Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says Iran, Israel on 'collision course' - Los Angeles Times

The LA Times reports: "Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali, who is Iran's top political and military figure, said his country's hostility to Israel extended beyond the government to the Israeli people as well. In saying so, he was brushing aside recent overtures by top Iranian officials to the Israeli public."

Comment: When people say that the president of Iran is not the real authority in that country, this is what they mean, Ayatollah Ali is the real power, and his words are hardly peaceful.

Space War - Outside View: Blackjack flies again

UPI reports: "Russia's Tupolev Tu-160 White Swan bombers are back from Venezuela. The overseas visit by the most powerful strike aircraft of Russia has created a new surge of interest in these planes, which make up the core of Russian strategic aviation. [...] In 2007 then Russian President and current Prime Minister Vladimir Putin decided to resume regular missions by strategic aviation to remote parts of the world. It was also decided to restart production of Tupolev Tu-160s and increase the air force complement to 30."

My Way News - 3 killed in missile strike in Pakistan
AP reports: "A suspected U.S. missile strike killed at least three people in a Pakistani tribal region near the Afghan border, two officials said Wednesday. The strike came amid reports that Pakistan's top Taliban leader, Baitullah Mehsud, had fallen ill and died."

My Way News - New Pakistan spy chief seen as tough on militants
AP reports: "Pakistan's army chief named a general considered a hawk in the fight against al-Qaida and the Taliban to head the country's powerful spy agency, asserting his control at a time of U.S. concern that rogue operatives are aiding Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan."

BBC NEWS - Foreign national ID card unveiled
The BBC reports: "The first identity cards from the government's controversial national scheme have been unveiled. The biometric card will be issued from November, initially to non-EU students and marriage visa holders. Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said the cards would allow people to 'easily and securely prove their identity'."

My Way News - Israelis welcome Jewish New Year

AP reports: "Rosh Hashana, which began at sundown, ushers in 10 days of soul-searching capped by Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. But the New Year holiday itself is a time for festive meals, which traditionally include an apple dipped in honey to symbolize a sweet new year. Israel closed off the West Bank until late Wednesday, barring Palestinians from entering Israel. It is a measure common during Jewish holidays, to deter possible attacks by Palestinian militants."

My Way News - 300 EU monitors in place to watch Russian pullback
AP reports: "But the troop withdrawal, which begins Wednesday, will not end tensions between Russia and Georgia or entirely mollify the West. Russia plans to keep some 8,000 troops in two separatist Georgian regions - South Ossetia and Abkhazia - whose independence Moscow has recognized despite international denunciation."

My Way News - Olmert says peace requires Israeli withdrawals
AP reports: "Israel will have to give up virtually all of the West Bank and east Jerusalem if it wants peace with the Palestinians, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said in a farewell interview published Monday."

Comment: Sure, that's a great strategy for peace, just give it all away and hope they don't install missile launchers in in the West Bank. I'm glad he is leaving office.

My Way News - Dow plummets record 777 as financial rescue fails
AP reports: "The Dow Jones industrial average lost 777 points Monday, its biggest single-day fall ever, easily beating the 684 points it lost on the first day of trading after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks."

VOA News - UN General Assembly Enters Final Debate Day
VOA reports: "Throughout this year's General Assembly, world leaders have called for international cooperation to address the global financial crisis, climate change and terrorism. The Middle East peace process gained special attention throughout the week, during official debate and in meetings on the sidelines of the Assembly."

Breaking News

CNN - Dow suffers biggest point drop in history, falling nearly 778 points in reaction to House vote rejecting economic rescue

My Way News - Iraqi Christians protest end to legislative quotas
AP reports: "Hundreds of Christians staged street protests after Sunday church services in and around Mosul, a northern city where many of the country's Christians live. Some said the removal of the quotas is an attempt to force them to leave Iraq."

My Way News - Iran lowers level of participation in IAEA meeting
AP reports: "Iran's official news agency says the head of the country's nuclear department has canceled his participation in the annual general conference of the UN nuclear watchdog."

My Way News - Israel closes off Palestinian territories
AP reports: "The Israeli military says it is imposing a closure on the West Bank and Gaza Strip to coincide with the Jewish New Year holiday."

My Way News - Syria could be paying a price for moderating
AP reports: "The Sunni extremists are angry over the tightening of security along Syria's border with Iraq, which cuts off their routes to the fight against U.S. forces in Iraq. They also oppose the government's alliance with Shiite Iran and the strict secular nature of the state."

My Way News - Israeli officials say US provides advanced radar
AP reports: "The U.S. has provided Israel with an advanced radar system that will give it early warning in case of an Iranian missile attack, Israeli officials said Sunday, confirming a new defense tool in what is potentially the Mideast's deadliest feud."

My Way News - Russia blasts US dominant role in world affairs
AP reports: "Lavrov called for a new 'solidarity' of the international community and a strengthened United Nations, saying only in the post-Cold War world can the organization 'fully realize its potential' as a global center 'for open and frank debate and coordination of the world policies on a just and equitable basis free from double standards.' [...] Declaring that Europe's security architecture 'did not pass the strength test' in Georgia, Lavrov reiterated Russian President Dmitry Medvedev's proposal in June for a new Treaty on European Security."

My Way News - UCLA group discovers humungous prime number
AP reports: "Mathematicians at UCLA have discovered a 13-million-digit prime number, a long-sought milestone that makes them eligible for a $100,000 prize."

'EU will benefit from peace in the Middle East'
The Jordan Times reports: "The European Union is keen on playing a larger political role in the Middle East and strengthening its relations with the Arab and Muslim worlds, according to European Parliament President Hans-Gert Pottering. He underlined that the Barcelona Process: Union for the Mediterranean initiative will not achieve its developmental goals without there being real peace in the region."

The Associated Press: Mideast peace takes center stage at United Nations

AP reports: "The key international players trying to promote peace in the Middle East meet on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly on Friday as the U.N. Security Council opens a high-level debate on Israeli settlements."

India Joins Turkey and Israel in $12 Billion Multipurpose Mediterranean Pipeline Project, an Industrial Info News Alert - MarketWatch
MarketWatch reports: "India hopes to get in on the $12 billion-plus Med Stream project, a multipurpose offshore pipeline project that links Turkey and Israel for transporting crude oil across the Mediterranean."

