French president Jacques Chirac accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin, thereby dissolving his cabinet. Chirac then rehired Raffarin as prime minister, and made a number of other changes. The move comes on the heels of France's regional elections, which saw a drastic drop in support for Chirac and his political party. Russian president Vladimir Putin performed a similar reorganization of his cabinet in February.

The International Court of Justice at The Hague has ruled that the United States did not give fair trials to 51 Mexicans currently awaiting execution. The ruling, issued on Wednesday, March 31, states that the convictions should be reviewed because the accused were not advised of their right to consular help. The decision, which is legally binding, is being protested by the U.S. government, which claims the men have already had fair trials.

The central Asian country of Uzbekistan has been in turmoil recently as four straight days of violence have left at least 42 people dead. The fighting, which began on Sunday, March 28, is believed to be orchestrated by members of Wahhabis, a strict Islamic group originating in Saudi Arabia. Explosions and gunfire have been common in the streets of the Uzbek capital of Tashkent and the city of Bukhara, where nearly all of the violence has been concentrated.

The United States announced it would be suspending its aid to Serbia, citing a lack of cooperation with a United Nations war crimes tribunal in The Hague. As part of a plan to reform Serbia's economy, the U.S. promised $100 million in aid, contingent on Serbian cooperation with the tribunal. The remaining $25 million from this plan is being withheld. The suspension is likely tied to Serbia's reluctance to turn over certain accused war criminals, such as former Bosnian Serb commander Ratko Mladic. Analysts believe the move is not likely to have any short-term effects on the Serbian economy, but may have long-term effects.

Oil ministers from the 11 members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries agreed to a 4% cut in oil output on Wednesday, March 31. The cut, which amounts to 2.5 million barrels of oil per day, is claimed to be a preventive measure, "avoiding a price-deflating buildup of oil supplies in world markets." Economists say that such a measure is unnecessary, and that 'cheating' by the member nations of OPEC is likely to ensure that oil prices will not rise as a result of the announcement.

An airstrike by Israeli helicopters killed Sheik Ahmed Yassin, founder and spiritual leader of the militant group Hamas, as he left a mosque on Monday, March 22. Three missiles were fired as Yassin and his bodyguards, who along with another person in the area were killed. Other Hamas leaders denounced the attack and are calling for revenge against Israel. Yassin was targeted by Israel in a failed assassination attempt last September.

While campaigning for re-election, Taiwanese president Chen Shui-bian and Vice President Annette Lu were shot, Shui-bian in the stomach and Lu in the leg. The shooting came a day before the presidential election, which resulted in Shui-bian and Lu being reelected by a margin of less than one percent of the vote. There have been a number of protests in Taiwan demanding a recount of the election. A recount is supported by both candidates, Shui-bian and his opponent, Lien Chen.

The French rail company SNCF reported a device suspected to be a bomb has been recovered from a rail line between Paris and Basel, Switzerland. The discovery comes two weeks after a thorough investigation of all 19,800 miles of track in France, which turned up no traces of explosive. That search was in response to threats from a group claiming a bomb had been placed along one or more of the rail lines. France's Interior Ministry believes this bomb is not the work of that group, based on descriptions of the bomb. No one has claimed responsibility for planting this device.

Four U.S. embassies were closed on Wednesday, March 24, due to threats and demonstrations against U.S. interests. The embassies in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Mauritius were closed following "specific and credible threat information directed at the embassy," according to a State Department spokesman. The closings come one day after the State Department issued a caution to U.S. citizens abroad, citing a "heightened threat of terrorist attacks" on the heels of the Israeli assassination of Hamas leader Sheik Ahmed Yassin.

"The Congress shall have power ... to promote the progress of ... useful arts, by securing for limited times to authors ... the exclusive right to their respective writings." This, taken from Article II Section 8 of the Constitution, which is the section granting Congress its power. This particular clause, known as the "progress clause," is the basis for copyrights and patents in the United States. The "limited times" part of the clause was tested in the case of Eldred v Ashcroft, and the Supreme Court decided that since the copyright term did have a definite limit, the 1998 Copyright Term Extension Act (or CTEA, which extended all copyrights by an additional 20 years) did not violate the "limited times" provision of the clause.

