Person of the Year 2011: The Protester (by Anonymous)

TIME magazine names you who've joined Occupy Wall Street, the Arab Spring, etc. – "The Protester" – as PERSON OF THE YEAR! Each one of you who've gone to an #OWS demonstration, camped out illegally, spoken out against corporate greed, switched to a credit union ... Every one of you who've told your friends, your co-workers, your neighbors -- "THAT'S IT, I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF GREED"

Source: AnonOps

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TIME’s 2011 Person of the Year is The Protester (The Cover)

TIME’s 2011 Person of the Year is The Protester

Due to Representing many global protest movements – for example, the Arab Spring, the Indignants Movement and Occupy Movement – as well as protests in Greece, India and Russia, among others

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China will not hesitate to protect Iran even with a third World War

On November 21st, America, UK and Canada announced more sanctions against Iran. France also proposed to adopt new sanctions to force Tehran to stop it's nuclear project. On Nov 23rd, the spokesman of Chinese Communist Party (CCP)'s Foreign Ministry said in a regular press conference held in Beijing that China is opposed to unilateral sanctions against Iran.

Scholars believe that, being isolated, China and Iran need mutual support. Meanwhile, the CCP government, with internal and external difficulties, may express an even tougher diplomatic "voice".

"Reuters" reported on Nov 23rd: "The United States, UK and Canada have announced new sanctions against Iran in the areas of energy and finance. France proposed 

'unprecedented' new sanctions, including freezing the assets of the Central Bank of Iran and suspending the purchase of Iran's oil.

Earlier, the "International Atomic Energy Agency" (IAEA) ad issued a report that Iran may be secretly developing nuclear weapons.

On Nov 23rd, the CCP's Foreign Ministry expressed opposition to the imposition of unilateral sanctions against Iran.

In this regard, Xia Ming, a political professor from "City University of New York" in America, believes that since the Cold War, the United States and Western 

society's biggest challenges have been seen as being from China and Iran. They are both isolated by the United States and the West. Therefore, China's policy is foreseeable.

Xia Ming says: "China and Iran are facing strong Western challenges within politics, economy and culture. So these two countries basically have a kind of coordinatio 

on the international stage, to support each other. So we can see that China and Iran coordinate a lot, with a lot of cooperation in matters of energy, arms and so on."

"Associated Press" also reported on Nov 23rd: "Since 2006, the United Nations have carried out 4 rounds of sanctions against Iran. But with export of energy, Iran has not been severely affected by the sanctions."

"AFP" said: "China supports Iran and purchases large quantities of oil from Iran. Meanwhile, China is Iran's biggest trading partner. Their bilateral trade totals up to $ 30 billion.

"Voice of America" reported, according to Chinese customs' data, this year (2011) Iran could become China's second largest crude oil supplier.

However, Iran disdains the new round of sanctions. Israel and Washington said in the event that other efforts were not effective, the possibility of military action would not be ruled out.

It's puzzling to some that Major General Zhang Zhaozhong, a professor from the Chinese National Defense University, said China will not hesitate to protect Iran even with a third World War.

Professor Xia Ming: "Zhang Zhaozhong said that not hesitating to fight a third world war would be entirely for domestic political needs. To some extent though, this would be completely ridiculous to encourage"

Professor Xia Ming pointed out that the United States and Western societies may deal with Iran by a method of "Jasmine Revolution", similar to what happened in Libya. From the perspective of the Libya model, NATO could not possibly involve itself in large-scale military action, and it would be impossible to start a new war.

In fact, a senior European diplomat with anonymity in Tehran said that the Iranian government was actually very worried about a military strike. Analysts also say that ordinary people don't worship their leaders so much any more.

But Professor Xia Ming said that the CCP regime itself is facing a much bigger crisis than Iran. The CCP regime not only faces challenges from Southeast Asia, the South China Sea, South Asia countries and so on, but also faces the pressure from America for the RMB exchange rate, export, and human rights issues, as well as the pressure of domestic issues meanwhile.