Mobile phone subscriptions to reach 4 billion by year-end: ITU - Yahoo! News
AFP reports: "The number of mobile phone subscriptions in the world will reach four billion by the end of the year driven by growth in developing economies, the International Telecommunications Union said Friday."

Visa Plans To Let Phones Charge Your Purchases - Yahoo! News
NewsFactor reports: "In the not-too-distant future, Visa credit cards may merge with cell phones. The card giant announced Friday that it is developing applications for Google's Android operating system and upcoming Nokia smartphones."

My Way News - Iran denounces Western support for Israel

AP reports: "The latest anti-Israel remarks by Iranian leaders come as hundreds of thousands rallied in cities across the Persian country to protest Israel's continued hold on Jerusalem [...] demonstrators chanted 'Death to America' and 'Death to Israel' to commemorate 'Al-Quds Day.' Some protesters also burned American and Israeli flags."

Comment: Such a peaceful and mature country, how could we ever fear their nuclear program?

My Way News - 2 strong quakes rock Philippine capital
AP reports: "The first quake had a magnitude 5.3 and was centered 51 miles underground and the stronger magnitude 6.5 was about 67 miles deep."

My Way News - UN: Confused, traumatized Somalis flee capital
AP reports, "more than 1 million people are displaced in Somalia, which has not had an effective government for more than 17 years. At the end of last year, there were nearly a half-million Somalis registered outside the country, but many more have fled without notifying authorities."

My Way News - EU worried about freedom of religion in Iran
AP reports: "A statement from the French Foreign Ministry on behalf of the EU says pressure has increased on religious minorities in the Islamic Republic in recent months, with arrests in the Christian and Baha'i communities. France currently holds the EU presidency."

My Way News - US, Russia reach deal on new UN Iran resolution
AP reports: "The U.S. and Russia, striking a compromise, led a new U.N. Security Council effort Friday to condemn Iran's nuclear program that includes no new sanctions."

Comment: What an incredibly misleading headline, the new deal they reached was to re-emphasize the other resolutions that have already been passed by the Council. That's not really new, and it doesn't represent progress, it represents the power of Russia to stall the process to the benefit of Iran.

My Way News - WaMu becomes biggest bank to fail in US history
AP reports: "As the debate over a $700 billion bank bailout rages on in Washington, one of the nation's largest banks - Washington Mutual Inc. (WM) - has collapsed under the weight of its enormous bad bets on the mortgage market."

My Way News - Scientists seek volunteers to monitor for quakes
AP reports: "Earthquake scientists want to borrow your laptop or maybe a little space in your basement or garage. Researchers don't have enough high-tech monitoring stations to track every instance of ground shaking, so they are enlisting help from ordinary people to document quakes and pinpoint areas of possible damage."

My Way News - West Nile season appears to be mildest in 7 years
AP reports: "The West Nile virus season is on track to be the mildest in seven years, with less than a third the number of serious cases as last year's total, U.S. health officials said."

My Way News - Pakistani troops fire on US helicopters at border
AP reports: "Pakistani soldiers fired at American reconnaissance helicopters that were escorting Afghan and U.S. ground troops along the volatile border Thursday, sparking a five-minute ground battle between the countries which have been allies in the war on terrorism, officials said."

My Way News - India open for $80 billion in nuclear business
AP reports: "Even as a landmark U.S.-India nuclear accord hangs in limbo in the U.S. Congress, the global gates of nuclear trade with India are now open. Whether or not U.S. companies get the go-ahead to sell nuclear fuel and technology to India, the country's nuclear officials are confident they will get their uranium."

My Way News - Iran's president: Nation must control nuclear fuel
AP reports: "Mahmoud Ahmadinejad - speaking to a gathering of selected journalists - also contended that Washington does not have the will to launch a military strike on Iran over its nuclear ambitions, which Tehran insists is for peaceful energy production but the West fears is a clandestine effort to gain atomic weapons."

My Way News - Putin says ties with Latin America a top priority
AP reports: "The Russian naval deployment follows a weeklong visit to Venezuela by a pair of Russian strategic bombers. On his Sunday TV and radio program, Chavez joked that he would be making his international tour aboard the 'super-bombers that Medvedev loaned me.' Chavez has also talked about creating 'a new strategic energy alliance' with between the oil-rich nations."

My Way News - Bush meets with Middle Eastern leaders
AP reports: "In separate meetings with Middle East leaders Thursday, President Bush applauded Lebanon's efforts to forge a national reconciliation and told Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas that the administration has not given up hope on an agreement to create a Palestinian state."

My Way News - Iran to launch satellite with own rocket to space
AP reports: "Iran plans to launch a satellite into space soon using an Iranian-made rocket, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said. Iran has in the past launched satellites using rockets built by other nations, but this was the first announcement of such a launch with an all-Iranian made rocket."

My Way News - Global warming pollution increases 3 percent
AP reports: "Meanwhile, forests and oceans, which suck up carbon dioxide, are doing so at lower rates than in the 20th century, scientists said. If those trends continue, it puts the world on track for the highest predicted rises in temperature and sea level."

Spies Warn That Al Qaeda Aims for October Surprise - The New York Sun
The Sun reports: "In the aftermath of two major terrorist attacks on Western targets, America's counterterrorism community is warning that Al Qaeda may launch more overseas operations to influence the presidential elections in November."

My Way News - EU warns Iran close to nuclear arms capacity
AP reports: "Iran is nearing the ability to arm a nuclear warhead even if it insists its atomic activities are peaceful, the European Union warned Wednesday."

My Way News - N. Korea orders UN nuclear inspectors from plant
AP reports: "North Korea moved closer to restarting its nuclear arms program Wednesday, barring U.N. inspectors from its main plutonium reprocessing plant and announcing it will reactivate the facility that provided the material for its atomic test blast."

My Way News - Pakistan militants threaten more bombs
AP reports: "A militant group that claimed to be behind the deadly Marriott Hotel bombing in Pakistan's capital threatened more attacks Wednesday, warning again that Pakistanis should stop cooperating with the United States."

My Way News - Sun's wind and output on extended dimmer switch
AP reports: "The solar wind - a stream of charged particles ejected from the sun's upper atmosphere at 1 million miles per hour - is significantly weaker, cooler and less dense than it has been in 50 years, according to new data from the NASA-European solar probe Ulysses."

