North Korea's Nuke Needs- Kennedi Mayes

North Korea won't trade their nuclear weapons even for billions of dollars because they claim the weapons to be their nation's only source of life. Kim Jong Un seems to have only made plans to strengthen their economy  and nuclear technology. There are threats that they will launch war on the United States because of our ties with South Korea, but a full out attack isn't expected. Experts think that these are just threats to try to get the United States to work with them as well. North Korea sees its weapons as treasures that aren't worth trading for billions of dollars and that leave an even larger threat for the state of the U.S.

My Source:
http://news.yahoo.com/nkorea-calls-nukes-countrys-life-big-meeting-124425461.html

Afganishtan base to close before 2013 ends?! By:Zaria Chambers

Australia has confirmed that it will close the main base in Afghanistan before the end of 2013. The Defense Minister Stephen Smith hopes that it will bring Australian troops back home by the end of the year. Most of the international troops are due to leave in 2014 but Australia hopes it to be sooner. There goal is that 1,000 troops will come home. Over 1,00 0 troops from Australia are stationed in Afghanistan.



I think that this is a good idea that they are closing the base. This will bring so many family members back to their families and it will stop the death of so many troops. I hope that there plan will succeed and that they can bring troops home safely. \


Source:
 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-21934803

Pakistani Teacher Dead, Change Needed for Girls' Education- Margaret Canady

A 41 year old teacher was shot and killed in the village of Shahkas, Pakistan, five months after the attempted murder of Malala Yousafzai, a 14 year old school girl from Pakistan that stood up for girls' education.

Shahnaz Nazli was a female teacher who taught at an all girls school. She was on her way to work when 2 men on a motorcycle pulled up and shot her. Her son ran to get help, and she was transported to a nearby hospital, but later died from the gunshots. Eighteen suspects have been arrested, but no one has taken responsibility for the attack.

The recent murder of Nazli and the attempted murder of Yousafzai have sparked anger around the world, fueling the fight for universal girls' education. In October, the Pakistani government agreed "for the first time to legislate compulsory free education and provide stipends for three million children". This week, a new petition was launched on www.educationenvoy.org urging the "President and Government of Pakistan to end the killings and violence that prevent girls’ education and to ensure all girls can go to school". Malala Yousafzai and her father were the first signatories.

The 34 million girls who are not allowed to receive an education will be silent no longer. Their fight- our fight- is not over, but just beginning. Over the past several years, the Taliban has threatened, intimidated, shot, murdered, and used arson in an attempt to stop women from receiving equal opportunity. This type of intimidation and violence is common in parts of India, Afghanistan, and Africa, and Pakistani women still need police escorts to go to school. However, the United Nations and World Bank are working with countries to secure universal primary education for every child by 2015.

It is time for change. Education is a human right that everyone should be allowed to have, regardless of gender. Go to www.educationenvoy.org to learn about their mission and to sign the petition so every child can go to school. I was really angered by the 2 articles I read. Why does the Taliban believe women do not deserve the same opportunities as men? I signed the petition, and I believe we can answer the call for action.


Sources: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/03/27/world/asia/pakistan-teacher-death-petition/index.html
http://edition.cnn.com/2013/03/28/opinion/gordon-brown-girls-education/index.html?hpt=ias_mid
www.educationenvoy.org

Hannah Menchu - Sri Lanka Matale mass grave 'dates from late 1980s'

A mass grave holding 150 bodies was found in Sri Lanka this past November.  Investigation continues as to the age and reason for this grave.  Archaeologists believe the grave is from the late 1980s when leftist insurgents, JVP, launched a failed revolution.   The grave was first uncovered during construction work on the Matale district hospital.  The positioning of the bodies and the location lead investigators to feel this is the site of a crime and not a regular place of burial.  Matale was the center of an insurgency by the Sinhalese group called JVP in the late 1980s.  Thousands of people were rounded up and disappeared.   Leaders today want a thorough investigation and perpetrators to be brought to justice.

This is a very sad sorry of events that happened in recent history.  I can’t imagine living somewhere with so much violence.

 
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-21964586

Nukes Are Life In North Korea?-Alyssa Hamilton

Top decision making bodies in North Korea are saying that nukes aren't "goods for getting U.S. dollars" or a "political bargaining chip." They're saying that nukes are their "Life" and they will never give them up even for thousands of dollars. This is very worrying considering they have announced that they are entering a "state of war" with South Korea, also they have said that they will be pointing nukes at US bases in Korea.
Hopefully this all blows over and they can get the nukes away from North Korea

http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/31/17539256-north-korea-nukes-are-our-countrys-life?lite

China has Sentenced 20 People in the Location if Xinjiang Due to Terrorist Activities By: Nina Bharadwaj