Professor Xia Ming says : "China is facing pressure from America. Meanwhile, current domestic pressure is also very considerable. In particular, we can see in civil society, the challenge to the Chinese government and resistance forces are growing. Therefore, the Chinese government is indeed facing the arrival of a big power shift in the 18th session. So, China may express a tougher diplomatic voice. On the one hand, it is a reaction to pressure from America. On the other hand, it needs to meet the demand of domestic nationalist groups.

Russia is another ally of Iran, with similar policy to that of China. Toward Iran.

Source: YouTube

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Medvedev: Russia may target US missile shield

MOSCOW (AP) — If Washington continues to ignore Russia's demands about a proposed U.S. missile shield in Europe, Russia will deploy new missiles aimed at it and put arms control on hold, President Dmitry Medvedev said Wednesday.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev speaks at an award ceremony in the Gorki residence outside Moscow, Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2011. Medvedev presented Russian medals to IOC President Jacques Rogge and International Ice Hockey Federation President Rene Fazel. (AP Photo/Alexander Nemenov, Pool)

The tough statement reflected a growing strain in U.S.-Russian ties, despite President Barack Obama's campaign to "reset" American relations with the Kremlin, which were strained by years of tensions over U.S. foreign policy and the 2008 Russian-Georgian war.

Medvedev said he still hopes for a deal on the U.S. missile shield, but he strongly accused the U.S. and its NATO allies of ignoring Russia's worries.

The U.S. has repeatedly assured Russia that its proposed missile defense system wouldn't be directed against Russia's nuclear forces, but Moscow has demanded legally binding assurances, and Medvedev did that again on Wednesday.

He warned that Russia will station missiles in its westernmost Kaliningrad region and other areas, if the U.S. continues its plans without giving Russia firm legal guarantees that the shield isn't directed at its nuclear forces.

The U.S. missile defense dispute has long tarnished ties between Moscow and Washington. The Obama administration says the shield is needed to fend off a potential threat from Iran, but Russia fears that it could erode the deterrent potential of its nuclear forces.

"If our partners tackle the issue of taking our legitimate security interests into account in an honest and responsible way, I'm sure we will be able to come to an agreement," Medvedev said. "But if they offer us to 'cooperate,' or, to say it honestly, work against our own interests, we won't be able to reach common ground."

Moscow has agreed to consider a proposal NATO made last fall to cooperate on the missile shield, but the talks have been deadlocked over how the system should be operated. Russia has insisted that it should be run jointly, which NATO has rejected.

Medvedev also warned that Moscow may opt out of the New START arms control deal with the United States and halt other arms control talks, if the U.S. proceeds with the missile shield without meeting to Russia's demand. The Americans had hoped that the START treaty would stimulate progress in further ambitious arms control efforts, but such talks have stalled over tension on the missile plan.

While the New START doesn't prevent the U.S. from building new missile defense systems, Russia has said it could withdraw from the treaty, if it feels threatened by such a system in future.

Medvedev reaffirmed that warning Wednesday, saying that Russia may opt out of the treaty because of an "inalienable link strategic offensive and defensive weapons."

The New START has been a key achievement of Obama's policy of improving U.S. relations with Moscow, which had suffered badly under George W. Bush administration.

The U.S. plan calls for placing land- and sea-based radars and interceptors in European locations, including Romania and Poland, over the next decade and upgrading them over time.

Medvedev said that Russia will carefully watch the development of the U.S. shield and take countermeasures, if Washington ignores Russia's concerns. He warned that Moscow would deploy short-range Iskander missiles in Kaliningrad, a Baltic Sea region bordering Poland, and place weapons in other areas in Russia's west and south to target U.S. missile defense sites.

Medvedev added that such Russian strategic nuclear missiles also would be fitted with systems that would allow them to penetrate prospective missile defenses.

He and other Russian leaders have made similar threats in the past, and the latest statement appears to be aimed at domestic audience ahead of Dec. 4 parliamentary elections.

Medvedev, who is set to step down to allow Prime Minister Vladimir Putin to reclaim the presidency in March's elections, leads the ruling United Russia party list in the parliamentary vote. A stern warning to the U.S. and NATO issued by Medvedev seems to be directed at rallying nationalist votes in the polls.

