U.S. is still on top

Recently the IMF came out with a stat that China will surpass the U.S. by 2016 in its economic power and capabilities. However, the statistic that was chosen is not even close to the truth because it is merely one of the multitude of factors. When looking at GDP, China's is merely 1/3 the size of the U.S.

Greg Voegtle


http://prestowitz.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2011/04/28/china_wont_pass_the_us_anytime_soon

Tornadoes spread devastation in the South

On Wednesday, a terrifying barrage of tornadoes swept through the South, including Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, Virginia, Mississippi, and Kentucky, leaving 285 dead and more than 800 injured. Alabama was hit the hardest, accounting for more than half of the death toll. Search and rescue teams are still digging through debris for survivors. The storms razed neighborhoods and entire towns, resulting in nearly 1,700 people in Red Cross shelters on Wednesday night. The storms also left more than a million people in Alabama without power, as dozens of major power lines were knocked down. The full extent of the damage has yet to be determined, but it is undoubtedly catastrophic. According to one survivor, “Everything’s gone. Their cars are gone. Everything. These people ain’t got nothing.” President Obama will be in Alabama tomorrow afternoon and the federal government has pledged its assistance to this dire tragedy.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/29/us/29storm.html?pagewanted=1&hp

Megan Borows

Withholding Aid as a Human Rights Violation

After visiting North Korea to discuss ways to lower tensions on the Korean Peninsula, former President Jimmy Carter excoriated the United States for withholding humanitarian aid from North Korea. He maintained that given the country's impoverished state, refusing North Korean citizens assistance could be categorized as a human rights violation.

Carter traveled with three other members of Elders, which is a group of world leaders established by Nelson Mandala. The group that traveled to North Korea consisted of Carter, Harlem Brundtland of Norway, Martti Ahtisaari of Finland, and Mary Robinson of Ireland. Robinson and Brundtland provided more details on the seriousness of the crisis in North Korea: a lack of food supplies, severe flooding, disease, a lack of running water in hospitals, a shortage of important medicines, and malnourishment in children to the point of brain damage.

Although the group was supposed to meet with Kim Jong-il, but that didn't end up happneing. Instead, they met with Kim Yong-nam, who is the head of the North Korean People's Assembly, who read them a letter from Kim Jong-il. The letter said that he is ready to negotiate with South Korea, the U.S., or any other countries that made up the six-party talks that ended in 2009 when North Korea withdrew.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/29/world/asia/29korea.html?_r=1&ref=world

-Gracie Hollister

Japans Economy Taking Hard Hit

There are a few factors contributing to the fall of Industrial Output in Japan. This past March factory output in Japan hit an all time high at 15.3%. in 2009 Japan's factory output fell 8.6% due to world economical crisis. One reason why this is happening is of course because of the earthquake and Tsunami which left Japan devastated. The shortage of supplies to produce products in another reason why the output in Japan is failing. Due to the damage of nuclear plants and electricty production is also falling short. Analysts say they cannot foresee when production will return to normal. Automobile production is amongst the largest industry seeing these effects. This is important because as a global market other countries are going to start seeing shortages on technology items we rely on Japan to import.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/13218449

Katie Kruse

Italy and France Want Tighter Controls on Migration

Italian and French government officials are hoping for changes to the Schengen Agreement, which permits free passage across Western Europe because both countries are facing huge numbers of North African refugees flooding their countries. Since 1985 European Union has dismantled border controls for it citizens and the citizens of other countries to pass freely. Though it is unlikely that the European Union would revise the Schengen Agreement, the request itself reflects the anti-immigration views of the current parties in control of the governments there. Because European citizens are able to move from country to country once in Europe, North African immigrants can move easily between European countries. The request for changes to Schengen have become a means of relieving tension between the two countries, since France is championing the fight in Libya leading to large numbers of Libyans to immigrate legally or illegally to Italy. France has also been reluctant to admit Tunisian immigrants from Italy, and Italy has issued travel papers to encourage Tunisians to move to France.

by Margaret Nunne

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/27/world/europe/27rome.html?_r=1&ref=world

