The industry group Business Software Alliance is out with its annual report on global software piracy and it appears that the BRIC countries are still pretty dominant. Yes, Zimbabwe has the world's highest rate of software piracy at 92 percent, overtaking Georgia for the top spot this year. And the United States has the largest illegal software sector in terms of dollar value. But as the chart on the right shows, China, Russia, India, and Brazil combined for more than $17.9 billion worth of pirated software in 2011 -- 28 percent of the global total -- at an average piracy rate of 64 percent.
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BRICs lead the world in software piracy
FP Passport16 May 2012 | 8:59 am -
Romney vs Obama on Afghanistan, Terrorism, & bin Laden
The Washington Note2 May 2012 | 7:39 amphoto credit: ReutersThe anniversary of Osama bin Laden's death has spiked public interest in the foreign policy positions of President Obama and Mitt Romney -- particularly with regards to fighting terrorism and the war in Afghanistan. Over the last couple of days, I have done a number of shows across the networks -- but mostly have the clips from Current TV and MSNBC and want to post here (on next page).I argue that Barack Obama deserves enormous credit (and political bragging rights) for the decision he made to send the Navy SEAL Team 6 in to get bin Laden. He would have owned… -
China Flies New Stealth Fighter as Problems Plague U.S. Jets
Wired: Danger Room16 May 2012 | 11:27 amChina's second J-20 stealth fighter. Image: David Cenciotti and fyjs.cn The second copy of China’s stealth fighter prototype has just flown at a research facility in the city of Chengdu. The first flight of the J-20 Mighty Dragon with the nose number 2002 doubles Beijing’s stealth test fleet at a time when America’s latest jet fighters are hobbled by cost overruns, labor disputes and lethal design flaws. But it’s far from certain how much, and how fast, the new Chinese jet will alter the military balance. The challenges for American stealth developers are clear. It… -
The triage commander: Gen. John Allen hastily transforming U.S. mission in Afghanistan
Military News: Latest News & Headlines12 May 2012 | 1:29 pmStanding in a plywood-walled command post before Gen. John R. Allen, the supreme allied commander in Afghanistan, the nervous-but-earnest young lieutenant cast his platoon’s task for the day in the grand terms of counterinsurgency strategy — the American military’s wartime playbook for the past several years. The goal of the platoon’s walk through a bazaar and meetings with village leaders, the lieutenant said, was for the Afghan government to be “seen as an effective governing body that gains legitimacy with the local population.” Read full article >> -
Brain Disease Is Found in Veterans Exposed to Bombs
NYT > Home Page16 May 2012 | 11:50 amThe same degenerative brain disease found in football players and boxers has been found in veterans exposed to roadside bombs, a finding with potentially profound implications.
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FP Passport
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BRICs lead the world in software piracy
16 May 2012 | 8:59 amThe industry group Business Software Alliance is out with its annual report on global software piracy and it appears that the BRIC countries are still pretty dominant. Yes, Zimbabwe has the world's highest rate of software piracy at 92 percent, overtaking Georgia for the top spot this year. And the United States has the largest illegal software sector in terms of dollar value. But as the chart on the right shows, China, Russia, India, and Brazil combined for more than $17.9 billion worth of pirated software in 2011 -- 28 percent of the global total -- at an average piracy rate of 64 percent. -
Map of the day: 1,000 years of Europe
16 May 2012 | 7:40 amIn case you need a little perspective on all the apocalyptic eurozone speculation, take the next 10 minutes to witness a millennium of war, conquest and genocide! If you're impatient, here's the three-minute version. Update: Looks like the videos have been taken down for copywright reasons. Sorry folks. Hat tip: Kottke -
Morning Brief: Ratko Mladic's war crimes trial begins
16 May 2012 | 5:11 amRatko Mladic's war crimes trial begins Top news: Ratko Mladic, the former Bosnian Serb leader who was captured last May after more than 15 years on the run, appeared in a courtroom in The Hague on Wednesday to begin his trial for war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity in connection with the Bosnian war in the 1990s. In outlining its case against Mladic, the prosecution accused the former military commander of "realizing through military might the criminal goals of ethnically cleansing much of Bosnia" by orchestrating the slaughter of 8,000 unarmed Muslim men and boys in… -
Department of Omens
15 May 2012 | 2:24 pmThis is probably not what Francois Hollande wanted on the first day of his presidency: After a succession of rain-drenched and pomp-filled ceremonial inauguration events, Hollande took off in a Falcon 7X aircraft for Berlin. The plane was hit by lightning shortly afterward, and returned to the Villacoublay air base outside Paris as a precaution for inspection, Defense Ministry spokesman Gerard Gachet said. Defense officials say the president and his entourage were transferred to another aircraft, a Falcon 900, and left shortly thereafter. That made Hollande about an hour and a half late for… -
Who is responsible for 'grexit'?
15 May 2012 | 1:44 pmOne of the most unfortunate neologisms of the European financial crisis has to be "Grexit," the now-ubiquitous term referring to a possible Greek exit from the eurozone. (I'm pretty fond of PIIGS, on other hand.) I was curious about who had first used the term. This FT Alphavillle post from Feb. 7 would seem to have the answer: Grexit being, of course, a Greek exit from the eurozone. (Also, an app for archiving and sharing Gmail threads. Bummer for them.) The term comes from Willem Buiter and Ebrahim Rahbari at Citi, who are now leaning towards the “let them leave”…
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The Washington Note
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Romney vs Obama on Afghanistan, Terrorism, & bin Laden
2 May 2012 | 7:39 amphoto credit: ReutersThe anniversary of Osama bin Laden's death has spiked public interest in the foreign policy positions of President Obama and Mitt Romney -- particularly with regards to fighting terrorism and the war in Afghanistan. Over the last couple of days, I have done a number of shows across the networks -- but mostly have the clips from Current TV and MSNBC and want to post here (on next page).I argue that Barack Obama deserves enormous credit (and political bragging rights) for the decision he made to send the Navy SEAL Team 6 in to get bin Laden. He would have owned… -
Obama Punctuates End of Afghan Conflict
1 May 2012 | 4:54 pmOn the one year anniversary of President Obama ordering a Navy SEAL team to "go in and get Bin Laden and if he not there, to get out", the President has given a speech tonight framing what America's post-Afghanistan game will look like. In a relatively brief 1,540 word statement offered at Bagram Air Base in a surprise trip to Afghanistan, President Obama opened the door to what the elements of an endstate will be -- moving in 2013 to a full support role of an Afghan security and police force now standing at more than 352,000 personnel. The full transition of roles and responsibility would be… -
Anti-Gay Advocates Win: Grenell Resigns from Romney Campaign
1 May 2012 | 1:08 pmRichard Grenell, recently hired by the Mitt Romney for President campaign to serve as the GOP presidential contender's national security spokesman, has resigned.His statement:I have decided to resign from the Romney campaign as the Foreign Policy and National Security Spokesman. While I welcomed the challenge to confront President Obama's foreign policy failures and weak leadership on the world stage, my ability to speak clearly and forcefully on the issues has been greatly diminished by the hyper-partisan discussion of personal issues that sometimes comes from a presidential campaign. I want… -
Will Romney Squash Republican Anti-Gay Bigotry?
