CitizenSugar -- Breaking News, Together.

Front Page: McCain Set to Announce Palin as VP, Iraq Signs $3 Billion Oil Deal, Mexico's Court Upholds Abortion

CitizenSugar — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 08:05:56 -0700

McCain Set to Pick Palin as VP: According to sources close to the campaign, John McCain has picked Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin to be his running mate. A formal announcement is expected shortly at a campaign rally in Ohio. A 44-year-old mom, Palin flew overnight to an airport in Ohio near Dayton, thought to be awaiting her formal introduction.

Mexico's Court Upholds Abortion:
Mexico's Supreme Court has voted to uphold legal abortion in Mexico City, keeping the city one of only a few places in Latin America that allow abortion without limitations in the first trimester. The Roman Catholic church blasted the 8-3 decision announcing that they will redouble their fight against it.

Iraq Signs $3 Billion Oil Deal:
Iraq has signed a $3 billion oil deal with China, its first oil deal with a foreign country since 2003. The contract is pending approval by the Iraqi cabinet, but if passed work could begin on the oil field in a few months. The 22-year contract is a new version of a 1997 contract with China began under Saddam Hussein.

Source

Briefing Book! China Faults Paperwork For Gymnasts' Ages

LibertySugar — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 13:30:16 -0700

Gymnastics: Confusion or cheating? China acknowledges gymnastics team age confusion, blames bad paperwork. — Huffington Post
France: Lethal summer in the Alps? Ten missing after yet another summer avalanche, 100 have died this summer. — The Lede
Romney Does he have to go with experience? Biden pick means McCain has to tap Romney. — Donklephant
Gas: Silver lining? High gas prices drive down traffic fatalities. — Townhall

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Chinese Made in the USA Tee — Pointed Critique or Pointless?

CitizenSugar — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 07:00:10 -0700

With all of the controversial news that's sprung to life out of China during these Olympics (protesting and grandmas facing labor camps, to name a few) this t-shirt encompasses a whole slew of thoughts behind the complicated nature of the relationship between China and the US. The design is pretty cute — and the slogan, "Made in the USA" written in Chinese characters, makes a statement of its own. But between Chinese products causing trouble, manufacturing moving there, and China's growing economy, what appears to be a hipster fashion choice could very well have political implications. What do you think? Would you wear the statement?

Chinese Made in the USA Tee — Pointed Critique or Pointless?

Pointed Critique. It calls attention to China's looming presence in the US economy.

Pointless. Who's going to know what it even says? And China is far from taking over.

Other. I know it's just a t-shirt, but I have some stuff to say about it in the comments.

Elderly Chinese Women Sentenced to Hard Labor For Protests

CitizenSugar — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 03:00:40 -0700

Despite the news of sparkly gold, silver, and bronze medals raining out of China, some awards haven't been so auspicious. Despite big plans to allow dissent during the Games, not only have no protests been approved, some of those who did apply have either disappeared or were sentenced to labor re-education camps.

Who's being sent to camps? Threatening characters like two women in their late 70s who were forced from their homes in 2001 and wanted to use the Olympic opportunity to protest. On their first trip to Beijing Public Security Bureau, they were interrogated for 10 hours and then the two septuagenarians were then sentenced to one year for “disturbing the public order.” To see what the sentence means for the women,

Nothing to See Here: China Has Yet to Approve a Single Protest

LibertySugar — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 09:00:51 -0700

Chinese athletes may be winning more gold medals than any other Olympic team, but the country's protesters haven't won an ounce of government approval. China got a pat on the back when the country agreed to special protest areas in three parks during the Olympics. Well, it appears China had a trick up its sleeve when it made that concession: so far none of the 77 protest applications have been approved.

Activists can't just wing it in China. The government has strict guidelines for potential protesters — applicants must provide the types of posters and slogans to be used, how many people will participate, and the names and addresses of the organizer. According to China's demonstration law, applications can also be rejected if the protest could harm national sovereignty or unity, or if police suspect it will undermine public order. To see what Beijing officials say about the lack of protests,

US Gymnastics Blames Stadium Officials For Silver Meltdown

LibertySugar — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 11:00:14 -0700

The US women's gymnastics team pointed to stadium officials when explaining their disappointing silver medal finish in the team competition. US coach Marta Karolyi blamed the Beijing stadium officials for disrupting Alicia Sacramone's preparation for the beam. Karoyli said: "First they called her name up, then they did not even put her name up even though the Chinese had finished . . . (it was) totally unusual holding."

The loss of concentration apparently caused Alicia to fall off the beam and then slip during the following floor exercise. If it weren't for the unsettling, Karolyi maintains, Alicia would not have made the crucial mistakes and China would not have won the gold medal. Hours after Karoyli's lashout, the USA Gymnastics president mitigated the statements suggesting that Karolyli was simply disappointed by the loss.

