Entire US-Mexico Border to Be Guarded by Predator Drones Tuesday 31 August 2010 by: Taylor Barnes  |  The Christian Science Monitor | Report (Image: Jared Rodriguez / t r u t h o u t; Adapted: waynewhuang, dmolsen) The entire 2,000-mile US-Mexico border will be monitored by drones starting Wednesday when a new Predator drone begins flying from Corpus Christi, Texas, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said. There are already three drones operating along portions of the border. Aside from the new drone launched today, money for two more was included in $600 million legislation President Barack Obama signed earlier this month, … Continue reading Predator Drones on US-Mexico Border

Tuesday 31 August 2010 by: Cynthia Benjamin  |  Women’s Media Center | Op-Ed (Photo: The National Guard; Edited: Jared Rodriguez / t r u t h o u t) Today is the deadline promised by Barack Obama for the complete withdrawal of combat troops from Iraq. After more than seven years of war for a cause most Americans couldn’t believe in, I should feel relief, even elation, as the date approaches. Reassurance, however, has been elusive to me. I am the mother of a soldier, and I’ve come to question my government’s pronouncements. My son is Cpt. Jess Greaves, U.S. Army. Jess … Continue reading Military Moms Still Fighting for Complete Withdrawal

After Saddam, America’s Next Fake Enemy: Deficits Tuesday 31 August 2010 by: Paul Krugman, Krugman & Co. (Photo: The New York Times) Were Americans misled into the Iraq war? Yes. But Karl Rove, who served as senior adviser and deputy chief of staff to President George W. Bush, argued in the Wall Street Journal in July that his “biggest mistake” was not fighting back in 2004 when the story began to spread that the Bush administration had lied to Americans during the run-up to the Iraq war. “That was wrong and my mistake: I should have insisted to the president … Continue reading America’s Next Fake Enemy: Deficits

By Olivia Chung HONG KONG – Chinese entrepreneur Song Youzhou reckons he has found a way for commuters to leapfrog the horrendous traffic jams that increasingly bring his country’s cities to a grinding halt. Song’s solution is a 43-meter long “straddling bus” that runs astride the road on tracks, allowing it pass over vehicles underneath while an upper level carries as many as 1,200 passengers. A test-run of his futuristic vehicle – dubbed the “3D Fast Bus” – is planned for early next year on a track to be built in Beijing’s Mentougou district. China South Locomotive & Rolling Stock … Continue reading Bus on stilts to beat Beijing gridlock

BOOK REVIEW The key to global British power GCHQ: The uncensored story of Britain’s most secret intelligence agency by Richard J Aldrich Reviewed by Mahan Abedin “GCHQ provides intelligence, protects information and informs relevant UK policy to keep our society safe and successful in the Internet Age“, so reads the headline message on the Government Communication Headquarters website. This is a classic example of British understatement, effortlessly disguising what is in fact the most strategic asset in British foreign policy formulation and implementation. If there is one single organization that explains the longevity of the United Kingdom’s global reach in … Continue reading GCHQ

India searches for techno nirvana By Raja Murthy “What an idea. What a mad, crazy, wonderful idea.” – Alice Kingsley, Alice in Wonderland It’s a riddle straight out of the Mad Hatter’s e-mail inbox: how does India manage to send a vehicle to the moon while having more illiterate people than any other country. India’s technocrats are now being challenged to pull out of their hats simple innovations to help tackle illiteracy and other big problems facing the country. “The Grand Challenges for Technologists in India” project, from Technology Review India, asks technocrats to find innovative ideas to deal with, … Continue reading India wants to go to the moon – will ET let it?