     Twenty people have been sentenced for terrorist activities, on Tuesday, reported a spokesperson at the Kashagar prefecture Intermediate People's court. This happened in northwest China in the Xinjiang Autonomous region. Overall, they have been given sentences that range from five years in prison to their whole life in prison in five individual cases in Kashgar and Bayingol prefectures.
     This case was reported in the media in China. It includes semi-official website Yaxin in Xinjiang. Many people believe these charged people to be Uighurs because of the ancestory of their names. Uighurs are a muslim population that is minor in China. Although, the media in China did not tell anyone what the ethnicities or genders of these people are.
     This northwestern province in China has been a huge scene with so much fighting, conflict, and unrest. Xinjiang was even targeted as the province with the worst amount of violence in decades in the month of July 2009. In this month of tragedy, there were many different riots between Uigurs and Han Chinese. These awful riots left around 200 people dead and about 1,700 people severely injured in the capital, Urumqi. According to Xinhua, riots last year left an estimation of 12 people dead in Kashgar.
     These twenty suspects were accused in court, on Tuesday, for willingly spreading ideas of terrorism and religious extremism. They also happened to be participating in terrorist organizations. They caused incidents to come about and they also caused separatism, according to the state media. To pull off these crimes, they used the internet, digital devices, as well as their phones.
     It is said that these suspects were linked to the East Turkestan Islamic Movement and Islamic movement of Uzbekistan, which are called terrorist groups by the government in China.
Analysis: The authors of this article, the CNN staff wrote this article to inform us about what has been happening conflict wise, in China, specifically in Xinjiang. Before reading this article, I didn't know much about the subject, so it is hard for me to take in all at once. There was no sense of bias in the article, as the author was just stating facts. There were absolutely no quotes, just evidence that has been proven. The main idea of this article is that courts, in China, Xinjiang, have sentenced twenty people for terrorist activities. They could be in prison for five years or for their whole life, as there are five separate cases. There has been so much conflict in China, and riots last year left 12 people dead in Kashgar.
I hate reading articles about terrorism because I hate hearing about conflict between people or countries. I wish we could all get along, but that will never happen. I am happy that these twenty people have been sentenced to prison, even though we don't know how long each of them will be there, because they have been doing awful things, and they need harsh consequences for their bad actions. I wish China didn't have to be a place of so much conflict. After hearing about the riots in July 2009, I was really sad because so many people died. I wish people could peacefully protest or use nonviolent resistant to have people see it there way because then so many people wouldn't have to die.
Source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/03/28/world/asia/china-xinjiang-separatists/index.html   
   

Fire in Mumbi Factory-Faith Barnes

In Mumbi five people were killed in a fire at a factory and three were injured. the fire started after an explosion in a chemical factory in the Andnri area on a Friday morning. Nobody knows wha causes the explosion. A local resident who lives near the factory woke up after hearing the explosion and "saw a lot of smoke". Although the explosion who not on purpose it is so sad to hear about people dying just by doing an everyday job, and not only that but what those peoples family's are feeling.

Source:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-21972986

Friendly Game by Sylvie Lednicky

On Tuesday, Iraq participated in their first international soccer match in years. The game was against Syria, a country that Iraq has had problems with for years. People were overjoyed at the friendly game, glad that the nations got the chance to be united, even for a short period of time. The citizens of Iraq are ready to live in peace, without any destruction. It's great that these two countries are getting at least a lull in the war, much needed by everyone.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/26/world/meast/iraq-syria-soccer/index.html?hpt=imi_c2

Police investigate UK girl's fatal mauling by dogs By: Halle Van De Hey

        In this article Laura Smith- Spark, of CNN, talks about a 14-year-old girl who was brutally killed by a pack of dogs, at a friends house, in Britain. Last Wednesday the girl was identified as Jade Anderson. Four out of the five dogs were shot and killed, the fifth contained. The police are still looking for clues as to why the dogs attacked. This attack was a great shock to everyone in Britain because these dogs are some of the few breeds not banned by the law. This will be a major upset in the laws in Britain, and will make the restrictions even larger.

        This is so terrible! I can't believe that something like this can happen. People around the world, are near dogs every day, and I cannot even begin to imagine something like this happening. Dogs are some of my favorite animals and this will remind me that I always need to be careful, because you never know what can happen.

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/27/world/europe/uk-dogs-kill-girl/index.html?hpt=ieu_c2

Teacher's murder sparks calls for school protection for Pakistan's girls By: Deyzya Hardeman

(CNN) -- The murder of a teacher has prompted a petition calling forPakistan's government to take a greater role in protecting girls and teachers attending school.

In Pakistan, a girls' school teacher named Shahnaz Nazli was gunned down by two motorcyclist on the way to work in her village. She was immediately taken to the hospital, but died from the many gun shot wounds.

One of the worst things about the situation is that her child was standing right next to her when it happened.

