To use our advanced search functionality (to search for terms in specific content), please use syntax such as the following examples:
In September 2011, in the wake of a plagiarism scandal that resulted in the stripping of his doctorate by his alma mater, Baron Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg resigned his position as German Defense Minister and left Germany for a self-imposed exile. His plan was to spend two years in the U.S. on a type of “sabbatical,” in order to “rethink his political career” (...
“Nigerian authorities were putting emergency measures in place on Thursday [22 December] to prevent an oil spill from a Royal Dutch Shell facility, the biggest leak in Nigeria for more than 13 years, washing up on its densely populated coast.” The oil company used airplanes to drop dispersants on the slick before it reached the Nigerian shoreline. “A U.N.
New intelligence suggests that Iran could have a nuclear bomb in a year or less. Because of this, U.S. policy toward Israel and Iran recently shifted. Israel’s Defense Minister noted that “the mind-set in Washington was ‘different two years ago,’ and that the US position vis-à-vis Tehran’s nuclear agenda today mirrors the one held in Jerusalem.” Further, “the...
Vladimir Putin envisions a Eurasian Union that will put Moscow as a top leader among the world’s nations by 2015. The Russian Prime Minister “has a vision for a Soviet Union-lite he hopes will become a new Moscow-led global powerhouse.” On January 1, 2012, Russia moved one step closer to this goal with an agreement with Belarus and Kazakhstan to allow free...
Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay (a land-locked nation) have backed Argentina’s recent ban of boats carrying the Falkland flag from docking in their ports. And Argentinian President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner “claimed Britain was ready to use its military to steal natural resources ‘anywhere, anyhow.’”
Typhoon Washi swept through the Philippines two weeks ago. Flash flooding devastated a southern region and two cities, killing over 1,100 people. According to one official, “Mortuaries have been unable to cope and authorities have started digging mass graves to bury victims” (Reuters, December 20, 2011). Tens of thousands of displaced persons are crowded into...
EU Vice President Neelie Kroes invited Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg to Brussels “to advise on how to provide ongoing support to Internet users, bloggers and cyber-activists living under authoritarian regimes.” He has been living in the U.S. for the last several months in a type of self-imposed exile, while working with a major political think tank.
The Dover Air Force Base mortuary near Dover, Delaware, handles the bodies of military personnel killed in overseas operations. A recent investigation revealed that the Air Force dumped partially cremated remains of 274 personnel into a nearby landfill. This apparently happened even after families had asked the Air Force to handle their dead loved ones with...
Last week, North Korea’s 19-year supreme leader, Kim Jong Il, died of an apparent heart attack. This militarized nation, unable to sufficiently feed its people, will now be ruled by Kim Jong Il’s appointed successor, his third son Kim Jong Un (age 27). North Korea is known for its extended mourning rituals, so it is not yet known when Kim Jong Un will...
For 450 years, the Vatican has fought to regain control over holy sites in Jerusalem—ever since they were taken from Franciscan monks by the Ottomans about 1551 AD.