Former S. Korean President No commits suicide

Former President of South Korea, No Moo Hyun, 62, committed suicide by leaping from a hill behind his house without any hesitation. He had gone hiking with a bodyguard, at 5:45 in the morning and jumped off the cliff of a rock called "Owl Rock." The hill was called, "Bong Hwa Mountain." The cliff was 20~30 meters high from the ground.

His main reason was his remorse after severe investigations despite his presidency that affected not only him, but every one of his family members and relatives. The president from 2003 to 2008 had been involved in an investigation of a bribery scandal. He had allegedly received $6 million dollars from a South Korean businessman while he was in office. His wife was scheduled to be questioned on Saturday, and himself was awaiting to be questioned the second time next week. During his time when he was in office, he had vowed to end corruption in the government, and many were disappointed when he had not made even a formal plea when he was accused. With his death, the case has been suspended.

He had left a short will to his family on a computer before he had left the house. It read, "It has been hard for me. I have become a burden for too many people around me. I cannot even read a book. Do not be sad. Aren't life and death both part of nature? Cremate me and place a small headstone near town."

However, there is now rumour going around in Korea that there was a piece of his last words that was kept secret from the public and then released later on by the police. Some people believe that the hidden part of his note said that he had done his best to serve his country with strong passion and that he is saddened. It had also said that he denies the accusation of the police that he was corrupted and that history will prove his innocense later on.

President Obama said in a statement that he was "saddened" by his death. He said, "During his tenure, President Roh contributed to the strong and vital relationship between the United States and the Republic of Korea. On behalf of the government of the United States, I offer my condolences to his family and to the Korean people." President No had tried to improve the relations between North Korea and the South while he was in office. He was the first South Korean leader to cross the DMZ and meet with Kim Jong Il. He continued to follow the "sunshine policy" by Kim Dae-Sung, his predecessor, that wanted to connect the North and the South. However, the current president, Lee Myung-Bak is establishing a higher and strong wall between the North and the South.

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I was saddened by this sudden tragedy, and I found myself becoming a believer in the rumour that is going around on the internet. However, there was a Korean news article that stated that the rumour was not true and that it was made up by President No's supporters to frame the police. To add, the police denied having released any other information or hiding any information. In my opinion, the case should be just dropped and never mentioned again in the public. The formal president is dead, and there is nothing that we can do about it. As he said in his note, we should stop the investigations and not cause any more controversies or even any kind of involvment of No Moo Hyun's family members. This is the least we could do.

U.S. Rejects Afghan Civilian Death Estimate

The United States military rejected on wednesday, the charge made by the Afghan government of 140 civilian deaths in a recent bombing in the western province of Farah. They said that instead of 140, about 20~30 were killed, but they said that up to 65 Taliban soldiers had also been killed.

This incident conflicted the statement from the American forces on May 5 made by the new American ambassador, Lt. Gen. Karl W. Eikenberry at that time, that the coalition forces would do their best to change their war tactics to minimize the civilian casualties in the future. The debate intensified, and to make things worse, the NATO-force confirmed on Wednesday that another airstrike killed 8 civilians in Helmand Province in southern Afghanistan. They also said that the soldiers used civilians as human shields during the Tuesday airstrike.

In response to this problem, retired general, General Eikenberry acknowledged the pain that the civilians of Afghanistan were going through. He was questioned by the Afghans, the wisdom of dropping 2-000 pound bombs on houses when it is unknown who might be inside. The ambassador called the air strike a tragedy and promised to reduce the chances of civilian casualties sharply in the future. He also flew to Farah and expressed his condolences and met with the several hundred elder leaders from the affected villages. “I assure the people of Afghanistan that the United States will work tirelessly with your government, army and police to find ways to reduce the price paid by civilians, and avoid tragedies like what occurred in Bala Baluk,” he said. “As U.S. ambassador, and with my previous experience as a soldier, I make this a solemn pledge.”

However, the American forces said that the casualty was not entirely their fault. Before the air strike, there was a ground fighting involved between the Talibans and the Afghan soldiers. The Afghan soldiers were outnumbered by approximately 300 Talibs, and asked for backup. The coalition forces then called for an air strike. The military said that the air support "provided fires in coordination with the ground commander on buildings and a tree grove insurgents were firing from and massing in." However, the ground commander is still unidentified.

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The U.S. military must be more careful and learn to change their approaches. If they do not, they face the risk of the alienating the entire Afghan population and weakening the power of the Afghan government. I know that war brings unwanted consequences that must be taken for victory. However, if the U.S. military took more precautions before dropping their 2-000 pound bombs on houses and confirmed the need, a lot more people could have been saved and earned the trust and support of the Afghan population.

