Police didn't try to stop the stoning by Becca Hodge

A Pakistan woman was stoned to death by her family in broad daylight as police stood on with out doing anything. The woman was killed because she married someone who she loved and not a chosen candidate picked out by her family. Her husband tried to stop them and when he failed to stop, tried to get the police's, who was standing near by, attention. The police just watched and did nothing.

I find this horrible for two reasons. (a) this woman was STONED to death by her FAMILY! just because she loved someone other than the man she was picked out to marry. In their culture, this is noted as "honor killing." (b) the police did NOTHING. sure its against their culture but still! she didn't have to die by being stoned to death! They could of tried if anything.

Source

Fire kills 21 in South Korean hospice for the elderly by Bob Cummins

     Early Wednesday, a fire took 21 lives and injured seven, leaving six in critical condition, at a hospice in South Korea.  This is the latest in the series of accidents since the Sewol ferry catastrophe that killed about 300.  Even though the fire was brought under control in under 30 minutes many of the bedridden patients on the second floor of the building didn't escape in time.  "Most of them died as a result of smoke inhalation," said a fire department official from Jangseong County.  Reports have said that local officials made the statement that only one nurse was on duty in the hospital, taking charge of over 70 people, which included patients afflicted with Alzheimer's and stroke victims.  She was reportedly killed in the fire as well.  The fact that the patients were elderly and ill will add more fuel to the debate of careless safety for vulnerable individuals.  This was also fueled by the ferry disaster in which most who died were children.  This is the second deadly South Korea's had since seven were killed and forty-one were injured in a Seoul bus terminal fire on Monday, which was supposedly caused by welding work at a restaurant underground.  Investigations of the ferry catastrophe have showed it was almost fully caused by human negligence and poor safety standards to increase profits.  President of South Korea, Park Geun-Hye took responsibility for the ferry disaster and promised to improve standards and promised harsh punishments for those guilty of unlawful negligence after deadly accidents.  This fire will be investigated to show whether the staffing was decent and the safety of the building was acceptable.

     They really need to up their standards in Korea where safety is concerned.  If I were President Geun-Hye, I would try as much as possible to avoid anymore of these deadly accidents.  It sounds like laziness and laxity are taking their toll on the country.  Maybe there is a good side to this.  Maybe it's a splash of ice water in the government's face, so they'll make sure this kind of thing doesn't happen again.  I didn't know that there was such a huge wake from the ferry accident, and this article showed that safety standards are going to be raised because of these disasters.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/fire-korea-hospice-elderly-kills-21-230852331.html;_ylt=A0LEVzunToVTJmcAsv5XNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTB0ODhjdGNlBHNlYwNzYwRjb2xvA2JmMQR2dGlkA1ZJUDQxMV8x

Life Lessons at Camp in the Philippines - by Frances Garnett

A week-long camp in an upland village in the Philippines introduces kids to "the wonders of the great outdoors", and teaches them survival lessons such as map reading, rope knot techniques, rappelling, mountaineering, orienteering, first aid, self-defense and basic disaster response. They also have activities encompassing science, art, physical, philosophy and faith, all of them designed to help the campers survive in the wilderness and provide them with skills they can use in their everyday lives, skills like doing laundry and cooking with they were glad to do once they returned home. At the camp, they were also completely "unplugged" from technology and gadgets. The students there found it to be a life changing experience, inspiring them to start changing society in positive ways, especially since their country is still modernizing, and its environment needs protection to ensure that it won't be damaged by advancements.

Personally, this sounds like a great camp, and something we could all use to start appreciating things more and taking steps to improve the world. At this time, though, most kids in the US probably couldn't deal with being "unplugged", including me, and may not really try to face the seriousness and depth that the camp has to offer, which in many respects is really sad that we nowadays rely on short, shallow spurts of Twitter and Instagram posts to brighten our day. I think the world just might be a better place if we could all spend time at camps like these, though unfortunately, most of us would choose to spend time on our phones or at TVs or computers being unproductive. In many very developed parts of the world, we've really lost touch with the environment, which is an important thing to get if we really want to get the benefit of a full life for ourselves and future generations to come. This camp seems to have really inspired kids, as they were happy to take on more responsibility of chores, while most teens would roll their eyes at doing "boring" or "weird" hands-on activities.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/603481/learning-to-act-now-not-tomorrow-at-e-camp

dolphins going extinct by: Shadden Hashem

               New Zealand has been urged to save the Maui’s dolphin- only 55 remain alive due to unsafe fishing practices. They are found only on the west coast of New Zealand’s North Island and are expected to die out within three decades. “We're running out of time… We are down to the last 55 dolphins, so we are calling on our political leaders to let them know it's time to take action to save these precious animals.”

This is so sad! I really hope they find a way to save these dolphins. 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/australiaandthepacific/newzealand/10851117/New-Zealand-faces-battle-to-save-worlds-rarest-dolphin.html

Myrtle Beach shootings by Katelyn McLane

Three people were killed and another five people were injured in six separate shootings on Saturday. Nobody has been arrested yet. The first incident happened at the beachfront Bermuda Sands motel, around several Memorial Day vacationers.

This is scary. I can't imagine going on vacation and then witnessing multiple people being shot. I hope the injured people recover soon and the murderer is found and caught soon. My heart goes out to the injured people and the family and friends of everyone affected by the shootings.

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/25/us/myrtle-beach-shootings/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

Train Derails in India- Andrew Tunell

In New Delhi, India on monday a train derailed. It was said to be caused by the collision of the Gorakhdam Express passenger train and a stationary cargo train. The number of those injured is unknown, but is estimated that about 80 were injured and 9 have been confirmed dead.
source
This is really a tragic event, I wish they could have done something to prevent this.

