Utility officials say such shutdowns probably wouldn't result in blackouts. But they could lead to shockingly higher electric bills for millions of Southerners, because the region's utilities may be forced to buy expensive replacement power from other energy companies. Already, there has been one brief, drought-related shutdown, at a reactor in Alabama over the summer.

"Water is the nuclear industry's Achilles' heel," said Jim Warren, executive director of N.C. Waste Awareness and Reduction Network, an environmental group critical of nuclear power. "You need a lot of water to operate nuclear plants." He added: "This is becoming a crisis." An Associated Press analysis of the nation's 104 nuclear reactors found that 24 are in areas experiencing the most severe levels of drought. All but two are built on the shores of lakes and rivers and rely on submerged intake pipes to draw billions of gallons of water for use in cooling and condensing steam after it has turned the plants' turbines.

Because of the yearlong dry spell gripping the region, the water levels on those lakes and rivers are getting close to the minimums set by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Over the next several months, the water could drop below the intake pipes altogether. Or the shallow water could become too hot under the sun to use as coolant. The water was low on the Tennessee River and had become warmer than usual under the hot sun. By the time it had been pumped through the Browns Ferry plant, it had become hotter still -- too hot to release back into the river, according to the TVA. So the utility shut down a reactor.

David Lochbaum, nuclear project safety director for the Union of Concerned Scientists, warned that nuclear plants are not designed to take the wear and tear of repeatedly stopping and restarting.

The global economic situation looks increasingly bad as we face a certain global depression primarily due to the INSANE MONETARY POLICIES OF THE CENTRAL BANKERS. SOME OF THE BIG BANKS ARE REPORTING LOSSES GREATER THAN THE ASSETS THEY HAVE ON THE BOOKS. FOREIGNERS ARE ALSO COMING IN AND ARE BUYING UP THIS NATION'S INFRASTRUCTURE. It is a complete disaster.

Amazingly, the Federal Reserve is indicating that they are LIKELY TO REDUCE INTEREST RATES AGAIN WHICH WILL CAUSE FURTHER VALUE DESTRUCTION OF THE U.S. DOLLAR. This combined with Bush's so called economic stimulus package are phony solutions that will do nothing to stave off the coming economic calamity. In fact, the Federal Reserve is doing the exact opposite of what they should be doing if they sought a long term solution. A LONG TERM SOLUTION WOULD INVOLVE STRENGTHENING THE U.S. DOLLAR WITH A SOUND MONETARY POLICY. By devaluing the U.S. Dollar they are robbing the average American blind and most don't even realize it.

Much like the Great Depression, the international bankers are now preparing to consolidate more wealth through these irrational policies as an excuse to bring in regional currencies and regional governmental bodies. As a result, we remain bullish on gold, silver and other sound financial instruments in light of this economic tyranny. EXPECT SHORT TERM VOLATILITY BUT IN THE LONG TERM EXPECT GOLD, SILVER AND COMMODITIES TO RISE IN U.S. DOLLAR DENOMINATIONS.

The U.S. Dollar as the world's reserve currency has now been called an experiment and a historical anomaly by the Council on Foreign Relations. This is an accurate assessment as never before in the history of man HAVE WE HAD A RESERVE CURRENCY ON A GLOBAL SCALE WITH NO BACKING. A hundred years ago, it was inconceivable that a monetary system could exist without gold or silver, now many economists can't conceive of a monetary system with gold and silver. IT IS LITERAL MADNESS!

Rising fuel and food prices could push inflation above the 3 per cent level at which King would be forced to write to the Chancellor to explain. King said he feared he might have to "write more than one". However, he gave his strongest indication yet that interest rates would be cut when the Monetary Policy Committee next meets in February, saying the current rate of 5.5 per cent was "probably bearing down demand".

"The situation is much more serious than any other financial crisis since the end of World War II," Soros was quoted as saying. He said over the past few years politics had been guided by some basic misunderstandings stemming from something that he called "market fundamentalism" - the belief that financial markets tended to act as a balance. "This is the wrong idea," he said. "We really do have a serious financial crisis now."