Some believe the Chinese government issued falsified passports to underage members of their women's gymnastics team, making them eligible for competition. Has China given itself some unfair home-field advantages, or is the US just being ungraceful losers? To see some a lot more beautiful pictures from the competition,

Olympian Milli Vanilli? Cuter Girl Lip-Dubs For Real Singer

CitizenSugar — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 08:02:02 -0700

The angelic-faced cherub singing with a voice from heaven during the opening ceremony of the Olympics really only had one piece of that puzzle: Lin Miaoke, the 9-year-old who was featured performing "Ode to the Motherland" while fireworks flared and 1 billion people watched was pulling one of the oldest tricks in the book. She was lip-synching the song.

And not just to ensure a flawless performance in case nerves or the wires interfered with her singing — she lip-dubbed because she was cuter than the girl who owned the voice. Under pressure from the highest levels of the Communist Party, the ceremony's production team was sent on the ultimate star search: to find the perfect face and voice to represent China. Unable to find the whole package, they pulled a C+C Music Factory swapperoo: Lin Miaoke performed to 7-year-old Yang Peiyi's voice (pictured below). To see why this happened,

Racist or Funny? Spanish Teams Pose With "Slit" Chinese Eyes

LibertySugar — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 15:45:10 -0700

While making a slit-eyed gesture and standing near a Chinese dragon, members of Spain's Olympic basketball teams posed for an advertisement, apparently unaware of offensive overtones. Two large photos, one of each team's members pulling back the skin by their eyes, filled an entire page in Spain's most popular newspaper. A sponsor of the Spanish Basketball Federation published the questionable good-luck message, but apparently the sport's governing body saw no reason to object either, as its seal also appears on the ad. Racism and sports have collided before in Spain. Perhaps the International Olympic Committee will consider Spain's cultural insensitivity when assessing Madrid's bid for the 2016 or 2020 Olympics.

Racist or Funny? Spanish Teams Pose With "Slit" Chinese Eyes

Racist! This ad is offensive.

Funny. What's wrong with a little teasing between sports rivals.

This is an isolated bad joke, but it's not the end of the world.

Other. I'll tell you in the comments.

Relative of US Olympic Coach Killed in Beijing

CitizenSugar — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 12:55:15 -0700

Olympic Tragedy: Relative of US Olympic Coach Killed in Beijing A Chinese man stabbed the in-laws of the US Olympic men's volleyball coach, killing one and injuring the other while they visited a Beijing tourist site near the main venue where Olympic competitions began Saturday. The assailant also stabbed and injured a Chinese tour guide with the Americans. He then committed suicide by leaping from a 130-foot-high balcony of the ancient landmark the Americans were visiting.

China's Dislike of Activism Unmasked — Officials Revoke Visa

LibertySugar — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 10:00:41 -0700

The Chinese government has a short fuse when it comes to tolerating activist-athletes. Chinese officials revoked the visa of Joey Cheek, a gold-medal speedskater and co-founder of Team Darfur. Cheek, who won the gold at the 2006 Olympics, helped create the organization of athletes dedicated to ending human rights violations in the Darfur region of Sudan. China has come under fire for its human rights policies and for purchasing large amounts of oil from Sudan.

And perhaps not wanting to be booted out of China themselves, the four US cyclists who wore black pollution masks over their noses and mouths in the Beijing airport have apologized. The US Olympic Committee chief said the athletes sent a written apology to the Beijing Organizing Committee because "they've now seen how their actions have been perceived. They were very eager to take the right action, which was to apologize to their hosts." Do you think an apology was in order?

The US Olympic team has chosen a Sudanese refugee to carry the American flag at the Beijing Opening Ceremonies. I wonder how China feels about that.

Source

Front Page: US Cracks Largest ID Theft, Rwanda Accuses French of Genocide, Bush to Urge Human Rights

CitizenSugar — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 07:00:26 -0700

US Cracks Largest ID Theft:
US authorities have charged 11 people in what they're calling the largest-ever identity theft case. Hacking into the computer systems of major retailers like TJ Maxx and Barnes & Noble, the group is accused of stealing 40 million credit card numbers before selling them. The DOJ says the scam caused "widespread" losses, and US AG Mukasey says, "this case highlights our increasing vulnerability to the theft of personal information."

Rwanda Accuses French of Genocide:
Rwanda's government issued a report accusing French officials of involvement in the 1994 genocide that left 800,000 dead. The officials are accused of giving political and logistical support to Rwanda's extremist government and Hutu forces. The report says, “French soldiers themselves directly were involved in assassinations of Tutsis and Hutus accused of hiding Tutsis."
Bush to Urge Human Rights:
In Thailand today, President Bush is delivering an address communicating his "deep concerns" about human rights in China, and urging the communist nation to broaden political freedom. Bush says, ''America stands in firm opposition to China's detention of political dissidents, human rights advocates and religious activists. We speak out for a free press, freedom of assembly and labor rights — not to antagonize China's leaders, but because trusting its people with greater freedom is the only way for China to develop its full potential.'' Bush arrives in Beijing for the Olympics later today.