21 Apr 2012 | 11:55 amRight wing, and anti-gay provocateur Bryan Fischer, Director of Issue Analysis for Government and Public Policy at the American Family Association, wrote in early 2011 that Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Sarah Palin and Mike Huckabee were just carrying too much baggage to win the GOP nomination and run for the presidency in 2012. So, he said a second tier of candidates would probably break through -- listing "Tim Pawlenty, Mitch Daniels, Haley Barbour, John Thune, John Bolton, Mike Pence, and a possible "dark horse" (his term, not mine), Herman Cain." Ultimately, Fischer said that in the end it… -
Moby Dick Airlines and Newt
21 Apr 2012 | 4:44 amHuffpost's Paul Blumenthal has an extensive piece out on Newt Gingrich's campaign debt problems. I loved this graf: The campaign's most absurd unpaid expenses were more than $1 million to the private jet company Moby Dick Airways, nearly $450,000 to a security firm, and more than $500,000 in travel reimbursements and other payments to individual staffers and consultants. When life imitates absurd movies. . .well, I just love the notion of Newt, Ahab, and Moby Dick. Can't find much on the airline, but there is a Moby Dick Airways facebook page and a clip or two out there on Newt/Ahab's debts…
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Wired: Danger Room
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China Flies New Stealth Fighter as Problems Plague U.S. Jets
16 May 2012 | 11:27 amChina's second J-20 stealth fighter. Image: David Cenciotti and fyjs.cn The second copy of China’s stealth fighter prototype has just flown at a research facility in the city of Chengdu. The first flight of the J-20 Mighty Dragon with the nose number 2002 doubles Beijing’s stealth test fleet at a time when America’s latest jet fighters are hobbled by cost overruns, labor disputes and lethal design flaws. But it’s far from certain how much, and how fast, the new Chinese jet will alter the military balance. The challenges for American stealth developers are clear. It… -
Step 1 in U.S. Plan to Rule Sea and Sky: Actually Share Data
16 May 2012 | 10:24 amUntil the Navy and the Air Force develop better data-integration systems, their plan to dominate the seas and skies could be hung up by an inability to communicate by more than semaphore, shown by this sailor aboard the U.S.S. Kitty Hawk. Photo: U.S. Navy No one really understands the Navy and the Air Force’s new blueprint for dominating Earth’s seas and skies. But what’s increasingly clear, even to the heads of both the Navy and the Air Force, is that there’s a big challenge ahead for it, one that doesn’t have anything to do with an adversary like China: getting… -
Why the World Isn’t Freaking Out About Iran’s Plasma-Powered Spy Sat
16 May 2012 | 3:30 amIranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad visits an exhibition of Iran's laser science. Photo: AP/Mehr News Agency Next Wednesday, Iran will try to launch an experimental reconnaissance satellite into orbit — just as international negotiators gather in Baghdad for talks about Tehran’s nuclear program. The timing couldn’t be more inflammatory, and rogue state satellite launches are usually considered to be missile tests in drag. So why isn’t the world throwing itself into a tizzy about the mission? After all, when North Korea last month tried (and utterly failed) to… -
Majority of Mexicans Want More U.S. Help in Drug War
15 May 2012 | 2:00 pmA U.S. Army National Guardsman at his post along the U.S.-Mexico border near Nogales, Arizona, on Jan. 17, 2007. Photo: Department of Defense. This summer, Mexicans will go to the polls to choose their country’s next commander-in-chief. But the new president will also have to deal with ominous developments in the drug war and the fact that few Mexicans believe the government’s strategy is working. He or she will also have to negotiate with the U.S. on the scope — and responsibilities — of America’s role in fighting the cartels. The reason is stunning. More than… -
Defense Chief Restricts Stealth Jet Till It Stops Choking Pilots
15 May 2012 | 12:07 pmAn F-22 Raptor. Photo: USAF For five years, America’s most expensive fighter jets have been poisoning their pilots and crew. On Tuesday, the Defense Secretary finally stepped in — restricting the flights of the F-22 Raptor, and ordering the Air Force to begin an “expedited installation” of an automatic backup oxygen system for the entire fleet of Raptors, Pentagon spokesman George Little tells reporters. But Panetta is allowing the stealthy dogfighter to keep flying — for now. The new oxygen systems will undergo flight tests through November, with installation…
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Military News: Latest News & Headlines
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The triage commander: Gen. John Allen hastily transforming U.S. mission in Afghanistan
12 May 2012 | 1:29 pmStanding in a plywood-walled command post before Gen. John R. Allen, the supreme allied commander in Afghanistan, the nervous-but-earnest young lieutenant cast his platoon’s task for the day in the grand terms of counterinsurgency strategy — the American military’s wartime playbook for the past several years. The goal of the platoon’s walk through a bazaar and meetings with village leaders, the lieutenant said, was for the Afghan government to be “seen as an effective governing body that gains legitimacy with the local population.” Read full article >> -
Why we need more accountability in Afghanistan
20 Apr 2012 | 2:20 pmFor too long now, command accountability for our troops’ misconduct in wartime has been more theoretical than real. The latest scandal to erupt in Afghanistan — photographs of American soldiers amusing themselves with dismembered Taliban corpses — suggests that it’s past time to confront this problem. Read full article >> -
Pentagon condemns photos of U.S. troops posing with dead Afghan insurgents
18 Apr 2012 | 5:00 pmThe U.S. military on Wednesday once again condemned the actions of some of its troops in Afghanistan after photographs surfaced of smiling soldiers posing with dead insurgents in the latest battlefield scandal. Read full article >> -
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U.S., Australia to broaden military ties amid Pentagon pivot to SE Asia
26 Mar 2012 | 3:13 pmThe United States and Australia are planning a major expansion of military ties, including possible drone flights from a coral atoll in the Indian Ocean and increased U.S. naval access to Australian ports, as the Pentagon looks to shift its forces closer to Southeast Asia, officials from both countries said. Read full article >>
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NYT > Home Page
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Brain Disease Is Found in Veterans Exposed to Bombs
16 May 2012 | 11:50 amThe same degenerative brain disease found in football players and boxers has been found in veterans exposed to roadside bombs, a finding with potentially profound implications. -
Greece Teeters Ahead of New Vote
16 May 2012 | 11:40 amAmid warnings of the possibility of bank runs, state television said June 17 would be the date for a new round of elections. -
Riot Police Break Up Antigovernment Encampment in Moscow
16 May 2012 | 11:39 amThe crackdown occurred as an unpredictable political situation continued to unfurl in the early days of Vladimir V. Putin’s new term as president. -
TIMESCAST: TimesCast | May 16, 2012
16 May 2012 | 11:39 amGreece sets a date for new election amid euro exit fears. | Latino networks take center stage at television upfronts. | President Obama meets with Congressional leaders over the legislative agenda. -
ArtsBeat: Gehry Changes Design for Eisenhower Memorial
16 May 2012 | 11:32 amThe changes came in response to concerns that a youthful statue failed to represent the former president’s significant achievements.
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Washington Post: Breaking News, World, US, DC News & Analysis
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Senate panel approves benefits for same-sex partners of federal employees
16 May 2012 | 12:22 pmA Senate committee approved legislation Wednesday allowing same-sex partners of federal employees to receive employment benefits. The Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee passed the Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act with a bipartisan voice vote. It must be approved by the full Senate and the House before enactment. Read full article >> -
Obama warns Republicans over debt ceiling fight
16 May 2012 | 11:37 amPresident Obama warned congressional leaders on Wednesday that he would not tolerate a replay of the bitter debt ceiling fight of last summer that nearly put the United States in default and led to the nation’s first ever credit-rating downgrade. Read full article >> -
Herman Cain formally endorses Mitt Romney
16 May 2012 | 11:19 amBusinessman Herman Cain formally endorsed Mitt Romney’s presidential bid in an event on Capitol Hill on Wednesday afternoon. The move marks Cain’s third endorsement since suspending his own White House run last December amid multiple allegations of sexual harassment and a 13-year affair. Read full article >> -
John Edwards’s defense rests following medical details about Rielle Hunter
16 May 2012 | 10:57 amGREENSBORO, N.C. — It’s come to this: in a trial steeped in salacious private revelations, jurors now even know how long Rielle Hunter’s menstrual cycles typically lasted. That would be four to five days, in case you’re wondering. This last tidbit of information was read to a federal jury here Wednesday by Abbe Lowell, the lead defense attorney for former senator John Edwards, who is accused of violating campaign finance laws by allegedly failing to report $1 million spent to cover up his affair with Hunter during the 2008 presidential campaign. Read full article >> -
As G-8 world leaders head to Camp David, a test looms for the euro zone
16 May 2012 | 10:43 amTop world leaders will gather in Camp David on Friday as they confront renewed financial tensions in Europe for the first time since the euro region put in place extraordinary measures meant to combat its problems. Read full article >>
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BBC News - Home
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Fed wary of any US spending cuts
16 May 2012 | 12:07 pmThe Federal Reserve is worried about the impact on the US economy if government spending is cut sharply, minutes of its April meeting show. -
Strauss not thinking of quitting
16 May 2012 | 11:59 amAndrew Strauss says he has not thought of giving up the England captaincy, ahead of the first Test against West Indies at Lord's. -
Activists storm Montreal classes
16 May 2012 | 11:49 amStudent protesters in Montreal storm the University of Quebec, disrupting classes as they were due to resume after a boycott protesting rising tuition fees. -
Syria is 'losing information war'
16 May 2012 | 11:38 amSyria is losing the information war against the West, President Bashar al-Assad has said, amid continuing violence across the country. -
Dalglish sacked as Liverpool boss
16 May 2012 | 11:29 amKenny Dalglish is sacked as Liverpool manager after finishing eighth in a disappointing Premier League campaign.
