Friday, October 15, 2010

China's Economic Stability Benefits the U.S.

BEIJING - The United States should stop politicizing China's currency issues, a spokesman for the Ministry of Commerce said on Friday, emphasizing that China's economic stability and growth mean more benefits to the US economy and consumers.


In an article by the China Daily, http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2010-10/16/content_11417457.htmYao Jian, spokesman for the ministry, said China should not be a "scapegoat" for the US' economic and unemployment woes.


China is the third largest exporting destination of the US, but the US also benefits from the large number of US companies operating in China that export back to the US, Yao said.


Yao's remarks came hours before the US Department of Treasury was scheduled to release a biannual currency report on Friday, in which the largest economy in the world will decide whether to label its major trading partner a currency manipulator.
Opinion: These are rather shortsighted comments by the Ministry of Commerce official.  The U.S. consumers may be benefiting from the flow cheap goods in the country, but it is at the cost American jobs regardless of what they say.  U.S. companies are purely motivated by profit without regard for the worker.  I would rather pay a little more for a product made in this country, by our workers if it meant putting our people back to work and ushering in a new age of prosperity.  I'm afraid that we are selling ourselves out.

British Security Consultant Kidnapped in Somalia

A British security consultant contracted by U.K. charity Save the Children was kidnapped on the Somalian border with Ethiopia.



They were seized in the town of Adado, which is under the control of clan bosses. It is also used as a base by piracy kingpins whose gangs have netted tens of millions of dollars in ransoms from hijacking ships.
In a report by the Guardian News, http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/oct/15/british-charity-workers-kidnapped-somaliaAli Sayid Omar, the owner of the guesthouse where the pair were staying, told the Guardian that militia groups were pursuing the kidnappers, who are believed to be moving east towards the coast.
"They are trying to find them before they get too far," he said.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad In Southern Lebanon


Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian president, has praised Lebanon for its resistance against Israel, while addressing a huge crowd in a Lebanese village close to the Israeli border.


Speaking to 15,000 cheering Hezbollah supporters on Thursday in Bint Jbeil, the scene of fierce fighting between the Iranian-backed group and Israeli soldiers in July 2006, Ahmadinejad said the town was a symbol of resistance.
"Today the Lebanese nation is alive and is a role model for the regional nations," he said, declaring that the "Zionists are mortal".


Ahmadinejad, a known critic of Israel, is on a two-day visit to Lebanon.


In a report by Al Jazeerahttp://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2010/10/2010101416133587181.html, on arriving in Lebanon, Mr. Ahmadinejad stated that Iran would support Beirut against Israel's hostility.


Opinion: What could be Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's motives behind his comments.  It appears to me that he is more interested in inciting confrontation rather than seeking peace in the region.  Iran could be a major player in promoting peace in the Middle East by using it's sizable influence, yet Mr. Ahmadinejad seems to be nothing more than a mouthpiece for Iran's real leadership.  I have a great respect for the Iranian people and I hope that the future will bring a more reasonable leadership to power.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Opinion: Chilean Miners Rescued

This story has been followed worldwide so there is no need for me to report it.

I, just as many of you, I'm sure, were impressed with the courage of these miners in the face of adversity.  On top of this, the site of Chilean President Sebastian Pinera at the site of the recovery was one of the most impressive and responsible things that I think I have ever seen from a nation's leader.  His excitement seemed genuine, with no hint of a political motive.  He was proud of these men and their rescuers, like no one I have ever seen.

To all of the miners rescued today...Welcome back and God Bless You and Your Families.

President Pinera...I think many of the worlds leaders could learn something about integrity and pride in their country from you.

Ahmadinejad Backs A United Lebanon

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said that his country is strongly in favor of a unified Lebanon, during his first visit to the country.

As reported by the BBC, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-11526143, Ahmadinejad's remarks came amid fears that his visit could adversely impact the fragile political balance in Lebanon.

He later spoke at a rally in an area where Iran funded reconstruction after the 2006 Hezbollah-Israeli conflict.

On Thursday Mr. Ahmadinejad will tour towns and villages on the southern border with Israel, a move that may inflame his critics.

Thursday, October 7, 2010

U.N. Worker Kidnapped In Darfur

A United Nations worker was kidnapped to day in Sudan's Darfur region hours after a Security Council delegation arrived in the area.

Darfur
The employee who was working with peace-keepers, was snatched from his residence in the city of Fasher.  Security Council representatives had just arrived in Fasher to express concerns over the rise in violence in Darfur .
Omar al-Bashir

Earlier, Sudanese armed forces, long accused of atrocities in Darfur, launched renewed attacks on rebels.  The government forces said they had taken a key stretch of road from the rebel Sudan Liberation Army, about 100 miles (160km) away from Fasher.
The BBC reports that http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-11497460, later on Thursday, the joint UN-African Union peacekeeping force, Unamid, told journalists that that one of their workers had been snatched.
Opinion: The disaster in Sudan continues.  Lawlessness seems to prevail and yet there doesn't seem to be any signs of real improvement.  I doubt that any substantive change will occur until President Omar al-Bashir is brought to justice on his international arrest warrant.

Chilean Miners To Be Rescued In Days

Photo by Eva Salinas, Santiago Times
Excessive pressure on the hammer of the T-130 drill – perforating the so-called “Plan B” escape hole – prompted engineers to stop drilling and change the hammer Monday night at the San José mine in northern Chile, where 33 miners are trapped 700 meters underground.
The Santiago Times reports that, http://www.santiagotimes.cl/news/other/19927-all-eyes-on-chile-as-miner-rescue-expected-within-days, the engineers also decided to reduce the diameter of the hole from 28 inches to 26 inches. This will enable the drill to pass a curve in the tunnel without wearing away the hammer prior to the final stage of drilling.

