Stunned Mubaraks Adjust

February 11 2011 will be remembered in the history of Egypt as a new day of democracy. This is the day when Hosni Mubarak after being in power for 30 years resigned following popular protests and demonstrations in the nation which caught international attention. Egyptians rejoiced and celebrated of their new freedom. The once powerful political elites are now put behind the bar for corruptions charges as well as for their role in trying to repress peaceful demonstrators during the uprising. Among those in prison are two of former President's two sons; Gamal & Alaa Mubarak labeled as prisoners No. 1 & 2, the former Prime Minister, and Speaker of the Parliament. They are all located in a prison called Tora Farm and still in the state of disbelief what has happened. According to the prison officials, they all cooperate and do everything as they are asked without any objections. The former President is also detained but in the hospital citing medical reasons. Although Egyptians seem very happy with the outcome of their stand as "one voice" and in obtaining what they long wished for which is democracy but still many don't know what to expect of the ambiguous future ahead of them. Read more at http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/17/world/middleeast/17egypt.html?ref=world

Submitted By: Namgyel Dorji

US House passes $6.2 trillion dollar spending cut plan

The House of Representatives has passed a $6.2 trillion dollar bill to spending cut starting October 1 to go over the next decade. Introduced by Republican Paul Ryan, the plan would cut healthcare for the elderly and social programs for the poor. The bill passed in a 235-193 vote. It is not expected for this proposal to make it past the Democrat-led senate. The bill also would cut taxes for the wealthy, expected by the house to 'boost economic growth' - right. So the wealthy get wealthier and the poor get poorer? Good call. Obama has vowed to block major elements of Ryan's bill, however he said that compromise with Republicans for the spending cut was necessary to avoid any more economic crises.

Fleeing refugees cause turmoil in normally peaceful EU

Thousands of people from Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya--all countries that are currently experiencing severe political upheaval--are fleeing to Europe, mostly through Italy's conveniently located borders. Italy has for the most part been obliging, accepting in thousands of these fleeing refugees and giving them proper travel papers to continue their journey. However, countries to the north, particularly France, are not as accepting of this recent influx. In the latest move to deter Italy's pandering, France has blocked trains from Italy. This action is in direct violation of the EU's Schengen passport-free travel zone. Normally the European Union acts much like the United States, where anyone in the country--in this case continent--can travel freely across borders once they have been originally accepted inside. The most travelers encounter when crossing borders between states within the European Union is a sign informing them they have crossed into a new country. It will be interesting to see how this situation will play out and if it will develop into harsher border control between countries in the future.

-Abbey Smith

Uniformed Suicide Bomber Kills 9 at Afghan Military Base

Earlier today at Forward Operating Base Gamberi in Laghman Province, Afghanistan, a suicide bomber detonated explosives killing five foreign soldiers. Four Afghan military servicemen also died. The blast wounded eight more Afghan soldiers and four interpreters. The bomber was reported wearing a Afghan National Army uniform. According to Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mojahed, the bomber, Abdul Ghani, "joined the Afghan National Army a month ago in order to kill the invaders." The Laghman Province base is controlled by the Afghan National Security Forces. There was no further information available from the ISAF, the International Security Assistance Force, at that time.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/04/16/afghanistan.attack/index.html

-Kristine Zizis

BRICS Leaders Meet at Third Summit in China

This past week, the leaders of the five BRICS nations met in Sanya, China for their annual summit to discuss their role as the world shifts.  This marked the first year that South Africa took part in the summit, changing the acronym from BRIC to BRICS.  The five leaders, Hu Jintao of China, Dmitry Medvedev of Russia, Dilma Rousseff of Brazil, Manmohan Singh of India, and Jacob Zuma of South Africa, spoke out largely against the NATO airstrikes on Libya.  They call for a peaceful resolution and an end to the force being used by Western powers.  Brazil, Russia, India and China all abstained from the UN vote this March regarding the authorization of a no-fly-zone over Libya.  In addition, the BRICS nations call for more representation in such international organizations as the UN and World Bank in order to make these institutions "more representative and effective."  These emerging states, which represent 40% of the world's population and 20% of its GDP, ultimately wish to use their collective political power to contribute to global governance.  Despite their unity, however, issues such as the valuation of currency, which has been a hot topic between Brazil and China, were largely ignored.  