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Most viewed | guardian.co.uk
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Eurozone crisis live: Greek elections called for 17 June
16 May 2012 | 10:10 am• Supreme court judge named as caretaker PM• Sir Mervyn King: euro crisis could derail UK recovery• Bank of England cuts growth forecasts• Merkel calms markets after early sell-off• Analysts fear Greek exit after new elections• Blogging now: Nick Fletcher6.09pm: And with that its time to close up on another busy day, with a new president for Greece and a date for new elections.David Cameron and Mervyn King voiced their concerns about the eurozone crisis, and there was confusion over whether the ECB had stopped supporting a number of Greek banks (it seems it hasn't).We'll be back… -
Euro 2012: England squad announcement - live!
16 May 2012 | 6:22 am• Ferdinand, RIchards and Crouch left out, Downing, Ruddy and Oxlade-Chamberlain in• Gerrard appointed captain2.19pm: The cameras have finally been turned off, which means it's just about time to wrap this up. I'll give the second-last word to myself: I think there is too much negativity towards this England squad, which is close to the best that Hodgson could have chosen and is still sixth-favourites for the tournament. And I'll give the last word to Twitter's Turkey international, Colin Kazim-Richards, who strikes a positive tone. Sort of. "@colin_kazim08 Well at least Great Britain… -
Euro 2012: Rio Ferdinand dropped from England squad
15 May 2012 | 2:54 pm• Roy Hodgson visits Chelsea to talk to John Terry• Micah Richards and Peter Crouch also omittedRio Ferdinand's broken relationship with John Terry may have ended his England career after Roy Hodgson decided to sacrifice the Manchester United defender from his Euro 2012 plans.Hodgson contacted Ferdinand on Tuesday to inform him that he would not be including him in his squad for the tournament in Poland and Ukraine next month. The England manager then travelled to Chelsea's training ground where he met Terry for the first time since taking the job and spoke at length to him and the… -
What can you pay for with 1p and 2p coins? Not an £800 bill …
15 May 2012 | 12:00 pmA man has been sued for attempting to pay a large bill with coppers. Where did he go wrong?A care home manager has been ordered by a judge to pay a total of £1,118.62 after he tried to settle an £804 debt to his accountant with five crates of mostly 1p and 2p coins. He had been to the bank especially, he said: be glad that you weren't behind him in the queue. So what did Robert Fitzpatrick, the care home manager, do wrong?This might come as a surprise, but according to the Royal Mint, 1p and 2p coins are legal tender only if you are paying for something costing 20p or less: once you have… -
Eurozone crisis live: Greece heads for make-or-break elections as talks fail
15 May 2012 | 11:24 am• Last-ditch talks over unity government collapse• Fears Greece could run out of funds• Bank run worries as €700m withdrawn since May 6• IMF: Greek euro exit would be 'messy'• Eurozone economy avoids recession, just• Hollande meets Merkel, after lightning strike7.15pm: Time to wind things up after a dramatic day in the eurozone. Here's a closing summary.Greece's membership of the eurozone hangs in the balance after attempts to form a unity government failed. The five leaders of Greece's main political parties met again in Athens, but failed to back a "technocratic government"…
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NYT > World
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World Briefing | Middle East: Egypt: Deaths in Uprising Listed
16 May 2012 | 12:39 pmA rights group on Tuesday released the most comprehensive list to date of the more than 800 civilians killed by security forces in the 18-day uprising that overthrew President Hosni Mubarak last year. -
For Tim Tebow, an Example Set Long Ago
16 May 2012 | 12:35 pmAt the orphanage his father founded as part of his missionary work in the Philippines, the children still toss around a football Tim Tebow left for them. -
Greece Teeters Ahead of New Vote
16 May 2012 | 12:35 pmAmid warnings of the possibility of bank runs, state television said June 17 would be the date for a new round of elections. -
Ratko Mladic Faces War Crimes Charges
16 May 2012 | 12:34 pmRatko Mladic, the former Bosnian Serb military commander, went on trial at The Hague on Wednesday for war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity in the 1990s. -
Riot Police Break Up Antigovernment Encampment in Moscow
16 May 2012 | 12:30 pmThe crackdown occurred as an unpredictable political situation continued to unfurl in the early days of Vladimir V. Putin’s new term as president.
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World: World News, International News, Foreign Reporting - The Washington Post
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Many will profit if Pakistan reopens NATO supply routes
16 May 2012 | 8:17 amISLAMABAD, Pakistan — U.S. commanders in Afghanistan want to get war supplies rolling across Pakistan’s borders again. So do Pakistanis in places high and low — from officials trying to balance the nation’s budget to black marketeers who stand ready to plunder the NATO-contracted trucks and oil tankers expected to shortly resume passage into Afghanistan after nearly six months of closed border crossings. Read full article >> -
President Obama executive order gives Treasury authority to freeze Yemeni assets in U.S.
16 May 2012 | 8:10 amPresident Obama issued an executive order Wednesday giving the Treasury Department authority to freeze the U.S.-based assets of anyone who “obstructs” implementation of the administration-backed political transition in Yemen. Read full article >> -
India promises “some austerity” as rupee collapses
16 May 2012 | 7:16 amNEW DELHI — Facing a collapse in investor confidence and a decline in the rupee to a record low against the dollar, India’s finance minister said Wednesday it was time for “some austerity” — but not time to panic. Read full article >> -
Merkel says she’s open to ‘stimulus’ for Greek economy
16 May 2012 | 6:58 amATHENS – German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Wednesday that she wants to keep Greece on the common euro currency and would be open to “stimulus” that would help foster growth in the troubled European country. Read full article >> -
As adoption demands grow, Indian families look beyond castes and religion
16 May 2012 | 5:41 amNEW DELHI — On a dusty lane too narrow for a car to fit through, the Delhi Girls’ Home sits shrouded by the minarets and residential houses that litter Delhi’s outer suburb of Burari. It’s a cavernous three-story building, housing 15 young Indian girls. Read full article >>
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NYT > Americas
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Mexicans Unflinching in Face of Drug War’s Carnage
16 May 2012 | 11:40 amMany Mexicans are increasingly disturbed by their disaffection as drug violence has taken a turn for the worse. -
Boca Sanibeni Journal: Dam Project Would Displace Villages in Jungle Valley of Peru
16 May 2012 | 11:08 amA hydroelectric dam supported by the country’s president would send thousands of people to live elsewhere. -
Fatal Bomb Attack in Bogotá Targeted Ex-Official
16 May 2012 | 10:30 amThe attack on a former justice minister stunned residents of Bogotá, the Colombian capital, which is recovering from years of violence between the government, drug cartels and insurgents. -
Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff Faces Defining Decision Over Forest Bill
16 May 2012 | 9:50 amThe bill awaiting action by President Dilma Rousseff would effectively give amnesty to landowners who illegally deforested areas before 2008. -
A Dam Clouds The Future of Peru’s Indigenous People
16 May 2012 | 1:13 amOn the eastern slopes of the Andes in Peru, home mainly to indigenous peoples like the Ashaninka, the government wants to dam the Ene River and sell most of the hydroelectric power to Brazil.
