November 17, 2008 :: Denver Lessing :: No Comment Yet
The cloud of soot and smog choking India and China and their neighbors is worsening. The massive brown cloud hovering over Asia now poses serious long-term health risks and environmental dangers to much of the continent, according to a new UN report. The world’s largest pollution phenomenon already drastically reduces the amount of daylight reaching ground level in many Chinese cities, and there is concern the sunlight-blocking effects could impede agricultural production.
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October 11, 2008 :: J.E. Robertson :: No Comment Yet
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), commonly known as North Korea, has been removed from the United States’ government’s official list of “state sponsors of terrorism”. The move comes as part of an agreement among the Six Parties involved in denuclearization talks regarding the DPRK, which will restart the dismantling of all nuclear facilities in North Korea, and will include inspections, document review, and other measures designed to prevent the further production of nuclear weapons in the secretive state.
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August 29, 2008 :: J.E. Robertson :: No Comment Yet
China is choking under a thick covering of contaminants produced from burning carbon-based fuels for industrial production, power-generation, and transport. Environmental degradation is so rampant that much of the northwest of the country is being lost to rapidly expanding deserts. And desertification threatens the already shaky balance between China’s available arable land and its skyrocketing demand for cheap food. Policy makers and market theorists in China and abroad should be thinking about whether that desert can produce something to help China escape the mounting environmental and public health cataclysm.
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August 11, 2008 :: J.E. Robertson :: No Comment Yet
News reports suggest that 7 bomb suspects and at least one security guard were killed after a bombing attack on police and government facilities in China’s far western Xinjiang province. Xinjiang is one of the regions that many believe may attempt to separate from China, if there is any opportunity, political or military to do so. There are active separatist movements there, a large Muslim population that wants independence from Communist China, and they see the example of former Soviet republics of central Asia as evidence that independence is possible.
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August 10, 2008 :: J.E. Robertson :: No Comment Yet
The World Bank estimates that 750,000 people are killed each year by China’s impenetrable pollution problem; and 400 million people are expected to migrate to China’s already super-saturated metropoli by the year 2025. China is now burning one-third of the world’s coal for electric-power generation, and has opted to move its national transport infrastructure toward the automobile, a potentially catastrophic choice that could have a decidedly negative impact on health and economic wellbeing across the world.
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July 2, 2008 :: admin :: No Comment Yet
A 3-judge panel on the DC-circuit Court of Appeals has ruled against the evidentiary grounds on which the Pentagon has held Huzaifa Parhat, a Uighur Muslim from western China, for 6 years as an enemy combatant. The government argued it had grounds to hold Parhat because the charges they allege against him had been repeated in three secret documents; evidence supporting the claims has not been made public.
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May 16, 2008 :: jr3o :: No Comment Yet
16 May :: At least 50,000 people are believed dead in China’s Sichuan province, as the rescue mission extends beyond 72 hours; the massive quake, which included 8 to 10 aftershocks of roughly 5.0 on the Richter scale, caught many small cities unprepared; Chinese authorities have been quick to respond, and civilians are helping to […]
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April 23, 2008 :: staff :: No Comment Yet
23 April :: Zimbabwe opposition refuses coalition gov’t headed by Mugabe; Mugabe’s Zanu-PF says it is planning for runoff election, not power-sharing; Tsvangirai’s MDC says it won the vote already held and will not accept any arrangement where Mugabe remains in power…
Burgeoning Asian rice crisis attributed to economic planning focusing on modernization, devoting few […]
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April 10, 2008 :: admin :: One Comment
10 April :: ABC News reported yesterday that “In dozens of top-secret talks and meetings in the White House, the most senior Bush administration officials discussed and approved specific details of how high-value al Qaeda suspects would be interrogated by the Central Intelligence Agency, sources tell ABC News”; Rice chaired the meetings, as National Security […]
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March 31, 2008 :: admin :: No Comment Yet
Demonstrations against Chinese rule in Tibet turned violent in Nepal’s capital Kathmandu, yesterday, as police wielded bamboo clubs and beat demonstrators, including Buddhist monks and nuns. The UN has said Nepal’s harsh clampdown on Tibetan demonstrators violates international human rights law, including the right to peaceful assembly, as embodied in treaties signed by Nepal.
