And this shocker: Colombia says some documents suggest the rebels have bought and sold uranium.
“When they mention negotiations for 50 kilos of uranium this means that the FARC are taking big steps in the world of terrorism to become a global aggressor. We’re not talking of domestic guerrilla but transnational terrorism,” Gen. Oscar Naranjo said [...]

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Think redoing your kitchen is a headache? Imagine supervising one of these megaprojects. From the Panama Canal to the Yangtze River, the FP List looks at the most massive construction undertakings on the planet.
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While it has been a cornerstone of U.S. foreign policy since the 1979 Iranian Islamic revolution to contain and isolate Iran, Washington’s increasingly factious relations with Moscow and record-high oil prices are beginning to ripple through the relations of the five Caspian nations, producing several developments that all point to the increasing failure of Washington’s [...]

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For more than two hours, representatives to the International Atomic Energy Agency were riveted by documents, sketches and even a video that appeared to have come from Iran’s own military laboratories. The inspector said they showed work “not consistent with any application other than the development of a nuclear weapon,” according to notes taken by [...]

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Russia’s reserves have ballooned from practically zero in 1998 to $480bn (£242bn) today – the third largest haul on earth. The country is now almost debt-free – with a budget surplus of 6 per cent of GDP, and a trade surplus almost twice as much again.
Goldman Sachs describes Russia’s economic performance as “remarkable”. UBS calls [...]

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President Bush’s peace plan has been to prop up the more moderate Palestinian president, but as long as Hamas controls Gaza it can still subvert negotiations. By Helene Cooper more…

The Dimona Attack: Security Experts Fear New Wave of Terrorism in Israel 
Graveyard Shift for Islamic Jihad: A Visit to a Gaza Rocket Factory
The Meaning of a [...]

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“The lack of transparency in China’s military and security affairs poses risks to stability by increasing the potential for misunderstanding and miscalculation,” the report said. “This situation will naturally and understandably lead to hedging against the unknown.”
The military buildup in China has increased in recent years, the Pentagon said.
“China’s expanding and improving military capabilities are [...]

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 North Korea said Monday that annual U.S.-South Korean military exercises that began over the weekend could further delay progress on ending the North’s nuclear weapons programs.Although such criticism from the Communist country is routine, it dampened hopes for warmer ties between the United States and North Korea, which had risen following the New York Philharmonic’s [...]

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Dmitry Medvedev’s easy win in the Russian presidential election does not give him legitimacy
Even so, this election has made many Russians, including those who voted for Mr Medvedev, feel uncomfortable. “There was no election,” said a young, middle-class Muscovite. “I voted for Medvedev, because there was no choice.” Opposition candidates who might have proven more [...]

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Venezuela and Ecuador have ordered troops to their borders with Colombia, raising concerns of a broader conflict after Colombia killed a top rebel leader on Ecuadorean soil.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Sunday promised Venezuela would respond militarily if Colombia violates its border, where he ordered tanks as well as thousands of troops. He also ordered [...]

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