It has been believed that this is a major act of terrorism, in the 24 years of Nazil being a teacher she has never been harassed or threatened. Unfortunately it was completely unexpected to be shot and killed in her village. The police are telling the school to possibly add more protection and keep an eye out for the girls in the schoolhouse.
http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/27/world/asia/pakistan-teacher-death-petition/index.html?hpt=ias_c2
-Deyzya Hardeman.

Son of Ex-Leader of Kyrgyzstan Sentenced to Jail-Molly Paley

              The son of President Kurmanbek Bakiyev was sentenced to twenty five years in jail for corruption. He was proven guilty for signing papers that cost the country of Kyrgyzstan millions of dollars, while his father was in power. Maxim Bakiyev, along with the charges he faces in Kyrgyzstan, is facing charges of conspiracy in the United States. His father was overthrown after a five-year term; Maxim is suspected of signing agreements during his fathers upheaval. This is a really terrible story of corruption in Kyrgyzstan. I hope that in the future they don't have problems like this in their government.

Earthquake in Taiwan by: Rachel Devine

        Today, it was reported that there was an earthquake that struck Taiwan. The quake, with a 6.1-magnitude, may have occured on a "blind fault" and it may be able to produce a much stronger quake in the future. The earthquake only killed one elder woman, but injured 19 other people. The damage includes cracks in buildings and goods shaken from shelves. In 1999, an earthquake in the same area killed over 2,400 people. Experts are keeping an eye on things and hope that the quakes do not escalate.

        I was happy to read that the earthquake's damage was not horrible. I feel very bad for the woman who died, but the people living in Taiwan should be thankful that not too many others were affected.

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/03/27/world/asia/taiwan-earthquake/index.html?hpt=ias_c2

Women degration ( vanessa de la cruz)

   People ask why India looks down upon women so much. Many young girls are killed after they are born  which has caused men to dominant over the population and the women. The girls who do survive after birth still have to live with cruality, being in harm, degrading and misjudgment throughout their lives. India is the country most known for treating women so poorly. Crimes committed to women are becoming more violent and dangerous.
My source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-20863860

North Korea's New Threats to the US by Cruz Rendon

North Korea sent the last round of threats to the US . They want to place military units in the US so they'll be ready to fight. Bomber planes have been flying over South Korea as part of military exercises. The North Korea leader also stated that they are willing to defend South Korea and Japan.
source: http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/26/world/asia/north-korea-us-threats/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

Henry okah oil militant jailed:Cassidy Kaye

South African courts have sentenced Henry Okah a nigerian oil militant to jail after 13 counts of terroristic threats. In twin car bombings in 2010. Atleast 12 were killed and 36 were injured. This is a truly tradgic event and I'm glad they've found the cause of it.

This article is written with a tone of remorse for all of the people lost to the terrorist attack. I think the author has a lot of sympathy for this situation.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-21937985

Obama's Failed Attempt - Jackie Brown

http://www.infoplease.com/news/2013/current-events/world_mar.html

Obama traveled to Israel in order to "help reunite Turkey & Israel". However, what they DON'T tell you is that Israel was very unwelcoming, & that 2 small rockets exploded near by as he landed into Israel. Further more, this failed attempt to mend tithes with Israel while helping them mend with Turkey was just another trial to reinforce the soon gun control orders that Obama is trying to ignite once more. This is all in my opinion, obviously, & can be interpreted into however one may like; I just hope I'm not offending anyone with the truth about politics!

Australian dude back in safe hands -Abraham Correa

Exhausted and delighted, Warren Rodwell was held captive for about 15 months, by suspected islamic militants in the southern phillipines. December, 2011, Rodwell was taken from his residence: his captors, believed to be part of the Islamic extremist group Abu Sayyaf, demanded a ransom of $2 million, a sum the Australian government refused to pay. Over the long period of time, the australian government and phillipines continued to work to try to secure his release. Later, a phillipine port employee reported to spotted Warren trudging ashore in Pagadian. Gladly, he is now in medical treatment and is expecting to later be with his brother and sister.
Nothing like home sweet home. I can't imagine being held captive and probably tortured for something you didn't do or have no reasoning to be. I couldn't imagine the pain his family was feeling while he was gone for so long. And, ofcourse, a happy ending (,:

Woman In India By Lucy Hinderliter

      Many people are wondering why India degrades women so harshly. Many girls are killed after birth which has caused the male gender to be way more dominant over the female gender. The girls who survive birth still have to live with disrespect, brutality, harshness, and misjudgment throughout most of their lives. India is a country with the worst treatment for women. Crimes against women are becoming more and more serious. Everyday more and more women in India are being victimized.

My source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-20863860

Water tanker detonation in a military checkpoint - Violet Klimaszewski

On Sunday, March 24, a water tanker drove into a military checkpoint.  A normal occurrence, except for the fact that the tanker was loaded with 1,100 pounds of live ammunition. When  the tanker exploded, at least 17 soldiers were killed, with an additional 26  who were wounded. This happened in North Waziristan, one of the 7 districts in Pakistan's volatile tribal region, bordering Afghanistan.

