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10 Jul 2011 11:42

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World: Russian cruise ship sinks; nearly 100 still waiting for rescue

  • 182 people were on a Russian cruise ship, named “Bulgaria,” that sank today; 125 passengers, 57 crew
  • 84+ people have been rescued; there has only been one confirmed death so far, let’s hope that stays source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

10 Jul 2011 11:28

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World: Readers react to the death of News of the World

  • I think it’s a shame because they’ve done a lot of good, they’ve riddled out a lot of, let’s say, nasty people. It’s unfortunate that a few people have brought it down. But they have got no choice because they condemned others so they have got to show they are accountable.
  • Newspaper vendor Jean Natella • Offering her take on the closing of News of the World. Say what you will about the paper’s tactics, but they have shown results in the past, though the problem the paper has faced has been one of culture. As another reader, Michael Mitchell, puts it: “I don’t think it should close; I think the people responsible should not be there. They have, I feel, overstepped the mark. Or they’ve been found out, because if this paper is doing it you can bet the majority of them are doing it as well.” We can get behind that. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

10 Jul 2011 11:06

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World: U.S. trims away a huge chunk of Pakistan’s security funding

  • $800 million in funding goes away — like that source
  • » That’s no small chunk, guys: In other words, roughly a third of the security aid that the U.S. gives Pakistan each year. Why the change? Well, as White House Chief of Staff Bill Daley puts it, Pakistan has “taken some steps that have given us reason to pause on some of the aid.” Like possibly harboring Osama bin Laden in a compound within a couple of miles of a military base? That seems like a pretty big step. That said, the U.S. does consider the relationship with Pakistan important, if imperfect. “It’s a complicated relationship in a very difficult, complicated part of the world,” Daley says. “Obviously, there’s still lot of pain that the political system in Pakistan is feeling by virtue of the raid that we did to get Osama Bin Laden, something that the president felt strongly about and we have no regrets over.”
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

09 Jul 2011 11:56

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World: Rupert Murdoch’s son James liable in News of The World hack?

You would not believe the kind of migraine a long-term phone-hacking scandal causes. The younger Murdoch could face charges in both the U.S. and UK over the allegations. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

09 Jul 2011 11:08

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World: Malaysian protesters defy roadblocks, barbed wire, tear gas, police

  • All in an effort to protest the regime: Is the Arab Spring spreading out of the Middle East and North Africa? Based on the nature of the protests in Malaysia, you have to wonder. Nearly 1,600 protesters were arrested, and a dozen people hurt, all in the wake of protests against Prime Minister Najib Razak’s government that officials went out of their way to prevent. The protests, which are pushing for electoral reform the opposition says is necessary, became strongly violent as Razak’s government showed its strength.”What is the necessity for a show of might against right?” asked opposition coalition leader Ambiga Sreenavasan. “No matter what, right will always prevail.” source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

07 Jul 2011 14:03

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World: Recovering Yemeni President Saleh shows up on television

  • President Ali Abdullah Saleh showed up on Yemeni television in a prerecorded speech about his health. He was wounded and severely burned in a bomb blast at his palace earlier this month, and has gone through 8 surgeries since then. He’s making the speech to ensure the people of Yemen that he is recovering, but it’s unclear how true that is — he hasn’t been seen in public since the incident last month. (Photo via Aljazeera) source
Posted by Justin Jones • 0 Comments • Permalink

07 Jul 2011 13:28

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World: News of the World shut down because it’s the easy way out

  • So what to do? Cut your losses. Fold the paper. Wash your hands of the whole ordeal. You can expect News Corp’s rhetoric about ‘moving on’ to start today. And that’s how you get out of a scandal with all the top executives’ jobs intact.
  • Hamilton Nolan, editor at Gawker • speaking brilliantly about the end of the News of the World. Basically, they were going downhill fast because of their hacking scandal. Instead of actually working through it, it seems like Rupert Murdoch’s son, the owner of the paper, took the easy way out and just shut the paper down. That way, they don’t have to worry about advertising, or damage control, or anything else that goes on with a scandal like this. Ultimately, News Corp. is a business that focuses on making money on top of its journalism. And it didn’t look like NOTW would be making any money for a long, long time. So they picked their best option. source
Posted by Justin Jones • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

07 Jul 2011 02:02

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World: Over one-third of human beings aren’t free

  • The tree-hugging hippies over at Freedom House have released their “Worst of the Worst” report, detailing the world’s most egregious violators of human rights, political expression, and other basic freedoms. The usual suspects are all there: North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Turkmenistan, Equatorial Guinea, Uzbekistan, Libya, Burma (Myanmar), and Tibet top the list, with China, Cuba, and several others not far behind. The organization concluded that 35% of the world’s population lives in “Not Free” states, while 45% of countries can be considered “Free,” a 14% increase from thirty years ago. The full report is well-worth the read. source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

06 Jul 2011 14:09

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World: In Iceland, you might need a prescription to smoke

  • Your doctor may have to give you the go-ahead if you want to keep up the habit. Officials are hoping to do this as an effort to get people to quit. Recently, they’ve raised taxes on cigarettes and they’re on the way to banning them in many public places. Under the proposal, smokers would have to go through treatment programs to try to kick their habit. If they couldn’t pull it off, they’d get prescribed cigarettes. This seems like a bit far to reach, if you ask us, and it could create a black market because it’s so restrictive. Regardless, it should help people quit, should this measure pass —because that’s a lot of trouble to go through for a smoke. (photo via Flickr user mamagrrl) source
Posted by Justin Jones • 0 Comments • Permalink

06 Jul 2011 10:13

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World: News of the World scandal: A father’s reaction to being hacked

  • I just felt stunned and horrified. I find it hard to believe someone could be so wicked and so evil, and that someone could work for an organization that even today is trying to defend what they see as normal practices.
  • Graham Foulkes, father of a 2005 London bombing victim • Reacting after learning that he was on a possible list of people whose phones have been hacked by News of the World. As you might imagine, it’s not the kind of news one takes well, and in the case of Foulkes, who will mourn the sixth anniversary of his son’s death later this week, it only makes things more difficult. Foulkes wants leadership at News Corp. to change, starting with Rebekah Brooks, the chief of News International who once edited News of the World, but denies she knew what was going on. “She’s gotta go,” he said. “She cannot say, oops, sorry, we’ve been caught out. Of course she’s responsible for the ethos and practices of her department. Her position is untenable.” Do you agree? source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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