English Wikinews RSS feed.

Paralympic table tennis silver medalist Piotr Grudzien beats Poland's Richard Csejtey

Sat, 01 Sep 2012 17:05:43 GMT

2012 Summer Paralympics

Newest 2012 Paralympic stories

24 February 2013: Team USA delivers going into third day of 2013 IPC Alpine World Championships
19 January 2013: Wikinews interviews Spain's most decorated Paralympian, Teresa Perales
28 September 2012: Wikinews interviews Australian Glider Amanda Carter
13 September 2012: Australian wheelchair rugby team wins gold at London Paralympics
11 September 2012: Samoa looking ahead to Rio Paralympics with eye on powerlifting

Saturday, September 1, 2012

Poland's Grudzien in blue takes on Slovakia's Csejtey
Image: Bidgee.

London, England — With the table tennis event taking place in the ExCeL North Arena 1, Poland's Piotr Grudzien beat Slovakia's Richard Csejtey in Group A of the men's singles Paralympics competition early yesterday by three sets to one. The first set lasted 28 minutes, ending in a win for Csejtey at 9–11; Grudzien came back to win the next three sets with scores of 12–10, 12–10, and 11–8. None of the four sets took over six minutes.

Grudzien was on his toes most of the match, moving around the table, touching the left-hand corner on his side of the net after every point. The pair had contrasting experiences in their first round matches; Grudzien lost in straight sets to Iraq's Saeed Ali whereas Csejtey won all his sets against Ali.

Twenty-year old Grudzien came into the Games as the defending silver medalist aiming to take home another medal. Playing for ZSR Start Zielona Gora, Zielona Gora, his left arm is shorter than his right and his right leg shorter than his left.

Grudzien's next scheduled match is the Men's Team Class 6–8 First Round on Wednesday when Poland faces Ukraine.

Have an opinion on this story? Post it!

Sources[edit]

This article features first-hand journalism by Wikinews members. See the collaboration page for more details.

Share this:

This page is archived, and is no longer publicly editable.

Articles presented on Wikinews reflect the specific time at which they were written and published, and do not attempt to encompass events or knowledge which occur or become known after their publication.

Got a correction? Add the template {{editprotected}} to the talk page along with your corrections, and it will be brought to the attention of the administrators.

Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections.

Note that some listed sources or external links may no longer be available online due to age.

Australian shooters start their 2012 Paralympic campaign

Thu, 30 Aug 2012 14:21:33 GMT

2012 Summer Paralympics

Newest 2012 Paralympic stories

24 February 2013: Team USA delivers going into third day of 2013 IPC Alpine World Championships
19 January 2013: Wikinews interviews Spain's most decorated Paralympian, Teresa Perales
28 September 2012: Wikinews interviews Australian Glider Amanda Carter
13 September 2012: Australian wheelchair rugby team wins gold at London Paralympics
11 September 2012: Samoa looking ahead to Rio Paralympics with eye on powerlifting

...More articles here

Thursday, August 30, 2012

Natalie Smith at the range
Image: LauraHale.

London, England — This morning, Australian women Elizabeth Kosmala and Natalie Smith started their 2012 Paralympic campaign in the women's R2-10m air rifle standing SH1 event in the qualification round.

According the Team Manager Nick Sullivan, Smith took a while to settle in before taking her first shot. Kosmala started shooting earlier than Smith, scoring a 99 out of 100 possible points. When Smith did get going, she scored 98 out of 100, having perfect for the first 8 shots.

Other shooters attempting to qualify for the finals this morning include Iraqi Farah Al-Waeli, South Koreans Yunri Lee and Yoojeong Lee, and Chinese competitors Shibei Dang and Cuiping Zhang.

Have an opinion on this story? Post it!

Sources[edit]

This article features first-hand journalism by Wikinews members. See the collaboration page for more details.

Share this:

This page is archived, and is no longer publicly editable.

Got a correction? Add the template {{editprotected}} to the talk page along with your corrections, and it will be brought to the attention of the administrators.

Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections.

Note that some listed sources or external links may no longer be available online due to age.

2012 Paralympic Village occupied by competitors as nations ready for the Games

Sun, 26 Aug 2012 03:02:20 GMT

Sunday, August 26, 2012

London, England —

The Paralympic Village officially opened on Wednesday in London, with many nations having moved in as of Saturday in preparation for the start of the games. Press access has been limited, as Paralympic Games organisers are trying to give competitors as much privacy in the village as possible.

A Ukranian Paralympian
Image: Laura Hale.

A pair of Canadian Paralympians
Image: Laura Hale.

The Irish section of the village is decorated with signs bearing pictures
Image: Laura Hale.

A member of Team Great Britain uses a mobile phone while in the Village
Image: Laura Hale.

A member of the Cuban delegation
Image: Laura Hale.

Members of the Brazilian delegation
Image: Laura Hale.

Team Canada moves in a large group around the Village
Image: Laura Hale.

Two members of Team USA (right) pass an Angolan competitor (left).
Image: Laura Hale.

An Aremenian SB5 swimmer
Image: Laura Hale.

A Cuban Paralympian in the village
Image: Laura Hale.

A sign outside the Spanish part of the Paralympic Village
Image: Laura Hale.

Two members of the Iranian delegation
Image: Laura Hale.

An Iraqi competitor and an unnamed member of the United States delegation chat
Image: Laura Hale.

McDonalds is located inside the Paralympic Dining Hall; athletes receive meals free of charge.
Image: Laura Hale.

A Team Great Britain football player
Image: Laura Hale.

A pair of women from Uzbekistan
Image: Laura Hale.

Members of the Croatian delegation took out their umbrellas after it started to rain
Image: Laura Hale.

Senegal and Palestinian delegation members wait outside the gate to be officially welcomed to the Village
Image: Laura Hale.

A pair of Australians walk past the Hungarian part of the Paralympic Village
Image: Laura Hale.

