Tuesday 31st October 2006: -

• More Satanic Worshipping in Vatican Verified: High Level Illuminati from Monte Carlo P2 Lodge Pins 9/11 Plot on Knights of Malta and Vatican involvement - A former high level member of the influential Monte Carlo P2 Lodge verified that satanic worshipping goes on in the catacombs of the Vatican. Leo Zagami, who defected from the Illuminati in June, said he had personal knowledge of "Black Masses" were regularly being conducted in the Vatican for high level members of the European and American Illuminati in a decadent display of audacious Satanic power.

• THE MINISTRY OF TRUTH: Pentagon boosts 'media war' unit - The US defence department has set up a new unit to better promote its message across 24-hour rolling news outlets, and particularly on the internet. The Pentagon said the move would boost its ability to counter "inaccurate" news stories and exploit new media. Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said earlier this year the US was losing the propaganda war to its enemies. On Monday, Vice-President Dick Cheney said insurgents had increased attacks in Iraq to sway the US mid-term polls.   (FLASHBACK TO FEBRUARY 2002: Pentagon plans propaganda war)

• British scientists grow human liver in a laboratory - British scientists have grown the world's first artificial liver from stem cells in a breakthrough that will one day provide entire organs for transplant. The technique that created the 'mini-liver', currently the size of a one pence piece, will be developed to create a full-size functioning liver. Described as a 'Eureka moment' by the Newcastle University researchers, the tissue was created from blood taken from babies' umbilical cords just a few minutes after birth.

• Nearly 400 charged with terror offences in UK - Nearly 400 people have been charged with terrorist offences during the past five years, the home secretary, John Reid revealed Tuesday. Speaking at a conference for business leaders in London, Reid said that that since the 9/11 attacks in the US, 387 suspected terrorists or sympathisers had been charged under the Terrorism Act and other criminal legislation. Of those, 214 had since been convicted and another 98 were awaiting trial. This, he said, was an "indication of the scale of the threat that we face." "In response to it, the struggle has to be on every level and with every person. It is easy to forget just how deep and ongoing the struggle is." The home secretary argued that at the core of the struggle was a battle of ideas and he called for the public, private and voluntary sectors to work with the government to "advance our values of guarded openness and liberty in defiance of the terrorist menace".

• Physicist bolsters 9/11 conspiracy views - A Utah physics professor has become a hero to those who believe the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, were somehow orchestrated by the United States. Steven Jones, who has been on leave from Brigham University since he published a paper that suggests explosives must have helped bring down New York's World Trade Center, was one of three speakers on a panel at the University of Colorado, the Denver Post reported Monday. Jones believes the collapse of the twin towers resembles what happens in a controlled demolition. He said that World Trade Center 7, which collapsed hours after the towers, came down in 6.5 seconds -- only slightly longer than a steel ball bearing dropped from the top of the building would have taken to reach the ground.   (RELATED: See our 9/11 archive and our affiliated site 911truthskipton.com)

Monday 30th October 2006: -

• GERMANY: Anti-terrorist technology scans faces on crowded train platform - Railway authorities in Germany are conducting tests of revolutionary biometric facial recognition software that enables computers to pick out the faces of suspected terrorists in a crowd. The new software, being tested by Deutsche Bahn AG, will make it easier to distinguish terrorists from commuters, it is hoped. 'We're a couple of weeks into a pilot project that is testing technology designed to automatically detect terrorists or other criminals entering trains and alert security personnel,' Jens Puls, director of corporate security at Deutsche Bahn, announced at the Systems IT trade show in Munich.

• Stick to the clock... big brother's watching - GLASGOW bus drivers are being monitored all the time by satellite to check they're not running even two minutes too early. The Big Brother-style system, a first for Scotland, came into operation this month. Any driver caught two or more minutes quicker than scheduled is sent a warning letter by bosses at First. Running ahead of the timetable is considered a cardinal sin within the industry. As underlined by our Get Glasgow Moving campaign, it can lead to Scotland's Traffic Commissioner imposing penalties on bus route operators. And the problem can frustrate customers even more than late services can do.

• Ex-air marshal to sue over 'SSI' label - A former federal air marshal said he will file suit against the government today to challenge use of a nonclassified label that he says allows Homeland Security officials to cover up dangerous and inept policies. Robert MacLean, an air marshal who was fired for blowing the whistle on a cutback of flight protections in the wake of a terrorist alert, is the first federal employee to challenge the validity of the "Sensitive Security Information" (SSI) label in court. Asked why he is challenging the bureaucratic tool, Mr. MacLean said, "Vindictive retaliation like this makes agents unwilling to report gross mismanagement." Families of victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks and government-watchdog groups have failed to obtain records classified as SSI.

• School Safety Drill Upsets Some Parents - A school safety drill that included police officers in riot gear with weapons has caused concern among some parents who say it was too realistic and frightened some students. Police in the western Michigan community of Wyoming entered two classrooms at Lee Middle and High School on Thursday and announced there was a threat to the school, The Grand Rapids Press reported. Students, who were unaware police were conducting a drill, were taken from the classroom into the halls, patted down by officers and asked what they had in their pockets, the newspaper said. "Some of these kids were so scared, they just about wet their pants," said Marge Bradshaw, a parent with four children in Godfrey-Lee Schools. "I think it's pure wrong that the students and parents were not informed of this."

