Microsoft Internet Explorer continued to lose customers to competitor Mozilla Firefox in 2008. Where 75% of all Internet users used IE as their browser at the end of 2007 that number had fallen to 68% one year later. At the same time, Mozilla Firefox’s share increased with 4% (from 17% to 21%).| MORE ›

Breaking News: Governor of New Mexico and former Democratic candidate for president Bill Richardson will withdraw as commerce secretary.

Richardson supported now president-elect Barack Obama after he dropped out from the Democratic nomination race and was rewarded with a nomination for commerce secretary in Obama’s up and coming administration. 

The Hispanic governor gladly accepted the invitation but withdrew today. The reason: a pending investigation into a company that has done business with New Mexico.| MORE ›

What is often underreported by American media about Europe and then especially the European Union is the divide which exists in the EU between Western and Eastern European states. Western European states tend to be less hawkish, more in favor of a big and reasonably powerful EU government and they tend to embrace issues like global warming. 

Eastern European states, most of which former Soviet (satellite) states, have different views, however.| MORE ›

As happened when Israel attacked Lebanon several years ago in an attempt to severely weaken, even destroy the terrorist organization Hizbullah, international media and public opinion are increasingly sympathetic to the suffering of Israel’s enemies.

Al Jazeera, the BBC, CNN and other major international and national networks are focusing on the suffering of Gazans, and they neglect to cover the suffering of Israelis due to Hamas’ rocket attacks.| MORE ›

In my search for research about the current crisis in the Middle East, I stumbled upon this post at a clearly pro-Palestinian blog. In the post, the author refers to an article at JTA news but neglects to link to it. A quick google search showed that the author did not invent the existence nor the content of the article.

The entire article can be read here, key excerpts follow.| MORE ›

I published a post yesterday arguing that the Israeli air strikes against Hamas targets in Gaza were timed in accordance with the elections in Israel: a few weeks from now, Israelis will go to the voting booth in order to vote for Parliament. The right-wing Likud party is currently leading the polls, some 4 to 6 seats ahead of the ruling Kadima party. 

There is another element of timing to the offensive, however: the upcoming inauguration of now president-elect Barack Obama.

Obama will be sworn in January 20th.| MORE ›

The question of the day is asked by Crimson Politics: “Israel has once again attacked Gaza, and once again the media frenzy is jumping all over it. Displaying videos of dead Palestinians, interviews with Palestinians who experience the bombings, investigations of Israeli videos. My question is why isn’t there as much attention to the Qassam rockets being fired by Palestine, or if it’s not news worthy, then why is the Israeli attack on Gaza news worthy?”

I am currently watching Al Jazeera, the Dubai based news channel founded by BBC journalists, where they cover the Israeli ground offensive in Gaza breathlessly. 

One of the main questions the AJ correspondents and their experts ask is why the world (or international) community is not speaking out against Israel’s offensive. As AJ rightfully explains to the public, the attacks do not merely cause suffering to Hamas, the terrorist organization, but to all Palestinians living in Gaza.| MORE ›

After bombing Hamas targets in Gaza for several days in a row, Israel decided to launch a major ground offensive Saturday. The Israelis believe that the air strikes have severely weakened Hamas, but not destroyed it. A possible short but aggressive ground invasion is thought necessary in order to wipe Hamas out in order to push the terrorist group out of power and replace it with the more moderate Fatah movement.

Ehud Barak, Israel’s defence minster, said:| MORE ›