Category Archives: International

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

Iraq caves to U.S. pressure, might allow U.S. troops to stay beyond current withdraw date

June 30, Japan:  In an exclusive interview, NHK discovered that the Iraqi government might let U.S. troops stay.  For months U.S. officials have been pushing Iraq to ‘request’ that U.S. troops be kept past the current withdraw date.

Under the terms of the last agreement, the only way that U.S. forces would stay, is if the Iraqi government requested them to stay.  Officially Iraqi officials have stated that they want the U.S. out.

Iraqi government spokesperson, Ali al-Dabbagh, told NHK that some Iraqi officials now believe their troops need more U.S. training.  This is exactly the reasoning U.S. officials have been telling Iraqi officials to use.

The Iraqi Parliament is set to vote on the issue, it’ll take a majority of support for the request to become official.

Several militia groups, some very powerful, stated they will go on the war path if U.S. troops do not leave by the end of 2011.  Already attacks against U.S. troops have increased since Defense Secretary Robert Gates began pressuring the Iraqi government to let U.S. troops stay.  June, 2011, has become the deadliest month for U.S. forces since 2009.  Some economist say the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have cost the U.S. economy $3 trillion.

International, U.S.

Pakistan orders U.S. out, tired of drone attacks and claims the U.S. is not helping to pay for War on Terror

“We have told them (US officials) to leave the air base.”-Chaudhary Ahmed Mukhtar, Pakistan Defense Minister

June 29, Mukhtar orders the CIA to vacate the once secret Shamsi air base.  That’s where the Central Intelligence Agency has been launching drone attacks against supposed terrorists in Pakistan.  The reality is that many hundreds of civilians have been killed instead.

Another reason the Pakistan government wants the U.S. to get out; they claim the United States has not been forthcoming with promised payments from a War on Terror coalition fund.  Pakistani officials are now re-thinking their relationship with the U.S., in regards to the War on Terror.

In 2009, The times of London revealed that the CIA was using Shamis air base to launch drone attacks.  The Times used Google Earth to spot drones parked on the runway.

 

International

Pacific Ring of Fire: Japanese volcano erupts, again & again & again

Mount Shinmoe has erupted again, June 29.  It’s been erupting since January 2011.  Another ash cloud has been blasted one kilometer (0.6 miles) into the sky.

Shinmoe is on the island of Kyushu, at the south end of Japan.  If you’re a Sean Connery/James Bond fan you can see it in the movie “You Only Live Twice”.

In January 2011, it had its largest eruption since 1959.  Then in February it had an even bigger eruption.  People were evacuated because heavy rains threatened landslides made of the fresh ash buildup on the mountains.  In March another eruption that caused more evacuations. Another eruption in April sent an ash cloud two kilometers (1.2 miles) into the sky.  The volcano took a break in May.

 

International

Sweden gets deadly E Coli, can’t trace it

Swedish officials announced that they have at least one case of the deadly e.coli that can not be connected to Germany or France.  Sweden does have 53 cases where a link has been established.

The problem with this latest case is that they can’t trace it.  The Swedish Institute for Communicable Disease Control says there are no signs that the infected individual got the e.coli from Germany or France.

So far 47 people have died in Germany, and one in Sweden.  There are almost 4,000 cases in Germany.

 

Business/Economics, Idaho, International, Opinion, Technology

Japan not number one when it comes to computer skills, girls better at digital reading, computer use at school of little value, Idaho needs to get their act together

A survey by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development shows which countries are the top for computer/internet skills among teenagers.

Japan did not come in first.  South Korean teenagers are number one in computer/internet skills, followed by New Zealand, Australia, then Japan and Hong Kong/China.

The OECD study looked at the digital reading comprehension and computer operating skills of 15 year olds.  16 countries were involved with the study, the United States did not take part.   It turns out that girls are better at digital reading than boys (studies show that girls are better at print reading as well).

A surprising find was that use of computers in schools showed little benefit.  It could be because they aren’t used at school as much as at home.  The study showed that most teenagers learn their computer skills at home, not at school.

“But computer use at school had little impact on results, while using a computer at home had a more marked impact on results. To help students at school, computer use should be integrated into curricula and more invested in training teachers to use them for teaching and to help students learn, says the OECD.”

I can attest to that.  Almost every year here in Idaho, the Albertsons Foundation gives our schools new computers.  One year, right before the start of the school year, I was visiting Chubbuck Elementary school to meet one of my daughters teachers.  The teacher was busy trying to set up some of the new computers, she was also complaining about it.  She admitted that she didn’t “understand the things” and tried “not using them at all”.   Over their elementary school years, my daughters, and my son, confirmed that most of the teachers did not allow them to use the donated computers.  My kids learned their computer skills from me and their mother (passed away).   We did so well that I have to go to my now adult kids for help with any computer problems.