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World: World News, International News, Foreign Reporting - The Washington Post
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Many will profit if Pakistan reopens NATO supply routes
16 May 2012 | 8:17 amISLAMABAD, Pakistan — U.S. commanders in Afghanistan want to get war supplies rolling across Pakistan’s borders again. So do Pakistanis in places high and low — from officials trying to balance the nation’s budget to black marketeers who stand ready to plunder the NATO-contracted trucks and oil tankers expected to shortly resume passage into Afghanistan after nearly six months of closed border crossings. Read full article >> -
President Obama executive order gives Treasury authority to freeze Yemeni assets in U.S.
16 May 2012 | 8:10 amPresident Obama issued an executive order Wednesday giving the Treasury Department authority to freeze the U.S.-based assets of anyone who “obstructs” implementation of the administration-backed political transition in Yemen. Read full article >> -
India promises “some austerity” as rupee collapses
16 May 2012 | 7:16 amNEW DELHI — Facing a collapse in investor confidence and a decline in the rupee to a record low against the dollar, India’s finance minister said Wednesday it was time for “some austerity” — but not time to panic. Read full article >> -
Merkel says she’s open to ‘stimulus’ for Greek economy
16 May 2012 | 6:58 amATHENS – German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Wednesday that she wants to keep Greece on the common euro currency and would be open to “stimulus” that would help foster growth in the troubled European country. Read full article >> -
As adoption demands grow, Indian families look beyond castes and religion
16 May 2012 | 5:41 amNEW DELHI — On a dusty lane too narrow for a car to fit through, the Delhi Girls’ Home sits shrouded by the minarets and residential houses that litter Delhi’s outer suburb of Burari. It’s a cavernous three-story building, housing 15 young Indian girls. Read full article >>
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BBC News - US & Canada
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Fed wary of any US spending cuts
16 May 2012 | 12:07 pmThe Federal Reserve is worried about the impact on the US economy if government spending is cut sharply, minutes of its April meeting show. -
Activists storm Montreal classes
16 May 2012 | 11:49 amStudent protesters in Montreal storm the University of Quebec, disrupting classes as they were due to resume after a boycott protesting rising tuition fees. -
VIDEO: Thoughts used to control robotic arm
16 May 2012 | 10:59 amTwo patients in the United States who are paralysed from the neck down have been able to control a robotic arm using their thoughts. -
'Innocent man' executed in Texas
16 May 2012 | 10:27 amThe US state of Texas is likely to have executed an innocent man due to careless handling of the case, a report by US law students claims. -
Facebook to sell 25% more shares
16 May 2012 | 9:23 amFacebook says it will sell 25% more shares than first planned in its forthcoming flotation in response to strong demand.
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NYT > Africa
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Finding a Match and a Mission, to Help Blacks Battle Cancers
16 May 2012 | 12:00 pmSeun Adebiyi launched Nigeria’s national bone-marrow registry, a potential lifesaver for black cancer patients, after experiencing firsthand the difficulty of finding donors for those of African descent. -
World Briefing | Africa: Morocco: Jailed Islamists Stage Hunger Strike, Advocates Say
16 May 2012 | 10:50 amA group of Islamists who say they are being unfairly detained are trying to put more pressure on the new government to release them, advocates say. -
European Forces Strike Somali Pirate Base for First Time
16 May 2012 | 8:30 amThe European Union’s antipiracy force attacked a Somali pirate land base for the first time, using a combat helicopter to strafe several skiffs that the pirates use to hijack ships. -
World Briefing | Africa: Congo: Peacekeepers Wounded
15 May 2012 | 11:27 amSeven United Nations peacekeepers were wounded when gunmen opened fire during a protest in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on Monday, drawing condemnation from the Security Council. -
World Briefing | Africa: Nigeria: Gunmen Attack Villages
15 May 2012 | 11:20 amGunmen surrounded villages in northeast Nigeria and set them on fire, killing at least 12 people and wounding 48, the Nigerian Red Cross said Monday.
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Africa News: News and Headlines from South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia & More - The Washington Post
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Tunisian who showed ‘Persepolis’ on TV fined in free speech case
3 May 2012 | 9:06 amA panel of five Tunisian judges Thursday convicted TV magnate Nabil Karoui of “disturbing public order” and “threatening public morals” by broadcasting the French movie “Persepolis,” an animated film that contains a fleeting image of God. Read full article >> -
Shokri Ghanem, former Libyan prime minister, dies at 69
29 Apr 2012 | 3:36 pmShokri Ghanem, the former Libyan prime minister and oil chief who saw it as his mission to change his country from the inside, only to realize too late that Moammar Gaddafi would never accept any meaningful reform, was found dead April 29 in Vienna. He was 69. Read full article >> -
Kenya grenade attack kills at least 1, injures more than a dozen in Nairobi church
29 Apr 2012 | 6:26 amNAIROBI – A grenade attack on a Nairobi church Sunday killed at least one person and injured more than a dozen, the latest in a series of such attacks since Kenya sent troops to fight an al-Qaeda-linked militia in neighboring Somalia. Read full article >> -
Charles Taylor, former Liberian leader, found guilty of war crimes
26 Apr 2012 | 8:31 amTHE HAGUE — Charles Taylor, the U.S.-educated guerrilla leader who fought his way to the presidency of Liberia, was convicted Thursday of war crimes and crimes against humanity — including murder, rape and slavery — for his role in assisting a bloody rebel movement in neighboring Sierra Leone. Read full article >> -
South Sudan’s president visits China during crisis
24 Apr 2012 | 3:14 pmJuba, South Sudan — With his newly independent nation on the brink of war with its neighbor Sudan, South Sudanese President Salva Kiir went on a trip this week to seek help. But he didn’t travel to Washington, his country’s biggest aid donor. He went to China. Read full article >>
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BBC News - Africa
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VIDEO: War photographer remembered at auction
16 May 2012 | 11:27 amAuction tribute to combat photojournalist killed in Libya -
Seven die in south Libya clash
16 May 2012 | 9:34 amSeven people are killed and more than 20 injured in clashes in Libya's western desert town of Ghadames, the government says. -
Man held over Kenya club attack
16 May 2012 | 9:32 amA man is arrested on suspicion of helping to carry out an attack on a Mombasa nightclub, in which one person died, police say. -
Egypt, Libya to play without fans
16 May 2012 | 8:46 amWorld Cup qualifiers featuring Egypt and Libya will be played behind closed doors, football's world governing body Fifa says. -
VIDEO: Defiant Taylor protests innocence
16 May 2012 | 8:11 amFormer Liberian President Charles Taylor has accused the prosecution of paying and threatening witnesses in his war crimes trial.
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NYT > Asia Pacific
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As Trained Afghans Turn Enemy, a U.S.-Led Imperative Is in Peril
16 May 2012 | 11:30 amThis year, 22 American-led coalition service members have been killed by men in Afghan uniform, which the military calls “green on blue” attacks. -
At War Blog: Military News Roundup: Green on Blue, a Call for a Nuclear Reduction and NATO's Supply Line
16 May 2012 | 11:20 amA selection of military-related articles from Wednesday's New York Times. -
U.S. and Pakistan Say Deal to Open NATO Supply Lines is Near
16 May 2012 | 10:50 amAn invitation for Pakistan to attend a NATO summit meeting in Chicago this weekend appears to have helped achieve a resolution. -
Afghan Soldiers Increasingly Attack American Counterparts
16 May 2012 | 10:43 amThe rise in “green on blue” killings — Afghan forces turning on their American trainers — has threatened the goal of leaving Afghanistan in the hands of a stable security force. -
World Briefing | Asia: South Korea: Myanmar Pledges To Stop Buying North’s Weapons
16 May 2012 | 10:30 amSouth Korea has received assurances from Myanmar that it will no longer buy weapons from North Korea, an aide to President Lee Myung-bak said Tuesday.
