"I am not exaggerating when I say there are no basics: No flour, no maize meal, no cooking oil, no margarine, no matches, no fuel, no meat no eggs. On top of this, there are widespread shortages of water and electricity. I simply do not know how people are surviving."

Thousands of Zimbabweans have been victimized, beaten and killed by government soldiers, police and thugs. Millions suffer under the iron control that President Robert Mugabe, an avowed Marxist, exerts on the entire economy and society.

WHEN ZIMBABWE WAS BRITISH RHODESIA, IT WAS THE BREADBASKET OF AFRICA, FEEDING ITSELF AND MILLIONS THROUGH EXPORTS. IT HAD A THRIVING ECONOMY, AN EXCELLENT INFRASTRUCTURE, EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM, MEDIA, LIVING STANDARDS, MEDICAL FACILITIES, RECREATION, TOURISM AND MORE.

Independence as Zimbabwe in 1980, and Robert Mugabe as president, brought the beginning of the end - an end many fear is at hand. THE INFRASTRUCTURE IS GONE, AS ARE COMMERCIAL FARMS. THE MEDICAL, EDUCATIONAL, MEDIA, COMMERCIAL, RELIGIOUS, HOUSING, TOURISM, AVIATION, MINING AND ALL OTHER BUSINESS VENTURES ARE RUINED AND PILLAGED. THOUSANDS ARE HOMELESS. PEOPLE ARE STARVING, EATING GRASS AND FACING WATER SHORTAGES. THE SANITATION SYSTEM IS VIRTUALLY NON-EXISTENT; DISEASE THREATENS.

Last month, Mugabe ordered businesses to cut prices 50 percent and more - supposedly, so people could shop. At least 5,000 resisting business owners and managers were fined and jailed; taxi drivers had vehicles impounded. When stores sold out, producers couldn't afford to import or produce more, so shelves stayed empty. Businesses closed; commerce stopped.

A civil servant might earn $22 a month; that's $4-million Zimbabwe dollars. Fuel, if available, costs up to Z$500,000 a liter; people walk. Maize is Z$300,000 for 10 kg. if available. There's no meat or rice. All food is rationed. Prisoners go hungry. Police and soldiers are reportedly looting. Outside of Zimbabwe, almost no one knows what's happening, and those who do know ignore it.

The West talks sanctions but does nothing, even as Mugabe flirts with Libya, Cuba, China, Russia and Iran.

WHEN THE WEST WANTED TO RID SOUTH AFRICA OF WHITE APARTHEID, THE WORLD UNITED - AGAINST THE WHITES. In Zimbabwe it's worse - racism against whites, brutality against blacks and the intentional destruction of a country. BUT THIS TIME, UNDER A BLACK, MARXIST LEADER, THE WORLD IS SILENT.

It's racist, immoral and dangerous.

The comments, made to the Xinhua news agency by an unidentified central bank official, follow a report last week by a British newspaper suggesting that Beijing could dump its vast dollar holdings if a trade war broke out with Washington.

"U.S. dollar assets, including American government bonds, are an important component of China's foreign exchange reserves as the dollar enjoys a major position in the international monetary system based on the large capacity and high liquidity of U.S. financial markets," Xinhua quoted the official as saying. Britain's Daily Telegraph said on Wednesday that "the Chinese government has begun a concerted campaign of economic threats against the United States," and was hinting that it might liquidate its holdings of U.S. Treasuries if Washington imposed trade sanctions.

The story caused a stir in global markets. U.S. President George W. Bush said China would be foolhardy to dump dollars, while the top Republican on the U.S. Senate Finance Committee wrote to the Chinese ambassador seeking clarification.

Asked about the newspaper report, the central bank official said: "China is a responsible investor in the international capital markets." His comments follow concerted liquidity injections on Thursday and Friday by global central banks to soothe investors' fears that spreading losses stemming from investments in subprime U.S. mortgages could snowball into a global credit crunch.

Restating official policy, the official said Beijing's priorities in managing its $1.33 trillion in foreign currency reserves were safety, liquidity and investment returns.

HE NOTES THAT THE "TREATY' MAKES IT CLEAR THAT A PURELY BRITISH FOREIGN POLICY WILL BE A THING OF THE PAST AS SOON AS BROWN PUTS PEN TO PAPER. Britain 'SHALL', orders the treaty, have THE EU REPRESENTED AT THE SECURITY COUNCIL BY ITS NEW FOREIGN MINISTER TO SPEAK FOR IT ON ANY ISSUE ON WHICH THE EU HAS TAKEN A POSITION. Not 'may', or 'should consider', but 'shall'.

