
• 11/30/2007 Uranium seizure in Slovakia sheds light on shadowy market by AP.
      Bratislava, Slovakia - Three men were arrested for selling contraband uranium, about a pound in powder form for $1 million, which was believed to have originated in the former Soviet Union, and could have been used in a "dirty bomb."
• 12/1/2007 Effort to get Iran to end uranium enrichment fails by AP.
      London - An 18-month attempt to persuade Iran to halt uranium enrichment collapsed after a EU envoy failed to change their view.    So sanctions may begin.
• 12/3/2007 Candidate's win hailed as victory for democracy by AP.
      Hong Kong - Pro-democracy candidate Anson Chan won a seat in Hong Kong's legislature, a win she hailed as a victory for democracy in the southern Chinese territory, now in China's control.
• 12/3/2007 New prime minister seeks dialogue with Islamists by AP.
      Mogadishu, Somalia - Somalia's new prime minister Nur Hassan Hussein will try to open a dialogue with Islamists to end an insurgency that a human-rights group said has killed nearly 6,000 civilians this year.    He has vowed to reconcile the nation as it struggles to contain the insurgency.
• 12/5/2007 Iran is still dangerous, Bush says by AP.
      Washington - Bush defending his credibility said that Iran is dangerous and must be squeezed by international pressure despite a blockbuster intelligence finding that it had halted its nuclear weapons program four years ago, which contradicts earlier U.S. assessments.
• 12/5/2007 Government arrests four U.S. citizens by AP.
      Hanoi, Vietnam - Vietnam has arrested two American citizens for investigation of terrorism for distributing pro-democracy petitions and is holding two others on unspecified charges.    The Vietnam communist government does not tolerate challenges to its rule even if it is peaceful political change.
• 12/6/2007 UN to press Sudan for non-African peacekeepers by AP.
      United Nations - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he is sending high-level envoys to press Sudan's president to accept non-Africans in the 26,000-strong peacekeeping force for Dafar and get critically needed helicopters and heavy trucks for the new U.N. African Union mission.
• 12/8/2007 NATO, Russia fail to agree on the future of Kosovo by AP.
      Brussels, Belgium - NATO and Russia clashed over the future of Kosovo as the territory looked poised to move to independence from Serbia after international negotiations failed.    Russia says nations that supported Kosovo's breaking away without agreement from the Serbs would be a downward slope by setting a precedent for other separtist regions.    The U.S. said failure to move ahead was ignoring the reality in the province, where the ethnic Albanian majority has pledged to declare independence with or without an international agreement.
• 12/9/2007 Summit snags on human rights by AP.
      Lisbon, Portugal - Debates over Zimbabwe and Dafar caused friction at a summit meeting of 27-nation European and 53-member African Union leaders trying to build a new alliance on economic and environmental issues.    They were supposed to have new agreements on trade, climate protection, eased migration, and better African transportation and energy production.    Germany induced the issue of trampled human rights, economic mismanagement, corruption and contempt for democracy directed at Zimbabwe's president who was a no-show.    The WTO has ruled the EU's 30-year-old trade agreement with Africa was unfair to other trading nations and violated international rules, requesting new deals by Dec. 31.    The EU will grant unrestricted access to its market if they grant tariff reductions for EU goods, which the Africans fear.
• 12/9/2007 Arab nations: US stance on Iran is hypocritical by AP.
      Manama, Bahrain - Gulf Arab countries challenged U.S. Defense Secretary policies toward Iran and Israel, after he urged them to force Iran to stop uranium enrichment.    They claim the U.S. was hypocritical for supporting Israeli nuclear weapons and refuse to meet with Iran to discuss the Islamic states nuclear activities.
• 12/9/2007 Oil exporters may soon be importers by The New York Times.
      The economies of many big oil-exporting countries are growing so fast that the need for energy within their borders is crimping how much they can sell abroad, adding new strains to the global oil market.    Some may be importing oil within a decade, such as Indonesia, Mexico, and Iran.
• 12/14/2007 European Union to streamline operations by AP.
      Lisbon, Portugal - European Union leaders signed a new treaty that would give the 27-nation bloc a long-term president and streamline its decision-making process, and member states will surrender more powers to centralized rule in Brussels, Belgium, and enable swifter response to global issues.    All member states must ratify the treaty.
• 12/15/2007 EU leaders backpedal on quick entry for Serbia by AP.
      Brussels, Belgium - EU leaders backed away from offering Serbia a fast-track to membership and also quick independence for Kosovo.
• 12/18/2007 Iran receives first batch of uranium from Russia by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - Iran received its first nuclear fuel from Russia paving the way for the startup of its reactor next year, in hope that the Iranians would no longer have any reason to produce enriched uranium to build nuclear weapons.    But Iran said it will continue its enrichment activities at a separate facility in Natanz to provide fuel for another reactor, as well as a new construction on 360-megawatt one in Darkhovin in southwestern Iran.    It will take several years for Iran to install 50,000 centrifuges in Natanz to produce the fuel needed for Darkhovin.    The U.S. supported Russia's uranium export provided they retrieve the used reactor fuel for reprocessing.
• 12/19/2007 Turkish troops attack rebels in Iraq by AP.
      Baghdad - Turkey sent hundreds of troops into Iraq to inflict heavy losses to Kurdish rebels, who are known as the Kurdish Worker's Party, or PKK, who want autonomy in southeastern Turkey.
• 12/19/2007 Bush to reduce nuclear weapons by AP.
      Bush approved a reduction in the U.S. stockpile of nuclear weapons, cutting it to less that a quarter of its size at the end of the Cold War, estimated at 6,000 warheads.
• 12/21/2007 Ex-soviet-bloc nations join EU's border-free zone by AP.
      Brussels, Belgium - Most the EU's formerly communist new members (Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Malta) joined the bloc's passport-free travel zone, the Schengen area, helping to unify Europe and boost trade and tourism.
• 12/26/2007 New ballistic missile successfully test-fired by AP.
      Moscow - Russia's military successfuly test-fired a new intercontinental ballistic missile that is capable of carrying multiple warheads, intended to replace aging Soviet-era missiles.    The RS-24 missile carries multiple warheads but they refused to say how many, although believed to be at least three.
• 12/27/2007 Turkey strikes rebel hideouts in Iraq by AP.
      Ankara, Turkey - Turkish jets struck at mountain caves of Kurdish rebels, the third cross-border air assault in 10 days.    The U.S. and EU consider the PKK a terrorist organization, but oppose the incursion into Iraq's most stable region.
• 12/27/2007 Iran: Russia will provide air defense system by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - Russia is preparing to equip Iran with a powerful new air defense system that would increase its ability to repel an attack.    The S-300 anti-aircraft missile defense system is capable of shooting down aircraft, cruise missiles and ballistic missile warheads at ranges over 90 miles and at altitudes of about 90,000 feet.    Russian military officials boast that its capabilities outstrip the U.S. Patriot missile system.    Russia had already delivered 29 Tor-M1s to Iran this year under a $700 million contract.    The S-300 could inflict damage on U.S. or Israeli forces, were they to attack Iran.    Russia has also supplied Iran with Kilo-Class submarines, MiG and Sukhoi military planes and bombers in recent decades.
• 12/27/2007 N. Korea says promised aid is too slow in coming by AP.
      Seoul, South Korea - North Korea indicated it will slow down the disablement of its nuclear facilities because of a delay in receiving economic aid.
• 12/28/2007 Bhutto assassination, cost of crude oil pummel markets by AP.
      New York - Wall Street skidded in the wake of the assassination of Pakistan opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, due to the possibility of increasing political unrest abroad.    Oil prices rose past $97 a barrel causing uneasiness on how to deal with the global economy.
• 12/28/2007 Democracy suffers major blow by AP.
      Islamabad, Pakistan - The assassination of Bhutto deals a stunning blow to liberal political forces trying to combat rising Islamic extremism in Pakistan.    This has put additional pressure on President Pervez Musharraf as he struggles to keep order and stay in power.    This sqashes hopes of Western governments that Pakistan's fight against Taliban and al-Qaida militants after Jan. 8 elections would ensue and democracy would prevail.    So the country has now plunged into turmoil days before the elections, and vital American security interests, in an explosively dangerous situation, where Pakistan, a nuclear-armed nation of 165 million people may come under radical Islamic control.
  
      As you have read in the year 2007 is that the world leaders are still no where near bringing peace and stability to the world.
      Iran is testing short-range missiles supplied by Russia.    The U.S. is considering missiles in East Europe, which has upset the Russians.    Iranian officials said they have taken deliveries of advanced Russian air-defense missile systems, as they start work on uranium enrichment.    The Russian military is increasing the number of new intercontinental ballistic missiles as part of a weapons-modernization plan.    Iran received its first nuclear fuel from Russia paving the way for the startup of its reactor next year, in hope that the Iranians would no longer have any reason to produce enriched uranium to build nuclear weapons.    But Iran said it will continue its enrichment activities at a separate facility in Natanz to provide fuel for another reactor, as well as a new construction on 360-megawatt one in Darkhovin in southwestern Iran.    It will take several years for Iran to install 50,000 centrifuges in Natanz to produce the fuel needed for Darkhovin.    The U.S. supported Russia's uranium export provided they retrieve the used reactor fuel for reprocessing.    Russia is preparing to equip Iran with a powerful new air defense system that would increase its ability to repel an attack.    The S-300 anti-aircraft missile defense system is capable of shooting down aircraft, cruise missiles and ballistic missile warheads at ranges over 90 miles and at altitudes of about 90,000 feet.    Russian military officials boast that its capabilities outstrip the U.S. Patriot missile system.    The S-300 could inflict damage on U.S. or Israeli forces, were they to attack Iran.    Russia has also supplied Iran with Kilo-Class submarines, MiG and Sukhoi military planes and bombers in recent decades.
      The push for democracy on the world is still failing in that one man's democracy is not another man's democracy.
      The U.S. tripled aid to the Lebanese government to help the fragile democratic government in Lebanon.    Putin accused the U.S. of trying to dominate global affairs, provoking a new new nuclear arms race by developing ballistic missile defenses, undermining international institutions, making the Middle East more unstable through its handling of the Iraq war and trying to divide modern Europe.    The Bush administration was disappointed by Putin's remarks, claiming his accusations were wrong, and is just a political statement for public approval in Russia for standing up to the West.    Putin said the world is now unipolar: "One single center of power.    One single center of force.    One single center of decision making.    This is the world of one master, one sovereign.    This global role destroys it from within.    It has nothing in common with democracy, of course."    Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto blamed al-Qaida and Taliban militants for the assassination attempt against her that killed at least 136 people, and she declared she would risk her life to restore democracy in Pakistan and prevent extremists from taking over.    The assassination of Bhutto deals a stunning blow to liberal political forces trying to combat rising Islamic extremism in Pakistan.    This has put additional pressure on President Pervez Musharraf as he struggles to keep order and stay in power.    This sqashes hopes of Western governments that Pakistan's fight against Taliban and al-Qaida militants after Jan. 8 elections would ensue and democracy would prevail.    So the country has now plunged into turmoil days before the elections, and vital American security interests, in an explosively dangerous situation, where Pakistan, a nuclear-armed nation of 165 million people may come under radical Islamic control.
      Oil consumption may not still be fueling the fire of the economy.
      During 2007 crude oil started out falling to $55 a barrel, due to a warm winter, and gasoline stayed under $2 a gallon.    Then it shot higher surpassing $68 per barrel following rumors of a military confrontation with Iran.    Then it climbed to record prices that topped $88 a barrel on concerns about disruptions to Middle Eastern crude supplies (in Turkey and Iraq border) and a growing view that domestic supplies won't meet fourth-quarter demand.    Gasoline prices reached around $2.90 a gallon an 11 percent jump.    Oil futures jumped to a record close of $90.46 a barrel on news that OPEC claim they will not be boosting output, and gasoline went up again.    Some of this was influenced by Lebanese troops firing on Israeli warplanes, and the incursion of Turkey into Iraq.    Oil prices neared $97 a barrel, threatening the housing slump, both will slow economic growth in the coming months.    Consumer confidence plunged in early November to the lowest level since Hurricane Katrina battered the Gulf Coast and sent oil prices soaring in 2005.    Wall Street skidded in the wake of the assassination of Pakistan opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, due to the possibility of increasing political unrest abroad.    Oil prices rose past $97 a barrel causing uneasiness on how to deal with the global economy.
      Wars in the name of ideology continue in Somalia, and Darfur.
      The United Nations did improve its peacekeeping missions and is using the African Union to assist.
      The United States began showing some signs of financial catastrophe in 2007.
      When U.S. stocks tanked in late July on concerns about tight credit conditions, global equities dived right with them.    The drops in Britain's, France's and Japan's indexes show how interwined the global economy is.    They also call into question a theory that the U.S. economy is "decoupling" from the rest of the globe, with its growth declining while economies in Asia, Latin America and Europe continue to expand.    Those economies are not impervious to a U.S. downturn, especially if consumer spending weakened.    Some economist believe the global economy would weather the U.S. subprime-induced storm well, while others say foreign economies would be hurt if the U.S. were to fall into a deep recession spurred by a collapse in consumer spending.    From 2001 through mid-2006, single-family home prices surged 84 percent, according to the a price index.    Lenders granted mortgages with risky structures to poor-credit or "subprime" borroowers, thinking rising home values would offset the risks.    Homebuilders built new homes at a record rate.    Home loans were resold and packaged into mortgage-backed securities, which were bought by hedge funds and other investors.    This generated capital for lenders to make more loans.    Then, the housing boom ended.
      The ripple effect: Home prices ease, then level off, adjustable rate mortgages begin to reset from low "teaser" rates, thus defaults and foreclosures rise.    The value of mortgage-backed securities starts to fall.    Then the mortgages melt down causes losses to drag down prices for other asset-backed securities as investors grow skittish about credit conditions.    Unable to resell loans lenders go under and file for bankruptcy, with a run on some banks.    Banks lose big, causing write-downs among financial institutions, hurting third-quarter profits.    Credit is crunched, banks tighten lending standards for mortgages, as well as credit cards and corporate loans.    This could lead into a slowdown in consumer spending and business expansion.
      Nuclear technology trade is in effect for trade.
      Jordan, Egypt and other Arab countries are considering the nuclear option for energy.    Russian President Putin offered to build four nuclear reactors for India and give it broader access to Moscow's energy riches.    North Korea nuclear talks resume with draft plan, and South Korea added pressure on North Korea to comply with an international disarmament agreement, refusing to restore full aid shipments of 1 million tons of oil until its main nuclear reactor is shut down.    North Korea committed to closing its main reactor within a month as long as Washington keeps its promise to drop financial sanctions.    The U.N. team left for North Korea to supervise the shutdown of its reactor on a tanker with the initial delivery of energy promised to the them under a six-nation deal.
      In 2007, Romania and Bulgaria join the European Union bringing it to 27 nations.    The U.S. reached its biggest free-trade agreement since NAFTA with South Korea to bolster bilateral ties and add a spark to the Doha Round of global trade talks.
      There seemed to be an excessive amount of volcanoes and earthquakes this year.
      China and Japan have launched their first lunar probes for a leap forward in the Asian space race.
  
  The year 2008.
  
  
• 1/1/2008 N. Korea misses deadline by AP.
      Seoul, South Korea - North Korea failed to meet a year-end deadline to declare all its nuclear programs under an aid-for disarmament deal, prompting diappointed reactions from South Korea, the U.S. and Japan.    The 3 countries along with China and Russia have tried to get them to abandon its nuclear programs, but it is behind schedule, and may still be on track for the communist regime, if they are just having trouble removing fuel rods from the reactor.
• 1/1/2008 U.N. takes control of peacekeeping mission by AP.
      El Fasher, Sudan - The U.N. took partial control of the African Union's peacekeeping mission in Darfur in a move meant to stem violence that has killed 200,000 people and driven 2.5 million from their homes.    Of course the new force is known as UNAMID, with only 9,000 of the 26,000 peacekeepers, will not be able to do any better that the 7,000 AU force it replaced.    Additional troops from Egypt, Ethiopia were expected to arrive by mid-January.
• 1/1/2008 Price of oil up 57% in 2007 by AP.
      New York - Oil prices ended 2007 near $96 a barrel, up 57% from where they began and it is expected to continue to rise on demand and geopolitical instability, pushing gas prices above $3 a gallon.
• 1/3/2008 Crude oil briefly reaches $100 threshold by AP.
      Crude-oil prices hit $100 a barrel for the first time in New York amid a view that global demand for oil and petroleum products will outstrip supplies.    This will affect the cost of gasoline, heating their homes, and price of food or most everything.
• 1/3/2008 Sale of Chukchi Sea oil leases opposed by AP.
      Anchorage, Alaska - The federal government will open up nearly 46,000 square miles off Alaska's northwest coast to petroleum leases next month, a decision condemned by environmental groups that contend marine mammals will be harmed by drilling or spills.
• 1/4/2008 U.S.-Libya meeting is sign of change by AP.
      Washington - Libya's transformation from U.S. foe to friend is almost complete, despite unresolved terrorism and human rights concern, the U.S. took steps toward ending decades of hostility with the North African nation after 35 years.
• 1/13/2008 Nuclear energy renaissance worries some observers by AP.
      Vienna, Austria - Concerns about global warming and rocketing oil prices are making nuclear power fashionable, in countries like Britain, China, India, Argentina, Brazil, South Africa, Vietnam, Thailand, Egypt, Turkey, Germany, Sweden and the U.S., even amid all the concerns of the past with the 1986 meltdown of the Chernobyl reactor, a fire at a German reactor in 2006, a Japan issue with nuclear reactor cracks five years ago, a Bulgarian emergency shutdown in 2006, the meltdown at Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania in 1979, and the overall storage of radioactive waste.
• 1/13/2008 End to security Council atomic oversight sought by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - Iran's top leader demanded an end to U.N. Security Council oversight of the country's nuclear program with the chief of the U.N. nuclear watchdog.
• 1/14/2008 Iran exports terror, Bush warns allies by AP.
      Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates - Iran is the world's leading state sponsor of terror, President Bush charged as he sought to shore up opposition to the mullahs throughout the Middle East.    Bush also appealed to U.S. allies in the region to open up their political and economic systems to greater democracy.    Bush said the Islamic Republic sends hundreds of millions of dollars to extremists around the world, while its own people face repression and economic hardship at home, and intimidate its neighbors with ballistic missiles and rhetoric.
• 1/15/2008 Bush visit precedes weapon sale to Saudis by AP.
      Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - President Bush announced the sale of sophisticated weapons to Saudi Arabia and King Abdullah, to bolster defenses against threats from Iran and muster support for a Mideast peace agreement.    Also they hold the world's largest oil reserves which is straining the U.S. economy.    The Saudi's got sophisticated or smart-bomb technology about 900 of the precision-guided bomb kits, worth $123 million, and some in Congress feared may be used against Israel.    They also got Patriot missiles, with future sales heading up to $20 billion.
• 1/16/2008 Bush urges OPEC to boost output by AP.
      Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - President Bush warned that surging oil prices threaten the U.S. economy and urged OPEC nations to boost their output, and pressed Arab countries to reach out to Israel and help achieve a Mideast peace agreement before his term ends in January.
• 1/18/2008 Government seeks quick economic help by AP.
      Washington - The White House and Congress raced toward emergency steps to rescue the national economy from a possible recession, including tax rebates of $300 or more, but this failed to soothe Wall Street as the Dow plunged 307 points deepening the county's economic health.    Fears have mounted due to a severe housing slump and a painful credit crisis causing people to stop spending and businesses not hiring.
• 1/26/2008 Tougher U.N. sanctions on Iran are proposed by AP.
      Davos, Switzerland - New U.N. sanctions against Iran would require countries to ban the entry of individuals involved in the Iranian nuclear program, on trade in equipment and technology used in such, check cargo to and from Iran.
• 2/3/2008 Bush, Congress squabble over AIDS funding in Africa by AP.
      Washington - Bush's 5-year, $15 billion effort to combat AIDS in Africa is in a political battleground as it comes up for renewal, and he wants to double it to $30 billion as his legacy before leaving office.
• 2/5/2008 Nation launches rocket and opens space center by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - Iran launched a research rocket and unveiled its first major space center, which many fear is a cover for military ballistic missiles.
• 2/8/2008 Spy satellite may fall to Earth in March by AP.
      Washington - A dead 5,000 pound U.S. spy satellite in a deteriorating orbit is expected to hit Earth the first week of March, where is unknown.    It will scatter its debris on descent and its thrusters contain a toxic fuel hydrazine which can harm anyone who contacts it, and it contains a secret imaging sensor.
• 2/11/2008 Chavez says he might end oil sales to U.S. by AP.
      Caracas, Venezuela - President Hugo Chavez threatened to cut off oil sales to the U.S. in an economic war if Exxon Mobil Corp wins court judgments to seize billions of dollars in Venezuelan assets.    A British court issued an injunction freezing as much as $12 billion, and the U.S. is their number one client.
• 2/12/2008 Crude-oil prices spike higher on threats from Venezuela by AP.
      New York - Oil futures shot higher for the third consecutive session as concerns about supply disruptions overshadowed the cooling economy, and Venezuela's threats to cut off oil sales to the U.S.    It settled at $94 a barrel.
• 2/13/2008 Russia, Ukraine settle gas dispute by AP.
      Moscow - Russian and Ukrainian leaders agreed to settle a dispute over Ukraine's gas debt of $1.5 billion, avoiding a cutoff in supplies that had rattled consumers in the E.U.
• 2/13/2008 Venezuela's state oil company halts its sales to Exxon Mobil by AP.
      Caracas, Venezauela - Venezuela's state oil company said that it has stopped selling crude oil to Exxon Mobil Corp. in response to the U.S. company's drive to use the courts to seize billions of dollars.
• 2/14/2008 Bush imposes new sanctions on Syria by AP.
      Washington - President Bush ordered new sanctions on Syria to punish them for alleged efforts to undermine stability in Iraq and meddle in Lebanon's sovereignty and democracy.    It will ban all U.S. exports to Syria except for food and medicine.
• 2/15/2008 Hezbollah vows to retaliate for death by AP.
      Beirut, Lebanon - Israel ordered its embassies on high alert and the FBI put U.S. terror squads on guard to protect Jewish institutions after Hezbollah's leader vowed to retaliate anywhere in the world for the assassination of one of its top commanders.
• 2/15/2008 Bush says U.S. wants results in Africa by AP.
      Washington - Bush said the U.S. demands clear results for the billions of taxpayer dollars it sends to Africa and accused other nations of exploiting the continent's resources.    Bush said the U.S. has a moral imperative and a vital security interest in helping Africa overcome disease, poverty and instability.
• 2/15/2008 U.S. will try to shoot down falling satellite by AP.
      Washington - Bush has ordered the Pentagon to use a Navy standard missile 3 to attempt to destroy a broken U.S. spy satellite just before it re-enters the atmosphere by hitting its fuel tank and minimize the risk to humans from its toxic fuel.    Two days later Russia said that the plans to shoot down the satellite may be a veiled test of America's missile defense system against orbiting satellites.
• 2/16/2008 U.S.: Iran must admit war nukes program by AP.
  
• 2/17/2008 Scientist: N. Korea still bargaining by AP.
      Beijing - North Korea wants promised energy aid and removal from U.S. terrorism and sanctions blacklist before it will provide a complete declaration of its nuclear programs, which is the reason they slowed the removal of fuel rods.    They have removed 1,440 of 8,000 rods in the reactor, and have only received 200,000 of the promised 500,000 tons of heavy fuel oil.
• 2/18/2008 China and India differ on growth strategies by AP.
      The economies of India and China have opposite but complementary strategies, and for multinational corporations that want to invest in the region must understand that China relies on economic directives from the top, while India's open media and stronger financial system boost individual entrepreneurship.    In India, Tata Motors, now a global brand, gained notoriety by mass-producing a car with a $2,500 price, in a socialist origin.    Chinese companies lack strong international brand-name recognition, and more involvement from its government.
• 2/18/2008 Kosovo declares itself independent state by AP.
      Pristina, Kosovo - Albanian flags and fireworks were set off over Kosovo after parliament proclaimed independence in defiance of Serbia and Russia, which both condemned.    After a decade of separatist war with Serbian forces that claimed 10,000 lives, it pronounced the territory the Republic of Kosovo and pledged to make it a democratic, multiethnic state.    The next day the U.S. and E.U. recognized Kosovo as an independent nation, widening a split with Russia, China and some EU members particulary Spain, who think it will inspire separatist movements around the world, including their own territories.    On the 20th Serbs protested Kosovo declaration, forcing NATO troops to close roads between the two.    On the 22nd Serbian mob sets fire inside U.S. Embassy.
• 2/20/2008 Oil back above $100 by AP.
      Oil futures closed above $100 as investors bet the prices will climb despite evidence of plentiful supplies and falling demand, and gasoline was well above $3 a gallon.    There was no single factor behind the jump, but an explosion at a 67,000-barrel-per-day refinery in Texas, and that OPEC may cut production, the threat of new violence in Nigeria, and continuing tension between the U.S. and Venezuela, the burden of high heating costs and falling real estate values, the weakness of the dollar attracting new investors to the futures market.
• 2/20/2008 Satellite may be targeted tonight by AP.
      Washington - An attempt to blast a crippled U.S. spy satellite out of the sky using a Navy SM-3 heat-seeking missile tonight at 10:30.    On the 22nd the military was tracking scattered debris from the destroyed satellite in hopes of no chunks left that could cause damage on Earth.
• 2/23/2008 Turkish troops cross into Iraq to fight rebels by AP.
      Cizre, Turkey - Supported by air power, Turkish troops crossed into northern Iraq in their first major ground incursion against Kurdish rebel bases against the PKK rebel group in nearly a decade.    The PKK militants are fighting for autonomy in predominantly Kurdish southeastern Turkey and have carried out attacks on Turkish targets in a conflict started in 1984 and has claimed as many as 40,000 lives.
• 2/23/2008 Serb protesters attack U.N. police in Kosovo rally by AP.
      Kosovska Mitrovica, Kosovo - Violent protests rocked Serb-dominated northern Kosovo, as mobs hurled stones, bottles and firecrackers at U.N. police guarding a bridge that divides Serbs from ethnic Albanians.
• 2/23/2008 Iran defying enrichment ban by AP.
      Vienna, Austria - A nuclear watchdog said Iran is defying a U.N. Security Council ban on uranium enrichment, which may force a third round of sanctions against Iran.    The IAEA report said Iran started the development of new-generation centrifuges, and work on heavy-water facilities.
• 2/24/2008 Idealistic generation pushing aside the boomers, Gen X by Washington Post.
      The endorsement of Barack Obama for president is inspiring a new generation of Americans, a new "millennial generation," born between 1982 and 2003 mostly of idealists and dreamers, instead of doers and builders.    American history suggests that about every 80 years, 1828, 1860, 1896, 1932 and 1968, a civic generation, emerges to make over the country after a period of upheaval caused by the fervor of an idealist generation.
      Barack Obama used this change in America to build his momentum against rival Senator Hillary Clinton in seeking the Democratic nomination for president.
• 2/25/2008 State might end nuclear plant ban by The Courier-Journal.
      Frankfort, Ky, - Three state legislators are trying to overturn a nearly-quarter-century ban on nuclear power in Kentucky, as the nuclear industry vies for a comeback.    There is a stipulation, that before any nuclear plant is built, there must be a permanent disposal facility to handle its radioactive waste.
• 2/29/2008 Economy lost steam in late '07 by AP.
      Washington - The economy skidded to a halt in the final quarter of last year, clobbered by slumps in housing and credit that caused people and businesses to spend and invest more sparingly.    The GDP increased at a scant 0.6 percent pace, and lately we are having rising jobless numbers which is rattling Wall Street and recession fears are growing.
• 3/1/2008 Wall Street leaps lower by AP.
      New York - Dow falls 315, oil tops $103, dollar hits new euro low, gold nears $1000, as investors were unnerved by disappointing quarterly results from AIG and Dell, nothing but negative news.
• 3/2/2008 Official: 3-way water negotiation has failed by AP.
      Washington - A White House-brokered water negotiations among Alabama, Florida and Georgia have failed, forcing the Army Corps of engineers and other federal agencies will begin implementing a water-sharing plan of their own for water rights in the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint and the Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa river basins, which run south through Georgia into Alabama and the Florida Panhandle.    Georgia wants to hold back more water in federal reservoirs around Atlanta to serve its population.    Florida and Alabama argue that Georgia did not adequately plan for growth and their plan would affect their water supplies.
• 3/3/2008 Putin's protege wins; what next for Russia by AP.
      Moscow - Dmitry Medvedev, the man Putin hand-picked to be his successor, scored a crushing victory in Russia's presidential election, raising questions about who will run the country.    The new protege signaled the Kremlin that he would not backdown from its anti-U.S. foreign policy, and will pursue Putin's foreign and domestic agenda.    Russia then squeezed natural-gas supplies to Western-leaning Ukraine, and sent police to Moscow to control protesters who denounced the election as a farce.
• 3/3/2008 Chavez sends troops to Columbian border by AP.
      Caracas, Venezuela - Chavez ordered tanks and troops to the border of Columbia, accusing it of pushing South America to the brink of war by killing a Columbian rebel leader on Ecuadorean soil.    He closed Venezuela's embassy in Bogota, and said he did not want war and would not let the U.S. empire, which is the master of Columbia to come and divide us, and branded Columbia a terrorist state, likening it to Israel for its U.S.-backed attacks on militants.
• 3/3/2008 Ahmadinejad blasts U.S. during state visit to Iraq by AP.
      Baghdad - The Iranian president on a trip to Baghdad said that America fueled the violence in Iraq, portraying his nation as a close friend of the neighbor it once fought in an 8 year war that killed about 1 million people.    He denied the allegations that Iran is training and equipping Shiite militias in Iraq.
• 3/3/2008 Doomsday Vault by AP.
      Longyearbyen, Norway - It's been dubbed a Noah's Ark for plant life and built to withstand an earthquake or a nuclear attack, dug deep into the permafrost of a remote Arctic mountain.    The Svalbard Global Seed Vault or doomsday vault is designed by Norway to protect the world's 1,400 seeds from global catastrophe and has the capacity to store 4.5 million seed samples.
• 3/5/2008 OPEC output steady by AP.
      OPEC will leave output of oil unchanged even as crude-oil prices reach record highs, shying away from higher production, which could bring prices down, because of political turmoil in the Middle East and U.S. economic weakness that may reduce demand globally.    Market speculation may have added as much as 10 percent to crude-oil costs, which may not have peaked yet.
• 3/6/2008 OPEC rejects boosting output by AP.
      OPEC's 13 nation cartel, accused the U.S. of economic mismanagement that it said is pushing oil prices to record highs and rebuffed calls to boost output.    Oil prices surged for the first time past $104 a barrel.
• 3/6/2008 Russian nuclear fuel imports called threat to Paducah plant's future by AP.
      Washington - Unless Congress acts, the Paducah, Ky., uranium plant could be forced to close if Russia is allowed to flood the U.S. market with nuclear fuel.    A federal appeals court in 2005 created a back door that would allow Russia to sell unlimited amounts of nuclear fuel in the U.S.    USEC operates the nation's only uranium enrichment facility.
• 3/7/2008 Senate committee approves lifting nuclear power ban by The Courier-Journal.
      Bill 156 to overturn a ban on nuclear power in Kentucky was approved by a Senate committee, only if they have a waste-disposal plan that complies with federal law.
• 3/11/2008 Crude prices surge by AP.
      Oil prices climbed above $108.
• 3/11/2008 China to continue one-child policy by AP.
      Beijing - China will not consider changing its one child policy for at least a decade for fear that a population surge could lead to social and economic instability.    Over the next decade, nearly 200 million people are expected to enter childbearing years.    China's population is currently 1.3 billion, growing 16 to 17 million annually.
• 3/11/2008 Missile talks with Poland advance by AP.
      Washington - Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that Bush had removed key stumbling blocks in negotiations to allow U.S. missile-defense interceptors on Polish soil.    Negotiations stalled over Poland's demand for help upgrading its military in exchange for allowing the interceptors.
• 3/12/2008 Free-trade pacts endorsed by The Courier-Journal.
      Trade officials for the U.S. and South Korea joined host UPS in a pep rally for free-trade agreements with South Korea, Columbia and Panama that are pending in the U.S. House.    Expanding global trade is vital to the American economy and growth.    The U.S.-Columbia Trade Promotion Agreement (TPA) would open new markets for Kentucky exports in quite a few areas, as it did when NAFTA was formed.
• 3/14/2008 Gold climbs to $1000 an ounce for the first time by AP.
      Gold crossed the $1000 threshold for the first time, oil hit another record high at $110, the dollar sank again, and consumers stopped buying pretty much everything, as most think the country is heading to a recession soon.
• 3/15/2008 U.S., Russia to meet over missiles by AP.
      Santiago, Chile - Russia has signaled a new openess toward a U.S. missile defense program for Eastern Europe, but most likely interested in certain aspects of the latest U.S. proposal for face-to-face meeting.
• 3/16/2008 Ahmadinejad's critics run well in Iran vote by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - Conservative opponents of the Iranian president made a strong showing in Iran's parliamentary elections, which will put friction with him and his populist rule.
• 3/18/2008 Bush, Putin set agenda for talks by AP.
      Moscow - Putin and Bush set an agenda for the issue of missile defense on a range of problems the next U.S. and Russian leaders will face.
• 3/18/2008 China defending claim to Tibet by AP.
      Beijing - China vowed to defend its sovereignty in Tibet as Chinese troops mobilized to quell an uprising.    The blame for the violence in Lhasa was on supporters of the Dalai Lama at Chinese embassies, clashing with police in regions near Tibet, that is prompting scrutiny of the communist government's human-rights record ahead of Beijings Summer Olympics and their image.    On the 22nd China issued a most wanted list for 21 rioters and troops pushed into western China to contain unrest.    On the 23rd promoted its own spin on stopping the demonstrations to prevent unfair coverage.
• 3/20/2008 Costly war necessary, Bush says by AP.
      Washington - Bush defended the Iraq war in a sixth year of combat in a long and costly conflict, and conceded it has been harder and more expensive than anticipated but is necessary to keep America safe.    Almost 4,000 U.S. military personnel have died, and 29,000 wounded, at a cost of $500 billion and counting.
• 3/22/2008 Air Force backs coal-to-liquids plants by AP.
      Malmstrom Air Force Base, Mont. - The Air Force wants to begin weaning itself from foreign oil by building the first network of facilities that would convert domestic coal into cleaner-buring synthetic fuel.    There is three times as much coal in the ground as there are oil reserves, but investing in burning coal is in conflict with climate change and Wall Street investors in a project that would be ready by 2016.
• 4/2/2008 U.S. reassures Russia on missile defense by Washington Post.
      Copenhagen, Denmark - The U.S. is offering guarantees to assure Russia the system is not a European military threat aimed at them.    It is only if Iran proves an imminent threat to Europe by test-flying a missile capable of reaching the continent and also the expansion of NATO into the former Soviet Union countries of Ukraine and Georgia are scheduled to join it.
• 4/3/2008 Fed chief: Recession possible by AP.
      Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke expects to see a recession due to the housing slump, credit and financial crises, home foreclosures, and job losses
• 4/5/2008 Alarms sound as 80,000 lose jobs in March by AP.
      Washington - The nation has lost 232,000 jobs in just three months, and employers cut 80,000 jobs in March, a sign that the economy is in reverse.    The Labor Department sounded recession alarms with the most in five years climbing to 5.1 percent.
• 4/6/2008 Flooding kills 15; 50,000 flee homes by AP.
      Sao Paulo, Brazil - Flooding from torrential rains in Brazil's normally arid northeast has killed 15 people and driven about 50,000 from their homes.
• 4/6/2008 Bread shortage brings Egypt to crisis point by AP.
      Cairo - Across Egypt this year, people have waited in line for hours at bakeries that sell government-subsidized bread, sign of a growing crisis over the primary food-stuff in the Arab world's most populous country of 30 million.    President Hosni Mubarak has ordered Egypt's army to bake bread for the public.    A 110-pound sack of flour use to be less than $3 but now has reached $45.    Most of the poor make less than $2 a day, and the World Bank said 40 percent of the population lives in poverty.
• 4/8/2008 Bush sends Columbian trade pact to Congress by AP.
      Washington - Congress is getting a controversial U.S. Columbia free-trade agreement from Bush and must vote on it within 3 months,
• 4/12/2008 Finance leaders endorse proposal by AP.
      Washington - The G7 finance officials endorsed a plan aimed at preventing another financial crisis like those that erupted in the U.S. before the weekend meetings of the 185-nation IMF and the World Bank.
• 4/13/2008 IMF head: Cost of food threatens poor countries by AP.
      Washington - The head of the IMF said that if food prices remain high, it will cause more social unrest due to shortages, and malnutrition.    Germany wants greater regulation of the global biofuels market to keep its expansion from driving up food prices.    One critic blamed the rich countries for the food crisis who encouraged biofuel production, which is responsible for almost half the increase in the demand for food crops.
      The creation of NAFTA in 1994, in the Obama reign shows the trade agreements were not adequately structured to make sure that U.S. workers had a fair deal, and its benefits were oversold, but are not the blame for America's woes, it had only marginal effect on the U.S. economy.    Jobs were not lost during this time they actually increased.
• 4/14/2008 Food riots spur call for action by AP.
      Washington - Robert Zoellick, the president of the World Bank urged that immediate action be taken to deal with the rise in food prices that has caused hunger and deadly violence in several countries.    He called on governments to fulfill commitments to provide the U.N. World Food Program with $500 million in emergency aid it needs by May 1.    On the 15th Bush ordered the release of $200 million in emergency aid for countries such as Haiti, Egypt and the Philippines.
• 4/14/2008 China, Taiwan look to improve relations by AP.
      Boao, China - China and Taiwan spent nearly decades bickering, pointing weapons at each other and avoiding talks, but now have began a new effort to ease tensions, but the meeting was mostly about economics.    Another issue is whether Taiwan is a country or part of the People's Republic of China.
• 4/15/2008 Gasoline costs rise across region by AP.
      Pump prices rose to $3.56 per gallon, due to oil setting a record $112 per barrel, caused by reginal refinery problems.    On the 16th it jumped as high as $114 a barrel, blamed on the drop of Russian oil production.    OPEC says the world's thirst for oil is growing by 1.2 million barrels to nearly 87 million barrels a day.
• 4/15/2008 Offshore site may hold vast oil reserve by AP.
      Sao Paulo, Brazil - A deep water exploration area could contain as much as 33 billion barrels of oil the largest oil find in decades.
• 4/16/2008 Brazil, Russia make deal on fighters, satellites by AP.
      Brasilia, Brazil - Brazil and Russia signed an agreement to jointly develop top-line jet fighters and satellite-launching vehicles.    This will give them fifth-generation jet fighters with sophisticated engineering, composite materials, stealth technology and advance radar.
• 4/19/2008 Carter meets group U.S. labels terrorists by AP.
      Damascus, Syria - Former President Jimmy Carter defied U.S. and Israeli warnings and met with the exiled leader of Hamas and his deputy, who are labeled as terrorists.
• 4/19/2008 Rats devour rice crop, prompt famine scare by AP.
      Gauhati, India - A food shortage has hit a remote Indian state after an army of rats began devouring rice crops, triggering a famine scare in the northeastern state of Mizoram by a phenomenon that occurs about every 50 years.
• 4/19/2008 U.N. food agency chief criticizes rich nations by AP.
      Brasilia, Brazil - Wealthy nations have been unwilling to help poor countries with the cash, seeds and investment in infrastructure needed to boost grain supplies worldwide, the head of the U.N.'s Food and Agricultural Organization said.    Global food production could double if more producers had access to seeds, fertilizer and loans, and if more crops were allowed to be sold at market prices.
• 4/19/2008 Bush, S. Korean leader discuss N. Korea, beef by AP.
      The Bush administration welcomed a new South Korean leader, Lee Myung-bak, bringing tough talk on North Korea and an apparent resolution to a dispute over U.S. beef that had blocked an ambitious free trade deal.    The two will try to push a reluctant Congress to ratify the trade deal and discuss ways to persuade North Korea to fulfill its commitments in nuclear negotiations.
• 4/20/2008 Bush: Congress should rethink trade deal by AP.
      Washington - Bush said the House's decision to block a vote on a Columbia free trade agreement was a serious error and urged Congress to reconsider.
• 4/23/2008 Gasoline hits $3.70 in area by AP.    On the 23rd Bush chastised lawmakers for letting trade deals falter.
      Gasoline prices reached $3.70 a gallon as crude oil broke another record near $120, which is sure to cause higher costs for basic groceries.
• 4/23/2008 World hunger is growing as food prices skyrocket by The Washington Post.
      London - More than 100 million people are being driven deeper into poverty by sharply rising food prices, which have sparked riots around the world and threatened U.N.-backed feeding programs for 20 million children, the top U.N. official said.    The World Food Program said the growing food crisis rivals global financial turmoil as a threat to world stability.    Around 25,000 people a day are dying from hunger-related causes.    Prime Minister Gordon Brown pledged $60 million in emergency aid to help the program feed poor in Africa and Asia, where prices for rice, wheat and corn have skyrocketed in recent months driven by rising fuel prices, droughts in food producing countries, demand in emerging nations such as China and India, and diversion of some crops to produce biofuels.    The U.S. which provides half of the world's food assistance has pledged $200 million in aid.    The WFP has budgeted $2.9 billion this year all from donor nations, used in Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia, and will be short $755 million.
• 4/26/2008 Soaring demand likely to keep oil prices inflated by AP.
      Houston - Oil's rise to near $120 a barrel an economic bubble with growing demand and tighter supplies keeping the prices high.    Some analysts say even $200 a barrel would not be out of the question.    A burst will come when investors realize the assets are overvalued.    Americans will have to change driving habits.
• 4/30/2008 Bush blames Congress for economy by AP.
      Washington - Bush heaped criticism on the Democratic-led Congress letting the American people down.    He considered a suspension of federal gasoline taxes, with no new ideas for economic worries now facing the country, from record gasoline prices and soaring food costs to rising inflation, layoffs and home foreclosures, and a credit crunch.    His $168 billion economic-aid plan adopted in February must be given time to work, and rejected the stopping of filling the nation's Strategic Petroleum Reserve.    He blamed those who sat and did nothing to deal with the nation's economic problems, and Americans are fearing the worse.
• 4/30/2008 Scientists: Biofuels spur food crisis by AP.
      Washington - Scientists are saying that we should stop making biofuels, such as ethanol, which could cut corn and soybean prices by 20 percent and help with the world food crisis.    Bush opposed the idea.    Gasoline has gone up to $3.76 a gallon.
• 5/2/2008 Bush calls for $770 million in food aid by AP.
      Washington - Bush urged Congress for $770 million in food aid to alleviate escalating food prices causing hunger and social unrest around the world, on top of a $70 billion Iraq war funding measure for 2009.    This $70 billion brings the total spending since Sept. 11, 2001 to $875 billion.
• 5/3/2008 U.N. to repeat nuclear offer to Iranians by AP.
      London - World powers agreed to try again to lure Iran to the nuclear bargaining table with a repackaged set of carrots on the stick of U.N. sanctions.
• 5/6/2008 Oil futures to $120; economic worries rise by AP.
      New York - Oil futures surged above $120 a barrel bringing worries that pump prices would resume their climb, bring consumers to a total stop on spending on all kinds of goods and services.
• 5/6/2008 Special operations forces stretched thin by AP.
      Washington - The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are making such heavy use of the nation's elite warriors that they cannot fulfill their roles in other parts of the world, the military's top commando said.
• 5/6/2008 Myanmar: Death toll could surpass 10,000 by AP.
      Yangon, Myanmar - More than 10,000 people were killed in a cyclone that unleashed 12-foot tidal surges and 120-mph high winds that swept away homes in coastal regions.    On the 7th international aid arrived, but already 22,000 people have perished and twice that number are missing, and remain cut off from the world.    On the 8th the total deaths could reach 100,000 as hungry people swarm for food.    On the 9th Myanmar's military regime snubbed U.S. aid as cyclone victims struggle with 20,000 people known dead and tens of thousands are missing, and estimates claim that more than 1 million people are homeless.    Finally on the 10th they finally allowed some aid to enter.    On the 13th the death toll approaches 32,000 and U.S. aid finally arrived.    On the 15th the Red Cross estimated the death toll to as many as 128,000 with 2.5 million people in urgent need of food, water and shelter, but the regime announced it at 78,000.
• 5/7/2008 Oil, gas price estimates rise by AP.
      Oil futures set a new record near $123 a barrel, with some predicting that oil prices could rise to $150 to $200 within two years motivating the buying.
• 5/7/2008 Chile evacuates thousands from volcano area by AP.
      Santiago, Chile - The long-dormant Chaiten volcano blasted ash 20 miles into the Andean sky, forcing thousands of people to evacuate due to the dangerous fallout.    This 5-day-old eruption is the first in at least 9,000 years for the 3,950-foot mountain volcano in southern Chile.
• 5/8/2008 Russia gets new president by AP.
      Moscow - The swearing in of Dmitry Medvedev as Russia's president, the Kremlin's leaders now mirror one of the nation's most potent symbols - the double-headed eagle.    Medvedev has promised to strengthen democratic freedoms and suggested he will move Russia in a more pro-Western direction, thus shifting away from Putin's rule.
• 5/8/2008 Fuel prices jump at pump by AP.
      The price for a gallon of regular gasoline rose to $3.86 as crude oil reached $124 a barrel as consumers grapple with rising energy and food costs.    On the 10th oil rose to $126 a barrel.
• 5/9/2008 Sectarian street fights erupt into gun battles across Beirut by AP.
      Beirut, Lebanon - Battles raged in Beirut after the leader of the Hezbollah accused Lebanon's Western-backed government of declaring war on his Shiite militant group.    On the 10th Hezbollah took control of large swaths of Beirut, and Bush accused Iran and Syria of fueling violence in Lebanon to take over the country.    On the 15th the Lebanese Cabinet decided to reverse measure against the militant Hezbollah movement giving them a victory and the upper hand in the political power struggle.    On the 22nd Hezbollah secured veto power over the government, which allows it continue to build up its wepons, and aim rockets at Israel, but does allow for some calm in the area.    On the 26th Lebanon's parliament elected the army chief as president to help stabilize the country, and a shift in favor of Iranian-backed Hezbollah.
• 5/13/2008 Georgia wants EU to help settle conflicts by AP.
      Tbilisi, Georgia - Georgia's president urged the EU to help protect his nation's territorial integrity in Abkhazia and south Ossetia, which he said is being threatened by Russia.
• 5/13/2008 Chinese slammed by devastating quake by AP.
      Chengdu, China - A 7.9-magnitude earthquake toppled schools, chemical factories and other buildings in central China, killing about 10,000 people and trapping untold numbers.    On the 14th soldiers reached the epicenter as the death toll reached 12,000 and heavy rains slowed progress to help.    On the 15th relief arrives, soldiers shored up a dam cracked by the quake, and dug for survivors for 26,000 people who may be buried.    On the 17th and a powerful aftershock and the death toll rising to more than 22,000 with tens of thousands of people still buried or missing.    On the 18th thousands flee China quake area over fears of flooding from a mountain that sheared off by the tremor and block the flow of a river.    Death tolls are up to 29,000 with 10,600 still buried.    On the 25th the Chinese officials said the death toll was up to 80,000 as the U.N. leader made a visit.    On the 27th Chinese officials said that families with a child killed or disabled from the earthquake will be exempted from the country's one-child policy.
• 5/14/2008 Gas hits $3.99 by AP.
      Oil prices rose to a record $127 a barrel pushing gas prices to $3.99 a gallon.    On the 17th Bush met with Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah and OPEC will pump an additional 300,000 barrels of crude a day, which will not solve soaring fuel prices.    Congress agreed to halt filling a key government oil stockpile to increase supplies.    On the 20th oil finally settled at $127 a barrel.    On the 21st oil hit a record near $130 a barrel, then 1 day later went to $133 a barrel pushing gasoline above $4 a gallon.    On the 23rd oil topped $135 a barrel, but went back dow to $131.
• 5/25/2008 Twelve nations form S. American union by AP.
      Brasilia, Brazil - A new South American union was born as leaders of the region's 12 nations set out to create a continental parliament.    The new Union of South American Nations, known as Unasur, as a regional version of the European Union.    Summit host Brazil wants it to help coordinate defense affairs across South America and Venezuela's Hugo Chavez calls it a counterweight to the U.S., but it will be a region of diversity and pluralism.    Columbia is the only nation that opposes joining such a council.    Unasur's main promotion is developing intra-regional trade and defense.
• 5/25/2008 High food prices push Bangladesh toward turmoil by AP.
      Dhaka, Bangladesh - With inflation climbing into double digits in Bangladesh and food prices soaring around the world, people are spending as much as 80 percent of their pay just to put food on the table.    Workers defied a government ban on demonstrations to demand higher wages and protest skyrocketing food prices, which became violent.
• 5/27/2008 U.S. urges Pakistan to strike back at terrorists by AP.
      Bagram, Afghanistan - The U.S. homeland security chief called on Pakistan's new government to strike back against terrorism in its regions bordering Afghanistan.
• 5/28/2008 Soaring food prices spur warning of riots by AP.
      Geneva - The Red Cross warned of a possible surge in "food-related violence" because of soaring prices that are increasing hunger around the world, and has already happened in Haiti, Egypt and Somalia, and the situation is worsening in Sudan's Darfur region and Yemen.
• 5/30/2008 World Bank to increase aid to fight global hunger by AP.
      Washington - The World Bank said that it was speeding up its aid to an international effort to overcome the global food crisis by providing an extra $1.2 billion in grants and loans.    Africa is more stable now than it used to be, but Somalia is in its worst crisis in a decade due to extreme drought.    Ethiopia is also subject to extreme hunger crisis due to drought and crop failure.
• 6/6/2008 Arab Emirates renews tie to Iraq by AP.
      Baghdad - The United Arab Emirates announced it will name an ambassador to Baghdad, the first Arab country to restore full diplomatic ties to Iraq.
• 6/6/2008 Plutonium-making reactor is shut down by AP.
      Moscow - Russia closed down the second of its three remaining plutonium-producing reactors, part of a effort by Moscow and Washington to shutter the Cold War-era facilities that produce material for nuclear weapons.    They plan to do the last reactor by 2010.
• 6/6/2008 Defense Budget - U.S. is spending trillions of dollars to fight terrorists by AP.
      Why is the U.S. military spending trillions on the development of high-tech weapons systems that lost their purpose with the collapse of the Soviet Union two decades ago?    This is more for a ragtag band of terrorists than it spent at the height of the Cold War, the Korean and Vietnam wars.    The Pentagon's budget for 2008 was $625 billion with other budget expenditures at $100 billion.    The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program at $300 billion, the Virginia-class submarines at $2.5 billion each, and the F-22 Raptor jet fighters at $65 billion.    Since Bush's first year he had doubled these high-tech weapons from $790 billion to $1.6 trillion which would have to be justified for an emerging threat, but not for terrorism.    Now who could that new global enemy be?
• 6/7/2008 Oil's meteoric rise sinks stocks by AP.
      Oil traded as high as $139 without any reason and the Dow Jones lost nearly 400 points.    Gas prices have risen to as high as $4.16 a gallon in some areas.
• 6/7/2008 Wildfires on both coasts by AP.
      Lebec, Calif. - A wildfire threatened about 50 homes in Southern California 60 miles northwest of Los Angeles, and on the East Coast, North Carolina's governor declared a state of emergency as a massive wildfire at a U.S. wildlife refuge surged.    At the same time strong storms smashed houses, deluged neighborhoods, toppled trees and left thousands without power across the Midwest in Iowa, Minnesota and Missouri.
• 6/8/2008 Oil producers are urged to raise output by AP.
      Aomori, Japan - The U.S., China, Japan, India and South Korea urged oil producers to increase their output to counter soaring prices threatening the world economy, to prevent political and economic instability.    OPEC said they would do nothing until a Sept 9 meeting in Vienna, with production levels now at 85 million barrels a day.
• 6/9/2008 Strong earthquake hits Greece; 2 dead by AP.
      Athens, Greece - A 6.5 magnitude earthquake struck southwestern Greece with minimal loss of life.
• 6/14/2008 Irish voters reject EU reform treaty by AP.
      Dublin, Ireland - Ireland's voters have rejected the EU reform treaty, a blueprint for modernizing the 27-nation bloc that cannot become law without Irish approval.    The Irish do not want EU chiefs to change core policies such as its low business tax rates, its military neutrality and its ban on abortion.
• 6/15/2008 G-8: Oil nations must raise output by AP.
      Osaka, Japan - Finanace ministers from the Group of Eight industralized nations urged oil producers to boost output to help stabilize record-high oil and food prices, calling the situation a serious threat to global economic growth.    The fundamental factor driving oil prices is the imbalance between high global demand and supply contraints, along with speculative trading in oil markets is pushing up prices.    Oil prices have jumped fivefold since 2002 and want to see more investment in oil exploration and production.    There has not been an increase in production capacity in oil for the last 10 years.    Saudi Arabia is set to raise production by about 500,000 barrels per day, pushing them up to 10 million barrels a day.    France, Germany and Italy placed the blame on speculators, but in general no one has a full understanding on what is actually happening.    On the 16th Saudi Arabia announced plans to increase its oil production by 200,000 barrels a day next month to help restore prices to appropriate levels, in fear that it may slacken the world's appetite for oil.
• 6/15/2008 Iran rejects new offer, won't stop nuclear plan by AP.
      Paris - Iran rejected a six-nation offer of incentives to stop enriching uranium, prompting Bush and Sarkozy to warn Tehran again that a nuclear-armed Iran is incredibly destabilizing as a blow to world peace.
• 6/16/2008 Sudan asks for more troops in Darfur by AP.
      Cairo, Egypt - Sudan's defense minister asked Egypt to commit more troops to his country's troubled region.
• 6/16/2008 Death toll climbs to 9 in 7.2-magnitude quake by AP.
      Kurihara, Japan - The 7.2-magnitude earthquake rocked northern Japan, with more than 470 aftershocks recorded since the quake hit.
• 6/17/2008 Brown sides with U.S. om Iran, Afghanistan by AP.
      London - British Prime Minister Gordon Brown gave visiting Bush good news a modest increase in troops on two fronts as an effort to squeeze Iran's nuclear ambitions.    The EU agreed to sharpen sanctions on Iran by targeting the oil and gas sectors which would hit their economic base
• 6/17/2008 Rice welcomes sharing of power with Hezbollah by AP.
      Beirut, Lebanon - Rice said she welcomes a new power-sharing arrangement in Lebanon even though it increased the power of Hezbollah at the expense of U.S.-backed moderates, but hopes that Iran influence will not be a bitter pill to the country.
• 6/19/2008 Bush pushes Congress on offshore fuel by AP.
      Washington - With gas at $4 a gallon, Bush urged Congress to lift its 27-year ban on offshore oil and gas drilling, to increase energy production, with the presidential elections just months away.
• 6/21/2008 Mideast unease boosts oil prices by AP.
      New York - Oil futures rebounded on concern about Middle East stability and a growing doubt that China will be able to curb the nation's appetite for fuel by pushing prices higher.    Crude had reached a new trading record of $140.
• 6/22/2008 Signs pointing toward N. Korea breakthrough by AP.
      Washington - Rice heads to Asia amid signs of a breakthrough in efforts to get North Korea to abandon nuclear weapons and bring a formal end to the Korean War.
• 6/22/2008 U.N. official warns against attack on Iran by AP.
      Dubai, United Arab Emirates - The U.N. nuclear watchdog chief warned that any military strike on Iran could turn the Mideast into a ball of fire and lead the country to a more aggressive stance, after recent Israeli military exercises meant to show Israel's ability to hit Iran's nuclear sites.
• 6/22/2008 Battle looms over U.S. role in Iraq, region by AP.
      Baghdad - The decisive battle of the Iraq war is shaping up in the halls of government, where the future of America's role across the region is on the line.    It is about deals allowing U.S. forces to remain on bases in Iraq once the U.N. mandate expires at year's end at a time when Iran's influence is growing.
• 6/22/2008 Bush: Democrats blocking energy plans by AP.
      Washington - Bush says Democrats in Congress are blocking his energy proposals and are partly to blame for high gasoline costs, and wants them to lift its ban on offshore oil and gas drilling, which could yield up to 18 billion barrels over time, but years for production to start.    Saudi Arabia said it will produce more crude this year if the market needs it, but it may be too little too late.
• 6/24/2008 EU to freeze assets of Iran's largest bank by AP.
      Paris - The EU approved new sanctions against Iran by freezing the assets of its largest bank, hoping that it will stop their foot-dragging to curtail its nuclear program and negotiate.
• 6/25/2008 President says nation near self-destruction by AP.
      Beirut, Lebanon - The Lebanese president warned that the country's divisions (17 religious sects and 12 armed groups) have pushed it to the verge of self-destruction -- sounding an alarm to the rival factions amid renewed sectarian fighting.
• 6/27/2008 Dow plummets 358 on wave of bad news by AP.
      New York - Oil at another record high $140, banks battered with credit losses, home prices tumbling further and automakers struggling sent the stocks tumbling by rattled investors.
• 6/28/2008 N. Korea likely to push for more rewards by AP.
      Seoul, South Korea - It took years to coddle the North to curtail making atomic weapons, and destruction of its nuclear reactor cooling tower.    They will seek more rewards before it disarms further, and play countries against each other.
• 6/29/2008 Smoke threatens Californian's health - More than 1,000 fires burning by AP.
      Sacramento, Calif. - Hundreds of lightning-sparked over 1,000 wildfires have turned the air of Northern California into an unhealthy stew of smoke and ash.    On July 6th the 1,400 wildfires stretched firefighters thin and to exhaustion burning more than 800 square miles, destroying 67 homes and still 330 of them are still not controlled.
• 6/30/2008 Giant Saudi field key to boosting oil by AP.
      Khurais Oil Field, Saudi Arabia - This massaive oil field of 27 billion barrels surrounded by the desolate sands of Saudi Arabia's vast eastern desert is in the middle of nowhere is their last undeveloped giant oil field and may determine what drivers pay at the pump for years to come.    The cost of $10 billion to build which could pump 1.2 million barrels of oil per day by next June, bringing a total of 12.5 million barrels per day by the end of 2009.
• 7/1/2008 Bush signs $162 billion funding package for wars by AP.
      Washington - Bush signed legislation to pay for the war operations in Iraq and Afghanistan for the rest of his term, totalling $650 billion for Iraq and $200 billion for Afghanistan.
• 7/1/2008 Iraq opens bidding on oil, gas fields by AP.
      Baghdad - Iraq opened bidding for eight oil and gas fields for investors at a time when oil hit $143 a barrel.
• 7/4/2008 Job losses pass 430,000 for year by AP.
      The nation lost jobs for the sixth month in a row in June, in June employers cut 62,000 jobs, thus total losses at 438,000 this year.
• 7/5/2008 Asteroid apathy by AP.
      Pasadena, Calif. - A group of scientists and a member of Congress tried to draw attention to their belief that the U.S. is not doing enough to defend the planet against the dangers posed by near-Earth objects.    They claim we not prepared to prevent the massive death and destruction that would occur if an object from space hit the Earth especially from the ones that we have not identified.    The budget for such projects are in danger.
• 7/9/2008 Iraq presses U.S. on timeline for withdrawal by AP.
      Baghdad - Iraqi officials stepped up pressure on the U.S. to agree to a specific timeline to withdraw American forces, before the new U.S. presidental elections.    The U.N. mandate expires Dec. 31, and Iraq wants a full withdrawal five years after they take the lead on security nationwide.    Bush opposeds a timeline.
• 7/9/2008 Treaty OK'd on missile warning system by AP.
      Prague, Czech Republic - The U.S. and leaders of the Czech Republic agreed to place a radar system in the former Soviet satellite that would warn of long-range missiles coming to Europe from the Middle East.
• 7/10/2008 Iran missile test sends message to U.S., Israel by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - Iran test-fired nine missiles, including one capable of hitting Israel, as a show of force against attacks and aimed to send a message.    Tehran has threatened also to block oil traffic in the Hormuz strait which 40 percent of the world's crude oil passes if a conflict breaks out.    On the 11th Rice said the U.S. will not back down in the face of threats against Israel.
• 7/11/2008 Bush signs new wiretap law by AP.
      Washington - Bush signed a bill that overhauls rules about government eavesdropping and grants immunity to companies that helped the U.S. spy on Americans in suspected terrorism cases, which he calls vital to the security of our people.    The battle pits privacy and civil liberties concerns against the desire to prevent terrorist attacks, prompting the ACLU to challenge the new law in court.
• 7/18/2008 House rejects bill to boost oil production by AP.
      Washington - The House failed to pass a Democratic bill aimed at boosting oil production on existing federal leases in Alaska, other states and offshore areas.
• 7/20/2008 Iran spurns U.S. effort to jumpstart nuclear talks by AP.
      Geneva - A U.S. attempt to sit down with Iran at nuclear talks fizzled, as Iran stonewalled the six world powers, forcing them to give Iran two weeks before a new round of sanctions take effect.    On the 25th Iran said it will no longer cooperate with U.N. experts probing their nuclear weapons work.
• 7/23/2008 Chavez: Russia alliance protection from U.S. by AP.
      Barvikha, Russia - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, in Moscow to pursue weapons and energy deals, and called for a strategic alliance with Russia to protect his nation from America.
• 7/26/2008 Crude oil drop sinks in at pump by AP.
      Crude oil dropped to $123 a barrel mainly because of less demand.
• 7/27/2008 U.S. now winning war in Iraq that seemed lost by AP.
      Baghdad - The U.S. is now winning the war that two years ago seemed lost, as now they are on a phase of a fragile peace, training of Iraqi troops and forming an legitimate government and economy.    On August 1st Bush hinted at Iraq troop cuts but set no time frame, but will probably just result in sending more troops to Afghanistan
• 7/27/2008 Iran says it has 6,000 centrifuges to enrich uranium by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - Iran's president said his country possesses 6,000 centrifuges, double of what it previously claimed, and will probably face a fourth round of sanctions since they now have the platform for a full industrial-scale program to enrich material for dozens of nuclear weapons.
• 7/27/2008 Rice running out of time to secure Bush legacy by AP.
  