Regarding Russia's demands, Medvedev said: "When we propose to put in on paper in the form of precise and clear legal obligations, we hear a strong refusal. We won't agree to take part in a program, which in a comparatively short period — five, six or may be eight years — would be capable of weakening our deterrence potential."

Medvedev's envoy to NATO, Dmitry Rogozin, said at a news conference that the Kremlin won't follow the example of Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev and take unwritten promises from the West.

"The current political leadership can't act like Gorbachev, and it wants written obligations secured by ratification documents," Rogozin said.

Medvedev's statement was intended to encourage the U.S. and NATO to take Russia seriously at the missile defense talks, Rogozin said.

"We won't allow them to treat us like fools," he said. "Nuclear deterrent forces aren't a joke."

Source: The Associated Press

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Twitter Launches Center To Crowdsource Translations; Indonesian, Russian And Turkish Versions Are Next

Twitter has steadily been rolling out its platform in new languages over the past few years, including English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Spanish and most recently Korean. While these translations were accomplished with the help of volunteers, Twitter is officially launching a new “Translation Center” to efficiently crowdsource translations from international Twitter users.

According to Twitter, translators will be translating the product itself, not the Tweets. Translators will continue to work on improving the platform’s current languages, and will also help Twitter expand into new ones, including Indonesian, Russian and Turkish. And Twitter says that it plans to roll out a version in Portuguese later this year.

The new system is designed to improve the translation experience and create central hub for volunteers who are interested in helping Twitter out with adding and improving additional languages. New features include phrase tagging, special translator profiles, commenting on phrases and more. Within the new Center, any Twitter user can sign up, choose a language and begin translating immediately. Translators can choose to help translate Twitter.com, its mobile site, iPhone and Android apps, Twitter Help and the Twitter Business Center.

Building a centralized translation platform makes a lot of sense for Twitter. Additional translations are sure to bring in more international users to Twitter and boots its overall growth.

Source: Tech Crunch

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10 Fascinating International Facts That Are Wrong

1. Russia

The Error: The former Soviet Union celebrated the October Revolution in October.

Although the Bolsheviks took control over October 25-26, 1917, this was under the Old Style (Julian) calendar. One of the first things the Communists did was to modernize their calendar to the Gregorian Calendar – thereby pushing the day ahead 13 days (into November). This was a major holiday in the Soviet Union, mostly because with the official ban on religion the biggest holidays were civil holidays such as May Day and the October Revolution.

2. Germany & Britain

The Error: The British king George I of Hanover used English or German when speaking with his cabinet.

I don’t know that this is so much a misconception as “it’s obvious” that a British monarch would speak English. Those who know history and realize George I was a German prince who spoke no English may then think that “it’s obvious” he and his advisors spoke German. The reality is that since his cabinet did not speak German, the lingua franca in the meetings was French.

3. Britain & France

The Error: The Titanic was the first ship known to use the distress code “SOS”?

Although British ships preferred the traditional distress call “CQD”, most of the other European countries used the International Conference on Wireless Communication at Sea standard set in 1908 of “SOS”. The French ship Niagara is known to have used “SOS” well before the Titanic did. Incidently, in CQD, the CQ was a general call on a telegraph line with the D standing for Distress. In James Cameron’s “Titanic”, he did get it right that the radio operator tried both CQD and SOS after the new distress call was suggested to him.

4. Lebanon

The Error: John Kennedy was the first to say “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.”

Yes, the misconception is American but the backstory is international. American politicians are renowned for plagiarizing their best lines from foreign sources. For example, Abraham Lincoln took the phrase “a government of the people, by the people and for the people” from the preface of John Wycliff’s 1384 edition of the Bible and current Vice-President Joe Biden cribbed a few speeches while in the Senate from Labour Party MP Neil Kinnock. This quote thought by many Americans to be pure Kennedy was actually from Lebanese writer Khalil Gibran in an article advocating his Lebanese brethren to rebel against the occupying Ottoman Turks.

5. Australia & Scotland

The Error: Alexander Fleming invented the antibiotic “penicillin”.

