LulzSec founder turned informant in hacker group criminal probe

March 7   Leave a Comment  

Hector Monsegur, also known as "Sabu"

Not anonymous anymore…

Top 5 Mid-East governments at risk of toppling

Feb. 15, 2011   1 Comment  

The Egyptians weren’t the first peoples in the Arab world to rise up against an oppressive government in 2011. Before that Facebook group was made, the people of Tunisia rose up against their (now former) president Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, kicked him out, and have had an acting president since mid-December. Egypt got so much [...]

Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak steps down

Feb. 11, 2011   4 Comments  

Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak has resigned as president after 18 days of protests by the country’s people, and 30 years as the country’s ruler. The move was a surprise, as many thought Mubarak planned to step down yesterday during his speech. Emergency law however is still in place and will be until the military sees fit [...]

West is moving too slow on Egypt

Feb. 7, 2011   Leave a Comment  

Is Egypt ready for democracy? The question itself is insulting, and I’m not even Egyptian. The main concern? If Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak leaves immediately, and elections are held within two months, the government will be too fragile and Islamists will overtake Parliament, much like what happened after the Shah of Iran was overthrown in 1979. But, [...]

US and Egypt: the contradiction between words and actions

Jan. 31, 2011   Leave a Comment  

Contradiction in rhetoric and action is a pretty standard feature of foreign policy for countries around the world. We were reminded of that this week; while President Obama and Secretary of State Hilary Clinton were giving speeches about how Egypt‘s President Hosni Mubarak should listen to the demands of his people, Mubarak’s army was flying American-made jets over protests [...]

Arizona fights back against Westboro Baptist Church

Jan. 12, 2011   1 Comment  

In a move that should be emulated by all state governors, Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer signed an emergency legislation last night in an effort to prevent members of Kansas’ infamous Westboro Baptist Church from picketing the funeral of Christina Green, the nine-year-old girl who was shot Saturday outside a Safeway in Tucson. The law now outfits all [...]

Rep. Gabrielle Giffords shot, social media erupts

Jan. 8, 2011   21 Comments  

300h

Social media is praised for its role in bringing people from all walks of life, from all over the world, together in one forum to discuss and debate both public and private matters. But when Rep. Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona was shot in the head today at a Safeway in Tucson, the ugly side of social [...]

Iran attacker to lose ‘eye and an ear’

Dec. 29, 2010   Leave a Comment  

A while ago, a Saudi Arabian court enlisted the help of doctors to find out whether severing the spinal cord of a convicted criminal (as punishment for his crime) would result in his death. The punishment was proposed, after the man was found guilty of paralysing a man after attacking him with a cleaver. An [...]

Wikileaks: An American’s perilous escape from Iran

Dec. 1, 2010   Leave a Comment  

Wikileaks. I know, I know, you’re probably sick of hearing about cables and embassies and what diplomat said what nasty thing about what leader. But, it’s only day four of nine in the latest Wikileaks saga, and there’s more to come next year regarding U.S. banks.  There’s been a lot of chatter about whether what [...]

Supreme Court hears arguments on violent video games

Nov. 2, 2010   Leave a Comment  

images

Historic case

American woman arrives in U.S. after more than a year in Iranian prison

Sept. 19, 2010   Leave a Comment  

An American woman detained in Iran arrived back to the U.S. after more than a year. Sarah Shourd touched down in Washington D.C. early this morning from Dubai, according to Shourd’s media spokeswoman, Samantha Topping. Shourd then made her way to New York and held a press conference this afternoon. Shourd thanked the Iranian government [...]

Poll shows Americans think Iraq is safer after U.S. invasion

Sept. 19, 2010   1 Comment  

The Iraq war, is more abstract, there is no definition to it. To keep America safe, yes, to control the spread of Islamic extremists, yes. But how?

Afghans will go to the polls tomorrow

Sept. 17, 2010   Leave a Comment  

Parliamentary elections in Afghanistan will go ahead tomorrow, marred by allegations of fraud and tampering against election candidates, and, most recently, by the kidnapping of a candidate and 18 election workers by Taliban members. Earlier this week printers in Peshawar claimed they were told by Afghan election candidates to produce and laminate fake voter cards [...]

Fragile Middle East peace talks could soon be derailed

Sept. 5, 2010   Leave a Comment  

But, as each day passes, each day without an official announcement on whether the 10-month settlement construction freeze will be extended or lifted on Sept. 26, the pessimism outweighs the optimism.

Another oil rig explodes off Gulf coast, no evidence of oil sheen

Sept. 2, 2010   3 Comments  

vermilion bay

Another oil rig has exploded in the Gulf of Mexico.

Fatal fire department crashes leave Ontario town in shock

Aug. 25, 2010   Leave a Comment  

Two crashes, two days, same people.

Southern Sudan proposes animal-shaped cities

Aug. 22, 2010   Leave a Comment  

Image via Wikimedia/Mandavi

Right now, Southern Sudan has about 60 km of roads and health care services are rarely readily available for the country’s populace.

Opposition to the opposition: Ground zero Islamic center

Aug. 21, 2010   Leave a Comment  

This morning I came across a wonderfully argued opinion piece in the New York Times by Dick Cavett, where he declares his opposition to the opposition. Here’s an excerpt:

Biochar may help reverse climate change, widespread hunger

Aug. 19, 2010   1 Comment  

Two of today’s biggest social, moral and political issues — global warming and hunger – could be partially reversed because of innovations by Amazon tribes thousands of years ago.

Technology can help those affected by Pakistan flood

Aug. 4, 2010   3 Comments  

Ironically, many of Pakistan’s displaced are suffering from dehydration during the country’s biggest flood in 80 years.