I wonder what could have provoked such actions...

Tornado in Bangladesh Post by: Addison Norman

Tornado in Bangladesh

Post by: Addison Norman

            Last week, a destructive tornado swept through Bangladesh. The tornado killed around 20 people, but the death number is expected to rise because rescuers are having difficulty get to all harmed areas. There are close to 200 injuries resulting from the windstorm. Also, multiple homes throughout the 15 villages have been destroyed leaving many people homeless. Fallen trees and service poles and wires have causes roads to be blocked and power outages. Not only did the tornado harm homes and people, it also damaged crops, especially rice.

            This tornado is a prime example of how the environment has a major role in human life. When there is a change to the environment, like a natural disaster, it can put many in danger. Natural disasters are very important to be aware of because they are forces that can’t usually be stopped by humans.

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/22/world/asia/bangladesh-tornado/index.html?hpt=wo_bn4

Masses of Indian Children Fed by Madeline Ibarra

In India, thousands and possibly millions of children must make it through the day with little or no food to eat. These children, most of the time, end up dropping out of school just to help their parents raise money to scrap together a single meal. A program known as The Akshaya Patra Foundation, is working with the government to feed 1.4 million underprivileged children every day. This foundation is working in schools across India to feed students in school free meals every day. Not only are the meals accustomed to the area that they are in, they are also cooked fresh that morning and taken to the school when still warm for the children. The mass production of this much food requires special machinery and can make over 1,000-40,000 portions per batch. Ever since these free food programs have joined Indian schools, enrollment has risen about 20% and attendance has risen as well. The students have been able to learn better because not only are they able to stay in school and be fed more that they are at home, they are not distracted by their hunger or by wondering where their next meal will come from.
I think that it is unbelievable how this program is helping so many children. The people who run it must really see the terrible state that some families are and want to do something about it. It is a great example not only for other programs in India, but foundations around the world in countries with families in need.

Source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/03/25/world/asia/india-feeding-children-udas/index.html?hpt=ias_t4

2 Pedestrians killed, 2 hurt in seattle crash Tristam Vowell

On March 25th, in Seattle, Washington, a policeman civilian reported a car crash that took the lives of 2 individuals, and seriously wounded 2 more. The significance of the event was that the convict is to be in jail for life, as trial for manslughter and a DWI. Police are warning DWI tests publically to suspicious drivers and seem to be taking drinking under the influence of alchohol much more seriously.
This kinda scares me that the consequences are more serious now, not that i would do it but it kinda ives me more of a reason not to! I feel sad for those who knew the dead ones.

http://www.google.com/news/url?sr=1&ct2=us%2F2_0_s_3_1_a&sa=t&usg=AFQjCNGyfJM2KMh2YzTvqP_3Q1r8jVGukQ&cid=43982016212733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseattletimes.com%2Fhtml%2Flocalnews%2F2020640295_apusseattleaccident3rdldwritethru.html&ei=3RBRUdiCO4bHtgfnqgE&sig2=Cnmyejn7rWys9gSn5FMZ9Q&rt=HOMEPAGE&vm=STANDARD&bvm=section&did=-2982632715119093270&sid=en_us-n&ssid=n

1,000 Ducks Found Dead -Hadassah Lai

1,000 ducks were found dead in the Nanhe river by residents. It had alerted the environmental department. Loval residents and ecosystems were not in danger as the river was not used for drinking water. This concurrence caused peopel to think back to the time where they had found thousands of dead pigs pulled from the Huangpu River. The ducks' bodies were then disinfected and buried. The cause has not been found yet and investigators are investigating.

I feel something fishy going on in here. First dead ducks then dead pigs? China needs to shape up and figure out what is the cause of all these animal deaths. Not only is it so sad to see so many animals dead it is also going to affect the food chain and ecosystems of China.

Soure: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-21921145

China's Michelle Obama- Kennedi Mayes

The First Lady of  China, Peng Liyuan, stepped off of an airplane after a flight with her husband, President Xi Jinping, in a very sophisticated suit. Fashion bloggers have found quite an interest in China's first lady. With a good buzz coming from people in the fashion world, you can't help but think back to our fashion savvy first lady, Michelle Obama. A lot of people are questioning whether or not Peng will become a major player in China's politics because of her bold outfit and demeanor, either way, I give her an A+ for her classy style.

Tsunami in the Philipines By: Zaria Chambers

On Friday a major earthquake right off the shore of the Philippines. Many people went searching for a higher place. The small earthquake was reported to be a small tsunami and it killed at least one person. The earthquake had a magnitude of 7.6 and it struck 20 miles deep. The "tsunami's waves ranged from 6 to 7 inches to a foot. These large waves were reported in Surigua del Norte. The waves didn't create any damage  but the earthquake created a landslide.



I think that this article is kind of sad because one person was killed in earthquake. I hope that nothing like this will happen again.

