Tag Archives: ows

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

World War 3, Economic Front: Australia, New Zealand give up U.S. Dollar! Join China!

08 April 2013 (11:40 UTC-07 Tango 06)/27 Jumada l-Ula 1434/19 Farvardin 1391/28 Yi-Mao (2nd month) 4711

“This is a huge advantage for Australia not only for our big businesses, but also for our small and medium enterprises that want to do business here.”-Julia Gillard, Australia’s Prime Minister

China and Australia have given up using the U.S. dollar to conduct business between themselves.

The major banks of Australia, New Zealand and China have agreed to use their own money; the Australian dollar and the Chinese yuan/renminbi.

Bank officials blame the U.S. dollar for the high cost of doing international business, avoiding it will save them money: “It certainly improves convenience for our customers and takes cost out for our customers to have the direct convertibility between the Australian dollar and the Chinese renminbi.”-Gail Kelly, Australia’s Westpac Bank

The ANZ bank is also taking part.  ANZ stands for Australia and New Zealand.

International

H7N9 update: 7th person dies! Two more people infected! More people tested in Hong Kong!

08 April 2013 (11:23 UTC-07 Tango 06)/27 Jumada l-Ula 1434/19 Farvardin 1391/28 Yi-Mao (2nd month) 4711

A seventh person has died in Shanghai.  The 64 years old man died one week after showing symptoms. By Wednesday he had pneumonia.

Health officials in Jiangsu Province say two people are sick with H7N9.  An 85 years old man and a  25 years old woman.

In Hong Kong, seven people are being tested for H7N9.  So far everyone tested in Hong Kong have been negative for the new bird flu.

At this point there are 24 confirmed cases of H7N9, and seven deaths, since the end of March.

International, U.S.

World War 3, East Asian Front: South Korea says North about to undertake 4th nuke test! Medical team leaves Kaesŏng! Capitalists admit the communist blockade of KIR hurts them more than the North! North Korea says prepare for anything!

08 April 2013 (01:00 UTC-07 Tango 06)/27 Jumada l-Ula 1434/19 Farvardin 1391/28 Yi-Mao (2nd month) 4711

“Given economic conditions, it’s hard to reopen the Kaesong Industrial Park once it is closed down. Closure of the Kaesong park will inevitably lead to economic damage to South Korea….”-Hwang Woo-yea, of South Korea’s ruling political party Saenuri

Republic of Korea’s Unification Minister, Ryoo Kihl-jae, believes the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is about to conduct a forth nuclear weapons test. He refused to explain to South Korean media why he thinks that.

ROK Ministry of Defense downplayed the claim by Ryoo, saying their intelligence shows no movement in the area where the last nuke test took place.

However, a South Korean media source said there was increased activity at a test site in the northeast part of North Korea.

A ROK medic team based at the Kaesŏng Industrial Region (KIR) has left the area.  The DPRK continues its blockade of the KIR, several South Korean capitalist companies have ceased operations as a result.

A representative of North Korea’s ruling Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK), Kim Yang-gon, visited KIR and told communist workers to prepare for all possibilities.

Business/Economics, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? List of U.S. job losses & store closings for 20 February 2013: More health care cuts! Tens of thousands more laid off! More cuts for California!

The U.S. Army announced it will layoff 122063 civilian workers!!! Most of those layoffs will affect the states of Texas, Virginia, Alabama, Pennsylvania and California.

In Florida, the Army Navy Surplus Market in Tampa closed down. The store had been in business for 75 years. The owner retired.  In Jacksonville, Beaches Wings and Grill closed own, without notice and without explanation.

In Oregon, the Silverton Hospital laid off nine employees in their new cath lab: “People aren’t really using cath labs anymore because there are really good medications you can take, or insurance are now requiring that a patient take those medications prior to having a stent or going to the cath lab.”

In Maine, Franklin Memorial Hospital laid off 40 employees. They blame it on the fact the hospital is losing money.

In New York, 230 people were told they are about to lose their jobs! The Journal Register owns several newspapers that are about to be put out of print because of a takeover by 21st Century CMH Acquisition.  In Auburn, the Daikin McQuay heating and air conditioner factory announced they will shut down in 2014. 352 employees affected! The company is moving operations to Tennessee. New Hampshire based Vette Thermal to layoff 84 people in Ontario. They want to move operations to New Hampshire.

In Texas, NRG let go a total of 116 people in Houston! It’s the result of their merger with GenOn.  Between the two companies at least 500 people will be laid off!  Also in Houston, Sawyer Park sports bar closed. Local media say the bar lost business after fighting incidents and claims of racism.

Semiconductor maker Intersil laying off at least 18% of its employees.  Company officials said they needed to make their “customers” happy.   They probably mean their stockholders.

In Ohio, the Upper Arlington school district needs to cut $3 million USD from its budget, so that means layoffs. At least 52 employees will be affected.

In California, the Paradise Unified School District laying off nearly 15 employees. Declining enrollment and funding being blamed. In Rosemead, Bahooka tiki themed restaurant closed down. Apparently the new owner didn’t like the tiki theme. And the Buenas Vidas Youth Ranch closed down due to lack of funding.

Mexican owned DAK Americas closing its North Carolina factory.  600 employees affected!  Apparently the monomer, resin and fiber maker does not want to pay to upgrade the aging factory.

In Illinois, Helix Camera closed down after 49 years in business. The owner said his wife threatened him with divorce if he didn’t retire.  He also blamed the digital age.

Texas based CiCi’s Pizza closing their Cedar Rapids, Iowa, restaurant.  The owner of the franchise quit.

