ETA blamed for blasts in northern Spain (Reuters via Yahoo! News)
Four small bombs exploded at popular seaside resorts in Cantabria northern Spain on Sunday, after warning calls from the Basque separatist group ETA and an explosion outside a Barclays bank near Bilbao.

Five blasts in northern Spain, ETA blamed (Reuters via Yahoo! India News)
By Emma Pinedo

ETA blamed for blasts in northern Spain (Stuff)
Four bombs exploded at popular seaside resorts in Cantabria northern Spain, after warning calls from the Basque separatist group ETA and following a small explosion outside a Barclays bank near Bilbao.

Five blasts in northern Spain, ETA blamed (Reuters via Yahoo! News)
Five small bombs exploded in northern Spain on Sunday, including four at popular seaside resorts in Cantabria which were claimed by the Basque separatist group ETA and sent thousands of people fleeing for cover.

India presses SAARC nations to finalise MLAT to deal with terrorism (Islamic Republic News Agency)
India - SAARC -Legal Assistance Treaty While pointing out the recent suicide bomb blast targeting the Indian embassy in Kabul showed “how vulnerable South Asia continues to be to terrorism, India Thursday pressed for early finalization of the regional Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty to deal with the menace.

Bin Laden’s driver was aware of terrorist attacks: witness (AFP via Yahoo! Philippines News)
Osama bin Laden’s driver was part of a small circle of loyal staff and knew his boss was involved in terrorist attacks, a US military tribunal here learned from an FBI witness and interrogation videos.

ETA attack team arrested in Spain-media (AlertNet)
Source: Reuters (Increases number of those arrested, adds comment, details) By Teresa Larraz MADRID, July 22 (Reuters) - Spanish police arrested eight suspected ETA members in dawn raids that dismantled the …

Nine ETA bombing suspects arrested (CNN.com)
Spanish Civil Guards Tuesday arrested nine suspected members of the Basque separatist group ETA, who are thought to be behind the May bombing that killed a Civil Guard, Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba said.

L.A. gets less money to fight terrorism (KABC-TV Los Angeles)
Los Angeles will have less money this year to fight terrorism.

ETA attack team reportedly arrested in Spain (Reuters via Yahoo! Malaysia News)
By Teresa Larraz

Coleen Rowley: ‘Justifying’ Torture: Two Big Lies (HuffingtonPost)
By Coleen Rowley and Ray McGovern, originally posted on Consortiumnews.com on July 19, 2008. One can assume that former Attorney General John Ashcroft didn’t mean…

U.S. urges Iran to accept nuclear deal (Russian Information Agency Novosti)
MOSCOW. (RIA Novosti political commentator Pyotr Goncharov) - High-level international talks over Tehran’s disputed nuclear program ended inconclusively on July 19.

McCain’s Afghan Strategic Blunder (consortiumnews.com)
John McCain has denounced Barack Obama as being “completely wrong” on Iraq, but it was McCain who advocated what turned out to be the fundamental strategic blunder in the post-9/11 conflicts, the hasty – and premature – pivot from Afghanistan to Iraq.

McCain’s Afghan Strategic Blunder (Baltimore Chronicle & Sentinel)
July 22, 2008— J ohn McCain has denounced Barack Obama as being “completely wrong” on Iraq, but it was McCain who advocated what turned out to be the fundamental strategic blunder in the post-9/11 conflicts, the hasty – and premature – pivot from Afghanistan to Iraq.

Readers’ voice: July 19, 2008 (The Charleston Gazette)
Express your opinion on any subject you wish. The volume of calls and space restrictions prevent publication of all comments. Call: 357-4451 E-mail: readersvo…@wvgazette.com…

Iran, North Korea remain of ‘axis of evil’: US (Hindustan Times)
Iran and North Korea remain part of the “axis of evil” despite diplomatic overtures by the US aimed at resolving disputes over both regime’s nuclear programmes, the White House has said.

Sudan: Al-Bashir - International Criminal Court Lacks Locus Standi (AllAfrica.com)
The Monday, July 14th announcement of the ICC chief prosecutor that he has requested the court to issue an arrest warrant for President Omar AI-Bashir came to the majority of those familiar with the Sudanese politics as a rude shock, not only because it has no precedence in international law but the very irrational reasons advanced to justify his funny request.

McCain’s Afghan Strategic Blunder (Middle East Online)
McCain appears to have been ‘completely wrong’ in that judgment, a strategy that has damaged US standing in the world and has played into the deadly hands of Osama bin Laden, notes Robert Parry .

BioNeutral Confirms Broad Spectrum Efficacy with Its Ygiene(TM) Antimicrobial (PR Newswire via Yahoo! Finance)
BioNeutral announces successful independent laboratory test results which showed that Ygiene completely eliminates C. diff. spores in seconds. C. diff. represents a very serious health threat to people recovering from surgery or other serious illnesses in hospitals, convalescent homes, for the elderly and for health care providers.