Mark Zajac

Italian Activist Captured in Gaza

An Italian pro-Palestinian activist, Vittorio Arrigoni, 36, was found dead Friday morning. According to his autopsy, he was strangled with a plastic cord. His assailants were members of a radical Islamic organization inspired by Al Queda who admitted to kidnapping him the day before.The group had threatened to execute Vittorio Arrigoni, a well-known supporter of the International Solidarity Movement, unless the authorities released their imprisoned leader, Hisham Saidani, who was arrested in March. The kidnappers released a video to the public showing Arrigoni tied up and blindfolded and set a 30-hour deadline that expired at 5 p.m. on Friday. The hostage was reportedly killed approximately 24 hours before the deadline.

http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=8405471042203283454

Megan Borows

Political Infighting in Japan

Triggered by the government's response to the 9.0 magnitude earthquake that devastated much of Japan, the Liberal Democratic Party, which is the country's largest opposition party, called for current Prime Minister Naoto Kan to step down from his office. Until now, the opposing parties have attempted to work in concert in order to respond effectively to the crisis. However, due to Kan's inability to help the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant and criticisms that Kan has only confused matters in the government, their political truce has come to an abrupt halt.

Prime Minister Kan was already in political trouble before the disaster. He accepted donations from a foreigner, which is a violation of local laws. He argues he didn't know the donor was a foreigner, but the mistake was made and his reputation suffered for it. Although his ratings went up after the disaster, they are starting to decline once again.

Officials from the Liberal Democratic Party, such as Nobuteru Ishihara and Sadakazu Tanigaki insist that keeping Kan in office is detrimental to the Japanese people. "Can a government that has lost political support really handle a national crisis?" Ishihara asks dubiously. Kan's simple argument in response is that his priority is to save lives and that the team he built is doing everything in its power to do just that.

Will this political infighting be a distraction from the real problem at hand? If the parties become too involved in pointing out each others' flaws, they could very well start to ignore the fact that the country needs to be reconstructed.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/15/world/asia/15japan.html?ref=world

-Gracie Hollister

Body of Italian Activist Found in Gaza

An Italian pro-Palestinian who was working as a journalist and writer in Gaza was kidnapped on thursday by a group of radical Islamists. The groups reason for taking Vittorio Arrigoni hostage was to get the government to release a number of their own group members who had been arrested. They threatened to execute Arrigoni if the government did not abide by their rules and release members of the Salafist group. They released a video in which Arrigoni is shown with a blindfold and blood around his face. The group claimed, "the Italian hostage entered our land only to spread corruption" and it described Italy as "the infidel state".

http://jordantimes.com/index.php?news=36547

Another article was release today stating the body of Arrigoni was found in Gaza.

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/04/2011414194735306181.html

Katie Kruse

Persecution

Two communist nations, two headlines about detaining Christian worshipers. Currently in North Korea an American was detained for getting caught being a missionary. North Korea currently does not allow any form of religion within its borders. Because of this, the man obtained for engaging in missionary activities has been charged with a 'crime against the nation.' Because the United States does not have a diplomatic team in North Korea currently, the diplomatic staff of Sweden had been charged with being in contact with the detained man. Ironically, the US is asking for the release of the man based on humanitarian grounds. This plea is laughable when looking at current US/North Korea relations, not to mention the vast humanitarian atrocities being committed by the North Korean government. On that note, China is also cracking down on the Church in a much more serious and determined way than before. Traditionally, Christian Churches are allowed to congregate within China as long as they are approved by the state and stay under a certain number of members. Because of this the number of illegal house churches has skyrocketed in the recent past. Because of the exploding numbers of worshipers, estimated to be around 60 million, the State has taken action to stop the spread. Most recently an entire congregation was arrested for praying outdoors--a move that in the past would have been a sure death sentence. This is a sign of not only the emboldened spirits of the Church within China, but also a sign of the eagerness of the people of China for change. It is clear they desire more than their current 'freedoms' allow. I, for one would not be surprised if stories such as this continue to emerge onto the international stage.

megan smith

Kenyans Rally

In reaction to the massive violence that erupted after the elections of 2007, it has been discovered that this violence was a result of the actions of Prime Minister Kenyatta and Parliament member Ruto. The violence that they started against the opposition party progressed to nation wide killings and rape and other methods of sustained violence. The purpose of the rally on Monday was for a calling for these men to tried at the Hague in The Netherlands. The International Court will be hearing the arguments for the case in September in order to decide whether or not a trial will happen. This violence left a serious lasting implications in Kenya as many were effected by the utter terror and violence. Surprisingly enough, Mr. Kenyatta is the son of Jomo Kenyatta which is seen as the father of modern day Kenya.