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Front Page: Assault at Chinese Border, Rescue on K2, Pakistan Army Kills 94 Militants

CitizenSugar — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 06:57:52 -0700

Assault at Chinese Border:
An attack on a border post has left 16 policemen dead in China. The border with the Muslim region of Xinjiang (near Tajikistan) was breached by two attackers who drove up in a garbage truck, threw two grenades, and then moved in to attack with knives. The area is home to Uighur separatists, who human rights groups say are oppressed by Beijing.

Rescue on K2:
Pakistani helicopters have rescued two members of a K2 climbing group that lost 11 members over the weekend after an avalanche swept away their fixed rope, leaving the climbers to freeze to death. Bad weather has prevented efforts to rescue one Italian climber still stranded. K2 is thought to be the most dangerous mountain to climb.

Pakistan Army Kills 94 Militants:
During fighting in northwestern Pakistan, the army has killed 94 Taliban militants and lost 14 soldiers in fighting. It's thought that 25 civilians and eight policemen have also been killed in a flare up of violence burst in the past week. The former tourist area has a fragile peace deal between the government and militants, and the violence has led the military to say, "the operation will continue till the objective of clearing the area of militants is achieved."

Source

Total Solar Eclipse Passes Canada, Russia, Welcomes Olympics in China

LibertySugar — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 12:15:11 -0700

Canada, Russia, and China saw a total solar eclipse today. The moon passed directly between Earth and the sun, revealing the breathtaking outer atmosphere of the sun, which is made up of super-heated gases. Other locations saw a partial eclipse. The Chinese consider eclipses bad luck; in ancient times they believed that a dragon or dog was swallowing the sun. But the Chinese media dubbed this one the "Olympic eclipse" and broadcasted the astrological event live on national television. Thousands of people watched the eclipse the old-fashioned way, too, by going outside. In Novosibirsk, Russia, 10,000 tourists came to the city to witness it, securing hotels months before. We cannot usually see the outer-atmosphere of the sun, called the corona, because the sun's light is too bright. Check out these stunning pictures of one of nature's most beautiful phenomenas.

What Not to Wear: Beijing Olympics Edition

LibertySugar — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 14:30:02 -0700

Chinese authorities know that looking fierce is key to making a good impression on the world. That's why they're handing out etiquette books to 4 million households. In the books, the Chinese fashion police have put white socks with black shoes, outfits with more than three colors, and pajamas in public on the Olympic "don't" list.

The Chinese are also trying to make sure Olympic fans and participants will have no need for tacky-looking breathing masks — drastic tactics are being used to improve air quality. On alternating days only even or odd license plate holders are allowed to drive in Beijing, and some factories have been shut down. Since air quality is still horrible, Beijing might turn to "ultra-emergency" tactics, like shutting down most industry, along with 90 percent of car traffic. According to experts, air quality is pretty elastic and could improve quickly if most emissions stop. Let's hope so!

What sounds like a worst PR disaster: no visibility due to smog, or a public pajama spotting? Maybe if it's smoggy enough, we won't be able to see the pajamas anyway.

Source

Is It Important for the US to Win the Most Olympic Medals?

LibertySugar — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 10:30:38 -0700

Fifty-three percent of American adults think it's important for the US to bring home the most medals from the Beijing Olympics, with 19 percent saying that it is very important. While it's one thing to root for the home team, it's another thing to say medal supremacy is "important." Where does the importance lie? Does the winner get to set the agenda for the UN General Assembly? Or could a seemingly public relations victory increase (or save) America's international standing and influence? If America does not hold onto victory on China's home court, has it somehow symbolically passed the torch of preeminent global influence to China?Since World War II the US has topped the gold medal count in more than half the Olympic Games. In the last three Summer games, the US won the gold medal count, and the overall count. But this year the US Olympic Committee is dimming expectations, saying that China will most likely win the most medals. Do you think it matters? Be honest!Source

Is It Important for the US to Win the Most Olympic Medals?

Yes. China's athletic competitiveness suggests economic and military competitiveness.

No. American would win if it lost its xenophobic fear of relinquishing world dominance.

Other. I'll tell you in the comments.

