White House Praises Saudis After Senators Assail Them. Despite accusations that the wife of a Saudi ambassador might have supported Sept. 11 hijackers, the White House said today that the Saudis were “good partners.” By The Associated Press. [New York Times: NYT HomePage]

Tanker oil spill off Welsh coast. A tanker carrying crude oil spills some of its cargo near Milford Haven¸ the site of a major oil pollution crisis six years ago. [BBC News | Front Page]

Cops Bust Massive ID Theft Ring. Federal prosecutors have arrested and charged a credit bureau helpdesk worker and two accomplices who allegedly stole more than 15,000 credit reports and sold them to other crooks for $60 a pop. Michelle Delio reports from New York. [Wired News]

Bush signs landmark security act. The US Government launches its biggest reorganisation in generations with a new Homeland Security department. [BBC News | Front Page]

Center-Right Wins Austria. Chancellor Wolfgang Schüssel and his center-right People’s Party were the clear victors in Austria’s national elections on Sunday. By Paul Zielbauer. [New York Times: Business]

Leftist, a Former Coup Leader, Heads for Victory in Ecuador. A former coup leader who promised to curb corruption and give voice to the poor was the clear winner in Ecuador’s presidential election. By Juan Forero. [New York Times: Business]

Bush to Sign Homeland Security Bill Today. President Bush is launching the biggest government reorganization in more than 50 years, signing legislation creating a new Department of Homeland Security. By The Associated Press. [New York Times: NYT HomePage]

The dumbest president of all time is “launching the biggest government reorganization in more than 50 years, signing legislation creating a new Department of Homeland Security.”

GREAT!

Lawmakers Urge Full Probe of Saudi Ties to Sept. 11. U.S. lawmakers urged the White House today to more aggressively investigate reports that Saudi Arabia funneled money to two of the Sept. 11 hijackers. By Reuters. [New York Times: NYT HomePage]

NEWS.com.au | Osama letter on internet: report (November 25, 2002)

Iraq Says U.N. Plan Is Pretext for War. In a stern letter to the United Nations, Iraq’s foreign minister complained the new resolution provides a pretext for the U.S. to wage war against his country. By The Associated Press. [New York Times: NYT HomePage]