Thousands line up for last glimpse of Indian guru

Sathya Sai Baba, an Indian religious leader, was laid to rest on Monday. He was easily recognizable by all, with a halo of frizzy dark hair and orange robes; the color of holiness in India. Thousands of mourners paid respects on Monday, remembering his generosity and selfless, who continuously helped others with the billions of dollars that had been donated to his charity. Hundreds of volunteers helped guide the mourners passed the glass coffin surrounded by flower garlands. Sai Baba had some critics, saying his fake magic conjured up Rolex watches and jewelry and possibly sexually abusing followers. The critics did not stop the mourners from lining up to say their goodbyes. The Dalai Lama said he was saddened by Sai Baba's passing: "I would like to convey my condolences and prayers to all the followers, devotees and admirers of the late spiritual leader." Prior to his death Sai Baba had been hospitalized for nearly a month. Read more

Posted by Christine Steinbeiss

Syria instablilty

Not only have the eruptions in Egypt been a concern for African and Middle Eastern stability, but also the events in Syria. In Syria the regiem consists of a elite minority whose policies have created much disent among the population. Their relationship with Hezbollah and Iran creates much concern over the the power balance in the middle east. Their relationship to funneling recruits into Iraq, and being used as an ideal recruiting ground for other terroirst groups in the region is what makes the result of the turmoil in Syria so substantial.

Greg Voegtle


http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/meast/04/25/syria.role/index.html

Syrian leaders take further action against protesters

After Syria lifted an emergency law last week, officials told protesters there was no reason to rally any longer. Since then, however, there have been reports of a number of crackdowns and arrests, clearly indicating that not all the protesters have gone home. Protesters began calling for reform, and even the removal of current President Bashar al-Assad, in Deraa a month ago, and the government of Syria has now taken action against that city, rolling in troops supported by tanks. The troops numbered around 5,000 and there were 7 tanks, according to witnesses. The electricity has also been cut, so activists cannot easily communicate with one another. There have been witness accounts that these troops have fired on the city and surrounding suburbs, with between 5-25 people reportedly having been killed. The Security Council is in the process of drafting a statement condemning these violent actions, but that is the extent of UN action so far, though some, including UN Human Rights Chief Navi Pillay have spoken out against this newest movement. Foreign journalists are not allowed into the country to report on these events, so much of the information is second hand and cannot be fully verified. Without objective eyes and ears, it is hard to say whether these accounts are being blown out of proportion by the activists or if things are actually much worse than we've found out so far.

-Abbey Smith

Northern Ireland is strengthening Security

A few weeks back, a car bomb killed a police officer in Northern Ireland. Now the police of Northern Ireland have strengthened security and found three sets of bombmaking equipment. There have been other signs of potential violence occurring. They are predicting something might happened to the Queen during her three day visit and they think the republicans could be the cause of this mayhem.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/apr/24/northern-ireland-caches-bombmaking-equipment

Richard (RJ) McNichols

Azerbaijan cracks down hard on protests

Apparently the revolution bug is infectious. However, Azerbaijan has squashed them as soon as they happen.  Troops shut down demonstrations before they even happened. Protestors were carried off for speaking. However, some feel that the start of revolutions all over the Arab world are not surprising:

"Rasul Jafarov, a lawyer with the human rights organisation "Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety", says the revolutions in the Arab world are now inspiring people here to take to the streets.

"For the past five years the situation was very bad when it comes to guaranteeing human rights and freedoms," he said.

"People just waited and waited and waited. But because of events in the Arab world, people here now understand that they should go and ask the government to meet their demands. Now people realise they have a real chance of changing something."

This explains the current trend. See article below.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-13136598

posted by Rima Gungor

Hundreds escape by tunnel from Kandahar Prison

In this alarming article on the BBC, the author reports the 500 Taliban inmates escaped via tunnel from Kandahar's prison in Afghanistan. However, the Kandahar provincial governor stated that the escapees were caught but refused to give exact numbers. This is a bit worry-some and  brings into question how prisons are being run and whether security is taken seriously.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-13184920



post by Rima Gungor

Classified Files Offer New Information on

Thailand and Cambodia Clash Again in Border Dispute

Friday began a long range artillery firing between Thailand and Cambodian troops, continuing to sunday. Only 10 people have been killed while thousands of residents on either side of the boarder were evacuated. Like children caught in a fight on the playground both countries accused the other for starting it. Two ancient Hindu temples located near Preah Vihear continues to be the focus of tension between both countries since 2008 when the U.N. acknowledged it as a World Heritage site of Cambodia. Obviously, Thailand also claims ownership of the area, stirring up dissension between. It is unclear how long the feud will last but the U.N. has stepped in to be the voice of reason calling an effective cease-fire so they could begin a peaceful resolution.

