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Saturday, December 19, 2009

United States defense officials acknowledged that Iraqi insurgents successfully intercepted live video feeds from U.S. MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicles with widely available software. The story broke on Thursday in the Wall Street Journal with a defense official, anonymously, informing them it is an old problem, which has already been fixed.

The Journal says U.S. military personnel in Iraq discovered the problem late last year when they seized a Shi’ite militant’s laptop containing drone video feeds.

Senior defense and intelligence officials say insurgents were able to take advantage of an unprotected communications link in the systems of the remotely-piloted aircraft. The insurgents used software that is available online and costs about $26.

While U.S. defense officials say the issue has been fixed, the Journal quoted senior intelligence officials as saying it was not yet clear if the problem had been completely resolved.

U.S. officials say there is no evidence that militants had been able to take control of the drones. But the intercepted video feeds could show where the planes are operating.

The Journal also reported that U.S. drone feeds have also been intercepted in Afghanistan.

Officials say the U.S. government has known about a flaw in the drone communication system since the NATO intervention in Bosnia in the 1990s. At the time, the military assumed local adversaries would not know how to exploit it.

The report says fighters in Iraq used software programs such as one called “SkyGrabber” from the Russian company SkySoftware, which is designed to intercept data transmitted by satellite Internet.

The Journal quoted one of the program’s developers, Andrew Solonikov, as saying it was designed to download legal content — such as music and video — and that it was never intended to intercept military data. Solonikov said in a email to the paper, “It was developed to intercept music, photos, video, programs and other content that other users download from the Internet — no military data or other commercial data, only free legal content.”

Sunday, June 12, 2005

More unrest occurred overnight across Iran following the national soccer team’s June 9 victory over the team from neighboring Bahrain in a World Cup qualification match.

Sunday, June 6, 2010

United States President Barack Obama has nominated retired Air Force Lieutenant General James Clapper to be the new director of National Intelligence. The position had been left vacant when the previous director of national intelligence was forced to leave due to a series of security failures. James Clapper now awaits confirmation by the US Senate.

Barack Obama has requested a quick confirmation from the Senate. Both US Democratic Party and Republican Party senior representatives in the Senate Intelligence Committee have publicly expressed their reservation about the nomination. According to to the Associated Press, Republican senator Kit Bond doubted Clapper’s ability to command among some of the intelligence community personalities. “I don’t think Clapper’s the right person for the job,” he said. The Associated Press, informed by senior congressional staff, reported that the Republican senator had not been invited to discuss the nomination and is considering asking his Republican support to block the nomination.

Previous director of national intelligence Dennis C. Blair quit two weeks ago in the sequence of a series of security failures, including the Fort Hood shooting incident.

Sunday, January 1, 2017

On Thursday, William Salice, credited with creating Kinder Surprise eggs, died at age 83 in Pavia, Italy because of a stroke, according to his foundation “Color Your Life Campus”. Salice had worked with the businessman Michele Ferrero in the 1960s, the creator of the Nutella cream and owner of Ferrero Rocher. Ferrero died in 2015.

In 1974, Kinder Surprise was launched with plastic toys, which are sold within the eggs to surprise children. Due to this, the sale of Kinder eggs is prohibited in the US. A 1938 US law prohibits the sale of food containing objects in its interior. It is also prohibited in Chile, due to an obesity-reduction law brought in last year. Last year a three-year-old girl died in France, swallowing the plastic toy.

In 2007, after his retirement, Salice founded Color Your Life Campus from his retirement bonus of €400,000 in Italy. It aims to help young people between the ages of thirteen and eighteen discover and develop their own talents. Salice’s career spanned 46 years.

Since 2013, the Kinder Surprise Company has been taking care of continuing the manufacture and processing of chocolate eggs. According to the company, the chocolate egg has 32% milk and 15% cocoa in its composition.

Sunday, June 15, 2014

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott allowed for potential Australian support in any military action the United States may take in resolving the current conflict in Iraq, during and after a meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama on Thursday.

The President had said all options were on the table for dealing with the Al-Qaeda splinter group of Sunni militants who have violently overrun many areas of the war torn county.

A major Al-Qaeda foodhold in Iraq “would be a humanitarian disaster for the people of Iraq, quite apart from being a very serious problem for the region and the wider world” said Abbot to ABC Radio, emphasising the consequences this conflict could have on the already unstable region.

Whilst the United States has not requested Australian aid, Abbott expressed concern the situation could become a problem for Australia and the rest of the world. In remarks to Sky News, he said, “I want to do what we reasonably can to protect Australian citizens, Australian interests and Australian values, and there is a very strong community of interests and values between the United States and Australia and our other principal allies”.

Abbott advised this conflict in Iraq would allow terrorist organisations to gain a stronger position globally, as the war in Syria allowed terrorist groups to hoard large amounts of weapons and money.

Abbott’s position on this issue in Iraq has been met with criticism from different members of parliament. Opposition leader Bill Shorten warned “Australia always needs to weigh up the use of our highly professional and dedicated soldiers as to whether or not it is in the Australian National interest”. Greens leader Christine Milne said Australia should focus efforts on diplomatic solutions through nonviolent action and the United Nations to bring about long-term stability and reconciliation in Iraq.

However Peter Jennings, head of think tank the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, supported Australia’s offer of support, though acknowledging Australia could do little as a main player in this conflict. Jennings also advised that providing intelligence via surveillance may be a way for Australia to help in a supporting role.

According to recent information from the Australian federal government’s service Smartraveller, at least 90 Australians were on holiday in Iraq despite a no-travel warning for that country.

Monday, April 30, 2007

Prisoners in the Australian state of Queensland have been put to work manufacturing rainwater tanks to help meet a shortfall in supply.

The southeast corner of Queensland, which is currently undergoing one of its worst droughts on record, is experiencing a boom in the rainwater tank industry. Households, encouraged by subsidies introduced by the Beattie government, have enthusiastically begun installing rainwater tanks as well as other water-saving devices. These subsidies have led to a shortfall in supply however, with some households waiting months for tanks to be installed.

The new initiative, announced by Premier Peter Beattie as well as Corrective Services minister Judy Spence will see prisoners at Woodford Correctional Centre, Australia’s largest gaol, constructing tanks for AU$4 per day. Spence has pledged not to use the cheap labour to undercut existing tank suppliers. Beattie also pointed out that the programme would give prisoners constructing the tanks valuable work skills for when their sentences are completed. If the programme is successful, it may be extended to other gaols around the state.

The Beattie government has been increasingly criticised over recent months for its failure to handle the water crisis engulfing Southeast Queensland. Opponents accuse the Government of a lack of planning foresight with regards to water supply for the booming area, which includes state capital Brisbane, as well as other cities such as Ipswich, Toowoomba and Gold Coast.