8 October 2013
There’s a Major Foodborne Illness Outbreak and the Government is Shut Down
Maryn McKenna / Wired
The Food Safety and Inspection Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture has estimated that over 270 cases of Salmonella have broken out in 18 states. However, due to the shut down, the CDC cannot operate the foodborne detection services to minimize further impacts.
How North Korea Gets Away with It
Bruce Klinger and Jared Gesner / Wall Street Journal Op-Ed
The authors argue the UN panel on human rights abuses in North Korea was a long-time coming and that the world should do more than “express serious concern” about such abuses.
AP News
The death toll of migrants who were en-route to Italy from Eritrea when their boat sank has risen to 250.
Higgs boson scientists win Nobel prize in physics
BBC
Peter Higgs, from the UK, and Francois Englert, from Belgium, won the Nobel Prize in Physics for their discovery of the Higgs boson particle.
Ben Chu / Independent
Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zhu Guangyao warned America that “the clock is ticking” on the budget and debt ceiling. He asked the US to “prevent debt default to ensure the safety of Chinese investment in the United States.”
North Korea Puts Army on Alert
Jack Kim / Reuters
North Korea has put its military on high alert, increasing tension levels after weeks of rhetoric against the U.S. and South Korea. A spokesman for the North has warned the U.S. of “disastrous consequences” for moving a group of ships into a South Korean harbor.
Hamid Karzai blasts US and NATO over security
Guardian
Hamid Karzai has ruled out signing a security deal with the United States and NATO until disagreements over sovereignty are resolved. He said in a press conference that the military occupation has caused “a lot of suffering, a loss of life and no gains because the country is not secure.”
Karzai Raises Stakes in U.S.-Afghan Talks
Ehsanullah Amiri and Habib Khan Totakhil / Wall Street Journal
Afghan President Hamid Karzai has said he will convene a traditional national gathering to scrutinize plans for a bilateral security agreement with the U.S. The gathering, a Loya Jirga, would assemble local Afghan representatives to discuss “all aspects” of the potential agreement.
How 142 Nations Capitalize on Science
Scientific American
This year’s Global Innovation Index has found that R&D spending has rebounded globally in the wake of the global financial crisis and that that spending is growing more quickly in emerging countries such as Costa Rica, Uganda, and Moldova.
Why it’s hard for the U.S. to fight terrorism and promote democracy in East Africa
Beth Elise Whitaker / Washington Post
The UNC-Charlotte political scientist guest authored this post claiming Kenya has been more reticent than other East African countries to be affiliated with the United States’ fight against terrorism. Now that Kenya is more open to partnerships, the U.S. is wary of a Kenyan relationship because the newly-elected President Uhuru Kenyatta and Vice President William Ruto face charges before the International Criminal Court.
Grahan Tells Obama to Send Terror Suspect to Gitmo
John Hudson / Foreign Policy
Senator Lindsey Graham is urging President Obama to send al-Libi, captured over the weekend in Libya, to Guantanamo Bay and be tried by a military tribunal. Libi is currently being interrogated on a Navy ship in the Mediterranean and is scheduled to stand trial in New York.
The State Department’s Anonymous Communication Network Is Impenetrable
Shane Harris and John Hudson / Foreign Policy
The U.S. State Department has built a tool for anonymous communication, called Tor, that is so secure that the NSA has yet to figure out how to crack it, according to Snowden’s papers.
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