My Way News - Israel's Livni meets Palestinian peace negotiator
AP reports: "Israel's prime minister-designate took a break from her efforts to form a new government Tuesday to meet with the chief Palestinian peace negotiator, signaling she will keep negotiations going despite the country's political uncertainty."

My Way News - Lebanon says Syrian troops deployed on border
AP reports: "The Lebanese official would not disclose the number of troops deployed on the northern border, but he said press reports of 10,000 troops were 'exaggerated and inaccurate.' He spoke on condition of anonymity in line with military regulations."

My Way News - Finnish gunman who made Web videos kills 10, self
AP reports: "On Tuesday, he walked into a vocational college, the School of Hospitality, and opened fire, killing 10 people and burning their bodies with firebombs before shooting himself fatally in the head. At least two other people were wounded."

My Way News - Pakistanis say suspected US drone shot down
AP reports: "Pakistani soldiers and tribesman shot down a suspected U.S. military drone close to the Afghan border Tuesday night, three intelligence officials said."

Comment: I hope the U.S. bills the Pakistani government for the cost of the drone.

My Way News - Google phone to cost $179, debut Oct. 22
AP reports: "Google made its debut as a cell phone software provider Tuesday at an event where wireless carrier T-Mobile said it will begin selling the G1 phone for $179 with a two-year contract. The device hits U.S. stores Oct. 22 and heads to Britain in November and other European countries early next year."

My Way News - Winter, repairs stall atom smasher until spring
AP reports: "Scientists will have to wait until spring to use the world's biggest particle collider for groundbreaking research because repairs to damage will run into the laboratory's normal winter shutdown, the operators said Tuesday. [...] They hope the powerful collider will reveal more about 'dark matter,' antimatter and possibly hidden dimensions of space and time."

Ahmadinejad: America 'Near Collapse' - TIME
AP reports: "On Tuesday, Ahmadinejad also lashed out at Israel, saying 'the Zionist regime is on a definite slope to collapse, and there is no way for it to get out of the cesspool created by itself and its supporters.'"

Comment: I hope we do everything possible to shore up the American Empire and disappoint Ahmadinejad. Long live the Empire!

UN official sounds famine alarm in Horn of Africa - Reuters.com
Reuters reports: "Wealthy countries must come up with some $700 million in emergency aid soon or Horn of Africa countries like Ethiopia and Somalia may descend into full-scale famine, the United Nations said on Friday."

My Way News - Livni gets approval to form Israeli government
AP reports: "Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni on Monday received formal approval to form a new Israeli government, starting the clock on a 42-day period for putting together a new team and resuming Mideast peace negotiations."

My Way News - North Korea asks UN agency to pull reactor seals
AP reports: "North Korea asked the U.N. nuclear watchdog Monday to remove seals and surveillance equipment from the Yongbyon nuclear reactor, the agency chief said, heightening concerns that the communist nation may be preparing to restart its nuclear program."

My Way News - Angsts returns to Wall St.: Stocks dive, oil soars
AP reports: "On Monday, investors sold off stocks, sent oil prices to their biggest one-day gain and dumped the dollar. The Dow Jones industrials lost 372 points, wiping out the gains the index made Friday after administration officials and congressional leaders promised swift action to get bad debt off the books of banks and end the financial crisis."

My Way News - Iran warns against attack on nuclear facilities
AP reports: "The president spoke during a military parade displaying various types of Iranian-made missiles, including Shahab-3 and Ghadr. Also taking part in the parade was a military truck carrying a huge banner saying 'Israel should be eliminated from the universe' in both English and Farsi."

My Way News - Pakistan Marriott blast shows signs of al-Qaida
AP reports: "Taliban militants based near the Afghan border and their al-Qaida allies are the most likely suspects behind a massive truck bombing at Islamabad's Marriott Hotel, officials and experts said Sunday. At least 53 died in the explosion, including two U.S. Defense Department employees and the Czech ambassador."

My Way News - With Olmert gone, clock starts on Israel coalition
AP reports: "Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni wasted no time Sunday working to put together a new government, meeting with potential coalition partners even as outgoing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert formally resigned. Her ability to move fast in her first task could have far-reaching effects on Mideast peace talks."

My Way News - Report: Ocean debris will likely worsen
AP reports: "Birds and turtles are developing digestive problems as their stomachs fill with plastic they mistakenly believe is food. The endangered Hawaiian monk seal population is struggling as many of the mammals get entangled in improperly discarded fishing nets. These examples underscore that efforts to prevent and reduce ocean debris are inadequate and the problem will likely worsen, according to a congressionally mandated report released Friday."

Precision Dynamics Corporation And FreedomPay Announce Cashless
RFID Solutions reports: "PDC is the first company to introduce its patented Smart Band RFID wristband system, which is now used in venues such as waterparks and resorts for automated admissions, guest identification, cashless point-of-sale, keyless entry and other applications."

My Way News - Late al-Qaida 9/11 video warns of Afghan attacks
AP reports: "Al-Qaida threatened major new attacks in Afghanistan and dismissed setbacks in Iraq, vowing to continue its fight in a video marking the Sept. 11 attack, released Friday more than a week after the anniversary."

Comment: Is it good news that they have difficult getting out their video? Or, is it bad news that they are still able to spread their propaganda on the web?

My Way News - Haiti's food crisis deepens after floods
AP reports: "Four tropical storms have wiped out most of Haiti's food crops and damaged irrigation systems and pumping stations, raising the specter of acute hunger for millions in the impoverished country."

My Way News - Medvedev: Russia won't be pushed into isolation
AP reports: "One day after Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice made a blistering attack on the Kremlin leadership, Medvedev pushed back in a tough speech, saying NATO and the Bush administration were provoking Russia."

My Way News - Analysis: North Korea nuclear deal falling apart
AP reports: "A rare foreign policy success for the Bush administration is imploding as North Korea backs away from pledges to abandon nuclear weapons, pretty much as the president's critics on the right had warned."

My Way News - Bush to talk Mideast peace with Palestinian leader
AP reports: "Bush has said his goal is an Israeli-Palestinian accord before he leaves office. But that deadline is now only four months away, and while negotiators for Israel and the Palestinians privately report progress, there's been no visible evidence nor serious goodwill gestures by either side."