Many will disagree with this since it is more a question of semantics than a misconception. Although Alexander Fleming DISCOVERED that the mold Penicillium notatum has antibacterial properties, he was not a chemist and growing and culturing the mold was difficult for him. Howard Florey with the assistance of Ernst Chain was able to purify the penicillin and put it in a form for use in humans, thereby INVENTING penicillin as a true antibiotic.

6. Switzerland and Britain

The Error: Watson and Crick discovered DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid).

Again, people on Listverse will say “everyone knows that” but many people learn the simplified version that James Watson and Francis Crick discovered DNA, probably because they won the Nobel Prize for their discovery of the double-helix structure of DNA. The true discoverer was Friedrich Miescher was analyzing pus cell nuclei in 1868 when he discovered nuclein. He was able to analyze this further and discovered an acid component which he called deoxyribonucleic acid. Scientists Avery, MacLeod, and McCarty were the first to show a link between DNA and heredity in 1943 and Rosalind Franklin did the first X-ray diffraction pattern study of DNA. What Watson & Crick did was to develop a model of DNA that accounted for all of the previous research discoveries.

7. France

The Error: Mouton-Rothschild is a top-grade Chateau claret.

The five growths (classes) of red Bordeaux were determined in 1855. Four were considered First Class Lafite-Rothschild, Latour, Margaux, Haut-Brion. Mouton-Rothschild did not like being place in second class so their motto is “Premier ne puis. Second ne daigne. Mouton suis.” (First I cannot be. Second I do not deign to be. I am Mouton.) All I know is I certainly would not turn down a glass of it.

8. Scotland and Italy

The Error: The fax machine was invented after the telephone.

Scottish inventor Alexander Bain had invented the electric clock back in 1841. In 1843 he used his work on electric clock to patent a device that could be synchronized with a twin over telegraph lines, which according to some stories he did so he could transmit a picture of a new-born calf (if true it would need to be a daguerreotype which seems very unlikely for just a cow). Frederick Bakewell patented a better fax machine in 1848, two years before Bain updated his and in 1861 an Italian Giovanni Caselli invented the first high quality fax. All of this was done before both Alexander Bell and Elisha Gray independently filed for the telephone patent on 14 February 1876.

9. Germany

The Error: Albert Einstein was a poor student.

The myth that Einstein was a poor student started when an American researcher mistranslated some of Einstein’s report cards by not taking into account the grading system at the time. While Einstein was in school, students were given grades 1 to 6, 1 being the best. This was reversed (1 was worst) the year after Einstein graduated. Further research has uncovered a letter from Albert’s mother to his aunt complimenting his grades, but I guess the image of Einstein going from failing school to being a top physicist is too good to be changed because of the truth.

10. China

The Error: Pandas eat only bamboo.

The reason that pandas eat so much bamboo is that it doesn’t run away. They are omnivores that have adapted to a primarily bamboo diet but they will eat anything they can catch like small animals and carrion. The problem is that they are so slow from the fact that bamboo doesn’t provide a lot of energy that it is hard to catch anything else – a vicious cycle. There are a couple of great articles by National Geographic about the pandas from the 1980’s

Bonous Not the United States

The Error: The United States is the only country that measures things by feet, gallons, pounds, and degrees Fahrenheit.

To demonstrate how out-of-date the U.S. is from basically everyone else in the world, it is pointed out by scientists and metricians that we still use the archaic English system. It may be true, but we are not the only ones. Liberia uses the same system which is not a surprise considering that the country was started by former American slaves who named their capital after American president James Monroe and it was only recently that Liberia’s president was not a descendent of the original American emigrants. And there is a third country that uses the system – Myanmar (pictured above). As a former British colony, they of course adopted the English system. After gaining their independence, the country changed its name from Burma but not how it measured things.

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Russia's Own WikiLeaks Takes Off

Lefteris Pitarakis / AP

RuLeaks is trying to expose the practices of goverment officials, similar to the concept behind WikiLeaks. Here, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange meeting reporters Monday in London.

A new web site striving to become Russia's answer to WikiLeaks became an online hit this week with the publication of the first photographs of a luxury mansion linked to Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

No proof exists that the mansion in the pictures is really Putin's, a residence that RuLeaks.net says was built on the Black Sea at a cost of $1 billion for the prime minister's personal use.