Spanish protesters demand protection for jobless

On Thursday, tens of thousands of Spanish civilians marched down the streets of Madrid holding up their red flags. These were protesters that planned this demonstration. They demanded better protection for workers who were hit hard by the economic crisis right now. They were wearing black clothings to represent the 4 million jobless citizens of Spain. They had one, big, simple message : It's time to focus on the workers.

This Madrid demonstration was organized by the European Trade Confederation was the start of more activities that would follow the days after. To protest for the outrageous European unemployments rate, they are planning to do these kinds of demonstrations in Berlin, Prague, Luxembourg, Bucharest, and Birmingham. They plan to do more demonstrations in June when the European Parliament holds elections.

In Spain, the unemployment rate in the construction industry has risen to 17%, the highest in all of the European Union countries. Last year, Spain's Gross Domestic Product stats decreased by 2.9%. This year, it continues to drop by 1.8%. The European Parliament responded by saying that, "the depth of the financial crisis has been brutal," and that they have been working to establish a clearer European regulatory system with more banking supervision and also trying to relieve the effects of the recession. Members of the parliament have agreed for increase in funding for those who became jobless as a result of the financial depression, grant full rights for temporary employees and open more opportunities for training and education.

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With the world going through an economic recession, it comes to no surprise that the Europeans are all protesting. The European Trade Confederation's plan of a continent-wide campaign is a very effective way to raise awareness in Europe, but if things get extreme, a little spark or stimulus could cause chaos. An economic depression like this one makes one think back in history during the Great Depression in the 1930s and the early 1940s. Unfortunately, World War II had lifted the world from depression; industries expanded, technology developed rapidly, and the war eventually helped to boost some countries' economic situations. I hope that this recession does not come to another world war.

Sri Lanka: At Least 2,400 Break out of War Zone

Hundreds and thousands of people fled across a lagoon under a storm of rebel gunshells on Thursday to get out of Sri Lanka's warzone. 4 civilians were dead and 14 were wounded from bullets from the Tamil Tigers. Even health workers abandoned their hospitals and fled, leaving hundreds of wounded patients, crying for food and water.

The government had cornered the Tamil Tigers on a spit that was between the sea and the lagoon after twenty five years of a civial war. The rebels were using civilians as their shields, and 2,700 civilians ran across the lagoon into the government-controlled land despite the gunfirings. Another 2,000 were waiting on the shore to escape.

Approximately 200,000 civilians fled from war-zones in the past few months and are being held in crowded displacement camps. Unfortunately, an estimated number of 50,000 civilians were still trapped, holding the government forces back from their attack.

The fighting during the last few month had been brutal. Approximately 6,500 people were killed in the last three months. Unrelenting shelling in the area over the past 6 days had killed hundreds more. About 100 of those dead died in two strikes on the makeshift hospital. However, the doctors and workers of hospitals abandoned the civilians and fled, saying that the shellings made it too risky for them to work there. They had left 400 wounded people in the hospital. The medical staff hid inside bunkers and ignored the cries of patients begging for help. The trapped civilians were taking cover in bunkers and in underground spaces, and they are out of water and food.

In response to this brutal humanitarian crisis, President Obama demanded the rebels to lay down their weapons and release the civilians. He also demanded that Sri Lanka's government stop firing shells. The U.N. Security Council had similar demands, and Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon's chief of staff would leave for Sri Lanka for his plea to end the conflict without furthermore bloodshed.

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This is like a hostage situation, but with a massive number of 50,000 hostages. Unless a superhero exists on this Earth, the demands of the rebels must be heard and met first because the safety of the 50,000 civilians is top priority. Another solution would be providing a federal state for the Tamil Tigers and negotiate to evacuate the Tigers out of the war zone. We should also try to negotiate to bring the sick out of the warzone. In addition, we should provide those who managed to escape enough food, water, and medicine. With regards to the doctors that fled the hospitals and abandoning the sick and the wounded, they should be stripped of their professions. A doctor's duty is to cure anyone regardless of who the person is or under what circumstances. Doctors are supposed to breathe life back into bodies, but they have fled as cowards.

Ex-soldier could face death over Iraq murders, rape

A U.S. soldier has been convicted of raping a 14-year old Iraqi girl and killing her and her family. He now faces a death penalty. His name is Steven Green of Midland, Texas. He was found to be guilty of murder, rape, conspiracy, and obstruction of justice, according to the court. The 23-year-old man had led a group of soldiers back in 2006 in the Mahmoudiya area, south of Baghdad. They killed the girl's father, mother, and younger sister before raping her and burning her bodfy. Three other soldiers were given sentences in prison ranging from 27 years to 100.
Spc. James Barker said that the soldiers were drinking whisky and playing cards when Green started the idea of going to the house near the checkpoint where they were stationed and raping a girl.

This kind of crime also happened last year. Formal Pfc. Jesse Spielman received a 110-year sentence in prison. He was guilty of felony murder, conspiracy to commite rape, and housebreaking with the intent to commit rape.