Ana Foster

China, Japan, South Korea in Talks for Trilateral Trade Pact

China, Japan, and South Korea's trade ministers met in Tokyo to come to an agreement on free-flowing trades and investments. They all agreed that in order to sustain and increase economic growth for all three countries, some sort of compromise needs to be made. They have watched as the United States economy fell and they are trying to prevent such a tragedy in their borders. They have set up a Joint Study Committee (JST) and have already begun examining options for this type of market. China and South Korea are among Japan's largest trading partners and after the tragic situation, Japan really needs to recover their economy in order to grow. China and South Korea both understand that their support is vital in order to get Japan back on its feet. Not only that, but their support will also prompt production to China and South Korea more quickly.


Jen Crawford
(To read more on Japan's economic downfall, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-13167014)

Chinese Authorities Block Easter in Beijing

This article talked about how hundreds of uniformed and plain-clothed police officers kept people from entering the Shouwang Church. Sources say that the congregation had spent months on preparing for a Easter service, but the police said that they were stationed at the church for "security purposes." The police even had the senior pastor of the church under house arrest, as well as several other members from the congregation. The Shouwang Church is one of the largest illegal "houses" (or unofficial churches) in the country, with more usually hundreds of people gathering to worship. One independent pastor said that this kind of reaction from the government towards believers in faith will only have the opposite impact of what they are looking for. He was quoted saying, "Worshippers are not a threat to stability, not a threat to society, and not a threat to China's harmonious society." Over the past month, the article said that over 200 churchgoers have been arrested. The actual number of practicing Christians in China is not very clear, but there have been speculations of 15 million all the way up to 130 million.

Beijing Easter Services Blocked

So much for a happy easter. Worshippers, who have spent several months preparing for Easter services at a church in northwestern Beijing, were detained immediately on arrival. The Shouwang Church, who hold the one of the largest Christian gatherings in the country, have had a history of struggles. In November, the church congregation was forcibly removed from their previous place of worship by local authorities. As originally planned, the church had planned to defy the mandates of the Communist government by having the services. Unofficially, it has been reported that there are about 130 million Chinese citizens who actively practice Christianity.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/04/24/china.easter.crackdown/index.html

-Tharryn Wright

Nigeria election violence 'left more than 500 dead'

Nigerian civil rights groups say that over 500 people died during the recent elections when a Christian candidate Goodluck Jonathan defeated a northern Muslim candidate. Muslim activist became violent when the results became clear and started burning churches and staging riots. Of course, soon Muslims became targets of retaliation attacks. Thousands have fled their homes.

Experts think these riots can be more attributed to economic and social differences rather than religious ones.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13184298

Renee Hessing

Sri Lankan War Crimes

The UN has compiled a report on a compilation of alleged war crimes that were committed during the countries civil war. In addition to the concern that the public release of this document might hurt the post-war ethnic reconciliation efforts, Sri Lanka's external affairs minister in of the opinion that the UN went beyond its mandate by compiling the report in the first place. Apparently, in the initial UN mandate, the committee was only meant to be an advisory body to Ban Ki-moon, instead an investigation took place resulting in this now controversial report. Other arguments against the release of this report include the potential creditability damage it may cause to the UN as it did indeed overstep its limits. The Sri Lankan president has gone so far as to ask supporters to protest against the war crimes investigation on May 1st.

megan smith

Growth slows when GDP reaches certain point - China's getting close

Emerging markets such as China, India, and Brazil are rapidly growing right now, but as the author states, "Gaining ground on the leaders is far easier than overtaking them."

Naturally the initial growth rate of an emerging economy is going to be far higher than that of a leading economy. Those who are trying to catch up tend to take the path that the leaders have already blazed for them. Borrowing technology and increased productivity from shifting workers from agriculture to manufacturing boost savings and investment. This allows emerging economies to narrow the gap in a rather short amount of time.

After this burst of wealth and prosperity it becomes more difficult for emerging economies to continue this growth rate because the amount of loanable ideas becomes depleted. Now these countries must become innovators thus making improvements more difficult and causing growth rates to slow.

