Sunday 30th September 2007: -

• Fayed lawyers to ask for Queen's evidence - Lawyers acting for Harrods chairman Mohamed al-Fayed want the Queen to give evidence at this week's inquest into the death of Princess Diana. By law, the Queen cannot be forced to testify, but she could choose to do so. Fayed's lawyers say her evidence is crucial to establishing the truth about the deaths of Diana and Dodi Fayed, which an extensive investigation has already concluded were the result of a 'tragic accident'. Lawyers want to ask about a conversation after the 1997 Paris crash in which the Queen is alleged to have told Diana's former butler Paul Burrell there were 'powers at work about which we have no knowledge'. Fayed's press director, Katharine Witty, said that it was important that the coroner called all witnesses.   (COMMENTARY: Note how the defenders of the official (i.e. false) version of events often refer to their fable as a 'tragic accident'.  Therefore any denial of their theory is to deny the tragic element of Diana's death.  This plays into the notion that we are somehow desecrating the memory of the late Princess by seeking truth and justice for her murder.  So many times I have been told; "Oh you should let her rest in peace...".  Sorry people, that argument doesn't cut it! RELATED: See our popular Diana Assassination archive for more info.)

• High School Security Guards Attack Teen With Cell Phone Camera Then Frame Him: Incident provokes national outrage - High School security guards in Palmdale CA have reacted viciously to an incident that was caught on camera last week, creating false charges against school children to detract from their own excessive actions which have since hit the headlines. The incident at Knight High School, which received national attention yesterday, blew up after security thugs assaulted a 16 year old school girl and broke her arm after she dropped some cake and did not clean it up to the satisfaction of the guards. The Guards then viciously assaulted a 16 year old boy who captured video of the incident on his cell phone. After the guards noticed the boy was filming them they forcefully tackled him, pushing his head into the ground and twisting his arm behind his back. The boy's sister attempted to intervene as other students began to film on phones.

• VeriChip Gets First Sale in Switzerland - VeriChip Corp., a provider of RFID systems for healthcare and patient-related needs, announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Xmark Corp., has made its first sale in Switzerland. Xmark's ProtecPoint wander prevention system is being installed at Stiftung Schloss Turbenthal, a center for the deaf and elderly in Gehorlosendorf, near Zurich. The system is to be installed by Xmark's dealer Avatech AG. The ProtecPoint system provides cost-effective protection for wander-prone individuals, and is part of Xmark's suite of RFID solutions to locate and protect people in indoor environments. "Xmark continues to expand in overseas markets, building on our industry leading position in North America," said Daniel A. Gunther, President and CEO of Xmark. "We look forward to working with Avatech on future opportunities in Switzerland." Martin Naef, manager of logistics and facilities at Stiftung Schloss Turbenthal, said, "We choose Avatech AG and the ProtecPoint solution because of the easy installation and administration. ProtecPoint provides effective support for the nursing staff. We have been able to reduce manually monitoring of wandering residents."

• Labour MPs admit plan to fake Purnell photo - James Purnell, the Culture Secretary, came under increasing pressure over a fake photo last night, after two Labour MPs revealed they planned in advance for it be altered. The MPs, who featured alongside Mr Purnell in the doctored photograph, revealed that they had discussed how he would be merged into the shot after failing to turn up for a photocall on time. The MPs say that they had organised several different poses, each of which had space for the absent minister. The disclosure will prove highly embarrassing for Mr Purnell, who has faced a barrage of criticism ever since it emerged that his image had been pasted into a photocall at which he was not present.

• First Responder Kevin McPadden: Shocking New 9/11 Revelations - A 9/11 first responder has shed new light on how he heard a countdown before the demolition of Building 7, how he was told to "shut up" by superiors when he tried to report secondary explosions and why "vicious security" measures were enacted to prevent people from accessing certain areas of ground zero. Former Air Force Special Operations for Search and Rescue expert, Kevin McPadden traveled to ground zero completely of his own accord and spent the next four days searching through the rubble and nearby buildings for survivors. In a video interview with Alex Jones, McPadden describes the moments before the collapse of WTC 7, the countdown he heard, and the attempts to cover-up evidence at ground zero.

• Republican Opponents Afraid To Attack Giuliani On 9/11 - Rudy Giuliani has made his performance on Sept. 11 the dominant pillar of his campaign, a strategy that has proved at once effective and controversial. While the former New York City mayor finds himself atop national polls and well-positioned to capture the Republican nomination, he has also exposed himself to criticism that he is overstating his terrorism credentials and crassly politicizing the issue. Yet just three months before the first primary vote is cast, none of Giuliani's top-tier primary opponents have taken the bait.

Friday 28th September 2007: -

• CFR's Hart Suggests False Flag Event For Iran War: Tacit warning to Iranian government suggests staged event may be used to ensure "bombs fall on your head" - Council on Foreign Relations member Gary Hart, famed for stating that Americans will die en- mass on home soil this century, and for declaring 48 hours after 9/11 that it should be used "to carry out a new world order", has written a scathing letter to the leaders of Iran clearly warning that the U.S. government has a history of staging provocations in order to initiate conflict with other nations and that Iran could be next. Hart references the sinking of the USS Maine in Havana harbor in 1898, which led to the Spanish American war, as well as the Gulf of Tonkin incident, which was ultimately the catalyst for airstrikes on Vietnam. Why does Hart reference these two cases? Because they are both examples of staged managed events that were used to coerce the American public into supporting war.

• Police attack Jack Straw over ‘irresponsible’ vow on self-defence - The leader of rank-and-file police officers accused Jack Straw of irresponsibility last night over his proposed review of the law on self-defence. Mr Straw, the Justice Secretary, was also accused by the Opposition of a cynical preelection stunt after he proposed to review the law less than two years after a similar review. But the attack by the Police Federation caused the most surprise, with their warning that any changes must not encourage the public to take the law into their own hands. Jan Berry, chairman of the federation, expressed surprise at the latest review of self-defence law and said that nothing should be done that encourages vigilantism by the public.   (COMMENTARY: How dare anyone defend them self!  Don't we know that it is up to the 'authorities' to do protect us.  That's the deal, we give them our freedom and they keep us safe... but they don't do they?!)

• Beauty clinics accused of using their customers as guinea pigs - Customers of high-street beauty clinics are being used as guinea pigs for unproven cosmetic techniques peddled by cowboy practitioners, doctors have claimed. Injectable fillers to remove wrinkles, fat-busting treatments for the overweight and microwaves to tauten slack skin are being introduced without proper controls or adequate testing, said the British Association for Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS). Many firms now offer products and techniques which they claim can improve appearance, reduce weight and tone skin without the need for surgery. Non-surgical treatments are cheaper, simpler to administer and many can be carried out by anyone with a modicum of training, such as hairdressers.