The Iraqi citizens are outraged. The demanded that American soldiers accused of crime against Iraqi civilians should be prosecuted in an Iraqi court. However, the U.S. military and civilian officials said otherwise, but vowed to bring justice to those guilty.

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These soldiers who were found guilty should be kept behind bars for the rest of their lives. Instead of fulfilling their duties as soldiers to fight to help bring peace to a foreigh country, they had done the opposite. This incident completely tainted the reputation of the U.S. military and bring out some provoking questions. Should U.S. soldiers just be left out there to do whatever they want? As shown above, a U.S. soldier could easily walk into a house and kill an entire family. Every crime has its consequence, and the soldier failed to think about them.

U.S. sends musicians to make overtures in war zones

In March 2009, 4 musicians from Alvin Atkinson and the Sound Merchants traveled with the U.S. State Department for a new diplomacy program called Musical Overtures. They visited Armenia, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Lebanon, with the hopes of bridging the cultural divide between he U.S. and these conflict–area zones.

Pianist Jonathan Lefcoski walked into a rehearsal at a music club in Baghdad. He did not know if he would be welcomed, or at least his music recognized. However, he was playing through Caraven, an American Jazz classic with an Iraqi bass player. He said that he realized that, "music was universal."

The U.S. musicians had already traveled to other countries in the past. However, this was the first time that Music Overtures took musicians into the war zones of Iraq and Afghanistan. The State Department had always wanted to send musicians over to Iraq and Afghanistan, but they could not because of the brutal situations in those areas that did not provide musicians with enought safety.

This kind of project is called a cultural diplomacy. This type of diplomacy dates back to the Cold War. Music was considered as a "good cultural weapon." The government back then sponsored musicians, especially Jazz musicians because Jazz was the most internationally known type of music that originated in the U.S. Jazz musicians such as Louis Armstrong and Dizzy Gillespie were sent into countries.

However, Alvin Atkinson (the lead singer and drummer) and his band had faced problems in the past also. On a different tour two years ago, a man in Jordan called him a "bloodsucking imperalist." and told him to leave the country. A black president seemed to improve foreign attitudes toward the U.S. On the other hand, Atkinson remembers his day in the city of Mazar-e-Sharif, where he danced on stage with Hassan Bismil, a famous singer. Atkinson began to sing, and the crowd quickly grew from a few dozen to more than 300 people. They did not know any English, but they tried to sing along with him anyway.

Now, Musical Overtures is growing steadily, mainly from the influence of George W. Bush. He had increased the budget of such cultural programs from $900,000 to $1o million in 2008. The budget right now remains at $8.5 million. Hilary Clinton, Secretary of State, stated that the cultural exchange is an important part of Obama administration's emphasis on using non-military ways to expand American influence.

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The responses from other readers to this article was mostly negative. They were criticizing that this news article should not be one of the head articles. I disagree. Music Overtures is one of the few ways that can reach out to civilians, the true owners of their countries, and speack of peace through music. Music has no boundaries. Music is one of the few things that every single person on this planet appreciates and is fond with. Instead of guns, why not use music? I also admire the musicians who traveled into the war-zones despite risks of death.

World battles swine flu as death toll rises

The police are guarding the hospital entrance. No one knows how to treat it properly yet. the doctors at mexico were mystified. Everyone has their masks on. Patients keep flowing into hospitals all day long. People are sick and are dying. At a school in New York, the school was closed due to 28 confirmed cases of the swine flu. So far, a total of approximately 90 cases of outbreaks were confirmed around the world. 50 in the states, 6 in Canada, 3 in New Zealand, 2 each in spain and the UK, and 1 in Israel. Experts suspect that there are 11 more other countries that are infected. In response to the problem, the World Health Organiztion raised its alert level to 4 on the six-level-scale. This shows that the UN Agency thinks that the virus can be spread human-to-human.

Over the last 2 weeks, out of nearly two thousand that came to a hospital in Mexico, 150 died. Patients are kept clustered in rooms. There is also a problem trying to figure out if someone actually needs treatment or not. Hospital workers are complaining because they were not given medicine or masks. All school in Mexico have closed until at least the sixth of May. Mexico also ran out of medicine and sanitary masks, which is growing to be a huge problem. Airport quarantine systems have become more strict than before. China and Russia have cut off pork imports coming in from the US and Mexico. Japan and Indonesia are using thermographic censors to check the temperatures of the passengers arriving from Mexico. The Phillipines Health Department even urged people not to kiss in public.