A research study shows that when an emerging country's per-head GDP reaches approximately $16,740 their growth rate tends to fall nearly 3% the following year. In accordance with this study China could hit this "middle income trap" by 2015 due to their aging population, low value of consumption, and a relatively undervalued currency. Governmental reforms may help fend off this trend, but only time will tell if China's growth rate will take a blow.

By Tommy Walker

Yemeni President to Resign

Today, Saturday President Ali Abdullah Saleh of Yemen has agreed to deal proposed by Gulf Cooperation Counsel to step down within 30 days and hand over the power he held onto for more than three decades to his deputy. In return for his agreement, Mr. Saleh would be given immunity from prosecution. The opposition movement accusing Mr. Saleh's regime for poverty and corruption started protesting two months ago. The protests met with violence over the past two months when Mr. Saleh tried to ease the unrest in the country without any luck. The President also pledged that he won't run for re-election after his term ends in 2013 or that his son would succeed him, but both the options failed. Follow at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/yemeni-protesters-stage-general-strike-to-press-demand-for-president-to-step-down/2011/04/23/AFdk0qVE_story.html?hpid=z1

Submitted By: Namgyel Dorji

US-China Human Rights Talks

Next week, the Chinese and American governments will hold two days of talks on human rights in Beijing.  The discussions will focus particularly on human rights within China, such as freedom of speech and religion as well as minority rights.  These talks come at a time when China has been cracking down on dissidents, like artist Ai Weiwei, for expressing their anti-government views.  The US is particularly troubled by "forced disappearances" and "extralegal detentions" of Chinese citizens. 

http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/04/22/china.us.human.rights/index.html

Mark Zajac

Toyota Making Drastic Production Cuts after Japan Quake and Tsunami

The aftermath of the earthquake and subsequent tsunami that pounded Japan about a month ago, now is leaving its mark on other countries around the work. Toyota announced on Wednesday that drastic production cuts would be taking place in North America and China. Toyota is having great difficulty supplying parts for the automobiles. Previously, Toyota announced they would suspend production on Mondays and Fridays between April 15 and April 25, but now that will be extended through June 3. During that period, production also will run at 50% on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursdays. In addition, Canadian production will be suspended for the week beginning May 23, and U.S. production for the week starting May 30. Toyota stated that no decisions have been made for production after June 3.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/04/20/japan.toyota/index.html

-Kristine Zizis

Security forces kill protesters in Syria

This morning in the outskirts of Damascus, as well as 20 other towns, security forces opened fire to disperse thousands of protesters, leaving 43 dead. So far, this is the bloodiest day of the five-week-old Syrian uprising. In the capital, hundreds of people were gathered after prayers at the al-Hassan Mosque, with many chanting, “The people want the fall of the government!” According to witnesses, security forces quickly dispersed these protesters with tear gas. Despite the widespread uprising, Syrian president Bashar al-Hassad has the loyalty of the military, who continue to break up protests across the country.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/23/world/middleeast/23syria.html?_r=1&hp

Megan Borows

100+ Bodies Found in Mass Graves

In the north-central state of Durango, twenty-six bodies were found in a mass grave in a lot owned by an auto shop in a residential area. The bodies were discovered as of late Wednesday evening, but so far none of the bodies have been identified due to the bodies already being heavily decomposed. Four other bodies were also found on April 11, 2011 and the same week so far 116 bodies had been found in multiple mass graves near the border of Texas. Fifty-nine bodies were found on April 6, 2011 just ninety miles south of Texas. Authorities have discovered that Martin Omar Estrada Luna is allegedly responsible for these mass graves as he is the leader of a drug cartel that has been operating in the area for years. Last week sixteen police officers of the area were arrested for allegedly protecting Luna and his operations. Seventy-two bodies were also found in the area last August. These bodies had been identified as immigrants from South American who were in route to claim the United States as their new home.

