IIPA want sanctions against Canada, Russia, Switzerland and others for weal IP laws The raid that ravaged Megaupload was just the start. A powerful trade group that lists the biggest names in the entertainment biz as its members has called-out dozens of countries in their latest report and is insisting on sanctions against them. The International Intellectual Property Alliance (IIPA) has submitted... 

David Cameron has said he would consider further powers for Scotland, but only after a referendum. David Cameron made his boldest move yet in the campaign to stop Scotland voting for independence by offering the country more freedom from Westminster if it votes no in the coming referendum. Speaking to business leaders in the capital, Edinburgh, the prime minister said the referendum did not have to... 

Russia's Chief of Staff General Nikolai Makarov Moscow is making preparations to respond to a possible Israeli or US military strike against Iran in 2012, report says. According to World Tribune, the Kremlin has ordered the military to draft options for a Russian response to any foreign attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities. The report added that the Russian Defense Ministry has set up a facility... 

Israel's Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Ehud Barak (L) meets with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda at the latter's official residence in Tokyo on February 15, 2012. Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda has warned Israel against the ramifications of launching a military strike on Iran over Tehran’s nuclear program. Noda told visiting Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak... 

Members of Ruch Palikota Party wear masks during a vote of no confidence for Health Minister Bartosz Arlukowicz in Poland's parliament in Warsaw January 26, 2012 More European parliaments are refusing to ratify the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, claiming it violates human rights. Now, some are asking: “why it was signed in the first place?” It looks like some of the countries who signed... 

Move over, SOPA and say your prayers, PIPA. There’s a new bill in the works that, if passed, will pull the plug on how the Internet is used in Canada. Lawmakers in the Great White North are debating a bill that will pulverize what’s left of online privacy for Canucks. The Investigative Powers for the 21st Century Act (Bill C-51) is legislation that isn’t new to Canadian Parliament, but after... 

Forensic personnel remove the corpse of one of the inmates of the National Prison compound in Comayagua, Honduras, on February 15, 2012. A massive fire has swept through a prison in Honduras killing at least 350 inmates, many of whom burned to death in their cells, officials say. According to senior official at the attorney general’s office, Danelia Ferrera, the blaze that began late on Tuesday... 

The unassuming painkiller aspirin may hold the key to combating cancer as scientists in Australia have uncovered its ability to halt the spread of tumors. This groundbreaking discovery sheds light on the mysterious mechanism through which the widely available over-the-counter drug effectively inhibits the progression of the disease, potentially paving the way for transformative treatments and, ultimately,... 

Greek pensioners protesting in Athens. In Greece, angry pensioners have once again taken to the streets in the capital Athens to protest against the government’s tough spending cuts. The pensioners gathered to express opposition with lawmakers’ decision to slash another 325 million euros in wages, pensions, and jobs, as demanded by the European Union and International Monetary Fund (IMF) in order... 

Around 300,000 organic farmers think that Monsanto, the biotech giant known for genetically modifying Mother Nature’s handwork for profit and pushing over the little guys all the while, is pretty seedy. Now a judge in New York is debating if Monsanto’s questionable methods will go before a jury. Judge Naomi Buchwald of the Southern District Court of New York says she will have a decision on March... 

Nikolai Makarov Russia’s top military boss says an attack against Iran, which the west suspects of developing nuclear weapons, could begin as early as summer. Thus far, tensions between Tehran and the west have been confined to the battlefield of heated rhetoric. Russia’s highest ranking military officer, however, predicts it may be just a matter of time before the verbal grenades get real. The... 

Oil refinery of Swiss firm Petroplus in Petit-Couronne, near Rouen, northwestern France. A senior Iranian lawmaker says a number of Eastern European countries have called on the Islamic Republic not to approve a bill which will stop the country’s oil exports to the European Union member states. Member of Iran Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Committee Mohammad-Karim Abedi said on Tuesday... 

Notorious hate preacher Abu Qatada was released from Worcestershire’s maximum security jail, Long Lartin, last night, after spending six-and-a-half years in detention. The radical cleric, once dubbed “Osama bin Laden’s right-hand man in Europe,” left under the cover of darkness at 9.15pm, accompanied by four minders. His departure, shrouded in secrecy, saw Qatada cover his face... 

Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao has announced his country is committed to preventing war and chaos in the crisis-hit Syria. “On the issue of Syria, what is most urgent and pressing now is to prevent war and chaos,” Wen said on Tuesday. “To achieve this objective, China supports efforts consistent with the UN charter and principles and we are ready... 

The mainstream media reported Mitt Romney the victor of the Maine caucus on Saturday, claiming another win for the frontrunner who had slipped in standing behind Rick Santorum during the previous week’s contests. Then again, when you ignore an entire county, it’s easy to come out on top. News stations jumped the gun and declared Romney the winner over the weekend, and taking into account the available...