A new case is challenging the CTEA and the Berne Convention Implementation Act (BCIA) on the grounds that the CTEA and BCIA are unconstitutional in that they do not promote progress and that they form an effectively perpetual term for works created between January 1, 1964 and January 1, 1978.

The scope of copyright first changed dramatically in 1976, when the Copyright Act removed the requirement of registering a work with the Library of Congress, depositing a copy of the work with the Library and renewal for a full term, for works created on or after January 1, 1978. The BCIA was passed in 1992, and it automatically renewed all copyrights on works created between January 1, 1964 and December 31, 1977. Finally, in 1998, the CTEA extended all copyrights, including those extended by the BCIA, by an additional 20 years.

When there was still a requirement for copyright protection to be renewed, less than a one-fourth all copyrighted works had their protection renewed. The annual renewal rate averaged between 8% and 15%. It is on these grounds that Brewster Kahle and Richard Prelinger have filed suit to have the BCIA and CTEA ruled unconstitutional as they apply to such works. The case, Kahle v Ashcroft, also seeks to prevent criminal enforcement of the No Electronic Theft Act from being applied to those works.

Kahle and Premlinger each run archives, with Kahle being the founder of Internet Archive (http://www.archive.org) and Premlinger being the founder of Premlinger Associates Inc. (known as Premlinger Archives). These collections seek to keep copies of old public domain images, books and videos, among other works. Kahle and Premlinger allege that a majority of the works between 1964 and 1977 would not have been renewed, and therefore would have fallen in to the public domain, were it not for an automatic renewal and an across-the-board copyright term extension. It is these 'abandoned works,' books, movies, songs and pictures whose authors no longer have any interest in them, works that are no longer available and for which there's no compelling reason to rerelease, that the lawsuit seeks to let into the public domain.

To some, the case may appear to be very similar to Eldred v Ashcroft. In some respects, this is true; both cases deal with the effect of copyright term extension, but they do so in different manners. In rejecting the arguments put forth by the plaintiffs in Eldred, the Supreme Court stated "when, as in this case, Congress has not altered the traditional contours of copyright protection, further First Amendment scrutiny is unnecessary." The argument being advanced in Kahle is that in changing from a registration and renewal copyright system (a 'conditional' copyright regime) to one where simple publication of a work grants copyright protection (an 'unconditional' copyright regime), Congress did indeed alter the traditional contours of copyright.

As with the Eldred case, and the ongoing Golan v Ashcroft case (challenging Congress' ability to reclassify public domain works as copyrighted), the legal challenges to Congress' ability to dramatically alter the copyright landscape are adding up, and it may be the case that we can once again have a 'free culture,' where those works whose owners are no longer making money off them are available to the public, for archiving and for the betterment of culture.

Russian president Vladimir Putin, after the surprise firing of his cabinet three weeks ago, eliminated several cabinet-level positions and named his new advisors. The number of ministers in the cabinet was reduced from 30 to 17, and Mikhail Fradkov was appointed new prime minister. Putin's critics say the new appointees are only friends and associates of Putin, and the move will lead to "administrative chaos" and result in a decrease in government efficiency.

The interim governing body in Iraq approved a temporary constitution on Monday, March 8. The constitution will take effect on June 30, when the United States transfers sovereignty back to the Iraqis. The constitution was ratified over the objections of several Shiite leaders, most notably Grand Ayatollah Ali Hussein al-Sistani, who have expressed a desire to introduce changes prior to the constitution taking effect. US officials believe the constitution is a large step forward, and that it will "take Iraq closer to a democratic and sovereign government," with President Bush calling the signing a "historic milestone."