The state of Idaho is pushing a new computer system on our schools, they hope to give high school students their own laptops.  I’ve already read stories of how other states have done the same thing, then actually used those laptops to spy on the kids while they where at home.  This new study by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development blows holes in the argument by some education officials that pushing more computers in schools is the answer for our country’s educational disaster.  In fact the study proves that kids learn better at home.  It’s too bad most parents don’t have the luxury of home schooling.

International

Iran launches ballistic missiles, reveals underground silos, admits targets are Israel and U.S. bases

“The silos are a part of the swift reaction unit of the [IRGC] missile brigade; missiles are stored vertically, ready to be launched against pre-determined targets.”-General Asghar Qelich-Khani

Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps officials revealed, on June 27, that not only does Iran have underground missile silos, but they’ve had underground silos for 15 years.

The “pre-determined” targets are Israel, and U.S. bases in the Middle East.  Iranian military officials say they have no reason to build missiles with longer range than being able to hit Israel.   Iran says the only countries that threaten them is Israel and the United States.  They don’t need ballistic missiles that can hit the U.S., because there are so many U.S. targets in the Middle East.

Iran also successfully launched 14 missiles on June 28, including long range ballistic missiles.

Video which starts out with missile launches, and then shows underground silos.

 

Business/Economics, International

What Economic Recovery? China is a paper tiger, reveals $1.65 trillion in debt, get ready for Global Great Depression

A surprise announcement, China says local governments (cities, provinces and autonomous regions) have racked up $1.65 trillion in debt, threatening a new credit crisis.

The revelation came after the Chinese government conducted audits of local governments.  It seems the local governments are playing the same financing games that got the United States (and Europe) into its own credit crisis, which led to one of its worst recessions.

The local governments were using loan after loan on infrastructure projects and real estate development.  The audit by the Chinese government came as national leaders expressed concern over evidence of the skyrocketing number of potentially bad loans being held by Chinese banks (sound familiar?).

Is this the real reason China is dumping U.S. bonds, to raise cash to pay its debts?

Business/Economics, International

Sony shareholders want the heads of executives, record turnout

A record breaking turnout for a Sony shareholders meeting; more than 8,300 people showed up on June 28.

They want to overthrow Sony management.  It’s all because of the huge hack attack that breached the personal data of at least 100 million Sony customers.

One shareholder said the management lacks a sense of crisis.   Gee that seems to be the norm for Japanese officials.

 

International, U.S.

Canada Sucks! USPS resumes shipping to Canada, Canadian government forces postal workers back to work with new law

The United States Postal Service announced it will resume shipping to Canada, on June 28.  The announcement followed the creation of a new law in Canada, which forces striking workers back to their jobs.

The USPS warns that there will be delays in getting mail to Canada, because a huge backlog of mail has built up.

The USPS stopped shipping to Canada after Canada Post locked out its union workers.  The Canadian government just passed a new law which makes it a criminal offense to strike.  Canada’s postal workers (called “posties”) now have the choices of going back to work, quitting or pay huge fines.

Members of Canada’s New Democratic Party admit it’s all about destroying workers rights: “…an indication of what’s to come for other public service workers who are unionized. … It’s also a signal from the Conservatives to all employers—in a union setting or otherwise—that it’s an open bar. They can start going after the acquired rights of their workers.”-Thomas Mulcair, Deputy NDP leader

The new law targets posties only, and is in effect until the end of a new four year contract that will be mandated by the Canadian government.  Any postal worker who does not comply can face a $1,000 per day fine, and union officials could be hit with $50,000 per day fines.

The new contract will greatly reduce wages and benefits for Canada’s posties.

International

What arrogance! Israel demands that Denmark allow Israeli forces to patrol Danish airports

The Israeli government has stopped all flights from Denmark, because Danish officials refuse to allow Israeli security forces to patrol Denmark’s airports and aircraft.

A new airlines was created to fly from Copenhagen to Tel Aviv.  Israel says they now consider the airline, and Danish airports ‘Israeli Security Zones’.

Denmark offered to let unarmed Israeli security agents to work alongside Danish agents, but Israeli officials refused, demanding that Israeli security agents must work alone and armed.

Danish officials said that would violate their human rights policies.  The new Copenhagen-Tel Aviv flights were supposed to begin July 4.