According to a recent poll conducted by the Associated Press, most Americans prefer to switch on their television sets rather than turn to their computers for breaking news. Still, last month much of the work force retreated to the Web for information on the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington. In view of those incidents and their potential consequences, this month’s column is designed to help you navigate more efficiently through what could shape into challenging times.
GETTING AWAY
Airport closings and re-openings, flight delays and cancellations, heightened security... Check out what you or your loved one should know before heading out by logging onto www.faa.gov. At www.landings.com, you’ll find a huge database of aviation info containing links to airports around the globe — complete with weather conditions and commercial airline sites, as well as aircraft profiles and service records.
BE INFORMED
Find out more about terrorism. The Terrorism Research Center, www.terrorism.com is dedicated to informing the public concerning phenomena like terrorism and warfare technology. This site features commentary on current issues as well as links to further specialized research and resources. It lists well known terrorist organizations, features a “who’s who” of perpetrators wanted around the world and also provides a calendar of significant dates, often marked by acts of violence. In the wake of last month’s attacks, the FBI set up a Web page — www.ifccfbi.gov — for people to report terrorism-related information and tips. In particular, the FBI is looking for amateur video footage shot near the attack scenes or major airports. Topping the world’s “Most Wanted” list as number one suspect in the recent terrorist attacks, Osama Bin Laden has a page all to himself on the FBI website at www.fbi.gov/mostwant/topten/
fugitives/laden.htm. Moreover, www.defenselink.mil is the Defense Department’s official site and a portal for information connected with the Pentagon attack, its victims and casualties, as well as news about America’s armed forces.
STAY CURRENT
Last month at work, I was able to watch a live comcast of developing events reported by CNN.com (www.cnn.com) on a colleague’s iMac. To access that, you’ll first need to install the last version of Microsoft’s MediaPlayer (download it free from www.microsoft.com). Afterwards, I kept abreast of breaking news and editorials at www.nytimes.com and www.msnbc.com. Also useful is www.newshub.com. Every 15 minutes, this portal links you to the latest current affairs stories breaking from TV, radio and newspapers all over the world.
Find out how events are perceived from the other side of the world by logging onto media organizations situated deep in the Middle East. In a country which has much influence over the Taliban leaders of nearby Afghanistan and where Osama bin Laden is believed to be hiding, Pakistan’s International News (www.jang.com.pk/thenews) is a closely watched. paper. CNN.com also posts insights about Afghanistan’s radical leaders, along with other local updates at www.cnn.com/specials/2001/taliban. The Jerusalem Post, www.jpost.com, provides news from the Middle East with an Israeli viewpoint while The Middle East Times, http://metimes.com, will give you the Arab world’s perception of events from the same region.
