Indonesia’s Uneasy Mount Merapi Starts Acting Up: By Paige Kutschall

"JAKARTA, Indonesia–One of Indonesia’s most volatile volcanoes is acting up on the heavily populated island of Java.

Scientists raised the alert status of Mount Merapi to level II on a 4-point scale late Tuesday night amid an uptick in small quakes and avalanches. The highly active volcano looms over Yogyakarta, a cultural hub and university town in central Java. Since April 20, the mountain has experienced 29 avalanches and dozens of low-frequency quakes that show “an increase in the fluid contained in the volcanic gas,” which indicates an increased likelihood of eruption,  Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesman for the country’s national disaster agency, said Wednesday. The mountain is still considered safe under the current alert level, and no one has been ordered to evacuate. Climbing the mountain – typically a popular tourist activity – has been prohibited. Indonesia has around 130 active volcanoes, the majority of which are currently considered stable. Four volcanoes are on a high-level III alert, including Mount Sinabung on Sumatra Island, which erupted for months on end beginning late last year, killing 15 people and forcing more than 20,000 to evacuate their homes. Activity at Sinabung has abated enough that earlier this month scientists took it off alert level IV, the highest. No volcanoes are currently on the highest alert. Merapi, about 25 kilometers north of Yogyakarta, is Indonesia’s most seismically active volcano. Its eruption in 2010 released poisonous gases and blanketed the region, populated by millions of people, in a layer of fine ash. More than 300 people were killed and hundreds of thousands displaced. The United Nations cites Merapi as one of 16 volcanoes worldwide that pose especially serious threats because of their activity and vicinity to major population centers. Indonesia sits on the fault lines of the Pacific Ring of Fire, which sees frequent earthquakes and volcanic activity. The archipelago is home to some of the world’s most famous volcanic eruptions, including the Mount Toba super-eruption around 74,000 years ago in North Sumatra that created what is today the world’s largest volcanic lake, and the eruption of Mount Krakatau, which lies west of Java, in 1883."

Source: http://blogs.wsj.com/searealtime/2014/04/30/indonesias-uneasy-mount-merapi-starts-acting-up/?mod=WSJ_SEA_Blog&mod=WSJ_SEA_Blog

Talks to Start on Broadening, and Paying for, Search for Missing Malaysia Flight 370: By Paige Kutschall

"KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia—Malaysian Defense Minister Hishammuddin Hussein on Tuesday said nations involved in the hunt for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 would begin discussing how to broaden the search—and how to pay for it. "Malaysia will discuss with our international counterparts, including Australia, how the new search operation, as announced by [Australian] Prime Minister [Tony] Abbott on Monday, will proceed," he said. Mr. Hishammuddin also said that Kok Soo Chon, a former chief of Malaysia's Department of Civil Aviation, would lead the international team investigating the plane's March 8 disappearance as it flew from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. No physical trace of the aircraft has been found. The search effort, now more than 50 days old, shifted abruptly on Monday when Mr. Abbott announced that the search area in the Indian Ocean would be vastly expanded and that the operation would begin relying on private contractors. The next phase of the operation is likely to cost more than $57 million, Mr. Abbott said.

Some countries have begun pulling out their military assets. Japan's Defense Ministry, for example, said on Monday that it was withdrawing its team, including P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft and C-130H transport aircraft. Japan had been involved in the search since March 11. Cmdr. William Marks, spokesman for the U.S. Navy's Seventh Fleet, which also has been involved in the operation, said using commercial operators raises new questions, including how quickly they can get to the search area, how long they will be expected to operate, and how they would be paid.

Mr. Hishammuddin expressed his gratitude to Australian officials for leading the hunt in the Indian Ocean. "The fact that MH370 has still not been found underscores the complexity and difficulty of this search operation," he said. Mr. Hishammuddin, who is also Malaysia's acting transport minister, didn't set a timetable for discussing the next phase with representatives of the 26 nations that have aided in the effort. "This discussion will include issues such as the deployment of assets with deep-sea search capabilities, the cost of the operation and how best authorities can ensure the next of kin of those onboard MH370 are properly informed of the latest developments," he said. Mr. Hishammuddin said Malaysia was looking into a report by an Australian exploration company that it may have spotted the wreckage in the Bay of Bengal, about 3,000 miles from the search site. The Wall Street Journal was unable to reach representatives of the company.

Australia Government

Australia's 7News reported that the Adelaide-based company, GeoResonance, said it had identified metals on the ocean floor, such as aluminum, titanium and copper, consistent with material from a plane. The company told 7News that it had searched for the Boeing 777 using satellite and aircraft images. "Malaysia is working with its international partners to assess the credibility of this information," Mr. Hishammuddin said, noting that Australia and China also were aware of the report. Serving with Mr. Kok on the investigative team will be representatives of accident investigation agencies from at least five countries—the U.S., Australia, the U.K., China and France—as well as Boeing, Rolls-Royce and Inmarsat."

Source: http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304163604579531444178331328?mg=reno64-wsj&url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB10001424052702304163604579531444178331328.html

Can infants stay overnight with their divorced dads or not? - by Frances Garnett

Ever since the "McIntosh" research report of 2007, stating that if infants under two years old spend one or more nights a week in their "non-primary caregiver's care" (usually, in the case of a divorce, the dad who didn't get custody) are more likely to be more irritable, distressed and insecure with their primary parent (the mom), and more emotionally and physically stressed in general, it has become a given that these findings are true, and they've ruled Australian family law ever since. Fathers have had no hope of overnight contact with their children if they're under three, and it's greatly discouraged by mediators. However, a new report finds that infants can develop attachments with multiple caregivers and that they are in fact better off spending overnight time with both parents. It also challenged the accuracy of the first report, recalling problems in how its data was collected and analyzed. While the first report talks about the "importance of the primary attachment relationship" (with the mom) and says that regular contact, even if for a short time, can develop relationships with dads, the second one says that denying overnight stays with dads can damage their relationships. Because of the first report's influence, Australian fathers have only had access to their young children for a few hours, while this second one (and other similar reports) could really change family law.

I think that the author of this article wanted the reader to sympathize with the dads and make them agree that the second report was correct, but I still agree anyway. It seems really cruel to stop a parent from seeing their child, and while I understand that infants are especially fragile, the article made a good point saying that children often spend overnight time with grandparents, babysitters and other family members or close friends, so spending time with their father shouldn't be much of a difference. I also disagree that this diminishes a child's relationship with their mother, because when a friend of my mom's had a baby, her kid developed relationships with many people and was still close to his mother. While I have nothing against single moms, and encourage them even, I still think that having close ties with both parents is still very important in someone's development and growth.

Source: http://www.theage.com.au/national/empty-days-lonely-nights-20140428-37e3e.html

Cold war brewing by: Shadden Hashem

"Pundits have said that the crisis between Russia and the West over Ukraine is a symbol of a new Cold War. There's been much talk about old dividing lines: Russia has been accused of building a new Berlin Wall, Vladimir Putin has said he doesn't want another "Iron Curtain."  http://globalpublicsquare.blogs.cnn.com/2014/04/26/how-the-cold-war-affected-deer/?hpt=wo_c2 This is a very interesting article about conflicts with all different countries. 

Jet ski rider fined by Josie Blossfeld

Summary:
A south Australian man, Jim Murray Smith, was fined after riding too close to an endangered species of whale on his jet skis. The prosecution said that he has been the third person to do so, which was hard to prove or deny. He pleaded guilty to being within 300 meters of the two southern right whales on his jet skis on a day in July 2011, in Port Noarlunga. Magistrate Dixon convicted Smith and imposed a fine of two thousand dollars plus eight hundred in prosecution fees.
Analysis:
I think overall it was a bit much to begin with, and the guy had no idea that he was so near to the animals in the water at the time. However, he did put up over three years of fuss over the fine, and the necessary precautions to protect those animals were being taken. Overall the court did its job and hopefully the money its earned can go towards protecting the endangered whales. At least I hope that's what they're doing with the money? Otherwise why fine this guy in the first place.
Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-09-09/jet-ski-rider-fined-for-getting-too-close-to-whales/4946656

Queensland Government Urges Citizens to Boycott Ben & Jerry's by Bob Cummins

     Ben & Jerry's campaign propagated by WWF has not gone over well with Andrew Powell, Environment Minister in Queensland, Australia.  