Luck Is Free - Max Gaddis

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/05/25/world/asia/thailand-coup/index.html?hpt=ias_c1

Former Prime minister of Thailand, Yingluck Shinawatra is now free from military custody, as she has been for the past week as apart of a planned junta. She, along with many other politicians, were ordered into custody to be apart of the "National Council for Peace and Order" on friday. They released her saying she had efficiently helped them and was now free to move around and communicate as she pleased, but a spokesperson for her said they doubted she was free to leave go places unwatched and talk to who she wanted. The junta source says that 150 people will be required to present before the junta as apart of the "National Council for Peace and Order". The Thai military has censored radio, TV, and social media could be their next move. The junta say they are just trying to tranquilize protests and quell the citizens of Thailand by figuring out what's best for them and they need successful politician's advice about what to do to bring the country's unrest at ease and to unite the citizens of Thailand.

I think the junta is doing the right thing, if that is what they are actually doing, but they are scaring everyone by doing so. I wish that the current leaders of Thailand could've reached this same idea, but if it has to be this way, let it at least be productive. They didn't have to take people hostage either, just ask them nicely because "you get more flies with honey than vinegar".

Fire in Norfolk Market Square- Amanda MAceda

Thursday in Norfolk, England, A large fire broke out in a market inside a factory shop. The cause for this fire is still unknown, but probably from a machine's malfunction. To stop the fire, crews used water from a river at the bottom of the town. For safety precautions,  nearby homes and shops were evacuated and roads were shut down. So far, none have died. "There were 'small explosions' inside the shop and another followed as the front windows blew out". source: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-norfolk-27564523

Whose hungry? by Becca Hodge.

Lewis Hamilton went on record saying he was the hungriest for the title of champion about of the other drivers. Rosberg, his team-mate, says he has a greater want for the title then Lewis. I guess we'll see after the next race in Monaco.
For spectators, this is fun because we all know everyone is trying and has a chance to win. Unlike last year where it was a shoe-in every race for Vettel to win by a long shot. The racers are excited and so are the fans, making a great race.
Source

New & Controversial New Zealand Justice System - by Frances Garnett

The New Zealand justice system is adopting American ways: trying to cut costs and taxpayer money by permitting criminals to plead guilty to charges that are less serious, reducing their amount of jail time and trial lengths. This also involves trying to bypass the courts with speedier and easier negotiations. Some arguments against this new process are that it doesn't make criminals face their consequences, people in society aren't put to rest that offenders are doing that, that it sets up a vicious cycle of repeating offences with criminals being "let off the hook" and future judges won't know of their past actions. One person has even said that "It's all driven by the government's desire to give the appearance of crime reducing and also saving money." This has also caused major changes in the funding of prosecutions, so that firms must trim their spending costs by resolving cases before they go to trial, hiring junior staff members who aren't usually as experienced as other prosecutors and tend to struggle in court. Other people, however, think this is good, for example, a woman from the Crown Law prosecution unit said that "there is no evidence to suggest that resolving cases early is a bad thing" and that there has been no fault "found in the prosecutors' handling of the plea bargains."

This was a very long and complex article, so I'm not quite sure what to make of it. I feel like the author didn't like this new process, because they gave more reasons why people opposed than to why prosecutors changed to using this style of an American legal system, and they also used a story about a man who severely beat up another man (he was in the hospital recovering from trauma) because he stole his girlfriend's wallet. The "criminal" said that he had been really trying to change, and yet his victim was badly hurt and he needed to take the appropriate responsibility for that. It's a tricky issue, while I'm really big on giving people second chances, that doesn't mean you can exclude people from taking responsibility. And yet, all these extreme budget cuts may weaken the system and order all together. I guess New Zealand with just have to wait and see how this pans out, because our American justice system is still very flawed.

Source: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11256874

Crocodile eats boy by: Shadden Hashem

               An 11-year-old boy was eaten by a huge crocodile after he was attacked in Papua New Guinea. The 13-foot crocodile grabbed the boy while he was fishing with his parents on Thursday. "The crocodile swept the boy with its tail and then attacked the defenceless child," Mr Gerari said.

               This is terrible and apparently not the first time this has happened. They should really find a way to control these crocodiles and keep them from harming defensless children.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/australiaandthepacific/papuanewguinea/10829460/Crocodile-eats-boy-in-Papua-New-Guinea.html

Woman Falls Down Elevator Shaft by Anna Pickett

     A woman fell down the elevator shaft at Fenway Park in Boston. She was hospitalized after falling around 20 to 30 feet -- 3-4 floors. She fell onto the roof of the elevator, where firefighters were able to reach her through the hatch. People are unable to figure out what caused the accident to happen.
     I hate elevators, so this story is terrifying. I REALLY hope she's okay, and that she won't be hospitalized for much longer. Everyone needs to look and be careful when they're on an elevator!
Source: http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/17/us/boston-elevator-shaft-fall/index.html?hpt=us_c2

Firefighters restrain fires in San Diego by Bob Cummins

     This season has been a harsh wildfire season for California.  In San Diego, the firefighters have mostly subdued a large fire that destroyed dozens homes and evacuated thousands of homes.  Governor Jerry Brown said that California was still preparing for its harshest fire season yet.  Because the winds decreased and the temperatures lowered, the fire crews were able to at least mostly encircle almost a dozen fires by Sunday.  These fires have caused damage including burning at least 26,000 acres of brush that was dry from the state's drought since midweek of last week.  With the exception of a burned corpse at a homeless encampment in Carlsbad which has officials trying to determine its cause of death, no serious injuries have been reported.  Since January, before these last week's fires, more than 1.350 wildfires have started since January, which is doubled the number of fires from last year in the same period, according to Mike Mohler from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.  "We're in a very serious fire season, more serious than we've seen before," said Brown.  "Humanity is on a collision course with nature, and we're going to have to adapt to it in the best way we can."  By Sunday, the fire crews had carved lines of containment around 85% of the so-called Cocos fire in San Marcos, which destroyed 39 houses, they contained 100% of a smaller fire in Carlsbad which caused property losses that estimated to up to 15 million dollars, and they got the upper hand against three large fires spreading over 20,000 acres of Camp Pendleton Marine Base north of San Diego.  The origin of the fires are currently unknown, and none of the fires have been ruled suspicious as a result of arson.

