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August 23, 2011 :: staff :: No Comment Yet
Two days after taking control of most of the capital, and a day after two of Qadhafi’s sons escaped house arrest as pro-Qadhafi forces staged a challenge to the rebel onslaught, Libya’s pro-democracy rebels swept into Qadhafi’s compound in Tripoli. Reports from the Libyan capital spoke of scenes of rebels destroying images of Qadhafi and [...]
August 9, 2011 :: staff :: No Comment Yet
After the shooting of an unarmed man by London’s Metropolitan Police force, in Tottenham, the community organized a peaceful protest, which through a series of events that remains difficult to trace, turned into clashes between police and youths. A rash of riots have now spread across greater London, with arson attacks, looting, and violent clashes between masked youth and armored police.
July 19, 2011 :: staff :: No Comment Yet
Gordon Brown, the former UK prime minister and chancellor of the Exchequer denounces “the systematic criminality of News International”, accusing the media conglomerate of “lawbreaking on an industrial scale” and of abusing the rights of citizens, crime victims and the families of soldiers who lost their lives in war, for financial gain by the most [...]
July 19, 2011 :: staff :: No Comment Yet
Rupert Murdoch has, today, told a Parliamentary committee in London that he was “clearly” misled by unknown persons within News Corp. Several of the committee members have sought to clarify who may have been responsible for misleading him. His son James told the committee that “What happened at News of the World was wrong”, adding that [...]
July 15, 2011 :: staff :: No Comment Yet
News Corp., the New York-based multinational media conglomerate whose majority shareholder is the controversial billionaire Rupert Murdoch, is now facing an FBI investigation for illegal activity in news gathering. Long maligned by press advocacy groups as a leading source of abusive media activity, and even of attacks on genuine news sources, News Corp. is now being accused of having authorized bribery and/or hacking activity to gain illegal access to the private files of victims of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
July 15, 2011 :: The Editors :: 3 Comments
The Libya Contact Group held its most recent diplomatic summit today in Istanbul, to discuss how best to deal with the exigencies of the security crisis there, and possible political solutions. Sec. of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, of the United States, now fully recognizes the Transitional National Council, based in Benghazi, as the legitimate government [...]
July 15, 2011 :: staff :: No Comment Yet
The mounting protest movement in Jordan is organizing massive new demonstrations, calling for constitutional reform that will maintain the monarchy, but establish a fully elected, democratic government. The protests were reportedly sparked by high and rapidly escalating food prices. There are reports that riot police today attacked demonstrators, though protest organizers say they do not [...]
July 15, 2011 :: staff :: No Comment Yet
The protest movement that ousted Hosni Mubarak, after three decades of authoritarian rule has returned tens of thousands of people from all walks of Egyptian life to Tahrir Square, to demand significant democratic reform. Protesters say the military governing council has been slow to prosecute former regime figures guilty of corruption and/or crimes against humanity, [...]
July 11, 2011 :: staff :: One Comment
Newspapers in the UK and TV networks around the world are reporting that UK prime minister Gordon Brown says his bank accounts, property records, his children’s medical accounts and other private accounts, were illegally accessed by the Sun tabloid and/or the Sunday Times, another of Rupert Murdoch’s newspapers in Great Britain. The allegation appears to implicate one or more journalists in gaining private, privileged information relating to the personal health of at least one of Brown’s children, along with other private information.
July 6, 2011 :: staff :: No Comment Yet
Today, at the White House, at 2pm EDT, Pres. Barack Obama became the first American president to “live tweet”, posting to his Twitter account the question, “in order to reduce the deficit,what costs would you cut and what investments would you keep”, signing it, simply “- bo”. The president then answered questions, selected by “curators” across the country, who sorted through tens of thousands of questions from Twitter users. He had no prior knowledge of the questions, nor did the moderator, Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey.
