Oct 7, 2012

How to Get the Most Out of Google Chrome [Chrome]

How to Get the Most Out of Google Chrome [Chrome]:
Let's face it, the light-and-fast Google Chrome browser is the only way to surf the web-no question. But whether you're new to the browser or an old veteran, we've got some tricks to improve your mileage. Our Google Chrome Optimization Guide will show you which Google Chrome extensions to download and ways to tweak settings you didn't even know were there. More »


Yemen 'foils al-Qaeda plan to bomb air base'

Yemen 'foils al-Qaeda plan to bomb air base': Car bomb discovered near al-Anad air base in southern province of Lahj used by US troops to train local forces.

Bosnia local polls marred by ethnic disputes

Bosnia local polls marred by ethnic disputes: New electoral rules mean a Serb could win office in Srebrenica, fuelling tensions at the site of the 1995 massacre.

Kuwaiti Emir dissolves parliament

Kuwaiti Emir dissolves parliament: Following cabinet request, Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah issues decree to annul 2009 court-reinstated parliament.

Nigerian army kills dozens of 'terrorists'

Nigerian army kills dozens of 'terrorists': Army spokesman says "about 30 Boko Haram terrorists" killed in gun battle in the northeastern Yobe state.

Pakistan Military Blocks Anti-US Protest From Tribal Region

Pakistan Military Blocks Anti-US Protest From Tribal Region: The Pakistani military has prevented a convoy of thousands of people with the goal of protesting U.S. drone strikes common in the country's tribal areas from reaching South Waziristan.

Authorities stopped the group just short of the tribal region's border Sunday. Pakistani cricket star turned politician Imran Khan had been leading the march, which left Islamabad Saturday.

​​The protest group had more than doubled to 500 cars by the time it reached Khan's hometown, Mianwali. ...

Sudan Orders Borders Reopened With S. Sudan

Sudan Orders Borders Reopened With S. Sudan: Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has ordered land and river border crossings with South Sudan reopened, after agreements signed last month that eased tensions between the neighboring states.

Sudan's state-run media said Sunday that Bashir "ordered the opening of all the highway or river gates on the border." The directive came as the president met with his new ambassador to South Sudan, Mutrif Siddiq, who then left to assume his duties in the South Sudanese capital, Juba.

...

Obama courts Hispanics in battleground states

Obama courts Hispanics in battleground states: So far, the strategy seems to be paying off with the nation's fastest growing demographic.


Oct. 6: Romney Maintains Poll Momentum

Oct. 6: Romney Maintains Poll Momentum: Mitt Romney continues to show improved numbers in polls published since the first presidential debate and has now made clear gains in the FiveThirtyEight forecast.

Manila and Rebel Group Take Step Toward Peace Plan

Manila and Rebel Group Take Step Toward Peace Plan: The deal with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, which has fought a war of independence for more than three decades, is expected to reduce the violence in the predominantly Muslim southern island of Mindanao.

Libyan prime minister ousted in no-confidence vote, meaning delays for attack investigation - The Washington Post

Libyan prime minister ousted in no-confidence vote, meaning delays for attack investigation - The Washington Post

The Committees of the Timor-Leste National Parliament | East Timor Law and Justice Bulletin

The Committees of the Timor-Leste National Parliament | East Timor Law and Justice Bulletin

Oct 6, 2012

Coyotes, bears, and lions: the new urban pioneers? - CSMonitor.com

Coyotes, bears, and lions: the new urban pioneers? - CSMonitor.com

1 Dead, 11 Arrested in Anti-Terror Sweep in France - ABC News

1 Dead, 11 Arrested in Anti-Terror Sweep in France - ABC News

Fighter jets shoot down drone over Israel - latimes.com

Fighter jets shoot down drone over Israel - latimes.com

Obama still more liked than Romney despite poor debate | Reuters

Obama still more liked than Romney despite poor debate | Reuters

BBC News - Malaysia wedding sparks corruption inquiry

BBC News - Malaysia wedding sparks corruption inquiry

Tourist safety in Vietnam’s famed Halong Bay questioned following latest deadly accident - The Washington Post

Tourist safety in Vietnam’s famed Halong Bay questioned following latest deadly accident - The Washington Post

Indonesia's jihad factories: uncovering nurseries of terrorism's next generation

Indonesia's jihad factories: uncovering nurseries of terrorism's next generation

Facebook: The Making of 1 Billion Users - Businessweek

Facebook: The Making of 1 Billion Users - Businessweek

Egypt hardline Islamist party heals rift, for now - Businessweek

Egypt hardline Islamist party heals rift, for now - Businessweek

Iran’s secret service launches website in bid to soften its image, connect with Iranian people - The Washington Post