• The astronomy of Halloween: Holiday marks halfway point between autumnal equinox and winter solstice - Halloween means more than just a day for costumes and candy corn. It's the halfway point between the autumnal equinox and winter solstice, the last of four "cross-quarter" days on the solar calendar. "Our recognition of the cross-quarter days in the English-speaking world comes primarily from the Celts who lived in Britain in pre-Christian times," said astronomer Richard Pogge at Ohio State University. Celts, as well as traditional Japanese Shinto societies, considered equinoxes and solstices the middle of a season. They chose cross-quarter dates as a time to ring in the beginning of each season.   (RELATED: See our The Occult in your Living Room archive)

• Berlusconi could face another trial: Judge to decide on 2nd case involving Mills - A Milan judge is set to rule whether former premier Silvio Berlusconi and British corporate lawyer David Mills should stand trial for allegedly perverting the course of justice in two corruption trials. Judge Fabio Paparella withdrew on Monday to decide on prosecution requests that the two be indicted. Mills, who is the estranged husband of British Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell, helped Berlusconi set up a network of off-shore companies before the billionaire media magnate's 1994 debut into politics.

• Rock star's uncle was killed by IRA - A CHART-TOPPING rock star has admitted how the IRA murder of his uncle has inspired his fascination with conspiracy theories and world terrorism. Muse frontman Matt Bellamy - whose band plays in Belfast on Saturday - revealed how his Army officer uncle was shot dead, outside Springfield Road RUC station in west Belfast. The 28-year-old Muse lead singer and guitarist was only 16-months-old, when Duke of Wellington regiment warrant officer, David Bellamy was killed in a hail of 30 bullets, during the IRA ambush in October 1979. But the singer revealed to US radio listeners how the murder of his uncle has influenced his alternative thinking on who is behind worldwide acts of terror. Bellamy controversially believes that the 9/11 bombings in the USA and the London bombing last July were the result of government or high-powered dirty tricks. Said the Cambridge-born singer: "I think 9/11 was definitely an inside job, done by a group of high-powered people, looking for an excuse to invade the Middle East for oil and other natural resources."

Sunday 29th October 2006: -

• Leak defies Blair terror claim - TONY Blair's claim that the war in Iraq has not fuelled terrorism was dealt a devastating blow last night as leaked Cabinet documents acknowledged that Britain's military forays had contributed to extremist attacks. Papers put before a Cabinet committee on security earlier this month, and circulated to ministers and security chiefs, declare bluntly that the UK should rein in its ambitions in the Middle East. In a frank declaration, the papers demand "a significant reduction in the number and intensity of the regional conflicts that fuel terror activity". The assertion is a hammer blow to the Prime Minister, who has attempted for months to separate the Iraq conflict from terror attacks such as last year's London bombings.

• Amnesty International calls for bloggers to stand up for freedom: The organisation says this is a critical time - Amnesty International has issued a ‘Call to Bloggers’, asking them to get online and stand up for freedom of expression on the internet. The organisation says this is a critical time when fundamental rights – particularly freedom of expression and privacy – are under threat from governments that want to control what their citizens say, and what information they can access. The call comes as the online world prepares to meet at the Internet Governance Forum to discuss the future of the internet.

• Flag-burning could become crime - Police chiefs are urging the government to make flag-burning a new criminal offence, as part of a drive to crack down on Islamic extremists and others preaching violence and religious hate, the BBC has learned. The proposals also include action to ban demonstrators from covering their faces to avoid police scrutiny, and tougher powers to arrest demonstrators seeking to inflame tensions. They have been drawn up by Scotland Yard, and submitted to the Attorney General, Lord Goldsmith, by Britain's most senior muslim police chief, Assistant Commissioner Tarique Ghaffur.

• UK paper: Israel used 'uranium bombs' - The IDF on Saturday denied a report by the British newspaper The Independent claiming that Israel used uranium-based munitions, including uranium-tipped bunker-buster bombs, during its war against Hizbullah in Lebanon this summer. "The IDF Spokesman's Office wants to make it clear that no munitions containing uranium were used in the war in Lebanon," an IDF spokesman told The Jerusalem Post. According to the report, scientists found two soil samples thrown up by Israeli heavy or guided bombs which showed "elevated radiation signatures." "Scientific evidence gathered from at least two bomb craters in Khiam and At-Tiri, the scene of fierce fighting between Hizbullah guerrillas and Israeli troops last July and August suggests that uranium-based munitions may now also be included in Israel's weapons inventory - and were used against targets in Lebanon," it said.

• Google defiant over censorship in China: Internet giant steps into realm of politics with debate on freedom of speech - Google is to enter the political arena in earnest this week when it debates freedom of speech, intellectual property rights and how to connect Africa to the internet at a special UN conference. The Silicon Valley giant will attempt to position itself as a force for change that can finance web entrepreneurs in the developing world, champion the rights of consumers against 'over-zealous' copy-right laws and use the web to protect diverse minority cultures and languages. But Google will declare itself unrepentant over the controversial decision to censor its search engine at the behest of Beijing. At the first Internet Governance Forum in Athens, starting tomorrow, the firm will insist its presence in China does more good than harm by getting more information to more people.

• Rockefeller Predicted "Event" To Trigger War Eleven Months Before 9/11: Hollywood director Russo recalls remarkable "forecast" of coming attack - Hollywood director and documentary film maker Aaron Russo, currently receiving a wave of plaudits for his latest release, America: From Freedom to Fascism, told The Alex Jones Show that Nicholas Rockefeller had personally assured him there was going to be an "event" that would trigger the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq eleven months before 9/11 took place. Saying he had been approached many times by the Rockefellers and other members of the CFR elite in an attempt to recruit him, Russo recalled a conversation that would come home to roost on September 11, 2001. "Here's what I do know first hand - I know that about eleven months to a year before 9/11 ever happened I was talking to my Rockefeller friend (Nicholas Rockefeller) and he said to me 'Aaron there's gonna be an event' and he never told me what the event was going to be - I'm not sure he knew what the event was going to be I don't know that he knew that," said Russo. Russo related how Rockefeller knew precisely what the event would lead to and which countries would be militarily targeted by the elite.