A pair of Colombian Paralympians are guided around the Village by two Paralympic volunteers
Image: Laura Hale.

Have an opinion on this story? Post it!

Sources[edit]

This article features first-hand journalism by Wikinews members. See the collaboration page for more details.

Share this:

This page is archived, and is no longer publicly editable.

Got a correction? Add the template {{editprotected}} to the talk page along with your corrections, and it will be brought to the attention of the administrators.

Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections.

Note that some listed sources or external links may no longer be available online due to age.

Bush, aides convicted of Iraq war crimes in absentia by Malaysia

Tue, 15 May 2012 13:06:13 GMT

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

This photo is believed to show Ali Shalal in Abu Ghrai; he testified before the tribunal.

The Kuala Lumpur War Crimes Tribunal in Malaysia has found former President of the United States George W. Bush and seven prominent former colleagues guilty of war crimes. Though the tribunal has no authority to detain the convicted or enforce its verdict, it recommended payment of reparations to detainees from Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghraib who testified before the court, and recommended they take the matter to a suitable court for enforcement.

While largely symbolic, the tribunal plans to submit its findings to the International Criminal Court and the United Nations Security Council. In addition to Bush, the court also found complicit his Vice President Dick Cheney, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, Alberto Gonzales, David Addington, William Haynes, Jay Bybee, and John Yoo. Legal advisors for Bush, Cheney, and Rumsfeld were also convicted.

The court heard Iraqi engineer Abbas Abid testify about removal of his fingernails by pliers. Ali Shalal recalled being made to stand on a box whilst hooded, with wires attached to him, and whilst hanging from a wall. Mozzam Begg explained how he was beaten, and Jameelah Hameedi described being stripped, and being used as a human shield. Witnesses described lasting effects.

Have an opinion on this story? Post it!

Sources [edit]

Yvonne Ridley. "Bush finally found guilty of war crimes" — Tehran Times, May 13, 2012
Qishin Tariq. "Bush found guilty of war crimes" — Malaysia Star, May 12, 2012
"Symbol of Abu Ghraib Seeks to Spare Others His Nightmare" — New York Times, March 11, 2006

Share this:

This page is archived, and is no longer publicly editable.

Got a correction? Add the template {{editprotected}} to the talk page along with your corrections, and it will be brought to the attention of the administrators.

Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections.

Note that some listed sources or external links may no longer be available online due to age.

Wikinews Shorts: March 21, 2012

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 22:53:23 GMT

A compilation of brief news reports for Wednesday, March 21, 2012 .

1 Iraq bombings cause security concerns for Arab summit
2 Mexico damaged by quake
3 Apple officials scorch iPad 3 concerns
4 Moto2 Wraps up final pre-season test at Jerez
5 NFL Fines New Orleans Saints for "bounties"

Contribute to Wikinews by expanding these briefs or add a new one.

Iraq bombings cause security concerns for Arab summit [edit]

A series of car bombings in Iraq left around 50 dead and more than 200 wounded on Tuesday. Seven of Iraq's 18 provinces were attacked. The attacks were described as coordinated although no group behind them has been identified.

The bombings raise safety concerns ahead of next week's Arab League summit meeting. In response, Iraqi officials will declare a holiday beginning Sunday that will run through April 1 in Baghdad, allowing restriction of traffic around the summit meeting area.

Sources

Sahar Issa. "Bombings in Iraq kill 50, heighten security concern for planned Arab summit" — The Miami Herald, 20 March 2012
Mohammed Tawfeeq. "Dozens killed in widespread attacks on Iraq invasion anniversary" — CNN News, 20 March 2012

Mexico damaged by quake [edit]

Mexico Earthquake Density Map

Mexican authorities continue assessing damages from yesterday's earthquake. Around 800 homes were damaged in the town of Igualapa, Guerrero, and close to the epicenter in the south. The number of injuries totaled eleven so far but no deaths have been reported. Most of the injuries were reported in Oaxaca, which borders Guerrero. Mexico's government has sent out helicopters to assess damage and set up shelters for residents in need.

Yesterday's incident was measured by the U.S. Geological Survey as a 7.4 magnitude quake, which makes it one of the strongest since 1985.

Related news

"Magnitude 7.4 earthquake strikes Mexico; no fatalities reported" — Wikinews, March 21, 2012

Sources

"Hundreds of houses collapse after strong earthquake hits Mexico" — CNN, 20 March 2012
Katherine Corcoran (AP). "7.4 quake shakes south Mexico, 100s of homes damaged" — The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 20 March 2012

Apple officials scorch iPad 3 concerns [edit]

The iPad 3

Consumer Reports revealed through testing that Apple’s iPad 3 can reach a sizzling 116 degrees Fahrenheit, or 46 Celsius. The new iPad was found to operate hotter than the previous versions. Apple Computer did not agree that its product was overheating. The company said the latest iPad runs within a normal range and would warn users if it passed its limit, but the company declined to state what that range was.

Apple’s forums house several consumer concerns about the new iPad overheating. Some debated whether to return the product.

Sources

Agam Shah. "Apple denies new iPad overheating concerns" — Computerworld, 20 March 2012
Jeremy A. Kaplan. "New Apple iPad hits 116 degrees, Consumer Reports says" — Fox News, 20 March 2012

Moto2 Wraps up final pre-season test at Jerez [edit]

Taltrans Racing rider Claudio Corti made his way to the top of the time sheets with a blazing 1’41.983 on the third and final day of testing at Jerez circuit. The Italian Moto2 rider was just .004 ahead of Thomas Lüthi of Interwetten Paddock GP who was fastest the first two days. All riders except Scott Redding (7th), Randy Krummenacher (21st), Gino Rea (23rd), and Elena Rosell (33rd) ran their fastest times today.

The test at Jerez was the first to feature the official Moto2 engine, and the last chance for an official practice before the first race in Qatar April 5-8.

