Big Brother through Homeland Security shows its true colors trying to keep New Orleans resident Clothilde Mack, 85, from going home.-Greg Szymanski/Rense.com

The National Animal Identification System (NAIS) is a national program intended to identify specific animals in the United States and record their movement over their lifespans. It is being developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and State agencies—in cooperation with industry(Agrobiz giants Monsanto, Cargill Meat, National Pork Producers, and others)—to enable 48-hour traceback of the movements of any diseased or exposed animal(The NAIS plan requires two types of mandatory registration for everyone who owns even just one “livestock” animal) -USDA

The Communist guerrillas - who had called a three-month unilateral ceasefire in September and then extended it for another month at the request of the UN, the EU, human rights organizations, and Nepal’s major parliamentary parties - said they were being forced to resume arms in self-defense as the Royal Nepalese Army had taken advantage of the peace to kill their unarmed cadres and launch ground and air operations against their bases -ISN CH

Iraq's main Sunni Arab group made an unprecedented trip north to see the Kurds and agreed Monday for the first time on broad outlines for a coalition government - possibly opening a way out of the political turmoil that has gripped the country since disputed elections.A promise of Iraqi army protection for tanker truck drivers reopened the country's main refinery - a last-ditch effort by the Shiite-led government to avert a fuel crisis that has led to deadly riots and the oil minister's resignation

Iraq's oil minister announced his resignation Monday, saying that the government had acted in an authoritarian way in forcing him to take a mandatory leave last month and that its policies were worsening the condition of the country's poor.The raising of oil prices last month was "anti-democratic and lacks foresight," Minister Ibrahim Bahr Uloom said at a news conference -Washington Post

Russia's image as a reliable international energy supplier became increasingly tarnished yesterday as a stand-off with Ukraine over gas prices disrupted supplies to Europe.The Russian energy group Gazprom accused Ukraine of stealing about $25m (£14.5m) worth of natural gas from transit supplies destined for other European countries, but most EU members blamed President Vladimir Putin for the crisis -Guardian UK

A federal court issued an opinion permitting government agencies to use cell phone data to track a cell phone's physical location, without a search warrant based on probable cause.The ruling seems to be in line with recent revelations about President Bush authorizing secret, warrantless wiretaps. The court opinion on Dec. 20, 2005 went largely unnoticed by the media or the public, but may have major ramifications on privacy rights and issues -David Bresnahan/NewsWithViews

Treasury Secretary John W. Snow said yesterday (last Thursday)that the United States could be unable to pay its bills in early 2006 unless Congress raises the government's borrowing authority, which is now capped at $8.18 trillion.Snow, in a letter to lawmakers, estimated that the government is expected to bump into the statutory debt limit around the middle of February

Venezuelan oil minister Rafael Ramirez on Sunday applauded the return of state control over 32 privately operated oil fields with the start of the new year.-Forbes/Rense.com

Americans deserve better from their government in 2006 than huge deficits, scandals, domestic spying and mindless partisanship.-Rep. Ron Paul

A new book on the government's secret anti-terrorism operations describes how the CIA recruited an Iraqi-American anesthesiologist in 2002 to obtain information from her brother, who was a figure in Saddam Hussein's nuclear program.-AP