     Drought can do a lot to a state, and this is one of those results.  At least no one except for that guy they're not sure of was injured badly.  California doesn't seem like the best place to be right now.  On top of their high taxes and natural disasters, they have wildfires, and this is the worst it's been yet.  It is a good thing that they are contained, though.  Pray for rain, though.  If it doesn't come to California now, who knows how big of fires they'll get soon.  I didn't know about these fires until now, so it's a shock to me, and I hope they get them all contained soon.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/major-southern-california-blaze-mostly-contained-evacuees-return-024205286--sector.html;_ylt=A0LEV0v2TXlTdwUAZBpXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTByYWptaDQyBHNlYwNzYwRjb2xvA2JmMQR2dGlkA0RGRDZfMQ--

Attack On China - Max Gaddis

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/05/14/world/asia/south-china-sea-drilling-duplicate-2/index.html?hpt=ias_c2

Vietnamese protestors have become violent in their protests over the Paracel and Spratly Islands, which China says are jointly their territory. The Vietnamese have lit many franchises and buildings on fire to protest this. They also have claimed many Chinese ships have been rude to them by shooting water cannons at them and bumping into them in the sea. China put up oil rigs in the territory and Vietnam didn't like China making money off of a territory that was sovereign. The attacks were thought to be only on Chinese-owned property, but some say it affected Japanese, Taiwanese, and Korean property. Singapore and other South Asian countries, plus Australia and the U.S., are concerned about their relationships with both countries.

I think China needs to share the money they're making from the oil rigs with Vietnam because China is already (I'm assuming from the fact that we borrow money from them) pretty well off in the financial department and there is really no need for them to get more money.

BFG more like Big Freaking Great - Amanda Maceda

Dreamworks has been keeping something under wraps. 3 years ago the company bought the rights to the book The BFG- Big Friendly Giant. This book was written in 1982 by Roald Dahl, famous for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Matilda. There are rumors that the scriptwriter is the same woman who  wrote the script for E.T. Also, it is confirmed that the director is Steven Spielberg. "Production will start in 2015, and the movie is estimated to be released in 2016. "

2 planes nearly collide Andrew Tunell

Two comercial planes with hundreds of passengers nearly collided recently after they were assigned 2 very close altitudes to fly at by a air traffic controller. Luckily the disaster was averted when the pilot directed the plane to a lower altitude. This still was unpleasant for the passengers because to plane had to loose altitude so quickly, 600 feet in 1 minute.
http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/16/travel/hawaii-near-collision-ntsb/index.html?hpt=hp_t2
This is very scary for all the passengers on board it would have been a major tragedy if they did  crash. I think there needs to be more organization among air traffic controllers to avoid future occurrences like this.

Titanosaur, one of the largest newly discovered dinosaurs

Summary: The Titanosaur was discovered Saturday by Egidio Feruglio, Argentina's Museo Paleontologic, and may be the largest to have grazed Earth. It's about 180,000 pounds, and "It's like two trucks with a trailer each, one in front of the other, and the weight of 14 elephants together." says Argentina museum dinosaur specialist Jose Luis Carballido, who played a big part in the discovery. The Titanosaur is a herbivore, and as far as scientists can tell, dated about 95 million years ago. It's the first of its kind to be found in South America.
Analysis: Wow!! It's amazing that they're still discovering new dinosaurs... It opens up tons of possibilities about the Earth's past! And the fact that the dinosaurs we're discovering are just getting bigger is astounding. I'm glad that they've made this new discovery and can learn more about the dinosaurs then we already know. The size is still unbelievable to me though, 180,000 pounds!! It's bigger than my house!
Source: http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/17/world/americas/giant-dinosaur-discovery/index.html?hpt=hp_c2

To go to the MOOmin Café, By: Jon Cope

To go to the MOOmin Café, By: Jon Cope

Why did the cow cross the road?
  - to go to the Moomin House Café!

Summary:
   In Japan, Tokyo, There is a restaurant called "Moomin House Café." At this restaurant, an Anti-loneliness campaign has started. Now, what they do is that they bring a giant stuffed animal, called a "Moomin," to sit with you. They do this so that you don't feel awkward eating by yourself. Apparently, the idea of a Moomin comes from Finnish' (Finlanders') culture.

Analysis:
  I think that this is a very neat idea! I think is a great way for them to increase their sales, and get more people into the restaurants. Honestly I would like to try one of them out. I also think it's great that they are using cultural diffusion to create the Moomin anti-loneliness campaign!

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/15/travel/japan-moomin-cafe/index.html?hpt=wo_t2

13,000-year-old teenager found in cave by Katelyn McLane

An ancient American teenager's skeleton was recently found in an underwater cave by divers. Scientists named her "Naia", and suspect that she fell to her death in the pit before glaciers melted 10,000 years ago and flooded the area. They are currently trying to analyze Naia's mitochondrial and nuclear DNA found in one of her wisdom teeth to learn more about America's ancient civilizations and where the first North American inhabitants really came from. This discovery should open up a ton of new information about the very ancient history of North American people.

I think it's incredible that the skeleton of someone so old could be preserved underwater like this. It's amazing what scientists can discover about this poor girl who fell to her death 12,000-13,000 years ago. I hope this find helps scientists confirm what they already have theories on, and gives us more information on the people we call "Native Americans".

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/16/world/americas/skeleton-mexico-americans/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

The final frontier. oops wrong fandom By Becca Hodge

The first day of filming the new Star Wars started today! Super pumped to see how JJ Abrams plays out the legen-wait for it- dary characters in this reboot.

Source

Delicious fruits by Zoey Crummey

In Rio, Brazil, there is an incredible selection of exotic fruits. They're brightly colored, smell delicious, and there is an abundance of them. The fruits are used to make amazing juice bars. There are great varieties of them, going from energy drinks to sugar free to pulp free juice drinks to calming drinks. The trick to a good juice is using a perfectly fresh fruit at its peak of ripeness. 

I think this is so cool! I'd love to go there sometime and try out the juices, I love trying new fruits and the ones in this article sound so good. I'd love to try all the different kinds, experience the new fruits and all the effects they have. (Calming and energy)

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/05/14/travel/cnngo-rio-juice-bars/index.html?c=americas&page=3

Inspirational Teen Passes Away by Zoey Crummey

Steven Sutton, who was 19 years old and lived in the UK, suffered from cancer and died Wednesday. His death will devastate many people because he fought so hard and even raised over 5.4 million dollars towards charities. He was diagnosed at the age of 15, and has spread his story since then, raising money and earning the respect of others. 