• 7/30/2008 Failure of trade talks hits world economy by AP.
      After coming close to a historic trade deal, World Trade Organization talks collapsed in a dismaying blow to seven years of efforts to open up the global economy.    Once promised as a recipe for lifting millions of people out of poverty, the talks left no new trade openings for farmers and manufacturers, no global economic boost and no grand deal for Third World development.    The U.S, Europe and other powers grappled with the magnitude of their failure to reach a new global trade pact, and exchanged blame for the collapse of several years of talks.
• 8/2/2008 India, U.S. closer to nuclear agreement by AP.
      Vienna, Austria - India and the U.S. moved closer to a landmark nuclear deal following approval of an inspection plan for the IAEA, leading to the sale of nuclear fuel and technology to India as late as 2014.
• 8/5/2008 Putin calls for restored presence in Cuba by AP.
      Moscow - Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is calling for Russia to regain its influential position in former Cold War ally Cuba, a country just 90 miles from the U.S. in response to plans to place missile-defense elements in Poland and the Czech Republic.
• 8/6/2008 Dow soars 331; oil sinks by AP.
      The Dow Jones industrial average shot up 330 points due to the Fed unchanged and another drop in oil prices to as low as $118 a barrel, lowering gas to $3.68 a gallon.    On the 9th crude oil fell to $115 a barrel just in time for Labor Day.
• 8/10/2008 Bush ups criticism of China on rights by AP.
      Beijing - Bush is stepping up his public criticism of China's human rights practices and will attend a service at a government-sanctioned Protestant church where he will make another plea for religious freedom while he is in China.
• 8/10/2008 Georgia says it's 'in state of war' as Russia attacks by AP.
      Outside Tskhinvali, Georgia - Russia and small, U.S.-allied Georgia headed toward a wider war as Russian tanks rumbled into the contested province of South Ossetia and Russian aircraft bombed a Georgian town, escalating a conflict that already has left hundreds dead.    Georgia's Foreign Minister said the country was in a state of war.    Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Moscow sent troops into South Ossetta to force Georgia into a cease-fire and prevent Georgia from retaking control of its breakaway region, who have lost the right to rule the province.    Georgia's president called the invasion an annihilation of a democracy on their borders, and Bush asked for an immediate halt of violence from Beijing.    On the 12th Russia escalates battles on land and sea in intense fighting in its own backyard.    On the 14th Russian troops defy truce in Georgia, and the 15th Russia vows to keep Georgian provinces, and the U.S. warns the Kremlin of a long-term rift.    On the 16th the Georgia president signs accord with Russia, and Rice said Russia must withdraw troops immediately.    On the 17th Russian troops dig in despite deal on Georgia.    On the 18th Russia said its pullout will start today from Georgia but will stay in the breakaway region.    On the 19th Russian forces are slow to leave Georgia, and Rice said NATO will not let Russia gets its way in Georgia and would punish it for undermining their democracy.    On the 20th NATO halted formal contact with Russia.    On the 22nd Russia military digs in but still promises Georgia pullout.    On the 24th Russia aims to hold key Georgian port city on the Black Sea.    On the 26th Russian lawmakers urged the Kremlin to recognize the independence of two separatist Georgian regions.
• 8/12/2008 Jordan's king extends hand to Iraq by AP.
      Baghdad - Jordan's King abdullah II held talks with Iraq's prime minister after coming to Baghdad unannounced.
• 8/13/2008 Lebanese lawmakers OK unity Cabinet by AP.
      Beirut, Lebanon - Parliament approved a national unity Cabinet that gives Iranian-backed Hezbollah a more powerful say in how the country is run.    On the 14th Syria and Lebanon agree to esablish full diplomatic relations.    On the 15th both parties discuss defining border to recognize Lebanon's sovereignty.    On the 23rd Lebanon's Cabinet approved ties with Syria and opening an embassy in Damascus.
• 8/15/2008 Poland, U.S. agree on missile defense plan by AP.
      Warsaw, Poland - Poland and the U.S. reached an agreement to place 10 bases of American missile interceptors in Poland, in exchange to augment Poland's defenses with Patriot missiles.    This was spurred by Russia's attack into Georgia.    On the 16th Russia warned Poland that it is exposing itself to attack - even a nuclear one.    On the 17th Eastern Europe began seeking protection from Russia and tightened security alliances with the West.    On the 21 U.S. and Poland signed a deal to place a U.S. missile defense base just 115 miles from Russia for a guarantee of safety.
• 8/15/2008 U.S., Libya settle suits, clear way for relations by AP.
      Tripoli, Libya - Libya and the U.S. settled all outstanding lawsuits by American victims of terrorism, clearing the way for the full restoration of diplomatic relations.
• 8/16/2008 Oil, gold prices decline as dollar strengthens by AP.
      Oil fell to $111 a barrel after the dollar muscled higher and OPEC predicted that the world's thirst for fuel next year will fall to its lowest point since 2002.    High energy costs have forced countries to cut back on consumption which will take oil back below $100.
• 8/17/2008 S. Koreans protest imports of U.S. beef by AP.
      Seoul, South Korea - Police arrested demonstrators opposing the resumption of U.S. beef imports over concerns of mad cow disease.    South Korea is the third largest overseas market for U.S. beef until it was banned.
• 8/18/2008 African leaders back deal in Zimbabwe by AP.
      Johannesburg, South Africa - Zimbabwean negotiators have the basis for a power-sharing agreement to resolve their political differences and turn their attention to their nation's economic crisis, after discussions at the Southern Africa Development Community summit.
• 8/19/2008 Musharraf resigns as support fades by AP.
      Islamabad, Pakistan - President Musharraf resigned avoiding a power struggle with rivals and a political crisis in a nuclear-armed nation after nine years as a ally of the U.S.    On the 20th the ruling alliance started to crack in Pakistan by not tackling growing extremist violence and an economic downturn.    On the 24th Pakistan's ruling coalition teetered on the brink of collapse as they squabbled over a successor for the president.On the 26th Pakistan's rulling alliancde collapses.
• 8/22/2008 Nations debate nuclear mateial sales to India by AP.
      Vienna, Austria - A group of nations that export nuclear material debated whether to give India access to nuclear fuel and technology and regarding a U.S.-India deal lifting a ban on such sales.    On the 23rd the 45-nation Nuclear group delayed voting on sales to India.    On 9/7/09 the World group approved the India-U.S. nuclear deal for a country who has not signed the global nonproliferation accords.
• 8/22/2008 U.S., Iraq close deal to pull out American troops by AP.
      Baghdad - Iraq and the U.S. pushed close to a deal for troops to pullout by next June and a broader withdrawal by 2011.    On the 26th the Iraqi leader insists on a pullout date.
• 8/22/2008 Crude hits $121 a barrel; stock markets end the day mixed by AP.
      Weeks of escalating tensions with Russia stoked fears of supply disruption to the West raising the price to $121 a barrel.    On the 24th Bush blamed Congress for the high cost of gasoline and renewed his push for expanding offshore drilling.
• 8/27/2008 North Korea stops disabling nuclear site by AP.
      Seoul, South Korea - North Korea said it had stopped disabling its nuclear complex and will consider restoring the plutonium-producing facility.
• 8/28/2008 Western nations, Russia swap warnings by AP.
      Tbilisi, Georgia - Western leaders warned Russia to change course, to keep a conflict from turning into a new Cold War.    Moscow blames NATO expansion and Western support for Georgia causing the new divisions and condemned the U.S. for using military ships to deliver humanitarian aid to Georgia.    The seven nations that along with Russia make up the G-8, have all along really been just the G-7 due to Russia's estrangement from the West.    On the 29th China and several Central Asian nations rebuffed Russia's hopes of international support for its actions in Georgia.
• 8/30/2008 4,000 centrifuges operating, official say by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - Iran has increased the number of operating centrifuges at its uranium enrichment plant to 4,000.
• 9/2/2008 Ukraine fears it could be Russia's next target by AP.
      Kiev, Ukraine - With Russian troops stationed deep in Georgia, putting fear in Ukraine that they may be the next target of a Kremlin drive to reclaim dominance in the lands of the former Soviet Union.    Russia relies on Ukraine for transporting its natural gas to European consumers.    On 9/5/09 VP Cheney offered U.S. support for Georgia's bid to join NATO.
• 9/1/2008 Evacuation hits 1.9 million in Lousiana by AP.
      New Orleans - An evacuation of 1.9 million people from the Lousiana coast as people fled as another Hurricane storm was set to crash ashore today.
• 9/7/2008 Russia ready to use its might by AP.
      Moscow - President Medvedev declared that Russia is a nation to be reckoned with following its war with Georgia, again putting the West on notice that Moscow is prepared to use its military and economic might, and a new era of Russian assertiveness.    On the 16th Diplomats from every NATO nation demanded immediate Russian withdrawal from Georgia showing support from U.S. allies.
• 9/7/2008 Bhutto's widower to lead Pakistan by AP.
      Islamabad, Pakistan - Benazir Bhutto's widower Asif Ali Zardari swept presidential elections, offering hope and stability to a nuclear-armed country and pressure from the U.S. to crack down on Islamic militants.
• 9/8/2008 U.S. seizes Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae by AP.
      Washington - The Bush administration's seizure of troubled mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac is potentially a $200 billion bet that will help reverse a prolonged housing and credit crisis.    Critics claim it may not be enough to stabilize the slumping housing market given the glut of vacant homes for sale, rising foreclosures, rising unemployment and weak consumer confidence.    The government owns them now at taxpayers expense but failing to do nothing would be more devastating.    On the 16th it was reported that the U.S. financial system is on a tightrope starting a panic attack holding the entire world economy hostage by consumer spending and a possibility of a depression.    The credit crisis claimed two more Wall Street names, Lehman Brothers and Merrill Lynch, which could threaten more firms and the Dow Jones plummeted 504 points.    American International Group was also looking to raise cash for $60 billion in bad debt to stay afloat, whose failure could be worse than the above mentioned.    The domino effect begins.
      On the 17th the Fed agrees to rescue struggling insurer AIG with a $85 billion emergency loan to stave off bankruptcy.
      On the 18th Dow dives another 450 points as fears grow over economy led by AIG, Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs.
      On the 20th to stave off financial catastrophe the Bush administration proposed a radical bailout plan of taking over a half-trillion dollars in worthless mortgages and other bad debt, which relieved investors and the DOW rose 368 points even with government intervention and risks to taxpayers.
      On the 21st Bush defends $700 billion cost of bailout, saying taxpayers will get their money back.
• 9/9/2008 Russia to send ships, planes to Venezuela by AP.
      Caracas, Venezuela - Russia's plan to deploy ships and warplanes for military exercises with Venezuela allows Chavez to exploit tensions between Moscow and the U.S.    On the 12th Putin defends Russia's war in Georgia and they have no wish to encroach on the sovereignty of former Soviet republics.    The U.S. Navy is keeping an eye on Russian bombers that have landed in Venezuela.    On the 13th U.S. issues sanctions on Venezuela for aiding Columbian rebels.    On the 19th Venezuela and Russia strengthened their strategic alliance with new plans to cooperate on oil production and weapons.    On the 26th Putin vowed to make relations with Latin America a top foreign policy priority, and greeted Chavez on his trip to Russia.
• 9/10/2008 Lawmakers back EU pre-membership deal by AP.
      Belgrade, Serbia - Lawmakers approved a pre-membership Stabilization and Association accord with the European Union and a key oil and gas agreement with Russia, which shows that Serbia wants to be part of Europe.
• 9/16/2008 U.N. nuclear watchdog says Iran blocking arms inquiry by AP.
      Vienna, Austria - Iran has blocked a U.N. investigation into allegations it tried to make nuclear arms and the inquiry is now deadlocked, the IAEA said.    On the 23rd the head of the IAEA warned that Iran is hiding some nuclear activities, thus stonewalling his investigation.
• 9/16/2008 Oil settles below $100 despite Ike by AP.
      New York - Oil prices closed below $100 a barrel for the first time in six months due to the U.S. economy and another dramatic sell-off and Hurricane Ike had less damage than predicted.    On the 17th crude oil dips below $92 a barrel amid turbalance on Wall Street and price at the pump went below $4 a gallon.
• 9/17/2008 House grows heated in oil-drilling debate by AP.
      Washington - The House voted to end the longtime ban on oil drilling in Atlantic and Pacific waters allowing it 50 miles from shore almost everywhere depending on the state agreements.    Beyond 100 miles no state approval is required.
• 9/18/2008 Russia signs treaties with Georgian provinces by AP.
      Moscow - Russia cemented its ties with Georgia's two breakaway provinces by signing friendship treaties envisaging close economic and military cooperation.    On the 20th the Russian president said that NATO and Bush will not set the course isolating Moscow behind a new Iron Curtain and provoking Russia.    On the 21st Putin said Russia will decide troop placement in defiance of calls by Georgia, EU and the U.S. for a withdrawal.
• 9/19/2008 Transformer failure disables atom smasher by AP.
      Geneva - The world's largest particle collider malfunctioned within hours of its launch due to a transformer failure.    Well at least it did not start a chain reaction as some thought and destroy the world.    On the 21st it was determined the smasher will be out of commission for at least two months because of a helium leak.
• 9/20/2008 U.S. urges North Korea not to restart its reactor by AP.
      Washington - The U.S. urged North Korea not to continue a restart of its nuclear reactor to keep relations with the world and not be isolated.    The North claimed they are doing this because the U.S. failed on its obligations.    On the 25 N. Korea bars inspectors from plutonium plant.
• 9/21/2008 Bush pushes trade deal with Columbia by AP.
      Washington - Bush and the Columbian president renewed their push for Congress to approve a free-trade deal in a continued effort to open up our markets.    Congress has delayed votes on deals with Columbia, Panama and South Korea until Bush resolves the impact on U.S. jobs.
• 9/23/2008 Oil soars on bailout unease by AP.
      New York - Oil prices spiked more than $25 a barrel settling at $120 as traders rushed to cover their positions.
• 9/23/2008 Eu determined to send peacekeepers by Oct. 1 by AP.
      Tbilisi, Georgia - The EU military observers will be deployed by an Oct. 1 deadline despite Moscow's insistence they will not be allowed into two breakaway regions occupied by Russian troops, even though they have 10 days to withdraw its forces.    Georgian president vows more democracy.
• 9/23/2008 Africa fears economic woes will worsen aid by AP.
      United Nations - The 53-nation African Union leaders warned that a lingering global financial crisis, coupled with the collapse of talks on a world trade agreement, could harm the U.N. campaign to improve life for hundreds of millions of the world's poorest.
• 9/24/2008 Iran leader: U.S. 'empire' falling by AP.
      United Nations - Iran's president addressed the U.N. declaring that the American empire is nearing collapse and should end its military involvement in other countries.    On the 27th Russia and the U.S. agree on U.N. resolution on Iran.
• 9/24/2008 Senate passes huge tax-break package by AP.
      Washington - The Senate passed a giant tax package that saves more than 20 million taxpayers from the bite of the alternative minimum tax, at a cost of more than $100 billion.    On the 26th the Senate unveiled a $56 billion plan to stimulate the economy, to extend unemployment benefits and help states pay for Medicaid, then the $630 billion-plus for the Pentagon, and $25 billion for automakers and $23 billion for flood victims.
• 9/25/2008 Bush: 'Entire economy in danger' by AP.
      Washington - Bush warned that failure to pass a $700 billion financial rescue plan could wipe out retirement savings, increase foreclosures, cost jobs and close businesses.    He invited the presidential candidates to a White House meeting to work on a comprimise, and both accepted.
• 9/26/2008 Astronauts begin flight to include spacewalk by AP.
      Jiuquan, China - China launched a three man crew into space, with the intent of their first spacewalk.    On the 28th China celebrated their nations first spacewalk and promoting the mastery of the technology, and further their goal to build a space station to challenge U.S. and Russia in off-world exploration.    On the 29th the three astronauts return to Earth.
• 9/27/2008 Russia announces plan for military build-up by AP.
      Moscow - Russia must modernize its armed forces and upgrade its nuclear deterrent, in part by building a new air and space defense network, president Medvedev announced the production of warships, nuclear-powered submarines armed with cruise missiles.
• 9/28/2008 House approves nuclear pact with India by AP.
      Washington - The House voted to approve a pact to allow the U.S. to provide nuclear materials to India, but it still has to go through the Senate, which may not happen before Bush leaves office in January.    France, Russia and other countries have already eyed India's multi-billion-dollar nuclear market.
• 9/28/2008 U.N. reaffirms sanctions as Iran continues nuclear efforts by AP.
      United Nations - The U.N. Security Council approved a new resolution reaffirming previous sanctions on Iran.
• 10/1/2008 Ambassador says Russia is boosting Bolivia ties by AP.
      La Paz, Bolivia - Boliva's plan to purchase five Russian civil defense helicopters as a step in deppening ties between the two countries as Russia looks to expand its role across Latin America, and promoting to the U.S. that Latin America is not their backyard.
• 10/2/2008 U.S. envoy to offer new proposal to N. Korea by AP.
      Seoul, South Korea - Washington's top nuclear neogotiator went to North Korea with a face-saving proposal to persuade the Stalinist regime to honor a nuclear disarmament deal.    On the 4th the envoy did not stop the communist nation from restoring its nuclear facilities.
• 10/2/2008 Eight EU countries offer maritime security force by AP.
      Deauville, France - Eight EU countries offered to create a maritime security force to fight piracy off Somalia.
• 10/2/2008 EU monitors Georgia patrols by AP.
      Karaleti, Georgia - EU monitors began patrolling Georgian territory, even in the buffer zone.
• 10/2/2008 General: Need for troops is urgent by AP.
      Washington - The U.S. and its allies need troops ASAP to Afghanistan according to American commander saying the fighting could worsen before it gets better.
• 10/4/2008 House vote, Bush signs to cap 2 weeks of tumult by AP.
      Washington - With the economy on the brink of a meltdown and elections looming, a reluctant Congress changed course and approved a historic $700 billion government bailout of the financial industry.
• 10/5/2008 Al-Qaida: Financial crisis Muslim victory by AP.
      Cairo, Egypt - An American al-Qaida member said the U.S. economic crisis is proof that the enemies of Islam face defeat, and urged Pakastanis to unite against U.S. forces.
• 10/5/2008 Israel: N. Korea deals arms in Mideast by AP.
      Vienna, Austria - Israel accused North Korea of covertly supplying at least half a dozen Mideast nations such as Iran, Syria and Libya with nuclear technology or convential arms to the IAEA.    At a U.N. nuclear conference criticized Israel for refusing to put its atomic program under international purview.
• 10/6/2008 Rice defends courting of oil-rich country by AP.
      Astana, Kazakhstan - U.S. efforts to build closer ties to this energy rich former Soviet republic are not meant to undermine Russian influence in Central Asia, Rice said.
• 10/7/2008 Arab League's envoy arrives in Iraq by AP.
      Baghdad - The Arab League dispatched an ambassador to Baghdad, the latest sign of progress in the Iraqi and U.S. effort to ease Iraq's diplomatic isolation.
• 10/8/2008 Budget deficit hits $438 billion by AP.
      Washington - The federal budget deficit hit a new record in the 2008 budget year at $438 billion and will increase next year from the financial crisis that taps a $700 billion Treasury fund to buy toxic mortgage-related securities.
• 10/9/2008 Oil prices hit lowest level of the year by AP.
      Oil prices dropped to $89 per barrel.
• 10/9/2008 Bush signs India nuclear bill by AP.
      Washington - Bush signed legislation allowing American businesses to enter India's multibillion-dollar nuclear market, to sell nuclear fuel, technology and reactors.    On the 11th the U.S. and India signed an accord which hopes to be a new strategic relationship with a friendly democracy bordering China and Pakistan.
• 10/9/2008 Stocks fall despite interest-rate cuts by AP.
      Washington - Wall Street trying to make up its mind about interest-rate cut by central banks around the world, and it plunged again.    The Federal Reserve trying to jump-start the lending that keeps the U.S. economy moving, dropped its rate from 2 percent to 1.5 percent.    Central banks in England, China, Canada, Sweden and Switzerland also cut rates.    The Dow Jones lost 189 points, or 2 percent even after six days of losses.    The Dow has shed more than a third of its value.    The U.S. Dow down 10%, Britain FTSE-100 down 12%, Germany DAX 14%, France CAC-40 14%, Japan Nikkei 223 lost 16%, and the Hong Cong Hang Seng loss 13%.
• 10/11/2008 Oil prices below $78, cheapest in 13 months by AP.
      The collapse in oil markets accelerated sending crude plunging below $78 a barrel as investors grew more pessimistic about the global economic crisis, the cheapest in 13 months, pushing gas back below $3 a gallon.    Wall Street went on a wild ride with the Dow down 18%, Britain FTSE-100 down 21%, Germany DAX 21.6%, France CAC-40 22.2%, Japan Nikkei 225 lost 24.3%, and the Hong Cong Hang Seng loss 16.3%.    On the 12th officials from 20 major countries endorsed a coordinated approach to the financial crisis without announcing any concrete steps to slow the spread to the broader economy.
• 10/12/2008 What caused the 'Panic of 2008' by AP.
      We are in a downward spiral of panic in which liquidity-starved financial institutions dump assets, weaking themselves and others, reducing their ability to lend thus undermining asset prices, there by damaging asset quality.    The stock markets continue to fall and the subprime mortage crisis has spread abroad.
• 10/12/2008 Russia claim missile hit target in Pacific by AP.
      Moscow - Russian officials say a submarine-launched ballistic missile has made a record flight, hitting a target 7,100 miles away in the Pacific Ocean for the first time.
• 10/12/2008 U.S. removes N. Korea from terrorism blacklist by AP.
      Washington - U.S. erased N. Korea from a terrorism blacklist rewarding them for bad behavior in order to salvage a disarmament accord before Bush leaves office and new negotiations, as they agreed to resume disabling its main plutonium facility.
• 10/14/2008 Bush expected to use bailout funds to buy U.S. bank stock by AP.
      Wall street stormed back after its worst week ever with a 936-point gain because the European governments would put nearly $2 trillion on the line to protect their banks and Bush asked others to work out a plan to get loans moving again.    Bush plans on using $250 billion to purchase stock in U.S. banks and the FDIC will provide insurance for loans between banks.    On the 15th that allowed key lending rates to improve but make take months or years before lending returns to healthier levels.    So now the bailout money is exchange for partial ownership putting capitalism and free markets in the banking business.    On the 16th the Dow fell 733 points because retailers reported the steepest drop in sales in three years due to Americans spending less and manufacturing is slowing.    Also crude oil settled below $75 a barrel making OPEC to reduce its demand forecast.    On the 17th investors began to flee stock funds.    On the 18th Pakistan's new leaders are scrambling for foreign cash up to $10 billion to ward off a possible economic meltdown and contain soaring vilence by Islamic fundamentalists as the rest of the world deals with their own financial crisis.
• 10/15/2008 Syria recognizes Lebanon officially by AP.
      Damascus, Syria - Syria formally recognizaed Lebanon for the first time by establishing dipolamtic relations, to meet a U.S. demand to do more for regional stability.    Both countries gained independence from France in the 1940's, and in the 70's Syria sent its army into Lebanon and retained control there for nearly 30 years, until a 2005.
• 10/18/2008 Japan, Austria, Turkey join Security Council by AP.
  
• 10/19/2008 Elections might end missile shield plans by AP.
      Prague, Czech Republic - The main opposition Social Democratic Party made huge gains in regional elections which may imperil plans to put part of a U.S. missile shield in the nation.
• 10/19/2008 China makes energy deal with Pakistan by AP.
      Islamabad, Pakistan - Pakistan said China will help build two more nuclear power plants in the energy starved Muslim nation.
• 10/19/2008 Economic crisis felt in Russia by AP.
      Moscow - After a decade of economic expansion Russia is seeing foundering banks and idled workers, may have to scaleback its ambition on the world political stage.
• 10/19/2008 Bush plans summit on global financial crisis by AP.
      Washington - Bush announced plans to hold a series of emergency summits of leaders from the world's top economies to map out a reponse to the global financial crisis, urging a renewed effort to secure the basis of "democratic capitalism."    This is as important as the 1944 landmark meeting in Bretton Woods, N.H., attended by 44 Allied nations to remake the global financial system after the Great Depression.    That meeting was devoted to monetary policy and setting up an international currency exchange system.    This new summit is to overhaul the regulatory framework for global finance.    Its aim is to revise the rules that govern the flow of investment around the world and improve oversight of big banks, rating aencies and hedge funds, but not at the expense of free markets.
• 10/22/2008 OPEC'S tightrope by AP.
      OPEC may risk becoming too aggressive with production cuts could cause prices to spike, choking off demand, which could backfire making the price to fall even further.    OPEC wants to cut production to keep the price above $80 a barrel, but supply and demand puts it at $55 a barrel.
• 10/22/2008 Russia, Iran, Qatar discuss forming natural gas cartel by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - Russia, Iran and Qatar took steps toward forming an OPEC-style, cartel for natural gas, which is unnerved energy importing nations in Europe and the U.S.
• 10/22/2008 Indian craft on trip to map moon by AP.
      New Delphi - Scientists have better maps of distantL Mars than the moon, but India hopes to change that with its first lunar mission, to map the moon with three-dimensional technology and scanning for mineral deposits.    On Nov. 15th their lunar probe landed on the moon.
• 10/22/2008 Gap between rich, poor growing by AP.
      Paris - Economic equality is growing in the world's richest countries, particularly in the U.S., jeopardizing the American dream of social mobility just as the world tilts toward recession according to a 30-nation report.    The gap between rich and poor has widened over the last 20 years in nearly all the countries studied, even as trade and technological advances have spurred rapid growth in their economies.    With job losses and home foreclosures on the rise policy makers must act fast to prevent a surge in populist and protectionist sentiment as was seen after the Great Depression.
• 10/24/2008 Economic crisis has Greenspan in shock by AP.
      Washington - Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, who stepped down in 2006, denied the nation's economic crisis was his fault but conceded that the meltdown revealed a flaw in a lifetime of economic thinking leaving him in a state of shocked disbelief.
• 10/25/2008 Oil drops despite OPEC action by AP.
      Crude prices tumbled as OPEC announced a huge production cut in an attempt to halt the declines, settling at $63 a barrel.
• 10/25/2008 U.N.: East Congo fighting displaces 200,000 in 8 weeks by AP.
      Geneva - Fighting in eastern Congo has driven 200,000 from their homes in the last eight weeks, aggravating a dire humanitarian crisis , the World Food Program said.    Between 1.4 million and 2 million people have been displaced since 2007 where warlord fighters battle with militia groups and the army.
• 10/25/2008 Bush supports having Albania, Croatia in NATO by AP.
      Washington - Bush signed papers to formally declare U.S. support of NATO memebership for Albania and Croatia, former Soviet block countries, who both helped other young democracies build and strengthen free socieities.    Bush also would like to see the day when Macedonia, Ukraine, Georgia, Montenegro and Bosnia-Herzegovina attain membership.
• 10/27/2008 U.S. wrestling with implications of its declining nuclear arsenal by AP.
      Washington - The U.S. arsenal of neclear weapons is declining in power and purpose and the handling of them has eroded, affecting our national security, which is to make any other nations think twice about developing or using even a crude nuclear device of its own.    New staffs coming into the executive branches seem to be against building new nuclear weapons and want to do away with them.
• 10/31/2008 Iraq wants U.S. troops gone in 2011 by AP.
      Baghdad - Iraq wants to eliminate any chance U.S. forces will stay here after 2011 under a proposed security pact and to expand Iraqi legal jurisdiction over U.S. troops until then, which is a diplomatic blow to Washington.
• 10/31/2008 Intel report says Iran eyes secret nuclear tests by AP.
      Vienna, Austria - Iran recently tested ways of recovering highly enriched uranium from waste reactor fuel in a covert bid to expand its nuclear program an intelligence by the IAEA, from Iranian sourses within Iran.
• 11/1/2008 U.N. endorses drafting of arms-control treaty by AP.
      New York - 147 of the 192 nations of the U.N. General Assembly endorsed the idea of a treaty regulating the global arms trade, despite opposition from the U.S.
• 11/1/2008 Gadhafi in Russia seeking arms deals by AP.
      Moscow - Libyan leader Gadhafi in his first visit to Russia hoped to clinch a series of major arms deals as a sign of ties between Cold War allies, offering navy access to their ports.    On the 2nd also talked about plans for a natural-gas cartel, involving Algeria, Iran and Qatar.    On the 5th Gadhafi went to Ukraine for arms and energy deals.
• 11/2/2008 Military planning for new threats by AP.
      Washington - The military bracing for the first wartime presidential transition in 40 years, is preparing for a crisis during the handover period, including attacks by al-Qaida and destabilizing developments in Iraq or Afghanistan.
• 11/3/2008 Brown: Gulf states will help in bailout by AP.
      Doha, Qatar - British PM Brown said he believed that oil-rich Gulf states would be willing to help bailout countries stricken by the global credit crisis, and pledge hundreds of billions to the IMF.
• 11/4/2008 U.S. planning to borrow $550 billion by AP.
      The federal government, raising cash to pay for the array of financial rescue packages and plans to borrow $550 billion in the last three months of this year and that's just a down payment.    Also the government will need to borrow $368 billion more in the first three months of 2009, giving the new president an ocean of red ink.    With the $168 billion in stimlus check earlier this year, it would total at $2.6 trillion.
• 11/6/2008 Russia vows to deploy missiles by AP.
      Moscow - Russia will deploy short-range missiles near Poland to counter U.S. military plans in Eastern Europe, President Medvedev said.    He blamed Washington for the war in Georgia and the world financial crisis.    He also proposed increasing the Russian presidental term to six years.    On the 7th Russia's constitution will be amended by the year's end to extend the term to six years, the first change since its adoption in 1993.
• 11/6/2008 Bush seeks financial action plan by AP.
      Washington - Bush hopes that world leaders at a summit in Washington next week will adopt an action plan for some short-term steps to deal with the current financial crisis.    On the 12th the 20 nations and world leaders of the group of Eight are heading for a clash at the summit, as Europeans are looking for tighter universal banking regulations.    On the 14th Bush defends U.S.-style free enterprise (capitalism) as the cure for the world's financial chaos, not the cause, and warned against crushing global growth with restrictive new rules.    On the 15th they are looking for ways to prevent dangerous investing that led to the present chaos, and create proposals for a solution.    On the 16th world leaders vowed to cooperate more closely and red-flag problems on the interconnected financial architecture.
• 11/6/2008 Barack Obama the new president by AP.
      Washington - A day after becoming the first African American elected U.S. president, Barack Obama was out of public view to plan for the transfer of power when he assumes office Jan. 20.    On the 8th he made his first public appearance with no plans to do anything until he is sworn in.
• 11/10/2008 China OKs $586 billion stimulus plan by AP.
      Beijing - China unveiled a $586 billion stimulus package in its biggest move to inoculate the world's fourth-largest economy against the global financial crisis.
• 11/11/2008 Uranium found at Syrian site by AP.
      Vienna, Austria - Samples taken from a Syrian site bombed by Israel on suspicion it was a covert nuclear reactor contained traces of uranium combined with other elements.    On the 20th U.N. nuclear inspectors confirmed accounts of a secret atomic program in the Syrian desert, but did not declare the facility as a nuclear reactor since the site had been sanitized before they were allowed to visit.    On the 22nd Syria ruled out new visits by U.N. inspectors.    On the 25th the U.S. opposes nuclear aid for Syria.
• 11/13/2008 Crude settles just above $56 by AP.
      Oil prices traded below $56 a barrel as gloomy results from retailers and a dismal outlook from automakers provided indications that the U.S. and the rest of the world will slash energy use.    Gasoline prices went down to around $1.89 a gallon.    On the 18th oil went below $56 toware the $50 range and Wall Street finishes dow 223 points on recession worries.
• 11/13/2008 Iran tests missile that could reach Europe by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - Iran said it successfully test-fired a new generation of long-range surface-to-surface missile that could strike as far away as southeastern Europe and Israel with great precision.
• 11/14/2008 Banks: Bailout money is going for loans by AP.
      Washington - Some of the nation's largest banks sharing in the $700 billion bailout tried to assure lawmakers they are using the money to make more loans and help homeowners to avoid forclosure and not on salaries and bonuses.
• 11/22/2008 Economic strife pressures Asia, Americas leaders by AP.
      Lima, Peru - The 21 leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum pushed forth a declaration at the Group of 20 summit to prevent new barriers to trade to protect world economies to reduce global trade barriers, which the WTO tried to do seven years ago.    This will be delayed until the new U.S. president comes into office, but hopes are that the financial crisis can be resolved in 18 months in mid-2010.
• 11/26/2008 Programs take aim at tight credit by AP.
      Washington - Bush and the Fed pledged $800 billion to blast through blockades on credit cards, auto loans, mortgages and other borrowing, making the total bailout cost near $7 trillion.
• 11/30/2008 After record profits, big drop shakes steel by AP.
      Pittsburgh - Steel makers are facing dwindling orders, production cuts, layoffs after riding high for most of the year, due to slowdown in construction, automobiles and industrial equipment, sending prices tumbling and forcing production cuts.
• 11/30/2008 Saudi king says oil should be $75 a barrel by AP.
      Cairo, Egypt - Saudi Arabia's king says the price of oil should be $75 a barrel, but no measures will likely be taken until OPEC meets again next month, but presently is at $54 a barrel.    The claim is that prices need to rise to guarantee investment in the oil sector, and countries like Venezuela and Iran need crude at $90 to meet spending needs.    Other countries are afraid to make cuts because it may implement more cuts.    On Dec. 2nd oil prices dropped below $50 a barrel because manufacturing and consumer spending has eroded and cut demand for energy, and gasoline prices averaged $1.69 a gallon.    On Dec. 4th oil prices settled at $47 a barrel.    On Dec. 7th as oil prices settled at $41 a barrel, OPEC will most likely have steep cuts in oil output.
• 12/1/2008 Particle collider repair to cost $21 million by AP.
  
• 12/2/2008 Study predicts biological or nuclear attack by 2013 by AP.
      Washington - The U.S. can expect a terrorist attack using nuclear or biological weapons before 2013 according to a commision in a study.
• 12/2/2008 Obama names his national security team by AP.
      Obama's national security team was introduced, Hillary Clinton - Secretary of State, Robert Gates - Secretary of Defense, Eric Holder - Attorney General, Janet Napolitano - Secretary of Homeland Security, James Jones - National Security Adviser, and Susan Rice - Ambassador to the United Nations.
• 12/2/2008 Recession declared; stocks plummet by AP.
      Most Americans knew it already, but now its official: The country has been in a recession for a year and its getting worse.    Wall Street convulsed and the Dow fell nearly 680 points, and the Federal Reserve plans to lower interest rates, so going into the holidays will affect retailers and make factories cutback on production.    On the 6th an alarming half-million American jobs vanished last month, the worst mass layoff since the Great Depression, and a record number of homeowners were reported behind on mortgage payments or in foreclosures, and the DOW rose 259 point.    And lets not forget to thank Bush for his announcement on the 7th that the Iraq war is on its way to being won.    On the 13th Bush said it would step in to prevent the collapse of the U.S. auto industry and the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs after bailout legislation failed.
• 12/11/2008 Russia wants arms control talks with U.S. by AP.
      Moscow - Russia's top military officer called for new arms control talks with the U.S. mainly to engage Obama's administration to negotiate a new treaty to replace the 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty.
• 12/13/2008 UN report: Rwanda and Congo fighting proxy war by AP.
      United Nations - The U.N. Security Council panel said that Rwanda and Congo are fighting a proxy war by aiding each other's enemies, which could lead to additional U.N. sanctions over the conflict in central Africa.    They also are using child soldiers and promoting illegal trade in minerals to make money.
• 12/13/2008 Riots in Greece mark 7th day by AP.
      Athens, Greece - Protesters took to the streets of Athens for the last seven days to pressure the government, pelting riot police with rocks and firebombs, and demonstrators in France and Germany showed support for them, all about the widening gap between rich and poor where the minimum monthly wage is $850.
• 12/17/2008 OPEC may cut output 2 million barrels a day by AP.
      Oran, Algeria - OPEC had already lowered oil off the market in September, trying to stop crude's slide.    Oil fell to $44 a barrel and gas as low as $1.65 per gallon.    OPEC has persuaded Russia, not a member, to coordinate production cuts with the 13-nation group, which they were prepared to do, and thus a major reduction was planned.    On the 20th Abundant supply of oil sends crude under $34 a barrel, and the government pledged to lend up to $17.4 billion to U.S. automakers, which Bush ordered ro be used immediately to bailout General Motors and Chrysler.    On the 23rd Oil prices tumbled to $40 a barrel and gasoline was at $1.62 a gallon, the lowest it has been since 2004.
• 12/20/2008 Paulson to ask for rest of bailout by AP.
      Washington - Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson asked Congress to release the last half of the $700 billion rescue fund because the first $350 billion has been committed.    It will be used to support financial market stability.
• 12/23/2008 Russia to add 70 nuclear missiles by AP.
      Moscow - The Russian military will commission 70 strategic missiles over the next three years to rearm its forces and maintain the nation's nuclear deterrent at a cost of $141 billion from oil money made in the past years.    On the 24th Russia's new sea-based ballistic missile has failed in a test launch for the fifth time, signaling trouble with the nation's nuclear forces after years of underfunding and a lack of testing.
  
      As you have read in the year 2008 is that the world leaders are:
  
      The U.S. is considered missiles in East Europe, which has upset the Russians, and this year leaders of the Czech Republic agreed to place a radar system in the former Soviet satellite that would warn of long-range missiles coming to Europe from the Middle East.    Also Poland and the U.S. reached an agreement to place 10 bases of American missile interceptors in Poland, in exchange to augment Poland's defenses with Patriot missiles.
  
      As Iran starts work on uranium enrichment a nuclear watchdog said Iran is defying a U.N. Security Council ban on uranium enrichment, which may force a third round of sanctions against Iran.    The IAEA report said Iran started the development of new-generation centrifuges, and work on heavy-water facilities.    Iran rejected a six-nation offer of incentives to stop enriching uranium, prompting Bush and Sarkozy to warn Tehran again that a nuclear-armed Iran is incredibly destabilizing as a blow to world peace.    Iran's president said his country possesses 6,000 centrifuges, double of what it previously claimed, and will probably face a fourth round of sanctions since they now have the platform for a full industrial-scale program to enrich material for dozens of nuclear weapons.
      Iran's nine Russian supplied missiles were test-fired, including one capable of hitting Israel, as a show of force against attacks and aimed to send a message.    Tehran has threatened also to block oil traffic in the Hormuz strait which 40 percent of the world's crude oil passes if a conflict breaks out.    The U.S. said it will not back down in the face of threats against Israel.
  
      This year the Russian decided to modernize its military weapons and make pacts with other countries.
      Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, went to Moscow to pursue weapons and energy deals, and called for a strategic alliance with Russia to protect his nation from America.
      Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is calling for Russia to regain its influential position in former Cold War ally Cuba, a country just 90 miles from the U.S. in response to plans to place missile-defense elements in Poland and the Czech Republic.
      Putin accused the U.S. of trying to dominate global affairs:
  Dmitry Medvedev, the man Putin hand-picked to be his successor, scored a crushing victory in Russia's presidential election, raising questions about who will run the country.     President Medvedev declared that Russia is a nation to be reckoned with following its war with Georgia, again putting the West on notice that Moscow is prepared to use its military and economic might, and a new era of Russian assertiveness.
      Russia must modernize its armed forces and upgrade its nuclear deterrent, in part by building a new air and space defense network, president Medvedev announced the production of warships, nuclear-powered submarines armed with cruise missiles.
      Russia, Iran and Qatar took steps toward forming an OPEC-style, cartel for natural gas, which is unnerved energy importing nations in Europe and the U.S.
  
      As to the push for democracy on the world and U.S. aid for democratic governments:
      President Bush announced the sale of sophisticated weapons to Saudi Arabia and King Abdullah, to bolster defenses against threats from Iran and muster support for a Mideast peace agreement.    Also they hold the world's largest oil reserves which is straining the U.S. economy.    The Saudi's got sophisticated or smart-bomb technology about 900 of the precision-guided bomb kits, worth $123 million, and some in Congress feared may be used against Israel.    They also got Patriot missiles, with future sales heading up to $20 billion.
      Bush signed papers to formally declare U.S. support of NATO memebership for Albania and Croatia, former Soviet block countries, who both helped other young democracies build and strengthen free socieities.    Bush also would like to see the day when Macedonia, Ukraine, Georgia, Montenegro and Bosnia-Herzegovina attain membership.
  
      Oil consumption story.
      Oil prices ended 2007 near $96 a barrel and it contined to rise to $100 a barrel on demand and geopolitical instability, pushing gas prices above $3 a gallon and raising heating, food and everything else.    Crude-oil prices hit $100 a barrel for the first time amid a view that global demand for oil and petroleum products will outstrip supplies.    Oil futures shot higher as concerns about supply disruptions overshadowed the cooling economy, and Venezuela's threats to cut off oil sales to the U.S.    Oil futures closed above $100 as investors bet the prices will climb despite evidence of plentiful supplies and falling demand, and gasoline was well above $3 a gallon.    There was no single factor behind the jump, but an explosion at a 67,000-barrel-per-day refinery in Texas, and that OPEC may cut production, the threat of new violence in Nigeria, and continuing tension between the U.S. and Venezuela, the burden of high heating costs and falling real estate values, the weakness of the dollar attracting new investors to the futures market.    OPEC's 13 nation cartel, accused the U.S. of economic mismanagement that it said is pushing oil prices to record highs and rebuffed calls to boost output.    Oil prices surged for the first time past $104 a barrel, then climbed above $108 and $3.56 per gallon, and then setting a record $112 per barrel, caused by reginal refinery problems.    Then it jumped as high as $114 a barrel, blamed on the drop of Russian oil production, which pushed prices to $3.70 a gallon and crude oil broke another record near $120, which is sure to cause higher costs for basic groceries.    Oil's rise to near $120 a barrel an economic bubble with growing demand and tighter supplies keeping the prices high.    Surely a burst will come when investors realize the assets are overvalued.    Americans began changing driving habits and oil prices rose to a record $127 a barrel pushing gas prices to $3.99 a gallon.
      Oil traded as high as $139 without any reason and the Dow Jones lost nearly 400 points, and gas prices have risen to as high as $4.16 a gallon in some areas.    The U.S., China, Japan, India and South Korea urged oil producers to increase their output to counter soaring prices threatening the world economy, to prevent political and economic instability.    OPEC said they would do nothing until a Sept 9th meeting in Vienna, with production levels now at 85 million barrels a day.    Finanace ministers from the Group of Eight industralized nations urged oil producers to boost output to help stabilize record-high oil and food prices, calling the situation a serious threat to global economic growth.    The fundamental factor driving oil prices is the imbalance between high global demand and supply contraints, along with speculative trading in oil markets is pushing up prices.
      Oil futures rebounded on concern about Middle East stability and a growing doubt that China will be able to curb the nation's appetite for fuel by pushing prices higher.
      Then crude reached a new trading record of $140, banks battered with credit losses, home prices tumbling further and automakers struggling sent the stocks tumbling by rattled investors.    Iraq opened bidding for eight oil and gas fields for investors at a time when oil hit $143 a barrel.
      In July crude oil dropped to $123 a barrel mainly because of less demand.    The Dow Jones industrial average shot up 330 points due to the Fed unchanged and another drop in oil prices to as low as $118 a barrel, lowering gas to $3.68 a gallon.    It continued to fall to $115 a barrel just in time for Labor Day.
      Oil fell to $111 a barrel after the dollar muscled higher and OPEC predicted that the world's thirst for fuel next year will fall to its lowest point since 2002.    High energy costs have forced countries to cut back on consumption which will take oil back below $100.    Weeks of escalating tensions with Russia stoked fears of supply disruption to the West raising the price to $121 a barrel.
      Oil prices closed below $100 a barrel for the first time in six months due to the U.S. economy and another dramatic sell-off and Hurricane Ike had less damage than predicted.
      The crude oil dips below $92 a barrel amid turbalance on Wall Street and price at the pump went below $4 a gallon, but prices spiked more than $25 a barrel settling at $120 as traders rushed to cover their positions.
      By October oil prices dropped to $89 per barrel, and prices tumbled as OPEC announced a huge production cut in an attempt to halt the declines, settling at $63 a barrel.
      Oil prices traded below $56 a barrel as gloomy results from retailers and a dismal outlook from automakers provided indications that the U.S. and the rest of the world will slash energy use.    Gasoline prices went down to around $1.89 a gallon, then to $50 range and Wall Street finishes dow 223 points on recession worries.
      Saudi Arabia's king says the price of oil should be $75 a barrel, but no measures will likely be taken until OPEC meets again next month, but presently is at $54 a barrel.    The claim is that prices need to rise to guarantee investment in the oil sector, and countries like Venezuela and Iran need crude at $90 to meet spending needs.    Other countries are afraid to make cuts because it may implement more cuts.    On Dec. 2nd oil prices dropped below $50 a barrel because manufacturing and consumer spending has eroded and cut demand for energy, and gasoline prices averaged $1.69 a gallon.    On Dec. 4th oil prices settled at $47 a barrel.    On Dec. 7th as oil prices settled at $41 a barrel, OPEC will most likely have steep cuts in oil output.
      OPEC had already lowered oil off the market in September, trying to stop crude's slide.    Oil fell to $44 a barrel and gas as low as $1.65 per gallon.    OPEC has persuaded Russia, not a member, to coordinate production cuts with the 13-nation group, which they were prepared to do, and thus a major reduction was planned.    On the 20th Abundant supply of oil sends crude under $34 a barrel, and the government pledged to lend up to $17.4 billion to U.S. automakers, which Bush ordered to be used immediately to bailout General Motors and Chrysler.    On the 23rd Oil prices tumbled to $40 a barrel and gasoline was at $1.62 a gallon, the lowest it has been since 2004.
  
      Wars.
      Supported by air power, Turkish troops crossed into northern Iraq in their first major ground incursion against Kurdish rebel bases against the PKK rebel group in nearly a decade.
      Bush defended the Iraq war in a sixth year of combat in a long and costly conflict, and conceded it has been harder and more expensive than anticipated but is necessary to keep America safe.    Almost 4,000 U.S. military personnel have died, and 29,000 wounded, at a cost of $500 billion and counting.
      Georgia's president urged the EU to help protect his nation's territorial integrity in Abkhazia and south Ossetia, which he said is being threatened by Russia.    Georgia says it's 'in a state of war' as Russia attacks.
      Since Bush's first year he had doubled these high-tech weapons from $790 billion to $1.6 trillion which would have to be justified for an emerging threat, but not for terrorism.    Now who could that new global enemy be?
      Bush signed legislation to pay for the war operations in Iraq and Afghanistan for the rest of his term, totalling $650 billion for Iraq and $200 billion for Afghanistan.
  
      The United Nations peacekeeping missions did nothing to stop anything.
  
      The United States began showing some signs of financial catastrophe.
      The White House and Congress raced toward emergency steps to rescue the national economy from a possible recession, including tax rebates of $300 or more, but this failed to soothe Wall Street as the Dow plunged 307 points deepening the county's economic health.    Fears have mounted due to a severe housing slump and a painful credit crisis causing people to stop spending and businesses not hiring.    Dow falls 315, oil tops $103, dollar hits new euro low, gold nears $1000, as investors were unnerved by disappointing quarterly results from AIG and Dell, nothing but negative news.    The nation has lost 232,000 jobs in just three months, and employers cut 80,000 jobs in March, a sign that the economy is in reverse.    The head of the IMF said that if food prices remain high, it will cause more social unrest due to shortages, and malnutrition.    Germany wants greater regulation of the global biofuels market to keep its expansion from driving up food prices.    One critic blamed the rich countries for the food crisis who encouraged biofuel production, which is responsible for almost half the increase in the demand for food crops.    With inflation climbing into double digits in Bangladesh and food prices soaring around the world, people are spending as much as 80 percent of their pay just to put food on the table.    The World Bank said that it was speeding up its aid to an international effort to overcome the global food crisis by providing an extra $1.2 billion in grants and loans.    The Red Cross warned of a possible surge in "food-related violence" because of soaring prices that are increasing hunger around the world, and has already happened in Haiti, Egypt and Somalia, and the situation is worsening in Sudan's Darfur region and Yemen.
      The nation lost jobs for the sixth month in a row in June, as employers cut 62,000 jobs, thus total losses at 438,000 this year.    The Bush administration's seizure of troubled mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac is potentially a $200 billion bet that will help reverse a prolonged housing and credit crisis.    Critics claim it may not be enough to stabilize the slumping housing market given the glut of vacant homes for sale, rising foreclosures, rising unemployment and weak consumer confidence.    The government owns them now at taxpayers expense but failing to do nothing would be more devastating.    Then it was reported that the U.S. financial system is on a tightrope starting a panic attack holding the entire world economy hostage by consumer spending and a possibility of a depression.    The credit crisis claimed two more Wall Street names, Lehman Brothers and Merrill Lynch, which could threaten more firms and the Dow Jones plummeted 504 points.    American International Group was also looking to raise cash for $60 billion in bad debt to stay afloat, whose failure could be worse than the above mentioned.    The domino effect begins.
      The Fed agrees to rescue struggling insurer AIG with a $85 billion emergency loan to stave off bankruptcy.    The Dow dives another 450 points as fears grow over economy led by AIG, Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs.    To stave off financial catastrophe the Bush administration proposed a radical bailout plan of taking over a half-trillion dollars in worthless mortgages and other bad debt, which relieved investors and the DOW rose 368 points even with government intervention and risks to taxpayers.    Then Bush defends $700 billion cost of bailout, saying taxpayers will get their money back.
      Bush warned that failure to pass a $700 billion financial rescue plan could wipe out retirement savings, increase foreclosures, cost jobs and close businesses.    He invited the presidential candidates to a White House meeting to work on a comprimise, and both accepted.
      With the economy on the brink of a meltdown and elections looming, a reluctant Congress changed course and approved a historic $700 billion government bailout of the financial industry.
      By November the collapse in oil markets accelerated sending crude plunging below $78 a barrel as investors grew more pessimistic about the global economic crisis, the cheapest in 13 months, pushing gas back below $3 a gallon.    Wall Street went on a wild ride with the Dow down 18%, Britain FTSE-100 down 21%, Germany DAX 21.6%, France CAC-40 22.2%, Japan Nikkei 225 lost 24.3%, and the Hong Cong Hang Seng loss 16.3%.    Officials from 20 major countries endorsed a coordinated approach to the financial crisis without announcing any concrete steps to slow the spread to the broader economy.
      Wall street stormed back after its worst week ever with a 936-point gain because the European governments would put nearly $2 trillion on the line to protect their banks and Bush asked others to work out a plan to get loans moving again.    Bush plans on using $250 billion to purchase stock in U.S. banks and the FDIC will provide insurance for loans between banks.    That allowed key lending rates to improve but make take months or years before lending returns to healthier levels.    So now the bailout money is exchange for partial ownership putting capitalism and free markets in the banking business.    Then the Dow fell 733 points because retailers reported the steepest drop in sales in three years due to Americans spending less and manufacturing is slowing.    Also crude oil settled below $75 a barrel making OPEC to reduce its demand forecast.    The investors began to flee stock funds.    Pakistan's new leaders are scrambling for foreign cash up to $10 billion to ward off a possible economic meltdown and contain soaring vilence by Islamic fundamentalists as the rest of the world deals with their own financial crisis.
      Economic equality is growing in the world's richest countries, particularly in the U.S., jeopardizing the American dream of social mobility just as the world tilts toward recession according to a 30-nation report.    The gap between rich and poor has widened over the last 20 years in nearly all the countries studied, even as trade and technological advances have spurred rapid growth in their economies.
      The federal government, raising cash to pay for the array of financial rescue packages and plans to borrow $550 billion in the last three months of this year and that's just a down payment.    Also the government will need to borrow $368 billion more in the first three months of 2009, giving the new president an ocean of red ink.    With the $168 billion in stimlus check earlier this year, it would total at $2.6 trillion.
      Bush and the Fed pledged $800 billion to blast through blockades on credit cards, auto loans, mortgages and other borrowing, making the total bailout cost near $7 trillion.
      Most Americans knew it already, but now its official: The country has been in a recession for a year and its getting worse.    Wall Street convulsed and the Dow fell nearly 680 points, and the Federal Reserve plans to lower interest rates, so going into the holidays will affect retailers and make factories cutback on production.    An alarming half-million American jobs vanished last month, the worst mass layoff since the Great Depression, and a record number of homeowners were reported behind on mortgage payments or in foreclosures, and the DOW rose 259 point.    And lets not forget to thank Bush for his announcement that the Iraq war is on its way to being won, then Bush said it would step in to prevent the collapse of the U.S. auto industry and the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs after bailout legislation failed.
  
      North Korea misses deadline to declare all its nuclear programs to receive aid for disarmament.    North Korea wants promised energy aid and removal from U.S. terrorism and sanctions blacklist before it will provide a complete declaration of its nuclear programs, which is the reason they slowed the removal of fuel rods.
  
      Nuclear technology trade.
      Concerns about global warming and rocketing oil prices are making nuclear power fashionable, in countries like Britain, China, India, Argentina, Brazil, South Africa, Vietnam, Thailand, Egypt, Turkey, Germany, Sweden and the U.S., even amid all the concerns of the past with the 1986 meltdown of the Chernobyl reactor, a fire at a German reactor in 2006, a Japan issue with nuclear reactor cracks five years ago, a Bulgarian emergency shutdown in 2006, the meltdown at Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania in 1979, and the overall storage of radioactive waste.
      Bush signed legislation allowing American businesses to enter India's multibillion-dollar nuclear market, to sell nuclear fuel, technology and reactors, after the U.S. and India signed an accord which hopes to be a new strategic relationship with a friendly democracy bordering China and Pakistan.
      Pakistan said China will help build two more nuclear power plants in the energy starved Muslim nation.
  
      Events in 2008 rearding the European Union 27 nations.
      Ireland's voters have rejected the EU reform treaty, a blueprint for modernizing the 27-nation bloc that cannot become law without Irish approval.    The Irish do not want EU chiefs to change core policies such as its low business tax rates, its military neutrality and its ban on abortion.
  
      The free-trade agreement.
      Trade officials for the U.S. and South Korea joined host UPS in a pep rally for free-trade agreements with South Korea, Columbia and Panama that are pending in the U.S. House.    Expanding global trade is vital to the American economy and growth.
      A new South American union was born as leaders of the region's 12 nations set out to create a continental parliament.    The new Union of South American Nations, known as Unasur, as a regional version of the European Union.
      Bush and the Columbian president renewed their push for Congress to approve a free-trade deal in a continued effort to open up our markets.    Congress has delayed votes on deals with Columbia, Panama and South Korea until Bush resolves the impact on U.S. jobs.
  
      There seemed to be an excessive amount of fires, storms and earthquakes this year.
      More than 10,000 people were killed in a cyclone that unleashed 12-foot tidal surges and 120-mph high winds that swept away homes in coastal regions.
      A wildfire threatened about 50 homes in Southern California 60 miles northwest of Los Angeles, and on the East Coast, North Carolina's governor declared a state of emergency as a massive wildfire at a U.S. wildlife refuge surged.    At the same time strong storms smashed houses, deluged neighborhoods, toppled trees and left thousands without power across the Midwest in Iowa, Minnesota and Missouri.
      A 7.9-magnitude earthquake toppled schools, chemical factories and other buildings in central China, killing about 80,000 people and trapping untold numbers.
      A 6.5 magnitude earthquake struck southwestern Greece with minimal loss of life.
      The 7.2-magnitude earthquake rocked northern Japan, with more than 470 aftershocks recorded since the quake hit.
  
      China, Japan and India have all joined in the Asian space race.
  
  The year 2009.
  