Matt Boguslawski

The EU's Financial Dilemma

Ireland went through a debt crisis recently and now Portugal recently applied for bailout.

They are predicting if Spain were to ever apply for bailout, it would be dramatically bigger than Portugal. However, there are other countries in deep in debt within the European Union. They report if Italy were to apply for a bailout, the EU would not be able to handle it. The Financial Times reports, Berlusconi does not help Italy's economic state with his legal trouble and mockery. Germany is extremely concerned with sharing the EU with Italy.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/2971a046-6474-11e0-a69a-00144feab49a.html?ftcamp=rss#axzz1JK2J6XW7

Richard (RJ) McNichols

2 US forces mistakenly killed by drone attack in Afghanistan

Marine Staff Sgt. Jeremy Smith and Navy Corpsman Benjamin Rast were killed, on accident, by a Hellfire missile fired from a U.S. Air Force Predator in Afghanistan on Wednesday. The two were were part of a Marine unit moving to south Afghanistan to reinforce other U.S. Marines under attack from enemy forces. The Marines who called for the reinforcement were watching a video of the battlefield and mistook the two soldiers for enemies when a number of "hot spots," or infrared images were moving in their direction. The U.S. military is investigating the incident and have informed the families of both service members the possibility this was a friendly fire incident. Read more.

Posted by Christine Steinbeiss

4 Ways We're Still Fighting the Civil War

This article came up because this week the US is "celebrating" it's 150th anniversery of the Civile War. There have been some scholars that say there are some wierd parrallels between the Civil War and issues today; specifically four areas that correlate directly. These four areas are: the disappearance of the political center; the amount of power that the federal government should have; unleashing the dogs of war; and the president as dictator. The article talked about connections between Abraham Lincoln and Barack Obama; the Civil War and the War on Terror; the rise of the Tea Party and what the South Stood for; and ignorance from both sides in the Civil War and the War in Iraq and Libya. Rachel Matteson

India's Worsening Sex Ratio

February’s national census shows that the infant sex ratio in India is steadily getting worse and can be compared to that of China, who has one of the worst ratios in the world because of its child bearing laws. Though the census numbers may be somewhat skewed the overall trend shows that the sex ratio has been worsening for decades. Much of this issue is the byproduct of dowries in India.

Though illegal, it is a thriving industry motored by increased competition for scarce women. Many actions have become of this terrible trend in India including: a relatively high female abortion rate, many families are selling their daughters to a dalal, or broker, who will then ship the girls to potential suitors in other areas, and it encourages female trafficking, abuse, and sometimes death.

One would reason that a shortage of women would increase the value of women in India, but we have yet to see that occur. Rather we see an Indian economy that is emerging and thus dowries are becoming increasingly expensive and leaking into areas where dowries were typically absent. Unfortunately, the trend shows that economic success lies in areas where the son preference is highest. This is causing other, more neutral areas, to adopt the idea more readily.

These trends may be increasing at a decreasing rate of late, but for women in India this is a terrible situation that has yet to see a reliable decline. It will be interesting to see how this trend reacts as the country increasingly becomes more urbanized in its attempt to become more Americanized, for lack of better term.