I think that this is an incredible yet tragic story. The fact that instead of wasting away for four years, he raised over 5.4 million dollars is so great. There should be more people like him in this world. If there were I believe it would be a much better place. I send my thoughts and prayers out to the family of Steven. 

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/05/14/world/europe/uk-teenage-cancer-fundraiser/index.html?c=europe

Deformed Babies by Zoey Crummey

Nine months ago, there was a chemical gas attack in Syria by the rebels. Currently, there are many mothers who are giving birth to extremely deformed or still born babies. The amount of babies being born with the gas effect is more than 1/10. “These distortions are result of the chemical weapons used by the Syrian regime last August," said Mr Shaikhani.

I think that this is so sad. The fact that all of these innocent babies are being born with deformities is awful, they haven't done anything to anybody and they'll never get a shot at a normal life. I really hope that things like this stop happening because it is unfair and cruel. 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/10831062/Deformed-babies-born-in-Syria-after-Ghouta-gas-attack.html

Mexico City was "shaken"

That's right. Mexico City had a 7.2 earthquake. Scientists said that they will watch the area more closely. In my opinion, Mexico, especially central Mexico, never had an earthquake like this for a long time. The world is changing, faster than we imagine. So yeah. What do you think?

Bus Accident in Fiji - by Frances Garnett

A few days ago, a mother and her three year old daughter were killed at a bus stand, when one bus was speeding and didn't steer in the right direction, causing it to hit another parked bus. The speeding driver is now in custody. Bus operators observed a moment of silence for the deceased. The Transport Minister, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, also told them to make sure that their employees behaved responsibly on the job. Since the accident, the image of bus operators is not very good, and the Ministry of Local Government and Urban Development is trying to upgrade the bus stand areas. Other accidents, though, are also being caused my reckless minibus drivers.

This incident, like many others that have happened, not just in Fiji, but all over the world, is very tragic, and I'm glad that some effort will be put into improving bus stations. It could be partly that Fiji is still improving its transportation system, but what country isn't? Even all the effort and money and laws in the world won't be able to stop reckless drivers, because my the time we teach one generation, a new one is born and has to learn all over again. Accidents happen, as we see in the news every day, even in the most developed countries. No matter how much we hate these awful events, all we can do is to do what we can to prevent them, even though that will never be enough.

Sources: http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=268133
http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=267713

The Extremely Drunk Man from Toormina by Gabriel David Giron Vives

Summery: A 46-year-old man drove through a car park and ended up hitting a light pole. He was uninjured and as it seems now, no one else was either. Apparently, he was sic times over the drunk limit in New South Wales!

Analysis:

Given the seriousness of this predicament I will not make any jokes, nor will I wright any silly stories that have no relation to the given predicament in hand. Instead, I shall give you all a limerick to sum up my feelings of this story.

AND NOW, THE LIMERICK.

LIMERICK

BY

GABRIEL DAVID GIRON VIVES

"There once was a man from Toormina

Who moved faster than winds from Katrina

He got hammered as hell

He nearly died there as well

And was spun like a Prima Ballerina"

       -Gabriel David Giron Vives 2014

Source here.

Bye.

Sharks by: Shadden Hashem

               The Western Australian government has captured 172 sharks and killed 50 of the biggest animals. This has caused a lot of anger among conservationists.
               I can see why this sparks such anger among people who only try to save these animals as it even angers me.
http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/08/world/asia/australia-shark-cull/index.html?iref=allsearch

North and South Korean Rhetorical Battle Intensifies by Bob Cummins

     The battle of words between North and South Korea just got more intense.  On Monday, a South Korean official said that North Korea "must disappear soon."  The comments were in response to slurs by North Korea likening Park Geun-hye, the President of South Korea an"old prostitute" and President Obama to a "monkey".  South Korea has been critical of the North's missile programs and tests, these comments from Seoul were stronger than usual.  Kim Min-seok, the South Korean Defense Ministry spokesman said that North Korea isn't really a country and it exists to benefit one person, meaning Kim Jong Un, the nation's dictator.  They try to avoid talking about anything that North Korea could interpret as their collapse because they worry that it would raise tensions. Pyongyang has been using more rhetoric against Washington and Seoul since Park and Obama met in Seoul in April.

     The South Korean seems like a little second grader calling names.  To me, Kim Jong Un seems like a spoiled brat who has everyone in an entire nation under him.  He thinks he can do whatever he wants to do, and he can in a sense.  That is why I agree with South Korea that North Korea needs to disappear.  I do not wish ill toward the citizens, of course, just the government system that is oppressing them.  I had never known that they could be so immature.  I knew they were immature, but not at this level.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/south-korea-says-north-korea-must-disappear-soon-065805445.html

Catch! -Julianne Swaykus

"More than 170 sharks were caught during a controversial cull policy in Western Australia following a spate of fatal attacks, figures showed on Wednesday, with 50 of the biggest ones destroyed."

This is horrible and is probably drastically impacting the shark population. 

www.telegraph.co.uk/.../australiaandthep...

Climbing Sydney opera house -Julianne Swaykus

"Some local media said the man was holding a protest, but according to the Sydney Daily Telegraph one of the police officers involved in the rescue said unlike similar incidents, this was not a protest climb but in fact a drunk man simply decided to climb the sails." 

This is crazy! I can't believe someone would try to climb the Sydney opera house!

www.telegraph.co.uk/.../australiaandthep...

China, Vietnam, and Phillipines collide by Katelyn McLane

These three countries have had rising tensions, especially after recent potentially explosive confrontations in disputed territory in the East China Sea. A full-fledged war will most likely not happen, but it looks like more violence will occur between the countries. The situation is more serious with Vietnam than with the Philippines. China believes its claim on the disputed territory is quite strong and will do much to fight for it. China has even begun stationing military ships around the disputed island.

