While the protests attracted fewer people than the 10,000 who turned out on November 2 to shut down Oakland's port, organisers declared victory and promised more demonstrations to come. "The truckers are still here, but there's nobody here to unload their stuff," protest organiser Boots Riley said. "We shut down the Port of Oakland for the daytime shift and we're coming back in the evening. Mission accomplished."

Organisers called for the "Shutdown Wall Street on the Waterfront" protests, hoping the day of demonstrations would cut into the profits of the corporations that run the docks and send a message that their movement was not over.

The longshoremen's union did not officially support the protests, but its membership cited a provision in its contract that allowed workers to ask to stay off the job if they felt conditions were unsafe. Some went home with several hours' pay while others left with nothing. The movement, which sprang up this autumn in New York against what it sees as corporate greed and economic inequality, is focusing on the ports as the "economic engines for the elite". It comes weeks after police raids cleared out most of their tent camps.

Now Germany, the US, China, Japan and Canada have all expressed major doubts about the plan. The German Bundesbank said it will give the IMF more money only if other EU and non-EU countries do the same. However, President Obama said Europe has "enough resources" to deal with the problem on its own.

The plan is for the 17 eurozone countries to provide 125 billion pounds but EU officials said the Bank of England could be asked to contribute some of the balance. But Foreign Secretary William Hague has vowed that British taxpayers will not have to pay more to help the IMF prop up the eurozone. "We wouldn't agree to the IMF to use extra funding specifically designated to help the euro," he said.

One even claimed ending the rebate was a suitable alternative to "a declaration of war" involving tanks and Kalashnikov rifles. In a further salvo, European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso accused Britain of risking the "integrity" of the EU's single market. Demands to scrap the UK's rebate - worth 2.7 billion pounds this year - were raised during a debate in the European Parliament about last week's tumultuous EU summit. It failed to reach a deal after Mr Cameron blocked plans for new EU powers of "economic governance" without safeguards to protect the City of London.

Yesterday cracks in the anti-British alliance began to show when Sweden's government signalled it may not back the new eurozone "fiscal compact". Swedish prime minister Fredrik Reinfeldt said: "It is very clear that we do not have all the facts and unless we have that, it's tough to make a final verdict."

It includes spending 118 million pounds to demolish and build a new office block near to their Brussels headquarters and to buy another. A further 13.5 million pounds will be spent on buying and renovating a building that currently belongs to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg - the Parliament's second home that it uses only 10 times a year for four days at a time.

Britain's Conservative MEPs, who opposed the proposal, condemned it last night. Leader Martin Callanan said: "The euro is on a life support machine, the whole of the continent is in crisis, and some MEPs are getting on with what they do best - making their own lives more comfortable."

Supporters of the Brussels scheme say the extra space is for an ever-growing number of staff, partly driven by the arrival of 18 new MEPs as a consequence of the Lisbon Treaty.

The euro rescue deal appeared to be in serious trouble last night as the single currency crashed on international money markets. As doubts emerged in several countries over whether an agreement struck late last week will ever come into force, Germany's Angela Merkel sent the euro into a tailspin as she ruled out beefing up a bailout fund for debt-stricken eurozone economies.

Ratification of a deal creating an effective single EU economic government appeared fraught with difficulty last night in Sweden, Holland, Denmark, Finland and the Czech Republic. There are even doubts over whether France will implement the package after its main opposition party - currently on course to oust Nicolas Sarkozy in elections in April - rejected the deal.

Amid bitter recriminations in Brussels over David Cameron's decision to veto last week's attempt at a new EU-wide treaty, senior figures said they would now try to strip Britain of its annual EU rebate in an act of vengeance.

A Jerusalem engineer ordered the city to close the bridge that leads from the Western Wall Plaza to the Temple Mount, the only entrance for Jews and tourists to visit the holy site. He ruled that the Rambam Bridge, also known as the Mughrabi Bridge, is too dangerous to use, partly because the wooden structure is flammable. It was built after the older stone bridge collapsed in a snowstorm in 2004.

The closure of the wooden bridge this week, barring Jews from the holiest Jewish site in the world, shocked Jews in Israel and around the world. National Union Knesset Members Aryeh Eldad and Uri Ariel said the situation as unacceptable and that they would arrive at the site Wednesday morning in order to ascend to the Temple Mount.

Israeli media reports said Israel would consult with the king of Jordan, the custodian of Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem, on the future of the bridge. Lo and behold, the city of Jerusalem found a solution. A fire truck was brought to the bridge Wednesday morning so firefighters can put out a fire in case the bridge goes up in smoke.

Yesterday, the south of England and Wales bore the brunt of the severe weather. Roads were flooded, trees toppled, power lines cut and ferry crossings disrupted. Up to 40mm (1.6 inches) of rain fell in some areas overnight on Monday, driven by winds of up to 70 mph. But forecasters said a storm of even greater intensity would head in from the Atlantic tomorrow night. One of the stormiest periods the UK has seen for several years was set to unleash heavy rains, strong winds and snow in some areas - including the North Yorkshire/Durham border which is already under snow.