Why bother with Brown or his Foreign Office when they are no longer players at the Security Council? HE ARGUES THAT IF THE CONSTITUTION CAME INTO FORCE IT WOULD MAKE 'A MOCKERY OF BROWN'S SUPPORT FOR TRIDENT, AND HIS AGREEMENT TO PROVIDE A BASE IN NORTH YORKSHIRE FOR AMERICA'S NEW MISSILE DEFENCE SYSTEM. Once the EU has control of British foreign policy, THE NEW TREATY PROVIDES IT WITH THE TOOLS TO DECLARE SUCH MOVES INCONSISTENT WITH EU POLICY. And the European court will surely agree.'

A leader in the Business argues that 'IT WOULD BE A GREAT MISTAKE FOR BRITAIN TO CONTINUE SLEEPWALKING EVER DEEPER INTO THE EUROPEAN PROJECT, a process that will be hugely accelerated if the new Constitution is ratified... As Britain's experience with trade policy - where Brussels negotiates for the European Union collectively - demonstrates, Britain would often find itself at odds with its European partners and reluctantly supporting a policy that it really opposes.'

The report argues that the first phase of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) was a failure, and that the second phase (which begins in 2008) will see important new problems emerging. It notes that the ETS is unlikely to reduce emissions or spur low carbon investment, as the scheme will be HEAVILY RELIANT ON THE 'IMPORT' OF VAST NUMBERS OF WHAT ARE ESSENTIALLY CARBON OFFSETS from developing countries, rather than enforcing real reductions in emissions in Europe. IT ARGUES THAT THESE OFFSETS ARE OFTEN NOT REDUCING EMISSIONS, AND IN SOME CASES ARE EVEN SUBSIDISING POLLUTERS.

Open Europe Director Neil O'Brien appeared on the BBC Today programme discussing the report with Green MEP Caroline Lucas. Neil argued that there were "pretty fundamental problems with this system". Caroline Lucas agreed, branding the first stage "pretty disastrous" and arguing that whilst the ETS may be a "business-friendly option", it was "not necessarily the most effective option" when it comes to combating climate change.

Neil was quoted in a trailer piece appearing in the Telegraph, arguing that it is disingenuous for politicians to argue that the fight against climate change should make ratifying the EU Constitution a necessity. He said, "INSTEAD OF OBSESSIVELY TRYING TO RAM THROUGH THE REJECTED EU CONSTITUTION IT SHOULD BE SORTING OUT ITS CHRONIC FAILURES ON THE ENVIRONMENT.

Under the Emissions Trading System emissions have gone up, not down. THE LAST THING WE SHOULD DO IS REWARD A FAILING ORGANISATION BY GIVING IT EVEN MORE POWER."

Lucy Jones, of the U.S. Geological Survey says it's not a question of where but when a big quake will strike the Coachella Valley, sandwiched between the San Andreas and San Jacinto faults. Jones says that region is long overdue, and the seismic clock is ticking.

Jones says a magnitude 7.8 quake or more could collapse major freeways, knock down buildings in Downtown L.A., kill thousands of people and cause hundreds of billions of dollars in damage. Officials in the Coachella Valley say they're taking her warning very seriously.

At 500 PM HST- 0300z - the center of Hurricane Flossie was located near latitude 14.0 north - longitude 147.0 west or about 665 miles southeast of Hilo Hawaii and about 875 miles east-southeast of Honolulu Hawaii.

Flossie is moving toward the west-northwest near 14 mph - and this motion is expected to continue during the next 24 hours. Maximum sustained winds are near 135 mph with higher gusts. Some weakening is forecast during the next 24 hours.

Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 40 miles from the center?and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 105 miles.

Everyone in the Hawaiian islands is urged to continue monitoring the progress of Hurricane Flossie. The current forecast brings tropical storm force winds to the southern Big Island late Tuesday. However...a northward shift in the track could potentially bring hurricane conditions to The Big Island.

The China National Space Administration said on Friday that the first lunar orbiter, Chang'e I, and the carrier rocket, a Long March 3-A, have both passed testing. The launch site, testing system and ground application system have also been completed for launch.

"The project will be a milestone in our space technology," Zhang Yunchuan, minister of the Commission of Science Technology and Industry for National Defence, told the meeting. "It is our first attempt in exploring the Moon with technology wholly developed on our own."

The Moon orbiter, Chang'e I, will provide 3D images of the Moon's surface, probe the distribution of 14 usable elements on the Moon, study lunar microwaves and estimate the thickness of the Moon's soil, earlier reports said. This is only the first phase of China's Moon probe program.

The entire program is divided into three phases - "circling the Moon", "landing on the Moon" and "back to Earth". After the launch of the orbiter in the first phase, China will launch a Moon rover in the second phase, and launch another rover in the third phase, which will land on the Moon and return to earth with lunar soil and stone samples.