I think countries make such a big fuss over such little things. Yes, this island is meaningful and would be nice for any of these three countries to own, but I think many countries take the competition too far and should learn to give up what they realize isn't crucial to their survival. For example, China is so powerful already, that they really don't need more land in other areas. I suppose this isn't the logic of politics, but I still think they should at least try to not make so many enemies.

Source: http://edition.cnn.com/2014/05/08/world/asia/south-china-sea-drilling/index.html?hpt=ias_c2

Foul Language in Russia by Anna Pickett

     Putin just agreed to a law that bans foul language. This means films, music, and other arts are not allowed to include swear words. Books and movies that already contain swear words will have to come in a package that states that it "contains obscene language." People and businesses will be fined if they are caught using foul language.
     This seems like are hard and oppressive task. Russia's government is becoming more and more harsh. I think guidelines and restrictions in Russia are going a little too far.
Source: http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/06/world/europe/russia-swearing-law/index.html?hpt=ieu_c2

Chinese waste plant protest, by Jon Cope

Chinese waste plant protest, by Jon Cope...

Summary:

Yesterday, in the district often the Yuhong district of the city of Hangzou, China, a protest occurred. Over thirty-nine people were injured, and dozens of vehicles were damaged. Two people were seriously injured in this Chinese waste plant protest.

Analysis:

I believe this is horrible... I don't see why people like this think violence is the answer. And for this amount of people to be injured, this is just horrible.

Source: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-27360779

China's mental care crisis- Andrew Tunell

In China a man named Wu Yuanhong who suffers from schizophrenia, beat a small child to death, and as a result was forced to spend 11 years in a small metal cage by his mother. Apparently this isn't so rare, 173 million Chinese people are reported to suffer from mental disabilities, the problem is the lack of psychiatrists. A Study in 2009 reported that there were about 1.5 doctors for every 100,000 people. The lack of care for some of these people in need is very concerning.link 
This is really sad that these people who need help are unable to get any.  Its also frightening about the extreme measures Wu Yuanhong's family took. It makes me glad to live in the United States where everyone is cared for.

fake drugs sending 90 people to hospitals.

So yeah . Police say that they have checked at least 8 smoke shops that are the most likely to sell people the synthetic drugs. People are so stupid. I mean c'mon. This is stupid. At least people should have checked if the drug was synthetic. Right?

Not The Right Culprits For The Cull Program - Max Gaddis

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/05/08/world/asia/australia-shark-cull/index.html

The Western Australian Government started a program in January that made it possible for them to catch sharks that roamed off the coast of the continent because they were "killing too many people". The program was included in their Shark Migration policy fund of $20 million dollars. The program ended last week after three months, but didn't reach it's goal of eradicating most of the Great White Sharks from that area; it killed over 50 sharks that were over 10 feet long, which was also its goal, but no Great White Sharks. The catalyst for this program was the killing of seven people in the past three years, which was seven people too much for the government. The program caught other sharks that were not over 10 feet, but too weak to swim away and they died. Conservationists disagreed with this act greatly.

I don't think the government should try to kill the sharks, I think the citizens of Western Australia should just not swim there if they know that sharks live there. Sharks have been living there for millions of years and all of a sudden humans decide to swim there and they get hurt so instead of just avoiding the area, they kill the sharks, which is really dumb to me.

Eurovision Song contest Winners- Amanda Maceda

This weekend the 59th Eurovision Song Contest occurred, which is an annual song competition held among members of the European Broadcasting Union. Ukraine was the first to preform, using a man in a giant hamster wheel to make it interesting. Poland used attractive women who "suggestively churned butter and washed laundry on stage." In the end, Sweden came in third, Netherlands second, and Austria first. Austria had up to bat Tom Wurst, who was a drag act that sang Rise Like a Phoenix, gaining 290 points. "Collecting her trophy on stage the singer said: 'This night is dedicated to everyone who believes in a future of peace and freedom. You know who you are - we are unity and we are unstoppable.'Speaking backstage later, Wurst said she felt Europe had taken a stand by voting her the winner."

Samsung trying to change things by: Eleanor E-W

Samsung has not been doing very well lately. It is not as effective and the design team has been unable to create devices that aregood competitors with other devices and actually effective. Change Dong-hoon has been assigned to take over the design strategy of Samsung.

I think Samsung has be come increasingly less popular, and I hope that they are able to make their designs better so people will buy there products more.

Source: http://money.cnn.com/2014/05/08/technology/mobile/samsung-mobile-design/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

LGBT people still in closet by Eleanor E-W

A lot of people (over half) still feel uncomfortable coming out in there workplace. Even if the people they work for support LGBT rights, they still are not comfortable coming out of the closet.

I think that more things should be done to make these people feel comfortable and not have to hide their identity. The majority of America now supports gay marriage, but its sad that in some places people don't feel comfortable enough to be who they are.

Source:http://money.cnn.com/2014/05/09/pf/gay-lesbian-closeted/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

Earthquake in New Zealand by Zoey Crummey

There has been a strong earthquake in New Zealand today. It measured at a magnitude of 6.3 and really shook up the lower part of the North Island, knocking over some buildings and even a giant eagle sculpture depicting a scene from the Hobbit. No casualties have been reported so far, but some damage has been done to roads, train tracks, and other buildings. 

I hope everyone is okay from this, earthquakes are so scary to me. I'm glad to hear that there were no immediate casualties, though, and I hope it stays that way. It's good that there was no extensive damage done, and hopefully there will be no tsunami that follows. 

http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/19/world/asia/new-zealand-earthquake/

Vietnam/China Dispute by Zoey Crummey

Recently, Vietnam and China have been struggling over who has power over which waters in the South China Sea. Today China finally acknowledged that one if it's drilling rig vessels exploded all over Vietnamese property, and tension has been escalating. Some nations have been worried that China is bullying other countries because the dispute with China sent Vietnam's stock market plunging. Experts are saying that this is "quite alarming" because in the past years China has always had a relatively peaceful bond with its Asian neighbors. 

I think this is scary, because China is so powerful it could basically do anything it pleases. I really hope they don't abuse their power and that all relations in China (and all over the world really) stay peaceful. We really don't need any more wars to break out. I hope that this whole conflict will be resolved. 