  
• 1/1/2009 Dow fell 33.8 percent; market lost $6.9 trillion by AP.
      New York - The final trading day of 2008 on Wall Street provided a merciful end to an abysmal year - the worst since the Great Depression, wiping out $6.9 trillion in stock-market wealth.    Six years of stock gains disappeared as the economy crumbled and global markets crashed, shaking the confidence of professional and individual investors alike.    Credit markets that drive lending became paralyzed, plunging the country further into recession and touching off an unprecedented rush for the safety of Treasury bills, notes and bonds.    Commodities markets soared on speculative buying and then collapsed when it became clear the world economy was in trouble and record high prices, including oil's peak above $147 a barrel, were unjustified.
• 1/1/2009 Russia plans to cut gas supplies to Ukraine by AP.
      Moscow - Russia's state gas monopoly claimed that the Ukraine siphoned of gas for its own use and said it would cut all natural-gas supplies to Ukraine after the two sides failed to agree on how much Ukraine would pay in 2009.    On the 8th in Sofia, Bulgaria the Balkans shiver as Russia cuts gas supplies in the coldest months, who depends on 92 percent of its gas from the Ukraine.    On the 9th in Brussels, Belgium, the E.U. said that gas supplies should restart after it struck a deal with Russia.    On the 13th in Kiev, Ukraine Russia resumed gas shipments to the Ukraine, which also affected 14 other nations, the dispute and lawsuits continue.
• 1/1/2009 Oil spikes $5 as year ends by AP.
      Crude oil prices jumped 14 percent on New Years Eve to settle at $44.60 a barrel on low trading volumes, then on the 3rd to $46.34 a barrel, and on the 8th it tumbled 12 percent to $42.63, due to the fact that demand for gasoline appears to have waned with close to 2 million people losing jobs in the U.S. over the last year.    On the 13th as the Dow drops 125 oil prices tumble to $37.59 a barrel.    On the 15th oil prices fall to $37.28 a barrel.
• 1/8/2009 Job losses likely to worsen by AP.
      America suffered a net loss of 2.4 million jobs last year, and 2009 is off to a rough start as major companies are already announcing big layoffs, making the employment picture to remain grim this year.    It is expected that the number of newly laid-off people signing up for state unemployment insurance last week rose to 540,000, up from 492,000 the previous week.    The Dow Jones lost more than 245 points.    The unemployment rate is expected to jump from 6.7 percent in November to 7 percent in December.
• 1/12/2009 Group: Democracy declined in '08 by AP.
      Washington - Freedom was on the retreat last year, especially in sub-saharan Africa and the former Soviet Union, a democracy watchdog organization reports.    Improvements in South Asia came from Pakistan.    Of 193 countries only 89 were free, representing 46 percent of the global population, with Senegal no longer a member of the free club.
• 1/16/2009 Last Ethiopian troops leave Somalia's capital by AP.
      Mogadishu, Somalia - The last Ethiopian troops left Somalia's capital after a two-year deployment and Islamist militiamen of the Al-Shabab terrorist organization took control of the bases, fueling fears they could try to expand their power.
• 1/16/2009 Medvedev remarks may be sign of rift with Putin by AP.
      Moscow - Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev has twice rebuked the government led by his predecessor Vladmir Putin in the past couple of weeks, with a rift developing between the two, mostly over Putin's government not doing enough to help industry and business cope with the global financial crisis, which hit Russia hard.
• 1/16/2009 Bailout funds to be released by AP.
      Washington - Congress laid the foundation for President Barack Obama's economic recovery plan clearing the way for a new infusion of $350 billion in bailout cash for the financial industry, with job creation as its main goal, with various tax cuts totaling $825 billion.   
• 1/18/2009 U.S. scholar says North Korea claims plutonium 'weaponized' by Los Angeles Times.
      Beijing - North Korean officials claim they have "weaponized" their stockpile 67.8 pounds of plutonium, a U.S. scholar Selig Harison said, in a development that could complicate talks to end the regime's nuclear weapons program.
• 1/20/2009 Holiday trades send oil under $35 a barrel by AP.
      Oil prices fell below $35 ($34.63) a barrel and gas averaged $1.87 per gallon and global political events have been cited for the cause, along with the easing of the Israel-Gaza conflict and the resolution of the Russia-Ukraine dispute.    On the 22nd oil prices jumped 6 percent to settle at $43.55 a barrel.
• 1/21/2009 A new direction by AP.
      In a time of peace and prosperity, the inauguration of Barack Hussein Obama as the 44th president of the U.S. some consider this a momentous, historic breakthrough considering the civil right issues just 60 years ago.    But his concerns are crisis and loss of confidence across the land, 11 million unemployed, trillions of dollars lost in plunging investment markets, and two distant and ferocious wars, which he claimed would require embracing change.    On the 22nd his first day in the oval office he showcased efforts to revive the economy, summoned military leaders to the White House to chart a new course.
• 1/23/2009 Obama promises Mideast activism by AP.
      Washington - Obama pledge to outline a policy in the Middle East peace between Israel and the Palestinians and warned that difficult days lie ahead in Afghanistan.    On the national level the U.S. regulatory structure policing the financial sector is outdated, federal oversight of medical products and toxic chemicals is obsolete due to waste, fraud, abuse and mismanagement.    On the 25th Obama pushes recovery plan in an address with a stimulus package that would cost at least $820 billion and warning that the nation's economy would become worse without it.    He claimed that this is critical to jump-starting the economy.    MORE OF THE SAME.
• 1/31/2009 Delivering basic supples to vast area is challenge by The Courier-Journal.
      Frankfort, Ky. - State and federal emergency officials are scrambling to address an ice storm which left hundreds of thousands of Kentuckians without water, power or fuel.    The cost of the storm damage in Western Kenetucky alon, the worst-hit area of the state, is expected to top $10 million, and 1,600 National Guard members are racing to deliver supplies.    I was in this storm, so I missed about a week of news worldwide.    It took 12 days for the power to be restored to my neighborhood, and finding a restaurant to eat at was very difficult.    We had to cook on gas stoves and collect snow to melt to flush our commodes.    The environment was very dangerous for a few days as trees were falling from the weight of the ice, no cell phones worked, we used kerosene laterns and heaters to stay warm.    My wife packed up the children and went to Atlanta during this, I stayed to work at KSP.    It was a crisis, but I am proud to say that as an area we did not have looting, or any deaths, except for a man fixing electrical lines, churches helped out as well as neighbors.
      On the 2nd the 4,600 National Guard started clearing debris so utility crews could reach remote areas and going house to house.    Utility crews from surrounding states came to help.    There were 24 deaths in the total ice storm.    On 2/6 Obama called the area a major disaster leaving more than 700,000 homes and businesses without power.
• 1/31/2009 Alaskans taking steps for possible eruption by AP.
      Anchorage, Alaska - Anchorage-area residents stocked up on protective eye-wear and masks ahead of a possible eruption of Mount Redoubt Volcano, where scientists warned that it was imminent.
• 2/3/2009 GOP proposes more tax cuts, mortgage relief by AP.
      Washington - Senate Republicans circulated a sweeping plan to drive down the cost of mortgages by expanding the federal government's role in the industry, as debate opened on an economic stimulus bill at the top of President Obama's agenda.
• 2/4/2009 Iran launches satellite using own rocket technology by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - After a decade, Iran sent its first domestically made satellite into orbit, the president announced, a key step for an ambitious space program that worries the U.S. and other world powers because the rocket technology can also deliver warheads.    Although the technology they worry about is at the level of the Sputnik's launched in 1957 in the Soviet Union.    President Ahmadinejad needed a perk in upcoming elections to stay in power as a symbol of national pride as fallen oil prices batter his economy and popularity, and can advance despite U.S. and U.N. sanctions.
• 2/5/2009 Bill would end nuclear power moratorium by The Courier-Journal.
      Frankfort, Ky. - A Senate committee passed a bill 13 to rescind a 1984 state law that could open the door to construction of nuclear power plants in Kentucky, and was pushed by Sen. Bob Leeper, a Paducah independent.    It will not occur until a long-term storage option is found.
• 2/5/2009 Obama puts cap on executives' pay by AP.
      Washington - President Obama imposed a $500,000 pay cap for senior executives of the most distressed financial institutions getting federal bailout money so they could not be rewarded for failure at taxpayer's expense.    This is government intervention into corporate America as a first step before next weeek framework for spending the rest of the $700 billion financial industry bailout.    Wall Street firms paid more than $18 billion in bonuses in 2008 even amid the economic downturn.
• 2/6/2009 New jobless claims jump to 626,000 by AP.
      New jobless claims jumped far more than expected in an already dismal labor market, and many retailers disclosed sharply lower January sales.    At 626,000 up from the previous weeks figures of 591,000, due to layoffs by companies including Caterpillar, Pfizer, Estee Lauder and Microsoft, as the unemployment rate rose to 7.5 percent in January, up from 7.2 percent in December, the highest rate in 17 years.    The housing slump and financial crisis has sent the economy into a recession that may continue until at least the second half of this year.
• 2/6/2009 France seeks control of 2 NATO posts; one in U.S. by AP.
      Paris - France is in talks to take control of two NATO command posts, including one in the U.S. that has never been led by a foreign commander.
• 2/6/2009 Senate GOP fails to cut stimulus bill by AP.
      Washington - Senate moderates worked to cut billions of dollars from economic stimilus legislation in hopes of clearing its passage as the government spit out grim new jobless figures and Obama warned of more bad news ahead, and it was time for action now with the $920 billion price tag for his recovery program with no common ground with Republicans.
• 2/6/2009 Missouri River bed drops, posing threat by AP.
      Kansas City, Mo. - The Missouri River is sinking, and engineers are trying to find out why and what it may damage.    Parts of the nation's longest river are losing elevation, a "degradation" process, meaning the river bottom is washing away from southeast Nebraska to St. Louis.    The river bed has dropped by about 12 feet over the last 50 years.    It happens to other rivers in the U.S. but the Missouri River ships many agricultural products and provides drinking water to many cities.    The cause was probably man-made dams, levees, and dikes.
• 2/7/2009 598,000 jobs lost in January by AP.
      The nation lost nearly 600,000 jobs last month and the unemployment rate rose to 7.6 percent spurred by a vicious cycle of cutbacks by consumers that forced ever more layoffs by employers.    Some 3.6 million jobs have disappeared so far in a deepening recession and raising pressure on Obama and Congress to agree quickly on a huge economic stimulus plan, which made Wall Street push positive as stocks went higher.    Economist predict 2 million to 3 million jobs will disappear this year and unemployment rate will climb to 10 percent or higher by the spring of 2010.
• 2/8/2009 35 die in Australia's worst wildfires since 1983 by AP.
      Sydney - Walls of flame roared across southeastern Australia, razing scores of homes, forests and farmland in the sun-burned country's worst wildfire disaster in a quarter-century, killing at least 35 people.    Trees were exploding and skies raining ash as temperatures hit a record 117 degrees and, with raging winds, created perfect conditions for uncontrollable blazes, fueled by the worst drought in a century.    On the 9th the death toll had reached 108 and 750 homes destroyed in Victoria state.    On the 11th the death toll had reached 170, and has left 5,000 people homeless, and burned 1,100 square miles of land from the 60 mph winds and 100 foot flames.    On the 11th the death toll reached 200.
• 2/8/2009 Updating electricity network a priority by USA Today.
      Alternative energy is taking it on the chin this recession, with solar and wind developers canceling projects and laying off workers, but the electricity grid is hotter than ever.    Obama is modernizing the nation's power network a key piece of his $819 billion economic stimulus plan.    He called for the installation of 3,000 miles of transmission lines to carry renewable energy to population centers and 40 million smart electric meters in homes.    I now have one of those on my home, which the meter reader man will probably get laid off too.    The House bill sets aside $11 billion to help finance the investments.
• 2/8/2009 'Temporary' workers losing jobs in Japan by AP.
      Tokyo - Job layoffs once unheard of in Japan is becoming more common as thousands of "temporary" workers - who often had steady jobs for years under various contracts - are fired by major companies like Sony and Toyota just as the global economic slump makes substitute work unlikely to find.    The layoffs are a new phenomenon in a nation long known for its tacit quarantee of lifetime employment, thus creating broader social problems such as homelessness, with no services to handle them.    They are predicting some 125,000 of these people will be jobless by March.    17.8 million people or a third of Japan's work force is on contracts.    So they have the have and have-nots gap developing.
• 2/9/2009 Expanding Afghan war may be hard sell by AP.
      Washington - After campaigning on the promise to end one war, President Obama is preparing to escalate another with tens of billions of dollars for combat, including a major buildup of troops in Afghanistan.    Most are concerned of imput to an unwinable war, with no exit plan.
• 2/9/2009 Highlights of House Senate Stimulus Bills by AP.
      Key elements of the $820 billion economic recovery plan.
  • Aid to poor, unemployed - $47 billion extended unemployment benefits through Dec. 31; $16.5 billion to increase food stamp benefits through 2011; 3 billion in temporary welfare payments.
  • Direct cash payments - $17 billion for one-time $300 payments to Social Security recipients, and others category.
  • Health Care - $21 billion to subsidize healthcare insurance for the unemployed under the COBRA program; $87 billion to help states with Medicaid; $22 billion to modernize health information technology; $10 billion for research.
  • New tax credit - The credit would phase out at incomes of $70,000 for individuals and $140,000 for couples, reducing the cost to $140 billion.
  • Alternative minimum tax - About $70 billion to spare about 24 million taxpayers from being hit with the alternative minimum tax in 2009.    The change would save a family of four an average of $2,300.
      On the 11th the Senate approved its $838 billion economic stimulus bill, with only three Republicans signing on in a 61-37 vote.    Obama claims this stimulus will avert catastrophe, but states the plan is not perfect, and defended criticism from Republicans that it is loaded with pork-barrel spending and will not create jobs.
• 2/11/2009 France moves to restore ties with Iraq by AP.
      Baghdad - President Nicolas Sarkozy paid the fist visit to Iraq by a French head of state, to smooth over resentments about France's opposition to the war and positioning his country to cash in on arms and oil deals, as Obama is preparing to draw down the 144,000-strong U.S. force.
• 2/11/2009 Oil prices fall on doubts about stimulus package by AP.
      Crude-oil prices settled at a three-week low at $37.55 a barrel on doubts that the economic stimulus would keep demand from weakening further.    Investors appear concerned about the inflationary effects of massive government spending, and everyone is running to gold and the stock market as a reaction to Obama's speech.    On the 12th oil prices plummeted to $35.94 a barrel on more evidence that U.S. storage facilities are bulging with unused crude.    On the 13th oil slid to a new low of $33.98 a barrel over doubts of an improved economy and boost of demand for energy.
• 2/13/2009 U.S., Russia are at odds over collision of satellites by AP.
      Moscow - U.S. and Russia are blaming each other for a satellite collision this week that spewed clouds of debris into space, threatening other unmanned spacecraft nearby.    It occurred 500 miles over Siberia by a derelict Russian spacecraft and a working satellite owned by U.S.-based Iridium, without any warning so to avoid it.    So now they have to track the debris which is traveling at 660 feet per second.
• 2/13/2009 Official: Economic crisis tops list of threats to U.S. by AP.
      Washington - If the economic crisis lasts more than two years, it could cause some nation's governments to collapse, and U.S. allies that might no longer be able to afford to meet their own defense and humanitarian obligations.    The longer it takes the greater the damage to U.S. interests as Congress prepares to vote today on a $789 billion stimulus package.    Al-Qaida remains the greatest direct threat to the U.S., which is depending on Pakistan to control its borders, then Iran may have nuclear weapon as soon as next year, with East Africa terrorist becoming more active even with biological weapons, and to top it off global climate change may push some to seek energy resources, food and water.
• 2/14/2009 Finance ministers confer as Europe's troubles grow by AP.
      Rome - The job of the Group of Seven finance ministers meeting on solutions to the financial crisis looked even more difficult as new economic data showed Europe's recession deepening.    Germany's economy plunged by 2.1 percent and also Italy at 1.8 percent and France 1.2 percent.    They met to discuss new rules for financial markets, concerns about protectionist measures in economic stimulus plans, and the effect of the crisis on poorer countries.    The upcoming 20-country summit in April which would include China and India will be necessary to include the G-7 with the G-20 to cope with it.
      The Group of Seven finance ministers on the 15th pledged to avoid resorting to protectionism as they try to stimulate their own economies in the face of the world's worst economic crisis since the 1930s.
• 2/15/2009 Obama celebrates win as 'major milestone' by AP.
      Washington - Savoring his first big victory in Congress, Obama celebrated the newly passed $787 billion economic stimulus bill as a "major milestone on our road to recovery."
• 2/16/2009 Clinton says N. Korea must remove nukes by AP.
      Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in her first mission overseas warned North Korea that it needs to live up to its commitments to dismantle its nuclear programs of the now stalled six-party talks.    On the 17th her trip was overshadowed by harsh North Korean rhetoric as the government vowed to press ahead with test-firing a long-range missile.    On the 18th again Hillary warns N. Korea not to test missile before going to Indonesia to improve ties with them in the Obama administration on regional and global issues.    On the 20th Clinton said that North Korea's leadership situation is uncertain and the U.S. is worried the Stalinist country may soon face a succession crisis to replace ailing dictator Kim Jong Il.
• 2/16/2009 Japan's economy shows steep decline by AP.
      Tokyo - Japan said its economy contracted sharply in the fourth quarter amid a collapse in global demand for the country's exports.    It's GDP dropped at an annual pace of 12.7 percent in the third straight quarter of decline.
• 2/17/2009 U.S. surge in Afghanistan starts by AP.
      Logar Province, Afghanistan - Close to 3,000 American soldiers arrived to secure two violent provinces near Kabul as the first wave of reinforcements this year as the new administration is planning on approving a portion of the requested 30,000 soldiers to bolster the 33,000 already there.
• 2/17/2009 Pump prices up despite crude oil hitting '09 low by AP.
      Oil prices have fallen below $34 a barrel you would think gas prices would sink with them.    Not so, they jumped nearly 20 cents to $1.92 a gallon, which sounds like a conspiracy.    The oil going in our tanks was coming in through Texas and selling for less, where the U.S. storage facilities brimming with it, sending its price to five-year lows.    So apparently it is who you get it from.
• 2/17/2009 Pension agency girds for crisis by AP.
      The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp that insures the pensions of 44 million workers and retirees already has an 11 billion deficit which will sure grow larger as corporate America suffers the worst economic crisis since the Depression.    The PBGC has $63 billion in assets and obligated to spend $74 billion on pension benefits in coming years.
• 2/18/2009 $787 billion package huge win for Obama by AP.
      Denver - President Obama signed the stimulus package into law and prepared a new $50 billion foreclosure rescue for legions of Americans who are in danger of losing their homes.    Also our first paychecks will show evidence of tax breaks that will total $400 for individuals and $800 for couples.    Obama claims he inherited this problem from the Bush administration.
• 2/18/2009 Global market fall; oil drops below $35 by AP.
      The latest batch of bad economic news dragged oil prices down nearly 7 percent as signs across the globe pointed to a prolonged recession.    A barrel settled at $34.93 with an oversupply.    On the 20th oil prices went up to $40.18 per barrel as new data showed that inventories fell unexpectedly.
• 2/19/2009 Fed chief vows to do all he can by AP.
      Washington - Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke pledge anew to do everything in his power to lift the country out of recession, and has slashed a key interest rate to record lows in hopes of getting credit flowing.    Under the new projections, the unemployment rate will rise to between 8.5 and 8.8 percent this year, way beyond the previous estimate of 7.1 and 7.6.    On the 20th the Dow fell at its lowest level in 6 years to 7466.
• 2/20/2009 U.S. pressures UBS in secrets case by AP.
      The government filed a lawsuit to seek the identies of thousands of possible U.S. tax cheats who hid billions of dollars in assets at Swiss bank UBS.    The Obama administration wants UBS to turn over information on as many as 52,000 Americans who concealed their accounts from the U.S. government in violation of tax laws.    At a time of crisis in America it is appalling that the wealthiest among us actively sought to evade their duty to pay taxes.
• 2/21/2009 Clinton: Human rights can't stop China talks by The Washington Post.
      Beijing - China's human-rights violations cannot block the possibility of cooperation between Washington and Beijing on the global economic crisis, climate change and security threats, such as North Korea's nuclear program, Clinton said.    On the 23rd Clinton told China and reassured Beijing that its massive holdings of U.S. Treasury notes and other government debt would remain a solid investment.
• 2/22/2009 Authorities block candidate's Web sites by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - Iranian authorities have blocked two Web sites promoting presidential bid of Mohammed Khatami, reformists who has had dialogue with the West said, in a first sign that powerful hard-liners might seek to twart his challenge to Mahmound Ahmadinejad in the June 12 election.
• 2/23/2009 Forecasters see 9% jobless rate in '09 by AP.
      Washington- - The country stands to lose a sizable chunk of economic activity this year as consumers at home and abroad retrench in the face of economic troubles as the unemployment rate is expected to hit a peak of 9 percent this year, jobs are vanishing, nest eggs are shrinking, rising foreclosures and home values dropping.    Some are forecasting the unemployment rate could hit 10 percent in 2010.
• 2/24/2009 Market's major indexes plummet to 1997 levels by AP.
      Investors dumped stocks sending the Dow Jones industrial average down 251 points to its lowest close since May 7, 1997, erasing the dot.com surge, and closing at 7114.78.
• 2/24/2009 Oil drops as traders focus on falling stocks by AP.
      Oil prices tumbled below $39 a barrel ($38.44) as traders shrugged off reports that OPEC had slashed production.    On the 25th it went up to $39.96.
• 2/24/2009 Regulators vow to bolster banks by AP.
      Washington - Federal regulators said they will launch a revamped program to shore up troubled U.S. banks that includes the option of increasing government ownership.    This is the Obama administrations latest attempt to bolster the strength of the banking system without nationalizing institutions, which the administration has said it doesn't intend to do.    Amid growing concern that some of the biggest U.S. banks may need more aid to survive the fallout from the worst financial crisis since the 1930s, and the use of the $700 billion financial bailout.    Obama pledges to slash deficit in an address to Congress and reforming health care.
• 2/25/2009 FEMA: Ky. ice storm damage $185 million by AP.
      FEMA has estimated the damage from last month's ice storm may exceed $185 million affecting 93 Kentucky counties.    On March 6th the storm costs hit $230.9 million as the costliest disaster in Kentucky's history since the New Madrid earthquake of 1811 and 1812 to match its devastation.
• 2/25/2009 Iraq pullout possible in 2010 by AP.
      Obama plans to order that all U.S. combat troops be withdrawn from Iraq by August 2010, which is 19 months after his inauguration.    They would leave between 30,000 and 50,000 troops to advise and train Iraqi security forces and to protect U.S. interests, and the complete withdrawal would be in December 2011.
• 2/25/2009 Space launch near, North Korea says by AP.
      Seoul, South Korea - North Korea said that it is making headway to send a satellite into orbit as part of its space program, a launch regional powers fear is a cover for testing a long-range ballistic missile capable of striking Alaska and the western U.S.    Pyongyang's is trying to get Obama's attention for ignoring him.
• 2/25/2009 Missile facility built over suspected reactor by AP.
      Vienna - Syria has revealed that it has built a missile facility over the ruins of what the U.S. says was a nuclear reactor destroyed by Israel warplanes.
• 2/26/2009 Engineers test Iran's first nuclear power plant by AP.
      Bushehr, Iran - Iranian and Russian engineers carried out a test run of Iran's first nuclear power plant.    The U.S. worries Iran would turn spent fuel from the plant's reactor into plutonium, which could be used to build a nuclear warhead, and have pressured Moscow for years to stop helping Iran.    Iran agreed in 2005 to return spent fuel to Russia to prevent that.
• 2/27/2009 White House proposal sends market sliding by AP.
      New York - Shares of health-care companies and drug companies bore the brunt of investors' wrath after the White House proposed cutting payments to private insurance plans.
• 2/27/2009 Obama sets new course by AP.
      Washington - Obama charted a new course for the nation with a bold budget proposing higher taxes for the wealthy and the first steps toward guaranteed health care for all -- accompanied by a $1.75 trillion federal deficit that would be nearly four times as high as the current record.    Obama unveiled a $3.6 trillion blueprint for next year to take from the rich and give to the middle class and the poor, along with an initiative to combat global warming that would boost utility bills, then take on big farming, insurance companies and drug makers.    His 2010 proposals are:
  • Health and Human Services: $821.7 billion ($79 billion discretionary spending, $453 billion for Medicare and $290 billion for Medicaid) a 7.5% increase.
  • Education: $46 billion a 12.8% increase.
  • Defense: $533.7 billion even with cuts is a 4% increase.
• 2/28/2009 Wall Street wraps up another bitter month by AP.
      New York - Wall Street ended another unforgiving month with a steep loss to 7,063 which is half its record high, and a 11.7 percent loss the worst since 1933.    On March 3rd it went to 6,763 losing 300 points.
• 2/28/2009 Economy shrank at frenzied pace by AP.
      Washington - The economy contracted at a staggering 6.2 percent pace at the end of 2008 as consumers and businesses ratcheted back spending, plunging the country deeper into recession, which will get worse through the first six months of this year.
• 2/28/2009 President discusses troop pullout by AP.
      Camp Lejeune, N.C. - Obama announced plans to withdraw the bulk of U.S. forces (142,000) from Iraq by Aug. 31 2010, and to pull out all troops (35,000 to 50,000) by the end of 2011, ending the war in Iraq and launching a new era of engagement in the Middle East.    Will we ever find Osama bin Laden?
• 3/1/2009 Obama prepares to battle interest groups over budget by AP.
      Washington - Obama said he will fight to change health care, energy and education in dramatic ways that will upset the status quo of the powerful and well-connected of deep-pocket lobbies, and casting himself as the people's champion with his radical campaign promises that the American people elected him for.    He is asking for Congress to cut susidies for big farms; combat global warming with a pollution tax on industries; raise taxes on the wealthy; make big changes in health care, including lower reimbursements for Medicare and Medicaid treatments and prescription drugs all of which could trigger a brawl in Congress and a threat to the status quo in Washington.    Obama is trying to redirect strong currents in society, the wealthiest 5 percent would pay $1 trillion in higher taxes over the next decade, industries would buy and trade permits to emit heat-trapping gases, higher income older people would pay more for Medicare benefits, and drug companies would receive smaller profits from the government.
      On the 4th Obama received fierce opposition from congressional Republicans over his plan.    Claimed that Obama is trying make everyone think we have a rosy recovery and that his changes will work, but not overnight.
• 3/2/2009 EU rejects Eastern Europe bailout by AP.
      Brussels - German Chancellor Angela Merkel and other EU leaders rejected a new multibillion-euro bailout for Eastern Europe, saying the aid be given to struggling nations only on a case-by-case basis.    Also allowing those countries whose currencies plummet be given a quick entry to the euro, which has remained strong against the U.S. dollar and Japanese yen.
• 3/2/2009 Mullen: Iran has material for bomb by AP.
      Washington - The top U.S. military official Adm. Mike Mullen said that Iran has sufficient fissile material for a nuclear weapon setting up a bad outcome for the region and for the world.    On the 9th from Jerusalem, Iran can now produce atomic weapons, Israel's top military intelligence officer Maj. Gen. Amos Yadlin said, sounding the highest level warning.
• 3/3/2009 Weakening economy sends oil prices lower by AP.
      Oil prices plummeted more than 10 percent to settle at $40.15 a barrel in a deteriorating global economy.    On the 4th it rose to $41.65.    On the 5th oil prices jumped to $45.38, a 9 percent increase as global stock markets rallied because crude levels in U.S. storage shrank.    On the 6th oil prices slumped after China announced no additional measures to revive its economy suggesting that energy use could fall even further as it settled at $43.61 a barrel.    On the 7th commodities brokers and traders seemed to ignore the news and it rose to $45.52 a barrel.
• 3/3/2009 Bush memos on suspending rights in terror war released by AP.
      Washington - The Obama administration released Bush-era secrets revealing anti-terror memos on search-and seizures powers and divulging that the CIA destroyed nearly 100 video tapes of interrogations and other treatment of terror suspects.
• 3/3/2009 Congress renews push to regulate cigarettes by AP.
      Washington - Lawmakers renewed their efforts to require the FDA to regulate cigarettes to reduce the harm from smoking, which faced a veto threat last summer from then President Bush.    This is about reducing or eliminating cancer-causing chemicals in cigarette smoke.
• 3/3/2009 Wildfire almost contained, officials say by AP.
      Bastrop, Texas - A wildfire that destroyed 28 homes and a dozen businesses in central Texas was about 70 percent contained after being fueled by severely dry grass from a fallen power line.    This is the latest of thousands this year in drought-stricken Texas.
• 3/5/2009 Changes ordered in federal contracting by AP.
      Washington - Obama ordered an overhaul designed to halt delays, waste and fraud in government contracting that exasperate the public and politicians alike.    Government contracts has doubled to more than $500 billion since 2001, and usually plagued by massive cost overruns, fraud and the absence of oversight and accountability, which Obama claims would save $40 billion each year.
• 3/6/2009 Summit on health care draws wide support by AP.
      Washington - Obama declared the time is right to overhaul America's broken health care system, but winning quick approval won't be easy.
• 3/7/2009 Jobless rate shoots up to 25-year high, 8.1% by AP.
      Washington - The recession snatched more than 650,000 jobs for a record third straight month in February, as unemployment climed to 8.1 percent, thus 4.4 million lost jobs, and 12.5 million people searching for work, which is more than the entire population of the state of Pennsylvania.    Some economists are predicting it could hit 10 percent by year-end and peak at 11 percent or higher by the middle of 2010.
• 3/7/2009 My Comment.
      Where's the Pork?    Where's the 8,570 earmarks in a bill?    Political tricks of the budget abound, and the claim the economy did not fall into decline overnight.    Obama has come to redeem us of our sins in his far-seeing program of universal nationalized health care; a cap-and-trade tax on energy, and a major federalization of education with universal access to college as the goal.    At the center of our economic near-depression is a credit bubble, a housing collapse and a failure of the banking industry due to greed.    Now Obama intends to enact the most radical agenda of social transformation seen in our lifetime.
• 3/8/2009 U.S. envoy, Syrians find 'common ground' in talks by AP.
      Damascus, Syria - A U.S. envoy in Syria said that there is common ground between Washington and Damascus but cautioned not to expect an immediate breakthrough after years of tense relations.
• 3/8/2009 Foes and costs halt coal plant expansions by AP.
      Billings, Mont. - Beneath the frozen plains of eastern Montana and Wyoming lie the largest coal deposits in the world -- enough to last the U.S. more than a century at the nation's current burn rate.    The global warming issue and the changing political landscape are pummeling an industry that has long been the backbone of America's power supply.    Environmentalists have stopped projects to build power plants, and went to natural gas, as the exodus from coal has hit every corner of the nation.    NASA has said the existing plants need to be phased out by 2030 to curb the effects of climate change and try to develop away to capture and store underground the carbon dioxide they produce.
• 3/8/2009 Government's health-care role focus of debate by AP.
      Washington - An agreement on health care may be short-lived as proposals that would give Americans the option of buying medical coverage through a government plan that Obama and the Democrats have endorsed.    Concerns are that this will push out the private health-care plans we have today, since employers would simply stop offering coverage, hoping the government will pick up the slack and may lead to a government takeover of health care.
• 3/8/2009 Obama plans sow investor unease by AP.
      Washington - With the economic outlook now is more troubled than it was even in January, despite Obama's bold rhetoric and commitment of more trillions of dollars investors and consumers could prolong the recession.    The claim that Obama inherited the recession and trillion-dollar deficits the wreckage has worsened on his watch and is now an Obama economy.    More than 4 million jobs have been lost since the recession began in December 2007, and half of them in the past three months, stocks have tumble to levels not seen since 1997.
• 3/9/2009 Economy is weak, budget chief says by AP.
      Washington - The White House's top budget official Peter Orszag, declared the economy is weak and financial predictions could need a revision by midyear.    He wants to let the $787 billion stimulus have a chance to work before anything is done.    Obama's budget assumes the economy will grow at 3.2 percent which is unrealistic now.
• 3/11/2009 Petroleum prices fall; demand likely to drop by AP.
      Oil prices tumbled after its forecast for global energy demand to settle at $45.71 a barrel.    On the 12th oil prices tumbled more than 7 percent as U.S. inventories swelled with surplus and traders doubted that OPEC would cut production further and ended at $42.33 a barrel.    On the 13th oil prices rose 11 percent as rumors swirled that Russia, which vies with Saudi Arabia as the world's largest oil producer, would join with OPEC in slashing production and settled at $47.03 a barrel.    On the 14th as the world's appetite for oil decreases, OPEC ministers met to debate whether to tighten their spigots even more, which made oil fall to $46.25 a barrel.    On the 16th OPEC cartel decided not to cut output.    On the 17th oil prices rebounded to $47.35 a barrel.    On the 18th oil moved higher to $49.16 as a sign that energy demand may have bottomed out, and a boost from the stock markets due to the summer driving season.    On the 19th oil slumped to $48.14 due to bulging inventories.    On the 21st oil prices leveled off at $51.06 a barrel after production cuts by OPEC and a massive U.S. government buying spree and the Fed announced plans to buy $1.25 trillion of government bonds and mortgage-backed securities.    On the 24th oil prices settled at $53.80 a barrel from a boost from stock investors who hope that a new plan to resolve the nation's banking crisis would spur economic growth as well as housing news.    On the 26th oil prices faded as inventories rose to $52.77 a barrel.    On the 27th oil hit a new high for 2009 to $54.34 a barrel and gasoline rose above $2 per gallon as investors gambled on a new run on crude stocks.    On the 31st oil prices tumbled to $48.41 as unease about the economy from Asia to Wall Street raised doubts about the global appetite for energy.
• 3/12/2009 Obama signs $410 billion spending bill by AP.
      Obama acknowledged the storm of criticism regarding earmarks and also sees it has overuse and subject to abuse and is asking the earmark addicts to police themselves.    It has been impossible to regulate earmarks for pet projects for construction projects, weapon systems and the recipents usually do not complain since the money and jobs produced are close to home.
• 3/12/2009 Iran company allegedly seeks banned fiber by AP.
      Vienna - Two diplomats say Iran's national car company has made plans to purchase large quantities of carbon fiber, which is under U.N. embargo because it could be used in the country's nuclear program.    Carbon fiber is also a component of advanced centrifuges used to enrich uranium.
• 3/12/2009 Nuclear touted as part of U.S. energy mix by AP.
      Washington - Energy Secretary Steven Chu sought to assure the Obama administration supports continued development of nuclear energy, even as it backs away from building a waste dump in Nevada (Yucca Mountain), since Congress in 2005 authorized $18.5 billion for new reactors, but no applications have been approved.
• 3/12/2009 Deficit hits $765 billion in 5 months by AP.
      Washington - Lower tax revenue and massive spending on the bank bailout pushed the federal deficit to $765 billion in the first five months of the budget year, on its way to hit projections of $1.75 trillion.
• 3/13/2009 N. Korea plans to launch satellite in early April by AP.
      Seoul, South Korea - North Korea told two U.N. agencies it plans to launch a communications satellite between April 4 and 8 to fend off worries that the test is for long-range missile technology.    The launch would violate a 2006 U.N. Security Council resolution banning them from ballistic missile activity.    On the 14th Japan hinted it could down an incoming N. Korea rocket, which would fly over Japan and fall in waters 75 miles from their shore.
• 3/13/2009 Obama defends his economic plan by AP.
      Washington - With misgivings within his own party Obama mounted a stout defense of his blueprint to overhaul the national economy, arguing that delay on health care, energy and education would make recovery more fragile and our future less secure.    He claims he can get the $1.75 trillion deficit down to $533 billion by 2013.
• 3/15/2009 '30s bank failures set stage for FDIC by AP.
      Washington - During the Great Depression, bank failures ripped holes in local economies, and depositors lost money, buisnesses lost access to loans.    The government responded in 1933 to the crisis by creating the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC), which guarantees most deposits against loss, and takes possession of failed banks and sells as much as it can of the branches, deposits and loans to healthy banks.
      Today the FDIC stands at its lowest levels at $18.9 billion as of Dec. 31 compared to $52.4 billion at the end of 2007.    It has fallen below the mandated by law 1.15 percent of total insured deposits in mid-2008.    The FDIC now expects bank failures will cost the insurance fund around $65 billion through 2013 and had 252 banks on its list of troubled institutions.
• 3/15/2009 Cuba, Venezuela could be host to Russian bombers by AP.
      Moscow - A Russian air force chief said that the country could base some strategic bombers in Cuba or on an island offered by Venezuela, but the Kremlin said this was only hypothetical and was retaliatory gesture for the U.S. patrols on the Black Sea near Georgia.
• 3/15/2009 G-20 vows more action on economy by AP.
      Horsham, England - Finance officials from rich and developing countries pledged to do whatever necessary to fix the global economy, including supervision of hedge funds and restoring bank lending by dealing with their shaky securities.    The Group of 20, which accounts for more than 80 percent of the world's economy, agreed on an urgent need for a boost to the IMF's lending resources to help struggling governments.
• 3/20/2009 Report: Iran bankrolled reactor by AP.
      Geneva - An Iranian defector retired general of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards told the West that Iran was financing North Korean moves to transform Syria into a nuclear weapon power, leading to the Israeli air strike that destroyed a secret Al Kibar reactor according to a former chief of the German Defense Ministry.    That's how we got much of the information on Iran's own nuclear program.    When Israel sent a commando unit in two helicopters to the site in August 2007 to take photographs and soil samples it was determined that it was a North Korean-type reactor.
• 3/26/2009 U.S. economic plan seen as 'road to hell' by AP.
      Brussels - The head of the EU, Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek, slammed Obama's plan to spend nearly $2 trillion to push the U.S. economy out of recession as "the road to hell" that EU governments must avoid before a key summit next week on fixing the world economy.
• 3/27/2009 Reality check: Ranks of unemployed grow by AP.
      Hopes that the economy may recover got a splash of reality: the unemployment rolls are growing as the recession maintains its grip.    It now stands at nearly 5.6 million meaning the labor market is still grim and new benefit claims rose to 652,000 last week.
• 3/27/2009 Volcano produces 12-mile-high ash cloud by AP.
      Anchorage, Alaska - Mount Redoubt erupted several times spewing a 12-mile-high cloud that could drop ash on Anchorage.    On the 29th the Mount continued to erupt, sending one ash plume 50,000 feet into the air, resulting in airlines cancelling eight flights.
• 3/28/2009 More troops head to Afghanistan by AP.
      Washington - Obama ordered 4,000 more troops into Afghanistan, vowing to defeat the terrorist al-Qaida network in Afghanistan and Pakistan.    More than 7 years after the Taliban was removed from power in Afghanistan he wants this fresh infusion of U.S. forces to bolster the Afghan army and turn up the heat on terrorists that he said are plotting new attacks against Americans.
• 3/28/2009 Report: Russia planning new subs, better missiles by AP.
      Moscow - Russia said the new submarines will be armed with improved neclear-tipped cruise missiles.    The Defense Ministry said that the first in a series of six atomic submarines, the Severodvinsk, will join the navy in 2011.    At least five other submarines of the same type will be built by 2017.    The new hypersonic cruise missiles with increased range are designed to strike aircraft carriers of the potential enemy if they pose a direct threat to Russia's security.
• 4/1/2009 Pakistani Taliban says White House to be attacked by AP.
      Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan - The commander of the Pakastani Taliban claimed responsibility for the deadly assault on a Pakistani police academy and said the group was planning a terrorist attack on the White House that would amaze the world.    The action today was a retaliation for the U.S. missile strikes against militants along the Afghan border.
• 4/1/2009 World leaders gather for economic summit by AP.
      London - World leaders converged on London for an emergency summit, holding scant hopes of finding a solution to the crisis.    The stakes are high, and European countries are pushing for a tougher regulatory system for global finance, while the U.S. is emphasizing more spending.    The world economy is in far worse shape than when the group of G-20 met in November, as trade is deteriorating, protectionism is on the march and joblessness is rising, street demonstaration has increased.    Some claimed that this is the new Bretton Woods, a new financial architecture for the years ahead.    The World Bank President Robert Zoellick called for the G20 to back a $50 billion liquidity fund to keep global trade moving.    The rich talk about bonuses or no bonuses.    The poor struggle for food or no food.
      On the 2nd Obama and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown predicted the emergency G-20 economic summit would produce a global deal to tackle the world-wide recession.    Where France and Germany would not agree to false compromises that soft-pedal a need for tougher financial regulation to curb abuses that contributed to the spreading chaos.    Protestors blockaded and smashed bank windows and pelted police with eggs and fruit.
      This being Obama's first major international appearance he is under pressure for a good showing, and talked nuclear threats with Russia's president and gave an iPod to the queen, and some where tried to calm fears about the ailing U.S. economy, and the press claimed he left them with some hope and optimism.
      The G-20 proposal was to have $100 billion fund to finance global trade, tighter financial rules and action to support economic growth and job creation.    Also to double the money available to the IMF to some $500 billion to help emerging countries.
• 4/2/2009 Economic fears keep oil under $49 a barrel by AP.
      Oil prices staged a late rally but still closed below $49 ($48.39) a barrel, as more signs of a sick economy fueled worries about energy consumption.    On the 3rd oil prices surged nearly 9 percent as investors focused on a weaker dollar and rising stocks and settled at $52.64 a barrel.    On the 10th rose again as investors hoped the economy had seen the worst.    On the 15th oil settled below $50 ($49.41) a barrel due to a slow recovery.    On the 21st oil plunged to $45.88 a barrel due to weakness in the stock markets and strength in the dollar.
• 4/2/2009 Court sides with power plants by AP.
      Washington - The Supreme Court ruled that the government can weigh costs against benefits in deciding whether to order power plants to undertake environmental upgrades that would protect fish.    This was a defeat for environmentalists who want 554 power plants to install technology that relies on recycled water to cool machinery to prevent fewer fish from being sucked into system which kills 3.4 billion fish and shellfish each year.
• 4/2/2009 Albania, Croatia are newest NATO members by AP.
      Brussels, Belgium - Albania and Croatia became NATO's newest members in a historic expansion into the volatile western Balkans region where the alliance fought its first war a decade ago.
• 4/3/2009 Jobless claims hit 26-year high as layoffs continue by AP.
      Washington - New U.S. claims for state unemployment benefits jumped to a 26-year high increasing 12,000 to 669,000 as companies continue to lay off workers at a rapid pace.
• 4/3/2009 $3.6 trillion budget plan approved by the House on a party-line vote by AP.
      Washington - The Democratic-controlled House approved a budget blueprint drawn to President Barack Obama's specifications and the Senate hastened to follow suit.    The $3.26 trillion plan includes a deficit of $1.2 trillion that they claim the country wants real change by boosting spending on domestic programs, raise taxes on the wealthy in two years and clear the way for Obama's priority items of health care, energy and education.    Republicans claim that the budget taxes too much, spends too much and borrows too much at a time when this country cannot afford it.
• 4/3/2009 Leaders reject Obama's plan, G-20 does agree to $1 trillion to bolster IMF by AP.
      London - The world's financial powers G-20 pledged more than $1 trillion for emergency loans to contain the global economic crisis, but they rebuffed Obama's bid for new stimulus spending.    They will clean up banks' tattered balance sheets and get credit flowing again, shut down global tax havens, tighten regulation over hedge funds and other financial high-flyers in the U.S. and elswhere.    Can they unclog the clogged pipes of capitalism?
• 4/5/2009 Chavez claims to seek better U.S. relations by AP.
      Caracas, Venezuela - President Hugo Chavez said he hopes to reset strained relations with the U.S. at an upcoming summit, despite criticism of Obama.
• 4/6/2009 U.N. ponders action after N. Korea rocket launch by AP.
      United Nations - The U.S. and its allies sought punishment for North Korea's defiant launch of a rocket that fell into the Pacific Ocean, as a long-range missile test.    This creates instability in the region, and around the world by violating a resolution.    On the 7th a top Pentagon official dismissed the rocket launch as a failure since they did not master the midair thrust shift from one rocket booster to another, which is required in ballistic missile technology.    On the 12th the U.N. is planning on condemning N. Korea's rocket launch and toughen sanctions against them and finally on the 14th they did condemn the test of a missile and expanding sanctions by all 15 members for the violation of a resolution.
• 4/6/2009 Obama seeks end to nuclear weapons by AP.
      Prague - Declaring the future of mankind at stake, Obama said that all nations must strive to rid the world of nuclear arms and that the U.S. has a moral responsibility to lead because no other country has used one.    The N. Korean rocket launch upstaged Obama's call to action in the Czech Republic.    Obama does not think this goal will occur in his lifetime.
• 4/7/2009 Obama: U.S. not at war with Islam by AP.
      Ankara, Turkey - Declaring the U.S. is not and never will be at war with Islam, Obama worked to mend frayed ties with NATO ally Turkey and improve relations with the larger Muslim world.    Obama claimed still raw tensions over the Iraq war but said Muslims worldwide have little in common with terrorist such as al-Qaida and have much to gain in opposing them.    Obama spoke of Muslim connections in his own background in his first visit to a predominantly Islamic nation as president and pushed them to be a major role in bringing stability to post-war Iraq and the wider Middle East.
• 4/7/2009 Gates proposes weapons cuts by AP.
      Washington - Defense Secretary Robert Gates recommended halting production of the F-22 fighter jet and scraping a new helicopter for the president as he outlined deep cuts to the military's biggest weapons programs in his $534 billion budget proposals to reflect a shift from fighting conventional wars to newer threats.    The F-22 fighter were $140 million each for 187 of them, and the Army lost $160 billion for modernization programs.
• 4/7/2009 Over 150 killed in Italian quake by AP.
      L'Aquila, Italy - More than 150 people were killed, 1,500 were injured and tens of thousands were left homeless after a 6.3-magnitude earthquake buckled both ancient and modern buildings in L'Aquila bout 70 miles northeast of Rome, followed by more than a dozen aftershocks.
• 4/9/2009 Mideast warms to Obama by AP.
      Cairo - The Middle East is finding, to its amazement, that it may actually like America's new leader.    Obama has impressed many Arabs and Muslims with promises to open a new page after years of mistrust, and shoes thrown at his predecessor and burn his effigy.    So will Obama's charm change U.S. policies that have angered many Arabs and Muslims?
• 4/9/2009 U.S. to join group's nuclear talks by AP.
      Washington - The Obama administration said it will participate directly in group talks with Iran over its suspect nuclear program, marking a shift from the former president's policies.    On the 16th Iran's president said he is willing to build a new relationship with the U.S. and is preparing new proposals aimed at breaking the impasse with the West.
• 4/11/2009 Obama sees 'glimmers of hope' in the economy by AP.
      Obama declared that the slumping economy has begun to show glimmers of hope, but cautioned that it remains severely stressed and will require lots more work to turn it around after a meeting with his economic team and the Fed Chief, but the unemployment is still at 8.5 percent.
• 4/15/2009 N. Korea boots inspectors, vows to restart its reactor by AP.
      Seoul, South Korea - North Korea said it is restarting its rogue nuclear program, booting U.N. inspectors and pulling out of disarmament talks in reaction to the U.N. condemnation.    On the 26th N. Korea said it would bolster its atomic arsenal and began harvesting plutonium from spent fuel rods.
• 4/17/2009 Venezuela opposes OAS summit declaration by AP.
      Cumana, Venezuela - President Hugo Chavez said that Venezuela will vote against the declaration of the Summit of Americas in a protest against the U.S.    The summit brings together all 34 members of the Organization of American States, which Chavez claims would treat the rest of Latin America as subservient to Washington interests and wants to create a regional group to replace it.
      On the 19th Obama offers to work with Latin America and reached out to Nicaragua's Ortega and Chavez.
      On the 20th at Port-Of-Spain, Trinidad, Obama defended his brand of world politics of reaching out to enemies of the U.S. to make sure that the nation is a leader, not lecturer, of democracy.
• 4/19/2009 Socialism's popular among the young by The Washington Post.
      According to a Rasmussen poll, 37 percent of Americans under age 30 prefer capitalism and 30 percent are undecided.    Among all Americans, 53 percent perfer capitalism, 20 percent perfer socialism and 27 percent are undecided.
• 4/21/2009 Iran's words prompt walkout by AP.
      Geneva - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad accused the West of using the Holocaust as a pretext for aggression against Palestinians, prompting walkouts by every European Union country at a U.N. conference on racism.
• 4/23/2009 IMF calls recession worst in decades by AP.
      The global economy is expected to lurch into reverse this year for the first time since World War II, with trillions of dollars in lost business, millions of people thrust into hunger and homelessness, and rising crime.    To cushion the blow and head off further damage next year, the IMF is calling for more stimulus projects from the world's governments.    Even with bold steps, the global economy will shrink 1.3 percent this year, the IMF predicted, and that in 2010 or 2011, economies will not be back to normal, said Oliver Blanchard, IMF chief economist.
• 4/25/2009 Finance leaders pledge to try to end recession by AP.
      Washington - Finance officials of the Group of 20 and Group of Seven promised to move swiftly to provide the fiscal tonic -- tax cuts or increased government spending -- to turn around their troubled economies.
• 4/25/2009 Intelligence chief fired over reform opposition by AP.
      Moscow - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev dismissed the country's military intelligence chief, a veteran who opposed the Kremlin plans for sweeping military reform.
• 4/26/2009 Senate set to speed up tobacco measure by The Courier-Journal.
      Washington - The Senate is trying to speed up legislation to give the federal government the power to regulate tobacco products.
• 4/26/2009 GOP: To cut cost, U.S. needs nuclear power by AP.
      Washington - The GOP claims the U.S. should build 100 more nuclear plants rather than spend billions in subsidies for renewable energy, lower electic bills and have clean air.    France promoted nuclear power decades ago with 80 percent of their electricity today.
• 4/26/2009 IMF will sell bonds to raise money for struggling nations by AP.
      Washington - The IMF will sell bonds to raise funds to lend to struggling nations until nations can provide funds.
• 4/27/2009 World Bank urges expedited aid to poor by AP.
      Washington - The World Bank urged donor nations to speed up delivery of the money they have pledged to help poor countries.
• 4/29/2009 Jobless rates pass 10% by AP.
      Highest level of unemployment rates since 1985, which is ill news for job hunters, including teens seeking summer work and new college graduates.
• 4/30/2009 Congress advances budget plan by AP.
      Washington - Democrats in Congress capped Obama's 100th day in office by advancing a $3.4 trillion federal budget for next year - a third of it borrowed -- that prevents Republicans from blocking his proposed trillion-dollar expansion of government-provided health care over the next decade.    This is the first step toward Obama's goal of providing health coverage for all Americans, boost clean energy programs and student aid and extend many of former President Bush's tax cuts.
      According to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi its a budget that reduces taxes, lowers the deficit and creates jobs, and honors the three pillars of the Obama initiatives: energy, health care and education.    Based on these Obama plans to move this economy from recession to recovery to prosperity, eventhough they have created a mountain of deficits and debt.    Not a single Republican in the House or Senate voted for the measure, and now Obama can move his health care plan through Congress without a Republican filibuster or a bipartisan agreement.
• 4/30/2009 N. Korea threatens nuclear test of launch by AP.
      Seoul, South Korea - North Korea warned that it will fire an intercontinental ballistic missile -- or carry out another nuclear test -- unless the U.N. apologizes for condemning the regime's April 5 rocket launch.
• 5/1/2009 Dismal start for oil-patch earnings by AP.
      The oil industry is off to a dismal start this year, with major oil companies reporting first-quarter profits plunging by half and more, and are trying to adjust to a global recession that has crushed energy demand.
      On the 5th signs of increasing demand in China pushed oil above $54.47 a barrel, but concerns over the state of the economic recovery and the spread of swine flu continue to hold prices in check.    On the 9th it rose to $58.63 a barrel not seen in more than six months but experts believe the increase is fueled by overly optimistic expectations about the U.S. energy appetite, and gasoline prices lingered around $2 a gallon for weeks.
      On the 15th oil prices stayed at $58 a barrel despite signs of worsening unemployment and a new report predicting the world's petroleum appetite will shrink even more than expected this year.    Refineries have slashed production due to weaker sales and gosoline has gone up to $2.43 a gallon.    On the 16th as a steady stream of dismal financial news suggested that even if the global economy has bottomed out, it will be some time before demand for oil rebounds as oil dropped to $56.34 a barrel, and a string of forecasts show a larger drop in world consumption.
      On the 19th oil prices rose to $59.03 as traders considered whether last weeks push was justified amid signs of weak crude, and attacks on oil facilities in Nigeria helped support prices, where a militant group destroyed two oil pipelines.    On the 20th oil rose to $59.65 a barrel as analyst are expecting inventories of oil to fall.
      On the 28th oil prices settled at a six-month high of $63.45 a barrel and gasoline rose to $2.57 a gallon as OPEC members talked of a coming rebound in energy demand, according to Ali Naimi, Saudi Arabia's oil minister, and predicted that it could be $70 a barrel by the end of the year as recovery begins from the global recession.    OPEC estimates there are 100 million barrels of oil afloat at sea in tankers, which causes speculation on huge surpluses.
      On the 29th oil closed at $65.08 and gasoline rose to $2.60 a gallon as OPEC will maintain crude production levels.     On the 30th oil prices settled at $66.31 a barrel continuing a recession-defying march and has doubled since it was $32 per barrel six months ago.
• 5/8/2009 Thousands flee fighting in northwestern Pakistan by AP.
      Mardan, Pakistan - Thousands of Pakistanis skirted burning trucks as they fled clashes between Taliban militants and the army in the northwest, and displacing 500,000.    On the 9th Pakistan's army vowed to eliminate militants from a northwestern valley but warned that its underequipped troops face thousands of Taliban extremists.    Over a million refugees are fleeing the area.    The offensive was praised by the U.S. alarmed at the Taliban's recent advance to within 60 miles of the capital, Islamabad, a nuclear-armed country.
• 5/8/2009 'Brisk' activity detected at N. Korean nuke site by AP.
      seoul, South Korea - South Korean officials have detected brisk activity at a North Korean nuclear test site after last weeks threat to carry out a second nuclear test and test launch a missile.    On the 14th the U.S. and S. Korea authorities have found no proof that N. Korea is reprocessing spent nuclear fuel rods to harvest weapons-grade plutonium.
• 5/9/2009 30,000 told to flee California wildfire by AP.
      Santa Barbara, Calif. - 30,000 people were ordered to flee as a 4-day-old raging wildfire that has destroyed scores of homes in the Santa Ynez Mountains fanned by winds that sweep down the slopes.
• 5/11/2009 Parliament may vote on seeking EU membership by AP.
      Reykjavik, Iceland - The new government will ask parliament to vote on whether the recession-hit country should start membership talks with the E.U.
• 5/12/2009 Bloodbath reported in Sri Lanka by AP.
      Colombo, Sri Lanka - Volunteers dug mass graves in the marshes of Sri Lanka's northern war zone as they buried hundreds of civilians killed in artillery attacks that the U.N. called a bloodbath.    As many as 1,000 civilians may have been killed in two days of shelling that is the worst violence in this Indian Ocean island nation since the civil ware flared up three years ago.    On the 15th the mass exodus of civilians continued wading across a lagoon under rebel gunfire and the government has cornered the Tamil Tiger militants and vowed to finish off the rebels.
• 5/13/2009 U.S. wins a place on U.N.'s rights council for first time by AP.
      United Nations - The U.S. won a seat on the U.N. Human Rights Council for the first time along with four nations accused of serious human rights violations -- Cuba, Saudi Arabia, China and Russia.
• 5/15/2009 Economic recovery fitful by AP.
      Increased jobless claims and higher wholesale prices suggested that the U.S. economy is moving in fits.    Analysts claim unemployment claims should ease after auto-industry layoffs are completed, and inflation remains under control, and price declines seem remote.    The number of new jobless claims rose to 637,000 last week exceeding expectations.
• 5/15/2009 California to lay off thousands by AP.
      Sacramento, calif. - Governor Arnold schwarzenegger said that thousands of state employees must be laid off and billions of dollars must be slashed from the budget to deal with a deficit that tops $15.4 billion and could widen again within days to $21.3 billion if voters reject budget-related measures.    Starting today administration will send layoff notices to 5,000 state government employees, a cut of 5 percent of the work force.    Funding for health and human services and the higher education system also would be cut.    On the 23rd the day of reckoning had arrived as budget-balancing ballot measures are in process or will it be terminated?
• 5/15/2009 House OKs $97 billion for war by AP.
      Washington - Despite Democrats' anxiety about Afghanistan, the House passed a $96.7 billion measure filling Obama's request for war spending and foreign-aid efforts there and in Iraq.    Obama will be sending 21,000 more troops into Afghanistan, in a measure that would boost total funding for Iraq and Afghanistan wars above $900 billion.    Other issues were should the U.S. contribute $108 billion to the IMF as part of an expanded $500 billion IMF loan fund.
• 5/17/2009 Congress party wins elections in India by AP.
      New Delhi - The ruling Congress party swept to victory in India's national elections, dominated by the powerful Nehru-Gandhi political dynasty, laid to rest fears of an unstable, shaky coalition when many of its neighbors are plagued by instability, civil war and rising extremism.
• 5/17/2009 Protestors arrested at gay-pride rallies by AP.
      Moscow - Riot police broke up several gay-rights demonstrations in Moscow, hauling away scores of protestors, which they do not tolerate.
• 5/17/2009 Frustrated Germans march to protect jobs by AP.
      Berlin - Tens of thousands of German workers (union organized) marched through downtown Berlin calling for increased government measures to protect their jobs and prosperity during the economic downturn.
• 5/20/2009 Senate passes credit card bill and the Congress OKs measure to combat foreclosures by AP.
      Washington - The Senate voted to rein in credit card rate increases and excessive fees, hoping to give voters some breathing room amid a recession. so Obama could have it on his desk to sign.    The Democrats claim this is a victory for American consumers, forcing the way the credit card companies do buisness within nine months giving customers a chance to avoid over limit fees and provide 45 day notices if interest rates are increased.
      Congress sent the president legislation that encourages banks to spare homeowners from foreclosure with a $300 billion program.
• 5/21/2009 Iran test-fires missile capable of hitting Israel by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - Iran test-fired a missile capable of striking Israel, U.S. Mideast bases and Europe as a show of strength touted by the Iranian president as he battles for re-election next month against more moderate opponents.    The U.S. responded by saying Iran must choose between destabilizing the Middle East and accepting dialogue offered by Obama.
• 5/22/2009 Unemployment rolls again climb to record by AP.
      A sign that jobs will remain scarce through next year emerged in a report showing a record number of Americans receiving unemployment aid last week.    Plant shutdowns by Chrysler and General Motors could further harm the economy in coming months affecting thousands of suppliers and dealers.    The numer of people who continue to receive jobless benefits rose to nearly 6.7 million from 6.6 million.    New jobless claims fell to 631,000.
• 5/26/2009 Internal rifts hinder OPEC by Dow Jones Newswires.
      Oil markets have turned in OPEC's favor after months of drilling a hole in the cartel's coffers, but internal wrangling could cap recent price gains.    The OPEC production cuts over the past five months are beginning to whittle down excess supply.    World crude demand appears to be stabilizing after plunging for much of the past year, and can be expected to pick up with the start of the summer driving season in the U.S. and Europe.    Non-OPEC nations like Canada are cutting back their oil exploration, increasing its reliance on OPEC crude.
      Crude rose to $61.67 a barrel which is higher than OPEC had hoped for, and if they had not cut the way it did, prices would have fallen to $20 a barrel or less.    Saudia Arabia is the only OPEC nation in the Group of 20 working with a stimulus plan for the world economy.    Iran and Venezuela aren't doing their share of the cuts of 4.2 million barrels a day announce in late 2008.
• 5/26/2009 North Korea expanding threat by AP.
      Washington - North Korea's nuclear test makes it no likelier that the regime will actually launch a nuclear attack, but poses a threat as a facilitator of the atomic ambitions of others, even terrorists, and a thorn in Obama's side with two other wars going on.    Also the U.N. Security Council swiftly condemned N. Korea's nuclear test as a clear violation of a 2006 resolution banning them.
      On the 27th North Korea lashed out at the U.S. and reportedly launched two more short-range missiles as the U.N. debated new sanctions.    Russian officials said the blast was roughly as strong as the bombs dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and was stronger than the one they tested in 2006.
      On the 28th the U.S. accused N. Korea of provocative and belligerent behavior in reassuring Asian allies of U.S. support for defense.
      On the 30th N. Korea vowed to retaliate if punitive U.N. sanctions are imposed as tension rise in the communist nation and might launch more missiles.
      On the 31st North Korea is harbinger of a dark future.
• 5/28/2009 California asks U.S. to back its loans by AP.
      Sacramento, Calif. - If AIG was too big to fail, how about the world's eithth-largest economy?    California is pressing the Obama administration and Congress for federal loan guarantees to help the state out of a desperate, multibillion-dollar jam.    They are asking the government to be a co-signer on its borrowing to be backed up from the Troubled Asset Relief Program.    This would put the government in the business of backing municipal bonds done usually by investment banks.    California claims without assistance the state could resort to bigger layoffs and spending cuts, becoming a drag on the nation's economic recovery.
• 5/29/2009 At least 6 people killed in 7.1-magnitude quake by AP.
      Tegucigalpa, Honduras - A powerful 7.1 earthquake toppled dozens of homes in Honduras, killing at least six people and injuring 40 in Central America.
• 5/30/2009 Russia formally opens plant to destroy chemical weapons by AP.
      Shchuchye, Russia - Rising out of the fields of southern Siberia is a complex of hulking metal buildings surrounded by high-security fencing.    It's purpose is to destroy about 2 million chemical weapons from the Cold War in a plant built with the help of $1 billion from the U.S. from the Cooperative Threat Reduction initiative, launched a year after the Soviet Union collapsed.
• 6/2/2009 Weak dollar, China data boost oil prices by AP.
      Oil prices pushed to new highs for the year on a weak dollar and new data suggesting manufacturing in China has strengthened.    Gasoline prices rose above $2.60 a gallon and oil settled at $68.58 a barrel.    On the 11th oil prices surged above $71 ($71.33) a barrel to a new high for the year with investors pouring money into crude markets as a hedge against inflation, because of an increase in U.S. demand.    On the 16th oil prices fell to $70.62 as investors moved out of risky investments and into the dollar, as the Group of Eight reaffirmed the dollar's status as the world reserve currency.    On the 17th oil dropped to $70.47 a barrel due to data showing the U.S. economy is far from being in recovery since U.S. industrial production fell offsetting a rise in housing starts and building permits.    On the 19th gasoline prices at $2.70 at the pump and oil settled at $71.37.    On the 20th oil settled at $68.90 in a sell-off spurred by steep drop in gasoline futures and weakness in the equities market and a big profit-taking day before new contracts.    On the 23rd oil settled at $66.93 a barrel as predictions of a weak global economy and increases in inventories.    On the 26th oil prices jumped to $70.23 a barrel after the government said the economy may be faring better than previously thought, eventhough the slowing economy has slashed demand for energy as factories shut down and fewer people drive to work or take leisure trips by car or plane.    Also refinery closings combined with political turmoil in Iran and Nigeria had its effect.
• 6/2/2009 North may soon test long-range missile by AP.
      Seoul, South Korea - North Korea appears to be preparing to test an advanced missile designed to reach the U.S. pushing tensions higher.    On the 8th the U.S. is considering returning North Korea to a list of state sponsors of terrorism according to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
      On the 11th the United Nations and Western Powers proposed it would impose tough new sanctions against the North allowing foreign countries to stop and search ships heading to and from pending approval from the country whose flag the vessel was flying without use of force.    On the 13th the U.N. Security Council followed through on the punishment of ship embargo to deny them of financing and material for its weapons program and any export of arms, especially missiles.
• 6/6/2009 U.N.: New uranium traces found in Syria by AP.
      Vienna - The IAEA U.N. nuclear agency reported its second unexplained find of uranium particles at a Syrian nuclear site, in a probe launched by suspicions that a remote desert site hit by Israeli warplanes was a nearly finished plutonium-producing reactor.
• 6/8/2009 Conservatives winning EU parliament vote by AP.
      Brussels - Conservatives raced toward victory in some of Europe's largest economies as polls showed voters punishing left-leaning parties in European parliament elections in France, Germany, Italy and Belgium.    The parliament has juridiction over issues ranging from climate change to cellphone roaming charges and aslo can amend the EU budget.
      On the 9th the mix of apathy, anger and economic uncertainty as voters punished parties for the recession which translated into gains for extreme-right parties in European parliamentary elections, including the first seats of 72 won by the all-white British National Party.    Low voter turnout of 43 percent also played a role, and shows a vote against stimulus spending and corporate bailouts and more for job creation, and did not vote for Socialist causes.    In the Netherlands an anti-Islamic Freedom Party won 17 percent of the votes, taking 4 of 25 seats, and Austria's Freedom Party doubled its share of the vote to 13.1 percent.
• 6/8/2009 Gay-rights activist calls for march on Washington by AP.
      Salt Lake City - Cleve Jones an activist while at the annual Utah Pride Festival announced plans for a march on Washington this fall on Oct. 11 to coincide with National Coming Out Day to demand that Congress establish equality and marriage rights for the lesbian, gay and transgender community.
• 6/11/2009 Deficit hit May record of $189.7 billion by AP.
      Washington - The federal budget deficit soared to a record for May of $189.7 billion, pushing the red ink close to $1 trillion with four months left in the budget year as a result of the recession and corporate bailouts.
• 6/14/2009 Clashes erupt in Iran over election by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - Opponents of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad clashed with police in the heart of Iran's capital, pelting them with rocks and setting fires in the worst unrest in Tehran in a decade.    They accused the hard-line president who claimed a landslide re-election victory of using fraud to steal election victory from his reformist rival.
• 6/14/2009 N. Korea vows to continue its nuclear weapon efforts by AP.
      Seoul, South Korea - North Korea responded to new U.N. sanctions with more defiance, promising to step up its secretive nuclear bomb-making program by enriching uranium and threatening war with any nation that dares to stop its ships on the high seas.    Its ailing leader Kim Jong Il, may soon be replaced by his youngest son Jong Un, the communist country has fears that the U.S. could invade to topple its regime.
• 6/15/2009 Two former republics balk to reaction force by AP.
      Moscow - Two former Soviet republics refused to sign onto a deal to create a NATO-style rapid-reaction force for a Moscow-dominated security alliance, undermining a Kremlin bid to bolster its power amid a struggle with the West for regional clout.
      Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko boycotted the Moscow summit of the seven member Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) amid a trade dispute with Russia.    Central Asian power Uzbekistan balked at signing a deal that could increase Moscow's influence over its affairs.    So only 5 of the 7 signed.
• 6/15/2009 Pakistan says army will target top Taliban leader by AP.
      Islamabad - Pakistan ordered its army to go after the country's top Taliban commander Baitullah Mehsud, whose demise would be a major blow to the insurgenceies here and in Afghanistan.
• 6/17/2009 House OKs $106 billion war funding bill by AP.
      Washington - War-funding legislation survived a fierce partisan battle in the House to provide commanders in Iraq and Afghanistan the money they would need for military operations, ending at $106 billion.
• 6/17/2009 Iran moves to rein in Media by AP.
      Cairo - Iran clamped down on independent media in an attempt to control images of election protests, but they leaked out pictures and video anyway in the world of information flow in the Internet age (via Twitter and Facebook).    Thousands of Iranians swarmed the streets of Tehran in rival demonstrations over the disputed presidental election, pushing a deep crisis into its fourth day.    Iran's supreme ruler Ayatollah Ali Khamenei drew a firm line against any threats to the regime, warning Iranians to unite behind the Islamic system as he imposes restrictions on independent media.
      On the 20th the supreme leader said the vote stands and sought an end to the crisis and warned opposition leaders they will be held responisible for any bloodshed and chaos to come.    Thousands of protesters defied Iran's highest authority and marched on waiting security forces that fought back with baton charges, tear gas and water cannons.     On the 22nd struggles among Iran's ruling clerics burst into the open when the government arrested the daughter and other relatives of an ayatollah and former president Hashemi Rafsanjani and cries of "God is great!" echoed from the rooftops after dark a sign of seething anger at the government crackdown and the death of 17 people to date.     On the 23rd as helicopters hovered overhead riot police attacked hundreds of demonstrators with tear gas and fired live bullets in the air to disperse a rally in central Tehran.    Britain evacuated its diplomats.
• 6/18/2009 Obama OKs benefits for gays by AP.
      Washington - President Obama signaled to gay rights activists that he is listening to their desire for greater equality, as he signed a memorandum extending some benefits, such as visitation or dependent-care rights, to same-sex partners of gay federal employees.    His critics see this as pandering to a reliably Democratic voting bloc, and cutting short a fundraising boycott.    He did nothing to promote a repeal of policy that bans gays in the military, a campaign promise.
• 6/18/2009 Obama offers sweeping financial overhaul plan by AP.
      Washington - From simple home loans to Wall Street's most exotic schemes, the government would impose and enforce sweeping new rules for the nation's battered financial system under an overhaul proposed by Obama.    His aim is to prevent a repeat of the worst economic crisis in seven decades, and will be reversing a campaign pushed by President Ronald Reagan in the 1980s to cut back on federal regulations.    On the 20th Obama said he has no patience for debate for defenders of a system that has exploited bewildered consumers.
• 6/20/2009 World's hungry tops 1 billion, U.N. says by AP.
      Rome - The global financial meltdown has pushed the ranks of the world's hungry to a record 1 billion, that poses a threat to peace and security, a U.N. food official said.    Because of war, drought, political instability, high food prices and poverty, hunger now affects one in six people.    Hungry means they consume fewer than than 1,800 calories a day.
• 6/24/2009 Obama lays down harder line on Iran by AP.
      Washington - Obama declared the U.S. and the entire world appalled and outraged by Iran's violent efforts to crush dissent since Republicans have pounded him for being too passive.    Obama condemned the threats, beatings and imprisonments of the past few days.
• 6/24/2009 Obama: Faster spending needed by AP.
      Amid rising public impatience with an economy now under his watch, Obama said his administration needs to push money out faster to initiate a recovery and conceded that unemployment would rise above 10 percent.
• 6/25/2009 Clashes reported near Iran parliament by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - Riot police in Iran's capital fired tear gas and bullets in the air in clashes with protesters who converged on a square near the parliamentary building in defiance of government orders to halt demonstrations demanding a new presidential election.    Security forces who outnumbered the demonstrators beat them with batons and fired tear-gas canisters and rounds of ammunition into the air.    Some fought back, but most fled.
      On the 26th Iran's embattled opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi vowed not to back down from challenging what he called a rigged landslide presidential election despite the regime's attempts to isolate him.
      On the 27th a senior cleric urged Iran's protest leaders to be punished without mercy and some should face execution for anyone who takes up arms to fight with the people.    Khatami said those who disturbed the peace and destroyed public property were "at war with God.    I take it the Ayatollah thinks he is God by that statement since that is who they are going after to get a new election.
      On the 29th several thousand protesters chanting "Where is my vote? clashed with riot police and Iran detained local employees of the British Embassy, escalating the regime's standoff with the West and rebuke from the E.U.
      On the 30th Iran's election oversight body declared the presidential vote to be valid after a partial 10 percent of 40 million ballots recount to reject the opposition allegations of fraud.    They sure did that fast, it takes months sometimes in the U.S. to do a recount, but then no one is holding a gun to your head as you recount.
• 6/26/2009 N. Korea vows nuclear response to U.S. attack by AP.
      Seoul, South Korea - Some 100,000 North Koreans packed the main square for an anti-U.S. rally to promise a fire shower of nuclear retaliation for any attack.
• 6/26/2009 U.S. offers support to Somalian government by AP.
      Washington - The Obama administration has decided to support Somalia's embattled government by providing money and weapons, no troops and help to train the military in Djibouti, and through its transitional federal government.
• 7/1/2009 Big cities see resurgence in population growth by AP.
      Washington - Reversing a decade-long trend, many of America's largest cities are now growing more quickly than the rest of the nation, yet another sign of an economic crisis that is making it harder for people to move.    Housing crunch, recession and higher gas prices have slowed migration to the suburbs and residential hot-spots in the South and West.
• 7/2/2009 Iran's opposition leader condemns crackdown by AP.
      Cairo - Iranian opposition leader Mousavi told supporters its not too late to push for their rights and he joined a reformist ex-president in condemning the regime for a post-election crackdown.    On the 5th Iran's supreme leader accused Mousavi of being an American agent who should be tried for treason.    On the 10th thousands of protesters streamed down avenues of the capital chanting "Death to the dictator" and defying security forces who fired tear gas and charged with batons.    They turned garbage bins into burning barricades and darting through choking clouds of tear gas in an attempt to revive mass demonstration.
• 7/3/2009 Oil prices off sharply on employment news by AP.
      Oil prices tumbled after the release of woeful job numbers in Europe and the U.S. settling at $66.73 a barrel.    On the 4th oil dropped to $66.46 a barrel after dropping from $73.38 a barrel this week as jobs suggest consumption will remain tepid.    On the 7th oil tumbled again to $64.05 a barrel and gasoline was at $2.64 per gallon as the U.S. economy lost a larger-than-expected 467,000 jobs in June.    On the 9th oil prices neared $60 per barrel as the government reported that stockpiles of unused gasoline soared again.    On the 14th oil settled at $59.69 and stayed below $60 a barrel dropping about $14 a barrel since June 30.    Economists are predicting oil to move down to the mid $50s in the coming weeks.    Of course they were wrong since on the 28th oil prices pushed higher to settle at $68.38 because of improved earnings results from many companies, boosted investor optimism.
• 7/3/2009 Obama chides Russia's Putin by AP.
      Washington - Obama chided Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin for keeping one foot in the old ways of doing business and said his hand-picked successor as president understands that Cold War behavior is outdated as he prepares for a trip to Russia, Italy and Ghana next week.
• 7/3/2009 North Korea fires four missiles by AP.
      Seoul, South Korea - North Korea fired a barrage of short-range missiles off its east coast, a possible prelude to the launch of a long-range missile toward Hawaii over the July Fourth holiday.    On the 5th they launched seven ballistic missiles for 250 miles on the 4th in a show of military firepower to defy U.N. resolutions.    The U.S. refused to give any attention to them.
• 7/4/2009 Canada's finance minister says unemployment to rise by AP.
      Canada's finance minister Jim Flaherty said the country's economic recovery will be modest and job losses will mount into 2010 even after growth has begun.
• 7/4/2009 Russia OKs route for U.S. arms shipments by AP.
      Moscow - Russia said it will allow the U.S. to ship weapons across its territory to Afghanistan, a long-sought move that bolsters U.S. military operations but gives the Kremlin leverage over critical American supplies, ahead of Obama's visit for the deal to be signed.    On the 7th Obama and Medvedev committed to a deal to slash nuclear stockpiles by about a third, but no luck on Kremlin objections to America's missile defense plans.    On the 8th Obama continued to turn Russia from antagonist to ally in his two day stay for future cooperation in halting the spread of nuclear weapons, confronting violent extremists, ensuring economic prosperity, advancing the rights of people and fostering cooperation without jeopardizing sovereignty.    He also wanted Russia to be wary of hard-line stand on dissent in the area of their Democracy.
• 7/5/2009 Powell: Keep government small by AP.
      Washington - Collin Powell worries that President Obama is trying to tackle too many big issues at one time and advices him too take a look at costs and the red tape that will be created.    Give us a government that works, and kept as small as possible.
• 7/11/2009 New plan targets global hunger by AP.
      L'Aquila, Italy - Leaders of rich and developing countries the Group of Eight at the end of the summit launched a new approach to global hunger, saying they wanted to spend $20 billion on seed, fertilizers, tools and other aid for small farmers over the next three years so poor nations could feed themselves.    Wow, how long did it take to figure that out, to help people become more self-sufficient instead of just food aid forever.    The U.S. is expected to commit $3 billion, France $2 billion, and $5 billion from other E.U. countries.    The plan was endorsed by more than 30 countries and organizations, and approved by the G-8 - Canada, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the original G-7 and the 8th Russia, which I call the G-7 plus Russia the 8th.
• 7/12/2009 Obama affirms Africa's promise by AP.
      Accra, Ghana - Obama made his first visit to sub-Saharan Africa and called on the continent to seize control of their future by building strong, democratic intitutions and eliminating corruption.    The Ghanaians are thrilled by the historic visit of the U.S.' first black president, and could care less about his prep talk about Africa's future.
• 7/13/2009 AU peacekeepers fight Islamic militants by AP.
      Mogadishu, Somalia - Islamic insurgents fought their way toward Somalia's presidential palace in battles that killed dozens and wounded about 150, as the African Union peacekeepers directly intervened for the first time to support government forces.
• 7/14/2009 Budget deficit hits $1 trillion by AP.
      The federal deficit has topped $1 trillion for the first time ever and could grow to nearly $2 trillion by this fall, intensifying fears about higher interest rates, inflation and the strength of the dollar.    This was the result of the government spending to ease recession, combined with a sharp decline in tax revenues, and the cost of two wars.    China and other foreign buyers of U.S. debt are now nervous and could become reluctant lenders.    The Treasury Department could be forces to pay higher interest rates to make U.S. debt attractive in the longer term.    Unemployment rate is at 9.5 percent, and the deficit forecast will hit $1.84 trillion in October.    If they continue to spend outlays could reach $2.67 trillion.
• 7/17/2009 Iran reformers plan public display of prayers by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - The opposition is planning a show of strength by doing the main Islamic prayers in the capital packing it full with their top supporter in the clerical leadership Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani delivering the sermon and opposition leader Mousavi will attend.    Hardliners may attend which may raise a confrontation during prayers which are broadcast live on radio.    Government supporters are pressuring Rafsanjani to state his loyalty to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in his sermon.    Or will he defend the values of the revolution?    In the meantime Mahmoud Ahmadinejad rallied against the U.S. in a speech.    On the 18th as a sign of endurance for the protest movement, demonstrators clashed with police as one of the nation's most powerful clerics challenged the supreme leader during Muslim prayers, saying the country was in crisis in the wake of a disputed election.    The turnout of tens of thousands of worshippers for former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani's sermon at Tehran University and the battles with police outside represented the biggest opposition show of strength in weeks.    On the 19th Iranian hard-liners accused Rafsanjani of encouraging opposition supporters to continue their protests.
• 7/17/2009 N. Korean firms hit with U.N. sanctions by AP.
      United Nations - The 15-nation U.N. Security Council backed by China and Russia, banned travel and froze assests of 10 North Korean individuals and businesses linked to the country's nuclear and ballistic missile programs, marking the first time the U.N. has directly penalized members of the nation's military and business elite.
• 7/18/2009 Jobless rate tops 10% in 15 states, D.C. by AP.
      Washington - Fifteen states have gone above 10% unemployment with many more to follow, which could lead to consumers going back into hibernation slowing economic recovery.
• 7/23/2009 Bernanke resists agency plan by AP.
      The Federal Reserve chief Ben Bernanke put himself at odds with his boss and the Obama administration by resisting its plan to create a consumer protection agency for risky financial products, claiming those responsibilities should stay with the central bank.    This stems from consumer groups and lawmakers who have blamed the Fed under Alan Greenspan for failing to crack down early on dubious mortgages practices, which led to the collapse.
• 7/23/2009 Reports: Russia's nuclear chief says Iranian reactor to be switched on this year by AP.
      Moscow - After a decade the reactor at a nuclear power plant Russia is building in Iran will be switched on this year near the city of Bushehr, that the U.S. and Israel claim is meant to develop atomic weapons.
• 7/26/2009 Defense secretary wins big in weapons war by AP.
      Washington - The Senate voted to end production of the $65 billion high-priced F-22 jet fighter and killed an aircraft engine project that Robert Gates said isn't needed.    Gates is on a campaign to change the way the Pentagon does business to get rid of projects that siphon money from the troops and gear required for irregular wars which we are presently fighting in.    It was a hard thing to do since much of that money was jobs in some of the lawmakers states and districts.    Gates does want to build the F-35 which is better suited for ground atacks and unconventional warfare, which they may build 2,400 of them.
• 7/28/2009 Revolutionary Guard tightens hold in Iran crisis by AP.
      Cairo - The Revolutionary Guard has tightened its already powerful hold over Iran during the post-election turmoil, raising alarm among some Iranians that it is transforming the Islamic Republic into a military state.
      I hate to tell anyone, but it already was.
      The elite force and volunteer militia, the Basij, led the crackdown against street protesters who killed 20 and detained hundreds.    This 120,000-strong force has its own ground, naval, air and missile units and was created after the 1979 Islamic revolution to defend Iran's clerical rule.
• 7/28/2009 U.S.-China teamwork praised by AP.
      Washington - Obama declared a new era of cooperation, not confrontation with a delegation of 150 diplomats from China even though no differences were resolved over the vast trade gap and China's unease over soaring U.S. budget deficits.    Obama pledged to get the deficit under control once the economic crisis is resolved, and he pressed China to reshape its economy to rely more on domestic demand and less on exports that drive up the U.S. trade deficit.    Obama believes China and the U.S. wil shape the 21st century to resolve hotspots like the North Korea ambitions, Iran and the financial crisis, and human rights.
• 8/1/2009 Outlook worsens for Cuba's economy by AP.
      Havana - Cuba went into crisis mode announcing that its economy is even worse than expected, forcing inhabitants to make do with less.
• 8/2/2009 Obama: U.S. needs innovation by AP.
      Washington - Obama believes are future economic prosperity depends on a new spirit of innovation.    Obama credited his $787 billion economic stimulus program for some improvement in the economy, plus limiting home foreclosures and unlocking frozen credit markets to encourage lending to people and businesses, along with tax cuts.
• 8/4/2009 Oil up on weak dollar, manufacturing news by AP.
      Oil and natural gas prices rose sharply on the weakening dollar and on new signs of life from manufacturers that suggest the recession may be loosening its grip.    Oil rose to $71.58 a barrel and going above $70 in a month, with gasoline prices around $2.57 a gallon.    On the 18th oil prices fell as the years first hurricane threatened to grow before it heads toward the U.S. and settled at $66.75 a barrel, and could keep falling to between $59 and $63.    On the 25th oil prices approached $75 a barrel settling at $74.37 a barrel for the first time in ten months amid growing optimism that the world's economies are on the mend.
• 8/13/2009 WTO: China violates rules by AP.
      Responding to a U.S. complaint, the World Trade Organization ruled that China was violating international trade rules by restricting the import of American books, movies and music recordings.    The WTO decision came down against Beijing's policy of forcing America media producers to route their business through state-owned companies.    So will they have to take sanctions or the threat of them to force China to ease access for U.S. companies to the world's largest marketplace for high-quality entertainment products.    So will it pave the way toward more open trade between China and America?    Since they by part have unfair policies that boost sales of Chinese goods abroad and limiting the amount of foreign products entering its market.    Obama is being pressed to get tough on trade rules with China which is blamed on America's soaring trade deficit and lost manufacturing jobs.
      On the 15th U.S. companies would have to crackdown on piracy first in order to boost sales.
• 8/13/2009 NASA can't afford to track asteroids by AP.
      Washington - While NASA is charged with spotting most of the asteroids that pose a threat to Earth, it doesn't have the money to complete the job, a federal report says.    Congress assigned the space agency that mission four years ago but never gave NASA the money to build the necessary telescopes.    NASA was suppose to by the year 2020 to locate 90 percent of the potentially deadly rocks hurtling through space, and at present they have only completed about one-third.    Our solar system contains about 20,000 asteroids and comets that are potential threats.    They would need another $800 million to complete the task.
• 8/13/2009 Federal deficit climbs to $1.27 trillion by AP.
      Washington - The fedral deficit hit $1.27 trillion with two months remaining in the budget year with the July deficit at $180.7 billion.    The Obama administration projects it will be $1.84 trillion by Sept. 30.
• 8/15/2009 Opposition seeks ayatollah's ouster by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - A group of former reformist lawmakers appealed to a powerful clerical body to investigate Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's qualification to rule in an unprecedented -- albeit mostly symbolic -- challenge to the country's most powerful man over the postelection crackdown over allegations that protesters were tortured and some detainees were raped by jailers.    The Assembly of Experts, a body of clerics that has the power to name the supreme leader and , in theory, to remove him.
      On the 16th, a defiant Mir-Hossein Mousavi declared the creation of a grass-roots political movement as the protest movement is stalled, and the reformists have clashing opinions culturally, economically and politically to work out.
      On the 20th, Iran's supreme leader called his country's alliance with Syria a symbol of resistance in the Middle East to seek a key relationship to fend off continued criticism over its response to the massive protests.    Visiting Syrian President Bashar Assad confirmed Iran's opinion which will disappoint the Obama administration who have been trying diplomatic efforts in Syria.
• 8/16/2009 German, French economies improve by Dow Jones Newswires.
      Germany and France have escaped from the recession surprisingly quickly, outpacing the U.S. in returning to growth along with China and elsewhere in Asia.
• 8/18/2009 Obama targets wasteful projects for military by AP.
      Phoenix - Obama chastised the defense industry and a free-spending Congress for wasting tax dollars with doctrine for wars we are not presently engaged in.
• 8/21/2009 Obama woos both sides on health care by AP.
      Washington - With control of the health care debate slipping from his grasp, Obama pitched his ambitious plan to conservative talk radio and his own liberal supporters.    Republicans pressed their unified opposition, but Obama said he guaranteed we are going to get health care reform done.    He is trying to correct untrue claims.
• 8/22/2009 $2 trillion higher deficit seen by AP.
      Washington - The Obama administration expects the federal deficit over the next decade to be $2 trillion bigger than previously estimated, a setback for the president already facing a Congress and public wary over spending.    The new projection, to be announced is a cumulative 2010-2019 deficit of $9 trillion instead of the $7 trillion previously estimated.    This will create difficulties with foreign buyers of U.S. debt and Congress when trying to pass massive overhauls in health care and the environment, and Obama's goal of cutting the deficit to $512 billion in 2013.    He has no choice expect to increase revenues or spending cuts to tame the deficit.    The White House predicted the economy would shrink by 1.2 percent this year, but it shrank 6.4 percent in the first quarter, the worst in nearly three decades, and they based their 2010-2019 predictions on a shrink of 2.2 percent this year.
      They need to quit fudging the figures to get their Bills passed.    Mark Twain once said, "There are 3 kinds of lies.    Lies, damned lies, and statistics."
• 8/28/2009 U.S.-Columbia deal may spur arms race by AP.
      Buenos Aires, Argentina - Venezuela's Hugo Chavez has raised the stakes in a meeting of South American presidents, threatening to break relations with Columbia over plans to give U.S. troops a 10-year lease on its bases.    The bases deal has created uncertainty over regional stability and offered rationale for nations to spend big on their militaries, which Chavez has already done with $4 billion of Russian weapons.    Ecuador is buying 24 Brazilian warplanes and six Israeli drones to watch its borders, and Bolivia has opened a $100 million line of credit with Russia to buy weapons.    The 12 South American nations spent about $51 billion last year on their militaries, which is not good since an arms race is the last thing they need in struggling democracies with growing poverty and economic crisis.
• 8/28/2009 Farmers, faced with debt, commit suicide by AP.
      Hyperabad, India - Dozens of impoverished farmers (25 in two weeks) struggling with debt and poor rainfall have killed themselves in southern India in recent weeks, leaving behind families plunged even further into poverty, activists and politicians said.    This is continuing and may be at numbers as high as 150 suicides in Andhra Pradesh, a state of 80 million people where 70 percent of the population depends on agriculture - and which has suffered badly this year from weak monsoon rains.
• 8/29/2009 U.N. concerned by Iran nuclear program by AP.
      Vienna - Iran is stonewalling according to the U.N. on its suspected nuclear program has military dimensions, which Iran angrily denounced as a fabrication since they claim they have been open and cooperative.
• 8/30/2009 Big deficits put Obama tax pledge in doubt by The Washington Post.
      Washington - During Obama's campaign he vowed to enact a bold agenda without raising taxes for the middle class, which of course now is harder for him to keep, since even his own advisers believe broad-based tax increase would be required to close the gap between revenue and spending.    Obama of course is trying to hold that off until his second term, in hope that some of his initiatives would save the government money by then.
• 9/1/2009 Oil settles below $70 on worries over China by AP.
      Oil prices fell to $69.96 a barrel as a steep drop in China's stock market raised doubts about the strength of the U.S. and global economic recovery.    China seemed to suggest that they would cut back on bank lending, essentially removing one stimulus they have added to the economy.    On the 2nd oil dropped again to $68.05 a barrel before a holiday weekend despite new indications the U.S. manufacturing and housing industries may be on the mend.    On the 9th oil prices rose to $71.10 a barrel as a falling dollar pushed investors to seek out commodities such as oil and gold as a hedge against inflation and dollar weakness and gold seemed to pull oil along for the ride, before OPEC meets.    OPEC met and focused on its own members compliance with production limits at its meeting in Vienna, who were all happy with oil prices.
      On the 17th energy prices jumped to $72.51 a barrel on new indicators of economic activity that could renew demand due to a large drop in crude supplies.
      On the 24th crude oil and gasoline prices fell sharply to settle at $68.97 on evidence of a huge supply glut on a government report.    On the 26th oil prices rose from whatever it fell to and settled at $66.02 a barrel as Middle East tensions escalated when Obama, France and Britain warned Iran over its nuclear ambitions and the Federal Reserve Chairman supported a fedral lending program that could weaken the dollar.
• 9/4/2009 N. Korea says it's enriching uranium by AP.
      Seoul, South Korea - North Korea (DPRK Democratic People's Republic of Korea) said it is in the final stages of enriching uranium, a process that could give the nation a second way to make nuclear bombs, as it informed the U.N. Security Council in defiance.    So they acknowledged a hidden uranium enrichment program and is try to weaponizse plutonium, as a reaction to the tightened sanctions.
• 9/4/2009 Biden: Stimulus plan working by AP.
      Washington - Vice President Joe Biden defending a costly plan to revitalize the economy said the government's stimulus effort is working despite Republican criticism and public skepticism.    He claims we are talking about the end of a recession, instead of the start of a depression after 200 days in office, and have created 500,000 to 750,000 jobs so far, and its is a mix of tax cuts, increased spending on Medicaid and huge investments in infrastructure, education, energy projects and more, but predicts the unemployment rate will rise until next summer, which is what the public will base their decision on if economic life is getting better.
• 9/5/2009 WTO ruling favors U.S. on Airbus subsidies by AP.
      The World Trade Organization has ruled the the E.U. provided illegal subsidies to Airbus for its aircraft, a U.S congressman from Washington State said, from a U.S. complaint in 2004, which had caused material harm to Boeing in an unfair market worth $3 trillion over the next two decades, and how far governments can go to support the aviation industry.    The E.U. is likely to appeal, but most likely the issue will be resolve by negotiations between the parties than by the WTO.
• 9/5/2009 Iran: U.S. nuclear info 'forged' to harass Tehran by AP.
      Vienna - Iran accused the U.S. of using forged documents which they gave to the IAEA and relying on subterfuge to make its case that Tehran is trying to build a nuclear weapon.    It also lashed out at Britain and France for ill will and political motivation in their dealings on Iran.
      On the 10th the U.S. warned that Iran is close to having the capabilities to produce a nuclear weapon and demanded them to engage in dialogue to prove its atomic program is peaceful.
• 9/6/2009 G-20 will keep stimulus plans going for now by AP.
      London - The G-20 agreed to curb hefty bankers' bonuses, but the proposed crackdown on excessive payouts so far falls short of European demands after the U.S. and Britain shied away from imposing a cap.    The Group of 20 finance ministers also pledged to maintain stimulus measures such as extra government spending and low interest rates to boost the global economy, and are hearing claims that it is improving.    The IMF said the global economy is beginning a sluggish recovery.    The G-20 leaders will have a summit in Pittsburgh later this month.
      On the 8th European and Asian stocks rose after they pledged to do what was stated above to prop up the global economy.
• 9/5/2009 August jobless rate hits 9.7%; 26-year high by AP.
      Washington - America's unemployment rate climbed in August to 9.7 percent, the highest in a generation, but the number of job losses was less than expected as the figure gets sugar-coated as okay because it had slowed down.    Employers shed 216,000 jobs in August, that affects that many families and adds to taxpayers paying unemployment packages.
• 9/9/2009 Panel opposes return to the moon by AP.
      Washington - A White House panel of independent space experts rejects NASA's return-to-the-moon plan for cost of $3 billion as the reason above their current budget of $18 billion.    In 2004 Bush proposed returning to the moon by 2020, and retire the shuttle in 2010 and the ISS in 2015.    They want to include other countries and private for profit firms.    The panel agreed that Mars is the preferred option.
      On the 10th Obama demanded to kill off an expensive, modern fighter jet the F-22 and the VH-71 helicopters at a hearing from a Senate panel.
• 9/11/2009 Health bill could start moving by AP.
      Washington - Democratic congressional leaders predicted passage of health care legislation within a few months despite Republican opposition, according to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.    This legislation would allow the federal government to sell insurance in competition with private industry, with a strong public option which some Democrats are against.    Obama wants to cover over 46 million uninsured Americans with this legislation, require everyone to carry coverage, and claim it would be paid for through a reduction in Medicare spending and tax increases.
• 9/11/2009 Envoy: U.S. withdrawal from Iraq on track by AP.
      Washington - The U.S. ambassador to Iraq told Congress that despite a recent rash of insurgent attacks, the U.S. is on track to remove all its combast forces by next August, but still concerned whether Iraqi forces are ready to maintain security without support.
      With hardly any debate, the Senate Approriations Committee approved Obama's $128 billion request for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, including the $636 billion funding of next year's Pentagon budget.    By the end of 2009 68,000 U.S. forces will be in Afghanistan.
• 9/12/2009 Census Bureau drops use of ACORN in count by AP.
      The Census Bureau severed its ties with ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, founded in Arkansas in 1970, a liberal grass-roots agenda), a community organization that Republicans have accused of voter-registration fraud.    ACORN claims only a handful of employees submitted false registration forms and did so in a bid to boost their pay.
      On the 16th a Republican lawmaker wants the Justice Department to investigate ACORN for voter-registration fraud cases.    Sen. Mike Johanns of Nebraska cited reports of illegal activity by aiding and abetting tax evasion, prostitution, human trafficking, fraud and conspiracy.    ACORN had received more than $50 million in taxpayer funds since 1994.    A hidden-camera released by conservative activists posing as a prostitute and a pimp have shown ACORN employees giving advice on home buying and how to account on tax forms for the woman's income, in order to run a brothel, by lying about their income or to launder the money to get housing assistance.
      On the 18th the House voted to deny all federal funds to ACORN a scandal-tainted and corrupt organization.    Thus by the 20th ACORN began shutting down in many communities in which it once worked, eventhough it had already been stung by the recession.    They probably helped in Obama's presidental bid.
      On the 23rd ACORN had selected a former Massachusetts attorney general, Democrat Scott Harshbarger, to investigate its housing program and other public service projects, and are claiming the video footage was manipilated.
      On the 29th Bank of America suspened its ties with ACORN after Republicans in Congress asked them and 13 other financial institutions to give a complete accounting of their dealings with ACORN or its affliates.
• 9/13/2009 Obama touts health care by AP.
      Minneapolis - Obama assailed critics of his health care initiative and boosted momentum in his drive for congressional passage of his chief domestic priority.    He would not accept the status quo on this issue at a 15,000 person rally, and would not listen to anyone who wanted to kill this bill.    He put the cost of his plan at $900 billion for the period starting in 2010.
      At the same time tens of thousands of protesters fed up with government spending marched on the U.S. Capitol, showing their disdain for Obama's healthcare plan with slogans such as "Obamacare makes me sick" and "I'm not your ATM."    Many referred Obama as a Socialist, and were agaisnt the unchecked spending on things like a government-run health insurance option could increase inflation and lead to economic ruin, with an already deficit spending out of control.    One protester held up a sign with images of Martin Luther King Jr. and Obama, with the words printed, "He had a dream, we got a nightmare."    This was the beginning of a true grass-roots movement in America, which came to be known as "The Tea Party."
• 9/15/2009 Rush for flour fatal in Pakistan by AP.
      Karachi, Pakistan - At least 18 women and girls died when a crowd waiting for handouts of flour swelled and panicked in an impoverished city in southern Pakistan, that occurred during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, a time for charitable food give aways.
• 9/15/2009 Top conservative condemns Tehran by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - A prominent Iranian conservative, Mohammad Nourizad, respected by supporters of the country's Islamic regime issued a blistering condemnation of the ruling establishment and its supreme leader, adding an unexpected voice to a growing criticism over the bloody aftermath of Iran's disputed election.    He once viewed Khamenei as a political savior, but now sees him as denier of freedom of speech, and called on him to apologize for ordering the crackdown on protesters after ordering his agents to open fire, kill the people, beat them and destroyed and burnt their property.
      Iran warned the U.S. and Israel that it will repel any attack while also tamping down tensions by agreeing to meet with the U.S. and other world powers over its refusal to curb its nuclear activities on Oct. 1st.
      On the 18th in Vienna Iran experts at the U.N. nuclear monitoring agency the IAEA believe Tehran has the ability to make an atomic bomb and worked on developing a missile system that can carry such a warhead according to their report.
      On the 19th hard-liners attacked senior pro-reform leaders in the streets as tens of thousands marched in competing mass demonstrations by the opposition and government supporters.    Opposition protesters, chanting "death to the dictator," hurled stones and bricks in clashes with security forces firing tear gas.    There was also government-sponsored rallies marking an annual anti-Israel commemoration, waving pictures of Iran's supreme leader and president and placards denouncing the Jewish state and support for the Palestinians.    This is known as Quds (Arabic for Jerusalem) Day, a major political occasion for the government.    So this was about keeping the protests separated.
• 9/16/2009 Militants vow revenge for U.S. raid by AP.
      Mogadishu, Somalia - U.S. special forces aboard helicopters penetrated Somalia and, guns blazing, hit a convoy said to contain a top al-Qaida fugitive, which was confirmed as the insurgents vowed to seek revenge.    There are growing concerns that al-Qaida is gaining a foothold in this lawless nation, and could become the next Afghanistan.
• 9/16/2009 Bernanke: Recession is very likely over by AP.
      Washington - Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said the worst recession since the 1930s is probably over, but cautioned the nearly 15 million unemployed Americans will still be that way for awhile with 6.9 million jobs lost, but the economy is growing now.    He predicts that unemployment will top 10 percent this year, and could take years before it drops back to pre-2007 levels.
      At the same time in Pittsburgh Obama turned to the blue-collar crowds to rally support for health care overhaul and claimed credit for policies that have stopped our economic free fall.    He found a receptive audience at the AFL-CIO convention the nation's largest labor federation and unions.    On the 18th Kentucky's unemployment rate was 11.1 percent, Indiana was 10.6 percent.
• 9/18/2009 Obama scraps missile shield by AP.
      Washington - Obama canceled a missile shield for Eastern Europe (Poland and Czech Republic) a Bush-era project that was opposed by Russia with a plan he contended would be better to defend against a growing threat of Iranian missiles and other rogue states.    His plan to provide stronger, smarter and swifter defenses of American forces and allies with a link of smaller radar systems with a network of sensors and missiles that could be deployed at sea or on land, which some of the weaponry and sensors exist now, and the rest would be developed over the next 10 years at a cost of $2.5 billion instead of $5 billion.    The Pentagon contemplates a system of 40 missiles by 2015, at two or three sites across Europe.    This all comes the day before Obama is to meet with the Russian president at the U.N. and the Group of 20 economic summit.    Present assessments on Iran's ability to lob a missile at Europe is 2018 or later.
      On the 20th Russia said it will scrap a plan to deploy missiles near Poland since Washington has changed plans and harshly criticized Iran's president for new comments denying the Holocaust, but still have not pushed for tougher sanctions agaisnt Iran.
• 9/20/2009 Taliban: 'Invaders' should study history by AP.
      Kabul - The Taliban's reclusive leader, Mullah Omar, said in a Muslim holiday message that the U.S. and NATO should study Afghanistan's long history of war, in a pointed reminder that foreign forces have had limited military success in the country, before the eighth anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan to oust the Taliban for hosting al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden.    Omar said noting history of Alexander the Great whose forces were defeated by Pashtun tribesmen in the 4th century, and we fought against the British invaders for 80 years from 1839 to 1919 and ultimately got independence by defeating them.    Today we have strong determination, military training and effective weapons and preparedness for a long war and the regional situatiion is in our favor.    They will continue to wage jihad until we gain independence and force the invaders to pull out.
• 9/20/2009 Obama facing stern test this week by AP.
      Washington - The unrelenting global troubles confronting Obama are about to converge on him all at once, for the first-year president who has pledged to "change the world."    He will deal with the politics of the U.N. and host a summit in Pittsburgh on the world's wobbly economy, and he is under pressure to push along stalled Mideast peace, prove he is serious on climate change and rally allies against the nuclear threats of North Korea and Iran, and European pressure to reform risky U.S. financial behavior, and issues of two wars in his first speech to the 192-member body.
• 9/20/2009 Obama: G-20 a chance to assess financial strides by AP.
      Washington - Obama claims the world's leading economic powers (G-20) have made progess in stabilizing the global financial system, but much work remains to produce needed jobs and growth.    He also will discuss steps to safeguard our global financial system and close gaps in regulation around the world that permitted the reckless risk-taking that led to the crisis.
      On the 23rd the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee is urging the White House to send more troops to Afghanistan and stick with a military strategy outlined six months ago.    On the 24th the Pentagon asked for additional U.S. forces as high as 40,000 troops to do counterterror strikes in Pakistan as the new focus where Al-Qaida leaders are believed to be hiding.
• 9/24/2009 Russia opens door to sanctions on Iran by AP.
      Moscow - Moscow is not ruling out new U.N. security Council sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program while in New york
• 9/24/2009 Obama tells world that U.S. cannot fix all its problems by AP.
      United Nations - Obama challenged world leaders to shoulder more of the globe's critical burdens, promising a newly cooperative partner in America but warning they can no longer castigate the U.S. as a go-it-alone bully while still demanding it cure all ills.    He said it is time for all of us to take our share of responsibility for a global response to global challenges.    He will no longer set by listening to those blaming others for our troubles and absolving ourselves of responsibility for choices and actions.
      Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi followed and railed against the U.N. Security council, which includes the U.S., calling it a "terror council" and accusing it of treating smaller nations as "second class, despised," and accused the world body of failing to prevent or intervene in 65 wars since it was founded, demanding massive reparations for the colonization of Africa, urging an investigation of the death of U.N. Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjold in 1961, U.S. President John F. Kennedy in 1963 and others.    So Obama's message was not new, its been heard before, but in a more humble tone, reducing Amercia's role as the globe's lone superpower, pushing international law on defiant nations.
• 9/25/2009 G-8 gives Iran 3-month deadline by AP.
      United Nations - Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said that the Group of Eight nations is giving Iran until the end of the year to commit to ending uranium enrichment and avoid new sanctions.    Ahmadinejad has given no sign that his country is willing to bargain away its nuclear program.
      With Obama presiding, the U.N. Security Council approved a U.S.-sponsored resolution committing all nations to work for a nuclear weapons-free world.
      World leaders of the G-20 descended on Pittsburgh to debate how to nurture a recovering global economy.    Most agreement was restricting banker's compensation as on the streets police threw canisters of pepper spray and smoke at demonstrators against capitalism who got a little rowdy and chaotic in an unlawful assembly for some Anarchist group.
      On the 26th Obama asserted that he and other leaders of the world's 20 largest economies took actions that brought the global economy back from the brink and saved or created millions of jobs, and they leave here today confident and united.    They have agreed to leave stimulus programs in place until recoveries are more firm.
• 9/26/2009 Obama demands Iran 'come clean' by AP.
      Pittsburgh - Backed by other world powers, Obama declared that Iran is speeding down a path to confrontation after they informed the U.N. that it has been building a secret uranium enrichment plant.    Obama demanded that Tehran come clean on all nuclear efforts and open the new revealed secret site for international inspection.    Obama said he would not rule out military action if the Iranians refuse, since they are breaking rules that all nations must follow.    On the 27th the head of Iran's nuclear program said he was shocked by the West's angry reaction to the news that his country is opening a second uranium enrichment facility, which he said was disclosed a year earlier than required by the U.N. watchdog, since it would not be completed for another year and a half.    Obama claims the site as a covert uranium enrichment facility that Western intelligence discovered years ago and has since been monitoring, and is now demanding full transparency and play by the rules.
• 9/29/2009 Iran calls test of short-range missiles success by AP.
      Tehran - Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard said it successfully test-fired short-range missiles in drills meant to show Tehran is prepared to crush any military threat from another country.    The display of force comes days after the U.S. and its allies warned Iran, and claim their missiles are more accurate in tactical battlefield situations and can defend the country from any attacks.    These missile cannot carry a nuclear warhead, since they have not learned how to do this yet or are still in development.
      U.S. and Europe condemned the Iranian missile test.
• 10/1/2009 Obama officials study war strategy by AP.
      Washington - With top commanders and congressional Republicans pushing for more troops, Obama met with key members of his national security team to hash out a response a General's call for more U.S. forces to Afghan who reported that we could not meet the objectives of causing irreparable damage to Taliban militants and their al-Qaida allies if not done.    He wants to add 30,000 to 40,000 to the current force of 68,000.
• 10/1/2009 Quakes, tsunami ravage islands by AP.
      Beijing - The death toll in Samoa and America Samoa rose to 119 after a powerful tsunami with 15 to 20 foot high waves triggered by a deep ocean earthquake devastated coastal towns up to a mile inland, with many more missing.    Seventeen hours after the magnitude 8.0 tremblor struck, another massive ocean earthquake off the coast of Indonesia's Sumatra island killed at least 75 people and trapped thousands under rubble.    American Samoa, an American territory of 65,000 persons was declared a major disaster by Obama.
      On the 2nd in Padang, Indonesia rescue workers searched for survivors and the U.N. death toll has been set at 1,100, but the government says 777 dead, with at least 440 injured.    The earth-quake was a 7.6-magnitude as thousands are thought to be trapped under shattered buildings in the city of 900,000.
      On the 4th the death toll from Indonesia will double to 1,300 as officials reached rural communities wiped out by landslides that had buried more than 600 people under mountains of mud and as many as 3,000 are declared missing.
      On the 6th helicopters dropped food and aid off to cut-off communities that were without food for 5 days and rescue workers have given up their searches.
• 10/2/2009 Iran, world powers will hold more talks by AP.
      Genthod, Switzerland - Iran and six world powers ended a meeting with an agreement to take a new stab at overcoming years of mistrust by Tehran's nuclear program and meet this month for discussions, to open its new plant to U.N. inspectors in a few weeks.
      On the 4th Iran's president hit back at Obama's accusation that his country had sought to hide its construction of a new nuclear site, defended himself.
• 10/3/2009 Area gasoline prices end slide by AP.
      Gas prices ended their recent slide around $2.43 a gallon as crude-oil prices tumbled after news that U.S. unemployment hit a 26-year high and raised doubts about the strength of the economic recovery and energy demand as oil settled at $69.95.
      On the 15th oil prices rose to $75.18 a barrel for the first time in a year because of a weak dollar and the belief that the holiday shopping season will put more traffic on the roads, and the Dow Jones industrial average pushed past 10,000 for the first time in more than a year.    On the 16th gasoline prices jumped to $2.54 per gallon due to tighter supplies and oil seetled at $77.58 per barrel.    On the 17th oil prices settled at $78.53 a barrel for the first time in a year and gasoline averaged $2.57.    On the 20th despite low demand, prices for crude oil have spiked near $80 as people are driving less, trucking companies are shipping less, and airlines are cutting back on jet-fuel purchases because buisness travel has ebbed.
      Higher crude oil cost drove up gasoline prices to $2.66 a gallon as oil settled at $81.37 a barrel and on the 30th it must have gone down and rose againto settle at $79.87 a barrel and pump prices went higher to $2.69 per gallon.
• 10/3/2009 Stocks slip after report of higher jobless claims by AP.
      Investors retreated from stocks as the pile of disappointing economic reports grew larger.    The Dow slid 203 on reports of weak manufacturing as orders fell and a jump in claims for jobless benefits, as employers cut more jobs 263,000 in September than expected.    This made the U.S. jobless rate to go up to 9.8%.    If the economy is turning around, and sales are slowly growing and companies are starting to make money again, then they are doing it by cutting costs, squeezing more work out of fewer workers and relying on part-timers and cheap foreign labor.    Or worse, the White House is fibbing to us.
• 10/4/2009 Earthquakes continue to shake remote area by AP.
      Lone Pine, California - More earthquakes have struck a remote area of eastern California that has been shaken by a sequence of tremors, magnitude 3.0, 4.5, 3.0 and 3.1.    Then again more at magnitude-5.2 and tremors of 4.7 and 4.9 in a six-minute span.
• 10/8/2009 Federal deficit triple to record $1.4 trillion by AP.
      Washington - The federal budget tripled to a record $1.4 trillion for the 2009 fiscal year, which is bad news for the White House and Congress as they press ahead with a health care overhaul that could cost $900 billion the next decade.    Most of this came from a big drop in tax revenues due to the recession, $245 billion in emergency spending on the Wall Street bailout and the takeover of mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, then $200 billion for Obama's economic stimulus bill as well as increases in unemployment benefits and food stamps.    The $459 billion deficit of 2008 was the previous record and Obama claims he inherited this economic crises.    Economists now worry that the deficits could force the government to offer higher interest rates to attract investors in the future not to mention that our children and grandchildren will end up buried under a mountain of debt.
• 10/9/2009 Relief proposals amount to new stiimulus by AP.
      Washington - Confronted with big job losses and no sign the U.S. economy is ready to stand on its own, Democrats are working on a growing list of relief efforts, leaving for later how to pay for them, or whether even to bother.    Proposals include extending a popular tax credit for first-time home-buyers, and creating a new credit for companies that add jobs, which together look like another economic stimulus package, to add to the $1.4 trillion.    Lawmakers are feeling pressured to act with unemployment appraoching 10 percent.
• 10/11/2009 Cleantech next big market boom? by AP.
      Silicon Valley investors are pointing to "cleantech" -- alternative energy, more efficient power distribution and new ways to store electricity, all with minimal impact on the environment -- as a candidate for the next economic boom.    Public and private investments are pouring in, fueling startups and reinvigorating established companies, and if cleantech takes off it could seep into every part of the economy and our lives in better batteries, more efficent solar cells, smarter appliances and electric cars, and the infrastructure needed to support the new ways energy will be generated and used.    But no one knows how many jobs might be created or cannibalized or whether Americans will even buy these products.    Obama has pledged to invest $150 billion over the next decade on energy technology and said that could create 5 million jobs, in a recession that has already wiped out 7.2 million jobs.
• 10/11/2009 China a bigger player in world economy by AP.
      Beijing - Auto-parts maker Delphi is headquartered in Troy, Mich., in the heart of the U.S. car capital of the world.    Delphi is selling the unit which makes brake and suspension units to investors led by the Shougang Corp, a steel maker owned by China's government, which promotes a socialist market economy heading to a capitalistic future.    Everyone is so desperate for cash that the Chinese show up with a checkbook and people say, "Yes, please."    Explosive growth in China and India, coupled with Japan's clout as the world's No. 2 economy, has long been expected to shift economic power from the U.S. to Asia as this century progresses and the financial crisis and recession are accelerating that process.    But China will have to get its house in order for this to occur and who will be in charge before it can become a global leader.
• 10/17/2009 Deficit hits an all-time high by AP.
      The federal budget has surged to an all-time high of $1.42 trillion as the recession caused tax revenues to plunge while the government spent massive amounts to stabilize the financial system and jump-start the economy.    The Obama administration projects deficit will total $9.1 trillion over the next decade unless corrective action is taken, which means the Democrats are afraid to be the ones to cut spending and raise taxes.    For 2009, the government collected $2.10 trillion in revenues, a 16.6 percent drop from 2008, resulting from declining income-tax collections as millions of Americans lost their jobs or saw their wages cut, and companies had their profit margins squeezed.
      Government spending last year soared to $3.52 trillion, up 18.2 percent over 2008.    Now that they have spent all the money taken in and more, they want to find ways to get more so they can spend it.
• 10/20/2009 32 more planets found outside the solare system by AP.
      European astronomers have found 32 new planets outside our solar system adding evidence to the theory that the universe has many places where life could develop.    This increased the number to more than 400, and 6 of the newly found planets are several times bigger than Earth, increasing the population of so-called super-Earths by more than 30 percent.    Most planets discovered so far are bigger than Jupiter or larger.    About 40 percent of sunlike stars have planets that are closer to being Earth-sized than the size of Jupiter.
      This has nothing to do with world economy, but I was just hoping that a planet out there contains a lifeform that may come and save us from big spenders.    But wait Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke has called for the U.S. to whittle down its record high budget deficits and for countries such as China to get their consumers to spend more as his solution to help reduce global imbalances, uneven trade and investment flows among countries that contributed to the financial crisis.
      By the way, what he is promoting is what the IMF, WTO, World Banks, G-7 were trying to do from the beginning.    That is make lesser developed countries more economically sound with trade, economic increases promoting a higher standard of living, and believe it or not the richer countries and economic powers to lower their standard of living, in the long run putting a socialistic formula and everyone on equal status for trade among the ten regions of the world.
      Everything that President Obama is changing is to achieve that agenda, and other issues are not on that priority list, and would be an assault on excessive capitalism.
• 10/22/2009 U.S. wants big pay cuts at firms that got bailouts by AP.
      Washington - Responding to the growing furor over the paychecks of executives at companies that received billions of dollars in federal bailouts, the Obama administration will order the seven companies that received the most aid to deeply slash the compensation of their 25 highest paid executives and restrict them from selling their stock immediately.
• 10/24/2009 U.S. bank failures reach 105 by AP.
      Washington - The cascade of bank failures this year has reached 105, the most since 181 collapsed in 1992, at the end of the savings-and-loan crisis.    When a bank fails, the FDIC swoops in, sells off the bank's assets to buyers and cover its liabilities and customers deposits, and taps the insurance fund to cover the rest.    Bank failures have cost the FDIC's fund that insures deposits an estimated $25 billion this year and are expected to cost $100 billion through 2013.    They want the banks to pay in advance $45 billion in premiums that would have been due over the next three years.
• 10/26/2009 Inspectors visit Iranian site by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - U.N. inspectors entered a once-secret uranium enrichment facility with bunker-like construction and heavy military protection that raised Western suspicions about Iran's program.    On the 28th Iran accepted the general frame-work of a U.N.-draft nuclear deal, but would seek important changes that could test the willingness of world powers to make concessions in exchange for reining in Tehran's ability to make atomic weapons.    Western powers say its critical for Iran to send out at least 70 percent of its uranium store in one load to its options to make a nuclear weapon.
      On the 30th in Vienna, Austria, Iran has given a response to a plan to ship most of its enriched uranium overseas, but unwilling to accept the deal which would delay its ability to make a nuclear weapon, should it decide to make a warhead.    It would take them at least a year to produce enough to make the material giving a window to persuade it to freeze its program.
      On the 31st the West is frustrated over Iran's nuclear stalling, which undermines the basis of a U.N.-backed plan.
• 10/28/2009 Obama slates $3.4 billion for a 'smart' power grid by AP.
      Arcadia, Fla. - Obama made a pitch for renewable energy, announcing $3.4 billion in government support for 100 projects aimed at modernizing and securing the nation's power grid to be better suited to the digital age, such a solar energy panels, smart electric meters in homes, automating utility substations, and installing thousands of new digital transformers and grid sensors.
• 10/29/2009 Democrats in House to unveil health care bill by AP.
      Washington - House Democrats reached agreement on key elements of a health care bill that would vastly alter america's medical landscape, requiring universal signups and establishing a new government-run insurance option for millions, and may vote on it next week.    It includes Obama's requirement for employers to offer insurance to their workers or face penalties, and fines on Americans who don't buy coverage and subsidies to help lower-income people do so.    It would prohibit insurance companies against charging much more to older people or denying coverage to people with health conditions.
      They intend to pay for the $1 trillion cost over 10 years by taxing high-income people and cutting some $500 billion in payments to Medicare providers, and would cover about 95 percent of Americans.    Republicans are against the bill since it was all done behind closed doors.
• 10/29/2009 Obama signs $680 billion defense bill by AP.
      Washington - Obama signed a defense bill that kills some costly weapons projects and expands war efforts, and the $680 billion authorizes spending, but does not provide any actual dollars.    The bill also included hate-crime law to include violence based on gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability.
• 10/30/2009 House Democrats unveil health bill by AP.
      Washington - After six months of dealmaking, House Democrats introduced a health care bill that would expand coverage to almost all Americans and overhaul the insurance industry, while asking the wealthiest taxpayers to pay much of the tab of the 10-year, $894 billion package.
  