     He said, "Another company has signed up to the campaign of lies and deceit that's been propagated by WWF."  He thinks that Ben & Jerry's is damaging the Reef's reputation and hurting jobs and hurting the tourism there.

     "If you understand the facts, you'd want to be boycotting Ben and Jerry's."

     Powell said he would write to Unilever, Ben & Jerry's parent company about the matter and brief it about the truth.

     Recently Ben & Jerry's started a roap trip in Australia giving away free ice cream and telling people about their concerns.

     They said that the Reef could be in danger because of dredging and dumping, shipping highways and mega-ports.  WWF thinks that spoil from 40km away might get caught in currents, poison, or smother reefs.

     "It threatens the health of one of Australia's most iconic treasures," said Kalli Swaik, Ben & Jerry's Australia brand manager.

     CEO Dermot O'Gorman said, "Ben & Jerry's' tour is a timely reminder that the world expects the Queensland and Australian governments to lift their game."

     

     It sounds like Queensland should take extreme caution when performing this action to preserve the Reef, but, according to Powell, Ben & Jerry's might need to do more research on the matter before campaigning.  But, since they're a pretty large company, one would think they would have really thought about this before giving out free ice cream and getting some guy in a scuba suit to advertise!  Unilever, Ben & Jerry's parent company, seems like the company Powell is targeting.

    



Source:  www.news.com.au/national/queensland/queensland-government-urges-boycott-of-ben-jerrys-ice-cream-over-wwf-propaganda-on-great-barrier-reef/story-fnii5v6w-1226898567920

Gay in the Turkish army by Becca Hodge

According to the Turkish government, every man must go through military service. The only way not to is to be ill, disabled or homosexual. To prove that you are indeed homosexual, you must prove it. They ask you to show up in women's clothing or to show photos of you in women's clothing. Many men have showed pictures of them having sex with another man or kissing another man, just to get out of military service.

Source

Teacher stabbed at school by Becca Hodge

A teacher was stabbed in front of students by a 15-year-old boy. The teacher was the only one hurt or threatened. Teachers obtained the boy until the police came to take him into custody.

My heart goes out to the family of both the teacher and the boy. I hope that things get better for the both of them. This is a tragic event that should never happen.

source

Cell Phone Catches Video of Ferry by Anna Pickett

     Someone caught video of the South Korean ferry sinking. Many passengers died,while many of the crew survived. The video was taken by a teenage boy, whose father released the video after finding his cell phone. The video shows the panic of the passengers as the ferry begins to sink. South Korea has started a criminal investigation about the ferry. They've already made some arrests. South Korea's prime minister announced his resignation because he blames himself for the initial reaction to the ferry. They're searching for the bodies of those who were on the ferry. 

     I think what happened with the ferry is terrifying. It's really strange to think that the video that was taken was made by someone who died because of the sinking ship. I hope they find the rest of the people, and I hope they find out if this was on purpose. My heart is out to the family members of those who died.

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/27/world/asia/south-korea-ferry-video/index.html?hpt=ias_t3

Tornado strikes Oklahoma Julia F

Witnesses spotted a twister in the Oklahoma town of Quapaw on Sunday, an emergency official said, as severe weather slammed into parts of the central United States. Joe Dan Morgan, emergency manager in Ottawa County, Oklahoma, said ambulances had deployed after reports of a funnel on the ground in Quapaw, and rescuers were working in an area where a concrete wall crashed onto a car. Numerous buildings in the town were damaged, said Keli Cain with Oklahoma Emergency Management.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/27/us/severe-weather/index.html?c=homepage-t

63 YEAR OLD MAN SWALLOWS GOLD: Julia Woltjen

SUMMARY: Doctors in a New Delhi hospital recently found 12 gold bars in a man's stomach. The man after complaining of swallowing a bottle cap had to undergo surgery to remove what was in there, and what did doctors find?... more than $17,000 in gold.

ANALYSIS: The man is now undergoing in an investigation for tax evasion.... dude what the heck, you didn't want to pay taxes so you swallowed gold bars. Wow how did that work out for you?

http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/us/2014/04/21/mxp-dnt-das-breakroom-store-kboi.kboi.html

MALAYSIAN FLIGHT'S BLACK BOX: Julia Woltjen

SUMMARY: Recently the search for the missing Malaysian flight and its 200+ passengers has taken a weird turn. Investigators are now searching under water for the planes black box, this is a part of the aircraft that should give off a signal and help locate the rest of the plane. But finding this box isn't looking optimistic since the search area is now close to 20,000 miles in the Indian ocean.

ANALYSIS: The idea to look for the black is very clever but probably won't work because it has most likely gone dead by now.

http://www.examiner.com/article/missing-jet-black-box-malaysia-flight-search-heads-under-water

Spā'īḍara Mēna -Max Gaddis

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/04/24/world/asia/india-spider-man-politician/index.html?hpt=ias_mid

A 31- year old independent candidate named Gaurav Sharma from south Mumbai is running for a seat in India's general election. He scales walls and talks through windows to get citizens to vote for him. He used to climb skyscrapers and puts his talents to use by finding a unique way to get citizens to vote for him. He also promises to fix the obvious problems like education, water, and electricity, and not get caught up with frivolous problems that don't help citizens. In a country where illiteracy has ruled for so long, Sharma uses his unique campaigning ways to help identify his polling symbol that will appear next to his name for the illiterate to identify the runners; his symbol will be a window: a window of opportunity that looks out onto the future of India.

I think this guy is great. He gets people to remember him in a way that will also benefit them. He talked about education being important and then uses a symbol that people who can't read will instantly recognize as his own for the polls. He gets it and that's what makes him different from the other candidates.

Malaysian Airlines Update 17,000 and still barely anything. By Nash F.

In recent news the missing plane has still not been found but recent efforts haven't proved fruitful. But this has lead to a new revelation. Perhaps were looking to narrowly. So they have broaden their search diameter .  But again still no progress.

bibliography:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/26/malaysia-airlines-missing-plane-search_n_5216797.html

South Korean Prime minister resigns- Andrew Tunell

Chung Hong-won resigned early this morning after much criticism over the governments response to a ferry's disastrous crash. Hong-won took responsibility for the crash and decided to resign because of it, he said "During the search process, the government took inadequate measures and disappointed the public". This is still a very shocking decision.
source
This seems really strange to me, what if people in our government resigned after every mistake, usually we must force bad officials out. I do think it was a very honorable thing to do, but I don't think it was that much of the Prime Minister's fault, and I don't think it was a good reason to resign.

robber shot, resident shot him. somewhere in East Oak Cliff (My part of town)

That's right, my fellow bloggers! A robber attempted to you know, take money or stuff that costs money. He pulled his gun from under his couch and guess what? He shot him from I don't know, a couple feet away? Unfortunately, neither the robber or the resident's names yet. You know what's even worse? The police are deciding if the resident will have to face charges. Oh boo hoo, c'mon Dallas Police Department, he was just protecting himself. Please do not press charges against him. I think that since he killed the guy who was invading his home he's such a badass. Such a frikkin' badass. That's it. Cameron Ordinario

Poaching and Eating hopefully Will Stop- Amanda Maceda

In China, many traditional Chinese remedies consist of ingredients that can only be obtained by the killing of endangered species, such as the roasted scales of the pangolin is said to help detoxify the body. Also, some people believe eating these animals is a "luxury" and shows social status. These practices have fueled more poaching recently. "Repeated crackdowns failed to stem such activity and, according to the Xinhua news agency, many buyers of rare animals were walking away unpunished." Now, new measures have been taking to stop these illegal acts. People caught eating animals could face a penalty of 10 years, while people illegally buying them could face 3.

Unruly passenger causes stir by Katelyn McLane

A Virgin Australia plane flying to Indonesia experienced some difficulties recently. A passenger was apparently causing a disruption, and there were even some reports of a hijacking on Friday. Those reports were false however, and the airline claimed that they weren't worried about the passengers' safety at any point. The disruptive passenger was unarmed and the plane, with 137 passengers and 7 crew members, got safely to its destination. The disruptive passenger was removed.

I'm glad the disruption turned out to be a minor thing. It would be terrible if the plane had been hijacked with all those passengers and crew members on it. I'm glad everyone is safe.