He added he was surprised how little it was understood that a US recession was also a threat to Europe. European shares duly fell nearly six per cent on Monday, their biggest one-day slide since 9/11.

While many worry about the potential consequences of atmospheric warming, a few experts are trying to call attention to another global crisis quietly taking place under our feet. Call it the thin brown line. Dirt. On average, the planet is covered with little more than 3 feet of topsoil -- the shallow skin of nutrient-rich matter that sustains most of our food and appears to play a critical role in supporting life on Earth. "We're losing more and more of it every day," said David Montgomery, a geologist at the University of Washington. "The estimate is that we are now losing about 1 percent of our topsoil every year to erosion, most of this caused by agriculture."

Montgomery has written a popular book, "Dirt," to call public attention to what he believes is a neglected environmental catastrophe. A geomorphologist who studies how landscapes form, Montgomery describes modern agricultural practices as "soil mining" to emphasize that we are rapidly outstripping the Earth's natural rate of restoring topsoil. "Globally, it's clear we are eroding soils at a rate much faster than they can form," said John Reganold, a soils scientist at Washington State University. "It's hard to get people to pay much attention to this because, frankly, most of us take soil for granted."

The National Academy of Sciences has determined that cropland in the U.S. is being eroded at least 10 times faster than the time it takes for lost soil to be replaced. The United Nations has warned of worldwide soil degradation -- especially in sub-Saharan Africa, where soil loss has contributed to the rapidly increasing number of malnourished people. Healthy topsoil is a biological matrix, a housing complex for an incredibly diverse community of organisms -- billions of beneficial microbes per handful, nitrogen-fixing fungi, nutrients and earthworms whose digestive tracts transform the fine grains of sterile rock and plant detritus into the fertile excrement that gave rise to the word itself ("drit," in Old Norse).

As such, true living topsoil cannot be made overnight, Montgomery emphasized. Topsoil grows back at a rate of an inch or two over hundreds of years. Very slowly. "Globally, it's pretty clear we're running out of dirt," Montgomery said. Organic farming methods also can reduce soil loss, he said. He cited his own research, which has shown a marked increase in soil health, water retention and regrowth when organic methods are used rather than the traditional methods.

The speaker of Iran's Parliament appealed to Ayatollah Khameini after the president refused to implement a law aimed at assisting rural Iranians through one of the coldest winters the country has had in several years, the BBC reported Tuesday. A letter giving Khameini's order was read in Parliament. Cold weather and severe snowstorms have caused at least 64 deaths in Iran. In much of the country, gas supplies have run low, leading to cuts in pressure, and some places have no gas at all.

Ahmadinejad has come under fire for failing to respond to the crisis. The British network also reported many Iranians feel more free to criticize the president given the apparent reduced threat of a military strike by the United States or Israel.

The study concluded that the statements "were part of an orchestrated campaign that effectively galvanized public opinion and, in the process, led the nation to war under decidedly false pretenses." The study was posted Tuesday on the Web site of the Center for Public Integrity, which worked with the Fund for Independence in Journalism. White House spokesman Scott Stanzel did not comment on the merits of the study Tuesday night but reiterated the administration's position that the world community viewed Iraq's leader, Saddam Hussein, as a threat.

"The actions taken in 2003 were based on the collective judgment of intelligence agencies around the world," Stanzel said. The study counted 935 false statements in the two-year period. It found that in speeches, briefings, interviews and other venues, Bush and administration officials stated unequivocally on at least 532 occasions that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction or was trying to produce or obtain them or had links to al-Qaida or both.

"It is now beyond dispute that Iraq did not possess any weapons of mass destruction or have meaningful ties to al-Qaida," according to Charles Lewis and Mark Reading-Smith of the Fund for Independence in Journalism staff members, writing an overview of the study. "IN SHORT, THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION LED THE NATION TO WAR ON THE BASIS OF ERRONEOUS INFORMATION THAT IT METHODICALLY PROPAGATED AND THAT CULMINATED IN MILITARY ACTION AGAINST IRAQ ON MARCH 19, 2003."