• 11/1/2009 Obama tempers economic news with warning on jobs by AP.
      Washington - Obama tempered excitement about a growing economy last week with a sober outlook that more people will lose their jobs as the upcoming October report will show it topping 10 percent, a day after the White House said the stimulus plan has so far saved or created 1 million jobs.
      On the 7th the unemployment rate hit double digits for the first time since 1983 at 10.2 percent and is likely to go higher.    This rate reflects nearly 16 million jobless people.
• 11/3/2009 Iran asked to clarify nuclear fuel stance by AP.
      United Nations - The head of the U.N. nuclear agency urged Iran to clarify its response to ship most of its nuclear material abroad for processing, and then have it returned as fuel for its research reactor.    They are apparently giving them double-talk now.
• 11/8/2009 Health bill: a historic moment by AP.
      Washington - Obama summoned Democrats to answer the call of history as the House pushed toward a vote on a landmark health care bill capped by a final clash over abortion, comparing it to the creation of Social Security in 1935.    Republicans objected in debate on the 1,990-page, $1.2 trillion legislation, not read by anyone, and will become a job-killing, tax-hiking deficit exploder.
• 11/12/2009 Oil near $80 as China says economy improves by AP.
      Oil prices ticked higher to $79.28 a barrel as OPEC said the world would consume more crude in 2010 than expected, and China said its economy improved.
• 11/12/2009 10 state's budgets in dire shape, study finds by AP.
      Sacramento, Calif. - In Arizona the budget is so bad that lawmakers are considering mortgaging Capital buildings.    In Michigan, the nation's highest unemployment rate are slashing spending on schools and health care.    Financial remedies are no longer available in California that they issued IOUs to pay bills.    At least nine other states are barreling toward economic disaster, raising the likelyhood of higher taxes, more government layoffs and deep service cuts.    Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island and Wisconsin are also at grave risk.    The 10 states account for more than a third of the nation's population and economic output.
• 11/13/2009 Modernization of Russia urged by AP.
      Moscow - President Dmitry Medvedev laid out his plan to move Russia's economy into the modern age and overcome the grim industrial legacy of the Soviet Union.    He ordered the modernization of the Soviet built milirtary arsenals and called for a foreign policy aimed at attracting investment and improving living standards, rather than chaotic actions driven by nostalgia and prejudice.    He said we are interested in the flow of capital, new technologies and modern ideas.    He ordered 30 intercontinental ballistic missiles, three nuclear submarines and several dozen combat aircraft, among other new weapons.    He wants to reduce the role of the state, which controls up to 40 percent of the economy.
• 11/14/2009 Obama reaffirms ties to Japan by AP.
      Tokyo - Obama sought to reassure Japan that he views the Asian nation as an equal partner and his administration will strive to lessen the disruption caused by U.S. foces based on Japanese soil.    Obama is on a trip to Asia to re-establish America's role as a leader in the Pacific Rim and persuade China and other Asian nations to open up their own troubled economies to more U.S. exports.    As of late the new Japanese government has signaled that the country's future may depend more on other Pacific Rim nations than the U.S.    Also climate change and nuclear nonproliferation was an issue discussed.
• 11/14/2009 NASA rocket found water on moon by AP.
      Cape Canaveral - NASA scientists said the $79 million mission and spacecraft they smashed into the moon last month detected "significant" amounts of water (dozen two-gallon buckets) at the bottom of a frigid, shadowed crater.    So someday explorers could harvest drinking water, air or rocket fuel from the moon's surface as a mixture of ice and vapor mixed with granules of soil.
• 11/14/2009 President wants domestic spending cuts in next budget by AP.
      Washington - Obama administration concerned over the public's anxiety over the mushrooming debt, is shifting emphasis from big-spending policies to deficit reduction.    Domestic agencies have been told to brace for a spending freeze or cuts of up to 5 percent as part of a midterm election-year push to rein in record budget shortfalls.    This is too little, too late with the economy in distress and unemployment past 10 percent to make a dent in a trillion-dollar plus annual deficit.
      The Pentagon and Department of Veteran Affairs are shielded from such cuts, and recoop any unspent funds from the $700 billion bank bailout program, which is just a bookkeeping shift, and would not reduce the deficit.    Congress will soon vote on legislation to raise the debt ceiling above the present $12.1 trillion, which the Democrats have already run it up to $11.99 trillion.    If I ran my home budget the way the government does, I would be in prison for life.
      I think we need to have Congress file for Bankruptcy, and we should farm out our legislative duties to some country who will do it cheaper and more efficient.
• 11/15/2009 Pacific Rim nations press for free trade by AP.
      Singapore - Obama raised hopes for creating an Asia-Pacific free-trade region by announcing that the U.S. would seek to join a smaller group seen as a precursor to a broader Pacific Rim agreement.    This would be a Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) - joining Chile, New Zealand, Singapore and Brunei - which drew applause at the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, to create a region-wide free trade area.    So the U.S. will be expanding free trade rather than resorting to protectionist measures to cope with the recession, and pushed for progress on talks to liberalize world trade.    APEC, celebrating its 20th anniversary was created to promote greater trade and integration among Pacific Rim nations from Chile to China.
      But will these nations buy exports from the U.S.?
• 11/17/2009 U.N.: Iran may start nuclear site by 2011 by AP.
      Vienna - Iranian technicians have moved highly sophisticated technical equipment into a previously secret uranium enrichment site, Fordo in preparation for starting it up in 2011, the IAEA said.    It appeared to be designed to produce about a ton of enriched uranium a year, enough for a nuclear warhead, but too little to fuel the plant at the southern port and other civilian reactors Iran is planning to bring on line in the coming years.    It won't be able to produce a reactor's worth of fuel every 90 years, but it will be able to produce one bomb a year.
• 11/17/2009 More Americans going hungry, new report says by AP.
      Washington - The number of Americans who lack dependable access to adequate food shot up last year to 49 million, with nearly 17 million of them are children, a toll the weak economy has taken on the well-being of the nation.
      On the 18th in Rome, Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe, blamed for plunging his people into starvation was the opening speaker at the U.N. anti-hunger summit to decry what he called his neo-colonialist foes, African strongman, Moammar Gadhafi lived high on the hog at his villia, and other persons of interest were criticized that the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization is long on rhetoric and extravagance and short on solutions for the world's 1 billion hungry.    As the 192 nations continued to appeal for commitments of billions of dollars in aid to develop agriculture in poor nations, and only Italy attended from the Group of Eight.
• 11/17/2009 Obama presses China on issues by AP.
      Beijing - Obama goes to China to confront climate change, nuclear proliferation and other urgent global problems and economic, freedom, internet controls and trade tensions shadow their talks as he presses China to take a bigger role on such issues.    Obama is not on equal terms here since China is the U.S. number 1 lender, sounds like a chinese restaurant that serves cash.    Obama pressed Beijing to move toward a more consumer-driven economy and to improve human rights and freedoms for its people, and the Internet to open up the "Great Firewall of China."
      On the 18th Obama got no concessions from Chinese on key issues and the waters did not part and everything would change, leaving him aware of his leverage over this economic powerhouse.    The Chinese will probably just build banks in the U.S. and call them Number 1 China Bank.
• 11/18/2009 Poll: Make rich pay for health care by AP.
      Washington - Americans don't want to shoulder the cost of Obama's healthcare overhaul themselves, and think the rich should pay for it according to a poll, which is what the Democrats intend to do with a 5.4 percent income tax surcharge on individuals making more than $500,000 a year and households making more than $1 million.
• 11/19/2009 Iran rejects U.N.-proposed deal on enriched uranium by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - Iran's foreign minister said that his country would not export its enriched uranium for further processing, rejecting the U.N. plan, and claimed they would consider a nuclear swap inside Iran.
• 11/20/2009 Foreclosure crisis seen persisting in 2010 by AP.
      Washington - The foreclosure crisis will persist into 2010 as high unemployment pushes more people out of homes, pulls down housing prices and raises concerns about the economic recovery.    The foreclosures are starting to affect people with good credit, as 14 percent of homeowners with a mortgage were either behind on payments or in foreclosure, and the states hardest hit are Florida, Nevada, California and Arizona representing 43 percent of new ones.
• 11/21/2009 Japan sounds warning on economy, deflation by AP.
      Japan's government highlighted the danger of deflation for the first time in three years, warning that falling prices and a further worsening of the labor market could drag on the weak recovery.    Japan's leaders are worried about the trend which has been declinig for months, falling prices, and deflation can hamper economic growth by depressing company profits, leading to wage cuts and causing consumers to postpone purchases, and increase debt burdens.
• 11/21/2009 Two unknowns will oversee EU by AP.
      London - Catherine Ashton is Europe's new foreign policy chief, a former anti-nuclear activist turned career Eurocrat is an unknown even in her own homeland for a Briton.    Critics slammed the EU in choosing her and Belgium's technocratic premier, Herman van Rompuy, who will become the first EU president as the 27-nation EU created the new posts as part of a reform treaty that takes effect Dec. 1.    European leader chose them over the high-profile candidates with more diplomatic clout on the issues, in charge of its $10.5 billion foreign aid budget, head of new 5,000-strong EU diplomatic corps.
• 11/26/2009 ACORN: Trashed documents were stolen by AP.
      National City, Calif. - ACORN is trying to recover thousands of documents (20,000) a Republican activist, Derrick Roach, took from its garbage behind ACORN's office, in a battle with conservative critics who accused it of corruption.    ACORN claims these documents were meant for the shredder, and got dumped outside by mistake, and is filing a report with police to get there documents back.
• 11/26/2009 Nuclear power winning support, even in U.S. by AP.
      London - Nuclear power, long considered environmentally hazardous - is emerging as the world's most unlikely weapon against climate change, and is even backed by some green activists who once campaigned against it.    After 13 years of no nuclear power plants opening in the U.S., now the Obama administration is trying to win support for them.    53 plants are being constructed worldwide, including the United Arab Emirates, Poland and Indonesia are about to build their first reactor.    So the 1986 Chernobyl disaster has disappeared from there minds, and the greater evil is coal burning, and with financial recoveries going on how can these countries afford one.    The technology since Chernobyl has improved greatly so it is safer now, but still expensive, and not a word was said about where all the waste will go to.
• 11/28/2009 U.S. gains allies in censuring Iran by AP.
      Beirut - Russia and China joined the U.S. and its European allies in formally rebuking Iran for its nuclear program at a meeting of the U.N.'s watchdog agency, and calling on them to halt enrichment of uranium, and other things.
• 11/28/2009 WTO will look at global recession by AP.
      The U.S., China and other commercial powers will spearhead a new attempt next week to find ways to revive world trade and pull the global economy out of recession.    The World Trade Organization has called trade chiefs from its 153 members to Geneva for the first ministerial conference in 4 years, since its Doha liberlization round is limping into its ninth year.    The conference will focus on stabilizing and rejuvenating commerce in the face of increased protectionism, unemployment and exporting of jobs.
      The beast has reared its head again to get its 10 regions set up and working again, since all its messengers have tried and failed.
• 11/29/2009 California city may use 'eye in the sky' to help battle crime by Los Angeles Times.
      Lancaster, Calif. - A plan to patrol Lancaster with an airplane that would record the comings and goings of people on the ground has stoked the concerns of civil liberty advocates while being embraced by some residents who say they support any means to crack down on crime.    The plane 5 miles high would circle the city 16 hours a day, recording video footage that would be transmitted to law enforcement officials.    It can spot a home invasion robbery, detect car accidents and track unsuspecting criminals in the city of 145,000, and could become a deterrent to crime, and the startup cost is $500,000.
      Didn't I see this in a movie called "Enemy of the State" with Will Smith?
• 11/30/2009 Defiant Iran plans 10 more uranium enrichment sites by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - Iran approved plans to build 10 industrial-scale uranium enrichment facilities, in defiance of U.N. demands it halt enrichment.    So will the U.N. implement sanctions or not?    Iran has chosen to isolate itself.
• 12/3/2009 Defiant Iran vows to enrich uranium itself by AP.
      Vienna - Iran's president declared that his country will enrich uranium to a much higher level, and produce 20 percent fuel and anything else it needs itself.
• 12/4/2009 Russia's Putin may seek presidency by AP.
      Moscow - Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said he would think about whether to reclaim the presidency in 2012, when a term is now 6 years.
• 12/6/2009 Saudi oil minister calls $75-a-barrel oil 'perfect' by AP.
      Cairo - Saudi Arabia's oil minister said current global oil prices are perfect, as several key OPEC members indicated the group was unlikely to change output levels.    On the 10th crude dropped to settle at $70.67 a barrel, as gas averages $2.41 per gallon.    On the 12th crude dropped to $69.87 a barrel and gasoline to $2.37 per gallon as the dollar gained strength and investors looked at energy demands in the West.    On the 15th oil prices fell below $68 per barrel on concerns about high inventories and weak demand.    Also the European industrial output in the 16 countries that use the euro fell in October after five months of expansion, stoking fears that European recovery from recession will be muted.
• 12/6/2009 Obama: at war, feted for peace by AP.
      Washington - He's the Nobel Peace Prize winner who just ordered 30,000 more troops to war, which he said he did not deserve, since just on the job for 10 months and in company with Mother Teresa and the Dalai Lama, and he is leaving the country that is in distress to go to Oslo, Norway.
• 12/7/2009 Cost of wars not major element in U.S. budget deficits by AP.
      Washington - Obama said our nation confronts record government debt and pressing economic needs at home, it cannot afford a lengthy, ambitious nation-building effort in Afghanistan, but limiting U.S. involvement will not make a big dent in the record federal debt.    The war is not the main reason why the publically held national debt has more than doubled from $3.339 trillion to $7.709 trillion - since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, which is a small part of the deficit.    Defense spending accounted for 20.7 percent of the federal budget last year.
• 12/11/2009 House OKs big spending bill by AP.
      Washington - Capitol Hill Democrats muscled through a deficit-swelling spending bill, giving domestic programs their third major boost this year and awarding lawmakers with more than 5,000 projects that benefit their home states.
      The House passed the $1.1 trillion measure, combining $447 billion in operating budgets with about $650 billion in payments for federal benefit programs such as Medicare and Medicaid.    The Senate immediately voted to begin debate with a final vote this weekend.    Not a single House Republican voted for the bill which provides spending increases averaging about 10 percent to programs under immediate control of Congress.
      When are we going to say, enough is enough, and stop this madness.
• 12/13/2009 Iran puts conditions on plan to swap uranium by AP.
      Manama, Bahrain - Iran said that it is ready to exchange uranium for nuclear fuel, a key demand of a U.N.-sponsored initiative to defuse global fears over its nuclear program.    The condition from Iran's foreign minister are unlikely to satisfy the U.S. and its allies as they prepare to discuss new sanctions at a meeting.    The plan was Iran would ship its uranium to Russia to be enriched to higher levels, turned into fuel rods in France and returned to power a research reactor in Tehran that produces medical isotopes.    Iran wants to do this in phases instead of all at once, which could leave them in control of enough uranium to make a bomb, plus they want immediate exchanges for fuel rods for its uranium.
• 12/13/2009 Senate stops spending filibuster by AP.
      Washington - In what looks like a convention of vampires at a blood bank, the Democratic-controlled Senate cleared away a Republican filibuster of a huge spending bill that rewards most federal agencies with generous budget boosts.    The $1.1 trillion measures combines the unfinished budget work, leaving only a $626 billion Pentagon spending measure, into a 1,000-plus-page spending bill in a 60-34 vote.    The defense bill will swell the government's debt to nearly $2 trillion, and will exceed the current ceiling of $12.1 trillion.
• 12/14/2009 $1,1 trillion spending bill approved by AP.
      Washington - The Senate passed a $1.1 trillion spending bill with increased budgets for vast areas of the federal government by 57-35 ready for Obama to sign.    It combines 6 of the 12 annual appropriation bills for the 2010 budget year that began Oct. 1.    Now they will try to raise the debt ceiling from $12.1 trillion to $14 trillion.
• 12/17/2009 Iran raises stakes with missile test by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - Iran test-fired an upgraded version of its most advanced missile the Sajjil-2, which is capable of hitting Israel (sworn enemy) and parts of Europe (1,200 miles), in a new show of strength aimed at preventing any military strike against it.
  The West and international community takes this matter seriously.
• 12/20/2009 Senate approves defense budget bill by AP.
      Washington - The Senate approved a critical budget bill that blends money for the Pentagon with additional help for the jobless by a vote of 88-10.
• 12/20/2009 Coal-to-gasoline plant proposed by AP.
      Cheyenne, Wyo. - Wyoming Governor is supporting a Texas company's proposal to build a major plant for turning coal into gasoline.    The coal-to-gasoline plant would cost $2.7 billion, and the first major industrial gasification facility that produces transport fuels - gasoline or diesel from coal in the U.S.
• 12/23/2009 Tehran rejects deadline for making nuclear deal by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - Iran's president dismissed a year-end deadline set by the Obama administration and the West for Tehran to accept a U.N.-drafted deal to swap enriched uranium for nuclear fuel.    He also sought to promote that his government has not been weakened by the protest movement sparked by June's election.    Iran does not care how many deadlines they give them, and dismissed the threat of sanctions, and will stand up against the U.S. attempts to dominate the Middle East.
• 12/23/2009 OPEC opts to hold output steady by AP.
      OPEC held its output targets, since oil is staying consistently at $75 a barrel.
• 12/25/2009 Debt ceiling is raised to $12.4 trillion by AP.
      Washington - The Senate voted to raise the ceiling by $290 billion on the government debt to $12.4 trillion by vote 60-39.
• 12/31/2009 Russia says spacecraft might target asteroid by AP.
      Moscow - Russia's space agency chief said a spacecraft may be dispatched to knock a large asteroid off course and reduce the chances of an impact with Earth, and wants to invite NASA, the ESA, and the Chinese space agency to join the project.    When the 270-meter asteroid was discovered in 2004, astronomers estimated its chance of smashing into Earth in its first flyby, in 2029, at 1 in 37, but others claim it to be in 2029 with only 1 in 250,000 chance in 2036.
• 12/31/2009 U.S. adds to duties on China steel pipe by AP.
      Washington - The U.S. government is imposing new duties on imports of steel pipe from China, the latest sign of trade tensions between the countries, which will impact about $2.7 billion worth of Chinese imports.    They imposed between 10.36 percent and 15.78 percent on the pipe to offset subsidies that China is providing its steelmakers and resulted in 2,400 job losses this year.
  