The sources said that among those arrested and interrogated so far are some of Khamenei's bodyguards. The sources conveyed that those arrested tried to convince Khamenei to visit Mlard missile base in western Tehran on November 12th.

It should be mentioned that on that day a huge blast took place in this military base, which killed among others the head of ballistic missiles production and development unit.

Khamenei was assured that the base is safe when he was to attend a launching ceremony of a new missile. It is said also that Khamenei ordered to investigate his son, "Mojtaba Khamenei," who is considered a leading businessman and close assossiate with many military leaders. Reports indicate that some of the leaders of the Revolutionary Guards were seeking a military coup against the Supreme Leader. Following his death, these officers planned to announce an interim ruling council and declare a state of extreme emergency in the country. This council was expected to be presided over by Mojtaba Khamenei.

Now, you don't need to actually commit a crime to be hauled away to a detention center and held without charges while you are tortured; you just need to appear suspicious by sympathizing with anti-government views to be labeled a domestic terrorist. So, what makes you a terror suspect in America? Here are 10 ridiculous things that make you a terrorist according to "officials" running the US government:

TEA PARTY ACTIVISTS: The political Left demonized peaceful Tea Party activists as right-wing extremists, leading to the second most powerful official in the US government, VP Joe Biden, to liken them to terrorists. Do you sympathize with those who are angry about bank bailouts on the backs of taxpayers? Well, you're likely a terrorist in the eyes of the State.

OCCUPY ACTIVISTS: Now, the "Occupy" movement, said to be made up of left-wing extremists, is enjoying the same treatment as the Tea Party's right-wing extremists. The United Kingdom has officially labeled "Occupy" demonstrators as domestic terrorists. The US hasn't gone quite that far, but the violent Police State did spy them in search of "domestic terrorists." Watch out, you may be a terror suspect if you sympathize with the 99%.

7 DAYS OF FOOD: The Department of Justice and FBI considers you a terrorist threat if you have more than 7 days of food stored, as explained by Rand Paul on the Senate floor:

Paul was referring to an official FBI/DOJ flyer given out to business owners to help them identify potential threats. And recently, Federal agents went to food storage facilities demanding customers lists, while citizens were harassed by the government with door-to-door "assessments" of their preparedness.

MISSING FINGERS: The document referred to by Rand Paul above, also claims that if someone is missing a finger or has burn marks, they're more likely to be a terror suspect.

BUYING FLASHLIGHTS: Also from the same official source, if you're buying night-vision devices including flashlights, you should be considered a terror suspect.

PAYING CASH AT HOTELS: Watch out if you want to pay with cash for hotel rooms. This DHS commercial indicates that you're a terror suspect if you do: The DHS has also launched their citizen spy program for hotels and has sent them hotel protection guidelines which lists suspicious activities like persons carrying observation equipment or standing around in the same area.

TEXTING PRIVATELY IN A PUBLIC PLACE: According to this DHS commercial for their citizen spy program, if you're texting while sitting in a public park, but trying to keep it concealed from people who pass by, you should be reported for suspicious terrorist activity.

RON PAUL STICKERS: A 2009 law enforcement report from the Missouri Information Analysis Center (MIAC) labeled Ron Paul supporters, Libertarians, and people sharing movies about the Federal Reserve as "domestic terrorists." When supporters of a political candidate who stands for peace and freedom become terror suspects, America is in big trouble.

BELIEF IN CONSPIRACIES - Obama's Information Czar, Cass Sunstein, has identified those who hold conspiracy theories as targets for online "cognitive infiltration." Do you question the motives for war? Question the motives of the private Federal Reserve bank? Question any government policies? Chances are you already have been marked as a suspect.

OWN PRECIOUS METALS - Despite the fact that the Federal Reserve paper note (ie the dollar) is only sustained by faith, you could now be a suspected terrorist if you would like to preserve your wealth with something that holds real value like precious metals. And forget about establishing an alternative currency made from silver or gold like Bernard von NotHaus as you may be lumped into a "unique form of terrorism."

And now the bonus round for being registered as a potential terrorist:

#11- OWNING GUNS AND AMMO. Let's face it: you disagree with the American government colluding with international banks to rob you blind AND you've armed yourself? This is also why returning veterans have been labeled potential terrorists - they have guns, know how to use them, and may be angry about the lies that sent them to war.

German arms companies are also delivering ordnance to several countries in the close vicinity of the People's Republic of China, which corresponds to western efforts to force back or, at least, limit Beijing's influence. The Arms Export Report also points out that last year, Berlin had issued permits for the delivery of firearms to the Arabian Peninsula countries - weapons that had been used this year against demonstrators.

Among the customers of expensive arms supplies are the indebted countries of the southern Euro zone, such as Portugal and Greece, who, already deep in a crisis, had been offered and accorded hundreds of millions of Euros worth of arms deliveries in 2010. Germany has now become the world's third largest arms exporter.

"We were simply asking for a level playing field for open competition for financial services companies in all EU countries, with arrangements that would enable every EU member state to regulate its financial sector properly," he said, rejecting accusations the government was "trying to go soft on the banks". Mr Cameron said he wished France and Germany had accepted the requests "but frankly I have to tell the House the choice was a treaty without proper safeguards or no treaty and the right answer was no treaty. It was not an easy thing to do but it was the right thing to do," he added.

