Headlines from around the world: 2-14-11

The Egyptian Army has claimed it will facilitate the creation of a democratic government in Egypt. This comes after former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak stepped down after weeks of protests. While there have been celebrations in the streets, many analysts are worried about the army’s claims.

Illegal aliens serving in the military have a very difficult time becoming naturalized U.S. citizens. In a practice that has become very common in the last several years, immigrants will enlist under fake identities or with fraudulent documents, and then gain their citizenship after serving for a few years in the military. The process is being scrutinized for ways to make it more consistent.

Wireless broadband may be coming to an area near you, as President Barack Obama introduced a plan to expand wireless broadband across the US. Obama’s plan intends to provide wireless high-speed access to 98% of the population of the US while decreasing the national budget deficit by selling off bands of the wireless spectrum.

Golden Week means massive consumer spending for the Chinese people, as China’s holiday spending grew at an alarming rate this year. The Chinese government has been encouraging its people to spend more money in an attempt to balance out the export-heavy economy. While not quite to America’s level of holiday spending, the Chinese are bearing down on the title of most spendy consumers.

Allentown, Pennsylvania, was shaken by a natural gas-line explosion last week, resulting in the death of at least 3 people. The utilities company that owns the line says that a routine inspection the week prior showed no signs of a leak or any damage. An investigation has returned an “area of interest” in the pipe, but there is no word on what exactly that means. Eight properties were destroyed in the blast.

The opening day of Verizon’s release of Apple’s iPhone was met with thin crowds at Apple’s flagship store in Manhattan, with only a dozen or so customers actually waiting at the doors at 7:00 AM. Longer lines were reported at other stores. However, since Apple is likely to release a new phone in June, it is possible that many are waiting to switch.

Facebook and Google have been in talks with Twitter over possibly acquiring the messaging site for between $8 billion and $10 billion. The company estimates it’s 2010 revenue to be in the range of $100 million, prompting Internet giants such as Google to take notice.

Apple has begun production on a new version of its increasingly popular iPad, which is touted to have a faster processor and a video camera built in. The device will look almost identical to its predecessor. It will be thinner and lighter, but have the same display. It is unclear when Apple will release the device, and it is expected to be in the same price range as the original device.