May 27, 2011 :: J.E. Robertson :: No Comment Yet
An effort by the Catalan state police, the Mossos d’Esquadra, to remove protesters from the Plaça Catalunya, by use of force, has ended with at least 125 people reported injured, the demonstrators retaking the square, and the Mossos forced to retreat. Protests have now spread to other parts of the city, as students have reportedly closed la Avinguda Diagonal, one of the city’s main thoroughfares, “in solidarity with the protesters in Plaça Catalunya”.
May 27, 2011 :: J.E. Robertson :: No Comment Yet
In Spain’s capital, Madrid, in the heart of the city, at the Puerta del Sol, from which major roads radiate out toward all corners of the country, thousands of protesters, of all ages and social classes, young and old, have set up camp, literally, in what is now a Europe-wide demand for economic democracy. The [...]
May 21, 2011 :: staff :: No Comment Yet
Tens of thousands of youth protesters are occupying la Puerta del Sol, the central square in Madrid, the capital of Spain. They have been occupying the square for a week, and last night camped overnight, despite a new government ban. The protesters are calling themselves “los Indignados”, the indignant.
May 3, 2011 :: staff :: No Comment Yet
Good evening. Tonight, I can report to the American people and to the world that the United States has conducted an operation that killed Osama bin Laden, the leader of al Qaeda, and a terrorist who’s responsible for the murder of thousands of innocent men, women, and children.
May 2, 2011 :: staff :: No Comment Yet
Pakistan’s president Asif Ali Zardari, whose late wife Benazir Bhutto was assassinated by extremists shortly after returning to her homeland to seek the presidency, said he was not informed prior to the operation that it was taking place, but that his government, and all of Pakistan should celebrate Bin Laden’s demise. Bin Laden had repeatedly tried to kill Bhutto, and was suspected of plotting to assassinate Pres. Zardari.
May 1, 2011 :: staff :: No Comment Yet
Tonight, the news is breaking across global television and online media that the president of the United States will be making a special televised address to announce that Osama bin Laden has been confirmed killed. NBC News’ Chuck Todd is reporting the news began to leak out after Pres. Obama began informing, by telephone, the key leaders in Congress, that he would be making this announcement.
April 22, 2011 :: The Editors :: No Comment Yet
Syria’s authoritarian ruler Bashar al-Assad has lifted a notorious emergency law, after 50 years during which his family has used it to stamp out dissent and democratic process. It was the boldest and most significant concession to date, in the political response to ongoing protests in Syria, but it has not quelled the pro-democracy protests, [...]
March 27, 2011 :: J.E. Robertson :: No Comment Yet
Reports from Tokyo today have authorities telling residents water is now safe for infant consumption, even as reports from Fukushima show radiation levels may have surged to 10 million times the normal level. Readings taken 30 miles out to sea have found radiation levels in seawater at 1,850 times the normal level. More nations around the Pacific Ocean are expressing concern about the handling of the disaster.
March 23, 2011 :: J.E. Robertson :: 2 Comments
The royal family ruling Bahrain has taken a military approach to its people’s demand for more democracy. The royal family, increasingly desperate to hold onto power by any means necessary, first called in foreign mercenaries, then the Saudi army, which now effectively occupies the capital, Manama. Reports coming from Manama say doctors and demonstrators gave told the press that Bahraini and/or Saudi forces surrounded the city’s largest hospital to prevent people attacked by gunfire and teargas from getting treatment.
March 19, 2011 :: staff :: One Comment
The United Nations Security Council voted unanimously this week to authorize the enforcement of a no-fly zone over Libya, and gave member nations the power to take “all necessary measures” to protect civilians. NATO and an alliance of Arab countries are now orchestrating airstrikes against Libyan military positions, to clear the ground for a secure [...]
March 17, 2011 :: The Editors :: 3 Comments
The United Nations Security Council voted unanimously today —with five abstentions— to support the imposition of a no-fly zone over Libya, authorizing military action against Muammar Qadhafi, to halt his war against the people of his own country. Qadhafi and his sons have been waging a full-scale military assault against civilians and rebel forces supporting [...]