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/25/world/asia/indonesia-plane-scare/index.html?iref=allsearch

Seoul nuclear site Julia F

North Korea has stepped up activity at its main nuclear test site, possibly preparing to carry out a fourth underground blast, South Korea said Tuesday."We confirm that we have spotted several activities related to the nuclear test in Punggye-ri in North Korea," the South Korean Defense Ministry said in a statement. It declined to specify what the activities were, saying the information was classified.

The ministry said it had increased its military preparedness since Monday morning and was monitoring around the clock for signs of activity at the Punggye-ri site in a northeastern region of North Korea.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/21/world/asia/north-korea-nuclear-activity/index.html?c=world

The 3rd Annual Consultative Meeting Between Mongolia and Switzerland: by Frances Garnett

In Bern, Switzerland, on March 24st, the Mongolian and Swiss Ministries of Foreign Affairs had their third annual Consultative Meeting, which turned out very successfully. They discussed: what would happen for the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic relationship (they each will organize cultural events, exhibitions and business meetings); maybe having a Mongolia-Switzerland Commission on Economic Cooperation to aid trade; and they discussed their contentment with the the Swiss programs that have been trying to help decentralize Mongolia, improve education in rural areas, and develop agriculture to promote food security for the future. Both countries agreed to support each other in international organizations (like the UN).

What interested me the most about this article was how a developed country (Switzerland) was helping a developing country (Mongolia). I would think that pride is usually an issue, and a country like Mongolia might be uncomfortable accepting so much aid from another nation, but I think it's a great strategy for countries to help each other improve the lives of their citizens. No doubt Switzerland, too, is receiving benefits, probably economic ones from trade, but it's still nice to see how the world is still improving in the midst of wars and conflicts.

Source: http://ubpost.mongolnews.mn/?p=8458

Stowaway Still Alive by Anna Pickett

     A 16-year-old from California hid inside an airplane wheel and stowed away on a flight to Hawaii. Everyone is surprised he survived, because conditions would be so harsh. Not only is the plane at an altitude of 38,000 feet, but the temperatures are below zero. Since 1947, 105 people tried to stowaway in the wheel of a plane, but 25 of them survived, including a 9-year-old. The boy could have suffered brain damage, so it was a large risk to take. Not only is the boy's safety a concern, but the safety of the airport is questionable. If this boy was able to sneak over an airport fence and sneak onto a flight, they need to get better security.
     This is really scary. I really hope the boy hasn't suffered any extreme long-term damage. Hopefully, he didn't get in too much trouble, but learned that what he did was dangerous. Maybe the airport will step up their security as well. I just hope that everyone is safe and out of harm's way, especially when the boy was that close to possible death!
Source: http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/21/us/hawaii-plane-stowaway/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

Nigerian kidnappings- sk hatcher

Chibok Nigeria hit with tragedy. 230 girls were kidnapped out of their government school. There were more than 85 Islamic extremists responsible. The government is now trying to justify this and it's being passed as a minor affair as mass kidnapping a are not an uncommon occurrence there. 

This is so scary. I can't imagine not feeling safe in my school. This is one place that should feel like a sanctuary from the outside world and they were taken from there. And that the government is slightly overlooking this is so much worse. If anything like that were to happen here it would be crazy, so why not there?

http://time.com/70213/parents-234-girls-kidnapped-from-nigeria-school/

Mudslide- sk hatcher

Oso Washington was struck with tragedy. A giant mudslide occurred killing 41 and there are still many missing. Machines are pulling out the residue of the rummage of houses and buildings and soul. One inch at a time they are going through to find all the bodies of humans and pets as the death toll progressively rises.

This is so scary that this can happen out of nowhere and burry an entire city! I am very frightened about this ever happening again. So many innocent people lost. 

http://time.com/70331/washington-mudslide-death-toll-3/

Australian Bilbies population threatened by Josie Blossfeld

Summary: Australian bilbies are the sole survivor of six bandicoot species that once roamed Australia. Australia used to be home to two species of bilby, the lesser and greater species, but the greater bilby species is now extinct. Lesser bilbies are now endangered in Queensland and labeled as vulnerable to extinction nationally. Hunting by non-native feral cats and foxes is believed to be the biggest threat to the the bilby population, along with factors in the population's dramatic decline such as destruction of its habitat by farm animals and competition for food. 

Analysis: This is a shame! Bilbies are a species that have lived in Australia for over two hundred years, and besides that they're extremely cute. Hopefully some sort of intervention can take place to get the bilby population increasing again before they go extinct for good!

oh, Greece!

Guess what? Greece decided to have a really large Easter celebration and there was 1 death along with several other people injured!!! Wow!!!!! Now I know Greece celebrates Easter and probably gets drunk when they celebrate it, but c'mon, now!! This is the first thing I've heard about Greece in a long time, though. I'll give them that. Otherwise, I think that this is a disgrace!!! I have nothing more to say. Cameron Ordinario

Flying for Free: Surviving In A Plane Wheel by Bob Cummins

     On Sunday, a 16 year old flew from San Jose, California to Hawaii for a 5 and a half hour flight in a wheel of the airplane.  The conditions are very dangerous.  When flying at about 38,000 feet, the air temperature is around negative 85 degrees.  One will pass out because the air is so thin and the brain is starved of oxygen.  When the wheels lower when the plane lands, a trap door opens, and one could easily fall.  Survival is, of course, possible, evident by our teenage friend.  The body can slow the heart rate, breathing, and brain activity, and enter a state resembling hibernation.  It helps to be younger to enter this state.  Doctors try to recreate this bodily condition when performing open heart surgery on more elderly people.  The machinery in the plane can aid survival, as well, like the heat from the wheels.  Since 1947, 105 people have stowed away, and 25 made the trip with their lives.  The Federal Aviation Administration, who released the data, noted that the rate might be slimmer than that, since some might have fallen from the wheel well.  There have been two instances of someone stowing away on a flight within the U.S.  A teenager in 2010 died between North Carolina and Boston.  The other stowed away in 1972.  There are other instances in which someone stowed away on a flight from the U.S. to another country.

     This is crazy!  I wonder what type of clothing he had on when he was in the wheel in conditions 85 degrees below zero.  I hope they didn't make him pay for the flight.  I didn't know that people actually stow away on planes.  The average survival rate, about 1 in 4, is pretty high, once one thinks about the conditions! 

     Source: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/04/21/how-did-stowaway-survive-long-cold-flight-to-hawaii-human-body-can-go-into/

Nigeria: Why the abduction of 100 school girls isn't shocking By Kiyanna Elliott

http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/21/world/africa/nigeria-abducted-girls/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

The heavily armed militants from Boko Haram stormed the girl's dormitory of Government Girls Secondary School in the middle of the night, taking more than 100 students on to vehicles and burning down buildings  nearby as they made their escape. That was a week ago Monday. Of the 129 students kidnapped from, 77 are still missing. No one knows where they are. And surprising still, no one's particularly shocked. Such is life in the lawless Borno province.

This is kind of depressing to know that this is happening all the time and no one is surprised.  The Nigerian government and military aren't really helping to much either. Both sides are equally in the wrong and there just seems to be nothing really happening to change this.

 

Sk hatcher- Malaysian plane update

Currently, there has been a decision to deam all passengers dead and go into an underwater search with the thought that there was a crash or explosion and lasts of the plane are in the water. Currently a search is in preparation. 

I just found our that there was a teen age boy on the flight. I just hope they find out soon what happened so the parents can be at please. 

http://my.chicagotribune.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-79966495/

Sk- earthquake

An earthquake struck off Papua New Guinea's eastern coast with a preliminary magnitude of 7.5. After that, their were many more earthquakes of progressively lower power. An earthquake with a magnitude this high is very dangerous and distructive to land homes and people.

I have a really big fear of earthquakes. I have a fear of the land splitting salary and separating me from someone I love. Fortunately, earthquakes don't do that often. It's more a characteristic of a sink hole. But still the fear these people must have gone through is so sad. Hopefully the quake was well foreseen and the people were given a decent warning. 

http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/19/world/asia/papua-new-guinea-quake/index.html?c=asia

Sk hatcher- Malaysian plane

Flight 370 suddently vanished. They went off radar and appeared to have vanished into thin air. They had no screaming or fear in the recordings and there is no registered landing or sighted crash. 