Summarized by: Heather Krizka

Click here to read more: http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/americas/04/21/mexico.durango.mass.grave/index.html?hpt=T2

Economic Trouble in Venezuela

After Greece defaulted on its obligations in 2009, investors began to look at which European country was next. However, the next country that could face an economic crisis is Venezuela. Although Venezuela is one of the top oil producers, President Chavez's ravaging spending and misguided policies are crippling the the economy. Chavez cut petroleum output, its main export, from 3.3 million barrels per day in 1998 to 2.25 million barrels a day. A large percent of it is subsidized for national spending, leaving only a fraction left to export at full price. Moreover, a substantial amount of money has been borrow from China, which Venezuela is repaying in the form of oil shipments, cutting revenues even further. The president has also establish hostile policies towards businesses that have caused owners and investors to flee. This poor business decisions are placing financial pressure on the country and although the situation looks bad for Venezuela, there is a chance that the country will not go bankrupt. There is mention that President Chavez has a number of reserves stored in the Central Bank and in an unaudited fund. These assets along with the high oil prices will Venezuela from going into bankruptcy in the near future.

-Gilberto Perez

Women's Rights in Pakistan Take a Symbolic Blow

On Thursday, April 21, 2011, the Pakistani Supreme Court announced that it supports the acquittals of five of the six men who allegedly gang raped a young woman, Mukhtar Mai. Since 2002, when the rape took place, Mai has become a symbol of women's rights in Pakistan, and so human rights organizations and individuals of a similar mind are dismayed by the court's decision.

Mai was raped because the village council in Meerwala ordered it. The rape was a punishment for her brothers alleged illegal relations with a woman from the Mastoi tribe. In reality, he had not behaved in this way; rather, he was molested by a group of Mastoi men and this accusation was a cover up.

The legal battle has been a long one. At first, 14 men were charged, and 6, including the leader of the village council, were convicted and sentenced to death. Now all but one of those sentences has been reversed.

Mai decided to vocally condemn the rape, and in doing so she became a heroine of human rights and an encouragement to rape victims in Pakistan. According to the Human Rights Watch, although two of the Supreme Court's finest judges made this ruling, its decision was a disappointment to Mai and "a setback for...the broader struggle to end violence against women..."

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/22/world/asia/22pakistan.html

-Gracie Hollister

South Africa's Internal Struggles

South Africa has long been seen as Africa's economic diamond in the ruff. It has just been added to the list of BRIC countries indicating a rising and prospering economy. Although there is a great deal of economic success in the nation of South Africa there remains a great deal of internal domestic issues that still haunt and will continue to unless dealt with. A vast majority of the populace in South Africa lives in extreme poverty. One of the biggest set backs that the nation faces has to do with the peoples general distrust for the governement and especially in regards to local government and their inability to deal with the heath, crime and poverty levels. There is always a great deal of scandal in the news with politicians, and this even goes as high up to the president. The forward moving and democratic ANC party does not seem to be providing the kind of initiatives which it has been running on since the end of the Apartheid, and with racial tensions still flaring in the country it is unlikely that a shift towards the Democratic Alliance.

Matt Boguslawski

Britain Plans to send Military Advisors

Britain announced that it plans to send 10 military advisors to aid French troops already on the ground in Libya. The government made it clear they will not be aided the rebels with fighting but just helping organize their forces against Goddafi. Other important issues Prime Minister David Cameron hopes to aid French carry out in Libya include:

military structure

communications

logistics

and humanitarian aid

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/libya-vows-to-fight-any-foreign-troops-on-its-soil-rebuffs-eu-proposal/2011/04/19/AF7GP34D_story.html?hpid=z1

Katie Kruse

Italy holds off on Nuclear

Italy's government decides to put their nuclear activity on hold due to Japan. According to Economic Development Minister Paolo Romani, Japan Fukushima plant had been leaking. In result, Italy is using alternative energy sources. Historically, nuclear power has been negatively viewed by the Italians, so this isn’t a surprise. Berlusconi wants to use nuclear power with the hopes of reducing the use of other countries’ resources, considering 86% of their energy is from outside countries.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iAaFEUJidJe4-BY4CxcUXl7V5N5A?docId=e0e35e304db14971b47ab0385c9f8608

Richard (RJ) McNichols

Violence in Nigeria

The extremely ethnically and regionally divided African nation of Nigeria is once again up in arms. Ethnic divides have been felt in this country since its creation and colonial times. With the reelection of incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan, serious riots and violence has erupted in the northern part of the country. It is estimated that over 100 people have been injured so far, and it has been reported that the violence has escalated to the use of guns. With representative and gubernatorial elections to come in the near future, there are many concerns if more violence will happen.