Iran's foreign minister, Kamal Kharrazi, warned that Iran might cease cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency if European countries did not begin to resist the US. The Iranian government has accused the US of "bullying" the agency into drafting a resolution censuring Iran for its nuclear program.

The fractured Haitian government began to take a new shape on Monday, March 8, as Boniface Alexandre was sworn in as interim president of the country. On Tuesday, March 9, the Council of Sages appointed Gerard Latorue to the position of prime minister. Exiled leader Jean-Bertrand Aristide called for peace in the country, but also claimed he remains the president and that he was "politically abducted" from Haiti.

Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra replaced the interior, defense, and foreign ministers on Wednesday, March 10. The move is a result of public criticism of the government's handling of a bird flu outbreak, ethnic violence in the southern region, and proposed privatization of government-owned companies.

Back in November 2003, the Federal Communications Commission approved a new mandate for high-definition digital TV. This mandate - a 'broadcast flag,' would require HDTV receivers to check for the presence of the flag, and if it's set, encrypt the signal for sending to "compliant devices." There is no word yet on what constitutes an authorized device, but presumably any Digital Video Receiver would have to be cleared by the TV stations.

What drives TV stations? Money. Where does this money come from? Commercials. One of the major reasons people buy personal video recorders like TiVo is because it allows them to skip commercials. If a TV station sends an HD signal, and they choose to set the broadcast flag, they can control which devices can record it. If they have the power to decide which devices can record the signal, why wouldn't they only allow devices that don't allow users to skip commercials? Stations can charge more for ad time when they can guarantee that viewers won't skip the ads.

That doesn't even take in to account the fact that stations would have unprecedented control over the content they air. Presently, anyone with an antenna, cable, or satellite receiver and a VCR can make a copy of any show, and then they can watch it again any time they want. With a receiver that recognizes the broadcast flag, though, stations could flag any or all of their programs/events, and then only authorize receivers that only allow a single playback, or a playback only at certain times, or impose any number of other restrictions. They may have made it harder for people to rip the recorded shows from the DVR and put them on the Internet, but people who want to get around the flag will. The people that really get hurt in this issue are people who just want to timeshift a show (record it when it airs and watch it at a more convenient time).

The restrictions are scheduled to take effect beginning July 1, 2005, but there are a number of groups opposed to the flag. The American Library Association launched a lawsuit against the FCC to prevent the mandate from taking effect. The ALA has been joined in the suit by a number of groups, including Consumer Federation of America, Consumers Union, Electronic Frontier Foundation, and Public Knowledge.

The lawsuit alleges that the FCC overstepped their authority in implementing such a rule and that there is no need for such a rule to have even been considered. Timeshifting was one of the issues the Supreme Court ruled was fair use in the "Betamax" case back in the eighties. Let us not let the FCC give TV stations the power to take away our fair use rights.

It is rare for the student newspapers of New Jersey colleges to get together for an event, but this is what happened on February 20, when US Senator Jon Corzine held a press conference for student reporters. Held at the College Ave. campus of Rutgers University in New Brunswick, the event brought together reporters from 15 college newspapers and one college television station.

Senator Corzine is one of the two Democratic senators from New Jersey, first elected to the Senate in 2000. He is a strong supporter of federal and state financial aid programs for college students, having graduating from a public university. In recent months, he has backed legislation that would prevent financial aid changes which would result in less financial aid for most students. When not in Washington, DC, Sen. Corzine lives here in Hoboken.

The press conference began with some remarks by the Senator. He spoke about his experience going through college, saying that helped him get "on the ladder of opportunity," leading to his stint as co-chairman and co-CEO of Goldman Sachs and ultimately his election as a senator. He also commented on the upcoming presidential election and its importance to the nation, with the nomination of several Supreme Court justices possibly being decided by the winner of the election.

One of the most important issues raised by the Senator during his remarks was that of student participation in the election process, and political awareness among college students. He cited figures which show the 18-24 age group (the group most college students fall in to) as voting significantly less than all other groups. Referring to the reason politicians so often address issues like social security, Senator Corzine said "If I want to win, I've got to talk the people who vote."