Insurgents strike as Arroyo tours Philippine south (Gulf Times)
ALEOSAN, Philippines: Muslim separatists killed a woman farmer and the military disarmed a motorcycle bomb as President Gloria Arroyo toured the troubled southern Philippines, officials said yesterday.

Tamil rebels’ ceasefire offer turned down (Gulf Times)
Sri Lanka’s government yesterday dismissed a declaration by Tamil Tiger rebels of a brief unilateral ceasefire from July 26, adding there was no let-up of attacks on rebel positions in the north yesterday.

Thai says Cambodia using ‘guerrilla tactics’ in temple dispute (International Herald Tribune)
Bangkok’s envoy to the United Nations said the Cambodians were using a century-old map of the disputed temple in a broader plan to gain more territory.

Sri Lankan Govt rejects Tamil Tiger ceasefire (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
Sri Lanka’s Government has rejected the unilateral ceasefire offered by the Tamil Tiger rebels.

Former Hizb guerrilla, three of his family massacred (Calcutta News)
Suspected guerrillas have shot dead a former militant of the Hizbul Mujahideen and three members of his family in Jammu and Kashmir’s mountainous Doda district. Police said the massacre appears to be an act of reprisal.

New crisis for Nepal as Maoists refuse to form government (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
Nepal’s Maoists say they will not form the Himalayan nation’s first post-royal government following the defeat of their candidate for president, setting off a new political crisis.

Turkey Bombs Guerrillas In Iraq (SkyNews via Yahoo! UK & Ireland News)
Turkish warplanes have bombed Kurdish rebel hideouts in northern Iraq in the first air raid in the region since mid-December, the military has said.

Former Hizb guerrilla, three of his family massacred (IANS via Yahoo! India News)
Jammu, July 24 (IANS) Suspected guerrillas have shot dead a former militant of the Hizbul Mujahideen and three members of his family in Jammu and Kashmir’s mountainous Doda district. Police said the massacre appears to be an act of reprisal.

Bird flu disease reoccurs in Dong Thap. (Nhân Dân)
Nhan Dan – A new outbreak of bird flu disease has occurred in Dong Thap province, the Veterinary Department announced on July 20.

Bird flu occurs in Nghe An (Nhân Dân)
Nhan Dan – Bird flu disease has been found in an animal breeding household in hamlet 9, Nghi Phuong commune, Nghi Loc district, Nghe An province, announced the Veterinary Department on July 21.

Rockeby gets orders for bird flu tests (The West Australian)
Rockeby Biomed Ltd has received orders for its H5N1 bird flu tests on humans from several South East Asian, European, and North African countries, worth $242,000, the company says.

ASEAN states to test readiness on bird flu pandemic (AFP via Yahoo! News)
Bird flu chiefs from across Southeast Asia have agreed to assess the ability of their governments to respond to a deadly human pandemic of the virus, an Indonesian official said Wednesday.

Bird flu to ‘devastate the planet’ (Daily Mirror)
Foreign travel could spark a bird flu outbreak that devastates the world’s population, a report warned last night.

ASEAN states to test readiness on bird flu pandemic (TODAYonline)
Health workers take part in a bird flu outbreak drill in Denpasar, on the resort island of Bali, earlier this year. Bird flu chiefs from across Southeast Asia have agreed to assess the ability of their governments to respond to a deadly human pandemic of the virus, an Indonesian official said.

SKorea to start year-round monitoring for bird flu (TODAYonline)
Quarantine officials in Seoul. South Korea will start year-round monitoring for bird flu after this year’s outbreak — the country’s worst — began later than normal, the agriculture ministry said

SKorea to start year-end monitoring for bird flu (PhysOrg)
South Korea is to start year-round monitoring for bird flu after being hit by its worst outbreak earlier this year, the agriculture ministry said Tuesday.

SKorea to start year-round monitoring for bird flu (AFP via Yahoo! News)
South Korea will start year-round monitoring for bird flu after this year’s outbreak — the country’s worst — began later than normal, the agriculture ministry said Tuesday.

Teams use airport to stage bird flu drill (Honolulu Star-Bulletin)
Local, state and federal workers and military and civilian health care personnel worked as a team in a bird flu drill yesterday at Honolulu Airport.

SEC Petitioned to Warn Companies Against Making False and Misleading Claims on Global Warming; Misinformation Puts … (PR Newswire via Yahoo! News)
The Free Enterprise Action Fund (Ticker: FEAOX) submitted a letter (linked here: http://freeenterpriseactionfund.com/release072308.htm) to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) requesting the SEC to warn publicly-owned companies against making false and misleading statements pertaining to global warming and other environmental issues.