The prime minister insisted the move had done nothing to change Britain's influence or position in the EU.

He told MPs: "I am absolutely clear that it is possible to be both a full, committed and influential member of the European Union but to stay out of arrangements where they do not protect our interests." Opposition leader Ed Miliband noted the absence from the frontbench of Deputy PM and Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg - who described the outcome of the European summit as "bitterly disappointing".

Mr Miliband said the deal was a "bad deal for Britain", accusing Mr Cameron of walking away from the negotiating table and "sidelining" the UK with "long-lasting consequences. He should have stayed inside and fought his corner," the Labour leader said, accusing Mr Cameron of acting in his party's and not the country's interest.

Mr Cameron retorted that Mr Miliband had refused to say what Labour would have done - whether it would have supported or opposed the new treaty. "If is answer is yes he should say so. If the answer is no you should have the honesty to say I was right to keep Britain out of it," he said.

British Prime Minister David Cameron on Monday defended his decision to refuse to join the other 26 European Union member states in a fiscal union, and dismissed growing calls in his Conservative Party for Britain to leave the EU, saying remaining in the bloc was vital to Britain's national interests.

"Britain remains a full member of the EU and the events of the last week do nothing to change that," Cameron told parliament during a debate on last week's European Union summit. "Our membership of the EU is vital to our national interest. We are a trading nation and we need the single market for trade, investment and jobs. We are in the EU and we want to be," he added. Cameron's decision not to take part in an EU treaty change aimed at tightening fiscal rules for euro-zone member states has isolated Britain in the 27-nation bloc and opened a rift in his government coalition with the pro-European Liberal Democrat party.

Cameron said he voted against amending the Lisbon Treaty to enshrine new debt rules because his call for safeguards for the financial sector had been rejected by EU partners at the summit. He added that he had not sought the safeguards just for Britain but for the whole EU, to protect the competitiveness of banks. "The right answer was no treaty," he said. "It was not an easy thing to do but it was the right thing to do." Financial services are a particularly important sector for the British economy.

German mass circulation Bild, a veteran of many tabloid spats between Germany and Britain, weighed in on Saturday with the headline "Bye Bye, England. Europe will go on without you." In a tongue-in-cheek commentary, Bild wrote: "Dear British, Europe without you is like fish without chips, like London without driving on the left, like beer without foam. But you must decide now. Do you really want to be a lonely island and do everything differently? If yes, be honest - and get out of the EU altogether." It emerged on Monday that the British government may yet deepen its isolation by obstructing plans to agree a separate treaty on budget discipline.

The property company is one of a number to have identified a collection of retailers suffering from poor trading and another group facing liquidity pressures because of debt mountains. If these retailers were to collapse into administration, close stores or restructure through controversial Company Voluntary Arrangements (CVAs) then thousands of shops across the UK would be at risk.

The scenario highlights the troubles facing Britain's high streets on the eve of a Government-commissioned report by Mary Portas which will be released on Tuesday. Miss Portas issues a grave warning about the health of the high street when she unveils her report alongside the Prime Minister. She will suggest a series of remedies including a National Market Day to promote street markets, a loosening of regulations on night-time deliveries, and town centres providing more free car parking.

More than one in 10 shops on the average British high street is already empty, with vacancy rates reaching 30 per cent in towns such as Runcorn, Cheshire. However, landlords fear the situation could worsen with footfall down in high streets as consumers struggle under the weight of higher taxes, higher fuel prices, and economic uncertainty because of the eurozone debt crisis.

Yaalon said however it was for the international community, rather than Israel, to apply what he called an "achievable" policy. "We prefer that the international community led by the United States will bring about this dilemma in order to convince the regime to give up its military nuclear programme," he said, stressing the need for political isolation and economic sanctions aimed at the banking and oil sectors.

Israel and much of the international community fear that Iran's nuclear programme masks a drive for a weapons capability. Tehran denies any such ambition and says the programme is for peaceful civilian energy and medical purposes only. "Our policy is very clear - by one way or another, the military nuclear project in Iran should be stopped," Yaalon said, indicating it "might be 12 months, might be 24 months" until Iran was able to reach a military nuclear capability.

Israel has pushed Washington and the European Union for tough sanctions against Tehran, but has repeatedly warned it would not allow Iran to obtain nuclear weapons. Yaalon, a member of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's inner circle of eight ministers, also reiterated the line that a military option was still on the table, as "the last resort."

Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel fell out with Prime Minister David Cameron at least week's EU summit, when London refused to sign up to a pact imposing closer economic coordination between member states. "We did everything, the chancellor and I, to allow the British to take part in the agreement. But there are now clearly two Europes," Sarkozy said in an interview with the French daily Le Monde.

"One wants more solidarity between its members and more regulation. The other is attached only to the logic of the single market," he said. But, asked whether Britain, which has refused to join the single currency and opposed last week's fiscal pact, could still remain inside the EU single market, Sarkozy said: "We need Great Britain. We'd be greatly impoverished if we allowed its departure which, luckily, is not on the agenda," he insisted.