At this point, the floor was opened to questions. The first questions related to a measure blocking financial aid changes, which would in many cases lower students' financial aid. Sen. Corzine backed an act that would prevent the new changes from taking effect for a year, pending a review of the impact of the changes by the Department of Education

The topic was then changed to the job market, and specifically what could be done to improve the situation in the United States. Senator Corzine recommended fixing the budget deficit to put more capital in the hands of investors, solving problems with the trade deficit by using the World Trade Organization rules to help level the playing field, and finally by creating making "tax credits for job creation the moral equivalent of depreciation." He believes we are "underweighting the value of labor" and need to increase the value of labor in the US.

Discussion moved to the issue of student participation in the political process, chiefly regarding how to get and keep students motivated, the way Howard Dean managed to do so during his campaign. Sen. Corzine believes that Dean's success with college students was due to two things, first, his views on some of the issues, and second, his use of technology familiar to students to attract them to the campaign. Corzine said that "we damn well better start taking the students in our country seriously" and "I personally take it [college student participation] very seriously, because I think, frankly, it's your future."

The subject of the USA PATRIOT Act was raised, in the context of the reported abuses of some of the provisions of the act. Sen. Corzine, who voted in favor of the Act, said that "you could vote for the Patriot Act ... and still not believe all of the elements of the Patriot Act are something that you are supportive of." He believes that the Act was well-intentioned, but the implementation and uses of it are not keeping with its spirit, saying that "there were elements of that bill that were good, and there were elements that were maybe not as attractive, but how it got implemented was completely unattractive."

After touching on the issues of the 9/11 commission, data mining, the Israel/Palestine situation, and the upcoming election, Senator Corzine wrapped up the press conference, thanking those in attendance for coming.

The United States ended 23 years of restriction on travel to the North African nation of Libya. This was followed the Libyan government’s announcement that it would begin destroying its arsenal of chemical warhead-capable bombs, and a reaffirmation of responsibility for the bombing of Pan American Airways flight 103 in 1988. The travel ban was enacted when the United States began to consider Libya as a state sponsoring terrorism. The US hopes companies will begin returning to Libya, and that Libya will begin to expand its diplomatic presence in the United States.

An explosion in the Jinshanpo coal mine in northern China killed 28 of the 32 workers inside on Monday, March 1. The mine, which was unlicensed, did not have the ventilation equipment necessary to prevent a buildup of flammable gasses. The gasses eventually ignited and caused the explosion.

Shiite Muslims celebrating the Ashura festival in Iraq were disrupted by explosions and mortar shells attacks ripped through Karbala on Tuesday, March 2. The festival is viewed by Shiite Muslims as a sign of their devotion, and was barred for 30 years under the rule of Saddam Hussein for fears it might incite rebellion. The festival was carried out under increased security amid fear of attacks by some militant Sunni Muslims, who dislike the growing dominance of the Shiites in Iraq. Nearly 200 people are believed to have been killed in the attacks.

With nine wins in ten states holding primaries on Super Tuesday, John Kerry effectively secured the Democratic presidential nomination. Kerry’s main opponent, Senator John Edwards, announced he would be dropping out of the race after failing to win more support. Howard Dean, who stopped actively seeking the nomination two weeks ago, kept Kerry from a clean sweep by winning his home state of Vermont. Kerry’s nomination is all but assured, as no other serious contender remains. This is despite 21 states still holding primaries in the months leading up to the Democratic National Conference in June.

The Caribbean nation of Haiti is in a state of turmoil following the departure of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. The circumstances of his departure are unclear; Aristide reportedly claims to have been either kidnapped or forced out of the country, while other sources say he willingly left. With Aristide out of power, US forces have been dispatched to Haiti to help keep peace and order in the country, which has been embroiled in conflict between a group of rebels and the president, and now faces fighting between the police and pro-Aristide loyalists.