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Asia News: News and Headlines China, Japan, Korea & More - The Washington Post
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Many will profit if Pakistan reopens NATO supply routes
16 May 2012 | 8:17 amISLAMABAD, Pakistan — U.S. commanders in Afghanistan want to get war supplies rolling across Pakistan’s borders again. So do Pakistanis in places high and low — from officials trying to balance the nation’s budget to black marketeers who stand ready to plunder the NATO-contracted trucks and oil tankers expected to shortly resume passage into Afghanistan after nearly six months of closed border crossings. Read full article >> -
India promises “some austerity” as rupee collapses
16 May 2012 | 7:16 amNEW DELHI — Facing a collapse in investor confidence and a decline in the rupee to a record low against the dollar, India’s finance minister said Wednesday it was time for “some austerity” — but not time to panic. Read full article >> -
2 Pakistani lawsuits pressure government to deal with CIA drone strikes
14 May 2012 | 12:22 pmISLAMABAD — Although Pakistan’s leaders have complained bitterly about CIA drones targeting militants on their country’s soil, they seem powerless to stop them. Now attorneys for drone strike victims want to know why the government has failed to act. Read full article >> -
Pharmacy bombing kills 7 in Afghanistan
14 May 2012 | 4:16 amKABUL – At least seven Afghan civilians were killed in a pharmacy on Monday in a suspected suicide bombing, an official said, the latest attack in a spate of rising violence in the country. The blast took place in Ghormach, a remote and a restive district in a relatively secure province of northwestern Faryab province, provincial governor Abdul Ahad Shafaq said. Read full article >> -
Arsala Rahmani, Taliban leader turned Afghanistan peace mediator, slain in Kabul
13 May 2012 | 9:53 amKABUL — A former Taliban leader turned peace negotiator was assassinated Sunday by three unidentified gunmen in a brazen attack in the Afghan capital, hours before leaders here announced the next phase in the country’s security transition. Read full article >>
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BBC News - Asia
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Bangladeshi arrests spark anger
16 May 2012 | 11:07 amDemonstrators and police clash in the Bangladesh capital Dhaka after 33 senior opposition figures are arrested in connection with anti-government protests last month. -
Pakistan to open Nato supply line
16 May 2012 | 10:05 amPakistan's cabinet orders officials to finalise a deal as quickly as possible to bring an end to a six-month blockade on overland Nato supplies into Afghanistan. -
VIDEO: India attempts to prop up rupee
16 May 2012 | 9:23 amThe Indian central bank has been intervening in currency markets to buy the rupee, after it sank to a five month low against the US dollar. -
VIDEO: Gaga refused permit for Jakarta gig
16 May 2012 | 8:57 amIndonesian police have refused to issue a permit for a Lady Gaga concert scheduled to take place in Jakarta next month. -
Girl killed in Cambodia protest
16 May 2012 | 8:51 amSecurity forces in Cambodia shoot dead a 15-year-old girl who was taking part in a protest against the development of a rubber plantation on farmland.
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NYT > Europe
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Greece Teeters Ahead of New Vote
16 May 2012 | 12:15 pmAmid warnings of the possibility of bank runs, state television said June 17 would be the date for a new round of elections. -
Op-Ed Contributor: Nuns on the Frontier
16 May 2012 | 11:55 amThe tension between nuns and the Catholic Church’s male hierarchy has roots in the 19th century. -
Riot Police Break Up Antigovernment Encampment in Moscow
16 May 2012 | 11:53 amThe crackdown occurred as an unpredictable political situation continued to unfurl in the early days of Vladimir V. Putin’s new term as president. -
DealBook: Facebook Increases Number of Shares for I.P.O.
16 May 2012 | 11:53 amFacebook will offer 421 million shares, 25 percent more than it had planned to offer, in response to high demand. -
String Cheese Incident Takes On Ticketmaster
16 May 2012 | 11:40 amThe band String Cheese Incident is making a symbolic end run to protest what it considers high ticket-sales fees.
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Europe News: News and Headlines from Europe - The Washington Post
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Merkel says she’s open to ‘stimulus’ for Greek economy
16 May 2012 | 6:58 amATHENS – German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Wednesday that she wants to keep Greece on the common euro currency and would be open to “stimulus” that would help foster growth in the troubled European country. Read full article >> -
Moscow police clear occupied park
16 May 2012 | 3:05 amMOSCOW — Police cleared a campsite occupied by political protesters in the Russian capital early Wednesday morning, despite assurances that they would wait until noon. Within hours, another gathering had begun in a small park near the Barrikadnaya metro station, named for the barricades of Russia’s 1905 revolution. Read full article >> -
Greece fails to form new government, calls new elections
15 May 2012 | 1:15 pmATHENS — The threat of a full economic collapse in Greece escalated Tuesday after warring political factions here failed to forge a new government, triggering fresh elections and heightening chances that this rudderless Mediterranean nation could be forced to abandon the euro. Read full article >> -
Hollande proposes ‘new pact’ for Europe in inaugural address
15 May 2012 | 10:47 amBERLIN — Newly installed French President Francois Hollande declared Tuesday that he wanted to “renegotiate” Europe’s response to its economic crisis to focus on stimulating growth, as he opened a new chapter in Europe’s push-pull dispute about whether countries should fix themselves through spending or saving. Read full article >> -
Hollande, new French president, forced to backtrack on Afghanistan pullout vow
15 May 2012 | 7:23 amPARIS — Sworn in Tuesday as president of France, Francois Hollande has already been forced by the unforgiving calculus of military logistics to backtrack on his campaign promise to pull all French forces out of Afghanistan by the end of this year. Read full article >>
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BBC News - Europe
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French PM Ayrault names cabinet
16 May 2012 | 11:13 amFrance's new Socialist Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault names his government but party leader Martine Aubry will not join the cabinet. -
Greek leftist attacks EU 'poker'
16 May 2012 | 10:32 amGreek leftist leader George Tsipras accuses the EU and Germany of "playing poker with people's lives", as millions of euros are withdrawn from Greek banks. -
Mladic 'headed ethnic cleansing'
16 May 2012 | 9:41 amFormer Bosnian Serb army commander Ratko Mladic intended to "ethnically cleanse" Bosnia, the opening day of his war crimes trial hears. -
Euro at four-month low on Greece
16 May 2012 | 8:25 amThe euro hits a fresh four-month low against the dollar as political uncertainty in Greece fuels speculation it could leave the single currency. -
Italy's Bossi in fraud probe
16 May 2012 | 8:19 amUmberto Bossi, the founder of Italy's main opposition party the Northern League, is under investigation for fraud, authorities say.
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NYT > Middle East
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World Briefing | Middle East: Egypt: Deaths in Uprising Listed
16 May 2012 | 12:39 pmA rights group on Tuesday released the most comprehensive list to date of the more than 800 civilians killed by security forces in the 18-day uprising that overthrew President Hosni Mubarak last year. -
Iran Promotes Its Candidate for Next Shiite Leader
16 May 2012 | 11:40 amAyatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi would extend Iran’s influence over the Iraqi people and Shiite Muslims everywhere if he were to succeed Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani. -
At War Blog: Military News Roundup: Green on Blue, a Call for a Nuclear Reduction and NATO's Supply Line
16 May 2012 | 11:20 amA selection of military-related articles from Wednesday's New York Times. -
Iran Executes Man Accused of Being Israeli Spy
16 May 2012 | 11:01 amIran said that the man, identified as Majid Jamali Fashi, was responsible for the assassination of one of its nuclear scientists. -
Yemen Moves to Reclaim Towns Run by Insurgents
16 May 2012 | 10:50 amDozens were killed in airstrikes and ground attacks as the Yemeni government intensified efforts to take back land in the southern part of the nation.