Front Page: US Homeless Population Drops, Internet Censored For Games, Bush Signs Housing Rescue

CitizenSugar — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 07:00:05 -0700

US Homeless Population Drops:
The number of homeless people living on the streets and in shelters dropped by 30 percent between 2005 and 2007, according to Bush administration officials and statistics compiled by local counts. The drop is attributed to a "housing first" strategy. The plan emphasizes placing the chronically homeless in permanent shelters to stop the cycle of emergency shelters, hospitals, and the streets. The decline is the most significant officials have seen in years.

Internet Censored For Games:
Journalists will not have uncensored access to the Internet during the Olympics, according to officials. Sites related to human rights and the group Falun Gong will be blocked. When China bid for the Games, they said journalists would be free to report, and blocking the "sensitive" sites does not go back on the pledge in their minds. "We will provide reporters with sufficient Internet access."
Bush Signs Housing Rescue:
President Bush signed a housing rescue package into law today that, in addition to protecting mortgage lenders Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, includes $4 billion in grants to states to buy and repair foreclosed homes to "flip" them for profit and a fund to help homeowners get more affordable mortgages. The nation as a whole is $12 trillion in mortgage debt.

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Fights Break Out As Chinese Stampede For Last Olympic Tickets

CitizenSugar — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 08:55:34 -0700

Fights Break Out As Chinese Stampede For Last Olympic Tickets
Thousands of eager fans who had waited for up to two days swarmed sales windows Friday for the final batch of tickets to next month's Olympic Games, knocking people to the ground and bending metal barricades in the chaotic crush. Witnesses said scuffles broke out at one ticket site as officials opened additional sales windows at the last minute, causing some fans to stampede ahead of others in a bid to buy some of the 250,000 tickets that went on sale in different parts of the host city.

Does Your Olympic Knowledge Deserve a Gold Medal?

LibertySugar — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 10:00:47 -0700

The Olympic Games have been going on since 776 BC! That's a whoooole lot of time for trivia. Did you know that when you put together the names of this year's five Olympic mascots — Bei Jing Huan Ying Ni — they say "Welcome to Beijing?" Go for the gold, and test your knowledge of Olympic history.

Source

Front Page: Hurricane Dolly Hits Texas, China to Allow Protests, Iran Says No Concessions

CitizenSugar — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 06:56:59 -0700

Hurricane Dolly Hits Texas:
Hurricane Dolly arrived on the Gulf Coast early Wednesday with heavy rain and winds ramping up before the center of the storm hits towns on the Texas-Mexico border later today. The hurricane will bring up to 15 inches of rain, threatening local levees that gave way 41 years ago in Hurricane Beulah. The National Hurricane Center said Dolly could approach Category 2 strength when it makes landfall today.

China to Allow Protests:
China has announced that protests will be allowed in three specific city parks during the upcoming Olympics. To protest, one has to apply for permission from the city government and police, and stay within the parks. The director of the Beijing committee said the parks are "close to the city proper and the Olympic venues," but didn't know how the application process would work "at this time."
Iran Says No Concessions:
The president of Iran says the country will not back down in its nuclear activities. The US, UN, and EU have instructed Iran to give an answer on the issue within two weeks or face sanctions. President Ahmadinejad responded in a televised speech, "the Iranian people are steadfast [they] will not retreat one iota in the face of oppressing powers."

Source

Are You Satisfied? The World's Most Optimistic Countries

LibertySugar — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 03:00:00 -0700

Satisfied with the direction your country is headed? The Chinese sure are. The rising nation tops the list of optimistic countries with a glass much more full than those of trailing countries. Eighty-six percent of the Chinese are content with China's direction, compared to 61 percent in second place Australia, according to the Pew Research Center. Eighty-two percent of the Chinese are also happy with their economy.

Economic growth and national excitement surrounding the Beijing Olympics seems to be boosting China's civic mood — in 2002, only 48 percent of the Chinese responded positively. But the people still have their concerns, most notably, worries about inflation, rising prices, and environmental degradation burden the Chinese.

To see how other countries compare to China, and who makes the list of the top-10 most optimistic countries

Olympics Emergency Air Plan: Is Wearing a Mask an Insult?

CitizenSugar — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 11:00:26 -0700

Traffic restrictions started in Beijing over the weekend in a frantic effort to try and improve the city's air quality before the start of the Games. By only allowing vehicles with odd-numbered license plates into the city on alternating days with evens, officials hope the halving of traffic will take 60 percent of the city's 3.3 million cars off the roads and reduce emissions by two-thirds.

Though the atmospheric throat-clearing is all about getting gussied up for company, locals are loving the effect. One mom said, "it's great — today there are far fewer cars on the road and the air quality is so nice. This is good for the children." With 1,000 new cars hitting Beijing streets every day the measures are herculean in one of the world's most congested cities.

Not limited to cars, construction and factories have also been quashed, making it clear that the bid for cleaner air is wholly temporary — once the rings come down, it's business as usual. For now, an extra 4 million people are expected to smush their way onto public transportation — claustrophobes, stay out of China.

