israeli strikes, russian elections & german rfid

death toll rises as israel strikes gaza targets
from reuters: Israeli aircraft struck new targets in the Gaza Strip on Monday, killing two militants, after the government vowed to press home an offensive despite appeals from Washington and elsewhere for an end to violence... A total of 107 people have been killed since Wednesday. Among these have been up to 60 civilians, including women and children, provoking an outcry from Palestinians and fellow Arabs and condemnation at the United Nations and elsewhere.

putin's chosen successor elected in russia
from washington post: After 24 hours of voting across 11 time zones, Russians handed Dmitry Medvedev an overwhelming victory in the presidential election Sunday despite a lackluster campaign that was more coronation than contest from the moment President Vladimir Putin endorsed him in December.

rfid in german garments worry privacy experts
from iht: Thousands of garments in the sprawling men's department at the Galeria Kaufhof are equipped with tiny wireless chips that can forestall fashion disaster by relaying information from the garment to a dressing-room screen... This pioneering pilot project of the Metro Group, a retail chain in Germany, heralds a shopping experience of the future in which dress shirts can wirelessly offer accessorizing tips to shoppers. But the rapid development of RFID technology is also being regarded cautiously by the authorities in the European Union, who are moving quickly to establish privacy guidelines because the chips - and the information being collected - are not always visible.