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Middle East News: News and Headlines from Iraq, Iran, Israel, Lebanon & More - The Washington Post
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Syria’s sectarian splits creep into Lebanon
15 May 2012 | 6:15 pmTRIPOLI, Lebanon — A small but increasingly vocal number of Lebanon’s Sunni Muslims are backing Islamist leaders’ calls for regime change in neighboring Syria and voicing their fierce discontent with their own government, a sign that the sectarianism splitting Syria may be deepening Lebanon’s longstanding divides. Read full article >> -
Palestinian prisoners end hunger strike following agreement with Israel
14 May 2012 | 1:30 pmJERUSALEM – Israeli and Palestinian officials announced Monday that more than 1,600 Palestinian prisoners had agreed to end a nearly month-long hunger strike in exchange for concessions by Israel, including a modification to its practice of detention without charge or trial. Read full article >> -
Culture war looms as Israel pledges to end ultra-Orthodox military exemptions
11 May 2012 | 11:49 amIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dramatically bolstered his ruling coalition this week with a unity deal meant to help him thwart challenges from fringe factions. But Yoel Krois, a man with sidelocks past his shoulders and a record of confronting authorities, says he remains ready for a fight. Read full article >> -
Featured Advertiser
11 May 2012 | 11:49 am -
Bomb strikes U.N. convoy escort in Syria
9 May 2012 | 11:57 amBEIRUT — A bomb struck a Syrian military convoy escorting the head of a U.N. observer mission Wednesday, injuring several Syrian soldiers and illustrating the vulnerability of the unarmed and unprotected mission as it struggles to monitor a badly fraying cease-fire. Read full article >>
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BBC News - Middle East
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VIDEO: Assad: 'People support my reforms'
16 May 2012 | 11:54 amIn an address to Russian TV today, President Bashar Assad insisted the Syrian people supported his reforms and called his opponents "terrorists". -
Syria is 'losing information war'
16 May 2012 | 11:38 amSyria is losing the information war against the West, President Bashar al-Assad has said, amid continuing violence across the country. -
New Palestinian cabinet sworn in
16 May 2012 | 11:04 amPalestinian Authority President and Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas swears in a new cabinet in the West Bank, a move Hamas describes as a "big error". -
VIDEO: Christians in Egypt get ready to vote
16 May 2012 | 10:17 amAs Egypt prepares for the presidential elections at the end of May, the country's sizeable Coptic Christian minority is hoping for a moderate leader to protect their rights. -
South Yemen air strikes 'kill 16'
16 May 2012 | 10:13 amAir strikes kill 16 suspected militants in southern Yemen as part of an ongoing army offensive against fighters said to be inked to al-Qaeda, officials say.
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BBC News - Asia
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Bangladeshi arrests spark anger
16 May 2012 | 11:07 amDemonstrators and police clash in the Bangladesh capital Dhaka after 33 senior opposition figures are arrested in connection with anti-government protests last month. -
Pakistan to open Nato supply line
16 May 2012 | 10:05 amPakistan's cabinet orders officials to finalise a deal as quickly as possible to bring an end to a six-month blockade on overland Nato supplies into Afghanistan. -
VIDEO: India attempts to prop up rupee
16 May 2012 | 9:23 amThe Indian central bank has been intervening in currency markets to buy the rupee, after it sank to a five month low against the US dollar. -
VIDEO: Gaga refused permit for Jakarta gig
16 May 2012 | 8:57 amIndonesian police have refused to issue a permit for a Lady Gaga concert scheduled to take place in Jakarta next month. -
Girl killed in Cambodia protest
16 May 2012 | 8:51 amSecurity forces in Cambodia shoot dead a 15-year-old girl who was taking part in a protest against the development of a rubber plantation on farmland.
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The Daily Dish | By Andrew Sullivan
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Hewitt Award Nominee
16 May 2012 | 12:20 pm"Americans find Kim [Jong Il] mythology endlessly funny for two reasons: first, it’s outlandish; second, it’s desperate. In the United States, allegiance to elected leaders isn’t obtained with fairytales, historical embellishment, and mandatory celebration. It’s earned with responsiveness to popular sentiment, sound leadership, and policy results. Gimmick-laden personality cults are for self-appointed paranoiacs who can’t deliver the goods. Which is probably what Americans are thinking about since Seth’s discovery yesterday that Barack Obama has inserted his… -
Future Gay Republicans
16 May 2012 | 12:03 pmMarc Tracy imagines them. He points out that "27 percent of gays voted for Sen. John McCain" in 2008: Maybe that number will go down this year given Obama’s announcement, but in terms of a longer trend, it implies that eventually the gay vote—at least the gay male vote—will be very much up-for-grabs. And why shouldn’t it be? 50, 30, or even 20 years from now, both parties will support gay rights, at least on its face, and the issue will be largely uncontroversial. ... At that point, roughly half of the gay population will be men who are disproportionately… -
My "Gift" To Romney
16 May 2012 | 11:42 amJennifer Rubin claims that my Newsweek cover-story will help Romney. She pens an imaginary Thank You note from Romney to Newsweek: [R]eally, to characterize the president as the first "gay president" was an unexpected joy for Ann, the boys and me. I’m not about to go stoking the flames of anti-gay fervor in my base. That’s not my style, and as I always say to Ann, a moment not talking about Obama’s economic bellyflop is a moment wasted. But you’ve done it for me! Why, I don’t suppose there is a social conservative activist in the country who wouldn’t toss his cookies… -
The View From Your Window
16 May 2012 | 11:21 amNewbridge, Ireland, 7.38 am -
Quote For The Day II
16 May 2012 | 11:05 am"When evangelicals turn their anti-gay sentiments into a political campaign, all it does is confirm to my gay friends that they will never be welcome in the church. It makes them bitter, and it makes me mad too. This is why I never refer to myself as an evangelical. Ugh. I’m embarrassed to be part of that group,” - an evangelical college senior, in a blog post by Rachel Held Evans. Money quote from the post written the day after Amendment One passed in North Carolina: As I watched my Facebook and Twitter feeds last night, the reaction among my friends fell into an imperfect but…
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AL JAZEERA ENGLISH (AJE)
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Ratko Mladic goes on trial for genocide
16 May 2012 | 12:38 pmBosnian Serb military leader faces 11 counts of war crimes at UN court over Srebrenica massacre and siege of Sarajevo. -
Assad warns against sowing chaos in Syria
16 May 2012 | 12:05 pmPresident pours scorn on opposition group and claims reduction in "direct confrontation" since arrival of UN monitors. -
Pakistan president to attend NATO summit
16 May 2012 | 11:36 amAsif Ali Zardari to be in Chicago for talks as negotiations to reopen US supply lines into Afghanistan continue. -
Protesters dispersed from Moscow park
16 May 2012 | 11:28 amUp to 14 anti-Putin activists arrested after riot police crack down on sit-in at Chistiye Prudy Park in Russian capital. -
China probes N Korean seizure of fishermen
16 May 2012 | 10:51 amOfficials say investigation launched into reports of capture of three vessels with 29 crew members near Dalian on May 8.
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James Fallows : The Atlantic
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Iran Drumbeat Watch: Rand Weighs In
16 May 2012 | 5:55 amAfter a 5 am airport checkin, my thoughts naturally turn to: Armageddon, despair, the bleak inevitabilities of life. Though on the brighter side, the TSA operation at San Diego turns out to have an metal-detector-only line, which for once I managed to sidle towards and make my way through without being intercepted for "random" extra screening.*Back to the dark side: the Spring 2012 issue of Rand Review, from the Rand corporation, has published an article on the threats posed by Iran and the ways to deal with them. Please read the whole thing, which elaborates on this opening premise:An… -
Book News: Pushback, Videos, Lists
15 May 2012 | 12:42 pmGiven that today is Official Publication Day for China Airborne, I am erring on the side of adding some updates. As promised, I will move these items off the "main" site and onto a standalone book-news page once we get that up and running:1) An enjoyable session last night in at a Zócalo event in Santa Monica. Amazingly quick (and skillful) after-action wrapup provided a few minutes later by an unnamed Zócalo blogger. Find out who this person is, and recruit him or her.2) Interesting pushback to my excerpt on "What is the Chinese Dream?" from Samuel Crane* at the Useless Tree blog. Worth… -
Filibuster and False-Equivalence Fiesta
15 May 2012 | 11:42 amNews has piled up fast about the filibuster in the past two weeks, and I am way behind in taking note of it. While I have ten minutes at a computer just now -- and am not in a taxi, in a security line, in a green room, or in some other fashion enjoying the delights of new-city-each-day travel -- here is a quick update on some relevant reading tips:1) Ezra Klein on the lawsuit Common Cause is initiating, on grounds that abuse of the filibuster has risen to the level of unconstitutional offense. (More info from Common Cause here.) Klein's item also has this explaino-graph: 2) Greg Sargent on… -
Book News: Zocalo, Rand Forum, Chinese Movies
14 May 2012 | 11:10 amOther people's travel problems are not interesting, and thus I will go easy on my latest misadventures* at the hands of United Airlines. I will say, though, that if I see you either at a Zócalo event in Santa Monica this evening, at 7pm, or tomorrow evening at the Revelle Forum at UCSD, also at 7pm -- and I am wearing something other than the blue jeans and blue-checked shirt I am wearing right now, that will mean one of two things. Either United Airlines has figured out how to give us back the bags (with a week's worth of clothes, notes, supplies, pills, presents, etc) that my wife and I so… -
The Chart to Accompany All 'Jobs, Jobs, Jobs' Discussions
13 May 2012 | 4:22 amNumbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, graph from Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. The spike in "total employment" (including government) in early 2010 is presumably Census hiring. The pattern for the next few months was total employment going up while government employment was going down. And you can see the overall pattern, including what the trend was in 2008, how it changed in 2009, and also the worrisome very recent slide.For discussion, see Media Matters and Greg Sargent. And related from our Derek Thompson.