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March 24, 2008 :: admin :: No Comment Yet
24 March :: Australia’s gov’t is contemplating increases in food aid to poor regions, nations, after study of soarng food prices, mounting scarcity; SMH reports “A steep two-year rise in global food prices, which in Australia has triggered the Federal Government’s inquiry into grocery prices, has taken a heavy toll on poorer populations, particularly in […]
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March 22, 2008 :: admin :: One Comment
The Chinese government’s military crackdown on demonstrators in Tibet and in neighboring Chinese provinces has been intense, though foreign media have been unable to confirm reports of mounting death tolls. In Sichuan province, there are allegations of 23 killed by security forces in one incident, including a 16-year-old. Reports of mounting fear among civilians in Tibet and Sichuan have become common in recent days.
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March 16, 2008 :: admin :: No Comment Yet
Two days after peaceful demonstrations across Tibet turned violent in the capital Lhasa, the Reuters news agency has reported that the violent clashes between protesters and Chinese security forces have spread to neighboring provinces. Supporters of the Dalai Lama, the exiled spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists, say they have confirmed at least 80 deaths among demonstrators.
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March 15, 2008 :: admin :: No Comment Yet
International media reports say that sources in the Tibetan exile community, from India to New York, have confirmed that at least 30 civilian demonstrators were killed by Chinese security forces as they moved to end a demonstration in the Tibetan capital, Lhasa, on Friday. Demonstrations had begun on Monday, and for four days, reports suggest the majority of demonstrations were peaceful.
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March 13, 2008 :: admin :: No Comment Yet
13 March :: The Environmental Protection Agency plans to tighten standards for ground-level ozone pollution, reducing the maximum allowable from 84 parts-per-billion to 75 ppb over an 8-hour period; critics say “implementation could be decades away”, depending on regulatory procedure and court review; last year, an official review suggested maximum allowable ozone levels of 60 […]
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February 2, 2008 :: admin :: No Comment Yet
2 February :: Wash. Post reports “Two mentally disabled women strapped with remote-control explosives — and possibly used as unwitting suicide bombers — brought carnage to the two pet bazaars, in attacks Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said sought to ‘turn Baghdad back to the pre-surge period’”; at least 99 people were killed in the two […]
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January 14, 2008 :: admin :: No Comment Yet
14 January :: Israel, Palestinians have opened most extensive peace negotiations in more than 7 years, after US pres. Bush toured region in effort to accelerate talks; Reuters reports: “Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said she would keep details of her talks with former Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurie confidential, but later told parliament she […]
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January 13, 2008 :: admin :: No Comment Yet
13 January :: IHT reports from Beijing “Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of India will arrive in Beijing on Sunday for a three-day visit to China, with each country eager to increase bilateral trade, promote mutual friendship and offer reassurances that Asia is big enough to accommodate the ambitions of both rising powers”; the two nations […]
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January 5, 2008 :: admin :: No Comment Yet
5 January :: WSJ reporting “After a week of political stalemate and bloodshed, Kenyan president Mwai Kibaki said Saturday that he was prepared to form a government of national unity with the opposition, easing tensions between the two side and potentially setting the stage for negotiations to end violence that has so far killed at […]
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November 13, 2007 :: admin :: No Comment Yet
13 November :: New report by Congressional Joint Economic Committee says wars in Iraq, Afghanistan have already cost taxpayers $1.5 trillion over last 6 years, including long-term cost rises related to oil, veterans’ healthcare, borrowing… Bhutto again under house arrest, calls for Musharraf to resign office, form interim “coalition of interests” to govern in run-up […]
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November 7, 2007 :: admin :: No Comment Yet
7 November :: Benazir Bhutto has called on Pakistan pres. Musharraf to restore constitution, fix date for elections, step down as army chief, or she will lead mass demonstration in Lahore, march with thousands of supporters to Islamabad to repeat demands; police used force to put down pro-Bhutto rally outside parliament building in Islamabad… In […]
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October 28, 2007 :: admin :: No Comment Yet
28 October :: US southeast caught up in political conflict over scarce water resources; PhysOrg reports “Hoping to guarantee no one will go thirsty, Georgia authorities want to drastically reduce the outflow from a reservoir that supplies drinking water to three million people. But neighboring Alabama claims that would have devastating economic effects on its […]
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October 27, 2007 :: admin :: No Comment Yet