The Card Party store in Wayzata, Minnesota, closed down.  After seven years the owners says “It’s just not working out financially.”

Cheli’s Chili Bar of Dearborn, Michigan, closed down. The owners didn’t give an explanation.

Whitley Products laying off 86 people in Plymouth, Indiana. The company wants to close down their factory by May. In Evansville, the Showplace South second run movie theater out-o-business. The owners say they can’t afford to upgrade to digital.

In Charlottesville, Virginia, the Blue Ridge Eco Shop closed down. The owner said he could not renew the mall lease.

In Utah, the Dillard’s anchor store at the Cache Valley Mall gone for good.   Company officials told local media that they’re closing stores across the country because of crashing sales.

In Montana, another closing that the Christian god can’t stop. The Saint Paul Infant Center closed after 35 years of operations. Local media failed to explain why the Lutheran care center was closing.

 

 

International, U.S.

World War 3, East Asian Front: U.S. Forces Korea on high alert! South Korean officials cancel trip to Washington DC! China warns North Korea!

08 April 2013 (19:55 UTC-07 Tango 06 April 2013)/27 Jumada l-Ula 1434/19 Farvardin 1391/28 Yi-Mao (2nd month) 4711

“….He has asked the Senate Armed Services Committee, the House Armed Services Committee, and the House Appropriations Committee-Defense to excuse his absence until he can testify at a later date….”-USFK statement

U.S. Army General James Thurman, canceled his trip to testify before Congress, citing the fact that his U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) have been put on high alert.

Republic of Korea (ROK) Army General Jung Seung-jo, also canceled his trip to Washington DC, for similar reasons.

The Chinese President Xi Jinping, warned the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea not “…to throw a region and even the whole world into chaos…”

China’s Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, told UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon that China “…does not allow any troublemaking on China’s doorstep.”

Influenza

H7N9 update: Thailand says virus new to continental East Asia, came from U.S.! Inspectors say Thai chicken is good to eat!

08 April 2013 (19:39 UTC-07 Tango 06 April 2013)/27 Jumada l-Ula 1434/19 Farvardin 1392/28 Yi-Mao (2nd month) 4711

“H7N9 used to be found only in poultry in Europe, the United States and Japan. Never before have there been reports of people contracting the disease…..To be ready for H7N9, every hospital in Phuket will strictly monitor patients who have serious respiratory symptoms similar to those brought on by pneumonia and influenza. Surveillance Rapid Response Teams have been ordered to be ready around the clock.”-Bancha Kakong, Phuket Provincial Health Office

The Thai Agriculture Ministry is not worried about the Chinese ban on poultry imports: “H7N9 spread in China won’t affect Thai poultry exports.”

Thai officials say several foreign inspectors have given the OK for Thai chickens.  Qatar is the latest country to resume importing poultry from the southeast Asian country.

At latest count there are 21 cases of human H7N9 infections in China, six have died.

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

H7N9 update: Economic domino effect of poultry ban hits United States!

07 April 2013 (14:54 UTC-07 Tango)/26 Jumada l-Ula 1434/18 Farvardin 1391/27 Yi-Mao (2nd month) 4711

“This is a liquidating market until we run into a crop problem.”-Rich Feltes, R.J. O’Brien & Associates

Already tens of thousands of poultry have been killed off in China, to prevent the spread of the new deadly virus. Poultry markets are being shut down.  Not only does this directly affect the economy of China, it’s affecting farmers in the United States.

Commodity prices, mainly for U.S. soybeans, are dropping, because China is a major market for those U.S. crops.  The reasoning goes that if there’s no chickens to cook, then people won’t need the soybean oil to cook them in.

Up ’till now most cooking oil prices have been going up because of increased demand, and in some areas reduced supply.  China is the number one importer of soybeans, making up about 60% of the world market, so imagine what happens to soybean prices if they greatly reduce their purchases! (good for retail consumers, bad for farmers)

 

International

H7N9 update: More cases in China! Beijing joins poultry ban! Millions being spent on prevention!

07 April 2013 (14:10 UTC-07 Tango)/26 Jumada l-Ula 1434/18 Farvardin 1391/27 Yi-Mao (2nd month) 4711

“Of course I’m afraid. But I’m a professional and therefore I need to understand H7N9 more than others.”-Yu Chin-mei, nurse at Taipei City hospital

By Sunday afternoon, Shanghai time, the number of confirmed human cases rose to 21.  Six people have died since the end of March.  The latest three cases were confirmed less than 24 hours from Saturday.

The three new cases are men, ranging in age from 55 to 67.  One in Shanghai, two in Anhui Province.  At least one is known to work with poultry.  All started showing symptoms at the end of March.

In Shanghai at least 194 people are under medical observation.

Beijing has joined Nanjing, Hangzhou and Shanghai in banning live poultry markets.

Guangdong Province officials announced they will spend $4.7 million USD to prevent the spread of H7N9 in their province.

The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention distributed testing supplies to 409 sites across the country, in addition to hospitals and research agencies.

Across the water in Taiwan, the Taipei hospital’s Heping Branch has been designated an H7N9 center.  The same hospital was used during the 2003 SARS epidemic.

 

International, U.S.

World War 3, East Asian Front: China warns North Korea!

07 April 2013 (01:33 UTC-07 Tango)/26 Jumada l-Ula 1434/18 Farvardin 1391/27 Yi-Mao (2nd month) 4711

China is warning Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to take care of Chinese embassy personnel.  This after North Korea suggested that various countries should get their embassy personnel out of the DPRK, in case of war.

The DPRK mentioned the date of 10 April in their suggestion.