By Tommy Walker

7 People Killed in a Dutch Mall Shooting

Dutch officials say that this past Saturday a man, identified only as 24 year old Tristan V., opened fire in a mall. Using an automatic rifle, he shot and killed 7 people leaving 16 wounded (3 in critical condition) before turning the gun on himself. Police had searched his home that he shared with his father and confiscated computers and other equipment taken in for evidence. When searching his mother's house the police found a note left by him claiming to have placed explosives in several commercial areas in Alphen, these areas were evacuated immediately and as of 11pm Saturday night not explosives were found. Officials say that after reading the note there is no clear motive for the shootings.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/europe/04/09/netherlands.mall.shooting/index.html

Jen Crawford

UN and French attack Gbabgo heavy weapons in Ivory Coast

UN chief Ban Ki-moon ordered UN and French helicopters to silence heavy weapons used by Gbabgo and also damaged the presidential residence. Ban said that UN headquarters in Ivory Coast, Ouattara's base, and two civilian districts were hit by machine gun, sniper, and RPG fire in recent days which led him to authorize all necessary means to suppress the use of the heavy weapons by Gbabgo's troops. A spokesman for Gbabgo said that "UN and French helicopters continue to fire at President Gbabgo's residence which has been partially destroyed."

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/11/us-ivorycoast-idUSTRE73014Z20110411

Derald Willey

Tokyo Bids for 2020 Olympics

After the devastating effects of the 9.0 magnitude earthquake to hit Japan, the governor of Tokyo has expressed the importance of getting back on track economically. He has specifically stated that by hosting the 2020 (although nine years off) it could boost the economy back up and help Japan. Tokyo lost to Rio de Janeiro for the 2016 games. Other countries to express interest in hosting the 2020 games are among Rome, Berlin, Busan, Cape Town, Doha, and Istanbul. A final decision regarding the games will be made in September 2013.

Read More:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/olympics/13029861.stm

Katie Kruse

China tells U.S. to stop preaching on Human Rights

After reading the article on activist, Al weiwei, the U.S. expressed concern for his recent arrest, because of the tightening control the government has had over the internet and several other things. Chinese government has criticized the U.S., stating that "the U.S. should be more concerned about our human rights issues and stop interfering in other countries internal affairs." China who is known for stepping up the practices of forced disappearances, house arrest, and black jails, is stating that they would be happy to discuss human rights in terms of equality and mutual respect, but have made it clear that they want the U.S. to step back on preaching on human rights.

to read more:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-13027427

Katie Kruse

Bomb Diffused in Northern Ireland

Authorities in Newry, Northern Ireland helped diffuse a homemade bomb yesterday afternoon. The five-hundred pound bomb was found in an abandoned van located in the city along a main roadway, one of which leads to Dublin (which is 67 miles away). Authorities say that "insurgent" republicans were to blame for the failed attack. These insurgent republicans are those who oppose Northern Ireland's social alignment with Britain. They would rather have Northern Ireland associated with Ireland, and do not agree with a peace deal that was set to end these differences. The dissident republicans were also said to have been responsible for the death of a police officer on April 2nd, who was killed by a hidden bomb. If action had not been taken immediately, the bomb could have taken the innocent lives of hundreds.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/europe/04/09/northern.ireland.bomb/index.html

-Tharryn Wright

China Responds Strongly To US Human Rights Report

China is tired of the US butting in on their human rights affairs. After the US State Department released its 35th annual report on human rights, Chinese leaders suggest the US focus on its own struggles and stop using human rights as an excuse to meddle in the affairs of other countries. Within the report, the recent Chinese crackdown on dissidents in the form of restricting internet access and detaining activists.

Hilary Clinton became involved, asking for the release of imprisoned activists and intellectuals, jailed for exercising their "internationally-recognized right to free expression." Clinton continued, pointing out that respecting human rights encourages economic growth and a prosperous society.

http://www.rttnews.com/Content/GeneralNews.aspx?Node=B1&Id=1594788&pageNum=2

Budget Deal Averts U.S Govt. Shut Down

On Friday, millions of Americans particularly federal employees breath in a sigh of relief as the lawmakers in Washington reached a short-term deal not to shut federal government down. The deal which was signed into law by the President Obama will allow government to remain open for business until next Friday. There are still six more months in the current fiscal year and both sides of the government are in the process of reaching at another deal which would avoid shut down until the end of this fiscal period. Should the government shut down in case of deal failure between the two parties, millions of federal employees would not have payday resulting in interruption in many public services. The two parties argued over the how much the spending cut should be. Although government shut down is not uncommon, but it also means disruption in services essential to many Americans. Follow more at: http://money.cnn.com/2011/04/08/news/economy/budget_deal/index.htm?section=money_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fmoney_topstories+%28Top+Stories%29