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Although not mentioned in this paper, South Korea is influenced by the disease. The South Korean government has confirmed a suspected case of the swine disease. Pork prices have falled drastically during the past days. People are frightened. The Agriculture and Forestry Ministry stated that the government and the Korea Swine Association are coming up with new standard procedures to check for possible infections and devising actions to be taken if a sick animal is discovered. They are also limiting pork imports from the US and Mexico. This shows that the disease is highly contagious because it has reached people living on the other side of the Earth. It is a problem that should not be taken lightly.

South Africans Vote, Expecting Few Big Changes

On Wednesday, South Africans lined up to vote for their new president. At one polling building, the line stretched down 200 yards down one street. However, the people did not seem to mind the long wait. Thomas Baloyi, 49, had arrived at 5:45 a.m. and was able to cast his ballot five hours later. He had voted for the African National Congress, the party that liberated them from apartheid. It had governed the country for the past fifteen years.

Almost every in South Africa were croweded like this one. Many voting places ran out of paper ballots and cardboard boxes where the votes were stored. The country's electoral commission says that these are only minor delays, while some politicians are saying that the failures are pitiful. A record of 23 million people showed up to vote, in a country of 48.7 million.

This election was the 4th election of this new democratic nation, and it seems that Jacob Zuma, leader of the African National Congress, is going to win the election. From the early votes counted on Thursday out of 1.5 million votes, the African National Congress party had received more than 62% of the votes, despite the internal conflicts that the party has been facing.

The city of Diepsloot shows why the A.N.C. still received the most votes. The 150,000 people living there have always lived poverty on their backs. Some are lucky enough to live in government-funded homes, while other live in shacks known as "mkhukhus." However, things are getting better little by little, and the people think that it is because of the A.N.C. The A.N.C. remains as a symbol of liberation. Voters also relate Nelson Mandela to the party, and said that they do not want to let him down.

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The article shows evidences that South Africa is still a very young and premature country. People are voting for a party that has broken down for its traditional symbol of liberation. The South Africans must start to vote for the present and the future, and not for the past. Just because a party has helped to liberate the country from apartheid does not mean that it will continue to serve the country well. Retired Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who had also contributed tremendously to liberating South Africa stated that he will not vote for Jacob Zuma because he was accused of political corruption while he was president.

N. Korea orders out nuclear inspectors

After the United States criticized Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea, for the recent missile launch, Kim Jung Il expelled all of the U.S. nuclear inspectors that were watching over North Korea. All surveillance cameras were taken down along with all of the other surveillance equipment. The tension rises as State Department acting spokesman Robert Wood stated that the U.S. has warned the North Koreans that they would face consequences for kicking inspectors out. Wood said that they are working his partners, both on the Security Council and outside of the Security Council to bring consequences to North Korea's action.

He also stated that the U.S. proposed ideas of additional sanctions. The U.S. would cut off all exports of any goods that could support North Korea's nuclear program. Wood stated that the committee will have further meetings on the list of good and entities to be sanctioned. If the committee cannot come to an agreement by April 24, the U.N. Security Council will take over the case. North Korea said that it will reactivate all of its nuclear plants and continue with reprocessing spent fuel. On Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton refered North Korea's move "an unnecessary response to the legitimate statement put out of concern by the U.N. Security Council."

In addition to the expelling of the IAEA inspectors, Pyongyang left the six-party talks focusing on nuclear programs and said that it would continue to expand its nuclear self-defense capabilities. The six-party talks were comprised of China, Russia, Japan, South Korea, and the United States. The North Korean Foreign Ministry called the U.N. condemnation of its missile launch on April 5th as a gross interference on North Korea's authority. The North Korean government is still insisting that the launch was peaceful launch of a satellite into orbit.

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Even though the satellite launch had been confirmed as a failure, this provocative act could have been a long-range missle that could have reached the U.S. easily. I do not think it is wise for North Korea to start these kind of rash and reckless provocations. It is obvious President Obama and North Korean officials' first meeting was not the most friendly one. The United States is being threatened and provoked constantly, and these times could become a powerder keg that could explode anytime in the future. Kim Jung Il should stop his selfish acts and start thinking about the future of his country. The North Korean citizens are living in such dismal living conditions that they try to escape to the South under the extremely high threat of getting shot down by the border patrols.

$15 Million Donation Launches

There is going to be a new medical research centre at Vancouver General Hospital. Robert H.N. Ho had donated $15 million. The money had been spent to the establishment of the Robert H. N. Ho Research Centre. The facility will be as tall as seven stories and as big as 69,350 square feet. It will be used to carry out the functions of the Vancouver Prostate Centre, Centre for Hip Health and Mobility, and Ovarian Cancer Research Initiative. The facility is said to hold hundreds of scientists and clinicians researching for new and better treatments and cures for patients who have prostate cancer, ovarian cancer, and also hip and mobility problems. The donation is also going towards new equipment and research to improve cardiac care.