This is so scary. The day I found out about it I was in the car on the way to the airport to fly alone. Before doipping me off my parents go "oh and by the way so you don't hear it in there and freak out, a flight disappeared. Kk bye!" Needless to say I was terrified. 

http://www.infoplease.com/news/2014/current-events/science-disasters_mar.html

Sk hatcher- china knife attack

In china 10 men came into a train station in kunming. They used long knives and killed 29 people and badly injuring 130. They are believed to be a part of a seperatist group and they are being classified as terrorists attacking people at ransom with no credentials. They are attacks of convenience with no priority. 

I think this is really sad. It's one thing to kill people in general, but it seems even worse to go after random people not associated with them in any way. 

http://www.infoplease.com/news/2014/current-events/world_mar.html

Malaysian flight update by: Shadden Hashem

               "The underwater drone scanning for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 finished its seventh mission Sunday, having covered about half its intended territory without finding any sign of the missing plane. This has been the case for 44 days now, which seems like an eternity for the relatives of the 239 passengers and crew on board still hoping for a miracle or, at least, closure."  http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/19/world/asia/malaysia-airlines-plane/index.html?hpt=wo_c2

               I feel so terrible for the relatives of the missing passengers having to live for about a month and a half with this mystery.

London/New Delhi -Julianne Swaykus

  "LONDON/NEW, DELHI – From a distance, the scene is as colorful as any in India. Men dressed as Hindu deities, with tinsel crowns and tridents, wait for their turn on the stage. Teenagers saunter by trucks carrying effigies of mythological heroes and listen to speeches."

  

  This looks fun and colorful! 

Mountain danger -Julianne Swaykus

  "The rescuers moved quickly, just minutes after the first block of ice tore loose from high on Mount Everest and started an avalanche that roared down the mountain." 

   This is very scary. Mount Everest is a very dangerous and big mountain. 

Expanding military -Julianne Swaykus

  "Japan on Saturday began its first military expansion at the western end of its island chain in more than 40 years, breaking ground on a radar station on a tropical island off Taiwan."

  This makes me very worried that they are expanding their military on the western end. They will be more powerful. 

Ship wreck -Julianne Swaykus

  "MOKPO, SOUTH KOREA – Divers recovered 13 bodies from inside a ferry that sank off South Korea, pushing the confirmed death toll to 46, officials said Sunday. The discovery came after rescuers finally gained access to the inside of the ship following three days of failure and frustration caused by strong currents and bad visibility due to inclement weather." 

   I'm so sorry this happened and feel bad for the families that lost a loved one. 

www.http:/japantimes.com

Waste -Julianne Swaykus

  "BANGKOK – As head of his village, Prajob Naowa-opas battled to save his community in central Thailand from the illegal dumping of toxic waste by filing petitions and leading villagers to block trucks carrying the stuff — until a gunman in broad daylight fired four shots into him." 

   I agree with what the man is doing because we do not want our water full of toxins and very sorry that he was shot at because of it. That is not humane.

Www.http:/japantimes.com

Cultural diffusion -Julianne Swaykus

   Many Chinese restaurants are found in the US today and that is a major sign of cultural diffusion. Chinese food along with many other types of food can be found all around the world. 

Pakistani news anchor and journalish shot by Katelyn McLane

A political talk show host on Pakistani TV and former journalist named Hamid Mir was shot three times by gunmen. His brother, also a journalist, traced the attack back to the government, despite its firm denial. Mir had suspected that his assassination was being planned, after already having been banned from television by two Pakistani governments in 2007 and 2008. Luckily, he underwent a successful operation at a private hospital. There have been many other attacks recently on journalists, and the U.S. is trying to tell the Pakistani police to get more focused on the problem and try to put an end to it.

This is very scary and sad to me. First of all, these are journalists that are being shot. All they are doing is reporting news or voicing their opinions. I know we are very lucky to live in a country where doing those things won't cause your assassination to be planned. It must be very scary to be a journalist there and constantly feel like you have to watch your back in case someone comes at you with a gun. I hope Hamid Mir and others like him recover quickly and that the police get to the bottom of this soon.

Source: http://edition.cnn.com/2014/04/19/world/asia/pakistan-journalist-attacked/index.html?hpt=ias_c2

Saudi Arabia to Build World's Tallest Tower by Kiyanna Elliott

http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/17/world/meast/saudi-arabia-to-build-tallest-building-ever/index.html?hpt=tr_c2

Dubai's iconic Burf Khalifa, the world's tallest building, could loses its title to the Kingdom Tower in Jeddah if Saudi Arabia succeeds in building it. The Kingdom Tower, estimated to cost $1.23 billion, would have 200 floors and overlook the Red Sea. To build it will require about 5.7 million square feet of concrete and 80,000 tons of steel.

Some one is always trying to beat some one out of a record holding. At least we get to see the process of the construction of the building and all the errors and difficulties.  

Woman Tackles World's Longest Triathlon By Kiyanna

http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/18/health/worlds-longest-triathlon-bastidas/index.html?hpt=he_c2

In 1998, Australian David Holleran completed a triathlon consisting of a 26-mile swim, 1,242-mile bike ride and a 310-mile run. He holds the record for the longest triathlon in the Guinness World Records. Bastidas will more than double that distance, swimming 95 miles, biking 2,932 miles and running 735 miles for a total of 3,762 miles before reaching Washington near the end of April. With this triathlon, she's supporting a new cause to raise awareness about human trafficking and stop it. 

You don't usually think of people who are trying to break world records and supporting a cause. That's really admirable not to do just because but to do it to support something you believe in.

Mega Errors in Baseball game on Sunday! By Trevor Walker

The Los Angeles Angels suffered a defensive meltdown of epic proportions on Sunday afternoon. During one first inning sequence against the Detroit Tigers, they committed not one, not two, but three errors consecutively, allowing base runner Ian Kinsler to score from first base!

Here's how it all went down, beginning with the fact that the entire thing could have been avoided had Angels catcher Hank Conger realized home plate umpire Brian Knight called ball four on Miguel Cabrera. Kinsler was moving from first base on the 3-2 pitch to avoid a potential double play, but that was all moot once Cabrera walked. Still, Conger went ahead with the throw and watched it sail into center field for the first physical error and an unofficial mental error. With Kinsler moving to third, the second error occurred on a wild throw from center fielder Mike Trout, who was backing up second base. At this point Kinsler rounded third and attempted to score, which sets up the third error by pitcher Hector Santiago. Santiago's throw home eluded Conger, the man who started the whole mess, allowing Kinsler to score and Cabrera to move up to second.

Carpenter who cut off his fingers makes 'Robohand' with 3-D printer by Kiyanna Elliott

http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/14/tech/innovation/carpenter-fingers-robohand-3-d/index.html

In May 2011, Richard van As sat in a Johannesburg hospital waiting to hear if his fingers could be stitched back on. Just an hour earlier, he had been in his carpentry workshop sawing wood when the saw slipped and ripped through four fingers on his right hand. Rather than think negatively about the situation, he was already thinking of ways to fix the issue. After searching the Internet for days, he couldn't find anywhere to buy functional prosthetic fingers and was surprised by the cost of prosthetic hands and limbs, but found and amateur video posted by a mechanical effects artist named Ivan Owen.Together, they developed a mechanical finger for van As, but it has gone on to benefit a lot of people who are hand and arm amputees around the world through the creation of the company Robohand which creates affordable mechanical prosthetics through the use of 3D printers and also has open sourced designs so that anyone with access to a 3D printer can print out fingers, hands and now arms too.

This is really nice because nowadays if you have some sort of physical ailment and you want to to get something that can help you ease any difficulty you might have then it usually will cost a lot of money. Mostly anything that has to do with anything medical will cost a ton of money even with insurance. It's also go because people used there negative situation and turned it into a positive one not just for them but others too.

Avalanche search Cancelled- AmandaMaceda

In the Himalayan Mountains, an avalanche struck on Friday just above the Everest base camp."The avalanche struck a passage called the Khumbu Icefall, which is riddled with crevasses and large ice boulders that can break free without warning." 3 sherpas died, waking up early to fix a route for the climbers. 13 of their colleages have died and the search party has been called off. "It was the single deadliest accident in modern mountaineering on the world's highest peak." Nepal is cutting fees next year and will be an equal amount of guides as foreigners for safety.