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TechCrunch
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Viacom Gives Up Fight Against Time Warner Cable, Adds Channels to TWC iPad App
16 May 2012 | 12:35 pmCustomers of Time Warner Cable have some reason to rejoice today, as the cable company has gotten the go-ahead to add channels like MTV, VH1, and Comedy Central to its live streaming iPad app. The addition comes after the channels’ owner Viacom has settled its differences and resolved litigation with Time Warner Cable. The legal fight erupted last year, after Time Warner Cable released its iPad app, which lets subscribers stream live shows to tablets inside their homes. While many networks grumbled about the app, Viacom was most vocal in rejecting the app, taking its distribution… -
How Many Daily Downloads Does It Take To Reach The Top Of The App Store?
16 May 2012 | 12:01 pmIt’s hard to underestimate how important ranking in Apple’s top 25 in the iTunes store is for mobile app developers. After all, the top 25 is probably the single most important app discovery mechanism for most iOS users. But how many downloads does it take to rank in the top 25? Mobile app store analytics firm Distimo today published some interesting data that answers just this question. Turns out, in the U.S. store, the answer currently is about 38,400 daily downloads for free iPhone apps and 3,530 for paid iPhone apps. To rank in the top 25 per category, of course, takes… -
Third Pivot’s The Charm? Events Site Ravn Becomes Flash Sales Site Touch Of Modern
16 May 2012 | 11:34 amNo one ever called a limit on the number pivots a company can do, right? So here’s the latest at a company we’ve been watching for a while now. RAVN, an event planning and sharing app that itself was the product of a pivot from the developers behind “experiences marketplace” Skyara, has sent a letter out to its users telling them that the app is getting shut down at the end of this month. In RAVN’s place, the founders are starting up yet another business — their third — also loosely based around events but with a decidedly more commercial bent: a… -
This Won’t End Well: Toyota Connects With Nintendo DS For In-Car Navigation Interface
16 May 2012 | 11:31 amFor some inexplicable reason, Nintendo and Toyota have teamed up to turn the Nintendo DS into a navigational remote control, thereby allowing drivers (although I hope passengers do most of the fiddling) to set their routes using their game consoles. The service, called Kuruma de DS lets you see map and destination info as well as tour information as you drive through town. The service slightly gamifies the experience by adding a POI saving option. The compatible Toyota Smart Navi system costs about $3,000 while the game itself costs $92 – quite a bit of cash to simulate the map screens… -
Forrester: 32.1 Million U.S. Households Now Access Online Video On Their TVs
16 May 2012 | 11:04 amAlmost 115 million households in the U.S. currently own at least one TV set and 36 million own four or more. That’s a huge market and as Apple, Google and Microsoft try to wrestle more of this business away from the traditional content and hardware players, the old-school cable and satellite providers now suddenly have to content with this new group of challengers that, until now, barely registered on their radars. According to Forrester analyst James McQuivey, it’s Microsoft that’s winning this platform war so far. Why? Microsoft, MCquivey argues, currently has a massive…
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Media Matters for America - Latest Items
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Fox Revives Deceptive Editing Of Anita Dunn Clip
15 May 2012 | 10:27 pmMore than two years after Glenn Beck used his Fox News show to deceptively edit then-Obama administration official Anita Dunn's comments referencing Mao Zedong, Fox News host Greg Gutfeld echoed Beck's false portrayal of what Dunn said by airing a similarly edited clip.Fox' Gutfeld Plays Deceptively Edited Dunn Clip Gutfeld: "At Least She's Open In Her Admiration For Mass Murderers." From Fox News' The Five: GUTFELD: See what I did there? I pulled a Goldberg on a Goldberg, which is why I love Anita Dunn, Obama's former communications director. At least she's open in her admiration for mass… -
Fox's Flawed Attempt To Deflect Attention From Romney's Leveraged Buyout Record
14 May 2012 | 3:51 pmFox News is pushing fatally flawed analogies to defend Mitt Romney from criticism over his jobs record at Bain Capital, pointing to the Obama administration's green energy loans and the successful rescue of the U.S. auto industry. These comparisons crumble under scrutiny, as leveraged buyouts are different from providing bankruptcy financing or loans.Obama Campaign Ad Hits Romney On Jobs New Obama Campaign Ad Highlights Bain's Takeover Of Steel Mill Under Romney's Leadership. In a new ad, the Obama campaign tells the story of how venture capital firm Bain Capital, which Romney led at the… -
Fox Finds The Villain Of JPMorgan Chase's $2 Billion Loss: Regulation
14 May 2012 | 2:15 pmIn the wake of a $2 billion trading loss sustained by the bank JPMorgan Chase, many economists have advocated for the strengthening of financial reform to prevent against reckless behavior. Not Fox, however, which has argued that the problem is too much regulation of Wall Street banks.JPMorgan Chase Reveals $2 Billion In Trading Losses NY Times: "JPMorgan Discloses $2 Billion In Trading Losses." From a May 10 New York Times article: JPMorgan Chase, which emerged from the financial crisis as the nation's biggest bank, disclosed on Thursday that it had lost more than $2 billion in trading, a… -
Conservative Media Fail In Their Attempt To Dismiss Report About Romney Bullying Incident
11 May 2012 | 9:34 pmRight-wing media have rushed to dismiss the Washington Post's report that Mitt Romney held down a high school classmate and cut his hair, claiming that "the source" for the story "wasn't actually there." In fact, the Post story relied on accounts from five separate sources, four of whom were named, and as the Post's ombudsman noted, their "accounts remain unchallenged." Romney himself said that he's "seen the reports" about the incident and that he's "not going to argue with that."Wash. Post Article Describes Romney Forcibly Cutting High School Classmate's Hair Wash. Post: "Mitt Romney's Prep… -
Right-Wing Media Minimize Romney's Reported Bullying As "Foolish Games"
11 May 2012 | 1:12 pmRight-wing media have responded to a Washington Post story detailing Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's alleged bullying of a high school classmate by dismissing Romney's reported bullying as "foolish games" and possibly just an attempt to enforce his school's dress code. However, bullying has destructive consequences for victims, including heightened risks of depression and suicide.Wash. Post Reports Romney Led High School Bullying Incident Wash. Post: In High School, Romney Ambushed And Forcibly Clipped The Hair Of A Younger Student. The Washington Post…
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Truthdig: Drilling Beneath the Headlines
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Mladic Bent on Genocide in Bosnia, Court Told
16 May 2012 | 9:26 amAt the start of his war crimes trial Wednesday, former Bosnian Serb Gen. Ratko Mladic was accused of setting out to “ethnically cleanse” Bosnia during the 1992-1995 Bosnian war and of presiding over the deaths of tens of thousands of people. —ARK BBC: Gen Mladic faces 11 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including genocide, in connection with the brutal 1992-95 Bosnian war. Prosecutors in The Hague said they would show his hand in the crimes. He has called the accusations “monstrous” and the court has entered a not guilty plea on his behalf. Read… -
California’s Day of Reckoning
16 May 2012 | 8:22 amCalifornia Gov. Jerry Brown has embraced austerity as the solution to the state’s economic problems, and his updated budget plan contains plenty of pain for most everyone as it cuts deeply into social programs. —ARK The Independent: Welfare payments, healthcare for the poor, and benefits for elderly and disabled Californians will be immediately slashed by around $8.3bn (£5.2bn), which equates to roughly 17 per cent of Mr Brown’s entire discretionary budget. And state offices, which employ roughly 200,000 people, will switch to a four-day, 38-hour work week. The radical… -
Needy States Use Housing Aid to Prop Up Budgets
16 May 2012 | 7:34 amMore than a dozen states are plugging gaps in their budgets with hundreds of millions of dollars won from banks in mortgage and foreclosure settlements and intended to provide help to struggling homeowners. —ARK The New York Times: The money was part of a national settlement valued at $25 billion and negotiated with five big banks over abuses in their mortgage and foreclosure processes. The settlement, reached in February after a year of talks and intervention by the Obama administration, was the second-largest in history involving the states, trailing the tobacco industry… -
Blue Man Coup: How Gadhafi’s Mercenaries Broke Mali
16 May 2012 | 3:19 amBy Susan Zakin Everything that rises must converge, and in 2012, an uprising at the ancient crossroads of Timbuktu kicked up a decades-in-the-making sandstorm of global capitalism, U.S. counterterrorism, cocaine smuggling and the long-denied rights of the most romantic nomads on earth. -
Paul Volcker and His Rule
16 May 2012 | 2:24 amJPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon may be less concerned with the actual $2 billion his bank lost than the credence it lends to calls for tougher regulation.
