Category Archives: International

International, U.S.

African Union says Libyan government accepts ceasfire, African Union asks NATO to honor ceasfire

“We have completed our mission with the brother leader, and the brother leader’s delegation has accepted the road map as presented by us.”-South African President Jacob Zuma

African Union officials say Moammar Gadhafi accepted their “road map” for a cease-fire with rebels, and will meet with rebel leaders on Monday, April 11.

South African President Zuma also asked NATO to stop their airstrikes, to honor the ceasefire.  Details will not be released until after the Libyan government, and Libyan rebels meet.

Most member countries of the African Union opposed UNSCR 1973, and are upset that Western leaders did not consult with them about attacking one of their African Union members (Libya).

Business/Economics, International

Which tourists spend the most money in Japan? Hint; it’s not those from the United States

The Japan Tourism Agency released its 2010 survey about who spends the most vacation money in Japan. Guess what, tourists from the United States didn’t even make the top three (probably a sign of how bad our economy is).

The survey looked at foreign spenders as groups, and as individuals.

In the group category China came in first, followed by South Korea, then Taiwan.

In the individual category the French came in first, then the Russians. The Chinese and Indians tied for third.

In the case of the Chinese, 49% go to Japan just to shop.

What’s the most purchased item, by tourists?   Japanese confectioneries.

Business/Economics, Fukushima, International

Japan announces they need 70,000 temporary homes, for one Prefecture

Prime Minister Naoto Kan has told quake-hit Miyagi Prefecture that 70,000 temporary houses will be built ASAP.

The Prime Minister met with Miyagi officials on 10 April 2011. They expressed their concerns for how they were going to rebuild after the 11 March disasters. Kan said he’s putting together a panel to address that, and that the temporary housing was just the beginning.

Business/Economics, International, Technology

Iran says the Russians considered quakes when building their nuke plant

“The Russians have taken the existence of tectonic plates into consideration in designing the Bushehr nuclear plant.”-Nasser Rastkhah, Atomic Energy Organization of Iran

Recently Russia helped Iran with loading of nuclear fuel rods into their plant. The Bushehr nuke plant is scheduled to power up by May.  ‘Sensitive phases of operation’ would be conducted between May 5 through May 10.

 

Business/Economics, International

Honey Bees dying in China, lack of water

It’s not only crops that are suffering in China, because of drought. Bee keepers say they’re losing their bees as well.

Honey production is down due to a decrease in flower pollen production, thanks to climate change. Bee keepers say it will also mean a decrease in bees, because pollen is their food.

China has the largest rapeseed field in the world. Rapeseed is used to make canola oil. Farmers there say drought keeps seed production too low for use in canola oil production. It also keeps rapeseed flower growth too low for the bees.

International

Japanese ignored warnings of their ancestors, and another sign this was the Mother of all Tsunamis for Japan

In Aneyoshi there is a one hundred year old stone tablet that gives a dire warning: “High dwellings are the peace and harmony of our descendants. Remember the calamity of the great tsunamis. Do not build any homes below this point.”

The families living in Aneyoshi are glad they headed their ancestors advice. But thousands of others suffered the wrath of the tsunami. There are hundreds of these stone tablets all along the coastal areas of Japan. Some are 600 years old.

Many tablets are not as specific as the one at Aneyoshi. Some simply say beware of tsunami, or were blank. Some of those stone tablets have been washed away by the March 11 tsunami, which is an indicator of that it was probably the mother of all tsunamis to hit Japan for the past thousand years.

Business/Economics, International, Opinion, U.S.

Will Obama attack Ecuador? He kicked out their ambassador, oil is involved

Thanks to a WikiLeaks release, tensions between the United States and Ecuador are heating up.

The WikiLeaks document showed that the U.S. ambassador to Ecuador, Heather M. Hodges, made some not so nice comments about their President. Apparently President Rafael Correa gave her a chance to retract, or explain, her statements, and she allegedly refused. She was then declared persona non grata (unwelcome) in Ecuador, but not officially kicked out.

Now the United States has actually kicked out the ambassador from Ecuador. The U.S. State Department says it’s in retaliation for Ecuador ordering Hodges out of the country, which President Correa disputes. Correa says they simply said she was no longer welcome, but they were not “kicking her out”.

This continues a long list of problems between Ecuador and the U.S. In the past few years the United States was pushing Ecuador to allow U.S. military bases to be set up on their soil. The official reason was to fight drugs in Columbia, but many people believe it was to encircle Hugo Chavez in Venezuela. President Correa responded, in 2009, by saying that the only way the U.S. could build bases in Ecuador, was if Ecuador was allowed to build bases in the United States.

Now we have the WikiLeaks/ambassador fiasco. What’s next, oil? Maybe!

Ecuador has oil! They have been fighting international legal battles to prevent oil companies from coming in and drilling. That’s right, they do NOT want anymore oil pumped out of their ground. Ecuador does have active oil fields, but they don’t want anymore. The oil corporations, backed by governments (Chevron/United States), are saying to bad so sad, you just a piddly country, what you gonna do about it?

So far Ecuador has been petitioning United Nations members, but not getting much support.  There’s estimated to be hundreds of millions of barrels of oil still to be drilled and pumped out in Ecuador.  And with the price of oil making it more tempting, could President Obama (or any other future U.S. president) be planning some kinda humanitarian military intervention in Ecuador?

 

International

Anti-drug Police ‘Accidently’ shoot family on fishing trip

“I want them to answer for my son, please, we’re a humble family, I need my son alive, I want justice, how can they just murder my innocent son?”-victim’s father

Bolivian anti-drug police shot and killed a 13 year old boy, and wounded five others, including the boy’s brother.

The father of the killed boy said he sons were going on a fishing trip with relatives.

Witnesses say the police drove along side the victim’s vehicle and started shooting with M16s. No warning was given, and no attempt to pull them over was made. At least 27 rounds were fired into the vehicle.

Angry residents protested by blocking off the highway where the shooting took place.

Police say they thought the family were drug dealers. The Official Bolivian government statement is that the police claimed the family shot at them first. Typical.