Honda announced they will have to lay off 400 workers at their factory in Brazil. The problem is lack of parts.
Originally Honda was going to reduce production, at their Brazil plant, for 12 days. Now it’s cutting production for a full month, and reducing payroll by 12%.
The ongoing parts supply problem was caused by the March 11 disasters in Japan, which revealed the weak link in the “just in time” supply policy for Japan’s (and even the world’s) industries.
11,000 employees with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, for Palestine, went on strike over unfair working conditions.
Employees say management at UNRWA engage in arbitrary firing and denial of workers’ rights. In some cases workers have been fired because of the political party they belong to.
The strike resulted in the closing of 238 schools, and 25 health clinics in Gaza.
U.S. Treasury Department announced that President Barak Obama has imposed sanctions against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and other Syrian officials.
The sanctions also include two Iranian officials. Also, Obama signed a similar order against at least 10 Syrian officials on April 29.
“As a result of this action, any property in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons in which the individuals listed in the Annex have an interest is blocked, and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with them.”-U.S. Treasury statement
May 17, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates was recently asked, by CBS’s 60 Minutes, about the war against Libya. He replied that the United States was not legally/technically at war with Libya (that would take a declaration of War by Congress). Instead Gates says the U.S. is engaged in “limited kinetic action” against Libya.
Gates is not the first U.S. official to make such a reference to the war against Libya.
Rumors say that President Barak Obama’s speech, on peace between Israel and Palestinians, will be a let down for those seeking statehood.
While Obama is expected to ask Israel to stop new settlements, he’s also expected to ask Palestinians to stop seeking statehood. He will give the speech on Thursday, May 19.
May 18, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, says the United States faces a new Cold War if it continues to push its “missile shield” across eastern Europe.
Medvedev says Russia will have no choice but to increase spending on its military, especially nuclear weapons: “We would then be talking about developing the offensive potential of our nuclear capabilities. This would be a very bad scenario.”
The U.S. has repeatedly said the missile shield system is aimed at Iran, but it’s very suspicious that most European countries that have agreed to host the U.S. system, are in eastern Europe facing Russia.
Japan’s Miyagi Prefecture has discovered that pasture grass, throughout the prefecture, is contaminated with radioactive cesium.
As much as 1,500 becquerels of cesium has been found. The national safe limit is 300 becquerels. All farmers/ranchers have been warned not to graze their livestock on the grass.
British military commanders have confirmed that they have been given “blunt warning” from U.S. commanders. The “warning”, call it a threat, is against the United Kingdom’s planned withdrawal from Afghanistan.
British military leaders say the United States has actually told them to ignore any orders from their U.K. government to withdraw from Afghanistan.
U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron wants to start drawing down U.K. troops in Afghanistan, starting in July 2011. British media are reporting that U.S. generals have warned their British counterparts not to follow those orders. This is another sign that the United States has no intentions of leaving Afghanistan.
One report says the British were told that they could not count on the U.S. to “bail them out” if they began withdrawing their troops. Another report says British commanders in Afghanistan were told they needed to stay until at least 2014.
President Barak Obama is the Commander in Chief of the U.S. military. If “his” officers are threatening the British it must be at his command.
Reporters Without Borders say they have proof that Israeli soldiers intentionally targeted a photographer, who was clearly identified as a journalists.
The incident happened May 17, while Palestinians were protesting in northern Gaza. The photographer was hit several times by Israeli soldiers. He is in the hospital in critical condition.
China reporting that U.S. investments in China has dropped 28%. Some analysts blame rising labor costs. However, other foreign investments into China have actually increased.
Most economists think the decrease in U.S. investment is only short term, but admit it is connected to the bad economy in the United States.