Congress approves India nuclear deal
The United States Senate has approved a nuclear deal with India, clearing the last hurdle for United States approval. The deal gives India access to civilian nuclear technology and fuel in exchange for inspections of their civilian nuclear facilities. India was barred from most nuclear deals with the United States after 1974, when India tested a nuclear weapon. India says that they retain the right to test nuclear weapons, but the US has said that in such an event the deal would be off. Critics say this creates a dangerous precedent for countries that have not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which India has not, but India says the deal is vital to fulfilling its rising energy needs. President Bush is expected to approve the deal and make it law.
Skype defends its monitoring in China
Skype president Josh Silverman is defending his company’s actions in China, employing the same rationale Google and Yahoo – they must obey Chinese law to operate there. Skype created a sensation after it was revealed that it has been monitoring text messages in and out of China for communication that is deemed subversive by the Chinese government. Messages and information surrounding the message are logged. Information has surfaced that the data is not stored securely, and it appears that TOM Online’s (the Chinese distributer of Skype) servers have been compromised before. Silverman stated in his blog that Skype-to-Skype communications are secure, while the TOM software used to conduct instant messaging may not be. Monitored words include references to the Chinese Communist Party, Falun Gong, Taiwanese independence, and Tibet.
Norovirus outbreak
The highly contagious norovirus is being blamed for sickening over 170 Georgetown University students this past week. Georgetown president John J. DeGioia has said that the university is on the offensive against the norovirus by stepping up cleaning protocols and holding informational sessions for concerned students. In addition to that, the school cafeteria was closed on Wednesday, but re-opened the following day after being inspected and sanitized. An official from the Washington, D.C., Department of Health said they are waiting on food sample results, and that it is likely the outbreak was triggered by a person, and not the food. The norovirus leaves its victims nauseous, dehydrated, and causes vomiting.