Saturday 28th October 2006: -

• The US Orchestrated 9/11, Iranian Government Official Says - An Iranian government official accused the US of staging the attacks of September 11, 2001, claiming the New York's World Trade Centre was actually blown up by bombs, not by terrorists' hijacked planes. "What we watched on the TVs regarding the slamming of two planes into the New York Twin Towers, was in fact a make-believe scene," Deputy Culture Minister Mohammad-Hadi Homayoun was quoted by state news agency IRNA. He spoke in an address to the Iran-Russia Dialogue among Civilizations Conference in Moscow. "The sky-scrapers were destroyed through bomb explosions and afterwards the massive US media propaganda and the crusade issue began", the minister said referring to US President George W Bush's controversial remarks that outlined a "crusade" against terrorism following the 9/11 attacks.   (RELATED: See our 9/11 archive and our affiliated site 911truthskipton.com)

• Banks facing fines over ID thefts - Several leading banks may be facing unlimited fines over allegations that they dumped confidential customer account details in bin bags on streets. The information watchdog, Richard Thomas, told the Times that he had received "highly disturbing evidence". He is investigating alleged lapses by the Royal Bank of Scotland, Halifax, HSBC, Natwest and Post Office, it said. The British Bankers Association said it was normal practice to dispose of confidential information securely.

• Bush: U.S. Doesn't Torture Prisoners: Must be true then I guess! - President Bush said Friday the United States does not torture prisoners, commenting after Vice President Dick Cheney embraced the suggestion that a dunk in water might be useful to get terrorist suspects to talk. Human rights groups complained that Cheney's words amounted to an endorsement of a torture technique known as "water boarding," in which the victim believes he is about to drown. The White House insisted Cheney was not talking about water boarding, but would not explain what he meant.

• Cold weather's 25,000 deaths toll is scandal, say charities - More than 25,000 people died in England and Wales last winter as a direct result of cold weather and the illnesses that accompany it, official figures disclosed yesterday. Older people's charities said this seasonal death toll was a national scandal, largely brought about by Britain's failure to provide insulation and support for vulnerable pensioners who could not afford to keep their homes warm.

• Implantable RFID Microchips to Monitor Blood Sugar - The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has granted Digital Angel Corporation (AMEX: DOC) a patent for its syringe-implantable glucose-sensing RFID microchip, Digital Angel announced today. The RFID microchip measures the glucose concentration levels of diabetic patients and will be marketed and distributed by Digital Angel's sister company, VeriChip, as an extension to the company's products benefiting people. "A glucose-sensing microchip could profoundly impact the 230 million people worldwide living with diabetes," said Digital Angel CEO and President, Kevin McGrath. "Patent approval for this RFID microchip is a major step in bringing this life-altering technology to market. It also underscores Digital Angel's commitment to innovation, product development and rapid growth." Checking blood glucose levels regularly is critical to properly managing diabetes. The conventional method - a finger prick - is invasive, painful and often inaccurate. The implantable bio-sensor chip has a passive transponder, glucose sensor and integrated circuitry that allow anyone implanted with the microchip to painlessly scan it to determine their level of glucose concentration. The RFID microchip quickly and accurately transmits the glucose data back to a wireless scanner that displays the glucose level. The RFID microchip is powered by the scanner signal, avoiding the need for a battery in the microchip.

• U.S. Military Blocks Troops From Visiting Alternative News Websites - We realize that when it comes to freedom of the press, the USA has fallen to Number 53 in the world — tied with our fascist homies in Croatia and the islanders of the Kingdom of Tonga! — but do we have to make is so damned obvious? Another Marine stationed in Iraq has sent us a screenshot of what happens when you need some hot news on Macaca and Foley:forbidden, this page (http://www.wonkette.com) is categorized as (Personal Pages) ALL SITES YOU VISIT ARE LOGGED AND FILED. Nice little threat at the end, too. Asswipes.

• Chinese man jailed for internet subversion - A MAN HAS BEEN dropped in the clink in China for three years for supposedly causing trouble by posting a pro-rights essay online. According to news.com, Li Jianping, a 40 year old and student participant in China's infamous Tiananmen Square 1989 demonstrations, was nabbed for posting an essay published on overseas Chinese websites in 2003. He'd been accused of "inciting subversion of state power," and found guilty. The essay Li posted was in support of Hong Kong protestors fighting against a widely criticised legislation, Article 23, which has been accused of clamping down on political liberty.

Friday 27th October 2006: -

• MORE MAINSTREAM MEDIA FEAR/HATE MONGERING: Australian Muslim cleric blames women for rape - Australia's most senior Muslim cleric has been forced to apologise after provoking widespread outrage with a speech in which he appeared to blame women for rape, comparing them with "uncovered meat" that attracts animals. Sheik Taj Aldin al-Hilali reportedly made the remarks in a religious address to 500 worshippers in Sydney last month, during Ramadan. The speech was translated by The Australian newspaper, which ran excerpts yesterday.

• Poll: Most feel civil liberties not harmed by war on terror - Most Americans do not believe the Bush administration has gone too far in restricting civil liberties as part of the war on terror, a new CNN poll released Thursday suggests. While 39 percent of the 1,013 poll respondents said the Bush administration has gone too far, 34 percent said they believe the administration has been about right on the restrictions, according to the Opinion Research Corp. survey. Another 25 percent said the administration has not gone far enough. Asked whether Bush has more power than any other U.S. president, 65 percent of poll respondents said no. Thirty-three percent said yes. Of those who said yes, a quarter said that was bad for the country.