Thursday 27th September 2007: -

• Saddam Offered Exile, But Neo-Cons Unleashed Carnage Anyway: What could have been saved? A trillion dollars, a million lives, the global reputation of the U.S. - but that wasn't the plan - Neo-Cons could have saved a trillion dollars, spared over a million lives and prevented tens of thousands of dead and injured U.S. soldiers but decided to unleash carnage anyway, after it was revealed last night that Saddam Hussein offered to step down and go into exile one month before the invasion of Iraq.

• Brown holds firm on refusal of EU treaty vote - Prime Minister Gordon Brown held firm on Wednesday over his refusal to hold a referendum on the European Union reform treaty, despite mounting pressure from politicians, unions and the media. Brown said he would ensure that all London's demands or red lines were met in the final text of the treaty and insisted the document marked no fundamental change to how Britain is run. "If we were making a decision on the euro, there would be a referendum. If we had the same constitutional treaty that was abandoned, we said there would be a referendum," he told Labour's annual conference in the seaside town of Bournemouth.

• Straw promises greater legal protection for 'have-a-go-heroes' - Greater protection from prosecution will be offered to "have-a-go heroes" under plans to strengthen the law on self-defence to be announced today. Jack Straw, the Justice Secretary, will promise that people who fight back against intruders or challenge robbers in the street that they can act without fear of ending up in court. His move will coincide with a pledge from Jacqui Smith, the Home Secretary, that the Government will show "zero tolerance" to all forms of crime and anti-social behaviour. Mr Straw, who has taken the law into his own hands four times to tackle muggers or burglars, will acknowledge public fears that the criminal justice system can be tilted in favour of offenders. He will tell the Labour Party conference: "I know from personal experience that you have all of a millisecond to make the judgement about whether to intervene.

• FROM ONE OF OUR HELPFUL VISITORS: "Thought you would find this interesting. After the terrible rap the veriChip brand has after so many pets developed cancer after being microchipped, the company is changing its name. Do they really think we're that stupid???" See xmark.com

• Diana inquest jury to be selected - The process of selecting the jury for the inquest into the death of Diana, Princess of Wales is to get under way. Up to 200 potential jurors have been summoned to the Royal Courts of Justice in London, ahead of the start of the hearing on Tuesday. The candidates will be asked questions by the coroner to determine whether they have any prejudices or connections that could rule them out of the case.   (RELATED: See our popular Diana Assassination archive for more info.)

• Many pension schemes 'inadequate' - The amount of money being paid into many new company pension schemes is much too low, says a report from the advisory firm Mercer. Its survey of 400 employers, operating 600 "defined contribution" schemes, found contribution rates have risen only slightly in the past five years. In 2002 employers and staff paid in 9.5% of salaries, but now pay in 10.4%. Most of these schemes have opened since 2000 as employers have shut traditional final salary pension schemes.

Wednesday 26th September 2007: -

• Airport security arsenal adds behavior detection - Doug Kinsey stands near the security line at Dulles International Airport, watching the passing crowd in silence. Suddenly, his eyes lock on a passenger in jeans and a baseball cap. The man in his 20s looks around the terminal as though he's searching for something. He chews his fingernails and holds his boarding pass against his mouth, seemingly worried. Kinsey, a Transportation Security Administration screener, huddles with his supervisor, Waverly Cousins, and the two agree: The man could be a problem. Kinsey moves in to talk to him. The episode this month is one of dozens of encounters airline passengers are having each day — often unwittingly — with a fast-growing but controversial security technique called behavior detection. The practice, pioneered by Israeli airport security, involves picking apparently suspicious people out of crowds and asking them questions about travel plans or work. All the while, their faces, body language and speech are being studied.

• Diana: The unseen evidence which has been mysteriously ignored until now - Over English tea served in fine china cups at a sumptuous Paris apartment last November, an astonishing meeting took place to discuss the death of 36-year-old Diana, Princess of Wales. The conversation was cordial. A butler carrying a teapot and tray of delicate sandwiches moved smoothly between the guests in the richly decorated drawing room of a building owned by the British Government, near the famous Champs Elysees. In one Victorian armchair sat Lord Stevens, the respected former head of Scotland Yard. He had just finished a three-year investigation called Operation Paget into whether there was a conspiracy to murder the most famous woman in the world ten years ago and a cover-up to hide the truth.   (RELATED: See our popular Diana Assassination archive for more info.)

• A NY Republican Club Says No To Ron Paul Fund Raising Event - Ron Paul’s campaign stated on its website that the New York Republican club told the campaign that there wasn’t enough support on its board to allow Ron Paul to host a fund raiser at the club. Paul’s campaign is looking for another location for the October 12th fund raiser. The Metropolitan Republican club states on its website that: “We are a varied and enthusiastic group with the common goal of supporting New York City Republican candidates and ideals. Met Club activities include election campaigns, informational programs, and social events. Anyone who shares our basic goals and beliefs is welcome to become a member of the Metropolitan Republican Club.” The clubs facilities are privately owned but the cold shoulder does seem to conflict with its stated policies. Paul activists think NY Republicans should allow all of the candidates to be heard.

• Anger at Giuliani 9/11 fundraiser - Republican presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani has been criticised over a fundraising party at which participants are being urged to donate $9.11. The International Association of Fire Fighters accuses him of exploiting the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks. Mr Giuliani rose to national prominence as New York's mayor on 9/11. The Giuliani campaign says it did not plan the event, which is due to take place on Wednesday evening in California at the home of a supporter. Nevertheless, the firefighters association said the stated theme of the fundraiser - "$9.11 for Rudy" was in poor taste.

• Do 9/11 Conspiracy Theories Upset You? - The 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon were brainstormed, arranged and executed by dark, shadow agents of the American government seeking to throw us into shock, horror and then rage. Their ultimate goal was US military action in the Middle East. Theories like the above are all over. Not only do books, magazines and websites spout them, but home brewed films like Loose Change, seek to "uncover truth" about that Tuesday morning in September of 2001. Hollywood celebrities like Charlie Sheen and Rosie O'Donnell have even embraced 9-11 conspiracy theories. I want to hear two sides to a story - don't we all? With something as complicated as this, there may indeed be more sides which won't be fully told for years. Even the 9-11 Commission upon publication of their report noted that the account they'd published wasn't a definitive version of the events, or what lead up to it in the first place.

• Education agency to build fingerprint database - The Michael Maples scandal shook the Victoria community, and Texas leaders are pushing to safeguard against such future incidents. When Maples was hired as principal of Memorial High School, the system for checking the criminal background of employees failed, said Eleanor Gonzalez, president of the Victoria Federation of Teachers. "Somehow people are slipping through," Gonzalez said. "Whoever expected something like that to happen in Victoria?"