      As you have read in the year 2009 is that the world leaders are:
  
      As to 2009 and Iran's uranium enrichment, after a decade, sent up its first domestically made satellite into orbit for an ambitious space program that worries the U.S. and other world powers because the rocket technology can also deliver warheads, although the technology they worry about is at the level of the Sputnik's launched in 1957 in the Soviet Union.    Of course President Ahmadinejad needed a perk in upcoming elections to stay in power as a symbol of national pride as fallen oil prices batter his economy and popularity.    Iranian and Russian engineers carried out a test run of Iran's first nuclear power plant. The U.S. worries Iran would turn spent fuel from the plant's reactor into plutonium, which could be used to build a nuclear warhead, and have pressured Moscow for years to stop helping Iran.    Iran agreed in 2005 to return spent fuel to Russia to prevent that.    Intel told the West that Iran was financing North Korean moves to transform Syria into a nuclear weapon power, leading to the Israeli air strike that destroyed a secret Al Kibar reactor according to a former chief of the German Defense Ministry.    When Israel sent a commando unit in two helicopters to the site in August 2007 to take photographs and soil samples it was determined that it was a North Korean-type reactor.
      This year Iran test-fired a missile capable of striking Israel, U.S. Mideast bases and Europe as a show of strength touted by the Iranian president as he battles for re-election against moderate opponents.    The U.S. responded by saying Iran must choose between destabilizing the Middle East and accepting dialogue offered by Obama.    Opponents of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad clashed with police in the heart of Iran's capital, pelting them with rocks and setting fires in the worst unrest in Tehran in a decade.    They accused the hard-line president who claimed a landslide re-election victory of using fraud to steal election victory from his reformist rival.    Iran clamped down on independent media in an attempt to control images of election protests, but they leaked out pictures and video anyway in the world of information flow in the Internet age (via Twitter and Facebook).    Thousands of Iranians swarmed the streets of Tehran in rival demonstrations over the disputed presidental election.    Iran's supreme ruler Ayatollah Ali Khamenei drew a firm line against any threats to the regime, warning Iranians to unite behind the Islamic system as he imposes restrictions on independent media and said the vote stands and sought an end to the crisis and warned opposition leaders they will be held responisible for any bloodshed and chaos to come.    Thousands of protesters defied Iran's highest authority and marched on waiting security forces that fought back with baton charges, tear gas and water cannons.    Then struggles among Iran's ruling clerics burst into the open when the government arrested the daughter and other relatives of an ayatollah and former president Hashemi Rafsanjani and cries of "God is great!" echoed from the rooftops after dark a sign of seething anger at the government crackdown and the death of 17 people to date.    As helicopters hovered overhead riot police attacked hundreds of demonstrators with tear gas and fired live bullets in the air to disperse a rally in central Tehran.    Britain evacuated its diplomats.    Riot police in Iran's capital fired tear gas and bullets in the air in clashes with protesters who converged on a square near the parliamentary building in defiance of government orders to halt demonstrations demanding a new presidential election.    Security forces who outnumbered the demonstrators beat them with batons and fired tear-gas canisters and rounds of ammunition into the air.    Some fought back, but most fled.
      Iran's embattled opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi vowed not to back down from challenging what he called a rigged landslide presidential election despite the regime's attempts to isolate him.    A senior cleric urged Iran's protest leaders to be punished without mercy and some should face execution for anyone who takes up arms to fight with the people.    Khatami said those who disturbed the peace and destroyed public property were "at war with God.    I take it the Ayatollah thinks he is God by that statement since that is who they are going after to get a new election.
      Several thousand protesters chanting "Where is my vote?" clashed with riot police and Iran detained local employees of the British Embassy, escalating the regime's standoff with the West and rebuke from the E.U.
      Iran's election oversight body declared the presidential vote to be valid after a partial 10 percent of 40 million ballots recount to reject the opposition allegations of fraud.    They sure did that fast, it takes months sometimes in the U.S. to do a recount, but then no one is holding a gun to your head as you recount.    Iranian opposition leader Mousavi told supporters its not too late to push for their rights and he joined a reformist ex-president in condemning the regime for a post-election crackdown.    Iran's supreme leader accused Mousavi of being an American agent who should be tried for treason, and thousands of protesters streamed down avenues of the capital chanting "Death to the dictator" and defying security forces who fired tear gas and charged with batons, while they turned garbage bins into burning barricades and darting through choking clouds of tear gas in an attempt to revive mass demonstration.
      After a decade the reactor at a nuclear power plant Russia is building in Iran will be switched on this year near the city of Bushehr, that the U.S. and Israel claim is meant to develop atomic weapons.
      The Revolutionary Guard has tightened its already powerful hold over Iran during the post-election turmoil, raising alarm among some Iranians that it is transforming the Islamic Republic into a military state, which we already knew.    The elite force and volunteer militia, the Basij, led the crackdown against street protesters who killed 20 and detained hundreds, with its 120,000-strong force that has its own ground, naval, air and missile units and was created after the 1979 Islamic revolution to defend Iran's clerical rule.
      A group of former reformist lawmakers appealed to a powerful clerical body to investigate Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's qualification to rule in an challenge to the country's most powerful man over the postelection crackdown over allegations that protesters were tortured and some detainees were raped by jailers.    The Assembly of Experts, a body of clerics that has the power to name the supreme leader and, in theory, to remove him.
      The defiant Mir-Hossein Mousavi declared the creation of a grass-roots political movement as the protest movement is stalled, and the reformists have clashing opinions culturally, economically and politically to work out.
      Iran's supreme leader called his country's alliance with Syria a symbol of resistance in the Middle East to seek a key relationship to fend off continued criticism over its response to the massive protests, as visiting Syrian President Bashar Assad confirmed Iran's opinion which will disappoint the Obama administration who have been trying diplomatic efforts in Syria.    Iran accused the U.S. of using forged documents which they gave to the IAEA and relying on subterfuge to make its case that Tehran is trying to build a nuclear weapon.    It also lashed out at Britain and France for ill will and political motivation in their dealings on Iran.    The U.S. warned that Iran is close to having the capabilities to produce a nuclear weapon and demanded them to engage in dialogue to prove its atomic program is peaceful.
      A prominent Iranian conservative, Mohammad Nourizad, respected by supporters of the country's Islamic regime issued a blistering condemnation of the ruling establishment and its supreme leader, adding an unexpected voice to a growing criticism over the bloody aftermath of Iran's disputed election.    He once viewed Khamenei as a political savior, but now sees him as denier of freedom of speech, and called on him to apologize for ordering the crackdown on protesters after ordering his agents to open fire, kill the people, beat them and destroyed and burnt their property.
      Iran warned the U.S. and Israel that it will repel any attack while also tamping down tensions by agreeing to meet with the U.S. and other world powers over its refusal to curb its nuclear activities on Oct. 1st.    Iran experts at the U.N. nuclear monitoring agency the IAEA believe Tehran has the ability to make an atomic bomb and worked on developing a missile system that can carry such a warhead according to their report.
      Hard-liners attacked senior pro-reform leaders in the streets as tens of thousands marched in competing mass demonstrations by the opposition and government supporters.    Opposition protesters, chanting "death to the dictator," hurled stones and bricks in clashes with security forces firing tear gas.    There was also government-sponsored rallies marking an annual anti-Israel commemoration, waving pictures of Iran's supreme leader and president and placards denouncing the Jewish state and support for the Palestinians.    This is known as Quds (Arabic for Jerusalem) Day, a major political occasion for the government.    So this was about keeping the protests separated.
      Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said that the Group of Eight nations is giving Iran until the end of the year to commit to ending uranium enrichment and avoid new sanctions.    Ahmadinejad has given no sign that his country is willing to bargain away its nuclear program.
      Iran approved plans to build 10 industrial-scale uranium enrichment facilities, in defiance of U.N. demands it halt enrichment, and has chosen to isolate itself.
      Iran said that it is ready to exchange uranium for nuclear fuel, a key demand of a U.N.-sponsored initiative to defuse global fears over its nuclear program.    The condition from Iran's foreign minister are unlikely to satisfy the U.S. and its allies as they prepare to discuss new sanctions at a meeting.    The plan was Iran would ship its uranium to Russia to be enriched to higher levels, turned into fuel rods in France and returned to power a research reactor in Tehran that produces medical isotopes.    Iran wants to do this in phases instead of all at once, which could leave them in control of enough uranium to make a bomb, plus they want immediate exchanges for fuel rods for its uranium.    Iran's president dismissed a year-end deadline set by the Obama administration and the West for Tehran to accept a U.N.-drafted deal to swap enriched uranium for nuclear fuel.    He also sought to promote that his government has not been weakened by the protest movement sparked by June's election.    Iran does not care how many deadlines they give them, and dismissed the threat of sanctions, and will stand up against the U.S. attempts to dominate the Middle East.
  
      In 2009 what is Russia doing?
      Russia cut gas supplies to Ukraine causing a crisis.    Then considered putting strategic bombers in Cuba or on an island offered by Venezuela, a retaliatory gesture for the U.S. patrols on the Black Sea near Georgia.    Russia now has 6 new submarines armed with improved nuclear-tipped cruise missiles, the Severodvinsk, which will join the navy in 2011 and five other submarines of the same type will be built by 2017.    Also they have new hypersonic cruise missiles with increased range designed to strike aircraft carriers of the potential enemy if they pose a direct threat to Russia's security.
      Russia said it will allow the U.S. to ship weapons across its territory to Afghanistan, a long-sought move that bolsters U.S. military operations but gives the Kremlin leverage over critical American supplies, ahead of Obama's visit for the deal to be signed by Medvedev who committed to slash nuclear stockpiles by about a third, but no luck on Kremlin objections to America's missile defense plans.    Obama continued to turn Russia from antagonist to ally in his two day stay for future cooperation in halting the spread of nuclear weapons, confronting violent extremists, ensuring economic prosperity, advancing the rights of people and fostering cooperation without jeopardizing sovereignty.    He also wanted Russia to be wary of hard-line stand on dissent in the area of their Democracy.
      President Dmitry Medvedev laid out his plan to move Russia's economy into the modern age and overcome the grim industrial legacy of the Soviet Union.    He ordered the modernization of the Soviet built milirtary arsenals and called for a foreign policy aimed at attracting investment and improving living standards, rather than chaotic actions driven by nostalgia and prejudice.    He said we are interested in the flow of capital, new technologies and modern ideas.    He ordered 30 intercontinental ballistic missiles, three nuclear submarines and several dozen combat aircraft, among other new weapons.    He wants to reduce the role of the state, which controls up to 40 percent of the economy.
  
      In 2009 what is the U.S. doing?
      Freedom was on the retreat in 2008, especially in sub-saharan Africa and the former Soviet Union, with improvements in South Asia came from Pakistan.    Of 193 countries only 89 were free, representing 46 percent of the global population, with Senegal no longer a member of the free club.
      The inauguration of Barack Hussein Obama as the 44th president of the U.S. some consider this a momentous, historic breakthrough considering the civil right issues just 60 years ago, but his concerns are crisis and loss of confidence across the land, 11 million unemployed, trillions of dollars lost in plunging investment markets, and two distant and ferocious wars, which he claimed would require embracing change.    Obama pledged to outline a policy in the Middle East peace between Israel and the Palestinians and warned that difficult days lie ahead in Afghanistan.
      On the national level the U.S. regulatory structure policing the financial sector is outdated, federal oversight of medical products and toxic chemicals is obsolete due to waste, fraud, abuse and mismanagement.    Obama pushes recovery plan in an address with a stimulus package that would cost at least $820 billion and warning that the nation's economy would become worse without it and is critical to jump-starting the economy.
      Obama charted a new course for the nation with a bold budget proposing higher taxes for the wealthy and the first steps toward guaranteed health care for all -- accompanied by a $1.75 trillion federal deficit that would be nearly four times as high as the current record.    Obama unveiled a $3.6 trillion blueprint for next year to take from the rich and give to the middle class and the poor, along with an initiative to combat global warming that would boost utility bills, then take on big farming, insurance companies and drug makers.    The recession snatched more than 650,000 jobs for a record third straight month in February, as unemployment climed to 8.1 percent, thus 4.4 million lost jobs, and 12.5 million people searching for work, which is more than the entire population of the state of Pennsylvania.    Some economists are predicting it could hit 10 percent by year-end and peak at 11 percent or higher by the middle of 2010.
      Political tricks of the budget abound, and the claim the economy did not fall into decline overnight.    Obama has come to redeem us of our sins in his far-seeing program of universal nationalized health care; a cap-and-trade tax on energy, and a major federalization of education with universal access to college as the goal.    At the center of our economic near-depression is a credit bubble, a housing collapse and a failure of the banking industry due to greed.    Now Obama intends to enact the most radical agenda of social transformation seen in our lifetime.    Lower tax revenue and massive spending on the bank bailout pushed the federal deficit to $765 billion in the first five months of the budget year, on its way to hit projections of $1.75 trillion.    With misgivings within his own party Obama mounted a stout defense of his blueprint to overhaul the national economy, arguing that delay on health care, energy and education would make recovery more fragile and our future less secure.    He claims he can get the $1.75 trillion deficit down to $533 billion by 2013.    The Democratic-controlled House approved a budget blueprint drawn to President Barack Obama's specifications and the Senate hastened to follow suit.    The $3.26 trillion plan includes a deficit of $1.2 trillion that they claim the country wants real change by boosting spending on domestic programs, raise taxes on the wealthy in two years and clear the way for Obama's priority items of health care, energy and education.    Republicans claim that the budget taxes too much, spends too much and borrows too much at a time when this country cannot afford it.
      Jobless rates did pass 10%, the highest level of unemployment rates since 1985, which is ill news for job hunters, including teens seeking summer work and new college graduates.
      Democrats in Congress capped Obama's 100th day in office by advancing a $3.4 trillion federal budget for next year - a third of it borrowed -- that prevents Republicans from blocking his proposed trillion-dollar expansion of government-provided health care over the next decade.    This is the first step toward Obama's goal of providing health coverage for all Americans, boost clean energy programs and student aid and extend many of former President Bush's tax cuts.
      According to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi its a budget that reduces taxes, lowers the deficit and creates jobs, and honors the three pillars of the Obama initiatives: energy, health care and education.    Based on these Obama plans to move this economy from recession to recovery to prosperity, eventhough they have created a mountain of deficits and debt.    Not a single Republican in the House or Senate voted for the measure, and now Obama can move his health care plan through Congress without a Republican filibuster or a bipartisan agreement.
      A record number of Americans receiving unemployment aid as plant shutdowns by Chrysler and General Motors could further harm the economy in coming months affecting thousands of suppliers and dealers.    The numer of people who continue to receive jobless benefits rose to nearly 6.7 million from 6.6 million. New jobless claims fell to 631,000.
      From simple home loans to Wall Street's most exotic schemes, the government would impose and enforce sweeping new rules for the nation's battered financial system under an overhaul proposed by Obama, to prevent a repeat of the worst economic crisis in seven decades, and will be reversing a campaign pushed by President Ronald Reagan in the 1980s to cut back on federal regulations.    Obama said he has no patience for debate for defenders of a system that has exploited bewildered consumers.
      President Obama signed the $787 billion stimulus package into law and prepared a new $50 billion foreclosure rescue for legions of Americans who are in danger of losing their homes.    Also our first paychecks will show evidence of tax breaks that will total $400 for individuals and $800 for couples.    Obama claims he inherited this problem from the Bush administration.
      The federal deficit topped $1 trillion for the first time ever and could grow to nearly $2 trillion by this fall, intensifying fears about higher interest rates, inflation and the strength of the dollar.    This was the result of the government spending to ease recession, combined with a sharp decline in tax revenues, and the cost of two wars.    China and other foreign buyers of U.S. debt are now nervous and could become reluctant lenders.    The Treasury Department could be forced to pay higher interest rates to make U.S. debt attractive in the longer term.    Unemployment rate is at 9.5 percent, and the deficit forecast will hit $1.84 trillion in October.    If they continue to spend outlays could reach $2.67 trillion.
      The fedral deficit hit $1.27 trillion with two months remaining in the budget year with the July deficit at $180.7 billion, although the Obama administration projects it will be $1.84 trillion by Sept. 30.    The Obama administration expects the federal deficit over the next decade to be $2 trillion bigger than previously estimated, a setback for the president already facing a Congress and public wary over spending.    The new projection, to be announced is a cumulative 2010-2019 deficit of $9 trillion instead of the $7 trillion previously estimated.
      This will create difficulties with foreign buyers of U.S. debt and Congress when trying to pass massive overhauls in health care and the environment, and Obama's goal of cutting the deficit to $512 billion in 2013.    He has no choice except to increase revenues or spending cuts to tame the deficit.    The White House predicted the economy would shrink by 1.2 percent this year, but it shrank 6.4 percent in the first quarter, the worst in nearly three decades, and they based their 2010-2019 predictions on a shrink of 2.2 percent this year.
      America's unemployment rate climbed in August to 9.7 percent, the highest in a generation, but the number of job losses was less than expected as the figure gets sugar-coated as okay because it had slowed down.    Employers shed 216,000 jobs in August, that affects that many families and adds to taxpayers paying unemployment packages.
      The federal budget tripled to a record $1.4 trillion for the 2009 fiscal year, which is bad news for the White House and Congress as they press ahead with a health care overhaul that could cost $900 billion the next decade.    Most of this came from a big drop in tax revenues due to the recession, $245 billion in emergency spending on the Wall Street bailout and the takeover of mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, then $200 billion for Obama's economic stimulus bill as well as increases in unemployment benefits and food stamps.    The $459 billion deficit of 2008 was the previous record and Obama claims he inherited this economic crises.    Economists now worry that the deficits could force the government to offer higher interest rates to attract investors in the future not to mention that our children and grandchildren will end up buried under a mountain of debt.
      The federal budget has surged to an all-time high of $1.42 trillion as the recession caused tax revenues to plunge while the government spent massive amounts to stabilize the financial system and jump-start the economy.    The Obama administration projects deficit will total $9.1 trillion over the next decade unless corrective action is taken, which means the Democrats are afraid to be the ones to cut spending and raise taxes.    For 2009, the government collected $2.10 trillion in revenues, a 16.6 percent drop from 2008, resulting from declining income-tax collections as millions of Americans lost their jobs or saw their wages cut, and companies had their profit margins squeezed.    Government spending last year soared to $3.52 trillion, up 18.2 percent over 2008.    Now that they have spent all the money taken in and more, they want to find ways to get more so they can spend it.
      Obama administration concerned over the public's anxiety over the mushrooming debt, is shifting emphasis from big-spending policies to deficit reduction.    Domestic agencies have been told to brace for a spending freeze or cuts of up to 5 percent as part of a midterm election-year push to rein in record budget shortfalls.    This is too little, too late with the economy in distress and unemployment past 10 percent to make a dent in a trillion-dollar plus annual deficit.
      The Pentagon and Department of Veteran Affairs are shielded from such cuts, and recoop any unspent funds from the $700 billion bank bailout program, which is just a bookkeeping shift, and would not reduce the deficit.    Congress will soon vote on legislation to raise the debt ceiling above the present $12.1 trillion, which the Democrats have already run it up to $11.99 trillion.    If I ran my home budget the way the government does, I would be in prison for life.
      The Senate passed a $1.1 trillion spending bill with increased budgets for vast areas of the federal government by 57-35 ready for Obama to sign, and it combines 6 of the 12 annual appropriation bills for the 2010 budget year that began Oct. 1.    Now they will try to raise the debt ceiling from $12.1 trillion to $14 trillion.
  
      The 2009 Oil story.
      Oil was on its usually roller coaster ride jumping 14 percent on New Years Eve to settle at $44.60 a barrel on low trading volumes, then $46.34, and tumbled 12 percent to $42.63, due to the fact that demand for gasoline appears to have waned with close to 2 million people losing jobs in the U.S. over the last year.
      The Dow drops 125 oil prices tumble to $37.59 a barrel, then $37.28, then $34.63 a barrel and gas averaged $1.87 per gallon and global political events have been cited for the cause, along with the easing of the Israel-Gaza conflict and the resolution of the Russia-Ukraine dispute.
      Oil prices jumped 6 percent to settle at $43.55 a barrel, then down to $37.55 a barrel on doubts that the economic stimulus would keep demand from weakening further, as investors appear concerned about the inflationary effects of massive government spending, and everyone is running to gold and the stock market as a reaction to Obama's speech, as oil prices plummeted to $35.94 a barrel on more evidence that U.S. storage facilities are bulging with unused crude and continued to slide to a new low of $33.98 a barrel over doubts of an improved economy and boost of demand for energy.    Oil prices have fallen below $34 a barrel you would think gas prices would sink with them, they jumped nearly 20 cents to $1.92 a gallon, which sounds like a conspiracy.    The oil going in our tanks was coming in through Texas and selling for less, where the U.S. storage facilities brimming with it, sending its price to five-year lows.
      Bad economic news dragged oil prices down nearly 7 percent as signs across the globe pointed to a prolonged recession and settled at $34.93 with an oversupply, then up to $40.18 as inventories fell, then tumbled to $38.44 as traders shrugged off reports that OPEC had slashed production, then went up to $39.96 and rose for awhile, before plummeting more than 10 percent to settle at $40.15 a barrel in a deteriorating global economy.
      Then rose to $41.65, then jumped to $45.38, a 9 percent increase as global stock markets rallied because crude levels in U.S. storage shrank, and slumped after China announced no additional measures to revive its economy suggesting that energy use could fall even further as it settled at $43.61 a barrel, then commodities brokers and traders seemed to ignore the news and it rose to $45.52 a barrel.    Oil prices tumbled after its forecast for global energy demand to settle at $45.71 a barrel, then tumbled more than 7 percent as U.S. inventories swelled with surplus and traders doubted that OPEC would cut production further and ended at $42.33 a barrel.
      Oil prices rose 11 percent as rumors swirled that Russia, which vies with Saudi Arabia as the world's largest oil producer, would join with OPEC in slashing production and settled at $47.03 a barrel, as the world's appetite for oil decreases, OPEC ministers met to debate whether to tighten their spigots even more, which made oil fall to $46.25 a barrel.
      The OPEC cartel decided not to cut output, oil prices rebounded to $47.35 a barrel, then higher to $49.16 as a sign that energy demand may have bottomed out, and a boost from the stock markets due to the summer driving season.    Then oil slumped to $48.14 due to bulging inventories, and leveled off at $51.06 a barrel after production cuts by OPEC and a massive U.S. government buying spree and the Fed announced plans to buy $1.25 trillion of government bonds and mortgage-backed securities.
      Oil prices settled at $53.80 a barrel from a boost from stock investors who hope that a new plan to resolve the nation's banking crisis would spur economic growth as well as housing news. On the 26th oil prices faded as inventories rose to $52.77 a barrel, and then oil hit a new high for 2009 to $54.34 a barrel and gasoline rose above $2 per gallon as investors gambled on a new run on crude stocks.    Oil prices tumbled to $48.41 as unease about the economy from Asia to Wall Street raised doubts about the global appetite for energy, but staged a late rally, but still closed below $49 ($48.39) a barrel, as more signs of a sick economy fueled worries about energy consumption.    Oil prices surged nearly 9 percent as investors focused on a weaker dollar and rising stocks and settled at $52.64 a barrel, then rose again as investors hoped the economy had seen the worst, but it settled below $50 ($49.41) a barrel due to a slow recovery, and plunged to $45.88 due to weakness in the stock markets and strength in the dollar.
      The oil industry is off to a dismal start this year, with major oil companies reporting first-quarter profits plunging by half and more, and are trying to adjust to a global recession that has crushed energy demand, then signs of increasing demand in China pushed oil above $54.47 a barrel, but concerns over the state of the economic recovery and the spread of swine flu continue to hold prices in check, but it rose to $58.63 a barrel not seen in more than six months but experts believe the increase is fueled by overly optimistic expectations about the U.S. energy appetite, and gasoline prices lingered around $2 a gallon for weeks.
      Oil prices stayed at $58 a barrel despite signs of worsening unemployment and a new report predicting the world's petroleum appetite will shrink even more than expected this year.    Refineries have slashed production due to weaker sales and gosoline has gone up to $2.43 a gallon, along with a steady stream of dismal financial news suggested that even if the global economy has bottomed out, it will be some time before demand for oil rebounds as oil dropped to $56.34 a barrel, and a string of forecasts show a larger drop in world consumption.
      Oil prices rose to $59.03 as traders considered whether the push was justified amid signs of weak crude, and attacks on oil facilities in Nigeria helped support prices, where a militant group destroyed two oil pipelines, then rose to $59.65 as analyst are expecting inventories of oil to fall.
      Oil prices settled at a six-month high of $63.45 a barrel and gasoline rose to $2.57 a gallon as OPEC members talked of a coming rebound in energy demand, according to Ali Naimi, Saudi Arabia's oil minister, and predicted that it could be $70 a barrel by the end of the year as recovery begins from the global recession.    OPEC estimates there are 100 million barrels of oil afloat at sea in tankers, which causes speculation on huge surpluses, then closed at $65.08 and gasoline rose to $2.60 a gallon as OPEC will maintain crude production levels, then settled at $66.31 a barrel continuing a recession-defying march and has doubled since it was $32 per barrel six months ago.
      Oil markets have turned in OPEC's favor after months of drilling a hole in the cartel's coffers, but internal wrangling could cap recent price gains.    The OPEC production cuts over the past five months are beginning to whittle down excess supply.    World crude demand appears to be stabilizing after plunging for much of the past year, and can be expected to pick up with the start of the summer driving season in the U.S. and Europe.    Non-OPEC nations like Canada are cutting back their oil exploration, increasing its reliance on OPEC crude.
      Crude rose to $61.67 a barrel which is higher than OPEC had hoped for, and if they had not cut the way it did, prices would have fallen to $20 a barrel or less, and Saudia Arabia is the only OPEC nation in the Group of 20 working with a stimulus plan for the world economy.    Iran and Venezuela aren't doing their share of the cuts of 4.2 million barrels a day announced in late 2008.
      Oil prices pushed to new highs for the year on a weak dollar and new data suggesting manufacturing in China has strengthened.    Gasoline prices rose above $2.60 a gallon and oil settled at $68.58 a barrel, then $71.33 a new high for the year with investors pouring money into crude markets as a hedge against inflation, because of an increase in U.S. demand, then fell to $70.62 as investors moved out of risky investments and into the dollar, as the Group of Eight reaffirmed the dollar's status as the world reserve currency.
      With gasoline prices at $2.70 at the pump and oil settled at $71.37, then to $68.90 in a sell-off spurred by steep drop in gasoline futures and weakness in the equities market and a big profit-taking day before new contracts.    Oil settled at $66.93 a barrel as predictions of a weak global economy and increases in inventories, then jumped to $70.23 a barrel after the government said the economy may be faring better than previously thought, eventhough the slowing economy has slashed demand for energy as factories shut down and fewer people drive to work or take leisure trips by car or plane.    Also refinery closings combined with political turmoil in Iran and Nigeria had its effect, and oil tumbled after the release of woeful job numbers in Europe and the U.S. settling at $66.73 a barrel, then dropped to $66.46 as jobs suggest consumption will remain tepid, then $64.05 and gasoline was at $2.64 per gallon as the U.S. economy lost a larger-than-expected 467,000 jobs in June.    Oil prices neared $60 per barrel as the government reported that stockpiles of unused gasoline soared again, then settled at $59.69 and stayed below $60 a barrel dropping about $14 a barrel since June 30.    Economists predicted oil to move down to the mid $50s in the coming weeks, but were wrong since it pushed higher to settle at $68.38 because of improved earnings results from many companies, boosted investor optimism.
      Oil and natural gas prices rose sharply on the weakening dollar and on new signs of life from manufacturers that suggest the recession may be loosening its grip, as oil rose to $71.58 a barrel with gasoline prices around $2.57 a gallon, then fell as the years first hurricane threatened to grow before it heads toward the U.S. and settled at $66.75 a barrel, and could keep falling to between $59 and $63.
      Oil prices approached $75 a barrel settling at $74.37 a barrel for the first time in ten months amid growing optimism that the world's economies are on the mend, but fell to $69.96 a barrel as a steep drop in China's stock market raised doubts about the strength of the U.S. and global economic recovery.    China seemed to suggest that they would cut back on bank lending, essentially removing one stimulus they have added to the economy, then oil dropped again to $68.05 a barrel before a holiday weekend despite new indications the U.S. manufacturing and housing industries may be on the mend, then rose to $71.10 a barrel as a falling dollar pushed investors to seek out commodities such as oil and gold as a hedge against inflation and dollar weakness and gold seemed to pull oil along for the ride, before OPEC meets.    OPEC met and focused on its own members compliance with production limits at its meeting in Vienna, who were all happy with oil prices.
      Energy prices jumped to $72.51 a barrel on new indicators of economic activity that could renew demand due to a large drop in crude supplies, then crude oil and gasoline prices fell sharply to settle at $68.97 on evidence of a huge supply glut on a government report, then fell to $66.02 a barrel as Middle East tensions escalated when Obama, France and Britain warned Iran over its nuclear ambitions and the Federal Reserve Chairman supported a fedral lending program that could weaken the dollar.
      Gas prices ended their recent slide around $2.43 a gallon as crude-oil prices tumbled after news that U.S. unemployment hit a 26-year high and raised doubts about the strength of the economic recovery and energy demand as oil settled at $69.95, then rose to $75.18 a barrel for the first time in a year because of a weak dollar and the belief that the holiday shopping season will put more traffic on the roads, and the Dow Jones industrial average pushed past 10,000 for the first time in more than a year.
      Gasoline prices jumped to $2.54 per gallon due to tighter supplies and oil settled at $77.58 per barrel, then $78.53 a barrel for the first time in a year and gasoline averaged $2.57, then despite low demand, prices for crude oil have spiked near $80 as people are driving less, trucking companies are shipping less, and airlines are cutting back on jet-fuel purchases because buisness travel has ebbed.    Higher crude oil cost drove up gasoline prices to $2.66 a gallon as oil settled at $81.37 a barrel and it must have gone down and rose again to settle at $79.87 a barrel and pump prices went higher to $2.69 per gallon.
      OPEC held its output targets, since oil is staying consistently at $75 a barrel.
  
      War and peacekeeping in 2009.
      After campaigning on the promise to end one war, President Obama is preparing to escalate another with tens of billions of dollars for combat, including a major buildup of troops in Afghanistan.    Most are concerned of imput to an unwinable war, with no exit plan.
  
      The 2009 World's Financial Crisis.
      In the U.S., the Dow Jones fell 33.8 percent (245 points); market lost $6.9 trillion - America suffered a net loss of 2.4 million jobs last year, and 2009 is off to a rough start as major companies are already announcing big layoffs, making the employment picture to remain grim this year as the number of newly laid-off people signing up for state unemployment insurance last week rose to 540,000, up from 492,000 the previous week.    The unemployment rate is expected to jump from 6.7 percent in November to 7 percent in December.    President Barack Obama's economic recovery plan clearing the way for a new infusion of $350 billion in bailout cash for the financial industry, with job creation as its main goal, with various tax cuts totaling $825 billion.
      At 626,000 up from the previous weeks figures of 591,000, due to layoffs by companies including Caterpillar, Pfizer, Estee Lauder and Microsoft, as the unemployment rate rose to 7.5 percent in January, up from 7.2 percent in December, the highest rate in 17 years.    The housing slump and financial crisis has sent the economy into a recession that may continue until at least the second half of this year.    The unemployment rate rose to 7.6 percent spurred by a vicious cycle of cutbacks by consumers that forced ever more layoffs by employers.    Some 3.6 million jobs have disappeared so far in a deepening recession and raising pressure on Obama and Congress to agree quickly on a huge economic stimulus plan.    Economist predict 2 million to 3 million jobs will disappear this year and unemployment rate will climb to 10 percent or higher by the spring of 2010.
      In Japan, job layoffs once unheard of is becoming more common as thousands of "temporary" workers - who often had steady jobs for years under various contracts - are fired by major companies like Sony and Toyota just as the global economic slump makes substitute work unlikely to find, a new phenomenon in a nation long known for its tacit quarantee of lifetime employment, thus creating broader social problems such as homelessness, with no services to handle them.    They are predicting some 125,000 of these people will be jobless by March, and 17.8 million people or a third of Japan's work force is on contracts.    Japan said its economy contracted sharply in the fourth quarter amid a collapse in global demand for the country's exports.    It's GDP dropped at an annual pace of 12.7 percent in the third straight quarter of decline.
      The U.S. is now concerned that if the economic crisis lasts more than two years, it could cause some nation's governments to collapse, and U.S. allies that might no longer be able to afford to meet their own defense and humanitarian obligations.    The longer it takes the greater the damage to U.S. interests as Congress prepares to vote today on a $789 billion stimulus package.    Al-Qaida remains the greatest direct threat to the U.S., which is depending on Pakistan to control its borders, then Iran may have nuclear weapon as soon as next year, with East Africa terrorist becoming more active even with biological weapons, and to top it off global climate change may push some to seek energy resources, food and water.
      In Rome the job of the Group of Seven finance ministers meeting on solutions to the financial crisis looked even more difficult as new economic data showed Europe's recession deepening.    Germany's economy plunged by 2.1 percent and also Italy at 1.8 percent and France 1.2 percent.    They met to discuss new rules for financial markets, concerns about protectionist measures in economic stimulus plans, and the effect of the crisis on poorer countries.    The upcoming 20-country summit in April which would include China and India will be necessary to include the G-7 with the G-20 to cope with it.
      The Group of Seven finance ministers pledged to avoid resorting to protectionism as they try to stimulate their own economies in the face of the world's worst economic crisis since the 1930s.
      Finance officials from rich and developing countries pledged to do whatever necessary to fix the global economy, including supervision of hedge funds and restoring bank lending by dealing with their shaky securities.    The Group of 20, which accounts for more than 80 percent of the world's economy, agreed on an urgent need for a boost to the IMF's lending resources to help struggling governments.
      World leaders converged on London for an emergency summit, holding scant hopes of finding a solution to the crisis, as the stakes are high, and European countries are pushing for a tougher regulatory system for global finance, while the U.S. is emphasizing more spending.    The world economy is in far worse shape than when the group of G-20 met in November, as trade is deteriorating, protectionism is on the march and joblessness is rising, street demonstaration has increased.    Some claimed that this is the new Bretton Woods, a new financial architecture for the years ahead.    The World Bank President Robert Zoellick called for the G20 to back a $50 billion liquidity fund to keep global trade moving, as the rich talk about bonuses or no bonuses, where the poor struggle for food or no food.
      Obama and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown predicted the emergency G-20 economic summit would produce a global deal to tackle the world-wide recession, Where France and Germany would not agree to false compromises that soft-pedal a need for tougher financial regulation to curb abuses that contributed to the spreading chaos.    Protestors blockaded and smashed bank windows and pelted police with eggs and fruit.
      This being Obama's first major international appearance he is under pressure for a good showing, and talked nuclear threats with Russia's president and gave an iPod to the queen, and some where tried to calm fears about the ailing U.S. economy, and the press claimed he left them with some hope and optimism.
      The G-20 proposal was to have $100 billion fund to finance global trade, tighter financial rules and action to support economic growth and job creation.    Also to double the money available to the IMF to some $500 billion to help emerging countries.
      President Hugo Chavez said that Venezuela will vote against the declaration of the Summit of Americas in a protest against the U.S.    The summit brings together all 34 members of the Organization of American States, which Chavez claims would treat the rest of Latin America as subservient to Washington interests and wants to create a regional group to replace it.    Obama offers to work with Latin America and reached out to Nicaragua's Ortega and Chavez, and at Port-Of-Spain, Trinidad, Obama defended his brand of world politics of reaching out to enemies of the U.S. to make sure that the nation is a leader, not lecturer, of democracy.
      The global economy is expected to lurch into reverse this year for the first time since World War II, with trillions of dollars in lost business, millions of people thrust into hunger and homelessness, and rising crime.    To cushion the blow and head off further damage next year, the IMF is calling for more stimulus projects from the world's governments.    Even with bold steps, the global economy will shrink 1.3 percent this year, the IMF predicted, and that in 2010 or 2011, economies will not be back to normal, said Oliver Blanchard, IMF chief economist.
      With Obama presiding, the U.N. Security Council approved a U.S.-sponsored resolution committing all nations to work for a nuclear weapons-free world.
      World leaders of the G-20 descended on Pittsburgh to debate how to nurture a recovering global economy, with mostly an agreement to restrict banker's compensation as on the streets police threw canisters of pepper spray and smoke at demonstrators against capitalism who got a little rowdy and chaotic in an unlawful assembly for some Anarchist group.    Obama asserted that he and other leaders of the world's 20 largest economies took actions that brought the global economy back from the brink and saved or created millions of jobs, and they leave here today confident and united.    They agreed to leave stimulus programs in place until recoveries are more firm.    Finance officials of the Group of 20 and Group of Seven promised to move swiftly to provide the fiscal tonic -- tax cuts or increased government spending -- to turn around their troubled economies.
      Obama challenged world leaders to shoulder more of the globe's critical burdens, promising a newly cooperative partner in America but warning they can no longer castigate the U.S. as a go-it-alone bully while still demanding it cure all ills.    He said it is time for all of us to take our share of responsibility for a global response to global challenges.    He will no longer set by listening to those blaming others for our troubles and absolving ourselves of responsibility for choices and actions.    So Obama's message was not new, its been heard before, but in a more humble tone, reducing Amercia's role as the globe's lone superpower, pushing international law on defiant nations.
      China is the bigger player in world economy now, as can be seen in Auto-parts maker Delphi, headquartered in Troy, Mich., in the heart of the U.S. car capital of the world.    Delphi is selling the unit which makes brake and suspension units to investors led by the Shougang Corp, a steel maker owned by China's government, which promotes a socialist market economy heading to a capitalistic future.
      Everyone is so desperate for cash that the Chinese show up with a checkbook and people say, "Yes, please."    Explosive growth in China and India, coupled with Japan's clout as the world's No. 2 economy, has long been expected to shift economic power from the U.S. to Asia as this century progresses and the financial crisis and recession are accelerating that process.    But China will have to get its house in order for this to occur and who will be in charge before it can become a global leader.
      Obama raised hopes for creating an Asia-Pacific free-trade region by announcing that the U.S. would seek to join a smaller group seen as a precursor to a broader Pacific Rim agreement.    This would be a Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) - joining Chile, New Zealand, Singapore and Brunei - which drew applause at the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, to create a region-wide free trade area.    So the U.S. will be expanding free trade rather than resorting to protectionist measures to cope with the recession, and pushed for progress on talks to liberalize world trade.    APEC, celebrating its 20th anniversary was created to promote greater trade and integration among Pacific Rim nations from Chile to China.    But will these nations buy exports from the U.S.?
  
      Here we summarize the North Korea's antics in 2009.
      North Korean officials claimed they have "weaponized" their stockpile 67.8 pounds of plutonium, in a development that could complicate talks to end the regime's nuclear weapons program.    The U.S. warned North Korea that it needs to live up to its commitments to dismantle its nuclear programs of the now stalled six-party talks, but was overshadowed by harsh North Korean rhetoric as the government vowed to press ahead with test-firing a long-range missile.
      The U.S. warns N. Korea not to test missile, and is worried the Stalinist country may soon face a succession crisis to replace ailing dictator Kim Jong Il.
      North Korea said it is making headway to send a satellite into orbit as part of its space program, a launch regional powers fear is a cover for testing a long-range ballistic missile capable of striking Alaska and the western U.S.    Pyongyang's is trying to get Obama's attention for ignoring him, and has told two U.N. agencies it plans to launch a communications satellite between April 4 and 8 to fend off worries that the test is for long-range missile technology.    The launch would violate a 2006 U.N. Security Council resolution banning them from ballistic missile activity.    Japan hinted it could down an incoming N. Korea rocket, which would fly over Japan and fall in waters 75 miles from their shore.
      The U.S. and its allies sought punishment for North Korea's defiant launch of a rocket that fell into the Pacific Ocean, as a long-range missile test, which creates instability in the region, and around the world by violating a resolution.    A top Pentagon official dismissed the rocket launch as a failure since they did not master the midair thrust shift from one rocket booster to another, which is required in ballistic missile technology.    The U.N. is planning on condemning N. Korea's rocket launch and toughen sanctions against them and finally did condemn the test of a missile and expanding sanctions by all 15 members for the violation of a resolution.
      North Korea said it is restarting its rogue nuclear program, booting U.N. inspectors and pulling out of disarmament talks in reaction to the U.N. condemnation.    N. Korea said it would bolster its atomic arsenal and began harvesting plutonium from spent fuel rods and warned that it will fire an intercontinental ballistic missile -- or carry out another nuclear test -- unless the U.N. apologizes for condemning the regime's rocket launch.
      South Korean officials have detected brisk activity at a North Korean nuclear test site after threats to carry out a second nuclear test and test launch a missile, but no proof that N. Korea is reprocessing spent nuclear fuel rods to harvest weapons-grade plutonium, and only poses a threat as a facilitator of the atomic ambitions of others, even terrorists, and a thorn in Obama's side with two other wars going on.
      North Korea lashed out at the U.S. and reportedly launched two more short-range missiles as the U.N. debated new sanctions.    Russian officials said the blast was roughly as strong as the bombs dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and was stronger than the one they tested in 2006.
      North Korea appears to be preparing to test an advanced missile designed to reach the U.S. pushing tensions higher, as the U.S. is considering returning North Korea to a list of state sponsors of terrorism according to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.    The United Nations and Western Powers proposed it would impose tough new sanctions against the North allowing foreign countries to stop and search ships heading to and from pending approval from the country whose flag the vessel was flying without use of force.    The U.N. Security Council followed through on the punishment of ship embargo to deny them of financing and material for its weapons program and any export of arms, especially missiles.
      North Korea responded to new U.N. sanctions with more defiance, promising to step up its secretive nuclear bomb-making program by enriching uranium and threatening war with any nation that dares to stop its ships on the high seas.    Its ailing leader Kim Jong Il, may soon be replaced by his youngest son Jong Un, the communist country has fears that the U.S. could invade to topple its regime.
      North Korea fired a barrage of short-range missiles off its east coast, a possible prelude to the launch of a long-range missile toward Hawaii over the July Fourth holiday, then they launched seven ballistic missiles for 250 miles on the 4th in a show of military firepower to defy U.N. resolutions.    The U.S. refused to give any attention to them.
      The 15-nation U.N. Security Council backed by China and Russia, banned travel and froze assests of 10 North Korean individuals and businesses linked to the country's nuclear and ballistic missile programs, marking the first time the U.N. has directly penalized members of the nation's military and business elite.
      North Korea (DPRK Democratic People's Republic of Korea) said it is in the final stages of enriching uranium, a process that could give the nation a second way to make nuclear bombs, as it informed the U.N. Security Council in defiance.    So they acknowledged a hidden uranium enrichment program and is trying to weaponizse plutonium, as a reaction to the tightened sanctions.
  
      In 2009 what nuclear technology trade or construction occurred?
      Syria has revealed that it has built a missile facility over the ruins of what the U.S. says was a nuclear reactor destroyed by Israel warplanes.    The IAEA U.N. nuclear agency reported its second unexplained find of uranium particles at a Syrian nuclear site, in a probe launched by suspicions that a remote desert site hit by Israeli warplanes was a nearly finished plutonium-producing reactor.
  
      In 2009 what is the EU up to?
      German Chancellor Angela Merkel and other EU leaders rejected a new multibillion-euro bailout for Eastern Europe, saying the aid be given to struggling nations only on a case-by-case basis.    Also allowing those countries whose currencies plummet be given a quick entry to the euro, which has remained strong against the U.S. dollar and Japanese yen.
      The head of the EU, Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek, slammed Obama's plan to spend nearly $2 trillion to push the U.S. economy out of recession as "the road to hell" that EU governments must avoid before a key summit next week on fixing the world economy.
  
      In 2009 what is up at the WTO?
      Responding to a U.S. complaint, the World Trade Organization ruled that China was violating international trade rules by restricting the import of American books, movies and music recordings.    The WTO decision came down against Beijing's policy of forcing America media producers to route their business through state-owned companies.    So will they have to take sanctions or the threat of them to force China to ease access for U.S. companies to the world's largest marketplace for high-quality entertainment products.
      So will it pave the way toward more open trade between China and America?    Since they by part have unfair policies that boost sales of Chinese goods abroad and limiting the amount of foreign products entering its market.    Obama is being pressed to get tough on trade rules with China which is blamed on America's soaring trade deficit and lost manufacturing jobs.    The U.S. government is imposing new duties on imports of steel pipe from China, the latest sign of trade tensions between the countries, which will impact about $2.7 billion worth of Chinese imports.    They imposed between 10.36 percent and 15.78 percent on the pipe to offset subsidies that China is providing its steelmakers and resulted in 2,400 job losses this year.
      U.S. companies would have to crackdown on piracy first in order to boost sales.
      The World Trade Organization has ruled the E.U. provided illegal subsidies to Airbus for its aircraft, a U.S congressman from Washington State said, from a U.S. complaint in 2004, which had caused material harm to Boeing in an unfair market worth $3 trillion over the next two decades, and how far governments can go to support the aviation industry.    The E.U. is likely to appeal, but most likely the issue will be resolve by negotiations between the parties than by the WTO.
      The U.S., China and other commercial powers will spearhead a new attempt to find ways to revive world trade and pull the global economy out of recession.
      The World Trade Organization has called trade chiefs from its 153 members to Geneva for the first ministerial conference in 4 years, since its Doha liberlization round is limping into its ninth year.    The conference will focus on stabilizing and rejuvenating commerce in the face of increased protectionism, unemployment and exporting of jobs.
      The beast has reared its head again to get its 10 regions set up and working again, since all its messengers have tried and failed.
  