Iran’s secret service launches website in bid to soften its image, connect with Iranian people - The Washington Post

allAfrica.com: East Africa: New Perils Facing Kenya Defence Force Heroes

allAfrica.com: East Africa: New Perils Facing Kenya Defence Force Heroes

Fired mineworkers in South Africa vow to fight to the death, make mines ungovernable - The Washington Post

Fired mineworkers in South Africa vow to fight to the death, make mines ungovernable - The Washington Post

Americans Join Pakistan Convoy to Protest Drone Strikes - NYTimes.com

Americans Join Pakistan Convoy to Protest Drone Strikes - NYTimes.com

East Timor's secret stories unlocked on stage - Australia Network News - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

East Timor's secret stories unlocked on stage - Australia Network News - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Cybercrime Act is 'double threat' to PHL media, intl journalists warn | SciTech | GMA News Online | The Go-To Site for Filipinos Everywhere

Cybercrime Act is 'double threat' to PHL media, intl journalists warn | SciTech | GMA News Online | The Go-To Site for Filipinos Everywhere

Communist rebel leader captured in Philippines | The Salt Lake Tribune

Communist rebel leader captured in Philippines | The Salt Lake Tribune

Turkey Fires on Syria After Mortar Lands on Its Side of Border - NYTimes.com

Turkey Fires on Syria After Mortar Lands on Its Side of Border - NYTimes.com

BBC News - Butler Gabriele sentence unlikely to end Pope scandal

BBC News - Butler Gabriele sentence unlikely to end Pope scandal

Abu Hamza appears in court in New York without his hook - Telegraph

Abu Hamza appears in court in New York without his hook - Telegraph

Syrian Rebels Say West Has Abandoned Them

Syrian Rebels Say West Has Abandoned Them: Leaders of Syria’s rebellion say that by sitting on the sidelines, the West risks losing a potential ally in the Middle East if President Bashar al-Assad’s government falls.

Romney Claims of Bipartisanship as Governor Face Challenge

Romney Claims of Bipartisanship as Governor Face Challenge: Mitt Romney did score some successes beyond his health care legislation as governor of Massachusetts, but critics say he never mastered reaching across the aisle.

Feeling bookish in Seattle - The Washington Post

Feeling bookish in Seattle - The Washington Post

American jihadist struggles inside Somali militia - The Washington Post

American jihadist struggles inside Somali militia - The Washington Post

Mixed reviews as Egypt’s new president hits 100-day mark in office - The Washington Post

Mixed reviews as Egypt’s new president hits 100-day mark in office - The Washington Post

After 14 years in power, Hugo Chavez confronts a tough challenger in Venezuela election - The Washington Post

After 14 years in power, Hugo Chavez confronts a tough challenger in Venezuela election - The Washington Post

Oct 5, 2012

Will a Chromebook be your next PC? | ZDNet

Will a Chromebook be your next PC? | ZDNet

Samsung Series 5 550 Chromebook: Day one | ZDNet

Samsung Series 5 550 Chromebook: Day one | ZDNet

Nate Silver - Election Forecasts - FiveThirtyEight Blog - NYTimes.com

Election Forecasts - FiveThirtyEight Blog - NYTimes.com

Talking Points Memo - Poll Tracker

Talking Points Memo

American Prospect - State of the Vote

State of the Vote

Gallup - Election 2012 Polling and News, Interactive Polling Data

Election 2012 Polling and News, Republican Presidential Candidates, Obama, Interactive Polling Data

Gallup - Congressional Race Remains Close

Congressional Race Remains Close

ICG Report - Malaysia’s Coming Election: Beyond Communalism?

Malaysia’s Coming Election: Beyond Communalism?: Demographic and social change, easing of authoritarian controls, a growing civil society and economic uncertainty are shaking the communal foundations of Malaysian politics and making the outcome of its coming election unusually unpredictable.

ICG Report - The Kivus: Congo’s New Shame, Rwanda’s Old Game

The Kivus: Congo’s New Shame, Rwanda’s Old Game: The Kivus region of eastern Congo again faces escalating violence, including by a rebel force acting as a proxy of neighbouring Rwanda. To stop the repetitive cycle of rebellion and avoid large-scale killing, donors and African mediators need to move from crisis management to conflict resolution with the right set of pressures on Kigali and Kinshasa.

