Protesters storm US embassy in Baghdad
The US says it is sending 750 troops to the Middle East after its embassy in Baghdad was stormed by protesters.
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Sunday, January 5, 2020
India's tourism industry hit by citizenship protests
Tourist numbers have dropped significantly in India after a wave of protests against a new citizenship law.

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Top Iranian general killed in US attack
General Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran’s elite Quds Force, has been killed in a US attack in Baghdad.
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Mexico violence: Homicide rate reached record numbers in 2019
Mexico has set an unwanted new record: more than 31,000 murders in one year.
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Tens of thousands mourn as Soleimani's body returns to Iran
Mourners fill streets of Ahvaz as multi-city funeral of top military commander assassinated by US begins.
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In Kathmandu, the Nepalese chef making authentic Sichuan food
San-Dai has never visited China but speaks fluent Mandarin and is catering to Nepal's Chinese tourists.
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2020 look ahead: 'DREAMers' await decision on their futures
Why fate of so-called 'DREAMers' could be key issue in US election later this year.
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Calling for Online Accountability, Columnist Decries 'Anonymity Masquerading as Connectivity'
An anonymous reader quotes a long-time columnist for the Northwest Florida Daily News: In this age dominated by screens, we have become more prone to sitting in our cars, houses and workplaces and watching the world at a safe remove. From our couches, it's easy to have an opinion about everything. From that safe perspective, we know everything and we can comment, sometimes brutally, without fear of being called out. It's an age of anonymity masquerading as connectivity. We seem to be more global, more in contact with people who may live hundreds of miles away. We can date people we've never even met. But in reality, we are hiding behind the safety of our screens, posting only photos that frame us as we want to be seen, using screen names and judging people in the online arena that we would never criticize if they were standing on front of us. This has not brought out the best in many of us. The columnist ultimately argues the world would be improved by more accountability -- "being held responsible for our actions and our words." The article's headline? "Stop hiding behind the safety of our screens."
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Saturday, January 4, 2020
Soleimani funeral under way in Iran: All the latest updates
Funeral for Qassem Soleimani, head of Iran's Quds Force who was killed in Baghdad by US air strike, begins in Iran.
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Al Shabab Says It Attacked Kenyan Base Used by U.S.
An official in Kenya said the strike, which the terrorist group characterized as a dawn raid, had been repulsed.
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Al-Shabab attacks military base in Kenya's Lamu county
Al-Qaeda-linked group attacks Camp Simba, a base used by United States and Kenyan military personnel, on Manda Bay.
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As Fires Rage, Australia Sees Its Leader as Missing in Action
The country is venting frustration with Prime Minister Scott Morrison over what many view as a nonchalant response to the disastrous blazes and his unwavering dismissal of climate change.
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Japan condemns 'unjustifiable' escape of Carlos Ghosn
Car tycoon broke bail and fled to Lebanon last week as he awaited trial on charges of financial misconduct.
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Indonesia flash floods: At least 60 people killed
Indonesia in grip of worst floods anyone can remember, and even more rain is coming.
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Slashdot Asks: What's the Worst Review You Ever Saw on Amazon?
Long-time Slashdot reader theodp shared his story about the worst tech book review he found on Amazon in 2019. Stephen Few is a respected author and speaker whose books on data visualization and analysis are well-received. But when it comes to Amazon reviews, you simply can't make everyone happy, a particularly good example of which is a one-star review he received for The Data Loom: Weaving Understanding by Thinking Critically and Scientifically with Data. So, what is it that the reviewer didn't like about Few's latest book? "THIS IS NOT A BOOK ON WEAVING TECHNIQUES," complains P. Dennis in her 1-star review, "Was not paying attention, I guess. Very disappointed." Amazon shows potential buyers that 5 people found Ms. Dennis's 1-star review helpful, while hiding 6 comments that complain about Amazon's allowance of the 'ridiculous' review [including two from the frustrated author, who asks, "Would you give J. D. Salinger's book 'The Catcher in the Rye' a 1-star review because it is not about baseball?"]. And that kids, can be the difference between a 4 and a 5 rating on Amazon if your book is lightly-reviewed! I still remember when Amazon shared their own favorite fake customer reviews, posting on the front page of Amazon in big orange letters, "You guys are really funny," and adding that "occasionally customer creativity goes off the charts in the best possible way." But sometimes their reviewers are just stupid. Leave your own favorite examples in the comments. What's the worst review you ever saw on Amazon?
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Death toll jumps in Cambodia building collapse
At least 24 people now known to have died after construction workers were trapped inside building when it collapsed.
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Cooler temperatures bring Australia some respite from bushfires
Military deployed as communities assess damage from Saturday's ferocious blazes and temperatures expected to rise again.
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'A shape in the ash': Bushfires destroy Australian wildlife
Rescuers race to save animals in distress amid reports that half a billion mammals, bird and reptiles have died.
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The World's Internet Registries Demand ICANN's Records on .org Registry Transfer
The world's five regional Internet registry have an unincorporated organization called the Number Resource Organization, and they also all have representatives on a supporting organization affiliated with ICANN called the Address Supporting Organization (ASO). This week the ASO "submitted correspondence" to ICANN about the proposed transfer for the .org registry to Ethos Capital, reports CircleID: This is a historic step as the NRO (Number Resource Organization) representing the 5 Regional Internet address Registries normally does not engage in policy matters related to the Domain Name System. NRO has made an exception, in this case, stating, "ICANN's handling of this proposal to be an important Internet governance decision, with bearing on the community's trust in ICANN, and the legitimacy of the ICANN model." NRO's formal request: "As a Decisional Participant in the Empowered Community and pursuant to ICANN Bylaws section 22.7, the ASO hereby submits this Inspection Request to inspect the records of ICANN, including minutes of the Board or any Board Committee, for the purpose of determining whether the ASO's may have need to use its empowered community powers in the near future relating to the potential assignment of the .org Registry Agreement. "For this purpose, the ASO seeks to inspect any ICANN records which pertain to or provide relevant insight to the process by which ICANN will consider (and potentially approve) the assignment of the .org Registry Agreement, including the process by which input from the affected community will be obtained prior to ICANN's consideration and potential approval of the assignment."
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Air Force Wing Prepares For First Satellite Launch as Part of the 'U.S. Space Force'
An anonymous reader quotes Space News: The SpaceX launch of Starlink satellites scheduled for January 6 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on the Florida Space Coast will be first launch of 2020 and also the 45th Space Wing's inaugural launch as part of the U.S. Space Force. The 45th Space Wing, headquartered at Patrick Air Force Base, Florida, oversees the preparation and launching of U.S. government and commercial satellites from Cape Canaveral and operates the Eastern Range. It is one of five Air Force space wings that have been assigned to the U.S. Space Force effective December 20, when President Trump signed the National Defense Authorization Act that created the U.S. Space Force as the sixth branch of the armed forces. "I'm excited for the 45th Space Wing to be a part of the U.S. Space Force," wing commander Brig. Gen. Doug Schiess said in a statement Jan. 3. The 45th Space Wing will continue to do what it has been doing and the transition to the Space Force will not change that, Schiess said. The details of how the U.S. Space Force will be structured and staffed will take at least 18 months to sort out... Air Force Space Command personnel have been assigned to the Space Force but still remain airmen within the U.S. Air Force... "The effects the new Space Force will have on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and Patrick Air Force Base has not been announced yet, but continuing to successfully accomplish the mission without interruption is our top priority," Schiess said.
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