Mr. Ho says that he is "proud to play a part in helping improve the lives of people from across B.C. and around the world." He expressed that, "before you receive, you must first give." The total cost of the new research facility is more than $60 million, including all equipment and construction. The provincial government had already contributed more than $22 million.

Mr. Ho is well-known for his world-wide philanthropic work. He is the chairman of the Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation and Tung Lin Kok Yuen Canada Foundation. He has made numerous donations to Colgate University in New York, Hong Kong University, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, Stanford University, and University of British Columbia. From this recent donation, he has received numerous thanks and acknowledgements. To name a few, from the president and CEO of the VGH and UBC Hospital Foundation, the president and CEO of the Canada Foundation for Innovation, and of course, the Vancouver General Hospital.

How could this project be a good thing? How might this apply to the future?
- This project is a good thing because it is a huge contribution towards a worthy cause, medical research. Ovarian cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death in women. Prostate cancer death rates have been growing steadily in Canada. This can shape our future into one with more effective cancer cures, especially for ovarian and prostate cancers. The VGH is a world-leading medical facility. This will set a good example for other hospitals in the world to pay attention to.

Verdict awaited in Manitoba bus beheading trial

A man is waiting at the court as I write, waiting for the his verdict on Thursday morning. The man is accused of beheading a twenty-two year old guy named Timothy McLean in Winnipeg, on a bus in July. The body had been damaged in more than 100 places. The trial has been going on for two days, which ened on Wednesday. The man's name is name is Vince Weiguang Li. He was also accused of eating a small part of the victim's body.

Li pleaded not guilty of a second-degree murder. He alleged that he had killed Timothy from orders from God. The verdict is likely to send him to a provincial psychiatric facility rather than a prison. He would be freed when he is considered no longer a threat to those around him. However, the victim's uncle, Alex McLean wants Li to spend his life in prison for twenty five years instead of a hospital. Psychiatrists have said that Li was very mentally ill at that time, especailly suffering from schizophrenia.

The controversy now is where Li is going to go; a mental hospital or prison. My opinion is that he should be spending ten years at a decent mental hospital. He was not fully conscious of his actions, and he is extremely ill. Ill patients need medical treatment, not torture. In a sense, Li is also a victim in this case. Sorry for Alex McLean's family members and relatives, but I do not think that their own personal revenge should destroy another poor man's life.

Obama reaches out to Russia over nuclear Iran

President Obama finally acted on Iran's new nuclear program. He sent a letter to Russia that he will get rid of all the missile defense system in Europe if Iran drops plans for nuclear weapons. Why did he send this to Russia? He was asking them to help trying to end Iran's nuclear program. He wrote that Russia can have a role in Iran's new nuclear threat and stop the US from establishing a missile base in Poland and a radar facility in Czech Republic. The missile defence system is basically sending out a non-explosive interceptor if a hostile missle detected to elimintae the threat before it gets close to ground. Therfore, President Obama is asking Russia to be a cooperative partner rather than a threat.

Dmitry Medvedev, the President of Russia, said that the letter did not make any reference to a link between Russian assistance to limit Iran's nuclear program and the plans to construct missile defense facillities in Eastern Europe.

However, Iran is denying that it has a nuclear weapons program. Iran's foreign ministry stated that Iran's uranium stockpile is completely baseless. They continued to say that Iran is working towards peace, and that all this talk about them trying to make a bomb is just a propaganda.

I do not think that President Obama should be making hasty conclusions on the unproven fact that Iran is developing a nuclear bomb right now. I think Iran is trying to survive during this economic depression by saving fuel to export, and I applaud this idea because nuclear energy will save tons of natural gas that we can save up for the future. There are UN watchdogs and cameras all over the nuclear facility, and these have shown that there is not a single evidence of bomb-making yet.

Obama to end combat mission in Iraq by August 2010

On Thursday, President Obama told lawmakers that he will withdraw most of the troops in Iraq by August 2010, but leave some behind to advise Iraqi troops, protect U.S. interests, and guide Iraq safely throughout its upcoming election. President Obama simply stated, "Let me say this as plainly as I can: By August 31, 2010, our combat missions in Iraq will end."

This plan is still three months later than the promised date on the campaign trail, but he got the job done. There are currently 142,000 US troops in Iraq. Under the agreement of the Bush administration, all US troops must be out of Iraq by December 31, 2011.

Liberals are not happy with President Obama because he had not kept his promised date in his letter, but he had provided some flexibility and time for military commanders to get the job done. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is unhappy that President Obama is still leaving behind a large number of troops behind, saying that the numbers were a bit higher than he expected. Some Democrats are saying that he is still leaving too many troops behind.

35,000 ~ 50,000 support troops will remain. He said that situations are still fragile with the new election approaching in december. He stated that he will change his plans if violence worsens.

