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Biggest Headlines of 2008: Natural Disasters Strike Asia

LibertySugar — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 11:00:00 -0800

On May 2, a cyclone hit Myanmar (Burma), marking the worst natural disaster in the country's recorded history. Only days later on May 12, less than three months before Beijing hosted the 2008 Olympics, a deadly earthquake shook China into the international headlines. In the same month, natural disasters hit two Asian countries wary of international intervention. With these pictures, reflect on the human stories spawned by these epic disasters that surely comprised some of the biggest stories of 2008.
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Front Page: Violent Protesters Try to Unseat Thai Government

CitizenSugar — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 08:01:10 -0800

Protesters in Bangkok, Thailand, fired guns and beat government supporters today, manifesting violent opposition to Thai prime minister Somchai Wongsawat. At least six people were injured, and the protesters forced the cancellation of a crucial session of Parliament, blocked traffic to the airport, and cut electricity from police headquarters. — New York Times
The US Commerce Department released its latest reading on the economy, determining that the economy slowed down more than expected this past summer. US consumers reduced their spending at a rate not seen in 28 years. — AP

Thousands of protesters came out in Reykjavik, Iceland, to demonstrate against the country's leaders and the recent financial collapse. The protesters demanded that the prime minister and central bank governor resign. — Reuters
Venezuela's president Hugo Chavez greeted Russian warships arriving off his county's coast today. Russia's president Dmitry Medvedev will also visit the country. Chavez wants Russia to assist Venezuela in building a nuclear reactor and also wants Russia to invest in oil and gas projects. — AP

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New Intelligence Report: US Dominance Set to Wane by 2025

LibertySugar — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 13:30:57 -0800

If you wish you could see into the future, US intelligence officials are here to hand you a crystal ball. The National Intelligence Council just released Global Trends 2025, an unclassified intelligence report put out every four years, and assesses the opportunities and problems that lie ahead in the next 15 years. One tip: Americans might need to start practicing being humble, because by 2025 the US could lose its position of global supremacy.

Other findings include:

Global warming will have a positive economic impact in Russian and Canada because it will make seasons longer, as well as increase their access to oil fields.
Russia's rise could be hindered by a lack of investment in the energy sector, crime, and corruption.
Governments in Africa and South Asia could collapse due to security problems or water and food shortages caused by a population boom of 1.5 billion and global warming.
There will be a greater potential for war in 2025, thanks to increased global competition for food, water, and energy.
The transfer of wealth from West to East will continue for the foreseeable future.
Thanks to economic growth in the Middle East, and growing unpopularity of al Qaeda, the terrorist network will collapse sooner than people think.

To see some other predictions regarding Iran, nuclear weapons, and US dominance,

Front Page: Taiwan Arrests Its Former Leader

CitizenSugar — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 08:00:06 -0800

The ex-president of Taiwan was detained by his country's police on charges of corruption and money laundering today. The defiant Chen Shui-bian raised his handcuffed hands above his head while shouting “Long live Taiwanese independence."— New York Times
In his White House meeting with Barack Obama, President Bush indicated that he would support another economic stimulus package, which includes aid to the auto industry, if the Democrats stopped opposing the Colombian free-trade agreement. — International Herald Tribune
Somalian pirates captured a Philippines chemical tanker, carrying 23 crew members, marking the 83rd hijack in Somalian waters this year. — Associated Press

After the Mars Lander ran out of batteries last week thanks to a dust storm, NASA announced that the mission has ended. — CNN
The surrogate grandmother in Ohio that gave birth to her triplet grandchildren last month, told Good Morning America that she is feeling fine, and was happy to serve as his daughter's surrogate at the age of 56. — Associated Press

Briefing Book! Health of North Korea's Leader Still a Mystery

LibertySugar — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 12:09:43 -0800

North Korea: A picture of health? New photographs of Kim Jong-il at a football game fail to solve mystery of whether he is ill. — newsblog
Democrats: A happy ending? Obama's embrace of Clinton's domestic agenda and her respect for his political shrewdness has healed old wounds. — Politico
Voting: Would you wait that long? Waiting time in voting lines stretch to eight hours. — Huffington Post
Romney: The opposite of a sore loser? Mitt Romney has contributed energy and money to help over 80 GOP candidates win. — Townhall
Pollsters: Will "cell phone only" be the story of tomorrow? The failure of pollsters to reach voters without landlines could show in election results. —Donklephant

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South Korea Blames Internet Rumors for Death of Actress

LibertySugar — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 06:00:15 -0700

A couple of weeks ago Choi Jin Sil, South Korea's most famous actress, committed suicide. Now the country's officials and media have placed the blame of the tragedy at the feet of the Internet, and the rumors its users perpetuate.