Submitted By: Namgyel Dorji

Army crackdown in Cairo's Tahrir Square

After a huge protest on Friday, violence occurred overnight in Egypt as the army tried to clear protesters out of Tahrir Sqaure in Cairo. The protesters were calling for ex-President Hosni Mubarak and his family to be tried for corruption as well as the resignation of interim leader, Field Marshal Mohamad Hussein Tantawi. Approximately 300 troops moved in to camp to break up the demonstration, beating, clubbing, and even firing shots at protesters. Medical sources have so far revealed that 71 people are hurt, and at least 2 are dead. Three vehicles were set on fire during the unrest, two of which belonged to the military. The military finally withdrew and protesters once again filled the square this morning, which is covered in glass and debris from the clashes.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13023948

Megan Borows

International Community Pushes for a Power Shift in Yemen

Although his people have been protesting against his rule for months, only within the last few days has the international community, particularly the U.S., drawn support from Yemeni president, Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Saleh responded to his people's protesting with a combination of conciliatory offers and violence. As a result, the international community has begun to formally denounce their support of his presidency. The Gulf Corporation Council (G.C.C.), made up of Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Quatar, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates, has joined the European Union in calling for a power shift in Yemen. Even the U.S., which has long backed Saleh because of his aid in fighting Al-Qaeda, has come to the conclusion that he is not likely to implement reforms, and has somewhat discreetly removed support from Saleh.

Members of the G.C.C. were hopeful that change would occur after Saleh responded positively to an invitation to a discussion of a transfer of power; however, Saleh more recently lashed out at the G.C.C., saying that the international community should "respect the feelings of the Yemeni people."

A youth protest leader, Adel al-Surabi, grants Saleh this statement on its face, but disagrees with everything else Saleh has done. He says, “No one can speak in the name of the people...We cannot speak in the names of the martyrs’ families and the people who have suffered for 33 years. We still have the right to prosecute him and to ask for compensation for his crimes.”

Will Saleh actually listen to and respect his people, as he himself explicitly told the international community to do? Will the international community continue to speak out against him? This issue will be very interesting to pay attention to as it unfolds further.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/08/world/middleeast/08yemen.html?_r=2&ref=world

-Gracie Hollister

Mexico's Politics

Mexico's presidential elections are coming up in July of 2011. The current president's, Felipe Calderón, opposing party, the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), is already planning their campaign strategy. Rather than focusing on fighting organized crime by sending aggressive assaults on drug cartels as Calderon has done, the PRI wants to shift the attention to improving the economy and reducing poverty. Mexico suffered one of the worst recessions in the American continent, placing millions of Mexican's below the poverty level. The PRI beliefs that by focusing on the economy, they can lighten both the country's poverty issue and the problems inflicted by the drug cartels. If Mexico's economy continues to grow, more people will be pulled out of poverty and more young men will have jobs therefore discouraging them from joining drug cartels.

-Gilberto Perez

Shanghai Disney Resort breaks ground

Not all the news has to be depressing.  After finally receiving approval from the Chinese government, Disney broke ground today on a theme park and resort in Shanghai, China, which is expected to be the largest foreign investment of all time in mainland China, in total reaching almost $4 billion!  Disney is incredibly excited to expand its global brand, but more importantly to enter the Chinese market, the largest and fastest-growing market in the world.  Disney also hopes this will allow them to further penetrate the Chinese market, bringing all the joys of Disney to China, including film distribution, merchandising and a 24-hour cable network.  Once Disney Shanghai opens in 5 years, it will be "both authentically Disney and distinctly Chinese," including a Magic Kingdom-style theme park (with the largest version of the famed Cinderella castle), two hotels, large entertainment, dining and retail venues, as well as a lake and recreational areas.  The mayor of Shanghai praises this investment, claiming it will raise Shanghai's international profile and increase tourism.   Disney Shanghai obviously serves as an economic milestone for foreign investment in China, but also a cultural milestone, as the country further embraces outside influence.  Perhaps little by little China will become "the happiest place on earth." :)

http://www.cnn.com/2011/BUSINESS/04/08/shanghai.disney.groundbreaking/index.html

Mark Zajac

Mass Graves In Mexico

It is hard to forget the brutish aftermath of Mexico's ongoing drug war. Yet another mass grave has been uncovered in northern Mexico with at least 59 bodies. It is thought that these are a portion of the 72 migrants who were massacred by a drug gang known as Zetas this past summer. The victims were comprised of illegal immigrants from El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Ecuador and Brazil. This ongoing war has reported taken the lives of more than 34,000 innocent civilians since the Mexican government established progressive legislation to aggressively combat the extensive amounts of drugs being processed through Mexico. However the end of this bloody conflict has no immediate in sight.

