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01 May 2011 15:23

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World: Pro-Gaddafi official: NATO was going directly after Gaddafi

  • This was a direct operation to assassinate the leader of this country. This is not permitted by international law; it is not permitted by any moral code or principle.
  • Libyan spokesperson Moussa Ibrahim • Expressing anger about the attack by NATO that killed members of Gaddafi’s family. “The leader with his wife was there in the house with other friends and relatives,” Ibrahim explained “The attack resulted in the martyrdom of brother Saif al-Arab Gadhafi, 29 year old and three of the leader’s grandchildren. The leader himself is in good health. He was not harmed.” NATO, by the way, says that they weren’t actively targeting any one person, but instead attacking based on links to the “systematic attacks on the Libyan population.” Whatever that means. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

30 Apr 2011 16:44

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World: Did Yemen’s Saleh actually sign that agreement to step down?

  • NO guess who’s suddenly having reservations? source
  • » Protesters aren’t really into it, either: For whatever reason, the Yemeni leader has started to waver on his agreement last week to leave office in exchange for his immunity, and has refused to sign it. Yemeni protesters want Ali Abdullah Saleh to be tried for both corruption and the deaths of protesters, which currently number around 142. If Saleh doesn’t agree to step down, it could be a huge setback for negotiations (obviously).
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

30 Apr 2011 10:59

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World: Libya: Gaddafi wants a ceasefire … aww how cute. But no!

  • Gaddafi’s regime has lost all credibility. The people of Libya cannot possibly envisage or accept a future Libya in which Gaddafi’s regime plays any role.
  • Libyan Transitional National Council vice president Abdul Hafidh Ghoga • In a statement rejecting a conditional ceasefire and a spot at the negotiating table with that Gaddafi guy. While Gaddafi will not leave Libya, he seems ready to bargain: “We were the first to welcome a ceasefire and we were the first to accept a ceasefire … but the crusader NATO attack has not stopped,” Gaddafi said. Essentially, he really wants NATO to leave. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

28 Apr 2011 13:15

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World: Census shows a disporportionately elderly Chinese population

  • 13.3% of Chinese citizens are over 60, a 3% rise over the last decade, and a bad sign for the government — it’s hard to run a manufacturing economy with such an aged population
  • 16.6% of Chinese citizens are under 14, outpacing the elderly in the strictest sense, but in reality a very worrisome sign for China’s long-term economic and societal health source
  • » And the youth of China knows it, too: Said Zheng Aiwen, a 22-year-old student: “As soon as I saw the census results, I thought I have to hurry up and get married and have children, two if possible. I am quite worried about the economic pressure of caring for my parents and also about not being supported myself in my old age.” Despite this worrisome trend, the Chinese government won’t lift their one child per family policy, at least not yet — officials claim it has prevented about 400 million additional citizens, even as its biggest practical flaw (setting aside the deeply unpleasant moral breach most Westerners would view it as) seems to be coming home to roost.
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

27 Apr 2011 15:27

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World: Hamas, Fatah agree to form interim Palestinian government

  • Hamas, Fatah sign reconciliation deal: The two Palestinian groups (Fatah, of which Palestinian Authority President Abbas is a member, holds power in the West Bank while Hamas, which won the last parliamentary election in 2006, holds power over the Gaza Strip) have struck a deal to form an interim government and set the stage for elections. The two sides truck the deal after secret meetings in Cairo, and comes as a huge geopolitical surprise. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu issued a stern ultimatum in response: “The Palestinian Authority must choose either peace with Israel or peace with Hamas. There is no possibility for peace with both.” source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

26 Apr 2011 14:03

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World: Health effects of Chernobyl disaster still hard to quantify

  • Chernobyl at 25: Today marks 25 years since Chernobyl blew up, plagued as it was by a mixture of poor decision-making by its chief operator, Anatoly Diatlov, as well as a critically flawed reactor design. All these years later, officials and experts still debate the health effects resulting from the crisis; the UN concluded about 6,000 youths would/have suffered thyroid cancer as a result, while other scientists and organizations insist the magnitude of the problem is much greater, in the tens of thousands. Now, the containment sarcophagus around Chernobyl is decaying, to boot, so the building of “the shelter,” an enormous arch that would cover the entire plant, becomes more important than ever for the surrounding areas. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

25 Apr 2011 13:48

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World: Assad government turns up military might against protests

  • The dance of an authoritarian state: The crackdown against those Syrians with the courage to protest the rule of Bashar al-Assad is already horribly violent — human rights groups claim the deaths of more than 300 people by the hands of the Assad government since the protests began. That’s just the visible deathtoll, to boot — Syria is widely regarded as one of the world’s worst states on human rights, with torture being a valued tactic, so it’s hard not to believe there are people having some pretty terrible things done to them as we write this. Tanks have now been unleashed into Dara, the origin of much of the anti-government protest. Once you’ve arrived at this point, can there ever truly be a “going back?” It looks like Syria may face a protracted and bloody conflict. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

25 Apr 2011 11:48

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World: NATO airstrikes rattle Gaddafi’s home/military compound

  • NATO unleashes attacks in Tripoli: The strikes early Monday morning came with reports from NATO officials that nobody had been badly harmed, though Libyan state TV later claimed 45 civilian casualties. The odds of civilian death in this regard aren’t negligible, as Gaddafi has hosted throngs of still-loyal citizens at his sprawling residence to act as human shields, fully hoping that the risk of killing them would deter NATO from launching attacks like this one — be warned that there is a small amount of graphic imagery in the video. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

25 Apr 2011 10:59

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World: Syria: Bashar Al-Assad has a contradictory legacy to shake

  • This is the moment of truth for Bashar al-Assad. He has potentially the ability to impose reforms on his own Baath Party, but has he the will to do so?
  • Columbia University visiting professor Jean-Pierre Filiu • Describing the situation the controversial Syrian leader currently has to deal with. It’s not clear what he’ll do — enact reforms against the party that gives him power or let them keep doing what they’re doing, both putting him at risk of losing his power — but his history suggests a cycle of giving diplomats hopes that he’ll enact real change, but failing to follow through. A tough legacy to shake, and one that has strong implications for the Middle East. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

25 Apr 2011 10:29

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World: Thousands pay homage to Indian spiritual leader Sathya Sai Baba

  • A controversial but widely-admired spiritual figure: As many as 200,000 people have gone to visit Sathya Sai Baba since he died yesterday, and numerous prominent figures appear to be on the guest list — including Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and star Cricketers Sachin Tendulkar and Sunil Gavaskar. This is a man who inspired such strong feelings that the co-founder of the Hard Rock Cafe recently donated $108 million dollars for a hospital in Sai Baba’s name. But as he would not undergo scientific tests to prove his miracles were real, he scored many critics. Either way, he was widely revered. (photo via PTI) source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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