March 17, 2011 :: The Editors :: No Comment Yet
The regime in Bahrain is now officially killing civilians in order to halt what is increasingly a demand for full democratic rights. At first, the democracy movement in Bahrain was not calling for the removal of the king or the al-Khalifa family. But once security forces began cracking down violently on peaceful demonstrators in central [...]
March 15, 2011 :: staff :: No Comment Yet
As the four troubled nuclear reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power complex continue to deteriorate, the news is breaking this evening that workers at Reactor #4 are being forced to abandon the site, due to the risk of extreme radiation contamination. The evacuation means that at least one of the failing reactors will not have any one in place to manage it; at this hour, it is not clear whether the entire Fukushima complex is being evacuated.
March 15, 2011 :: The Editors :: No Comment Yet
Nuclear power plants, like the one at Fukushima Daiichi, contain 1,000 times more radioactivity to leak than the Hiroshima bomb. Nuclear scientists estimate 1,000,000 people would be killed or injured in a major accident, were one to occur at the San Onofre plant in southern California. But Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) on Monday compared the [...]
March 15, 2011 :: staff :: 2 Comments
A fourth reactor at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant has now reportedly lost its cooling system and is on fire, while a third of the troubled reactors has suffered an explosion. The exclusion zone has been expanded to 19 miles, and international monitors now say the Fukushima nuclear emergency is officially the second worst [...]
March 14, 2011 :: The Editors :: No Comment Yet
Bahrain’s government has asked for and accepted foreign intervention to help secure the nation against a spreading opposition movement. Pro-democracy demonstrators have said they will view any presence of foreign troops as an illegal foreign occupation. There are concerns the foreign forces might inflame sectarian tensions, as they are Saudi Sunni forces defining a minority [...]
March 13, 2011 :: staff :: No Comment Yet
Just one day after Wisconsin governor Scott Walker signed a bill into law that strips public employees of collective bargaining rights, the largest crowd to date gathered around the state Capitol building in Madison. Authorities estimate between 85,000 and 100,000 people joined the protest, demanding the repeal of the law and the recall of all [...]
March 13, 2011 :: staff :: No Comment Yet
Japanese authorities are reporting, just after 3:00 am EDT, that two of the reactor cores at the Fukushima nuclear plant may have begun meltdown. At least nine people are reported to have been exposed to dangerous levels of radiation. A 20km exclusion zone is being established, and authorities say they are evacuating an estimated 200,000 [...]
March 12, 2011 :: staff :: No Comment Yet
The Fukushima nuclear plant contains 5 nuclear reactors, which combine to produce the world’s largest concentrated power generation. At least one of the reactors is reported to have radiation levels 1,000 times normal inside one of its control rooms. Today, RussiaToday is reporting that white smoke seen rising from the plant may be due to an explosion. Authorities have warned that some radioactive material may have seeped out into the environment already. There is an ongoing concern that the plant may be vulnerable to meltdown, as plant operators have not been able to resume cooling of nuclear fuel.
March 12, 2011 :: staff :: No Comment Yet
Google yesterday launched a “person finder” for Japan, to help people looking for relatives and loved ones who may be lost in a communications outage or in physical danger, due to the earthquake and tsunami. Facebook also has a disaster relief service at facebook.com/DisasterRelief. There is also a surge in information on Twitter at hash-tags like #tsunami or #sendai or Fukushima.
March 11, 2011 :: staff :: No Comment Yet
Two nuclear reactors in Fukushima, Japan, are now reported to be unable to cool the nuclear fuel in their cores, and radioactive materials may have seeped into the environment. The reactors reportedly suffered service interruption after the worst earthquake in Japanese history. The magnitude 8.9 quake unleashed a massive tsunami the pushed far inland at Sendai, northeast of Tokyo.