Sources

"Corti ends final pre-season Test at Jerez fastest" — MotoGP/FIM, 21 March 2012
"Jerez II Moto2 test times - Wednesday (Final)" — Crash.net, 21 March 2012

NFL Fines New Orleans Saints for "bounties" [edit]

Head coach for the New Orleans Saints American football team Sean Payton has been suspended for the entire 2012 season and the team fined US$500,000 for operating a bounty program to injure opponents in games. Gregg Williams, the former defensive coach who is now with the St. Louis Rams, has been suspended indefinitely, and will have his status reviewed at the season's end.

The team will lose it's second round draft picks for the 2012 and 2013 season. General Manager Mickey Loomis was suspended without pay for the first eight regular-season games of the 2012 season, the National Football League (NFL) said. The assistant head coach was also suspended for six games without pay.

The NFL is currently receiving class action law suits from former players for multiple injuries.

Sources

Michael Martinez. "NFL fines New Orleans Saints for putting 'bounties' on opponents" — CNN, 21 March 2012
"NFL hammers Saints for bounties" — ESPN, 21 March 2012

Share this:

This page is archived, and is no longer publicly editable.

Got a correction? Add the template {{editprotected}} to the talk page along with your corrections, and it will be brought to the attention of the administrators.

Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections.

Note that some listed sources or external links may no longer be available online due to age.

U.S. Army identifies remains of last U.S. soldier unaccounted for in Iraq

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 13:25:35 GMT

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Iraq War

Sources[edit]

Luis Martinez. "Remains of Last Missing Soldier in Iraq Identified" — ABC, February 27, 2012

Barbara Starr. "U.S. Army identifies remains of last missing soldier in Iraq" — CNN, February 26, 2012
"After search, Army identifies remains of last unaccounted soldier in Iraq" — msnbc.com, February 26, 2012

Share this:

This page is archived, and is no longer publicly editable.

Got a correction? Add the template {{editprotected}} to the talk page along with your corrections, and it will be brought to the attention of the administrators.

Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections.

Note that some listed sources or external links may no longer be available online due to age.

Iraq police academy suicide bomb attack kills eighteen

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 03:30:24 GMT

Monday, February 20, 2012

Iraq

Sources[edit]

This article includes material from Suicide Attack Kills 18 at Iraqi Police Academy by VOA News, which is in the public domain.

"Baghdad suicide bomb kills 18 at police academy" — The Daily Telegraph, February 19, 2012
"Iraq gun and bomb attacks hit Baghdad and Baquba" — BBC News Online, February 19, 2012
"Suicide Attack Kills 18 at Iraqi Police Academy" — Voice of America, February 19, 2012

Share this:

This page is archived, and is no longer publicly editable.

Got a correction? Add the template {{editprotected}} to the talk page along with your corrections, and it will be brought to the attention of the administrators.

Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections.

Note that some listed sources or external links may no longer be available online due to age.

Wikinews Shorts: January 26, 2012

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 01:39:44 GMT

A compilation of brief news reports for Thursday, January 26, 2012 .

1 US marine may serve no jail time for 2005 Haditha deaths
2 Turkish Prime Minister claims that French bill is: discriminatory, racist and unjust
3 Many feared dead in Papua New Guinea landslide

If you believe any of these stories deserves more in-depth coverage, feel free to write a full article on the issues raised.

US marine may serve no jail time for 2005 Haditha deaths [edit]

United States Marine Corp staff sergeant Frank Wuterich, on trial for the manslaughter of 24 innocent Iraqi citizens in 2005, has pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of "negligent dereliction of duty"; the result of a plea bargain, this may see Wuterich may serve no jail time.

Wuterich is one of eight marines initially charged with the Haditha killings.

"US marine spared jail over deaths of unarmed Iraqis" — The Guardian, January 25, 2012
"US marine in Haditha case 'should serve no time'" — BBC News Online, January 24, 2012

Turkish Prime Minister claims that French bill is: discriminatory, racist and unjust [edit]

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has condemned as "discriminatory, racist and unjust" a bill passed by the French Senate criminalising denial of the 1915 Armenian Genocide.

Having cleared the National Assembly in December, the bill only needs President Nicolas Sarkozy's consent to become law.

Joe Parkinson and Nadya Masidlover. "Turkey Slams France on Genocide Bill" — The Wall Street Journal, January 25, 2012
"France-Turkey Armenia 'genocide' row reflected in media" — BBC News Online, January 24, 2012

Many feared dead in Papua New Guinea landslide [edit]

A landslide that struck early Tuesday morning, has engulfed a cluster of hamlets in a remote area of Papua New Guinea (PNG). Initial reports stated at least 60 people died in the disaster; however, with only four bodies recovered the authorities have now become more cautious in their estimates.

Whilst anticipating more deaths, Martin Mose of the PNG's National Disaster Center said "I am unwilling to put a number on that until I get confirmation from my team."

"Massive PNG landslide wipes out sleeping village" — Sydney Morning Herald, January 26, 2012
"Landslide Hits Papua New Guinea, 4 Dead" — Time World, January 25, 2012

Have an opinion on this story? Post it!

Share this:

This page is archived, and is no longer publicly editable.

Got a correction? Add the template {{editprotected}} to the talk page along with your corrections, and it will be brought to the attention of the administrators.

Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections.

Note that some listed sources or external links may no longer be available online due to age.

Remaining US troops exit Iraq

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 16:20:58 GMT

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Iraq War

Sources[edit]

This article includes material from US Troops Leave Iraq, Ending Almost 9 Years of War by VOA News, which is in the public domain.

"Iraqis celebrate US exit, but worry for future" — Arab News, December 18, 2011
"Last US troops withdraw from Iraq" — BBC News Online, December 18, 2011
Gregg Carlstrom. "Iraqis who aided US left behind and fearful" — Al Jazeera, December 18, 2011
"US Troops Leave Iraq, Ending Almost 9 Years of War" — Voice of America, December 18, 2011
Thom Shanker, Michael S. Schmidt and Robert F. Worth. "In Baghdad, Panetta Leads Uneasy Moment of Closure" — New York Times, December 15, 2011

Sister links[edit]

Withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq on Wikipedia.