President Sebastián Piñera said he hoped the miners were out before his scheduled trip to Europe, where he is expected to participate in several official activities beginning Oct. 18. 
Some reports by various other news agencies feel that the miners could be rescued as soon as Saturday.  In any event it looks like these brave miners will be rescued far sooner than the worst estimates.

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Hungary...Toxic Sludge Is An Ecological Catastrophe

As if the loss of 4 lives and 120 injuries was not enough of a tragedy, we now are focusing on the ecological catastrophe that is unfolding.  


Hungary today declared a state of emergency in three western counties after a dam holding back a vast reservoir of toxic red sludge, from an aluminum plant burst.  The sludge, which is waste produced during aluminium manufacture, swept cars off roads and damaged bridges and homes, forcing the evacuation of 400 residents. About 7,000 people are thought to have been directly affected by the spill.


The sludge poured out yesterday when a dam at the reservoir of the Ajkai Timfoldgyar Zrt aluminum plant, owned by MAL Zrt, broke after days of heavy rain.


The Guardian of the U.K. reports that, http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/oct/05/hungary-toxic-sludge-spill so far, about 1,000,000 cubic meters of sludge have leaked from the reservoir.  Seven towns, including Kolontal, Devecser, and Somlovasarhely, have  been affected near the plant in Ajka, 100 miles southwest of Budapest.

Birtukan Mideksa Ethiopian Opposition Leader Released


Birtukan Mideksa the highly popular Ethiopian opposition leader has been released from jail.  Her release comes four months after the government's landslide win in elections.
She was one of several opposition leaders imprisoned for life after the 2005 poll. They were later pardoned, but Ms Birtukan was rearrested for violating the terms of her release.
"I am very relieved," she told the BBC, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-11483828 at her home in the capital, where crowds had gathered to welcome her.
Ms Birtukan is a former judge and was one of the younger and more charismatic leaders of the coalition that did well against the ruling party in the 2005 elections.
Opinion: It is about time that this honorable woman has been released from prison.  Her courage while being unlawfully imprisoned should be an inspiration to those of us who don't have to deal with the adversity that she has had to confront.
Congratulations Ms. Mideksa on your release!

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Democratic Republic of Congo Rebel Leader Arrested Over Mass Rapes


UN peacekeepers and the army in DR Congo have arrested a rebel leader suspected of leading attacks involving the mass rape of hundreds of civilians.
The UN said Lt Col Mayele of the Mai Mai Cheka rebel group was captured in a joint operation in North Kivu province.
Between 300 and 500 people are thought to have been raped during violence in eastern DR Congo in July and August.
As reported by SwissInfo.ch, http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/news/international/U.N._says_captures_rebel_who_led_Congo_rapes.html?cid=28479892, peacekeepers were criticized for failing to stop the attacks, some of which took place close to a UN base.
Opinion: The peacekeepers are clearly undermanned and appear to be doing the best they can under the current conditions.  The world needs to respond to this crisis with a more concerted effort.  How many more years are we to stand by and watch this tragedy continue to unfold.

Deadly Red Sludge Kills 3 and Injures 120 in Hungary

Hungary has declared a state of emergency in three counties following a toxic red mud spill that has killed three people and left another 120 injured.


A reservoir of residue from an aluminium plant broke on Monday night, releasing corrosive sludge that swamped Kolontar and Devecser, two villages in western Hungary.


"We have declared a state of emergency in Veszprem, Gyor-Moson-Sopron and Vas counties," a government spokesperson said on Tuesday.


The sludge was reported to be threatening at least another two counties.


Al Jazeera reports, http://english.aljazeera.net/news/europe/2010/10/2010105122242999996.html, that one million cubic metres of red mud had poured out of the containment pond at the Ajkai Timfoldgyar Zrt plant.


He described the incident as the worst-ever chemical accident in Hungary, saying: "It's an ecological catastrophe".

Monday, October 4, 2010

West Bank Mosque Burned By Jewish Settlers In The West Bank?


The attack left walls charred, books burned and graffiti scrawled on the walls
Israel is investigating Palestinian suspicions that a mosque in the West Bank was set alight by Jewish settlers.
Arsonists reportedly scrawled Hebrew graffiti on the walls of the mosque in Beit Fajjar, near Bethlehem.
The mayor of a nearby settlement condemned the attack and said those carrying it out must have been "extremists".
The assault comes as Palestinian-Israeli peace talks have faltered over the issue of settlements.
The BBC reports, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-11464621 residents of Beit Fajjar said a group of settlers went into the mosque overnight and set fire to carpets and copies of the Koran.
Reports say the word "revenge" was scrawled on the wall in Hebrew.
Opinion: If this is true then the culprits must be brought to justice.  This is a disgrace, if the accusation prove to be true.

Dutch Anti-Islam MP Geert Wilders Goes On Trial


Geert Wilders: "I am sitting here as a suspect because I have spoken... nothing but the truth"
The Dutch anti-Islam MP Geert Wilders has gone on trial in Amsterdam accused of inciting hatred against Muslims.
Mr Wilders, whose statements have included comparing the Koran with Hitler's Mein Kampf, told the court freedom of expression was on trial.
BBC News reports: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11464025
If found guilty, he faces a maximum sentence of a year in jail.
Mr Wilders' Freedom Party is the third biggest in the Netherlands after June's elections, and is expected to play a key role in the next parliament.
Prosecutors have brought five charges of inciting hatred and discrimination, and the trial will scrutinise statements he made between 2006 and 2008.
Opinion: Mr. Wilders clearly has a hatred of those religions and peoples that are different from his own.  Unfortunately he doesn't seem to see that his views are both hateful and disrespectful.  I feel sorry for him and for his ignorance.