U.S. and the World
U.S. Firm Accused of Helping Dictatorships Spy on and Censor Internet
two products with specific functions for surveillance, filtering and censorship―ProxySG and PacketShaper―were in widespread use. ProxySG was detected in Egypt, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, while PacketShaper was in Afghanistan, Bahrain, China, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Kenya, Kuwait, Lebanon, Malaysia, Nigeria, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Turkey, and Venezuela. read more
Soot Has Much Bigger Impact on Global Warming than Previously Thought
Scientists at the University of Leeds School of Earth and Environment have discovered that black carbon, or soot, has been contributing to global warming on a much larger scale than previously calculated. It now has been determined that soot is the second leading contributor to climate change, behind only carbon dioxide. Methane ranks third. read more
Court Orders U.S. Defense Contractor to Pay Hefty Interest On top of $2.8 Million Debt … to Iran
After avoiding payment for decades, U.S. defense contractor Cubic Defense Systems has been ordered by a federal appellate judge to pay Iran nearly $3 million it owes, plus hundreds of thousands of dollars in interest. read more
Top Companies from Emerging Nations to Shape Global Economy
Fast-rising corporations from developing countries may become the most important players in the global economy, says Boston Consulting Group. These global challengers are outpacing corporations in developed countries in terms of growth, job creation, and productivity, growing at an annual rate four times that of competitors in developed countries. read more
U.S. Is Among World Nations Targeted in Massive 5-Year Cyber Spy Operation
A cyber-espionage operation in effect for five years has gone after targets across Europe, the United States, and other countries. The sophisticated malware, created by Russian-speaking computer experts and dubbed Rocra, which may be controlled by cyber spies bent on selling stolen secrets on the international black market. read more
U.S. Provided Support for Failed French Hostage Rescue Attempt in Somalia
In a letter to Congress, Obama said American fighter planes “provided limited technical support” to French forces, but did not open fire while briefly entering Somali airspace.
The planes flew out of Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti, which has grown into a key installation for secret counterterrorism operations in Somalia and Yemen.
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U.S. Contractor First to Pay for Prisoners Tortured in Iraq
For the first time since the Abu Ghraib scandal broke nearly 10 years ago, a U.S. contractor has agreed to pay restitution to the Iraqis who were tortured at the infamous prison and other locations run by the American military.
L-3 Services, Inc., which provided translators used during interrogations of Iraqis, wound up costing its parent company, Engility Holdings, more than $5 million to settle claims from 71 defendants who sued in a U.S. court.
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World’s Biggest Risks are Economic and Environmental, Says Report
The World Economic Forum (WEF) asked about a thousand industry and government experts what issues concerned them the most. The response was similar to a previous report: the divide between rich and poor, governments carrying too much debt, and greenhouse gases producing too much extreme weather. read more
NYPD Practice of Stopping and Frisking Pedestrians Is Ruled Unconstitutional
The New York Police Department (NYPD) must stop randomly frisking people on sidewalks, according to a federal judge who ruled as unconstitutional the NYPD’s policy of targeting pedestrians in areas of the Bronx that suffer from high crime rates. read more
Illinois Law Criminalizing the Recording of Police Activity Comes to an End after 51 Years
It is no longer illegal for Illinois residents to record police officers on duty, now that a law that has been in effect since 1961, has been nullified by the courts. read more
Biofuel Process Inflicts Damage to Ozone and Air Quality, Says Study
The use of biofuels, specifically certain trees grown and burned to replace the need for oil and coal, could worsen air pollution and cause more than 1,000 premature deaths a year. read more
Obama Administration Spends More to Enforce Immigration Laws than On All Other Law Enforcement Combined
Tracking down illegal immigrants has become the dominant law enforcement priority of the U.S. government under President Barack Obama. read more
How Much is the Life of a Dead Innocent Afghan Worth?
In the wake of the March 2012 massacre of 16 Afghan villagers by an American soldier, the U.S. gave the victims’ families $50,000 for each of their murdered relatives, and $11,000 for those wounded in the attack. Even the Afghan government got into the act by making compensation payments of $2,000 for each death and $1,000 for each person wounded. read more
U.S. Court Rules Syrian Government Responsible for Kidnapping of American in Turkey
The two men were part of an archeology expedition searching for remains of Noah’s Ark in Turkey when, in August 1991, members of the PKK captured and held them for three weeks.
The plaintiffs sued the Damascus government claiming it had allowed the PKK to operate from Syrian territory, and provided financial support and training to the terrorist group.
District Court Judge Royce Lamberth ruled that Syria was “vicariously liable” for the kidnapping. read more
Number of Imprisoned Journalists Reaches Record High
More than half of the 232 were imprisoned in just three countries. Turkey has the distinction of being the worst offender when it comes to jailing reporters, arresting 49. Second was Iran, with 45, and China third, with 32.
The longest held of the Turkish prisoners is Hatice Duman, the editor of a socialist newspaper, who was arrested on April 12, 2003.
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U.S. and Israel Blamed by Iran for New Cyber Attacks
The December 25 attacks may have been in response to Iranian hackers going after computers in Saudi Arabia’s oil industry and some American banks a few months ago.
On December 31, the Iranian government claimed that during a six-day naval drill staged to show off new torpedoes, the Navy’s “cyber defense group” repelled a mock attack on its defensive computer network.
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