• Seized 'child art porn' owned by Elton John - A controversial photograph by an American artist - part of Elton John's private collection - has been seized by police from a gallery on suspicion it may have breached child pornography laws. The Telegraph reports that the photo of two young girls one of whom was sitting down with her legs splayed wide apart, was taken by photographer Nan Goldin.

• United States Forest Service Purchases 700 TASER X26 Electronic Control Devices: Federal Agencies Continue to Show Growth Opportunities - TASER International, Inc. (Nasdaq:TASR), a market leader in advanced electronic control devices, today announced that it received an order from the United States Forest Service for 700 TASER(r) X26 electronic control devices and related accessories. "We are excited about this new additional federal agency purchasing TASER technology to protect life," said Tom Smith, Chairman and Founder of TASER international. "Traditionally, we have focused law enforcement sales at the local and state level, but we are now seeing acceptance of TASER technology at various federal law enforcement agencies."

Tuesday 25th September 2007: -

• MySpace Censors Anti-War Websites: Prison Planet blocked as the model for government regulated Internet 2 gets a dry run - Rupert Murdoch's MySpace has been caught in another act of alternative media censorship after it was revealed that bulletin posts containing links to Prison Planet.com were being hijacked and forwarded to MySpace's home page. MySpace has placed Prison Planet on a list of blocked websites supposedly reserved for spam, phishing scams or virus trojans. It has been apparent for at least two weeks that all bulletin posts containing links to Prison Planet were being censored but we decided to wait and see if it was just a technical error before drawing any attention to the problem.

• MAINSTREAM MEDIA WORKS TO LINK HOLOCAUST DENIAL TO ASKING (ANY) QUESTIONS ABOUT 9/11 TRUTH: Ahmadinejad Questions 9/11, Holocaust - Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad defended Holocaust deniers and raised questions about who carried out the Sept. 11 attacks in a tense showdown Monday at Columbia University where the school's head introduced the visitor by calling him a ``petty and cruel dictator.'' Ahmadinejad, appearing shaken by what he called ``insults'' from his host, sought to portray himself as an intellectual and argued that his regime had respect for reason and science. But the former engineering professor soon found himself drawn into the type of rhetoric that has alienated American audiences in the past.   (COMMENTARY: Got questions about 9/11?... I guess that you're one of them Holocaust deniers then... I read about it in the London Guardian!)

• Giuliani Confronted for Desecrating 9/11 Dead - Hovering over the consecrated remains at Ground Zero is a ghostly air of harrowing memories and unanswered questions. Maybe that's why former Mayor Giuliani feels the urge to leave so quickly when pieces of those memories begin to surface and the truth begins to hurt. Certainly, Giuliani did not want to think about the fact that he trashed the remains of more than 40% of Ground Zero victims-- and used them to fill potholes and to pave roads. As a consequence, many family members never found their loved ones and their tragedies were made worse by callous desecration on the part of a leader they were supposed to be able to trust.

• EU treaty debate 'must end' - The debate over the new EU treaty must be resolved if Britain is to have any chance of tackling 21st century challenges, according to the leader of the European Parliamentary Labour Party. Gary Titley told Labour delegates at the party's annual conference in Bournemouth that globalisation brought with it the challenges of climate change, people trafficking, terrorism and the need to regulate corporations. And he said that Gordon Brown would ensure the treaty agreed in December "is one that represents the best deal for Britain". "The 21st century challenges are tough and if the EU is to face them, then we have to get away from debates about treaties, institutions and processes," Titley said.

• Family Ties Link Russian Government - If some governments resemble stodgy men's clubs, Vladimir Putin's has started to look like a family affair since a Cabinet shakeup this month that left two pairs of close relatives serving in top posts. For many, the arrangement underscores the rift between Russia's ruling elite and the people - and reflects Putin's reliance on personal bonds as he maneuvers ahead of crucial elections and the end of his term next year.

• Evening Standard launches 'Eros' cashless shopping card - Eros? What's the god of sexy times got to do with buying a newspaper using a swipe card so you've got something to read on the nightmare commute home? Once you've signed up, got yourself an Eros card and added some credit to it via the scheme's web site, you're able to buy a paper at select shops by swiping your card on the reader, Oyster card style. There's nothing particularly sexy about it, but it will shave valuable seconds off your commute and give you a massive advantage over those fools who insist on fumbling for change. Also, in a shameless attempt to get fashionable urban hipsters on board, the scheme's giving users five free iTunes music downloads each time they add some credit to their cards. If you want in on the trial, or just want to cynically try it out to get the new Girls Aloud single off iTunes for free, the scheme kicks off at London's Waterloo station next Monday with a giveaway of cards loaded with some free money.

• LOOSE CHANGE CIRCULAR: Greetings, We just wanted to drop everyone a quick email to let you know that we're working hard on the Final Cut. It's going to be an amazing film and the culmination of years of hard work. Stay tuned for more info about releases and details, in the very near future. 
  In the meantime, you can check out Dylan's interview with Amber Mac from Webnation here: http://ambermac.typepad.com/ambermac/2007/09/jane-goodall-an.html
  
  Also, the 'Investigate 9/11' hats are back in stock in our online store. They're low profile, 6-panel, embroidered baseball caps that are perfect for wearing to 9/11 events and everywhere else to spread the word! The cap features 'Investigate 911' on the front and 'loosechange911.com' around the opening on the back. 
  
  Remember, that any purchases you make really help us with funding the final stages and launch of the Final Cut. Also, please make a donation to the Feal Good Foundation, which helps struggling first responders. 
  
  As always, thank you - we wouldn't be anything without your support. Spread the truth!
  
  Thanks,
  The LC Team

• Blue Peter to apologise for rigging cat poll: Blue Peter presenters are to apologise to young viewers today for fixing a poll which had asked children to name the show's cat - An online poll run by the BBC was overruled after the name chosen was deemed unsuitable by production staff. The result was that the cat was called Socks instead of Cookie, a breach of viewers' trust which the corporation hopes to rectify by introducing a second cat today. After an apology from presenters, Cookie the kitten will join Socks in the first programme of the new series of the show. It was announced yesterday that acting editor Tim Levell will take over as editor of Blue Peter after former editor, Richard Marson, was reportedly sacked over the poll. Marson was also in charge when the show misled viewers by asking a girl who had been visiting the studio to pose as the winner of a phone-in competition. The BBC was fined an unprecedented £50,000 by media watchdog Ofcom over the incident, one of a string of deceptions that has rocked public trust in programming.