I think the numbers and the timing is just perfect. The U.S. still needs some troops to stay behind and make sure that the new election in December goes well. Iraq's new election will be a crucial point in its history. It might mark the beginning of its recovery, or it might mark the beginning of a worse times of recession. Providing three months for the military commanders is a good decision because things should not be rushed in times of this kind of fragility.

Iran tests its first nuclear power plant

Iran tested its first nuclear power plant, Bushehr, on wednesday. The officials at the power plant stated that this test was to measure the "pressure, temperature, and flow rate." The test was observed by the Russian nuclear agency, and the power plant itself was built by help from the Russians.

However, this test is causing two opposing reactions over the world.The Iranian government and the citizens of Iran are celebrating their new peaceful nuclear program, and they are proud. Countries in the West think that they might be working towards making a nuclear bomb.

One suspicious evidence is that Iran is now one step closer to producing electricity with nuclear power, but Iran is a one of the countries in the world that has the most natural oil and gas. The West is wondering why it needs nuclear energy. The Iranian government responded that they want to sell more oil and not use them for themselves for more profit. Another evidence is that the fuel used in these power plants can also be used to make bombs.

Hassan Qashqavi, Iran's foreign minister spokesman said that nuclear bombs are against the Muslim rules. Also, Iran has gladly agreed to be monitored by UN's watchdogs at all times. The IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) sayst that their cameras located in the power plant have confirmed that there is no evidence of them working towards making a bomb.

I do not blame Iran for this nuclear power test because everyone is at an economic crisis right now. I do not blame the West for being suspicious because these are very unstable times when a single bomb can trigger a World War III. I think that the only thing we can do right now is to make sure that the surveillance system in the power plant is very carefully structured and monitored, so that any possible threat could be detected at once. President Obama has not had a say in this matter yet, but I do not think that he has the right to close this power plant down. He should let Iran use its power plant under the condition that the US government sends watchdogs as well.

Family of 5 weathers economy with 7 housemates

This is a story about a family in New Mexico who have provided their hospitality to 7 people. Chris and Georgia Frankel have three daughters of their own, ages 3, 6, and 17. The house is located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Currently, there are 5 more adults and 2 teens.

This house is open to anyone who needs help. Some people stay temporarily, and some people become very close family members. Although a coupld of them were paying rent to the house, the fees were really low. Most of the people are staying for free. They are staying for all kinds of reasons, from difficult family situations to trouble with their roomates.

Chris and Georgia say that they really do not want any rent, and they want to do anything they can to help other people in financial difficulties. However, the surprising fact is that Chris and Georgia are not wealthy either. In fact, they were so poor that they had to beg and borrow money from to live on. They say, "My kids get to experience different cultures and different kinds of people. At the end of the day, if it comes down between saving a dollar or helping someone else out, we have been pretty good about seeing the investment in our friendships and our family. That's what keeps us going and keeps us pretty happy."

This story shone a glimpse of light and hope into the miserable economic conditions in the world. Everyone, even those in terrible financial conditions, should keep in mind that there are always people who are in worse conditions than themselves. People should start paying forward, and that will certainly help to revive the economy. It is amazing to watch Georgia and Chris providing those in need with a private relief plan of their own, aside from the government's stimulus package.

Politician in Malaysia nudity row

A Malaysian opposition politician handed her resignation paper after naked photos of her sleeping were being shared among the media and some male politicians' cell phones. Her name is Elizabeth Wong, a 37-year-old Malaysia's top human rights activist. She blamed the government of "gutter politics" for the release of the photos.

She talked of women's rights and their rights for privacy in her press conference. The photos were believed to have been taken by her ex-boyfriend. Some politicians are criticizing her for allowing a man into her room when she is a single, unmarried woman. She said that this incident was deceptive attempt by other politicians to degrade her party. However, the government has denied its involvement in this scandal.

This shows that the Malaysian government is not mature enough yet to accept women politicians and discard sexist opinions. This really shows a contrast with the US government, where Hilary Clinton continues to be a well-respected secretary of state. However, I do not think Ms Wong should resign despite her emotional traumas. She should take this as an example of the sexist flaws in the Malaysian government and fight for women's rights. This incident really changed my view of the Malaysian government.

Hillary Clinton adopts softer line with North Korea

Hilary Clinton, the secretary of state started her mission abroad in Japan. She stated that the possible missle launch by North Korea would be unhelpful, especially when they are trying to form a better relationship with the United States. However, she promised humanitarian aid, diplomatic recognition, and security guarantees for North Korea if it gave up completely on its nuclear weapons.

She spoke about President Obama's statement in his inaugural address that "the US will reach out a hand to those with whom we have differences, as long as they unclench their fists." The decision is up to them to end reckless language and threats. She also talked about harmony and balance between countries and their relationships. She stated that the US wants a peace treaty rather than a ceasefire, and that the US is willing to help the people of North Korea. Hilary Clinton will continue her trip to South Korea and China soon.