Source:
http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/31/world/asia/philippines-earthquake/index.html

Explosives-packed water tanker targets Pakistani military checkpoint; 17 killed - Jack VanGorden

On Sunday, a water tanker packed with explosives drove into a military checkpoint killing at least 17.

26 troops were wounded in a previous attack on the checkpoint in Eesha in North Waziristan. Officials stated that the tanker was carrying over 500 kilograms of explosives, which is equivalent to 1,100 pounds. I wonder what the can do to prevent another explosion from occurring.

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/03/24/world/asia/pakistan-attack/index.html?hpt=ias_c2

Dead Ducks pulled out of China River by Amaria Stern

Close to 1,000 dead ducks were pulled out of Sichuan River today by residents in Pengshan county. Although the river was not used for drinking water, the environmental department was alerted. 50 woven bags were brought out of the river incompassing dead ducks that had already been disinfected and buried. In addition to these ducks, the number of dead pigs being pulled out of another China river-one that supplies Shangai with drinking water- is rising. Residents using China's version of Twiiter, weibo, are speaking out about the safety of the water. They are unclear about where the corpses are coming from, but concern is growing.

I would definitely be a concerned resident if dead animals were being dragged out of rivers near me, especially ones that I drink from. This should be a priority for the environmental departments in China if they truly care about the safety and health of their citizens.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-21921145

Need For Chinese/North Korean Relations Change by Corran Nolan

On February 12, North Korea conducted their third nuclear weapons test. That same day, China summoned the North Korean Ambassador to Beijing, purpose unknown. North Korea has shown its nuclear weapon systems are accurate and deadly, which has caused the condemnation of many countries around the world. A paranoid, touchy, and reserved North Korea is not good for China or the rest of the world. China has tried some solutions to the problem, such as the 'six party talks', but North Korea resigned form the talks four years ago. However, China cannot take military action against North Korea as a part of a treaty between the two countries, however, if the nuclear tests continue, many South-East Asian countries will start worrying and might develop their own nuclear weapon programs, such as South Korea or Japan. But, there are ways that China can bring the heat on North Korea, which relies on it for 70% of its trade. These measures include sanctions and other such economic actions that can put pressure on North Korea, and at the very least disrupt its nuclear plans for the future.
The point of the author writing this article is to provide information about the current situation between North Korea and China and provide possible ways of remedying it. The author obviously knew what they were talking about because they provided clear and precise information and instructions on their recommendations. This makes the article important because the implementation of these ideas could possibly lead to a resolution to this problem.

Source: http://worldcrunch.com/opinion-analysis/china-must-just-say-039-no-039-to-north-korea-before-it-039-s-too-late/denuclearization-pyongyang-beijing-diplomacy/c7s11043/#.UVD6uxyG2Lw

Cardboard Cops - Hannah Kalan

Did you know that India is one of the world's leading countries in road deaths? As of now, there are 3 cardboard cut outs of policemen, and many say that they are helping out a lot. Bangalore police commisioner MA Saleem said, "Drivers in Indian cities violate traffic rules when there are no cops around, they jump traffic lights and go the wrong way on one-way streets." "These cut-out cops are very effective and they can be on the job seven days a week." One driver even commented on the cut-outs, "Two or three times we thought it was a real policemen standing there and we slowed down," he said, and now 10 more are planned to be installed on the streets of Bangalore.

The article was quite an interesting a read, and you can read it HERE

India cardboard traffic police to deter violators- Joseph Katinas

In Bangalore, cardboard police officers have been made and installed on roads. They have been put in the central district and will soon be placed throughout the whole city. The goal is to control large traffic in the city. It has been shown that this odd idea is working. Roads have had 500 less violators than they usually do. I find this article funny. I think it's a funny but productive idea to help stop traffic. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-21922260

Deadly Tornado Strikes in Bengladesh: Amanda Kipp

Last Friday afternoon, a powerful tornado ripped through the southeastern district of Brahmanbaria in the country of Bengladesh. There have been 20 confirmed deaths so far and over 200 people were injured due to this storm. This terrible storm struck over 15 local villages. The administrative cheif of Brahmanbaria fears that the number of deaths will continue to grow because rescuers were not able to get to all the affected areas. Footage of the tornado shows tin and mud-built houses being flattened, fallen trees and debris scattered everywhere. Even part of the district jail was crushed and one prisoner was killed. This storm whirled through the area in only 15 minutes, quickly tearing up everything in its path. I feel terribly for the people of Brahmanbaria and I hope that they will find help and recontruct what was destroyed in the tornado. Another tragic event in the far East :(
http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/22/world/asia/bangladesh-tornado/index.html?hpt=wo_bn4

Afghanistan's TV Craze- Teedee Simons

The country of Afghanistan is now catching up with the rest of the world, media wise. The people have grown accustomed to the media, TV, and their phones. In the country's past Taliban rule there was no tv allowed. Only a one station radio was permitted that played Islamic prayers and government propaganda. Now, Tolo tv was introduced in 2004 and is a daily use in the Afghanistan's homes. It plays a 24 hour news station and recently a new singing competition show called Afghan Star.
My source: http://amanpour.blogs.cnn.com/2013/01/30/feeding-afghanistans-tv-craze/ 

This article was written by Mick Krever earlier today. This article is for people who have an interest in social media changing the world . The author's point of view is non-opinionated and factual. I learned a lot from this article. 