You have a right to fair uses of a DVD, but there's no legal way to get that access. This is a surprisingly accurate paraphrase of the decision of the US District Court for the Northern District of California in the case of 321 Studios v. MGM Studios.

The case involves the infamous "anticircumvention" provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), chiefly 17 USC §1201(a)(2), which states in part that "No person shall manufacture, import, offer to the public, provide, or otherwise traffic any technology, product, service, device, component, or part thereof that is primarily designed for the purpose of circumventing a technological measure that effectively controls access to a work." In short, if something is encrypted and its contents copyrighted, it’s illegal to make or sell anything that provides access to the underlying content. 321 Studios sells software that allows DVD owners to make a backup copy of discs they own, onto either a CD-R or DVD-R disc, without the CSS (Content Scrambling System) encryption present on nearly all DVD releases from the major studios. Back in 2002, 321 Studios asked a court to rule that their software did not violate 17 USC §1201(a)(2) and §1201(b)(1) (which is worded very similarly to §1201(a)(2)) and that such provisions were beyond Congress' authority to enact.

The District Court ruled "the purchase pf a DVD does not give the purchaser the authority of the copyright holder to decrypt CSS" The decision goes on to state "a simple reading of the statute makes it clear that is prohibition applies to the manufacturing, trafficking in and making of devices that would circumvent encryption technology, not to the uses of such technology."

This is effectively saying that while DVD purchasers have the fair use right to make a single backup copy of the disc, but cannot make anything that would bypass the encryption, and would not be able to purchase a legal application or device to decrypt it, since selling or trafficking in such software or devices is a violation of the DMCA. You have a right to fair use, but no right to gain access to the content you need for any fair use.

In May of last year, I served on a panel testifying before the Library of Congress (LOC) in regards to these very same issues (the LOC has the authority to grant exemptions to parts of §1201 for specific classes of work). Supporting an exemption for DVD backup copies was Stevan Mitchell of 321 Studios; on the opposing side were representatives from the DVD Copy Control Association (DVD CCA), Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), and Time Warner, all of whom addressed the issue in one form or another. The DVD CCA, MPAA and Time Warner reps all paid lip service to fair use, claiming that no matter what sort of restrictions were in place, one could always make fair use of the content on that disc.

On the surface, that seems reasonable; the most common fair usage of movies include showing small bits of it for criticism and reference. These are not the only fair uses, though, especially considering that there is nothing that defines what constitutes a fair use. The courts are supposed to decide on a case-by-case basis whether a given use of a work is fair use. This means that entirely new uses for things can be found, and be found to be fair uses. But with the DMCA's prohibitions on gaining access to a copyrighted work, it becomes virtually impossible for anyone to find a new and creative fair use for a work and not be in violation of one or more of the circumvention prohibition provisions of the DMCA.

The court's decision in this case is a major blow for fair use; the ruling says that fair uses are legal, but the methods of gaining access to perform these fair uses are not. I must ask: what good is a billion dollars in a chest if you can’t get the chest open? What good is the ability to have fair uses if there’s no legal way to get to the content?

Russian president Vladimir Putin fired his entire cabinet staff on Tuesday, February 24, in a live television broadcast. The move, which came as a surprise to nearly all Russian political observers, is believed to have been Putin’s way of removing Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov. The Russian constitution provides a way for the president to ask for the resignation of his entire cabinet, but not for a single member of it. Kasyanov, who was Prime Minister under previous Russian president Boris Yeltsin, was known to not be well-liked by Putin, though most analysts believed no action would be taken against him until after the Russian election in March.

An explosion ripped through the Solid Propellant Rocket Booster Plant at the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota, India, on Monday, February 23, killing at least six workers. The chairman of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), S. K. Dar, believes that a test propellant segment caught fire while being prepared for transport, and caused extensive damage to the plant, which makes the solid fuel necessary for rocket boosters. The segment that exploded was part of a test, and will not have any adverse effect on ISRO launch programs, though some launches may be delayed, according to Dar.