      In 2009 what natural disasters occurred?
      Kentucky State and federal emergency officials are scrambling to address an ice storm which left hundreds of thousands of Kentuckians without water, power or fuel.    The cost of the storm damage in Western Kentucky alone, the worst-hit area of the state, is expected to top $10 million, and 1,600 National Guard members are racing to deliver supplies.    I was in this storm, so I missed about a week of news worldwide.    It took 12 days for the power to be restored to my neighborhood, and finding a restaurant to eat at was very difficult.    We had to cook on gas stoves and collect snow to melt to flush our commodes.    The environment was very dangerous for a few days as trees were falling from the weight of the ice, no cell phones worked, we used kerosene laterns and heaters to stay warm.    My wife packed up the children and went to Atlanta during this, I stayed to work at KSP.    It was a crisis, but I am proud to say that as an area we did not have looting, or any deaths, except for a man fixing electrical lines, churches helped out as well as neighbors.
      The 4,600 National Guard started clearing debris so utility crews could reach remote areas and going house to house.    Utility crews from surrounding states came to help.    There were 24 deaths in the total ice storm.    Feb. 6, Obama called the area a major disaster leaving more than 700,000 homes and businesses without power.
      Anchorage, Alaska residents stocked up on protective eye-wear and masks ahead of a possible eruption of Mount Redoubt Volcano, where scientists warned that it was imminent.    Mount Redoubt erupted several times spewing a 12-mile-high cloud that could drop ash on Anchorage.    The Mount continued to erupt, sending one ash plume 50,000 feet into the air, resulting in airlines cancelling eight flights.
      In Sydney, as walls of flame roared across southeastern Australia, razing scores of homes, forests and farmland in the sun-burned country's worst wildfire disaster in a quarter-century, killing at least 35 people.    Trees were exploding and skies raining ash as temperatures hit a record 117 degrees and, with raging winds, created perfect conditions for uncontrollable blazes, fueled by the worst drought in a century.    The death toll had reached 200 and 750 homes destroyed in Victoria state, leaving 5,000 people homeless, and burned 1,100 square miles of land from the 60 mph winds and 100 foot flames.
      A wildfire that destroyed 28 homes and a dozen businesses in central Texas was about 70 percent contained after being fueled by severely dry grass from a fallen power line.    This is the latest of thousands this year in drought-stricken Texas.
      In L'Aquila, Italy, more than 150 people were killed, 1,500 were injured and tens of thousands were left homeless after a 6.3-magnitude earthquake buckled both ancient and modern buildings 70 miles northeast of Rome, followed by more than a dozen aftershocks.
      At Santa Barbara, Calif., 30,000 people were ordered to flee as a 4-day-old raging wildfire that has destroyed scores of homes in the Santa Ynez Mountains fanned by winds that sweep down the slopes.
      At Tegucigalpa, Honduras, a powerful 7.1 earthquake toppled dozens of homes, killing at least six people and injuring 40 in Central America.
      The death toll in Samoa and America Samoa rose to 119 after a powerful tsunami with 15 to 20 foot high waves triggered by a deep ocean earthquake devastated coastal towns up to a mile inland, with many more missing.    Seventeen hours after the magnitude 8.0 tremblor struck, another massive ocean earthquake off the coast of Indonesia's Sumatra island killed at least 75 people and trapped thousands under rubble.    American Samoa, an American territory of 65,000 persons was declared a major disaster by Obama.    In Padang, Indonesia rescue workers searched for survivors and the U.N. death toll has been set at 1,100, but the government says 777 dead, with at least 440 injured.    The earth-quake was a 7.6-magnitude as thousands are thought to be trapped under shattered buildings in the city of 900,000.    The death toll from Indonesia will double to 1,300 as officials reached rural communities wiped out by landslides that had buried more than 600 people under mountains of mud and as many as 3,000 are declared missing.    Helicopters dropped food and aid off to cut-off communities that were without food for 5 days and rescue workers have given up their searches.
      At Lone Pine, California, more earthquakes have struck a remote area of eastern California that has been shaken by a sequence of tremors, magnitude 3.0, 4.5, 3.0 and 3.1.    Then again more at magnitude-5.2 and tremors of 4.7 and 4.9 in a six-minute span.
  
      The 2009 Space Race.
      Moscow - U.S. and Russia are blaming each other for a satellite collision that spewed clouds of debris into space, threatening other unmanned spacecraft nearby.    It occurred 500 miles over Siberia by a derelict Russian spacecraft and a working satellite owned by U.S.-based Iridium, without any warning so to avoid it.    So now they have to track the debris which is traveling at 660 feet per second.
  
  The year 2010.
  
  
• 1/1/2010 Crude and gasoline prices finish year with big surges by AP.
      Oil prices ended 2009 with a bang, surging about $10 a barrel as the country's crude supplies start to shrink.    Crude settled at $79.36 a barrel and is now 71 percent more expensive than at the beginning of the year and gas was at $2.63 a gallon a $1.03 higher than the last day of 2008.    The government said new claims for unemployment benefits dropped a sign that the economy may soon begin creating jobs and more demand for energy.
      On the 28th oil prices continued their two-week slide after a government report showed that demand for crude products dropped even further from the weak levels of a year ago when the recession's grip on the economy was strongest.    Crude fell to $73.67 a barrel.
  
• 1/3/2010 Asia markets bounce back, lead 2009 rally - 2010 not expected to be as profitable by AP.
      Hong Kong - Asian stocks helped lead 2009's global rally as unprecedented goverrnment stimulus measures and economic recovery sent investors back to the region's markets en masse.    Asian markets suffered greater losses compared to the west during the sell-off of 2008 only to see bigger gains as governments around the world helped inflate prices for everything from equities to real estate and gold.    Except Japan stock markets in Asia rocketed gaining 80 percent or more for 2009, but 2010 may not be as lucrative.
      When the U.S., China and other major countries will wind down their emergency financial life supports without causing a new economic slide are far from resolved.    Last years stimulus steps can only restrain future economic growth as many predict if 2010 is just more stimulus the problem will be put off until 2011 or later.
      After the U.S. Federal Reserve dropped interest rates to near zero, traders took to borrowing cheap dollars to buy stocks and other high yielding assets in faster growing regions like Asia.    China announced a $586 billion stimulus package and sent its banks on a massive lending spree in an effort to protect the economy against a global collapse in exports.    The move turned China into one of the year's most important sources of demand, aiding everyone making 2009 the year of stimulus kept our heads above water, but unsure if it is creating a dangerous asset bubble.
  
• 1/3/2010 U.S. commander in Iraq says pullout is on track by AP.
      Forward Operating Base Cobra, Iraq - The two-month delay in holding Iraq's nationwide elections will not keep Ameircan combat troops from leaving as scheduled by the end of August.    The remaining 50,000 U.S. forces will be doing noncombat operations, and will move out in May.
  
• 1/3/2010 Iran sets own deadline on fuel enrichment by Ali Akbar Dareini, AP.
      Tehran, Iran - Iran set a one-month deadline for the West to accept its counterproposal to a U.N. nuclear plan and warned that otherwise it will produce reactor fuel at a higher level of enrichment.    Even if Tehran started working on the fuel production immediately , it would take years before it could master the technology to turn uranium enriched to the level of 20 percent into the fuel rods it needs for a medical research reactor.    Still the threat to enrich uranium to a higher level is likely to rattle the world powers.
  
• 1/12/2010 U.S. dismisses North Korean call for peace treaty this year by Hyung-Jin Kim, AP.
      Seoul, South Korea - North Korea proposed signing a peace treaty this year to formally end the Korean War, a suggestion that Washington quickly dismissed.    The U.S. said peace treaty talks would only be discussed once they come back to six-nation nuclear talks and takes steps on abandoning its nuclear programs and go through the list of issues.
      On the 28th North Korea fired dozens of artillery shells toward its disputed sea border with South Korea, to emphasize that the peninsula remains a war zone and to push for a treaty.    South Korea responded with 100 warning shots with no casualties or damage.
  
• 1/13/2010 Bird-airplane collisions surge by AP.
      Washington - Reports of airplanes hitting birds and other wildlife surged last year, including serious accidents such as birds crashing through cockpits and crippling engines in flight, according to an AP analysis of government data.    Birds and planes ae fighting for airspace, and it's getting increasingly crowded according to an expert who is advising the FAA.    The governments tally for all bird strikes last year could reach or exceed 10,000 for the first time, or 27 strikes per day, and 57 cases of serious damage, 8 people died and 6 more were hurt.    The destroyed planes include the Airbus A320 that, with 155 passengers and crew, went into the Hudson River a year ago this week after hitting a flock of Canada geese.
  
• 1/13/2010 Rolling blackouts ordered across country by AP.
      Caracas, Venezuela - Venezuela's government imposed rolling blackouts of four hours every other day throughout the country to combat an energy crisis.    President Hugo Chavez has said rationing is necessary to prevent water levels in Guri Dam - the cornerstone of Venezuela's energy system - from falling to critical lows and causing a widespread power collapse.    Drought has cut the flow of water into the dam, which feeds three hydroelectric plants that supply 73 percent of Venzuela's electricity.
      On the 24th tens of thousands of Venezuelans opposed to President Hugo Chavez took to the streets, blaming him for rolling blackouts, water rationing, widespread crime and other problems ahead of upcoming congressional elections as he tries to transform it into a socialsit state.
  
• 1/21/2010 Stocks fall on China's move - Lending clampdown concern to investors by AP.
      New York - Investors' growing anxiety about China's attempts to slow its economy and disappointing earnings reports in the U.S. led to a selloff in stocks.    The Dow Jones fell 122.28 due to China's drive to clamp down on bank lending could endanger a global economic recovery, that helped send the dollar higher against other currencies and also pushed commodity prices lower, which hurt the stocks of energy and materials companies.    China did this to prevent speculative bubbles in areas like real estate.
  
• 1/21/2010 Democrats evaluate GOP win - They plan to focus on economy, jobs by AP.
      Washington - Frustrated Democrats urged the White House to focus on jobs and the economy - not the health care overhaul that's now at risk - and pressed Obama to make their case against Republicans ahead of potentially disasterous elections this fall.    The Democratic Party raced to re-evaluate their midterm election strategy, adjust their health care approach and assuage an angry electorate.    The embarrassing defeat in a Democratic stronghold like Massachusetts was a bitter end to the president's first year in office with the message, "Economy, economy, economy."    Some said we need a Jobs Bill.    Obama still blamed it on what happened over the past eight years, and his health care overhaul was the most urgent matter at hand, since they were one vote shy of the 60-vote Senate majority due to the death of Sen. Edward Kennedy.
  
• 1/22/2010 Stocks slide as Obama toughens bank rules by AP.
      New York - President Obama's plan to change the way big banks make their money plunged the stock market back into the fear and uncertainty that marked the financial crisis.    Obama asked Congress for limits on how big banks can get and to end some risky trades used by financial companies to supercharge their earnings.    Investors sent stocks tumbling as the Dow Jones was down 213 points erasing its gains for 2010, and in two days it lost 3.1 percent.    Investors knew changes were coming to the banking system but to reshape the way companies do buisness went beyond what some traders expected, raising concerns that profits would suffer, and that it could result in greater government control over banks and higher cost for the companies.    Obama had proposed a 10-year, $90 billion tax on the largest financial institutions to cover any shortfall in the $700 billion fund to bail out struggling financial companies.    Also this takes everyones mind off of the Democratic losses at the polls plus he needed to do it while the Democrats control both houses, and by the way screw jobs and the economy.
      Shares in Bank of America, Citigroup and JPMorgan Chase each fell by more than 5 percent, as Obama tirades to limit the size and complexity of large financial institutions as well as their ability to make high-risk trades, with his reasoning is to protect American taxpayers and economy from future crises.
      On the 23rd stocks suffered their fourth sharp drop in five trading days as investors caved on the plans to restrict big banks and profit reports that weren't good enough.    The Dow loss 552 in 3 days and all earning reports were not meeting expectations.    Investors were expecting too much to early in an economic recovery that may lose 10 percent.
• 1/23/2010 Report: Appalchian states need to wean themselves from coal by AP.
      Morgantown, W.Va. - Coal production in Central Appalachia (Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia and Tennessee) is likely to continue its 12-year decline and could fall by 50 percent within a decade, and an environmental consulting firm said it's time policymakers and legislators in four states work to diversify the region's economy.    It is declining due to natural gas usage, increased environmental regulations, climate change legislation, renewable energy options and cap-and-trade legislation, the drawback it could effect 40 percent of the regions workforce in becoming unemployed.
  
• 1/24/2010 Obama seeks to regain footing - State of the Union set by AP.
      Washington - Seizing a chance to reconnect, President Obama will use his first State of the Union address to try to persuade the people of a frustrated nation that he's on their side, with a familiar-sounding agenda recast to relate better to everyday struggles.    He also asked for the confirmation of Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke for a second term.
      Kentucky's unemployment rate inched up to 10.7 percent in December form 10.6 percent the month before, and was 7.6 percent in December 2008.
      On the 26th Obama declared the middle class is "under assault," and unveiled plans to help hurting families pay their bills, save for retirement and care for their kids and aging parents commenting before his upcoming State of the Union address.    His proposals:
  
  • Nearly doubling the child and dependent care tax credit for families making under $85,000 a year.
  • Limiting a student's federal loan payments to 10 percent of income above basic living allowance.
  • Creating a new system of automatic workplace retirement savings accounts.
  • Expanding tax credits to match retirement savings.
      Wow that really created jobs.
  
• 1/26/2010 Deficit battle may need tough rules - Republicans oppose Democrats' proposal by AP.
      Washington - Democrats are trying to toughen budget rules to make it difficult to run up the deficit with new tax cuts or federal benefit programs, a move Republicans say is a recipe for tax increases.    The proposal by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., would make it harder to extend permanently some tax cuts that expire at the ened of this year, renew health care subsidies for laid-off workers that expire next month, or offer more help to states for Medicaid for the poor.    Some middle-class tax cuts would not be affected, and extended unemployment benefits for the long-term jobless may also be exempt.
      The move to stiffen budget rules is aimed at softening opposition among moderates to letting the government extend itself another $1.9 trillion into debt.    President Obama is expected to crack down on domestic agency budgets when submitting his budget next week, but tougher steps like raising taxes and cutting benefit programs are longshots in an election year.     With a $1.4 trillion budget deficit in 2009 and a deficit as large expected this year, the government will run up against the $12.4 trillion ceiling on its debt by late next month.    Since Republicans took Kennedy's seat from the Democrats they are poised to make the escalating debt a core issue in November's midterm elections.    With a $1.9 trillion increase in the debt ceiling, Democrats could escape having to vote on it again until early 2011.
  
• 1/31/2010 Treasury says new crisis likely - Report: Bailouts left many risks by AP.
      Washington - The government's response to the financial meltdown has made it more likely the U.S. will face a deeper crisis in the future according to the Treasury Department.    The problem that led to the last crisis have not been addressed, and have grown worse, accrding to the special inspector general for the trouble asset relief program or TARP a report given to Congress stated.    Bottom line the government supported those that caused the problem with the taxpayer shouldering the risk.
  
• 1/31/2010 Worldwide bank regulation coming - Impromptu meeting aims at coordination by AP.
      Davos, Switzerland - At the World Economic Forum regulators from the world's major developed countries told bankers in Davos that greater regulation is on the way, a move aimed at avoiding a repeat of last year's financial meltdown that dragged most of the world into recession.    A bank tax and other tough new measures would be introduced by the individual countries, but in a coordinated way to prevent bankers from moving to escape regulation.
• 2/1/2010 An eye on fusion's future by Science Now.
      Experiments at the National Ignition Facility in California have given researchers confidence that they'll achieve a milestone this year in nuclear fusion - the energy process that fuels the sun and the stars.    The test involve blasting a cylinder the size of a pencil eraser, known as a "hohlraum," with 192 laser beams and seeing whether researchers could tweak the energy to create the right kind of implosion.    The results suggested the $3.5 billion blaster in California just might produce the world's first controlled fusion reaction, with more energy coming out than going in.    Nuclear fusion is the process by which multiple like-charged atomic nuclei join together to form a heavier nucleus.    It is accompied by the absorption of energy, which allows matter to enter a plasma state.    Even if NIF is successful, it will take years to adapt the technology for commericial applications.    This would solve all energy problems and outdate fossil fuels.    It is still a future concept for now.
  
• 2/1/2010 $100 billion jobs push sought - Obama budget targets economy by AP.
      Washington - The Obama administration endorsed spending an additional $100 billion to attack high unemployment as it prepared to send Congress a $3.8 trillion budget that would provide billions more to pull the country out of recession while increasing taxes on the wealthy and freezing spending on many government programs.
      Obama's budget request killed the Constellation program that called for a return to the moon by 2020, and a death knell for the Ares 1 rocket, NASA's successor to the space shuttle.    So he has decided that the U.S. is no longer a significant player in human space flight in the future.    So NASA will become advisors to the private industries, and some 7,000 jobs in Florida was lost over this issue.    By the way did any mention of what kind of jobs would be created come up?
  
• 2/2/2010 Obama unveils spending package - Plan would create jobs, raise deficit to $1.56 trillion by AP.
      Washington - Obama unveiled a multitrillion-dollar spending plan, pledging an intensified effort to combat high unemployment and asking Congress to quickly approve new job-creation efforts that would boost the deficit to a record-breaking $1.56 trillion.    The challenge of lifting the country out of a deep recession that has cost 7.2 million jobs over the past two years.    This will give the country trillion-dollar-plus deficits for three consecutive years and thats about all that it did, no jobs mentioned again.
  
• 2/3/2010 Iran says it's ready to send uranium abroad - Ahmadinejad makes major shift by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - Iranian President Ahmadinejad said it is ready to send its uranium abroad for further enrichment as requested by the U.N.    He said Iran will have no problem giving the West its low-enriched uranium and taking it back several months later when it is enriched by 20 percent, which is a major shift on this issue.
  
• 2/4/2010 Gasoline rises after unexpected supply drop by AP.
      Local gasoline prices have been falling since hitting a recent high of $2.74 a gallon in early January and this week it is $2.48, where a year ago it was $1.89.    Stockpiles fell by 1.3 million barrels last week, as U.S. refineries continued to turn out less fuel the lowest on record, because we as a nation have been using less every week for the past month.    Oil dropped to $76.98 a barrel.
      On the 5th oil fell to $73.24 a barrel as dismal job news, a sinking stock market and a lower than expected draw on natural gas supplies dimmed hopes for stronger fuel demand, and gasoline was $2.40 per gallon.
      On the 6th oil fell to $71.19 a barrel as speculations that China, India and other developing nations would aggressively boost petroleum imports, but China took steps to cool its economy.    Also the stronger dollar and doubts about the health of the global economy weighed down on it.
      On the 10th oil prices rose to $73.75 a barrel as the dollar fell against the euro amid mounting speculation over a possible financial rescue of Greece and other heavily indebted Europeans countries.    A winter storm hitting the Northeast and mid-Atlantic states, plus forecasts of colder-than-normal weather in the next two weeks gave crude a boost.
      On the 12th oil futures rose to $75.28 a barrel as investors were coaxed back into commodities after European leaders pledged support for strapped Greece.    Crude and fuel inventory data show rising supplies and struggling demand.
      On the 13th a four-day rally in oil prices to $74.13 ended as China announced steps to cool its credit boom, as a slower Chinese economy could further depress global demand and keep prices down.    Gasoline was at $2.46 per gallon.
      On the 17th oil spiked to $77.01 a barrel spurred by upbeat economic news as the dollar weakened and stock markets climbed gasoline was at $2.41.
      On the 18th oil at $77.33 per barrel and gas jumped to $2.50 per gallon on hopes for broader economic improvement.
      On the 25th oil settled at $80 per barrel from the rally in U.S. stocks.
      On the 26th Oil prices tumbled to $78.17 a barrel on new signs that the economy remains weak and that demand for crude is still tepid at best.    The signs were negative as the government said new claims for unemployment benefits last week jumped unexpectedly.
      On the 27th oil jumped up to $79.66 a barrel as the nation still is working on a hefty crude surplus built up during the recession.
  
• 2/4/2010 Beshear lauds Obama on clean coal - Governor seeks to test proposal by The Courier-Journal.
      Washington - Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear praised President Obama's formation of a federal task force to speed development of clean coal technology.    Since Kentucky is one of the nation's largest coal producers he would be eager to seek federal backing to demonstrate that technology.    Beshear and 11 governors form both parties met with Obama and his administration at the White House to discuss energy policy.    Of course Obama used the session to announce new initiatives to increase the use of biofuels and clean coal, and how it can create jobs.    Obama wants 5 to 10 demonstration projects operating by 2016.
  
• 2/4/2010 U.S. will pay more for health costs by AP.
      Washington - For all the hue and cry over a government takeover of health care, it's happening anyway.
      Federal and state programs will pay slightly more than half the tab for health care purchased in the U.S. by 2012, says a report by Medicare number crunchers.    The health care sector dominated by government is being speeded up by the economic recession and the aging of the baby boomers, millions of whom will soon start signing up for Medicare.    For technical reasons, the report assumes that Congress is going to let Medicare cut doctor fees by 20 percent later this year, as required by a 1990s budget law.
  
• 2/4/2010 Iran sends research rocket, animal into space by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - Iran announced it launched a menagerie of animals - including a mouse, two turtles and worms - into space on a research rocket, a feat President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said showed Iran could defeat the West in the battle of technology.    The Iranian space program has worried Western powers, which fear the same technology used to launch satellites and research capsules could also be used to build long-range intercontinental missiles and deliver warheads.    A U.S. defense expert said that there was no scientific purpose to launching such animals into space and that the launch was likely more aimed at boosting Iran's prestige.
  
• 2/5/2010 Productivity keeps growing new jobless claims increase by AP.
      Squeezing more output from their existing staffs allowed companies to boost productivity without adding jobs.    And the number of people filing new claims for jobless aid rose last week.    Reports suggest that companies are still cutting costs and putting off hiring even as the economy recovers. [Comment: When did it recover?].    Claims for jobless benefits has risen for the past five weeks.    The unemployment rate is expected to rise to 10.1 percent.
  
• 2/5/2010 Europe's debt, job woes spur Wall Street sell-off - Dow drops 268 by AP.
      Stocks buckled under the growing belief that the global economy is weaker than many investors expected and likely to stop companies from hiring, and the Dow plunged 268 points, including rising debt levels in Europeans nations and an unexpected jump in the number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits.    In Europe the debt levels in Greece, Portugal and Spain are concerns since they cannot borrow money to spend their way out of recession.
  
• 2/5/2010 India offers to resume talks with Pakistan by AP.
      New Delhi - India offered to resume high-level peace talks with Pakistan, between the nuclear-armed countries.    The U.S. has been pressuring both nations to resume talks, which would free up Islamabad to concentrate on its fight against Taliban militants - a key to U.S. strategy in Afghanistan.    India, which blamed the 2008 attacks on Mumbai on Pakistan-based militants and insisted that Pakistan has not done enough to rein in Muslim extremist operating in its territory.    Both our now in agreement to return to talks.
  
• 2/5/2010 House OKs $1.9 trillion increase in debt limit by AP.
      Washington - The Democratic controlled House voted to let the government go $1.9 trillion deeper in debt - an increase that amounts to about $6,000 more for every U.S. resident.    The huge debt increase, approved 217-212, is only enough to keep the government afloat for about another year as it borrows more than 40 cents of every dollar it spends on programs like defense, health care, feeding the poor and protecting the environment.    The budget tops $3.7 trillion this year and the deficit is approaching $1.6 trillion under the budget submitted by President Barack Obama this week.    The increase to $14.3 trillion in the cap on federal borrowing was designed by Democratic leaders to ensure that the rank and file won't have to vote again to run up another increase before facing voters in the November elections.
      Already, the accumulated debt amounts to roughly $40,000 per person, which is a debt piled on to our kids and grandkids.
      Economist warn that the rapidly rising debt could force interest rates higher and, if left unchecked, could have even worse consequences for the economy.    Every Republican and 37 Democrats voted against the bill.
  [Comment: Everyone remember this quote so if he tries to do it again.]    Obama said "The passage of statutory paygo ... (will) begin putting the country back on a fiscally sustainable path."
  
• 2/5/2010 Man accused of trying to send missile parts to Iran by AP.
      Miami - A Taiwanese man has been arrested on U.S. charges of attempting to export missile parts to Iran.    A federal complaint charges Yi-Lan Chen, 40, with violating a U.S. embargo against such exports, and was arrested in Guam but will face trial in Miami.    The charges that Chen arranged shipments to Iran of engines and parts used in missiles and unmanned drones.    Authorities learned of his activities after he allegedly tried to export detonators to Iran.
  
• 2/6/2010 Is China playing game of chicken? - Tariffs planned for U.S. poultry products by Bloomberg News.
      Beijing - China, the largest market for U.S. chicken, will impose preliminary anti-dumping duties of up to 105.4 percent on imports of American poultry products, threatening to deepen a trade rift.    Chinese importers of U.S. broiler chicken products will be required to pay after an investigation showed they had caused "material damage" to local producers, the Ministry of Commerce said in a statement.    The measure will become effective Feb. 13, it said.
      The ruling threatens to deepen a trade rift between the U.S. and China.    Beijing began the investigation into whether the U.S. sold poultry for below-market prices in September, two weeks after the U.S. imposed tariffs on tire shipments from the Asian nation.
      Ties have further soured over proposed U.S. arms sales to Taiwan and President Obama plans to meet with the Dalai Lama later this month.    A result of political tension, and a trade war between the two economies is unlikely as China consumed nearly 800,000 metric tons of U.S. chicken in 2008, worth $722 million.    Poultry overtook horses last year as Kentucky's most lucrative agricultural product.
  
• 2/6/2010 European debt crisis intensifies - Portugal, Greece woes could spread by AP.
      Brussels - Fears of another crisis for the world economy deepened after Portuguese parliament defeated a government austerity plan, triggering renewed concern that the financial crisis in that country and in Greece could spread through euro-currency countries and spill across its borders.    Spooked investors worldwide were fleeing from risky assets such as stocks.    People awoke to the reality that what is happening in these smaller European states has vast implications for the fate of the fragile global economic recovery.    Markets fear Greece may default or require a costly bailout from already-strapped Europeans governments and may spread to Portugal and Spain.    European officials have said that there is no need for a bailout for Greece and that it will be able to borrow the $73.8 billion it needs to plug its budget gap.
  
• 2/6/2010 Obama: Health bill might die - He still seeks bipartisan push by AP.
      Washington - President Obama, who insisted he would succeed where other presidents had failed to fix the nation's health care system, now concedes the effort may die in Congress.    Sen. Edward M. Kennedy's death left Democrats without their filibuster-proof majority to clear it.    "Yes we can," or is it "Maybe not,"    Obama called for Republicans to present their ideas and have a meeting with them, and move forward on a vote.
  
• 2/6/2010 Where is 'tea party' heading? - At its convention, predictions vary by AP.
      Nashville, Tenn. - The "tea party" activists all agree: Government is too big.    Spending is out of control.    Individual freedom is at risk.    And President Barack Obama's policies make it all worse.    But where is all this diverse groups of frustrated Americans in a coalition is going to go, we just don't know.    The Repulicans seem to be leveraging this anti-establishment energy for their own gain, in making a difference in elections this fall and beyond.
      What are they: A pure people-driven politics, a loose coalition facilitated by the Internet, and an ideological mix of libertarianism and conservatism with the common denominator being lower spending and smaller government.    So will it be a lasting political powerhouse?    It is not a third party, but the Republicans the GOP are giving voice to the grass roots people movement.    Of course the Democrats have demonized the coalition, casting it as an extreme right-wing part of the GOP.
  
• 2/6/2010 U.S. jobless rate dips to 9.7% in Jan. - But job creation remains tepid by AP.
      Washington - The outlook for jobs became bleak when the government released January's unemployment rate showing an unexpected decline from 10 percent to 9.7 percent, the first drop in 7 months.    Estimates that 8.4 million jobs vanished in the Great Recession and would be lucky to get back 1.5 million of them this year, and would take until the middle of the decade for the job market to return to normal.
  
• 2/7/2010 Jobs windfall lacking despite rapid growth in U.S. wind-power capacity by McClatchy Newspapers.
      Washington - America's wind-energy industry enjoyed a banner year in 2009 because of tax credits and other incentives packed into the $787 billion economic stimulus bill.    With a record 10,000 megawatts of new generating capacity, few jobs were created overall and wind-power manufacturing employment fell - a setback for Obama's pledge to create millions of "green jobs."    He campaigned and promised some 5 million green jobs over the course of a decade, at present it is only 52,000.
  
• 2/7/2010 G-7 seeks to soothe market, hold rebound by AP.
      Iqaluit, Nunavut - Top finance officials of the world's seven major industrial nations pledged to work to calm global markets and maintain government stimulus to sustain an economic rebound.    Leaders of the Group of Seven nations discussed strategies they'll use to withdraw stimulus once the recovery strengthens as the G-7 ended a two-day session in the Canadian Arctic.
  
• 2/7/2010 GOP. Obama differ on jobs creation - Bipartisan bill in the works in Senate by AP.
      Washington - Republicans sparred with Obama over proposals to create jobs, further evidence of the difficulty of bipartisan solutions to the nation's pressing problems.    Obama pushed Congress to use $30 billion set aside to bail out Wall Street to start a program to provide loans to small businesses, which the White House call the engine for job growth.    Republicans asked Obama where are the jobs promised in exchange for the billions of dollars already spent?    Obama wanted to use leftover money from the Troubled Asset Relief Program, or TARP to provide to small banks for loans to small businesses.    Republicans claim any money leftover should be used to reduce the budget deficit.    All this came as Democrats and Republicans in the Senate are working on a bipartisan jobs bill, that is proposing to provide tax breaks to businesses that hire unemployed workers, extend unemployment payments for those whose benefits have run out, and renew a program that offers the jobless a subsidy for health insurance premiums which would be a political victory for Obama.
      The White House claims that the $787 billion economic stimulus package enacted in February helped save the economy from complete collapse.    The Republicans say that the Democrats jammed the stimulus through and all the American people got was $1.2 trillion in debt and 3 million more jobs lost.
  
• 2/9/2010 Jobless-benefits bill clears House - Businesses might pay higher taxes by The Courier-Journal.
      Franfort, Ky. - The House passed legislation Bill 349 that would raise taxes on businesses and cut benefits for jobless workers as a way to shore up the state's unemployment insurance trust fund.    Kentucky's unemployment rate was 10.7 percent in December, has borrowed $654.1 million from the federal government since January 2009 to pay unemployment benefits to jobless workers, and Kentucky businesses would have to repay that money in the form of higher fedeal payroll taxes.    The maximum weekly payout - $415 - would not change.    The bill goes to the Senate.
  
• 2/9/2010 Iran moves closer to having nuclear weapon material - It plans to further enrich uranium by AP.
      Vienna - Iran pressed ahead with plans that will increase its ability to make nuclear weapons as it formally informed the U.N. nuclear agency (IAEA) of its intention to enrich uranium to higher levels.    They intend to launch construction of 10 new nuclear-fuel plants in March and begin producing 20 percent-enriched uranium to provide fuel for a Tehran medical reactor.    Alarmed world powers questioned the rationale behind the move and warned Iran it could face more U.N. sanctions.    Some claim it does not make sense since Iran is not technically advanced enough to turn the resulting material into the fuel rods needed for the reactor.
      On the 10th Iran began enriching uranium to a higher level, disregarding sanctions as they suspect they are pursuing a direction to nuclear weapons.    Russia who has close ties to Iran and has opposed new sanctions, seems to be changing its mind also.
  
• 2/10/2010 European meeting is set on debt crisis - Talks could lead to aid for Greece by AP.
      Brussels - Wealthy European nations were moving closer toward swallowing a bitter pill rescuing Greece form its overspending to stop its debt crisis from dragging down its currency euro and stock markets.    The crisis has exposed the EU's Achilles' heel - states remain independent to spend as they wish, though 16 governments can end up sharing the consequences.    The top priority is a stable euro, and that the Greek government make radical spending cuts and economic reforms.
  
• 2/10/2010 Hopes for bailout in Greece spur global stock rebound by AP.
      New York - The Dow rose 150 points above 10,000 for the first time in 3 months, as global markets bounced back on reports that the EU plans to rescue Greece.
  
• 2/10/2010 Taliban dig in as U.S. set to seize Afghan town by AP.
      Near Marjah, Afghanistan - U.S. and Afghan forces pushed to the edge of the southern Afghan town of Marjah poised to seize the major Taliban supply and drug-smuggling stronghold in hopes of building public support by providing aid and services once insurgents are gone.    The Taliban militants were digging in, instead of fleeing believing a losing fight would rally support and sabotage.    The main attack will be very soon as he first main offensive since President Obama announced in December that he was sending 30,000 reinforcements to Afghanistan, as a test to turn back the Taliban.
  
• 2/10/2010 Obama open to health bill deal - GOP leery of his offer, TV summit by AP.
      Washington - signaling he'd meet critics part way on health care, Obama said he is willing to sign a bill even if it does not deliver everything that he pursued at the risk of going down as a dismal failure.    The Democrats' massive health overhaul legislation is stalled in Congress by disagreements within the party and the loss of their 60th Senate vote.    Republicans suspect that Obama's invitation to a televised health care summit Feb. 25 is a thinly disguised political trap.
  
• 2/11/2010 Jobs bill won't provide much work - Increased demand is needed to hire by AP.
      Washington - It's a bipartisan jobs bill that would hand Obama a badly needed political victory and placate Republicans with tax cuts at the same time.    But it has a problem: It won't create many jobs, since companies are not going to hire until increased demand for their products.
  
• 2/12/2010 Greek rescue details sparse - EU pledges support during debt crisis by AP.
      Brussels - EU leaders faced down markets with a statement of support for Greece but offered no detailed bailout for a debt problem, and there is concern now that other countries might overspend and need a bailout.
  
• 2/12/2010 Iran calls itself a nuclear state by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad claimed that his country has produced its first batch of higher-grade enriched uranium and declared that Iran is now a "nuclear state."    Iranian security forces unleashed a crushing sweep against opposition protesters on the 31st anniversary of the Islamic revolution.
  
• 2/13/2010 China restrains bank lending - Real estate bubble fears behind move by Los Angeles Times.
      Beijing - Amid growing fears of a real estate bubble, Chinese officials moved to restrain bank lending and put a lid on incipient inflation, a surprise action that shook financial markets around the world that the global economic recovery could be slowing.    China's action will require banks to set aside more reserves with the nation's central bank, instead of lending the money to businesses and consumers.    In Beijing, developers can barely keep pace with demand as the amount of residential floor space sold in 2009 skyrocketed 82 percent from 2008.
  
• 2/13/2010 Laser knocks down missile in test off California coast by AP.
      Edwards AFB, Calif. - The Air Force said a high powered laser has destroyed a missile in flight during a test of a national defense system off the California coast.    The successful test is a boost to a program that has had billions in cost overruns and saw its budget sharply cut by the Pentagon last year.    The Air Force and Boeing Co. announced that an air borne laser system tracked a target missile over the ocean.    The Air Force says an energy beam heated the missile until it broke up.
  
• 2/14/2010 Recession shrinks Social Security surplus - Baby boomers add to burden by McClatchy Newspapers.
      Washington - A surge of early retirements and a decline in payroll tax revenue caused by the recession have begun to cut deeply into Social Security's surplus funding.    Led by aging baby boomers and older workers frustrated by the tough job market, record numbers of eligible Americans started receiving Social Security retirement benefits last year.    More than 2.7 million beneficiaries in 2009, up 20 percent from 2008, the largest since 1975.    Many person cannot find work so they are retiring early at 62, instead of waiting for 66.    More than 3.4 million boomers who turn 62 in 2009, and could lead into cash flow deficits beginning in 2016, and others say it wil remain solvent until 2037.
  
• 2/16/2010 Japanese economy still No. 2 as GDP increases by AP.
      Tokyo - Japan held its title as the world's second-largest economy after fourth-quarter growth beat expectations and kept the country just ahead of a surging China.    Their GDP grew at an annual pace of 4.6 percent, which was forecasted at 3.4 percent.    Japan ended up with a GDP for 2009 at $5.1 trillion, and China at $4.9 trillion.    Japan has benefited from government stimulus measures at home, and bolstered global trade and persuaded households to boost spending.    China's economy is expanding at a furious pace and is expected to overtake Japan this year.
  
• 2/16/2010 European markets rise despite fears by AP.
      London - European stock markets won some respite ahead of a meeting of euro-zone finance ministers in Brussels, where the Greek debt crisis is to top the agenda.
  
• 2/17/2010 U.S. to back loans for 2 Ga. nuclear plants - Move could fuel return to reactors by AP.
      Washington - More than $8 billion in new federal loan guarantees to build two nuclear reactors in Georgia could be the first step toward a nuclear renaissance in the U.S., three decades after the Three Mile Island accident halted reactor orders.    With the nuclear industry poised to begin construction of at least a half-dozen plants over the next decade, announced by Obama as both economically essential and politically attractive, and a key part of comprehensive energy legislation that assigns a cost to the carbon pollution of fossil fuels.    The loans could triple to $54.5 billion, not mentioned is the storage of radioactive materials in comparison to global warming but it will create about 3,500 construction jobs and permanently employ 850 people, boy that will will make a dent in the job losses.
  
• 2/17/2010 Marines move to solidify position in Taliban area by AP.
      Marjah, Afghanistan - Marines moving by land from the north linked up with U.S. units that have faced nearly constant Taliban attack in the four days, and U.S. artillery fired non-lethal smoke rounds to disperse Taliban fighters in Marjah in process so 15,000 troops could expand its control of the town of 80,000 people 380 miles southwest of Kabul.
      Also the capture of the Afghan Taliban's No. 2 commander Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar in the Pakistani port city of Karachi by a CIA-Pakistan team dealt a fresh blow to insurgents under heavy U.S. attack and raised hopes that Pakistan security forces are ready to deny Afghan militant leaders a safe haven.
  
• 2/17/2010 U.S., Russia and France criticize Iran's nuclear plan by AP.
      Vienna - Russia, the U.S. and France have urged Iran to stop enriching uranium to higher levels and suggested the project reinforces suspicions that Tehran is seeking to make nuclear weapons.
      On the 19th the U.N. nuclear agency said it fears Iran may be working on making a nuclear warhead, suggesting they have resumed such work or never stopped at the time U.S. intelligence thought it did.
  
• 2/21/2010 Obama: Health summit is test - Can parties solve problems? by AP.
      Washington - President Obama said the health care meeting with Democrats and Republican lawmakers will test their abilities to solve not just this problem, but other problems, too.    Republicans said lawmakers must scrap current proposals and start over lest the meeting turn into a charade.
  
• 2/24/2010 U.S. rejects Iran's nuclear offer - Tehran proposes new conditions by AP.
      Vienna - Iran has formally set out its terms for giving up most of its cache of enriched uranium in a document and the conditions fall short of what the U.S. and other world powers have demanded.    Washington dismissed the document and would consult with its allies on new penalties on Iran to punish it for its nuclear defiance.
      On the 25th Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the U.S. has moved China closer to view Iran's refusal to come clean demands tough new U.N. sanctions, with the knowledge that Iran could trigger an arms race in the Persian Gulf regions that could harm China's interests.
  
• 2/24/2010 Latin America, Caribbean form bloc minus Canada, U.S. by AP.
      Playa Del Carmen, Mexico - Leaders of 32 nations agreed to create a new regional bloc including every country in the Americas except Canada and the U.S., a show of unity marred when the Venezuelan and Columbian presidents hurled insults at each other.
      The new oraganization will defend democracy and human rights and foster cooperation among Latin American and Caribbean countries, said Mexican President Felipe Caldron, the host of the Grupo del Rio summit at a resort in the Yucatan peninsula.
      Few details of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CLACS) have been worked out, and its formation is expected to take years.    It is unsure if it will replace the Washington-based Organization of American States (OAS) which is heavily influenced by the U.S.
  
• 2/26/2010 Fed chief: Is Wall Street betting on Greece to fail? by AP.
      Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke told lawmakers that the central bank is examining Goldman Sachs' and other Wall Street firms' use of high-risk financial instruments to make bets that Greece would default on its debt.    The Fed is looking at the use of credit default swaps, a form of insurance against bond defaults, which can intentionally destabilizes a company or a country for private gain.    Goldman Sachs defended currency swap deals it took with Greece to reduce the country's debt which was within the rules.
  
• 2/26/2010 Compromise eludes health summit - Obama hints Democrats may pass own plan by AP.
      Washington - After a day of debate and disagreement, President Barack Obama ended televised meeting on helath care with the bleak assessment that accord between Democrats and Republicans may not be possible.    He rejected Republican preferences for seeking a step-by-step solution or simply starting over.    Obama suggested that Democrats will try to pass a sweeping overhaul without GOP support by using Senate budget rules that would disallow filibusters, and this fall's elections would write the verdict on who was right.    Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell R-Ky., told Obama that the majority of the American people oppose the Democrats' plan, and we should not ignore their view on this.
      Sniping, posing, serious election-year politics so the summit was little more than a stage to recite their political agendas.    Republicans touted Obama as arrogant and overreaching for refusing to drop a health care plan that a majority of voters don't favor.    Obama tried to cast Republicans as obstructionists.    It turned out to be political theater.    They even argued about the time in minutes to speak with the Dems got 52 minutes and Repubs only 24.    Obama said, "You're right, there was an imbalance on the opening statement because I'm the president.    Call it home court advantage."
  
• 2/27/2010 Democrats push ahead on health care overhaul by AP.
      Washington - Democrats pushed hard to revive the stalled health care overhaul, as Obama will unveil a way forward next week on legislation that has been his foremost domestic priority, and did say he's open to several Republican ideas, including medical malpractise changes.
      On the 28th Obama was ready to compromise with Republicans, but the overhaul must go forward, and have no plans of scrapping their 10-year, $1 trillion bill and starting over.    Obama believes the millions who cannot afford health insurance cannot wait another generation, small buisnesses cannot wait, those with pre-existing conditions cannot wait.    Obama said moving ahead may mean using Seanate rules that would let Democrats pass legislation with a simple majority of 51 instead of 60 votes they no longer command.    The approach infuriates Republicans and is opposed by some Democratic moderates because of its partisan nature, thus a Democratic-only bill, or better yet a government takeover of health care.
      Its no wonder that people do not trust the government.
      Labor's high hopes for major gains under Obama and a Democratic Congress have dimmed, raising doubts about union leverage.    Prospects for a health overhaul have faded, much less the passage of a bill making it easier for unions to organize workers.    A bipartisan jobs bill the Senate passed last week drew tepid praise from the AFL-CIO president, who called it a band-aid on an amputated limb.    This wasn't what unions expected a year ago after spending more than $400 million to help elect Obama and increase the size of Democratic majorities in the Senate and House.    Also a labor lawyer was block an appointment to the National Labor Relations Board.    Also the unions effective liberal response to "tea party" activists started showing a reversal of who the unions are supporting and their membership fell 10 percent during Obama's first year in office.
  
• 3/1/2010 Majority vote urged on health bill - Pelosi: Democrats must take a stand by AP.
      Washington - The White House called for a "simple up-or-down" vote on health care legislation as speaker Nancy Pelosi appealed to House Democrats to get behind Obama's chief domestic priority even if it threatens their political careers.    So this means Obama intends to push the bill under Senate rules that would overcome GOP stalling tactics, and bypass the bipartisanship he promoted during his televised health care summit.    Pelosi said lawmakers must enact policies that, even if unpopular at the moment, will help the public.    [Comment - Translate: Take your caster oil, or we will shove it down their throats anyway.]    So after this Republicans strategist believe voters will turn against Democrats in the November elections.
  
• 3/2/2010 Oil prices to $80 per barrel, then fall by AP.
      Crude oil settled at $78.70 after going above $80 a barrel as the market failed for the third consecutive day to rally and will focus on U.S. oil inventory data for near-term direction.
      On the 6th oil rose to $81.50 per barrel on hopes that the economy may slowly be healing as the jobless rate held steady at 9.7 percent, area gas prices were at $2.70 per gallon.
      On the 11th oil settled at $82.09 because U.S. oil supplies grew less than expected in hopes that demand might be picking up.
      On the 12th oil settled at $82.11 a barrel as OPEC predicted that world oil demand would grow by 900,000 barrels per day this year but depends on sustained global economic rebound, but gasoline went up to $2.80 per gallon.
      On the 13th oil lowered to $81.24 a barrel on mixed economic reports such as an increase in February retail sales and world energy demand this year could be higher than thought.
      On the 18th gasoline prices were at $2.77 a gallon and oil prices rose to $82.93 a barrel as crude inventories.
      On the 19th oil went to $82.20 a barrel but gasoline prices went up to $2.83 a gallon for unknown reasons.
      On the 23th oil settled at $81.25 a barrel as the dollar began to weaken against the euro and U.S. equities rose.
      On the 24th crude settled at $80.87 as the dollar strengthened but settled at $81.91 a barrel making oil more expensive in other currencies even as reserves continue to grow.
      On the 25th oil settled at $80.61 a barrel as a larger than expected jump in U.S. crude inventories.
  
• 3/3/2010 Health bill may add GOP ideas by McClatchy Newspapers.
      Washington - Obama offered to include four Republican initiatives in his health car bill, as Democrats push ot get legislation passed, assuming that he can claim that the Democrats' approach is bipartisan regardless of whether any Republicans vote for it in the end.    [Comment: Now that is arrogant].
  
• 3/4/2010 Obama wants health vote soon - Says plan has 'best ideas' of both sides by Bloomberg News.
      Washington - President Obama said that legislation that would overhaul the nation's health care system should get an up-or-down vote, and he urged Congress to act in the next few weeks.
      Rejecting Republican calls to start over, Obama said that "everything there is to say about health care has been said," and that the Democrats' plan deserves a vote.
      He said his proposal includes the "best ideas" of Democrats and Republicans.
      "I don't see how another year of negotiations would help," Obama said.    "The United States Congress owes the American people a final vote on health care reform."    [He does not have a new bill with the best ideas in it, so that is a lie.]    So now he will bypass all with a parliamentary maneuver called reconciliation to do a fast-track procedure around the minority filibuster, or conduct extended debate.
      The proposed overhaul is one-sixth of the nation's economy that half of Americans oppose and want to scrap it and reform it incrementally, which at its present state it is 2,000 pages of nonsense and to let one individual in one fell-swoop remake one-sixth of the economy is very radical, and is a government takeover of health care.
  
• 3/9/2010 Dollar slips as support strengthens for Greece by AP.
      The dollar was mixed against major currencies but slid versus the euro after European leaders said they would back Greece through a debt crisis that has jeopardized the common currency.    The 16-nation euro rose to $1.3633 in late trading form $1.3624, and Germany and France both said they will help Greece through its budget problems.
  
• 3/10/2010 Chevron to shed 2,000 jobs, sell assets by AP.
      Chevron Corp., said that it will cut 2,000 jobs this year and sell some overseas operations as it revamps its struggling refinery, marketing and transportation operations.    The job cuts represent almost 12 percent of its 17,000 workers on downstream business and 3 percent of overall work force of the second-largest U.S. oil producer.    Additional cuts are expected next year.
  
• 3/10/2010 EU urges joint action against speculators by AP.
      European officials urged the U.S. to join in a crackdown on speculators who bet against Europe's currency union, warning they might ban some credit default swaps which are used for worsening the world financial crisis.
  
• 3/10/2010 Dollar gains as agencies sound alerts on Europe by AP.
      The dollar strengthened against the euro and the British pound as credit ratings agencies sounded warnings on Europe, while the Labor Department report showed that U.S. employers are slowly hiring more workers as the economy improves.
• 3/11/2010 Iranian president castigates U.S. on trip - Ahmadinejad in Afghanistan by AP.
      Kabul - Iranian president Ahmadinejad used a brief visit to Afghanistan to lob insults at the U.S. and argue that international forces won't stop terrorism and will only lead to more civilian deaths.    He claimed that the U.S. is just fighting militants it once supported.    During the 10 years that the Soviet Union fought in Afghanistan, the U.S. supplied rebels with everything from mules to advanced weapons, including Stinger anti-aircraft missiles that helped neutralize Soviet air power.    After the U.S. money evaporated, Afghanistan plunged into chaos and harbored the al-Qaida terrorist network responsible for th Sept. 11 attacks.    Iran believes that the Taliban warped the Islamic religion to suit its ideology, and killed eight Iranian diplomats in the late 1990s, and the militant group makes money from drug-smuggling operations across Iran's border with Afghanistan.
  
• 3/11/2010 U.S. deficit sets record in February - $220.9 billion in red ink recorded by AP.
      Washington - The government ran up the largest monthly deficit in history in February, keeping the flood of red ink on track to top last year's record for the full year.    The deficit was $220.9 billion, which was 14 percent higher than 2009, and some claim that it was boosted by various tax credits that were expanded or added as part of the government's stimulus efforts, which the Obama adminstration is projecting 2010 will hit an all-time high of $1.56 trillion surpassing last year's $1.4 trillion.    What's interesting is the administration says the huge deficits are necessary to get the country out of the deepest recession since the 1930s.
  
• 3/12/2010 Angry Greeks strike, riot over austerity plan by AP.
      Athens, Greece - Clashes between riot police and rock-throwing, masked youths broke out during a demonstration in central Athens by tens of thousands of striking workers protesting austerity measures that the Greek government has said it has no choice but to implement.    The debt-ridden country is under intense pressure from both markets and the EU to reduce its deficit from 12.7 percent of economic output in 2009 to 8.7 percent this year.    Last week, Greece introduced a harsh $6.5 billion austerity package that cut civil servants' wages, froze pensions and raised consumer taxes.    The new cutbacks added to a previous $15.24 billion austerity plan, sparked a wave of strikes and protests from labor unions whose reaction to the initial measures had been muted.    The strike shutdown airline flights, public transport, news broadcasts and having to use emergency staff at hospitals, and joined by police, coast guard and fire service officers.    They did not want to sacrifice for plutocracy and wanted real jobs, higher pay.
  
• 3/14/2010 Senate, Obama clash on health plan projects - President now fights state deals by AP.
      Washington - President Obama says he wants projects helping specific states yanked from the health care bill Congress is writing.    Democratic senators beg to differ.    The Senate-approved health measure lawmakers hope to send to Obama soon would steer $600 million over the next decade to Vermont in added payments for Medicaid and nearly as much to Massachusetts.    Connecticutt would get $100 million to build a hopital.    About 800,000 Florida seniors could keep certain Medicare benefits.    Asbestos-disease victims in tiny Libby, Mont., and some coal miners with black lung disease or their widows would get help, and there are prizes for Louisiana, the Dakotas and more states.    Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev said they would do what they have to do to get a bill out of the House and Senate, and will keep those items in mind, as Obama meddles in their business and condemnation from the public of backroom political deals.
  
• 3/14/2010 Iran blocks web sites to hobble opposition - U.S. tech ban had helped authorities by The Washington Post.
      Tehran, Iran - The bearded blogger stood before an effigy of an Islamic warrior towering over hte letters "WWW."    "You are the young officers in this war.    The U.S. and their domestic allies have started this fight and you have countered them," he told the recent gathering of pro-government bloggers, part of the cyber-war being fought by Iranian authorities to block anti-government forces from using the World Wide Web and social networks to organize.    Iran's leaders have been cracking down on the tech-savvy opposition movement, with the Revolutionary Guards and police blocking millions of foreign and domestic Web sites, including some Google services, CNN and the BBC.    They believe the U.S. and other Western nations are trying to defeat the Islamic Republic through the Internet according to supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
  [Comment: We should worry, this could be done to us in the United States someday.]
  
• 3/20/2010 European Commission calls for loans for Greece by AP.
      Brussels - The European Commission urged Germany and other countries that use the euro to put up a package of loans to ease Greece's financial plight and end weeks of financial turmoil and speculation.    Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said European aid is necessary because "we cannot prolong any further the current situation."    He spoke of "coordinated bilateral loans" that would not have to be paid out immediately.    This will also show Greece and financial markets that EU nations are united to defend their currency and the stability of the 16 EU nations that use the euro.    Greece called the appeal a positive development.    EU sources have estimated that Greece needs an injection of about 20 billion euros ($27 billion).    Greece almost turned to the IMF for help which would have been an embarrasssment for the euro bloc.    They will probably need to borrow 54 billion euro ($73 billion) this year to plug its budget gap.
  
• 3/21/2010 Emotional day of noisy protests - Tea party becomes visible by AP.
      Washington - House Democrats heard words of inspiration from Obama and raucous chants of protests from demonstrators, while work was being done leading up to Sunday's historic vote on health care was being done behind closed doors.    But much else about the day was noisy, emotional and right out in the open as hundreds of tea party opponents, chanted "Kill the bill," from a largely middle-aged crowd.    And Obama's motorcade drove past the crowds waving signs that read "Stop the spending" and "Get your hands out of my pocketbook and health care."    Many booed and thrust their thumbs down as Obama rode by.    Many are now concerned that Obama is leading us toward Communism.
  
• 3/21/2010 Obama to Iranians: Mullahs choose isolation by AP.
      Washington - President Obama told Iranians in an online video message that the U.S. wants more educational and cultural exchanges and lamented that the ruling mullahs have "turned their backs" on good-faith overtures to expand opportunities for their people.    State radio in Iran accused the U.S. of "pursuing the same Iranophobic policy" as always.    Obama said the U.S. offer of diplomatic dialogue still stands but that the Iranian government has chosen isolation.
  
• 3/23/2010 ACORN disbanding amid falling revenues by AP.
      Chicago - The once mighty community activist group ACORN announced it is folding amid falling revenues - six months after video footage emerged showing some of its workers giving tax tips to conservative activists posing as a pimp and prostitute.    "It's really declining revenue in the face of a series of attacks from partisan operatives and right-wing activist that have taken away our ability to raise resources we need," ACORN spokesman Kevin Whelan said.    Some of their affilates broke away and changed their names in a bid to ditch the tarnished image of their parental organization.    Congress yanked ACORN's federal funding, along with private donors and scores of offices closed.    For years, ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now) could draw on 400,000 members to lobby for liberal causes, such as raising the minimum wage or adopting universal health care, and was successful at registering hundreds of thousands of low-income voters.
  
• 3/24/2010 British space agency to begin in April by AP.
      London - Britain's first space agency will begin operating next month in an effort to coordinate UK space activities while raising the country's profile in the global space economy, officials said.    With an initial operating budget fo $346 million - modest compared with NASA's yearly $19 billion - the government said the new UK Space Agency would create tens of thousands of jobs.
  
• 3/25/2010 U.S. stocks fall following Portugal's debt rating cut by AP.
      New York - Major stock indexes fell from their 2010 highs as weakness in the housing market and rising European debt loads revived investors' pessimistic view of the economy.    Dow dropped by 52 points after the Fitch Ratings lowered Portugal's credit rating, because the country's recovery will be slower than others that use the euro.
  
• 3/25/2010 Russia, U.S. near deal on nuke cuts - New limit eyed on long-range weapons by AP.
      Washington - The U.S.and Russia reportedly reached an agreement for a historic treaty to reduce the nuclear arsenals of the former Cold War rivals.    President Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev are to sign the treaty in two weeks in Prague.    The accord is expected to cut the number of long-range nuclear weapons held by each side to about 1,500.    The deal is seen as an increased level of trust between the U.S. and Russia, who possess the vast majority of the world's nuclear arms.    The new agreement will replace the 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, which expires in December.
  
• 3/28/2010 Privatized spaceflight subject of hot debate - Boom or bust both a possibility by Chicago Tribune.
      Chicago - The final countdown to the end of manned spaceflights by NASA has begun, leaving the dreams of reaching for the stars in jeopardy under Obama's plan to commercialize spaceflight.    Obama's fiscal 2011 budget will make NASA exit the business of blasting astronauts into orbit, and have already booked seats on Russia's rockets until the next U.S. space vehicle is ready to launch later this decade.    Obama is depending on commercial space entrepreneurs to develop the shuttle's replacement quicker and more cheaply than NASA, and if he is wrong the U.S. will be humiliatingly dependent on Russia and China for the decade.
• 3/28/2010 Arab League considers engaging Iran directly by AP.
      Sirte, Libya - The head of the Arab League urged the 22-nation bloc to engage Iran directly over concerns about its growing influence in the region and its disputed nuclear program.    Amr Moussa also warned in his opening statement at a two-day summit that Israeli construction on land claimed by Palestinians could scuttle the Mideast peace process for good.
  
• 3/28/2010 Obama names 15 to key posts - Recess action bypasses Senate by AP.
      Washington - Fed up with waiting, President Obama announced he would bypass a vacationing Senate and name 15 people to key administration jobs.    It was the first time he used the recess appointment tool and this deepened the divide with Republicans in the Senate, since he accused them of holding up nominees for months to try to score a political advantage on him.    Of course he pushed a union lawyer Craig Becker to the National Labor Relations Board who Republicans had tried to block.
  
• 3/29/2010 The economy will upstage health care - It's top priority for U.S. voters by AP.
      Washington - Losers in a brutal struggle with President Obama, Republicans now hope voter anger over newly enacted health care legislation will propel them to victory in midterm elections this fall.
      No matter the impact of health care, the economy still matters most - unemployment especially still at 9.7 percent - in a nation struggling to emerge from the deepest recession in decades.    Americans are asking where are the jobs?    Democrats remain focused on this job-killing government takeover of health care.
  
• 3/31/2010 Obama wants sanctions on Iran soon - President meets with French leader by AP.
      Washington - With the president of France at his side Obama said he hopes to have international sanctions against Iran in place within weeks, not months because of its continuing nuclear program.    He still lacks full support.
• 4/1/2010 Oil rises to near $84 on weakened dollar by AP.
      Oil prices jumped to $83.76 per barrel as the dollar weakened and oil traders shrugged off weak job news and a larger than expected build in crude inventories just before a holiday.
      On the 2nd oil rose to $84.87 an 18-month high raising optimism that the world will need more oil as economies recover.
      On the 6th oil rose to $86.62 a barrel based on a batch of new economic reports with signs that the economy is back on steady footing, as gasoline prices went to $2.82 per gallon.    On the 7th gasoline reached the $2.96 a gallon mark, which was $2.05 a year ago.    Gasoline prices tend to rise in the spring as refineries produce more expensive blends to reduce smog in warmer weather.
      On the 8th gasoline hit $2.95 a gallon and crude settled at $85.88 a barrel on a report showing crude inventories grew more than expected.
      On the 10th oil prices settled at $84.92 as traders questioned whether Americans were burning enough fuel to justify higher prices and gasoline prices went to $2.91 a gallon.
      On the 13th oil settled at $84.34 as traders continued to assess a slow economic recovery and the strength of U.S. oil and gas demand.
      On the 15th it rose to $85.84 a barrel after reports of the first weekly decline in crude in more than two months and this is ahead of the summer vacation months which usually puts a dent in the crude inventory.
      On the 16th oil settled at $85.51 a barrel as traders were encouraged by signs of strong economic growth in China, whose GDP grew 11.9 percent in the first quarter, and Singapore was 13 percent, although a surprise jump in initial claims for unemployment benefits.
      On the 20th oil dived to $81.45 a barrel due to the volcanic ash from Iceland which restricted air traffic in Europe, slashing demand for jet fuel by 1 million barrels a day or 1 percent of the total world oil demand along with the SEC filing civil fraud charges against Goldman Sachs with similiar allegations against other major Wall Street firms.
      On the 24th oil rose to $85.12 a barrel helped by strong sales of new homes that surged, and efforts to resolve Greece's debt crisis and its impact on economic recovery and energy demand kept traders on edge.
      On the 28th as gasoline prices rose to $2.84 per gallon and on the 29th crude settled at $83.22 a barrel as inventories increased by 2 million barrels.
  
• 4/1/2010 Sanctions on Iran gain support - China joins five other world powers by AP.
      Washington - Six major world powers (U.S., Russia, China, Britain, France, Germany) have agreed to begin putting together new sanctions on Iran over its suspect nuclear program after China dropped its opposition, U.S. officials said.    China, long a holdout against fresh international penalties against Iran, signaled its willingness to consider a U.N. Security Council sanctions resolution.
  
• 4/4/2010 Ahmadinejad: New sanctions would aid Iran by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - Faced with the prospect of new sanctions because of its nuclear defiance, Iran's president Ahmadinejad said that new penalties would only strengthen the country's technological progress by encouraging it to become more self-sufficent.
  
• 4/5/2010 Water bills increase as demand ebbs across U.S. by AP.
      Portland, Maine - The economy is hitting some consumers in the wallet in yet another way: their water bills.    Many water utilities are raising rates because water use is down by 11 percent, in part because manufacturers have closed or are cutting back, tourism has fallen and the real estate market is in the doldrums.    This was happening most everywhere, regional and nationaly, more causes are home foreclosures, business contraction, areas with high unemployment.    Even after cutting costs 10 percent and laying off some employees the water utilities raised their rates 9 percent.
  
• 4/7/2010 Obama limits nuclear arsenal - U.S. won't strike weaponless nations by AP.
      Washington - President Obama vowed to constrain the use of the nation's Cold War-era nuclear arsenal, in a bold but politically risky move aimed at discouraging the technology from spreading.    Obama's plan, a sharp departure from his predecessor's policy, is a bid to downplay the threat posed by nations like Russia and China while emphasizing the threat posed by terrorists or states thought to encourage terrorism.
      The bottom line is to prevent nuclear terrorism and pursue the day when these weapons do not exist, by reducing arsenal, to secure vulnerable nuclear materials and to strengthen international agreement.    Under the new plan, the U.S. promises not to use nuclear weapons against countires that don't have them, except N. Korea and Iran who refuse to cooperate.    [Comment: I guess we will have to hang on to some of the arsenal for World War III.]
      On the 9th in Prague U.S. and Russia signed the nuclear treaty to shrink arsenals.
  