Share this:

This page is archived, and is no longer publicly editable.

Got a correction? Add the template {{editprotected}} to the talk page along with your corrections, and it will be brought to the attention of the administrators.

Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections.

Note that some listed sources or external links may no longer be available online due to age.

Up to 74 reported dead after Iraq bombings

Tue, 16 Aug 2011 04:25:47 GMT

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Iraq

Sources[edit]

"Iraqi cities hit by deadly wave of violence" — BBC News Online, August 15, 2011
"Iraq bomb blasts across 13 cities leave dozens dead" — The Guardian, August 15, 2011

Share this:

This page is archived, and is no longer publicly editable.

Got a correction? Add the template {{editprotected}} to the talk page along with your corrections, and it will be brought to the attention of the administrators.

Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections.

Note that some listed sources or external links may no longer be available online due to age.

ACLU, EFF challenging US 'secret' court orders seeking Twitter data

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 15:08:20 GMT

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Logo of the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

Logo of the American Civil Liberties Union.

Late last month, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) filed objections to the United States Government's 'secret' attempts to obtain Twitter account information relating to WikiLeaks. The ACLU and EFF cite First and Fourth amendment issues as overriding reasons to overturn government attempts to keep their investigation secret; and, that with Birgitta Jonsdottir being an Icelandic Parliamentarian, the issue has serious international implications.

The case, titled "In the Matter of the 2703(d) Order Relating to Twitter Accounts: Wikileaks, Rop_G, IOERROR; and BirgittaJ", has been in the EFF's sights since late last year when they became aware of the US government's attempts to investigate WikiLeaks-related communications using the popular microblogging service.

Case background[edit]

2009 File photo of Bradley Manning.
Image: Daniel Joseph Barnhart Clark.

The key objective of this US government investigation is to obtain data for the prosecution of Bradley Manning, alleged to have supplied classified data to WikiLeaks. In addition to Manning's Twitter account, and that of WikiLeaks (@wikileaks), the following three accounts are subject to the order: @ioerror, @birgittaj, and @rop_g. These, respectively, belong to Jacob Apelbaum, Birgitta Jonsdottir, and Rop Gonggrijp.

Birgitta is not the only non-US citizen with their Twitter account targetted by the US Government; Gonggrijp, a Dutch 'ex-hacker'-turned-security-expert, was one of the founders of XS4ALL – the first Internet Service Provider in the Netherlands available to the public. He has worked on a mobile phone that can encrypt conversations, and proven that electronic voting systems can readily be hacked.

In early March, a Virginia magistrate judge ruled that the government could have the sought records, and neither the targetted users, or the public, could see documents submitted to justify data being passed to the government. The data sought is as follows:

Personal contact information, including addresses
Financial data, including credit card or bank account numbers
Twitter account activity information, including the "date, time, length, and method of connections" plus the "source and destination Internet Protocol address(es)"
Direct Message (DM) information, including the email addresses and IP addresses of everyone with whom the Parties have exchanged DMs

The order demands disclosure of absolutely all such data from November 1, 2009 for the targetted accounts.

The ACLU and EFF are not only challenging this, but demanding that all submissions made by the US government to justify the Twitter disclosure are made public, plus details of any other such cases which have been processed in secret.

The Manning connection[edit]

Sorry, your browser either has JavaScript disabled or does not have any supported player.
You can download the clip or download a player to play the clip in your browser.

Gun camera footage of the airstrike of July 12, 2007 in Baghdad, showing the slaying of Namir Noor-Eldeen and a dozen other civilians by a U.S. helicopter.
Image: WikiLeaks.

Bradley Manning, at the time a specialist from Maryland enlisted with the United States Army's 2nd Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, was arrested in June last year in connection with the leaking of classified combat video to WikiLeaks.

The leaked video footage, taken from a US helicopter gunship, showed the deaths of Reuters staff Saeed Chmagh and Namir Noor-Eldeen during a U.S. assault in Baghdad, Iraq. The wire agency unsuccessfully attempted to get the footage released via a Freedom of Information Act request in 2007.

When WikiLeaks released the video footage it directly contradicted the official line taken by the U.S. Army asserting that the deaths of the two Reuters staff were "collateral damage" in an attack on Iraqi insurgents. The radio chatter associated with the AH-64 Apache video indicated the helicopter crews had mistakenly identified the journalists' equipment as weaponry.

The US government also claims Manning is linked to CableGate; the passing of around a quarter of a million classified diplomatic cables to WikiLeaks. Manning has been in detention since July last year; in December allegations of torture were made to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights regarding the conditions under which he was and is being detained.

Reports last month that he must now sleep naked and attend role call at the U.S. Marine facility in Quantico in the same state, raised further concern over his detention conditions. Philip J. Crowley, at-the-time a State Department spokesman, remarked on this whilst speaking at Massachusetts Institute of Technology; describing the current treatment of Manning as "ridiculous and counterproductive and stupid", Crowley was, as a consequence, put in the position of having to tender his resignation to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

The United States Government versus WikiLeaks[edit]

Logo of WikiLeaks.

Despite his native Australia finding, in December last year, that Assange's WikiLeaks had not committed any criminal offences in their jurisdiction, the U.S. government has continued to make ongoing operations very difficult for the whistleblower website.

The result of the Australian Federal Police investigation left the country's Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, having to retract a statement that WikiLeaks had acted "illegally"; instead, she characterised the site's actions as "grossly irresponsible".

Even with Australia finding no illegal activity on the part of WikiLeaks, and with founder Julian Assange facing extradition to Sweden, U.S. pressure sought to hobble WikiLeaks financially.

Based on a State Department letter, online payments site PayPal suspended WikiLeaks account in December. Their action was swiftly followed by Visa Europe and Mastercard ceasing to handle payments for WikiLeaks.