An earthquake registering 6.5 on the Richter scale struck the African nation of Morocco on Tuesday, February 24. The quake, which struck in the early morning hours, destroyed homes up to twenty miles from the epicenter. By current estimates, between 300 and 450 people were killed and another 250 injured. The death toll may rise, however, as rescue efforts in some of the more remote areas were hampered by aftershocks, rain, and lack of equipment.

The rebels leading a coup against Haitian leader Jean-Bertrand Aristide have rejected a proposed power-sharing plan and claim to be gaining more and more support. Both the US and British governments have issued warnings to their citizens in Haiti, urging them to leave the country as soon as possible. Several US marines arrived in Haiti, not to assist in putting down the rebellion but to secure the US embassy in the capital city.

Pakistani troops launched an operation to track down al Qaeda and Taliban militants along the border with Afghanistan on Tuesday, February 24. Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad reports that between 15 and 20 people were arrested in the first part of the offensive, which involved house-to-house searches in the Waziristan region. The Pakistani government reportedly received a tip-off about the presence of militants in the area, and set a February 20 deadline for surrender.

Two large fires, one at a shopping mall and the other at a temple, were responsible for 92 deaths and approximately 70 injures on Sunday, February 15. The causes of the two blazes remain under investigation. These fires have come at a time when the Chinese government is being criticized for not strictly enforcing construction safety rules and regulations.

A glass roof over a pool at the Transvaal water park in Moscow collapsed on Sunday, February 15, killing at least 26 people inside. Fifteen others are still missing, and although rescuers continue to search, hope for finding them is fading. The collapse was caused by one of the support columns giving way, setting off a chain reaction culminating in the collapse of the domed roof. It is believed that the column collapse was the result of poor construction standards, though the possibility of an explosion has not yet been ruled out.

Haitian rebels, led by a member of a previous dictatorship, seized control of the city of Hinche on Monday, February 16. President Jean-Bertrand Aristide called for "technical assistance" in putting down the revolt, and Prime Minister Yvon Neptune asked the international community to show "it really wants peace and stability in Haiti." The UN has announced its plans to send a humanitarian team to study the crisis, and France is considering the possibility of sending peacekeepers from nearby Caribbean territories. U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said "there is frankly no enthusiasm" for sending peacekeepers to Haiti, and the US ambassador to Haiti, James Foley, called on Haitian leaders to resolve the conflict through negotiations. More than 50 people have been killed in the fighting so far.

Outbreaks of the 'bird flu' were reported in Japan on Monday, February 16. The flu, which has been responsible for at least 20 human deaths in Vietnam and Thailand, may be something "that the sector has to learn to live with," according to the director of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization's animal health department. World Health Organization spokesman Peter Cordingley said that to declare victory over the virus too soon was to "risk a recurrence every flu season."

India and Pakistan have agreed to an aggressive schedule for peace talks concerning a number of issues, most notably the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir and the countries' nuclear arsenals. The talks, announced on Tuesday, February 17, will take place following the Indian elections in April and will run until August. These countries have fought three wars since 1947, and nearly fought the first war between nuclear powers in 2002.

Russian presidential candidate Ivan Rybkin was reported missing by friends and family on Sunday, February 8. Rybkin, who missed a news conference and the official registration for the Russian election, was found to have spent four days in Ukraine, out of contact with his wife and his campaign staff. He expressed surprise at the volume of media coverage and attention being directed at him, as he had only "decided to go to Kiev to visit friends." His disappearance ignited a flurry of rumors in Russian political circles, ranging from a staged plot to skew popular opinion to an assassination by Russian security services.

A week after narrowly winning the Oklahoma primary, retired Gen. Wesley Clark announced that he was ending his campaign for the Democratic Presidential Nomination. A latecomer to the race, entering the race over the summer, Clark cited poor showing in the southern states and fund-raising troubles as the primary reasons for ending the campaign. John Kerry, the democratic frontrunner, further solidified his position with victories in Virginia, Tennessee and Maine.