Monday 24th September 2007: -

• UK Inheritance tax 'snaring 135 homes a day' - More than 135 homes a day will be trapped in the inheritance tax net over the next year, according to research by Britain's biggest mortgage lender. Halifax estimates that over the next 12 months, 50,000 extra properties will be pushed over the limit above which bereaved families must pay 40 per cent inheritance tax when the owner dies. These will be in addition to the 2.3?million homes already worth more than the inheritance tax threshold, according to the lender. Even if house price growth slows to five per cent over the next year – less than half the 11 per cent seen over the last 12 months – many more homeowners risk paying the much-hated tax despite the threshold increasing from £300,000 to £312,000 next April.

• Debate heats up over US stun gun laws - In the United States, a string of ugly incidents in the past week has prompted calls for stun guns to be better regulated. Police say the guns, which emit electricity rather than bullets, are an important tool of their trade. But they can be dangerous and in one particularly graphic case, a police video shows a handcuffed woman being repeatedly zapped. A grainy video shows 38-year-old Heidi Gill in the back of a police car, clearly distressed, screaming and struggling following her arrest after an argument in a bar. At one point the woman tries to kick out the car window, but the policeman fires his stun gun and Ms Gill screams and pleads for help.

• Big Bro’s coming to transport hubs: Security plan ups cameras - Big Brother will be watching, under a new Patrick administration anti-terrorism strategy being unveiled today to expand security video surveillance at major transportation facilities, part of a new push by the federal government that some critics say is too little and long overdue. “There are tremendous efforts being made, in terms of cameras, information-sharing and intelligence-sharing. That’s all linked to the London bombings,” said Homeland Security Undersecretary Julliette Kayyem, referring to the attack of July 7, 2005.

• 100,000 march against Burmese junta - MORE than 100,000 Buddhist monks and supporters marched in Rangoon yesterday, piling the pressure on Burma's ruling military junta and adding to fears the "Saffron Revolution" would end in a bloody crackdown. Led by about 15,000 monks clad in orange and red robes, protesters swarmed through Burma's main city in two huge marches. One group of at least 30,000 protesters went through the city centre, even marching past the military's War Office, where soldiers watched but took no action, witnesses said. The group set off from the holy Shwedagon Pagoda and past the offices of detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party.

• Accused in 'corrupt police' claim - A man charged with murdering a drug dealer has told a court of his bid to expose a link between corrupt police and an Aberdeen councillor. Derek Carswell, 40, said he planned to steal a laptop from the home of then councillor Raymond Hutcheon. Mr Carswell and Stephen Rankin, 32, deny murdering Robert Mair, 57, whose body was found in Aberdeen's Kettlehills Crescent in February. The trial, at the High Court in Edinburgh, continues. Mr Carswell - who is currently serving a sentence for a drugs offence - believes he was set up.

• GMTV phone scandal company fined 250,000 pounds - A company that ran competitions for British broadcaster GMTV has been fined a record 250,000 pounds ($507,000) after viewers lost an estimated 20 million pounds in a phone-in scandal over almost four years. GMTV, which had allowed viewers to enter competitions they had no chance of winning, said in July its managing director would stand down over the problem. Regulator Icstis said it had imposed its maximum fine of 250,000 pounds on competition phone service provider Opera Telecom after it allowed at least 18 million callers to enter competitions they had no chance of winning.

Sunday 23rd September 2007: -

• Taxman wants to swipe money direct from bank accounts - You might think the taxman already has enough clout, but things could be about to get worse - a lot worse. HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) wants to extend its powers so it would be able to raid bank and building society accounts for unpaid tax, without having to make its case before a judge and obtain a court order. Your home could also be at risk: HMRC could put a charge on your property if you didn't pay your tax, again without seeking sanction from a court. HMRC believes the changes would give it the "right tools to tackle debt". Many experts think they go too far and would turn the taxman into judge, jury and executioner. Mike Warburton, senior tax partner at accountancy firm Grant Thornton, said: "It's a disgrace. If HMRC has a claim, then it should stand up in court. I would rather put my faith in the independent judiciary than the taxman. We are not yet living in a police state."

• Families play it safe at national wellness event: Fingerprinting, ID cards part of Kids Day - Children had their faces painted, ate free pizza and cookies and tried their skills on a rock climbing wall at Belle River Elementary School on Saturday afternoon. But their parents didn't bring them to the school just to have fun - they had their children fingerprinted and checked out for cavities and spinal problems as part of Kids Day America. The event, initiated by the World Wellness Foundation, has been taking place for more than a decade in cities around the world and arrived in Marine City for the first time this year. Zimmer Chiropractic of Marine City and other local agencies and businesses pitched in to educate families about health and safety issues. Children were given an emergency child identification card with a dental record form; space for a photo; questions such as address, height, weight and blood type; and boxes for each fingerprint.

• Child ID program draws hundreds: Prints held on file... just in case - Seeing her aunt go missing for three days was all too frightening for Keisha Boog. She was eventually found and was OK, but Boog said she would do all that's necessary to prevent a similar disappearance. Yesterday she took her sons, 1-year-old William and 7-year-old Austin, to Byerly Ford-Nissan off Dixie Highway where police were filing fingerprints and handing out identification cards to children. "We hope this will help if anything happens to them," Boog said. "We don't want another" fright. Close to 300 children had their fingerprints scanned and photos taken. The children's fingerprints and photos, along with their weight and height, were also logged onto an encrypted disk that only the FBI can read.

• I always feel like somebody’s watching me... - I DIDN'T break the law last week. Like the greatest number of you, I didn't break the law the week before, or the week before that. Once upon a time I played football flagrantly in places where football was strictly forbidden. Years ago I withheld the poll tax, very politely I thought. But as criminal masterminds go, I'm one of life's innocent bystanders. So why is someone always trying to take my picture? Why does the government insist I pay for a plastic card just to grant complete strangers instant access to private information? Why does an English high court judge, a Lord Justice Sedley, believe it would be "fairer" if my genetic material, along with the DNA of everyone else who resides in or visits Britain, was held on a giant database?

• War Costing $720 Million Each Day, Group Says - The money spent on one day of the Iraq war could buy homes for almost 6,500 families or health care for 423,529 children, or could outfit 1.27 million homes with renewable electricity, according to the American Friends Service Committee, which displayed those statistics on large banners in cities nationwide Thursday and Friday. The war is costing $720 million a day or $500,000 a minute, according to the group's analysis of the work of Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph E. Stiglitz and Harvard public finance lecturer Linda J. Bilmes.