Thursday 26th October 2006: -

• Team develops DNA switch to interface living organisms with computers: Researchers at the University of Portsmouth, UK, have developed an electronic switch based on DNA - a world-first bio-nanotechnology breakthrough that provides the foundation for the interface between living organisms and the computer world - The new technology is called a ‘nanoactuator’ or a molecular dynamo. The device is invisible to the naked eye - about one thousandth of a strand of human hair. The DNA switch has been developed by British Molecular Biotechnology expert Dr Keith Firman at the University of Portsmouth working in collaboration with other European researchers. Dr Firman and his international team have been awarded a €2 million European Commission grant to further develop this ground-breaking new technology.

• US, EU sketch plans for global immigration database: If your print ain't down, you ain't coming in - The US is to corral "like-minded" nations behind a global immigration database after proving with a trial link to British computers that such an ambitious, global plan is technically feasible. Allies of the US have joined it in talks to formulate an international policy framework that would allow the sharing of immigration databases, effectively creating a global border control.

Wednesday 25th October 2006: -

• US naval war games off the Iranian coastline: A provocation which could lead to War? - There is a massive concentration of US naval power in the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea. Three US naval strike groups off the Iranian coastline are deployed: USS Enterprise, USS Eisenhower and USS Iwo Jima Expeditionary Strike Group. The naval strike groups have been assigned to fighting the "global war on terrorism." Tehran considers the US war games to be conducted in the Persian Gulf, off the Iranian coastline as a provocation, which is intended to trigger a potential crisis and a situation of direct confrontation between US and Iranian naval forces in the Persian Gulf.

• ID card scheme to buy junk food - AN Ulverston school is pressing for an ID card system that would stop kids from munching junk food in lunch breaks. The initiative would see some pupils turned away from the town’s shops and cafes during the dinner hour in an effort to encourage them to eat school dinners. The idea has been proposed by Ulverston Victoria High School. Students in year 11 and above would be given a card displaying their photograph, allowing businesses to check whether or not they were allowed to be in town during school hours and could be served grub.

• Fingerprint plan for kids - SCANNERS which read children's thumbprints when they buy school meals are being introduced in city schools. The ECHO understands some faith schools in Liverpool are trying out the hitech equipment to improve speed and safety. Instead of a child bringing their lunch money into the schools, parents pay electronically into a special account.

• German ministers 'knew about CIA torture cells' - The German government is alleged to have received first-hand evidence that the CIA began torturing terrorist suspects at secret prisons in Europe shortly after the September 11 attacks, despite claiming it only knew about such sites through the media. Stern magazine quoted a leaked German intelligence report yesterday which said that only weeks after September 11 2001, two agents and a translator visited a US military prison at the American "Eagle Base" in the Bosnian town of Tuzla, where they saw a torture victim.

• Tesco condemned for selling pole dancing toy - Tesco has been forced to remove a pole-dancing kit from the toys and games section of its website after it was accused of "destroying children's innocence". The Tesco Direct site advertises the kit with the words, "Unleash the sex kitten inside...simply extend the Peekaboo pole inside the tube, slip on the sexy tunes and away you go! "Soon you'll be flaunting it to the world and earning a fortune in Peekaboo Dance Dollars". The £49.97 kit comprises a chrome pole extendible to 8ft 6ins, a 'sexy dance garter' and a DVD demonstrating suggestive dance moves.   (RELATED EXTERNAL LINK: boycotttesco.com)

• Pointing fingers at corporate security - Fingerprinting firm DigitalPersona has launched a new version of its fingerprint authentication system, Digitalpersona Pro 4.0, which it says is faster and more reliable than its predecessor. Designed for use in a corporate environment, version 4.0 is more accurate, the company says, supports individual sign-on, is highly scalable, and is interoperable with all varieties of fingerprint sensors - optical and silicon. Those with responsibility for such things can read up on the technology here. Company co-founder and CTO Vance Bjorn is keen to stress that he is not pushing fingerprinting as a one-stop solution for security. He is all too aware of the limitations of the technology and of the criticisms levelled against it, but, he argues, it has its place.

Tuesday 24th October 2006: -

• Pay By Touch Introduces Rapid Enroll Kiosk(TM) to Improve Loyalty Program Enrollment Process: Internet-enabled System Expedites Enrollment, Reduces Processing Costs, Improves Customer Experience - Pay By Touch, the leader in integrated biometric authentication, personalized marketing and payment solutions, today announced the immediate availability of its Rapid Enroll Kiosk(TM). The new Internet-enabled retail kiosks speed and streamline enrollment for loyalty and rewards programs. The system allows for quick and easy customer sign up, and reduces enrollment processing time and expense for grocers and retailers. "Pay By Touch is committed to providing retailers with innovative solutions that improve the customer experience and make business sense," said John Rogers, founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Pay By Touch. "The new Pay By Touch Rapid Enroll Kiosk simplifies loyalty program enrollment for customers and reduces costs associated with enrollment for merchants."   (RELATED: See our Cashless Society Control Grid archive)

• German Railway Tests Biometric Technology: Problem > Reaction > Solution - Terrorists attempting to smuggle bombs into trains could be stopped in their tracks by intelligent surveillance technology being tested by German railway company Deutsche Bahn. "We’re a couple of weeks into a pilot project that is testing technology designed to automatically detect terrorists or other criminals entering trains and alert security personnel," Jens Puls, director of corporate security at Deutsche Bahn, said Monday at the Systems IT trade show in Munich. The project comes on the heels of foiled attempts to bomb two German regional trains in July, Puls said. German investigators have meanwhile learned that the terrorists had planned to bomb trains during the World Cup soccer tournament in Germany earlier this year but decided to wait because of the country’s tight security measures during the games.