Prisons -Megan Darlington

The US has handed over to Afghanistan the only prison still under American control, resolving an issue that has strained ties between the countries. The handover came as US Secretary of State John Kerry made an unannounced visit for talks with President Karzai. I think this is good that the issue has been resolved. Hopefully it will spread more world peace.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-21922047

Woman gets prison time for 'total identity theft'

For almost 12 years, a Houston elementary school teacher and an illegal immigrant living in Topeka have engaged in a tug of war to claim the identity of Candida L. Gutierrez in a case that has put a face on the growing crime of "total identity theft" in the United States.

On Monday, the real Candida L. Gutierrez saw her identity thief, Benita Cardona-Gonzalez, for the first time. Their encounter came inside a federal courtroom in Wichita, where Cardona-Gonzalez, a Mexican national, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for possessing fraudulent identification documents.

The plea deal Cardona-Gonzalez struck with prosecutors in January gave her less prison time, but guaranteed she would not contest her deportation. She pleaded guilty to an aggravated felony, which typically results in automatic deportation.

When Gutierrez's identity was stolen, the thief didn't stop at opening fraudulent credit and bank accounts. Cardona-Gonzalez assumed Gutierrez's persona completely, using it to get a job, a driver's license, a mortgage and medical care for her children. She even put the stolen name on the birth certificates of her two U.S.-born children in the spots where they list who's the mother.

Gutierrez and her husband, Brenden Marquardt, flew to Wichita from Houston for the court proceedings hoping to gain a sense of closure.
"I wanted to make sure I could see her face and she could see my face — so that she knew the face of the person who paid for living her dream," Gutierrez said. "Because her dream was my nightmare."
Cardona-Gonzales briefly glanced at Gutierrez while giving a hurried courtroom statement in Spanish.
"I accept my punishment and I accept my responsibility and I ask forgiveness of Ms. Gutierrez," she said.

Website: http://news.yahoo.com/woman-gets-prison-time-total-identity-theft-202030353.html

"Two military choppers crash in India" by Emma Hernandez (:

On Thursday two Indian military planes crashed in the western part of the country. Why did the planes crash? Actually that is unknown. No one knows what caused this planes to fall down and crash to the ground. What is know is that the two choppers were in a routine flight in Gujarat when they collapsed. "A mid-air collision could be one of the causes. But an inquiry has been ordered to investigate," air force spokesman Gerard Galway told CNN. When the planes crashed it did kill all nine of the people in them, authorities said. 

New pope walks fine line on economic issues-Russell Daniels

     As a cardinal in Argentina, Pope Francis gave up his wealth to be a poor man, often cooking his own meals and taking public transportation. This new pope's sympathies lie with the poor and the destitue but anyone who hopes that the pope will bring a new age of liberal activism will be disappointed. However, as a cardinal he fought the tyranny of wealth inequality and he stood firm liberation theology that spread throughout the church in the 70's and 80's. To a lot of experts pope Francis is said to be ready to fight against economic inequalities around the world. This article was written by Jim Zarroli and was published today at 6:50pm.
http://www.npr.org/2013/03/25/175252244/as-cardinal-new-pope-walked-fine-line-on-economic-issues

India children with little food- Amanda Cervantes

In India many children live in low income households where parents do not make enough money to fully support their families. And because of that families have restricted food servings at home. Most children eat extremely small breakfasts and very little dinner. The only place where kids can get good healthy meals is at school. Which is also why indian children strive for education. After a decision by the Supreme court in 2001  all indian schools must provide free food for students 13 and under. But food is prepared daily in giant food factories where workers use imported fresh foods to make fresh batches of traditional Inidian food in gigantic cauldrouns,which are then shipped by trucks to the different schools.

