Iran moving its money out of Europe
• ReutersEmbroiled in a nuclear standoff with the West, Iran said it was moving its foreign assets to shield them from possible UN sanctions, and flexed its oil muscles with a proposal to cut output.
Current News Headlines
These pages list the most recent news stories reported by the readers and editors of Freedom's Phoenix:
Fingerprint check coming to your national bank
• ReutersAdvances in biometrics -- fingerprint or eye, facial, palm, voice, vein or even ear shape recognition software operated by bank staff or included in an automated teller machine.
Ivory Coast decends once more into civil war
• The AustralianIVORY COAST, once one of the wealthiest nations in Africa, was close to its second civil war in five years yesterday as gangs of armed thugs loyal to President Laurent Gbagbo ran amok across the southern half of the country.
Lever Action gone; Winchester ceases production
• Associated PressThe traditional Winchester rifles carried by pioneers, movie stars and Wild West lawmen will be discontinued in March, a Belgian manufacturer said, confirming the end of an American icon that became known as "the Gun That Won the West."
15 police officers face charges over subway shooting
• The IndependentMenezes had done little to arouse suspicion, other than to emerge from a flat under surveillance. Far from vaulting a ticket barrier and running down an escalator to escape officers, he walked at a normal pace, pausing for a newspaper, and was not
Inflation rate was highest its been in 5 years for 2005
• Associated PressConsumer prices rose by 3.4 percent in 2005 with 40 percent of the increase blamed on the biggest jump in energy costs since 1990. Energy was up 17.1 percent this past year, reflecting gasoline prices that for a time soared above $3 a gallon and crud
China puts reporter on trial for exposing government corruption
• Washington PostA veteran journalist stood trial in the final step in a retaliation campaign launched after a Communist Party official gained national fame by publicly denouncing his superiors for condoning and covering up corruption.
Democrats' unofficial wiretap hearings to be carried today on CSPAN, Internet
• Raw StoryHouse Democrats will hold unofficial hearings on the legality of President Bush's warantless wiretap domestic spying programs today at 9 a.m. MST, and CSPAN and Pacifica radio will carry the hearings live.
Public unrest increasing in China
• BBCChina announced a rise in public disturbances in 2005, as rapid economic growth continued to spark social unrest. Amid growing anger at official corruption and several high-profile land disputes between authorities and villagers. China's leaders
Iran: Go ahead, make my day!
• Agence France Presse"In case of sanctions, other countries will suffer as well as Iran," Oil Minister Davoud Danesh-Jafari said. "One of the consequences will be the unleashing of a crisis in the oil sector and particularly a price hike." Iran, the n
Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN) seeks to stop gasoline exports to Iran
• Washington Post"To forestall the need for nuclear force, we need tough action now, including economic sanctions, cultural sanctions, cutting off their supply of gasoline, (arms) sales to convince the leaders of Iran that nuclear weapons are something th
AOL, MSN and Yahoo said yes to government demand for user data
• Search Engine WatchThe Bush administration wanted one million random web addresses and records of all Google searches for a one week period. The government apparently wants to estimate how much pornography shows up in the searches that children do. Here's a thought
Iran frees Iraqi border guards
• Herald SunIran has released 8 Iraqi border guards overnight who had been detained by Iranian forces after a clash on the southern river frontier. The clash occurred when Iraqi border guards boarded a barge smuggling fuel to Iran.
Pharisee Nation
• John Dear“Now let me get this straight,” I said. “Jesus says, ‘Blessed are the peacemakers,’ which means he does not say, ‘Blessed are the warmakers,’ which means, the warmakers are not blessed, which means warmakers are cursed, which means, if you want to fo
Energy rich Iraq still in darkness 4 years later
• Reuters"I can't afford a generator and can't buy food because my refrigerator is constantly subject to power cuts," said Mariam Hussein, resident of a major suburb of Bahgdad. "We have less than 6 hours of power daily."
AZ Congressman attacks incursions by Mexico military
• Washington TimesWhile the Mexican government has vigorously denied that its military is crossing into the US, Rep. Rick Renzi said that during a tour of the Arizona border showed him military-style humvees lining up at dusk just south of the border to move drugs int
Breath underwater like a fish
• IsraCastAn Israeli Inventor has developed a breathing apparatus that will allow breathing underwater without the assistance of compressed air tanks. Use the relatively small amounts of air that already exist in water to supply oxygen to both scuba divers and
Republicans not as good at bribing old folks as Democrats
• Associated PressThe Medicare drug program that was supposed to win political points for Republicans has exploded in their faces. It's a particularly vexing problem for the GOP, since older Americans are such active voters and no one seeking office wants to see t
Ballot Boxing
• John Dougherty - Phoenix New TimesGOP honchos keep hiding the truth about election foul-ups, as it's learned that local ballots may be stored illegally
What you mean 'We,' white man?
• Associated PressThe Montana-Wyoming Tribal Leaders Council has rejected a $111,000 donation from the campaign of Montana Sen. Conrad Burns, with some saying the money is tainted because it originally came from lobbyist Jack Abramoff and his clients.
Update: Bin Laden returns from the grave in time for Congress
• BBC (incl. audio and transcript links)Osama bin Laden warned that al Qaeda was preparing new attacks inside the US, but said the group was open to a conditional truce with Americans, according to an CIA confirmed audio tape of him.
Own personal jet for $2 million; FAA not happy
• ReutersCalled "microjets" or "very light jets," they've been likened to SUVs with wings. With 2 engines and seating capacity for 5 or 6 people, they cost half as much as the most inexpensive business jet now in service. 3,000 of the
Scottish party publishes ‘CIA flights’ dossier
• The News InternationalThe Scottish National Party report lists planes, the dates on which they landed and 10 companies that have allegedly operated on behalf of the CIA. So-called extraordinary rendition flights are allegations that the CIA flew terror suspects through Eu
Saddam's new judge accused of being a Baathist
• ReutersThe Iraqi court trying Saddam Hussein was thrown into fresh confusion when a senior official denounced the new chief judge as a member of Saddam's banned Baath party who should be barred from office.
Iraqi children now being used as suicide bombers
• CNN"A boy said to be aged between 10 and 13 years allegedly carried out a suicide bombing targeting the police commander in the city of Kirkuk. 2 boys aged 12 and 13 years reportedly carried out attacks against [U.S.-led forces] in Fallujah and Hwe
Nigerian rebels threaten all oil producer employees
• ReutersMilitants behind a string of attacks aimed at disrupting Nigeria's oil industry said they intended to target all producers in the country, in a message that singled out Chevron.
Iran shows solidarity with Syria
• BBCIranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has arrived in Damascus for a visit to show solidarity as international pressure grows on both states.
William Shatner beams out $25,000 kidney stone
• USA TodayAn online casino has a piece of actor William Shatner who sold his kidney stone for $25,000, with the money going to a housing charity. "This is a bold new addition to our fleet," said GoldenPalace.com. "This would be the first Habitat
Feds after Google data
• Mercury NewsThe Bush administration asked a federal judge to order Google to turn over a broad range of material from its closely guarded databases. The move is part of a government effort to revive an Internet child protection law struck down 2 years ago by the
U.S. Policy of Abuse Undermines Rights Worldwide
• Human Rights Watch (PDF links)New evidence demonstrated in 2005 that torture and mistreatment have been a deliberate part of the Bush administration’s counterterrorism strategy, undermining the global defense of human rights, Human Rights Watch said releasing its World Report
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