Though the plan seems to be helping a little, all of this effort still might not be enough — and the stars of the show, the athletes, are grappling with a crisis of manners over performance. To see how,

China Urges Court to Rethink Sudan Arrest Warrant

CitizenSugar — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 10:50:38 -0700

China Urges Court to Rethink Sudan Arrest Warrant
China urged the International Criminal Court to rethink its arrest warrant for Sudan's president Tuesday in a sign of Beijing's skittishness over its already difficult relationship with the African country. China, which buys two-thirds of Sudan's petroleum exports, has been repeatedly criticized for not using its economic leverage to apply more pressure on the government of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir to end a civil war in his country's Darfur region.

Olympics Countdown Begins With a Flurry of Preparations

CitizenSugar — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 12:15:10 -0700

The Olympics have revived China's second largest city. Today Beijing glitters with high-profile, modernist buildings, the world's largest airport terminal, and a new National Theater — one of the few cultural monuments built in China in the last 30 years. Now less than 30 days before 8-8-08, spectacular antiterrorism drills are underway and finishing touches are being made. Take a peek behind the curtains and see what China's up to — the Segways are just the beginning.

Front Page: Rice Warns Iran, China Foils Olympic Terrorists, Six Die at US Consulate in Turkey

CitizenSugar — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 07:03:01 -0700

Rice Warns Iran:
The tension between Iran and the US elevated today as Iran tested missiles for the second day in a row. The action prompted Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to assert that the US will defend its allies and interests against an attack. At a press conference Rice said, “we will defend our interests and defend our allies. We take very, very strongly our obligations to defend our allies and no one should be confused of that." An Iranian Revolutionary Guard commander was quoted as saying, "our hands are always on the trigger and our missiles are ready for launch." Meanwhile, the subject of Iran's nuclear program has led President Bush to count heavily on diplomacy hoping to assuage the mounting situation in Iran that newscasters can't stop describing as "sabre-rattling."

China Foils Olympic Terrorists:
China has foiled plans by five "terrorism" groups aiming to target the Beijing Olympics, as reported by the state media. So far this year, police have detained 82 people in the country's unsettled Xinjiang region who had allegedly been planning to sabotage the Beijing Olympics.

Six Die at US Consulate in Turkey:
Shots were fired outside of the US Consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, yesterday, killing at least three police officers, with three assailants killed in a brief gun battle that followed. Officials report a fourth assailant escaped. The attack was the first on a diplomatic outpost in the city since 2003, when attacks on the British Consulate killed 62 people. Turkish and American officials consider yesterday's attack one of terrorism.

Source

China World's Largest Economy by 2035, Double US by 2050

LibertySugar — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 09:00:19 -0700

China's economy will be the world's number one economy by 2035, and two times the size of the US economy by 2050.

China's Economic Rise: Fact and Fiction, a study released yesterday, concludes that China's commercial prominence could have military consequences. And since the 10 percent annual growth comes from domestic demand, China's rise will happen independent of international economic factors. China seems right on track for money, power, and respect.

The report urges American leaders to rethink economic strategies and enact sweeping domestic reforms. Do you think Americans can adapt to a new world order? What do you think the world will look like with China on top?

Source

One Is the Loneliest Number: 100 Million Chinese Are "Onelies"

CitizenSugar — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 00:00:06 -0700

For someone who puts a fair amount of stock in how astrology and birth order affects a personality, this news released yesterday by China's state media is chilling: there are now 100 million only children running around. China's famed one-child policy began in the late 1970 and continues to limit couples to one child per household has resulted in 100 million people with no one to fight with, share with, relate to — and the shrinking family is becoming permanent. In 1982, the average Chinese household was 4.4 people. In 2005, it dropped to 3.1.

In a nation that currently has about 1.3 billion people, this law has prevented an estimated 400 million additional births from occurring. It's prevented the population equivalent of the United States. As China created the law to ensure better health care and education, it's possible they've succeeded, though not without its trade-offs. To see how,

Learning Annex: Communist Chinese Torture Taught at Gitmo

LibertySugar — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 11:00:00 -0700

Does an interrogation class covering "coercive management techniques" like sleep deprivation, prolonged constraint, and exposure sound like something that would be conducted in modern America, or 1950s communist China? The answer is both!

During the Korean War, the US Air Force studied Chinese "torture" tactics used to obtain often false confessions from captured Americans. Recently, CIA and Guantanamo interrogators have become students of the tactics, according to the New York Times. Specifically, an entire interrogation class taught at Gitmo in December 2002 focused on the coercive techniques. To find out how the teachers explain the purpose of the class,

Beijing Gets an Olympic-Sized Makeover: In 8 Easy Steps!