An Iranian airline crashed on approach to Sharjah Airport on Tuesday, February 10. Of the 46 people aboard the flight, 43 were killed, and the survivors remain hospitalized. No distress call was received from the plane, an 11-year old Fokker-50. The plane's 'black boxes', the flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder, were successfully recovered from the scene. A cause for the crash could not be immediately determined.

A letter intercepted by US intelligence alleges that al Qaeda is making plans to incite a civil war in Iraq. The letter reportedly outlines a strategy for infiltrating Iraq and attacking US and Iraqi forces. The US has cited the letter as the impetus for a recent increase in attacks against soldiers and Iraqi police forces.

The lower house of the French parliament passed a law on Tuesday, February 10, banning the display of any conspicuous religious insignia, such as the traditional Muslim headscarf, in public schools. This has caused an outrage in the Muslim community of France, who believe the ban will "negatively affect the attitudes of Arabs and Muslims with respect to France and the French government." The anger stems from the fact that among Muslims, wearing the "veil is an obligation in the Islamic faith."

Traces of the deadly toxin ricin were found on Monday, February 2 in the mailroom of Senator Bill Frist in Washington, DC. Ricin, a white powder similar in appearance to anthrax, can be just as fatal, though none of Sen. Frists' aides who might have been exposed have shown any sign of illness. The Senate offices were quickly reopened, and no further incidents or traces of the toxin have been reported.

Three British Airways and two Air France flights were canceled on Friday, January 30, in the interest of 'security concerns.' The flights, bound for Washington, DC, Miami, and an "unspecified US city," were supposedly potential targets for al Quaeda members seeking to attack the United States. No further details were provided by officials in any of the involved airlines or governments.

Democratic presidential hopefuls John Kerry, John Edwards and Wesley Clark each won victories in the primaries held on Tuesday, February 3. Kerry, who has previously won in Iowa and New Hampshire, was the big winner of the day, taking Arizona, Delaware, Missouri, New Mexico, and North Dakota. Edwards won in his home state of South Carolina, and General Clark edged out Edwards to win in Oklahoma. Joe Lieberman dropped out the race after not winning a single victory thus far.

Kamel Morjane, Assistant UN High Commissioner for Refugees, warned on Wednesday, February 4 of a refugee crisis in Colombia. The country, gripped in a civil war that has been going on for nearly 40 years, has caused between two and three million people to be forced from their homes. The Colombian refugee crisis is being called "one of, if not the worst humanitarian crisis in the western hemisphere."

A new bird flu epidemic is spreading through Asia, killing thousands of chickens and ducks, and causing 10 human deaths. China has decided to kill all livestock and birds in a two-mile radius of any identified infected case. However, Indonesia is declining to take such action, even in the face of a WHO recommendation. The disease has a higher mortality rate than that of SARS, and is immune to one of the two main drugs used to fight the flu.

After months of waiting and weeks of speculation, Lord Hutton has released a report on his inquiry into the suicide of scientist David Kelly. The report clears the British government and Prime Minister Tony Blair of any wrongdoing in Kelly's death. The report also refutes claims that members of the British government exaggerated claims regarding weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Hutton blames the BBC for not properly checking facts prior to reports made about the WMD claim.

Democratic presidential hopeful John Kerry surprised many when he won both the Iowa Caucus and the New Hampshire Primary. Kerry's victories upset fellow candidate Howard Dean, who was widely expected to easily win in both states. All the candidates remain optimistic as a busy week of primaries approaches, with seven states holding elections on Tuesday, February 3.

In the last month, NASA's twin Mars rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, ended their interplanetary voyages with successful landings on the red planet. The rovers will explore the Martian surface to help detail the history of Mars, and perhaps determine if the planet was once home to life. The European Space Agency's Beagle 2 rover, which arrived on December 25, is believed to have suffered an unrecoverable system failure and mission controllers have been unable to communicate with it.