Read a little. Learn a lot. • Tightly-written news, views and stuff • Follow us on Twitter • Be a Facebook Fan • Tumble us!

18 Oct 2011 16:02

tags

World: Sec. of State Clinton visits post-Gaddafi Libya for first time

  • We want to do everything we can to prevent him from causing trouble for the new Libya. We don’t know where he is, but we hope he can be captured or killed soon so you don’t have to fear him any longer.
  • Secretary of State Hillary Clinton • Speaking in Libya, to the interim National Transitional Council. Clinton is the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit Libya since the toppling of Muammar Gaddafi’s government during August, though the former dictator is still in hiding and his loyalists have continued to clash with NTC forces in places such as Brega. In light of the NTC’s somewhat daunting task in rebuilding Libya, especially with Gaddafi still at large and presumably eager to derail that process, Clinton and the U.S. wanted to lend some support that would also be beneficial from an optics standpoint — it should be noted, though, that the U.S. has said Clinton’s “captured or killed” phrase isn’t meant to represent any change in policy.  source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

18 Oct 2011 10:15

tags

World: Israel: Gilad Shalit freed, along with hundreds of Palestinians

  • I thought that I would find myself in this situation many more years. If they wanted to secure my freedom, they had to pay a price for this.
  • Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit • Discussing his situation on Egyptian television this morning after getting freed from captivity in the Gaza Strip. Freedom for Shalit, who was there for five years, did cost Israel immensely — they had to release over 1,000 Palestinian prisoners to allow for his freedom. Nearly 500 were freed today. In Palestine, those prisoners were welcomed with cheers by Hamas — while Shalit’s own return was much more subdued, with Israeli officials concerned that freeing so many prisoners at once could cause security issues. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

18 Oct 2011 00:18

tags

World: As the ice caps get smaller, so do Earth’s plants and animals. Wait, what?

  • 45% of species are shrinking over time, a new study says source
  • » Blame climate change, the study says: It’s like scary, natural shrink ray. But, yep, animals such as fish, reptiles, birds and mammals are all smaller than generations previous — apparently a difference of one degree celsius is enough to make things smaller. The researchers, who published their study in the journal Nature Climate Change, warn to not jump to conclusions, though: “We do not yet know the exact mechanisms involved, or why some organisms are getting smaller while others are unaffected,” the authors of the study, based at the National University of Singapore, said in an interview. “Until we understand more, we could be risking negative consequences that we can’t yet quantify.”
Posted by samimain • 0 Comments • Permalink

17 Oct 2011 11:45

tags

World: Israel’s prisoner exchange for Gilad Shalit draws heavy controversy

  • 1,000 number of Palestinian prisoners expected to be freed in an exchange with Israel; as you might guess, this is controversial for some
  • one number of Israeli prisoners expected to be freed in exchange; this one, however, is Gilad Shalit, whose plight is fairly well-known source
  • » The fight goes to court: While Shalit’s parents fight for his freedom, families of the victims of militants in Israel aren’t exactly quite happy with this situation, and are trying to fight it in court. It’s unlikely the court is willing to fix this, but Israeli leaders are trying to soft-pedal this nonetheless. “I understand the difficulty in accepting that the vile people who committed the heinous crimes against your loved ones will not pay the full price they deserve,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wrote in a letter to families affected by the exchange.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

15 Oct 2011 21:55

tags

World: Iraq War: Conflicting reports on forthcoming troop departures

  • claim Both the Associated Press and the New York Times report that, despite prior reports to the contrary, the U.S. will not keep troops in Iraq past 2011 due to significant security concerns.
  • rebuttal However, a Reuters article says that both the White House and Pentagon deny this fact, claiming that no decision has been made. Which major news outlet do you believe on this issue? source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

15 Oct 2011 14:14

tags

World: Italian officials separate peaceful Occupy protesters from violent groups

  • Those who are carrying out what is nothing less than urban guerrilla warfare are hurting the cause of people around the world who are trying to freely express their discontent with the world economic situation.
  • Italian Democratic Party leader Pierluigi Bersani • Separating the violent protesters in Rome from the overall occupy movement, while noting the damage they’re causing to the larger, nonviolent movement. Rome mayor Gianni Alemanno made a similar distinction, noting that “There are groups of violent people that need to be isolated.” It’s a good sign that Italian officials can see the difference between a peaceful movement and the violent elements attempting to co-opt it for their own reasons. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

15 Oct 2011 13:42

tags

World: Occupy movement gains massive international footprint

  • 82 number of countries taking part in the October 15 protests, a global offshoot of Occupy Wall Street
  • 951 number of cities where protests are taking place today — amazingly, it started with just one about a month ago
  • six number of continents that have some sort of event going on today; maybe Antartica has one too, possibly? source
  • » Highest and lowest saturations: While North America, Europe and South America have a particularly high number of protests, Africa, Asia and the Middle East are looking a little thin. Australia’s somewhere in the middle. While many of the protests have been peaceful, some have gotten violent, most notably in Rome, where anarchists drew attention away from peaceful protests.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

13 Oct 2011 10:51

tags

World: Man at center of alleged Iran assassination plot not the brightest bulb?

  • His socks would not match. He was always losing his keys and his cellphone. He was not capable of carrying out this plan.
  • Tom Hosseini • Discussing his friend and former college roommate, Mansour Arbabsiar, considered the mastermind behind the the assassination plot that’s landed Iran in hot water with the U.S. While Arbabsiar did have some supporters among those who knew him from his days in Texas, many more weren’t so kind towards him, calling him “worthless” or “very creepy.” On top of this, he had a bit of a rep for being a somewhat shady/unsuccessful businessman. So, the real question: How did this guy get mixed up in this plot? source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

12 Oct 2011 10:52

tags

U.S., World: Iran assassination plot: U.S. officials take super-hard line

  • The U.S. has something it’s trying to sell to the world. In case you’re wondering what that is, it’s that Iran is a very bad country — particularly in the wake of an assassination plot involving a Saudi diplomat —and we need to make sure they know it. “It’s critically important that we unite the world in the isolation of and dealing with the Iranians,” Vice President Joe Biden said today. “That’s the surest way to be able to get results.” He suggests that down the line, actions could go beyond sanctions, even, though we’re not at that point yet. He’s not alone. Here’s Secretary of State Hillary Clinton: “This really, in the minds of many diplomats and government officials, crosses a line that Iran needs to be held to account for.” You get the feeling from reading these that the U.S. has been waiting for a moment like this for a while. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

11 Oct 2011 11:07

tags

World: Yulia Tymoshenko: Former Ukranian PM sentenced to prison

  • The end of Ukraine’s experiment with democracy? Just a few years ago, Yulia Tymoshenko was one of the most popular politicians in Ukraine. Then she lost power in a narrow 2010 election, and Viktor Yanukovich gained it. Yanukovich pursued Tymoshenko’s role in a set of negotiations with Russia over the price of natural gas — something which, at best, would constitute a political controversy in the U.S., but certainly not something worthy of jail time. But this is Ukraine, and Tymoshenko got sentenced to seven years in prison on Tuesday. Does this signify a move away from traditional democracy for the country? How does a political icon like Tymoshenko (who’s probably far-more-known in the West than Yanukovich) get jailed for what was, at worst, a political scandal? Seems questionable. (photo via the European People’s Party Flickr page) source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
<< newer 
top tags
older >>