• 4/9/2010 NASA chief charts its future by AP.
      Washington - NASA may not be going to the moon anytime soon and its space shuttles are about to be retired, but it conceivably could increase the number of agency jobs under a new reorganization, NASA's chief Charles Bolden said as they will spend billions on developing new rocket technology and helping private firms build ships to take people to the international space station.
  
• 4/10/2010 Better centrifuges for uranium work unveiled by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - Iran unveiled a third generation of domestically built centrifuges as it accelerates a uranium enrichment program that has alarmed world powers.    The new machines are capable of much faster enrichment that those now being used in Iran's nuclear facilities, and Iranian officials praised the advantage of greater self-sufficiency in face of international sanctions targeted at choking off the nuclear work.
  
• 4/13/2010 China may back sanctions on Iran - Nuke summit opens in D.C. by AP.
      Washington - China indicated for the first time it might back new U.N. sanctions against Iran, giving a significant boost to Obama as he opened a 47-nation summit called to energize global efforts to prevent terrorists from obtaining materials for use in a crude nuclear weapon.    Ukraine announced that it would get rid of all of its highly enriched urnaium - enough for several bombs - by 2012.
      On the 14th in full accord on a global threat, world leaders endorsed President Obama's call for securing all nuclear materials around the globe within four years to keep them out of the hands of the grasp of terrorists.
  
• 4/16/2010 Obama's goal: a Mars landing by The Washington Post.
      Cape Canaveral, Fla. - Obama told a crowd at the Kennedy Space Center that NASA should aim to send astronauts to explore asteroids beyond the moon by 2025 and visit Mars in the following decade, responding to critics who said his changes would kill the human space program.    Obama needed to bring commercial space entrepreneurs to handle transport missions to the ISS so NASA would be freed up to think and reach much further.
  
• 4/19/2010 Senate pressed to ratify global anti-tobacco pact by The Courier-Journal.
      Washington - Public-health groups are renewing a push for the Senate to ratify a treaty aimed at reducing global tobacco use that has languished for nearly six years.
      George W. Bush left office without submitting it to the Senate, and Obama has taken no action.    He was a smoker so I am sure he is no hurry, since he knows everyone has health insurance.
  
• 4/22/2010 Analysts: N. Korea hints at another nuclear test by AP.
      Seoul, South Korea - North Korea may be preparing for a third nuclear test, analysts and a highranking defector said.    The test would be in defiance of U.N. Security Council resolutions.
  
• 4/23/2010 War games begin in Persian Gulf oil route by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - Iran's Revolutionary Guard held war games in a strategic Persian Gulf oil route, the Hormuz Strait, a show of its strength at a time when the nation's leaders depict President Obama's new nuclear policy as a threat.    Before the military exercises, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused the U.S. of trying to dominate the world through its nuclear arsenal and vowed Iran wouldn't bend before what he called "implicit atomic threats."    His rhetoric, depicting the U.S. as seeking to dominate Iran.
  
• 4/24/2010 Recovery signs cheer finance leaders by AP.
      Despite a deepening Greek debt crisis, global financial leaders meeting in Washington declared that the world's economy is recovering faster than expected from the worst recession in decades.    Finance ministers and central bank governors of the world's 20 major economies (G-20) credited the massive amounts of government stimulus that have been provided.    Greece has been given enough money to keep solvent and hobbled by exorbitant borrowing costs, from defaulting on its debt, but Athens still faces years of painful cutbacks and questions about its long-term finances.
      On the 25th finance leaders pledged to address the risks posed to the global recovery from high government debt.    But they also stressed that high unemployment in many nations remained a threat to a sustainable recovery form the deepest global downturn.    The policy setting panel of the 186-nation International Monetary Fund cited signs that the recovery is gaining strength, but said high unemployment and government debt burdens are challenges that lie ahead.
      On the 28th the dollar surged against the euro and pound after Greece's credit rating was downgraded to junk status and Portugal's debt was lowered on fears the trouble could spread.
  
• 4/24/2010 GOP attacks SEC over its porn surfing - Official: Workers should have watched economy by AP.
      Washington - Republicans are stepping up their criticism of the SEC following reports that senior agency staffers spent hours surfing pornographic websites on government-issued computers while they were supposed to be policing the nation's financial system.    The SEC's inspector general conducted 33 probes of employees looking at explicit porn sites.
  
• 4/28/2010 Obama warns of deficit peril - He won't rule out tax boost as option by AP.
      Washington - Obama said that Washington must confront unpleasant truths about deficits quickly, while the Federal Reserve chairman said failure to mop up red-ink spending would "ultimately do great damage" to the country.    Obama signaled that politically toxic tax increases were options to reduce the federal deficit that threaten to erode Americans' standard of living.    Obama has a commission reviewing this and they face a task that even members of the bipartisan fiscal commission admit is almost impossible: produce a deficit no bigger that $550 billion by 2015, an amount equal to about 3 percent of the total U.S. economy.    That would require deficit savings of $250 billion or more.    The nation's red ink hit a record $1.4 trillion last year.    The quickly growing national debt, the accumulation of annual budget deficits, stands at a staggering $12.88 trillion.    The only options are cutting spending on popular programs and broad-based tax increases.
  
• 4/29/2010 Germany pledges faster aid in Greek financial crisis by Bloomberg News.
      Germany and the IMF pledged to step up efforts to overcome the Greek crisis as Standard & Poor's downgraded Spain's credit rating to AA and investors sold bonds in Europe's most indebted nations.
      Greece has been downgraded to junk status and also downgraded was Portugal, making the euro fall also, and it has taken the eurozone policy makers over six months to react.
      On the 30th a deal on Greece aid should be ready in a few days officials said.
      On the 30th hopes for a swift approval of a bailout for Greece bolstered the euro.
  
• 4/30/2010 Thousands demonstrate against wall street bailouts by AP.
      Thousands of workers and union members angry over lost jobs and the taxpayer-funded bailout of banks marched on Wall Street.    The rally was organized by the AFL-CIO labor federation and an association of community groups.    The protesters included people hurt by the mortgage crisis, and they held up signs saying "Wall Street Overdrafted our Economy" and "Reclaim America."    They were here to stop the corporate greed that is ruining our neighborhoods.
  
• 5/1/2010 Oil prices settle above $86 on economic growth by AP.
      Crude climbed to $86.15 per barrel as the government reported the economy expanded in the first quarter and on growing concern that an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico will affect supply.
      On the 7th oil prices dropped to levels not seen since February, as stocks plummeted and settled at $77.11 a barrel as investors flew to safer havens in gold and bonds.    The Dow Jones industrial average plunged almost 1,000 points, about 9 percent, before recovering to close with a loss of 348 points.    Gasoline was at $2.92 per gallon.
      On the 11th crude oil settled at $76.80 a barrel boosted by a nearly $1 trillion rescue package for the eurozone economies.
      On the 12th oil was at $76.37 a barrel as investors continued to assess the impact of a $1 trillion bailout package in Europe.
      On the 13th oil was at $75.65 a barrel as crude inventories increased again.
      On the 15th crude lost almost 4 percent to settle at $71.61 per barrel as investors worried that the European economies would slow and hurt the global recovery.
      On the 18th oil settled down at $70.08 its lowest point this year as investors worry about the ripple effects of a debt in Europe.    There is fear in both equities and commodities markets that economic weakness in Europe could spread to the U.S. and hurt the global recovery.    A drop in the euro has hurt the case for investing in oil.
      On the 19th it fell to $69.41 a barrel as the slide did not end.
      On the 20th a 16 day slump ended as oil settled at $69.87 a barrel which pushed the euro lower anbd the dollar higher making oil contracts costlier to buy in foreign currency.
      On the 21st crude fell to $68.01 which sent traders rushing out of energy commodities ahd still Americans continue to have a relatively weak appetite for fuel sunk prices even further.    If the world doesn't start using excess supplies, oil prices may fall into the $40 per barrel range.
      On the 22nd oil prices were at $70.04 despite strength in the stock market testing investors' faith.
      On the 26th the slide contiued as crude settled at $68.75 pulled down by falling stock markets, a declining euro and saber-rattling in Korea.
      On the 27th it jumped to $71.51 because investors focused on positive economic news as demand increased for both gasoline and refrigerators and airplanes, making investors think oil is undervalued.
      On the 28th it settled up at $74.55 a barrel as they ignored the European debt crisis and focused on rising stock markets and improving economic data.
      On the 29th crude dropped to $73.97 as the legalized gambling continues.
  
• 5/1/2010 Greece braces for more cuts - EU financial rescue review is set by AP.
      Athens, Greece - Facing dire choice of additional pain or bankruptcy, Greece pledged drastic new cuts and tax increases to win rescue loans from its European partners and the IMF and to avoid a disastrous default on government debt.
      Prime Minister George Papandreou said cuts are inevitable if the country is to keep afloat, and economic measures for the protection of our country, our survival, our future.    Talks with the EU and IMF could provide 45 billion euros ($59 billion) in loans this year and up to 120 billion euros ($156 billion) over three years.    The measures will include a slash in civil-service pay, as well as state and private-sector pensions. and a new hike in indirect taxes, including a 2-percentage-point increase in sales tax.
  
• 5/2/2010 Obama urges right, left to tone it down - Political vitriol damages nation by AP.
      Ann Arbor, Mich. - President Barack Obama said that partisan rants and name-calling under the guise of legitimate discourse pose a serious danger to America's democracy, and may incite "extreme elemnets" to violence.    So he took direct aim at the anti-government language so prevalent today, where people say that all of government is inherently bad, and is some menacing, threatening foreign entity, where we are the government.    Obama claimed the financial meltdown unveiled the dangers of too little government, such as a lack of accountability on Wall street nearly led to the collapse of our entire economy.    Obama urged both sides in the political debate to tone it down.    "Throwing around phrases like 'socialists,' and 'Soviet-style takeover,' 'fascists' and 'right-wing nut' - that may grab headlines," Obama said.    But it also "closes the door to compromise.    It undermines democratic deliberation," he said.    "At its worst, it can send signal to the most extreme elements of our society that perhaps violence is a justifiable response."
  
• 5/3/2010 Europe gives initial OK for Greece bailout - Nation faces tough austerity program by AP.
      Brussels - Finance ministers from 16 countries that use the euro agreed on a financial rescue for Greece that will loan them 10 billion euro ($145 billion) over three years, and get the funds by May 19 and it will have an interest rate of 5 percent.
  
• 5/4/2010 Clinton, Ahmadinejad trade charges by AP.
      United Nations - Iranian President Ahmadinejad and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton engaged in a verbal nuclear exchange on the U.N. stage, where nations gathered for a monthlong debate over the world's ultimate weapons.    Clinton accused Iran of flouting the rules of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty with its suspect uranium enrichment program and wants a strong international response.    Iran claimed Washington has offered not a single credible proof, and the U.S. and its allies were pressuring Iran on the false pretext of probable diversions in their activities.    Yukiya Amano, head of the U.N. watchdog fo the IAEA, leveled the specific indictment against Iran, saying his inspectors could not confirm that all of its nuclear material is devoted to peaceful activities.    Iran must clarify activities with a possible military dimension.
  
• 5/5/2010 European debt woes drive euro lower by AP.
      The euro dropped below $1.30 in trading against the dollar for the first time in more than a year, weighed down by debt concerns in Europe.    On the 6th the Dow Jones industrial average loss 59 points, bringing its two day drop to 284, where treasury prices rose pushing down interest rates in the bond market for a second day.    Investors fear that if the Greece relief does not hold then it will be harder to help Spain and Portugal.
  
• 5/5/2010 Iraqi shiites unite, may form government by AP.
      Iraq's two largest Shiite electoral blocs announced they may have formed an alliance that gives them a strong chance of setting up the next government just short of four parliamentary seats of a ruling majority and have not worked out who would become prime minister.    The union could cement Shiite domination of Iraq's government and further alienate minority Sunnis as American troops prepare to withdraw.
  
• 5/6/2010 3 die as Greeks riot over cutbacks, debt by AP.
      Athens, Greece - rioting over harsh austerity measures left 3 people dead and clouds of tear gas drifting past parliament.    Three bank workers died of smoke inhalation after demonstrators torched their bank, trapping them.    An estimated 100,000 people took to the streets during a nationwide general strike that grounded flights, shut all services and pulled news broadcast off the air.
  
• 5/7/2010 Senate keeps consumer rules intact by AP.
      Washington - Proded by Obama, the Senate rejected a Republican consumer protection plan that would have diluted a central element of the administration's financial regulation package.    The Democrats argued that the proposal would have gutted consumer protections.    Republicans said the Democratic bill would give a powerful consumer agency too big a voice in banking affairs.    The Republican proposal would create an agency within the FDIC who would have to approve regulations with enforcement left to bank regulators.
  
• 5/8/2010 Dow's strange Thursday proves difficult to dissect by Dow Jones Newswires.
      Twenty-four hours after the Dow staggered to its steepest intraday drop in history (1,000 points) before a partial bounce-back, regulators, exchanges and lawmakers were still trying to get to the bottom of what happened.    Exchange operators maintained that their systems and customers experience no technical glitches that might have prompted the sell-off, even as traders continued to debate whether the initial price plunge originated in stock index futures or in the cash equities market.    The search for a smoking gun now falls to regulators, after exchanges reviewed audit trails and so far have found nothing indicating a massive, erroneous trade touched of the chaos.    At one point each U.S. stock exchanges blamed each others.
      On the 10th federal regulators have got to address the "casino environment" on Wall Street where computerized high-frequency trading can trigger market-shaking turmoil, Senate Banking Committee Chairman Chris Dodd, D-Conn., said and pointed to the new phenomena of computers buying and selling stock in nanoseconds as a possible cause of the meltdown.    Technology has gotten ahead of he regulators.
  
• 5/8/2010 Dollar retains most of gains against euro by AP.
      The dollar held on to most of the week's gains as investors sought safety amid the swirling debt crisis in Europe and volatility on stock markets.    The U.S. government said that employers added 290,000 jobs in April as justifying the economy is improving.    But the unemployment rate rose from 9.7 percent to 9.9 percent and will likely go higher as people who have given up on jobs are joining the ranks looking.
  
• 5/9/2010 Casualties of war by AP.
      At least 4,397 members of the U.S. military have died in Iraq since March 2003, at least 3,480 died in hostile action, and at least 971 have died as a result of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan since 2001.
  
• 5/10/2010 EU ministers work on euro rescue plan by AP.
      Brussels -     EU ministers were considering a $645 billion defense package for the embattled euro, hoping it will keep markets from targeting the eurozone's weaker members.
  
• 5/11/2010 Europe debt plan lifts stocks - Dow gains 404.71; other indexes soar by AP.
      Stocks rocketed to their biggest gain in a year and bond prices fell after a nearly $1 trillion plan to contain Europe's debt crisis reassured investors.    The Dow Jones soared 404.71 points and U.S. indexes outpaced the Dow's 3.9 percent rise, where several European markets' gains topped 9 percent.    So the market is breathing a huge sign of relief, as this was the moment Europe truly became a union.
  
• 5/11/2010 FEMA'S disaster fund runs dry by Gannett News Service.
      Washington - This year's numerous disasters have tapped the Federal Emergency Management Agency dry, even as hurricane season fast approaches.    The House gave the agency an extra $5.1 billion, despite recent flooding in Tennessee.
  
• 5/12/2010 Cameron becomes British P.M. by AP.
      London - Conservative leader David Cameron, 43, became Britain's youngest prime minister in almost 200 years after Gordon Brown stepped down and ended 13 years of Labour government.    Cameron said he aims to form a full coalition government with the third-place Liberal Democrats after his Conservative Party won the most seats but not a majority.
  
• 5/12/2010 Budget review: Health law's cost could pass $1 trillion by AP.
      President Barack Obama's new health care law could potentially add at least $115 billion more to government spending over the next 10 years, the Congressional Budget Office said.
      If Congress approves all the additional spending called for in the legislation, it would push the 10-year cost of the overhaul above $1 trillion - an unofficial limit the Obama administration set early on.
      The costs were not reflected in earlier estimates by the budget office, although Republican lawmakers strenuously argued that they should have been.
  
• 5/12/2010 U.S. reviewing its pace of Iraq troop pullout by AP.
      Baghdad - Worries over increased violence fueld by Iraq's political instability have forced U.S. commanders to reconsider the pace of the pullout this summer without overstepping a deadline to cut the military's presence by nearly half by the end of August.    Recent attacks such as bombings and shootings have killed at least 119 people.    So they are trying to figure out how to keep as many troops on the ground for as long as possible and still withdraw all but 50,000 U.S. troops by Aug. 31, as Obama ordered.
  
• 5/13/2010 Federal budget deficit tops previous record for April by AP.
      Washington - The federal budget deficit hit an all-time high for the month of April as government revenue fell sharply.    The Treasury Department said that the April deficit soared to $82.7 billion, compared to last years $20 billion due to fewer people working and lower corporate profits, increased government spending and higher payments for unemployment benefits and food stamps, and spending on the $787 billion stimulus bill and the $700 billion financial bailout.
  
• 5/14/2010 Poll finds split on border issues - Hispanics, others have varying views by AP.
      Washington - Illegal immigrants are a boon, not a burden to the country, a resounding majority of Hispanics say.    Most non-Hispanics say they are a drain on society.    80 percent of Hispanics are condemning Arizona's strict new law targeting undocumented immigrants, and think they are likely to be treated unfairly, and approve of Obama support.
  
• 5/14/2010 President pushes for new job legislation by AP.
      Buffalo - President Obama asked Congress to act quickly on a new round of job legislation, arguing that "fancy formulas and mathematical equations" from economists mask the continuing pain in American households.    Citing last week's economic reports, showing job growth in the U.S. for the fourth straight month, the president argued during a three-hour stop in western New York that his steps to rescue the economy are working.
      The president also accused Republican lawmakers of sitting on the sidelines as the economic crisis unfolded.
  
• 5/16/2010 Obama presses Wall Street reform - Says many in U.S. have financial stake by McClatchy News Service.
      Chicago - President Obama used his weekly address to focus on Wall Street reform, saying that the bill moving through Congress would empower and protect American families with the strongest consumer financial protection in history.    He is trying to make sure an economic crisis like the one that helped trigger this recession never happens again.    Under the reform bill, all lenders would be subject to tough oversight, and consumers would be empowered with clear and concise information they need to make their best financial choices.    It will help stop predatory practices and curb unscrupulous lenders.
      Republican response was that Obama is leaving taxpayers on the hook for massive stimulus programs and permanent bailouts, with no credible plan to put our fiscal house in order, which will only lead to massive job-killing tax hikes and worse economic disaster.
  
• 5/18/2010 Iran's uranium deal questioned - Nation could still make bomb by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - Iran said it is ready to ship much of its low-enriched uranium abroad but immediately rolled out a new obstacle to compromise on its nuclear program by insisting it would continue enriching to higher levels.    Tehran's decision to agree to export a large amount of its low-enriched uranium to Turkey appears to be an attempt to stave off a new set of U.N. sanctions.    The U.N. is waiting for Iran to reassure the international community its position and will continue to partner with those on sancions resolution all who have ligitament concerns.
  
• 5/18/2010 Report: 'Tweaks' can fix Social Security shortfall - Changing benefits, taxes are options by AP.
      Washington - Social Security faces a $5.3 trillion shortfall in the next 75 years, but a report says the gap could be erased with only modest changes to payroll taxes and benefits.    Currently, 53 million Americans get Social Security benefits averaging $1067 month, and in 75 years, 122 million will be drawing benefits.    It is projected to run out of money by 2037, largely because of aging baby boomers reaching retirement.    For the first time this year Social Security will pay out more money in benefits than it collects in payroll taxes.    Social Security is financed by a 6.2 percent payroll tax on wages below $106,800, paid by workers and matched by employers.    The entire $5.3 trillion shortfall over the next 75 years would be wiped out if payroll taxes were increased by 1.1 percentage points for both, and various other things they could do such as Congress reducing annual cost of living increases by 1 percent, or raise the age from 67 to 68 or even 70.
      The Social Security trust funds have built a $2.5 trillion surplus, but the federal government has borrowed that money over the years to spend on other programs.    So then they borrowed money from public debt markets adding to the budget deficits to repay Social Security.    [Comment: So they have robbed Peter to pay Paul, Great.    So now they want more so they can do it again.]
  
• 5/19/2010 S. Korea to blame North for fatal ship attacks by The Washington Post.
      South Korea will formally blame North Korea for launching a torpedo at one of its warships in March, causing an explosion that killed 46 sailors and heightened tensions in the region.    South Korea reached the conclusion that the North was responsible for the attack after investigators pieced together portions of the Cheonan at the port of Pyongtaek, 40 miles southwest of Seoul.
  
• 5/19/2010 U.S. reaches deal on Iran sanctions - Clinton: Russia, China on board by The Washington Post.
      Washington - The U.S. has reached agreement with Russia and China on a draft resolution to impose new U.N. sanctions on Iran over its uranium-enrichment program, all ignoring Iran's new deal offer for Turkey and Brazil.    Iranian state-run news media and pro-government commentators blasted Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's announcement.
  
• 5/20/2010 Mortgage delinquencies, foreclosures set records by AP.
      The number of homeowners who missed at least one mortgage payment (10 percent) surged to a record in the first quarter, a sign that the foreclosure crisis is far from over.    The number of American homeowners who have missed at least three months of payments or are in foreclosure has surged to around 4.3 million.    The government's $75 billion foreclosure prevention program has barely dented the problem.    More than 299,000 homeowners had received permanent loan modifications as of last month.    That's about 25 percent of the 1.2 million who started the program since its March 2009 launch.    About 277,000 homeowners, or 23 percent of those enrolled, have dropped out during a trial phase that lasts at least three months.
  
• 5/20/2010 NATO, Russia agree to link defense systems by AP.
      Brussels - NATO and Russia said they intend to boost efforts to develop a joint system to protect their troops from attack by shortrange missiles.    Neither NATO nor Russia faces imminent threats from such battlefield weapons.    But teamwork in this field is seen as opening the way for the former Cold War rivals to work together on developing a wider anti-missile system to protect Europe and North America against Iran's nascent longrange missile capability.
  
• 5/20/2010 Obama pushes federal immigration fix by AP.
      Washington - Confronting soaring frustration over illegal immigration, President Obama condemned Arizona's crackdown and pushed instead for a federal fix the nation could embrace.    He was asking for an immigration overhaul, and showed solidarity with his guest, Mexican President Felipe Calderon, who was against the Arizona effort to criminalize migration, and would damage relations if we were at odds over immigration.    Its all about enforcing the law, but Obama called it a misdirected expression of frustration, that violates civil rights.
      On the 21st, Republicans believed the Mexican president crossed the line by urging changes in gun policy, and coming to the U.S. criticizing.
  
• 5/21/2010 N. Korea threatens war in ship sinking by AP.
      Seoul, South Korea - North Korea, accused of waging the deadliest attack on the South Korean military since the Korean War, has flatly denied sinking a warship and warned that retaliation would mean all-out-war.
  
• 5/21/2010 Senate passes Wall Street regulation bill by AP.
      Washington - Prodded by national anger at Wall Street, the Senate passed the most far-reaching restraints on big banks since he Great Depression.    This effects Wall Street, CEOs, first-time home buyers, high-flying traders and small town lenders.    This bill came two months after his health care bill.
  
  • Oversight: The Senate creates a 9-member Financial Services Oversight Council to monitor financial markets and watch for threats, whereas the House has a similar 11-member council.
  • Consumer Protection: Senate creates a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau with the Federal Reserve to police lending and the House creates a stand-alone Consumer Financial Protection Agency.
  • Federal Reserve: Senate the Federal Reserve ratains supervision over bank-holding companies and in the House the Federal Reserve looses authority.
  • Derivatives: Senate would police trades of derivatives and financial instruments blamed for the crisis and the House the same except for corporations that use them.
  • Bank Restrictions: Senate regulators would devise rules to prohibit companies with commercials banks engaging in speculative trading with their own accounts as will the House.
  [Comment: Great more government control of our lives.]
  
• 5/21/2010 Jobless claims up 25,000, largest gain in 3 months by AP.
      The number of people filing new claims for unemployment benefits unexpectantly rose by 25,000 the largest amount in three months, showing how volatile the job market remains, even as the economy grows.    Lawmakers want to extend unemployment benefits for the long-term unemployed through the end of the year.    The unemployment rate was 9.9 percent in April.
  
• 5/21/2010 Dow plunges 376 in sell-off - S&P down 12% from recent high by AP.
      Stocks plunged as more investors woke up to the possibility that economic problems such as Europe's debt crisis might spread around the world and stop the growing U.S. recovery.    The Dow Jones fell 376.36 points the largest since February 2009, and all major stock indexes were down more than 3 percent.    Interest rates fell as investors sought safety in U.S. government debt.    The economic recovery is a mirage and the new reality is a return to credit-crunch conditions.
  
• 5/22/2010 EU nations want sanctions toughened to combat debt by AP.
      Brussels - Hoping to regain market confidence and get a handle on the debt crisis that is threatening the euro, EU finance ministers backed tougher sanctions to prevent them from running up too much debt, which EU President Herman Van Rompuy confirmed.    Current limits on debt and deficits are backed up on paper by heavy fines, which have never been imposed, allowing Greece and others to ignore them and build massive debt, but now they will start with sanctions on those who flout them.
  
• 5/22/2010 Punish N. Korea in sinking Clinton urges by Los Angeles Times.
      Seoul, South Korea - Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton opened a U.S. campaign for international measures to punish North Korea for the sinking of a South Korean warship, but unsure how receptive Pyongyang's benefactors in China, or South Korea, would be.
      On the 25th South Korea won U.S. support for reducing trade to North Korea and vowed to haul its communist neighbor before the U.N. Security Council over the torpedo attack.    U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expects the Council to take action against North Korea.    The U.S. and South Korea are planning two major military exercizes off the Korean Peninsula in a display of force intended to deter future aggression.
      On the 26th North Korea declared it was cutting all ties to South Korea as punishment for blaming the communists for sinking a warship, and expel all South Korean officials, and any ships or airliners through its territory.
      On the 28th tensions rise as North Korea threatens South Korea's ships and on the 29th they accuse the South of faking ship attack.
      On the 31st China held back from joining the condemnation of North Korea making the sanctions unlikely
• 5/25/2010 China talks tough with U.S. - No word on timing of currency reform by AP.
      China showed its growing assertiveness as it launched high-level talks with Washington, saying it will carry out currency reform at its own pace and calling for an end to U.S. curbs on high-tech exports.    Beijing also called on Washington to simplify foreign investment rules that it says are hampering Chinese companies and defended a policy to promote domestic technology that its trading partners say might hurt foreign companies.
      President Hu Jintao promised changes in exchange rate controls that Washington and others say keep China's yuan undervalued and distort trade, but did not say when.
  
• 5/26/2010 Clinton calls Iran uranium deal a 'ploy' by AP.
      Beijing - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has rejected as inadequate an Iranian plan to swap some of its enriched uranium for reactor fuel calling the offer a "transparent ploy" to try to avoid new sanctions over its suspected nuclear program.    Speaking in Beijing, Clinton said the swap did not address international concerns about Iran's atomic ambitions and led her to push for fresh Security Council penalties would continue.
  
• 5/26/2010 Obama to send 1,200 troops to U.S. border - Decision targets influx of Mexicans by AP.
      Washington - President Obama will send 1,200 National Guard troops to boost security along the U.S.-Mexico border, pre-empting Republican plans to try to force votes on such a deployment.    Obama also will request $500 million for border protection and law enforcement activities.    The move comes as chances for action on comprehensive immigration changes, Obama's long-stated goal, look increasingly this election year.
      Obama and Senate Republicans, i.e. John McCain clashed over immigration policy and got testy with each other.
  
• 5/27/2010 Haggling on nuclear controls near end by AP.
      United Nations - Nuclear-armed and non-nuclear nations entered the final days of a monthlong treaty conference haggling over the trade-off between steps to disarm those with the weapons and steps to keep atomic arms from those without.    They will report back in 2014.
  
• 5/27/2010 Stocks fade late as euro sinks; Dow under 10,000 by AP.
      A drop in the euro set off a late-day slide in stocks and sent the Dow Jones to its first close below 10,000 in nearly four months.
  
• 5/31/2010 Politics derails teachers' jobs bill - Layoffs coming as measure fails by Tribune Washington Bureau.
      Washington - Congress bailed out Wall Street and the auto industry, but it appears to have drawn the line - at least for now - at rescuing teachers.    A Democratic plan to send $23 billion to the states to save the jobs of 100,000 to 300,000 public school teachers, librarians, counselors and other employees slated for layoffs looks dead for the time being.    The anti-Washington, anti-spending mood has become so potent even Democrats are antsy about helping teachers, one of their most long-standing and generous allies.    The layoffs already have begun and advocates for teachers are calling them catastrophic, forcing states to clean up their fiscal acts.    Schools are cutting staff and programs because the recession has depleted state tax revenues, which pay for public education.    Critics say the Education Department already received $100 billion in economic stimulus money and hasn't spent all of it, so why should Congress approve more?
  
• 6/1/2010 Weaker euro could let Europe recover - Increase in exports offers economic boost by AP.
      Milan - How low can the euro go?    Many economists think the currency is headed for a significant decline because of the Europe's government debt crisis.    Some predict by next year the euro will equal the dollar, a level last seen in July 2002.    This would cut their purchasing power for imports, which if gradual could help exports and provide the boost Europe's trouble economy needs.
• 6/2/2010 Chinese economic data help weaken oil prices by AP.
      Oil prices weakened in a volatile session that had crude going up and down from a mixed economic picture between the U.S. or China, and crude settled at $72.58 a barrel.
      On the 3rd oil prices rose to $72.82 a barrel as investors began to place bets ahead of monthly jobs report, which figures to provide fresh clues about the strength fo the rebounding economy and demand for oil.
      On the 4th gasoline prices surged to $2.66 per gallon as all new oil drilling was banned in the Gulf of Mexico as crude jumped to $74.61 a barrel.
      On the 5th oil prices climbed to $2.70 per gallon as crude fell to $71.51.
      On the 8th crude settled at $71.44 a barrel as worries of a slowing economic recovery and an oversupplied U.S. market.
      On the 9th oil settled at $71.99 a barrel as analysts are worried that storms, along with a drilling moratorium in the Gulf of Mexico, could disrupt production of oil and natural gas in the region and send oil prices higher.
      On the 11th crude rose to $75.48 a barrel on reports of China's booming economy is not being slowed by Europe's debt problems and that U.S. jobless claims fell.
      On the 12th crude fell to $73.78 a barrel as reports of Chinese exports rose nearly 50 percent and gasoline is averaging $2.65 per gallon.
      On the 15th crude rose to $75.12 a barrel as strength in stock markets and the euro bolstered investors' confidence in economic recovery, despite a downgrade of Greece's debt rating.
      On the 17th crude rose to $77.67 a barrel as supplies grew.
      On the 18th crude fell to $76.79 a barrel ended the oversupply and had disappointing U.S. economic data.
      On the 19th crude rose to $77.18 a barrel as profit-taking ensued.
      On the 22nd crude rose to $77.82 a barrel as China's central bank planned to allow the yuan to appreciate against the dollar.
      On the 23rd crude fell to $77.21 a barrel as the euphoria over China's decision waned and a stronger yuan would cut oil prices in china, and boost consumption.
      On the 24th crude fell to $76.35 a barrel as supplies grew, and a judge ruled lifting the ban on Gulf drilling that Washington is appealing.
      On the 25th crude rose to $76.51 a barrel as oil futures inched higher and a stronger euro.
      On the 26th crude rose to $78.86 a barrel on worries of a developing storm in the Gulf that could disrupt oil production.
      On the 30th crude fell to $75.94 a barrel.
  
• 6/2/2010 Al-Qaida leader's death only a short-term blow by AP.
      Washington - The killing of al-Qaida's No. 3 leader, Mustafa al-Yazid, is unlikely to hamper the terror group for long.    Pressured by American drone missile strikes, the militant network has shrugged off similar losses of its top tier leaders and is increasingly relying on new franchises that threaten attacks on the U.S.    Al-Qaida has become a more fragmented enemy, that have become more independent, more dangerous and equally intent on targeting America.
  
• 6/3/2010 Use of food stamps sets record - 40.2 million get aid with more expected by Bloomberg News.
      Washington - The number of Americans receiving food stamps topped 40 million for the first time in March as the jobless rate hovered near a 26-year high.    Recipients of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) subsidies for food purchases totaled 40.2 million, up 21 percent from a year earlier and 1.2 percent more than in February, the Department of Agriculture said.    Food aid climbed as the unemployment rate stayed at 9.7 percent in March for the third straight month, near levels last seen in 1983, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.    An average 40.5 million people is more than an eighth of the population, will get food stamps each month, and is projected to rise to 43.3 million in 2011.    The average monthly benefit for an individual rose to $133.87, and a household of four was $289.96 (gross income $2,389 a month), with total spending was a record $5.3 billion.
  
• 6/4/2010 Build fence to block Mexicans, Ariz. governor urges Obama by AP.
      Washington - Facing off over illegal immigration, Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer told President Obama that Americans want our borders secured and called for completion of a separating fence.    Obama undescored his objection that the tough immigration law she signed is discriminatory, and would interfere with the federal government's responsibility to set and enforce immigration policy.
  
• 6/5/2010 Dollar rises to 4-year high against the euro by AP.
      The dollar surged to its highest level against the euro in more than four years as a report showed hiring in the U.S. remains weak.
  
• 6/5/2010 Leaders deny Greek-like fiscal crisis imminent by AP.
      Budapest, Hungary - Hungary's currency, bonds and stock market reeled as the new government tried to reassure investors that it was not about to slide into a Greek-type crisis despite official comments that the economy was in serious trouble.    Former finance minister Mihaly Varga said the deficit could reach 7.5 percent of the gross domestic product, about twice as much as planned for this year by the previous government.
  
• 6/5/2010 S. Korea seeks U.N. action against North by AP.
      United Nations - South Korea officially referred North Korea to the U.N. Security Council over the sinking of a warship.    The letter seeks a security council response to deter any further provocations.
  
• 6/6/2010 Crisis in Europe a threat to unity - EU could unravel with growing rifts by AP.
      London - Forged out of the ashes of world War II and the end of the Cold War, the European Union was meant to create peace and prosperity across the region.    But Europe's debt crisis has laid bare deep financial and cultural divisions within the 27-nation bloc that may never be bridged.    Now they are at the crossroads, to further political and economic integration leading to a common treasury - a central government, to rescue the ailing 11-year-old euro currency, as a time to seize the moment.
      Although several countries are fiercely protective of their independence, language and ways, and how they spend their own tax dollars.
      As the possiblity of EU disintegration or split among its members looms larger and whether there will be a United States of Europe.    The current union was an attempt to put together countries that really weren't ready to be put together, and the result is the euro is limping along trying to enforce the packages for the deficit countries with possible social explosions in the future.    This bloc is 7 percent of world consumers and one-fifth of world trade.
      The U.S. is different in that each state decides what it prefers, where in the E.U. everyone has to agree on a standard for all to live by.
  
• 6/11/2010 Panel starts crafting Wall St. bill - Obama hoping for swift accord by AP.
      Washington - House and Senate lawmakers began assembling a sweeping 1,900-page financial regulation bill, dividing sharply along partisan lines as Democrats pledged to fend off efforts to weaken its major provisions.    The far-reaching bills aim to prevent a recurrence of the finanical crisis that sparked the recession.    Republicans cast the bill as an overreaching effort to control the private marketplace and complained that Democrats failed to include any regulation on the giant mortgage companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
  
• 6/12/2010 Health overhaul will change plans - critics say Obama broke his promise by AP.
      Washington - Over and over in the health care debate President Obama said people who like their current coverage would be able to keep it.    But an early draft of an administration regulation estimates that many employers will be forced to change their health plans under the new law.    In three years, a majority of workers - 51 percent - will be in plans subject to new federal requirements, according to projections in the draft.    Republicans said Obama broke his promise.    Employer groups were divided.
      It's more evidence that the law will raise costs, said the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.    Buisness CEOs of major firms saw encouraging signs of flexibility, but not sure whether increased regulation will lead to improved benefits for consumers.    One official said the rules are still being written, and the final version will uphold Obama's promise, accommodating employers' desire for flexibility while protecting consumers from runaway costs.
  
• 6/13/2010 Iran quiet on vote's first anniversary - '09 election led to mass protest by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - The one-year anniversary of Iran's disputed election passed quietly with little more than a subdued Internet appeal by opposition leaders for supporters to speak out on the Web against government repression.    Fearing bloodshed and calculating it would gain them nothng, the movement's leaders called off a day of mass protests, reflecting their increasing powerlessness against Tehran's military muscle.    Mir Hossein Mousavi wants them to expand social networks, websites are the best means as our army against their military force.
• 6/13/2010 Surging food prices drag more of world into poverty by AP.
      Families from Pakistan to Argentina to Congo are being battered by rising food prices that are dragging more people into poverty, fueling political tensions and forcing some to give up eating meat and fruit.    With food costing up to 70 percent of family income in the poorest countries, rising prices are squeezing household budgets and threatening to worsen malnutrition, while inflation stays moderate in the U.S. and Europe.    Many governments blame dry weather and high fuel costs, while others say it is misguided policies making shortages worse, and collusion by suppliers might be pushing prices up.
      This is an example of the haves and have nots.
  
• 6/14/2010 75,000 Uzbeks flee ethnic riots in Kyrgyzstan - More than 100 dead; many homes burned by AP.
      OSH, Kyrgystan - Kyrgyz (please buy a vowel) mobs burned Uzbek homes and cafes and slaughtered Uzbek villagers in the worst ethnic rioting this Central Asian nation has seen in 20 years.    More than 75,000 Uzbeks feld across the border into Uzbekistan.    Kyrgyz men took control of Osh.
  
• 6/17/2010 Jobless aid bill stalls in Senate - Opponents cite nation's rising deficit by AP.
      Washington - Republicans and a dozen Democratic defectors in the Senate dealt a defeat to President Obama, just days after he pressed Congress to renew parts of last year's economic stimulus.    A catchall measure combining jobless aid for the long-term unemployed, aid to cash-strapped state governments and the renewal of dozens of popular tax breaks for businesses and individuals failed to muster even a majority in a test vote.    The vote reflected rising voter anger over deficits and the $13 trillion U.S. debt.
  
• 6/17/2010 Iran says it will build four more nuclear reactors by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - Defying weekold U.N. sanctions over its nuclear program, Iran promised to expand its atomic research as its president vowed to punish the West and force it to sit at the negotiating table like a polite child before agreeing to further talks.    Tehran said it will build four new reactors for atomic medical research.    The Obama administration took its first step in implementing new sanctions leveling penalties against additional individuals and institutions it says are helping Iran develop its nuclear and missile programs and evade international sanctions.
  
• 6/18/2010 Justice Department wants health care suits tossed by AP.
      Pensacola, Fla. - The Justice Department has asked a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit by 20 states challenging President Obama's health care overhaul.    The motion filed says the U.S. District Court in Pensacola lacks subject matter jurisdiction over some claims raised in the lawsuit.    The key issue in the lawsuit is whether the federal government can require individuals to purchase health care insurance and fine those who fail to do so.
  
• 6/18/2010 Gates and Clinton defend new nuclear arms treaty by AP.
      Washington - Russia will always hate U.S. missile defenses because it cannot match them, but that should not stand in the way of ratifying a new U.S.-Russian nuclear arms treaty, Defense Scecretary Robert Gates said.    Republicans fear the New START treaty may limit future U.S. missile defense options.
  
• 6/22/2010 2 U.N. nuclear inspectors barred from entering Iran by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - Iran said that it had barred two U.N. nuclear inspectors from entering the country because they had leaked false information about Iran's disputed nuclear program.    [Comment: Maybe they saw something that the bad child is hiding, and they are afraid they might get put in timeout.]
  
• 6/22/2010 Obama to explain insurance benefits - Patients' rights will be focus by AP.
      Washington - President Obama will announce new health insurance benefits for consumers after he signed the legislation 90 days ago.    Consumers who buy their policies directly faced increases averaging 20 percent this year.    This does not take effect until 2014, which worries that escalating premiums will force more people to drop their policies before the law is fully implemented.    Obama claims that it would include elimination of lifetime dollar limits on coverage, and insurance companies would be prohibited from canceling the policies of people who get sick, and health plans are required to provide consumers with simple and clear information about their choices and rights.    [Comment: Is that all?    Where is the explanation?    $1 trillion, 10-year overhaul and coverage for 32 million.]
      On the 23rd Obama unveiled a package of consumer benefits to build support for his health care overhaul and warned Republicans about trying to repeal the landmark law saying, "We're not going back."
  
• 6/23/2010 Europe, U.S. clash over best route to recovery - Austerity moves rattling Obama by AP.
      London - A trans-Atlantic rift over the right medicine for Europe's financial crisis is brewing as world leaders prepare for the G-20 meeting in Canada - with Britain announcing its steepest cuts in decades and Germany defending its tough austerity measures after a warning by President Obama that too much budget slashing could threaten the global recovery.    They forged ahead with their austerity budget, as many European analysts agree the more urgent priority is taming deficits.
      Not every country has the option to do what Obama claims is best.    We know we didn't have a choice in the U.S. either, it was forced on us.    European shoppers will pay higher sales taxes, wealthy people will be hit for higher capital gains taxes and banks will be charged a new levy on profits, which has already been approved by France and Germany.
      [Comment: Why didn't the Democrats and Obama think of that?]
  
• 6/24/2010 No Fed exuberance on recovery - Tone is cautious in rates message by AP.
      Washington - The Federal Reserve struck a more cautious tone about the strength of the U.S. economic recovery, indicating Europe's debt crisis poses a risk.    The Fed will hold interest rates at record-low levels for an extended period intended to energize the rebound.
  
• 6/24/2010 Poverty goal may still be achieved by AP.
      United Nations - The global economic crisis has slowed the fight against poverty, but the developing world is still on track to meet a U.N. goal of halving the number of people living on less than $1 a day by 2015.    World Bank estimates suggests that the crisis has left an additional 50 million people in extreme poverty in 2009 and will leave 64 million impoverished by the end of 2010.
  
• 6/25/2010 GOP blocks extension of jobless aid - Senate vote may cut Medicaid by AP.
      Washington - Republicans blocked the Democrats' showcase election-year jobs bill, including an extension of weekly unemployment benefits, and also impacts Medicaid budgets.    This delivered a major blow to Obama and the Democrats facing losses of House and Senate seats in the fall election.    The rejected bill would also have provided $16 billion in new aid to states Medicaid programs.
• 6/25/2010 G20 leaders face worries about growing deficits by AP.
      Toronto - World leaders came to Canada for global economic talks for the worst downturn since the 1930s.    New leaders in Australia, Japan and Britain could alter the dynamics.    Leaders of the 20 largest industrial and developing nations found themselves at odds over how to strike the right balance between continued government stimulus spending and confronting ballooning budget deficits.    The most pressing issue is sustainable economic growth.    Canada's economy is strong and its banks weathered the financial crisis without failures or government bailouts, and voiced opposition to a global bank tax.
      On the 26th Obama tried to press world leaders to join him in backing stronger rules against banking abuses, and was ignored on his call for more stimulus to keep the world econmy growing.    Leaders of the so-called Group of Eight met for their annual session also.    The Group of 20 has been gradually overshadowing the Group of Eight as the world's premier forum for discussing economic policy.
  
• 6/25/2010 Congress OKs new sanctions against Iran - Penalties target energy imports by AP.
      Washington - Congress approved new sanctions agaisnt Iran sending the message to Tehran that notions of becoming a nuclear power could be accompanied by a steep economic price affecting the imports of gasoline and other refined energy products.
  
• 6/25/2010 Obama says relations with Russia are 'reset' by AP.
      Washington - President Obama declared that he and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev have succeeded in resetting the relationship between the former adversaries that had dipped to a dangerous low in recent years.    They have agreed to expand cooperation on intelligence and counterterror fight and worked on strengthening their economic ties.    Obama gave Russia a gift of help for Moscow's ascension to the World Trade Organization which it has long wanted membership.
  
• 6/26/2010 Finance rules clear panel - The overhaul will affect even your everyday life by AP.
      Washington - The toughest financial regulations since the Great Depression are headed for final votes in Congress next week, covering everything from using a debit card to buying a cup of coffee to handling the most complex securities.    The financial bill will change how you interact with the financial system every day, from swiping your debit card at the store to applying for a mortgage.    That includes new rules governing how we bank, borrow and invest, plus the creation of a new regulator to make sure financial transactions such as signing up for a credit card are safer and easier to understand.    Auto dealers, who make car loans, won't face oversight by the new consumer bureau.    Nor will banks with less than $10 billion in assets.
      Consumer protection against high interest rates and no more fine print.    Credit and debit cards can only be used for purchases above $10.    Credit scores are free if you are turned down when borrowing.
  
• 6/27/2010 World leaders scorn N. Korea, Iran - Action precedes G20 summit by AP.
      Toronto - The Group of Twenty talks condemned North Korea for the sinking of a South Korean warship.    They also set a five-year exit timeline for allied forces in Afghanistan and said the standoff in Gaza must be changed.    The Group of Eight criticized both Iran and North Korea for continuing their nuclear march and called on both to heed United Nations resolutions.    In the meantime demonstrators or anti-globalization forces were outside protesting with some destruction.
  
• 6/27/2010 Obama pushes financial overhaul - GOP criticizes compromise bill by AP.
      Washington - President Obama prodded Congress to send him financial overhaul legislation, saying the landmark compromise lawmakers have crafted would be a boon to consumers and help deflect the next global financial crisis.    He said we are digging our way out of an economic crisis that happened because there wasn't strong enough oversight on Wall Street.    The compromise financial package has a tax on big banks that supporters say would recoup some of the billions taxpayers spent to bail out the ailing institutions.
      Republicans say the measure ignores Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the mortgage giants that received huge federal bailouts and whose bad loans helped trigger the housing and economic meltdowns.    They also believe Obama should focus on creating more jobs, not more debt by helping small businesses by cancelling unspent Wall Street bailout funds and stimulus money.    Instead of growing government, we need to restart the engine of economic growth.
  
• 6/28/2010 Leaders commit to slashing deficits - At G20 talks, Obama endorces cuts by 2013 by AP.
      Toronto - World leaders are concerned about slipping back into recession and fear that the deficit spending they used to stimulate growth could produce a crippling debt crisis that also could stagger the world economy.    The group recommended cutting deficits in half by 2013 and stabilizing deficits by 2016.    Obama administration said this is not a problem for the U.S. saying the government already proposes deep cuts in the deficit.    [Comment: Does anybody believe that?]    Obama's proposed budget would cut the deficit from roughly $1.5 trillion this year to $724 billion in 2014.    That's enough to meet the G20 goal, although the Congressional Budget Office says the deficit would start rising again immediately after.
  
• 6/29/2010 States battle to balance budgets - Congress pulls plug on billons in aid by AP.
      New York - For at least 30 cash-strapped states counting on federal stimulus money, the news was a stunning blow: A deficit weary Congress had rejected billions of dollars in additional aid, forcing lawmakers into a mad scramble to balance their budgets.    Many governors were proposing tax increases, cuts in essential services and layoffs of public employees.    Most of their money goes to provide unemployment insurance and to help offset cuts to education, health care and public safety brought on by the recession.
  
• 6/29/2010 Consumers spend little; nations may follow suit - Stimulus, deficits compete for funds by AP.
      Washington - A tepid gain in consumer spending last month could fuel a debate over whether the U.S. and other governments should further stimulate their economies to sustain the recovery.
• 6/30/2010 China, Taiwan sign trade agreement by The Washington Post.
      Beijing - China and Taiwan, political rivals highlighted their growing economic links by signing a trade agreement that could dramatically increase the flow of goods across the Taiwan Strait.
  
• 7/1/2010 House OKs banking overhaul; Senate in flux by AP.
      Washington - The House passed a massive overhaul of financial regulations that would extend the government's reach from storefront thrifts to the executive suites of Manhattan.    Senate support for the bill remained in flux as Democrats are having trouble with Republican votes even after meeting their demands and backing down on a $19 billion tax on big banks and hedge funds.    Republicans portrayed the bill as a vast overreach of government power that would do little to prevent future bailouts of failing finacial institutions.    They call it a clear attack on capital formation in America, and expands power to the same regulators who failed to stop the last financial crisis.
  
• 7/1/2010 Democrats pursue jobless aid - Plan extends benefits through November by AP.
      Washington - Unable to deliver more stimulus spending for Obama, congressional Democrats are trying to restore jobless benefits for 1.3 million laid-off workers.    They want to extend unemployment benefits through the end of November.    Without an extension, every week 200,000 more of the nearly 7 million people who have been without jobs for at least six months will lose unemployment benefits.    About 1.3 million have already lost benefits since the last extension ran out at the end of May.
  
• 7/3/2010 China says 2009 growth even faster than thought by AP.
      Beijing - China's economy grew even faster in 2009 than previously reported, adding to concern the flood of stimulus spending and loans that drove its rebound left a dangerous glut of unneeded factories and other assets.    The government raised its estimate of 2009 growth from 8.7 percent the fastest among major economies to 9.1 percent, boosting China's economic output to the equivalent of $4.98 trillion.    Japan came in second with $5.1 trillion in output.    Beijing propelled its recovery from the global slump with 4 trillion yuan ($586 billion) stimulus and record 2009 bank lending of 9.6 trillion yuan, or $1.4 trillion.    But now China is at risk of overcapacity and oversupply from all this investment and will have to step in and repay at least some debts and foreign demand for their goods is weak.
  
• 7/3/2010 Dow dips as jobs report adds to economic fears by AP.
      New York - A disappointing jobs report sent stocks falling 46 points and the Dow its longest losing streak since the financial crisis.    Investors worried that the economic recovery is losing momentum as private employers added 83,000 jobs last month, fewer that the 112,000 analysts had forecast.
  
• 7/3/2010 Court backs Schwarzenegger on minimum wage by AP.
      Sacramento, Calif. - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's order to impose the federal minimum wage on tens of thousands of state workers was upheld by a state appeals court.    Arnold's order to pay 200,000 state workers $7.25 an hour as California wrestles with a budget crisis.    The state controller, who cuts state paychecks, has refused to comply with the order, but the ruling requires him to do it.    The state remains without a budget and a $19 billion deficit.    The workers will receive full back pay once a budget is enacted, and many have hust ended more than a year of three-day-a-month furloughs that cut their pay 14 percent.
  
• 7/4/2010 Obama awards $2 billion for solar power plants by AP.
      Washington - The government is handing out nearly $2 billion for new solar plants that President Obama says will create thousands of jobs and boost use of renewable energy sources.    It is part of the plan to bring new industries to the U.S.    The two companies will receive the money form the president's $862 billion economic stimulus are Abengoa Solar, which will build one of the world's largest solar plants in Arizona, creating 1,600 construction jobs; and Abound Solar Manufacturing, which is building plants in Colorado and Indiana, creating 2,000 construction jobs and 1,500 permanent jobs.
  
• 7/7/2010 European Union urged to open files on UFOs by AP.
      Brussels - A European Union lawmaker urged member governments to open their secret files in unidentified flying objects, saying people need to know about close encounters of the third kind.    Mario Borghezio, an Italian member of the European Parliament, said the EU needs its own "X Files" archive where anyone can see information on UFOs.    Borghezio is seeking the support of other lawmakers in the 736-member assembly.    So far, though, he has collected only 18 signatures.
      [Comment: Just what we need a distraction from the disappointing recovery, and we can go out looking for UFOs since jobs are more scarce than they are, maybe the Aliens will save us.]
  
• 7/8/2010 President credits export gains to new initiatives by AP.
      Washington - President Obama declared good progress on his pledge to double U.S. exports in the next five years, saying that sales abroad were up 17 percent in the first four months of the year.    He claims that the recovery has been driven by sales abroad and business and government spending than by consumer spending.    And with critical midterm elections drawing closer the White House wants to burnish the administration's image on the job-creation front.    What he did not mention was exports fell in April for the second time in three months and could slip even further as Europe's financial crisis deepens and threatens a key market for American goods and services.    In addition, home sales are plunging, factory orders are down, and June's unemployment report showed weak private-sector job creation.    He countered with dozens of trade missions abroad and efforts to make global trade more fair.    [Comment: Obama take those rose-colored glasses off and see the black and white in America.    Hopefully he will not take the advice of the next article.]
  
• 7/9/2010 IMF: U.S. must control budget deficits by AP.
      The International Monetary Fund is calling for the U.S. to make a stronger effort to curb its budget deficits, and in addition to cutting government spending, the Obama administration will have to consider raising taxes to get the deficit down to a manageable level.
  
• 7/9/2010 China agrees to condemn sinking of S. Korean ship by AP.
      United Nations - The U.S. said that China and other key nations have agreed to condemn the attack on a South Korean warship and express "deep concern" over findings that North Korea was to blame.    But the statement circulated to the 15-member Security Council for approval does not directly accuse the nation and calls for a peaceful measure to be taken agaisnt those responsible.
  
• 7/9/2010 Oil prices rise above $75 on upbeat news by AP.
      Oil rose for a second day on two upbeat economic reports and signs of shrinking supplies to settle at $75.44 a barrel.    The IMF raised its 2010 world growth forecast to 4.6 from 4.2 percent and jobless claims fell to lowest level since May.
      On the 10th crude rose to $76.09 a barrel due to the holiday.
      On the 13th crude fell to $74.95 a barrel.
      On the 14th crude rose to $77.15 a barrel as the global recovery got a boost on two fronts - as the International Energy Agency predicted 2011 global oil demand would increase by 1.3 million barrels a day, or 1.6 percent, to 87.8 million barrels a day..
      On the 15th oil fell to $77.04 a barrel after the Federal Reserve lowered its forecast for U.S. economic growth this year.
      On the 16th crude fell to $76.62 a barrel on disappointing economic news from the U.S. and China reported reduced growth.
      On the 17th crude fell to $76.01 from a drop in the stock market.
      On the 20th crude rose to $76.54 a barrel in line with equities.
      On the 21st crude rose to $77.44 a barrel as stock market reverse course and gained ground.
      On the 22nd crude fell to $76.56 a barrel as supplies grew and comments from the Federal Reserve over the fragile economy.
      On the 23rd crude rose to $79.30 a barrel as energy producers kept an eye on a developing tropical storm that could move into the Gulf of Mexico.
      On the 27th crude fell to $78.98 a barrel after the retreat of the storm.
      On the 28th crude fell to $77.50 a barrel from disappointing reports on consumer confidence and manufacturing.
      On the 29th crude fell to $76.99 a barrel after the government said crude supplies rose unexpectedly.
      On the 30th crude rose to $78.36 a barrel from unexpected earnings from ExxonMobil, Southwest Airlines and others bolstered hope or an improving economy, and also a decline in new unemployment claims and a weaker dollar.
      On the 31st crude rose to $78.95 a barrel on optimistic economic data that countered a report showing slower U.S. growth.
  
• 7/11/2010 China losing its labor cost advantage - Companies brace for end of an era by AP.
      Shanghai - Factory workers demanding better wages and conditions are hastening the eventual end of an era of low costs that helped make southern coastal China the world's factory floor.    Strikes in the past two months have been a rude wakeup call for the many foreign companies that depend on China's low costs to compete overseas, from makers of Christmas trees to manufacturers of gadgets such as the iPad.    Workers are demanding a bigger share of the profits.    The government is pushing foreign companies to make investments in areas that it believes will create greater wealth for China, such as high technology.
      Companies seeking to stay profitable are shifting work to cheaper areas inland or to other developing countries.    A few are bringing production to the West.    Labor costs have been climbing about 15 percent a year since 2008 labor contract law made workers more aware of their rights.
  
• 7/11/2010 Vatican feels pinch of economic meltdown by AP.
      Vatican City - The Vatican said it had posted its third straight financial loss, registering a $5.2 million deficit for 2009.    The financial report listed revenues of about $316 million agaisnt expenses of $321 million.    Most of the expenses went to support Pope Benedict XVI's activities and the Holy See's offices, especially Vatican Radio.    [Comment: Well Pope you will have to give something up, I have had to lower my standard of living 4 times since 2000.]
  
• 7/12/2010 Value of sanctions on Iran questioned - Israeli leader isn't optimistic by Bloomberg News.
      Washington - Iran's nuclear program probably can't be stopped by the U.N. or U.S. economic sanctions imposed during the past month, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.    Netanyahu said the threat of U.S. military action might curb a drive for a nuclear weapons capability.    He argued that a nuclear Iran couldn't be contained, because they do not understand the rules of peace.    Iran would use nuclear weapons in the interest of self-preservation.
  
• 7/12/2010 Japanese voters reject tax proposal by AP.
      Tokyo - Japanese voters handed a stinging electoral defeat to the ruling party rejecting a proposal to increase taxes and handicapping a fledgling government struggling to keep its economy from financial meltdown.    With public spending at more than double its GDP, Japan is trying to manage its ballooning debt while also addressing high unemployment and stagnant growth.
  
• 7/14/2010 U.S. budget deficit tops $1 trillion mark by AP.
      Washington - The federal deficit has topped $1 trillion with three months still to go in the budget year, showing the lasting impact of the recession on the government's finances.    The size of the deficit has created political problems of the Obama administration.    The forecast is it will reach $1.3 trillion at the end of September, and over the next decade could total $8.5 trillion all a product of the $700 billion bailout program and the $787 billion stimulus program that the Democratic led Congress passed in February 2009.
  
• 7/17/2010 Russian secret police gain power by AP.
      Moscow - Russia's most feared counterintelligence service took on wider powers under a law that parliament approved, which critics said the country is sliding back toward Societ-era repressions.    The FSB, a modern-day successor to the Soviet KGB will now have authority to issue warnings to people who haven't broken the law but are seen as potential criminals.
  
• 7/17/2010 Group claims mosque blast in Iran by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - A Sunni insurgent group, Jundallah, said it carried out double suicide bombing against a Shiite mosque in southeastern Iran to avenge the execution of its leader, Abdulmalik Rigi.    The death toll is 27 people including members of Revolutionary Guard, 270 injured and 11 in serious condition.    In October they did a suicide bombing that killed more than 40 people.    Iran accuses the U.S. and Britain of supporting Jundallah in a plot to weaken clerical leadership.
  
• 7/18/2010 Financial hub passes minimum wage law by AP.
      Hong Kong - Hong Kong passed its first-ever minimum wage law, a rare departure from the wealthy Chinese financial hub's fee-market philosophy.    No rate has been set, but it seems employers will be required to pay at least $3 an hour.    Union workers hailed the move as victory.
  
• 7/20/2010 China tops U.S. in energy consumption by AP.
      Powered by years of rapid growth, China is now the world's biggest energy consumer, knocking the U.S. off a perch held for more than a century.    China devoured a total of 2,252 million tons of oil equivalent last year, or about 4 percent more than the U.S. at 2,170 million tons of oil equivalent (crude oil, nuclear, coal, natural gas and renewable sources such as hydroelectric power).
  
• 7/20/2010 Senate ready to extend jobless aid - House could approve measure soon by AP.
      Washington - With a new face and a 60th vote for breaking a Republican filibuster, Seante Democrats are preparing to restore jobless checks for 2.5 million people whose benefits ran out during a congressional standoff over deficit spending.
      On the 21st the Senate extended unemployment benefits to stop the debate on the bill, then back to the House and should go on to Obama.
      On the 22nd Congress sent Obama legislation to restore lapsed benefits.
      On the 23rd Obama signed the jobless-benefits bill.
  
• 7/21/2010 Chinese reject energy crown by AP.
      Paris - China is now king of the world in energy consumption, surpassing the U.S. years ahead of a 2015 forecasts.    But immediately rejected its new crown.    Sensitive to its status as the world's biggest polluter, China has long pointed fingers at developed nations in climate talks, and it resists any label that could increase international pressure for it to take a larger role in curbing greenhouse gas emissions.
  