The 69-year old African statesman faces a tough challenge resolving a bitter standoff between Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki and opposition challenger Raila Odinga over a disputed poll that plunged Kenya into chaos and ethnic bloodshed. "We are determined to work with the parties to find a solution as quickly as possible," Annan told reporters after landing in Nairobi late on Tuesday.

"We want to determine by tomorrow how quickly the parties want to work with us," he said, flanked by fellow mediators Benjamin Mkapa, the former president of Tanzania, and Graca Machel, the wife of former South African leader Nelson Mandela. Clashes between Kibaki and Odinga supporters, ethnic unrest and a brutal crackdown by the security forces have killed at least 650 people over the past month.

Odinga says a December 27 poll that returned Kibaki to power was fraudulent. His supporters have taken to the streets and mobs mostly targeting Kibaki's Kikuyu tribe have hacked people to death and burnt homes. There have also been reprisal killings.

GOVERNMENT SUPPORT FOR GAY COUPLES and single parents, the rise in cohabitation and an official failure to support traditional marriage are said to have resulted in previously unconventional lifestyles becoming widely accepted. The annual report says marriage - once the bedrock institution of British society - IS SEEN BY TWO THIRDS OF PEOPLE as virtually indistinguishable from cohabitation.

The survey exposes the decline in the importance of marriage with the finding that MOST PEOPLE SEE WEDDINGS AS AN EXCUSE FOR A PARTY rather than a public declaration of lifelong commitment. The average cost of a wedding may have soared to £17,370, but 53 per cent of people regard it simply as a celebration.

The head of David Cameron's social justice policy unit, Iain Duncan Smith, identified failing families as a key force in social breakdown. HE CLAIMED THAT CHILDREN FROM BROKEN HOMES WERE MORE LIKELY TO FAIL AT SCHOOL, FALL FOUL OF THE LAW OR TURN TO DRINK OR DRUGS. "The worry remains that family break-up is more associated with cohabiting couples than married ones and to encourage cohabitation is to risk the security of children. The Government needs to signal its support for marriage."

Mr Duncan Smith said there was a lack of honesty in the political debate. "Family breakdown is a major cause of social exclusion," he said. "For years this debate has been stifled, with Government research papers even excluding marriage as a special family category. Small wonder that the cost of family break-up grows, estimated at £20-£24 billion."

Japan's Nikkei 225 index closed 2.0% higher as gains were limited by concern about the effects that the rate cut were having on currencies. Australia, South Korea and Hong Kong saw share prices rebound, following days of heavy losses. Australian shares finally managed to end their 12-day losing streak, closing up by 4.4%.

In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index traded more than 5% higher, rebounding from Tuesday's drop of nearly 9%, while South Korean shares were up about 1%. Global shares rebounded after the US central bank cut its main interest rate to 3.5% from 4.25% on Tuesday in an attempt to pull the world's biggest economy away from a recession. Japanese Finance Minister Fukushiro Nukaga welcomed the move, saying he hoped it would have a positive effect on Japan's markets. "I expect the move will stabilize US financial markets and the global economy as a whole," he said.

One analyst said that while the rate cut might help to ease concerns in the short-term, stock markets were set to be volatile in coming weeks. "Caution still rules the long-term picture," said Markus Steinbeis of Pioneer Investments.

Police have confirmed they are investigating a possible suicide chain as the victims are all linked. Several of the victims have posted personal profiles on the social networking internet site Bebo, prompting a theory that it has become fashionable and even prestigious to have an internet memorial site. The horrified mother of another victim said: "It's like a craze - a stupid sort of fad. They all seem to be copying each other by wanting to die."

Firing missiles off the coastline of two Nato members is the latest in a series of Kremlin moves flexing Moscow's military muscle on the world stage. Russian bombers joined aircraft carriers, battleships and submarine hunters from the Northern and Black Sea fleets for the Atlantic exercises, which come as the country enters an election campaign to choose a successor to President Putin.

"The air force is taking a very active part in the exercises of the navy's strike force in the Atlantic," the Russian air force said in a statement reported by Reuters. "Today, two strategic Tu-160 bombers departed for exercises in the Bay of Biscay, which ... will carry out a number of missions and will conduct tactical missile launches." There was no immediate comment from Nato about the exercise.