I think Hilary Clinton is doing a good job by traveling to the opposite side of the world to talk more effectively to the Asian countries rather than just sitting back at home. It shows that she really cares and wants to get these Korean conflicts solved as quickly and peacefully as possible. North Korea has to stop its rash and irresponsible threats right now and turn its attention towards peace, not war.

Global alert issued for 85 terror suspects

Interpol released a security alert for 85 suspected al Qaeda terrorists wanted by Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, February 10. The list was mostly Saudi suspects, with the exception of two Yemenis.

The Interpol Secretary General Ronald Noble stated that this was the first time that Interpol was asked to alert people about so many suspects. All 85 wanted terrorists are suspected of motives to attack Saudi Arabia. Interpol also stated that a country asking for help in this kind of degree is really rare.

This really shows the urgency of the Saudi Arabian goverment's need for help and its desperateness. It stated in the article also that "It is rare for the kingdom to announce that some of its most wanted terrorists are on the loose. It is also unusual for Saudi Arabia to ask for help in finding them." I do not know if Interpol is doing the best it can or have made any progress, but I hope that they are because a country's government asking for outside help is really something.

American Senate comes to $780 billion stimulus plan

President Obama had wanted a $900 billion economic stimulus plan to be passed through the Senate, but the Senate has cut it down to $780 billion. The Senate leaders are confident that this $780 stimulus package will pass the Senate voting that is coming up in a few days.

However, most of the Republicans are refusing to vote for the $780 package. Only two votes were assured from the Republicans.

President Obama expressed the urgency of this economic crisis and the need for this stimulus package. He said that the problem we face is not getting better, but becoming worse and worse. As for the package, he said, "Broadly speaking, the package is the right size, it is the right scope, and it has the right priorities to create 3 to 4 million jobs, and to do it in a way that lays the groundwork for long-term growth."

I applaud President Obama for acting quickly and showing to the people of the United States that the government does not take forever to act. However, acting quickly could lead to some problems or maybe big ones in the end if not thought out carefully. I just hope President Obama has thought this over carefully. I also think that the Democrats and the Republicans should stop turning this serious voting into a bipartisan event. Both sides should vote for what they truly believe will save America's economy.

Budget 2009

Jim Flaherty, the Minister of Finance, announced the budget to save the nation from economic downfall on January 27th. The plan provides about $30 billion to support the Canadian families and businesses. The plan states that 12 billion will be going to build roads and buldings, $20 billion for personal income tax relief, about $200 billion to improve access to financing, and $7.5 billion to Canada Skills and Transition Strategy.

However, the reactions around economists are not happy. All the economists on Don Newman's show, a political TV show, gave it a B-. The government’s order was to stimulate the economy enough to restore confidence to consumers and businesses. There are also some people saying that the budget is decent because it is spent basically towards working Canadians.

Ignatieff's Liberals decided to support Harper's Conservatives's budget, but with few amendments of his own. He stated that the report requires details such as protecting the vulnerable, creating jobs, and stimulating the economy.

This made the NDP leader Jack Layton and Bloc Quebecois leader Gilles Duceppe to become outraged. They had wanted the Liberals to defeat Harper's government over the budget. Layton accused Ignatieff of "propping up" Harper, and Duceppe said that the opposition coalition formed early last month "dead."

I think that the government's stimulus budget plan is definitely good enough to provide a temporary relief for the citizens of Canada who are suffering from this crisis. I think what we need now is just time and effort from every one of us.

Throne Speech

The Speech from the Throne by Governor General Michaëlle Jean was really gloomy about Canada's economic situations right now and about the 13 billion dollars that the government had promised for tax relief.

The Governor General stated that in response to this national crisis, the "Economic stimulus plan" will be put in action. The plan was fairly general in topic. The government said that it would encourage private spending and direct government action, protect stability of the economic system, support industries in difficulty, and protect the unemployed and aboriginals.

The Conservatives said that they will spent all the required money to revive the suffering economy. New Democrat Leader Jack Layton, stated that someone other than Harper would better in this situation."There's probably going to be measures there that we would support, but they are much more likely to actually be implemented by a government that believes in them," he told reporters."I'm afraid we have to say that Mr. Harper has lost our confidence and he's now willing to propose things he doesn't really believe in, in order to save his job."

Canada’s opposition Liberals stated that they will support Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s budget after the government agreed to provide regular progress reports on the plan. However, the New Democrats and Bloc Quebecois have already said that they will vote against the financial plan.

Not only does the Throne Speech bring a sense of a huge national crisis, it shows the increase of tension between the political parties. If Harper cannot bring the economy back up, the other political parties would be happy to overthrow him. His financial plan should work out really well quickly, or Harper would be losing his job.