China has also set a goal of landing spacemen on the Moon within 15 years, Xinhua News Agency quoted a leading scientist as saying in March. China carried out its maiden piloted space flight in October 2003, making the country the third in the world following the former Soviet Union and the United States to have put men into space. In October 2005, China sent its second manned spacecraft into space, with two astronauts on board.

China is one of the few countries that are capable of developing navigation satellite systems on its own.

Previous reports quoted by Xinhua News Agency said it will provide clients with positioning accuracy within 10 meters, velocity accuracy with 0.2 meter per second and timing accuracy within 50 nanoseconds.

But yesterday forecasters warned the wet weather which has blighted the country for the past few months is still not over. The Met Office has issued severe weather warnings for the whole country on Tuesday and Wednesday, with many areas likely to experience further torrential downpours and gale force winds. Some Western parts could see as much as three inches of rain, with wind speeds on the coast topping 60mph. There could be localised flooding in some areas.

In recent weeks almost all Sunni members of the cabinet have quit. Others are boycotting meetings, leaving at least 17 cabinet seats empty. Many of them have accused Mr Maliki, a Shia Muslim, of ignoring their demands.
A BBC correspondent says the crisis is worrying for the US, which wants to see progress before withdrawing troops.

"I have called the political leaders for a meeting to discuss the main issues in the political process. The first meeting may happen tomorrow or the day after tomorrow," Mr Maliki announced on Sunday. Saleem Jubouri, a senior member of the Accord Front, told Reuters the group had no plans to return to government but remained committed to dialogue. However, the leader of the Accord Front, Adnan al-Dulaimi, launched a broadside against Shia links with Iran in an email to the Associated Press.

He alleged there was "an unprecedented genocide campaign by the militias and death squads that are directed, armed and supported by Iran". Countless murders have been carried out against Sunnis by Shia death squads, forcing Sunnis to flee whole districts of Baghdad. Iran has denied similar accusations from the US that it has armed or trained the militias.

Iraqi Sunni parties have complained that Mr Maliki is too close to Iran, and Mr Dulaimi's email arrived only a day after Mr Maliki returned from a visit there. Sunnis are not the only victims of Iraq's sectarian violence. Thousands of Shia have been killed and wounded in Sunni militant bomb attacks.

Thursday, the world's banking system went into meltdown. Confidence evaporated. Rock-solid pillars of the financial establishment refused to lend to each other. Stock markets crumbled.

For the unlucky professionals caught away from home, it was a cue to pack away the sun cream and scurry back to the office. "Things are really falling apart," said one panicky hedge fund manager. "People are getting completely crushed."

But the big question this weekend is whether the rest of us need to prepare for the worst, too. Is this the start of a new era of economic uncertainty affecting house prices, jobs and public finances far beyond the City?

The party certainly looks to be over. Our unprecedented era of prosperity has relied heavily on easy borrowing and buoyant markets. Now the tap has been turned off, everything changes.

Defence chiefs reacted with fury after right-wing commentator and adviser Anthony Cordesman weighed into the row over the UK's contribution to the post-Saddam operation with a withering claim that Britain had effectively handed control of its zone to local "mafiosi". More significantly, Cordesman claimed the British "failure" had allowed Iran to gain a toehold, which it was using to increase its influence over its neighbour. The damning accusations, made after a fact-finding visit to Iraq, increase the pressure over the continuing dilemma confronting coalition leaders, amid expectations that Gordon Brown is poised to pull British troops out within the next few months.

In a report completed following his return from Iraq last week, Cordesman, of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), said: "British weakness and failure in the south has both encouraged Shi'ite extremism and partially opened the door to Iran.

"The struggle for each major shrine city has become messy and local in the south, and the British defeat in the four provinces in the south-east - particularly Basra - has created the equivalent of rival Shi'ite mafias, whose religious pretensions in no way mean they are not the equivalent of the kind of rival gangs that dominated many American cities during prohibition. Young street thugs wander much of the area, stealing and bullying in the name of God."

But the dismal assessment of the security situation in the British-controlled zone was angrily refuted by British officials and military experts. "This bears no resemblance to what we know to be the case," a senior source at the Ministry of Defence said last night. "If Mr Cordesman had actually been to Basra during his visit, he would have seen that the British forces have a lot more control than he suggests. We have never suggested that every-thing was perfectly peaceful, but this is terribly unfair on the hard work that our armed forces are doing every day."

General Sir Tony Walker, a former deputy chief of defence staff, said Cordesman had ignored the progress the British forces had made towards coalition goals in the south. "This man himself has said that the main goal should be to increase the presence of Iraqi forces on their own streets, securing their own borders, and that's exactly what we have done," he said. "We have improved local services and infrastructure, and we have sustained our fair share of casualties in doing so."