• Beck said he "enjoy[s] watching" Taser videos; O'Reilly rolled out "Don't Taze me, bro!" bumper stickers - Summary: In segments on University of Florida student Andrew Meyer, who was shocked with a Taser by campus police, Glenn Beck asserted: "To me, Taser videos are a little like potato chips. I just can't watch just one," and Bill O'Reilly announced that "[a]nyone buying anything on BillOReilly.com will receive a 'Don't Taze me, bro!' bumper sticker."

• U.S. Airport Screeners Are Watching What You Read - International travelers concerned about being labeled a terrorist or drug runner by secret Homeland Security algorithms may want to be careful what books they read on the plane. Newly revealed records show the government is storing such information for years. Privacy advocates obtained database records showing that the government routinely records the race of people pulled aside for extra screening as they enter the country, along with cursory answers given to U.S. border inspectors about their purpose in traveling. In one case, the records note Electronic Frontier Foundation co-founder John Gilmore's choice of reading material, and worry over the number of small flashlights he'd packed for the trip.

• Cynthia McKinney's 'Confronting Empire' in Leeds, UK: Organised by the West Yorkshire and Leeds Truth Campaigns and 911 Truth Skipton - Saturday 09th Sept 2007: -

(SPECIAL THANKS GO TO NARINDER FOR RECORDING THIS)

Saturday 22nd September 2007: -

• ITV drops British Comedy Awards over allegation of phone-in scam - The British Comedy Awards have become the latest victim of the phone-in and fakery scandals that have swept through the television industry and will not be televised live by ITV this year after an investigation was announced into a public phone vote on the show two years ago. But last night the organisers of the UK's comedy "Oscars" pledged to carry on with the awards, with Jonathan Ross presenting. ITV has brought in the media law firm Olswang to carry out the investigation, after learning that one of its own shows was chosen as a winner in a public phone vote in the 2005 comedy awards, before the lines were closed.

• Tesco 'limited competition' claim - Regulators accused supermarket giant Tesco of limiting competition and choice following its acquisition of a former Co-op store. The Competition Commission has provisionally ruled that the purchase of the store in Slough, Berks, in 2003, by the UK's largest supermarket group, has resulted in a "substantial" lessening of competition in the area. The Office of Fair Trading referred Tesco to the Competition Commission in April after it failed to find a buyer for the site it had been told to sell in 2004. Tesco purchased the former Co-op store, just 800 metres from its existing shop in the town, to trade from as it developed its original site. It was then due to sell the grocery shop after it moved back to its original store.

• The continued exploitation of 9/11 - Like other colossal events, the attacks of September 11, 2001 on New York and Washington, have significantly transformed many countries. The events of 9/11 have had devastating repercussions on the regional and international levels, and forced some rulers in Arab and Muslim countries to make some unsavoury choices. On that ominous day, the US administration, under George W. Bush, began to look more narrowly and fanatically than ever before at regional and international issues.

Friday 21st September 2007: -

• Crackdown on 7-year inheritance tax gift rule - A new inheritance tax crackdown has been launched against families who use the seven-year gift rule to reduce their bill, it has been disclosed. In the past five years under Gordon Brown the number of people paying the tax has risen 72 per cent, with the amount the Treasury receives almost doubling to £3.3 billion. Because of increasing property prices, tens of thousands more families have found themselves liable for inheritance tax and as a result have tried to use legitimate gift laws to lessen their bills.

• Repossessions could soar in UK - Home repossessions could rocket by the end of the year as lenders of sub-prime mortgages push up their interest rates and clamp down on easy credit terms. As many as 250,000 homeowners with poor credit histories might have to pay more or risk losing their homes as the after-effects of the Northern Rock debacle and the global credit crunch forced lenders to impose new restrictions on their loans, according to mortgage brokers.

• Shelter eyes fingerprint scans, ID cards for homeless - A Calgary homeless shelter is considering a high-tech security system that would require fingerprint scans and photo ID cards from people looking for a warm, safe place to spend the night. A spokeswoman for the city's Drop-In Centre said Thursday the shelter is pricing new security measures that could include biometric technology, such as fingerprints. The effort to ramp up security comes after a survey at the shelter showed more than half of 284 users were concerned about their safety while there. "There would be a desk where people [would] have to swipe their cards," said Louise Gallagher, manager of resource development and public relations.

• Autistic Teen Tasered in Calif. - Sheriff's officials defended their use of a Taser stun gun to subdue an autistic teenager who left a social services center where he was being treated. "It was necessary," sheriff's spokesman Jim Amormino said in defense of the use of a Taser stun gun to subdue 15-year-old Taylor Karras. He said the teen was running in and out of traffic and is lucky to be alive. "If that were your son, would you want him Tased or hit by a car?" Amormino asked. The teenager bolted from a social services center in Westminster on Monday and had walked 15 miles when sheriff's deputies received a call of someone running in and out of traffic on busy Newport Avenue. Sheriff's Lt. Larry Jones said a deputy fired the Taser after a second car had to swerve. The teen was home with his parents Tuesday, uninjured and no charges were filed. But his parents said they believed deputies overreacted.

• Denver Sheriff's Office Helps Private Companies Take Blood And Saliva At Checkpoints: Drivers subjected to "voluntary" procedure say they feel like DUI stops - A Sheriff's office in Denver has been blasted by drivers after it engaged in the operation of what appeared to be DUI checkpoints but were in fact stops being carried out by a private non-profit research group. The Gilpin County Sheriff's Office was hit with complaints earlier this week from motorists who say they were not properly informed of the nature of the stops and felt that they were non-voluntary. One Undersheriff even described the procedure as "like a telemarketer that you couldn't hang up on,". The Denver post reported on the incident earlier this week: Sgt. Bob Enney said deputies assisted the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation in stopping motorists at five sites along Colorado 119 for surveys on any drug and alcohol use. Surveyors then asked the motorists to voluntarily submit to tests of their breath, blood and saliva. At least 200 drivers were tested, Enney said. About five motorists later complained, he said. The research is reportedly part of a nationwide study partly financed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

• E-numbers 'can do psychological harm to children' - The food watchdog was accused yesterday of "chickening out" of tough action on additives. In the face of unequivocal evidence of the potential harm to children, delivered in person by an eminent university researcher, the Food Standards Agency fudged a decision on what to do next. Professor Jim Stevenson, author of a breakthrough study on additives, told the FSA board yesterday that additives used in thousands of sweets, cakes and processed foods "damage the psychological health of children".