Dixie Chicks, Toby Keith Cancel Global Warming Appearance (cmt.com)
The Dixie Chicks and Toby Keith have canceled their plans to appear together in a TV ad about global warming, according to the San Jose Mercury News . Sponsored by the Alliance for Climate Protection, the campaign features public figures with opposing political viewpoints speaking out about global warming.

Australian economy under threat as climate change bites (vnunet.com)
Joanne McCulloch, BusinessGreen , Thursday 24 July 2008 at 08:34:00 Government report warns “critical human needs” under threat as key river system dries up The economic risks presented by climate change have been further highlighted with the publication by the Australian government of a new report showing that drought was threatening the water supply…

First-Ever Climate Change Vulnerability Index Identifies the Most and Least Vulnerable Countries and Companies (Centre Daily Times)
The newly released Maplecroft Climate Change Risk Report includes the first-ever climate change vulnerability index and a set of best-to-worst rankings for more than 168 countries worldwide. It identifies the world’s highest carbon dioxide (CO2) emitters as well as those countries most and least vulnerable to climate change. The report finds many of the world’s biggest CO2 emitters are also the …

Royal Society Response To OFCOM Decision On ‘The Great Global Warming Swindle’ (Medical News Today)
Martin Rees, President of the Royal Society said: “TV companies occasionally commission programmes just to court controversy, but to misrepresent the evidence on an issue as important as global warming was surely irresponsible. ‘The Great Global Warming Swindle’ was itself a swindle.

Nigeria: Stemming the Impact of Climate Change (AllAfrica.com)
How can the impact of climate change be mitigated? This is the question stakeholders converged on Sokoto to consider at an Information and Policy Advocacy Session convened by the Heinrich Boll Foundation, Nigeria in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Environment.

Costs of Climate Change, State-by-State: $Billions (Newswise)
Climate change will carry a price tag of billions of dollars for a number of U.S. states, says a new series of reports from the University of Maryland’s Center for Integrative Environmental Research. The researchers conclude that the costs have already begun to accrue and are likely to endure.They studied Colorado, Georgia, Kansas, Illinois, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey and Ohio.

Indian firms ‘not ready for climate change initiatives’ (Gulf Times)
NEW DELHI: Despite wide awareness about climate change, Indian corporates are not ready to tackle this issue, says a study by global consultancy KPMG released yesterday.

Schroder ISF Global Climate Change outperforms global markets in first year (AME Info)
Schroder ISF Global Climate Change celebrates its first anniversary with a return of +3.6%versus -10.7% for the MSCI World index, outperforming the index by 14.3%* since its launch last year.

Farnborough Air Show: Signs That Private Jet Sales Are Slowing in U.S.
The American market, traditionally the world’s biggest for business jets, has slipped amid worries about the U.S. economy, while other markets, like Russia, South Asia and the Mideast, are growing.

In Settlement, Nokia Will Pay Royalties to Qualcomm
Under the terms of the agreement, Nokia can use all of Qualcomm’s patents in its mobile phones and network equipment, and in return it agreed not to use its patents against Qualcomm.

Commodities slump after crude, corn turn lower (AG Weekly)
NEW YORK 7/22/08 - Commodities mostly fell Tuesday as oil skidded lower and corn dropped below $6 a bushel, suggesting the commodities boom may be losing momentum as the slowing world economy saps demand for energy and raw materials.

Société Générale Trader Insists He Wasn’t the Only One
Lawyers for Jérôme Kerviel say other traders at the bank were involved in unauthorized deals and assert that the practices were tolerated as long as they were profitable.

G.E. and Abu Dhabi Fund Form Financial Partnership
General Electric said it would partner with Mubadala Development Company, an Abu Dhabi-based sovereign wealth fund, to create an $8 billion commercial finance fund.

Chief of BP’s Russian Venture Faces Visa Snag
Russia’s immigration service denied Robert Dudley, chief executive of TNK-BP, BP’s Russian venture, permission to work in the country, increasing the chances of his ouster.

China set to spend more on gadgets
Chinese spending on technical consumer equipment is set to overtake that of western Europe some time in 2009-2010, with revenues set to exceed $100bn by 2009

(AFX UK Focus) 2008-07-24 07:21 Wincor Nixdorf Q3 net rises as retail business industry remains strong UPDATE (Interactive Investor)
(Adds comments on world economy)

Hot money poses risks to China’s stability
As it grows clear the country must revalue its currency, more and more people are bringing cash in, say Michael Pettis and Logan Wright

HIGHLIGHTS-BOJ board member Mizuno’s speech in Aomori (Reuters via Yahoo! Philippines News)
(For more stories on the Japanese economy click [ID:nECONJP ])

France to Let Companies Scrap 35-Hour Week
The major economic reform was supported by President Nicolas Sarkozy’s Union for a Popular Movement, but was opposed by the opposition Socialists.