Virginia Tech Student Decapitated

Xin Yang, a 22-year-old Chinese international student who was just trying to adapt to the school in an accounting program was decapitated with a kitchen knife in a cafe on Thursday.

The alleged killer, Haiyang Zhu, also from China, was arrested on the scene. He was found holding Miss Xin's head on the scene. He was a doctoral student in agricultural and applied economics was said to be helping Miss Xin adapt to her new school. He was charged with first-degree murder.

The reason for his murder is still a mystery, but postings were found oh him blog talking about how frustrated he was from his losses in his stock investments. He wrote that he thought of killing himself or killing someone else. This event brought back painful memories to the citizens of U.S. and the world from the Virginia Tech Massacre in April 2007.

I think that from this incident, Virginia Tech should look deeper into the emotions and the psychologies of its students. It should try to to prevent factors that might have caused this kind of wrongdoing such as depression and peer-pressure. We must make sure that these kinds of tragedies do not happen again.

Obama orders Gitmo closed within one year

On Thursday, President Obama re-inspected the law concerning how terrorists and terrorist suspects. He signed an order to close down the prison camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba within a year.

He signed an executive order banning "enhanced interrogation techniques" by the Bush administration. These techniques included waterboarding, a method of torture by pouring excessive water on the prisoner's face repeatedly. It also required the CIA to stop any secret prisons or interrogations it may be operating.

Obama said the closure of Guantanamo will be "consistent with national security and foreign interests of the United States" and said he wants to send a message to the world that the United States will continue to pursue terrorists but will also operate from the high ground. He says that the United States will watch terrorism closely and effectively in a way that goes alongside our values and ideals.

However, Republic lawmakers are saying that a problem exists, saying that they should not bring the 250 prisoners inside the United States' borders or send them back to the battlefield. Senator John McCain and Senator Lindsey Graham both said that they support President Obama's order, but said that there will be some difficulties. Many prisoners who were released did not have any place to go to because not a single foreign country were willing to accept them.

On the other hand, human rights groups were happy to hear this news. Even though they admit that the prisoners will cause some trouble, they are glad that Obama "understands that indefinite detention without trial must end once and for all.

I do not think that President Obama should have signed the order to close down Guantanamo Bay. Where wil the 250 prisoners go? Some of them will be released, and not a single country wants to accep one of them. President Obama should have personally gone to the prison camp and inspected the facility himself. Then, he will get a better idea of how things work there, and it will also show to the media and to the world that he really cares for human rights by going to a place filled with people who are suspected of wanting to destory America. He should have just fired the employees and guards and banned any kind of inhuman torturing interrogation techniques.

North Korea Proposes War Threats

There has been a lot of talking going on over the war threat made by North Korea on a North Korean news channel by a military spokesman in full uniform. People are wondering if this should be considered as just a fake threat or if this should be considered as a global crisis.

South Korea has intensified its military surveillance nonetheless, especially in the west coasts and the sea. The North and the South had engaged in naval skirmishes over the disputed sea border in the West Sea in 1999 and 2002.

The military spokesman accuses South Korea of planning an invasion, and stated, "Our revolutionary armed forces will launch into an all-out confrontational posture to crush the South." The North stated that the 30.8 kilograms of plutonium had been used to make warheads for missiles, and with 30.8 kilograms, 4~5 warheads could be made.

Why are people so worried when this is not the first war threat made by North Korea? This was the first time a spokeman made a fully-uniformed appearance. Analysts are guessing that they might be serious this time. However, most Korean citiznes are oblivious to the threat of nuclear bombs flying over their heads. Some analysts are even saying that the North are just trying to grab attention from the world due to their impoverished society.

Just days before, the new-elected prime minister Barack Obama received a message from North Korea that the 30.8 kilograms of plutonium has been weaponized. The message was delivered by the director of the Washington-based Center for International Policy's Asia Program, Selig Harrison.

Harrison also reported that Foreign Minister Pak Ui Chun stated that the North wants better relations with Obama's new government. He said that the North wants Obama to make sure North Korea receives promised energy aid and to help revive their agriculture.

Harrison also said that the North Korean officials are going to stop disabling the North's Yongbyon reactor if Japan does not give them 200,000 tons of fuel oil promised by Japan. Japan had fulfilled its part in the deal saying that the North had abducted the Japanese nationals.

As a citizen of South Korea, there cannot be a worse news than the news of your country jumping into a war again, especially against your own people. The question is, "Is this another bluff? And how should we react to this threat?" I think that whether this is just a bluff to be in a better position in a negotiation or an actual threat, South Korea should really take this seriously even at the price of getting a bad deal at the next negotiation because a third world war is not needed in place of a tiny bit of the national budget. We should try to meet their demands and talk things out towards world peace. The officials should keep talking of peace, and I think that the United Nations should take part in the talks also and help out the people in North Korea who are living in poverty.