But RuLeaks' apparently exclusive photos have paid off handsomely for the team behind the web site, which refers to itself as "The Anonymous" but actually consists mainly of members of the Pirate Party of Russia, a group that opposes copyright laws.

Since the photos were released Tuesday, the site's traffic has soared by 10 times to about 80,000 hits per day, according to RuLeaks' own statistics.

The site's team promised that the mansion photos were only the beginning.

“Never keep quiet! Be afraid of nothing!” the team said in an e-mailed reply to questions from The Moscow Times. “In the time of total lies one word of truth can conquer the whole world. … History is happening before our eyes. An ocean of opportunities lies before us."

The web site, also available at викислив.рф, was launched last month to translate and mirror publications by the original WikiLeaks, but it quickly switched to original content.

The project differs from the handful of other Russian whistle-blowing sites by apparently not following a political agenda and focusing on original leaks, not media reprints. But analysts said it remains to be seen whether the site can keep up with the pace it has set for itself.

The team behind RuLeaks comprises a dozen young and ambitious souls who dream big — and have the support of many Internet activists in their 20s.

The team's members keep their names and locations secret. “Even our wives and children do not know we are The Anonymous,” they wrote in the e-mailed statement.

“Among us are the unemployed and students, office slaves and the laborers of the soil, mothers and fathers, sons and daughters, anonymous brothers and sisters of Planet Earth," the statement said. "Every day we get up and protect the freedom of information."

RuLeaks' domain name is registered under the name of Gregory Engels, a resident of Germany and a co-chairman of the Pirate Parties International movement.

Most RuLeaks editors are activists of the group's local spinoff, the Pirate Party of Russia, party chairman Pavel Rassudov said Thursday.

The web site will help “clean up the state,” Rassudov said.

He would not say where RuLeaks had acquired the photos of the mansion linked to Putin.

The story of the mansion was first broken by businessman Sergei Kolesnikov, who published an open letter to President Dmitry Medvedev on his web site CorruptionFreeRussia.com in December.

The country already has a number of whistle-blowing web sites, and the most well-known areCompromat.ru and Anticompromat.org. Some bloggers are also active anti-corruption activists, including lawyer Alexei Navalny, who leaked a report last year implicating Transneft in a $4 billion fraud case.

But RuLeaks differs from the other sites in the mechanism for submitting — or leaking — information, Rassudov said.

Virtually any document can be leaked to WikiLeaks at present because the Internet makes the process safe and easy, Rassudov said. “You can stop by a McDonald's and use their Wi-Fi to leak it and then just carry on with your day,” he said.

To ensure the safety of its potential whistle-blowers, RuLeaks suggests using privacy-protecting services such as The Onion Router network or the Privacy Box.

But while the software is free and easy to use, it may not be as safe as the RuLeaks team paints it to be. Tracking down a whistle-blower's IP address and location is difficult, but it is not impossible, said Vladimir Degtyaryov, chairman of Internet service provider Demos. “One thing is clear: If a resource is located in Russia, there is no guarantee,” he said by e-mail.

Rassudov predicted that leaks would be on the rise this spring with the beginning of regional parliamentary elections in March followed by the State Duma vote in December.

“Everybody will be leaking dirt on everybody,” Rassudov said.

Vladimir Pribylovsky, the man behind Anticompromat.org, also accepts online submissions, but mostly relies on a few trusted sources who prefer to call first and then arrange a meeting.

Pribylovsky, who also heads the independent Panorama think tank, said RuLeaks might be the only web site to expose dirty political laundry without a political agenda.

Anticompromat.ru, he said, is opposition politics. “I pre-select what I find interesting and don't hide my bias,” he said.

Compromat.ru, reported in July to have been bought by private investor Andrei Rutberg, is profit-driven, Pribylovsky said.

Both web sites have accumulated substantial archives but primarily offer information that was first published elsewhere.

Pribylovsky said RuLeaks has done well so far but has yet to prove its independence and lack of bias.

Big companies, meanwhile, do not seem to be particularly worried about RuLeaks. “We would only be happy with the launch of a web site like this,” said Igor Dyomin, a spokesman for Transneft.