27 October :: China plans to spend $14.4 billion to clean up Lake Tai, 3rd largest fresh-water lake in country, affected by direct toxic dumping, rampant algal bloom that cut off drinking water to Wuxi, a city of 2.3 million; according to IHT “Lake Tai, known as China’s ancient “land of rice and fish,” is […]
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October 24, 2007 :: admin :: No Comment Yet
24 October :: More than 500,000 Californians have been evacuated as wildfires blaze out of control, more than 1,000 structures destroyed; firefighters admit they cannot control the fires, can only hope at present to protect people; Gov. Schwarzenegger has warned the White House the fires are too vast to be dealth with by state agencies… […]
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October 21, 2007 :: admin :: No Comment Yet
21 October :: Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani, has stepped down, allegedly over differences with Pres. Ahmadinejad; Iran gov’t says there is no rift among leadership, diplomats, Larijani will attend meeting with UN representatives to ease transition to new negotiator’s team… At least 9 casualties reported in PKK raid on Turkish forces near Iraqi […]
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October 16, 2007 :: admin :: No Comment Yet
16 October :: 1st official ‘baby-boomer’ begins collecting Social Security; as many as 80 million Americans from her generation will eventually collect the government pension payments… NY Times ‘The Caucus’ blog reports Hillary Clinton’s foreign policy would “Use both hard power and soft power; talk to your enemies and strengthen alliances with your friends; deal […]
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October 15, 2007 :: admin :: One Comment
15 October :: Unfilled vacancies in top-level executive-branch positions in US gov’t startlingly common, leaving multi-billion-dollar agencies without leadership; interim appointees can serve for up to 210 days with full authority, while approval of nominees runs through Senate, 462 days remain in Bush term as of today; IHT quotes Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA), ranking Republican […]
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October 11, 2007 :: admin :: No Comment Yet
11 October :: China plans to relocate some 4 million additional people to curb ecological fallout from massive reservoir, “irrational development”, ecological collapse around Three Gorges Dam; move comes after top officials, engineers at site warned gov’t the project could lead to “environmental catastrophe”; ENN reports “Environmentalists have long criticized the project, saying silt trapped […]
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October 3, 2007 :: admin :: No Comment Yet
3 October :: Guardian newspaper reports Sarkozy campaign against immigrants has led to police “storming” private residences, people falling from balconies —at least one woman killed, one youth in coma—, new underground network of conscientious citizens hiding children to prevent parents’ deportation, estimated 20,000 have joined ‘new resistance’ to prevent rounding up of neighbors… Intense […]
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September 28, 2007 :: admin :: No Comment Yet
28 September :: Shijiazhuang, a city of 2 million on the North China Plain has seen 11% growth, construction boom, even as irreplaceable aquifers are drying up, water tables fast dropping; as IHT reports, “China is scouring the world for oil, natural gas and minerals to keep its economic machine humming. But trade deals cannot […]
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September 27, 2007 :: admin :: No Comment Yet
27 September :: Reports emerge from Rangoon military junta has raided monasteries in effort to end pro-democracy rallies; UN Security Council has urged regime to meet with special envoy, China says it views Burma crisis as “internal affair”; reports suggest 70 monks were abducted from one monastery alone by security forces; junta has warned demonstrators […]
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September 23, 2007 :: admin :: No Comment Yet
23 September :: Sunday Times reports “Israeli commandos seized nuclear material of North Korean origin during a daring raid on a secret military site in Syria before Israel bombed it this month, according to informed sources in Washington and Jerusalem”; nuclear-related material not named, report also says Israel raid carried out with US backing… Newsweek […]
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September 20, 2007 :: admin :: No Comment Yet
20 September :: US Director of National Intelligence says China, Russia now spying on scale not seen since Cold War; claims comes as reports suggest China, India invovled in ballistic missile build-up, concerns over Asian arms race; Pentagon recently alleged its computer network was attacked by Chinese hackers… Israeli gov’t criticizes opposition leader Netanyahu for […]
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September 18, 2007 :: admin :: No Comment Yet
18 September :: North Korea’s gov’t says rumors it provided nuclear assistance to Syria are "conspiracy" designed to prevent its normalizing relations with the US… Russia, China have raised "alarm" over comments by French foreign minister Bernard Kouchner that the nation should prepare for war with Iran; Reuters reports "Kouchner sought, however, to play down […]
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September 15, 2007 :: admin :: No Comment Yet
15 September :: China has freed a New York Times reporter imprisoned for 3 years; Zhao Yan was detained in 2004 after reporting that Jian Zemin was likely to step down, the charge being the leaking of state secrets; Zhao had also reported on official abuses; China is currently holding 35 journalists and at least […]
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