Fish From The Abyss - Max Gaddis

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/01/22/world/asia/strange-sea-creature/?iref=obinsite

A scaly, see- through thing was found off the coast of New Zealand in January. It is a Salp, a fish that feeds on plankton and bacteria and is found in parts of the ocean that even aren't widely explored. It was a surprise to both the fisherman who caught it and the scientists who studied it because while it isn't rare, it isn't usually found alone, but in chains of 30 and more. It is transparent to protect it from it's predators, which usually makes it hard to find to humans also. The fisherman described the Salp as  "Scaly and... quite firm, almost jelly like."

I think this is great, you learn new things every day.

Fatal shooting in eastern Ukraine ups tension by scarlet chimney

In Ukraine there seems to be some kind of accident that seems to have taken place with a shooting atleast one person has died for sure, the world danger has taken a great outrage and the rebellious actions of citizens who care to be heard have taken there stance. 

http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/20/world/europe/ukraine-shooting/index.html?c=mobile-homepage-t

Malaysia Airlines flight returns to airport

Currently the Malaysia airline had returned to airport after going several places, I think there had been many stimulating and suspicious conversation that had been circling around about the airline itself and it's credibility and also the danger in Malaysia for the people to want to seek rescue. 

Rubin 'Hurricane' Carter dies at 76 by scarlet chimney

A man who spent almost 20

Years in prison for three muders he did not commit, died . He was 76 and died of prostate cancer. 

I personally feel sorry for him due to the fact that he was wrongly convicted and spent a good portion of his life on prison where he probably caught the cancer. The justice department needs improvement 

http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/20/us/rubin-hurricane-carter-obit/index.html?c=mobile-homepage-t

Transcript reveals panic on South Korean ship by scarlet chimney

In South Korea there was a ferry that had recently broken down but they were unable to use the life boats due to failure. They boat crew radioed to several people informing them of the danger the boat was in and the people in it. 

I feel that it's a great duty if America to insure the safety of out transportation via water. There have been many incidence lately and it's not good 

Many People Die on South Korean Ferry- Andrew Tunell

     Fifty-nine people have been found dead and two hundred forty-three are still missing after a South Korean Ferry rolled/sank. The captain was not present in the steering room during the accident and pre-planed the course, but the third mate executed a turn too sharp when steering. A reason there were so many fatalities is because the evacuation to the life boats was delayed until the boat was leaning too far for the passengers to move to the life boats.
 http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/20/world/asia/south-korea-ship-sinking/index.html?hpt=hp_t1
     This accident could have been stop and prevented several times if it wasn't for the carelessness of the crew.  Its really sad that if the third mate steered better, and the captain called for a evacuation all these people wouldn't have died.

Papa, is the sky falling? By: Jon Cope

Papa, is the sky falling? By: Jon Cope

Summary:
  (Papa, is the sky falling?) No son the sky is not falling, that was an earthquake located in Papa New Guinea. This earth that had struck late Saturday with a 7.5 magnitude on the East coast of Papa New Guinea, centered at 45 miles.

Analysis:
  I feel horrible for anyone who's lost possession of people or items. Hopefully not many people were injured, and hopefully not many building or homes were destroyed.

Source: http://edition.cnn.com/2014/04/19/world/asia/papua-new-guinea-quake/index.html?hpt=ias_c2

Unsettling video shows Al Qaeda leaders meeting devoted followers in Yemen

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/unsettling-video-shows-al-qaeda-leaders-meeting-followers-yemen-article-1.1757895#ixzz2z77rB7PE

Recently, video footage has been discovered of Al-Qaeda members discussing future attacks on America. It is unknown, at least publically, of the the responses from the CIA and Penatgon about this video and the actions needed to be done next.  We have been given the information that they will they be carefully disecting each part of these videos, looking for valid threats that could bring harm on to the U.S.  It is still usure how dependable these videos are due to the absence of knowlegde when these videos were made.

This is very scary because of the past history between the U.S. and terrorist attacks from Al-Qaeda. It is important that we are able to take the necessary precautions to determine whether this information can be trusted. I am very eager to hear how the Government officials perceive this threatening display of typical Al-Qaeda actions toward the U.S.  .

South Korean shipwreck survivors: told 'don't move' as ship sank
By Morgan Parmley
http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/16/world/asia/south-korea-sinking-ship-students/

On Thursday, a ferry full of Korean school children in Jindu, South Korea, faced a terrible tradgedy.  What was supposed to be a four day feild trip turned into a life threatening shipwreck. According to some of the students on board of the ship, they were instructed by various authority "not to move" while the ship was sinking.  Many questions have been brought up whether or not this instuction given has cost the lives of passangers.  Currently, 9 people have been reported dead and many are uncounted for.  Rescuers are trying their best to locate the missing persons.

This accident has been a very devastating occurance.  At this point I don't feel that I have enough information to make an assumption regarding the motive of the instruction given during the sinking. The way that the direction was given though, does seem to have been very demanding.  At the point of the submergence I think that the person that had given the direction could have known that there was no way out of the sinking ship and wanted to keep the passengers calm, rather being hectic and creating even more stress in the situation.  I am honestly not sure what exactly his motives were for this questionable direction but I do think that the man very well could have had the passengers best interest in mind.

China's bold evironmental move by Morgan Parmley
http://globalpublicsquare.blogs.cnn.com/2014/02/17/chinas-bold-environmental-move/

For many years the citizens of China (especially in the capital, Beijing) have had concerns regarding the highly polluted cities.  The people of China had expressed health concerns of the highly polluted areas many times without any response from the Chinese government.  After much publicity and many protests, the Chinese government has issued a report mandatory for work factories to reveal the true pollution levels as well as the severity of the unsafe atmosphere.

In my opinion, the Chinese government has only responded to this incident due to the bad publicity among other nations.  Historically, the Chinese government is not necesssarily known for resolving or even listening to the concerns among the people of China. Even in this instance there are most likely many other MAJOR factors we are not even aware of that have caused the government to issue this report. However, I am pleased to know that in this circumstance the Chinese people will hopefully have answers and facts that might not be obstructed by the government to save, or alltogether hide, the real truth about the air they are breathing.

Ferry crash by Becca Hodge

A large ferry just off the coast of South Korea sunk into the ocean. Many people were able to get out in time but there were still the few who couldn't.

I hope everyone reaches their families safely and that the families that have lost members are okay and get through this.


Source

Man holds sign for bullying by Eleanor Evans-Wickberg

A man that mocked a woman and her disabled son was tried for it and found guilty. His punishment is that he must wear a large sign that says "I AM A BULLY! I pick on children that are disabled, and I am intolerant of those that are different from myself. My actions do not reflect an appreciation for the diverse South Euclid community that I live in." It has to be large enough for people far away from him to see as well.

This is definitely an interesting punishment. I'm not completely sure how I feel about it. I think the man deserves it for being so mean and harassing a disabled child for ten years, and I think it will teach him a lesson.

Source: http://www.19actionnews.com/story/25234132/today-in-s-euclid-man-totes-i-am-a-bully-sign-after-harassing-disabled-children?hpt=us_bn9

Google glasses used in ER by Eleanor Evans-Wickberg

A Doctor at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center used Google glasses for the ER. They are the first to ever do this since the glasses were released. It helps to make the process much quicker and more efficient.

I personally think Google Glasses are terrifying, they're the beginning of the end ( in my opinion). While I'm glad that they can make things a little more efficient for people in hospitals, I really think that we should try to stick a little more to the more old fashioned way of doing things.

Source: http://boston.cbslocal.com/2014/04/09/beth-israel-doctors-using-google-glass-in-er/?hpt=us_bn7

Edible book fest by Eleanor E-W

A library hosted an event for kids in which people brought dishes inspired by their favorite book. It helped kids to interact more with the books, and to learn that literature can be fun and interactive. It was a fun gathering with activities as well!

I think this is a really neat idea! I wish my library would have done something like this when I was younger. I think I (and many other kids) would have really enjoyed it. It encourages love of books, and also incorporates delicious food and fun activities!

Source: http://www.news8000.com/news/south-branch-library-hosts-edible-book-fest/25452248?hpt=us_bn9

Pitbull attack by: Eleanor Evans-Wickberg

A pitbull attacked an old (93 years old to be exact!) woman in the street. It got loose and attacked the woman when it saw her on the streets.  Neighbors and other people in the area were thankfully able to help her, but she still suffered a lot of damage.

This is really scary. Pitbulls can be very scary and vicious! I'm glad to hear that the woman will be al right, but I think that whoever is the owner of the pitbull should take better care of it and make sure it doesnt get loose and attack people again.