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/05/09/world/asia/china-and-vietnam.html?_r=0&referrer=

White House down by Becca Hodge

A car entered the White House area unauthorized. Police captured the car and quickly checked for explosives. They will make a decision soon on what to do with the criminal.

Im glad they caught him before anything too bad happened.

Source

The Tasmanian Speaker of the House, or She's the First! by Gabriel David Giron Vives

A little info first....
TASMANIA.
A small Island south of Australia's Main land Continent. It's a part of Australian Commonwealth and is only 240 kilometers away! It is a beautiful and plentiful full of life, people, national parks, and art of it's own.

Summery: For the first time in forever (literally) Tasmanian parliament has elected a woman as speaker of the house. Her name is Elise Archer. She is to be sworn in tomorrow afternoon.

Analysis:
"One small step for a woman,
              One gigantic leap, for women kind..."
                                                                   -Me

*

March music plays on forever and ever without stoping. Never loosing it's stride or bounce, it flows on together through history. It is truly glorious. Not Elgar, German, Walton, and not even Sousa could have composed something of this grandeur. It is truly an amazing sight to behold. As the band marches its jolly way down, a young girl walks out into the town's square. She is in high hopes to see her father living out is dream. As she searched through the faces of the different band members, she began to think of something amazing. It could've been the booming music or the special feeling given by a band marching, but she then began to understand what she might do for the rest of her life. She would carry on her fathers dream into her. She would pick one of those bold, shining horns, and she would play. She knew that she could make her daddy proud, and not only that, but herself too. Yes, she wanted to feel proud of herself for once! She needed to know that she was good enough for herself.

Believe me, Violet.

You're enough.

You've always been enough.

*

Here's the source.

2 Food Chains in Thailand Want to Expand - by Frances Garnett

Because protesters have now moved away from the major commercial areas in downtown Bangkok, especially the tourist areas, the Burger King and Black Canyon (one of Thailand's largest coffee/restaurant chains) chains are both planning to open up several new branches. Burger King will open about 10 new ones this year, half of them in tourist destinations and the others where locals can have easy access to them. Since more than half of their business relies on tourists, the company is trying to focus more on local customers since there was a sales drop when the protests occurred downtown and tourism decreased. Currently Burger King has about 33 branches across Thailand. Business was also slightly down for Black Canyon, but the company remains optimistic as food spending starts to increase again. They have 260 branches all over the country and plan to open 20 more local ones. Meanwhile, they have 53 international branches in countries like Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Myanmar, Singapore, Laos and the UAE, and plan to increase that number to 100 over the next 5 years.

While I'm glad that a Thai company is doing so well, I wish that Burger King wasn't going to open up any more restaurants. While the Thais typically have a healthier diet than people in the United States, fast food is becoming increasingly popular there, so their very low obesity rate is starting to increase, which is really unfortunate and sad. On the other hand, this still is a good sign that Thailand is starting to recover economically from its recent turmoil. I actually think, from a profit perspective only, that Burger King's strategy to target locals is very smart, because with the airports being shut down a few years ago (which stopped so many people from leaving the country) then the protests downtown (I actually remember getting a call from a friend saying that one of the popular malls, CentralWorld, had been set on fire), and the even more recent protests, tourism isn't faring well. And the floods a couple of years ago didn't help, especially since they caused so much destruction and even some increasing crime rates. Still, even though their strategy is good, I don't think more Burger Kings are a good thing in anyone's future. There are still so many more affordable places to eat in Bangkok, like small family-owned restaurants and even street vendors, that I hope people still frequent, because it helps peoples' health, but also doesn't put those places out of business.


Source: http://www.bangkokpost.com/business/news/408241/food-chains-step-up-expansion-plans

111 Year Old Gives his Secret to Living to a Very Old Age

     Alexander Imich, an 111-year-old Polish immigrant and Soviet gulag survivor who lives in Manhattan, became the world's oldest living man last month when the previous record-holder, Arturo Licata, died just days before his 112th birthday. “Not like it’s the Nobel Prize," Imich told the New York Times after being pronounced oldest man on earth by the Gerontology Research Group. “I never thought I’d be that old.” According to the Gerontology group, there are 66 living women older than Imich, including a Japanese woman, Misao Okawa, who is 116.

     Imich was born on Feb. 4, 1903, in Poland, and grew up in Czestochowa in southern Poland. He and his second wife, Wela, a painter and psychotherapist, immigrated to Waterbury, Conn., in 1951. Imich moved to New York in 1986 after Wela's death.

In his late 20s, the Times reports, he "grew fascinated with a Polish medium who was known as Matylda S., a doctor’s widow gaining renown for séances that reportedly called up the dead." He became a scholar of the occult, eventually editing an anthology — “Incredible Tales of the Paranormal: Documented Accounts of Poltergeist, Levitations, Phantoms, and Other Phenomena" — that was published in 1995, when Imich was 92.

     So what's the supercentenarian's secret? Here's what he told the Times:

• Not having children.

• Not drinking alcohol.

• Quitting smoking.

• Playing multiple sports. “I was a gymnast,” he said. “Good runner, a good springer. Good javelin, and I was a good swimmer.”

• A diet "inspired by Eastern mystics who disdain food," the Times said. (According to Imich's caregivers, he eats matzo balls, gefilte fish, chicken noodle soup, Ritz crackers, scrambled eggs, chocolate and ice cream.)

• "Good genes," Imich said.

Stranded Scuba Divers by Anna Pickett

     Some scuba divers in Australia became stranded when their boat floated away. They wrote a giant SOS on a sandbar, which was seen by Australian rescuers. The scuba divers were found after eight hours of being stranded. They were able to rescue them using a helicopter
     I'm glad they were able to find the scuba divers. It was smart to write the SOS in the sand. That way, it was a lot easier for them to be found! I'm glad they knew what to do, but I hope that doesn't happen to them again!
Source: http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/24/world/australia-sos-ocean-rescue/index.html?iref=allsearch

POWER SHIFT IN NORTH KOREA: Julia Woltjen

SUMMARY: On North Korea's may day celebration more information trickled out from behind the countries iron curtain. The info says that there may have been a major change in the ranks behind the dictator. The second in command has been said to have been fired and his spot taken. 