Matt Boguslawski

Thousands Occupy Central Square in Syrian City

In New Clocktower Square in the Syrian city of Homs, over 10,000 people collected in protest during funeral processions for some of the 14 people reportedly killed a day earlier. The procession began peacefully with traditional prayers but clapping and chanting against Mr. Assad began to overpower. Security forces joined the crowd but had no effect on dispersing the large mass of people. The crowd was protesting the recent chain of violence over the weekend, the worst of it in Homs and Talbesa. As many as 20 people are believed to have died in Homs over the weekend. Security forces opened fire on a crowd of protesters with live ammunition and tear gas. In Talbesa, two died when security forces did the same on a funeral procession, killing two and leaving at least 15 wounded. "The protests on Sunday reflected not only a rejection of Mr. Assad’s reforms, which also included a pledge to tackle unemployment and corruption and a law to permit political parties, but a desire to move beyond a political life dominated by the Assad family." Read more

Posted by Christine Steinbeiss

Belarus Faltering

Recent days has seen the increase of people waiting at the currency exchange in Minsk, the capital of Belarus. Some had been waiting for as long as three days, hoping to exchange the Belarus ruble to euros and dollars. Prices are rising in Belarus, and unfortunately, the ruble is losing value quickly. A mysterious subway bombing last week killing thirteen and wounding more than two hundred has produced a sense of forboding over Minsk, and may have shaken long time dictator Aleksandr Lukashenko's hold on the country. In a flashback to the year 1991, right before the fall of the Soviet Union, lines have formed outside currency exchanges, imported foods have begun disappearing from store shelves, and memories are surfacing of the shame and privation of shock therapy. Under normal circumstances, people in Belarus prefer foreign currencies for major transactions. Western governments have imposed sanctions on Mr. Lukashenko after obvious fraud in the last major election. Belarus must depend on hand outs to stay afloat, but recently Russia and the European Union have stopped giving aid. Belarus has lost about $2 billion in reserve money because Mr. Lukashenko used it in the election campaign, giving bonuses to state employees. Many wonder if Belarus will be the next country to fall to the Middle Eastern protest contagion. Margaret Nunne http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/18/world/europe/18belarus.html?ref=world

Beijing Church Works to Get House of Worship

In China, a well to do Christian congregation called Shouwang or Lighthouse, has raised from its one thousand members four million dollars to fund a house of worship for themselves. Yet the atheist Communist Chinese government claims the church is illegal, because it is not state controlled. The attention Shouwang receives is due to its congregation, well educated elite looking for a nonpolitical outlet for their faith. After legally buying the space where they worship, the congregation has been evicted several times from the space by the state. The church decided that they would pray openly in the outdoors before moving underground once more. All church leaders and many parishoners have since been rounded up, arrested and held indefinitely. The crackdown on dissent within China has included the arrest of artists like Ai Wei Wei, bloggers, human rights lawyers, and even people who have not spoken out but are somehow related to dissenters. This is all in response to the recent waves of protests in the Middle East, leading to the downfall of dictators and long term presidents. Experts estimate that China has a population of about 60 million Protestant practicing Christians in the country. by Margaret Nunne http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/18/world/asia/18beijing.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&ref=world

Syrian Protestors Defy President

The Syrian people have rejected attempts by the Syrian president Bashar al-Assad a day after his televised address by pouring into the streets in growing numbers across Syria. Bashar's response? Repressive and deadly violence by shooting live ammunition into a funeral procession and taking wounded protestors from their hospital beds. Mr. Assad has also worked to prevent outside reporters from observing and reporting on the protests, fearing that it'll lend more international as well as domestic support. Recently WikiLeaks has released information that the United States has been funding Syrian opposition groups since 2005. This funding was a common complaint among long time Arab leaders, including former Egyptian President Mubarak. by Margaret Nunne

Strained Pakistan-American Alliance

With the occupation of Afghanistan, the U.S. needs allies in the Middle East and the relationship that the United States has with Pakistan tends to be beneficial. The current allegiance between the two countries started right after September 11 when the President of the U.S., Bush, and a high ranking general of Pakistan, Musharraf. The two men agreed that in order to catch Al Qaeda would be through joint effort, however, the current ruling leaders of the two countries do not see eye-to-eye on the current situation in Afghanistan.