The online processing company, Datacell, threatened the two credit card giants with legal action over this. However, avenues of funding for the site were further curtailed when both Amazon.com and Swiss bank PostFinance joined the financial boycott of WikiLeaks.

Assange continues, to this day, to argue that his extradition to Sweden for questioning on alleged sexual offences is being orchestrated by the U.S. in an effort to discredit him, and thus WikiLeaks.

State-of-the-(Black)-Art, or CyberWarfare[edit]

Logo of Twitter.

Wikinews consulted an IT and cryptography expert from the Belgian university which developed the current Advanced Encryption Standard; explaining modern communications, he stated: "Cryptography has developed to such a level that intercepting communications is no longer cost effective. That is, if any user uses the correct default settings, and makes sure that he/she is really connecting to Twitter it is highly unlikely that even the NSA can break the cryptography for a protocol such as SSL/TLS (used for https)."

Qualifying this, he commented that "the vulnerable parts of the communication are the end points." To make his point, he cited the following quote from Gene Spafford: "Using encryption on the Internet is the equivalent of arranging an armored car to deliver credit card information from someone living in a cardboard box to someone living on a park bench."

Continuing, the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KUL) expert explained:

"In the first place, the weak point is Twitter itself; the US government can go and ask for the data; companies such as Twitter and Google will typically store quite some information on their users, including IP addresses (it is known that Google deletes the last byte of the IP address after a few weeks, but it is not too hard for a motivated opponent to find out what this byte was)."

"In the second place, this is the computer of the user: by exploiting system weaknesses (with viruses, Trojan horses or backdoors in the operating system) a highly motivated opponent can enter your machine and record your keystrokes plus everything that is happening (e.g. the FBI is known to do this with the so-called Magic Lantern software). Such software is also commercially available, e.g. for a company to monitor its employees."

Seal of the Catholic University of Leuven.

"It would also be possible for a higly motivated opponent to play "man-in-the-middle"; that means that instead of having a secure connection to Twitter.com, you have a secure connection to the attacker's server, who impersonates Twitter's and then relays your information to Twitter. This requires tricks such as spoofing DNS (this is getting harder with DNSsec), or misleading the user (e.g. the user clicks on a link and connects to tw!tter.com or Twitter.c0m, which look very similar in a URL window as Twitter.com). It is clear that the US government is capable of using these kind of tricks; e.g., a company has been linked to the US government that was recognized as legitimate signer in the major browsers, so it would not be too large for them to sign a legitimate certificate for such a spoofing webserver; this means that the probability that a user would detect a problem would be very low."

"As for traffic analysis (finding out who you are talking to rather than finding out what you are telling to whom), NSA and GCHQ are known to have access to lots of traffic (part of this is obtained via the UK-USA agreement). Even if one uses strong encryption, it is feasible for them to log the IP addresses and email addresses of all the parties you are connecting to. If necessary, they can even make routers re-route your traffic to their servers. In addition, the European Data Retention directive forces all operators to store such traffic data."

"Whether other companies would have complied with such requests: this is very hard to tell. I believe however that it is very plausible that companies such as Google, Skype or Facebook would comply with such requests if they came from a government."

"In summary: unless you go through great lengths to log through to several computers in multiple countries, you work in a clean virtual machine, you use private browser settings (don't accept cookies, no plugins for Firefox, etc.) and use tools such as Tor, it is rather easy for any service provider to identify you."

"Finally: I prefer not to be quoted on any sentences in which I make statements on the capabilities or actions of any particular government."

Views of a security expert[edit]

Wikinews also consulted French IT security researcher Stevens Le Blond on the issues surrounding the case, and the state-of-the-art in monitoring, and analysing, communications online. Le Blond, currently presenting a research paper on attacks on Tor to USENIX audiences in North America, responded via email:

Were the US Government to obtain the sought data, it would seem reasonable the NSA would handle further investigation. How would you expect them to exploit the data and expand on what they receive from Twitter?

Le Blond: My understanding is that the DOJ is requesting the following information: 1) Connection records and session times 2) IP addresses 3) e-mail addresses 4) banking info

By requesting 1) and 2) for Birgitta and other people involved with WikiLeaks (WL) since 2009, one could derive 2 main [pieces of] information.

Logo of the Tor project.

First, he could tell the mobility of these people. Recent research in networking shows that you can map an IP address into a geographic location with a median error of 600 meters. So by looking at changes of IP addresses in time for a Twitter user, one could tell (or at least speculate about) where that person has been.

Second, by correlating locations of different people involved with WL in time, one could possibly derive their interactions and maybe even their level of involvement with WL. Whether it is possible to derive this information from 1) and 2) depends on how this people use Twitter. For example, do they log on Twitter often enough, long enough, and from enough places?

My research indicates that this is the case for other Internet services but I cannot tell whether it is the case for Twitter.

Note that even though IP logging, as done by Twitter, is similar to the logging done by GSM [mobile phone] operators, the major difference seems to be that Twitter is subject to US regulation, no matter the citizenship of its users. I find this rather disturbing.

Using 3), one could search for Birgitta on other Internet services, such as social networks, to find more information on her (e.g., hidden accounts). Recent research on privacy shows that people tend to use the same e-mail address to register an account on different social networks (even when they don't want these accounts to be linked together). Obviously, one could then issue subpoenas for these accounts as well.

I do not have the expertise to comment on what could be done with 4).

WN As I believe Jonsdottir to be involved in the Icelandic Modern Media Initiative (IMMI), what are the wider implications beyond the "WikiLeaks witchhunt"?

Le Blond: Personal data can be used to discredit, especially if the data is not public.

Liberty, and the Electronic Frontier[edit]

Having been alerted to the ongoing case through a joint press release by the ACLU and EFF, Wikinews sought clarification on the primary issues which the two non-profits saw as particularly important in challenging the U.S. Government over the 'secret' court orders. Rebecca Jeschke, Media Relations Director for the EFF, explained in more detail the points crucial to them, responding to a few questions from Wikinews on the case:

WN As a worse-case, what precedents would be considered if this went to the Supreme Court?