• BBC admits: We are biased on religion and politics: Internal corporation memo on ‘impartiality’ summit leaked to British media exposes truth on BBC bias – The British Broadcasting Corporation has been struggling for several years against criticisms and claims of biased reporting concerning the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and distorted coverage of the global fight against terror. Following a diplomatic incident with Israel, the BBC appointed an editor known for his objective reporting, however, the true stance of the corporation’s editors remained the same. An internal memo, recently discovered by the British media, revealed what the BBC has been trying to hide. Senior figures admitted in a recent 'impartiality' summit that the BBC was guilty of promoting Left-wing views and anti-Christian sentiment.

• Youth prison system in 'meltdown' - Senior officials of the Prison Service and the Youth Justice Board have warned that the number of young people being held in custody in England and Wales has reached a crisis level and that the system is in danger of a "meltdown". Figures released today by the Youth Justice Board reveal that 3,350 youngsters are currently being held and that immediate action was needed before the handful of beds now available were filled. Dozens of children and youths from London are being held in South Yorkshire and the Scottish borders because of the shortage of beds, contravening rules that young offenders should not be held more than 50 miles from home.

• RFID chips embedded into collectable videgame cards: Information saved on chips provide interactive card-to-game playing - Mattel has teamed up with British company Innovision Research and Technology to create a new games platform that incorporates RFID technology into collectable cards. Hyperscan combines video games with collectable cards for the first time interactively. Each card is equipped with an RFID chip, while a reader plugs into the games console. Players scan their cards in order to take on the role of certain characters on the cards, and imbue them with special skills and powers. During the game, rescanning the card will enhance their characters' strength or armoury.

• VIDEO: Skipton's First 911 Truth Meeting: (Narrowboat pub, Thursday 19th October 2006) - What follows is uncut and unedited footage of the events at the Skipton 911 Truth Movement's first meeting in the town, held at the Narrowboat pub on the evening of Thursday 19th October 2006. The two speakers concerned were David Shayler (former MI5 officer) and his partner Annie Machon (also former MI5). The reason I filmed this event was to provide a document of proceedings thereby allowing those who were unable to attend to view the event online.  (Part One is Currently having technical difficulties)

Monday 23rd October 2006: -

• No limits on DNA database, says PM - Tony Blair has insisted there should be no limits on the expansion of the national DNA database, saying it was vital for catching serious criminals. The Prime Minister said the public were behind the controversial project as he urged police to make use of technological advances to solve thousands of "cold cases" During a tour of the Forensic Science Service Headquarters in central London, he said: "I think the politicians are more resistant (to the database) than the public. "I think the public think if this is helping us track down murderers, rapists... then go for it."

• ID cards plan remains "worryingly vague": LSE academics criticise government's latest cost estimates - The government's ID cards plan and cost estimates remain "worryingly vague", according to academics at the London School of Economics (LSE). The LSE response follows the Home Office's first "section 37" report, which will be given to parliament every six months, on the latest cost estimates for the UK's national ID cards scheme. The first report earlier this month said the ID cards scheme will cost £5.4bn to set up and run over the next 10 years, with 15 per cent - £810m - relating to investment in the technology. Dr Edgar A Whitley, from the LSE's Department of Management, said the report is "worryingly vague" about the timeline for implementation and does little to increase public confidence in the scheme.

• VIEW THE FILM ONLINE NOW: AARON RUSSO'S: AMERICA - FROM FREEDOM TO FASCISM - A documentary that explores the connection between income tax collection and the erosion of civil liberties in America.   (Also available on DVD from the official site freedomtofascism.com - Alex Jones has also added this to his own Infowars online store - Own a hard copy on DVD!)

• Hungarian police clamp down on anti-government protests - Hungarian police fired rubber bullets at anti-government protesters today as the country marked the 50th anniversary of its anti-Soviet uprising. Photographers at the scene said one demonstrator had been hit in the head by a rubber bullet and was bleeding but still conscious. A line of about 150 police slowly advanced behind three water cannon towards a crowd of protesters. About 200 demonstrators threw bottles and rocks at the police, who fired tear gas back at them.

• Irish passports go RFID, and naked: Mug me, my house is currently worth a fortune - The Irish government has begun issuing RFID passports with biometric data that can be read at a distance to comply with US regulations for its visa waiver programme. But unlike the RFID passports the USA is now issuing, the Irish ones lack a security feature preventing them from being skimmed, or read surreptitiously.

Sunday 22nd October 2006: -

• Surveillance cameras OK’d for high schools: Cameras are intended to detect and prevent violence - A half-million-dollar program to install surveillance cameras in local public high schools, including Menlo-Atherton and Woodside, has been approved unanimously by the Sequoia Union High School District Board of Trustees. Systems also are to be installed at Carlmont and Sequoia high schools. The board acted Oct. 18 at the request of assistant superintendent Ed LaVigne, who had set aside about $500,000 in bond money for the job a couple of years ago when school principals let him know that they wanted cameras on campus. The recent violence in schools across the country "just reminded me that we have this request," LaVigne said in an interview. Board President Gordon Lewin said in an interview that he "wasn't about to second guess the principals' views on this matter."

• AUDIO DOWNLOAD: Webster Tarpley talk with Ian Henshall - Tarpley talks to UK author and activist Ian Henshall about the state of the 911 Truth campaign in the UK and efforts to talk to other political groups in the UK, including the Green Party, SNP and leftist/antiwar groups, encouraging them to take these ideas on board.

• Dogs in 9/11 search doing OK: Well the ones that are still alive! - They dug in the toxic World Trade Center dust for survivors, and later for the dead. Their feet were burned by white-hot debris. But unlike thousands of others who toiled at Ground Zero after Sept. 11, these rescue workers aren't sick, researchers say. Although many Ground Zero dogs have died -- some of rare cancers -- researchers say many have lived beyond the average lifespan for dogs and are not getting any sicker than average.