The article makes is seem like the only thing the two countries could agree on was the fact that Al Qaeda needed to be brought to justice and that the country needs to be stable. Everything else is a debatable topic. From the size of the military to Taliban-Afghan government reconciliation to the centralization of the government, if America wants one side, Pakistan wishes for the other. Pakistan claims that the U.S. no longer includes their government in decisions concerning the occupation, while the U.S. points out instances where shared information was leaked. As frustrations rise, Pakistan has been visiting Afghanistan on its own accord without the U.S. effectively leaving America out of any negotiations. This may not work in particular favor to Pakistan, since Afghanistan has never held high regard for the country any ways, but the U.S. still seems interested in keeping an allegiance with Pakistan.

by Albie Braun

Raul Castro Seeks 10-Year Term Limits

In a speech at the start of a congress of Cuba's Communist Party, Raul Castro said he wants top government positions to be limited to two five-year terms and has promised to rejuvenate the government. He said that the limit would apply to "the current president of the Council of the State and his ministers." There were also plans to reduce the role of the government in the economy and promote private business. Education and healthcare would still be free but subsidies of basic goods would be removed and social spending would be "rationalized."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-13107318

Derald Willey

Possible Deportation For Retired General

General Eugenio Vides Casanova is the former general of El Salvador and a once trusted ally of the United States. He has been retired for quite a few years now and currently resides in Orlando, Florida. He is accused of being responsible for the killings of four American churchwomen's families which occured in 1980. A Florida jury acquitted him of the charges from this murder case, but he is now also being accused of interrogating and physically torturing Juan Romagoza Arce in 1980 who had been captured by the national guard. Romagoza is expected to testify against Vides along with others. If Vides is found guilty, he will be facing deportation from the United States which will deem him as the first human rights officer that has had immigration charges brought upon him. Summarized by: Heather Krizka Follow this link to read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/18/us/18deport.html?_r=1&hp

Drug Related Violence Escalates in Central America

After the United States Coast Guard shut down the Caribbean cocaine route two decades ago, trade shifted to Mexico. As a result, violence related to drug cartels rose sharply in many parts of Mexico. However, it is the high demand of drugs in the United States that finances these drug operations and arms the drug cartels. Consequently the Mexican government sent out effective aggressive assaults against these cartels, to the point where some of the organized crime moved to the smaller Central American countries south of Mexico. But unlike Mexico, countries like Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, have weak governments and fragile infrastructure, and are unable to fight back against the drug mafias. The lack of action from the governments have earned the reputation of being the most violent places on earth, even more deadly than conventional war zones. If the small Central American countries wish to succeed in the war against organized crime, they will need to reform prisons, police, and courts; strengthen infrastructure to collect more taxes, and provide more legal opportunities for young men. For this changes to take place, Central America will require the help of the United States, not only because they have the means of helping but also because their bad drug policies and consumer demand contributed to the growth of the drug cartels.

-Gilberto Perez

Soaring Inflation in China

As the growing economy of China continues to feed the beast of inflation. If China is unable to tame this issue they will face serious issues with in social stability while the cost of living is rapidly rising. In March food prices spiked an increase of 5.4%. In response to this rise, the government has implemented more subsidies to agricultural farmers to curb the food prices. Out side of China there are other dangers that may arise in a threat to their reputation for low-cost workshop. Another step China has taken to slow down the economy is ordering its biggest banks to put more cash in the reserves. However, analysts feel that more will need to be done to control inflation from spiraling out of control. Ana Foster

Japan's Nuclear Crisis Still Continues

Owners of the Fukushima Daiichi power plant stated today, that it could take six to nine more months to subside the already damaged nuclear reactors. It will take about three months alone just to reduce the levels of plant radioactivity and for cooling systems in the reactors to return to normal. From that point, it will take another three to six months for the reactors to fully shut down and for the new shells to be built around their destroyed housings. Thousands of nearby residents have already been forced to leave their homes, but a primitive timetable is currently being developed to determine when the residents will be able to return home. The struggle initially began on March 11, when 45 foot tidal waves from the tsunami destroyed the plant. The tsunami was the aftermath of the record setting Japanese earthquake.