Rebecca Jeschke: It's extremely hard to know at this stage if this would go to the Supreme Court, and if it did, what would be at issue. However, some of the interesting questions about this case center on the rights of people around the world when they use US Internet services. This case questions the limits of US law enforcement, which may turn out to be very different from the limits in other countries.

WN Since this is clearly a politicised attack on free speech with most chilling potential repercussions for the press, whistleblowers, and by-and-large anyone the relevant U.S. Government departments objects to the actions of, what action do you believe should be taken to protect free speech rights?

Jeschke: We believe that, except in very rare circumstances, the government should not be permitted to obtain information about individuals' private Internet communications in secret. We also believe that Internet companies should, whenever possible, take steps to ensure their customers are notified about requests for information and have the opportunity to respond.

WN Twitter via the web, in my experience, tends to use https:// connections. Are you aware of any possibility of the government cracking such connections? (I'm not up to date on the crypto arms race).

Jeschke: You don't need to crack https, per se, to compromise its security. See this piece about fraudulent https certificates:

Iranian hackers obtain fraudulent https — EFF website.

WN And, do you believe that far, far more websites should - by default - employ https:// connections to protect people's privacy?

Jeschke: We absolutely think that more websites should employ https! Here is a guide for site operators: (See external links, Ed.)

Birgitta Jonsdottir responds[edit]

Finally, Wikinews approached the Icelandic politician, and WikiLeaks supporter, who has made this specific case a landmark in how the U.S. Government handles dealings with – supposedly – friendly governments and their elected representatives. A number of questions were posed, seeking the Icelandic Parliamentarian's views:

WN How did you feel when you were notified the US Government wanted your Twitter account, and message, details? Were you shocked?

Birgitta Jonsdottir's Facebook profile picture.

Birgitta Jonsdottir: I felt angry but not shocked. I was expecting something like this to happen because of my involvement with WikiLeaks. My first reaction was to tweet about it.

WN What do you believe is their reasoning in selecting you as a 'target'?

Jonsdottir: It is quite clear to me that USA authorities are after Julian Assange and will use any means possible to get even with him. I think I am simply a pawn in a much larger context. I did of course both act as a spokesperson for WikiLeaks in relation to the Apache video and briefly for WikiLeaks, and I put my name to the video as a co-producer. I have not participated in any illegal activity and thus being a target doesn't make me lose any sleep.

WN Are you concerned that, as a Member of Parliament involved in the Icelandic Modern Media Initiative (IMMI), the US attempt to obtain your Twitter data is interfering with planned Icelandic government policy?

Jonsdottir: No

WN In an earlier New York Times (NYT) article, you're indicating there is nothing they can obtain about you that bothers you; but, how do you react to them wanting to know everyone you talk to?

Jonsdottir: It bothers me and according to top computer scientists the government should be required to obtain a search warrant to get our IP addresses from Twitter. I am, though, happy I am among the people DOJ is casting their nets around because of my parliamentary immunity; I have a greater protection then many other users and can use that immunity to raise the issue of lack of rights for those that use social media.

HAVE YOUR SAY
Do you believe the U.S. government should have the right to access data on foreign nationals using services such as Twitter?
Add or view comments

WN The same NYT article describes you as a WikiLeaks supporter; is this still the case? What attracts you to their 'radical transparency'?

Jonsdottir: I support the concept of WikiLeaks. While we don't have a culture of protection for sources and whistleblowers we need sites like WikiLeaks. Plus, I think it is important to give WikiLeaks credit for raising awareness about in how bad shape freedom of information and expression is in our world and it is eroding at an alarming rate because of the fact that legal firms for corporations and corrupt politicians have understood the borderless nature of the legalities of the information flow online – we who feel it is important that people have access to information that should remain in the public domain need to step up our fight for those rights. WikiLeaks has played an important role in that context.
I don't support radical transparency – I understand that some things need to remain secret. It is the process of making things secret that needs to be both more transparent and in better consensus with nations.

WN How do you think the Icelandic government would have reacted if it were tens of thousands of their diplomatic communications being leaked?

Jonsdottir: I am not sure – A lot of our dirty laundry has been aired via the USA cables – our diplomatic communications with USA were leaked in those cables, so far they have not stirred much debate nor shock. It is unlikely for tens of thousands of cables to leak from Iceland since we dont have the same influence or size as the USA, nor do we have a military.

WN Your ambassador in the US has spoken to the Obama administration. Can you discuss any feedback from that? Do you have your party's, and government's, backing in challenging the ordered Twitter data release?

Jonsdottir: I have not had any feedback from that meeting, I did however receive a message from the DOJ via the USA ambassador in Iceland. The message stated three things: 1. I am free to travel to the USA. 2. If I would do so, I would not be a subject of involuntary interrogation. 3. I am not under criminal investigation. If this is indeed the reality I wonder why they are insisting on getting my personal details from Twitter. I want to stress that I understand the reasoning of trying to get to Assange through me, but I find it unacceptable since there is no foundation for criminal investigation against him. If WikiLeaks goes down, all the other media partners should go down at the same time. They all served similar roles. The way I see it is that WikiLeaks acted as the senior editor of material leaked to them. They could not by any means be considered a source. The source is the person that leaks the material to WikiLeaks. I am not sure if the media in our world understands how much is at stake for already shaky industry if WikiLeaks will carry on carrying the brunt of the attacks. I think it would be powerful if all the medias that have had access to WikiLeaks material would band together for their defence.

WN Wikinews consulted a Belgian IT security expert who said it was most likely companies such as Facebook, Microsoft, and Google, would have complied with similar court orders *without advising the 'targets*'. Does that disturb you?