ANALYSIS: Of course this is a little worrisome but really any news from North Korea can be, hope its nothing serious.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/05/world/asia/north-korea-new-number-two/index.html?hpt=wo_c2

MUMMIES GET CT SCANS: Julia Woltjen

SUMMARY: London Egyptologists are making huge strides in their field by looking at a mummy and not having to undress its wrapping. This is made possible by the new and advanced CT scanner from a London hospital. After the scan they can look at what's underneath using the same technology used by mechanics to look at a car engine. Using the new tech they can see the bones, muscles, skin, and even the things placed with the them in their burial.

ANALYSIS: This use of technology is amazing and very smart! Hopefully we can see more into our past with this use of technology!

http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/01/world/meast/mummies-get-virtually-naked-with-ct-scans/index.html?hpt=wo_t2

200 NIGERIAN GIRLS KIDNAPPED: Julia Woltjen

SUMMARY: Last week more than 200 school girls were taken by the terrorist group Boko Haram. This is a terrorist organization being trained by affiliates of Al Qaeda, the name Boko Hiram literally translates to "Western Education is Sin". The group recently released a video saying that they are going to sell the girls in a market. This brings everyone worst fears to life.

ANALYSIS: Hopefully the girls are safely returned and not sold. And hopefully the group is stopped from more human trafficking.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/05/world/africa/nigeria-abducted-girls/index.html?hpt=hp_inthenews

SEWOL FERRY TAKES MORE LIVES: Julia Woltjen

SUMMARY: Last Tuesday a civilian diver named Lee dived while searching the sunken ferry Sewol. May have risked their lives looking for the missing people in the crash. No survivors have been found and the death toll continues to rise.

ANALYSIS: This is so depressing because the diver was a civilian just trying to help and recover the missing, yet he paid the ultimate price. Hopefully the missing are found and no one else gets hurt.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/05/world/asia/south-korea-ship-sinking/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

SOLAR ECLIPSE IN AUSTRALIA: Julia Woltjen

SUMMARY: Last Tuesday in Australia a partial solar eclipse was visible, the full eclipse was visible in Antarctica but clearly not that many people see that one.

ANALYSIS: Glad that people in Australia got to see the eclipse because it would be pretty sad if an eclipse was visible often in Antarctica and not many saw it.

http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2014/0429/Crikey!-Gorgeous-solar-eclipse-wows-Australians

Great Barrier Reef by Zoey Crummey

Recently, Australia has made plans to "expand a port and dump millions of dredged sediment" in the Great Barrier Reef. The UN did not approve of this and is threatening to make Great Barrier Reef an endangered area to protect it from the dumping. Experts on the matter are stating that this much dumping of soil (3 million tons) could severely damage the reef, which has already lost great amounts of coral due to farming and industrializing. 

This is so sad to me. I really wish that the people of Australia would realize how harmful this is to their country! The Great Barrier Reef should be preserved, it's a truly incredible site and we need to treat it right. I'm very glad that the UN is trying to step in and prevent this though. 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/australiaandthepacific/australia/10800557/UN-alarmed-by-Great-Barrier-Reef-dredging-plans.html

Easrthquake causes little damage in Myanmar and Thailand by Bob Cummins

     On Monday evening, a 6.0-magnitude temblor hit Northern Thailand and Myanmar.  No deaths have been reported, but damage was done.  Near the epicenter of the quake,  the airport of Chiang Rai had to evacuate its terminal which had some damage done to its roof and some of its display signs fell.  No one was hurt and no flights were disrupted, the runways not being damaged, according to airport General Manager Damrong Klongakara said.  Also in Chiang Rai, Wat Rongkhun, the Buddhist temple was closed because of safety concerns after the quake.  "The spire of the main building came off and the tiles on the roof fell off," said Chalermchai Kositpiphat.  "It was shaking the whole time and then aftershocks followed four or five times."  The head of a Buddha statue fell as well at Udomwaree Temple in the same area, according Phra Pathompong, a monk.  In Chiang Rai's Phan district, ceilings fell, according to Wander Radchompoo, the head of the district.  A damaged road was cracked in multiple.  The worst was a waist-high gash the length of about 3 vehicles.  People fled from high levels of a building in Yangon, and there was also shaking in Chiang Mai.  According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the epicenter was 6 miles south of Mae Lao, Thailand and 17 miles southwest of Chiang Rai.  It's depth was about 4.6 miles, a shallow quake.  Quakes that are shallow a felt more widely generally.  The region of Southeast Asia is seismically active and quakes are felt often in nearby areas.

     Well Southeast Asia is very near the Ring of Fire, so one would expect there to be seismic activity.  I'm glad that nobody was hurt.  It does sound like there was some pretty annoying damage done, though.  None of it's really severe, but it would just kind of be a bit annoying to repair.  I'm just glad we don't have quakes like these in Texas, but we have been having some seismic activity lately, so I'm not sure.  I myself didn't know that quakes were this common in this area.

Sources: http://news.yahoo.com/quake-causes-light-damage-thailand-140628070.html;_ylt=A0LEV1b9LmhTNmkA4h9XNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTB0MnRoNXFhBHNlYwNzYwRjb2xvA2JmMQR2dGlkA1NNRTM0Nl8x
https://search.yahoo.com/search?p=ring+of+fire&ei=UTF-8&fr=moz35

Malaysian flight (Australia continues search) by: Shadden Hashem

               Australian government officials pledged on Monday not to give up on searching for the Malaysian flight that went missing almost two whole months ago. No trace of flight MH370 has appeared sinced it vanished, but they have been able to narrow the search area down quite a lot.
              I'm glad that people aren't giving up on the brutally long search for flight MH370. I'm sure all of the family members of the missing people are very glad that people are really trying to see what could've happened to their loved ones.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/malaysia/10808532/MH370-we-wont-give-up-search-for-Malaysia-Airlines-jet-governments-pledge.html

Brunei Adopts It's First Child - Max Gaddis

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/05/01/world/asia/brunei-sharia-law/index.html?hpt=ias_c2

Brunei has adopted the Islamic Shari law of Criminal Justice which gives the country's jailers the rights to flog, dismember, and stone (throw rocks until they die) criminals who commit serious offenses. These laws aren't a replacement of the penal laws that are already in place. The country already follows Muslim- based laws, as the country is mostly muslim. Human rights activists are concerned as to how this will affect their outlook on humans and criminals that didn't commit serious offenses, but aren't muslim or don't agree with the government's average citizen. The big concern is over the LGBT community and how they, along with the country's women, children, and minorities, will be treated. For example, sodomy adultery, and rape among muslims will go under this law as will sex between homosexuals. The UN has publicly stated that they do not like this law and says it violates human rights and will open up sexism more because, according to their research, women are more likely to get discriminated against in crime than men are.

