Wednesday, 2 May 2012

Obama's visit was not a secret to Twitter users in Afghanistan

Most people didn't know about Obama's secret visit to Afghanistan until it happened. But Twitter users in the country had notification several hours before his arrival.
Social networks are part of the current world - any news can be spread within seconds to literally anywhere in the world.
It is obvious why President Barack Obama wished to keep his arrival in Afghanistan a secret. With concerns about the Taliban and recent attacks on diplomats and the NATO headquarters in Kabul, care had to be taken to protect the U.S. president. Obama was in the country to sign a post-war agreement with Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
However, Afghanistan's Twitter users were online and tweeting about Obama's visit several hours before his plane even touched down... read full article.

Mozilla slams CISPA — Microsoft flips support yet again

While most of Silicon Valley is silent on the subject, Mozilla has now spoken up against the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act.
Most major internet companies have been remarkably silent on the subject while internet activists rage against CISPA.
But now, Mozilla, the internet navigation giant, has spoken up with the following:
"While we wholeheartedly support a more secure Internet, CISPA has a broad and alarming reach that goes far beyond Internet security. The bill infringes on our privacy, includes vague definitions of cybersecurity, and grants immunities to companies and government that are too broad around information misuse. We hope the Senate takes the time to fully and openly consider these issues with stakeholder input before moving forward with this legislation." ... read full article.

US student forgotten in prison drinks urine to survive

Daniel Chong was arrested at a party with 9 other suspects on April 21 during a drug raid. While no charge was laid against him he was put into a prison cell and quite literally forgotten.
24-year old Chong, an engineering student at the University of California, states that he was arrested on April 21, 2012 in a drug raid. Of the group arrested, one was released and the rest were booked into county jail.
The agents allegedly seized "18,000 ecstasy pills, marijuana, hallucinogenic mushrooms, a Russian rifle, two handguns and thousands of rounds of ammunition," at the party.
Chong says that he was questioned by the agents and then told that he could go home. No charges were made against him and an agent even offered him a ride home.... read full article and view video.

Video: May Day marches in Germany explode into violence

The traditional May Day demonstration in Berlin turned violent as left wing protesters clashed with police. Arrests were made.
Around 15,000 people had set off late on Tuesday afternoon from Kreuzberg, a neighborhood of Berlin, heading for the city centre, but the demonstration was halted as left wing demonstrators clashed with the police.
Some protesters threw bottles, stones and firecrackers at the riot police. The police responded with batons and pepper spray. Arrests were made and over 100 people were detained overnight... read full article and view video.

Explosions in Kabul follow Obama's surprise visit to Afghanistan

Five explosions hit the Afghan capital on Wednesday, resulting in at least seven deaths. The attacks follow the surprise visit of U.S. President Barack Obama to the country.
Digital Journal reported yesterday on the surprise trip President Barack Obama made to Afghanistan on May 1, 2012.
Obama was in Kabul to sign a strategic agreement to cement U.S. military and financial support to Afghanistan beyond the 2014 withdrawal. Obama also made an address to the American nation from the military base at Bagram, showcasing his military achievements and also promising to end the war “responsibly.”...  read full article and view video.

Gulf of Mexico coast closed to shrimping

Two years after the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, shrimp and fish are turning up deformed and with lesions. Shrimping has now been stopped.
WEAR TV had originally reported that the stoppage of shrimping was due to the deformities found in the fish caused by the oil spill and chemicals used to clean up the oil. Now they have withdrawn their original story stating:
"The closure is in response to routine shrimp sampling that indicated the average size were smaller than 68 head-on shrimp per pound. Meaning biologists found smaller than average shrimp in the waters causing the temporary closure. They will continue to take samples in these areas and determine any modifications to the closures." ... read full article.