Mainstream News

Protesters in Egypt attack ruling party Muslim Brotherhood’s headquarters after deadly clashes

"The headquarters of Egypt’s ruling Muslim Brotherhood was overrun by youths who ransacked the building after those inside were evacuated on Monday following a night of violence that killed eight people. By far the bloodiest incident of Sunday’s mammoth and mostly peaceful protests against the Brotherhood and President Mohamed Mursi, it began after dark and continued for hours, with guards inside firing on youths hurling fire bombs and rocks. Medical sources said more than 100 people were wounded. A security source put the total number of dead across the country since Sunday at 17, with 781 injured." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingProtesters in Egypt attack ruling party Muslim Brotherhood’s headquarters after deadly clashes

Kerry renews $1.3 billion aid package for Egypt

"Secretary of State John Kerry last month approved $1.3 billion in annual US military aid to Egypt, despite concerns over democratic progress by the country’s new government. On May 10, Kerry quietly approved the transfer of the annual aid, notifying the US Congress of his decision. Morsi’s opponents accuse him of governing in the interests of the Muslim Brotherhood, the party on whose ticket he ran in the presidential election. Psaki defended Kerry’s approval of aid for the fiscal year 2013 saying it was in US national security interests and helped such things as 'maintaining access to the Suez Canal and the interdiction of weapons smuggling.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingKerry renews $1.3 billion aid package for Egypt

Kerry downplays new reports of NSA spying on allies

"Nearly all national governments, not just the United States, use 'lots of activities' to safeguard their interests and security, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Monday, responding for the first time to allegations that Washington spied on the European Union and other allies. The EU has strongly demanded that the United States explain a report in a German magazine that Washington is spying on the group, saying that, if true, the alleged surveillance was 'shocking'. The Guardian newspaper said that the United States had also targeted non-European allies including Japan, South Korea and India." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingKerry downplays new reports of NSA spying on allies

Kerry: Snowden’s actions ‘despicable’

“Traveling in India, Secretary of State John Kerry spoke with NBC’s Catherine Chomiak.   Kerry said Edward Snowden’s actions are ‘beyond description’ and said he hopes Snowden is apprehended and faces the full weight of the U.S. legal system.” http://www.nbcnews.com/video/nightly-news/52300721

Continue ReadingKerry: Snowden’s actions ‘despicable’

Around the Bay Area, you’re being watched

"It's not just the National Security Agency secretly vacuuming up your personal data. Local police agencies are increasingly adopting Big Data technologies such as automatic license-plate readers that gather information about everyone, whether they've broken the law or not. A lot of the information ends up on the 14th floor of a federal office building in San Francisco, where a 'fusion center' run by state and local law enforcement agencies combines the data with a plethora of personal information about you, from credit reports to car rentals to unlisted phone numbers to gun licenses." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingAround the Bay Area, you’re being watched

The ghosts of America’s Cold War surveillance network pictured crumbling in Berlin

"These images of an abandoned NSA listening post on the outskirts of West Berlin have a special poignancy today, as it was leaks alleged that the U.S. bugs Germany, its prima facie ally, on the same scale as Communist China. The towers, antennae and geodesic domes of Teufelsberg Hill have long since stopped eavesdropping on the airwaves, but the U.S. still taps half a billion German phone calls, emails and text messages in a typical month, it was claimed. German Chancellor Angela Merkel defended governments' monitoring of Internet communications, however, and said that the U.S. cyber-snooping had helped prevent attacks on German soil." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingThe ghosts of America’s Cold War surveillance network pictured crumbling in Berlin

Verizon Files Patent for Creepy Device To Watch You While You Watch TV

"The company has filed a patent for a system designed to be used in the home to target advertisements at people. Using a combination of image and audio sensors, it would detect actions in your living room while you were watching TV. These sensors, deploying facial and profile recognition, would pick up 'physical attributes' like skin color, facial features, and even hair length, and also detect 'voice attributes' to help determine the tone of your voice, your accent, and the language you speak. Inanimate objects aren’t off-limits—the technology could also spot beer cans and wall art." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingVerizon Files Patent for Creepy Device To Watch You While You Watch TV

‘Hell to pay:’ Residents angry as RCMP seize guns from High River homes

"RCMP revealed Thursday that officers have seized a 'substantial amount' of firearms from homes in evacuated High River. 'We just want to make sure that all of those things are in a spot that we control, simply because of what they are,' said Sgt. Brian Topham. 'People have a significant amount of money invested in firearms ... so we put them in a place that we control and that they’re safe.' About 30 RCMP officers set up a blockade, preventing 50 residents from walking into the town. Dozens more police cars, lights on, could be seen lining streets in the town on standby. Officers laid down a spike belt to stop anyone from attempting to drive past the blockade." Continue reading →

Continue Reading‘Hell to pay:’ Residents angry as RCMP seize guns from High River homes

Do Americans love Big Brother?

"Now we know the NSA and the FBI are vacuuming up Americans’ telephone calls, emails, Google searches, parking receipts, travel itineraries, bookstore purchases and all sorts of digital 'pocket litter.' Vast quantities of the world’s communications are being stored in Utah, available for government inspection. Now we know the NSA and the FBI have consistently misled Congress and the public with half-truths about supposed oversight. Now we know the sudden flood of leaks is not damaging our security. So is it just that Americans love Big Brother because they haven’t been told the truth in the past? If so, the latest revelations may cause a shift in public opinion." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingDo Americans love Big Brother?

China now home to the world’s fastest supercomputer

"A Chinese supercomputer is the fastest in the world, according to survey results announced Monday, comfortably overtaking a US machine which now ranks second. Tianhe-2, a supercomputer developed by China’s National University of Defense Technology, achieved processing speeds of 33.86 petaflops (1000 trillion calculations) per second on a benchmarking test, earning it the number one spot in the Top 500 survey of supercomputers. The tests show the machine is by far the fastest computer ever constructed. Its main rival, the US-designed Titan, had achieved a performance of 17.59 petaflops per second, the survey’s website said." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingChina now home to the world’s fastest supercomputer