Google Inc. executive chairman Eric Schmidt and former Gov. Bill Richardson said they urged North Korea’s government to drop barriers to Internet access to boost its impoverished economy. Officials in the isolated country, they added, appeared open to technological exchanges. However, Mr. Richardson reported little progress in talks on military issues.
Desperate Syrian forces fire ballistic missiles at rebels
Government forces have fired at least a half-dozen short-range ballistic missiles at rebel groups in northern Syria over the past several days, according to U.S. officials, a potentially significant escalation of a civil war that has killed more than 40,000 people.
Rebel group ‘moves command centre to Syria’
Syria’s main rebel group says it is moving its command centre from the Turkish border into Syria itself in preparation of an offensive against President Bashar al-Assad’s troops in Damascus. Riyad al-Asaad, commander of the Free Syrian Army (FSA), announced the move on Saturday
Lebanon army reports incursion by Free Syrian Army
Syrian rebels attacked a Lebanese army position overnight, the army said on Saturday, underscoring fears that fighting in the Syrian civil war will spill into other countries and stoke a wider conflict. This comes amid fighting between government forces and rebels near the Syrian-Lebanese border and unrest near Turkish, Jordanian and Iraqi territories.
Iraq blocks Syria-bound N. Korean plane, suspects arms cargo
Iraq has denied permission to a North Korean plane bound for Syria to pass through Iraqi airspace on Saturday because it suspects it could be carrying weapons, a senior official said on Friday.
North Korea military head removed
North Korea’s top military chief Ri Yong-ho has been removed from his job, state media say, seven months after Kim Jong-un came to power.
Iran, Saudi, Syria among 10 most censored nations
One big reason for the Internet’s success is its role as a universal standard, interoperable across the world. The data packets that leave your computer in Botswana are the same as those which arrive in Barbados.
North Korea’s rocket launch ended quickly in failure
North Korea’s much-anticipated rocket launch ended quickly in failure early Friday, splintering into pieces over the Yellow Sea soon after takeoff, according to South Korean and U.S. officials.
North Korea wants food, agrees to suspend nuclear activities
The United States said Wednesday North Korea has agreed to suspend nuclear activities and accept a moratorium on nuclear and long-range missile tests, in a breakthrough in negotiations with the secretive communist nation. The announcement comes little more than two months after the death of longtime ruler Kim Jong Il,
Iran blocks Internet access
Iran has cut off access to the Internet, leaving millions of people without access to email and social networks. A source inside the country confirmed this morning that Gmail, Hotmail, and Yahoo email are no longer available. Ditto for Facebook. So far, the government has not made any announcement about the service interruption.