• 7/22/2010 Obama signs financial overhaul - Law aims to stop another meltdown by AP.
      Washington - Reveling over a new milestone in his presidency, Barack Obama signed into law the most sweeping overhaul of lending and high-finance rules since the Great Depression.    Great more massive bills but more job loss.
  
• 7/22/2010 Clinton announces new sanctions on N. Korea by AP.
      Seoul, South Korea - Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton announced new U.S. sanctions against North Korea aimed at halting moneymaking schemes it uses to fund its nuclear program.    The U.S. will freeze the assets of businesses and individuals associated with the regime and collaborate with banks to stop illegal financial transactions.    The sanctions will target luxury items bought by the regime's ruling elite and seek to stop the abuse of diplomatic privileges in order to carry out illegal activities.
  
• 7/23/2010 Plans for energy bill change - Democrats drop 'cap and trade' by AP.
      Washington - Senate Democrats gave up plans to try to pass an energy bill that caps greenhouse gases blamed for global warming, abandoning a priority of President Barack Obama, and no Republican would back it.    Republicans call the bill a national security tax and a job killer, arguing that the costs would be passed on to consumers in the form of higher electricity bill and fuel costs that would lead to manufacturers to take their factories overseas.
  
• 7/24/2010 Iran accuses Russia of siding with U.S. on nuclear issue by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - Iranian President Ahmadinejad accused Russia's president of turning against Tehran and joining U.S. in spreading lies about its nuclear program, in the latest sign that Iran and Russia are drifting apart.    Russia is supporting the new U.N. sanctions against Tehran.    Russia has a series of energy and weapons deals with Iran, including a deal for a batch of sophisticated S-300 ground-to-air defense missiles.
  
• 7/25/2010 U.S., S. Korea begin drills as warning to North by AP.
      Aboard USS George Washington - A massive, nuclear powered U.S. supercarrier began maneuvers with ally South Korea in a potent show of force that North Korea has threatened could lead to sacred war.
  
• 8/1/2010 Refuge offered to Iranian facing execution by AP.
      Sao Paulo - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva offered to provide refuge to a women who has been sentenced to death in Iran following her conviction for committing adultery.    Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani initially was sentenced to death by stoning.    Iran withdrew that part of the sentence last month, but she could still be hanged.    Silva appealed to Iran's president to allow Brazil to grant Ashtiani political asylum.
  
• 8/3/2010 Oil tops $81; increase at pump may follow by AP.
      Oil prices rose on positive economic news on manufacturing in the U.S. and Europe and rallying stock markets of global economic recovery about 3 percent to $81.34 a barrel.    This could mean higher prices at the pump unless demand declines when summer ends.
      On the 5th crude fell to $82.47 a barrel despite an early rally.
      On the 6th crude fell to $82.01 a barrel as concerns about high U.S. unemployment stalled the recent rally, new jobless claims rose 19,000 last week.
      On the 7th crude fell to $80.70 a barrel as the jobs report prompted new concerns about economic growth as the unemployment rate was unchanged at 9.5 percent.
      On the 10th crude rose to $81.48 a barrel on the eve of the Federal Reserve's monetary policy meeting and to see if they will adopt new measures to stimulate the U.S. economy.
      On the 11th crude fell to $80.25 a barrel after the Fed announce a small move to boost the U.S. economic recovery.
      On the 12th crude fell to $78.02 a barrel as the average for gasoline was $2.78 per gallon or 13.7 percent higher than a year ago.
      On the 14th crude fell to $75.39 a barrel but gasoline stayed at $2.77, whats up.
      On the 17th crude fell to $75.24 a barrel as economic data weighed on expectations for demand.
      On the 18th crude rose to $75.77 a barrel as stock prices climbed with better economic news.
      On the 19th crude fell to $75.42 a barrel as crude supplies shrank less than expected and stock markets showed only modest gains.
      On the 20th crude fell to $74.43 a barrel on new signs of listless economic growth if Americans would spend more on fuel anytime soon.
      On the 21st crude fell to $73.82 a barrel amid concerns about lagging economic growth in that factories will need less energy and that companies will be reluctant to hire.
      On the 24th crude fell to $73.10 a barrel as a Tropical Storm Danielle strengthened in the Atlantic, but did not affect the Gulf of Mexico, and the market is starting to wake up to the fact that we have more supply of oil than we're going to use in the near future.
      On the 25th crude fell to $71.63 a barrel as a disappointing report on home sales.
      On the 26th crude rose to $72.52 a barrel as gasoline dropped to $2.51 per gallon.
      On the 27th crude rose to $73.36 a barrel due to a large drop in new jobless claims.
      On the 28th crude rose to $75.17 a barrel as U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke gave investors renewed confidence that the central bank would step in if the U.S. economic recovery is in jeopardy..
      On the 31st crude fell to $74.70 a barrel as the Fed speaks again.
  
• 8/3/2010 U.S. aims new rounds of sanctions at N. Korea by AP.
      Seoul, South Korea - Washington's new sanctions seek to cut off North Korea's illicit moneymaking sources by freezing the assets of those who help the regime fund its nuclear weapons program, describing a blacklisting tactic to further isolate the North financially.    This includes drug trafficking, currency counterfeiting and the banned trade in conventional arms which brings in hundreds of millions of dollars in hard currency into North Korea for nuclear and military programs or fund luxury goods.
  
• 8/6/2010 New claims for jobless benefits up to 479K by AP.
      Initial requests for jobless benefits rose last week to their highest level since April, a sign that hiring remains weak and some companies are still cutting workers.    New claims for unemployment insurance rose by 19,000 to 479,000 seasonally adjusted.
  
• 8/9/2010 Social Security facing shortfall - Jobless forced to file early for benefits by AP.
      Miami - A man at 63, job gone, his search for a job is at 18 months and benefits exhausted, he is forced to file for Social Security benefits, three years earlier than planned.    Social Security is facing its first ever shortfall this year as a wave of people like him opt to collect payments before their full retirement age.    Adding to the strain on the trust are reduced tax collections sapped by the country's historic unemployment at 9.5 percent.    More people filed for Social Security in 2009 - 2.74 million - than any year in history.
  
• 8/12/2010 Trade deficit weighs heavy on economy - U.S. is importing goods, not creating jobs at home by AP.
      Washington - The nation is selling fewer products around the world and spending more on cheap imported goods - an imbalance that hurts the job market and means the U.S. economy is even weaker than previously thought.    The trade deficit of nearly $50 billion for June is the biggest in almost two years.
      [Comment: Its about time that someone realizes that the World Trade Organization and the International Monetary Fund many years back set a goal to help make the world better by trying to raise the standard or living of underdeveloped countries, which in turn eventually lowered the standard of living in the U.S., thus we became a service society, and many of our industries left the country to go overseas.    So was this planned?    So now the industies left in the U.S. that had to improve their productivity to survive are still competing with overseas companies that pay low wages to produce the goods we import and there are less people working now.    And to top it off Obama thinks trade agreements will solve the problem of creating jobs.]
  
• 8/13/2010 Jump in U.S. jobless claims signals a gloomier outlook by AP.
      Washington - The economy is looking bleaker as new applications for jobless benefits rose last week to the highest level in almost six months.    Hiring remains weak and employers are cutting their staffs so 9.5 percent unemployment rate will be around for awhile.    Jobless benefits edged up by 2,000 to a seaonally adjusted 484,000.
  
• 8/14/2010 Iranian nuclear plant will get fuel, go into service by AP.
      Moscow - Russia announced it will begin the startup of Iran's only atomic power plant next week, giving Tehran a boost as it struggles with international sanctions and differences between Moscow and the U.S.    Uranium fuel shipped by Russia will be loaded into the Bushehr reactor Aug. 21, to send electricity to Iranian cities, a plant Moscow signed a $1 billion contract to build in 1995.    The fear is the spent fuel will be used for reprocessing which contains plutonium, which can be used to make atomic weapons.
  
• 8/17/2010 Mountains to hide 10 nuclear plants - Iran plans March construction start by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - Iran said that it plans to build 10 new uranium enrichment sites inside protected mountain strongholds and start construction on the first in March, defying international efforts to curb its nuclear program.
  
• 8/18/2010 Obama to meet with EU leaders on healing the economy by AP.
      Brussels - President Obama will meet Nov. 20 in Lisbon with the EU leaders to discuss how to boost global economic recovery.    Obama has urged EU leaders to refrain from pushing through sweeping austerity plans that might choke off the economic recovery.
  
• 8/19/2010 China still views itself as a developing country - Quality-of-life issues a priority by AP.
      Beijing - China's government says that it is still a developing country despite becoming the second-largest economy, reflecting its reluctance to take on new obligations on climate change and other issues.    Beijing needs to improve life for millions of impoverished Chinese.
  
• 8/19/2010 Iran condemns U.S. military plan - It says nuclear goal is peaceful by AP.
      United Nations - Iran took its case against the U.S. to the U.N. and condemned the top U.S. military chief for saying military action remains a possiblity if the country develops nuclear weapons.
  
• 8/19/2010 Last U.S. combat brigade leaves Iraq - About 50,000 troops remain another year in support role by AP.
      Khabari Crossing, Kuwait - The troops of the 4th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division seven years and five months after the U.S.-led invasion, the last American combat brigade was leaving Iraq, ahead of the Aug. 31 deadline for ending U.S. combat operations there.
  
• 8/20/2010 Spector of layoffs worries investors - New jobless claims highest since fall by AP.
      Layoffs are back, and that's bad news for the fragile economic recovery.    New applications for unemployment benefits hit a nine-month high last week and rose by 12,000 as private employers are shedding jobs.    Some of the layoffs are coming as stimulus money dries up and public works projects come to a halt.    Government employees are being let go too as states and cities grapple with budget crises.
• 8/22/2010 Iran begins fueling its first nuclear reactor by AP.
      Bushehr, Iran - Trucks rumbled up to Iran's first reactor site to begin loading tons of uranium fuel in a long-delayed startup touted by officials as both a symbol of the country's peaceful intentions to produce nuclear energy as well as a triumph over Western pressure to rein in its nuclear ambitions.    The Russian built nuclear plant is about 745 miles south of Tehran will be internationally supervised and Russia to safeguard it against materials being diverted for creating nuclear weapons.
  [Comment: Oh hell, let them do it.    They will end up having a Chernobyl or even worse create so much nuclear waste they will pollute themselves because no one will take their waste from them, and kill themselves off.    We know that it couldn't happen in the U.S.]
  
• 8/23/2010 Iran unveils nation's first drone bomber by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - President Ahmadinejad inaugurated the country's first domestically built unmanned bomber aircraft, calling it an "ambassador of death" to Iran's enemies.    The 4-meter-long drone aircraft can carry up to four cruise missiles and will have a range of 620 miles, but not far enough to reach archenemy Israel.    He claims it is for defense and deterrence and will continue until the enemies of humanity lose hope of ever attacking the Iranian nation.
  
• 8/31/2010 Libya's Gadhafi meets with Italian leader by AP.
      Rome - Premier Silvio Berlusconi held talks with Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi aimed at promoting the two nations' economic ties, but attention remained focused on Gadhafi's effort to persuade a few hundred young Italian women recruited by a modeling agency who were paid to attend to convert to Islam.    No new energy or business deals were made.    Gadhafi handed out copies of the Quran and urged the women to convert.    Three women did so on the spot.
  
• 9/1/2010 Shaky economic outlook sinks crude by AP.
      Some of the economic news was a little better but not enough to keep oil prices from dropping again as crude fell to $71.92 a barrel as traders await unemployment data from August.
      On the 2nd crude rose to $73.91 a barrel as improvement in the manufacturing industry eased some fears about the strength of the global recovery.
      On the 4th crude fell to $74.60 a barrel after a report showed growth in the U.S. service sector slowed last month.
      On the 8th crude fell to $74.09 a barrel over concerns about the health of the global economy weighed on the market even as a refinery explosion in Mexico pushed prices for refined products higher.
      On the 10th crude fell to $74.25 a barrel from an early boost from lower U.S. jobless claims and crude inventories.
      On the 11th crude rose to $76.45 a barrel after a pipeline in Chicago that delivered oil to Midwest refineries was shut down leaving uncertainty of length of disruption.
      On the 14th crude rose to $77.19 a barrel as evidence of strong economic growth in China boosted the outlook for future oil demand and Canadian refineries filled in for the Chicago leak.
      On the 16th crude fell to $76.02 a barrel as economic data showed the economy was still in low gear.
      On the 17th crude fell to $74.57 a barrel after new government data signaled slower demand for oil and gas as the economy inches along in slow lane.
      On the 18th crude fell to $73.66 a barrel due to oil oversupply.
      On the 21st crude rose to $74.86 a barrel as U.S. equities boosted optimism about the economic outlook.
      On the 22nd crude fell to $73.52 a barrel as traders worried that demand for energy products may not strengthen as the economy continues to struggle.
      On the 23rd crude rose to $74.71 a barrel on an unexpected U.S. stockpiles of oil and fuel products.
      On the 25th crude rose to $76.49 a barrel due to advancing U.S. equities prices and the slumping dollar, and the rising euro.
      On the 28th crude rose to $76.52 a barrel as traders wait for additional signals of economic recovery.
      On the 29th crude fell to $76.18 a barrel as traders retreated from early optimism about the health of corporate America.
      On the 30th crude rose to $77.86 a barrel due to huge supply surpluses.
  
• 9/1/2010 Scores are arrested at free-assembly rally by AP.
      Moscow - Prime Minister Putin sent riot police to break up a crowd of about 2,000 opposition supporters and onlookers, and arrested scores of people.    Demonstrators gather on the 31st day of the month in Triumfalnaya Square to press for the right of free assembly as enshrined in Article 31 of the Russian Constitution.    The detention of former Deputy Prime Minister Boris Nemstov at the rally was a violation of his rights, and he is now an opposition leader.
  
• 9/1/2010 Iraq declares itself an independent state by AP.
      Baghdad - Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said the end of American combat operation leaves his country independent and an equal to the U.S. and assured his people their own security forces will protect them.
  
• 9/1/2010 Obama closes a chapter in Iraq - Focus now must be improving U.S. economy, He says by AP.
      Washington - Opposed to the war from the start, President Obama formally ended it, and claimed no victory, and jumped to the nation's most urgent priority of fixing the economy.
  
• 9/4/2010 Forum looks at global economy - Outlook grim for developed nations by AP.
      Cernobbio, Italy - Is the global economy out of the woods?    Two years after a near-meltdown, with the U.S. looking sluggish, equity markets groggy and Europeans fighting a debt crisis, experts gathered in Italy offered a a generally gloomy outlook -- especially for the U.S. and much of the industrialized world.    The doomsayers warned there is significant risk of a double-dip recession in the U.S. as well as in Japan and many European countries.
      The most likely global outlook is subpar growth, due to stimulus spending which caused deficits and debt, and spurred austerity which undermines growth.    At present the world's growth is led by China who is dependent on exports bought from the West and could suffer if that proves short-lived.    Americans will have to lower their living standards because the foreign credit is no longer there and will have to rein in entitlements as a political reality, nothing positive came out for new hiring.
  
• 9/7/2010 EU finance ministers to consider assessment on banks by AP.
      Brussels - European Union finance ministers are set to discuss the possibility of introducing a levy on banks and whether a tax on financial transactions can deal with another banking crisis, as they gather in an atmosphere more benign than when they last met.
  
• 9/8/2010 Stocks fall amid worries about European debt by AP.
      Stocks closed lower following new worries about Europe's debt problems.    Treasury prices rose and gold settled at a new high as investors sought out safer assets.    European banks may have more risky government debt on their books than was disclosed during stress tests earlier this year.    The dollar rose against the euro.    Traders are overreacting to every bit of news.
  
• 9/10/2010 Steelworkers union files new China trade complaint by AP.
      The United Steelworkers union has filed a new trade complaint with the government that alleges China puts U.S. companies at a disadvantage because it unfairly subsidizes its renewable energy industry.    The 5,800-page complaint alleges that China has violated World Trade Organization rules in five areas including restricting exporting materials used in the industry, technology transfer requirements and requiring that Chinese manufacturers use a high amount of Chinese goods in their products.    They are standing up to China and accuses the company of cheating.
  
• 9/11/2010 Obama blames GOP for inaction - President says election-year politics foiling efforts to revive economy by AP.
  [Comment: Now we know his plan.    If his plan did not work then blame it on the Republicans who do not control the House and Senate.]
      Washington - Facing big Democratic losses in November, President Barack Obama blamed Republicans and election-year politics for thwarting his efforts to do more to spur a listless national economy, and at the same time trying to request they agree on expiring tax cuts for the middle class.    He said the high jobless rate and the upcoming Nov. 2 midterm elections will blame him for economic hard times and could take it out on congressional Democrats.
  [Comment: Thats the first thing that Obama has said that is truthful.    What have you done?]
  
• 9/13/2010 Turks approve amendments - Constitutional changes hailed by AP.
      Istanbul - Turks approved sweeping changes to their military-era constitution - a referendum hailed by the government as a leap toward full democracy in line with its troubled bid to join the European Union.
  
• 9/13/2010 Premier: No added austerity measures planned by AP.
      Thessaloniki, Greece - The Greek government is planning no new austerity measures as part of efforts to pull the country out of debt and might even exit international supervision earlier than expected, the prime minister George Papandreou said they were on target for reducing its deficit by nearly 40 percent this year.
  
• 9/13/2010 New rules meant to boost central banks' finances by AP.
      Basel, Switzerland - Banks will have to significantly increase their capital reserves under rules endorsed by the world's major central banks, which are trying to prevent another financial collapse without impeding the fragile economic recovery.    The new rules are designed to strengthen bank finances and rein in excessive risk-taking, but some have protested that the changes may dampen the recovery by forcing them to reduce the lending that fuels economic growth.    Banks will be required to hold back certain percentages (4 to 6% by 2019) of their balance sheet to cover their risks and also a conversion buffer of 2.5 percent.
  
• 9/22/2010 Poll: Health law puzzles many - Confusion over costs and coverage are widespread, survey reveals by AP.
      Washington - Six months after Obama signed landmark health care overhaul legislation (a.k.a. Obamacare), the nation still doesn't really know what's in it.    More than half of Americans believe the law will raise taxes for most people this year according to polls.    But that would be true only if most people were devoted to indoor tanning, which got hit with a sales tax [Comment: That was a job killer, after the tax on Tanning Bed facilities over 4,000 went out of business.]    The uncertainty and confusion amount to a dismal verdict for the Obama administration's campaign to win over public opinion.    Before the final votes in Congress, Obama personally assured wavering Democrats that he'd take the case to the American people after the law passed.    But it hasn't worked.    And in the final stretch before the midterm election Republicans are united by their call for repeal.    Many are insecure about a document as big as the health care bill and does anybody understands what's in it or what it will cost, and can we afford it?
  
• 9/22/2010 Iranian leader predicts the downfall of capitalism - But Germany's Merkel calls it path from poverty by AP.
      United Nations - Iran's president predicted the defeat of capitalism and blamed global big business for the suffering of millions, but Germany's chancellor said market economies were key to lifting the world's least developed countries out of poverty.
      The clash of visions came at the U.N. antipoverty summit aimed at easing the misery of the 1 billion people living on less than $1.25 per day.    More than 140 presidents, prime ministers and monarchs are attending the three-day summit to assess and spur on achievement of U.N. targets set by world leaders in 2000.    The plan called to ease poverty, disease and inequalities between rich and poor by 2015.
      Iranian President Ahmadinejad never mentioned the Millennium Development Goals in his speech to the 192-member General Assembly.    Instead he took aim at capitalism and called for the overhaul of undemocratic and unjust global decision-making bodies, which are dominated by the U.S. and other Western powers.    He also said that global reformers should make practical plans for a new world order - reform of international economic and political institutions.    He said now that the discriminatory order of capitalism and the hegemonic approaches are facing defeat and proposed that the U.N. name the coming 10 years as "the decade for the joint global governance."
  
• 9/26/2010 U.S. needs to reap benefits of its research - Jobs and prosperity are going overseas by Tribune Washington Bureau.
      Washington - President Obama's proposal to boost the research tax credit for businesses is widely seen as necessary to bolster American competitiveness in the global economy.    But even if the $100 billion plan is approved, it won't begin to address the fundamnetal question of how to turn that research and new technology into jobs and renewed prosperity for Americans.
      For decades U.S. scientists and engineers have discovered or pioneered amazing products and in every case, production, jobs and most of the economic benefits of those breakthroughs have ended up overseas.    So can this trend be changed?    During the recession U.S. companies ramped up investments overseas as they cut back domestically.
      Washington taxed businesses which further encouraged movement to overseas.
      Not only, is that those businesses in the U.S. who are profiting are being supplied from overseas business who will probably produce the same product themselves and compete against them.
  
• 9/28/2010 Kim's son a step closer to North Korea rule by AP.
      Seoul, South Korea - North Korean leader Kim Jong Il promoted Kim Jong Un to the rank of general in the Korean People's Army, a clear signal that the younger is on track to succeed his father.
  
• 9/30/2010 Chinese poultry ban criticized - U.S. action illegal WTO contends by AP.
      Geneva - An American ban on Chinese poultry is illegal, the World Trade Organization declared, and is a violation of a number of its trade obligations by preventing Chinese chicken parts from enetering the U.S. market, ruling against a measure in last year's federal spending bill.
      Poultry is Kentucky's highest revenue agricultural product, outpacing horses, soybeans and tobacco.    The law extended a five-year U.S. ban on Chinese chicken declared after a 2004 outbreak of bird flu.    The Obama administration has handled a number of cases it inherited from President George W. Bush's tenure, but the poultry case represented the first WTO complaint launched specifically against legislation Obama signed.
      The WTO can authorize sanctions against countries failing ot comply with trade rules, but that usually takes years of litigation, and Washington can first appeal the 184-page verdict.
  
• 9/30/2010 Anti-austerity protest sweep across Europe by AP.
      Brussels, Belgium - Tens of thousands of workers marched through the streets of Europe, decrying the loss of jobs and benefits they fear will come with austerity measures seeking to contain government debt.    Police fired into the air to disperse protesters during a general strike in Spain.    Greek bus and trolley drivers walked off the job, joined by doctors at state hospitals.    From Ireland to Greece, workers united around the theme that they are victims of a debt crisis caused by reckless high-spending bankers undermining Europes' cherished welfare state.    They complained of higher taxes, job cuts, soaring unemployment and smaller pensions.
  
• 10/2/2010 Crude oil prices rise as dollar weakens by AP.
      Crude rose to $81.58 a barrel from a rally on the back of continued dollar weakness and the euro's rise and positive economic data.
      On the 5th gasoline prices rose to $2.90 at many stations from $2.77 as crude fell to $81.47 a barrel.
      On the 6th crude rose to $82.82 a barrel as stock market rebounded from losses on brighter economic news and the dollar gained against the euro making oil and other commodities priced in dollars more expensive for foreign investors.
      On the 7th crude rose to $83.23 a barrel as stocks tried to hold their ground.
      On the 8th crude fell to $81.67 a barrel as inventories rose.
      On the 9th crude rose to $82.66 a barrel by the weakness in the dollar and concerns that a continuing strike at a French oil port may begin crimping supplies, and a disappointing U.S. jobless report.
      On the 12th crude fell to $82.21 a barrel as the dollar strengthened.
      On the 13th crude fell to $81.67 a barrel as investors moved to lock in profits from the recent rally ahead of a meeting of OPEC and crude inventory data.
      On the 14th crude rose to $83.01 a barrel from a forecast of stronger global oil demand to improved corporate earnings.
      On the 28th crude fell to $81.94 a barrel as the dollar grew stronger and on what the Federal Reserve might do to stimulate the economy.
      On the 30th crude fell to $81.43 a barrel.
  
• 10/5/2010 Euro falls from 6-month high agaisnt the dollar by Dow Jones Newswires.
      A cumulative effect of worrisome news concerning the euro zone sapped the common currency's advance.    More details about the extent of Ireland's budget deficit surfaced and after a hostile takeover bid for a U.S. pharmaceutical company.
  
• 10/9/2010 Currency wars are seen as threat - IMF chief: Nations must save recovery by AP.
      The head of the International Monetary Fund urged global finance ministers to stop trying to manipulate their currencies for economic advantage and instead to join together to save a fragile economy.    IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn said unless the pace of job growth quickens we face the risk of a lost generation of young people unable to get work.    In the annual meeting of the 187-nation IMF and the World Bank, as he discussed a breakdown in cooperation among nations, emphasized by growing talk of currency wars.    Various nations are trying to keep their currencies weak in order to increase exports.    Many blamed it on China for their resistance to allowing a faster appreciation of the yuan.
  [Comment: Greed is what got us here.    And Greed will keep us here.]
  
• 10/16/2010 Russia to build nuclear plant for Venezuela by AP.
      Moscow - Venezuela President Hugo Chavez reached a deal with Russia to build the South American nation's first nuclear plant, as questions arose on why a nation rich in oil and gas would need atomic energy.
  
• 10/23/2010 Currencies center stage as G20 gets under way - Officials hope to prevent trade war by AP.
      Gyeongju, South Korea - The U.S. pressed emerging nations to set targets to reduce their vast trade surpluses with the West, a plan that could see their currencies rise, as a global finance summit fumbled for ways to reduce tensions that threaten to escalate into a trade war.    The U.S. proposal to the G-20 met with immediate resistance.    Nothing had been resolved from the meeting two weeks ago in Washington.
      On the 24th global finance leaders agreed to boost cooperation on rebalancing the world economy to help defuse tensions that had sparked fears of trade conflicts.    The Group of 20 vowed to avoid potentially debilitating currency devaluations and reduce trade and current account imbalances.
  
• 10/27/2010 Iran loads fuel rods into first nuclear power plant by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - Iran began the process of loading 163 fuel rods into the reactor core of its first nuclear power plant, and celibrated the achievement as proof that it can outmaneuver international sanctions.    The facility is expected to begin supplying electricity to the grid by mid-February.
  
• 10/30/2010 Joblessness, inflation rate headed upward in Europe by AP.
      Inflation and unemployment across the 16-country eurozone are on the rise, confirming that the region's economic recovery remains fragile and unbalanced.    The unemployment rate is at 10.1 percent.    The European Central Bank will keep interest rates unchanged at their current record of 1 percent for months to come.
  
• 10/31/2010 Iranian officials disagree on impact of sanctions by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - Iran's commerce minister denied that international sanctions imposed on the country have damaged trade ties and said the penalties will prove futile.    While another source claims the penalties have begun to take a toll on the economy, pushing up the cost of living.    Sanctions cannot halt the importation of goods, but estimates indicate that the cost of imports has increased between 15 to 30 percent.    New strict banking restrictions and tighter rules that ban export of any dual use or technological equipment that could wind up in Iran's hands will not go through Iran's front companies based abroad to import technology.    The Iranian president said that Iran's foreign currency reserves exceed $100 billion, despite the sanctions.
  
• 11/2/2010 Oil gains after Saudi's remark on price range by Dow Jones Newswires.
      Crude rose to $82.95 a barrel after Saudi Arabia's oil minister Ali Naimi suggested he was comfortable with higher prices between $70 to $90.
      On the 3rd crude rose to $83.90 a barrel as a weaker dollar put some traders in a buying mood while waiting for details on the Fed's plan to boost the economy.
      On the 4th crude rose to $84.62 a barrel as the Federal Reserve announced it will buy $600 billion in Treasurys to stimulate the economy.
      On the 11th crude rose to $87.81 a barrel and a rally as the Department of Energy reported a decline in oil and fuel stockpiles.
      On the 12th crude stayed at $87.81 a barrel.
      On the 13th crude fell to $84.88 a barrel on concerns that China would take steps to cool its economic growth as the largest consumer in the world is expected to increase oil consumption by 400,000 barrels per day and drive oil demand for years to come.
      On the 16th crude fell to $84.86 a barrel as data offered a mixed picture of the U.S. economic recovery, as retail sales rose in the holiday season, but manufacturing activity was in the negative 11.14.
      On the 17th crude fell to $82.34 a barrel as investors took profits amid renewed concerns about the global economy.
      On the 18th crude fell to $80.44 a barrel sliding due to economic stability in Europe and a slowdown in China's robust economy.
      On the 23rd crude fell to $81.74 a barrel after Ireland sought billions of dollars in financial assistance from its neighbors.
      On the 24th crude fell to $81.25 a barrel amid worries about the global economy after China took steps to control inflation, and North Korea and South Korea clashed.
      On the 25th crude rose to $83.86 a barrel as energy investors were cheerful ahead of the holiday weekend after improvement in the U.S. economy due to falling jobless claims and more Americans spent more in October.
      On the 27th crude fell to $83.76 a barrel as concerns about Europe's debt crisis.
      On the 30th crude rose to $85.73 a barrel as Europe crisis made a stronger dollar.
  
• 11/3/2010 Two years later GOP has become phoenix rising - Democrats faced tumultuous road by AP.
      Washington - Obama chants "Yes we can!    Change has come to America," proclaimed in 2008 with a large Democrat majorities in Congress to make it so.    Two years later and 4.8 million lost jobs now House Republican Leader John Boehner's "Hell no" rants against the giant health care bill.    In January 2009, Obama and his allies produced an $814 billion economic stimulus bill and won enanctment of historic health care legislation that exposed rifts in the party.    Then came the bill to tame Wall Street with no GOP help they sat back for Obama's honeymoon to survive rising joblessness, home foreclosures and personal bankruptcies.    Auto bailouts, the stimulus health care, more money, more debt, more government, but no jobs Boehner sounded.    Then an outraged grass-roots conservative-libertarian network dubbed the tea party emerged in opposition to Obama's policies.    On Oct. 31, 2009 unemployment peaked at 10.1 percent.    Voters began electing Republicans as governors in many states and then Republican started winning congressional seats.    So Republicans controlled the Congress.
  
• 11/4/2010 Obama willing to give on tax cuts, energy by AP.
      Washington - President Obama signaled a new willingness to yield to Republican demands on tax cuts and jettisoned a key energy priority, less than 24 hours after he and fellow Democrats absorbed election losses so severe he called them a shellacking.    He bluntly swept aside any talk or repeal of his signature health care law right after House Speaker Rep. John Boehner of Ohio, vowed Republicans would do everything they could to wipe the legislation off the books.    The GOP picked up at least six seats in the Senate.
  House before election - Democratic 255 - Republican 178 - Vacant 2.
  House after election - Democratic 185 - Republican 239 - Vacant 2.
  Senate before election - Democratic 57 - Republican 41 - Independents with Dems 2.
  Senate after election - Democratic 50 - Republican 46 - Independents with Dems 2.
      Now that Democrats have complained about lack of cooperation from Republicans, don't look for them to show the way by cooperating with Republicans.    Democrats next step will be an attempt to maneuver Republicans into another government shutdown, which they have already done once and all they know is class warfare, entitlement and grievance.    The Republicans are marching to say that Washington is broken and they are going ot fix it.
  
• 11/5/2010 Gold price sets record as commodities gain by AP.
      The price of gold set a record high at $1,383.10 an ounce and other commodities chalked up broad gains as the dollar weakened and investors sought protection against inflation.    This happened a day after the Federal Reserve said it would buy $600 billion in Treasury bonds by the middle of next year to try to boost economic growth.
• 11/5/2010 Fed drives up world's markets - Bond buy creates enthusiasm, jitters by AP.
      Global stock markets staged an explosive rally, embracing the move by the Federal Reserve, who claimed the bond purchases would drive down interest rates on mortgages and other borrowing, in hope individuals and businesses would borrow and spend aiding the 9.6 percent unemployment, and was called "quantitative easing."
• 11/5/2010 Obama off to meetings in Asia - 10-day trip to focus on economy, trade by AP.
      Washington - Rebuked by voters, Obama is turning overseas, heading to Asia for 10 days of diplomacy (India, Indonesia, South Korea and Japan) tourism and deal-making to highlight his political skills on the world stage to open up markets in Asia to create jobs in the U.S.
  
• 11/6/2010 France and China talk currency, trade by AP.
      Nice, France - World leaders should avoid playing the blame game in discussions about how currencies such as China's undervalued yuan are affecting trade and the global economy, President Nicolas Sarkozy told his Chinese counterpart during talks.    Of course now he wants to sign billions of of euros worth of business deals but avoid public discussion of human rights and the treatment of Tibet.
  
• 11/8/2010 Iran wants nuclear talks in Turkey, officials say by AP.
      Amman, Jordan - Iran has agreed to talks with the U.S. and other world powers on its nuclear program, providing negotiations take place in Turkey, most likely to put diplomatic pressure on the U.S. and its allies.
  
• 11/11/2010 Stocks waver amid G20 caution - Traders focus on taking profits by AP.
      Stocks wavered amid caution about a summit of world leaders this week and as Europe continues to grapple with government debt problems.    Members of the Group of 20 will meet in South Korea as the U.S. and Japan try to weaken their currency to help stimulate economic growth.     The U.S. trade deficit shrank more than forecast in September as exports climbed to the highest level in two years, showing a weaker dollar is helping strengthen the economic recovery.
      In Seoul and under worldwide pressure, President Obama told global leaders that the burden is on them as well as the U.S. to fix trade-stifling imbalances and currency disputes that imperil economic recoveries everywhere.    He was here to close a trade deal with South Korea after the resolving of auto trade and American beef.    Obama is still pushing that China's undervalued yuan gives it an unfair edge in exports and imports, and he wants to stop that practise for competitive purposes.    Others complained that the U.S. attempt ot weaken their currency is giving them an unfair advantage in competion with theirs.
      On the 12th the threat of trade war looms as G-20 convenes.
      On the 13th the summit ends with no agreement and each is going home to look after themselves and more likely to erect trade barriers.    Obama left to go to Japan to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) conference.
  
• 11/11/2010 Deficit panel chiefs' plan cuts Social Security by AP.
      Washington - The leaders of Obama's bipartisan deficit commission launched an ambitious assault on mushrooming federal deficits, proposing reducing annual cost-of-living increases for Social Security, gradually raising the retirement age to 69 and taking aim at popular tax breaks such as the mortgage-interest deduction.    As part of a proposal to wrestle $1 trillion-plus deficits under control, the plan would also curb the growth of Medicare.    It came a week after voters put Republicans back in charge of the House and told Washington that the government is too big.    This proposal was a starting point only.
• 11/13/2010 Markets fall on China worries - Nation could act to slow economy by AP.
      Stocks and commodities took a nosedive on worries that China might put the brakes on its surging economy.    Any slowdown in the Chinese economy will likely reduce global demand for oil, metals and grains, which sent prices of those commodities lower.
  
• 11/17/2010 Fears in Asia, Europe sink stocks - Inflation, debt spark investors' concerns by AP.
      Stocks fell as concerns over a slowdown in China and talks about a bailout for Irish banks combined to push the Dow Jones industrial average to its lowest level in a month.    Asian markets started a global sell-off after South Korea's central bank raised interest rates to curb inflation.    Shares also fell in Shanghai and Hong Kong over the China issue which is having a ripple effect.
  
• 11/17/2010 British support sought for an Irish bailout by Dow Jones Newswires.
      European finance ministers working on an international aid package for Ireland want Britain to lend money directly to Dublin as part of a larger aid package that could total up to $135 billion.    The package of aid for Irish banks could be worth as much as 50 billion euro ($68 billion), while a broader package designed to restore confidence in Ireland's public finances as well could reach 100 billion euros.    In any deal, the IMF would likely contribute half as much aid as the EU and Britain combined.    The Irish leaders would prefer to avoid the stigma of an IMF program, since IMF loans come with specific policy and force a loss of sovereignty to the Washington-based institution.    But Ireland could not avoid the IMF to better ensure that any loan is repaid.
      On the 18th in Dublin, Britain offers aid to Irish economy.
  
• 11/17/2010 Plan would keep troops in Afghanistan until 2014 by AP.
      Washington - The White House unveiled a plan for Afghanistan that foresees U.S. troops remaining there until at least the end of 2014, more than three years beyond when Obama promised he would begin withdrawing troops from the war-torn country.
  
• 11/17/2010 Vote to restart peace plan on hold by AP.
      Jerusalem - A vote on an emerging U.S. proposal for restarting Mideast peace talks has been put on hold.    The plan would have Israel freeze new West Bank settlement construction for 90 days to persuade the Palestinians to resume talks.    In exchange, Israel would get American military and diplomatic support.
  
• 11/20/2010 Bernanke defends bond purchases, warns China - Fed program has numerous critics by AP.
      Washington - Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke hit back at critics, both at home and abroad, who have challenged the central bank's $600 billion bond-purchase program.
      Due to this is Bernanke plunging the Fed into partisan politics?    Republican leaders in Congress say they doubt the program will help the economy, and may unleash inflation and lead to speculative buying on Wall Street.    It has become harder to find global solutions to global problems.
  
• 11/20/2010 China moves to fight inflation - Beijing raises bank reserve requirement by AP.
      Beijing - China ordered its banks to set aside larger reserves for the second time in two weeks to limit inflation and asset-bubble risks in the world's fastest-growing major economy.    The aim is to control credit and loans according to China's central bank and to counter inflation helping to drive a sell-off in the stock index.    The Chinese decided to fight forcefully against the effects of the Fed's easing.
  
• 11/20/2010 NATO missile shield for Europe - Obama secures deal for the defense plan by AP.
      Lisbon - President Obama won NATO summit agreement to build a missile shield over Europe, an ambitious commitment to protect against Iranian attack while demonstrating the alliance's continuing relevance - but at the risk of further aggravating Russia.    Obama also made a renewed pitch for Senate ratification back in the U.S. of a nuclear arms treaty with Russia.
  [Comment: Does this mean more taxpayer money, without any new jobs.]
  
• 11/21/2010 Obama pushes arms treaty vote - McConnell: Tax cuts should be priority by AP.
      Washington - Obama took aim at Republican senators for standing in the way of a nuclear arms reduction pact with Russia.    Meanwhile the Senate GOP leaders accused his Democratic counterparts of wasting Congress' lame-duck session on issues from gays in the military to environment regulations, and ignored mention of Obama's push to ratify the New START treaty with Russia, but instead claimed that extending expiring Bush-era tax cuts needed to be the top priority.
  
• 11/22/2010 EU agrees to bailout plan for Ireland - Nation seeks aid to stay solvent by AP.
      Dublin - Debt-struck Ireland formally appealed for a massive EU-IMF loan to stem the flight of capital from its banks, joining Greece in a step unhinkable only a few years ago when Ireland was booming and the economic envy of Europe.    The EU is forced to bailout to safeguard financial stability in the EU and euro area.    Ireland has been brought to the brink of bankruptcy by its fateful 2008 decision to insure its banks against all losses - a bill that is swelling beyond $69 billion and driving Ireland's deficit into uncharted territory.
      On the 25th in Dublin, Ireland, anger and fear over the unstoppable debt crisis coursed through the continent as striking workers shut down much of Portugal, Ireland proposed its deepest budget cuts in history, and seething Italian and British students clashed with police over education cuts.    All think Portugal and Spain will be next begging for outside help.
  
• 11/23/2010 Iran has to shut down nuclear enrichment by AP.
      Vienna - Major technical problems led to a temporary shutdown in Iran of thousands of centrifuges enriching uranium, diplomats said.    The diplomats said they had no specifies of the problem that led Iran in recent months to briefly power down the machines.    But suspicions focused on the Stuxnet worm, the computer virus thought to be aimed at Iran's nuclear program.
      On the 24th nuclear inspectors monitoring Iran found the country's enrichment program temporarily shut down a week ago, the International Atomic Energy Agency reported.    The discovery reflects a possible setback for the cornerstone of the nation's nuclear activities.
  
• 11/24/2010 Attack is N. Korea bid for attention - 2 South Koreans die in artillery volley by AP.
      Frustrated North Korea is lashing out again, this time with a deadly volley of artillery aimed at reminding rival South Korea - and the world - that it will not be ignored.    The barrage of shots fired within sight of its shores did not come out of nowhere.    The destruction set homes ablaze, sent civilians fleeing and killed two South Korean marines.    But this did get attention as the rogue regime wanted.    Sixty years after the fighting began, the U.S.-backed South has risen to become the world's 15th-largest economy, an example of industriousness and pluck.
• 11/27/2010 Putin urges closer ties for Europe, Russia by AP.
      Berlin - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin urged closer economic ties between his country and the EU, calling for a full-fledged free trade zone between them.    The proposal for a Russian-EU free trade zone will face many challenges but it is worth pursuing it nonetheless, Putin told business leaders in Britain.    German Chancellor Angela Merkel told Putin that the EU and Russia are strategic partners and a common free trade zone is a vision for the future.
  
• 11/29/2010 EU agrees to more than $89 billion bailout loans for Ireland by AP.
      Brussels - EU nations agreed to extend the equivalent of $89.4 billion in bailout loans to debt-struck Ireland to help it weather its banking crisis and sketched out rules for future emergencies in an effort to restore faith in their currency.
  
• 11/30/2010 Stocks drop on debt concerns - European crisis could continue by AP.
      New York - Stocks ended lower with fears that Europe's debt crisis will continue to spread even after Ireland is bailed out.
  
• 12/1/2010 European debt fears send oil prices lower by AP.
      Crude oil prices tumbled settled at $84.11 a barrel on renewed worries about European sovereign debt ahead of key data on U.S. energy inventories.    The $88 billion aid package for Ireland failed to ease fears that other countries could also need assistance.
      On the 2nd crude rose to $86.75 a barrel amid positive economic reports in China and the U.S. and hopes that a plan is in the works to ease Europe's debt problems.    The National average price for gasoline was $2.86 per gallon.
      On the 3rd crude rose to $88.00 a barrel as economic data in the U.S. and actions in the euro zone to support debt markets lifted hopes for oil demand.
      On the 4th crude rose to $89.19 a barrel even with an increase in the number of unemployed Americans.
      On the 7th crude rose to $89.38 a barrel taking a pause but trying to exceed the $90 mark.
      On the 8th crude rose to $90.76 a barrel as Wall Street analyst say tightening supplies will drive prices above the $100 mark next year due to rising demand by China.
      On the 11th crude fell to $87.79 a barrel after China's decision to tighten bank-reserve requirements, as worries that an interest rate increase could follow..
      On the 12th OPEC said it won't change oil output with prices just below $90 per barrel, comfortable inventories, and persisting global economic uncertainty.
      On the 15th crude fell to $88.28 a barrel after the Federal Reserve said the economy is recovering, but not fast enough to bring down unemployment.
      On the 17th crude fell to $87.70 a barrel as traders sold off their positions.
      On the 18th crude rose to $88.02 a barrel after Congress sent a complex tax-cut extension package to President Obama, bolstering hopes that demand for energy products will strengthen.
      On the 22nd crude rose to $89.82 a barrel as a problem at a refinery in the Caribbean contributed to tight supplies and increased pump prices which hit in some places at $3.10 per gallon.
      On the 23rd crude rose to $90.48 a barrel as the government reported a drop in the nation's crude supplies and on the 24th the price per gallon nationwide was $3.01 a gallon, and locally it was $2.95 to $3.04 as crude rose to $91.51 per barrel.
      On the 28th crude fell to $91.00 a barrel as traders focused on efforts in China to ease inflation.
      On the 29th crude rose to $91.49 a barrel as the year ends.
      On the 31st crude fell to $89.84 a barrel as traders wait for 2011.
  
• 12/2/2010 Deficit cuts will require much bitter medicine - Plan aims to cut burden by $4 trillion within a decade by AP.
      Washington - A proposed final report by President Obama's deficit commision warned of a fiscal reckoning without major sacrifices.    The plan calls for sweeping tax changes that would affect millions of Americans, including doing away with many popular tax breaks such as the home mortgage deduction.    It would also make cuts in military spending, slash the federal work force, raise the retirement age for full Social Security benefits and cuts Medicare in order to reduce federal red ink by nearly $4 trillion within a decade.    There are many more suggested cuts which many would not approve of, nor vote for.
  
• 12/4/2010 U.S., South Korea reach major trade agreement by AP.
      Washington - The U.S. and South Korea have reached an agreement on the largest trade pact in more than a decade, a highly coveted deal the Obama administration hopes will boost American exports and create tens of thousands of U.S. jobs.    After negotiations broke through a stalemate on issues in the automobile industry which would bolster U.S. economic ties.    South Korea is agreeing to allow the U.S. to lift a 2.5 percent tariff on Korean cars in five years, instead of immediately, and allows the U.S. automakers to export 25,000 cars to South Korea as long as they meet U.S. federal safety standards and allows the U.S. to continue a 25 percent tariff on trucks for eight years and then phase it out by the 10th year.    South Korea would be required to eliminate its 10 percent tariff on U.S. trucks immediately.
      The discussions on beef are ongoing, but the South agreed to lift its 40 percent tariff on U.S. beef exports.
      [Comment: So when will the jobs come?    Five years from now or ten years from now.]
      On the 5th, Obama praised the new trade deal with South Korea as a landmark agreement that promises to boost domestic auto industry and support tens of thousands of American jobs (70,000) and eventually exports worth $10 billion.    The pact still requires congressional approval of a pact originally negotiated under George W. Bush's administration but had stalled.
  
• 12/4/2010 Weak Nov. jobs growth a setback for economy - Unemployment rate rises to 9.8 percent by AP.
      Washington - The nation added just a trickle of jobs in November, far fewer than experts had expected and a reminder that the economy is still recovering only fitfully.    The job market was weak all around: Stores, factories, construction companies and financial firms all cut positions.    The unemployment rate hit 9.8 percent, as 15.1 million people were unemployed in the U.S. in November.
  [Comment: I applied for a second job on December 9th and was hired immediately.]
  
• 12/7/2010 Obama, GOP reach deal on tax cuts - Package restores extended jobless benefits by AP.
      Washington - Obama announced agreement with Republicans on a plan to extend expiring income tax cuts for all Americans, renew jobless benefits for the long-term unemployed and grant a one-year reduction in workers' Social Security taxes.    The agreement also includes tax breaks for businesses that the president said would contribute to the economy's recovery from the worst recession in eight decades.
      It was claimed by both parties the tax deal essentially gives Americans a pay raise - pumping money into the economy almost immediately and probably creating jobs over the next two years.
  [Comment: This was a lie, they lowered the Social Security tax, but raised the federal and I myself ended up getting $7 less on my paycheck every two weeks which essentially took away the raise I got last April.]
  
• 12/12/2010 Obama urges OK of tax-cut package by Bloomberg News.
      Washington - President Obama urged Congress to approve an agreement to temporarily extend tax cuts due to expire at the end of the year to ensure the economic recovery stays on track.    The measure also included a 13-month extension of unemployment aid, a cut of 2 percentage points in payroll taxes for 2011 and tax breaks for small businesses that were part of Obama's economic package.
      On the 14th the Senate passed the package 85-13, and now Obama wants the House to follow suit quickly.    The bill's overall cost, estimated at $858 billion over two years, would be added to already huge federal deficits.
  [Comment: Great!    More money to the deficit, no jobs, just more entitlement.]
  
• 12/14/2010 Judge rejects key portion of health law - Administration is expected to appeal by McClatchy Washington Bureau.
      Washington - Declaring a core part of the new health care law unconstitutional, a federal judge in Virginia has launched President Obama's signature domestic achievement into a gantlet of conservative-leaning courts that could conclude at the Supreme Court just as the 2012 election campaign is cresting.    U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson ruled that Congress had overstepped its power in requiring Americans to get health insurance by 2014.    The Obama administration is expected to appeal.
      On the 17th in Pensacola, Florida attorneys for 20 states battling the new federal health care law told a judge it will expand the government's powers in dangerous and unintended ways.    The states want U.S. District Judge Roger Vinson to issue a summary judgment throwing out the health care law without a full trial, arguing that it violates rights by forcing people to buy health insurance by 2014 or face penalties.    "The act would leave more constitutional damage in its wake than any other statute in our history," David Rivkin an attorney for the states said.    Obama's administration counters that Americans should not be allowed to opt out of the overhaul because everyone requires medical care.
  
• 12/17/2010 EU agrees to do whatever is necessary to back euro by AP.
      European Union leaders are ready to do whatever is necessary to save embattled euro currency.    EU president Herman Van Rompuy insisted that only about 4 percent of the region's $992.85 billion bailout fund has been utilized since it was introduced in May.    In the meantime, the pressure is on for Europe to solve its immediate debt woes.
      [Comment: I applaud the Europeans for not going off the deep end and spend every bailout bill immediately with some real forethought in how it will affect their currency.    I cannot say that for the U.S.]
      On the 18th European leaders agreed to ensure adequate financial support in the euro zone's temporary emergency lending facility this week, although there are no plans for an increase in the 440 billion euro fund.    The European Financial Stability Facility will be given sufficient support until the creation of a permanent fund.
  
• 12/19/2010 Iran says energy, food subsidies will be slashed by AP.
      Tehran, Iran - Iran's president announced the start of a plan to slash energy and food subsidies, part of government efforts to boost the nation's ailing economy.    Ahmadinejad said the deep cuts to the subsidies will start today and vowed to fully cut all susidies by the end of his term in 2013.    The move comes as Iran remains deadlocked with the U.S. and its allies over Iran's disputed nuclear program and the fourth round of sanctions from the U.N. and there are signs the penalties are taking a toll on the nation's economy.
  
• 12/23/2010 Tax plan expected to spur economy - Analysts predict strong start to 2011 by AP.
      Washington - Expectations for economic growth next year are turning more optimistic now that Americans will have little more cash in their pockets.    A cut in workers' Social Security taxes and rising consumer spending have led economists to predict a strong start for 2011.    None of this will matter unless employers start hiring and people buy more homes.
  
• 12/23/2010 Senate OKs nuclear arms pact - Vote delivers up another win for Obama by AP.
      Washington - The Senate ratified an arms control treaty with Russia that reins in nuclear weapons, giving Obama a major foreign policy win in Congress' waning hours.
      On the 25th in Moscow the Russian parliament gave overwhelming approval to the New START arms treaty with the U.S.
  
• 12/24/2010 N. Korea warns of nuclear war against South Korea, U.S. by AP.
      Seoul, South Korea - One month after a deadly exchange of artillery fire, the two Koreas ramped up their rhetoric, with the South pledging retailation if attacked again and the North threatening a nuclear war if provoked.
  
• 12/28/2010 Conviction shows Russia that Putin still in charge by AP.
      Moscow - Mikhail Khodorkovsky was convicted of stealing oil from his own compsny and laundering the proceeds, a verdict to keep the oil tycoon who once challenged the power of former President Vladimir Putin behind bars for several more years.    This trial shows how little things have changed under Dmitry Medvedev presidency despite his promise to strengthen the rule of law and make courts an independent branch of government.    Putwas the one who put him in prison an individual who could lead and unite his political foes and Putin has not ruled out a return to the presidency in 2012.
  
• 12/29/2010 Experts: European anarchist more violent by AP.
      Rome - European anarchist who want to bring down state and financial institutions are becoming more violent and coordinated after decades out of the spotlight and may be responding to social tensions spawned by the financial crisis, security experts say.
      These groups have sent letter bombs to embassies, organize a global revolutionary war.    Their attacks have increased by 43 percent in 2009 mostly in Italy, Spain and Greece.
• 12/31/2010 Medicare revenue falling short - Study finds taxes do not cover costs by AP.
      Washington - You paid your Medicare taxess all those years and want your money's worth: full benefits after you retire.    The new truth is that what you paid in doesn't come close to what you expect.    We believed that what we paid in would be worth three times that but shaky financing has killed that.    Even Social Security is now saying that we would have paid 10 percent more into the system than what we will get back.
  
  
  • As you have read in the year 2010 is that:
  • As of 2010 the world leaders of the G-7 seeks to soothe markets.
    • Latin America, Caribbean form bloc minus Canada, U.S. called the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CLACS).
    • G20 leaders face worries about growing deficits.
    • World leaders scorn N. Korea, Iran.
    • Action precedes G20 summit, Leaders commit to slashing deficits, and Obama endorces cuts by 2013.
    • China, Taiwan sign trade agreement.
    • IMF: U.S. must control budget deficits.
    • China losing its labor cost advantage - Companies brace for end of an era.
    • Even the Vatican feels pinch of economic meltdown, as currency wars are seen as threat forcing the IMF chief to tell the nations they must save recovery.
    • Currencies center stage as G20 gets under way as officials hope to prevent trade war, France and China talk currency and trade, but stocks waver amid G20 caution and traders focus on taking profits, the markets fall on China worries as the nation could act to slow economy.
  • As to 2010 and Iran's uranium enrichment they set their own deadline for fuel enrichment.
        Iran sends research rocket, animal into space, and in the u.S. a man was accused of trying to send missile parts to Iran.
        Iran moves closer to having nuclear weapon material, as it plans to further enrich uranium and then announces itself a nuclear state.
        The U.S., Russia and France criticize Iran's nuclear plan, as sanctions on Iran gain support, even China joins five other world powers.
        Iran unveiled a third generation of domestically built centrifuges as it accelerates a uranium enrichment program that has alarmed world powers.    Iran says it will build four more nuclear reactors and Iranian the nuclear plant will get fuel, go into service, and they will use the mountains to hide 10 nuclear plants, which they plan a March construction start.
        Iran begins fueling its first nuclear reactor.
        Iran unveils nation's first drone bomber, and the Iranian leader predicts the downfall of capitalism, but is countered by Germany's Merkel calls it path from poverty, in October Iran loads fuel rods into first nuclear power plant.
    
  • In 2010 what is Russia doing?    Russia and U.S. near deal on nuke cuts - New limit eyed on long-range weapons.    NATO and Russia agree to link defense systems.    Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin urged closer economic ties between his country and the EU, calling for a full-fledged free trade zone between them.    On December 25th in Moscow the Russian parliament gave overwhelming approval to the New START arms treaty with the U.S.
    
  • In 2010 what is U.S. doing?    House OKs $1.9 trillion increase in debt limit, U.S. jobless rate dips to 9.7% in January, even with job creation remains tepid, as compromise eludes health summit.    Obama hints Democrats may pass own plan, as the U.S. deficit sets record in February for $220.9 billion in red ink recorded.    So president pushes for new job legislation, then presses for Wall Street reform and claims many in U.S. have financial stake, Mortgage delinquencies, foreclosures set records, and thus the Democratic Senate passes Wall Street regulation bill.
        Jobless claims up 25,000, largest gain in 3 months, as the Dow plunges 376 in sell-off and the S&P down 12% from recent high.
        Obama to send 1,200 troops to U.S. border as the decision targets influx of Mexicans.
        Use of food stamps sets record at 40.2 million get aid with more expected, U.S. budget deficit tops $1 trillion mark, and the trade deficit weighs heavy on economy as the U.S. is importing goods, not creating jobs at home.
        Of course Obama blames GOP for inaction as an election-year politics foiling efforts to revive economy.    Although anyone knows the U.S. needs to reap benefits of its research instead of jobs and prosperity are going overseas.    In November voters began electing Republicans as governors in many states and then Republican started winning congressional seats.    So Republicans controlled the Congress and Obama willing to give on tax cuts and energy only.
        Gold price sets record as commodities gain, as the Fed drives up world's markets from bond buy that creates enthusiasm as well as jitters.
        As to NATO missile shield for Europe where Obama secured deal for the defense plan.
        U.S. and South Korea reach major trade agreement.
        Senate OKs nuclear arms pact and Vote delivers up another win for Obama.
        Weak November jobs growth a setback for economy and unemployment rate rises to 9.8 percent, and Obama with the GOP reach deal on tax cuts as the package restores extended jobless benefits.
  • The 2010 Oil story.    As the year started with oil at $80 a barrel 71 percent higher than last year, and stayed between $70 to $80.    Oil rises to near $84 on weakened dollar.    Oil prices settle above $86 on economic growth but end the month of May at $73.    Chinese economic data help weaken oil prices as it rose to $76 a barrel.    Oil prices rise above $75 on upbeat news but ends at $79 a barrel in July.    Oil tops $81; increase at pump may follow $82 but ends at $74 in August.    In September shaky economic outlook sinks crude but ends at $78.    In October crude oil prices rise as dollar weakens starts and ends at $82 a barrel.    In November Oil gains after Saudi's remark on price range starts at $84 ends at $86.    In December, European debt fears send oil prices lower to $84 a barrel and by the end of the year it was almost $90.
    
  • War and peacekeeping in 2010.    U.S. commander in Iraq says pullout is on track.    Taliban dig in as U.S. set to seize Afghan town.    Iraqi shiites unite, may form government.    At least 4,397 members of the U.S. military have died in Iraq since March 2003, at least 3,480 died in hostile action, and at least 971 have died as a result of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan since 2001.    Last U.S. combat brigade leaves Iraq - About 50,000 troops remain another year in support role in August.    September 1st, Iraq declares itself an independent state.
    
  • The 2010 World's Financial Crisis.    Asia markets bounce back, but stocks slide as Obama toughens bank rules.    Despite a deepening Greek debt crisis, global financial leaders meeting in Washington declared that the world's economy is recovering faster than expected from the worst recession in decades.    Finance ministers and central bank governors of the world's 20 major economies (G-20) credited the massive amounts of government stimulus that have been provided.    Greece has been given enough money to keep solvent and hobbled by exorbitant borrowing costs, from defaulting on its debt, but Athens still faces years of painful cutbacks and questions about its long-term finances.
    
  • Here we summarize the North Korea's antics in 2010.    U.S. dismisses North Korean call for peace treaty this year.    North Korea may be preparing for a third nuclear test, analysts and a high ranking defector said.    S. Korea to blame North for fatal ship attacks, then N. Korea threatens war in ship sinking, forcing S. Korea to seek U.N. action against North, and thus the U.S. aims new rounds of sanctions at N. Korea.    Some say that an attack is N. Korea bid for attention as 2 South Koreans die in artillery volley, N. Korea warns of nuclear war against South Korea and the U.S.
    
  • In 2010 what nuclear technology trade or construction occurred?    Russia to build nuclear plant for Venezuela.
    
  • In 2010 what is the EU up to?    Europe's debt and job woes spur Wall Street sell-off as the Dow drops 26.    European meeting is set on debt crisis and talks could lead to aid for Greece, but Greek rescue details sparse and the EU pledges support during debt crisis, as Germany pledges faster aid in Greek financial crisis, but Greece braces for more cuts.    EU financial rescue review is set, and Europe gives initial OK for Greece bailout but the nation faces tough austerity program.    European debt woes drive euro lower and EU ministers work on euro rescue plan.    So Weaker euro could let Europe recover by increasing exports which offers economic boost.    Crisis in Europe a threat to unity which EU could unravel with growing rifts.    Europe and U.S. clash over best route to recovery and austerity moves rattling Obama.    Turkey approved sweeping changes to their military-era constitution a referendum hailed by the government as a leap toward full democracy in line with its troubled bid to join the European Union.    Anti-austerity protest sweep across Europe in September.    EU agrees to bailout plan for Ireland as the nation seeks aid to stay solvent.
    
  • In 2010 what is up at the WTO?    At Iqaluit, Nunavut, top finance officials of the world's seven major industrial nations pledged to work to calm global markets and maintain government stimulus to sustain an economic rebound.    Leaders of the Group of Seven nations discussed strategies they'll use to withdraw stimulus once the recovery strengthens as the G-7 ended a two-day session in the Canadian Arctic.    Chinese poultry ban criticized and the U.S. action illegal WTO contends.
    
  • In 2010 what natural disasters occurred?    None that affected the economy, which is unusual.
    
  • The 2010 Space Race.    The British space agency to begin in April.    NASA may not be going to the moon anytime soon and its space shuttles are about to be retired, but it conceivably could increase the number of agency jobs under a new reorganization, NASA's chief Charles Bolden said as they will spend billions on developing new rocket technology and helping private firms build ships to take people to the international space station.    Obama told a crowd at the Kennedy Space Center that NASA should aim to send astronauts to explore asteroids beyond the moon by 2025 and visit Mars in the following decade, responding to critics who said his changes would kill the human space program.    Obama needed to bring commercial space entrepreneurs to handle transport missions to the ISS so NASA would be freed up to think and reach much further.
    
  
  
  Return each year for updates for 2011 and beyond.
  
  

This file created on April 1, 2006, and updated on December 31, 2006, August 17, 2007, August 15, 2008, May 20, 2009, June 10, 2010, October 10, 2011, and October 28, 2011.