megan smith

Brazilian School Massacre

Tragedy broke out on Thursday in a Brazilian public school when a former student opened fire and killed 11 students. The government said the gunman was Wellington Menezes de Oliveira, 23, a former student at the school. He was allowed to enter the school by saying he was there to obtain transcripts. The situation could have turned even more violent if it weren't for Third Sgt. Marcio Alexandre Alves. He and a colleague raced to the school after they were approached by a student a few blocks from the school and asked for help. Alves found the gunman on the 2nd floor of the school and prevented him from reaching the 3rd floor, where more students and faculty were. Unfortunately, the gunman turned on himself and shot himself in the head. In total, 11 students were killed, 13 were injured, and 4 of those are in critical condition. The Brazilian school, Municipal School Tasso da Silveira, is currently closed as a crime scene, and will remain so until further notice.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/americas/04/07/brazil.school.shooting/

-Kristine Zizis

Japanese Nuclear Power Plant Plugs Receptor

Workers at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Tokyo, Japan believe that they have been able to plug one of the reactors stopping the leakage of radioactive iodine into the Pacific Ocean. The leakage was at one point 7.5 million times the legal limit, but in the turn of 24 hours it drastically dropped down to 280,000 times above the legal limit. A spokesperson for the nuclear plant stated that there is relief that there was success in plugging the receptor, but there is a fear that containing this radioactive water will only lead to leakage somewhere else. The workers at the nuclear plant are concerned that there is a chance of having a possible hydrogen explosion due to overheating because the tsunami that followed after the earthquake had knocked out the cooling systems for the receptors. Also if they do not find a way to manage the liquid radioactive waste, then it will continue recycling itself by dumping into the ocean which has been upsetting fishermen from neighboring countries. Although they are working to contain this issue, because there are still significant amounts of radioactive material being found, it is indicating that there may also be other leaks with other issues to handle.

Heather Krizka

To read more click here: Seawater radiation levels drop off crippled nuclear plant

Contested leaders face off through forces

Laurent Gbagbo is the current leader of the Ivory Coast; however, according to election officials and the United Nations, he lost the last election in November. That hasn't hindered his desire to rule. His rival, and true leader of the country, is Alassane Ouattara. Forces backing Ouattara recently attacked Gbagbo's residence in Ivory Coast's main city Abidjan, in an attempt to seize him. They were faced off by Gbagbo's own forces, and the fighting continued for two days before the guns and bombs fell away in order to conduct talks. According to Ouattara's spokesman, his forces were under strict instructions not to harm Gbagbo, only to take him into custody. Ouattara demands that Gbagbo concede his defeat and recognize the legitimately elected leader of the country. French troops, along with the UN, are trying to maintain security in Abidjan, but they were not involved in the seige against Gbagbo's residence. The situation in the city has caused citizens to remain in their homes and only proceed outside with great caution. The international Criminal Court is currently investigating human rights abuses that may have occurred during this crisis. -Abbey Smith

Bodies in 2009 Air France crash found at sea

A chunk of wreckage and bodies from the the Air France flight that crashed just off Brazil in 2009 have been found, Monday. The flight was en route from Rio to Paris when in crashed killing all 228 passengers on board. So far there is no known cause of the accident, and flight recorders have not yet been found. There may have been icing up on the planes speed sensors caused by the storm the plane was flying into. Families will be notified of the details possibly of body identification later on in the week. Until then, details will be limited to respect the families of those who were lost in the accident. Read more.