This whole world is stupid and we should get those colonies on the moon started right away so we can get away from all the stupidity in the atmosphere. I agree people need to be punished, but this is going down the same path as communism, it starts out as a noble purpose, but then it gets warped through bias opinions and insanity.

Plane show disaster by Jackson Daughety

Summary: A plane crashed today during a California air show while attempting a risky maneuver. The plane went down during the Thunder Over Solano air show. The show was immediately cancelled, and the crash is currently under investigation. Luckily none of the spectators were hurt, but the state of the pilot has not been released. Analysis: This just goes to show that even experts can make mistakes. Things like this shouldnt be taken lightly even if you do them every day. http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/04/us/california-air-show-crash/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

Malaysian police round up terror suspects by Julia F

Police in Malaysia are holding 11 people on suspicion of involvement in a militant group responsible for planning acts of terror, police spokeswoman Asmawati Ahmad said Sunday.There is no indication that the group, arrested last week, has any connection to the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, she said. The detainees are also suspected of having links to terrorists in other countries. Police plan to detain other suspects as a preemptive measure, Asmawati said. The arrests were made in the city of Selangor, just outside the capital Kuala Lumpur, and in the state of Kedah, which borders on Thailand.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/04/world/asia/malaysia-terror-arrests/index.html?c=world

Train Crash in North Korea- Andrew Tunell

A train rammed in to the back of another train in Seoul, North Korea. Injuring 117 people, but none were left in a very serous condition. Reports say this was due to a malfunction in the train's safety system.
source
Many problems have been happening in Seoul, North Korea, including the recent ferry crash which caused the prime minister to resign, and now this. Im glad though that no people were seriously injured.

Sick Taxadermist Surprise- Amanda Maceda

Police are now investigating and searching for a man who has gone missing, but beforehand adopting 5 adult cats. Allegedly, he is a taxidermist but has been posing as a cat lover to obtain these cats. He comes off very sweet and genuine, saying he wants the cats for him and his wife to have a family, but at the same time being very specific about the type of cats he wanted and for them to be adults, not kittens. The man bought three from one woman, and two from another, who is now offering 15,000 for their safety and safe return home."Darwin animal re-homing organization Top End Lost and Found has issued a warning to people to be wary of the man"

58 arrested in global blackmail case by Katelyn McLane

Police in the Philippines arrested 58 blackmailers who had been suspected of threatening victims in at least 6 countries, including the U.S., Indonesia, and Hong Kong with sexual information or images. They had been using this information or images to cyberblackmail hundreds of people, asking for any amount of money from about $500 to $15,000.

I think this is just awful. Hundreds of victims? I'll bet there was no logical or good reason to get so much money from all these poor people. Still, this is just reinforcing the fact that you should never post or say sexual things on the internet, or it could come back to haunt you in the form of blackmail. I hope the victims learned their lessons, but are also safe and get their money back somehow. I'm glad the blackmailers have been arrested and I hope they're punished as they deserve. Finally, I really hope nothing like this ever happens again, at least in such a huge mass.

Source: http://edition.cnn.com/2014/05/02/world/asia/interpol-sexual-blackmail/index.html?hpt=ias_c2

Penguin colony struggle in Australia

Summary: A small penguin colony living on Granite Island, Australia has been declining in population rapidly.
In 2001, researchers counted over 1500 penguins on the island. Today, visitors are most likely to see the animals in a breeding program, organized to try to save the animals from becoming extinct. In 2012, there was a massive drop, and very few penguins were counted on the island, says penguin ecologist Dr Dianne Colombelli-Negrel.  In 2013, the number had dropped to just 38 penguins. Reasons behind the decline have not been found, and as government officials and penguin specialists try to uncover answers, their findings only raise more questions. On other islands where humans are not present, the penguin population remains fine. Granite Island may be providing early ecological warning based on its heavier human interaction.

Analysis: If what they say is the case, why don't they just cut down on the human interaction allowed with the animals and see if it helps? Although they do need to continue their breeding program until the population of the penguins is large enough to test these possibilities, I don't see any other way to figure out what the problem is. Hopefully they will find a solution, though, so that Granite Island does not lose its population of penguins. It seems as though the other islands would soon follow if human interaction with the penguins switched over to their location. (Also, I found another article in which someone stole two fairy penguins from Granite Island. That's awful! I hope that those penguins are alright now, it's terrible to think someone who would abuse the animals or treat them as house pets would've done that.)

Source: http://www.abc.net.au/local/videos/2014/05/01/3995792.htm

Afghanistan Bombing, by Jon Cope

Afghanistan Bombing, by Jon Cope

Summary:
This past Thursday in the province of Panjshir, a bombing had occurred at around 5:30 PM. Seven people were killed and over thirty people were injured. Taliban claims responsibility for the attack.

Analysis:
I believe this is horrible. I feel horrible for those innocents who were killed in this accident. I cannot imagine why people would want to do this.

Source:
http://edition.cnn.com/2014/05/01/world/asia/afghanistan-violence/index.html?hpt=ias_c2

old dallas high school will rise

Yeah. I said it. There're a lot of money put into some kind of project bought by the Jacksons in order to ressurect this historic high school. I wonder what they're going to make it into. I'm not exactly sure, but maybe you do. Comment if you find out. See ya.