Mr Putin has used military manoeuvres, including controversial North Sea overflights, to revive domestic and international respect for Russia's armed forces which were shattered by the chaos of the 1990s. He has also boosted military spending, renewed long-range bomber missions and approved a plan to upgrade Russia's nuclear attack forces, which he said was needed after Nato built up its forces close to Russia's borders. But some analysts note that while the sabre-rattling is popular at home, Russian military spending in absolute terms is substantially lower than that of China, Britain or France and less than a tenth of that of the United States.

The prime minister was forced to call a vote of confidence after Clemente Mastella, the former justice minister, withdrew his support on Monday. Mr Mastella's Udeur Christian Democrat party has three crucial seats in the Senate, where Mr Prodi had a majority of two, at best. New elections could be called, or a caretaker government could be appointed to reform the complicated electoral law if Mr Prodi loses the vote of confidence in both chambers.

La Stampa, a newspaper, said that the Holy See was trying to meddle in Italian politics. "Prodi's government dared to challenge the ecclesiastical hierarchy for the second time and this time it has had its hands burned," it said. Franco Giordano, a Communist MP, said that Mr Mastella was merely a "loudspeaker" for the Vatican, and that he had switched sides because he was told to. As Mr Mastella announced his defection on Monday, Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, the head of the Italian Bishops Conference, attacked Mr Prodi. "The country is in pieces," he said. "There is lazy administration and a shirking of responsibility."

He cited the rubbish crisis in Naples and deplored the policy on gay rights. He also accused the government of having blocked the Pope from visiting La Sapienza university after some students demonstrated against the pontiff's perceived anti-science stance.

The Bank's Monetary Policy Committee is scheduled to decide on interest rates on 7 February but now faces huge pressure to act before then. Governor Mervyn King can call an emergency meeting if he wishes. Even Gordon Brown's close ally Ed Balls gave a clear signal today that the Bank should cut interest rates to shield Britain from a global downturn.

In the first half-hour of trading the market looked set for a repeat of yesterday's meltdown with the FTSE 100 index of top shares slumping by 239.5 points. That was a 4.3 per cent fall on top of yesterday's 5.5 per cent crash, bringing the losses over 24 hours to £120 billion.

The Footsie ended the day 161.9 points up at 5740.1. It was the index's first daily rise for a week, and helped claw back some ground after the 5.5 per cent fall yesterday as gloom descended on markets around the world. The 300-point about-turn in less than a hour of trading is thought to be the most dramatic in share market history, excepting declarations of war and 9/11.

David Buik of City bookmakers Cantor Index said: "I've never seen anything like it in all my born days. Everyone's running around like headless chickens." Dealers said share prices were on a knife edge. On Wall Street, the Dow Jones Average slumped 354.7 points to 11744.6 in early trading. This was less than the 500 points expected.

The International Rescue Committee (IRC), which carried out the study with Australia's Burnet Institute, said Democratic Republic of Congo's 1998-2003 war and its aftermath had caused more deaths than any other conflict since World War Two. "CONGO'S LOSS IS EQUIVALENT TO THE ENTIRE POPULATION OF DENMARK OR THE STATE OF COLORADO PERISHING WITHIN A DECADE," George Rupp, president of the aid group, said in a statement.

The findings were published on the day Congo's government and warring eastern rebel and militia factions were due to sign a ceasefire in the hope of halting fighting in the east which has raged on since the nominal end of the 1998-2003 war. Rupp said that although Congo's war formally ended five years ago, "ongoing strife and poverty continue to take a staggering toll. THE CONFLICT AND ITS AFTERMATH, IN TERMS OF FATALITIES, SURPASS ANY OTHER SINCE WORLD WAR II," he added.

Malaria, diarrhea, pneumonia and malnutrition, aggravated by conflict, were the top killers in Congo, the survey said. "Most of the deaths are due to easily treatable and preventable diseases through the collapse of health systems and the disruption of livelihoods," said IRC director of global health programs Richard Brennan, one of the survey's authors.