My Way News - A tumultuous week ends with Wall Street remade
AP reports: "As the closing bell sounded at the New York Stock Exchange, traders could finally pause and reflect on a week of operatic reversals of fortune and federal intervention that remade Wall Street itself. Among the highlights: The Treasury extended an $85 billion loan to insurer American International Group. The government prepared to take over untold billions in toxic mortgage assets and placed a $50 billion safety net under money market funds. Regulators banned some short-selling. Of the five major U.S. investment houses in existence at the start of the year, two remained intact and independent."

My Way News - Ahmadinejad says Israel won't survive
AP reports: "Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad lashed out at Israel on Thursday, saying the Jewish state would not survive, even if it gave up land for a Palestinian state. He also dismissed allegations that his country is trying to make nuclear arms."

Comment: As far as I can tell, there's nothing new here, he has said as much (and more) before, but it's noteworthy if only for adding to the already considerable body of evidence of his antipathy for Israel. Such evidence is important to demonstrate to those who always find a way to blame Israel that Iran really is the instigator here.

My Way News - UN envoy says Mideast peace efforts at crossroads
AP reports: "Peace talks by Israel and the Palestinians are at a crossroads 10 months after their leaders agreed to try to reach an accord this year and both sides need to step up their efforts to meet that goal, the United Nations' Mideast envoy said Thursday."

My Way News - Deep-rooted al-Qaida hard to extract from Yemen
AP reports: "Many Yemenis saw the operation as more than just an assault on the American presence, but part of a new al-Qaida war on Yemen's government."

My Way News - North Korea preparing to restart nuclear facility
AP reports: "North Korea has stopped disabling its nuclear reactor in Yongbyon and is now undertaking 'thorough preparations' to restart it, a diplomat from Pyongyang said Friday."

My Way News - Ultra-Orthodox party emerging as Israel kingmaker
AP reports: "Having won a fight to be leader of the ruling Kadima Party, Tzipi Livni now will likely need Shas as a partner to become prime minister. But Shas opposes any compromise on Jerusalem, and including it in a coalition could tie her hands in peace talks with the Palestinians."

My Way News - Gates: US reviewing its Afghanistan war strategy
AP reports: "In an echo of a time when things were going from bad to worse in Iraq, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Thursday the Bush administration is reviewing its war strategy in Afghanistan amid spreading insurgent violence, rising U.S. and allied military deaths and doubts about winning."

My Way News - WHO: Recalculation cuts malaria cases by half
AP reports: "WHO left unchanged the figure of malaria deaths. An estimated 881,000 people were killed by malaria in 2006 - most of them were children under 5, the report said."

My Way News - For dinner: Genetically altered 'super chicken'
AP reports: "Super Chicken strutted a step closer to the dinner table Thursday. The government said it will start considering proposals to sell genetically engineered animals as food, a move that could lead to faster-growing fish, cattle that can resist mad cow disease or perhaps heart-healthier eggs laid by a new breed of chickens."

My Way News - 16 dead in attack at US Embassy in Yemen
AP reports: "Militants linked to al-Qaida launched a brazen attack against the U.S. Embassy in the Yemeni capital Wednesday, firing automatic weapons and setting off grenades and a car bomb in a furious fusillade that failed to breach the walls but killed 16 people, including a newly wed New York woman."

My Way News - Exit polls: Livni clear winner in Israeli primary
AP reports: "Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni won the Kadima Party's primary election for its leader Wednesday, TV exit polls said, putting her in a good position to become Israel's first female leader in 34 years and sending a message that peace talks with the Palestinians will proceed."

My Way News - 'Post-Olympic era' off to a rocky start in China
AP reports: "Welcome to what commentators are calling China's 'post-Olympic era,' in which euphoria over the Beijing Games is slowly giving way to economic worries, new safety crises and a future both brimming with confidence and tinged with uncertainty."

My Way News - 6 die in suspected US missile strike in Pakistan
AP reports: "Air-fired missiles hit a militant compound near the Afghan border and killed at least six people Wednesday evening, officials said, soon after a senior American officer met with government leaders to discuss the furor over U.S. attacks inside Pakistan."

My Way News - Another nightmare on Wall Street: Dow down 450
AP reports: "The stock market took another nosedive Wednesday as the American banking system appeared even shakier and investors worried that the financial crisis is spinning so far out of control that even government rescues can't stop it."

My Way News - Iran gives full powers to hard-line Guards in Gulf

AP reports: "Iran announced Tuesday that it has put the elite Revolutionary Guards in charge of defending the country's territorial Persian Gulf waters in what appeared to be a hardening of its stance in the vital oil route."

My Way News - Pakistan troops ordered to open fire on US raiders
AP reports: "Pakistan's army said Tuesday that its forces have orders to open fire if U.S. troops launch another raid across the Afghan border, raising the stakes in a dispute over how to tackle militant havens in Pakistan's unruly border zone."

Comment: Fire on U.S. raiders? Well, at least the name "U.S. raiders" sounds cool. A local approach that involves living with and working with clan and sectarian leaders has worked well in Iraq, it's too bad that Bush's policy is alienating the very people the U.S. needs to fight the Taliban and al-Qaeda in Pakistan. And if our squeamish NATO allies leave Afghanistan, exactly who will the U.S. work with, who will be our ally and provide the kind of on-the-ground support and intelligence that is needed to win the war? Has it never occurred to Bush that the time honored strategy of "divide and conquer" is being used against the U.S. and our key regional allies?

My Way News - Olmert, Abbas sit down to discuss peace efforts
AP reports: "Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas sat down together Tuesday night to discuss their push to forge a peace agreement by the end of the year even as the Israeli leader prepares to leave office."

My Way News - France pushing for more sanctions against Iran
AP reports: "The Security Council should impose more sanctions on Iran over its stonewalling of a U.N. investigation into allegations that Tehran tried to make nuclear weapons, France said Tuesday."

My Way News - Scientists exhume British diplomat to study flu
AP reports: "Understanding more about the 1918-19 pandemic, known as the Spanish flu, might help scientists design better treatments for the H5N1 strain of avian flu. Victims of Spanish flu frequently experienced an overly aggressive immune response that attacked their own bodies. The same phenomenon has been seen in human H5N1 cases."