Jonsdottir: This does disturb me for various reasons. The most obvious is that my emails are hosted at google/gmail and my search profile. I dont have anything to hide but it is important to note that many of the people that interact with me as a MP via both facebook and my various email accounts don't always realize that there is no protection for them if they do so via those channels. I often get sensitive personal letters sent to me at facebook and gmail. In general most people are not aware of how little rights they have as users of social media. It is those of uttermost importance that those sites will create the legal disclaimers and agreements that state the most obvious rights we lose when we sign up to their services.

This exclusive interview features first-hand journalism by a Wikinews reporter. See the collaboration page for more details.

WN Has there been any backlash within Iceland against US-based internet services in light of this? Do you expect such, or any increase in anti-American sentiments?

Jonsdottir: No, none what so ever. I dont think there is much anti-American sentiments in Iceland and I dont think this case will increase it. However I think it is important for everyone who does not live in the USA and uses social services to note that according to the ruling in my case, they dont have any protection of the 1st and 4th amendment, that only apply to USA citizens. Perhaps the legalities in relation to the borderless reality we live in online need to be upgraded in order for people to feel safe with using social media if it is hosted in the USA. Market tends to bend to simple rules.

WN Does this make you more, or less, determined to see the IMMI succeed?

Jonsdottir: More. People have to realize that if we dont have freedom of information online we won't have it offline. We have to wake up to the fact that our rights to access information that should be in the public domain is eroding while at the same time our rights as citizens online have now been undermined and we are only seen as consumers with consumers rights and in some cases our rights are less than of a product. This development needs to change and change fast before it is too late.

Ongoing U.S. Government versus WikiLeaks fallout[edit]

The U.S. Government continues to have issues internationally as a result of material passed to WikiLeaks, and subsequently published.

Within the past week, Ecuador has effectively declared the U.S. ambassador Heather Hodges persona-non-grata over corruption allegations brought to light in leaked cables. Asking the veteran diplomat to leave "as soon as possible", the country may become the third in South America with no ambassadorial presence. Both Venezuela and Bolivia have no resident U.S. ambassador due to the two left-wing administrations believing the ejected diplomats were working with the opposition.

The U.S. State Department has cautioned Ecuador that a failure to speedily normalise diplomatic relations may jeapordise ongoing trade talks.

The United Kingdom is expected to press the Obama administration over the continuing detention of 23-year-old Manning, who also holds UK citizenship. British lawmakers are to discuss his ongoing detention conditions before again approaching the U.S. with their concerns that his solitary confinement, and treatment therein, is not acceptable.

The 22 charges brought against Manning are currently on hold whilst his fitness to stand trial is assessed.

Sources[edit]

This article is a featured article. It is considered one of the best works of the Wikinews community. See Wikinews:Featured articles for more information.

Jim Wyss. "Ecuador asks U.S. ambassador to leave over statements exposed by WikiLeaks" — The Province, April 5, 2011
Dennis Fisher. "Attacking and defending the Tor network" — threatpost.com, March 29, 2011
Barton Gellman. "Twitter, Wikileaks and the broken market for consumer privacy" — time.com, January 14, 2011
Scott Shane. "U.S. subpoenas Twitter Over Wikileaks supporters" — New York Times, January 8, 2011
"PayPal says it stopped Wikileaks payments on US letter" — BBC News Online, December 8, 2010
Jerry Brito. "Birgitta Jónsdóttir on the Icelandic Modern Media Initiative" — The Technology Liberation Front, August 10, 2010
Detlef Borchers. "Hacking at Random: CCC demonstrates TEMPEST measurement of voting machines" — The H, August 16, 2009
"Encrypted GSM mobile cell phone launched in Germany" — Mathaba, November 20, 2003
Francisco van Jole. "Hacking at the end of the universe" — de Volkskrant, July 31, 1993 (Dutch)

External links[edit]

History of XS4ALL — XS4ALL
Government demands for Twitter records of Birgitta Jonsdottir — EFF
Full ACLU, EFF Brief — EFF
How to deploy https correctly — An EFF guide

Share this:

This page is archived, and is no longer publicly editable.

Got a correction? Add the template {{editprotected}} to the talk page along with your corrections, and it will be brought to the attention of the administrators.

Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections.

Note that some listed sources or external links may no longer be available online due to age.

US Supreme Court upholds right to picket military funerals

Fri, 04 Mar 2011 01:49:14 GMT

Friday, March 4, 2011

The United States Supreme Court ruled yesterday that the First Amendment protects the free speech rights of an anti-gay church that pickets the funerals of U.S. soldiers, even if they use hateful and offensive language.

	As a nation we have chosen ... to protect even hurtful speech on public issues to ensure that we do not stifle public debate.
—Chief Justice John Roberts

In an 8 to 1 decision, the Court upheld a lower court's ruling that struck down an award of US$5 million to a slain soldier's father, Albert Snyder. Snyder had sued Fred Phelps and the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas for picketing the funeral of his son, 20-year-old Marine Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder who was killed in Iraq in 2006. Snyder said the protest caused him emotional pain and turned his son's funeral into a "circus."

Pastor Fred Phelps

The protest was well publicized, a SWAT team was called, and the funeral procession was diverted away from the protesters, who carried signs such as "Thank God for Dead Soldiers," "God Hates Fags" and "America Is Doomed." The funeral itself was not disturbed and it was carried out on public land, following local laws. Snyder learned of the content of the slogans only later on television.

Snyder's son was not a homosexual. The church pickets military soldiers' funerals because they believe that the United States is too tolerant of homosexuality and that the death of U.S. soldiers is divine retribution. They have picketed more than 600 funerals.

The Court's decision rested in part on the basis that the subject of the church's speech related to controversial public issues and was not a private attack on Snyder. "[The church] conducted its picketing peacefully on matters of public concern at a public place adjacent to a public street," Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. wrote in his opinion for the court. "Such space occupies a special position in terms of First Amendment protection." Roberts said that large number of protests conducted by the church against many groups, including Catholics and Jews, is evidence that Phelps and his church were not personally attacking Snyder, but were "expressing deeply held views on public topics." Roberts wrote, "As a nation we have chosen ... to protect even hurtful speech on public issues to ensure that we do not stifle public debate."