• Two BBC producers are forced out as more vote-rigging cases emerge - Two senior producers were forced to quit the BBC yesterday, after the corporation admitted that producers had fixed four more audience votes and competitions. Richard Marson, a former editor of Blue Peter, was dismissed, and Ric Blaxill, the head of programmes for the digital radio station 6 Music resigned – taking the total number of enforced departures at the broadcaster to three. Mr Blaxill, a former Top of the Pops executive producer and creative director of Capital Radio, is the most senior of the casualties. He quit as the BBC admitted that production staff invented fictitious winners on the Clare McDonnell show and the Tom Robinson programme, both on 6 Music. Mr Marson was forced out after the BBC also confirmed The Times’s report that producers had overruled an audience vote on the naming of the current Blue Peter cat, Socks. The producer was also in charge when production staff on the programme had faked the result of a phone-in competition, by picking a child from the audience who was told to pretend to answer the question via a telephone next to the studio because the phone lines had failed.

• Officer On Leave After Woman Tasered - The Warren Police Department is under fire for another accusation of abuse of force. The latest incident happened during a September second arrest in the parking lot of a popular nightclub. 33 news is the only station that requested the dash camera video of the arrest. Reporter Peggy Sinkovich and photographer Nck Rich show us the video and reaction from city officials. We warn you some sequences of this video are graphic and very disturbing. It's this shocking video that has warren city officials in an uproar.   (View the video here)

• Victim Of 17 Mistaken Identity Arrests Sues: Michigan Man Files $1 Million Lawsuit - A Detroit barber has filed a $1 million lawsuit saying he's been wrongly arrested 17 times. Keith Lamont Johnson, 47, shares his name and birthday with a convicted felon currently in a Michigan state prison for armed robbery and other crimes. Johnson said the first time he was a victim of mistaken identity was in Woodhaven, Mich., when his car broke down. Police spotted him and later arrested him.

Thursday 20th September 2007: -

• British intelligence accused of complicity in torture: Terror suspect alleges mistreatment in Pakistan / UK and US officials also questioned him, he claims - British intelligence and security officials were facing fresh questions about allegations of complicity in torture yesterday after a terrorism suspect appeared in court accused of plotting an al-Qaida attack. Rangzieb Ahmed, a British citizen from Fallowfield, Greater Manchester, alleges that during a year in captivity in Pakistan he suffered sleep deprivation and severe beatings, and that three fingernails were extracted from his left hand. Before being put aboard a plane to Heathrow this month, Mr Ahmed, 32, says he was questioned by British and US officials as well as by Pakistani intelligence officers who he alleges carried out the torture.

• Barrister becomes first to be jailed for perverting justice - A barrister became the first member of his profession to be jailed for perverting the course of justice yesterday after sending bogus court documents to his client's opponent. Bruce Hyman, a radio and theatre producer who retrained as a barrister, engineered a sting in an apparent effort to discredit the former husband of a friend he was representing in a family court case. Bristol crown court was told that Hyman, 49, a father of four, committed the offence while he was suffering a depressive illness because he was struggling to make a success of his new career.

• US blocks Iran leader 9/11 visit - The New York authorities have rejected a request from Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to visit the site of the 11 September 2001 attacks. The Iranian president will arrive in New York on Sunday to address the United Nations General Assembly. A New York police spokesman said the World Trade Center site was closed to visitors because of construction work. He said requests by Mr Ahmadinejad to visit Ground Zero would be opposed on security grounds. New York Police Deputy Commissioner Paul Browne said the Iranian leader had asked the permission of the police department, the US Secret Service and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to visit the site. White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe told reporters it seemed "more than odd that the president of a country that is a state sponsor of terror would visit Ground Zero". And Zalmay Khalilzad, the United States ambassador to the UN, told journalists that the US would not support Iran using the site for a "photo op".   (COMMENTARY: So I guess that Iran was behind 9/11 now!  And those who were ACTUALLY complicit in the attacks like Giuliani and Bush have been grandstanding at Ground Zero for years)

• Author of tasered student's 'mystery book' points to irony in incident - The book Andrew Meyer clutched in his hands moments before being swarmed and eventually tasered by police--a "mysterious" yellow book, reported the Washington Post--isn't so mysterious at all: it's the latest from BBC investigative reporter and author Greg Palast. "About eleven people called me after it happened," Palast told RAW STORY. "Then I saw the full clip on YouTube." Palast's book, Armed Madhouse: From Baghdad to New Orleans--Sordid Secrets and Strange Tales of a White House Gone Wild, was the basis for Meyer's comments to Sen. John Kerry, who had been fielding student questions in a forum at the University of Florida.

Wednesday 19th September 2007: -

• Greenspan Working To Destroy US Economy: Puppets of the elite posing as saviors once again - Over the past few days Alan Greenspan has appeared in every major financial publication to explain exactly what is going to happen to the economy and what the next steps should be, while also deriding the Neocon administration for the current downturn. For this he has been lauded as some form of economic savior, yet a cursory examination of the facts reveals that the economic decline has long been in the pipeline and Greenspan and his ilk operate under the influence of those who continue to engineer the slow meltdown. Alan Greenspan and Paul Volker, both former Federal Reserve Chairmen, along with current chairman Ben Bernanke, the Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Alistair Darling, Exchequer of the Treasury in England have been out in unison since last Friday announcing over and over that the economy is going to implode, there is going to be serious inflation, housing is going to go down between ten and thirty percent, and the Dollar is going to be replaced with the Euro.

• U.S. Spy Chief: 9/11 'Could Have Been Prevented': Director of National Intelligence Says U.S. Didn't Connect Available Information - Six years after the deadliest attack on U.S. soil, the head of U.S. spy operations admitted to lawmakers that "9/11 should have and could have been prevented." Director of National Intelligence, Michael McConnell, told members of the House Judiciary Committee Tuesday that "it was an issue of connecting information that was available." McConnell, explaining that the intelligence community was, at the time, very focused on foreign threats, said the community allowed itself "to be separated from anything that was potentially domestic," and that domestic threats were "not something we [were] supposed to be concerned with."

• Wheelchair-Bound Woman Dies After Being Shocked With Taser 10 Times: State rules Taser death homicide - A Clay County woman's family said it's seeking justice after their loved one died shortly after being shocked 10 times with Taser guns during a confrontation with police. The family of 56-year-old Emily Delafield said it would take the Green Cove Springs Police Department to court, according to a WJXT-TV report. In April 2006, officers with the police department said they were called to a disturbance at a home in the 400 block of Harrison Street just before 5 p.m.

• Taser aftershock - Following the Tasering of a University of Florida student at a political event Monday, the university has been thrust into a growing national debate about the limits of free speech, the appropriate role of law enforcement and the politically charged environment of modern times. The incident that has sparked such controversy took place Monday afternoon, when 21-year-old Andrew Meyer was arrested and shot with a Taser gun during a town hall forum attended by U.S. Sen. John Kerry. Meyer had approached an open microphone to question Kerry, but his microphone was cut off when he used some salty language that drew organizers' objections. Shortly thereafter, UF Police Department officers tried to physically remove him from the University Auditorium, but resorted to the use of a Taser gun when he did not "comply," according to officers.