Source: http://wtnh.com/2014/04/14/93-yr-old-woman-mauled-pit-bull-branford/?hpt=us_bn7

Landslide in Wyoming by Eleanor Evans-Wickberg

a slow landslide is causing people to have to be evacuated in Jacksonville, Wyoming. The Landslide is moving fairly slowly, so it will probably not immediatley kill anyone but people are being evacuated to stay safe.

I think I would be scared to live somewhere were there was a landslide-even it was very slow moving. There is still a lot of danger. I hope everyone in Jacksonville stays safe.

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/12/us/wyoming-slow-landslide/index.html?hpt=us_c2

Woman attacked by bear by:Eleanor E-W

A woman in Florida was attacked by a bear. There were several bears in her garage, she went into her garage and when the bears saw her they got panicked and one of them attacked. The police are still not entirely sure what happened.

This is terrifying! This woman lives in an urban area just like us! I mean, she also lives in Florida which is pretty far away, but still. It's hard to imagine a bear attacking anyone in there house, but I guess anything can happen.

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/13/us/florida-bear-attack/index.html?hpt=us_c2

"Wearables" at a Tech Exposition in Taiwan: by Frances Garnett

In Taipei, the annual Spring Computer Fair will be taking place in a few days, finishing early next week, and this year there will be an emphasis on "wearables", or electronic devices you wear, such as smartwatches, wristbands, glasses, and even bicycle helmets with signal lights. Even though sales manager of iBiz Technology Corp (which distributes a brand of US smartwatch products in Taiwan), Jay Cheng, says that smartwatches can't replace tablets or smartphones because their screen is smaller in size, more and more companies are making these products, and it seems to be continuing into a sustainable trend, so companies will now need to have at least one smartwatch or other wearable to sell. Mika Enterprise Co Ltd, a Taiwanese video camera maker, will be presenting two different smartglasses at the exposition, and even though they may not carry as many apps as Google Glasses do, they still are able to let wearers pick up calls on Bluetooth and film movies. Jay Cheng also said that the companies are "targeting a niche market", since most people who want to by smartwatches or those who are either app developers or regular exercisers, and that “Wearables are like tools that are useful, but not necessarily required for daily living.”

I knew that smartglasses were being invented, but this is big news to see how technology is advancing in a new direction. I'm personally a bit critical of using too many electronics, as they can cause strain on your eyes after a long time, limit and are staring to be detrimental in social interactions, etc, etc, etc, but it's still interesting to see how far humans have come and where we can go next. I wonder if someday we will all be wearing smart glasses and they will be taken for granted, and when we look back a modern movies, we'll think that they were very old fashioned. I do agree with Mr. Cheng, though, that wearables still belong to a niche market because of the size of their screens, so I don't think phones or tablets will go out of fashion for a long time. Computers haven't, even though they're not as mobile, probably because they are viable in other ways that other devices aren't.

Source: http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2014/04/15/2003588031

Google buying drones by Eleanor E-W

Google has recentley purchased Titan, a company that produces high altitude drones. They want to use the drones to connect even more of the world through technology, and to help solve environmental issues like deforestation. This is also interesting because Facebook was looking into buying Titan at one point. Both companies are competing to bring internet to the world.

I think it is interesting that Google is buying drones. I'm not totally going for the 'take-over-the-world-and-connect-everybody" thing. I don't think that the whole world needs to be connected, though some good things could come of it.

Source: http://money.cnn.com/2014/04/14/technology/innovation/google-titan-drone/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

Vietnam Releases Political Activists by Bob Cummins

     Recently, Vietnam released two political activists.  One of them was 30-year-old Nguyen Tien Trung.  On Saturday, the blogger was released from a prison in southern Ho Chi Minh City, having been sentenced for attempting to "overthrow the people's administration".  "The government said he followed the rules in prison very well, so he was released early", said Nguyen Tu Tu, Trung's father.  The other man was 56-year-old Vi Duc Hoi who was originally a communist part member and became an activist of democracy.  He was sentenced for eight years of jail time or conducting anti-state propaganda.  According to London based Amnesty International, a rights group, he was released on Friday.  "The government said he followed the rules in prison very well, so he was released early", said Nguyen Tu Tu, Trung's father.  Arrests of Vietnamese nonconformists have increased recently.  According to Amnesty International, there are 70 Vietnamese people in detention because they peacefully expressed their opinions.  Other governments have been urging Vietnam to honor international human rights commitments.   In addition to these two men, lawyer Cu Huy Ha Vu was released April 5, after spending three of his ten years in jail and house arrest.  He was arrested also for conducting "anti-state propaganda."
     This just makes me appreciate that I live in a free country.  This is ridiculous that they would arrest people for expressing their opinions.  They're probably just afraid that if they let these people off the hook, more will start expressing their opinions and maybe start an uprising.  They're afraid that they'll lose control over their people.  Some major changes need to happen if they want to be in the UN.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/vietnam-frees-two-more-political-activists-165747334.html

Earthquake!! By: Hannah Kerman

There was an earthquake reported near the Solomon Islands on Sunday morning. The earthquake was a 7.6-magnitude one, and there most certainly were tsunami warnings. The Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii issued a warning for the islands, which lead to the Islands following correct procedures by issuing a warning to the people. Apparently the earthquake occurred 60 miles south of the Islands.
That must be so scary to be on an island knowing that a huge storm is about to hit and you have no idea what the aftermath will be. Luckily the earthquake didn't do any damage and luckily the aftershocks didn't affect the lives of most people. Technology today is changing by the minute, and it's amazing that a base in Hawaii could tell the Solomon Islands that an earthquake was coming!
  http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/12/world/asia/pacific-earthquake/index.html?hpt=ias_c2

The Digital Afterlife - Max Gaddis

http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/11/world/asia/china-death-websites/index.html?iid=article_sidebar

After the Malaysian plane disappearance last month, more and more Asian citizens have been thinking about what their last words to their relatives will be. There have been websites that let you send prepared messages to loved ones after you die. One such website is Life Black Box, where you can prepare messages, pictures and such for years at a time and choose the people you want to send them to. Most users that use this website are 30- 40 years old. The Malaysian plane disappearance has reminded us that life is precious and we could die at anytime without being able to say goodbye to the ones we love. Another such website that lets you do something similiar to this is Waheaven that lets users create virtual shrines to their deceased ancestors and yet another site lets you honor people that have been long dead like Ghengis Khan or Princess Diana. A project by Lin Dongping called "Last Post" posts the last words of everyday people that may or may not have known that they were going to die, from a 30- year old reporter coming out of a painful surgery, to a depressed person who committed suicide.

I think this is a great idea because you never know when you are going to die and you might not be able to say what you really wanted to say to someone during your lifetime.

Website for the Deceased? by Anna Pickett

     Lin Jia of China created a website called "Life Black Box". A person would sign up for the website and post anything they want to. When the person dies, the things they posted are sent to people they choose to send it to. Many of the current users of the website have dangerous jobs, so they want to be able to tell people how they feel and everything they've kept hidden. Lin has created a blog with some people's final messages. Strangers will comment on the posts and send prayers to their soul. Lin's goal is to honor the dead.
     This is a strange but also very smart idea. I think everyone has thought at least once about what will happen after they die. This website probably helps ease a lot of people's minds. Since China has a lot of superstitions and traditions surrounding death, this most likely helps with it all. It makes me happy that strangers are able to leave comments for the deceased. It really shows that we all have to support each other and pray for each other because we aren't that different. Okay, now I'm digging a bit too deep into this, but it is a good idea!
Source: http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/11/world/asia/china-death-websites/index.html?hpt=ias_c2

Are North Korean drones threatening South Korea? by Katelyn McLane

Three small, sky blue, unmanned drones called UAVs that look like toy airplanes have been found in South Korea. These things had crashed, and the defense ministry thinks that they came from Pyongyang in North Korea. The UAVs had cameras in them that had captured pictures of major military installations in South Korea. Officials, however, aren't too concerned about them. They say the drones are harmless and don't have much potential to be dangerous themselves. Also, even if the pictures were to be used for future attacks, they aren't any better quality than photos from commercial satellites. Even then, South Korea has been scrambling to better secure their airspace.

I don't think these officials are making a good choice by just waving off the danger these drones hint at. There is obviously a reason that somebody has been sending them into South Korea, whether it's North Korea or another country, and the officials definitely need to investigate further into what they are being used for. I hope they find out and stop whoever is sending them soon, or there may be mny more deaths of innocents very shortly.