• O'Brien urges Muslims to say sorry for 9/11 - THE leader of Scotland's Roman Catholics, Cardinal Keith O'Brien, has called for Muslims to apologise for the 9/11 and 7/7 bomb attacks, declaring that the public should not have to live "in fear of attack" from believers of the Islamic faith. In a move that has provoked a storm of outrage, the cardinal claims that, as the Pope apologised for the offence caused last month by his comments on the Islamic faith, so Muslims should now step up and say sorry for the attacks carried out in the name of their faith.

• US 'arrogant and stupid' in Iraq - A senior US state department official has said that the US has shown "arrogance and stupidity" in Iraq. Alberto Fernandez made the remarks during an interview with Arabic television station al-Jazeera. The state department says Mr Fernandez was quoted incorrectly - but BBC Arabic language experts say Mr Fernandez did indeed use the words. It comes after President George W Bush discussed changing tactics with top US commanders to try to combat the unrest. Mr Fernandez, an Arabic speaker who is director of public diplomacy in the state department's Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, told Qatar-based al-Jazeera that the world was "witnessing failure in Iraq".

• Schools tracking students electronically - Up to one hundred Australian schools are electronically tracking students to tackle truancy. Under the system, reported by Fairfax, students swipe a card to register their arrival at school and at classes. Roles are checked and parents are notified automatically about any unexplained absences by computer-generated letter, email or SMS. The swipe cards also record late arrivals and early leavers. Parents can request an instant print-out of their child's attendance.

• Beer fingerprints to go UK-wide - The government is is funding the roll out of fingerprint security at the doors of pubs and clubs in major English cities. Funding is being offered to councils that want to have their pubs keep a regional black list of known trouble makers. The fingerprint network installed in February by South Somerset District Council in Yeovil drinking holesy is being used as the show case. "The Home Office have looked at our system and are looking at trials in other towns including Coventry, Hull & Sheffield," said Julia Bradburn, principal licensing manager at South Somerset District Council.

• Steve Jones Announces Early Retirement From BYU
  
  Friends and Colleagues:
  
  BYU issued a press release today -- I have elected to take early retirement from BYU. I don't have the actual release -- it will be in local papers tomorrow and may be on the BYU web site now.
  
  I feel that this is a good move for me. I have been contacted by another school about joining their faculty, and may do so -- but no decision on that yet. I think it will work out for the best. I assure you all that I will continue in my research on 9/11 issues, and speaking out -- should have more time for these activities in fact.
  
  With this window of opportunity, I sent the letter below to local newspapers; perhaps it could be posted at st911.org, Jim, if you wish. "Dr. Jones letter to newspaper editors upon announcement of his retirement from BYU," or something like that.
  
  I feel good about this -- not angry with BYU, moving on and happy with it overall.
  
  Thanks for all your support, especially to those who signed the petition at st911.org in my behalf.
  
  My sincere thanks to all my friends in the 9/11 truth community worldwide; we have a great, growing community of intelligent, caring people. We can do this!
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Steven E. Jones
  Physicist
  20 October 2006

Saturday 21st October 2006: -

• Camera plan to catch bad drivers - Traffic cameras to catch motorists blocking box junctions or ignoring road signs could be introduced countrywide. The government is considering extending the use of the cameras already in place in London, where one million drivers were fined last year. Sheila Granger, of the RAC, expressed concern there would be fewer traffic police on the roads to spot problems like drug-driving and mobile phone use. Councils around the country could begin using the cameras from 2008.  (RELATED: See our Total Global Surveillance archive)

• Labour admissions leave ID cards plans in disarray - LABOUR'S national identity card scheme was in disarray last night after the Home Office insisted that its budget and timetable were now "flexible", despite claiming last week that both elements were set in stone. A devastating document slipped out by the Government yesterday also revealed that the Home Office believes it is impossible to work out exactly what ID cards will be used for, and what biometric data they should hold, until after they are introduced. Tory Shadow Home Secretary David Davis said the uncertainty over the project at this late stage "beggars belief", while Harrogate Liberal Democrat MP Phil Willis called the announcements "pure Yes Minister stuff".

• Home Office plans floating jails - The Home Office is moving ahead with plans to use prison ships to ease overcrowding in prisons. Britain's last floating prison - HMP Weare, moored at Portland Harbour in Dorset - closed last year. The government has advertised for contractors to provide up to 800 places on ships in England and Wales. The move comes as the first prisoners were moved into designated police cells as part of the plans to alleviate the overcrowding crisis.

• Putin's 'rape joke' played down - Russia's President Vladimir Putin has been overheard joking about the virility of his Israeli counterpart, who is accused of multiple rape. A Russian journalist said Mr Putin joked that President Moshe Katsav was a "mighty man", adding "we all envy him". Mr Katsav is facing allegations that he raped members of his staff. He strongly denies the claims.

• U.S. ambassador says new high-tech ID cards will speed up cross-border travel - A United States plan to introduce a high-tech ID card that would allow residents to re-enter the country without a passport will actually speed up cross-border travel, not impede it as critics suggest, U.S. ambassador David Wilkins said Thursday. In response to concerns about the original scheme, which would have required American citizens to carry a passport whenever they left the country, the U.S. is now proposing a high-tech, wallet-sized identity card residents can use when returning home from Canada.

• Canada supports Israel: PM - Prime Minister Stephen Harper mounted a vigorous defence on Wednesday of his government's Middle East policy, saying support for Israel is "fundamental to what this nation has always stood for." Speaking to a B'nai Brith dinner in Toronto, Harper made no apologies for his government siding with the Jewish state during this summer's fighting between Israeli troops and Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon.