My Way News - Ukraine prez: Russia wants to destabilize Ukraine
AP reports: "Many Ukrainians wonder whether Ukraine will be the next victim of Russia's drive to stop NATO's expansion to its borders. Many fear Moscow could lay claim to Crimea, the Black Sea peninsula that once belonged to Russia and is now home to Russia's Black Sea fleet. More than half its residents are ethnic Russians."

My Way News - General: far more US troops needed in Afghanistan
AP reports: "Even after an extra U.S. Army brigade joins the fight against the insurgency here in January, three times that many reinforcements will be needed shortly thereafter, the highest-ranking U.S. general here said Tuesday."

My Way News - 6.1 magnitude quake rocks East Timor's capital

AP reports: "A powerful undersea earthquake rocked East Timor's capital on Tuesday, sending terrified residents fleeing from homes and buildings, witnesses said. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage. The U.S. Geological Survey says a magnitude 6.1 quake struck 90 miles (140 kilometers) southeast of Dili."

My Way News - IAEA info suggests Iran worked on nuclear missile
AP reports: "The U.N. nuclear monitoring agency shared new photos and documents purporting to show that Iran tried to refit its main long-distance missile to carry a nuclear payload, said diplomats who attended the meeting Tuesday."

My Way News - New UN president chides Security Council powers
AP reports: "Much of d'Escoto's antipathy was directed at the 15-nation Security Council, the United Nations' most powerful body, which is dominated by the United States, China, Russia, Britain and France - the five permanent members with veto power. That configuration reflects the balance of power at the end of World War II, when the U.N. was created. It was much on d'Escoto's mind as he dedicated his presidency to seeking 'the democratization of the United Nations' and to helping the 'dispossessed.'"

Comment: Well, that's unfortunate. At this time in world history it would be regrettable to have someone who hates the West leading the General Assembly.

My Way News - Arctic sea ice melt comes close, but misses record

AP reports: "Crucial Arctic sea ice this summer shrank to its second lowest level on record, continuing an alarming trend, scientists said Tuesday. [...] Even though the sea ice didn't retreat this year as much as last summer, 'there was no real sign of recovery,' said Walt Meier of the snow and ice data center."

My Way News - Report: North Korea conducted missile engine test
AP reports: "North Korea has carried out an engine ignition test for a long-range missile capable of striking the western United States, a South Korean newspaper reported Tuesday."

My Way News - US plans to sell Israel 1,000 bunker-buster bombs
AP reports: "The U.S. plans to sell Israel 1,000 buster-bunker bombs which Israeli military experts said Monday could provide a powerful new weapon against underground arsenals in Lebanon or Gaza."

My Way News - Race is on for leadership of Israeli ruling party
AP reports: "A popular foreign minister hoping to become Israel's first female leader in more than three decades squares off against a tough-talking military man Wednesday when the ruling party picks a new chief to replace Prime Minister Ehud Olmert."

My Way News - Togo: Recent bird flu outbreak is deadly H5N1
AP reports: "Tests performed after the first ever outbreak of bird flu in the West African nation of Togo have confirmed the presence of the virulent H5N1 strain of the virus, state media said Monday."

My Way News - NATO envoys: Russia must leave Georgia
AP reports: "Diplomats from every NATO nation demanded immediate Russian withdrawal from Georgia in a show of support from the U.S. ally's capital on Monday that made no promise of faster membership in the alliance."

My Way News - Ike victims wait in line for food, water and gas
AP reports: "Thousands of victims of Hurricane Ike settled in at shelters for what could be weeks, and others waited wearily in line for food, water, ice and gasoline Monday as it became increasingly clear the disaster along the Texas coast would be measured not by its death toll but by the misery it spread."

My Way News - Meltdown in US finance system pummels stock market
AP reports: "The upheaval in the American financial system sent shock waves through the stock market Monday, producing the worst day on Wall Street in seven years as investors digested the failure of one of its most venerable banks and wondered which domino would be next to fall."

My Way News - WWF: Melting Arctic adds urgency to climate deal
AP reports: "The WWF said observations on ice coverage and thickness pointed toward a record low for the second year in a row, continuing a 'catastrophic' trend that could threaten polar wildlife and accelerate global warming."

My Way News - AP IMPACT: Tons of drugs dumped into wastewater
AP reports: "U.S. hospitals and long-term care facilities annually flush millions of pounds of unused pharmaceuticals down the drain, pumping contaminants into America's drinking water, according to an ongoing Associated Press investigation."

With White House Push, U.S. Arms Sales Jump - NYTimes.com
AP reports: "The Bush administration is pushing through a broad array of foreign weapons deals as it seeks to rearm Iraq and Afghanistan, contain North Korea and Iran, and solidify ties with onetime Russian allies."

Israel slated to buy US smart bombs | Jerusalem Post
The Jerusalem Post reports: "The US Department of Defense has notified Congress of a potential sale to Israel of 1,000 smart bombs capable of penetrating underground bunkers, which would likely be used in the event of a military strike on Iran's nuclear facilities. The notification to Congress was made over the weekend by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, the branch of the Pentagon responsible for evaluating foreign military sales. Congress has 30 days to object to the deal."

Terrorists No Longer Invited to Broadcast Themselves - Mashable
Mashable reports: "Earlier today, YouTube posted an update to their community guidelines indicating that they’d much more strictly be enforcing their standards with regard to hate speech."

Astronaut Edgar Mitchell Claims Alien Cover-up
AP reports: "Dr. Edgar Mitchell is a veteran of the Apollo 14 mission and he was the sixth man to walk on the Moon. Dr. Mitchell also insists that aliens have visited Earth and that governments are actively covering it up."

My Way News - Syrian-Russian naval cooperation grows

AP reports: "Russia said Friday it was renovating a Syrian port for use by the Russian fleet, signaling an effort to establish a firmer foothold in the Mediterranean at a time of tensions with the United States over Georgia."

My Way News - Colossal Hurricane Ike lashes Texas coast

AP reports: "A monster-sized Hurricane Ike bore down on the Texas coast late Friday, threatening to rattle the sparkling skyscrapers of America's fourth-largest city, shut down the heart of the U.S oil industry for days and obliterate waterfront towns already flooded with waist-high water."