March 2, 2011 :: staff :: 3 Comments
After the governor of Wisconsin first ordered the state capitol closed to the public, then ejected protesters, then refused to ease restrictions on access, a judge has ordered the closure reversed, requiring that the state government allow full public access to the building during business hours. The governor’s officials responded that by allowing public officials, staff and scheduled visitors to enter, they were already in compliance.
February 27, 2011 :: The Editors :: 2 Comments
Pres. Barack Obama’s ambassador to the United Nations, Susan Rice, yesterday said to the UN that “When a leader’s only means of staying in power is to use mass violence against [his] people, he has lost the legitimacy to rule.” The Obama administration has now taken the position that Muammar Qadhafi can no longer be recognized as leader of Libya, and an interim government should be instituted to oversee a transition to democracy.
February 26, 2011 :: staff :: No Comment Yet
Last week, a man pretending to be oil billionaire David Koch, one of the major Republican donors thought to be behind the concerted operation by Republican governors to strip public employees of collective bargaining rights, spoke with Gov. Scott Walke by phone. During the conversation, Gov. Walker revealed much about his own thinking in relation to using the claim of a “budget crisis” to impose massive cuts on public servants’ compensation and to strip them of basic workplace fairness rights.
February 26, 2011 :: staff :: No Comment Yet
On Friday, Republicans in the Wisconsin state Assembly used unusual rules to push through legislation stripping public servants of collective bargaining rights, at 1:00 am. Opponents and Democrats chanted “Shame! Shame! Shame!” at the Republicans as they filed unceremoniously out of the chamber. The vote has been assailed by critics as a political assault on groups and individuals who don’t support the Republican party. Even FOX News has reported that the bill is “pure politics” and that the so-called “budget crisis” is a false claim being used by Republicans to attack their opponents.
February 26, 2011 :: The Editors :: 2 Comments
Ban Ki-moon, Secretary General of the United Nations, today called for “concrete action” by the Security Council to stop the violence in Libya. He did not make clear if the action he considered “concrete” would be sanctions or military action. While no UN official has raised this prospect explicitly, there is mounting speculation there could [...]
February 25, 2011 :: staff :: 2 Comments
Muammar Qadhafi has ruled Libya in strictly authoritarian fashion for 42 years. Now, as his grip on power appears to be slipping, with major parts of the country no longer under his control and top officials defecting to the opposition, he has vowed to wage war against his own people till the last drop of his blood.
February 21, 2011 :: staff :: 3 Comments
When the civil disobedience of peaceful pro-democracy demonstrations spreading from Tunisia to Egypt to Yemen reached Libya, there were clear indications of the regime’s sense of its own fragility. Demonstrators occupied a government housing project, demanding better quality housing, and the government responded with a $24 billion fund for improved housing. In the wake of the fall of Hosni Mubarak, demonstrations in Libya have intensified and the Qadhafi regime has used extreme violence to end the protests.
February 18, 2011 :: The Editors :: No Comment Yet
Forty thousand Wisconsinites today gathered at, and inside of, the state capitol, to protest Gov. Walker’s plan to eliminate labor rights for public employees. Today, state Assembly Democrats delivered a letter to Gov. Walker, demanding a meeting and offering concessions from union members who have agreed to the financial cuts; Walker refused, saying there was no way to guarantee that costs could be cut for every municipality in Wisconsin unless all collective bargaining rights were eliminated.
February 18, 2011 :: staff :: No Comment Yet
Reports this evening from Bahrain say a column of mourners, who had been attending a funeral for unarmed demonstrators killed by security forces yesterday, were “ambushed” as they moved toward Pearl Square. Witnesses reported seeing the security forces “fall back” and take up positions suitable for attacking the demonstrators once they entered a street that would channel them to the square.
February 17, 2011 :: staff :: 3 Comments
The protest movement taking over the capital of Wisconsin, where tens of thousands of ordinary people have flocked to the state Capitol building, led today to an effort by Democratic lawmakers to prevent a vote that would strip the state’s public employees of fundamental labor rights. The 14 Democratic lawmakers crossed the state line and are seeking asylum in a neighboring state, reportedly Illinois. (Some states will extradite truant lawmakers; some will not.) They are said to be seeking shelter at an undisclosed location.