• Fox anchor: 'officers should be commended' for tasering student - Weighing in with his legal opinion regarding police officers' tasering of a University of Florida student, attorney and Fox News anchor Gregg Jarrett said no excessive force was used during the incident. "He is resisting. And the videotape really doesn't lie--it speaks volumes about what's going on," said Jarrett, referring to video of the event that is circulating around the internet. "The law doesn't allow you to resist police officers when they ask you to do something," he added. The tasered student, Andrew Meyer, was wrestled to the ground by officers after asking Sen. John Kerry a question during a school forum.

• The meaning of that Kerry fracas In Florida: By Paul Craig Roberts - Naïve Americans who think they live in a free society should watch this video filmed by students at a John Kerry speech September 17, Constitution Day, at the University of Florida in Gainesville. At the conclusion of Kerry’s speech, Andrew Meyer, a 21-year old journalism student was selected by Senator Kerry to ask a question. Meyer held up a copy of BBC investigative reporter Greg Palast’s book, Armed Madhouse, and asked if Kerry was aware that Palast’s investigations determined that Kerry had actually won the election. Why, Meyer asked, had Kerry conceded the election so quickly when there were so many obvious examples of vote fraud? Why, Meyer, went on to ask, was Kerry refusing to consider Bush’s impeachment when Bush was about to initiate another act of military aggression, this time against Iran?

• Call for action on food additives - Two leading professors in science policy have written to a Government watchdog urging it to be more "proactive" on the issue of additives in children's food. The letter to the Food Standards Agency (FSA) asks the body to "widen" its advice to parents on synthetic food colourings and also calls for further measures to safeguard health. Professor Erik Millstone, of the University of Sussex, and Professor Tim Lang, of London's City University, wrote the letter ahead of a key FSA meeting on the issue.

• Greenspan predicts worse to come as Northern Rock shudders - Britain's housing market is heading for a painful correction, Alan Greenspan, the former head of America's central bank, the Federal Reserve, predicted in an interview with The Daily Telegraph this week. He also warned that Britain is more vulnerable to the effects of the credit crunch than the US. Greenspan, who was the central banker for several United States presidents, says The Bank of England’s decision to raise interest rates five times in the past year to their current 5.75 per cent means difficult times ahead for UK home owners. His comments come only days after the Bank of England was forced to bail out the mortgage lender Northern Rock, amid the escalating credit crunch in the City and markets around the world.

• Iris scanning 'to become more widespread' - The use of technology that collects biometric data via iris scanning is set to grow, according to one expert. Iris scanning has been increasingly rolled out at airports around the world in recent years and this growth looks likely to continue, a spokesperson for security firm Aditech said. He added that iris scanning - which is used at Birmingham, Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester airports - is the most accurate method out of all of the biometric systems in use today. "It is able to identify an individual within a couple of seconds from a database of millions … You don't have to touch anything. All you have to do is look at what is effectively a camera and it takes an image of your iris," he explained.

Tuesday 18th September 2007: -

• Leftist Blogs Defend Police Brutality In Student Tazering: Partisan bickering obscures heart of the issue as Fox News, MSNBC set up phony debate by making Kerry's behavior focus of story, not oppressive actions of thug cops - Media coverage of a University of Florida student being tazered by cops for asking a question didn't spark a debate about ongoing police brutality and political persecution, but instead prompted partisan bickering and mindless ninnying about John Kerry's behavior during the incident, while leftist blogs defended the actions of the police. Andrew Meyer was grabbed by cops yesterday after he asked the former presidential candidate why he didn't challenge the rigged election of 2004 and about his membership of the skull and bones secret society. Meyer asked police what he was being arrested for as they dragged him to the back of the University Auditorium before manhandling him to the ground.

• Police use taser gun to subdue student at Kerry speech - "U.S. Sen. John Kerry's speech at the University of Florida came to a dramatic close Monday, shortly after a vocal audience member was hauled off by police and shot with a Taser gun." The Sun tells what happened after Andrew Meyer, 21, "approached an open microphone at University Auditorium and demanded Kerry answer his questions. ... A minute or so into what became a combative diatribe, Meyer's microphone was turned off and officers began trying to physically remove him from the auditorium. Meyer flailed his arms, yelling as police tried to restrain him." As he continued to resist, Meyer was "Tased, which prompted him to scream and writhe in pain on the floor of the auditorium." Kerry, meanwhile, "urged the audience to 'cool down' and proceeded to answer Meyer's question about contesting the (2004) election. As officers escorted Meyer from the auditorium into the lobby, Kerry went on to explain that he did not think there was sufficient evidence of voter suppression to justify contesting the 2004 election. 'We just couldn't do it in good conscience because we didn't have that evidence,' he said."   (RELATED: See police state victim / Truth action hero Andrew Meyer's website theandrewmeyer.com and see how you can offer support locally.)

• Federal prosecutor charged in child sex sting - A federal prosecutor was charged yesterday with flying across the country to have sex with a little girl. Our cousins at Detroit Free Press quote police who say John David Roy Atchison, 53, arrived at the airport in Detroit "with a Dora the Explorer doll, hoop earrings and petroleum jelly for a 5-year-old he planned to have sex with" following a series of online conversations with an undercover investigator. "Atchison reassured the sheriff's deputy who was posing as the child's mother that he would not hurt the 5-year-old because he goes 'slow and easy,' and 'I've done it plenty,'" The Detroit News reports.

• Spy Chief Seeks More Eavesdropping Power - The top U.S. intelligence official is asking Congress for even more changes to a law that he says limited the government's ability to eavesdrop, not just on terrorists but also on more traditional potential adversaries. Mike McConnell, the director of national intelligence, says China and Russia are aggressively spying on sensitive U.S. facilities, intelligence systems and development projects, and their efforts are approaching Cold War levels.

• Gold Advances to Near 16-Month High After Run on Northern Rock - Gold rose to near a 16-month high in London as customers lined up across the U.K. for a third day to withdraw funds from branches of Northern Rock Plc after the lender was bailed out by the Bank of England. Shares in Europe and Asia declined, led by banking stocks, on concern a credit crisis ignited by the collapse of the U.S. subprime mortgage market is spreading. Silver also rose today. ``The queues in front of Northern Rock have been all over the papers,'' Wolfgang Wrzesniok-Rossbach, head of sales at Hanau, Germany-based Heraeus Holding GmbH, which refines precious metals, said in an interview today. ``It's making people much more aware of gold as an investment.''