My Way News - Pakistan could end cooperation in war on terror
AP reports: "The furor intensified Friday over Washington's decision to pursue Islamic militant targets inside Pakistan, with opposition lawmakers threatening the country could pull out of the war on terror if the U.S. refuses to respect its borders. [...] Most analysts doubt Pakistan is ready to reverse Musharraf's decision in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks to stand with Washington."

My Way News - Pentagon team to assess Georgia's military needs
AP reports: "American help in rebuilding Georgia's armed forces, regardless of the scale, could harden lines in the standoff between Moscow and Washington over the future of this pro-Western nation that straddles a key pipeline route from the oil fields of Central Asia."

My Way News - Worries simmer over absent North Korean strongman
AP reports: "The 'Dear Leader' is ill and out of sight - at a time when North Korea is backtracking on a pledge to abandon its nuclear ambitions and is building a missile base that analysts say could put U.S. territory within range."

My Way News - Woman who slashed Mo. mom, took baby gets 30 years
AP reports: "A woman who slashed a young mother's throat and kidnapped her newborn in rural eastern Missouri, setting off a frantic search that drew national attention, was sentenced Friday to 30 years in prison."

My Way News - Bush marks Sept. 11 with moment of silence

AP reports: "Bush observed the seventh anniversary of the deadliest attack on U.S. soil, the last time as president, with a moment of silence at the White House at 8:46 a.m. EDT - the exact moment when terrorists crashed a hijacked airliner into the World Trade Center in New York. A second plane struck the trade center shortly thereafter. Another plane was flown into the Pentagon and still another crashed in a field at Shanksville, Pa."

My Way News - US Navy cmdr dismisses Russia bombers as US threat
AP reports: "The arrival of Russian Tu-160 bombers was the first such deployment to the Western Hemisphere since the Cold War and seemed certain to further strain Russia's relations with the United States."

My Way News - Georgia's Saakashvili warns NATO on Russia
AP reports: "He suggested that keeping Georgia out of NATO because of increasing Russian control over South Ossetia and another separatist region, Abkhazia, would be precisely the result the Kremlin intended - and a recipe for forceful intervention elsewhere."

My Way News - Texas prepares for a gigantic Hurricane Ike
AP reports: "Cars and trucks streamed inland and chemical companies buttoned up their plants Thursday as a gigantic Hurricane Ike took aim at the heart of the U.S. refining industry and threatened to send a wall of water crashing toward Houston."

My Way News - Hurricanes deplete Red Cross relief fund
AP reports: "The wave of storms battering the U.S. has plunged the American Red Cross deep into debt as it rushes to prepare for Hurricane Ike, prompting a searching look at how to stabilize its finances."

My Way News - Officials: Bush OK'd US raids inside ally Pakistan
AP reports: "President Bush has secretly approved U.S. military raids inside anti-terror ally Pakistan, according to current and former U.S. officials. The high-risk gambit prizes the death or capture of al-Qaida and Taliban extremists over the sensitivities of a shaky U.S.-backed civilian government that does not want to seem like Washington's lapdog."

My Way News - AP Enterprise: Drugs affect more drinking water
AP reports: "While the comprehensive risks are still unclear, researchers are finding evidence that even extremely diluted concentrations of pharmaceutical residues harm fish, frogs and other aquatic species in the wild and impair the workings of human cells in the laboratory."

My Way News - Quake in Iran kills 7, sends tremors across Gulf

AP reports: "A strong earthquake rocked southern Iran on Wednesday, sending tremors across the Persian Gulf and shaking the skyscrapers of Dubai. Iranian state television reported that seven people were killed and 40 others were injured."

My Way News - Israel protests that Iran can't preach morality
AP reports: "Ahmadinejad is feared and reviled in Israel because of his repeated calls to wipe the Jewish state off the map, and his aggressive pursuit of nuclear technology has only fueled Israel's fears. Iran insists its nuclear program is purely for civilian purposes, but the U.S., Israel and key European nations suspect its real aim is to produce atomic weapons."

My Way News - Russian strategic bombers land in Venezuela

AP reports: "Two Russian strategic bombers landed in Venezuela on Wednesday as part of military maneuvers, President Hugo Chavez said, welcoming the unprecedented deployment at a time of increasing tensions between Moscow and the U.S."

My Way News - Powerful earthquake rattles northeastern Indonesia
AP reports: "A powerful earthquake rattled northeastern Indonesia on Thursday, briefly triggering a tsunami alert and sending panicked residents fleeing from homes and buildings, officials said. The quake had a preliminary magnitude 6.6 and struck 55 miles beneath the Molucca Sea, the U.S. Geological Survey."

My Way News - Magnitude 7.0 earthquake hits northern Japan
AP reports: "A magnitude 7.0 earthquake hit northern Japan on Thursday morning, triggering a small tsunami that apparently caused no damage, Japan's Meteorological Agency said. There were no immediate reports of injuries."

My Way News - Scientists beaming after test of big atom smasher
AP reports: "The world's largest atom smasher passed its first test Wednesday as scientists said their powerful tool is almost ready to reveal how the tiniest particles were first created after the 'big bang,' which many theorize was the massive explosion that formed the stars, planets and everything."

Barclaycard Invests In Contactless Payment Systems - Sky News
Sky News reports: "Contactless payment technology allows people to pay for items with the things they have with them, such as mobile phones, key fobs and even their eyes or fingerprints."

My Way News - New security database angers many in France
AP reports: "A new French security database that could track anyone deemed a 'possible threat to public order' - even minors as young as 13 - has outraged privacy crusaders and put France's conservative government on the defensive. [...] Judicial officials complain the new language defining how Edvige can be used is menacingly Orwellian."

My Way News - Serbia ratifies EU, Russia deals
AP reports: "The Stabilization and Association agreement with the EU will give Serbia access to EU funds and will ease trade with EU countries. The pro-Western government supports this first step toward eventual membership in the 27-nation bloc, but the nationalist opposition rejects it because most EU member states support the independence of Kosovo."

My Way News - Russia to keep 7,600 troops in 2 Georgia regions
AP reports: "Russia announced Tuesday it would keep 7,600 troops in Abkhazia and South Ossetia for the foreseeable future, asserting power in the breakaway regions even as it began a pullout from positions deeper in Georgia."

