Getting a 503 or any HTTP error means that you are getting through to something that is too busy. An HTTP error jibes with the usual result of a web site hack that "takes down" the server. But it also could be a result of too many connection attempts.
Not being able to resolve the name indicates something different than too many users or a web site hack, since the name information comes from DNS servers which are not on the same network. Simplifying a lot, the ultimate DNS record comes from the registrar who places it on the "root servers". If the root servers no longer have the record, then no one will be able to resolve the name (modulo local cache timeouts, usually of a day or so). ALJAZEERA.NET is registered by networksolutions.com (Verisign), who also control most of the root servers as well. Two days ago, ALJAZEERA.NET resolved to an IP address that had a web server on it. Yesterday, it couldn't be resolved. Today it points to 216.34.94.186. 216.34.94.186 appears to belong to a Cable & Wireless IP block. A traceroute ends at a CW router that is probably somewhere in America: 9 p0-0-0-1.rar1.sanjose-ca.us.xo.net (65.106.1.65) 4.936 ms 9.793 ms 4.802 ms 10 p0-0.ir1.paloalto-ca.us.xo.net (65.106.5.194) 5.489 ms 5.389 ms 5.461 ms 11 bpr2-so-6-0-0.paloaltopaix.cw.net (206.24.241.213) 5.398 ms 15.071 ms 5.223 ms 12 agr2-loopback.santaclara.cw.net (208.172.146.102) 5.680 ms 5.569 ms 5.802 ms 13 dcr2-so-7-1-0.santaclara.cw.net (208.172.156.185) 7.210 ms 5.810 ms 7.434 ms 14 acr1-loopback.seattle.cw.net (208.172.82.61) 23.783 ms 26.939 ms 23.587 ms 15 bhr1-pos-0-0.tukwilase2.cw.net (208.172.83.130) 24.920 ms 24.461 ms 24.630 ms 16 csr11-ve240.tukwilase2.cw.net (216.34.64.34) 25.067 ms 24.883 ms 24.769 ms 17 * * * 18 * * * They could have picked a bad time to move servers and be doing it incompetently. Hackers could have spoofed Verisign into changing their DNS record, and have broken into router control networks to break their routing. Or the US government could be ordering Verisign and CW to make ALJAZEERA.NET unavailable. Eric