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ThinkProgress
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Easily Debunking NARTH’s Objections To Ex-Gay Therapy Restrictions
16 May 2012 | 12:42 pmCartoon via SlapUpsideTheHead.com. The National Association for the Research and Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH) is rabidly fundraising in an attempt to block a California bill that would limit how ex-gay therapy could be offered in the state. The bill, SB 1172, would prevent minors from receiving ex-gay therapy and require all interested adults to sign an informed consent form that describes how the therapy is harmful and ineffective. NARTH’s latest email today features a list of legal “concerns” from the anti-gay Pacific Justice Institute that are incredibly easy to… -
Report: Texas Executed The Wrong Man Because He Looked Like The Real Murderer
16 May 2012 | 12:20 pmA new book written by Columbia Law Professor James Liebman shows that Carlos DeLuna, executed by Texas in 1989, was innocent. According to Liebman, DeLuna was wrongfully convicted and executed for the murder of Wanda Lopez following a botched investigation. DeLuna and the man believed to have committed the murder, Carlos Hernandez, looked so much alike that they were mistaken for each other in photographs by family members. However, DeLuna, who was clean-shaven and wearing a white shirt, did not fit the description of the eyewitness who said that the murderer was wearing flannel and had a… -
Paul Ryan Carries Mitt’s Water, Claims The Romney Economic Plan Won’t Blow Up The Deficit
16 May 2012 | 12:15 pmMitt Romney yesterday traveled to Iowa, where he decried the “prairie fire of debt” that President Obama has supposedly allowed to engulf the nation. But Romney neglected to mention that his own economic plan would add $10.7 trillion to the debt, reducing federal revenue to just 15 percent of GDP. As the Associated Press reported today, “Romney’s tax and spending plans don’t support his vow to dampen the debt fire.” But don’t tell that to House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI), who said to MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough that Romney’s… -
Obama’s Biggest Climate Decision Of The Year May Be … Palm Oil?
16 May 2012 | 12:15 pmby Glenn Hurowitz The Obama administration is poised to make one of the biggest climate policy decisions of its entire administration – and it’s not about coal, oil, or gas, but rainforests. EPA is deciding whether or not palm oil should be included in the Renewable Fuel Standard, which mandates that American motorists use 36 billion gallons of biofuel in their cars and trucks by 2022. In order to qualify for inclusion, palm oil would have to cut greenhouse gas pollution by at least 20 percent compared to gasoline. Which means that it should be an easy call: Of all the biofuels, palm… -
Bill Kristol Says He’s ‘Mostly Supportive’ Of Obama On Israel, Heads Group Attacking Obama As ‘Anti-Israel’
16 May 2012 | 12:06 pmIn a debate last night with Jeremy Ben Ami of the liberal pro-Israel group J Street, neoconservative don Bill Kristol told the audience in the New York synagogue that he had no problems with President Obama’s Israel policies. But just two months ago, a right-wing pro-Israel group Kristol heads rolled out the latest of its serial attacks on Obama’s policies toward Israel. The Weekly Standard editor praised Obama and said the difference between Obama’s Israel policies and presumptive GOP nominee Mitt Romney’s “is not that great.” Kristol stated that he was…
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MoJo Articles | Mother Jones
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Occupiers Take to the Farm
16 May 2012 | 3:00 amEarly Monday morning, around 100 University of California police raided a five-acre patch of land owned by UC Berkeley and used occasionally for agricultural research. The raid came three weeks after roughly 200 activists, community members, and students took over a small patch of the land, known as the "Gill Tract," located in the small city of Albany, just north of Berkeley. The group cleared out piles of wild mustard, tilled the soil, planted 15,000 donated seedlings, and set up camp. When the university ordered them to leave, they kept farming. The university responded by cutting off… -
"The Dictator": A Qaddafi-Inspired Rom-Com Filled With Pubic-Hair Jokes
16 May 2012 | 12:01 amThe DictatorParamount Pictures 83 minutes If The Dictator were a dictator, it would probably be Chiang Kai-shek: good in spurts, but excessive and, in the end, unpardonably flawed. The film (directed by Larry Charles) chronicles the politically incorrect misadventures of Adm. General Haffaz Aladeen, the jolly autocrat of the fictional North African republic of Wadiya. The character—actor/satirist Sacha Baron Cohen's latest creation—is a comic pastiche of democracy-killing icons: Aladeen enjoys a flamboyant, sybaritic, rape-abundant lifestyle à la Uday Hussein. He possesses… -
WATCH: Romney Plays the VP Vetting Game [Saunders Cartoon]
14 May 2012 | 1:10 pmEditors' note Mother Jones illustrator Zina Saunders creates editorial animations riffing on the political news and current events of the week. In this week's animation, GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney plays the Vice President vetting game. Who will his VP pick be? Paul Ryan, the darling of the let-them-eat-cake crowd? Chris Christie, who doesn't take orders from anyone who makes less than a million dollars? Or maybe it will be Marco Rubio, the Latino Tea Party favorite? The animation, as always, was written, animated, and acted by Zina Saunders. -
Why America's Killer Drones Give Our Government Too Much Power
14 May 2012 | 11:50 amThis story first appeared on the TomDispatch website. Here's the essence of it: you can trust America's crème de la crème, the most elevated, responsible people, no matter what weapons, what powers, you put in their hands. No need to constantly look over their shoulders. Placed in the hands of evildoers, those weapons and powers could create a living nightmare; controlled by the best of people, they lead to measured, thoughtful, precise decisions in which bad things are (with rare and understandable exceptions) done only to truly terrible types. In the process, you simply… -
If You Thought Michele Bachmann Was Out There...
14 May 2012 | 12:01 amRep. Tim Walz should be in big trouble this November. The Minnesota Democrat's district gave just 51 percent of its vote to Barack Obama in 2008 and the National Republican Congressional Committee is spending big bucks attacking Walz as an out-of-touch lefty. But Walz has two things going for him. The GOP's April nominating convention ended in a stalemate after 23 ballots, meaning the two top candidates have to spend the next three months preparing for the August primary. That, in turn, means Walz stands a decent chance of facing Allen Quist, a 67-year-old soybean farmer and onetime…
