Category: Blogs

Top News: Egypt’s Legal Experts Await More Evidence on Mubarak’s Retrial

By Egypt Source

The cassation court’s order on Sunday to retry ousted president Hosni Mubarak and his interior minister Habib al-Adly has been received differently by legal experts regarding whether or not the re-trial could include new evidence and possibly new defendants.

Mali: No way to go to a war going nowhere

By J. Peter Pham

French aircraft strafed Islamist rebels in Mali for the third day in a row on Sunday. Additional French troops arrived in the West African country’s capital to shore up its rickety transitional government in the face of an offensive by the militants who seized control of northern provinces last spring and have been imposing their […]

Dempsey to discuss withdrawal of all US troops from Afghanistan with NATO defense chiefs

By Kevin Baron, E-Ring

Obama Accelerates Transition of Security to Afghans

By Mark Landler and Michael R. Gordon, New York Times

From Mark Landler and Michael R. Gordon, New York Times:  President Obama, eager to turn the page after more than a decade of war, said Friday that beginning this spring American forces would play only a supporting role in Afghanistan, which opens the way for a more rapid withdrawal of the troops.

Citing China’s increasing naval power, Japan seeking closer ties with NATO

By Liu Sha, Global Times

From Liu Sha, Global Times:  Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will write a letter to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to call for closer ties in the face of China’s rising maritime power.

Banks seek NSA help amid attacks on their computer systems

By Ellen Nakashima, Washington Post

From Ellen Nakashima, Washington Post:  Major U.S. banks have turned to the National Security Agency for help protecting their computer systems after a barrage of assaults that have disrupted their Web sites, according to industry officials.

Video: First test flight of Germany’s EuroHawk, Europe’s largest drone

By Northrup Grumman)

From Northrup Grumman):  Northrop Grumman Corporation and EADS Deutschland GmbH, operating through Cassidian, together achieved a major milestone today with the first full system test flight of the EURO HAWK® unmanned aircraft system (UAS)

Murder in France, Fragile Opening in Turkey

By Ross Wilson

Who carried out the execution of three women prominent in the European branch of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in Paris on January 9 and what was their intended message are unclear.

France launches air strikes in Mali against Islamist rebels

By Elizabeth Pineau and Bate Felix, Reuters

From Elizabeth Pineau and Bate Felix, Reuters:  France carried out air strikes against Islamist rebels in Mali on Friday as it began a military intervention intended to halt a drive southward by the militants who control the country’s desert north.