February 17, 2011 :: The Editors :: No Comment Yet
An ABC News reporter in Bahrain has been violently assaulted by a “gang of thugs” working for the government’s security forces. The effort to eliminate witnesses (media), following the same pattern attempted by the Mubarak regime in Egypt, appears to be underway. There are reports emerging from Pearl Square in the center of the Bahraini capital Manama that security forces have fired teargas into crowds of unarmed demonstrators.
February 15, 2011 :: staff :: 3 Comments
Demonstrators in Tehran yesterday defied an official ban on their proposed rally to support the people of Egypt and their ongoing process of democratic change. Security forces clashed with demonstrators, firing tear gas into the crowds. There are reports at least one person was killed, and hardliners within the regime are now calling for opposition leaders to be rounded up and executed.
February 13, 2011 :: staff :: No Comment Yet
Thousands of demonstrators are gathering at Rome’s Piazza del Popolo, demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. Demonstrations are being staged across the nation to protest against Berlusconi’s alleged sexual indiscretions and political corruption. Supporters of the conservative politician say the protests are partisan in nature.
February 13, 2011 :: staff :: No Comment Yet
The Egyptian military council now ruling Egypt has announced, by way of an official communique (number 4), that it will suspend the Mubarak-era constitution and dissolve parliament —a central demand of the pro-democracy movement, as Mubarak’s party was given 83% in rigged elections— and that free and fair elections will be held to organize a democratic transition. Protesters remain in Tahrir Square, intent on helping to guide the transition to democracy, and labor strikes are being called.
February 13, 2011 :: staff :: No Comment Yet
Across Yemen, pro-democracy protests are spreading, demanding the resignation of a dictator in power for over 30 years. Yemen is one of the world’s least stable countries, with more than one ongoing sporadic insurgency and a regime that after 32 years in power is unable to stabilize the food or water supplies. As the protests in Egypt began to intensify, and it was clear there was a spirit calling for change, Pres. Saleh agreed he would not seek another term in office (he has done this before, only to go back on his word).
February 11, 2011 :: staff :: No Comment Yet
By stepping down, President Mubarak responded to the Egyptian people’s hunger for change. But this is not the end of Egypt’s transition. It’s a beginning. I’m sure there will be difficult days ahead, and many questions remain unanswered. But I am confident that the people of Egypt can find the answers, and do so peacefully, constructively, and in the spirit of unity that has defined these last few weeks. For Egyptians have made it clear that nothing less than genuine democracy will carry the day.
February 11, 2011 :: staff :: No Comment Yet
Hosni Mubarak resigned today as president of Egypt, ending 3 decades of authoritarian rule. His vice president, Omar Suleiman, said power has been entrusted to the leadership of the Egyptian military. There is music, singing and dancing, in Cairo, as demonstrators hurl fireworks into the air and chant about the fall of Mubarak and the emergence of political freedom.
February 11, 2011 :: staff :: No Comment Yet
UPDATE, 11:12 am EST (6:12 pm Cairo): Shortly after 6 pm Cairo time, it was announced by Vice President Omar Suleiman that “President Hosni Mubarak has decided to waive the office of the republic”. Suleiman said the government was now in the hands of the military leadership. No further announcement has been made regarding the status of negotiations to establish a coalition government for the transition to democracy.
February 11, 2011 :: J.E. Robertson :: No Comment Yet
The new expression of political authority in Egypt is beginning to unfold, even as Hosni Mubarak and Omar Suleiman refuse to cede power to the people. Whether credible or not, the regime’s mounting “concessions” are beginning to demonstrate the real political authority of the Egyptian people, whose right to decide what is legitimate for their government is beginning to be recognized at home and abroad. The “perpetual session” of the military’s leadership council, and their “Communique 1″ and “Communique 2″ suggest the military would like to guide events with language of their choosing.
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