CitizenSugar — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 14:30:49 -0700

Beijing will be dressed to impress this August when the world turns its attention east for the Summer Olympics. Radar lists eight changes in its July/August issue that China is making to ensure the city is picture perfect when the cameras go on.

Reduced traffic
To avoid unsightly traffic, the Chinese government will only let half of Beijing's drivers on its streets. How will they decide who gets to drive? Even- and odd-numbered license plates will alternate days. See, life is fair.
Less spitting
China's government is known for its oppressive quirks, but that does not include prohibiting spitting in the street. Until now. Fines and tissues will be handed to the defiant.
Fewer felines
Apparently, Beijing is like one giant cat lady. And that never did my image any good, so I can see why China is concerned. To reduce the city's overpopulated kitty sidewalks, the government launched an aggressive campaign to ensure people know the truth about cats. You know, like how they carry SARS. Scared pet owners have been sending their beloved fluffies to cat death camps.

There are more upgrades afoot. To see what else is going on,

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!

Source

Front Page: House Agrees on War Funding, Tibetans Missing, Israel and Hamas Start Ceasefire

CitizenSugar — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 07:00:25 -0700

House Agrees on War Funding: Last night, House leaders arrived at a bipartisan solution on a major spending measure set to provide funding to the war in Iraq through the end of the current administration. Included in the agreement are significant new education benefits for veterans, and a concession to Democratic demands for added unemployment benefits. The bill could be voted on as early as today and would solve the two-year battle between President Bush and Congressional Democrats over war funding by allocating $163 billion for combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan without imposing conditions like a withdrawal timetable.

Tibetans Missing: According to Amnesty International, more than 1,000 Tibetans detained during protests against the Chinese government in March still remain missing. The human rights group reports that detainees had been beaten and deprived of food and are asking China to "shine some light" on the missing Tibetans. The March anti-China protests led by Buddhist monks were the worst in the region in 20 years. China says protesters killed at least 19 people, and Tibetan exiles say security forces killed dozens of people. The Olympic torch is set to reach Tibet on Saturday.
Israel and Hamas Start Ceasefire: A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza began this morning despite up to the wire outbreaks of cross-border attacks. The truce is supposed to both stop Israeli incursions into the Gaza Strip, and to quell missiles being fired from Gaza into southern Israel. The ceasefire is the first step, further talks about a prisoner exchange may follow, though the truce is fragile. The last ceasefire collapsed in April 2007. There were no reports of fire from either side on Thursday morning.

Flush China Calls US Out For Mishandling Their Economy

CitizenSugar — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 11:00:25 -0700

It's the ultimate economic version of the pot and the kettle and all that talk about being black. After having been on the receiving end of US scolding over their mishandled economy, the shoe has moved to the other foot. In recent weeks senior Chinese officials have been pointing the finger back at Americans for mismanaging their own economy. Among their criticisms is the “warped conception” of market regulation following the subprime mortgage debacle now eroding the world economy. At the latest World Trade Organization meeting, the Chinese envoy called upon the US to halt their dollar’s freefall depreciation before its complete failure further sends world oil and food prices upwards. To see who agrees, and how the Olympics fit in,

Front Page: Austria Cellar Daughter Awake, China Drains Quake Lake, TV Crew Abducted

CitizenSugar — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 07:00:24 -0700

Austria Cellar Daughter Awake: Kerstin Fritzl, the 19-year-old woman, and the oldest daughter kept in the cellar in Austria, has regained consciousness. Her illness in April tipped Austria's authorities to the incest scandal. Kerstin is the oldest of seven children fathered by Josef Fritzl, her grandfather, during the 24 years he kept his daughter Elisabeth in his cellar, captive while raping her repeatedly. Doctors say Kerstin still requires intensive medical care. Let out of the cellar because of her illness, Kerstin has been unconscious and in intensive care since then.

China Drains Quake Lake: China declared victory today over the brimming lake formed by landslides from the massive earthquake, threatening to flood downstream communities. Sichuan province's top official claimed a "decisive victory" over the potential crisis. A manmade channel caused the water to pour out and into the mostly evacuated town of Qinglian, a resident who remained in the area said. More than 250,000 people downstream had moved to high ground due to fear that the lake could breach its banks entirely. About 1.3 million people total live downstream.
Phillipine's TV Crew Captured: A TV news team from the Philippines’s largest network along with one of the country’s most famous journalists is believed to have been abducted by members of the militant group Abu Sayyaf. The journalist, a cameraman, and driver were on their way to meet with Abu Sayyaf when they were intercepted on Sunday by armed men in a province where Abu Sayyaf, which is fighting for a separate Muslim state in the southern Philippines, are known to operate. Abu Sayyaf is notorious for its kidnap-for-ransom activities and has terrorized Filipinos and foreigners alike. The militants have been blamed for several major terrorist attacks across the Philippines in recent years. The abductors have not yet made contact.