My Way News - Report: North Korean leader alive but ill
AP reports: "The Yonhap news agency cited an unidentified South Korean government official as saying Wednesday that Kim appeared to have suffered a collapse, a term in Korean normally used to indicate a grave illness such as a stroke."

Comment: This could be bad. If Kim is succeeded by one of his sons or a military leader or team of leaders, it could signal a retreat from the nuclear deal as they try to assert their legitimacy within the domestic military. If they believe that Kim's death would weaken North Korea in the eyes of the world, they may press forward with their nuclear program and continue the ruthless military rule that has ruined the economy and impoverished the people. On the other hand, Kim's death may be an opportunity for a new openness and a chance to end Pyongyang's long isolation.

The Large Hadron Collider: End of the world, or God's own particle? - Science, News - The Independent
The Independent offers this quick primer on the LHC: "The biggest, most expensive experiment in history is attracting both scientific hyperbole and hysteria. Some say it will reveal the universe's secrets and lead to the elusive Theory of Everything. A few fear that unleashing unimaginable power beneath the Swiss countryside will result in the end of the world. [...] The collisions start in October. Until then, at least, we're not all doomed."

My Way News - Russia prepares to launch Iran's nuclear plant
AP reports: "Iran is paying Russia more than $1 billion to build the 1,000-megawatt light-water reactor. Construction has been held up by disputes between Tehran and Moscow, publicly described as centering on questions of payment and the schedule for shipping nuclear fuel. The United States and other Western nations that fear Iran is seeking to acquire nuclear weapons have criticized Russia for building Bushehr."

My Way News - Al-Qaida new tape blasts Iran for working with US
AP reports: "Al-Qaida marked the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks with an hour and a half video message Monday summarizing the state of jihad, or holy war, around the world and slamming Iran for collaborating with the United States."

My Way News - Blasts kill 9 in Pakistan militant stronghold
AP reports: "Missiles fired from U.S. drone aircraft hit a seminary and houses associated with a Taliban commander, killing at least nine people, including both militants and civilians, officials and witnesses say."

My Way News - Russia agrees to pull out of key areas of Georgia
AP reports: "The short war between Georgia and Russia - which began when Georgian forces attacked South Ossetia followed by Russia invading and routing Georgia's military - has turned into a critical event in the post-Cold War world as Russia asserts its new economic and military clout and the West struggles to respond."

My Way News - Bush to pull about 8,000 troops from Iraq by Feb.
AP reports: "President Bush will keep roughly the same number of U.S. forces in Iraq through the end of the year and pull about 8,000 troops home by February, a drawdown that's both slower and smaller than long anticipated."

Large Hadron Collider Switch-on Fears Are Completely Unfounded, Report Finds
Science Daily reports: "A new report provides the most comprehensive evidence available to confirm that the Large Hadron Collider (LHC)’s switch-on, due on Wednesday next week, poses no threat to mankind. Nature’s own cosmic rays regularly produce more powerful particle collisions than those planned within the LHC, which will enable nature’s laws to be studied in controlled experiments."

The Two Weeks You Missed - Op-Ed - NYTimes.com
The New York Times reports: "Hezbollah, the radical Shiite militia sponsored by Iran, has a new base of operations in the Americas: Venezuela. Western intelligence officials told The Los Angeles Times that President Hugo Chavez has formed 'a strategic partnership' with Iran, and that Hezbollah is exploiting the new ties. The group intends to create a special terrorist cell to kidnap Jewish businessmen in Latin America and take them back to Lebanon, the intelligence officials said. Another danger, they say, is that Hezbollah could use Venezuela as a base from which to insert terrorists into the United States."

Comment: Well, this can't be good. Maybe it's time to invoke the Monroe Doctrine and kick Hezbollah out of this hemisphere. Who do they think they are, China?

My Way News - Russia is testing West and Crimea could be target
AP reports: "Tomas Pojar, deputy foreign minister of the Czech Republic, said Russia's strong objection to U.S. missile defense bases in his country and Poland and recent events in Georgia clearly indicate Moscow's opposition to Western influence in the former Soviet Union's sphere of influence."

My Way News - EU seeks unity on Russia via high-speed diplomacy
AP reports: "The question is how long and whether the united European front can last, especially if Russia hangs tough. And there's also the fear that appeasement could simply invite Russia into other places that an increasingly assertive Moscow regards as its sphere of influence, like Ukraine, the Baltic states or Moldova."

My Way News - US flagship reaches Georgian port held by Russia
AP reports: "Cheney's visit to Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, came after trips to Georgia and another former Soviet state, oil-rich Azerbaijan. He reiterated Washington's view that Georgia and Ukraine will eventually join NATO despite fierce resistance from Moscow."

My Way News - US flagship reaches Georgian port held by Russia
AP reports: "The declaration by members of the Collective Security Treaty Organization - linking Moscow with Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan - also praised Russia for 'helping peace and security' in the region. However, the allies did not go as far as the Kremlin and recognize Georgia's two separatist areas - South Ossetia and Abkhazia - as independent nations."

My Way News - Rice meets Gadhafi on historic visit to Libya
AP reports: "The United States and Libya sealed a historic turnaround after decades of terrorist killings, American retaliation, suspicions and insults with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's peacemaking visit Friday with Moammar Gadhafi, Libya's mercurial strongman. [...] Libya's proven oil reserves are the ninth largest in the world, close to 39 billion barrels, and vast areas remain unexplored for new deposits."

My Way News - Minor earthquake rattles San Francisco Bay area
AP reports: "A light earthquake has rattled the San Francisco Bay area. The U.S. Geological Survey's preliminary report put the quake at a 4.0 magnitude."

My Way News - Google reigns as world's most powerful 10-year-old
AP reports: "It sounded preposterous 10 years ago, but look now: Google draws upon a gargantuan computer network, nearly 20,000 employees and a $150 billion market value to redefine media, marketing and technology."

My Way News - Syria makes peace proposal to Israel

AP reports: "Syria's leader said Thursday he offered a proposal for peace with Israel but also refused to break off ties with Hezbollah and militant Palestinians - a key Israeli demand."

Comment: Ok, so Syria wants peace and territory, and won't break off contact with those who are still at war with Israel. If Israel makes peace with Syria it will lose territory, while continuing to defend against attack from the north (Hezbollah) and the south (Hamas), and in exchange for this, Syria will gain territory. Does that sound like a fair deal?

