Drop That Gun

Taser Bullet

Taser Goes High-Tech With A “Wireless” Bullet

Rick Smith and Tom Smith, founders of Taser, weren’t exactly modest when they unveiled their latest product at the 2007 Taser Conference in Chicago. They call the “XREP” a “reinvention” of the traditional bullet.From the outside, the XREP resembles the look of a regular 12-gauge shotgun round. From the inside however, the device is expected to offer new and more efficient ways for law enforcement officers to engage criminals. Encased in epoxy, the XREP basically represents a self-contained Taser gun with a range of 100 yards.

Emotion In Politics

Hearts Over Minds, He Tells Democrats
WASHINGTON — Drew Westen, a genial 48-year-old psychologist and brain researcher, was talking to a rapt liberal audience about the role of emotion in politics, how to talk back aggressively to Republicans, and why going negative is not to be feared.It was Day 2 of the progressive "Take Back America" confab, and those who had crowded into a meeting room of the Washington Hilton were about to discover why Westen, a psychology professor at Atlanta's Emory University and former associate professor at Harvard Medical School, had quietly become the great rumpled hope of Democrats who believe their candidates should have won the last two presidential elections.

12 Billion Dollars A Month

Report: Wars Costing $12 Billion A Month
WASHINGTON (AP) - The boost in troop levels in Iraq has increased the cost of war there and in Afghanistan to $12 billion a month, and the total for Iraq alone is nearing a half-trillion dollars, congressional analysts say. All told, Congress has appropriated $610 billion in war-related money since the Sept. 11, 2001, terror assaults, roughly the same as the war in Vietnam. Iraq alone has cost $450 billion. The figures come from the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service, which provides research and analysis to lawmakers. For the 2007 budget year, CRS says, the $166 billion appropriated to the Pentagon represents a 40 percent increase over 2006. The Vietnam War, after accounting for inflation, cost taxpayers $650 billion, according to separate CRS estimates.

Turkey Massing Troops

Iraqi FM: Turkey Massing 140,000 Troops
BAGHDAD (AP) - Turkey has massed 140,000 soldiers on its border with northern Iraq, Iraq's foreign minister said Monday, calling the neighboring country's fears of Kurdish rebels based there "legitimate" but better resolved through negotiation. In Washington, a Pentagon official disputed the claim by Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, a Kurd from northern Iraq, and said satellite photos indicated no such troop buildup. It was unclear where Zebari got the figures. If accurate, Turkey would have nearly as many soldiers along its border with Iraq as the 155,000 troops which the U.S. has in the country. Zebari's comments came amid calls by Turkey's military for the government to give it the green light to carry out military operations in northern Iraqi against the rebel Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK.

Canadian Dollar Hits 30 Year High

Canadian Dollar Rallies To 30 Year High
TORONTO (Reuters) - The Canadian dollar pushed to a 30-year high against the greenback on Friday, supported by strong employment data, firm oil prices and expectations of a rate hike by the Bank of Canada next week. At mid-morning, the currency touched C$1.0463 to the U.S. dollar, or 95.57 U.S. cents, up from C$1.0567 to the U.S. dollar, or 94.63 U.S. cents at Thursday's close.

TSX May Hit 15,000

Bank Says Index Set To Hit 15,000
Powered by strong energy and commodity stocks, the TSX is set to gain about 1,000 points and hit 15,000 by year end, CIBC World Markets says. The bank issued its latest Canadian Portfolio Strategy Outlook Thursday. It said that although the TSX was volatile in June over investor concerns about looming inflation and interest rates, strong market fundamentals would likely outweigh those worries.

Protect The Oil

Australians 'are in Iraq for oil'
Australia has admitted that securing oil is a key factor behind its continued troop deployment in Iraq. It is the first time such an admission has been made. Defence Minister Brendan Nelson said that maintaining "resource security" in the Middle East was a priority for the government in Canberra.

Bill Gates Second Richest

Mexican Tycoon Overtakes Bill Gates
Microsoft founder Bill Gates looks to have lost his title as the world's richest man, toppled from top spot by the Mexican telecoms tycoon Carlos Slim.

Bush and Putin 'United'

Bush and Putin 'United' On Iran
US President George W Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin have said they will work together to resolve the crisis over Iran's nuclear programme. Speaking after talks at his family retreat in the US state of Maine, Mr Bush said he and Mr Putin recognised the need to "send a common message". The US has accused Iran of seeking nuclear arms, which Iran denies.