LAOS: Insect farms run into trouble

LAOS: Insect farms run into trouble:
VIENTIANE, 3 October 2012 (IRIN) - Promoting consumption of edible insects in Laos may help boost protein-anaemic diets, say health experts trying to create regional health standards for insect production, harvesting and consumption.

BURKINA FASO-MALI: “We cannot live under the law of strangers”

BURKINA FASO-MALI: “We cannot live under the law of strangers”:
MENTAO, 3 October 2012 (IRIN) - The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) estimates some 107,000 Malians, most of them Arabs and Tuaregs, fled across the border to Burkina Faso, many leaving as early as February when the Tuareg National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) launched their first attacks against Malian government targets.

CAMBODIA: Rural poor lose out in land deals

CAMBODIA: Rural poor lose out in land deals:
BANGKOK, 4 October 2012 (IRIN) - Land governance policies in Asia, especially concessions made to private companies, are leaving the region's poorest vulnerable to human rights abuses, experts say.

MALI: Northerners fight to learn

MALI: Northerners fight to learn:
MOPTI, 5 October 2012 (IRIN) - Teachers, the Ministry of Education and aid agencies are scrambling to provide catch-up classes to thousands of displaced children who fled northern Mali for southern towns to help them graduate this year, while those teachers and families who stayed in the north are doing the same - determined to keep their children learning despite the closure of dozens of public schools and severe changes to the curricula.

DRC: Call to implement peace agreements in North Kivu

DRC: Call to implement peace agreements in North Kivu:
NAIROBI, 5 October 2012 (IRIN) - Experts have called on donors and the international community to exert pressure on governments of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda to stop the escalation of violence in the DRC's North Kivu region by demonstrating the political will to implement peace agreements with rebel groups and each other.

Jordan's King Abdullah dissolves parliament

Jordan's King Abdullah dissolves parliament: Move paves way for elections which the opposition says it will boycott unless its demands for representation are met.

Ex-Philippine President Arrested for Plunder

Ex-Philippine President Arrested for Plunder: Philippine police have descended on a Manila hospital, and placed former president Gloria Arroyo under arrest for plunder.

The onetime Philippine leader is already on trial for fraud and corruption.

 Arroyo suffers from a long-term spinal illness.  Police said she will be detained at the hospital, where she was also being treated for dehydration.

Prosecutors with the country's anti-graft court allege Arroyo stole almost $9 million in lottery funds and used the money to help ...

Global Trade in Fake Drugs Tops $30 Billion

Global Trade in Fake Drugs Tops $30 Billion: The World Health Organization estimates that 25 percent of medicines sold in poor countries are counterfeit.  Monitoring by the World Bank and others suggests  the overall global trade in fake and substandard drugs is now more than $30 billion per year. Experts are asking for stricter regulation and better international collaboration to check this public health menace.

Some 40 percent of the drugs available in many sub-Saharan African and South American countries are either fake or ...

Asian Americans Undecided Between Obama, Romney

Asian Americans Undecided Between Obama, Romney: A recent study suggests that nearly a third of Asian American voters have not yet decided between incumbent Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney in the U.S. presidential election, which is less than five weeks away.

The National Asian American Survey released last week found that 43 percent of Asian Americans support Obama, compared to 24 percent for Romney.

But the survey said 32 percent are have not made up their mind - a figure three to four times the national average. It ...

Syrian Christians Caught in Sectarian Fears

Syrian Christians Caught in Sectarian Fears: Syria's conflict is sometimes cast as a religious one, between the Sunni majority and the leadership of an Alawite minority.

Yet the secular government has its defenders, who look to it as a protector of all minority rights, especially for Christians.

At the Greek-Melchite Catholic Church in the historic Christian quarter of Old Damascus, Father Rafi Halawe said Syria's dozens of minority religious groups are searching for a peaceful resolution.

Syria's Christians make up one ...

Ethiopia's Economic Growth Attracts Young Diaspora

Ethiopia's Economic Growth Attracts Young Diaspora: Young members of the Ethiopian diaspora are returning in large numbers to their country of birth.  The Ethiopian government welcomes the impact these returnees could have on the economy.

There are about 3 million Ethiopians living abroad - mostly in North America and Europe.  But in recent years, thousands of young professionals have come back to Ethiopia to look for business opportunities.

The government is well aware of the trend.  The director of the Diaspora ...