He added: "The Americans wanted to disband the existing security forces and we went along with that. We have suffered terribly since then, because that single move was the most destabilising act in the whole post-war operation."

How are abortion clinics protecting themselves against charges under the partial-birth abortion ban? By ensuring unborn babies are dead by injecting them first with lethal drugs before aborting them. The practice has been adopted by many abortion providers across the U.S. in the wake of the Supreme Court decision upholding the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act, reported the Boston Globe.

In order to avoid any chance of a live birth and prosecution, three major Harvard-affiliated hospitals - Massachusetts General, Brigham and Women's, and Beth Israel Deaconess - have made lethal injections in the womb a standard operating procedure for abortions at 20 weeks gestation or later.

Dr. Mark Nichols, professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Oregon Health & Science University, does not give women a choice if their baby is over 20 weeks' gestation - the injection is required. So concerned over possible prosecution is Nichols, he will no longer allow medical and nursing students to observe late-term abortions at his clinic, fearing someone might lodge a criminal complaint.

Some 2,000 British Muslims arrived at London's Alexandra Palace to hear the message from the party's British wing. Hizb ut-Tahrir (HT) has been accused of being a critical player in a so-called "conveyor belt" towards terrorism - that its ideas are part of the problem.

CRITICS SAY YOUNG MEN, PARTICULARLY STUDENTS, ARE RADICALISED IN PRIVATE STUDY CIRCLES TO BELIEVE THAT BEING MUSLIM AND BRITISH ARE INCOMPATIBLE BECAUSE THE PARTY SAYS WESTERN DEMOCRACY GOES AGAINST A GOD-GIVEN SET OF RULES. It's this idea that critics say provides the intellectual foundations upon which violent jihadism has grown.

Hizb ut-Tahrir, which translates as Liberation Party, rejects these criticisms. The party's texts, it says, show that the proposed Islamic model of government would protect religious minorities, liberate women and enshrine justice in decision-making. Crucially, it is a legal organisation.

Neela, a London-born woman now living in Rochdale, was one of those who sympathised. "WHAT YOU WILL FIND WITH MUSLIMS IS THAT WE HAVE A GLOBAL IDENTITY, WE SHARE THE SAME BELIEF. It's not about me being a Muslim in Britain and she's a Muslim in Palestine, she is still my sister. When I see Iraq happening, I feel sad."

There is no one taking account of British and American foreign policy for what it is actually doing to Muslim lands. "WHEN WE LOOK AT THE SOLUTION OF THE CALIPHATE, WE'RE SAYING ENOUGH IS ENOUGH, MUSLIMS IN THE MUSLIM WORLD SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO CHOOSE THEIR OWN POLITICAL DESTINY.

"IF IT'S SHARIA LAW, THAT'S THEIR RIGHT."

The Islamist group Hizb ut-Tahrir - which organised the conference - said it had been the largest gathering of Muslim activists from around the world. However, the group is illegal in many countries and key speakers have been stopped from entering Indonesia.

A caliphate - or single state for Muslims - last existed in 1924.

Hizb ut-Tahrir regards this as the ideal form of government, because it follows what it believes are the laws of God as set out in the Koran, rather than laws designed by man. The groups says it seeks to set up a caliphate by non-violent means - but many experts see it as ideologically close to jihadist groups, and suspect its commitment to peaceful means is purely tactical.

Starting this month in a port neighborhood and then spreading across Shenzhen, a city of 12.4 million people, residency cards fitted with powerful computer chips programmed by the same company will be issued to most citizens.

Data on the chip will include not just the citizen's name and address but also work history, educational background, religion, ethnicity, police record, medical insurance status and landlord's phone number. Even personal reproductive history will be included, for enforcement of China's controversial "one child" policy. Plans are being studied to add credit histories, subway travel payments and small purchases charged to the card.

Security experts describe China's plans as the world's largest effort to meld cutting-edge computer technology with police work to track the activities of a population and fight crime. But they say the technology can be used to violate civil rights. The Chinese government has ordered all large cities to apply technology to police work and to issue high-tech residency cards to 150 million people who have moved to a city but not yet acquired permanent residency.

Both steps are officially aimed at fighting crime and developing better controls on an increasingly mobile population, including the nearly 10 million peasants who move to big cities each year. But they could also help the Communist Party retain power by maintaining tight controls on an increasingly prosperous population at a time when street protests are becoming more common.

"If they do not get the permanent card, they cannot live here, they cannot get government benefits, and that is a way for the government to control the population in the future," said Michael Lin, the vice president for investor relations at China Public Security Technology, the company providing the technology.

All Chinese citizens are required to carry national identity cards with very simple computer chips embedded, providing little more than the citizen's name and date of birth. Since imperial times, a principal technique of social control has been for local government agencies to keep detailed records on every resident.