"Togo "coup leader" sworn in"

Mbeki moment: SA holds breath
How South Africa will boost its economic growth and reduce its unemployment rate are just two of the issues opposition parties are hoping President Thabo Mbeki will speak on in his State of the Nation address on Friday.

Signing of SA-Zimbabwe agreement postponed
The signing of a bilateral investment protection agreement between South Africa and Zimbabwe was postponed on Wednesday, the department of trade and industry (DTI) said. DTI chief director for African Trade, George Monemongane, said the signing was postponed because the Zimbabwean minister was not available. It was not known when it would be signed now.

SA Farm Owners Start to Feel Bite of Zim Land Grab
Lawrence Nicholson, 81, a South African citizen, is about to lose his home, a small dry ranch about 150km north of Beit Bridge. His land was not invaded by President Robert Mugabe's supporters during the five years of chaos in the commercial farming sector.

Africa's Crippling Debt Must Be Relieved
THERE is no question about the fact that there is everything immoral about Africa's debt, given the immense problems that the continent has to grapple with on a daily basis.

Togo "coup leader" sworn in
Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé, the son of Togo's late President, has been sworn in as the new head of state in Togo. Mr Faure was put to power by Togo's armed forces after his father died on Saturday, despite the constitutional order. The African Union has called the take-over a "military coup" and says it will not recognise the current administration.

The Genocide in Chechnya is worse than the tsunami
203 million people were killed around the world in the 20th century: 10 million died in WWI, 50 million in WWII. Lenin killed 13 million, Stalin - 30 million, Hitler - 12 million, Mao - 65 million, and B. Yeltsin and V. Putin 250 thousand Chechens.

Pentagon to broadcast to millions of U.S. homes
The U.S. military is to beam its own news coverage to millions of Americans.

US official says NKorea developing weapons as talks suspended
The United States believes North Korea is continuing its weapons program amid the delay in resuming talks on its nuclear ambitions, a US official said, as Pyongyang announced an indefinite suspension of the dialogue.

North Korea claims nuclear weapons
Citing what it calls U.S. threats to topple its political system, North Korea said Thursday it is dropping out of six-party nuclear talks and will "bolster its nuclear weapons arsenal," North Korea's official news agency KCNA reported.

N Korea's statement in full
The following text is the full statement released on Thursday by North Korea's KCNA news agency. North Korea refers to itself as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

9-11 panel: FAA got 52 warnings in 6 mos.
Federal Aviation Administration officials received 52 warnings prior to Sept. 11, 2001, from their own security experts about potential al-Qaida attacks, including some that mentioned airline hijackings or suicide attacks, The New York Times reported.

El Salvador says it will send more humanitarian troops to Iraq
El Salvador has agreed to a U.S. request to send a fourth army contingent to Iraq, President Tony Saca said Wednesday.

Shrewd kingmaker is given policy post
Political ace Rove's portfolio unusual for high-level staff
President Bush promoted his senior political strategist Karl Rove, regarded as a masterful tactician and a ruthless operative, on Tuesday to a top White House policy position overseeing domestic and foreign affairs.

Domestic gibberish
Bush's incoherence on home affairs reminds us that pre-9/11 he was the most unpopular president

Bush Seeks $400 Million to Reward Allies
President Bush is asking Congress to set up a $400 million fund to reward nations that have taken political and economic risks to join U.S.-led coalitions in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Karl's in charge, can-do Condi, Medicare madness
and since when is working three jobs 'uniquely American'?
The Evil Genius strikes again! Karl Rove the president's chief political strategist, credited with engineering Bush's rise from bungling baseball executive to commander in chief, will now have his hand in sweeping aspects of policy in his new role as deputy White House chief of staff.

Moving Ahead With Courage and What?
On the State of the Union: Once again, Bush lies, integrity dies

The United State of Egoism
In a recent Los Angeles Times commentary, Benjamin R. Barber argues that the Bush administration's push to overhaul Social Security reflects a conflict current in America between the "Me" vs "We".

US to revoke Purple Heart medals
The US military has said it will revoke 11 Purple Heart medals after they were awarded erroneously.

Pakistan Army Pays More Than
Half Million Dollars to Al Qaeda in Bizarre Deal
Pakistan Army has publicly admitted paying Al Qaeda over half a million dollars in the most bizarre deal it has ever made with militant Waziristan fighters, battling the Army and the US forces in the rugged terrain bordering Afghanistan for months.

The government to close borders amid more attacks
Iraq said today it would seal its borders next week in a bid to boost security and thwart insurgent violence, in a move seen as preventing Shiite pilgrims from entering the country.

Iran Vows 'Burning Hell' for Any Aggressor
Iran, facing mounting U.S. pressure over its nuclear program, promised Thursday a "burning hell" for any aggressor as tens of thousands marched to mark the 26th anniversary of its Islamic revolution.