• Prepare for prolonged turmoil, says US Treasury Secretary - Investors should brace themselves for a prolonged period of market turmoil, Henry Paulson, the US Treasury Secretary, said yesterday as he held emergency meetings with the Chancellor and the French Finance Minister. Mr Paulson flew to London to discuss the financial crisis with Alistair Darling as markets remained in the grip of anxieties over the continuing toll from the global credit squeeze. Speaking after talks with his counterparts in France and Britain, Mr Paulson insisted that the global economy remained strong despite the seizures in interbank lending, but admitted that the American economy would take a knock from the turmoil.

• Tag banned; what's a kid to do now? - I see where yet another elementary school in this great country has banned tag on the playground, this time on the theory it causes "conflict" among the kids. Too many complained about being chased when they didn't want to be chased, said an official at a Colorado Springs, Colo., school. And this apparently constituted a form of kiddie harassment, which should surprise no one in this day and age. In fact, I'm surprised there weren't lawyers handing out business cards on the playground the next day. Anyway, the end result was: goodbye tag at recess, although the school official said other running games would be allowed.

• British soldier killed by friendly fire, inquest hears - A British soldier died in Afghanistan yesterday after an Army dump truck was hit by an explosion in Helmand province, the Ministry of Defence has announced. Another soldier, also from 36 Engineer Regiment, was injured in the incident, which happened as a routine logistics convoy was moving 12 miles (19km) northeast of the town of Gereshk. The two casualties were airlifted to the Isaf medical facility at Camp Bastion, where the first soldier was pronounced dead on arrival. The second soldier's injuries are not said to be life-threatening. Next of kin have been informed. 

• Why myth linking Hussein, 9/11 still thrives - The resilient myth that Saddam Hussein plotted 9/11 is proof that Mark Twain was right when he said, "A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes." Even today, long after this 9/11 myth has been officially and repeatedly discredited, roughly 40 percent of Americans still insist that Hussein conspired with al-Qaeda to bring down the Twin Towers. And it's a fair bet that this myth will remain in mass circulation as long as proponents of the Iraq war persist in believing that it is savvy politics to prey on people's ignorance. Consider, for instance, the current TV ads - sponsored by a White House front group known as Freedom's Watch - that seek to shore up waning support for the Iraq war by perpetuating the canard that 9/11 was a Hussein production. In their quest to stoke emotions in defiance of fact, the ad-makers aren't exactly subtle. First, some military vets are shown making the case for staying in Iraq. Then, in the key image, we're back on 9/11. The north tower is burning, the second tower is seconds away from igniting, and these words flash on the screen: They Attacked Us.

• Fifty firms at first UK ID card bid meeting: £2bn of deals will go through the framework contracts now in procurement - Fifty potential suppliers to the government's planned multi-million pound biometric identity card programme participated in the first bidders' conference last week. The procurement for the scheme was launched last month and the framework contracts – which will handle up to £2bn of subsequent business – are expected to be signed within nine months.

• Experts call for DNA restrictions - A group of eminent lawyers and scientists is calling for anyone not convicted of a crime to have their details wiped from the DNA database. The Nuffield Council on Bioethics said it is "unjustified" to keep people on the National DNA Database when they have not been convicted of any offence. Some four million DNA samples are on the police's database. Earlier this month a leading judge called for the whole of the population to be placed on the database.

• Britain accused on cluster bombs - The UK government has been accused of trying to reclassify two kinds of cluster bombs so they can still be used after a proposed global ban begins. Landmine Action said the government wanted to make use of its current stocks of the controversial bombs which open up to scatter smaller bombs. The government says its position was backed by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). However the ICRC says this has never been discussed with them by Britain.

Monday 17th September 2007: -

• Terrorists-in-wait or just misfits?: Seven in Miami face trial, but some doubt they could -- or would -- have attacked - The charges were stunning: Seven Miami men were accused of trying to join forces with al-Qaeda to blow up the FBI headquarters in Miami Beach and the Sears Tower in Chicago. On closer examination, however, the explosive accusations fizzled. Even government officials described the group's plans as "more aspirational than operational." Now, more than a year later, it comes down to a jury to decide whether the men, who were living in the low-income Liberty City area, were homegrown terrorists bent on bringing down the U.S. government or innocent dupes entrapped by paid informants.

• UK 9/11 TRUTH STREET ACTION REPORT: Download last nights broadcast on Bradford based Islam Radio featuring cremationofcare.com webmaster Joseph Skelton. Topic of discussion; Local 9/11 truth street action and the sixth anniversary.   (RELATED: See our 9/11 archive and our affiliated site 911truthskipton.com)

• Bill Maher: 9/11 Truthers need professional help, not publicity - Bill Maher takes a jab at the 9/11 Truth movement in a recent "New Rules" segment. "Crazy people who still think the government brought down the Twin Towers in a controlled explosion have to stop pretending that I'm the one who's being naive," says Maher. How big a lunatic do you have to be to watch two giant airliners packed with jet fuel slam into buildings on live TV, igniting a massive inferno that burned for two hours, and then think 'Well, if you believe that was the cause...'

• 9/11 -- the big cover-up? - Even the chair of the 9/11 Commission now admits that the official evidence they were given was ‘far from the truth’. Six years after 9/11, the American public have still not been provided with a full and truthful account of the single greatest terror attack in U.S. history. What they got was a turkey. The 9/11 Commission was hamstrung by official obstruction. It never managed to ascertain the whole truth of what happened on September 11 2001. The chair and vice chair of the 9/11 Commission, respectively Thomas Kean and Lee Hamilton, assert in their book, Without Precedent, that they were “set up to fail” and were starved of funds to do a proper investigation. They also confirm that they were denied access to the truth and misled by senior officials in the Pentagon and the federal aviation authority; and that this obstruction and deception led them to contemplate slapping officials with criminal charges.

• The power of the postcode: There's no lottery about postcodes. It is a precise ... and revealing ... science, writes Jasper Gerard - It's in the DNA of the British to keep up appearances. Even the Queen patches her carpets. Meanwhile, the middle class kits itself out from Boden clearance sales and supplements the weekly shop in Waitrose with a crafty whizz round Lidl. But postcodes, we now learn, strip away our pretence and lay bare just how smart we really are. An Englishman no longer gives away his life story by opening his mouth, but by opening an envelope marked with that telltale code. How long you are put on hold is now determined by it. Whenever some call centre operative from Bangalore asks for your postcode, he will have "frighteningly accurate" information about your salary, credit rating, property value, hobbies, relationships, holidays, political affiliations, even what TV shows you watch, your interest in current affairs, what newspaper you read, which websites you check. CCTV cameras may document where you are through the day, but now companies can instantly summon an image of how you live - thanks to your postcode.

Sunday 16th September 2007: -