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/03/25/world/asia/india-feeding-children-udas/index.html?hpt=ias_t4

Beijing international technology conference_ breanne moreno

http://asiatoday.com/pressrelease/beijing-intl-building-technology-conference-aims-highlight-opportunities-and-solutions-

To cope with the increasing demands of intelligent green building in northern china, the Beijing international technology conference will be held from 8-9 April 2013 at the new china international exhibition center, Beijing, China. This conference will be focused on energy saving solutions to professionals including architects, contractors, property owners, and developers. This event aims to highlight key opportunities and in-demand solutions as Beijing sets new energy efficiency goals. As property development continues to increase across china, the central government has continued to make a bigger push for stronger energy efficiency in buildings. The nation's capital aims to set a 75% energy efficiency standard in all new residential developments for the foreseeable future.

copper wire bonding consortium_breanne moreno

http://asiatoday.com/pressrelease/institute-microelectronics-kicks-copper-wire-bonding-consortium-ii-tackle-copper-interc


The Institute of Microelectronics, in Singapore, has launched the copper wire bonding consortium II. The consortium aims to improve the reliability of semiconductor devices by approaching copper wire issues related to corrosion and stress. Copper has become one of the preferred materials for wire bonding interconnects in microelectronics. The industry still faces many technical challenges in developing copper as the best choice for interconnection. one of the main technical issues is related to copper's hardness relative to gold. Another challenge of using copper is its reactivity with oxygen in the surrounding air which causes corrosion-related problems. These two issues can affect the reliability and quality of semiconductor devices. With all of this said, The Institute of Microelectronics will conduct a study on corrosion and the mechanisms on the effect of various packaging materials. The outcome of this work will enable semiconductor manufacturers as well as test and packaging houses to develop solutions to improve product reliability especially those targeted at high reliability applications.

Google glass - Noe Perales

Google Glass, the tech giant's Internet-connected headset, isn't on the market yet. But that hasn't stopped one lawmaker from trying to keep the eyewear off the highways in his state.

In a pre-emptive move, West Virginia state Rep. Gary G. Howell introduced legislation Friday that would amend existing laws against texting while driving to prohibit "using a wearable computer with head mounted display." The bill doesn't mention Google Glass by name, although Howell told CNN he was inspired to amend the law after reading an article about the gadget.

If passed, the law would make West Virginia the first U.S. state to ban motorists from wearing Google Glass while driving, a Google spokesman said. The law would take effect July 1.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/25/tech/innovation/google-glass-driving/index.html?hpt=hp_bn5

Hostage Finally Released- Iris Hughey

After almost 15 months of being held captive by Islamic migrants in the southern Philippines, Warren Rodwell is free at last. Authorities found the 54-year-old Australian early Saturday in the port city of Pagadian on the island of Mindanao. He was held at gunpoint and taken from his home and Filipina wife in December of 2011. His captors which are believed to be in the extremist group, Abu Sayyaf, demanded a ransom of $2 million which the Australian government refused to pay. He is expected to be reunited with his family in the Philippines soon.

Link: http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/25/world/asia/philippines-australian-hostage-released/index.html

Bollywood Star Jailed for Gun Possesion by Annabel McGill

The Bollywood star, Sanjay Dutt, was convicted for possession of a gun in 2006 and his trial is finally coming up on Thursday. People are accusing him of being linked to a terrorist attack that happened in 1993. However, Dutt says that he had the gun in order to protect his family. He was already in jail for 18 months before he was bailed out and he apparantly still has another 3 1/2 years left. This is important to know because it is informing us about what is going on in India and keeping up with a mix of pop culture and the terrorist attacks which is an ongoing problem everywhere.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/21/world/asia/india-actor-sentenced/index.html?iref=allsearch

Cyber Attacks... Not From China; Violet Klimaszewski

Earlier this month, several banks and other important office buildings in South Korea were "attacked" over the internet. At first officials thought for sure the attack had come from China. After further evaluation of what went down, officials found out that the threat had not come from china, but was in fact one of the banks affected by said threat. They figured this out by trailing the attacker's IP address, a code every computer ever made has been encrypted with. However, it is still believed to have been a "foreign attack" from somewhere outside of South Korea.
In the past, North Korea has been blamed for similar attacks occurring in 2010 and 2012. North Korea found the accusations distasteful, and denied any participation in this cyber attack. They are under suspicion again, and have threatened to launch nuclear attacks on its neighbor South Korea and our home, the U.S. of A.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/22/world/asia/south-korea-computer-outage/index.html?hpt=wo_c2