Some experts worried that RuLeaks might become a web site for disgruntled criticism of the government rather than a tool for democratic development.

Yet RuLeaks may also serve as an example for regional journalists, bloggers and youth.

Small teams of 20-somethings made a difference last summer when central Russia was overwhelmed by wildfires and smog, prompting volunteers to team up using local web forums to help firefighting efforts.

One of those forums, Wyksa.ru, operated by half a dozen activists, faced a hacker attack shortly after it started posted daily updates on the situation in burning villages in the Nizhny Novgorod region. No perpetrator was found, but some blamed the attack on the local administration, whose shortcomings in dealing with the fires were exposed by the site.

The original WikiLeaks is also building up ties with Russia, as it has teamed up with Russian Reporter magazine and Novaya Gazeta.

Putin has spoken up in support of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who faces sex charges in Sweden. What he thinks of RuLeaks and its publication of the mansion photos this week remains unclear. Putin's press office had made no comment about the photos of the palace.

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Worlds Ten Most Dangerous Cities (For Tourists)

If you are travelling alone or decide to backpack to a faraway place with your friends, there are some locations you should be weary of. These cities have been mentioned by top news and crime sites with some pretty shocking statistics.

10 - Bangkok, Thailand

Thailand is the #1 producer of opium and heroin in the world. A major transit for those drugs is the capital Bangkok. Therefore making it unsafe. Last year they had, 20,000 assaults, 13,500 burglaries, and 5,000 murders. That ranks top in south East Asia. The violence and crime due to social unrest makes Bangkok top 10 for sure.


9 - Guatemala City, Guatemala

The government is very corrupt, they get paid off every day by the drug lords. Guatemala City is a hot spot in South America for drug smugglers, and foreign mobs. There is a high crime rate in this capital city, and many tourists are victims of armed robbery, rape and even murder. Do not walk the streets at night, and forget about your wallet and jewelry.


8 - Baghdad, Iraq

It doesn't matter who you are, you're not safe in Iraq. It is a ruined nation that is rattled with crime and violence. A lot of despair in Baghdad. Since the war started in 2003, the US has been in Iraq which has led to a civil war. More than 650,000 civilians have died. Hussein has destroyed this countries reputation. Al-Qaeda and Kurdish rebels and criminals are involved in violence that goes on every day. Explosives and mines are a constant threat, as are suicide bombers who have killed thousands. Kidnappings and random killings happen every day. Since the US got there in 2003, millions of Iraqis have fled to other countries and millions more in Iraq remains displaced. Nuclear devices to poison the people there and the inherent gunfire killing civilians everyday makes Baghdad truly hell on earth.


7 - Grozny, Chechnya, Russia

There is more Russian Mafia in this place than police. This city is not run by government officials, but by gangsters. A Russian is murdered here every 20 minutes. That's almost 85 murders a day. Sure there is 100's of millions of people in Russia, but that's an astonishing stat. Prostitution and drug trafficking run by the Russian crime syndicate or definitely real in this place. Kidnappings and rapes, just to name a handful of tests you will face when you visit here. Chechnya is absolutely a third world city. Foreigners should think twice before visiting here.


6 - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

If you're planning on travelling to Brazil, think twice. It is not a matter of where your mugged it is when. When you get off the plane in Rio, they hand you a pamphlet that tells people they should have no jewelry any wallet policy when they walk around. Crime rates have soared over the past 2 yrs. A drug cartel, called the Piranhas, resides in Rio, and they are responsible for many murders and abductions. There were 8000 murders in Rio last year, that is close to 20 murders a day. Most of the murders happen in the poverty stricken areas, but the city as a whole is growing in severe poverty problems.


5 - Bogota, Colombia

Bogota is the main port for drugs and guns coming up from Colombia to panama. People get murdered in plain daylight every day. Forget going out at night. You need to be packing heat. It beats most South American cities by far. I think that carrying a machete around on your back, is a very good way to avoid a mugging. It's also easily explained to immigration, as long as there's some jungle around. Speaking the local language and knowing a little about fighting is a good idea, just in case. I would avoid Bogota if traveling to South America.