Posted by Christine Steinbeiss

Peru is a typical case of the developing country experiencing rapid growth. At an average of 7% a year, Peru's economy is one of the fastest growing ones in Latin America. However, despite their massive growth, the growing economy has not been backed up by government support. Money has been inefficiently allocated into infrastructure as opposed to needed social programs by Peru's current President, Alan Garcia.

http://www.economist.com/node/18486281

Gilberto Perez

French in Control of Ivory Coast Airport

The Ivory Coast's primary airport, located in the city of Abidjan, was taken over by French forces along with the United Nations to allow planes to land and foreigners to evacuate, in response to fighting between rival presidents. Two hundred civilian employees were also forced to evacuate The United Nation's headquarters after it underwent an attack. Fighting between presidents Alassane Ouattara and Laurent Gbagbo's troops continued on Sunday, after Gbagbo and his troops refused to acknowledge the results of the election, and therefore, leave office - since November, more than 1,300 people have died due to postelection violence.

Read More

Kaley Callaghan

Massacres at the Ivory Coast

Additional French peacekeepers were sent to the Ivory Coast this week as a battle has been erupting within the town of Abidjan. The battle seems to be between fighters who are loyal to President Alassane Ouattara and fighters who are loyal to Laurent Gbagbo, who has been refusing to leave office. Gbagbo's fighters have not agreed with the French surveying the skies and attempting peace and therefore have been targeting international french journalists and preventing them from leaving their hotel where they have been staying. In the attempt to leave the hotel to get water, many french journalists have been targeted and killed by Gbagbo's forces along with the massacre of many civilians made by the forces of President Ouattara. The United Nations originally had a mandate of 7,500 troops surveying the situation, but the U.N. has now take about 200 of its troops out of the area in order to maintain their own safety. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has spoken out to Gbagbo ordering him to step down immediately as well as calling upon the forces of President Ouattara to respect the rules and guidelines of war and stop the massacres of innocent civilians immediately. The massacre occurred between Monday and Wednesday of this week and so far 320 bodies have been identified, but the total number of deaths is much higher.

To read more click here: http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/04/03/ivory.coast.unrest/index.html

Heather Krizka

Police Open Fire on Protesters in Taiz, Yemen

The people of Taiz, Yemen, had a massive rally this past Friday against their president Ali Abdullah Saleh. In this protest, one person was shot and killed and many others injured. A doctor had stated that the police are using live rounds, tear gas, and truncheons to break up the protesters. These protests have kept Yemen in strife since February. The people are calling for the resignation of Saleh and it seems as though Saleh is ready to leave office. He stated that he is ready to discuss a "peaceful transition of power".
To replace Saleh, they would put the vice-president Abdu Rabi Hadi in office. They discussed a 'five-point plan' that would ease the transition and create more peace among the nation: 1- Saleh resigns and Habi is put in office, 2- Habi announces a restructuring of the security forces to make them accountable to the government, 3- an interim government is created based on national reconciliation, 4- new electoral commission is established, and 5- civil liberties are boosted and an investigation is launched against the killings of the protesters. Yemen is one of dozens of nations that have been hit with uprisings and resignations of their presidents, this five step plan reads to be a very smart and well-thought out plan, we'll just have to wait and see how (and if) it is actually carried out that way. Either way, it looks like Saleh is ready and willing to leave office which is what the people wanted.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12951786

Jen Crawford

Blast at Pakistan Shrine Kills Dozens

During an annual festival in Islamabad, Pakistan, three suicide bombers attempted to attack a Sufi shrine, Sakhi Sarwar, in Dera Ghazi Khan. Hundreds of worshipers were in attendance at the time of the explosion, leaving 42 people dead and over 100 wounded. Officials predict an increase in the death toll for several in critical condition. One of the bombers' explosive was faulty leaving him wounded and then arrested at the scene. Allegedly, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan took the blame for the attack in which was assumed to be another attempt to oppose the ideological divides within the school system of Sunni Islam. Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani commented on the attack, “Such cowardly acts of terror clearly demonstrate that the culprits involved neither have any faith nor any belief in human values.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/04/world/asia/04pakistan.html?ref=world

Ana Foster

Mugabe's Zimbabwe

It seems as though President Robert Mugabe is tightening his reign of control and terror over his nation of Zimbabwe. He recently announced that an election will be taking place next year. With the 2008 "election" that was held he maintained power as he has for the last 30 years. With the 2008 elections came pressures from regional leaders for the implementation of Morgan Tsvangirai, the current Prime Minister that stands on the against Mugabe. These elections bring many fears that were associated with the elections of 2008 in which a great deal of violence was used against the citizens of Zimbabwe to vote for Mugabe. This is a power hungry man that has destroyed one of the most beautiful and economically powerful nations in Africa. His only hope to maintain in power is to intimidate and coerce the elections that will be taking place next year. The issue of Mugabe's Zimbabwe has until now been treated as one of being solely Zimbabwe's issue and it will be interesting to see how the international community will react in the upcoming elections as he looks to once again completely take over the nation. Matt Boguslawski

China Off the Rails?