Samuel Alito, the only Justice to rule against the Church wrote that, "Our profound national commitment to free and open debate is not a license for the vicious verbal assault that occurred in this case. In order to have a society in which public issues can be openly and vigorously debated, it is not necessary to allow the brutalization of innocent victims."

Snyder was disappointed in the ruling: "My first thought was eight justices don't have the common sense God gave a goat. We found out today we can no longer bury our dead in this country with dignity."

Sources [edit]

David G. Savage. "Supreme Court sides with churchgoers who picketed military funeral" — Los Angeles Times, March 3, 2011
Robert Barnes. "Supreme Court rules First Amendment protects church's right to picket funerals" — The Washington Post, March 3, 2011
By The Associated Press and Herald staff. "Supreme Court says picketers allowed at funerals" — The News Tribune, March 3, 2011
"DoD Identifies Marine Casualty" — United States Department of Defense, March 6, 2006

External links [edit]

Snyder v. Phelps

Share this:

This page is archived, and is no longer publicly editable.

Got a correction? Add the template {{editprotected}} to the talk page along with your corrections, and it will be brought to the attention of the administrators.

Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections.

Note that some listed sources or external links may no longer be available online due to age.

'Bang bang': UK mercenary charged with murdering colleagues gives evidence in Iraq

Mon, 24 Jan 2011 23:21:31 GMT

Iraq

Sources[edit]

Angus Howarth. "Iraq security guard: 'I was seconds away from death. I shot him twice in the chest. Bang bang'" — The Scotsman, January 24, 2011
Amy Corderoy. "Accused's self-defence plea in Iraq murder trial" — Sydney Morning Herald, January 25, 2011
"The Constitution of Iraq" — UniIraq, October 15, 2005
"The Universal Declaration of Human Rights" — United Nations, December 10, 1948

Share this:

This page is archived, and is no longer publicly editable.

Got a correction? Add the template {{editprotected}} to the talk page along with your corrections, and it will be brought to the attention of the administrators.

Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections.

Note that some listed sources or external links may no longer be available online due to age.

British warship HMS Invincible put up for auction online

Fri, 03 Dec 2010 13:54:31 GMT

Friday, December 3, 2010

United Kingdom

Sources[edit]

"Ex-Navy ship HMS Invincible in website auction" — BBC News Online, November 30, 2010
"HMS Invincible to be sold for scrap on eBay-style auction website" — Daily Mail, November 29, 2010
Sean Rayment. "Aircraft carrier HMS Invincible is put up for sale" — Daily Telegraph, November 28, 2010

Share this:

This page is archived, and is no longer publicly editable.

Got a correction? Add the template {{editprotected}} to the talk page along with your corrections, and it will be brought to the attention of the administrators.

Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections.

Note that some listed sources or external links may no longer be available online due to age.

Wikileaks cable disclosure shows Arab fears of Iranian ambitions

Tue, 30 Nov 2010 00:31:41 GMT

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Wikileaks

Sources[edit]

This article features first-hand journalism by Wikinews members. See the collaboration page for more details.

Lee Higgins. "FBI investigates former Ann Arbour painter for links to Iranian government" — AnnArbour.com, June 17, 2009

External links[edit]

Wikileaks' "CableGate" site

Share this:

This page is archived, and is no longer publicly editable.

Got a correction? Add the template {{editprotected}} to the talk page along with your corrections, and it will be brought to the attention of the administrators.

Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections.

Note that some listed sources or external links may no longer be available online due to age.

English Wikinews RSS feed.

Paralympic table tennis silver medalist Piotr Grudzien beats Poland's Richard Csejtey

Sources[edit]

Australian shooters start their 2012 Paralympic campaign

Sources[edit]

2012 Paralympic Village occupied by competitors as nations ready for the Games

Sources[edit]

Bush, aides convicted of Iraq war crimes in absentia by Malaysia

Sources [edit]

Wikinews Shorts: March 21, 2012

Contents

Iraq bombings cause security concerns for Arab summit [edit]

Mexico damaged by quake [edit]

Apple officials scorch iPad 3 concerns [edit]

Moto2 Wraps up final pre-season test at Jerez [edit]

NFL Fines New Orleans Saints for "bounties" [edit]

U.S. Army identifies remains of last U.S. soldier unaccounted for in Iraq

Sources[edit]

Iraq police academy suicide bomb attack kills eighteen

Sources[edit]

Wikinews Shorts: January 26, 2012

Contents

US marine may serve no jail time for 2005 Haditha deaths [edit]

Turkish Prime Minister claims that French bill is: discriminatory, racist and unjust [edit]

Many feared dead in Papua New Guinea landslide [edit]

Remaining US troops exit Iraq

Sources[edit]

Sister links[edit]

Up to 74 reported dead after Iraq bombings

Sources[edit]

ACLU, EFF challenging US 'secret' court orders seeking Twitter data

Case background[edit]

The Manning connection[edit]

The United States Government versus WikiLeaks[edit]

State-of-the-(Black)-Art, or CyberWarfare[edit]

Views of a security expert[edit]

Liberty, and the Electronic Frontier[edit]

Birgitta Jonsdottir responds[edit]

Ongoing U.S. Government versus WikiLeaks fallout[edit]

Related news[edit]

Sources[edit]

External links[edit]

US Supreme Court upholds right to picket military funerals

Sources [edit]

External links [edit]

'Bang bang': UK mercenary charged with murdering colleagues gives evidence in Iraq

Sources[edit]

British warship HMS Invincible put up for auction online

Related news[edit]

Sources[edit]

Wikileaks cable disclosure shows Arab fears of Iranian ambitions

Sources[edit]

External links[edit]