My Way News - Iran bill to ease polygamy angers women
AP reports: "A bill that would allow Iranian men to take additional wives without the consent of their first wife has angered women and the country's top justice official, who say it would undermine women's rights and could be a government attempt to more deeply enshrine its strict Islamic interpretation into law."

My Way News - Russia's Medvedev adopts tough tone, echoing Putin
AP reports: "Putin may no longer occupy the president's office in the Kremlin, but many suspect he still calls Russia's shots as prime minister and the head of United Russia, which dominates Russia's national and regional governments. He talks to Medvedev daily and has created a mini-cabinet of his own to shadow that of the president's."

My Way News - Cheney offers US backing for Georgia's NATO bid
AP reports: "Vice President Dick Cheney insisted that Georgia will join NATO and backed its attempts to rebuild from its war with Russia on Thursday, using a trip to former Soviet republics as a show of U.S. support for their pro-Western leaders."

My Way News - US confirms ground assault inside Pakistan
AP reports: "American forces launched a raid inside Pakistan Wednesday, a senior U.S. military official said, in the first known U.S. ground assault in Pakistan against a suspected Taliban haven."

My Way News - General: US forces to up Afghan winter offensives
AP reports: "American troops in Afghanistan will step up offensive operations this winter because insurgents are increasingly staying in the country to prepare for spring attacks, a U.S. commander told The Associated Press."

My Way News - 19-square-mile ice sheet breaks loose in Canada

AP reports: "A chunk of ice shelf nearly the size of Manhattan has broken away from Ellesmere Island in Canada's northern Arctic, another dramatic indication of how warmer temperatures are changing the polar frontier, scientists said Wednesday."

My Way News - Ohio mom spared death penalty for microwaving baby
AP reports: "A woman convicted of murdering her infant daughter by microwaving her was spared the death penalty Wednesday by a jury that couldn't reach a unanimous decision."

My Way News - Bush announces $1 billion in aid for Georgia
AP reports: "That said, the U.S. has found during this conflict that it has little leverage with Russia. Moscow has drawn condemnations from the United States and Europe, but little else. Meanwhile on Wednesday, Russia closed its embassy in Georgia, following Georgia's severing of diplomatic ties with Moscow."

My Way News - US welcomes Europeans in Russia-Georgia dispute
AP reports: "The White House praised EU involvement in trying to reverse Russia's recognition of two breakaway Georgia regions - Abkhazia and South Ossetia - and promised U.S. cooperation in reconstruction of the small Caucasus country, a former Soviet republic. The statement from President Bush's press secretary also urged the EU to deploy cease-fire monitors quickly to ensure that Russia fulfills its promises."

My Way News - Internet traffic grows 53 percent from mid-2007
AP reports: "International Internet traffic kept growing in the last year, but at a slower rate than before, and carriers more than kept pace by adding more capacity, a research firm said Wednesday."

AFP: Russian newspapers hail 'victory' after EU summit

AFP reports: "Russian newspapers on Tuesday hailed a victory for Moscow after the European Union froze talks on closer ties until Russian troops withdraw from Georgia but stopped short of imposing economic sanctions."

CNN - Analysis: Can Europe stand firm against Russia?
CNN reports: "So what were the lessons of the EU's emergency summit in Brussels [...] The first is that the EU is interested only in a political solution, not a military solution, in the Caucasus and Russia's 'near abroad'. It has neither the military muscle nor the diplomatic will for any other course."

Comment: The EU had a nice little summit, lots of words, no sanctions. The EU blinked, Russia wins. We are now on the path toward a return of the Russian Empire, the Ukraine is probably next on the menu.

FT.com - Cracks in EU unity on Russia
The Financial Times explains why, "economic or even tough diplomatic sanctions against Russia were never going to be announced at the summit. The EU is not a military alliance or even a regional policeman for Europe. Its common foreign and security policy is a work in progress, not a solid fact. Negotiation, partnership and a knack for fashioning ingenious compromises out of nothing are the EU’s very spirit and life force."

My Way News - Palestinians reject partial peace accord
AP reports: "Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas rejected Israel's idea of an interim peace agreement at a Sunday summit, a Palestinian negotiator said, insisting on an all-or-nothing approach that virtually ruled out an accord by a January target date."

Comment: Abbas seems intent on making the same mistake as Arafat did with Clinton, saying no to the best deal they could get at the time. I'm really hoping that Netanyahu will become the next PM and not Livni, which would mean there would be less political support for further concessions to the divided Palestinian leadership.

My Way News - Ukraine fears becoming Russia's next target
AP reports: "With Russian troops stationed deep in Georgia, fears run high that Ukraine may be the next target of a Kremlin drive to reclaim dominance in the lands of the former Soviet Union. Many here believe Moscow has its sights on Ukraine's strategic Crimea peninsula on the Black Sea - once a jewel of Russia's empire."

My Way News - Putin vows 'an answer' to NATO ships near Georgia
AP reports: "Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that Russia will respond calmly to an increase in NATO ships in the Black Sea in the aftermath of the short war with Georgia, but promised that 'there will be an answer.'"

My Way News - Thai protesters flout premier's state of emergency
AP reports: "Thailand's embattled leader struggled to keep the peace and his grip on power after declaring a state of emergency that was openly flouted by thousands of anti-government protesters in the capital."

My Way News - 9 Australians wounded fighting Taliban
AP reports: "Australian troops clashed with Taliban fighters in southern Afghanistan late Tuesday in fighting that left several insurgents dead and nine Australian soldiers wounded, the military said."

Russia Claims Its Sphere of Influence in the World - NYTimes.com
The New York Times reprots: "President Dmitri A. Medvedev of Russia on Sunday laid out what he said would become his government’s guiding principles of foreign policy after its landmark conflict with Georgia — notably including a claim to a “privileged” sphere of influence in the world."

EUobserver - Russian threats loom over historic EU summit
The EUobserver reports: "EU leaders are holding an emergency summit on EU-Russia relations on Monday (1 September) - the first such meeting since the 9/11 attacks in the US. But the union is split on how to handle Moscow, with the Kremlin threatening to retaliate against Europe if it adopts punitive sanctions."