| Need to know: Rupert and James Murdoch, as well as the now infamous Rebekah Brooks, face questioning today in Parliament over the phone-hacking scandal. Parliament will be trying to find out more information about the scope of the corruption, and the Murdochs will be trying not to incriminate themselves further. Without misleading Parliament. Which is, of course, a crime. Watch the questioning live here. Meanwhile, the hacking cuts both ways, boys. The first major hacking of a U.K. website occurred last night when a group targeted Murdoch's Time and Sun pubilcations, redirecting readers to a page that said Murdoch had died in his garden from an overdose of radioactive palladium. The LulzSec hacking collective claimed responsibility for the breach and said more is to come. And the post mortem will be conducted today on Sean Horare, the first person to allege that phone-hacking was rife at News of the World. In an event that is somewhat suspiciously not being treated as suspicious, the whistleblower turned up dead yesterday at his home in Watford. |
| Want to know: Al Qaeda is on the move. Under its new leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri, the militant network is shifting its strategy and prioritizing U.S. and Western targets overseas, where plots are easier to execute than on the U.S. homeland. This new strategy better aligns the goals of Al Qaeda's leaders in Pakistan and affiliates, particularly in Yemen, which are increasingly coming to the fore of the group's operations. For the young reporters at January 25 TV, one of the television stations to launch in Egypt since Mubarak's ouster, the revolution is still being fought - not on the streets or in Tahrir Square, but on the airwaves. TV 25 is one of 16 new channels launched since the uprising, taking advantage of the eased security restrictions governing new media licenses. |
| Dull but important: Israeli naval commandos took over a French yacht heading towards Gaza in a failed attempt to break the blockade of the strip. They took over the ship carrying 16 pro-Palestinian activists after they ignored calls to change course. The Israeli military has vowed to stop any attempt to break the blockade, which it imposed four years ago as a measure to prevent arms smuggling to Gaza's ruling Hamas militant group. Activists say the takeover shows that Israel only speaks the language of force. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton may be the only person encouraged by talks between India and Pakistan. Clinton, who is in India for a diplomatic visit, said she is heartened by the progress between the two prickly neighbors, and pledged support to India in the fight against terror. The U.S. also pressed India on nukes , since their deal together hasn't exactly gone as planned since it was hatched in 2008. |
| Just because: Toronto's mayor is removing bike lanes to make room for cars. The only problem is that record traffic is getting in the way. Burma's famed dissident Aung San Suu Kyi led thousands in a march on Tuesday to commemorate the 1947 assassination of her father, Gen. Aung San. The short march from the headquarters of the National League for Democracy, Suu Kyi's party, to the Martyrs' Mausoleum in Rangoon was the biggest public demonstration since 2007, when the military junta launched a bloody crackdown on pro-democracy protesters. |
| Wacky: If you thought there was more to marrying rich than dressing well and sneaking into high tea, Beijing has just the thing for you. The Moral Education Center for Women (ha!) in Beijing is offering courses in how to snag a billionaire or - if you can settle for it - a millionaire. Its $3,000, 30-hour course teaches clients "techniques to make them more attractive, from how to put on make-up in the most flattering way to how to spot a liar by looking at his facial expressions." So, about that last bit ... |
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