Source: http://edition.cnn.com/2014/04/09/world/asia/korea-drones-military-threat/index.html?hpt=ias_c2

Captian America KOs Rio 2

In a tight race for No. 1 at the worldwide box office, Disney-Marvel’s “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” with its estimated $41.4 million domestically, eked out a victory over Fox’s newcomer “Rio 2,” which ended with a projected $39 million three-day Stateside opening.

This was a battle of the sequels and, honestly, I'm not surprised at the fact that Captian America came out on top in the end. The trailers were perfect and I think it had more publicity than Rio.

New York Yanks get an Unfair Double

Dean Anna got a double on a hit to the right field corner, but as he was coming to stand up, he took his foot off the bag and the tag was still applied. Nevertheless, the Umpires still called him "safe" after lookig at the instant replay.

This is ridiculous because you can clearly see that Dean's foot is off the bag when the tag is still being applied and the Umpires did a terrible job during the review.

To see the video, click here

Solomon Islands quake- Amanda Maceda

The Solomon Islands are very prone to both volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. This Feburary, there was already a 8.0 quake that caused a tsunami that killed several poeple in the santa cruz section of the islands. Now, early this morning, a 7.5 earthquake struck off the coast Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea. "The latest quake was registered at a depth of 20km (12 miles) below the seabed, the US Geological Survey said." There are no reports of damage, death, or even if a tsunami hit. There was also a 5.9 aftershock.

Bear attack by Jackson Daughety

Summary: A woman in Florida went into her garage to find 5 bears of various sizes looking through her garbage cans for food. The bears then took the woman and dragged her out of the garage. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission Lt. had warned the community about this kind of thing, due to the end of winter and the need for bears urgent need to find food. Analysis: Its pretty weird to think of bears as the kind of animal that would do this. I always though of bears as the kind of animals that stay in the woods and only bother people if they are being bothered by people. I guess if I ever go to florida I will be aware of this. http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/13/us/florida-bear-attack/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

Little hope in finding missing airplane- Andrew Tunell

It has been 37 days since Malaysia flight 370 was lost mid flight, and it has been very heavily reported on since then, so I'm sure you know most of the details of it, but recently many of the leads to finding the missing crafts are in trouble. The Black Box, which stores the flight information, pinger's batteries have ran out or are very close to it meaning it will be much harder to find. This loss led to search crews again broadening the search areas. Finding any information on the missing plane seems more hopeless every day.
http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/13/world/asia/malaysia-airlines-plane/index.html?hpt=hp_t1
This is really disappointing that they have not found the plane yet especially since it will be so much harder to find now. I honestly don't think they will find it anytime soon, that area undersea is very uncharted and we know little about it. Also our best way of finding it, the pinger, just stopped working, and the search area is broadening again, it seems very hopeless.

The Wonders of Graphene, by Jon Cope

The Wonders of Graphene, by Jon Cope

Summary:
   Two Russian scientist have discovered and fantastic material, made from the layers of Pencil graphite. It has just been known that it could possibly be used for commercial use too! It is very strong, like 200x stronger and 6x lighter than steel. It is also 20x stronger than a diamond. This is also transparent, and impermeable to gas. There are some drawbacks to this material, but there are ways to work around them.

Analysis:
   I think this is very interesting. It's always nice to hear about new discoveries, and how they can benefit each person's life. I wonder how they will be used in the future!

Source:
http://edition.cnn.com/2014/04/10/world/asia/graphene-samsung-breakthrough/index.html?hpt=ias_c2

Solomon islands by: Shadden Hashem

               A tsunami warning was lifted following a 7.6-magnitude earthquake that struck near the Solomon Islands. The quake occurred at a depth of about 18 miles and about 60 miles south-southeast of Kirakira, Solomon Islands. 

               I hope this didn't effect anyone or anything.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/12/world/asia/pacific-earthquake/index.html

Site lets Chinese users send data after death Julia F

Li Jia, the creator of the Life Black Box, said he thought of the idea in 2010, when he was on an extremely turbulent plane ride.Other microbloggers said the recent Kunming railroad station and Changsha market also made them consider signing up for the Black Box.Li said his website now has 360,000 registered users. Many have jobs that are dangerous or require constant traveling, and a great number are in their thirties or forties.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/11/world/asia/china-death-websites/index.html?c=asia

Stabbing in a High School By Becca Hodge

This morning a young student went into his high school in Pennsylvania and started stabbing people with two kitchen knifes. He stabbing 20 students and 1 security guard. Thankfully all are expected to make a full recovery.

I feel bad for all of the victims and their parents as well as the student's parents. In an interview with the parents, they told the press that they were just as frightened as everyone else, they had no idea their son was capable of that.

source

Korean Soap Opera Craze Spreads to China: by Frances Garnett

A Korean soap opera about an alien who arrives on earth and falls  in love with an arrogant female pop star has created an amazing craze in China. For example, when the female star of the show declared her love for "chi-maek" (a combination of fried chicken, pickled radishes and two bottle of beer) in one episode, sales of it in China exploded. In fact, there was a case of a Chinese pregnant woman who binged chicken and beer while watching episodes of the soap all night, almost causing her to have a miscarriage. Advertising using the stars and show, like with the bakery chain Tous les Jours, have also caused soaring sales. A cosmetic maker even stopped production lines of the air date of the show's final episode because so many employees wanted to stay home and watch it. The soap's success even has Chinese officials talking amid more important issues. China's cultural pride is facing some hits because it's used to being the center and the roots of culture in East Asia.

While this article shows us shows us how the media and TV can take over our lives, it's also an excellent example of cultural diffusion, since an aspect of one culture is being incorporated into another and becoming very important in everyday life. I predict that this is going to happen more and more, and maybe this craze will also spread to the US, even. Technology is allowing countries that haven't traditionally been leaders to shine, and I think that powerful countries like China will have to either accept that Korea is strong on the world map, or they will have to step it up to keep up in an ever increasingly competitive world. I think technology is a powerful tool (it's captured many people's lives with this soap) and as the world becomes increasingly globalized, we'll see more equality in  countries than major superpowers.

Sources: http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2014/03/07/2014030701717.html , http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2014/03/10/2014031001745.html

Seven killed by bomb at scrapyard in Bangkok by Bob Cummins

     A war bomb killed at least seven and injured nineteen when it exploded in a scrapyard in Bangkok.  Construction workers sold the bomb to the warehouse, thinking that it was inactive.  When the workers tried to take apart the bomb with a blow torch, it exploded, wrecked the shop, made a crater, started a fire, and damaged nearby shops.  Police said that five died at the scene and two died later.  The Thai bomb squad chief, Kamthorn Auicharoen said, "likely this is a bomb dropped from a plane during World War II".
     Wow.  I would think that they would have taken a further look into this, since this was a bomb and all, but they may not have thought much of it, since it was very old.  I do think it was a bit stupid to open a bomb with a blowtorch.  That's never a great plan.  This is just carelessness at it's finest, one of man's greatest weaknesses.  It just goes to show that what seems small may end up being a pretty big deal that effects many people.

Source: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-26847366

Bags of Fresh Air by Anna Pickett

     In Zhengzhou, China, people have had to line up to get fresh air from a bag. Zhengzhou is one of the most polluted cities. The Laojun Mountain Natural Reserve Development Co. brought bags of air from the Laojun Mountain. Zhengzhou has a very unhealthy rating on the Air Quality Index. The air from the mountains was gone quickly because so many people wanted and needed to have fresh air. Some adults even sacrificed their air for children.
     This is terrible. There's way too much pollution in the air. It shouldn't have gotten to the point where people need to transport clean air to areas of such poor quality. Somehow, we need to fix this, and that starts with reducing how much pollution we create. I don't want this to end up like Wall-E!
Source: http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/03/travel/china-air-bags/index.html?iid=article_sidebar

Pings heard in the Ocean By: Hannah Kerman

U.S. equipment has detected pings from beneath the ocean's surface. It is unclear whether the pings are from the Malaysian plane, but it is the best lead they have so far. They have a visual and audio suggesting it is the plane, but until they have proof or evidence, nothing is sure. Search teams have been searching the open ocean since the plane with missing and when they determined that the plane had in fact crashed into water, they sent out more ships. Other than that ship finding a noise, a Chinese team found a pinging similar to that of one on the aircraft.
This news sounds good to me, and it's very hopeful, but until they've found all the bodies and the plane, it's still unsure. Who knows what happened the day the plane crashed, or rather why it happened. Hopefully the plane will give evidence as to what was happening on board, and maybe come up with a theory of what exactly happened on that eventful day. It's hard to know who was flying and why they changed course, and it's even worse not knowing where the plane is.
http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/07/world/asia/malaysia-airlines-plane/index.html?hpt=ias_c1

Hong Kong neon lights by Zoey Crummey

Hong Kong is famous for it's neon light signs, however recently scientists have been concerned about the environmental and safety problems that they arise. The number of their neon lights have decreased severely, but a museum in Hong Kong is working to preserve the neon lights because they are a part of it's history. Currently many different light bulbs are coming to light, but it won't be the same. 