Before she took her life, South Korea's vigorous online community accused Choi of being a loan shark, and motivating another actor to gas himself because she pressured him to repay a $2 million loan.

Choi's death has increased the urgency for a government that already put quelling verbal abuse at the top of its agenda, after online comments critical of their plastic surgery apparently caused the suicides of two young celebrities, a singer, and another actress. Nine hundred agents from the Cyber Terror Response Center are searching blogs and discussion boards for slander, or users who instigate cyber bullying.

In the US, the cyber bullies who contributed to the suicide of a 13-year-old girl had to answer to the law — do you think there should be a different legal standard when the victim is a celebrity being bullied by the public?

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Carbon's the New Calorie: Japan to Label Goods with Footprint

LibertySugar — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 11:00:13 -0700

Japan has plans to label consumer goods like beer and detergents with their carbon footprints. Officials think the standardized label will raise corporate and consumer awareness of global warming. Britain and France already place similar labels on products.

So say you want to eat a bag of potato chips. Forget the calories — you have a carbon footprint to think about. Each bag emits 75 grams (2.63 ounces) of carbon dioxide. If you want to break it down, like you'd break down saturated and trans fats, 44 percent of the carbon dioxide comes from growing the potatoes, 30 percent comes from producing the chips, 15 percent comes from packaging, 9 percent comes from delivery, and 2 percent comes from tossing the bag. I'm guessing these figures are estimates, since each product must have a unique footprint.

While certainly more work needs to be done to make the footprint calculations accurate and globally standard, the label will provide information to consumers who want it, while everyone else can ignore it. And who knows, maybe businesses will become more efficient in hopes of attracting customers.

Thai Teen Kills Taxi Driver, Video Game Pulled Off Every Shelf

LibertySugar — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 14:30:18 -0700

The strikingly violent video game Grand Theft Auto IV will no longer be sold in Thailand, after a teenager murdered a taxi driver while trying to bring the virtual violence into reality. Video retailers have pulled the game off the shelves, and replaced it with other games. As for the teen who played the game for hours a day over a few years span, he now faces a possible death sentence.

Bangkok's police chief said that the teen wanted to find out if it was as easy in real life to rob a taxi as it was in the game. He said the boy planned to use the stolen money to play the game at arcades.

While I have a low tolerance for violence (I closed my eyes during most of The Dark Knight), I can't decide if I think Thailand is overreacting to this individual's crime. To see what experts might say,

Computer Games a Threat to Bhutan's New Democracy?

LibertySugar — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 14:30:58 -0700

The Asian nation of Bhutan has banned members of parliament from bringing laptops to work since they apparently cannot control their urge to play computer games. The lawmakers in the new democracy reject the accusation, saying that their computers are needed and do not distract them from their work. But their protests do not compute with the National Assembly's Speaker credited with the ban, reports BBC.

Eating, smoking, and other electronic gadgets are also banned at the National Assembly. The isolated Himalayan country just got Internet and television nine years ago, and held its first elections last March. A Bhutanese contingency traveled to Washington, DC, this week, with plans to introduce the small Buddhist constitutional monarch to America.

Would you rather have a lawmaker who is distracted by computer games, or one who cannot use a computer at all? Do you think motivations for the ban on food and technology, likely to result in less time spent at the Assembly, go beyond innocent? Could a mix-up over computer games shake up this fragile democracy?

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Asian Fusion — Japan Reconnecting With China and Hello Kitty

LibertySugar — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 10:00:25 -0700

Japan and China reached a deal yesterday about long-disputed gas fields located in the East China Sea. The two countries will share the profitable gas fields; Japan's private sector will invest in Chinese development. Japan's Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda eloquently said: "We will turn it into a sea of peace and friendship."

The Chinese government is officially into the deal; a foreign ministry statement said it will help foster a "healthy and stable" relationship between the Asian neighbors. But in an unusual fashion, China allowed, and even helped, nationalist protesters to demonstrate against the deal.

In other Japanese news: Sanrio Co., the company behind Hello Kitty, plans to give the cat character a fresh dose of Japan-ness. The surrogate Japanese ambassador will now infiltrate Chinese markets, as well as markets in Russia, India, and America, in a more Japanese fashion — via electronics. The company will sell digital cameras shaped like Hello Kitty's face, kitty-clad USB memory cards, and a globular humidifier (I'll have to look that up) shaped like the cat.

Hello Kitty, who gets paid for her TV appearances, is a tourist attraction for Japan's visitors who stock up on everything Hello Kitty while in the country. Considering Japan's tourist ministry just appointed Hello Kitty to represent Japan in China, I wonder if the expressionless cat had anything to do with the gas field deal between the two countries!

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