• Microchips becoming the latest medical accessory - It's a technology that's already being used on millions of pets in America. Now, microchips are being implanted in human beings as well and this week in Las Vegas, the procedure is being performed on dozens of people attending a medical convention. The implants are inserted into the arm. The tiny computer chips can help doctors get important medical information. The chips are incredibly small and are implanted just under the skin. The chips that are used in dogs and cats contain information that can identify the animal if it gets lost. In the case of humans, the chips provide a link to a computer database that gives doctors instant access to a patient's complete medical history.

• Parts of Canada Secrecy Law Struck Down - A court struck down sections of a Canadian anti-terrorism law Thursday, in a ruling that threw out warrants used to search the home of a reporter covering U.S. efforts to secretly send a Canadian terror suspect to Syria for interrogation. The Ontario Superior Court judgment quashed three sections of the so-called leakage provisions of the federal Security of Information Act, which passed following the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.   (COMMENTARY: By design, I might add on to the end of that - see our 9/11 archive to see more information on how the 'authorities' are using staged terror attacks to - in turn - attack our civil liberties)

Friday 20th October 2006: -

• Red Cross lambasts US terror law - The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has expressed concern over a newly-approved US anti-terrorism law. ICRC President Jakob Kellenberger said the law raised "questions" about its compliance with the Geneva Conventions on the conduct of war. He said some points had been omitted, such as the right to a fair trial and the ban on humiliating and degrading treatment of prisoners.

• Touch, eat 'n' tell: Pinellas schools are testing a new ID system designed to let students zip through lunch lines — and give them an incentive to make wise choices from the menu - Coming to Pinellas County schools: a way for parents to check up on their children’s meal choices. The new technology, which debuted Wednesday at two schools, will let parents go online and see exactly what their kids are buying for lunch. If the trial period goes smoothly, the program should be available in every Pinellas school by early April, administrators said. The $900,000 system, developed by Horizon Software International of Loganville, Ga., uses a biometric finger scan to identify students.

• Mayor, Gov. Argue 9/11 Pension Benefits - WNBC.com's Melissa Russo exclusively reported on a debate that affects the families of rescue workers who die from World Trade Center-related illnesses. A meeting of the New York City pension boards scheduled for Friday has been postponed because of a disagreement over how much the city should pay families of deceased rescue workers. Gov. George Pataki signed a new law in August that would pay family members as if their loved one died in the line of duty, even if they had already retired before they died. For example, the widow and children of a police officer who dies in the line of duty would receive 100 percent of that officer's salary until the children are grown, according to the governor's office and police unions. However, New York City lawyers have a different interpretation. In a memo obtained by NewsChannel 4, they argue the city only has to pay half an officer's salary in such cases. Police union President Pat Lynch is calling this an outrageous attempt by Mayor Michael Bloomberg to shortchange the heroes of Sept. 11, 2001.

• See a Smoker in a Non-Smoking Area? Call 911 - If you catch someone smoking in a non-smoking area in Omaha, Neb., call the police. The Omaha Police Department (OPD) is encouraging city residents to call 911 in the wake of the citywide ban on smoking that went into effect on Oct. 2. Teresa Negron, sergeant in charge of public information of the OPD, explained that the department encourages observers of infractions to pick up the phone to report the infraction -- just like they would for any other crime they observe being committed. "Citizens or business owners that observe a violation to the smoking ban are urged to call 911 and report the violation," Negron told Cybercast News Service. "[It's like] any other crime that happens in any city -- if somebody sees a crime happen, they can call 911 and report it."

Thursday 19th October 2006: -

• THE BOOGEYMEN ARE COMING: UK 'number one al-Qaeda target' - Al-Qaeda has become more organised and sophisticated and has made Britain its top target, counter-terrorism officials have told the BBC. Security sources say the situation has never been so grim, said BBC home affairs correspondent Margaret Gilmore. They believe the network is now operating a cell structure in the UK - like the IRA did - and sees the 7 July bomb attacks "as just the beginning". Each cell has a leader, a quartermaster dealing with weapons, and volunteers.

• Database state could go pear-shaped, says police chief - The boss of UK police technology has warned that government attempts to use surveillance and databases to impose law and order could backfire unless those with access to the system are prevented from abusing the power it gives them. But authorities are not using the means already available to penalize organisations that abuse information in state databases. Six months after the Criminal Records Bureau bragged it had the powers to punish firms that used police records to discriminate against vulnerable ex-offenders, it is still only giving the firms slaps on the wrists for their offences. Philip Webb, chief executive of the Police Information Technology Organisation, said: "What we've not got is clear rules for ensuring that data is protected and new data is properly controlled. Custodianship of information is an issue that legislators should address from a national and international level." The police should be able to use information to protect people from danger he said, and this increasingly meant sharing data with the private sector. The problem was, data was too prone to get into the wrong hands.

• Post office rally collects "largest ever" petition - Thousands of subpostmasters will present what they say is Britain's biggest-ever domestic petition at Downing Street on Wednesday to demand the government safeguard the future of 14,500 local post offices. Around 2,500 have been shut in urban areas in recent years while the remaining network lost 111 million pounds last year, largely through the loss of vital government contracts. The 4 million names, collected at post offices across the country will be the largest domestic petition ever presented to a prime minister, said the rally's organisers, the National Federation of SubPostmasters (NSFP).

Wednesday 18th October 2006: -

• Judge refuses to grant immunity from 9/11 lawsuits - A federal judge has ruled that thousands of emergency workers sickened by World Trade Center dust can press their claims against New York City. US District Judge Alvin Hellerstein said in a ruling Tuesday that he'll appoint a special master to evaluate claims against the city, its contractors, and the Port Authority. The city and its contractors are trying to avoid damages in lawsuits filed on behalf of workers who cleaned up the World Trade Center site for months after 9/11.