Front Page: Bush Goes to Europe, Spanish Truckers Strike, Quake Lake Still Rising

CitizenSugar — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 06:58:08 -0700

Bush Goes to Europe: President Bush has just departed for a farewell trip to Europe's major capitals, taking news of both concern for and confidence in the US economy. His first stop is Slovenia for his final US-European Union Summit. He will also visit Germany, Italy, France, England and Northern Ireland. Expressing concern about the economy and soaring energy prices (which hit $4 a gallon over the weekend and could go higher) Bush said in a departure statement that a strong dollar is in the US interest and the interest of the global economy.

Spainish Truckers Strike: While Europe waits for Bush, tens of thousands of Spanish truckers have begun an indefinite strike over the soaring price of diesel, which has risen by 20 percent this year. They stopped work at midnight and began disrupting traffic at one of the border crossings between Spain and France. The protesters prevented other trucks from passing, and shut down car traffic. Most of the 90,000 truckers participating have warned that many supermarkets will run out of goods within days. The head of the transportation association said, "we are the ones who move the goods that this country needs to keep working. If we stop because we haven't got the money to buy fuel then the country will stop."
Quake Lake Still Rising: The water level in an earthquake-formed lake in China is still rising, despite efforts to drain it. Early this morning, the water level was more than 6 feet higher than the man-made channel created to solve the problem. Experts say the lake could burst at any time, flooding the homes of more than one million people. A quarter of a million people have already been evacuated from the area since the earthquake that caused the quake lake to form. Government estimates now put the quake death toll at 69,136 with another 17,686 people missing.

Is It Just Me, or Do China's "SATs" Make Ours Look Like ABCs?

CitizenSugar — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 07:04:00 -0700

If you still wake up from nightmares about missing your SATs consider how you'd feel if they had lasted two days instead of a couple hours! Slate's Dispatches put together an book-cracking profile of China's SATs in time for the country's 31st annual National College Entrance Exam, also known as the "gaoko." Here's what you should know (I promise, it will help put a halt to those "show up at school naked" dreams. . .):

The exams take place over two days the first week of every June and at least 10 million Chinese high school students took them this year. Test takers are competing for an estimated 5.7 million university spots. If you're too tired to do the math that means almost half the people who take the exam won't get a university spot.
About 70 million Chinese have taken the gaokao and more than 30 million have enrolled at universities over the last three decades, according to Reuters.
Forget extra curricular activities and merit awards! Students become aware of the gaokao at an early age because it is the sole criterion for university admission.
The entire country stops and accommodates "millions of nervous gaokao-takers," says Slate. "Traffic cops will redirect vehicles away from test centers, and construction sites will pause their incessant drilling. Even in Sichuan, tents have been erected in case aftershocks require students to be moved from testing centers. Many Chinese citizens find the system painful, inflexible, and ineffective."

Wondering what happens if you don't ace the test and why the system can help lower classes, then

China Reports Pollution Progress, Experts Say Smog Still Seriously Dangerous

CitizenSugar — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 08:53:36 -0700

China Reports Pollution Progress, Experts Say Smog Still Seriously Dangerous China's Ministry of Environmental Protection announced Thursday as part of an annual report, that although some levels of pollution are falling, total levels of pollution in China's lakes, rivers and coastal waters are still on the rise as more pollutants continued to flow into them. The air in many Chinese cities remains severely polluted.

See North Koreans Flee For China in the Middle of the Night

LibertySugar — Thu, 29 May 2008 11:00:42 -0700

Starving and desperate North Koreans flee their homes for relative paradise in China. But as this astonishing footage shows, the journey to China is nightmarish. Naked North Koreans swim across a freezing river, often trading drugs or women with corrupt boarder police.

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North Korea is facing a grave food shortage and hunger crisis right now. During the 1990s, 1 million of the country's 23-million citizens perished during a famine caused by a mismanaged farm sector and flooding. Another disaster appears on the horizon. Unfortunately, North Korea's isolationist character, as well as South Korean political demands, are preventing South Korea from providing crucial food aid. Thus, many people have no choice but to flee.

China does not consider North Koreans refugees but rather economic migrants. To find out what that means for the escapees,

Should the US Listen to Criticism of Its Human Rights Record?

LibertySugar — Wed, 28 May 2008 15:45:00 -0700

Amnesty International's latest report assails the US for its human rights record, and calls for the immediate closure of Guantanamo Bay detention camp in Cuba.The report says:
As the world's most powerful state, the USA sets the standard for government behaviour globally. With breathtaking legal obfuscation, the US administration has continued its efforts to weaken the absolute prohibition against torture and other ill-treatment. [. . .] These actions have done nothing to further the fight against terrorism and a great deal to damage the USA's prestige and influence abroad.