4 - Cape Town, South Africa

Murder and robbery stats have been very high for many years in Cape Town. In one year they had 71,500 sexual offenses, 18,400 burglaries and 13,900 business robberies. There are approximately 50 murders a day in South Africa and more than 1/2 of those murders are in Cape Town. The city is in a huge recession making robberies very common. Cape Town is in a great state of poverty, making crime a part of the peoples everyday life. Going out at night is not advised.


3 - Mogadishu, Somalia

It is really hard to find statistical information on this city, but I know I've seen it on the top of many lists. Even with no data to report on this city, the governments warning to travel here is extremely high. Mogadishu has one of the highest terrorist populations in the world. There is an ongoing civil war going on in Somalia's capital, which poses a huge risk to anyone travelling there. Hundreds of people are wounded every day in Mogadishu's empty streets. No one knows how many people are actually killed there, but the numbers would be outrageous. Looting, Prowling, kidnapping, gunfire, etc... makes Mogadishu one of the top 3 most dangerous cities.


2 - Ciudad Juarez, Mexico

This place has a serious problem with robbery, kidnapping, sexual assault and drug-related crimes. 120 killings per 100,000 residents. Ciudad Juarez is located just across the USA border. It has 1.5 million people and a really bad reputation. Recently drug Cartels have started a war against one another, making it very dangerous for travellers. This place is Violent. They are the number two city in the world for murders, most of them drug-related. 50% of all murders in Mexico come from Ciudad Juarez.


1 - Caracas, Venezuela

Latin America is by far the most dangerous place in the world. If you searched dangerous places on the internet, you would find at least 20 South American countries on the list. With drug cartels, and poverty, Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, ranks the highest for murder and crime in the world. Per 100,000 people this city has the highest rate of murders, kidnappings, and rapes in 2009. 130 murders and 537 reported kidnappings. They have nicknamed the city the murder capital of the world. Not to mention Venezuela is the world leader in drug trafficking mainly cocaine. The country has increased its poverty level since the 1970's 300%. In In the last 5 yrs. Caracas has topped the list for homicides by population. You better be a mobster if you plan on visiting Caracas.

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Wikileaks Leaks: Russia trailed Litvinenko killers 'but Britain warned them off'

Russia was hunting the killers of Alexander Litvinenko before he was poisoned but KGB officials were assured by British intelligence the matter was “under control”, according to a claim in the latest Wikileaks release 

Alexander Litvinenko in hospital in November 2006, three days before he died

A leaked US diplomatic memo contains claims by a former KGB officer that Russian officials had known about individuals moving radioactive substances into London before the dissident spy was killed, in 2006.

The disclosure, the latest cable to released by Wikileaks, could reignite the deep diplomatic row that followed the assassination.

Litvinenko, a former KGB agent who lived and worked in Britain, was poisoned in November 2006 using polonium-210, a rare radioactive isotope, a killing blamed by his associates on Russian agents.

The leaked memo was reported in the Observer newspaper, which said the contents of the cable are likely to be rejected in many quarters as a clumsy attempt by Moscow to deflect accusations it was involved in the killing.
The memo, dated December 26 2006, recorded details of a dinner meeting at the US embassy in Paris between Russian Special Presidential Representative Anatoliy Safonov and US Ambassador-at-Large Henry Crumpton.
Speaking about the need for bilateral co-operation to tackle terrorism, Safonov "cited the recent events in London – specifically the murder of a former Russian spy by exposure to radioactive agents – as evidence of how great the threat remained", the leaked cable said.
"The implication was that the [Russia] was not involved, although Safonov did not offer any further explanation," read a comment added by U.S. embassy staff.
Documenting later exchanges between the men, the memo added: "Safonov claimed that Russian authorities in London had known about and followed individuals moving radioactive substances into the city but were told by the British that they were under control before the poisoning took place."
The leaked cable comes days after Russia criticised Britain over its handling of the case of an alleged Russian spy.
Katia Zatuliveter, 25, an aide to a Liberal Democrat MP Mike Hancock who sits on the Commons defence committee, faces deportation after being arrested on suspicion of espionage.

Source: The Telegraph

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