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Uncovering the Facts in the Boston Bombing

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 19:08:14 +0000

On April 15, two bombs exploded at the finish line of the Boston Marathon, killing three people and injuring 264. After several days with a city on edge and police on the hunt, brothers Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev allegedly took the life of a police officer before leading authorities on a chase through the outskirts of the city. The older brother, Tamerlan, was killed and Dzhokhar was nabbed the next day hiding underneath the tarp of a boat. As more is revealed about the family, their ties to the Caucasus region, and the brothers' extremist views, officials are delving into how they fell through the national security cracks and whether they had outside help in staging the attack. Russia tipped off U.S. authorities to Tamerlan Tsarnaev in 2011, but FBI officials likely regarded the tip with some suspicion as Moscow has been known to target human rights activists and political opponents. They cleared him after an interview process but still had tabs on him as he left the country for the Caucasus region in 2012.

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Some Famous Speeches of the Century So Far

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 18:24:46 +0000

"Often during my days of house arrest it felt as though I were no longer a part of the real world. There was the house which was my world, there was the world of others who also were not free but who were together in prison as a community, and there was the world of the free; each was a different planet pursuing its own separate course in an indifferent universe. What the Nobel Peace Prize did was to draw me once again into the world of other human beings outside the isolated area in which I lived, to restore a sense of reality to me." -- Aung San Suu Kyi, Burmese democracy leader

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Current and Past Presidents React to NBA Player Coming Out

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 18:11:57 +0000

NBA player Jason Collins stole headlines both in the U.S. and outside the county by coming out as gay in the most recent issue of Sports Illustrated:

I'm a 34-year-old NBA center. I'm black. And I'm gay.

I didn't set out to be the first openly gay athlete playing in a major American team sport. But since I am, I'm happy to start the conversation. I wish I wasn't the kid in the classroom raising his hand and saying, "I'm different." If I had my way, someone else would have already done this. Nobody has, which is why I'm raising my hand.

My journey of self-discovery and self-acknowledgement began in my hometown of Los Angeles and has taken me through two state high school championships, the NCAA Final Four and the Elite Eight, and nine playoffs in 12 NBA seasons.

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Vatican: Don't Expect Heavy Reforms Too Soon

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 18:02:42 +0000

Pope Francis has made clear that he wants to reform many things at the Holy See, but the Vatican is cautioning that expectations shouldn't get too high too soon. From the AP:

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South Koreans Finally Free of Kaesong Border Complex

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 17:29:33 +0000

In Asia news, tensions between North and South Korea remain unnervingly high but at least most of the South Koreans who were stranded at a joint industrial facility along the border have finally been able to return home. From the AP:

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Al-Shabaab Reaches Out to Al-Qaeda

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 17:04:18 +0000

Somalia's militant Islamist insurgent group Al-Shabaab continues to suffer from infighting, and recently the terror group's second-in-command reached out to al-Qaeda, with whom they joined forces in 2008, for some guidance:

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A New Dynamic Between U.S. and Mexico

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 16:49:23 +0000

President Barack Obama sets off for Mexico and Costa Rica this week to talk economic and security affairs with Latin American leaders in a changing political environment. More on this new backdrop from the L.A. Times:

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North Korea: Nukes are a 'Treasure' and 'Nation's Life'

Sun, 31 Mar 2013 22:50:51 +0000

The "state of war" declaration North Korea made against the South on Friday wasn't surprising in terms of the saber-rattling of the regime of young Kim Jong-un. Observers fear that the impetuous moves of this upstart ruler, punctuated by a nuclear test this year, will prove unpredictable for the international community who are used to responding to Pyongyang in much the same way -- sanctions, carrot-and-stick, incentives to restart six-party talks, six-party talks failing, etc.

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That's So Mubarak: Egypt's Jon Stewart Arrested for Exercising Free Speech

Sun, 31 Mar 2013 22:42:37 +0000

Egyptians remember well the reign of Hosni Muburak and the punishment that came with insulting the longtime authoritarian. After his ouster in the Arab Spring, Egyptians are wondering what kind of government they got in return for their sacrifice in Tahrir Square. Consider this story from The Guardian:

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Pope Francis Delivers First Easter Address

Sun, 31 Mar 2013 22:35:33 +0000

Pope Francis celebrated his first Easter as pontiff today, with the traditional Urbi et Orbi message to those gathered in St. Peter's Square. On Good Friday, marking the Way of the Cross at Rome's Colosseum, the pope reminded all that evil in the world must be answered by good. From Vatican News:

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