Polanski free after Swiss reject extradition request The Oscar-winning film director Roman Polanski is free to leave after the Swiss government rejected a US extradition request for a charge of unlawful sex with a minor dating back to 1977.  Read Article    

Mel Melcon / Los Angeles TimesUNMANNED: The Predator, built by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems of San Diego, is an unmanned drone aircraft. It's 27 feet long, has a 49-foot wingspan and can hover above a target for hours. Higher-tech Predators targeting Pakistan Email PictureMel Melcon / Los Angeles TimesUNMANNED: The Predator, built by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems of San Diego, is an unmanned drone aircraft. It's 27 feet long, has a 49-foot wingspan and can hover above a target for hours.  The U.S. drone aircraft involved in strikes against Taliban and Al Qaeda militants across the border have enhanced tracking ability. By Greg Miller and Julian E. Barnes, Los Angeles Times Staff Writers
September 12, 2008 WASHINGTON -- As part of an escalating offensive against extremist targets in Pakistan, the United States is deploying Predator aircraft equipped with sophisticated new surveillance systems that were instrumental in crippling the insurgency in Iraq, according to U.S. military and intelligence officials.

The use of the specially equipped drones comes amid a fundamental shift in U.S. strategy in the area. After years of deferring to Pakistani authorities, the Bush administration is turning toward unilateral American military operations -- a gambit that could increase pressure on Islamic militants but risks alienating a country that has been a key counter-terrorism ally.

   Dalai Lama: I'm a Marxist Marxism has "moral ethics", said exiled Tibetan leader. Read Article   

  In California, Exhibit A in Debate on Insurance  "In statements and letters, Anthem and WellPoint have explained what the industry calls a recessionary death spiral: as unemployment and declining wages prompt healthy people to drop their insurance, the remaining risk pool becomes sicker and more expensive to insure, which in turn forces up prices and pushes more people out of the market."Read Article