A Large Fire Kills Many People at a Refugee Camp in Thailand By: Nina Bharadwaj

     A very large and destructive fire happened to erupt at a refugee camp in northwestern Thailand. This unfortunate mishap had killed over 32 refugees from Myanmar. This was explained by the health ministry on Saturday.
     At a minimum, about 100 other innocent refugees were severely injured. The health ministry said this in a statement. The injuries of these 100 refugees includes a young 13-year-old boy. Over 90 percent of this man's body was burned in the fire. Many reports and cases of evidence point to the cause of the fire being that there was a cooking accident. It is said that this happened on Friday. The United Nations say this.
     Many authorities and officials are looking into and investigating the cause of this fire. This horrendous fire took down at least a few hundred huts. They say it also left at a minimum of 2,300 refugees without a home to live in. It deeply affected the Ban Mae Surin refugee camp. This camp is located in the Mae Hong Son province. It also destroyed a clinic in this camp and a food center also in this camp.
     Mireille Girard, a representative and official for the United Nations refugee agency in Thailand quoted " We are deeply saddened by this tragic incident and doing what we can to provide instant relief. Our teams are returning to the camp this morning with plastic sheets, blankets, bed mats and other items to provide temporary emergency shelter before their homes can be rebuilt."
     This camp was launched in 1992. This camp houses over thousands of refugees that fled the ethnic tension and conflict in Myanmar. Unfortunately, at the time, these many refugees are homeless, but with the help of many other people, they will be able to be rebuilt as soon as possible so that these refugees will, once again, have a place to call home.
Analysis: The author of this article was Aliza Kassim. I think she wrote this article to tell us people who don't always keep up with the world tragedies on T.V. about what has happened. The main idea of this article is that over 100 people have been injured in a terrible fire in Thailand's refugee camps, and one of these innocent victims is a 13-year old young boy, This unfortunate fire has left about 2,300 refugees without a home, and many officials and investigators say the cause of this fire is a cooking accident. The article is important because it is telling us about an unfortunate event that has happened. It should make us appreciate everything that we have a lot more. There is no bias in this article. There are mainly facts or gathered pieces of evidence.
I feel awful that this fire happened. I would have never even known about this fire if I hadn't done this current event. It makes me think about how much more I need to keep up with things around the world so that I can know about things that are going on in other countries. I want to be able to help these innocent people because I am so sorry for them and the people they have lost just because of some sort of cooking accident. Whatever the cause of the fire is, I hope it doesn't happen again.
Source:http://edition.cnn.com/2013/03/23/world/asia/thailand-refugees-fire/index.html

Explosion by Sylvie Lednicky

On Sunday, a truck packed with explosives gained access to a military base in Northern Paskistan and exploded, killing at least 17 troops. The truck was carrying a lot of bombs, more than 1,000 pounds of them. I wish I could say that this is a surprise to have something like this happen in the Middle East. Unfortunately, occurences like this are an everyday affair. I can't believe that disagreements have gotten to such a point that violence is not only happening, but it is happening on a grand scale. I hope that these differences are resolved before we're all blown up.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/24/world/asia/pakistan-attack/index.html?hpt=ias_c2

Tornado in Bangladesh-Ausia Jones

        On March 23 in Dhaka, Bangladesh at least 20 killed, 200 hurt in 15 villages when the tornado ripped its was through the southeastern district of Brahmanbaria in Bangladesh on Friday. Toppled trees, utility poles block roads to some affected areas and residents say thousands rendered homeless. The tornado happened within 15 minutes as the whirlwind tore through the villages, leaving a trail of devastation.
I think the is so sad and I hope that they are able to build back up what they had.

Site: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/03/22/world/asia/bangladesh-tornado/index.html?hpt=ias_c2

Tornado Kills 20 People in Bangladesh by Corsica Steding

Southeast of the Bangladeshi capital, a tornado affected about 24 villages.  Nearly 300 people were injured, and 20 people were killed by the tornado last Friday.  There were roughly 500 houses damaged. Trees were also uprooted along with power pylons.  "It destroyed everything I had.  Nothing is left.  We found ourselves rolling in the mud within minutes," Mohammad Nizam, a village resident said.

The author of this article was not stated, but it was written on March 23rd.  Before reading this article, I knew the amount of damage that tornados can be capable of.  The article was written for anyone interested in this kind of natural disaster.  It was also written to inform everyone of the devastating effects that this particular one caused.

http://in.reuters.com/article/2013/03/23/bangladesh-tornado-idINDEE92M01V20130323

60 Die of Alcohol Poisoning by Elaine Hennig

At least 60 people in Tripoli, the capital of Libya, have died of alcohol poisoning. The victims died after drinking locally made alcohol. Alcohol sale and consumption is prohibited in Libya, but alcoholic drinks, including those that are locally made, are smuggled into the country. The symptoms (including breathing problems, blindness, coma, seizures, and death) indicate methanol poisoning. An investigation into the alcohol poisoning has been launched, and security has been increased to reduce smuggling.

This is a very detailed and informative article about what is believed to be one of the worst outbreaks of alcohol poisoning in Libya. It shows the risks involved with smuggled goods. I think the government responded appropriately to the issue, and hopefully they can prevent any more outbreaks.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/12/world/africa/libya-alcohol-poisoning/index.html?hpt=wo_bn7

Hannah Menchu - 60 Myanmarese killed in fire at Thailand refugee camp

60 Myanmarese killed in fire at Thailand refugee camp

A camp for  Myanmar refugees caught fire in Thailand.  These 3,800 people fled from fighting in their country.  In the camp the refugees were living in huts made of dried banana leaves and bamboo   Fire spread quickly.  60 refugees died and and over 100 were injured.  The United Nations has given them tents to live in.

These poor people.  Driven from their homeland.  Living in a refugee camp and now this.  

       

 

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/60-Myanmarese-killed-in-fire-at-Thailand-refugee-camp/articleshow/19161671.cms