• Troops will be in Afghanistan for next 20 years, says commander - The commander of the British forces returning from Helmand said that his forces were having to make up for the time lost by the decision of the US and UK to invade Iraq instead of concentrating on post-Taliban Afghanistan. "We could have carried on in 2002 in the same way we have gone about business now," said Brigadier Ed Butler. "Have the interim four years made a difference? I think realistically they have. It doesn't mean that we will not achieve what we set out to do."

• FaceKey files patent on biometric device that accesses vending machines: FaceKey Corp. is looking to find new ways for consumers to buy sodas and other items from vending machines without the use of cash - San Antonio-based FaceKey (OTC Pink Sheets: FEKY) has developed a new technology that uses biometrics to access vending machines. And it has filed an application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to protect its designs. The new patent application is titled "Biometric Access Control System for Vending Machines." It covers a biometric-based mobile device that can provide controlled access to many different types of vending machines. FaceKey President Yevgeny B. Levitov says the new patent application demonstrates the company's commitment to broadening the company's intellectual property portfolio beyond building access control or time and attendance products.   (RELATED: See our Cashless Society Control Grid archive)

• "How Orwellian can you get?" - RFID for air travellers - A plan to tag air travellers with RFID chips to improve airport security by monitoring passengers as they kill time after check-in in airport coffee shops and departure lounges has been slammed by silicon.com readers as "another ill thought out idea", "a solution looking for a problem" and even "dead in the water". Electrical engineers working on University College London's 'Optag' project have designed a prototype RFID tag with a much greater range than a standard RFID chip - up to 20 metres. The new tags are to be trialled at an airport in Hungary next month and, if successful, could be rolled out to airports within two years, according to project lead Dr Paul Brennan. But a smooth rollout is unlikely, judging by the overwhelmingly negative reaction of silicon.com readers - many of whom cast doubt on the effectiveness of the tagging technology as a security measure.

• Post office incomes 'eaten away' - A Belfast subpostmistress has accused the government of "eating away" at the income of post offices "by stealth". Wendy Cairns, who runs Dunmurry sub post office, is among those calling for urgent action to safeguard the network of rural post offices. A petition of four million names will be handed into Downing Street and the National Federation of Subpostmasters will hold a rally in London. Ms Cairns said when post offices close "communities just die".

• French forces: Stop Lebanon overflights or we'll open fire - The commanders of the French contingent in UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) have warned that if Israeli warplanes continue their overflights in Lebanon, they may have to open fire on them, Defense Minister Amir Peretz told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee yesterday. Peretz told members of the committee that despite the warnings, Israel would continue to patrol the skies of Lebanon as such operations were critical for the country's security. Over the past few days, Peretz said, Israel had gathered clear evidence that Syria was transfering arms and ammunition to Lebanon, meaning that the embargo imposed by UN Resolution 1701 was not being completely enforced.

• Human species 'may split in two' - Humanity may split into two sub-species in 100,000 years' time as predicted by HG Wells, an expert has said. Evolutionary theorist Oliver Curry of the London School of Economics expects a genetic upper class and a dim-witted underclass to emerge. The human race would peak in the year 3000, he said - before a decline due to dependence on technology. People would become choosier about their sexual partners, causing humanity to divide into sub-species, he added.

• Bush clears way for continued CIA interrogations - US President George W Bush on Tuesday cleared the way for continued CIA interrogations of terrorism suspects, signing a law he says is vital to preventing new attacks. The measure also legalizes future military trials of terror suspects at the US base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. One of those whom Bush wants to face justice is Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the US. White House spokesman Tony Snow said it would be 'a month or two at least' before trials by so-called military commissions begin. After months of emotional political debate, the signing sealed a crucial part of Bush's agenda and a victory over critics who say the law undermines US standing in the world.

• Web could be terror training camp: Chertoff - Disaffected people living in the United States may develop radical ideologies and potentially violent skills over the Internet and that could present the next major U.S. security threat, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said on Monday. "We now have a capability of someone to radicalize themselves over the Internet," Chertoff said on the sidelines of a meeting of International Association of the Chiefs of Police. "They can train themselves over the Internet. They never have to necessarily go to the training camp or speak with anybody else and that diffusion of a combination of hatred and technical skills in things like bomb-making is a dangerous combination," Chertoff said. "Those are the kind of terrorists that we may not be able to detect with spies and satellites."

• Another Stone 9/11 film may be in works - After dealing with the 9/11 rescue effort in his (mostly) critically acclaimed "World Trade Center," Oliver Stone is looking to stay on the topic. According to Variety, Stone may make "Jawbreaker" his next project for Paramount. The film examines the government's response to the attacks, specifically the search for Osama bin Laden.

• Attleboro School Bans Tag, Other Recess Games - ATTLEBORO Children at the Willett Elementary School in Attleboro are not allowed to play tag, touch football or any games involving contact during recess. Prinicpal Gaylene Heppe cited the safety risks and the school's liability in case of injury as reasons for the recess ban. Heppe, who is in her second year as principal, told CBS4 the ban is not new and has been in effect for years. "I was surprised....I think they should be allowed to. I used to run and chase, play kickball, dodgeball, all that," said parent Colleen Bischoff. Critics of the policy said it's just another way to micromanage kids. "Kids will be kids, no matter what. Kids are going to trip on rocks, it happens," said one unidentified parent.

• Inside Illuminati Lodge Skull and Bones 322 Yale University: According to Italian celebrity, Leo Zagami, these our truly the end times because the Jesuit Order, firmly in control of the Catholic Church and NWO, are well known black magicians of the most powerful kind, dealing directly with the Devil himself - This Confession to the Jesuits features the efforts of Leo Zagami, an Italian fighting the f