The international human rights group also calls out China and Russia, as well as the European Union's complicity in the rendition of terror suspects. Recent attacks against Roma encampments in Italy, were also condemned by the group. In the past, the US State Department has deflected responsibility by accusing Amnesty International of using the United States as “a convenient ideological punching bag." We're still waiting on an official statement regarding the latest report.Is it a worse when the world's superpower abuses human rights? Is America's moral authority weakened when it is called out by international watch groups? What human rights advancements been made in the 60 years since the adoption Universal Declaration of Human Rights?Source

Should the US Listen to Criticism of Its Human Rights Record?

Yay! Americans owe respect for human rights to themselves and the world.

Nay. These groups will always have something to complain about.

The US should change because it's the right thing to do, not because a group says.

Other. I'll tell you in the comments.

Poke! The Chinese Premiere Logs in to Facebook

CitizenSugar — Wed, 28 May 2008 10:00:26 -0700

Since the earthquake, Chinese Premiere Wen Jiabao has made a bunch of friends. Over 13,000 of them to be exact — according to his hopping Facebook profile. He's become wildly popular for his fast and feeling response to the May 12 earthquake. At one disaster site, a collapsed school, the 66-year-old politician called out these touching words of comfort: "This is Grandpa Wen Jiabao, hang on child, we will rescue you!"

Since the creation of his page two days after the quake, Wen has gotten messages posted on his wall like "I love you, oh my God," "a model Premier for the world!" and the text-rageous, "it's so great 2 see u here!" For wasting no time rolling up his sleeves and heading to the worst hit locations with a bullhorn and hard hat, he seems to have eclipsed President Hu Jintao (who has no Facebook page of his own). Is an popular profile the answer? To find out,

China's One-Child Policy Lifted For Quake Victims

LibertySugar — Tue, 27 May 2008 14:30:18 -0700

Chinese officials have announced that families, whose only child was killed or critically injured in this month's earthquake, will be exempt from the one-child policy, a decision that appears to be only fair.

The reprieve, which at first seems compassionate, highlights the unnatural quality of China's entire family-planning policy. A couple, dealing with the loss of their legal child, will have to apply for permission to have a "legal replacement." If the family already has an illegal second child, the parents will no longer be responsible for outstanding (and hefty) fines; but, fines already paid will not be reimbursed.

Recently China has been considering a modification to its three-decade-old one-child policy, which has prevented as many as 400 million births. As of now, however, reproduction is almost always limited to one child, unless a family is prepared to pay the price in fines.

Will permission to create a "replacement" life bring hope to these grieving parents? Does the government have any right to interfere with a citizen's reproductive rights, even if the society doesn't have the means to support overpopulation?

Source

Sharon Stone Says Earthquake Was "Karma." Outrageous?

CitizenSugar — Tue, 27 May 2008 00:00:56 -0700

Over the weekend at the Cannes Film Festival, Sharon Stone had the opportunity to tell the world exactly how she felt about the earthquake in China (the death toll from which has just topped 65,000). Here's what Ms. Stone had to say:

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"Well, you know, it was very interesting . . . I am unhappy about the way Chinese are treating the Tibetans . . . Then all this earthquake, all this stuff happened, I thought, is that karma? When you are not nice, the bad things happen to you." While she did reference the Dalai Lama, and seemed like she was trying to make a point, the flippant delivery or the way she sort of smiled while she was saying it begs the question — is it even possible a natural disaster that killed 65,000 people is the result of bad karma? Then highlighting that she'd put her head down and helped out, even though the Chinese aren't "nice to you," makes one wonder — does Sharon Stone have a point or is she creating a little karma of her own?

Sharon Stone Says Earthquake Was "Karma." Outrageous?

Outrageous and harmful! We shouldn't let the uniformed talk about global issues.

Well, it might not be what I'd say, but she has a right to her opinion.

She has a point! The Chinese government makes it hard to help, she was just illustrating.

Other. I'll tell you in the comments.

China Earthquake Aftershock Leaves Dozens More Injured — Survivor Found After 11 Days

CitizenSugar — Sun, 25 May 2008 09:06:31 -0700

China Earthquake Aftershock Leaves Dozens More Injured — Survivor Found After 11 Days One of the most powerful aftershocks to hit quake-ravaged central China killed one person, left dozens more injured and leveled homes Sunday, as soldiers carrying explosives hiked to a blocked-off river to alleviate the threat of floods. Some 260 people were injured in the aftershock. But 11 days after the devastating earthquake that demolished many of the buildings in China's Sichuan province, just when the idea of finding any further survivors had slipped beyond public imagination, an 80-year old man was reclaimed from the rubble of his home - unhurt and alive.