I think this is sad, but I do think that if they're hurting the environment it's the right thing to do. I do believe that Homg Kong should keep a portion of their neon lights, though. After all it is a part of their culture and history. 

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/03/27/travel/hong-kong-neon/index.html

Beijing Airport by Zoey Crummey

The Beijing Airport is the world's second largest, right behind the Atlanta one. Last year there were nearly 84 million passengers in the airport. Recently the number of travelers in the air have really increased, with almost 5.4 billion people in 2013. It is expected to soon surpass the Atlanta airport and become the most busy. 

I think that this is pretty cool, and I also think that the fact that nearly 5.4 billion passengers were in the air last year was also cool. It shows how much technology is modernizing our world and bringing our world and community closer together. 

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/03/31/travel/worlds-busiest-airport/index.html

Remembering Kowloon by Zoey Crummey

The Kowloon Walled City was knocked down years ago, but at it's peak 33,000 people were living crammed in one single city block. Also known as the Walled City, it was described as a "A huge monstrosity of buildings" it was quite literally a city block stacked high with skyscrapers, and followed almost no health codes whatsoever. In 1994, it was completely torn down; however, its legacy still lives on. 

I think this is a very interesting idea, but I don't think I'd ever want to live in a place like that. It sounds incredibly cramped and crowded and very dirty. I don't know how all 33,000 people could fit in that space and love comfortably, or why they would even want to. 

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/03/31/travel/kowloon-walled-city/index.html

9-month-old arrested in Pakistan by: Shadden Hashem

               "A 9-month-old Pakistani boy bawled as he was fingerprinted and booked in Lahore on an attempted murder charge after his family members allegedly threw bricks at police trying to collect an unpaid bill." CNN  "The police filed a wrong, false arrest charge sheet and brought this innocent 9-month-old into this court room for an appearance," the family's lawyer, Irfan Tarar, said.      

                I've never heard of anything like this. It's crazy that someone would accuse a 9-month-old boy of murder! I can understand why the family would be so angry.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/05/world/asia/pakistani-baby-charged/index.html

US helping Japan by Zoey Crummey

The United States has been sending missile defense ships to Japan in order to protect them from current North Korean missile launches. It has produced many missiles and even threatened with a nuclear device. With the two new missile protections ships, it brings the count to a total of seven in Japan. 

I think that it's nice that the US is helping to defend Japan, and although I don't really know what's going on, I don't think that North Korea should even threaten with nuclear was. Nuclear war is a very serious threat and one that could ultimately destroy the entire world. 

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/04/06/world/asia/us-japan-ships/index.html?hpt=ias_c2

Malaysian flight by Zoey Crummey

A whole lot of mystery has surrounded the Malaysian flight. Recently, evidence has come up that the flight might have take a course specifically designed to avoid radar detection. Apparently a Chinese crew detected two audio signals in the search area which could possible be pulses from the locator beacon. Search parties must hurry for the pulses on the plane will stop coming in a matter of days. Authorities have been cautious about optimism, but new leads are looking promising. 

I think that this is all very scary, and I hope that it gets resolved as soon as possible. I think it's just awful that this plane has gone missing, and even more awful that there's a possibility it wasn't an accident. I'm just hoping that the plane is found before the signals stop. 

9 month old murderer? By Zoey Crummey

In Islamabad, Pakistan a nine month old is being tried for murder. Apparently his family was growing bricks at a police officer who came to pick up an overdue bill. The authorities came and collected everyone in the house, which included the baby. The baby actually did appear in court, however after the news was covered a Pakistani boy was suspended for actually bringing in the baby. 

I think this is just crazy! Was anyone thinking at all? I can't believe a 9 month old actually had to go to court for murder, he probably couldn't even walk let alone hurt someone. 

North Korea resisting regime change. AGAIN!!! By Nash F.

In a recent U.N. meeting the North Korean representative made a statement denouncing the United States of America. This lead to North Korea's Representative made statements about refusing for the any one to come in and change the regime. It should be emphasized that these statements are only used as tactics by North Korea to seems as if they are more powerful then they actually are, and if North Korea makes a threat acknowledge and move on.

Hong Kong tries to save neon signs by Katelyn McLane

Hong Kong has always been famous and proud of their neon-lit streets. They were even considered the most light-polluted city in the world. Even so, that is starting to fade. Many neon signs have been taken down due to the fact that many do not meet certain requirements and are considered illegal now. M+, a new museum to open in 2017, has started collecting neon signs and is trying to save them. They are also asking the public to tell them about the signs so they can document the information for generations to come. Orders for the signs have also rapidly declined by 85% since the 1970s. The LED in neon lights is also considered dangerous in some ways. Despite all these things, and the fact that people know for sure neon signs will not ever be as popular as they once were, the citizens of Hong Kong will always remember and cherish them.

I think this is kind of sad, even though I know things must come and go. Hong Kong treasured their neon signs, and I would be upset, too, if I had to see them slowly disappearing. I'm glad, however, that M+ is trying to help save neon signs and the memories of them. Hopefully they don't all disappear for good any time soon, and the people of Hong Kong can find another creative way of lighting up their streets at night.

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/27/travel/hong-kong-neon/index.html

9 Month Old Boy Booked for Attempted Murder -Andrew Tunell

Recently in Pakistan a 9 month old boy was booked and finger printed for a attempted murder. A police official named Atif Zulfikar Butt said that the incident started once officials went to the boys house to collect a gas bill and were injured by the family who threw bricks at them. Later the 9 month old and the family were booked for a attempt at murder, but luckily the police filed a false arrest charge and the official who registered the case was suspended.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/05/world/asia/pakistani-baby-charged/index.html?hpt=ias_c2

I think this is really disappointing on both the family and the polices part. The family should not have thrown bricks at the at the police, but the police should not have filed a murder charge on a 9 month old boy.

Final Fresh Air - Max Gaddis

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/04/03/travel/china-air-bags/index.html?iid=article_sidebar

Chinese residents of Zhengzhou lined up for a chance to breath unpolluted mountain air from a sealed back. For many, it was their first time not breathing the polluted air of China. Zhengzhou, the capital of China's Henan Providence, is one of the cities with the worst pollution, and was tenth on the 2013 list of China's most polluted cities. The air is from Laojun Mountain and the it's Natural Reserve Co. decided to give 2,000 cans and 40 bags of air to let citizens breathe in for free to promote awareness of pollution. It was gone within 20 minutes. Citizens from all walks of life and all parts of the providence came to breathe fresh air.

I think it's sad that they have to ship fresh air in from somewhere else, this is like the movie The Lorax, where they didn't have any trees and they had to ship air in to breathe and have air conditioning.

Ship Sibk off South Korea Coast- Amanda Maceda

Friday, a Mongolian-flagged cargo ship sank off the coast of South Korea. The ship was carrying steel from North Korea. Only three members have been rescued, and 11 still remain missing. Six aircrafts and 13 vessels have been on the search. The cause of the sinking is still unknown.

Many Missing in Solomon Islands, By: Jon Cope

Many Missing in Solomon Islands, By: Jon Cope

Summary:
   After flooding in the Solomon Islands, over a dozen (12+) people have been found dead. On top of that, around 10,00 people are now homeless, and dozens of people have been missing since the flood. Thousands of these people have taken refuge in emergency shelter. Food resources and infrastructure have been damaged.

Analysis:
  I feel that this situation is very sad. Thousands of people who can no longer live in their houses, find their loved ones, live without rationing food, must be horrible!!!

Jon Cope

Source: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-26899336