U.S. and world emergency crude oil reserves could replace a complete shut-off of Iranian oil exports for 18 months, avoiding an estimated 1 billion in damage to the American economy, the Government Accountability Office said on Tuesday.

The spiritual leader of English and Welsh Roman Catholics said on Wednesday that he wished to make efforts for a warmer relationship between the British Catholic and “Russian Orthodox” churches according to Russian media.

Chechen Mujahideen armed with subbarrel grenade launchers attacked a Russian occupation base in the Kargalinovskya village in the district of Shelkovskaya late Thursday, October 5, 2006, according to Russian media.  

China has beamed a ground-based laser at U.S. spy satellites over its territory, a U.S. agency said, in an action that exposed the potential vulnerability of space systems that provide crucial data to American troops and consumers around the world.  

The United States Army and Marines are finishing work on a new counterinsurgency doctrine that draws on the hard-learned lessons from Iraq and makes the welfare and protection of civilians a bedrock element of military strategy.

The international forecaster editor Bob Chapman writes: This past Saturday in Venezuela, it was announced that a sniper with a long-range rifle and a motorcycle to escape was captured … his target was President Hugo Chavez Frias.

Israel’s army chief sacked a top general on Wednesday for criticizing the Israeli government’s policy and the military’s conduct during the recent offensive in Lebanon, the BBC reported.

Sanader: Croatia deserves to join EU within two to three years 05/10/2006 ZAGREB, Croatia — Prime Minister Ivo Sanader said on Wednesday (October 4th) that his country deserves to join the EU in the next two to three years, adding it would be unacceptable for accession to occur after 2010. …

In mid-May, then Serbian Deputy Prime Minister and G17 Plus party leader Miroljub Labus resigned, citing the government’s failure to meet Brussels’ conditions for continuing pre-accession talks with Serbia — notably the arrest of Ratko Mladic. But Finance Minister Mladjan Dinkic managed to persuade the party’s majority to stay in …

As expected, the latest report released by the European Commission (EC) met with varied reactions among Romanian politicians, journalists and ordinary citizens. A cautious tone was evident as the country discussed the historic moment and its long-term significance.