After multiple corruption investigations and the replacement of the railways minister, China's high-speed railway system may be slowed down for a while. In the last 3 years China has expanded this grandoise $750 billion project by approximately 7, 650km with hopes of reaching 19,000km by 2014. The most recent comparable public-works project was the interstate highway system in the US costing approximately $400 billion to complete.

Plans had been running smoothly until recently when two top railway officials were dismissed for bribery and curruption. With corruption at the forefront in addition to the incredible speed of construction the new railway minister is concerned about the quality of work completed on the current tracks. Due to quality and safety concerns this may push future timetables back. To most citizens of China the high-speed trains have little affect on their daily lives. Though they can reach upwards of 350mph, the fares are so high that demand for bus rides are skyrocketing. In the midst of attempting to blaze a trail for future high-speed transportation and becoming a world leader in that industry, China may have taken a few steps back with these safety and price concerns. Is bigger really that much better?

http://www.economist.com/node/18488554?story_id=18488554

Tommy Walker

An Uproar In Yemen

Security officers attacked protesters in Yemen yesterday, which ended with about 830 injuries and one fatality. This happened in the city of Taiz, which is near the famous Mocha port (by the Red Sea). The city is also the capital of the Taiz government. The protesting was in frustration over how President Ali Abdullah Saleh should hand over power after his reign ends. When Saleh steps down at the end of the year, he will eventually hand his former position to the current Vice President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi. Hadi's intentions differ from Saleh's, but the overall goal of the regime is to keep a fair balance in power over Yemen. Protesters who have agreed with Saleh's rule have grown substantially in the last few weeks, with the support peaking yesterday. Saleh held his position since 1978, and has been a U.S. ally in the Al-Qaeda disputes in that area and all around the Middle East. When Hadi's term ends, Saleh has also agreed not to run again, dashing all hopes of a 2nd reign as President.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/meast/04/03/yemen.rallies/index.html

-Tharryn Wright

Nigeria postpones elections again

Nigeria's parliamentary election will not be held until next Saturday. This is the second postponement of this election in two days. This postponement will further affect the presidential and state elections that were meant to follow the parliamentary elections. This initial reason for postponement was the lack of staff or papers at polling stations on the first intended election day. However, this basic lack of preparation seems to connote deeper issues about the voting procedures in Nigeria. The country is notorious for vote-rigging and violence during elections; thus, the people are wary of the government's official reason for the postponement and see it as a further opportunity for them to interfere in the elections. However, the government has tried to assure its people that postponing the election will only make them more free and fair.

Abbey Smith

The Future of Japan

Countless similarities have been drawn to the potential obstacles Japan will face in the near future and what Haiti went through only a few years ago. The unimaginable devastation, both in terms of loss of life as well as in general infrastructure is mind blowing. In this photojournalistic account, we can see first hand the grave state of both nations. However, there is a difference. Haiti is still in turmoil, and for many people the devastation left will be a reality for the remainder of their lives. The same will not be the case for Japan. Though Japan has far greater issues to deal with, such as radiation, there is a real chance, and real probability that eventually Japan will fully recover. The difference? Economics. Prior to the earthquake Japan had a thriving economy with a bright future. Because of that base, Japan will be able to overcome. Haiti, however, did not have that opportunity. After viewing these moving pictures, I for one, will be interested to see a comparison in another 10 years, another 15 years. Surely Japan will be on the up and up, Haiti, however, is sure to look the same. Regardless of where one stands on the issue of foreign aid, whether in terms of knowledge or monetary assistance, I think it is safe to say that the varying outcomes of these two remarkably similar situations is beyond disturbing and should produce a catalyst for reevaluating how the international body deals with natural disasters.

megan smith